The BEST Sugar Cookies

In the years past, we have always been home, at my Mom's house for Christmas, to make Christmas cookies.  Well this year we are staying put up North for Christmas so it's my turn to make Christmas cookies and let my oldest help.  We started about 2 weeks ago with the first batch and they were horrible.  I let her decorate 4 of them, just for decoration on our cookie plate.  They were and still are hard as a brick, but she likes to see them on the cookie plate. 

The second attempt was the very next night, with a different recipe.  I followed it to a T, just as I had done with the previous one.  And they turn out better, but still not good.  My husband and daughter ate them, and we decorated them, which made them a little better.   Anything is good if you put enough icing on it!  But I still was not satisfied!

Three times a charm...right?!  I think so!  This recipe is wonderful!  The cookies came out wonderfully, taste amazing and they are not even iced yet!  This recipe came from Janelle at http://comfyinthekitchen.com/

I hope you will enjoy them as much as we will!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened  (2 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp milk

Powdered sugar for rolling out the dough

1- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Set aside.

2- Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer and beat until light in color. ( I used my big Kitchenaid mixer)

3- Add egg and milk and beat to combine.
4- Put mixer on low speed, gradually add in flour and beat until mixture pulls away from bowl.  It will be very soft at first.
5- Divide dough in half and wrap in wax paper or Glade clear pastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
6- Preheat oven to 375.
7- Sprinkle area with powdered sugar to roll out the dough.  Sprinkle some on your rolling pin as well.
8- Get 1 package of dough out at a time.  Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. (dough may need to sit out a few mins to warm up)
9- Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and back 7-9 minutes.  Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 mins before moving to cooling rack.  ( 7-9 mins will make soft, chewy cookies)
10- Eat as is or decorate with icing!

Banana Bread

I don't usually make banana bread because between my daughter and husband, they usually get eaten.  But we had about 4 bananas that were way to ripe to eat, so I gave it a shot.  I have the cook book Better Homes and Garden 14th Edition and LOVE it!  I think my Mom or Grandma gave it to me one Christmas and I use it a lot!  This is the best banana bread I have had or ever made.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom and sides of one 9x5x3 or two 7 1/2x3 1/2x2 inch loaf pans. I used a 9x5x3.
2- In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.
3- In medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar and butter.  Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir to mix and mixture should be lumpy.
4-Pour in baking dish and bake for 55 to 60 minutes for a 9x5x3 or 40 to 45 minutes for a 7 1/2x3 1/2x2 pan.  Bake until you can insert a toothpick near the middle and it comes out clean.  Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Peppermint Bark

I had seen it in magazines and on TV but had never tasted it, until this year!  Josh and I attended a Christmas party this past weekend and there was some to snack on.  I had seen the recipe on how to make it and it looked easy.  So I gave it a try. I think it turned out perfect.

Ingredients:

2 bags of Milk Chocolate Chips (11.5 oz)

1 bag of White Chocolate Chips (24 oz)

1 box of Candy Canes (12 to a box)

1- Melt both bags of Milk Choc. Chips in microwave. Stir to make sure all chips melt.
2- Line a long baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour melted chocolate on baking sheet and spread evenly.
3- Place in refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.  You DO NOT want your chocolate to be completely solid or else the white chocolate will not stick to it.
4- Unwrap candy canes.  Place in a zip lock bag and smash.
5- After 5- 10  minutes, take out chocolate from fridge. Melt your White Choc. Chips in microwave.
6- Once you stir to make sure all chips are melted, stir in 1/2 of the crushed candy canes.
7- Pour mixture on top of chocolate, spread evenly to make sure all chocolate is covered.
8- Sprinkle the rest of the crushed candy canes on top.
9- Place in fridge.  After about 3-5 minutes go back and check to make sure white chocolate is sticking to milk chocolate.  You may have to push down in the center and around the edges to make sure.

Christmas Treats

I LOVE Christmas!!  It is by far my favorite time of the year.  Reading the story of Jesus' Birth, decorating the house, the Christmas tree, going to see Christmas lights and Santa are all wonderful parts to this Holiday.  But now as a Mother, I get to start new traditions with my Children and well lets just say we started off in the kitchen.  My oldest (3 1/2 yrs) is a GREAT helper and loves to help me bake.  I will share a few of the Christmas goodies we have done so far.  There will be more to come.

Chocolate and White Chocolate covered Pretzels

1 bag of White Chocolate Bark

1 bag of Milk Chololate Chips

1- Melt bark and chips in separate bowl and dip pretzels. 

2- Lay on wax paper until they harden.

3- Cover with sprinkles or pepermints.

Ranch Oyster Crackers

(by: My Grandma)

12-14 oz bag of oyster crackers

1 packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dip

1/4 tsp of Lemon Pepper

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp of Dill Weed

3/4 Cup of Veg. Oil

1-Mix ranch packet, seasoning and the spices.

2- Pour over cracker and stir to coat all.

3- Spread out evenly on baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 Mins.

Sausage Balls

1 lb of Sausage

2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese

2 Cups of Bisquick

1 Cup of water

1- Mix everything together.

