Sugar Cookies

One of my all time favorite cookies are sugar cookies. YUM! It makes my mouth water just thinking about them. :) I love to have them around the house when I want to mix it from the same old chocolate chip cookies. Although, I must admit that sometimes I love sugar cookies a little too much! When my jeans start fitting a litter tighter that's when I realize that I need to take a break from baking cookies. :) Anyways, I have tried a lot of recipes for sugar cookies, and this recipe is my favorite! It is so easy and I think that the cookies taste way better than some of the more difficult recipes. So this is a must try and is really yummy with frosting and sprinkles.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar plus 2 tbsp
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven 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 dough balls and place on cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 minutes in the preheated oven. ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Cookies

My husband's two favorite types of cookies are chocolate chip and peanut butter, and living with him I always have to have cookies on hand. Since I perfected the chocolate chip cookie, my next ambition was to find the perfect peanut butter cookie. For some reason it took longer to perfect that peanut butter cookie. We like our cookies frozen so it couldn't be too thick but not to flat either... Then behold, through trial and error I did it! I found the perfect recipe! These are on the thicker side, but are still thin enough to be amazing frozen! YUM! Definitely a must try!

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

Homemade Salsa

I think the favorite snack food in our house is chips and salsa, we have it all year long and never get tired of it! Having good salsa really makes this snack tasty so it is best to make homemade salsa. I love this recipe because it is quick and easy. The ingredient that makes this especially good is cilantro, which I would put in just about anything if I could! So don't be afraid to add some extra in :)

Ingredients:

-2 cans of chopped tomatoes with green chiles
-4 cloves garlic
-1 medium onion
-1/3 -1/2 bunch of cilantro
-1 jalapeno
-Dash of Johnny's seasoning (more to your liking)

Directions:

1. Pour 2 cans of tomatoes into bowl
2. Chop onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno, and add into bowl
3. Combine everything together and add Johnny's seasoning.
4. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Incredible Chicken Enchiladas

So my goal this week was to try at least 3 new recipes for dinner, and they all have turned out amazing and will definitely be keepers. :) Chicken enchiladas was the final recipe of the week and so tasty! Making this is definitely more time consuming than stuffing a tortilla with cheese and chicken then dumping a can of enchilada sauce over, but so worth it! Mexican is probably what my husband and I eat most in the summer, we always have chips and salsa in the house, so this was a good change from having my favorite, fajitas. :) Anyways, well enough talk and start cooking!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
• 1  can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 package mild taco seasoning mix
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  6 flour tortillas
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 can sliced black olives

Directions

1. Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside. Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
5. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes. 

 Serve with chips and salsa! YUM!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

So I feel like I am already planning out my fall baking. I love baking breads, especially banana bread. I remember my mom always baking banana bread in our house growing up. Banana bread is such a comforting food, and I love having a big piece on a cold crisp fall day with a warm cup of tea, sitting by the fire and talking with Jesse. When we lived in Charleston, SC, every Saturday morning in the fall we would get all bundled up and go to our favorite park in the morning and sip our cup of tea and nibble on a piece of banana bread and talk for hours. I love how food brings back memories like that. And, what makes this bread taste extra good is that this is super easy to bake and so delicious! 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ENJOY!! :)

Spread loads of butter on each piece before serving

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok so if you are a true American I think that you will always be in search for the BEST chocolate chip cookie. Well, I think that I have come close to perfecting the cookie. My husband loves loves loves choc. chip cookies and I always have to have to make them for him, so I guess the old saying "practice makes perfect," really worked in this situation. These are unbelievably amazing, they are crispy on the outside, but soft and gooey in the middle. As far as cookies go are actually somewhat hard to perfect. Don't let that intimidate you though; just follow the instruction and before you know it, you will be eating the world's best chocolate chip cookie! 

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 sticks butter, melted then cooled
-1 cup light brown sugar
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 cup quick cooking oats
-1 cup chocolate chips (I use milk)

Directions:
 1.) Preheat oven 325 degrees
2.) Melt butter then cool for about 1-2 minutes
3.) Mix sugars and butter on medium speed for 2 minutes
4.) Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix on medium for 2 minutes
5.) Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined
6.) Add oats and choc. chips (I recommend hand mixing, but you could use mixer as well)
7.) Make balls out of dough (try not to eat it first!) and place on cookie sheet- this should make about 18 cookies.
8.) Bake for 11-12 minutes. ENJOY this small taste of heaven!

PS: It is so yummy if you take a scoop of vanilla ice cream and place it on the cookie when the cookie is fresh out of the oven!

Baked Lemon Chicken Pasta

Ok so I just tried this for the first time tonight and it was absolutely to DIE for! YUM! I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, The Pioneer Woman, but changed a few things to my husband's liking. So I am "suppose" to be doing a no carb diet for a new challenge in my life, but tonight I couldn't resist making this for Jesse and not having any. First of all you have to like lemon and carbs to love this meal! This is the ultimate summer comfort food. I love summer, but one thing that always bothers me about summer nights is that for most dinners you end up grilling, which I love doing, but some nights you just crave carbs and comfort food and believe me when I say that this dish has it all! I love baked pasta dishes, it reminds me of my single days when I would be allowed to cook meals without meat in them... But I threw in some chicken and the hubby LOVED it! This dish is a must before summer is officially over in Washington. :)

Ingredients

• 1 pound of shell noodles, or any type of noodles
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into pieces
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained noodles and stir together, then pour noodels into an oven safe dish.
Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)
When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
 It is great served with bread and a nice glass of white wine. So tasty!