Tag Archive for: Charleston Library Society

Christmas Parade and a Cookie Decorating Contest

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The annual Charleston Christmas Parade was yesterday afternoon.  I haven’t been to the parade in maybe twenty years, and it was so much fun.  The parade route runs right in front of the Charleston Library Society where I work, and it is definitely one of the best places to watch the parade.  First, the steps going up to the Library offer seating and a great vantage point for lots of people, and more importantly, we hosted an awesome cookie decorating contest.  We had a category for adults and one for children, and everybody got so into it.  We had four tartlet dishes donated from Le Creuset for our adult winner, and we had two gift certificates to Robot Candy for our kid winners.  I was in charge of making/getting the cookies and all of the decorating items.  I took Walker to the grocery store with me to help me pick out what we would need, and let’s just say we went a touch overboard (which is probably why the cookie were as awesome as they were)!  I had every intention of baking 200 sugar cookies using this great recipe I found on a wonderful blog called Baked Bree (www.bakedbree.com).  They really are delicious cookies, but while at the grocery store, the 12 for $3.00 fresh baked sugar cookies seemed so much easier, so those won out.  However, if you don’t have to make 200 cookies, I highly recommend this recipe.  Judging was very difficult with so many creative cookies- such a fun day!!

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups softened unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon butter extract (optional)
7 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream together the butter and sugar until it is really light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla and butter extracts. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
Roll the dough out and cut using your favorite cookie cutter.
Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not brown the edges.

 

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts and Backgammon Night

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I work at the Charleston Library Society, which is a pretty special place.  It is the third-oldest library in the United States, and the collection of books, letters, maps, etc., is unbelievably impressive.  This is the main room of the Library- it is beautiful.  And what better use for this amazing room than a backgammon club!  I started the Charleston Library Society Backgammon Club in September, and it has been so much fun.  The best part of Backgammon night is that the Library supplies beer, wine, and light snacks, of which I am in charge.  So, of course, I test recipes on our little group.  I tried out the Prosciutto Cheese Straws, Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnut Crostinis, Spiced Eggnog Pound Cake, and on and on.  Last night at Backgammon, I brought the Pioneer Woman’s Mystery Roll recipe, which I put up in a post when we went out to visit her and Ladd.  Check out the post for the recipe- super easy, and they were a huge hit.

This morning, I started thinking about what I was going to try next time, and then I started thinking about bacon because it is so good and I really love it.  Amazingly, initially, the two thoughts did not have anything to do with each other.  Fortunately, I was awoken from my bacon daydream to Google bacon recipes, and I came across bacon-wrapped water chestnuts.  I haven’t had those in so long, and I love them, and that is what I will be making for the next Backgammon Night!  Here is the recipe from www.allrecipes.com that I will be using- I am pretty excited!

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Ingredients

1 pound sliced bacon

2 (8-ounce) cans whole water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chili sauce

Directions

Cut bacon strips in half. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until almost crisp; drain. Wrap each bacon piece around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.

Combine the brown sugar, mayonnaise and chili sauce; pour over water chestnuts. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.