Powers Family Peanut Butter Cookies

Today's scrumdiddlyumptious recipe comes from Livvy! Thank you so much for the guest recipe, Livvy! :)

Our favorite peanut butter cookies!

The original recipe was from one of mom's cookbooks, but after some tweaking, we came up with this version. A delicious summer snack with some cold lemonade!

Powers' Family Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Butter

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 cup Peanut Butter

2 large Eggs

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 cups butterscotch or white chocolate chips, optional

Cream the butter & sugars. Add the peanut butter & eggs.
Mix the dry ingredients then add to the peanut butter mixture. Mix all 'till well blended.
Roll into tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork (that has been dipped in some flour) in a crosshatch pattern (If chips are added this step can be skipped).
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

~Livvy

Thank you so much for sharing that recipe, Livvy! It looks delicious! :) I can also imagine curling up on a chilly autumn afternoon with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a handful of these tasty cookies! :)

Easy Freezy Key Lime Pie!

My family and I love this delicious recipe for Frozen Key Lime Pie - and the best part is, it's SO EASY! :D (The picture above is not the pie we made, but ours looks just like it except it comes out white instead of green)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Lime Juice

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 12-oz. container of CoolWhip

1 ready-made graham cracker crust *or you can make your own, I didn't*

Directions - (Everybody prepare to be amazed at how easy this is)

Whisk together Lime Juice, Sweetened Condensed Milk, and CoolWhip.
Plop into crust.
Freeze. (That is, put the pie in the freezer.) ;) lol!
That's it! :D

We let ours freeze overnight to serve at homechurch at our house the next morning, and upon trying to serve it the next day, realized it was really hard! So here's a tip...

TIP: To cut a very frozen pie, dip your knife in hot water just before cutting the pie. May take repeated dips. Try not to drip too much water on your pie. :D

Enjoy!

Citrus Cilantro Salsa

A guest recipe from Miss Hannah

My recipe is called: Citrus Cilantro Salsa.

Here is the recipe:

Half of a squeezed lime

Half a bunch of cilantro, rinsed

Seven small tomatoes

One jalapeno, with the seeds

Salt to taste.

Directions: Throw everything in the blender, and then pour into serving bowl. Eat with your favorite chips!

Blessings, Miss Hannah

Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, Hannah! This sounds like a fun throw-it-together summer treat. :)

♫Can she make an Apple Pie, Billy boy, Billy boy... ?♫

♫ Can she make an apple pie, charming Billy? ♫♫She can make an apple pie, ♫

♫With a twinkle in her eye,♫

♫She's a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.♫

Remember that song? Only I think it was cherry pie. :) But yesterday I made an apple pie! Mama watched and advised, but I made it! Yay! That's my first 'all-by-myself' pie. :) I've helped make many pies, but never done one by myself. :)

What kind of pies do you enjoy baking?

Homemade Pizza!

My mom makes the best pizza ever. Tastier than Papa John's, and way better than the greasy Pizza Hut pizza.

We make our own dough and then top it with delicious sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, parmesan, spices, black olives, peppers, onions, and whatever we want. :) Mama makes sections of each pizza with the toppings that each of our family members enjoy.

Here's how we make our dough:

Take 1 package of yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 cup of hot water, and stir together in large bowl.

Let that sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast activate. :)

Add 2 Tablespoons of oil, then add your flour - We use 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose - mix well.

Let rise. :)

Makes 1 pizza. We usually make two and double this recipe. :) I do, after all, have two hungry teenage brothers. :)

Enjoy!

Surprise Ice Cream Cupcake Cones

Okay, I know it's not very impressive just posting links to Betty Crocker all the time - rest assured, I will try to have a nice long, instructive recipe post soon. :D

Surprise Cupcake Cones
This is such a neat idea! to find out how to make these neat treats just watch THIS SIMPLE VIDEO and find out how, using cupcakes, frosting, candy and ice cream cones you can make a really easy, amazing dessert.

Enjoy!

Cookie Decorating Ideas!

Who doesn't love cookies? And it's always fun finding new ways to decorate them. :) I found the following tips on BettyCrocker.Com. That's one of my very favorite places to find cooking tips, because most of the ones on there are so easy! :)

How about this... I think the cookies in this picture are stuck on lollipop sticks! Cute!!
Drizzle glaze over cookies. Fill a resealable plastic bag with ready-to-use frosting from a tub or with a homemade powdered sugar glaze. Snip off tiny corner of bag, and squeeze glaze over cookies.

