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Monday, March 15, 2010

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These are a favorite in our house and so yummy! My daughter loves to make these when she needs a treat for school. Her friends beg her to make them. I got the recipe out of a magazine years ago. I think probably from Family Circle or Woman's Day.

1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In large bowl, stir granulated sugar, butter, vanilla extract and chocolate with spoon until blended. Stir in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with nonstick spray. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into confectioners' sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from baking sheet to wire rack; cool.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Alfredo Sauce

This is an easy and really yummy Alfredo sauce. Both of the girls love it. As an added bonus the leftovers heat up nicely so we never throw any out.

14 Tbs. Butter
3/4 C. Cream Cheese
1/2 C. Milk
1 & 1/4 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 & 3/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a medium sized skillet melt butter and cream cheese. Add milk and cream - blend thoroughly. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Serve over cooked noodles.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Potato Pancakes

Store bought hash browns just don't even compare to these wonderful potato pancakes. This is another recipe from my grandmother, but it goes back further than her even. She grew up eating these. She said her mother always made these to serve with homemade soup. Does anyone else remember the old fashioned soup bowls with the wide rim and the fabulous soup spoons that went with them? My mother has the soup bowls and spoons that belonged to my great-grandparents and oh the memories they bring. Anyways, my grandma says that her dad's favorite way to eat potato pancakes with his soup was to put the potato pancake on the rim of his bowl and break off a little piece of it and scoop up a bite of soup with it. On a cold winter day, potato pancakes and homemade vegetable soup are the ultimate comfort food!

5-7 shredded potatoes
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 onion, finely diced
cooking oil - enough to cover bottom of a skillet

Mix all ingredients well. Heat cooking oil over medium/medium high heat. Drop by rounded spoonfuls into hot oil and flatten with the back of a spoon. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain.

Stuffed Peppers

Another family recipe. I remember my grandma making this quite often in the summertime when bell peppers were plentiful from the garden. I confess I don't care much for green bell peppers...they tend to bite back for me...but I love orange, yellow, and red bell peppers. I seriously could live off of this filling it is so yummy! I remember my grandma always made it with home canned tomato juice which just made it all that much more flavorful.

1 quart tomato juice
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 onion, diced
6 medium bell peppers
1/2 lb meat (beef, chicken, or pork)
oregano or Italian seasoning
salt & pepper

Brown meat with onion, salt, and pepper. Cut tops off of peppers, clean out insides, and set aside. Cut up usable pepper meat from tops and add to meat. Drain grease from browned meat. Add tomato juice (12 oz tomato sauce and 20 oz water if you don't have juice), rice and Italian seasoning. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2" to 1" of water in a 13x9 baking dish. Fill peppers with rice mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until peppers are tender and lightly browned.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Another one of those good old comfort food recipes I grew up with. Very filling and totally delicious.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can of water
1 lb. chicken
1 1/2 - 2 cups uncooked rice
1 can of mushroom pieces

Mix all three cans of soup, water and mushrooms together. In a large casserole dish pour a layer of soup mixture. Sprinkle rice evenly over soup. Place chicken on top of rice. Cover with remaining soup. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until rice is completely done.