Cookie Recipes

It's that time of year again; shopping, cooking, wrapping, shopping, baking, decorating, shopping. It seems I'm always running out to the store for something, how I can forget anything is beyond me considering i have umpteen lists going. Well the next couple of days I'm baking my cookies, at least I can enjoy them when I'm done. I hope you take the time to have "My Time" and enjoy some fresh home baked cookies!


Pignoli Cookies

1 lb. almond paste
1 c. sugar
1 lb. pignoli nuts
3 lg OR 4sm egg whites
pinch of baking soda
1 brown paper bag

Cut paper bag to fit baking sheet
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream paste and sugar until smooth with spoon by hand.
Beat egg whites until firm, mix with paste mixture.
Shape into small crescents, roll in pinoli nuts
Bake on brown paper bag for 15 mins on 350 degrees
Do not over cook.


Seven Layer Cookies

1 stick butter
1 c graham crackers
1 c coconut
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 c. walnuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a 9x12 baking dish
Melt butter, sprinkle graham crackers crumbs evenly over butter
Layer; coconut, chips, nuts
Drizzle condensed milk slowly over mixture, until completely covered
Bake 30 minutes on 350 degrees
Cool, cut into small pieces

Russian Teaballs or Snowballs

2 sticks butter, softened
½ c. confectioners sugar (you’ll also need ½ c. when baking is complete)
½ tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ c walnuts chopped


In large bowl mix butter, sugar, and vanilla. In separate bowl mix flour and salt.
Work the flour into the butter and sugar until completely mixed. Add walnuts, mix
Chill 1 hour
Roll in 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet, 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes
Take off cookie sheet and roll in confectioners sugar, let cool and roll again in confectioners sugar.

Creme Brulee and Amaretto

As promised here are a couple of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving, actually you really don't need a special occasion because they're both THAT GOOD!

After a hard day of work, I take a long bath with Foaming Salt Soak in my favorite scent of the week. Holiday Memories is this week’s choice. This totally relaxes me, soothing my mind, body, and soul.

After my bath, I’ll slip into my fuzzy PJ’s, grab some creme brulee, coffee with homemade amaretto, and a great book. Then is it time to curl up on the couch and have some “me time”.

In today’s world we all wear many hats, our jobs are never done, and we usually neglect ourselves. My philosophy is, “If I can’t make myself happy for an hour or two, how can I possibly know how to make others happy”.

So with that said, I’m keeping this short. I’m sharing my two favorite recipes with you, but if you have something else in mind…go get it! Now it’s YOUR TURN to go ahead and make creme brulee and amaretto, go dig out that book you’ve been meaning to read, and have some “me time”.

Be Sexy, Be Beautiful, Get Touch’d!

Creme Brulee






2 1/2 cups half and half or 2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar in the raw
small blow torch (this you may need to raid the hubby's tools) or you can purchase a kitchen/cooking torch for around $20.00

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Heat half and half, milk, and sugar in a heavy saucepan to almost boiling on medium heat.
3. In a separate bowl, beat whole eggs and extra yolks together well
4.Gradually whisk the heated mixture into the eggs, then return mixture to the saucepan. Cook over moderate heat; stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour custard into individual custard dishes (6) or into one shallow baking dish, about 9 inches in diameter ( I also use a 5X7 glass baking dish)
6. Set dish or dishes in an oven pan filled with water that is level with the custard. TIP: Start with a small amount of water in the pan as not to have it overflow when you place the smaller dish in it
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45-50 minutes, until center of custard is set. When done, remove custard from water bath. Cool. Cover and chill.
8. Just before serving, sprinkle raw sugar covering the top of the custard. Start your torch (VERY CAREFULLY USE THIS) and melt sugar until golden brown.

NOTE: If you have never used a kitchen or small torch, please ask for help.
NEVER touch or place your hands on or near the tip. Do not start your torch
near flammable materials or cabinets.

Garnish with oranges, raspberries, or fruit of your choice


Amaretto

3 3/4 cups of water
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/5 vodka
1 oz. almond extract

Combine water and sugars. Boil at a low simmering boil for 20 minutes (no longer).
Let cool, add vodka and almond extract. Drink and enjoy.

This also makes great gifts. I bought fancy bottles with corks at Pier 1 ($4-$6), filled with amaretto, made a homemade gift tag, punched a hole in the gift tag, looped raffia through hole and tied around bottle. This was a huge hit!!

Thanks to aunt Paula for this one!

Enjoy!!!

Feel Sexy, Feel Beautiful, Get Touchd!

Winter Itch

Winter brings holidays, building snowmen, sledding, hot chocolate, sitting by a fireplace, and the dreaded "winter itch". The winter itch can not only be annoying but it can also be painful for some. We need to take extra special care of our skin in the winter to avoid this. The first step is to educate ourselves. Having a daughter with eczema, I have researched this thoroughly and I want to share everything I know with you.

