Apple Picking Time Tablescape

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday and to Red Couch Recipes where we celebrate the beautiful color of red apples and green apples.  Yes, it is Apple picking time again:  is a little bit late here in Utah as June and part of July were unseasonably cold.  I relish this time of year -- how about you? 

If you would like, my 4-Pack of Girard Dressing giveaway is still open.  Click HERE to enter.

The tablesetting is simple.  Just some very versatile apple red plates along with my apple green salad plates and hob nail apple red bowls -- don't you just love hob nail?

These are A-Kane apples and they taste like biting into apple cider.  My father had an orchard and acquired an apple cider press.  Those were the days when he would be pressing fresh apples from the orchard!  The farmer sells them right on his front porch.  It is about 1-1/2 hours from where I currently live and just around the corner from my brother's home.  Yes, Fritz we did stop but you were off playing.  Every year we make the trip back to buy some apples from him.

A view of the Mums.

Of course I brought you some sweets -- some marbled-apple cookies.  I made these for my church Activity Day girls and for my daughter's teacher for "Back to School" night.

Apple Picking Time Tablescape Information

Placemats, Apple Red Dinner Plates, and Flatware:  Wal-Mart

Green Apple Salad Plate:  Smith's Grocery Store

Apple Red Hob Nail Bowl:  Michael's Arts and Crafts

Apple Red Goblets:  Costco

Red Plaid Napkins:  K-Mart

Napkin Rings:  Style Sisters

Grab a cookie before you go and thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes.

Patriotic Popcorn Bars

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes!

Looking for a 4th of July treat that you can whip up in minutes and is sure to please your kids?  These popcorn balls fit the bill.  They are over-sized, fun and tasty.  If you have been around my blog at all, you know that I like to create with Jell-O; these popped into my mind the other day.

To make these giant-sized bars, you make the Jell-O popcorn recipe three times with three different flavors of of Jell-O.  I used cherry, berry blue, and lemon Jell-O.  I also used a dab of food coloring in the cherry and berry blue batches; this is optional.

Jell-O Popcorn Recipe

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 small package Jell-O ( 3 ounce size)

Popcorn -- I used my air pop popcorn maker -- it makes 12-13 cups of popcorn.

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Pop popcorn and place in large bowl.  Place syrup, sugar, and Jell-O in small sauce pan.  Stir well then bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute.  Do not over boil as the mixture can turn hard. Pour over popcorn and mix well until the popcorn is covered with they syrup mixture.  Butter your hands and put popcorn in large baking pan and press firmly and tap popcorn down into pan.

Layer the popcorn flavors in a large pan.  My 13x 9 x2 was too small so I put them in a roaster pan.  Make sure you butter the pan.

Turn pan out on parchment or waxed paper.

Cut into large blocks.  I used both a serrated knife and an electric knife -- this was the only semi-difficult thing to do as the bars are very thick.

I thank you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes and I hope you make these for someone you love.

Posted with the following:  Sweets for a Saturday, Weekend Wrapup, Made By You Monday, Wow Us Wednesdays

Time to Remember: Memorial Day Tablescape

Memorial Day is a Time to Remember, a time to reflect on those who have served in military service and lost their lives.  It is also a time to remember those who have lost their loved ones.  In my youth, Memorial Day festivities would always involve a visit to the cemetary to place or plant flowers at the graves of our loved ones.

I am sorry but I give up on commenting tonight; I am not successful.  Hope Blogger gets this fixed.

Thanks to all of you for the Birthday Wishes.  I am trlly blessed!  I received a couple of early birthday presents yesterday.  I went to bed last night smiling because we just found out that my son got a decent grade -- better than I hoped for-- in his Algebra II class; he had been struggling this past quarter and I was worried.  Tomorrow is their last day of school and I am sooooo happy.  Then, the Betty Crocker Facebook page linked to my Patriotic Groove Cookies yesterday.  I received around 7,000 pageviews as a result of their link.  Just goes to show you that "Betty" is still a very popular gal!

