Sugar Cookies from Scratch

2/3 c butter

2 c white flour

1 egg

3/4 c sugar

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

Beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, the egg, sugar, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover, chill for 3 hours. (If you are in a hurry and want to make these right away, just add a little more flour until the dough is easy to handle instead of refrigerating.) Refrigerate one half while working with the first half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about a 1/4 of an inch thick. Most recipes tell you even thinner but I like thick sugar cookies otherwise they are falling apart too easily especially in little hands. Dipping cookie cutters first into flour cut out desired shapes. Use a BBQ spatula to transport them to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 375 for 7-8 min till the centers have puffed up and the edges are firm. If you cook them till lightly browned they will be too hard....you want them to stay the same color and not change color. Cool on a rack. Cool completely before frosting (a few hours).

If using medium to large cutters, this recipe makes approx. 2 doz.

Royal Icing

Sorry these pictures aren't so great. They don't do the cookies justice. I've always wanted to get that glossy finish that professional cookies have with their frosting but I've never had success with the many frostings I've tried. In fact, I've painfully piped frostings giving me a cramp in my hand just to have that neat look and still it doesn't look glossy when it dries. Maybe I'm just clueless and never thought to ask anyone but I finally discovered royal icing. It dries all the way with a nice glossy finish and it's so easy to spread. I spread these cookies with just a butter knife. No piping! Hurray! They dried beautifully with a nice glossy finish. So, the next time you are making Christmas cookies, cookies for a baby shower, cookies for a birthday party, or cookies on a rainy day, give this recipe a try.

2 egg whites
2 tsp lemon juice
2 c sifted powder sugar


Give the egg whites a good beating with your mixer for about 30 seconds with the lemon juice and then add the sifted powdered sugar. Mix till smooth and shiny. Start frosting. You want to frost right away because this frosting will not keep and will begin to harden. Let cookies dry completely and then store in an airtight container.

Notes:
-You can add food coloring to tint the frosting if you like.
-The best thing about frosting with this frosting is that once it's completely dry you can stack the cookies without them smearing or sticking! =0)

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

I love making oven roasted potatoes and carrots for two reasons. It's easy and it's something my kids like to eat! =0) It also comes in handy when you are feeding an army and are short on money. Potatoes and carrots are very filling yet inexpensive and go with just about any main dish.

There are two ways you can do it:
Either way you choose, you want to first pre-boil them to cook them about half way. This cuts down on the time in the oven and also prevents them from getting to done on the outside.

1. You can make them with a roast of any type, even roast chicken. In the pictures I was cooking a prime rib roast so after it had cooked for an hour or so and there were lots of drippings in the bottom. After boiling the potatoes and carrots first, drain them and then toss them right into the drippings pan. Toss them around so they are well coated in the drippings. If you didn't have much seasoning on your roast then go ahead and add some seasoning to the potatoes and carrots. I like to use garlic, pepper, Lawry's, dried parsley, salt, or an combo of those. Put the roast back on your pan and back into the oven for the last hour of cooking. Potatoes and carrots will come out with a nice crisp doneness to them.

2. After boiling them you can also just toss them into a 9x13 glass pan and toss them with olive oil and any of the above seasonings. Cook them uncovered in the oven 375-400 degrees or so for about 45 min. Just check them to see when they are done. This makes a great side dish.

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

3 c whole wheat flour

1 tbls granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbls baking powder

14 ounces beer (or 12 ounces beer & 2 ounces water)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

-You can make it a lighter whole wheat by using 2 c whole wheat flour and 1 c all purpose flour instead.

-You can make two loves by doubling the recipe and using a 26 oz can of beer and using 14 ounces for one loaf and 12 ounces plus 2 ounces of water for the other loaf.

-If your loaf doesn't bake up very much, try using a fresh can of baking powder. Your baking powder shouldn't be older than 6 months. It's a good idea to label when you opened it right on the can. In the pictures I think my baking powder was too old (I was using the end of the can). The bread still turned out tasty though.

Beer Bread

Need a quick bread recipe:

12 oz can room-temp beer (not light)
3 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar

Mix with a spoon. Put in buttered loaf pan. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Brush with butter 3 times while baking. Take out of the pan and cool on rack. Slice and top with butter.

Biscotti - Nutty Biscotti

My last biscotti recipe for this series. Hope you enjoyed it!

