Erik HOMEMADE Coffee Break eZine

Pear and Black Walnut Quick Bread recipe

Pear and Black Walnut Bread recipe

Delicious subtle flavors of Fall blend together in this moist quick bread. Use firm pears that are not too ripe...black walnuts impart just the right depth.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups pears, pared, cored, and chopped

1/2 cup black walnuts, chopped, if desired

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, wisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla and cinnamon, blending well. Gently fold in pears and black walnuts. Add flour mixture a little at a time until well blended and smooth; batter will be thick. Turn and press into prepared loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until bread tests done with a toothpick. Remove pan and cool on its side on a wire rack. Do not slice until completely cool. Top with glaze below.

For the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1-2 tablespoons milk. Add milk as needed to make desired consistancy; stir until smooth and drizzle over cooled bread.

Serves 6-8

To print a copy of this recipe for your Erik HOMEMADE® cookbook, click here->Download Pear and Black Walnut Bread recipe

Another recipe in our Harvest Treats series!

Pumpkin Stencils for charity at BHG.com!

If you are large on pumpkins and need an idea for carving, the folks at Better Homes and Gardens have lots of great ideas using easy to download stencils with the proceeds being donated to several charities! For more information and to view the charity stencils, visit BHG.com! 

Halloween 2011 is on its way!

Bats on Orange scrapbook paper by the Paper Studio © 2011

Halloween is Monday, October 31st: time to get your SPOOKY on!

Halloween 'Crime Scene Handprint' Drinking Glass craft project

Bloody Handprint Drinking Glass

Opaque glass paint and your own handprint will add a little spooky fun to any plain drinking glass! Quick and easy-to-make leave these glasses a Halloween necessity. We purchased our glasses at the dollar store and decorated several.

To make each glass you will need

desired size drinking glass, made of glass

rubbing alcohol, to clean glass

waterbased paint for glass, red

dish soap, large wide paint brush, small round paintbrush, soap and water, paper towels, newspaper, oven

 

Wash glass with dish soap and dry. Wipe surface of glass to be painted with rubbing alcohol. Make sure glass is free of streaks and allow to dry.

Cover work space with newspaper. With large wide brush, paint palm of hand with red paint. Working quickly while paint is wet, grasp glass in desired location. Press palm firmly against glass to get a good impression. Carefully remove hand from glass. *Wash hand in soapy water to remove paint. Touch up any places on the handprint with small round paintbrush. With the same brush, add dripping "blood" from fingerprints, as seen in the photograph. Allow paint to dry. Bake glass in oven according to manufacturer's instructions on the paint label.

Hand wash painted glass in mild soapy water.

*For the best results, we found it better to wash our hands after each impression, starting with a clean hand for each glass.

Sources: Drinking Glass: Dollar Tree: Paint; Americana Gloss Enamel (Tuscan Red) by DecoArt.

To print a copy of these instructions, click here->Download Halloween Crime Scene Drinking Glass craft project

 

Halloween Party 'Eye' Picks craft project

Halloween Party 'Eye' Picks

Who is watching who this Halloween? Your party guests will be sure to feel the stare of a million eyes with these clever little peeper-picks! We found our "eyeball" beads at the craft store, hanging on a string, staring us in the face.

To make the picks you will need

small beads that resemble eyeballs

round wooden toothpicks, 1 for each bead

tacky-type craft glue, paper towels (for wiping glue), nail clippers

 

Dip the end of each wooden toothpick into a small amount of tacky craft glue. Place a bead onto the glue covered end of the tothpick. Push the bead down as far as it will go on the toothpick. Wipe off excess glue with a paper towel. Allow glue to dry thoroughly. Snip the protruding end of the toothpick, even with the bead, with nail clippers.

Use as serving picks for hor d'oeuvres, cocktails, sandwiches, and anywhere else you like; advise your guests that these picks are not to be eaten!

To print a copy of these instructions, click here->Download Halloween Party Eye Picks craft project

1 Yard Tea Towels Tutorial

1 Yard Tea Towels Tutorial sewing project

One yard of fabric turns into 2 tea towels in this easy-to-follow tutorial! These towels are the perfect project to teach a budding new sewer or the perfect housewarming or hostess gift for the holidays. Be sure and save a set for yourself; they are so easy to make! We used Ellen Krans' CUPCAKE A DAY print since this project is excellent for large scale fabrics with a one way design.

Gather your supplies before you sew

To make 2 matching towels you will need

1 yard of 100% cotton fabric, 44/45-inches, washed, dried , and  pressed

88 inches of coordinating trim: rick rack, bias tape, etc

8 inches of cotton twill tape

thread to match trims and towel fabric

glue stick, scissors, iron, ironing board, sewing machine

                                                                                             Prepare to rip the fabric

**In order to keep the towels on the "straight of grain" we suggest ripping the fabric into rectangle. By ripping the fabric, it will stay square. If you are uncomforable ripping your fabric, you may use a rotary cutter and mat to get similar results. Be careful to keep the fabric square as you cut the two towels.

Prepare the first rip by clipping into the left side of your fabric as shown above. Clip about 3/4-inch into the fabric, just past the selvedge in the body of the fabric. Grasp the fabric on both sides of the clip and rip apart. Your fabric should easily split on the grain line up the entire side of the fabric.

Repeat for the right side.

 
Left selvedge removed

Your fabric will leave a few little loose threads along the lengt; pull them off and discard them.

