Quilting, placemats featured on Creative Living

Information on quilting and making projects with purchased placemats will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” at noon on Tuesday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Lana Bennett, Singer Sewing Co. in Lavergne, Tenn., explains how quilting doesn’t have to be just large items as she makes some small decorative projects featuring standard quilting techniques.

Pam Aulson will demonstrate how to make vests for planters out of ordinary purchased placemats. All you do is add a little sewing, ribbon and trim, and you’ll turn a placemat into a perfect gift. Her company is Patch as Patch Can in Glen Cove, N.Y.

Information on cooking with pears, using organic sweeteners in baking, and learning to do away with clutter in the home will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday and at noon on Thursday.

Dietitian and author, Pat Baird represents the Northwest Pear Bureau, and she will talk about the health benefits of fresh pears and discuss how pears fit into the new recommended dietary guidelines. Baird lives in Greenwich, Conn.

Marie Oser is the spokesperson for Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc. in Sugarland, Texas. and she will demonstrate using organic sweeteners in recipes. She’ll also explain the fair trade agreement that the company abides by.

Author, Kathryn Porter explains how the clutter-wise home embraces a lifestyle of simplicity, and says that as more and more clutter surrounds us, creativity is blocked. She tells how to de-clutter the home with smart organizing. Her book is titled “Too Much Stuff,” and she’s from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Swedish Christmas Cookies

These rich buttery cookies have a sparkling crunchy topping of sugar mixed with cinnamon.

2 1/4 sticks unsalted sweet cream butter at room temperature

1/2 cup Billington’s milled golden cane sugar or Wholesome Sweeteners organic sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg white

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup Billington’s unrefined coffee crystals (you could substitute Billington’s demerara sugar or Wholesome Sweeteners organic turbinado sugar — which will have slightly less crunch)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light. Beat in the egg. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, kneading gently to form soft dough. Form into a ball and wrap in cling film. Chill for at least three hours before using. Roll out the dough between two sheets of non-stick baking paper (parchment paper) to approximately 1/8-inch thick. Cut into rounds with a cookie cutter and place on a greased baking tray. Alternatively break off small pieces of the dough and roll into balls, place tray and flatten with a fork. Beat the egg white lightly and brush over the cookies.