Strawberry Jam with Vanilla Bean

It's is, at long last, Jam time again! These berry gems are soon to be jeweled jam wonder in a jar.

Except this time I'm doing a little something I haven't ever done before. I'm adding a split vanilla bean to the fruit while it cooks.

I actually chopped up strawberries to make 10 cups, added 2 cups of sugar, threw in a split vanilla bean (not scraped), stirred it all up and let it macerate for about 5 hours. (I went to see The Great Gatsby in the theater in the mean time. Great movie, I very highly recommend it. I saw the 3D version. Beautiful...)

Now about vanilla beans: I had always boycotted them. They were freaking outrageously expensive. $10-$20 for 2 vanilla beans? I ask you...what in heaven's name makes them think they can charge this kind of money for a flavoring ingredient? Especially when there's very nice high quality vanilla extract that will last you so much longer? People work hard for their money! And all these recipes that call for it. It just made me sad. But...for this, I gave in. For this, since I'm making a yield of something that will last my family for months, I decided I would spend the money. I was not disappointed.

I boiled the whole fruit for 15 minutes (along with the zest and juice of one large lemon), used an emersion blender to puree most (but not all!!) of the fruit, and then added 2 packets of liquid pectin. I boiled it for 10 more minutes, and all along the process skimmed off the foam.

 

You can see the vanilla bean seeds there on the side of my pot. Lovely. BTW I discarded the vanilla pod just before I used my emersion blender.

Into the jars they went and I processed them for 20 minutes. 20 minutes is correct...for me. I live at a high altitude. Many people don't know this but if you live at high altitudes you have to process longer or your jars won't seal (because of the lower boiling point.) At my altitude I have to process for 10 minutes longer than what is called for in the recipe. How do I know this? I followed the table provided by Ball in the back of my "Complete Book Of Home Preserving." But you can also refer to this site.

I removed the jars and placed them on a cooling rack. As I sit and write this, I just heard them "ping." Exciting.

 

Finished product. Perfect!

This recipe was adapted from Food In Jars, one of my favorite sites for canning tips and recipes. Get the recipe here.

 

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My New Favorite Cookbook

Those who know me well are familiar with my total obsession with cookbooks.  They make me happy.  When I get a new one I read it line by line, cover to cover, often within one day. I read the measurements, the prep time, the step by steps. I'm fascinated by the different ways the authors create "spicy," or flavor their cakes, or construct a casserole; or what they consider to be casual or elegant.   For instance, take the word "spicy" for example: some use dried spices, some use fresh assorted peppers, some like chipotles in adobe, some like to remove the seeds and membranes of their peppers and some don't, some roast their peppers, some mince them up.  You get my meaning.  This is the stuff that makes the world go round...or at least makes my world go round...or makes my head go round.  (Or no, that makes me sound like I need an exorcist...so never mind.)

I discovered Ree Drummond, otherwise known as The Pioneer Woman, about a year or two ago after I saw her first book on the shelf of a Barnes and Noble.  I thumbed through it and put it back on the shelf.  But it held my attention and a couple days later I went back and bought it.  Here it is:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl

And as I normally do, I read it cover to cover in one day. As I did so, I really started to connect with the recipes and stories in the book. They reminded me of the way my Grandma Cleeta Sterling used to cook, and all the stories I heard about her cooking for the farm hands and cowboys, and how she could cook for a huge crowd in a minute's notice. The recipes in the book were simple and things one could find at a country picnic...the way I eat. She is also a talented self-taught photographer, and her beautiful photos of ranch life and her family are sprinkled all throughout the pages, intermixed with her fabulous photos of her recipes. She also tells in her cookbook how she started writing her blog The Pioneer Woman, which I logged onto immediately and was hooked. I still read it every day, along with half of America.

Anyway, I have found a new love. My husband, dear sweet thoughtful husband, bought me her NEW cookbook a couple weeks ago because he knows me well. And here it is folks:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks:  Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond

When her second book came out, I wanted it badly and, thanks to my fabulous husband, I now own.  And I am NOT disappointed.  Here's a little tour:

As always, there are fabulous photos of her life on the ranch:

Look at that kiddo!  Reminds me of pictures of my brother riding grandpa's ponies...except those were Shetland ponies. 

