Creme Filled Cookies

Let me go back a few years when Brendan was in kindergarten.   He made a recipe card holder;  I believe it was for a Mother's day gift.   Along with the holder was a recipe for these awesome little cookies. (Thanks, Wendy!!!)   The only down fall is the recipe doesn't make very many cookie sandwiches; I think today I only got 10 sandwiches from the one batch.  But I guess that way we don't have a ton of cookies around the house either...and that's a good thing :)

First I mixed the ingredients together, shaped with dough into 1" balls, and baked them in a 350 degree oven

Here's what we get - these lovely chocolate morsels

yum!  Then after the cookies have cooled, I need to get some frosting.  

Now the easy way it to buy a container of frosting and slap some between 2 cookies.  But today, I didn't have a jar of frosting in the house, so I made a quick and easy recipe.

Now for frosting the cookies, my boys think the more frosting....

the better.

Then stack another cookie on top.

Enjoy!!!

Creme Filled Cookie

what you need

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 container of ready made frosting

make it

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all cookie ingredients; mix well. Firmly shape dough into 1' balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-13 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet. Spread frosting between 2 cooled cookies. Enjoy!

In case you want to make the frosting here's the recipe I used.

Easy Vanilla Frosting

what you need

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk or cream

make it

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, and salt till fluffy. Add about half the confectioners' sugar, and beat slowly until well blended. Add the vanilla and half the milk or cream, and beat until fluffy. Continue mixing in sugar and milk alternately until they've been completely incorporated. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Almond Strawberry Lettuce Salad *UPDATED*

Once a month, we head to the lake shore to have Sunday lunch at my parents house.  My mom takes care of the main course, and all us, daughter try and chip in with a salad, rolls or dessert.


The last couple months I have gotten stuck taking a salad...the same salad because it's soooo good.  You'll just have to take my word for it, because I don't have any pictures for this one.

Almond Strawberry Lettuce Salad

what you need

• 1 bag of romaine Lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 oz sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Dressing ingredients:
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 TBSP poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 TBSP sour cream

make it

Tear all lettuce into pieces and put into salad bowl. Add onions, then strawberries in layers. In nonstick stove top pan heat and stir almonds and 3 TBSP sugar on mew low heat until sugar in liquidized. Cook almonds and then add to salad. Top salad with mozzarella cheese.

In dressing shaker bottle, add all dressing ingredients and shade until well mixed. Can pour over salad or serve as a side dressing.

The only suggestion I have is only use 1/4 cup of milk so the dressing isn't so running.

Try it I doubt you will be disappointed.  It's so Delish!!!!

 updated on 4/12/10.  Here's a picture of the salad I recently took.

Birthday Treats

Remember having to put your head down on your desk in elementary school then someone had a birthday?  Remember the suckers, Jolly Rancher sticks, and bags of m&m's you would get?  Well this past Monday, Lucas and Austin celebrated their 6th birthday.  And these days the kids give up cupcakes in ice cream cones or a bag full of goodies and I really didn't want to do either.  But I had to come up with something BIG seeing how I had two kids that needed treats and I didn't want to do two treats.  So this is what I came up with...one huge 3 in1 bear cookie, yes that's right 3 cookies stacked on top of each other to create this adorable cookie.


I have made lots of cut out cookies in the past years, decorating them is kind of a stress reliever for me, yes I know that's strange.  But I have fun doing this and Mike is really good at keeping the boys away from me while I'm being creative.  


Like many other cookie recipes, I have tried tons of different roll out cookie recipes.  I really like my MIL's recipe when I leave the dough pretty thick and unbake them just a bit. I also came across I just love and that's the recipe I would like to share with you today.

Soft Sugar Cookies

what you need

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

make it

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Bear in the egg, vanilla, and sour cream until well blended. Stir in the sifted ingredients. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out in 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

I find that if I roll them a little thick and do not overbake, they are the best and stay moist

Potato Soup

I'm not sure why, but the past couple weeks, I had made a couple different soups; Taco Soup, Chicken Rice & Potato.  That's say a lot because I haven't ever made soup (with the exception of White Chicken Chili) in the 10 years Mike and I have been married.  

