CookieBar Sundae

This sundae, is a Sunday favorite around here! It satisfies that end of the week urge for a well deserved splurge! I have a few yummy recipes for hot fudge sauce, but Mrs. Richardson's is my favorite store bought sauce when I'm feeling lazy. It's a little thick, so I add some evaporated milk to thin it out. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Beat together:

1 cube butter-softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (I use 1 cup light and 1/2 cup dark)

Add:

1 Tb vanilla
2 eggs

Beat until mixture has lightened, let sit 5 min.

Add:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 scant tsp salt

Mix until combined.

Add 3/4 bag of chocolate chips--let sit 5 min.

Spread into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Sauce:

Add 1/4 cup evaporated milk to 1 jar of Mrs. Richardson's fudge sauce. Heat on stove until combined. Add leftovers back to jar and keep refrigerated.

printable recipe

Tasty Turkey Tacos

We are huge Taco fans! They're a regular meal around here. I don't use red meat very often and I love the fact that no one even notices. I use my own spices instead of the package seasoning and I'm telling you, it's way better! I also don't deep fry the tortillas, way to stinky and fattening. I cook them an electric grill, they don't get as crispy, but they're still rather tasty! This is a fast and healthy meal that always satisfies the Mexican food craving I have almost everyday!

Healthy Turkey Tacos

1 package (about 1 pound) ground turkey-7% fat
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt (Lawry's)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 large garlic clove, minced)
1/2 tsp Garlic salt (I love Lawry's)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1/4 heaping cup dried onions (or 1/2 cup chopped onions)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes-optional
*corn tortillas
* Pam Spray

In a large skillet on med heat, add turkey and all seasonings. Mix together until meat is fully cooked.

Taco shells:

Heat electric grill. Generously spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray. Place on grill and cook, turning over to cook both sides. They are done when you see a few brown spots. Don't over cook or they get a little tough!

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HOMEMADE POP TARTS!

I don't think my mom has ever bought a box of Pop Tarts in her life. The only time I was able to get my hands on one of these babies, was at my friends Stacy's house. I thought her mom was the bomb! Her pantry was a young (sugar deprived) girls fantasy! We're talking endless amounts of Oreos, Cookie Crisp cereal, and Doritos! I swore I was going to grow up and buy anything my kids wanted, just like Cathy! Well, little did I know I would turn out to be just like my mom, sort of. My kids get their favorite "sugar cereal" wrapped up on their birthday, and Oreos are bought just a few times a year. So, to make sure my kids don't feel as deprived as I felt, I made these the other night for Home Evening and got rave reviews! I think a better name for them would be "Hand Pies" but I don't think that sounds as exciting!

Homemade Pop Tarts

*Pie crust--homemade (use your favorite pie crust recipe or store bought)

*Favorite jam--I used blueberry

*Glaze

*Sprinkles

Homemade Pastry

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tb sugar

1/2 cup cold shortening

1/2 cup cold butter--cut into pieces

1 medium egg

3 or more Tb ice cold water

In a large bowl combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and shortening and blend with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add egg, stirring with a fork, then add water 1 tablespoon at a time of water, until dough holds together. Form into ball. Roll out onto floured counter, to about 1/8 in. thick rectangle. Cut into small rectangles.

On half of the small cut out rectangles, spread a thin layer of jam keeping away from edges. The amount really depends on the size you cut out of the pastry dough. Top with another rectangle and crimp edges with a fork. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes.

Let cool on rack.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tb corn syrup

2 Tb water

a drop of food coloring

Whisk in small bowl until thick but spreadable--add more p. sugar or water to get the right consistency. Spread onto cooled pastries. Top with sprinkles.

How to Poach Chicken

Perfectly...poached...chicken...FINALLY!

Thank you Everyday Food for teaching me something I wish I knew 20 years ago!

1. Lay chicken breast on counter, cover with saran wrap and pound out each breast with a mallet until even.

2. Place chicken in a large straight sided skillet. Add water until chicken is just covered. Sprinkle generously with salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer--cook for 5 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, until cooked. About 12 to 15 minutes (depending how thick your chicken is).

4. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Your enchiladas, chicken salads, and family will thank you!

Another great use for poached chicken is Chicken Bundles. There are quite a few variations of this recipe, but this one from Eliza is my favorite! I just need to find it!

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.