Add sparkle to cookies with simple sugars.
Using a very small spoon, add red sugar to cookies in spiral design to look like peppermint candies. Or place red sugar in resealable plastic bag; snip off tiny corner. Squeeze sugar from bag onto cookies.

Let candies star on cookies. Press milk chocolate candies into cookies immediately after baking.

Dip cookies in melted chocolate. (Oooooh, Yummm! I like this idea!)
To melt chocolate for dipping, heat 1 teaspoon shortening with 3 ounces bittersweet, semisweet or white chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

(This would be cool, baking a pizza-size cookie! I love these!)
Embellish cookies with candies. Frost a pizza-size cookie, then decorate with favorite candies.

Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies. Heat white baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips in resealable plastic bag in microwave until softened; squeeze until smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag, and squeeze chocolate over cookies.

Make an impression with cookie cutters. Dip small cookie cutters into cinnamon, then press lightly onto tops of frosted bars.

Dazzle with gels. Squeeze Betty Crocker® decorating gels over frosted cookies in simple designs.

Dust glazed cookies with baking cocoa, using a stencil. Use ready-made stencils or craft your own using miniature cookie cutters, taping over open areas to use just the outline. Place stencil on cookies.

Jazz up cookie frosting. Frost cookies, then pull the tines of a fork through frosting for a decorative finish.

I hope you enjoy these tips! :) I'll definitely be trying some of these myself. :D

Pretty Pink Princess Castle Cake

THIS VIDEO was so cute and I LOVE the pink castle cake. Do check it out! :)

Strawberry Thingy

Ingredients:
CRUST ~ 2 cups crushed pretzels (about 8 ounces)
¾ cup butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar
FILLING ~ 2 cups whipped topping (cool whip)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
TOPPING ~ 1 package (6 ounces) strawberry jell-o
2 cups boiling water
2 packages (16 ounces ea.) frozen sliced strawberries with syrup.

In a bowl, combine the pretzels, butter, and sugar. Press into bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 pan.
For filling, in a mixing bowl (using mixer) beat the whipped topping, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth. Spread over crust. Refrigerate until chilled.
For topping, dissolve the jell-o into the 2 C. boiling water. Stir in the strawberries with syrup, refrigerate until partially set. Carefully spoon over filling. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or until firm. Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Credits for this delicious dessert go to Miss Joanna! :) A very dear friend of mine. :)

Broth is Beautiful and Healthy

A Guest Post from : My Mom!

I like to make homemade soups. All kinds of soup. I usually take the bones from a baked turkey and throw them in a pot with lots of water, cook it for a long time and then use the meat and broth for soup. I had no idea how good and healthy that really is.

I found the link to this article, Broth is Beautiful by Sally Fallon on my friend's blog, She Looketh Well. The article explains some of the awesome nutrients in broth made from bones and meat. And I quote, "Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons--stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain. " That makes me want to eat some soup almost every day! The article goes on the explain other good factors about broth.

So now I know that it is truly worth the extra effort it takes to make soup from scratch. Which reminds me, I think my broth is done so I'd better go tend to it!

Happy Eating,

Gloria

A Big Thank You to Mama for sharing this wisdom with us! :D Be sure to check out her blog, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, for more good stuff! :)

Checkerboard Cake!

I'm the cake baker at our house. :) Whenever someone has a birthday I make them a cake. My lovely mother had a birthday on monday and I made her something new... a checkerboard cake!

I used a special divider to pour batter into three round cake pans. This is what the layers looked like before they were stacked...

I put the odd layer in the middle and this is what the cake looked like when cut...

I just thought that was so cool! :)

Madison's Chocolate Chip Cookies

A Guest Post from Madison


First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Second, get out your electric mixer.
In the bowl, put in 1 stick of softened butter, 1/2 a cup of brown sugar, 1/4 a cup of sugar (I used sucanat), 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

The butter mixture being mixed up...

What it should look like approximately when finished.

