Sugar Cookies

Suzy wanted this recipe. She said they are so much better than all the others she has tried. I think it is the grated orange peel that I add into the dough. I usually use a holly cookie cutter, green frosting and then red hots for the berries. I think Mom used to do something like that.
3/4 c. shortening (part butter or margarine, softened)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp lemon extract (I add the vanilla with the grated peel of 1 orange)
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Mix thoroughly shortening, sugar eggs and flavorings. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill at least one hour.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/4 to 1/8 in. thick depending on if you want crisp cookies or thick ones. You might have to work a little more flour into the dough if it is too sticky. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 5 to 8 minutes until very light brown.

This recipe is from the Betty Crocker Cookbook I got as a wedding present:) I usually make the dough, bake the cookies and then freeze them. Then when I need to give them away, I pull them out of the freezer, frost, decorate and they are good to go!

Easy Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

2 15 oz can black beans -- rinsed and drained
1 16 0z. whole kernel frozen corn (or 2 cans, drained)
1 bottle of your favorite thick and chunky salsa
5 or 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts -- (I cut them into strips)
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese

In a 3.5 or 4 quart electric slow cooker, mix together the beans, corn, and 1/2 the bottle of salsa. Top with the chicken breasts, then pour the remaining salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on the high heat setting 2.5-3 hours, or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will toughen. Top with shredded cheese and melt. Great served with Mexican rice or with pasta.

(Another recipe also called for a brick of cream cheese and to remove the chicken when it was done and cut the chicken into bite size pieces and then melt the cream cheese in the sauce and stir chicken back in. They then made burritos with it. I haven't tried this but it sounds good!)

I first made this for a Hill Cumorah Pageant Potluck this year and it was a big hit. KB:)

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 c. chocolate chips
Glaze (directions follow)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
1 Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt; set aside.
2 With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, and zucchini.
3 Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.
4 Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.
5 Drizzle glaze over cake.
Glaze: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Cut in thin slices to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.
(I prefer to use this chocolate frosting instead. It is the best homemade chocolate frosting I have ever tasted!)

Creamy Chocolate FrostingCream together:
6 TBS. butter
6 TBS. Hershey's Cocoa
2 TBS. light corn syrup
1 teas. vanilla extract
Add and beat till spreading consistency:
2 c. confectioner's sugar
2-4 TBS. milk
(Makes 2 cups)

Double Chocolate Mousse

This is the LOWFAT version of Chocolate Mousse. It is quick and easy to make and is yummy too!

What You Need!
1-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk, divided
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 pkg. (2.1 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping, divided
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
Make It!
MICROWAVE 1 cup milk and chocolate squares in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; whisk until chocolate is melted. Add remaining milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Refrigerate 20 min.
WHISK in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into 6 dessert dishes.
TOP with remaining COOL WHIP and berries

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

I have to laugh because I wanted to add a zucchini recipe too, Tam. 'Tis the season. This is a healthy muffin and very tasty too! I think I got it from Family Fun magazine a couple of years ago.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely shredded zucchini
3/4 cup finely shredded carrots
granulated sugar
PREPARATION:
Grease 12 standard muffin cups. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, orange juice, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Stir milk mixture into the flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Set aside 1 tablespoon each shredded zucchini and carrots. Fold remaining zucchini and carrots into the batter. Divide batter among the muffin pan cups. Sprinkle with reserved zucchini and carrot and a little granulated sugar.
Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until centers spring back when lightly touched with finger. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm. Makes about 1 dozen muffins.

Chili Rellenos

I planted 6 anaheim chile plants and have tons. I decided that I would try real rellenos. They were not pretty, but they were delicious, and a royal pain in the butt. I think that I would be better with another chile pepper, maybe problano, because I thought they were too thin. I made my own green chile sauce, too. I am so proud!

• 12 Anaheim chile peppers, charred and peeled
• 1 pound Cheddar cheese, cut into strips
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating

My brother Mike shared his recipe which is so much easier and tasty too. 

Use Krusteaz Pancake Mix and use Club Soda instead of the water. It makes great chili rellenos, onion rings and fried zucchini.  I also used colby jack cheese sticks to make it even easier!

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Stuff each pepper with a strip of cheese.

2. In a small bowl combine milk, the 1 cup flour, egg, baking powder, baking soda, salt and canola oil; mix well to make a batter.

3. Pour enough oil in heavy frying pan to reach 1 inch in depth and heat over medium-high heat. Roll each pepper in the remaining flour and dip in the batter. Fry until lightly browned on both sides.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

I've got zucchini coming out of my ears and Wendy gave me this delicious recipe. I don't think I will ever make plain zucchini bread again!


3 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. salad oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 can (81/4 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 9 inch loaf pans; set aside.

In mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Beat in sugar, oil and vanilla. Continute beating until mixture is thick and foamy. Stir in zucchini and pineapple.

In second bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts. Add to zucchini mixture and stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Yields 2 loaves. Enjoy!

Brazilian Lemonade

When we took Chelsey to BYU-I last September, Lindsey took us to Tocano's Brazilian Grill in Salt Lake. It was amazing but we really loved the Brazilian Lemonade. So I Googled it and found this recipe and it is now our tradition to make it on Sunday nights while we watch Newhart and also on Thursdays when we watch Survivor. Enjoy! Kristie

INGREDIENTS
2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
ice

DIRECTIONS
Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, and water. Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Then put back in the blender and add sweetened condensed milk and about 10 ice cubes. Blend until ice is crushed. This makes enough for 4 people unless you want to be pigs then it is enough for 2!

I have an incredible blender that automatically makes frozen drinks thanks to Chelsey! She gave it to me for Christmas 2008!