One of my favorite holiday activities is … BAKING!

On the day I choose to bake our Christmas cookies I love enjoying the extra time in bed to review my cookie recipes; then its followed by burning the holiday candles, lighting up the Christmas tree, and playing Christmas music in the background.

This year I picked up three extra cookie recipes to add to my cornucopia of recipes. Just to confirm your suspicions …Yes… they do taste as good as they look on the picture.
(complete recipe and instruction by clicking on link)

–Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies (I used chili pepper in lieu of the cayenne … the flavor of the chili and black pepper added that extra holiday spice that gets you in the holiday mood)

–Citrus Trio Butter Dipping Cookies (the cream cheese gives these little treats incredible body)
Ingredients

* 1 cup unsalted butter, cool but not straight from the fridge
* 4 ounces cream cheese, cool but not straight from the fridge
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* Dash salt
* Finely grated zest from 1 lime
* Finely grated zest from 1 orange
* Finley grates zest from 1emon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. On the lowest speed, gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, just until blended. Divide the batter into 3 bowls, and gently stir in the different zests among the bowls, making 3 citrus flavored batters.

Scrape each batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip, or a sturdy plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe 2-inch long strips, about 2 inches apart, on a cold unlined baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the other batches.

Remove from the oven, and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing with a spatula to cool completely on baking rack. Serve with tea or coffee, or just nibble…addictive!

–Classic Shortbread Cookies

Music Downloads | Free All I Want For Christmas ringtone at EZ-Tracks.com

Daisy Says: Christmas cookies are not just for Santa.

There is this little hole in the wall Japanese Steak House in our city that for the last three years I’ve been making a mental note to go visit. Back in Fort Lauderdale by the Sea when we wanted to experience hibachi dining we’d go to Benihana – the building alone made you feel like you were being teleported to a Japanese village with its outdoor Japanese garden overlooking the water.

I wasn’t expecting much from Sho Gun since it is located in an open strip mall. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in. One could get the feeling of the cuisine with the Japanese art, as I looked to the left they had several hibachi stations and dining settings set around the cooking area so that the guests could see the chef in action. Towards the right side they had regular dining tables and booths for more traditional dining.

What I like about hibachi dining is that you get to see the transformation of your food from it’s raw state to it’s cooked aromatic deliciously warm state; the sizzling of the food and sharing of food with friends and strangers; as well as very animated Chef Wasabi who wowed us with his showmanship and culinary talents. More sake anyone?

Have you ever been to a restaurant that gave you a great dining experience?

Daisy Says: Do something different and discover a new place in town.

I love putting on some holiday music, lighting up the tree, donning my Santa hat and baking cookies. The warmth of the kitchen and the powdery mess of flour along with a delicious spiked cup of eggnog… ooh how wonderful!

Come, share with me your favorite Holiday activity.

Here’s my recipe for delicious Pecan Butter Cookies:

* 4 ounces of butter
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
* 1 cup sifted flour
* 1 cup chopped pecans

Preperation: Cream butter and stir in vanilla. Gradually work in confectioner’s sugar and flour. Add chopped pecans and work into dough. Pinch off dough and roll to form balls about the size of a quarter. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 315′ for 15-18 minutes. Roll Pecan Cookies in confectioners sugar while still hot. Makes about 2 dozen delicious Pecan Butter Cookies.

Daisy Says: Homemade with Love.

This weekend we dropped off over 400 pounds of food at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

This effort was possible through our first ‘Autumn Food Drive’ via The Helpful Hands Foundation. It was a team and community effort along with support from Publix Food Market who provided the bags and Second Harvest Food Bank who distributed the food in the Orlando Florida area.

Last month I ran across an article where the Mayor of Orlando Buddy Dyer mentioned that the the food bank supplies were running low. It seemed like a great opportunity for team camaraderie and goodwill – the team at The Helpful Hands Foundation loved the idea and immediately we went to work. It also allowed us an opportunity to let the community know of our Foreclosure Prevention Porgram as well.

Special thanks to the Orlando THHF team! “you Rock!”

Daisy Says: People working together can make a difference.

I read an article “The Art of Seducing Out of Fullness” by Christine Akiteng and I do agree with her discussion about noticing how people eat and how it can give you a mental picture of how they pontentially express themselves in other sensuous areas of their lives.

I am one of those people that do pay attention to ‘minor’ details and believe that it is the mastery of details that refines us and transfers into how we do things on a larger scale.

I found the article noteworthy to share with you….and if for one second makes you think when you are at the table… sitting with that special someone. As you become more conscious how you can use every situtation to attract what you want you too will begin paying attention to what messages you send when you eat. (and the messages that are being sent to you)

I had a male friend once say… he likes taking girls on an icecream date and watches to see if they chose a milkshake or an icecream… (the rest of the conversation I leave to your imagination – *big grin*)

Here are some tidbits:

Let’s just say if he or she is mindlessly shoveling mouthfuls of food into his or her mouth, or is a fussy eater, he or she will generally be mechanical or finicky in other areas as well — if you know what I mean.

You can learn a lot about people when you watch them eat and you can also completely blow a man or woman’s mind and turn him or her so ON watching the way you eat.

Men and women who’ve taken time to really learn the subtle but very powerful art of seducing the opposite sex know how to use even this seemingly very instinctive every day activity into an experience that gets the opposite sex all warm and fuzzy in the right places.

When it comes to using the eating experience to seduce a man or woman, don’t rush anything. Let me say that again, PLEASE, DO NOT RUSH A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G! Take time to tease, coax and play with every single sense — his/hers and yours. Freeing up your capacity for sensuousness lifts you above the mundane.

Daisy Says: Let’s eat!