No Fail Sugar Cookies

My mom's always used a 'No Fail Sugar Cookie' recipe that is very close to this.  I found several recipes online that were very similar, but chose to use this one.  They turned out delish.  We used a powder sugar glaze and sprinkles.  What a fun afternoon with the girls, my mom, my grandma and Laura and Brody.  As my favorite coffee cup says "Life is Good"!

A very sturdy sugar cookie that is great for using intricate cookie cutters. Dough keeps its shape when baked.

• 6 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I like almond myself)
• 1 tsp. salt

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
• Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below)
• Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/573087-No-Fail-Sugar-Cookies

Grandma's Wheat Bread

This bread is delish with cream cheese and strawberry jelly.  Yum... just writing this makes me want to make some.  My grandma used to make us a couple of loaves each time we went camping with my mom, brother, aunt and cousins.  My mom and aunt would feed us cereal and send us away to play and THEN pull out the homemade bread... we eventually caught on.  The bread didn't last as long after that!!!

This Recipe makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:
1 pkg yeast
1/4 cup luke warm water + 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 TBS salt  (??? I really think that this should be tps, but I have to check)
2 TBS shortening (oil preferred)
2 cups hot milk
3 cups waterground whole wheat flour
3 cups plain flour, shifted

Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and sugar.  Set aside.  Combine molasses, honey, salt shortening and milk, mixing well.  When cool, add the yeast mixture.  Beat well.  Work into flour to make rather firm dough and knead on a lightly floured board until satiny.  Put into greased bowl, turning dought over to grease top.  Cover and set in warm place to rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
Work on floured board, then divide and shape each half into a loaf.  Put into well-greased bread pans (2).  Grease tops and cover.  Allow to rise until doubled.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until brown and crusty, then remove to rack to cool.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

Growing up, Grandma always had this dessert at every picnic!  It was a staple.  It is so yummy!  I love it.

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 eggs
2 cups drained fruit cocktail
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
brown sugar
chopped walnuts

Butter Sauce:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:
Cake:
Mix eggs, flour, fruit cocktail, sugar, baking soda and salt.   Pour in greased 13 x 9 inch pan and sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Serve w/ Butter Sauce.
Butter Sauce:
Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to boil.  Spoon over each serving of cake as you serve.  (Don't do ahead of time.)

Chili Sauce

My Grandma canned this when my mom was a kid. My Grandparents would serve it as a condiment to compliment there dinner. My mom used to make this when she was first married and when we were very young kids. She would brown some ground beef and mix it with the Chili Sauce and server over a baked potato. (We like to have a lot of Sauce to beef ratio.) I honestly don't really remember eating it as a kid, but last year when I was looking through a bunch of my mom's recipes, this stood out. Why, I don' t know, but it is delish! I love the vinegary (if that is a word) tang that it has. I really like it over mashed potatos. Last year I split a batch with my mom... This year I want to have at least a batch in my freezer! I think that I will have a batch and a half! It is a great way to use up any tomatoes that you may have left in your garden or it is easy to make if you have as many farm markets as we do around here! Can or freeze it and it is great year long!

1/2 bushel tomatoes
1 peck onions
2 green peppers
2 red peppers
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 cups vinegar
4 cups brown sugar
7 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons black pepper

Peel tomatoes. Rought chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers. Place all ingrediants in a hugh pot on the stove and simmer for a Long Time. (I don't have any exact times, but think in the amount of hours. You want it to cook down and the vinegar, sugar and spices to penitrate all of the veggies and the juices have cooked down. ) Can or freeze. Yum.

Buckeyes

Ok, I'm getting ready for Christmas this year. I plan on making a lot of cookies/candy. I love thinking back to growing up and having those memories of making cookies with my mom. I think that I'm going to 'organize' my recipes on here, especially since most of the ones that I want to do are tried and true! That way, when I'm ready to make the treats, I will have them all in one place!

Buckeyes

Ingrediants:
1 jar creamy peanut butter (1lb. 14 oz.)
2 lbs. confectioners sugar
1 lb. butter
2 (12oz.) pkgs semi-sweet morsels
3/4 slab of canning wax

Directions:
Melt butter. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add peanut butter and confectioners sugar. Mix with hands until smooth. Mixutre should not be too dry. Place waxed paper on cookie sheet. Make 1 inch balls out of mixture. Cool balls for hours. (I froze them overnight and they were easier to work with!)
Next day, Mext wax and chocolate bits in double boiler (I just used the microwave.) With toothpick, dip each ball into hot chocolate, almost to the top, leaving enought uncovered to resemble a buckeye. Keep balls cool while waiting to be dipped. If necessary, you can reheat the chocolate when it get down tot he bottom or cools. Keep candies refrigerated or frozen. To cover the toothpick hole, gently press the back side of a small spoon over the buckeye.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Amy and Syd are visiting for the weekend and Amy brought the stuff for Pumpkin Pancakes. I'm so excited! Yum. As she is making them, I'm typing out the recipe. Every year, Amy makes these pancakes for her 1st graders... and then she tells me about them... and then I'm jealous. This year we get some also :)

In a bowl
1. Add 2 cups of Bisquick:.
2. Add 1/2 cup of pumpkin.
3. Add 2 eggs.
4. Add 2 TBS of brown sugar.
5. Add one teaspoon of allspice.
6. Add 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk.
7. Add 2 TBS of oil
8. Add 2 tsp of cinnamon.
9. Add 1 tsp of vanilla.
10. Mix all ingredients well.

If runny, add more Bisquick. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a heated greased griddle. Cook until the edges are dry. Turn and cook until golden.

Summertime Bruchetta

*** Once again, this recipe was found on the Internet a few years back. I do not have the source though***

This is a great recipe for Bruchetta. I love it when I have basil in our 'garden' aka flowerbeds and I can make this with fresh ingredients.

Ingredients:

1. 4 plum tomatoes, diced
2. 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
3. 6 - 8 garlic cloves, finely minced
4. 1/4 cup basil, minced
5. 2 TBS Italian parsley, chopped
6. 1TBS olive oil
7. 1/2 TBS balsamic vinegar
8. 1 pinch crushed red pepper
9. 1/2 tsp salt/pepper
10. French Bread - sliced

Directions:

Mix all ingredients (except for the french bread) and chill for 3 hours.

Before serving, grill Bread (I brush with a little olive oil first.) Top with the Bruchetta mixture.

**Chris and I like to reduce about a 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and drizzle over the bruchetta before eating.

WARNING - You will smell like garlic :) Very garlicky!