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To celebrate the day(s), we’ve selected a special recipe for you from That Creative Mom! They are oh, so good… and won’t last for long out of the oven. Enjoy!

Irresistible Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

With an electric mixer, cream the butter, adding the brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, salt and cinnamon. Blend into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Chill until firm. (Can be refrigerated overnight.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Between palms of hands, roll small pieces of dough into 1-inch rounds and dredge in confectioners’ sugar. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to racks. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 6 dozen

To celebrate the day, we’re going to tell you to play with your food a bit.

First, select a good, ripe watermelon. It should be easy as pie:

Pick up the watermelon and look it over for any cuts or bruises. The fruit should be firm and free of any dents. Don’t worry about the yellow spot. That is just the underside of the melon where it touched the ground. That part remained yellow, while the rest of the fruit ripened.

Now for the fun part:
Decorative Watermelon Fruit Bowl
Select a small, oval (symmetrical) watermelon. Position it so that it is stable and will not roll off the table. Place the yellow spot on the bottom if possible. (It is probably the most stable position since it is the way it grew.)

Find the center of the melon and slice it in half, horizontally.

With a melon baller, scoop out the flesh and set aside.

Once the melon is hollowed out, using a fine-tipped marker draw a line around the fruit 1/2 inch below the top of the watermelon. Mark or divide the line in one inch increments. Repeat the marks at the top edge of the fruit, they will be used as a pattern for the rim. Count the marks, they should be an even number to cut the design properly.

In a zig-zag fashion, using the marks as a guide, carve the decorative border around the edge of the fruit.

Once complete, fill your watermelon bowl with the balled melon and other fresh fruit. Cantalopes, honey dew, strawberries and blueberries add color and make for a beautiful presentation.

Get advice, tips and shop for the back-to-school gear and essentials you need to start the school year off right.

Hostess Tip: No time for baking? Need a small batch of cupcakes for your party? Have the bakery elves at your local grocery store whip up a batch of cupcakes for you and “customize” them with the toppers below. And don’t worry, we won’t snitch on you!

Golden Snitch Decorations

1 Pack of Gold Chocolate Coins
1 Bag of White Chocolate Lindt Truffles

Tools:
Lo-Temp Hot Glue Gun
Gold Metallic Marker
Ruler
Vellum Paper
Paper Burnisher
Scissors
Stack of Napkins

Directions:

• Cut off both ends of the wrapper on the Lindt truffles. Set aside along with the gold chocolate coins.
• Fold a sheet of vellum paper in half. Starting at the paper fold, lightly sketch the shape of the Snitch wing on the vellum paper. The folded paper will create a perfectly matched pair of wings. You should be able to get 5 to 6 sets of wings out of a sheet of paper.
• Cut out the wings using scissors or an Exacto knife.
• Once you have your wings cut out, take a wing and place it on the stack of napkins. The napkins will act as a cushion as we emboss the texture on the Snitch wings.
• Using your ruler, take your burnisher and lightly press and crease the paper to give it the illusion of feather plumes. Add an additional crease to simulate the quick of a feather.
• Once the wings are complete, using the lo-temp glue gun, attach a matched pair of wings onto the Lindt Chocolate Truffle, covering the remaining ends of the wrapper.
• With a small dab of hot glue, attach the finished Gold Chocolate Snitch on top of the gold chocolate coins. This will create the base and adds a finished look to your Snitch Topper.
• Repeat until you have fully assembled all your Snitch toppers. Center finished Snitch on top of frosted cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 Cup Crisco or other Vegetable Shortening
4 Cups Sifted Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Colorless Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and butter together with a hand mixer. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. On a medium speed, gradually add in the sugar until well blended. Add the milk and continue beating at a medium speed until the icing appears light and creaming. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. Icing may need to be re-blended before using. To thin, add 1 tablespoons of water or milk until desired consistency is achieved (4 tablespoons max.)

Cupcakes:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups solid shortening
1 1/2 cups milk
6 eggs
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix at low speed, then at high speed as flour becomes moistened. Beat for 2 minutes or until batter is creamy. Spoon the cupcake batter into cups until they are 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. The cupcakes are ready if it comes out clean and dry. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool before icing. Yields about 48 cupcakes

To help you celebrate today, we’ve got a quick and easy appetizer recipe for you from That Creative Mom Cooks! Enjoy!

Loaded Chili-Cheese French Fries

1 (32 ounce) bag French-fried potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can Campbell’s Chili, heated as directed on label
1 cup Cheez Whiz Cheese Dip
1/2 cup freshly cooked bacon bits (optional)
3 tablespoons sour cream

Prepare French fries as directed on package. Arrange fries on large serving platter. Pour hot chili over fries. Microwave Cheez Whiz as directed on label. Pour Cheez Whiz over chili. Top with sour cream and bacon bits.

Serves 8

Yes, July 12th celebrates the all-time southern states favorite, the pecan pie. This is another one of those “National” holidays, where we can’t find the originator and we’re not sure how official it really is. Either way, it is a great reason to eat pie today!

In honor of the day, you celebrate with this recipe from That Creative Mom Cooks!

Butter Pecan Pie

Crust
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut up
1/4 cup ice water

Sift 1 cup of the flour and the salt into a large bowl. Add butter, and working quickly with a light touch, cut butter into the flour with a spoon and fingertips until mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add ice water and stir until well blended. Form the dough into a ball and place on a flat surface floured with the remaining 3 tablespoons flour.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/8 inch. Place an ungreased 8 1/2-inch round pie pan face down on top of the dough and cut around the pan, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Lightly flour the top of the dough and fold it in quarters. Carefully place dough in the pie pan, with the points of the folded dough centered. Unfold dough and line the pan bottom and sides, gently pressing dough into place and draping a little over the rim. Flute the edges. Refrigerate prepared pie shell until ready to use.

Pecan Filling
1/2 cup pecan pieces or halves, dry roasted until dark
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves

Process roasted pecans in a food processor until they become a relatively smooth butter, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping sides down as needed with a rubber spatula.

Place eggs in a medium-size bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed a few seconds until frothy. Add sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla extract, salt, and pecan butter. Beat on medium speed a few seconds until well mixed, pushing sides down as needed. Stir in the unroasted pecan halves. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake until filling is browned on top and crust on edges is lightly browned, about 40 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

In honor of the occasion, we have two mouth-watering recipes for you this morning from That Creative Mom Cooks! Enjoy your breakfast!

Blueberry Cream Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Gradually add sugar. While beating, slowly pour in oil; add vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add alternately with sour cream to the egg mixture. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon into greased muffin tins (or paper liners). Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Yield: about 24 muffins

Blueberry Almond Pancakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup water
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds, ground

Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.

In a separate bowl add all liquid ingredients and whisk together until egg is mixed in well. Slowly add liquid ingredients to the dry mixture. Stir until mixture is smooth. Fold in blueberries and almonds.

Spray a griddle with nonstick spray and pour one cup of the batter onto the griddle. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form on pancakes and then flip to cook on the other side.

Serve with blueberry syrup.

Yield: 12 pancakes.

NOTE: To toast the almonds, place on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown. Stir almonds halfway through baking to ensure even browning.