Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.

Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 liter (4 cups) chicken stock
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch seasoning
rotisserie chicken, shredded
can of corn, drained
can of black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
can of chick peas, rinsed and drained
can of diced tomatoes, undrained
cumin, to taste
chili powder, to taste
garlic salt or powder, to taste
cilantro, to taste
1/8 cup lime juice
tortilla chips
cheddar
sour cream
avocado slices

In a large saucepan bring the chicken stock to a boil.  Add taco and ranch seasonings and stir until dissolved.  Add the chicken, corn, beans, chick peas and tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer.  Add the spices and cilantro.  Stir in lime juice just before serving.  To serve, top with any or all of the following:  broken tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream and avocado slices.

Cake Batter Rice Krispies Treats

3T butter
1 (10 oz) bag of marshmallows
1/4 cup dry yellow cake mix
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
sprinkles

In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add marshmallows and cake mix, stirring until completely melted.  Remove from heat and stir in Rice Krispies until well coated.  Add sprinkles and stir to combine.  Pour into a 9x13 pan and press down with wax paper until flat.  Add additional sprinkles if desired and press into the top again with wax paper.  Cool.  Cut into squares.    

 

Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix, pudding, water, vegetable oil, eggs and chocolate chips in a bowl.
Pour the batter (it's going to be thick) into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
Bake your bars for 20-30 minutes.
It may look sort of raw in the middle but if the edges are just golden and starting to get crispy, it's probably perfect.

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle of teriyaki marinade
1 large can of pineapple chunks packed in juice (not syrup)

Line the bottom of crock pot with chicken breasts before pouring the teriyaki marinade and juice from the can of pineapple on top of them.  Don't add the actual pineapple yet; that doesn't happen until the end.  Add any seasonings you want; I had minced garlic and minced ginger in the fridge so I put a spoonful of each in with mine.  Cook on low 3-4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.  Add the pineapple chunks, shred the chicken and let it soak up the sauce before serving over rice.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
5 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup light sour cream
10 oz. can of enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup corn kernels
4 oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
8 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup of each type of cheese.
3. In a second bowl toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, green chiles, and half of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well.
4. Spoon the filling into each tortilla, roll the tortilla up, and place in the baking dish with the seam side down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve.

Basic Rice Krispies Treats

3T butter
1 package (10 oz) marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat and stir in Rice Krispies until well coated.  Pour into a 9x13 pan and press down with wax paper until flat.   Cool.  Cut into squares. 

Spinach and Feta Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed spinach, steamed and squeezed to drain
• 1 tablespoon herbs (a combination of mint, dill and parsley), chopped
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
• 2 (8 inch) tortillas
• 1 cup (handful) kasseri or mozzarella, shredded
• Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Mix the spinach, herbs, green onions and feta in a bowl.
2. Melt a touch of butter in a pan.
3. Place a tortilla into the pan, swirl it around in the butter and repeat with the second tortilla.
4. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the tortilla followed by the filling, the remaining cheese and finally the other tortilla.
5. Cook until the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 2-4 minutes per side. (Tip: To easily flip the quesadilla place a plate onto the quesadilla in the pan and flip it from the pan to the plate and then slide it back into the pan.)
6. Serve with Greek yogurt as a dipping sauce.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 rotisserie chicken torn into chunks
8-10 oz of thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
sliced mushrooms
1 lb Velveeta, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups chicken broth, divided
salt and pepper
shredded cheese, if desired

Saute onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in a small amount of chicken broth in a large pan until fragrant.  Reduce the heat before adding Velveeta and cream of chicken soup; stir until smooth.  Add the chicken, stir to coat, then add the cooked noodles.  Add a cup or so of chicken broth to moisten spaghetti if needed, stir to incorporate, then pour into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.  Stir the spaghetti 20-30 minutes into baking adding more chicken broth if needed before topping with cheese then continue baking until hot and bubbly.  

 

White Soup

1 liter (4 cups) chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 medium white onion, diced
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded into thick chunks
2 cans cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper, to taste
white cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded

Bring the chicken stock and cream of chicken soup to a boil, stirring periodically until smooth.  Add the diced onion and simmer until cooked through.  Add the chicken and beans; heat through.  Salt and pepper to taste before topping with cheese.