Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Cinnamon sugar mixture

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar and eggs. Then blend in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Shape dough and roll in cinnamon and sugar. Bake 8-10 mins.

Tips:
Butter flavored or regular shortening works.
Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on top after they finish baking, while they are still warm.
I only cook mine for 8 mins but it mostly depends on your oven. I like them barely brown on the bottom. They will look doughy when you remove them but once they cool down they will be chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Baked Chicken Flautas

I stumbled on this recipe by accident and tried it out tonight. It was tasty! During dinner, C.J. told me he thought I should post this recipe here. I guess he liked it:

Preheat oven to 450

10 flour tortillas (I buy precooked tortillas from Sams Club or Costco that you cook right before you use. They are fantastic and taste like homemade, fresh tortillas).

2 tsp canola oil mixed with 1/2 tsp red pepper

Filling:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/3 C sour cream (I ran out and used milk - it was still wonderful)

1 can diced green chilis

1 cup grated cheese

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

cilantro

combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until warm. Place about 3 tbsp filling in end of each tortilla and wrap up tightly ( you may want to fasten them with toothpicks).

Place on a cookie sheet. Lightly brush outside of each with the oil/pepper mixture. Cook until they look crisp on top, about 10-15 minutes.

Vermont Maple Blueberry Salad

Vermont Maple Blueberry Salad

blueberries
green apples (cut into bite sized pieces)
cinnamon almonds (see the nuts about berries salad)
blue cheese crumbles
chopped romaine lettuce
Maple Vinaigrette Dressing

Maple Vinaigrette Dressing:

3 T. maple syrup
1 t. mustard powder
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
1 T. sugar

Mix it all together!  Add a little bit more sugar the dressing if it is too tart.

Nuts about Berries Salad (Zupas)

Here is another one I tried this weekend.  It also was so good, especially as the weather is getting hotter.

Nuts about Berries Salad

raspberries
blueberries
strawberries
blackberries
cinnamon almonds
chopped romaine lettuce
poppyseed dressing

Poppyseed Dressing:

1/2 c. Heinz gourmet Salad vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 t. dry mustard powder
3/4 inch slice purple onion minced fine
1/2 t. salt
1 T. poppy seeds
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil

blend all together

Mix all the ingredients together.  I cut up the strawberries but left the rest of the berries whole.  To make the cinnamon almonds, I used almond slices and tossed it with brown sugar and cinnamon to coat and then toasted them.  Again, mix as much or as little dressing as you want.  This also makes about 2 cups of dressing.  So yummy.

Pina Colada Chicken Salad

I love Zupa's salads and decided to try and mimick some of them.  Here is my first attempt.

Pina Colada Chicken Salad

Cooked cubed chicken
pineapple chunks
mandarin oranges
toasted coconut
macadamia nuts
chopped romaine lettuce
Pina Colada Dressing

Pina Colada Dressing:

1/2 c. + 2 T. sugar
1/3 c. pina colada drink mix
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1/2 t. ginger powder
1 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 c. vegetable oil

Blend together in a blender

Mix all the ingredients together. Add as little or as much dressing as you want.  The recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing, so you can half or quarter it if you don't want that much.  We had this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS!

Chocolate Lava Cake

This is for chocolate lovers! Therefore I made it for Tyler and it was delicious and super easy. It is a chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate center. Sorry, I am not helping those of you who are being health conscious.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
6 oz butter (room temp, diced)
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c flour
4 Ramekins or souffle dish-small glazed ceramic or glass serving bowl, often used for creme brulee

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease ramekins with butter

Directions:

1-Melt chocolate over low heat until it melts, remove from heat
2-Stir in diced butter until it melts
3-In a separate bowl beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten
4-Stir in melted chocolate and then flour
5-Pour batter into greased ramekins
6-Cook for 10 mins (the top of the cake should be cooked)
7-Tip the ramekins upside down onto plate and serve

Serve by itself, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with fresh berries.

Sugar Cookies to Die For!

Ingredients:

2 c sugar
2 c butter
6 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
6 tsp baking powder
7 c flour

Directions:

1-Cream the sugar and butter until well blended
2-Add eggs and vanilla then beat until smooth
3-Add baking powder and flour (one cup at a time.) Dough should be slightly sticky
4-Roll out on floured surface (to about the size of a pencil) and cut
5-Bake at 375 for 10 mins or until cookies are a soft golden brown on bottom and edges.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz of cream cheese (softened)
3-4 c Powdered sugar
1/2 c Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tbl Milk

Directions:

1-Blend well
2-Frost cooled cookies

2 Requests

Karli, I was wondering if you could post your chicken crepes recipe. I don't think I've ever tried them, but C.J. loves them, and I'm looking for more I can do with crepes. Thanks!

Also, Shannon, I know we all have your cookie recipe, but would you mind posting it here, so I know where it is:) I always lose it. Thanks!