Bottom and top of fabric ripped and ready

Repeat the same process of clipping and ripping on the bottom edge of fabric as well as the top edge. When the fabric was cut at the store, it may not be entirely square. Be sure to take care and rip acros the entire width of the fabric. If you rip at a slight angle, do not worry. Simply clip a little higher up on the side and rip again. Repeat until you are able to rip the whole width. Repeat for the top edge of the fabric.

Make 2 towels from the width of fabric (wof)

You now have a rectangle that should be on the stright of grain. You may notice a little distortion along the rips and in the corners. Not to worry, that will be trimmed off or hidden in the hems. Fold the rectangle in half, along the wider side, and clip as shown. Rip up where this clip is, ripping the rectangle in half making two equal pieces. These are your two towels. (From here we will show how to make one towel...simply repeat for the second towel).

Folding the bottom hem

With a hot iron (set to fabric type) press the bottom hem 3/4 up as shown.

Fold and glue hem for sewing

Fold raw edge of fabric down into the previously pressed hem. Use glue stick to hold the hem in place. Pass the iron over the glued area. This will dry the glue and make it easier and cleaner to sew through with the sewing machine needle.Be careful not to let the iron touch the glue. If it does you will need to clean your iron with a clean rage and some hot water.

Repeat the same procedure for the top hem.

Add the hanging loop

Cut the 8-inch length of cotton twill into two 4-inch pieces. Carefully glue one length under the top hem as shown aligning one edge along the side and the other under the hem. Pass the hot iron over the glued end.

Bottom sewn!

Carefully machine stitch the bottom hem in place.

And now for the top hem

Machine stitch the top in place.

Apply the trim

Using glue stick, apply the trim pieces, about 2 inches above the bottom hem, and press with a hot iron. Make sure the iron is the right temperature for the trim! Many trims can not support high temperatures. Turn the heat down if needed.

Sew the trims in place

With matching thread, sew the trims in place.

Trim

Trim off any overhanging pieces with scissors.

Press side hem

With a hot iron, press one side hem as you did with the other two hems. Be sure to fold the hanging loop in with the hem. Press a 1/2-inch fold.

Glue in place

Fold fabric over and glue stick in place as shown. Pass a hot iron over the fold to dry the glue and hold the fold in place.

Repeat

Repeat for other side of towel. Keep the corners square and the folds even. The glue sitck will help keep everything in place!

Stitch side hems in place

Stitch both side hems in place and one towel is done! Repeat the steps above for the second towel.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

"The wings of hope carry us, soaring high above the driving winds of life." --Ana Jacobs

pink ribbon fabric by Karen Neuburger for Quilting Treasures ©2009

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Check your community's calendar for events and fundraisers in your area...strides in breast cancer are strides in all cancers.

Slow Cooker Apple Pork Loaf recipe

Slow Cooker Apple Pork Loaf recipe

Ideal for a busy day, this meatloaf satifies the heartiest of appetites! Choose tart green apples, like Grannysmith, that support cooking; slice them after you put the meat mixture together so they don't brown. Leaving them unpeeled assures they will hold thier shape.

Ingredients

1 egg

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, grated

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2-3 tablespoons fresh sage, minced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup water

1 pound ground pork

1 pound lean ground beef

3 firm tart medium apples, unpeeled, cored, and sliced

In a large bowl, beat egg until lemon colored. add onion, carrot, cornstarch, salt, pepper, ginger, sage, brown sugar, and water; mix well. Add ground pork and ground beef; mix until well blended. Mixture will be loose. Allow to stand while preparing apples. Place a layer of sliced apples in the bottom of cold slow cooker. Add a layer meat mixture. Add another layer of sliced apples; add another of meat mixture. Top with a layer of sliced apples. Cover and cook on LOW 6-7 hours, or until meat is fully cooked. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Click here to print a copy of this recipe for your Erik HOMEMADE® cookbook->Download Slow Cooker Apple Pork Loaf recipe

First in our series of delicious autumn recipes!

Beefy Sweet Pickle Bites recipe

Beefy Sweet Pickle Bites

Roast beef and sweet pickle combine in these tasty little nibbles! The sweet chili and cream cheese adds just enough zip; we use it as our filling, but you could also use it as a delicious stand alone spread. Either way, serve this icy cold for the best flavor!

Ingredients

8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 green onions, minced

whole sweet pickles, well drained and patted dry

deli-sliced roast beef, one slice for each pickle

1-2 teaspoons of milk, if necessary

In a medium bowl, cream together softened cream cheese with chili powder and sugar; mix thoroughly. Mixture should be like cake frosting; if mixture appears too stiff or that it will be difficult to spread, add milk one teaspoon at a time until mixture is of desired consistancy, but not too thin. Add green onion and mix well. Spread about two tablespoons of cream cheese mixture onto a slice of roast beef. Roll drained pickle in prepared roast beef, jelly roll style. Chill well. Slice rolled pickles and place onto serving plate; keep slices in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with toothpicks.

Serves 6-8

**Although this sweet chili filling brings out the best in the roast beef and pickle, you can also use it for a tasty spread on crackers! Simply mix together the first four ingredients and chill. Add a bit of milk if the spread is too thick; spread onto crackers adding a well drained sweet pickle chip for garnish.

Click here to print a copy of this recipe for your Erik HOMEMADE® cookbook->Download Beefy Sweet Pickle Bites recipe

Another recipe in our Summer Food series

It's Our 3rd Birthday!

 
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