“There are so many ways to show love and appreciation, but baking something special always seems to be the perfect choice,” said Martha White® baking expert Linda Carman. “When we think of indulgent treats, chocolate is usually at the top of the list. Even those who are not obsessed with it usually find room to indulge in chocolate.”

Chocolate Fudge Bars, Sour Cream Chocolate Sheet Cake and Easy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the perfect finale to a romantic dinner for two, a gift for neighbors, teachers or valued co-workers, treat your Valentine to Chocolate Fudge Pie Bars. They are easy to make with a Martha White Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix and best made in advance. Wrap a few of the bar desserts in red cellophane tied with a decorative pipe cleaner or ribbon, and surprise your friends with a thoughtful gift.

Your co-workers will be thrilled to be remembered on Valentine’s Day with a delectable Sour Cream Chocolate Sheet Cake. This moist, rich cake is easy to make. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 3 minutes and you are finished. The cake is fabulous and the Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting is as creamy as silk.

Delight the kids with wonderful Easy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. Just add white chocolate chips and a few other ingredients to a Martha White Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix and bake for 10 minutes. You are ready to welcome your little Valentines home with a special after-school treat.

For more delicious holiday recipes, visit www.marthawhite.com and click on the recipe section.

Chocolate Fudge Pie Bars

Crust

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 (7.4-oz.) pkgs. Martha White® Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling

4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup Martha White All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Combine muffin mix and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Blend with a fork just until crumbly. Press evenly into bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake 20 minutes or until very light golden brown.

2. Beat eggs in large bowl on low speed of electric mixer. Add sugar. Beat until well blended. Stir in 1 cup butter, flour, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix well.

3. Pour filling over hot crust. Bake an additional 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

24 bars

Sour Cream Chocolate Sheet Cake

Cake

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 cups Martha White® All-Purpose Flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Spray bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray. Combine all cake ingredients in large bowl; beat on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.

2. Bake at 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

3. For frosting, combine butter and chocolate until well blended. Blend in powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.

12 to 15 servings

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cake

1 (7.4 oz.) pkg. Martha White® Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. In medium bowl, combine muffin mix and brown sugar; stir until blended. Add butter and water; stir until well blended. Add white chocolate chips and walnuts. Roll into 1½ inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet.

18 cookies

Variation:

Chocolate Cherry Walnut Cookies: Prepare as directed above except substitute 1/2 cup dried chopped cherries for white chocolate chips.

Crisco is a trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company.

Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Stewart County, TN, provides one of the area’s best wildlife viewing hotspots.
The tour is $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for children. Registration is limited. Reservations and full deposits are required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space. Meet at South Welcome Station. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars.

“Come join us as we explore this bottomland habitat in search of harriers, sandhill cranes, eagles, and thousands of migrating ducks,” said Sharon Waltrip, LBL’s Program Manager for Environmental Education and Interpretation. “Morning will be our best shot at catching some great wildlife viewing opportunities!”

About Land Between the Lakes

Come Outside and Play at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area. Managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Land Between The Lakes provides outdoor recreation and environmental education for the public to enjoy. We encourage visitors to review LBL’s official website at www.lbl.org often for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, safety information, maps, and temporary trail and road closures.

Follow us on Twitter @LBLScreechOwl and on our blog at http://landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/. Additional LBL information can be found on our website or by calling 1.800.LBL.7077 or 270.924.2000.

“We kept this recipe simple with just a few toppings to make small pizzas that can be cut into manageable slices. Too often, breakfast pizzas are big and loaded with lots of toppings, sometimes overwhelming to younger kids. Simplicity is the key on school day mornings,” observes the Martha White® baking expert Linda Carman.

The dough for Little Sausage Breakfast Pizzas is pressed into 6-inch rounds and topped with a mixture of breakfast sausage, cheese, peppers, tomato and an egg. Baking takes only 10 to 12 minutes. The egg holds the toppings together and provides a bit of a quiche-like texture.

