Sheri Bird's Sugar Cookies of LOVE

***I copied this right off my sister Lindsay's food blog. This is our mom's recipe. THEY. ARE. AMAZING. These cookies are the epitome of the yummy food of my upringing...well, one of them anyway. Mom would make these at Halloween, Christmas, Valentines day, whenever needed? Mom was an amazing cook/baker/chef/mom...everything.***


For the Cookie:

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp almond extract (vanilla changes the flavor..avoid avoid!)
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Combine butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Add eggs, sour cream and almond extract. Mix again on medium speed. Add flour, soda, baking powder and salt and blend again until smooth (the dough will feel a bit sticky). Refrigerate for at least and hour. Roll dough out on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Let cool and frost!

For the Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 tbs milk
1 tsp almond extract (no vanilla!)
food coloring (optional)

Beat well with electric mixer until smooth.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread

(The first loaf didn't last long enough to be in the picture. It's that yummy.)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini (I use a cheese grater)
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbps cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

 Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients with beater.
2. Pour into bread pan size of your choice, and fill pans approx ¾ of the way:
• 5 or 6 mini size
• 3 medium size
• 1 or 2 large size
3. Bake at 350° for 40-50 min. Done when toothpick comes out clean!

Red Garlic Potatoes

Mom’s recipe

Enough red potatoes to feed your family
Melted butter
Garlic Powder (more or less to taste)
Salt
Dried Parsley flakes

Steam or boil potatoes until desired “done-ness.” Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add garlic powder, salt and parsley to butter. Cut potatoes into quarters and place in a bowl or and add butter/garlic mixture. Mix well and serve. (These are a family favorite! If there are any leftovers, you can fry them as hash browns in the morning!)

Jell-O (Cottage Cheese) Salad

My mother in-laws recipe. So yummy!



1 of the larger sized containers of cottage cheese (2% milk fat is the best)
1 8 oz container of cool whip
1 can of mandarin oranges (for orange salad) / OR a package of frozen raspberries (for pink salad)
1 small package of orange Jell-o (for orange salad) / OR raspberry Jell-o (for pink salad)
I small can of crushed pineapple (that is optional, most people like it, I usually leave it out)

Basically mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, adding the fruit last so it doesn’t completely fall apart. You CAN eat it right away, but it’s better if you let is chill/set in the fridge for a couple hours (or overnight) for the best results.

Lemon Bars

These have become famous! This is the “Lion House Dessert’s” Lemon Squares recipe just barely modified.




Crust
½ cup butter softened
½ cup (slightly over - don’t level it off) powdered sugar
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar (a hand mixer works great); add 1 cup flour. Spread in an 8x8-inch pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (when you see the edges barley start to turn that nice golden brown color, take it out of the oven! While crust is baking, prepare the filling.


Filling
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
(The recipe calls for a grated rind of ½ lemon, but I have never done it)

In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly and add sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice (and lemon rind if desired). Mix well and pour over hot crust immediately after removing from oven (if you don’t they won’t turn out right). Put right back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven (again watch for the golden brown on the top and edges of the “crust” of the filling) and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Cool slightly before cutting into 2-inch squares. ***You can serve with vanilla ice cream if you like. Makes 16.

Chicken Pillows

Mom’s recipe



3 c. cooked, cubed chicken
8 oz. cream cheese
½ tsp. Garlic Powder (more or less to your taste)
1 tsp. Onion Powder or 1 Tbl. Minced onion (more or less to your taste)
1 Tbl. Dried Parsley
3 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (or store brand)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (it’s easiest if you use a blender or hand mixer because it will shred up the chicken for you). Roll out crescent rolls and separate each triangle. Slightly stretch each triangle to accommodate filling. Add about 1 Tbl. Of filling to each triangle and fold up each corner to make a “pillow.” Make sure filling is completely enclosed and roll is sealed. Bake as directed on the crescent package.

*** You can also make a sauce of 1 can Cream of chicken soup with ¾ can of milk to pour over pillows as they are served.

*** You can steam 2 cups of broccoli until tender, and then add ½ cup shredded cheese and ¼ cup of sour cream to the filling mixture. You will need more rolls though as this will increase the filling size.

Fantasy Fudge - Jen Style

Fantasy Fudge (Jen Style)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter
1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)
3 cups sugar
1 package of Hershey's Milk Chocolate chips
1 jar of puffed marshmallow cream (7 oz)
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat butter, evaporated milk, and sugar to full rolling boil in 3 quart heavy saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly.

Once it’s boiling, set the timer for four minutes, (or stick one of those old school candy thermometers in until it reaches about 234 degrees F), stirring constantly to prevent scorching. (I prefer the timer, it tends to be just right that way). Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallow crème and chocolate chips until melted, then stir in the vanilla.

Pour immediately into a foil lined 9-inch-square pan*. Cool at room temperature at LEAST 4 hours. Cut into squares (smaller is better because they are tall pieces). Store in an airtight container (I prefer tupperware and in the fridge).

Makes 3 lbs. or 40 servings, 2 squares each (about, if you cut 1 inch squares).


*If you have to let the fudge sit for a minute before you pour it (while you line a pan with foil) and it starts to look chunky, just stir it some more and it will be fine. It's easiest if you line the pan before you start the fudge.