With the holidays right around the corner…gulp…oh my! Only 10 days left BEFORE Christmas?! Okay – no need to panic because you’ve still got plenty of time to roll out some delicious holiday cookies and wow your guests with these one-of-a-kind delectable sweet treats!

As an exclusive Zytrel XP contributor, Mama CarolAnn’s recipes are as original and tasty as they come…so without further adieu, here’s the latest holiday recipe to get your taste buds singing a new holiday tune:

Almond Butter Raspberry Cookies

Almond Butter Raspberry Cookies by Mama CarolAnn

You will need:

• 1 large mixing bowl

• Mixer

• Cookie sheet

• Measuring cup

• Measuring spoon

• Sifter

• Rolling pin

• 1 round cookie cutter and 1 smaller round cookie cutter

• 1 lb of butter or margarine (preferably butter or margarine sticks)

• 1 oz almond extract (or imitation almond extract)

• 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract (or imitation vanilla extract)

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• 5-6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

• 1 large jar of raspberry preserves or jelly

• Powdered sugar for garnish

• Flour for dusting

Directions:

Combine butter, almond, vanilla, powdered sugar and granulated sugar. Blend well with hand mixer.

Add the eggs, baking powder, and salt. Blend with hand mixer.

Slowly fold sifted flour into mixture (2-3 cups at a time).

Blend together until the dough is soft and silky. Place cookie dough in a zip lock bag in refrigerator for 24 hours. (This helps stiffen the dough and makes it more pliable.)

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Flour your clean counter and rolling pin. Remove dough from zip lock baggie onto counter, flour, and roll out flat to ¼ inch thickness. Cut 24 round cookies. Place 12 cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Spread 1tsp raspberry jelly onto each cookie. Next, cut smaller rounds out of the other 12 cookie cut outs. Making a sandwich, place one doughnut-shaped cookie atop of each jellied cookie round. Place cookie sheet in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Once done, replace cookies onto cooling rack. Let cool for 2-4 minutes then dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve with hot cocoa or coffee.

Makes up to 80 cookies.

Psst…don’t forget:

Zytrel XP – spread the word, not the germs

4 no-nonsense rules of engagement in proper food handling and preparation:

1. Wash hands frequently between handling raw foods like eggs.

2. While cookie dough is quite delicious, you can avoid salmonella and other nasties by not tasting the goods before they’re baked.

3. Keep cross-contamination down by using clean utensils and wiping counters often with bleach or other disinfectant cleaner.

4. When water’s not available, use Zytrel XP hand lotion to help kill germs on contact!

Check out the CDC’s “Ounce of Prevention” campaign for more tips on how to keep food and you safe from germs here: www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention/

Ever wonder about the origins of “soap”? There is historical evidence that some form of the sudsy stuff was already being used in Ancient Babylon (2800 BC) *. But from where or what is soap actually derived? The word “soap” comes from the Latin word “sapo” — and early chemists began developing soap from lye, aromatic oils, and some vegetable oils as early as the 7th century. Much like modern-day potters, these oils and lye, among other additives were blended together in a big cauldron and heated to a boil. Once cooked, the chemical substance was poured into molds to form hard soap. Viola!

Soapy tidbits …

There’s an old adage that states, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Perhaps old biblical scholars weren’t too far off when they made this remark. By the time civilized countries became industrialized, they realized the vital importance that soap had on reducing pathogenic microorganisms in a routine hygiene protocol and began promoting widespread production of the little colorful bars we can all readily purchase from store shelves today.

While most household soaps have the ability to prevent the spread of germs, it takes due diligence to practice regular hand washing. The bad news, however, is that many modern-day soaps and detergents sometimes leave our hands dry…or worse, covered in soap residue. Today, there are several variations of soap that provide skin emollients, improve the look and feel of skin, and even help reduce premature aging. These soaps are perfect for bath time and for normal hand and face washing. However, there will be times where we don’t have access to a sink, or we just don’t have time to wash our hands as frequently as we should. That’s why hand sanitizers like Zytrel XP are so good for you. Not only does it have a long-lasting effect (up to four hours) of bacteria killing power, but it doubles as a lotion so your hands won’t dry out like they would from repeated hand washing (something other hand sanitizer don’t do).

