Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

This is a great soft sugar cookie.  I picked this gem up from the "wheat Montana" flour package.  I use their white flour and absolutely love how my baked goods come out.  The story behind the company is pretty cool too.  I will let you read and discover this wonderful flour :)
                Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
1c. Butter                         
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4c. Sugar.                    
8 oz. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla.                    
3 eggs.                               
5 to 5 1/2 c. White flour

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla.  Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.  Mix baking soda and sour cream together and add to creamed mixture.  Sift together baking powder and flour and blend into creamed mixture.    Dough should be easy to handle and roll out ( I usually refrigerate it for a couple of hours).  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/8" thick .  Cut into shapes.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for about 9 min.  Makes about 4 doz. 

                                                                Sugar Cookie Frosting
                                     
                                 1/2 c. Butter ( 1 stick),  3 to 4 Tbsp. milk ( I usually use whipping cream or evaporated milk for a richer frosting) , 2 tsp. vanilla, food coloring, if desired,  2 - 3c. Powder sugar ( I'm guessing, because I just put enough in for frosting consistency) frost cookies.      
                                       Decorate to your hearts content :)

Beef stew and Parmesan Rolls

I decided to make a stew for a dear friend going through a difficult time, there wasn't a lot on her list she could eat, I thought beef stew is great " comfort food" and went to work, using the potatoes from our garden, makes me proud to use my garden food :) and these Parmesan rolls are super easy and taste like restaurant quality, or better :) you decide.
                          Beef Stew

About 5 med. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
 1 lb. bag Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2" pieces,
Celery cut up, 3 stalks
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. beef bouillon 
1/2c Marsala cooking wine
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 brown gravy packets
Salt and pepper to taste
1c. Flour- stirred into about 1/2 c. Water
1/2 to 3/4 lb. beef cut into stew pieces
Dip beef pieces into flour seasoned with garlic salt and fry in olive oil until brown and put into crockpot, add potatoes, onions, carrots, seasonings, gravy packets, beef bouillon, Marsala, Worcestershire sauce, flour mixture, enough water to more than cover vegetables.  Cook on low 5   - 7 hours, the last two hours add celery.  If you need to make thicker use some of the liquid and add flour and stir, make sure liquid isn't too hot , it must be a smooth paste or you will have clumps in your soup.  Make sure veggies are soft before eating.

                           Parmesan Rolls

Rhodes frozen roll dough
Melted butter
Parmesan and Romano cheese, in can
--dip frozen rolls  in melted butter, roll in cheese and let raise on greased pan.  Bake 375F for about 10-12 min. Or golden brown.  These are worth making and eating!!!!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Sodas Brough style

Last night, my niece and nephew decided to have a "date night" and ended up at my house around 9:30 and said they came for chocolate sodas, lucky for them I did happen to have all the supplies on hand. :) and they left very satisfied :)

                             Chocolate Soda-Brough Style
Club soda
Chocolate syrup
Vanilla ice cream( I find Costco brand the very best)

Use a tall glass put scoop of ice cream in, add some chocolate syrup, another scoop ice cream, more chocolate syrup, then pour club soda over this, stir, may need another scoop ice cream and chocolate syrup on top.  It should taste chocolatey.
The first time I had one of these at my in laws I was in love.  It must be more Canadian because I had never heard of them before I met my husband.  But then I grew up in Wyoming :)

Joseph Smith's family 90 Minute Bread Recipe

Wow I've had this recipe for a long time, when I was living with my cousin in Rexburg, I went to a Relief Society homemaking meeting and they served this bread.  We also learned it came from Joseph Smiths family so it must be good right? It's the only white bread recipe I've made and it is a wonderful recipe, perfect for the winter,  wonderful to toast and put Nutella on or our incredible raspberry jam also good to make sandwiches with, I also love it with homemade soup, What a wonderful way to make your day!
                     90 minute Bread
To 4c. Very warm water (105-115F), add 4tsp. Salt, 8Tbsp. Sugar, 4Tbsp. Cooking oil and stir.  Then add 4Tbsp. Yeast.  Let set about 20 min.(I usually let it sit until I can get to it and the yeast looks like it growing good).  Add 5c. Flour, and 1/2c. Potato flakes(I will add 1c., or instead you can add mashed potatoes, also for the water use potato water for a softer bread).  Beat into a smooth batter, add more flour if needed,  be careful not to add too much, just enough so it will hold its shape and not too sticky.  Divide into 4 parts  then beat with a spoon( that's what they did in pioneer days, it's to get the air pockets out. Let set for 20 min. Mold into loaves and place into greased bread pans.  Let raise for 30 min.  Bake 375 F for 25 to 30 min or until bread is done .   Can you just smell it now? 

Grandma's Peach Pie

I know peach season has left us in Utah but I couldn't resist posting another favorite recipe.  My mother in law saw this on tv, made it for the family and was a big hit!  I normally am not a peach pie lover, but this is the best one ever, I promise!  This is a highly requested recipe so enjoy!

                             Peach Pie

Make pie crust:

2 c. flour

1 c. crisco

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. water  

** put 2 c. flour in medium size bowl add salt, take out 1/3 c. of the flour/salt mixture and put in small bowl, add 1/4 c. cold water mix to make a paste,  set aside.

