Peppermint Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies

These are really yummy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
•
FROSTING:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions
1. In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in extract.
3. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Shape into 1-in. balls.
5. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
6. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
7. Remove to wire racks to cool.
8. In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
9. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth.
10. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies.
Store in an airtight container.

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com, but after making it once, I made several changes that I thought worked better, so below is my version!

INGREDIENTS

· 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

· 1 lemon, quartered

· 4 teaspoons garlic powder, divided

· 2-3 garlic cloves

· 2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

· 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

· 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used a little less)

· 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta

· 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream

· 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

· Fresh grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Squeeze lemon over both sides of the chicken breasts and season both sides using 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 40 minutes @ 350° (or just sauté in a skillet, until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink inside).

*I used chicken from the freezer that I had already cooked and chopped. I just squeezed some lemon juice over it, sprinkled it with lemon pepper and garlic powder, and heated in a skillet.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes. Then drain remaining liquid. (*I just used the pan lid to drain the excess liquid).

3. Cut cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into cooked pasta, along with the cream and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Makes about 6 servings.

Rice Krispy Treats

These are practically a staple item at my house. We all LOVE them!! I'm sure everyone knows how to make them, but I still wanted to add them to the blog.


3 T butter or margarine
6 cups Mini Marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add rice krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Pour and press into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cool, cut, serve, and enjoy!

A Little Side Note:
Since we make these so often, we like to change it up a bit sometimes.

When pressed into pan, sprinkle some chocolate or butterscotch chips on top. Put in the oven to broil for just a few minutes (long enough to make the chips melty, but not to burn the top). Pull pan out of oven and smear the chips into a frosted-like top coating. Cool and serve!

Sometimes I also add a few scoops of peanut butter to the melting marshmallows. Makes them so yummy!

GG's Jiffy Potatoes a.k.a. Funeral Potatoes

This is Grandma GG's recipe and she calls it Jiffy Potatoes. Most people call this dish Funeral Potatoes, but I didn't want to call them: GG's Funeral Potatoes. That sounded bad.


2 lb bag of Frozen Hashbrowns
1 can Cream of Potato Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 small carton (8 oz) of Sour Cream
1 chopped Onion (optional)
2 cups of Buttered Bread Crumbs

Mix all the soups together in a large bowl. Stir in the sour cream and onions. Fold in frozen hashbrowns. Put in 9x13 greased baking pan, top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Notes:
To make the bread crumbs, I broke 3 pieces of bread into small pieces and put into a small bowl. I melted 4 tablespoons of butter and poured it over the crumbs. Using a fork, I mixed it around to make sure that all the bread was coated with the melted butter.
I tweaked this recipe ever so slightly. To see GG's exact recipe, click HERE.

Zucchini Carrot Cake

My good friend Rachel gave me this recipe. I made it over the weekend and we all loved it. My Dad even said it was better than carrot cake he had at a well known restaurant!

4 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup applesauce

2 cups grated zucchini

2 cups grated carrot

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped nuts (opt.)

Beat eggs w/oil, applesauce, and sugar. Gradually add the dry ingredients, zucchini, and carrots. Fold in coconut and nuts. Bake in greased jellyroll (bar) pan @ 350° for 30-35 min., or until cake tests done. This recipe can be halved and cooked in 9x13 pan for same amount of time.

Icing:

6 oz. cream cheese

2 tsp. vanilla

6 Tblsp. Shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are loved and requested by all my friends!

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield 5 or 6 dozen.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- 1 cup coconut (optional)
- package of butterscotch chips
- coconut to taste (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup of raw pumpkin
- 1 egg


"Cream shortening and sugar. Stir soda into pumpkin. Add well beaten egg and combine with creamed mixture. Add sifted dry ingredients. Then add coconut, butterscotch and possibly nuts. Bake at 375* for 10 minutes."