1/4 c softened butter
2 large eggs
1 egg white
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 slivered or ground almonds
3/4 c milk chocolate chips

Cream first 5 ingredients together in large bowl until smooth. Add flour, baking soda, salt and nuts. Mix well. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 6 times. Place on greased baking sheet. Shape into 16 inch long log, 1 inch thick. Bake 350 degrees for 30 min. Cool on wire rack for 10-15 min. Reduce oven temp to 275 degrees. Cut in 1/2 inch long slices. Arrange cut side down on same baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 min. Turn slices over. Turn off oven. Let stand in oven for 30 min. until crisp. Once cooled, dip in 3/4 c melted milk chocolate chips. Place on waxed paper. Makes about 24 biscotti.

Biscotti from scratch- Chocolate Almond

I got this recipe from a friend (Linda) years ago. It's one of my favorite recipes and I make it often for Christmas. Sorry no pictures for this one but trust me it's easy and wonderful!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 c white flour
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbs softened butter
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 c chopped slivered almonds
1/2 c mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 square (1 oz) white chocolate melted (or you can use melting chocolates)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small bowl, stir first 3 ingredients; set aside. In mixer at high speed, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla; at low speed. Stir in flour mixture until just combined; fold in nuts and chips.


On a large foil lined cookie sheet, spoon dough to form a loaf that is about 9" long by 5" wide. Bake 18-20 min. or until top springs back when lightly touched.


Remove sheet to rack to cool for 15 min. Reduce oven to 300 degrees. Cut loaf crosswise into 1" slices. Place cut side up on cookie sheet. Bake 15 min. then turn off oven. Turn cookies over to the other cut side and leave in oven for 15 more min. Remove and cool on rack. Drizzle with white chocolate.

Biscotti - Flavor Combinations

As part of the biscotti series I want to give you a list of combination ideas for the cake mix method. I'll be posting a biscotti recipe from scratch next...but I might take the next two days off. =0)

Cake Mix Flavors (these are all Pillsbury and Betty Crocker flavors)
Devils Food
Spice
Vanilla
Chocolate Fudge
Triple Chocolate Fudge
Milk Chocolate
Red Velvet
German Chocolate
Banana
Dark Chocolate
Golden Butter
Chocolate Butter
Pineapple
Strawberry
Butter Pecan

Batter Mix Ins
Crushed Heath Bar
Chopped nuts of any type
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Milk chocolate chips
Peanut butter chips
Butterscotch chips
Mint chips
Chopped peppermint or candy cane
Chopped candy bar
Shredded coconut
Mini marshmallows
Mini M&Ms
Chopped chocolate bar
Chopped toffee bits
Chopped chocolate covered coffee beans
Instant coffee (dissolve it in a few tbsp of warm water first)
Imitation Flavors (like almond extract, orange extract, mint extract, lemon extract, etc.)
Cinnamon

Dip Ins
Shaved chocolate bar
Chopped dried fruit
Chopped dried candied fruits
Crushed Heath Bar
Chopped nuts of any type
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Milk chocolate chips
Peanut butter chips
Butterscotch chips
Mint chips
Chopped peppermint or candy cane
Chopped candy bar
Shredded coconut
Mini marshmallows
Mini M&Ms
Chopped chocolate bar
Chopped toffee bits
Chopped chocolate covered coffee beans

A Few Combinations to try:

Hot Chocolate - milk chocolate cake mix, chocolate chips and marshmallows mixed in, dipped in milk chocolate and dipped in marshmallows.

Christmas Peppermint - red velvet cake mix, 1 tsp mint extract mixed in, dipped in white chocolate and dipped in chopped candy cane.

Java Mocha - Triple chocolate fudge cake mix, 2 tbsp instant coffee (or 1 tbsp instant espresso) and chocolate chips mixed in, dipped in dark chocolate and chopped chocolate covered coffee beans.

Hawaiian Island - Pineapple cake mix, 1/2 c shredded coconut mixed in, dipped in milk chocolate and toasted shredded coconut. (If you are thinking that pineapple and chocolate don't go together, then you've never had the chocolate dipped pineapple at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. Just trust me on this one)

The ones in this picture are triple chocolate dipped in milk chocolate dipped in chopped chocolate chips and the other ones are yellow cake mixed with shredded coconut and almond extract dipped in white chocolate dipped in toasted coconut.

