sugar cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 Sticks (1 cup) butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

In large bowl, cream together thoroughly the powdered sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and almond extract. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, soda, and cream of tartar. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Form into 2 large patties, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325. Roll out the dough on a floured cloth to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut using cookie cutters of your choice. Bake 7 to 10 minutes. When cool, frost with butter frosting if desired.

Butter frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Milk, as needed to make a spreading consistency

Food coloring, as desired.

Beat together the sugar butter and vanilla, adding enough milk to make a spreadable consistency. Add food coloring as desired.

Butter nut balls

Butter Nut Balls by Alisha

1 cup soft butter or margarine (I use spread, because I didn't feel like waiting on the butter to soften today!! it works just a great)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (recipe calls for it to be sifted, but heh... I don't...)
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 cups sifted (or not!! I'm lazy!) all purpose OR unbleached flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup (I use a bit more than this, but don't measure) more confectioners sugar...for rolling the cookies in.

Beat butter and sugar togehter in medium mixing bowl until creamy. Add salt, vanilla, flour and nuts. Mix until well mixed.. .Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Roll in sugar while still warm, and then roll again when they have cooled.

This recipe is one my mother and grandmother always used... these have been a tradition in our family.. They HAVE to be there every christmas! : ) Even though they have sugar coated on them, they really aren't an overly sweet cookie, which is nice. It says it makes 36-40 cookies, but I always get about 45-50 of them. Well, it made 45 of them, and I got the 50 from if we didn't eat the dough! LOL We seem to love cookie dough in all forms around here! and since this one doesn't have an egg in it........... : ) it gets eaten in hefty bites! LOL

Are any of you willing to give it a try?

White Chicken Chili by Sheryl

White Chicken Chili

2-3 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped
1 can navy beans, undrained
1 can great northern beans, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 t. thyme
cheddar cheese
Monterey Jack cheese

Combine all ingredients except chicken and cheeses in large pot. Simmer for 30 minutes covered. Add cheese and chicken and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Serves 4.

Alishas Chili powder and Chili, yum

Chili Seasoning Mix

1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teasonpoon sugar
2 tablespoons dried onions
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or dried minced garlic I use powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Spoon mixture into a square of foil fold to make it airtight and label... if you don't use it right away... I make this only a minute before getting the chili going... this makes one pot of chili.


Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 15oz can ranch style beans
1 10 oz can of rotels
1 1.25 oz package of chili seasoning mix (the recipe above works beautifully!)
salt and pepper to taste (I find that it doesn't need more than is already in the seasoning mix and beans etc)
2 teaspoons or to taste (we add like tablespoons more! LOL
1 cup water or as needed to your liking
I also add tomato sauce...usually two small cans, we like our chili a little more tomato based, and a bit thicker, this also contributes to the not needing more salt I'm sure... lol : )

Directions...

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, cook beef, and onion until meat is brown.. (then definently drain or your end result will be greasy on top!) Stir in beans, diced tomato, seasoning mix, salt, pepper, extra chili powder tomato sauce and water. Reduce heat and simmer 2 hours.

Stuffed Mushroom

Jimmy Dean sausage, Hot (the kind that comes in a tube)
Cream cheese- 1 block/package
Mushrooms- 2 containers

Cook the sausage and add the cream cheese. Stir together until the cream cheese melts. wash mushrooms and take out the stems. Fill with mixture. Pop into 350° oven until golden brown.

the mixture also goes good on your favorite cracker.

Peanut Butter cookies

Super Easy!!
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

mix together, make balls, crisscross with fork print, sprinkle sugar on top. Bake in a 350° oven until they just start to get golden brown. I like to line the cookie sheet with foil.

Apple Brownies

Apple Brownies

· 1 cup peeled, chopped apples
· 1/2 cup softened butter
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 egg, beaten
· 1 cup plus 1 T all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
· ¼ teaspoon of salt

Mix all ingredients and pour into an ungreased 10x10 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins. Cool and cut into squares. Makes one dozen.
Enjoy!