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Today I set a Memorial Day table in my favorite colors of red, white, and blue; in fact I think red, white, and blue can be used all summer long; I plan to :).

Lots of RED going on here which gives the table lots of energy. 

Week Number Four using the Red Pots :), but who is counting?

I love bandanas as napkins, how about you?  They are inexpensive and soft to the touch.

Thanks for dropping by my Red Couch to view my Memorial Day Tablescape.

Table Information:

Wal-Mart:  Placemats, Red Plates, Blue Floral Salad Plates, Bandanas, Flatware

Michael's:  Red "Hobnail" -- on clearance for 50 cents each

Sister-in-Law Camille:  Star Plates

Red Goblets:  Costco

Posted with the following parties:  Tablescape Thursday

Patriotic Groove Cookies

Let's hear it for the Red, White, and Blue!

I have been cookie crafting a bit in the kitchen recently and I came up with these Patriotic Groove Cookies.  Don't you think they would make a splash on your Memorial Day or 4th of July Table? 

Patriotic Groove Cookies

Recipe and Instructions

1 cup sugar

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Red and Blue Coloring

Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract, and egg. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well incorporated.  Divide dough in three equal parts.  Leave one part uncolored for the white dough; color one part of dough with red coloring; color another part of dough with blue coloring.  Form all three dough parts into rounds.  Then flatten into disks.  and cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Sometimes I cheat and place the rounds in the freezer for about 20 minutes.  Take dough and combine the three colors to make a cookie, about tablespoon size or a little larger.    Place cookie dough balls on baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for about 5 minutes.

Notes:  I loaded my colors into a cookie scoop, but you could just press the colors together to make them.  If you DO use a cookie scoop, make sure you clean the scoop out, with a paper towel, after you form each cookie so that the colors won't transfer.  The cookie recipe is from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook.  I have used this basic recipe many times in my cookie crafting.

The Three Doughs

Loaded in the Cookie Scoop

 "There’s a dear old flag floating over land and sea

And beneath its folds all men alike are free

Tis the emblem of a righteous liberty
The old red, white, and blue."

Partial lyrics to the song, "The Old Rd, White, and Blue."

Cooling...Almost Ready to Eat

Thanks for dropping by my Red Couch!  I hope you will add some pizazz to your Memorial Day or 4th of July table with these cookies.

Posted with the following:

Made By You Monday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Take-A-Look Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesdays

Bold and Bright Red and Turquoise Tablescape

I think I am in love!  Yes, it's bold and it's bright and it screams at you, but I love combining turquoise and red.  Warning:  Brightness alert, please use your sunglasses.

I  made you some cookies to match.  We pack home lunches for our children; many of my creations go in their lunches -- some of the cookies, such as these, are conversation starters at lunch.  Click HERE for the posting on these cookies.

Here's the simple place setting.  I love the  "hobnail"- style bowls.  I found them on clearance at Michael's around Valentine's Day (50 cents).  The coral napkin rings give a nice POP to the table.  The turquoise plates were a Dollar Store find several years ago.

Another view of the table featuring the cookies lollipops.

For those with a good memory -- YES, this is the third week in a row I have used the red pots as a centerpiece -- YIKES!  The red pots inspired me as one night we were dining on the deck with these turquoise plates and I loved the look of the red and turquoise together.  It was a serendipitous moment - don't you just love that word?

Here's my bubble shot view; I like to view my world through a bubbly glass ;).

I hope you enjoyed my RED and TURQUOISE TABLE today.  Thanks for dropping by my RED COUCH! 

Posted at Tablescape Thursday, I'm Lov'n It, Wow Us Wednesdays

Jello-O Lollipop Cookies

Welcome to my Red Couch.  Bright, festive, and tasty would describe these Jell-O Cookies.  They are flavored with blueberry and cherry Jell-O and I love the turquoise and red colors together.  They just remind me of the bright days of summer that will surely come; even though Spring has been a bit cold in my neck of the woods.

