Cooking, Baking, and Making: 100 Recipes & DIY Ideas for All Seasons and Reasons

Copyright © 2017 Cynthia O’Hara.

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Photography: Cynthia O’Hara

Cover Design: Elina Diaz

Cover photos: Shutterstock/Timolina, Shutterstock/MarharytaKovalenko, Shutterstock/OnlyZoia

Layout & Design: Elina Diaz

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Cooking, Baking, and Making: 100 Recipes and DIY Ideas for All Seasons and Reasons

Library of Congress Cataloging

ISBN: (paperback) 978-1-63353-556-5, (ebook) 978-1-63353-557-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017905348

BISAC category code HOM005000 HOUSE & HOME / Do-It-Yourself / Cooking / Decorating

Printed in the United States of America

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.

- Henry David Thoreau

In loving memory of my mother,

Janice L. O’Connor

With all my love,

To my husband Michael,

And my daughters, Colleen and Kelly

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SPRING

CRÈME DE MENTHE SHAMROCK SHAKES

SMOKY BACON DEVILED EGGS

MAPLE-GLAZED CARROTS

HERBED CUCUMBER TEA SANDWICHES

LINGUINE WITH GARLIC SHRIMP,ASPARAGUS, AND TOMATOES

OVEN-FRIED HADDOCK

RAVIOLI WITH CREAMED SPINACHAND CHICKEN

FARFALLE WITH PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO

HONEY-GLAZED HAM

TRIO OF CREAM CHEESE SPREADS

IRISH SCONES

CREAMY STRAWBERRYSTUFFED FRENCH TOAST

EGGS BENEDICT

YELLOW CAKE

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP

LOVELY LINENS

SUMMER

LIME IN THE COCONUT COCKTAILS

MANGO/CHERRY SMOOTHIES

DILL DIP WITH CRUDITES

HERBED HAM SALADCROISSANT SANDWICHES

BUFFALO CHICKEN BURGERS

BACON AND CHEESE STUFFED BURGERS

MIXED SUMMER SUBS

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH MANGO SALSA

OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING

GRILLED STEAK WITH CORN RELISH

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI BREAD

STRAWBERRY CAKE

BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE

FRESH BERRIES WITH CANNOLI CREAM

FROZEN MOJITOS

AUTUMN

ORANGE-SPICED CIDER

CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH BISQUE

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER TURKEY SOUP

TORTELLINI PUMPKIN ALFREDO

ROAST TURKEY WITH CRANBERRY CORNBREAD STUFFING

TURKEY NOODLE CASSEROLE WITH ARTICHOKES AND BACON

DILLED BEER AND CHEDDAR BREAD

MINI CRANBERRY CORN BREAD LOAVES

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

APPLE ROLL UPS

BUTTERSCOTCH APPLE BARS

SLIMY SWAMP TREATS

SPIDER CUPCAKES

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

WINTER

MINTY WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE

POMEGRANATE CHAMPAGNE SPARKLER

HEARTS OF PALM AND ARTICHOKE DIP

EASY CRANBERRY PEPPER JELLY

FRENCH ONION SOUP

CLEMENTINE SPINACH ANDCHICKEN SALAD

STOVETOP MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BACON

HERBED PORK ROAST WITH SAVORY RASPBERRY SAUCE

VELVETY MASHED POTATOES

GINGERBREAD PANCAKES

CREAMY EGGNOG CUPCAKES

CINNAMON CHIP SNICKERDOODLES

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRÈME

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

VANILLA BEAN PUDDING

SPRING CENTERPIECE

EASY EASTER EDIBLES

TRIO OF CREAM CHEESE WITH BAGELS PACKAGE

DOILY WRAPPED UTENSILS

TIERED SERVING PLATTERS

NO-SEW TABLE RUNNER

DECORATIVE TRAY

REFRIGERATOR MAGNETS

LEMON FRESH CLEANERS

LEMON FURNITURE POLISH

STONE TRIVET

SUMMER CENTERPIECE

PRACTICAL CADDY

DECORATIVE COASTERS

DIP AND CRUDITÉS HOLDERS

TERRA COTTA POTS FOR SILVERWARE

WINE CHARMS

ORNAMENTAL VASES

SOAP DISPENSER

FROZEN ICE BUCKET

MARBLED EDIBLE BOWLS

AUTUMN CENTERPIECE

CINNAMON STICK CANDLE

NO-SEW PLACEMATS

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

SPICED ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

SALTED ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

PUMPKIN PIE SPICED ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

EASY SPICE BLENDS

MULLING SPICE BAG

AUTUMN HARVEST POTPOURRI

AUTUMN WREATH

EMBELLISHED POT HOLDERS

DRY-ERASE BOARD

WINTER CENTERPIECE

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

HOMEMADE BOTTLES OFCRÈME DE MENTHE

VELVETY MASHED POTATOES WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS MARTINI BAR

