Lettuce Wraps

My friend Ericka posted this on her blog about a year ago. We have made these a couple of times now- and my family loves them. I have made a few minor adjustments- like leaving out the water chestnuts (yuck!!). They are super easy. Try them and I might just be your new best friend : )

3-4 chicken breasts1 large carrot
(10 baby carrots)
1/2 lb mushrooms
3 green onions
1 red bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 head iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated

sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook chicken in large pan with a little bit of water until cooked thoroughly.

While the chicken is cooking dice up your veggies. A food processor makes this one of the easiest meals I have ever made. Carrots, red pepper, green onion and mushrooms should all be diced to about the size of a kernel of corn.

Remove the chicken from the pan- it will much easier to cut when cooled.

Saute veggies in 1T oil and 2 cloves of garlic (~1 t minced garlic) and 1/2 t sesame oil.

Mix together sauce ingredients and whisk to combine.

When veggies are soft, add diced chicken and sauce and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with rice and lettuce. (my kids liked the mixture both on rice and on lettuce. I liked adding a little bit of rice to my chicken & veggies on the lettuce).

ENJOY!! ( **I have also made this with 1 lb ground spicy sausage in place of the chicken. My 11 year old taste tester Kate LOVED them**)

Rolo Cookies

Confession: I like chocolate best when mixed with caramel!

(twix, skor, rolo, pecan turtles- you get the idea)

Rolo Cookies

2 1/4 c flour

3/4 c cocoa

1 t baking soda

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c butter, softened

2 t vanilla

2 eggs

48 Rolo- i bought a 12 oz bag and had more dough than rolos

sugar for rolling

In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa and baking soda

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well. Add flour mixture and blend well.

With floured hands wrap about 1 tablespoon of dough around an (unwrapped) rolo. roll in sugar- and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 7-10 min- just until they are set and slightly cracked.

Annie thought that they were so good they shouldn't just be cookie of the month- they should be cookie of the year!!

Soft Molassas Cookies

Judy Brown's Soft Molassas Cookies
( aka supersoft gingersnaps - from Favorites)
1 1/2 c butter
2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c molasses
4 1/2 c flour
4 teaspoons baking soda (this is not a typo!)
2 teaspoons cinnamon2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Roll into balls with a cookie scoop and roll balls in sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 for 10 minutes.These make wonderful holiday cookies!

Gram's Gingerbread Boys

Today I made Gingerbread boys with Cori. She hummed and serenaded me with beautiful Christmas songs as I mixed, rolled and cut out the most delish little men ever to be covered with frosting. Cori is a wonderful baker and an amazing song writer- what a gift to be able to turn tender feelings into words.

Thank you Cori for filling my kitchen today with wonderful smells, treats and sounds! Here's the recipe for her gingerbread cookies and for her music visit http://www.coriconnors.com/

Gram's Gingerbread Boys (via Cori) * revised

1/4 c butter

1/4 c butter flavored crisco

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c molasses

1/2 t cider vinegar

1/2 c buttermilk

3 c flour

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 t ground ginger

2 t cinnamon

First off follow the recipe EXACTLY! (or your cookies will be less than delish- trust me!) Cream shortening, butter and sugar. Mix in molasses and vinegar. Mix a cup of flour with the spices. and mix into batter. Then alternate adding flour and buttermilk. ("start with flour and end with flour") CHILL for at least a few hours to over night. Roll out thick and bake at 375 for 6-10 minutes. (6 min was perfect in my oven- don't over bake if you want them soft). Cool and frost with butter cream frosting.

Yummy butter cream frosting

1/2 cup butter softened

1t vanilla

1/4 t salt

1/3-1/2 cup EVAPORATED milk

4 cups powdered sugar

beat the butter until fluffy, add additional ingredients, alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency, should be thin enough to spread so the frosting appears smooth on the top of the cookie. The frosting will harden slightly and you can used a pastry bag to pipe on additional decorations.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rachaels' Pumpkin Cookies (from Favorites)
3 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 cup oil
2 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
3 cups sugar
1 t salt
5 cups flour
1 1/2 c chocolate chips


In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix well. Add flour and mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.



Browned Butter Frosting
1 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c milk ( i use evaporated milk in frosting)
1 t vanilla


melt the butter on the stove in small sauce pan until melted and it begins to brown. (watch it close so it doesn't burn) add to powdered sugar and slowly add milk until smooth, add vanilla -Frost and enjoy!!!

Brown Sugar Muffins

1/2 butter softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 c. milk
2 c. flour
1/4 t salt
1 t baking soda

Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients and stir. Pour into greased muffin pan. (makes about 12 regular sized muffins) Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

We had these tonight with Cauliflower soup!! yummmmm!!!

Uncle Steve's Peach Ice Cream

5 years ago my uncle Steve passed away. At his funeral we ate the most delicious homemade peach ice cream. This summer I called around to the wonderful women who provided lunch to find this recipe because it was such a vivid memory for me! Another great way to remember Steve!

4 eggs

2 1/2 c. sugar

2 c. milk

1 t vanilla

1/4 t almond

8-10 large peaches. pealed and pureed

2 c. whipping cream

Beat eggs until think and lemon colored (about 5 minutes). Beat the sugar in until dissolved. Stir in milk, vanilla and almond. Stir pureed peaches into egg mixture and then fold in the whipping cream. Pour into Ice Cream Freezer! (makes 4 quarts)