Culinary tip

The other day, I was making cookies to take to a lady I visit teach. My brown sugar canister was empty, so I went digging in the pantry for food storage brown sugar. I found one box and it was ROCK HARD! So I had Zac do some Google-ing and here are the solutions:


IMMEDIATE: Put what you need in a bowl and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave in brief intervals till softened. Try not to melt it, although mine was a little melty and still worked.


LONG TERM: Put the brown sugar brick in your canister with a piece of bread. Give it a couple of days and you will have normal brown sugar! I shook the canister around each day just to break it up. Take the bread out after a few days - it'll be a brick now, but your brown sugar will be nice and fluffy!!

Cream cheese sugar cookies

Holy smokes, these cookies are good! I was looking for a recipe similar to the Lofthouse sugar cookies - the super soft, yummy ones sold at Wal-Mart. This isn't them; but if anything, it's a million times better!! My plan was to do cutout cookies, but I got lazy and dropped them instead.


INGREDIENTS

1½ cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract (I didn't have this and used total 1 1/2 tsp vanilla instead)
3½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder


DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl cream sugar, butter and cream cheese until fluffy.

Add egg and flavorings; beat till smooth.

Stir together the flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture and mix thoroughly.

Shape as desired (drop or cutout). Place on ungreased cookie sheet (parchment paper is great to use) and bake in a 375° oven 8-10 minutes. Watch for the edges to just barely begin to brown if you like a moist cookie. Cool and frost.

FOR DROP COOKIES

No need to chill dough. Drop by the tablespoon and flattened them. You can use a fork (as with peanut butter cookies) or the bottom of a glass that has been buttered and dipped in granulated sugar. It made them about the size of store bought cookies and I got right at two dozen.

FOR CUT-OUT COOKIES

Chill dough for a few hours/overnight. Dust surface with a mixture of ½ powered sugar and ½ flour. Roll dough ¼ to ½ inch thick depending on your preference, then cut into desired shapes.

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ICING

4 cups powered sugar, sifted
4 Tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg white
¼ cup milk/cream

Combine egg white and milk, set aside.

Beat together powered sugar, butter and flavorings.

Add small amounts of the milk mixture until icing is spreading consistency. Tint with desired colors.

Yummy honey mustard

I'm a honey mustard junkie. It's soooo good. I've found a yummy recipe that tastes good on everything - chicken fingers, salads, sandwiches, etc. Super easy. If you use a lot, store it in a squeeze bottle or just mix a little at a time in a bowl.


INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp honey


DIRECTIONS

Mix. Enjoy. My favorite kind of recipe. :)

Tortilla pizzas

Here's an easy one for ya. I've used this one a few times this week since I haven't been feeling up to par.


INGREDIENTS

Tortillas
Sauce
Toppings
Cheese


DIRECTIONS

I like to double layer my tortillas to make the pizza a little more substantial. Layer a little sauce and cheese between two tortillas. Top with more sauce, toppings and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes. I like to broil mine for about 1 minute at the end to get the cheese good and brown.

Cut up and enjoy!!


You can go traditional - tomato sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella....or get a little more creative and go with whatever you're feeling. Here are some of our fave combinations:

**Honey mustard, cut up cooked chicken, bacon bits, mozzarella cheese.
**BBQ sauce, cut up cooked chicken, cheddar cheese