Biscotti - Chocolate Dipping

I love to chocolate dip things and biscotti would be one of my favorites to do. The best technique I have found is to use Candy Melts by Wilton. They have an incredible high temp level for melting...meaning they will stay melted even at high temperatures instead of turning chalky like chocolate chips. You don't have to mix anything into them to get the right consistency, they stay melted for a longggggggggg period of time without re-heating allowing you to work slowly if you need to, and they have a GREAT taste. They are a rich, yet smooth tasting chocolate. I buy mine at Walmart in the craft section...at my store they are by the wedding cake and candy making stuff. They come in several colors with coordinating flavors.

As you can see in this picture, these candy melts have been in my pantry awhile or were exposed to cold weather while in route to the store and yet they still melt beautifully! (in the picture I used a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate).

You can melt the candy melts in your microwave a little at a time and stirring regularly. OR for biscotti, I like to melt them over the burner on low heat in a wide skillet so that I can dip the whole biscotti in flat sides down. As soon as it's melted take the chocolate off the heat and it will stay melted.

Then start dipping. Like I said above, I like to dip the cut sides down so that you get some chocolate with every dip and bite. But you could certainly dip just the ends or drizzle chocolate across the tops.

Lay them chocolate side down on wax paper. This will give your chocolate sides a nice flat/pressed look.

Once they've cooled completely, peel them off of the wax paper and store them in a sealed container or ziplock bag.

If you want to add a step to the process, after dipping them in chocolate, dip them in a plate of your favorite chopped nuts or candy.

Biscotti - Lemon Pecan

These are really good for tea.

1 box of plain lemon cake mix
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together all the above ingredients till blended. It should form a dough ball. With floured hands, shape the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches long by 4 inches wide on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake till center comes out clean with a toothpick or cake tester and when lightly pressed on top it feels firm (about 30-35 min.).

Remove cookie sheet from oven and let cool about 10 min. Leave oven on. Cutting on the baking sheet, use a serrated bread knife to slice the rectangle into 1 inch thick slices. You should get about 14 slices. Carefully turn these slices onto their sides, using the slicing knife to arrange them on the same baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 10 more minutes. Turn the oven off and let the biscotti remain in the oven until they are crisp (about 30-40 min). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool completely.

Easy Biscotti - Butter Pecan

The easiest way to make biscotti is with a cake mix. Here is the basic recipe to use any cake mix. Be creative with your flavors...I've even thought about trying a red velvet cake mix for Christmas biscotti. Maybe dip it in white chocolate and crushed peppermint pieces. You can use a chocolate mix and add in crushed Heath Bar, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or a tbsp of instant coffee, etc....be creative with your flavors.


Ingredients
1 box of cake mix (in the pictures I used Butter Pecan)
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup flour



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.



Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.



Mix together all the above ingredients till blended. It should form a dough ball. With floured hands, shape the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches long by 4 inches wide on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake till center comes out clean with a toothpick or cake tester and when lightly pressed on top it feels firm (about 30-35 min.). The top will also have little cracks in it.



Remove cookie sheet from oven and let cool about 10 min. Leave oven on. Cutting on the baking sheet, use a serrated bread knife to slice the rectangle into 1 inch thick slices. You should get about 14 slices. Carefully turn these slices onto their sides, using the slicing knife to arrange them on the same baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven.Bake for 10 more minutes. Turn the oven off and let the biscotti remain in the oven until they are crisp (about 30-40 min). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool completely.

Instructions for dipping them coming tomorrow.

Biscotti Series

Merry Christmas and WELCOME to my biscotti recipe series! There are so many varieties and flavors of this famous Italian cookie that the possibilities are almost endless! I've even found a biscotti cookie club (as in "biscotti of the month" club) for those who adore the cookie. Here's the link. Also on their website you can get ideas for just about every flavor you can think of...I believe they are listed on the right.

So, this week I'm bringing you some of my own recipes for this dipping cookie...but first some education about the whole thing:

In Italy if a cookie is twice baked then it's a biscotto (singular) or biscotti (plural). Biscotti are hard enough to be dipped into coffee, cocoa, tea, milk, or sweet wine and not crumble. But they should never be so hard to crack a tooth. Homemade biscotti will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for 2-3 weeks.

