Been a While

I know it has been a while since I have posted about recipes on here.  It has been hell month for November.  I don't want to have to repeat that month ever again, if I can help it.  One of my family members was diagnosed with an aggressive new form of cancer that can't be treated and in 6 weeks time, it did him in.  I was sitting vigil at the hospice for several weeks with family members.  I even baked some dressing cupcakes since they were asked for by my family member as a last meal kind of thing.  We were trying to make him things that he kept asking for.  He really wanted turkey and dressing.  So, one day I came home and made a batch of dressing cupcakes for him.  I used my Dad's recipe for the dressing and it was a big hit.  My sister did tell me later on that he ate every single one of those cupcakes.  I am glad that something was able to make him happy in those last moments of his life. 

I haven't been in the mood to bake at all.  Then it happened last night, I was going through my Aunt's recipe box.  I inherited it, I don't even know how I managed to get it. I did though and it has some of her best recipes with the exception of her coconut meringue pie.  Oh my word, that pie is so damn good, it can make a grown person cry.  I would love to have that recipe, I am going to have to find out who has it.  Anyway, I was going through her recipe box since someone wanted the gum drop cookie recipe.  So, I knew that if I looked in her box, it would be in there.  Sure enough, it is in there and I shared the recipe with my niece.  I actually put it up on the family message board.  I put several others on there as well and then someone asked that question about that coconut roll.  We have been trying to find this recipe for years.  I just know what I was told by my Aunt.  Coconut, sugar and heavy cream.  That is all that she ever told me about it.  I knew that it wasn't made with kolache dough.  No way, it would never turn out. It is made with strudel dough.  Yep.  Now to find the time to make one. 

The recipe I have pretty much says that the strudel dough will make 4 strudels.  Okay.  I guess I am going to be rolling dough if I decide to make this thing.  The fun part is finding the time.  I am cleaning my house since I have the family Christmas here this year.  I admit, scrapbooking has taken over my dining room table.  Yarn is all over the living room.  I am going to try and corral my hobbies.  Then I have fabric sitting in a box, it needs to go upstairs to my office.  My sewing machine needs to make it's way up there as well.  See, fun time ahead for me. 

Hubby did make a pizza crust with cauliflower.  It was surprisingly good.  I was shocked.  His faux potatoes weren't good at all.  I am sorry, I have to have mashed potatoes, cauliflower just doesn't do it for me. 

I did make mashed sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and it was so simple.  I used brown sugar and butter in the water when I boiled them.  I had peeled them and chopped them up and threw them into a pot and boiled them until they were soft.  I drained the water, added more butter, and then added two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.  I mixed them up and they were tasty. 

I also made a pumpkin pie that was sugar free and it was tasty!  I subbed in my Xyla and used a whole can of evaporated milk.  Hubby couldn't even tell that it was sugar free.  :)  Sadly, the crust was carby.  I figured that since it was Thanksgiving and I wanted pie, I would have to live with the crust. 

Hopefully, I can share some recipes soon. I plan on making cookies that are better for me this year.  I will be using my spelt flour instead of the all purpose stuff.  The spelt flour gives my baked goods a very nutty flavor.  Sometimes that is nice.