She has her ranch photos interspersed in with her step by step photos of her recipes...which I love.

I want her garden...

And the food?  Well...

I've already made this and it was sooo goooood!

And this I want right now...

And I can't wait to make this Summer Stir Fry...

And, hello...Cherry Limeade!  Yes please!

And I love her because she included this photo...

It makes me feel better about myself.  I sort of want her to be my best friend.

I didn't write this post for any other reason than because this cookbook moves me...both of them do.  You should go out and buy her cookbooks...and subscribe to her blog...it will enrich your life.

Never Have To Buy Green Onions Again!

I can always use a little help.

A few weeks ago, I was browsing on Pinterest and saw a pin on how you can grow green onions in your window sill.  (I didn't even repin it or "like" it so I don't have any means of giving it credit.  My apologies.) A few days later, I was cooking dinner and was about to throw away some root ends of some scallions, so I decided to try it. All I did was cut about an inch above the roots, and then stuck the roots in some water.  I just used mason jars. 

I'm not kidding when I say the very next day there were shoots growing straight up.  The above picture are the ones in my window sill.  The long shoots were about two inches long about a week and a half ago!  It works so well!  I just cut off what I need, as if they were growing outside in the garden.

I love Pinterest.  I am now a better person just because I pin...  (I pin therefor I am...)

Just kidding.  But I'm always learning something or other on there.  I highly recommend it.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These are strictly for a naughty, rebellious, luscious, breakfast indulgence.  And you need indulgences every once in a while, right?  Even Weight Watchers says so.

Working nights, I've had to teach my kids to be able to cook a few basic things so they can survive when I have to sleep during the day (topic for another post.)  So my adventurous sons wanted to learn to make pancakes.  So I taught them.  Don't worry, they're very versed on stove top safety...I've made sure of it!  A2 even reminds me sometimes if I'm doing something wrong...which I do...sometimes.  (Yes, I've started at least two fires in the recent past.)  Eh-hem...anyway...

So when I noticed one day that my chocolate chip stash in the freezer was depleting, I inquired of my dear sweet children if they were indeed sneaking them.  That was when my son, A2, informed me of his practice of adding them to his pancakes...and this recipe was born.

I tweaked a buttermilk pancake recipe from Southern Living Cookbook to make it.  Here goes:

First, whisk your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a good sized bowl.

Beat an egg...

and add it to your buttermilk and oil.

Add the liquid to the dry and whisk together well.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  (BTW, the things that look like coffee grounds are just broken-off chocolate bits from the bottom of my freezer container.)

Now, its important to oil up your pan real good. I used to use butter, but I would burn it too often...because my stove cooks a little hotter than the general public's stoves...hence the fires. (At least that's my story.) So I make sure the pan is good and hot over a medium heat and give it a good spray with nonstick cooking spray. A good generous spray. Also, I am short one good griddle at the moment, so I used a couple of little skillets. Worked just fine.

Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter on your preheated, oiled griddle or pan.  Make sure you stir up the batter between every pancake because otherwise the chips sink to the bottom and you'll end up with  plain buttermilk pancakes at first, and chocolate bars at the end.  Careful!

Cook it until it's bubbly on the top, and the sides look sort of dry.  Like this.  (Please excuse the picture quality.  I'm learning.)

FLIP!  Beautifully golden brown.  Cook the other side until its just as beautiful.

And pour on the butter and syrup.  Now, we only had maple syrup on hand, but how good would it be to top it with raspberry sauce.  Oh...yum...  Raspberry is perfect with chocolate...I think.  But its good with maple syrup too.

Thank you my Dear Son!

Here's the recipe: (And as soon as I figure out one of those services that makes a print-friendly version for blogs, I will get it on here.)

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Makes about 4 large pancakes or 8 small.

