ROOT BEER COOKIES

This recipe came from my sister who got if from a friend of hers. Isn't that where all of us get our recipes? From someone else who got it from someone else. Even if we alter the recipe a little--it usually came from somewhere or someone else. I know stories of those who will not, under any circumstance, share a "secret" recipe. Ok, I'll get off my soap box now... These are yummy and great BTW. They are my favorite kind of cookie--soft!! And thanks again to the internet for the picture. As usual--I forgot!

ROOT BEER COOKIES

2 c. brown sugar
2 t. root beer concentrate
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 ½ c. flour
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
½ c. water
1 t. salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs, water and root beer concentrate and mix again. In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into sugar egg mixture just until well mixed. Dough is a little sticky. Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not over-bake.

Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar
½ cube unsalted butter, softened
½ T. root beer concentrate
1 T. hot water

Combine butter, sugar and root beer concentrate. Add half of the hot water and mix well. Add other half only if needed. Frosting should be just at spreading consistency. Frost on completely cooled cookies.

Summer Smoothie

I needed to make a smoothie that was all fruit and no sugar. So I looked around on a couple blogs and this is what I came up with:

1 handful frozen strawberries

1 handful frozen raspberries

1 handful frozen blueberries

1/2 of a banana

1 cup 100% apple juice

*Blend until blended.

(I'm in love with the apple juice from Fresh and Easy. Not the one on the shelf, but the one in the refrigerated section. It's way expensive so I wait until it goes on special for 1/2 off and then I stock up.)

LEMON PANCAKES

These are delicious! They would be great served with Buttermilk Syrup also. I usually use blueberry and it seems to be a nice compliment to the lemon. They are even good with just powedered sugar (like the picture I stole off the internet as I always forget to take a picture.

LEMON PANCAKES

Prepare and preheat your griddle.

Whisk together in a large bowl:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk together in another bowl:

3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined. Fold in:

finely grated zest of 2 lemons

The batter will be thick and bubbly - similar to a cake batter. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake, nudging the batter into rounds. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled with bubbles and some bubbles have popped, then turn and cook until the underside is lightly browned. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 22 degree oven while you finish cooking the rest. Serve with blueberry syrup, honey or sweetened sour cream.

Fruit Pizza

I love, love this dessert. It's delicious and pretty. I love pretty food. Any fruit can go on top, I just decided to put red and blue berries for the holiday weekend. I think it turned out quite nice! Happy Memorial Day!!

Crust:
1 and a half tubes of store bought sugar cookie dough (can use homemade)

Press onto pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes. Keep checking to make sure it does not get too brown.

Cream Cheese Layer:
8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and spread on top of crust. Top with desired fruit.

*If using a cookie sheet, double cream cheese mixture.

LASAGNA

This is the best, easy lasagna recipe I have ever used. I have made it for my family for as long as I can remember. You can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta cheese if you have some picky eaters like I have. The hot sauce gives it a little "kick"! Don't we all need a little "kick" now and then?

EASY LASAGNA

Preheat oven to 350.

1 lb. lean ground beef
½-1 lb ground pork (depending on how meaty you want your sauce)

Brown and drain then add:

1 26 oz. can Hunt’s Four Cheese tomato sauce
1 4 oz. can tomato paste
½ t. Italian Seasoning
2 t. sugar
1/8 c. hot sauce (such as El Pato or Trappey’s)
garlic salt to taste (make sure you don’t get it too salty)

While simmering the above, in another bowl mix:

1 30 oz. container ricotta cheese (or you may use cottage cheese)
2 slightly beaten eggs
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. fresh or dried parsley
½ t. garlic salt
½ t. pepper

Mix and set aside

Grate:

1 lb mozzarella cheese

Boil 8 lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain. In a 9x13 baking dish, place a small amount of tomato meat sauce and spread evenly. Lay 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles side by side. Spread ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Layer ½ tomato, meat mixture, then layer ½ of the grated cheese. Repeat and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until cheese is bubbly. May be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. If lasagna has been refrigerated, take out of refrigerator and let set at room temperature for approx. 15 minutes before baking. Let sit for approx. 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving

Rice

I have been trying to be healthier lately and when I was in Utah for Women's Conf. my sister-in-laws sister had me try some rice she made with quinoa. Quinoa is one of Chef Brad's super grains. Meredith also told me that 1/3 quinoa and 2/3 rice is healthier than all brown rice. I tried it and it was great. Here is her recipe:

1/2 cup butter (I only use 1/4 cup)
3 cups rice (I use 2 cups rice and 1 cup quinoa)
6 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
2 T. dry minced onion

Oil a 9 x 13 pan (I just spray with Pam) and add the rice and all
other ingredients. Carefully stir. Cover tightly with foil. Bake
at 325 for 1 hour. When done fluff and mix with a fork before serving.

I changed it a little for a couple of reasons.
1. it is too much rice for my family.
2. I have a rice cooker that I wanted to use. (it cuts down on the heat in my house)

1 to 2 Tbls. olive oil
1 onion
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup rice
1/2 cup quinoa
3 cups water
3 tsp. chicken boullion

Saute the onion in olive oil until clear. Add rice and cloves of garlic saute a little more.
Combine everything together in rice cooker and turn on.

