Easter Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are easy to make and they taste so good. They are crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside.  This is a recipe that you and your kids can have so much fun decorating with colorful frostings and sprinkles.

Ingredients

3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
 3 c. flour

Icing

4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 to 5 Tbs. milk
assorted food coloring
assorted sprinkles

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. Grease or spray a cookie sheet.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.  

Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Pour in the buttermilk and mix in well. 

Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and flour.  Mix thoroughly until you have a stiff dough.

Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut with Easter shaped cookie cutters dipped in flour. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.  

Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the sides of the cookies just start to turn brown.

Remove to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting them.   

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk. Continue to add milk, beating well, until the icing is stiff enough to spread on top of your cookies. Beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more milk. If the frosting is too thin, just add some more powdered sugar.

Divide the icing into as many bowls as you want to make different colors for.  Cover the bowls with a sheet of plastic wrap, so it does not dry out. 

Decorate and frost the cookies as desires.  Let them stand for 30 minutes so the icing sets.  To store the cookies, place them in single layers, with waxed paper between each layer.  Store in a tightly sealed container.

Notes

If you don't want to cut the cookies out in a particular shape, simply roll the dough into walnut sized balls between the palms of your hand. Place on a prepared cookie sheet about 3-inches apart.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Instead of buying Easter candy, or any day candy, why not make it yourself.  These chocolate covered peanut butter eggs are sooth and creamy. It is a recipe that even your kids will enjoy helping you to make. They can create their very own peanut butter eggs.

 Ingredients

1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar or more
1 Tbs. milk
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
2 Tbs. shortening

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, and vanilla.  Mix well until thoroughly combined. 

Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Mix well. If the mixture is too crumbly, add some whole milk until you get the right consistency.  It should be like play dough.

Shape the mixture into 16 to 32 eggs shapes, depending on how big you want your candy eggs to be. Leave the bottom of the eggs flat. Place them onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until firm. If you have a deviled egg holder, you can use that as a mold to shape your eggs. You can also form them into small balls for buckeyes.

In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and shortening.  Place in the microwave and heat them for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl with the chocolate chips and stir the chocolate mixture. Repeat this step a second time.  After that, only microwave the chocolate for 10 seconds.  Stir the chocolate. Repeat this step of microwaving the chocolate for 10 second intervals and stirring after each one until the chocolate is smooth.  

Place an egg on the tines of a fork, or you can use one of those long handled 2-tined forks as well. Dip the eggs into the chocolate, making sure the surface is covered with chocolate.  Allow the excess chocolate to drip off.  Place the eggs back on the baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Repeat this procedure for each egg. 

Refrigerate the eggs for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set and firm. Store the peanut butter eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Pork Chop and Vegetable Dinner

Pork Chop and Vegetable Dinner

 This is an easy put together dinner and gives you a healthy serving of meat and vegetables. It's just a simple recipe, but packed with goodness.  It is another recipe from my mother's recipe box that she made often.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil or cooking oil
4 pork chops (thick cut)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. chicken or beef broth
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 to 2 onions, quartered or sliced into rings
2 carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbs. butter

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.  Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.  Sear both sides of the pork chops. They do not have to be cooked through, just browned on both sides. Remove from heat and place the pork chops in the prepared baking pan.

Pour in the chicken or beef broth. 

Layer the potatoes, onions and carrots over the top of the pork chops.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.  

Dot the top of the vegetables with butter.

Cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of foil.  Bake for55 to 60 minutes, or until the pork chops are done, and the vegetables are tender. 

Serve and enjoy.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

This is an easy dish to make and one that my mother made often.  Most recipes use canned cream soup, and you can use that, but this recipe has a homemade cheese sauce that is so good. It really takes no time at all to prepare. You can serve this as a main meal, or as a side dish.

Ingredients

4 potatoes, sliced almost paper thin
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
2 1/2 c. milk or heavy cream
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish that has a lid or a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.

