Snickerdoodles

My friend Lisa shared this recipe with me and I am so glad she did! These cookies are soft and chewy - just the way I like them!

• 1 Cup Softened Butter
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.

Cream together butter, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, eggs, and the vanilla.

In a bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt – then slowly add to wet mixture. Beat until creamy.

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.

Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon together and rolls balls of dough into the mixture.

Place two inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. No more, no less.

Enjoy!

Lemony Poppy Chicken

This is my sister-in-law Stacy's recipe. I made it for the first time a few weeks ago and have made it two times since. It is extremely delicious and FLAVORFUL! Definitely one of my all-time favorites.

A word of advice: This is one of those dishes where you may want to prep first before you start. So measure all of your ingredients out Food Network style :) It's very easy though, I promise!

• 2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds
• Flour
• 2 Lemons zested, 1 juiced
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock

Heat up olive oil over high heat with 3-4 turns of the pan. While the skillet is heating up, toss chicken pieces in flour and coat evenly. Shake off any excess flour then add chicken to the hot skillet. Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and then lemon zest. Cook 8-10 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through and brown. Mince the garlic and add to the pan during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Once the chicken has browned, add the chicken stock to the skillet. Once the stock is hot, add the butter and poppy seeds. Stir until the butter has melted and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Turn off the heat drizzle the entire pan with the juice of 1-2 lemons. Serve with rice and asparagus :)

Bengal Tiger Chicken

My sister-in-law Jewelia made this dish while I was visiting and it is just glorious! Taken from a local family cookbook.

• 8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenders
• 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 tsp. Curry Powder
• 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (Plain)
• 1 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 350*. Place chicken tenders in a casserole dish. Combine soup, mayonnaise and curry. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Combine cheese and bread crumbs then sprinkle over chicken. Drizzle with melted butter and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Peanut Butter Bars

I had these Peanut Butter Bars at a church function and they were amazing!! I had to share :)

• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Quick Oats

Cream together sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix in peanut butter. Stir in dry ingredients. Press mixture into a rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 325* for 20 minutes. (They may not seem quite done, but take them out anyway.) Spread with frosting.

Frosting:

• 2 Tbsp Cocoa
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Warm Milk
• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Blend until creamy.

Greek Peasant Salad

• 3 Vine Ripened Tomatoes (seeded & chopped)
• 1 Cucumber, cut into bite size chunks
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1/2 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 lb. Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 1 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Oregano
• Salt & Pepper
• (You can also add balsamic or white vinegar for more flavor)

In bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, onion & olives. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with feta cheese & oregano. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Grandma's Sweet Potato Casserole

• 3 Cups of mashed Sweet Potatos
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/3 Cup Whole Mmilk
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Butter

Topping:

• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 3 tsp. Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine first six ingredients and place in a greased baking dish. Then, combine topping ingredients with your hands and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake for 45 minutes.