Chicken Parmesan

This is a GREAT family meal. This recipe was inspired by my friend, Katey (yes, I'm trying to get her to start her own recipe blog) who has brought this meal to our family during times of need and she got it from the Family Fun Magazine. I love the Family Fun Magazine so I looked up the recipe. I of course can't leave any recipe the way it is, so I've simplified it (I love easy!). This is a major meal pleaser for my husband and kids.

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup flour (white or wheat)
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil for frying
1 jar pasta sauce
Sliced mozzarella cheese

Grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Prep three separate bowls or rimmed plates with the following:

one with the flour

one with the eggs and milk beaten together

one with the Italian bread crumbs

Pound the chicken breasts until thin (on a cutting board, cover chicken breast with a piece of cling wrap and pound with a mallet or rolling pin).

Arrange the breading ingredients in assembly-line fashion in this order: flour, egg mixture, crumb mixture. Working one piece at a time, dredge both sides of the cutlet in the flour, knocking off the excess. Dip both sides of the floured cutlet in the egg mixture. Coat both sides of the cutlet with the bread crumbs.

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the cutlets. (If your pan isn't large enough to cook 4 chicken breasts at once, cook them in batches rather than overcrowd the pan.) Fry each side for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is browned. Remove the cutlets from the heat.

Pour 2 cups of pasta sauce into a 9x13 pan. Add the chicken cutlets. Pour about 2 tbsp of pasta sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Lay slices of mozzarella on top of the chicken pieces, then cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake until the sauce is bubbly, chicken is cooked through, and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. I like to serve it over whole wheat blend pasta.

Note: Cooking them the rest of the way in the oven helps keep them moist. I use chicken breast from Costco which are quite large so after pounding them, I cut them in half pieces. 3 breast will give me a full pan of chicken as seen in the picture.

Easy Stir Fry

I don't know if you've seen these in the store but they make stir fry so simple! Our Super Walmart carries them in the freezer section. They are stir fry kits and they come in a couple of different flavors. They are by Birds Eye. This is a yummy lunch or simple dinner.

I steam some brown rice (very healthy for you)
add some butter to the rice

In a skillet, add half a bag of frozen stir fry with a little olive oil.

Saute the veggies until the moister is gone. Add one of the little sauce packets (included in the bag of stir fry) and mix.

If you don't like their sauces you can also add your own. My kids like to eat this with no sauce, just butter on it and a little salt.

Serve the stir fry over the rice.

You can always add seasoned chicken or beef to this dish instead of having it vegetarian style.

Oatmeal from Scratch

I've been asked before how to make homemade oatmeal.

You want to buy Old Fashioned Oats for making oatmeal from scratch. The Old Fashioned Oats have not been ground and processed down like the quick oats and instant oatmeal have. The instant and quick oats aren't as healthy for you as the old fashioned oats which are the whole grain of the oat.


Measure your water according to the package. Bring to a boil, add your oats according to package measurements. Cook on medium heat stirring often until they are done. It takes only a few minutes longer than instant oatmeal so it's not that much harder. Serve with lots of different things of your choice for flavor:

brown sugar
honey
butter
maple syrup
berries
raisins
milk



Oatmeal keeps well in the fridge and reheats well if you have leftovers. Leftover oatmeal makes a quick and easy breakfast.

Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is from Jessica. She got it from Crystal Paine's website.


1 cup oil (can substitute butter or applesauce)
1 ½ cups sugar (can reduce)
4 eggs
6 cups oats
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups milk


Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. Can refrigerate overnight before baking. Serve topped with butter, brown sugar, and milk.
Yields: Approximately 12 servings

Crockpot Oatmeal

If you like creamy oatmeal then this post is for you! This makes waking up in the morning to breakfast that's ready and waiting for you a cinch. Just measure your water and oats, set out bowls and toppings and then go to bed.


Ingredients:
4-6 cups water (I like the 4 cups because I like mine not so watery so try it till you get the consistency that you like best)
2 cups old fashioned oats


Directions:
Cook overnight in crockpot for 8-10 hours on low. Oatmeal will come out very creamy.


Set out bowls the night before for in the morning. You can also set out toppings for those early risers in your family....such as brown sugar, dried fruit, raisins, honey, etc....