FESTIVE VOTIVES

DECOUPAGE GIFTS

EASY CRANBERRY PEPPERJELLY PACKAGE

SALT DOUGH GIFT TAGS

SCARF HANGER

CUSTOM COFFEE MUG

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Bio

INTRODUCTION

Home is the nicest word there is.

– Laura Ingalls Wilder

I would be willing to bet that some of your fondest memories are filled with heartwarming remembrances of cozy gatherings with family and friends. And chances are, when you conjure up these thoughts, you recall a contented atmosphere complete with delicious food shared with those close at heart. Whether they were holiday celebrations with all the glitz and glitter of the season or simple weeknight suppers, there’s something special about spending time with loved ones in a welcoming environment at different occasions throughout the year.

While it’s true that folks today lead busy lives, studies show that we’re spending more time now than in recent history in our homes relishing the old-fashioned ways of domestic life but with a modern-day twist. From the way our grandparents and great-grandparents prepared food according to the season—to the way they used whatever was on-hand to enhance their home—we’re embracing the age-old practices of doing things ourselves but with the help of modern-day conveniences. In this regard, Cooking, Baking and Making will take you through the seasons with a scrumptious selection of easy-to-make recipes and simple DIY projects to effortlessly create a cozy, home-centered way of life.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of money to make things by hand to share with family and friends. In fact, you probably already have many things available around your house. Seasonal centerpieces can be made with items provided by Mother Nature herself, tiered platters can be created out of dishware that you probably have not used in awhile, and all those extra vases that you have stashed in a corner of the house and are wondering what to do with, can now be painted and transformed into sleek ornamental vases that match your décor. Our grandparents likely repurposed and made use of whatever they had without giving a thought to spending any money. Nowadays, we can go to places like dollar stores and craft stores to pick up inexpensive items to complete a project.

We can rummage through items at flea markets, frequent garage sales, and stop by yard sales to find the perfect things to bring home and create something new from. It’s exciting to make something from practically nothing, whether items are from your house or discovered somewhere else. For example, several years ago my mom and I found gorgeous teacups at a yard sale that cost 10¢ each. These were transformed into elegant candles and gifted to relatives at Christmas. I am blessed to have had a mother who could make something look nice with whatever we had on hand. She was very creative in that regard, but was not a mom who would sew, knit, make our clothes, etc. She was a busy mom of four who worked outside of the home and who decorated our house on a budget, cooked seasonally, and created a cozy atmosphere for family and friends.

I find creating things to be both soothing and gratifying. Also known as The Harried Housewife®, I have been cooking, baking, and making professionally for 20 years. As a food columnist, lifestyle writer, cookbook author, and creator of The Harried Housewife®’s RECIPE BOX television segments, I take great pleasure in providing seasonal recipes and imaginative ideas to time-crunched, budget-conscious folks who would like to make mouthwatering dishes and fun and practical items to enhance their homes and share with loved ones. With the increase in popularity of all things domestic and DIY, now is the time for an inspiring book that will take you through the seasons with food, décor, and more.

We’ll begin with spring, since it’s the season of my beloved mother’s birthday, and is an exciting time of year. Snowdrops appear through patches of snow, trees begin to show their blooms, and robins sing their cheerful songs. The much-anticipated, earthy smell of soil mixed with rain signals the season of new beginnings. It’s at this time of year that rosy leaves of rhubarb begin poking through the soil, waiting to grow into full stalks. When they’re ready to be picked, pair them with juicy strawberries and create a mouthwatering Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp to enjoy on a breezy spring afternoon. A Stone Trivet is an easy-to-make project and would be a lovely place to set your bubbling dessert to cool.

Another idea for a springtime occasion is hosting a Ladies Luncheon complete with Smoky