Dry skin is caused by lack of water, taking hot showers, having the heat on in the house, and using a deodorant soap or cleanser . In the winter the air is dry, evaporating the moisture on our skin. The hotter the shower, the more water we take out of our skin. When we turn the heat on in the house, it drys out the air around us and the water from our skin evaporates easily, leaving our skin dry.

To help prevent winter itch leave a pan or glass of water out in your house to add moisture in the air or you can use a humidifier, drink lots of water to hydrate from the inside out, use a moisturizing cleanser, such as our bath butter which is made with sweet almond oil. Take lukewarm showers not lasting more than 15 minutes, apply a moisturizer immediately afterward, while the skin is still wet. Do not scratch your skin if itchy, this causes more damage. Place a cool cloth on the itchy area to sooth the itch.

Use Touch'd sugar scrub 2-3 times per week. The sugar will gently exfoliate dead skin cells while the medicinal oils penetrate into the skin to help the healing process, as well as, adding much needed moisture. Sugar scrubs will not dry out your skin like a salt scrub.

note: If you have persistent dry skin, scaling, itching, skin growths that concern you, or other rashes, see your dermatologist -- not only in winter but throughout the year (medicalnewstoday.com).

Feel Sexy, Feel Beautiful, Get Touch'd!

While our website is under construction, please contact me directly for info on products. Touchd@sbcglobal.net

Pink Eye

Today started off with a call from C. Rose, my youngest daughter who went off to college in September. She is sick with a fever and also has pink eye. Of course she doesn't have her glasses with her because she only wears contacts, so I needed to run to the PO to overnight them. Realizing that the glasses are her old prescription, I now had to run to the eye Dr. to get the new script so I can send that to her as well. Since I'm sending a package, I thought I should add other things that she requested; Lysol (lots of germs at college), new sheets, Nutella (her favorite), candy, and other surprises. One of the hardest things as a parent is to be helpless. It's easy for everyone to say, "They're all grown up, they have to learn for themselves.", but they'll ALWAYS be your babies!!

Now it's time for me to get back to business. Today I am organizing everything that needs to be done in order to get my website up and running. Did I mention I started working with someone over a year ago to start a website for Touchd? Being inexperienced and uneducated left me with no website and a huge whole in my pocket. I only found out a week ago that I don't even own the name of my website.

I was having a meeting with a friend who was setting up my online credit card account, and he started looking into my website. Before we knew it, he was coaching me on everything from building it, marketing it, and making sure I owned every part of it. I am now working with him and starting from scratch. Thank god for friends who actually want to see you succeed! If you need any info on websites or credit card sales, I highly recommend Mike!! (http://www.ampyourcashflow.com)

Today I will finish organizing all the info on the products, i.e. intro, description, and directions.

I also have a meeting first thing in the morning with a prospective client. I need to prepare my presentation.

Feel Sexy, Feel Beautiful, Get Touchd!

Today is the First Day of the Rest of my Life

Today is the First Day of the Rest of my Life:
This is what I read when I walked into my 6th grade classroom on the first day of school. I decided today I will make it true! Ever since I was a little girl I was obsessed with beauty products. I would beg my mother to draw me a bubble bath from as young as I could remember and I was always stealing her lotions. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to go to cosmetology school. I earned my cosmetology license from The Haircutting Institute of Cosmetology and Barbering in 1987. I spent 20 years as a hairstylist/colorist, but gave it up to work a corporate job. That was the biggest mistake of my life.

I spent years trying to find a product line that met all the needs of my family. I needed a soothing salt soak after a long day at work. My hard-working husband needed something to smooth out his rough hands and heels. And, my two teenaged daughters sought out deliciously smelling moisturizing lotions. When I couldn’t find a line that suited the entire family, I decided to start a line of my own: Touchd.

Now that I’m back in the field I love, I’m more inspired than ever. Touchd is my passion, my quest, and a lifelong dream come true. I started Touchd in 2007 after leaving my job at a major health insurance company to put all my creative energy into bringing the best bath and body products to discriminating women everywhere. I spent five years researching body scrubs, moisturizing lotions, salt baths, and other products before concocting the winning formulas in my home bathtub.

So you ask, "Rachel, where does a blog come in all this?" I have the manufacturing piece of my business down to a science, literally, but when it comes to blogging or running a website, I'm totally lost. What better way to learn than on the job training? In today's world if your business isn't available online, don't have one. I'm looking forward to ideas, comments, encouragement, and advice as I'm seated on the world's craziest roller coaster ride.

Feel Sexy, Feel Beautiful, Get Touchd!