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butter, maple syrup, raspberry sauce, or toppings of choice

Combine first five ingredients, set aside.  Combine in a second bowl egg, buttermilk and oil.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until well moistened.  Stir in chocolate chips.

For each pancake, stir well and pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup onto a hot, greased griddle or pan.  Cook until tops are bubbly and edges are dry.  Turn and cook the other side.

Extra batter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Recipe doubles well.

The Secret to Pico de Gallo

Oh my.  Ohhh myyyy!  This is good.  So worth the effort.  I made this for my family yesterday...at 10:00 in the morning.  My kids don't get home until 3:00.  So it was just sitting there.  So I tried it.  I loaded it up on one of those Tostitoes "Scoops" chips...and was sent to some alternate mexican food, chip appetizer heaven.  Oh my.

I ate the whole bowl.  Sorry family.

This comes from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond's cookbook which I've recommended before.  Click here to see her web post on how to make it.  Between me and my husband, we've made it several times.  Sometimes its really good and sometimes there has been something not right.

First of all, Ree says that the foundation of good Pico de Gallo is that you absolutely have to have equal parts of tomates, onions, and cilantro.  The jalapenos are according to taste, as well as the lime juice and salt.  But the 3 equal parts of those main ingredients are THE secret! 

Lovely!  But I have a couple of non-negotiable rules to add.

Rule #1:  The tomatoes MUST be ripe and at room temperature! 

Tomatoes I have found taste better when not refrigerated.  Ever.  Period.  Cold tomatoes just aren't as flavorful.  If you're worried about them ripening and going bad, don't worry.  They last suprisingly long and the riper they are the better.  Also, when they are refrigerated they get that grainy texture that is meh...and that doesn't happen near as often when ripening at room temperature. All the better to have sun ripened tomatoes that you have grown yourself.  But if that's not your bag, just buy good tomatoes and let them ripen on your counter a couple days and they'll be perfect. 

Also, Ree likes roma tomatoes for this recipe.  I agree because they are firmer and cut up nicely, and the flavor is just different enough and is just the right thing for this recipe.

Rule #2:  Use SWEET onions!

Vidalia onions are the best, but around where I live they are only available in the late spring or early summer.  Sometimes I can find Walla Walla onions which are also good and sweet.  If these aren't available just use some good yellow onions or purple if they are sweet enough.  I just found that white and even some purple are just too pungent to eat raw.  My rule is: the sweeter the onion the better.

Rule #3:  Don't get Italian Parsley mixed up with Cilantro.

Yeah, I did that once.  I was sadly disappointed.

So here's the recipe...except it isn't anything too exact.  No real measuring required.  Just adjust the amounts according to how much you want to serve.  I usually make about 3-4 cups.

Ree Drummond's Pico de Gallo

Equal parts:
Tomatos, chopped
Onion, chopped
Cilantro, chopped

Add:
1-2 jalapenos according to taste, finely chopped
Juice of one lime
1tsp salt, more or less according to taste.

Toss together.  Eat as you would any kind of salsa, and go to Pico Heaven.

Oh My Goodnes! Sugar Cookies

OK, I have found my go-to sugar cookie!  This is the recipe that I will pass to my daughter!  This is the recipe that will mark my Christmas sugar cookie memory recipe.  This is the sugar cookie that will go down in Long family infamy!

It's soft, sandy, crumbly, buttery, sugary perfection. 

I got it from the Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook, which is, what I think, the book for which everyone should stop what they are doing right now and go out and buy this minute!  Wow, Wow WOW!

I would post the recipe, but I can't find it on her site!  I will post it as soon as I find it!  I don't want to infringe on her copywrite rights...or whatever.

UPDATE!  Click here for the recipe.

Meal Planning Freedom

As I grow older and more...experienced, I have come to know for a fact that meal planning is the key to prosperity.  Not just because it helps me get organized, save money, etc; but it causes, if ever so momentary, a feeling of control, of responsibility and accomplishment...no, no!...of being the mastermind, the boss, the queen!  Never again will I have to become nauseated and perplexed at the terrifying question, "Mom, what's for dinner?"  Oh, the liberation I have achieved!