The real beauty of this recipe idea is that you can make little pizzas to suit every taste. Use bacon and Cheddar cheese or ham and Swiss cheese. Leave out peppers if they are not a favorite, or for the more adventurous, add mushrooms, fresh herbs and/or Parmesan cheese. You don’t even have to add the egg. Just top the crust with sausage, cheese and vegetables. To get a head start on this breakfast treat, let the kids press out the dough on a baking sheet the night before. Cover and refrigerate. The next morning, take the pan out of the refrigerator while getting the toppings together. Top and bake as directed in the recipe. Refrigerating the dough overnight results in a slightly more chewy, but delicious, crust.

For more recipes for school day breakfasts, go to www.marthawhite.com and click on recipes.

Little Sausage Breakfast Pizzas

Ingredients

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 (6.5 oz.) pkg. Martha White Pizza Crust Mix
or 1 (7.25 oz..) pkg. Martha White Deep Pan Pizza Crust Mix
1/2 cup hot water (120°F. to 130°F.)
2 teaspoons Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cooked sausage patties, crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
1/2 cup finely chopped Roma tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper, any color
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Directions

1. Heat oven to 475° F. Spray large baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Combine pizza crust mix and hot water in medium bowl. Stir vigorously with fork until blended (about 30 strokes). Form into a ball. Coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cover and set in warm place for 5 minutes.

2. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Press each into a 6-inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Pinch edge of dough to form rim. Drizzle each with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Spread evenly. Stir together sausage, cheese, tomato, bell pepper, salt, black pepper and egg in medium mixing bowl. Spoon equal portions over dough.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

4 servings

Crisco is a registered trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company

Three quota hunts in both Kentucky and Tennessee during the first portion of the season require a prior application. In Kentucky, quota hunts include a two-day youth hunt for hunters (under age 16 on the Kentucky portion of LBL) March 31st-April 1st, a two-day hunt April 5th-6th, and a two-day hunt April 14th-15th. In Tennessee, quota hunts include a two-day youth hunt (for hunters 6-16 years old on the Tennessee portion) April 7th-8th, a two-day hunt April 9th-10th, and a two-day hunt April 14th-15th. No hunting is permitted between these dates.

The non-quota hunting season, which does not require a prior application, is one 14-day hunt, April 16th-29th in Kentucky, and two 7-day hunts April 16th-22nd and April 23rd-29th in Tennessee.

The Quota Hunt application fee will remain at $5.00 for an online application. Hunters can apply online at www.lbl.org February 1st-29th. Applicants can check the website at www.lbl.org near the end of March to see if they were drawn.

The 2012 Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is now available on the website. Printed copies are also available at the Golden Pond Visitor Center. Licensed motorized vehicles are only permitted on roads identified on the MVUM and on the LBL Recreation Map. Hunters will want to be sure to refer to the MVUM when scouting and hunting on LBL.

Come Outside and Play at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to provide public lands outdoor recreation and environmental education. We encourage visitors to review LBL’s official website at www.lbl.org each season, and throughout the season, for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, safety information, maps, and temporary trail and road closures.

Follow us on Twitter @LBLScreechOwl and on our blog at http://landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/. Additional LBL information is available on our website or by calling 1.800.LBL.7077 or 270.924.2000.

Come learn about the construction, the battle, and the legacy of Fort Henry during the event’s 150th Anniversary.

Meet at The Homeplace, a living history farm in the TN portion of LBL, on Saturday, February 4th. Dress for the weather and wear waterproof footgear. Moderate walking is required.

The walk will take place, weather permitting; February weather can be very unpredictable.

Event Information

• Farm site will be closed for this program; only the interpretive center will be open
• Doors open at 12:00pm; theater program, 12:30pm; walk, 2:30pm-4:00pm
• $4.00/adults and $2.00/children
• Registration and full deposit required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space.

In February of 1862, “Between the Rivers” was bracing for war. Confederate forces occupied Fort Henry with Federal forces moving up the Tennessee River. Relive the events before and during the siege of Fort Henry on this free guided walk around the remnants of Fort Henry’s outer fortifications.

About Land Between the Lakes

Come Outside and Play at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with “Friends of LBL,” to provide public lands outdoor recreation and environmental education. We encourage visitors to review LBL’s official website at www.lbl.org each season, and throughout the season, for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, safety information, maps, and temporary trail and road closures.

