Lemon Cookies

 

• 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons reconstituted lemon juice
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Small bowl of confectioner’s sugar
• Small bowl of regular sugar

1. Cream butter and 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar together.
2. Add the zest from one lemon.
3. Add the reconstituted lemon juice and stir.
4. Add the egg and beat until well mixed. 
5. Add the salt and baking soda.  Mix well.
6. Add the flour and stir until well mixed. 
7. Place a lid on the mixing bowl and refrigerate at least two hours.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
10. Using a small cookie sheet, scoop nine scoops into a bowl of regular sugar.
11. Roll each ball into the regular sugar. 
12. Roll each ball into powdered sugar.
13. Place each ball on the parchment, 9 to a sheet. 
14. Flatten with the bottom of a glass.
15. Sprinkle a little more sugar on the tops of the cookies.
16. Bake for 8 minutes. 
17. Remove and let them cool on the sheet for 10 minutes.  Do not remove them too early or they will fall apart.  They need this additional time on the sheet to get firm.
18. Transfer them to a cooling rack. 
19. Repeat the baking process as many times as necessary.
20. This recipe makes about 36 cookies. 

Enjoy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Tortilla Soup

 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced (red, yellow, orange, or green strips in combination if using leftovers)
• 1 cup turkey breast cooked and shredded (or however much you have leftover)
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
• 4 cups water
• 1-15 ounce can corn, drained
• 1-15 ounce diced tomatoes (not drained)
• 1-15 ounce can black beans, drained
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (from the jar in the refrigerator)
• 1 teaspoon died cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

 Toppings:

• ½ red onion, diced
• Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Tortilla strips (purchased or make your own)
• Cubes of avocados (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

 

1. Sweat ½ of diced red onion and diced bell pepper(s) until slightly translucent. 
2. Add the shredded turkey breast, water, chicken bouillon powder, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, minced garlic, cilantro and black pepper. 
3. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently. 

 

Homemade Tortilla Strips (or just buy some)

•  8 flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Garlic salt and pepper mixture

1.  Meanwhile, if you need to make your own tortilla strips, take 8 tortillas and cut into strips no longer than 2 inches long. 
2. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a ziplock.
3. Add ½ teaspoon garlic salt and pepper mixture.
4. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
5. Put parchment on a baking sheet.
6. Add the strips to the ziplock bag and close. 
7. Shake. 
8. Spread them on the baking parchment. 
9. Bake about 7 minutes. 
10. Turn the strips.
11. Bake about 3 more minutes, watching to see that they don’t over brown.

 Continue cooking the soup for about 45 minutes.

1. Ladle into soup bowls.
2. Top with Monterey cheese, rest of the raw crunchy diced red onion, and toasted tortilla strips. 
3. Top with Avocado, and sour cream if desired. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Pie Cake

 

• 1 yellow boxed cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 can apple pie filling
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Beat the eggs well.
3. Add the cake mix and stir until well blended.
4. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.
5. Pour half the mixture in the cake pan.
6. Mix the sugar and cinnamon well. 
7. Pour half the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the layer.
8. Add the other half of the cake mixture and spread evenly.
9. Pour the other half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the layer.
10. Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. 
11. Let cool on the neck of a beer bottle or similarly necked bottle for 10 minutes. 
12. Place plate on top of the bundt pan and flip. 
13. Cake should come out in one piece (the 10 minute wait is the secret). 
14. Make the glaze and pour over the top of the cake.  It will run down the sides.

Glaze for Apple Pie Cake

• 1 stick of butter
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup bourbon (sometimes I use Fireball instead)

1. Place all the ingredients of the glaze in a saucepan.
2. Heat to boiling, constantly stirring.
3. Cook five more minutes, still stirring.
4. Remove glaze and pour it over the cake. 

 Cut, serve and enjoy. 

 

 

Sydney's Chocolate Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

 

By Sydney 12/12/03

A kiss in each cookie. This makes a lot (36) of them.

• 2 sticks butter
• 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar (plus some extra to the side for sprinkling)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1 bag of Hershey Milk Chocolate kisses

1. Cream butter and peanut butter together.
2. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating at medium speed until fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. 
4. Combine dry ingredients.  Mix well.
5. Add dry ingredients.  Mix well.
6. Shape into 1 ½ balls.  Place on parchment lined aluminum air bake cookie sheet. 
7. Squash with a fork.
8. Sprinkle sugar on the tops.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. 
10. Remove sheet and place kiss on top of each cookie.
11. Let cool for 3 minutes.
12. Transfer cookies with a spatula to a cooling rack.
13. Repeat as many times as needed.   
14. Eat rest of kisses as needed, popping one into Paw Paw’s mouth every once in a while.

 Tip:  Most cookies break less if you use a flexible spatula. 

Baked Fireball Pineapple

 

• I fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into rings
• 1 oz. Fireball whiskey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sugar and cinnamon mixture for sprinkling

1. Soak pineapple in whiskey at least several hours in a Ziploc bag.
2. Drain juice and whiskey mixture into a glass (save to make a drink).
3. Add olive oil to bag and shake.
4. Spread on an aluminum lined pie plate.
5. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture over the pineapple.
6. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Spring Mix Salad

Strawberry Spring Mix Salad:

Makes two salads that serve as a main course:

• 4 cups Spring Mix salad greens
• ½ red onion, sliced thin and separated
• 4 slices center cut bacon, microwaved or baked in the oven, crumbled
• 10 strawberries, hulled and cut
• 4 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles

Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing:

• ¼ cup pomegranate vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon refrigerated garlic

1. Arrange the greens in two salad bowls
2. Arrange a layer of red onion
3. Arrange a layer of cut strawberries
4. Arrange a layer of goat cheese.
5. Arrange a layer of bacon crumbles.
6. Mix the dressing ingredients and shake. 
7. Sprinkle with pomegranate dressing.
8. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taco Goulash by Joe Nunn

 

• 1 pound ground beef plus 1 pound ground sausage or 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 refrigerated minced garlic
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can of tomato juice
• 1 pound. package of macaroni
• 2 cups water
• Pinch basil
• Pinch oregano
• Mixture of Colby and mozzarella cheese
• Parsley for garnish

1. Brown meat and onion while stirring.
2. Add peppers and continue sauteeing.
3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom it.  Do not let it burn.
4. Add taco seasoning and stir.
5. Add tomato juice and water.
6. Add macaroni, basil, and oregano.
7. Simmer until tender.
8. Add some of the cheese and stir in.
9. Add more cheese to the top and let it sit.
10. Garnish with parsley.
11. Enjoy,