In the medium bowl, put in crisco and cut through until it resembles small crumbles

Now add the paste to the crumbles and mix until you have a ball.  Wrap in wax paper and put in refrigerator about 2 hours, or until chilled.  When chilled,  roll out onto floured pastry cloth or your countertop.  When put in pie pan, put back in refrigerator and chill again.  Make sure you don't handle the dough too much.  

Preheat oven to 475 F. prick pie crust well  with fork and bake for  8 to 10 min. or until golden brown.

Cool.

glaze:

1c. Sugar 

1/2c. Water

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

 1 peach, purée this, but I usually leave a little chunky, then cook until it thickens-cool and add 3 to 4 peaches cut up, put to the side.

Cream filling: 

 3oz. Cream cheese

 1/4c. Butter

 1/4c. Powder sugar

** whip and put  into bottom of a cooked pie crust.  Add peach filling, then add sweetened whip cream on top!  Can use cool whip, I'm a purist love to make whipped cream and eat it right off the spoon! 

Keep this recipe handy so when you are able to get fresh peaches, make sure you make this, oh my 7th heaven!!!

Famous Hot Fudge Sauce

Yesterday we celebrated Sarah and Laura's birthdays we had an ice cream bar complete with the homemade Carmel I posted the other day, brownies, and all kinds of toppings--I also made my husbands favorite hot fudge sauce, I did catch him eating a small bowl of it wow he couldn't wait, that's how good this is! I got this from my roommate's sister years ago and it's my go-to recipe. Enjoy!

       Famous Hot Fudge Sauce

1 c. Sugar(granulated)
2Tbsp. Unsweetened cocoa
2Tbsp. Butter
1c. Evaporated milk
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1tsp. Vanilla
--Mix sugar, cocoa and flour together and warm over medium heat,  add butter and canned milk.  Boil 2 min.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla.  Thickens as it cools. Makes about 1 to 1 1/2 c.  

Pickety Place Pumpkin Squares- must have for fall!

This is a fall must have recipe!  No joke I make this every fall and have given this recipe out many times.  I originally found this in a newspaper that was sharing restaurant requests.  This makes a ton so when you want to feed a crowd this is a great one.   This is also an easy recipe yeah!

     Pickety Place Pumpkin Squares

4 eggs
1 2/3 c. Sugar
1 c. Oil ( I use vegetable)
1 (27oz) can pumpkin pie filling(the one with all the spices)
2c. Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon 
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 F.  In large bowl of mixer mix everything together until well blended.  Pour batter into large ( bigger than a jelly roll size) ungreased cookie sheet with 1" sides.  Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack and frost.  Makes about 3 dozen squares.

Frosting: (this makes a thin layer of frosting but if you love cream cheese frosting, my sister doubles this, but you can also 1 1/2 times it - I usually just make it normal since my husband wants to taste the cake more than the frosting)

 1/2 c. Butter, softened

 8oz cream cheese

 2 1/2 c. Powdered sugar

 1 tsp. vanilla

  Cream the butter and cream cheese together, then add rest until smooth.  Frost cake.

Original recipes

Oh yeah I must put this disclaimer with the recipes, I'm not an inventor, I just like to try other people's inventions, once in a while I will add some flare, so I will give credit where credit is due thanks for taking a look

M&M Sugar Cookies from jamiecooksitup

I promised my niece this recipe for sugar cookies with MandM's this picture isn't the best but you get the drift.  I found this fun one on jamiecooksitup blog.  I've made this one several times and think it would be great for your Christmas plate with Christmas M&M's, that is my plan this year anyway.

             
1c. Butter, softened
1 1/2c. Sugar--cream together until fluffy(about 3 min.)

Add:

 2 eggs

 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla --  mix, about 2 min., 

Combine in a separate bowl: 

 3 c. Flour

 2 tsp. Baking powder

                                                                 1 tsp. baking soda

                                                                 2 tsp. cream of tartar

                                                                 dash of salt

--  add this to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.  Pour in about 12oz bag of M&M's make into balls, smash just a little.  Bake at 350 F for 8 min. These should be crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, and very yummy I might add :)

Homemade Carmel Apple Dip by lifeasmom

So just a few days ago I realized I had way too many wonderful Honey Crisp apples that didn't have much life in them.   Then I remembered my friend, Michelle's Carmel apple dip that she had generously made for some of us bunco winners(well really it was the consolation prize for the bottom 5) I put mine in the fridge and forgot about it until one day I decided to try it, I loved it so much that I decided to scour the Internet for a good homemade recipe and I stumbled upon a website: anoregoncottage.com .  I love that this is soft caramel and has a wonderful flavor to it, needless to say, it was a hit with the family, so I decided to share, here is the recipe: Homemade Caramel Apple Dip

Melt one stick of butter (1/2 c.) over medium-low heat in heavy saucepan, then add 1/2c. Honey, 1c. Brown sugar and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, you must stir constantly or could have brown flecks, lower heat to medium and cook 3 minutes stirring constantly again, scrape edges of pan to keep it from sticking.  Remove from heat and add 1 Tbsp. vanilla let cool.  Serve warm. Can put in fridge and reheat in microwave.  Makes about 2 c.

Easy, and most wonderful! 

Letting go of the past

\One of my favorite sayings, and so true!

\

Day 1 (october 18, 2012)

I'm starting a blog with the help of my son for my friends and family who have requested over the years my recipes, this makes it easier to give out than to individually write to each of them, enjoy!