The only problem is...doing it.  Actually taking the time to sit down and think through it and do it!  So, I will be posting my beloved meal plan creations every two weeks, just to keep me on track.  I will post them for myself, really.  But if there is anyone out there who would like to copy me...be my guest.  After all, that's exactly how I do it.  I copy from other bloggers, from cookbooks, and from the cooking channels.  Great stuff!

I will be posting these every two weeks as I make them (coinciding with my paydays), as well as keeping a log of them on a page that you can click on above so you and I can see previous weeks. I have linked any recipes that come from online places, and the others I will find a way of posting as well, perhaps on Google sites or here on my blog. I have been planning 10 meals for each two week period to allow for times that we want to eat out or use up leftovers.  Help yourself and cook with me!

(I had to revise this because, silly me, I forgot about the Holiday Weekend!  So, I added a pulled pork sandwich that my family can take on a picnic or something...since we don't have big plans.  I have to work that day.  I also changed some other meals because I had second thoughts, but I left the links for you.)

Meal Plan for Sept. 3-17, 2010

Chicken Tetrazini, Salad
Smothered Burritos
Fried Round Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus Green Peas with Crispy Bacon
Curried Chicken Pasta Salad, Cold Grapes, Pumpernickel Bread
Ree’s Breakfast Burritos (to go)
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, Mandarin Orange and Lettuce Salad
Greek Orzo Salad with Grilled Chicken, Crusty Bread
One-Pot Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
Three Pepper Pork Cutlets, Rice Pilaf, Fried Apples, Broccoli
Frozen Lasagna
Slow Cooker BBQ Pork, Memphis-Style Coleslaw, Potato Chips
Creole Jambalaya

Easy Grab Meals:
Canned Chile
Chicken Nuggets
Frozen Pizza

An Update: The Applesauce That Never Was

Oh, the trauma!

I recently wrote a post about my garden that mentioned my abundance of apples, and my ambitious plans for applesauce.  Here's what happened.

My son picked a paper bag full of beautiful apples from our backyard tree.  He brought them to me as I was reading Gone With The Wind in my bed.  With his eyes looking wide and proud, he showed me the bag of apples and said, "Can you make me some applesauce, Mom?  I picked these for you off of our tree.  They're really good, see?"  And he took a big juicy bite out of one of them. 

I smiled with the pride of a mother who's heart was full of the fulfillment that comes from a son who wants her to cook for him.

"Sure, honey.  We'll do it tomorrow."

So the next day, I made the proper preparations.  I found a recipe in my Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving, and prepared the apples for cooking. 

Aren't they beautiful?

Small, but beautiful.

As I cut into the first few, they were crisp and juicy.  I was gaining excitement with every peeling, with every slice.  Then, I cut into another one...full of insect eggs!  Something burrowed into the core, hollowed it out and made it into a huge insect nursery...for hundreds of babies!  Really, hundreds.

"OK," I thought.  "That happens, no big deal."  With a bit of hesitency, I picked up another, this time inspecting it for holes and other signs of "home-making."  It was perfectly intact.  I peeled it and cut into it...right through a worm...that wriggled in tortured mutillated agony!

I jumped, yelped, and dropped it. 

"What's wrong?" my son asked from the next room.

"Oh, nothing..."  I said, trying not to blemish his expectations.

I cut into another.  It was OK.  Another...perfect.  I was beginning to shake it off.

And then, I cut into another, a perfect unblemished specimen.  As I cut it in half, there was a dark place near the bottom of the core.  Was it a bruised spot, or just a bad spot? I brought it to my face to look closer, and a fat white worm popped up at me like, "BOO!"

That was it...I couldn't do it any more...especially since I threw it and was dancing around the kitchen and waving my hands in hysterics, "I can't do this!  Nope!  That's it!  I can't!"

You know, the produce at the grocery store is really great this time of year.

Jani's Peach Blueberry Cobbler

It's Summer...time for fruit cobblers!

