Christmas baking made easier and more fun

The past five or so years, my sister and I have found a neat way to enjoy our Christmas baking even more. Every year we have gotten together and made some of the cookies. We usually only do four different kinds and we only bake enough to make about four dozen (which is usually just one batch of dough). It is easier however, when you are making it together and sharing time with each other as you do it.
Today the three girls and I went over my sisters house to do the annual baking. We figured it might be easier to spend a girls day baking then to do it here with the boys running around and wanting to help. We made peanut blossoms, thumbprints, butternut balls (similar to what some people call Russian tea cakes) and snickerdoodles. We baked the snickerdoodles and butternut balls but froze the other two kinds in cookie sized balls to bake later. We each went away with 8 dozen cookies to share and lots of good conversation.

How to cook rice the easy way

I had my husband's siblings over for lunch one Sunday in February. I had the main meal in the crock pot (chili) but wanted to serve it over rice. My problem was, how to get brown rice cooked and ready in a short time so that we could eat as soon as we came home from church? Here is what I did-

Take a pot and add to it the brown rice and water needed for your recipe. Put the lid on and heat it up till it boils. Turn off the stove, take your pot and place it in the microwave (leave the lid on). Go off to church and when you come home your rice will be ready for you!

I cooked a full 2#s of rice this way. It was in the microwave for a good four hours. It may not need that much time to sit but that is how long we were gone to church. The microwave acts as an insulator so that the water stays hot long enough to cook the rice. I know someone who uses the same method to make yogurt.

Word of warning, do *not* turn the microwave on!

Go see Tammy for more kitchen tips.