My family loved it! The kids asked what the curly stuff was but it didn't bother them and they are pretty picky rice eaters. I found the quinoa at Sprouts it was in the bulk items for $2.99 lb.

MINI PEACH PIES

I got this recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and made it for a church event. It was delicious and fun! I think you could make it with any fresh fruit, including apples. I forgot to take a picture so I stole this one from BH&G's. My apologies...

PEACH PIES (mini’s)

1 15 oz. pkg rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crusts
3 medium peaches, pitted and chopped or—
one 16 oz pkg frozen unsweetend peach slices, thawed and chopped
2/3 c. mini-marshmallows
½ t. (mix 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. sugar)
Remaining cinnamon sugar

Let pie crust stand at room temperature according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil; lightly grease if using foil. Set aside.

In medium bowl combine peaches, marshmallows and the ½ t. cinnamon sugar.

Unroll one piecrust. Cut crust into 6 wedges (use pizza cutter for ease). Spoon scant ¼ c. of the peach mixture along one long side of each wedge, ½ inch from edge. Brush edge of long sides of crust with a little water. Fold crust over filling (it will make a smaller wedge). Using the tines of a fork, press long sides together to seal. Fold top of large end open a little to expose some of the peach filling.

Place pies on baking sheets and prick top crusts with a fork two or three times. Sprinkle w/remaining sugar cinnamon.

Bake 15-18 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Cool pies on pans slightly to serve warm or cool completely. Serve standing up in a paper cup or a glass with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

A few weeks ago, at a family gathering, I ate the most amazing Teriyaki chicken. It was baked, on top of sticky rice, and I knew after the first bite that I had to have the recipe. I asked around all night until I finally found the person responsible for making this Moki's-like creation. It was Brett's cousin, Laurie, and I knew right away that I was out of luck. Laurie is one of those people who can whip up amazing dishes without ever consulting a recipe book. She adds a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, until she likes it. And it's always good. She tried to remember how she had made it and then I tried to duplicate it. The bad news is that my dish didn't turn out like hers. The good news is that my family still liked it.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 Tb. honey

1 Tb. Hoisin sauce

1/4 cup ruby red grapefruit juice

*Heat together in saucepan on stove and then add a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water to thicken. Mix in 2 cups cooked chicken. Put chicken mixture over already cooked sticky rice and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*I got my rice from Lee Lee's market on Dobson. The brand is Botan and it's Calrose rice. If you haven't been to that market, I highly recommend checking it out.

P.S. If any of you have a Teriyaki sauce recipe that you love, will you share it with me? I'm on a quest to find one that tastes like the kind at Hawaiian bbq places.

S'more Cookie Bars

I saw a picture of these beauties on this blog. They got the recipe from this blog. And let me tell you, they are heavenly!! Rich, but heavenly. I'm sort of in love with s'mores, though. But even if you don't love s'mores, you'll love these. Yum!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approx. 7 full graham crackers crushed)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 super-sized (5 oz.) chocolate bars (I prefer milk chocolate)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme

In bowl, cream sugars and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in baking powder, salt, graham cracker crumbs and flour until blended. Divide dough in half and press half into bottom of greased 8x8 pan. Place chocolate bars on top of dough. Two 5 oz. bars should fit perfectly but break chocolate if necessary in order to fit. Then, spread marshmallow creme over chocolate. Place other half of dough on top of creme. *Tip* - put dough in gallon size ziploc bag. Flatten dough with fingers then cut sides of bag to open like a book. Place over marshmallow, dough side down, and peel away bag.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars.

Malia's C.C.C.

I got this recipe from Nat's friend, Malia, who besides being one of the funniest people you will ever meet, also loves to cook and bake. This recipe is a fun twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. A little less butter, a little less flour, and almond flavoring instead of vanilla. They were a hit at my house. Thanks Malia!!3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 cups flour (1 white, 1 wheat)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 bag milk chocolate chips.

*Combine sugars, add butter, eggs, and almond extract. Mix well and then add dry ingredients. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. (I did 9 minutes).

Saucy Ham and Potato Bake

2 T. onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

dash of pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 pound cooked ham, cubed

*Saute onion in butter. Blend in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper to form a paste. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until thickened. Mix in 1 1/2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add potatoes. Toss until coated. Pour into a 9X13 pan. Top with ham and 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

I found this recipe in my Celebrations cookbook. It is a great dressing for taco salad. We liked the zip it added to our meal. It tasted even better the next day!

1 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 jalapeno pepper, cut and seeded
2 Tbs. chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend away!

Shredded beef tacos

I am forever searching for crock-pot recipes that involve burrito/taco meat. We love Mexican food at our house, as I'm sure most of you do, and there's nothing better than slow-cooked, shredded meat. This recipe is a combination of a couple of other recipes that I found. It could easily be used with pork, too.2-3 lb. Chuck roast

1 cup red enchilada sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Coke

2 small cans green chilies

a few shakes of garlic salt

*Cook all day on low and serve in a flour tortilla as a burrito or on a corn tortilla as a taco.

Taco topping

shredded cabbage

cilantro

lime juice

salt

*Toss together in the amounts that you like. Sounds simple, but is seriously heavenly.