Lemon Crinkle Cookies

for aunt diane:

2 sticks soft butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
zest from 2 lemons
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour

powdered sugar

cream butter and sugar. mix in vanilla, eggs, zest and lemon juice.
add drys mix til just combined. i like to refrigerate the dough at this point, though technically you don't have to. roll cookies into tablespoon-size and roll in powdered sugar. place on cookie sheets and bake about 9-11 minutes at 350. the should not be brown, so don't overbake :).

Skillet lasagna

I didn't have the ingredients for the sauce but it looks delicious. I just made my usual go to marinara. Tomato sauce with Italian seasoning and brown sugar. It was delicious!! We love lasagna but I hate layering it and making a huge pan for just the 3 of us. This was a great alt.

Recipe from Mel's kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (these do not add spice – just flavor!)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef (I used 80% lean)
12 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 1 inch lengths
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (do not use fat-free)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a blender or food processor until they are coarsely ground and no large pieces remain (in a food processor, that is about 12 pulses0.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat and then pour in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Pizza crust

This is super delicious crust! It's
Originally set for thin crust pizza and will make 2 thin large but I rolled
Mine out thicker. It cooked on the long side and was yum!!

America's test kitchen 2012 cookbook

3 c (16.5 oz) bread flour
2 t sugar
1/2 t instant yeast
1 1/3 c ice water
1 T veg oil
1 1/2 t salt

In a food processor: blend flour, sugar, and yeast. With machine running add water, salt and oil. Process until dough forms a sticky ball. Remove dough and knead on a lightly oiled counter until smooth. Place in lightly oiled bowl cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hrs or up to 3 days.

To bake: remove dough from fridge let rest for 1 hour.
Bake pizza on a stone at 500 degree for 10-20 min

My changes: I don't have a food processor so I did this in a Bosch. I only have active dry yeast so I mixed the sugar , yeast and 1/2 c warm water ( from the 1 1/2 c cold) to sponge. Then I mixed everything together until it made a dough.
Then followed original directions for resting, shaping, and baking.

Ranch chicken enchiladas

I was hesitant to make these but gave them a try. They were super yum! Here's the link: http://www.therecipecritic.com/2012/12/ranch-chicken-enchiladas.html?m=1

I changed the recipe not on purpose tho, I didn't realize she does it in the crockpot. I didn't have time for that. I'm sure the original is delicious. Cooking it in a crock pot is a good idea. Mine were super seasoned. Hubby LOVED it. I think I would enjoy it a touch more mild.

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1/2 pkt taco seasoning
1/2 pkt ranch seasoning
3/4 c ranch, divided
3/4 c salsa, divided
Cheese shredded

Bake at 350*
Mix shredded chicken, seasonings, 1/4 c ranch 1/4 c salsa together and let hang out. I left mine for 30 min but its not necessary.
Wrap chicken up with some cheese. Put in a greased 9x13. Mix 1/2 c salsa and 1/2 c ranch pour on top. Add more shredded cheese and bake for 30 min.
Delicious!!

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb chicken, cooked, shredded 1 (16oz) sour cream 1 can black beans, rinsed, drained 1 1/2 c green salsa 1 1/2 c frozen corn 1 t garlic pwd 1 t cumin 1 t chili pwd 1 t salt chopped cilantro squeeze fresh lime juice flour tortillas 1 (8oz) mexican cheese, shredded Preheat to 350* Mix all ingredients together except cheese and tortillas. Cut flour tortillas in half and in a 9x13 spread 1/3 of mixture in pan. Place a layer of tortillas on top. Sprinkle with some cheese. continue layering using all ingredients and ending with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Until cheese is bubbly. Serve with Salsa, Sour Cream, additional cilantro etc.

Chicken fried steak

Cube steak for each person
Flour seasoned with s&p
Egg mixed with splash of milk & splash of hot sauce
Crushed up corn flakes mixed with onion pwd, garlic pwd, s&p

Dredge the cube steaks in seasoned flour. Dip in egg wash, finally coat in seasoned corn flakes.
Spray a baking sheet lined with a rack with grease and lay steaks on it. Bake at 400 for 15-20 min. *i flipped mine part way so both sides could thoroughly be crispy.

For my family of 3-
Gravy:
1/2 can Beef broth
1 Chicken bullion, straight up or use a flavor enhancer
1 c Half & half
Cornstarch slurry
Onion pwd
Garlic pwd
S&p

Boil beef broth and bullion. Add cornstarch slurry to thicken. Season and Add in half and half and simmer.

Serve with mash potatoes.

Loaded potato soup

This is from my favorite heber food place. the train place(dairy keen) cookbook. So GOOD Levi inhaled it.
The measurements were large so I just made up my own for my little family. Soup is very forgiving so do however much you want or need. You could lighten it up but the half and half make it so creamy and delectable.

Potatoes, diced mine were tiny so I used 5
1 onion, diced
1/2 lb bacon, diced
Flour
1/2 cup or so of chicken stock
2 c half and half
1 c milk I needed more liquid to loosen it up
White pepper
Salt
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Dice your potatoes
and either boil separately or in your soup. I boiled mine while the bacon was cooking and i was dicing everything else up.
Cook your bacon and save some grease. Cook onions in grease until translucent. Stir in a sprinkle of flour to make a roux. It should look like wet sand.
Add in broth to deglaze the pan. Stir in half and half and potatoes. Let thick (and potatoes cook if needed)
Season. It will probably need a good amount of salt cause of all the potatoes.
Serve with bacon bits, cheese and sour cream.