Thanks Katey for this recipe!

Scrambled Eggs

Okay, I know you are thinking "I KNOW HOW to make scrambled eggs!" But I just wanted to share some tips I learned from watching America's Test Kitchen. Where I live, it's on PBS on Saturday mornings.

Fluffy Eggs - We've probably all been told to put milk in our eggs to make them fluffy. True, they will indeed be fluffier but they will also be weepy....the watery part after you've served them that runs out underneath the eggs. Ya, that's the weepy part. It's caused by a few things:

1. the milk. The fat in the milk causes the proteins in the eggs to bind, hence separating the protein from the moisture which causes the water to come out of them. They suggested using half and half instead. Not as much fat so you get fluffy without watery.

2. adding veggies. We love to add veggies to our eggs but we usually add them last. Mistake. Saute your veggies first to cook out the moisture from them. Especially tomatoes and in that cause you'll want to use just the outer part of the tomatoes. Saute your veggies then add your egg mixture. Even mushrooms will put off a lot of steam as you saute them because they are releasing a lot of their moisture.

To get big fluffy eggs, use a large spatula. You want to stir continually turning them with a large spatula giving you large curds. I recommend the high temp rubber spatulas...they are soft and work great for scrambled eggs.

Another tip for fluffy eggs is to use the right sized pan. You want about a 6" pan for six eggs. 8" pan for 8 eggs, 12" pan for 12 eggs and so forth. Sometimes people make the mistake of cooking too few eggs in a large pan which makes the egg cook faster, usually over cooking it before they've had a chance to turn them properly.

The pictures are eggs with chopped mushrooms, green onion, scallions, and chopped cilantro.

A word about:

green onions and scallions - I never knew the difference until recently. The scallion is the small white bulb part of a green onion. Cut off the white bulb part and you have a scallion. The top green long parts are the green onion.

mushrooms - don't rinse them. They'll become spongy. Just wipe them with a damp cloth.

cilantro - YES, you can eat the stems. I hear this debated all the time. If you want to serve the stems instead of picking every leaf off one by one, just be sure to chop the stems finely so that you aren't serving a large piece of stick to anyone! =0)

Recipe Request - Pizza Sauce

I'm looking for a good pizza sauce recipe or brand. I've always just used spaghetti sauce but now that I've perfected my doughs and my cheese, I'm ready to perfect my sauce. I've always loved the chunky tomato light colored sauce of Numero Uno Pizza for those of you that have had that and know what I'm thinking of.... SO, click on the comments and send me your recommendations. I don't care if it comes out of a jar....all the easier! =0) If it's fabulous, I want to know about it! THANKS ahead of time!

Featured Product - Creamed Honey

Have you ever tried creamed honey? I didn't even know about it until a year or two ago. My kids love it as do I! It's a wonderful spread for just about any breakfast bread or snack. The one in the picture is from Trader Joe's but I've bought it at other grocery stores as well. It's so creamy and melts on toast. Yummy!

Frito Taco Salad

This is a kind of taco salad. I grew up having this and our family calls it Beef Ole. My kids call it Frito Salad. It's easy and yummy. This is a great meal for camping because it's easy and you can prep it ahead of time.

Cook ground beef or turkey in a skillet and add taco seasoning.

Serve over Frito chips.

Top with your choice of the following:

grated Mexican cheese

lettuce

tomatoes

olives

cilantro

avocado

green onion

Last goes the dressing (whatever you like on top):

sour cream

ranch

salsa

guacamole

For a vegetarian version...substitute beans for the meat and cook the beans in the taco seasoning to give them the taco flavoring.

Favorite Things- Removable Adhesive Hooks

I love these hooks. I use them in my pantry and actually all over the house. Even in the garage, on my front door to hang a wreath, for decorations at Christmas, in our closets, as hat hooks, and they are also great for RVs. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, designs. They even make fancy brushed nickle ones. You just peel the red side and stick it to the hook. Peel the black side and stick it to the wall. When you want to remove them, detach the hook and stretch the tab out till the whole thing pops off the wall. I've used these on just about every service you can think of it and it won't ruin anything....no paint comes off, no wall paper, nothing! I even used these in a building we rented for a party that had Tuscany painted walls and no damage at all. They are strong enough to hold a whole wedding dress up. These are great little gadgets and I highly recommend them.