This very special peach cobbler is fabulous!  I adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe to meet my more simple needs. One of the things that I believe strongly about cobbler is that it must have a buttery, sweet, crumbly biscuit topping...never pastry.  This one is perfect.  The biscuit portion can be used with any type of fruit you fancy.  I happen to love peaches in season.  The blueberries partner nicely with the sweetness of the peaches, and adds beautiful jewel-like color. The sprinkling of sanding sugar puts a spectacular boost on the finished dessert.  Just make sure your peaches are properly ripe.  I'm sure frozen peaches would be OK, but fresh is what I prefer.  No need for a lot of extra sugar.  There's not even a need for ice cream on the side...but by all means, indulge as you please!

Jani's Peach Blueberry Cobbler

Filling:
5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Biscuit Topping:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
sanding sugar for sprinkling

Toss peaches and blueberries together with all of the filling ingredients.  Pour into an 8X8 inch baking pan.  Set aside.

For the topping, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sugar.  Cut in butter until you have crumbles the size of peas.  In another small bowl combine cream and vanilla.  Add cream mixture to flour mixture. Stir until you have a soft, sticky dough. 

Spoon globs of dough evenly over the fruit.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  In fact, the more imperfect it is the better...its more rustic that way.  Brush the dough with a little cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes.

Let it cool a bit, but serve it warm with vanilla ice cream on the side...or just by itself.

Makes 6 generous servings or 9 small servings.

I'm Makin' Jam!

I'm makin' jam!!!
Remember that "Friends" episode where Monica said this and was rather obsessivly canning jam for days? Well, I'm not that bad but here I go! I'm learning the ropes of canning and what better way to do that than to try this recipe that my husband's cousin RaeAnn showed me from a site called Food In Jars. (There's a lot of good ideas on this site by the way!)

Click here for the recipe for Apple-Cranberry Jam.

So, first you have to wash all your jars and stuff in hot soapy water. I ordered a canner off of Amazon.com that was relatively inexpensive just because I didn't have a pot big enough to cover the jars with water. (Apparently, you can use a big stock pot and just use the jar lid rings in the bottom for a rack. But you have to be able to cover the jars with water by a couple inches at least.) It's good to have everything ready before you start. Once everything is clean, you have to preheat the jars and lids in hot water (180 degrees). You don't want to put hot jam in cold jars. Disaster.

Now it's time to assemble ingredients, which of course means the tedious job of peeling, coring, and slicing a ton of apples. I make short and easy work of the job with my Pampered Chef Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer and Apple Wedger. It took me about 5minutes to do all the apples this way and they were cut to a perfect size. Grate the lemons on a "carpenter's file" type fine grater, juice them, measure everything up and voila...you're ready to go. Wow! 6 cups of sugar seem like a lot! Now I know why jam is so many "points." Maybe this can be decreased, but cranberries are very tart...but the apples are sweet too so it's worth a try. If you try it, let me know how it works out!

Now into the pot and start cooking! Bring it to a boil over high heat. When it first reaches a good boil it will produce foam all over the top that needs to be skimed off. The pictures show the changes that the fruit goes through while cooking. I actually took a potato masher to it towards the end just to break up the fruit bits a bit. I cooked it for 30 minutes but I think it was a little too long because it turned out extremely thick! Not "syrupy" like the recipe describes. Maybe turn down the heat once you get a good boil going on.

Skimming off the foam.

Finished Jam!

Next, ladle into your hot jars and run a knife around the inside of the jar to get the air out. Apply your lids and lid rings.

Put your jars of jam into your canner and remember to fill it with water until the water covers the jars by a couple inches. Then process for 10minutes. Time the processing from when the water starts to boil. Voila! Beautiful ruby-colored jam perfect for gift giving!

That was fun! Now I'm off to make some Apple Butter!

Cranberries and Clementines

Well, what better to do on a lonely Tuesday afternoon than to bake something to lift your spirits! I know that there are those out there who agree with me. So here are my adventures in baking today.

