Home made taco seasoning

2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

A Slightly changed Ginger Molasses Cookie stolen from Paula Deen

This is Paula Deen's Ginger Cookies w/a little less sugar – and yes, of course, butter

¾ cup butter

¾ c sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup Molasses

2 c all purpose flour

2tsp baking soda

1tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp kosher salt

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Heat oven to 350, line cookie sheets w/parchment paper

Cream butter and sugar in one bowl, add Molasses and egg and mix completely

Sift all other ingredients together and add slowly to wet – incorporating a little at a time.

Put a little sugar in a bowl – roll dough into 1 in alls then roll into sugar. Place about 1 in apart on cookie sheet and bake 12 – 14 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

I found this recipe online. I LOVE THESE!

For Cake Base:

 2 sticks margarine (or butter if you want to indulge) -- softened

 1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar-- packed

 3 large eggs

 1 teaspoon ground ginger

 1 teaspoon vanilla

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1 and 1/2 cups flour

 1/4 cup minced dried cranberries

 1/4 cup quality white chocolate -- coarsely chopped

 1/4 cup minced candied ginger

For Frosting:

 4 ounce cream cheese -- softened

 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

 2 Tablespoons butter -- softened

 1 teaspoon vanilla

For Frosting:

 4 ounce cream cheese -- softened

 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

 2 Tablespoons butter -- softened

 1 teaspoon vanilla

For Garnish:

 2 Tablespoons minced dried cranberries

 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (e.g. Ghiradelli or Guittard) – melted

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

Beat butter and sugar together for the cake base, and add eggs/vanilla beating until fluffy. Sift together flour, ginger, and salt and then add to the butter/sugar mixture beating well. Fold in the cranberries, chocolate and ginger. Spread thick batter in pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden.

When cake is cooled, mix all frosting ingredients together and spread a thin layer over the cake. Immediately sprinkle with the minced cranberries. Then use a cake decorating bag of melted white chocolate with a tiny decorating tip (like the size used for writing on cakes) and drizzle the chocolate over the cake.

Cut this into bars immediately because the white chocolate hardens pretty fast and makes cake cutting messy

Why I am Fat

This recipe and others like it are why we are fat today

Enchilada Casserole

4 c shredded chicken (boil enough chicken to shred - I use 4-5 chicken breasts)

1 box chicken rice a roni

2 TB butter/margarine

3 cups water

1 sm can green chili’s

taco seasoning (Recipe to follow)

cheese

4 – 5 tore up tortillas

1 large can enchilada sauce

melt butter in med saucepan, add rice –a –roni and brown, add seasoning packet, taco seasoning, green chilis and 3 cups water. Bring to boil, then simmer for abt 20 minutes.

Add rice-a-roni to chicken and stir until incorporated

Spray a 9X14 in baking dish w/Pam. put 1/2 chicken, 1/3 cheese, 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 can enchilada sauce poured over the top.

Repeat layer

add remaining cheese to top

Bake abt 10-15 minutes in a preheated oven set at 375. Remove from oven and let set 5 minutes or so until set..

Put whatever taco extras you like on the top of individual servings – serves a lot of people

Kabobs!!!!

I grilled shishkabobs for the first time. It was easy!!!

I cut chicken into chunks and marinated them in lemon pepper marinade (store bought) then I slid them on metal shish-ka-bob skewers.

also on the kabobs:
Green Peppers
cherry tomatoes
bite size potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
zucchini
(this is really up to your own taste and imagination)

You might want to use a wee bit of oil and spiced them.

then I put them on the grill - remembering to turn them every few minutes.

They were AWESOME!

Amish Bread

This is an awesome and easy bread recipe – it does use yeast, but fear not, you CAN do this!!!

2 C warm water (110 degrees F)

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 Tb active dry yeast (this is NOT a full packet)

Dissolve sugar and water in a large bowl, add yeast to “Proof” and let it sit until you have a creamy foam on top.

ADD

1 1/2 tsp salt (I use Kosher)

1/4 C vegetable oil (I use canola or peanut)

then mix in

6 C flour – 1 cup at a time

knead until smooth.

Put dough into a well oiled smaller bowl (metal or glass if you have it) turn the dough over so it has oil on both sides. 

Put someplace warm, cover with a clean wet cloth and let it be for about 1 hour.

Punch down (yes, punch it) and divide it in half, shape them into loaves and put it 2 greases loaf pans.  Let raise again for about 30 minutes,

Cook for 30 minutes at 350….

turn out of loaf pans onto a cooling rack.

Easy breezy and super yummo

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To cut bread, turn bread onto it’s side and use serrated knife..