Follow us on Twitter @LBLScreechOwl and on our blog at http://landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/. Additional LBL and “Friends of LBL” information is available on our website or by calling 1.800.LBL.7077 or 270.924.2000.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Surprise.

Cookies with a bite-sized piece of chocolate candy in the middle are a timeless favorite and provide a great cooking project. From the easy-to-make dough, to rolling the dough into balls and topping with a bite-sized piece of chocolate candy, the whole experience will be fun and educational. Best of all, the delicious results will leave your budding chef eager for the next lesson.

For more delicious recipes, visit www.marthawhite.com.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Surprise

Ingredients

1 (7.4 oz.) package Martha White® Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup very soft butter
1 teaspoon water
18 milk chocolate bite-sized candies, unwrapped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Combine muffin mix and brown sugar in medium bowl; stir until blended. Add butter and water; stir until well blended. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven. Press chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Cool 1 minute. Remove from baking sheet to cooling rack. Cool.
Makes 18 cookies

Crisco is a registered trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company.

Three quota hunts in both Kentucky and Tennessee during the first portion of the season require a prior application. In Kentucky, quota hunts include a two-day youth hunt for hunters (under age 16 on the Kentucky portion of LBL) March 31st-April 1st, a two-day hunt April 5th-6th, and a two-day hunt April 14th-15th.

In Tennessee, quota hunts include a two-day youth hunt (for hunters 6-16 years old on the Tennessee portion) April 7th-8th, a two-day hunt April 9th-10th, and a two-day hunt April 14th-15th. No hunting is permitted between these dates.

The non-quota hunting season, which does not require a prior application, is one 14-day hunt, April 16th-29th in Kentucky, and two 7-day hunts April 16th-22nd and April 23rd-29th in Tennessee.

The Quota Hunt application fee will remain at $5.00 for an online application. Hunters can apply online at www.lbl.org February 1st-29th. Applicants can check the website at www.lbl.org near the end of March to see if they were drawn.

The 2012 Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is now available on the website. Printed copies are also available at the Golden Pond Visitor Center. Licensed motorized vehicles are only permitted on roads identified on the MVUM and on the LBL Recreation Map. Hunters will want to be sure to refer to the MVUM when scouting and hunting on LBL.

About Land Between the Lakes

Come Outside and Play at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to provide public lands outdoor recreation and environmental education. We encourage visitors to review LBL’s official website at www.lbl.org each season, and throughout the season, for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, safety information, maps, and temporary trail and road closures.

Follow us on Twitter @LBLScreechOwl and on our blog at http://landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/. Additional LBL information is available on our website or by calling 1.800.LBL.7077 or 270.924.2000.

LBL’s Educational Field Trip Grant is available to public school districts within 100 miles of LBL. The grant assists schools in covering costs for transportation, facility admission fees, program costs, and dorm rental during the 2012-2013 school year. The grant amount awarded to schools is based on the school’s matching funds, number of students, and LBL programs the school plans to participate in.

LBL programs are designed to support the Kentucky and Tennessee State K-12 curriculum guidelines for science, social studies, and arts and humanities. “The programs offer students a hands-on experience to connect with nature, the stars, and history,” said Richard Lomax, LBL Environmental Education Specialist. “An LBL field trip is an excellent opportunity for students to gain an understanding of and appreciation for science and history, as well as the outdoors. It is an experience that will last a lifetime!”

The grant program is sponsored by USDA Forest Service, “Friends of LBL,” Swift & Staley, Calloway County Homemakers, and the Johnston-Hanson Foundation. For more information about LBL’s Educational Field Trip Grant, visit www.friendsoflbl.org and click on Education Resources or call 270.924.2038. Results will be posted by June 30th, 2012.

About Land Between the Lakes

Come Outside and Play at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with “Friends of LBL,” to provide public lands outdoor recreation and environmental education. We encourage visitors to review LBL’s official website at www.lbl.org each season, and throughout the season, for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, safety information, maps, and temporary trail and road closures.

Follow us on Twitter @LBLScreechOwl and on our blog at http://landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/. Additional LBL and “Friends of LBL” information is available on our website or by calling 1.800.LBL.7077 or 270.924.2000.

