Fav Recipes: Sugar Cookies!

Wow, this week has been so busy! I was in charge of a luncheon for 80 people. I have never served that many people before, but I did it and I'm glad it's over! This week just has seemed to be super busy. So here is a quick recipe I tried out the other day and fell IN LOVE WITH.

I have looked, far, and wide, and tried, and failed, many SUGAR COOKIES. This is my favorite and I will use it EVERY TIME. Try it out for yourself!

Perfect Sugar Cookies
original recipe from: Make Bake Celebrate 

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 TSP baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 TSP vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a separate bowl whisk together flour and baking powder.
2. Beat together unsalted butter and sugar. Once mixed well, add in egg. Mix again, then add in vanilla. I like to use my Kitchen aid and dough hook.
3. Slowly add in flour mixture about a cup at a time. Mix until dough forms and begins to clump together.
4. Gather up dough and knead it with hands until it's nice and smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in fridge to chill. I like to let min chill about 20-40 minutes. You will want it to be kind of firm but not hard. If it's too hard...just leave it out on the counter for just a little bit until it softens up. Then you can work it a little bit to soften it back up.
5. Bake at 350, time will depend on cookies size and thickness. Normally between 7-11 minutes.

I even enjoyed eating these plain with no frosting, which is a plus. But add a little pink fluffy frosting on top, and they are TO DIE FOR!
Until next time,

Favorite Recipes: Sweet N Sour Chicken/Blueberry Muffins

I post A LOT of things on pinterest. I think I've made about a 1/4 of those things. Ok, maybe, not even a 1/4. I have found a few charmers though and they are definitely keepers!

Both of these recipes I have modified to make it just that much simpler, but still just as tasty!

Sweet N Sour Chicken
original recipe from: Life as a Lofthouse Blog
My version:

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

       {Here is where I change it from the original. Any recipe that says cook for an hour or more in the oven I get afraid of and try to avoid. I just can't wait that long! Most days I don't start cooking until 30 mins before dinner time.}  SO here it goes:

 

Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the beaten eggs.  Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Cook your chicken until browned and cooked all the way through. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl. Pour evenly over the chicken. Mix it around in the warm skillet to let the sauce thicken up a bit {about 2-3 mins}. Turn off the heat and you are done! Enjoy!

Blueberry muffins:

My mom came into town the other day and I wanted a yummy, but quick and easy breakfast. I had a bunch of blueberries and thought... "Ooo, muffins!" But I didn't have a good recipe, and I have never had a good recipe. I randomly chose this one off of the internet and I have fallen IN LOVE with it. She came last month and I have made it FOUR.. yes FOUR times since she left. They are so yummy!

Here is the recipe:

Original: Alton Brown, Food Network

Ingredients

12 1/2 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
Heavy pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup yogurt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Vegetable spray, for the muffin tins

Directions

Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and yogurt. {And here is where I tweak it, I don't add the crumble on top, I like them plain with out it just how they are, and they are DeLiCiOuS!}  Add the dry mixture to the wet. Stir mixture for a count of 10. Add the blueberries to mixture and stir 3 more times.

Using a #20 ice cream scoop, add the mixture to greased muffin pans. Place into the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes {Mine only bake for about 14 mins! I don't know if it's my oven, but I suggest checking at 14 mins!}. Remove from oven and turn out, upside down on tea towel to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
Enjoy!

Happy baking/cooking :)

Green Spinach Smoothie

I love morning smoothies. Especially because they make me feel like I'm eating something healthy. And, these ones are especially great for my daughter, because they have spinach in them. And let's be honest, my daughter does NOT like vegetables. It doesn't matter whether they are green or orange or red, she won't eat any type of vegetable unless I mash it up real small and hide it in her food. These smoothies however, even if it's green, she can't get enough of! So it helps get some greens in her body with out me fighting every bite.

 The little Mr. even loves it too! He seriously can't get enough of smoothies. Whenever we make them and sit down on the couch to relax and drink them, he is by our side yapping until we give him a sip. He's a cutie!

 Such a cool green color too huh?

 **For those who may not like spinach, {maybe you're like my daughter and hate anything green ;)} you cannot taste the spinach AT ALL. I love spinach either way, but spinach smoothies, taste nothing like spinach, only the delicious fruit that is inside of them.** :)

Pair it off with some delicious eggs and toast and you've got a complete and balanced breakfast!



Green Spinach Smoothie Recipe:

~1 cup frozen fruit {I use frozen fruit from the freezer, we always have frozen fruit, you won't find us w/o it and it's perfect for smoothies.}
~1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
~1/2 cup apple juice, or milk, or almond milk, whatever suits you :) {you can add more to your desired consistency}
~a handful of spinach
~1 tbsp. peanut butter


Blend it all together and you've got a delicious smoothie on hand! Enjoy.

Delicious Pancakes

So, speaking of pancakes yesterday, I wanted to share a little recipe with you guys.

I'm not big on making things from scratch because I always complain that it takes too much time. We all know that it tastes so much better though. I was fine with my Krusteaz pancake mix that I was using before, I mean just add water and stir and you got a pancake mix. Until, one day, I ran out, and my mom was here and I wanted to make her a nice breakfast. SO.. I tried a recipe from my Morris family cookbook.

These pancakes are delicious. And I don't think I will ever buy pancake mix again. They are super EASY too! I mean a few ingredients that don't take long at all to mix together, and you have delicious pancakes. Pancakes are so easy to make from scratch {unless you're going to get all fancy} and they taste delicious. Try it out:

Delicious Pancakes

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder-heaped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups milk (more if you like thinner pancakes)

Mix first four ingredients

Then add next ingredients. Don't beat too long. Put 3 inch circles and fry until golden, turning only once.

Enjoy!