Gingerbread Soft Cookies

These cookies flatten and crack as they cool. The secret in keeping them soft is to remove them from the oven as soon as they are set but before they start to brown.

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup shortening*
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
l/2 tsp. cloves
l/2 tsp. salt


Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat until thick. Add the molasses and stir until combined.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Add to creamed mixture and stir just until blended. If the dough is very soft (hot day? warm kitchen?), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Shape into 1” balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350º for 7 - 10 minutes or just until set but before they start to brown.

* This is a very old recipe and, like many cookie recipes from the 1950’s, and uses vegetable shortening instead of butter. You can substitute 1 1/2 cups melted and cooled butter for the shortening but you will have to increase the flour to 4 1/2 cups and definitely chill the dough before using.

http://www.dana-made-it.com/2011/12/day-5-gingerbread-softies.html

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Chicken

I am going to try this recipe tonight. Only I will be making it in my oven rather that the grill. I'm going to assume the recipe will still be as followed, only maybe with a little more baking time.

Ingredients:

                      2 bonless, skinless chicken breasts
                      6 slices of bacon
                      6-8 slices of cheese- any type you wish to use (if you are using pre-sliced for sandwiches use 2 slices)
                      2 teaspoons of barbeque sauce, plus extra for serving
                      Grilling rub of your choice
                      Toothpicks, soaked in water (to prevent excessive burning)

Instructions:

Preheat grill to 350 degrees.

Pound out chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thickness. Coat the top of the chicken with the grill rub. Turn over so rub side is down on work surface, Spread one teaspoon of barbeque sauce in a thin layer over each chicken breast. Layer cheese in the middle of the chicken. Roll chicken tightly. Wrap with bacon, using as many slices of bacon as you need and using toothpicks to hold bacon in place.

Grill for 20-25 minutes, turning every 4-5 minutes or until internal temperature has reached 165 degrees.

Remove toothpicks and serve with barbeque sauce on the side.

                                                                   Finished product.

source: Bakin' and Eggs

Pulled Pork Burritos

So this is from a friend of mine, Carly (a fellow February mama), a bunch of us were discussing crockpot recipes and she shared this recipe.

Ingredients
                    Pork Loin
                    Green Chilies
                    Herdez Green Salsa
                   (optional) Jalapenos
                   (optional) a little bit of water

Instructions
Take your crockpot add the pork loin, green chilies, jalapenos and water (if using either)
I added water but next time I don't think I will.
Cook on high for about 4 hours.
Shred your pork
Add a jar of Herdez Salsa
Let cook another 2 hours, occasionally stirring

Serve with warm tortillas and any other items you wish to put on your burritos.

Not the best picture (I am working on that), but this is what it looked like last night. Like I said before I am going to leave out adding water next time.

Cream Cheese filled Snickerdoodles

I have been having a severe snickerdoodle craving. Why? I don't know, but this is the second time I have made these. You can also skip the cream cheese part, the cookies are still delicious!

Cream Cheese filled Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup room temp butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Instructions

Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. I used my hand mixer for this.Cover the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°
Cream butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until combined.
On low speed mix in your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set dough to the side.

In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon, set that aside as well.

(You can skip the rest if you are not adding the creamcheese mixture)

Remove the cream cheese mixture from the refrigerator.

For each cookie you will need 2 flattened balls of dough, 1 Tbsp each. (The flattened disk will be approx 2″ in diameter)

Place 1 tsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of one of the flattened dough disks. Then place the other flattened dough on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together to
seal.

(Another way we did this is: My husband took a syringe and put the cream cheese in. And injected it into the ball of dough. Both ways work pretty well.)

Carefully form into a ball and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a plate as you finish making each and refrigerate. Before baking the cookies they should chill for 15 minutes.

When the dough is chilled bake on a parchment lined baking sheet 2″ apart for 8 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack to cool.

And enjoy!!

Crockpot Potato Soup

CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese {don’t use fat free. It WON’T melt!!!}

     In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. About 2 hours before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, ham or whatever else you think would be good!!