Sugar Cookies

I have a favorite sugar cookie recipe~it is on this site, the Sour Cream Sugar Cookies! I still really love those, but these will take a close 2nd to those! Also, if you don't have sour cream, these are a wonderful alternative. If you are dipping your cookies in yummy chocolate, these cookies would be a better pick. They hold there shape better and are not as soft all over.

These cookies are soft in the center and have a slightly firmer edge. They aren't hard by any means, just yummy!

I found this in the Our Best Bites new cookbook, which I have post-it notes all over of recipes I want to try! The cookbook is proving to be great! I have already enjoyed the recipes on their site and I am super excited to try the ones in the cookbook!

She gave a baking tip on the side to always when baking, spoon your flour into your measuring cup. It will prevent a dry cookie dough!

BRILLIANT!

Especially important with this dough!

Sugar Cookies

(Our Best Bites cookbook)

• 1 cup real butter (no substitutions)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, extra large
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract (or use vanilla)
• 3 cups flour (make sure to spoon scoop into your measuring cup, or do 2 1/2 cups and see if you need more flour!)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in egg and the extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. (If you are worried about a too dry dough, only add 2 1/2 cups and then you can always add more flour if needed! That's my tip!)

Chill the dough for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator, or 15 minutes in the freezer.

Cut the cookies into desired shapes and bake at 350 degrees.

For soft cookies~8-10 minutes, or until set.

For lightly crisp cookies~10-13 minutes or edges are lightly golden brown

Allow to cool on pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks! Let cookies cool completely before you frost them!

This is the Frosting I used:

Sugar Cookie Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter

1-2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Combine above ingredients and mix thoroughly.

I always cream the butter first and then add about 1/2 the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Then add remaining sugar slowly and watch for desired consistency and taste you want! Don't forget the finger taste test!! Or your children love this part, so get them to help taste too!

Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

I have reposted this recipe with a few details added! I have made these so much that the added things I do weren't in the recipe when I put this on the blog in November of 2008! So I have reposted with the new details!

This is the best recipe I have found and I just think all the time it takes is soooo worth it!

I got this recipe from a friend while living in Utah. Her mother-in-law made these for us and this has been the only cinnamon roll recipe I have used since!!

So Yummy!!

Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

3 cups buttermilk

2 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp warm water

3 cups flour

Mix together and let rise for 1 hour. This will take on a spongy consistency.

Add:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

1 tsp soda

2 tsp salt

5 cups flour

Mix together and let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours

Split dough into 2 equal parts. Roll out dough and brush with melted butter. Once you think you have enough, you probably should add more! Add cinnamon and sugar. I sprinkle until it is pretty covered! I want to have the Cinnabon middles!! Roll up dough and slice the rolls.

Place rolls on cookie sheets (takes 2 cookie sheets for the recipe!). Let rise for another 1-1 1/2 hours. Bake 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. (my baking time has been a little longer than this! So plan on 20 minutes for your timing!)

Frosting

1 lb bag powdered sugar

2/3 stick butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Mix together and get to your desired consistency.

Spread on warm cinnamon rolls or wait til they cool to spread!!

White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I haven't made these in a while and I don't know why since they are a really good cookie! They are moist and filled with oatmeal~which for some reason makes me feel healthier!

I substituted part of the white chocolate chips with peanut butter chips and really like this combination!

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

(allrecipes.com)

• 1 cup butter (I used 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup margarine)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Add the oatmeal and white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

Place on cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes!

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

I really liked how this recipe turned out! I changed it a little, because I didn't add the mushrooms, due to children who would turn there little noses up if they even spied those!

This was a yummy recipe that wasn't as heavy as the other chicken spaghetti recipe posted. I thought this was lighter feeling and just as good!

Next time I make this I am going to add other veggies~zucchini would be good, squash, broccoli, or any of your favorite veggies you like with pasta!~

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

(the pioneer woman)

• 1 whole cut up fryer chicken~I used a couple chicken breasts that I cooked in a saute pan with salt and pepper
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 16 ounces mushrooms~or another veggie of your choosing!
• 1/4 cups dry white wine~I substituted chicken broth
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups chicken broth~I ended up needing way more broth than this, so have more on hand
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cups (additional) dry white wine~again substituted chicken broth
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped black olives
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• black pepper
• extra cheese for sprinkling
• 1 lb thin spaghetti

Cook your chicken. If using a whole chicken~place in a pot of water and boil on med-low heat for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly and keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms (or other veggie), add 1/4 cup dry white wine (or substituted chicken broth), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet (or other veggies) and set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. This broth you are using to cook your thin spaghetti. You need enough to cover your pasta and cook. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorted pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente.