Potato Soup

what you need

• 1 chopped onion
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 30 oz shredded hash browns (frozen)
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 brick cream cheese

make it

Mix first five ingredients in crock pot and cook for five hours on high. Add block of cream cheese cook for another half hour. Garnish with green onions and bacon bits (optional).

It even got my boys approval and that makes me happy...even if their bowl had more crackers that soup.

It was delish

Cheeseburger & Fries Casserole

Yes, I know it may not seem so appetizing to have your cheeseburger and fries in casserole form, but I made this a few weeks back.  As I was putting it together I was thinking the boys with never eat this without  fighting us tooth and nail.  

Much to my surprise the boys gobbled it up and asked for seconds...of course they needed ketchup with it, but at least they ate it without complaining.  I didn't even have to bride them with ice cream for dessert!!!!

brown 2 lbs of ground beef and drain

add cheese soup and cream of mushroom soup

and top it off with a bag of frozen French Fries

(whatever brand you like, I happened to have the Meijer brand in the house. )

and toss it in the oven for 50 minutes

 and here's what you get.  Yum!!!! 

 Mike and I would agree with the kids...you can't have a cheeseburger without ketchup. :)

I thinking the next time I make this recipe, I may need to add veggies...something that can be hidden.  :)

CHEESEBURGER 'N' FRIES CASSEROLE

what you need

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 package (20 ounces) frozen crinkle-cut French fries

make it

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in soups. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.

Arrange French fries on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until the fries are golden brown.

Blueberry Muffins

This past summer, we spent an afternoon at my dad's blueberry patch. We came home with a couple buckets of blueberries.  Now I have all these blueberries in the freezer and I have tried out quite a few different recipes for the prefect blueberry muffins.

Well, the word got out that I wasn't happy with the recipes I had tried.  My Aunt Lucy spent me these recipe and I finally got around to making these a few days ago.  I agree with my aunt, these are the BEST muffins.

what you need

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups blueberries

make it

Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and beat well. Add sour cream and mix. Combine the dry ingredients and add. Sprinkle 1 TBSP flour on blueberries and fold into batter. Fill muffin cups, sprinkle with sugar and bake at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes (depends on size if muffins, but don't overbake).

Notes

Makes 1 dozen larger muffins. These are the best BB muffins! Don't overbeat or they get tough.

Stromboli

When Mike and I were engaged to be married, Mike's mom made a recipe book for me of all the recips she liked to make that Mike would eat.  This is one of them....Stromboli.

Now I do spend the extra time to make the bread dough in my bread machine, but you could also bu the frozen dough loaves at the store, thaw it and let it raise.  I believe you will get the same results.  

After the dough is ready, I sprinkle some flour on the countertop, so the dough doesn't stick to it.  Then start rolling.

and keep rolling until you have a nicely shaped rectangle, about 10" x 15"

Once the dough is rolled out, then you need to grab 2 eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper and olive oil.  Mix these together according to the recipe and spread the mixture on the rolled dough.  I find it's easiest to get my fingers dirty and spread it out with them.

Add  provolone cheese slices over the egg mixture,

and what ever other topping you like...my family prefers just pepperoni and ham,

and more cheese.

Roll up the dough, making sure you seal the seams.  Place seam down on greased baking sheet. 

Brush with egg whites.

Before you know it, the house will be smelling so good and your kids will be excited for dinner

Plate and Serve!!!  

YUM!!!!

STROMBOLI

what you need

• 1 loaf of bread dough
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBSP Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBSP Parsley
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 2 TBSP Olice Oil
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 6 slices Provolone cheese
• choice of toppings: pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, green peppers, onion, cooked sausage, pineapple

make it

Roll dough into 10"x15" rectangle.

Mix egg yolks(keep the egg whites), parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper and oil. Spread mixture over dough. Put provolone cheese on egg mixture. Add other toppings. Add mozzarella cheese. Roll long way, tucking ends in as you roll. Place seam side down on greased baking sheet. Brush with egg whites. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Notes

Instead of provolone cheese, you can add 1 extra cup of mozzarella cheese.