2- Roll into quater size or golf ball size balls

3- Place on cookie sheet

4- Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes

Chocolate Fudge

(by: Sara Dunford)

1 bag of Milk Chocolate Chips

1 canned Chocolate Frosting

1-Melt chips in the microwave

2- Stir in frosting, mixing well

3- Line a square baking dish with wax paper

4- Pour fudge in and spread evenly.

5- Place in fridge for about 3 hours.

Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is from my friend and sweet neighbor that lived across the street from me in NC, Sandy!  She made it one night when I was pregnant with Kimberlyn and invited me over for dinner.  It was so good!  I have made it on many occasions!

Ingredients:
2lbs Hamburger
1 can of refried beans
2 tsp Oregano
3/4 tsp Cumin
3/4 tsp garlic powder
Lasanga noodles (uncooked)
1 1/2 cups of water
2 1/2 cups of Salsa
2 cups Sour Cream
1 can Sliced Black Olives
2 cups Mexican 4 Cheese Blend

1- Cook hamburger with oregano, cumin and garlic. Add beans.
2- Spray baking dish and lay noodles on bottom.
3- Sprad 1/2 mixture over noodles, then lay more noodles on top. Finish with the rest of beef mixture on top.
4- Combine water and salsa, and pour over top.
5- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.
6- When done, cover with sour cream cheese and put back in oven for 10 minutes until all cheese is melted.
7- Top with olives and sliced green onions. ( I didn't have these so I left them off)

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

This is another Pinterest recipe.  I like it because it is simple, we love buffalo chicken, and you can make the mixture ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge until you're ready to bake them.

Ingredients:
4-5 Chicken Strips
1 package of cream cheese
1 package of crescent rolls
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
3 Tsp of Buffalo sauce

1- Boil chicken in water on stove.  Shred.  (I used a food processor to make it really fine.)
2- Mix in cream cheese and buffalo sauce.
3- Spread out crescent rolls on bake sheet.
4- Put about a Tsp full of mixture on the widest part of crescent roll.  Roll the sides up and then fold over toward the point of the crescent roll.
5- Place a little cheese on the top of each one. 
6- Bake in 350 oven for about 16 -18 minutes.


* Sorry no picture. Will get one soon!*

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

Not a meal, but something sweet for the Holidays.  They are so so easy and make your house smell delicious as they bake in your oven. 

Ingredients:

1 egg white

1 tsp water

ground cinnamon ( start with 2 tsp then add more if you want)

sugar (start with 2 table spoonfuls then add more if you want)

1- whisk together your egg white with water.
2- pour in your pecans (I used 12 oz)
3- mix your pecans around until they are all covered in the egg white.
4- pour in cinnamon and sugar.
5- mix pecans around until all are covered.

* This may sound crazy but this is what I do to decide if I need more sugar or cinnamon.  I smell the mixture and if it smells really strong of cinnamon, then I add more sugar.  I mean, could you really add too much sugar?!*

6- Spray pan with cooking spray and spread pecans out evenly.
7- Bake in preheated over at 300 for 15- 20 minutes, stirring once.

Take out, let cool and ENJOY!

Lasagna Rollups

This is so easy and good.  A few weeks ago I posted about Stuffed Shells with Spinach, Cream Cheese and Sausage.  Well this is the left over mixture that I froze.  I took it out to thaw, cooked some lasagna noodles and made this meal.  Delicious!  I only had 6 lasagna noodles so that's what I used and had enough of the mixture to fill all 6.  If you're starting from the beginning, cook however many noodles you want that night for dinner.  If you don't use all the mixture, freeze it and pull it out when you want this or the Stuff Shells again.

Ingredients:

Lasagna noodles - however many you want

1 jar of Spaghett Sauce

2 cups of cheese - Cheddar or Mozzarella

Original Mixture-

1 lb Sausage
1 bag of Spinach
1 package of Cream Cheese

*If you going to make this with the original mixture*
1- Cook your sausage and drain.
2- Mix in your cream cheese. Once melted; add the spinach
3- Boil your lasagna noodles; drain and rinse in cold water; drain again.

*If you have some thawed, heat it on the stove until warm then follow from step 3 above.*

Once your noodles are ready:



Lay noodle out flat.



Spread mixture out leaving enough room at edges to roll.



Roll and lay seam side down.



Cover with sauce.



Cover with cheese and put in over, uncovered.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.



Hamburger Macaroni Casserole

This was a childhood favorite of mine that my Mom used to make.  A couple of years ago I asked her for the recipe but she couldn't find the exact recipe so I just took a wild guess.  It didn't turn out that great and I haven't tried to make it again.  Then Pinterest comes along and what do I find....this awesome recipe!  And even better, it taste just like what I remember my Moms tasting like.

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
1/2 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 box of Rigatoni noodles

1- Cook hamburger with onions and garlic.
2- Add tomato sauce in with hamburger.
3- Cook noodles; drain.
4- Mix noodles in with hamburger and sauce.
5- Pour mixture into baking dish
6- Bake in preheated oven at 350 for about 30 minutes until cheese starts to bubble.  If you want a crispy crunch on top, turn the broiler on for about 3-5 minutes after the timer goes off.