While spaghetti is cooking, shred your chicken. You need about 2 plus cups of chicken.

Return large skillet (the one for the mushrooms) to med-low heat. Add 6 tbsp butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups of broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cups dry white wine (or chicken broth0, salt and pepper to taste. Cook and bubble until thick.

Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese and stir.

Add mushrooms (or other veggies), chicken, chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Caramel Cake

I found this yummy cake on Our Best Bites and it proved to be just as yummy as it sounded!

The cake was moist and the frosting was oh so delicious!

The recipe makes a lot of frosting, next time I may half the recipe.

This is a yummy alternative to the normal chocolate and vanilla frosting! Definitely one I will be adding to my frosting choice list!

Caramel Cake

(www.ourbestbites.com)

CAKE:

• 1 Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
• 1 8 oz. container of sour cream
• 1 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp butter flavoring (I didn't have this and it was fine without!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

FROSTING:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• About 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans (I didn't have these, but would be really yummy!)

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cake ingredients and beat on med-high for 3 minutes. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 pan and bake according to the times on the cake mix box. When the cake is finished baking, remove from oven and allow to cool. While cooling, prepare frosting.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Carefully stir in the whipping cream and vanilla. The mixture will splatter because it is really hot, so be careful! Bring mixture back to a boil.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and sift in the powdered sugar. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes or until creamy and fluffy. Spread the icing over the cake and sprinkle with toasted chopped pecans!

Meltaway Mint Brownies

Still no camera, but did make some awesome brownies!

They are simple if you want to use a box, or easy if you want to use your favorite brownie recipe and add peppermint patties! Yes my favorite of all time candy is York Peppermint patties!

This brownie was really good!

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Meltaway Mint Brownies

(Betty Crocker Brownie Mix)

• 1 box Betty Crocker Supreme chocolate chunk brownie mix, or your favorite brownie recipe
• Ingredients for brownie mix or brownie recipe!
• 1/2 cup quartered chocolate-covered peppermint patties

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Make brownie batter and spread half of batter in pan. Sprinkle the peppermint patties in a single layer over batter. Spoon remaining batter over patties, spread gently to cover.

Bake 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool completley before cutting!

Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

My camera has been hijacked by my husband! So I don't have a picture of this soup, but I wanted to post it in case there were some of you out there that got sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) from bountiful baskets and didn't know what to do with them!

This soup had great flavor, it was easy and it used the sunchokes and spinach that I got from my basket! It was rated with 4 stars on all recipes and had great reviews! My kids looked at it and weren't exactly sure about it! Luckily I was prepared for this and wasn't in one of my "You better eat this" moods!

We liked it and would make this again, if I got sunchokes again! I may even purposefully buy some!

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Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

(www.allrecipes.com)

• 4 slices turkey bacon, diced (I used regular bacon and 5 slices! If you cut it with your kitchen scissors it makes dicing really easy!)
• 1 (16 ounce) package turkey sausage, casings discarded, coarsely chopped (I used beef sausage, since that is what I had~I cut to bite size pieces)
• 1 lb Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 6 small white potatoes, peeled and halved (I cut into bite size pieces)
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped (I didn't add since I didn't have any)
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves~I like garlic!)
• 1 quart chicken stock (I used almost 2 qts, to make it more soup than stew!)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• (For fresh herb substitution use 1 tsp dried to every 1 tbsp fresh. I did this!)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on our soup!

Place the bacon, sausage, artichokes, potatoes, celery, onion, leek, spinach and garlic in a large saucepan. Pour in chicken stock ~ this is where I added more. The stock didn't cover the veggies and I thought it could use more liquid! Add parsley, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a simmer over med-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer 45 minutes.

Stir the flour into the 1 cup water until no lumps remain. Stir into the simmering soup, and continue simmering, covered, 30 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally! If you added more liquid, you may need to add more flour if you want it thick!