Soap has come a long way, baby…and since cleanliness is next to Godliness; shouldn’t we all use Zytrel XP to protect ourselves in between those vigorous hand washings?

While some of the best preventive health measures like daily hand washing and the use of effective hand sanitizers are beneficial in aiding in the prevention of colds and other illnesses, there are some cases where we still catch an airborne bug. 

Grandma was right when she hauled out the big cooking pot to brew up a big batch of hot chicken soup.  According to a recent study, chicken soup may be more therapeutic than one might imagine. Chicken soup’s natural healing attributes stem from a number of natural substances that have innate health benefits.

Here’s one of our many favorite home-made chicken soup recipes to help warm your heart, your spirit, and your body this winter season…and throughout the year:

Mama CarolAnn’s Chicken Soup

• 1 whole chicken or whole cut-up chicken
• 2 lbs fresh, peeled baby carrots
• 1 bunch celery
• 12 cups water
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp pepper
• Optional: Onions, parsely, 8 cups cooked rice (or pasta)

Instructions:

Wash hands thoroughly.

• Properly thaw whole chicken.
• Pour 12 cups water in stock pot, add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add whole chicken or whole cut-up chicken. Let chicken cook on medium to medium-high heat for approximately 45 minutes to one hour.
• While chicken is boiling, wash carrots and celery thoroughly, and cut in strips.
• After chicken is completely cooked (chicken should reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit), place chicken aside in a bowl. Strain broth through a metal strainer into another large stock pot. Set aside.
• Put cut carrots and celery into the large stock pot (with chicken broth). Bring to boil for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.
• While vegetables are cooking, pull chicken apart into smaller pieces and add to boiling stock. Allow to cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve your home-made chicken soup over hot rice or eat plain.

Bon appetite!  

Makes 6 large servings

 

Learn about Zytrel XP – Spread the word, not the germs!

While an apple a day might keep the doctor away…so can routine hand washing and use of hand sanitizers.

Were you aware that antibiotics don’t fight infections caused by all bacteria and germs? That’s why it’s so important to take necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of bacteria that cause harmful and sometimes fatal illnesses.

With flu season upon us, now is the perfect time to start packing heat against the cold and flu. If you’re like most people, you wait until the last minute to combat germs and other nasty critters…but what if you could protect yourself from 99.99 percent of germs and bacteria for up to four hours? Wow! One product does exactly that: Zytrel XP. In fact, independent lab studies confirm that no comparable hand sanitizer product is capable of providing the degree of long term protection that of Zytrel XP.

Hi ho hi ho…it’s off to work I go…

Many of us have to work in environments where we handle tools, equipment, and other items on a daily basis.  Doesn’t matter if you’re a cashier at Wal-Mart, a lab technician, a radio disc jockey, or even a jolly old elf at Santa’s workshop – chances are, you’re going to touch a door handle, a keyboard, a counter, a switch, or another individual’s hand (What kind of friendly customer service would you be providing if you didn’t greet a person?), among other products.  Now, imagine handling an item that was covered in icky germs…worse still, MRSA?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with MRSA, it is the commonly-referred to acronym for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. I know, it’s a lot to swallow in one sentence…but nonetheless, this is probably one of the worst classes of infections an individual can acquire. Remember…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

There are those of us who just think we’ll never catch a cold… “Not me. I eat right. I get enough sleep. I exercise.” While all of these habits are great to have, cold bugs aren’t picky with the people they pick. In fact, many individuals who have caught colds are healthy, young adults. Unless we live and work in an atmosphere with soap and water at our constant disposal, it’s generally a good idea to practice other healthy habits like carrying an effective hand sanitizer on your person at all times.

What’s St. Nick getting you for the holidays?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and to keep his sleigh flying high and his elves on schedule, St. Nick uses germ-fighting lotion to keep disease away! You might want to load up your stocking with bacteria-fighting hand sanitizer to last throughout the year, too…after all, you’ve only got one life to live – shouldn’t you be spending your spare time on family and fun?

Achoo! Gezeundheit! …er…Happy Holidays!

 

Learn about Zytrel XP – Keeping your hands clean and your patients safe!