Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Easy Sugar Cookies


Easy Sugar Cookies
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. butter, SOFTENED
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. (I think it made around 2-3 dozen)

Queso Dip

32 oz. box Velveeta Cheese Loaf
10 oz. can Rotel (original)
1 pound Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Premium Pork Sausage
7 oz. can Chopped Green Chilies
1 whole Yellow Onion
1 whole Jalapeno, or more to taste


Dice the onion. Using a nonstick sprayed skillet, cook sausage and onions until brown, stirring occasionally. Once browned, drain some of the fat from the skillet.
Cube Velveeta loaf. Add cubes to browned sausage and onion mixture. Add can of Rotel (juice and all), can of green chilies (juice and all), and stir over low heat.
Cut the top and bottom off the jalapeƱo, slice into matchsticks, then rotate and slice to create a fine dice. (For a spicy version, leave seeds and white membranes. For a milder option, remove them.) Add to queso and stir.
Serving tip: Use a fondue pot or crock pot to serve piping hot

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Craisin Apple Salad



I made this for our Thanksgiving a few years ago, and it's become one of our family's (and now our ward's... it's always requested at potlucks) favorite salads.

Craisin Apple Salad
Serves 4-6 (dinner portions) or 10-12 (as a side)
Adapted from According to Kelly

1 bag of baby spinach, wash & dried
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked until crispy & crumbled (I bake ours in the oven... easy and no mess)
1 green apple, cored & thinly sliced
1 small bag of craisins
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup candied pecans (or almonds), for candy-ing how-to go HERE.

Mix the salad ingredients & add the Poppy Seed Dressing (below) just before serving. Note: When I bring this to a potluck/ward dinner, I usually use romaine lettuce, because the spinach wilts pretty quickly. The romaine tastes great, too! Also, when we're having this only for dinner, I usually throw in some chopped grilled chicken.

Poppy Seed Dressing
2 T poppy seeds
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups light salad oil (I use canola)
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard

Mix all ingredients in blender. Refrigerate leftovers.

Note: This makes A LOT of dressing. Enough for 3 salads, at least. Mike loves the dressing, so we just keep the leftovers in the fridge and use them on lunches; however, you could halve it if you prefer.