Friday, December 3, 2010

Thumbprint Cookies

These are my most favorite cookies. Buttery and nutty with a hint of sweet. 


Thumbprint Cookies (28-30 cookies)


2/3 cup butter
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten
walnuts, finely chopped
frosting

Beat butter until creamy. Add half of the flour with sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle. 
  Shape into 1 inch balls (slightly overfill small cookie scoop.) 



  Roll in egg whites,
  then in walnuts. 

 Press center down with your thumb. 

 Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Cool.
Fill centers with frosting. If you like, tint your frosting to match the occasion.  

These cookies are easy to freeze if they make it that far! Bring to room temperature before serving.

Here is a twist, using the same base.  Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Vegetable Beef and Biscuit Casserole




Vegetable Beef and Biscuit Casserole                                             Printable Recipe

1-1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef
1 can creamed corn
1 can condensed tomato soup (I use Amy's organic)
1/3 cup water
15 ounce can Veg-All, drained
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces Velveeta, chunked
1 cup shredded Mexi-blend cheese or cheddar
1 pkg refrigerated (whopped) biscuits  or homemade*


Brown ground beef, drain if needed.
Add tomato soup, veggies, water, Worcestershire sauce, and Velveeta.
Pour into 9x13 or similar size baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, quarter biscuits. Remove dish from oven and place biscuits on top.
Add the shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes (depending on biscuit instructions.)
Before diving in...


*You can also used your own biscuits. Heat the casserole without the biscuits and just ladle over the top of your biscuit in each bowl.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Southwestern Chicken Soup



Southwestern Chicken Soup                                                          Printable Recipe

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1 T olive oil
1-1/2 t cumin
1/8 t dried red pepper (cayenne) (more as you like)
3/4 t minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 green pepper, diced (1c)
1/2 medium onion, diced (1c)
2 ears corn or 8 oz bag frozen corn or 1 can corn, drained
28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Great Northern (white) beans, drained and rinsed
tortilla strips/chips **(or white corn tortillas and canola oil, see directions below)
sour cream
shredded Cheddar, Mexi-blend cheese, or Chihuahua Cheese
avocado

Mix half of the spices and oil together and add chicken to coat. Set aside for grilling.

Dice green pepper and onion and add along with the other 1/2 of the oil and seasonings to a large pot.

Cook until soft, 10-15 minutes.

Microwave corn for 5-6 minutes or boil. Add to grill with chicken to get char marks. (Means more flavor!)
Grill chicken.
Chop chicken into chunks and remove corn kernels from cob.
Rinse beans in colander. If you don't the brown beans will make your soup dirty looking.
Add everything to the pot...chicken, corn, tomatoes, beans, etc. Simmer for 25 minutes
**For tortilla strips
Cut tortillas into strips and fry in small amount of canola oil until crispy. Drain.
Dish it up anyway you like it with the cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and/or avocado!

Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole


No cream of "stuff" soup for this dish.  Make your own mushroom gravy, it's really easy!


Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole                                                         Printable Recipe

2 Tablespoons butter
8 ounces sliced/cleaned mushrooms
few dashes of salt
2 Tablespoons flour (or gluten free all purpose flour)
2 cups chicken or beef broth (preferably homemade) or milk
Dash or two of dried thyme

1 pound ground beef
1 can green beans
tater tots or tater rounds (check your ingredients for wheat!)

Make mushroom gravy with first 6 ingredients.
Brown hamburger, drain if needed.
Mix in green beans and mushroom gravy.
Pour into glass baking dish. This one was 2.2 qt rectangular (more surface area for tots!)
Add tater tots or rounds
You can bake according to tot directions (mine was 450 degrees for 25 mins) or bake at 350 for 30 minutes and then broil. My husband chose the latter of the two this time.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Pasta e Fagioli


Pasta e Fagioli

1 pound ground beef
3/4 - 1 cup diced onion
3/4 - 1 cup diced carrots
3/4 - 1 cup diced celery
2 - 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes (or a 28 oz can)
1 - 15 ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 - 15 ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 - 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 can water (use tomato sauce can)
1 - 12 ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup elbow macaroni (3 oz)
shredded Parmesan or Mexican-Blend cheese


Brown ground beef in large saucepan and drain off most of fat. If your hamburger is as lean as mine you won't need to drain it.
Meanwhile, dice vegetables. I used my Pampered Chef Food Chopper.

Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to hamburger. Saute for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except for pasta. Simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until veggies are tender.
Meanwhile cook pasta. When soup has finished cooking, add pasta to the soup. Serve with shredded cheese or grated Parmesan on top.

TO FREEZE....cool and place in freezer bag or vaccuum seal bag. When you are ready to use just thaw and reheat!
** To make gluten-free, use rice noodles. I used Tinkyada PastaJoy Brown Rice Penne I picked it up at Wal-Mart.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Oatmeal Scotchie Cookie

1 cup soft butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cake shaped pan. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Scoop into pan. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet or cooling rack.

NOTE: I used a 10" springform pan for easy removal. Cool cookie COMPLETELY before trying to move it as it is very soft when it comes from the oven.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Broccoli Salad


Broccoli Salad


Broccoli Salad

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 pkts Truvia (or 1-1/2 teaspoons loose) or a couple teaspoons of sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup bacon (diced, fried, and drained)
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1 head broccoli


Mix all but broccoli together.
Break broccoli head apart into nice bite size pieces. No one wants to chew on a tree when they are eating a salad.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies

1 dozen eggs
1 pound margarine or butter
2 pounds brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup vanilla
3 pounds peanut butter
8 teaspoons baking soda
18 cups oatmeal
1 pound nuts
1 pound chocolate chips
1 pound M and Ms


Mix in order given.
Drop by tablespoons.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
 Leave on sheet for 2 mins or so before removing or they will fall apart. I like chewy not crunchy so I bake less than I think as they continue to cook a little after they are out. They look a little puffy but 'fall' after they are out of the oven. Dough freezes well or can be made into smaller batches.
I made a batch a little over 1/2 size for a bakesale and it made 45 medium scoop cookies and 18 large scoop cookies.
My medium scoop is between 1/4-1/3 cup and baked for 7 mins, turn pan, 5 mins, and then 2 more. Leave on sheet for 2 mins or so before removing or they will fall apart. If you use dough straight from fridge, it will need to be flattened a little bit with bottom of glass(wet with water in between) and will take a tiny bit longer to cook.


I prefer pecans for the nuts and milk chocolate mini Mand Ms (found in baking aisle) and milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet.


These cookies are easy to freeze if they make it that far! Bring to room temperature before serving.