Just A Stick Of Butta!

Carla's Almond Roca Recipe

Okay, so maybe it's more than just a stick of butter. The first time my dear

friend, Carla Sauer brought these goodies over as a Christmas treat, I was quite

certain that there was something very addictive in the Almond Roca. I'm

thinking it is the butter - there's two cubes, after all!

Today Jayne and I made Carla's Almond Roca.

It is so simple and SOO yummy,

you won't believe the ingredients. (I will post the full recipe at the bottom,

no need to take notes as you are reading!)

1. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and grease heavily with margarine.

2. Cover with soda crackers, laid side by side, touching.
3. Melt butter, add sugar. 4. Boil for 3 minutes.

5. Pour sugar mixture over crackers and spread.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips.

8. Allow to melt, then spread with knife.

9. Sprinkle with nuts.

10. Let cool completely (if you can find room in the fridge!)

11. Break into pieces and ENJOY!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Carla, for sharing your delicious

recipe for me. You are always so generous with your delicious food,

never keeping any of the recipes secret - and I'm pretty sure I've

asked for every recipe that I have ever tasted from your house!

I hope you have the chance to make these - they will be a hit no matter

what time of year you serve them. I especially like them right out of the freezer.

More yummy goodness to come!

Kathy

Carla's Almond Roca Recipe:

1/4 cup margarine

2-3 dozen soda crackers

2 cubes of butter

1 cup of sugar

12 oz. chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds

Cover cookie sheet with foil. Grease heavily with margarine.

Cover with crackers, laid side by side touching. Melt butter, add sugar.

Boil 3 minutes. Pour over crackers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with

chocolate chips. Allow to melt, then spread with knife. Sprinkle with nuts.

Let cool completely. Break into pieces. Enjoy!!

Christmas Traditions

Now that I have my website situation settled, it's time to move on to the Christmas traditions that are sneaking up on me this year. Most of them involve FOOD! This week marks the beginning of the full fledged baking season around this house. My husband will be picking up the essential ingredients tomorrow morning (because he is just the most wonderful husband ever - he does all the grocery shopping!) and the baking can commence!

This year, it will be nice to involve the kids a bit more. We mixed up some sugar cookie dough and both Jayne and Lincoln got to help. We haven't made the cookies yet, but somehow the cookie dough keeps disappearing! We end up making more dishes dirty when they help, but Jayne helps to wash them and someday maybe she'll actually get them clean.

So stay tuned this week. I will be sharing some recipes and pictures of our favorites, if only to make your mouth water... Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is never a shortage of fudge and it is always surrounded by various other cookies, candy, and sugar-filled treats. And this week Friday we will be carrying on the tradition of all the girls working with Grandma to create those delicious sugar cookies, cut out in all kinds of shapes and slathered with frosting and all the sprinkles the littlest girls can sneak on there!

If you are still looking for some Christmas gifts for your neices, sisters, moms, aunts, and pretty much all the women in your family, be sure to check out the boutique at its new address: http://www.fhboutique.com/. Although it is in its baby stages, you can find more pictures on our facebook fanpage as well as on flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/fruitfulhandsboutique/.

Looking forward to the food!

Kathy

Website under construction

Hi all!
Just wanted to post a correction: the website www.fruitfulhandsboutique.com is currently in the process of being bought back so it will not take you to OUR current site yet. When it does, I will let you know. For now you can find more on our flickr site as well as on our fan page on facebook.
THANKS!!
Kathy

Christmas Wishes

*Please take note: the website's new address is

www.fhboutique.com

Christmas is upon us and it is time to start wishing!

Below you will find some of my favorites

from the boutique. Although I have many

of these items in my storage closet, I don't always get

to buy the beauties that reside there! So this

year I made a little wishlist of things that I

wish I owned from my very own boutique.

(Is it okay to do that? I think so!) Alice's washcloths - you can never have too many!

Shana's reusable lunch bags - just stick them
in the washing machine when they're dirty!

Shana's custom created felt flower clips.
Even mommies need to feel pretty!

Okay, I don't have a lick of pink in my house, but I
just adore this photo..-

Again, no red in my kitchen, but I LOVE the rooster

and the beautiful flowers that adorn the rest

of the towels!

And this BAG!!! Amanda has fantastic material

selection. I want one of every one!
They are even reversible with pockets!

This tri-strand turquoise bracelet.

I keep trying it on!

Glass bead snowflake ornaments.

This picture absolutely does not do them justice.

They are gorgeous.

Heather's gems. These necklaces sparkle like

nothing else. From every angle, you will catch

a different color shining back at you.

I think I'm in love!

Another of Heather's gems. A 5 karat amethyst.

My birthday's not even in February! I just want it!

So that concludes my list, but if I could start one

for my daughter, it would be even longer!

If you would like to see more, check out the website:

http://www.fhboutique.com/

or our flickr site (still a work in progress):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fruitfulhandsboutique/sets/

or our facebook fanpage (currently the most comprehensive):

simply type in "fruitful hands boutique" and it should take you there.

If you have any questions, requests, thoughts, or positive things to say,

you can always contact me at my email address:

klynncragin@yahoo.com

or my cell/business phone number:

(209) 614-3746

So, what's on your Christmas List?

Happy Shopping!

Kathy