Sweet Escape!

I'm so excited, my sister Laura is coming for a visit! We both love to be in the kitchen baking, so I don't think we'll be very sad if the forecast is right about another snowstorm hitting us upon her arrival tomorrow. We'll just have to bake our way out of this freezing cold winter! I can't wait!

Here's Laura's famous Sugar Cookie recipe. The best part about this recipe is there's no need to refrigerate! You can't beat that! You can make these babies just as fast (but waaay yummier) than a Betty Crocker mix!

Favorite (and fast) Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter-soft
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tb milk or cream (I only use 2 tsp because of the humid climate here)

Cream sugar and butter, then add additional ingreds. mix until well combined. then stir in:

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Lightly dust the counter with flour-roll out dough to desired thickness. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment line or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. Watch closely, if the edges are starting to brown they are over done--or they're just right if you like a slightly crispy cookie. :)

When life gives you lemons...make Lemon Bars!

Citrus fruits compliments of my mother in laws fruit trees! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Harrell for coming to Garrett's Eagle Court of Honor, and bringing some much needed California sunshine in the middle of our record breaking snow storm! You guys were real storm troopers!

I mixed a few different recipes to come up with, what I think, are perfectly luscious lemon bars.

Luscious Lemon Bars

2 cubes butter (1 cup) soft
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

In mixer attached with beater hook, add ingredients and pulse until well combined. You want the mixture to be sort of crumbly. Sprinkle evenly into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and press firmly .
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

4 eggs
2 cups plus 2 Tb sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb grated lemon zest (3 small lemons)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Add flour, baking soda, and lemon zest, stir to combine. Pour slowly into baked crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Evenly sift powdered sugar over top. Makes 30 small bars.

Tastes even better the following day!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I had this yummy soup at a friend's Birthday luncheon. I wanted to lick my bowl clean, but I refrained! Instead I went home and called Holly for the recipe, so I could make my own big pot of soup. Unfortunately the kids didn't care too much for it, but Dave and I licked our bowls clean!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Thanks Holly for the recipe!

1 large butternut squash (or 2 small)
2 cloves garlic-minced
1 small onion-chopped
4 Tb butter
2 cup water
1 cup apple cider (or water if you don't have any cider)

4 cubes chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (if your doubling recipe don't double this, it will be too spicy!)
1 granny smith apple
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 oz. cream cheese

Carefully cut squash in half. Place on cookie sheet lined with foil, skin side facing up. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. Meanwhile, in a large pot saute onions in butter until soft.

Peel and core apple. Microwave on high until apple is soft and tender. Add to onion in soup pot. When squash in done scrape out with a spoon and add to pot. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the cream cheese.

Bring soup to a low boil for 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Blend in cream cheese with a hand held immersion blender--Or-- add 2 cups of soup in regular blender with the cream cheese, then pour back into soup pot stirring to incorporate. Keep soup warm, but don't boil.

VENTING...

School's out! I want to pout!

Snow snow go away, come again...never! My kids need their schooling!


Lots of yummy recipes coming soon!


Snowed in--bummer--I need more butter!

BANANA RAMA!!

Finally a recipe that tastes like a banana CUPCAKE and not a banana muffin! It's perfectly light and fluffy--truly amazing for homemade! To top it off, Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting...PURE HEAVEN!

Banana Cupcakes
Adapted from lfamily5

3 cups Cake Flour (not self-rising)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter-softened
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
4 VERY ripe bananas- mashed well
6 Tb buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Line cupcake pans with paper liners
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt-set aside.

In a large bowl on medium speed, cream butter and oil until smooth. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well after each. Add bananas and half of the dry ingredients until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla, then add remaining dry ingreds. until just combined--making sure not to over mix! Cake will turn out dry!

Bake for 20 minutes--or until you lightly touch top of cupcake and center springs back. Careful not to over bake. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cubes butter--softened
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese
about 6 cups powdered sugar--give or take
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon--or to your liking
2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you get the right consistency. Mix in cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. You can add a little milk if the frosting gets too thick.

Spinach Dippin!

After making 4 different recipes over the holiday season, I was plain spinached out! They were all good, but I was looking for Da Bomb! So Michelle stepped in and listened to my hopes and dreams for the ultimate dip. She went to work and added her own special something and came up with this lip-smackin, couldn't-get-any-better spinach dip!

p.s. recent dinner guests were overheard saying "pass that back, that's really good" and the ultimate complement, "I want this recipe NOW!"

Da Bomb of all Spinach Dips

1 (14oz.) can artichoke hearts-drained and chopped
1 box chopped spinach-thawed and well drained (I squeeze it to death to get all the liquid out)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves-minced
1 can chopped green chile's
1/4 block (2 oz.) of cream cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup powdered (grated) Parmesan cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese-grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients (except Monterrey jack cheese) together until well combined. Spread into lightly greased 8 inch baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese evenly over the top and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

The perfect side kick for this is Tortilla chips--but I forgot to buy them, so I used bread. Just don't be like me and forget the chips!

Food For Thoughtfulness!

I've been whining about this bitterly cold winter...

A sweet friend listened and brought SPRING to my soul...and belly! Thank you berry much Karen! You just plain ROCK!

p.s. I'm off to the store for more of these babies! Wish me luck in the sleet!

p.s.s. tomorrow's recipe - Da bomb of all Spinach Dips! I tested 4 and this one is seriously Da bomb!