Homemade mac n cheese

Homemade Mac N Cheese

1-1/2 cups macaroni
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 oz American cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp bread crumbs

Cook macaroni; place in greased 2 qt dish; set aside.In saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter. Stir in flour until smooth.Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes.Stir in cheeses, salt, and pepper. Pour over macaroni.Mix well. Melt remaining butter and mix with bread crumbs.Sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tater tot casserole

Tater tot casserole

2lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans on Cream of mushroom soup
shredded cheese
1 bag of Tater tots
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Heat over to 350
2. Have a 9x 13 backing dish ready
3. Cook meat and onion together until done.
4. Spread meat in the backing dish. Add the Cream of mushroom and mix together.
5. spread cheese on top. The add the Tater tots.
Bake 1 hour or until tots are done.

Tina's Taco Soup

Tina's Taco Soup......
Boil 3 chicken breast til done. Shred with fork.
With the stock add 5 diced red potatoes
Add the chicken.

Add: 2 cans Ranch style beans ( don't drain)
1 can of hominy ( drain)
1 can of corn (drain)
1 can mexican style diced tomatoes
1 pkg Taco mix
1 can of Rotel
Let cook , when done
Serve with shredded mexican cheese on top and crushed tortilla chip on top.

Poor Mans Lasagna

Here's Tina's oh so famous poor mans lasagna. She made it for me after I had Abbie! YUM.

Poor mans Lasagna

Layer as follows in a 9x13 pan ( lightly greased)

1st layer- 1lb.egg noodles (cooked and drained)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2nd. layer 8oz. cream cheese
8oz. sour cream
16oz. cottage cheese
Mix all together
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3rd. layer 1lb ground beef (cooked and drained)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 jar of Ragu
~~~~~~~~~~~~
cover with foil and Bake at 350 for 35-45 min.. let stand for a few min.

So easy, cheap and fast. Enjoy!

(add a Ceasar salad and garlic bread sticks, super yummy)

Green Jello Salad

GREEN JELLO SALAD

1 6OZ JELL-O LIME
1 6OZ JELL-O LEMON
1 16OZ COTTAGE CHEESE
1 PINT OF HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
1 CAN 20OZ CRUSHED PINAPPLE (DRAINED)

STIR 2 CUPS BOILING WATER INTO GELATIN
STIR IN 2 CUPS OF COLD WATER OR ICE
REFRIGERATE UNTIL PARTIAL GELATIN
FOLD IN COTTAGE CHEESE,WHIPPING CREAM, AND PINEAPPLE
POUR IN CONTAINER TO COMPLTE THE JELLO
LET IT SET AND SERVE

(I am pretty sure you whip the whipping cream before putting in)
We grew up with this. Our childhood friends mom would make this and it is so good. i just got the recipe from her!!!

Betty's mashed potatoes

Ok, these are simply and yummy

Ingedients: Potatoes, butter, salt and pepper- thats it

This is a LARGE recipe-
Sack of potatoes- peel or dont peel thats up to you, but Betty peeled hers, cut them up and put them in a LARGE pot to boil. Boil until soft. Drain water and place in LARGE bowl, lol
Next add butter. If you use sticks of butter its about 5-6-7 sticks of butter. If you use butter from a tub just start scooping it out. Put LOTS of pepper in too. Salt to your liking ( i dont think i even add salt). Get your potato masher and start mashing. Need more butter?? add more, need more pepper?? add more......... it's fool proof.
This size is good for Thanksgiving, church, Velasco gathering :o)
Enjoy!! we love it.
Great with meatloaf!!

Chicken Spaghetti

The 'c' with a line over it means "with"

CALIFORNIA QUESADILLAS

The 1st recipe is not my own. This is Sheryl's and is very yummy. It's great because you personalize it to your own taste. Have fun and enjoy!!!

CALIFORNIA QUESADILLAS

2-1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 jar (6-1/2 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/3 cup chopped pitted ripe olives

2/3 cup salsa

1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

12 (6- or 7-inch) flour tortillas

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Additional salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowel, combine cheese, artichokes, olives, 2/3 cup salsa and cilantro; mix well. Brush one side of tortilla with butter. Place, buttered-side down, on baking sheet. Spoon one sixth of cheese mixture on tortilla; spread to within 3/4 inch of edge. Top with second tortilla; press firmly. Brush top lightly with butter. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese mixture and butter. Bake 10 minutes or untillightly browned. Cool five minutes. Cut into wedges; serve with additional salsa.

Yield: 6 servings

Yummy Food

I thought I'd share all the yummy food i have had. Some I have made some others have made. But EVERYONE needs to try!!!!!
ENJOY!!!!