I was strolling through the grocery store the other day and came across this beautiful special edition of "Ultimate Cookies" put out by Better homes and Gardens. It was so festive and fun looking...and since I had some dollars in my pocket, I decided that it had to come home with me.

So this afternoon when I was feeling bored, I decided I'd let the pages fall open and bake whatever it showed me. How perfect that a recipe for "Cranberry-Orange Pinwheels" was the first one I saw. (A link to the recipe is at the bottom of this post.) Being December, I just happen to have a couple bags of cranberries in the freezer (the ones they have by the barrel-full in the produce section this time of year.) No oranges on hand...the kids eat those as soon as I can get them home. But I have clementines! Why in the world do I have 5lbs of clementines in my fridge? I was a sucker for the sale price of a box of them...another seasonal abundance in the produce section. I figure they're in the same family as oranges...so we'll see how they turn out!

So, pecans, cranberries, and brown sugar go into the food processor to be finely chopped. Seriously, what would we do without a food processor? I know I would hate baking if I always had to chop up this kind of thing by hand all the time! The food processor made it so it took about...oh...30 seconds. This will be the filling. Honestly, in hindsight, I could have chopped them up even finer...to almost a puree. Next will be the dough.

The orange zest (or in this case clementine zest) goes right into the dough. I found that zesting a clementine is tricky. The skin is soft and it's easy to go right into the pith which is usually bitter. The dough is pretty typical for sugar cookies with a whole cup of butter (Yikes! Doesn't match with my weight loss plan. But you just can't substitute butter for margarine spread in cookies...unless it's at least 80% fat according to BHG. It just doesn't brown the same.) The dough has a real nice texture and a pleasing scent from the zest. My DS tasted a little hunk and said that it was good! I'm keeping my tasting fingers out!

Now, divide in half, pat each into a disk, wrap, and chill for an hour. Coffee break time! Maybe I'll plan dinner now... One-Pot Spaghetti sounds good. I got side-tracked so the dough chilled for 2 hours and was so firm I had to "thaw" it for about 20 min before I could roll it out.

I love how I can see the little pieces of clementine zest in the dough when I roll it out. I used a French rolling pin which I have found to be the best at achieving the shape and thickness I want. Also, I rolled out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. That way I use no flour to make a mess (which also can make the cookies tough); my wooden rolling pin doesn't stick to the dough, it doesn't get dirty, and I save having to use water to wash it which can cause damage. It saves so much work! And look at this little trick:

I often have trouble when I try to roll up dough (jelly-roll style) with it cracking as you can see. So I use the bottom piece of plastic wrap to lift the dough over as I roll to help support it and prevent cracking (sort of like they do when they make sushi rolls). Works like a dream!

So after making the two "logs" of dough, I wrapped them back in their plastic and into the fridge they went again. The recipe says to chill for 4 hours, but who has that kind of time? I haven't been following the recipe to the letter anyway. Maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours will be sufficient. It just has to be firm enough to slice without the cookies losing their shape. (OK, sidetracked again. They ended up chilling overnight!)

Next, slice them up about 1/4 in. thick and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. I always use parchement paper when I'm making cookies. Here's why:

I can go ahead and place all the next batches on separate pieces of parchement while the first batch bakes.

Then, I can slide them off the hot sheet all at once and stop the cooking. This is my secret to making the cookies soft. As long as they're on the hot sheet, they continue cooking, so it's important to get them off quickly! It's also totally non-stick.

Voila! 8 minutes in the oven and I have yummy, beautiful, tangy-sweet Christmas cookies! The house smells so good! The clementines worked just fine. They're delicious! I suppose if you like, you can drizzle powdered sugar icing over them, but I thought they were plenty sweet just how they are. Here's a link to the recipe:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/cranberry-orange-pinwheels/

Gotta love Better Homes and Gardens!

http://www.bhg.com/

Just in case you are wondering: Since these cookies can potentially spoil my weight loss goals, I tasted a small one (how can I post this unless I know that they are good?) and the rest I'm taking to a Christmas party so they can cheer and delight other people who can fit them in moderation into their food choices for the day! :)