Usually it looks a bit smoother though, and not as liquid. But looking like that is fine as well.
Next, in a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups of flour (I use wheat flour), 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

*be sure to do this in a separate bowl. If you mix it in with the butter mixture, the cookies don't turn out as well.
*Stir this the mixture together.Next, measure out 1/4 of a cup of the flour mixture and put it in the butter mixture. Turn your electric mixer on.
Continue putting in 1/4 of a cup at a time.
*again, be sure to do it 1/4 of a cup at a time. The cookies don't turn out as nice if you don't*
After mixing all of the flour mixture together, the mixture should look like this:
Again, usually it looks a bit smoother, but this is how it turned out.

Next add 1/2 - 2/3 cup of chocolate chips. The reason I don't say 1 cup is because 1/2 a cup goes a very long way. But depending on how much you want, you can add 2/3 if you want.

Roll the cookies into balls about this big:
A bit bigger if you want to. Then, put your cookies in the oven:

Now all of your cookies are finished! Dig in, and be sure to drink a huge glass of milk with it. :)

Yum!This is my version of a recipe I found in a book called: The Mix-It-Up Cookbook. But I changed the amount of some of the ingredients. But mostly this is that recipe.Well, I hope you enjoyed the recipe and pictures! Trust me, these cookies are delicious!

In Christ,

~Madison

A Big Thank You to Madison for letting me share this recipe!! Be sure to visit Madison over at Her amazing blog. :)

Homemade Salsa

A Guest Post from Mia, with notes from Me, Chef Julia. :)

(Julia) Mia posted this recipe on her blog, Aspiring Homemaker, in late summer last year, just when all her tomatoes from her garden were ripe. This is a great way to use them! My mom and I made this salsa and it was the BEST salsa I have ever had! I highly reccomend this recipe!

(Mia's Post)
We've had an abundance of Tomatoes (better boy, cherry, and beefsteak)So now is the perfect time for salsa! This was an all-day process, at a steady pace it took me a little under 3 hours :)

1. Bring pot of water to a rolling boil !
2. Here are all our Tomatoes; Out of these I picked out a total of 21 tomatoes to Blanch. They must be ripe & firm, or they'll end up mushy!

3. I dropped them in [the boiling water] 5 at a time, then after 30 seconds I removed them, then put in a new batch.

4. Place the hot tomatoes into a "cool bath" which is a bowl of ice water--this helps remove the skins.

5. Start Multitasking! Blanch, Cool, then Peel!

6. This is what the tomatoes should look like after peeling them--it took a while, about 30 minutes.

Chop...

Dice...

I did large chunks for "chunky salsa". You can dice small, but prepare for it to be a smoother, restaurant style salsa :)

(Julia)Mia drained hers, I didn't.

7. Chop 2.5 cups of Onion (about 2 Large yellow/sweet onions)tip: To cut down on tears, try wearing sunglasses! Make sure they fit securely, and it will cut down on the "running outside blinking" episodes~! lol plus, you'll look quite fashionable in the kitchen! :)

8. Add Onion to the diced Tomatoes!

Let's add some green to the mixture...

9. Chop 1 cup of Green Pepper (I used 3 small peppers) and 1 Jalapeno!

(Julia)- NOTE> DO NOT TOUCH the jalapeno seeds with your hands! My mom's fingers stung and burned after chopping the jalapeno because she didn't realize the seeds could hurt you... If this happens to you, one way to relieve pain is to soak your fingers in a bowl of milk. Weird, but it works. :)



10. Mince 6 cloves of Garlic, then add it to the mixture !

11. Mix all ingredients together --
12. Add 2 tsp of Cumin, 2 tsp Black Pepper, 2 Tbsp Sugar and 1/4 tsp Salt

13. Mix 2 (6 oz.) cans (Julia - or one 12.oz can) of tomato paste with 1 cup water {a little bit at a time} Then add to Salsa!


14. Last but not least, add in 1/3 cup vinegar, and (optional) 1/3 cup ketchup (Julia- I didn't use the ketcup)

15. Enjoy!
It makes a HUGE batch, around 10 cups or maybe a little more. The cumin adds the "mexican" flavor, and that Jalapeno puts in a little zing! It isn't too spicy though! :) I put 3/4 of the Salsa into bags and into the freezer for later! Yum, I'll have to make this again!!

Julia- I also added some corn and black beans for extra fun! :)

A GREAT BIG Thank You to Mia for allowing me to use this recipe! :)