Place the thinly sliced potatoes in cold water.  

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic.  Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes.  Season them with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the butter and mix until melted. Stir in the flour.  Cook and stir for a minute or two to remove the flour taste.

Gradually pour in the milk while whisking constantly.  This will keep the flour from lumping.  

Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted. 

Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels.

Pour in a little bit of the cheese sauce into the bottom of your prepared casserole dish. Add a layer of potatoes over the cheese sauce.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.  Spoon more sauce over the potatoes.  Repeat the layering of potatoes, salt, pepper, and cheese sauce until you have no more, ending with the cheese sauce. 

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.  Cover with a lid or a sheet of foil.  

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup 

Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a creamy, delicious soup that is so satisfying.  Chunks of chicken, gnocchi, onion, garlic, carrots and celery in a rich soup base.  It is perfect to serve any time, and it is one of our favorite soups to make.

Ingredients

1 lbs. chicken meat cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. butter
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, shredded
2 to 3 celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c. flour
3 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream, or evaporated milk
2 c. chicken broth
1 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 (16 oz.) pkg. potato gnocchi
1/2 c. fresh spinach, chopped

Directions

In a cast iron Dutch oven, heat oil.  Add the chicken. Cook, turning the chicken, until it is browned on all sides. Remove from Dutch oven.  

In the same pot, melt the butter.  Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté the vegetables until tender.

Whisk in flour. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes to remove the flour taste.  

Gradually pour in the milk, heavy whipping cream, and chicken broth, whisking continuously.  Stir in bouillon. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Cook and stir about 2 minutes, or until it is nicely thickened.

Add the potato gnocchi and spinach.  Cook until the spinach is wilted. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the chicken. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until heated through for about 10 minutes. Do not allow the soup to boil. 

Cheddar Cheese Puffs

This is such an easy recipe to make, and you can use almost any cheese that you like for flavor.  We use extra sharp cheddar cheese in ours or a mixture of sharp cheddar and pepper jack. These tasty snacks disappear quick at our house.

 Ingredients

1 c. water
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8  tsp. or more cayenne pepper
1 c. flour
4 eggs
1 1/4 c. sharp shredded cheese, or pepper jack, blue cheese
1 Tbs. mustard
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.  Lightly spray or grease a baking sheet.

In a large saucepan, add water, butter, salt and cayenne pepper. Turn the heat to medium high and bring the contents to a boil.

Turn the heat to medium and add the flour in all at once.  Stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until the mixture is smooth and shiny.

Stir in the cheese and the mustard.

Drop by 1 inch balls onto a prepared baking sheet.  Space the balls about 2 inches apart.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve and enjoy! 

Potato Rolls

These rolls bake up so light and fluffy, even though they are made with mashed potatoes.  If you use real potatoes instead of instant mashed potatoes, you can use the potato water in the recipe. 

Ingredients

1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 c. milk
1/2 c. prepared mashed potatoes
4 Tbs. butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
4 to 5 c. flour
2 Tbs. butter

Directions

In a bowl, combine water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set in a warm location for about 10 minutes.  This allows the yeast to bloom and show it is alive.

In a large bowl, combine warm milk, mashed potatoes, and 4 tablespoons butter.  

Stir in 2 cups flour and the yeast mixture.  Beat with a wooden spoon for a minute or two. Continue to add more flour to make a soft dough. 

Place the dough on a floured surface. Knead the dough, adding more flour as needed.  Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

Grease or oil the bowl that you mixed the dough in. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil all sides.  Cover with a tea towel and place the bowl in a warm location.  Let the dough rise until doubled. This take about 1 hour or longer depending on how warm the location is. 

Punch the dough down and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 18 pieces.  Shape each piece of dough into a ball.  Place the dough ball in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Place the pan in a warm location to rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake the potato rolls for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Brush the tops of the rolls or buns with butter.  We just peel the wrapper down on the butter and run the stick of butter over the top of the hot buns.