Sugar Cookies for Valentines Day

Perfect Sugar Cookies
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt until completely combined.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at at time, then mix in vanilla extracts.

Add flour, 2 cups at a time, until the dough combines and the flour is incorporated.

Split dough into 3 or 4 sections and immediately roll out between two pieces of parchment paper. Stack doughs and place in the refrigerator before cutting for a couple hours.(I put them in the freezer for 30 minutes instead)Preheat oven to 350

Remove dough sheets from the refrigerator and cut into shapes. Transfer to baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges turn a light brown. Reroll the scraps between the leftover parchment paper and continue cutting out shapes - if the dough gets too soft - place in the freezer or refrigerator for a couple minutes.

Sugar Cookie Frosting
"Add food coloring to decorate your favorite sugar cookies."
Ingredients:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Quaker oatmeal prize winning meat loaf
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
3/4 cup Quaker® Oats
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup catsup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but thoroughly.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until meatloaf is to medium doneness (160°F for beef, 170°F for turkey), until not pink in center and juices show no pink color. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

As good as the meatloaf is, it would not be complete without the sauce. We formed the mixture into a loaf and placed it in the middle of a roast pan to cook. Twenty minutes before it was done, the grease/liquid was drained off. She then covered the meatloaf with 1/2 cup of grated onion(this can be omitted if you wish), followed by 1 cup of (Heinz) ketchup mixed with 4T of brown sugar, 4T vinegar, 2T Worchestershire Sauce; heated mixed ingredients but did not boil. I always make a double batch to spoon over each piece.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 3 days, or wrap airtight and freeze up to 3 months.

Perfect Cakemix Cupcakes and frosting

Perfect Cake Mix Cupcakes
1 box (18.25 oz) cake mix (vanilla, devil’s food, or yellow etc.)
1 cup buttermilk (in place of water called for on the box)
Vegetable oil (the amount on the box)
4 eggs (in place of the number called for on the box)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
Follow the box instructions, putting all the ingredients in a large bowl and using the buttermilk in place of the water specified on the box, using the amount of vegetable oil that is called for, and adding the eggs. Beet with an electric mixer until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer
Fill paper liners two-thirds full. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before icing













Raspberry Jam Butter cream
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Raspberry or Strawberry jam (the really smooth kind)seedless
red food coloring (enough to make it a pretty pink color)

Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency. If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out. Put on your favorite cupcake.

















Shortcut Peanutbutter Frosting
(This tastes like a creamy peanut butter cup filling)
1 can of vanilla ready made frosting
1/2 C. Creamy Peanutbutter
Simply whip together and your done. Credit for this amazingly easy frosting goes to my sister Haven! Thanks for sharing .......

Potato Rounds

"Similar to Baked Potato Skins but you use the whole potato"

Potato Rounds (as seen on "Taste Buds"

2 russet potatoes
Salt, to taste (I used season salt in place of the salt, pepper, and paprika)
Black pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste
1/3 cup Colby-jack cheese
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
Green onions for garnish, if desired
Sour cream, if desired


Preheat oven to 375.

1.Clean and scrub potatoes well. Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick slices( Be sure to stay on the thicker side or they'll end up too crispy). Place potatoes on lightly buttered baking sheet and season each side with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

2. Remove pan from oven and place a pinch of cheese and bacon on top of each potato slab. Return the pan to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve with green onions and sour cream, if desired.

Pantry Item?

Look What I found in my Pantry after a Costco Trip!!!!!!

Monster Cookies 1/2 Batch Size

Have you ever wanted to make Monster Cookies but were intimidated by the volume of ingredients listed ...Then this is the recipe for you. It is still 3 X the average cookie recipe and is great when needing a treat to share. If you would like the original recipe check out Dana's Monster Cookie recipe.

Monster Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
6 eggs
2-1/4 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter
1-1/2 pounds peanut butter(2 1/2 cups)
9 cups rolled oats
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (M&M's)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a very large bowl, mix ingredients in order given. (Use hands if necessary).I used my Bosch Mixer
2. Drop on cookie sheet (an oven liner or parchment paper works well) about 5 cookies to a sheet with ice cream scoop and flatten. Or use a regular cookie scoop and flatten slightly for smaller cookies.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 12 minutes for larger cookies and 9 for smaller . These burn easily so don't overcook. Makes about 40 saucer size cookies or 8 dozen regular size.
Note: This recipe does not call for flour.

Baked German Apple Pancake

Baked German Apple Pancake
Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
Dash of salt
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large or 4 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place 9" ovenproof glass pie dish with deep sides in preheated oven.
(I used an 8x8 in square Pyrex.)
3. Beat egg whites until stiff.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, milk, salt and egg yolks with a hand mixer.
5. Gently fold egg white mixture in.
6. Sauté apples, sugar, margarine and cinnamon in skillet for 2-3 minutes until apples are well coated.
7. Pour apples into heated glass pie dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Pour the batter over apples slices.
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 350° until the pancake is brown and puffy.
1o. Remove from oven and loosen sides.
11. Invert on plate, if desired. Cut and serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Hamburger Stroganoff
Ingredients:

1/2 C. minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2-3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 C. (8 oz) sour cream
1 lb. Country Pasta, cooked and drained
Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in butter, over medium heat. Add meat and brown. Drain all but about 2 Tbsp of grease. Add flour, salt and pepper, stir, and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add soups, stir and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Heat through, sprinke with parsley (optional), and serve over hot Country Pasta noodles.

Alex's dance recital pictures

"Wouldn't it be loverly"

Chocolate Pancakes

Chocolate Pancakes

1 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)

Sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Overstirring will create flatter pancakes. We like ours thick and fluffy. Lightly stir in chocolate chips if desired. Heat a griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the hot griddle or use cooking spray and laddle the pancake batter onto the griddle using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. You can make yours into heart shapes by drawing a V with the batter. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden (though this is hard to tell with chocolate pancakes), gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the pancake is set. Serve with butter and maple syrup or with whipped cream and strawberries or raspberries.