“These rich new versions of the classic bread pudding are a far cry from its humble beginnings,” said Martha White® baking expert Linda Carman. “Bread pudding was the creation of frugal cooks looking for ways to use stale bread and make the most of their eggs, milk and sugar. Bread puddings have been made for hundreds of years all over the world, so a Southern version made with biscuits was bound to happen.”

Summer Biscuit Bread Pudding and Martha White Hot Rize Biscuits

Although bread puddings may be made with crumbled biscuits soaked in the milk mixture, this version, made with sliced biscuits, retains the crisp biscuit texture on top with a layer of soft bread pudding on the bottom.

For an interesting twist, serve wedges with fresh strawberries and whipped cream to create a fusion of two classics – bread pudding and shortcake.

Summer Biscuit Bread Pudding

Pudding
8 or 9 leftover prepared Martha White® Hot Rize® Biscuits (recipe follows)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
3 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup heavy cream, whipped with 2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Split each biscuit in half horizontally. Arrange biscuits, split side up, in a circular pattern in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over biscuits. Sprinkle granulated sugar over brown sugar.

2. WHISK eggs in large bowl. Whisk in half-and-half, butter and vanilla. Gently ladle over and around biscuits.

3. BAKE 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with strawberries and whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings

Martha White Hot Rize Biscuits

Ingredients
Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 cups Martha White® Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening
3/4 cup milk

Directions

1. HEAT oven to 450°F. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with no-stick cooking spray. Place flour in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk. Stir with fork until soft dough forms and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl.

2. KNEAD dough on lightly floured surface just until smooth. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2 inch cutter. Place biscuits with sides touching on prepared cookie sheet.

3. BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Variation
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits: Substitute 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk for milk; add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to flour, if desired.

Makes 14 biscuits

Crisco is a trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company.

Our ongoing Nature Watch tour series highlights many birds that call this area home during the winter. During these tours, you may see everything from pelicans to pintails!

An all-day Nature Watch tour on January 14th, will take you in search of eagles and some of the 25+ species of ducks that call LBL home in the winter. We’ll also cover the fascinating story of local bald eagle recovery by visiting several unique landmarks in LBL. The cost is $40.00/person and includes lunch at a local restaurant.

LBL continues to offer Eagle Viewing Van Tours from 1:00pm-4:30pm on Sundays, January 22nd, 29th, and February 5rd. Winter is the peak season for seeing bald eagles in LBL; both our resident eagles and visiting “snowbirds” are out looking for fish around the lakes. We’ll take you to the best spots in LBL for spotting these magnificent creatures. Cost is $7.00/adult and $5.00/child.

Bald Eagle

On February 11th, we will offer a special Nature Watch tour that brings you to Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge, just south of LBL. We will explore this bottomland habitat in search of harriers, sandhill cranes, and thousands of migrant ducks. The cost is $10.00/adult and $7.00/child and runs from 9:00am-12:00pm.

The month of March offers a chance to see hundreds of pelicans as they migrate through the area, as well as our resident eagles on their giant nests, incubating eggs or sheltering their chicks. Join us on either March 18th or 24th, for a Nature Watch tour that highlights these two amazing species. This two-hour tour costs $7.00/adult and $5.00/child.

Winter doesn’t have to be spent inside! Join us for any of these fun wildlife-viewing tours:

• January 14th – Winter Wanderers: Eagles and Waterfowl Migration, 9:00am-5:00pm
• January 22nd, 29th, and February 5th – “Everything Eagles” Van Tours, 1:00pm-4:30pm
• February 11th – Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge Tour, 9:00am-12:00pm
• March 18th & 24th – Pelicans and Eagles, times vary

About Land Between the Lakes

Come Outside and Play at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with “Friends of LBL,” to provide public lands outdoor recreation and environmental education. We encourage visitors to review LBL’s official website at www.lbl.org each season, and throughout the season, for our Calendar of Events, updates on programs and policies, safety information, maps, and temporary trail and road closures.

Follow us on Twitter @LBLScreechOwl and on our blog at http://landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/. Additional LBL and “Friends of LBL” information is available on our website or by calling 1.800.LBL.7077 or 270.924.2000.