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to craft with cookies. These were made with a Wilton Cookie Pop mold; if you don't have a mold, you could easily make them without a mold..  Check out my sidebar listing to see other Jell-O kitchen crafts.

Recipe for Jell-O Lollipop Cookies

3/4 cup butter or shortening

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 (3 ounce) package of Jell-O -- I used cherry and blueberry and split the packages in half.

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients, except Jell-O.  If using two flavors of Jell-O, as I did, halve each Jell-O package and the dough and incorporate the different Jell-O flavors in each half of dough.  If using Wilton Cookie Pop molds, just press dough into molds -- one half of each flavor.  You may need to add a tad bit of flour to make the dough a bit more usable.  If not using Cookie Pop Molds, roll  dough into balls (at least 2 tablespoons) and flatten, and then insert sucker stick.  For the sucker stick to hold, make sure your cookie is somewhat thick.  Bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Add about 2 more minutes if using the Wilton Cookie Pop Molds.  To help insure the sucker stick will stay in place, don't short the baking time.

Thanks for dropping by.

I posted with these fun parties:

Made By You Monday, Link Party Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Wow Us Wednesday, Show and Tell, Foodie Friday, I'm Lov'n It, Take-A-Look Tuesday

Apple Cookies for Teacher Appreciation Week

Welcome to my Red Couch!

Hi everyone.  It's the end of the school year and I made a treat for Talley's teacher.  Her 4th grade teacher has been so great this year.  She has loved her and encouraged her to excel.  Thank you Mrs. Anderson.

The only trick to these cookies is to make sure you make the hole for the worm before you bake the cookies.  I used the end of a large wooden spoon.  After baking, I needed to work a little bit to get the gummy worm in.

I love sugar cookies!

Posted with the following:

Home Sweet Home, Designs by Gollum, Feature Yourself Friday, I'm Lovin' It, Fun With Food Friday, Weekend Wrapup, Masterpiece Monday, Made By You Monday, Wow Us Wednesdays

Happy Mother's Day Table

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes and to my Mother's Day Table.

My mother used to have a set of transferware; I think it was blue willow.  My transferware is  Brook Pink by Churchill.

Here I have added a little hobnail bowl.

My centerpiece is a threesome of little plants in red pots.  My mother loved plants.

I set the table out on our deck.  My mother loved the outdoors so it is fitting that the Mother's Day table is set on the deck.  She loved feeding and watching the birds.  There were two pairs on binoculars, for bird watching, in our home.  One in the front and one in the back -- she didn't want to miss a bird.

I am not sure what my mother's favorite color was, but I know that she liked bright vibrant colors.  She would have liked this table; I set it in red as it is my favorite color.

Another view of the plants.  There are two geraniums and a lemon thyme.  I have never had a lemon thyme plant before; their scent is so seductive.

Just another happy little view.

A napkin view.  I have used the Style Sisters napkin rings very frequently on my tables.

Dearest Mother (we always called her Mother).  You have been so missed these past 21 years though I know you are looking over us.  I often wonder what could have been if you were here. 

So to all mothers who have loved, sacrificed, worried, worked, laughed, nurtured, and sorrowed, I wish you a Happy Mother's Day.

Posted at Tablescape Thursday

If Life Gives You Not So Sweet Strawberries -- Make Some Jam

A local store had nice looking strawberries for a good price the other day, but when I brought them home I was disappointed in their taste -- they weren't sweet at all.  So I decided to make jam.  My kids love my raspberry jam the best, but this is a close second.

Can you see my husband's reflection in the jar?

I just used the recipe from the Ball Pectin box so I haven't included the recipe.  Just make sure you have about 5 cups of strawberries, lots of sugar, and about 1/4 cup of lemon juice.  I used about 1-1/2 pounds of strawberries. 

So if you get some not so sweet strawberries, make some jam.