Sugar Cookie Bars

I've noticed a lot of sugar cookie bar recipes, but they make a huge amount.  Since I am always just baking for my husband and me, I came up with my own recipe in a small size.  Instead of a cookie sheet pan, this fits in a 9x13 baking dish.  Perfect for just a few.

Ingredients

1/2 C. Butter

1 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 1/2 C. Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixer cream butter, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat eggs, and add. Mix well.  Slowly add your dry ingredients until well incorporated.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper and spread out your dough so it's about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top is very lightly golden.  Let cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 C. Butter

4oz. Cream Cheese

1 tsp. Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

2-4 C. Powdered Sugar

1/2 Tbsp. Milk

Mix all ingredients together until creamy.  Add food coloring if desired.

Bacon Egg and Cheese filled cups

Can I just say first off that I am not a bacon fan.  My husband is though, so that's why I experimented with this little recipe.  I am more of a sausage girl myself, but every once in awhile I will cross the white line and try a really crispy piece of bacon.  This recipe is that white line.  

School has started again and I needed a recipe to make for breakfast that can cook while my husband is in the shower getting ready and then he can take it with him on the walk to school (I know, we're such multitaskers in this family).  

I couldn't think of anything other than toast with egg, but that just didn't tickle my creative fancy, so the Bacon Egg and Cheese filled cup was created!  (I'm tapping myself on the back right now as I know you are applauding my success.)

I promise you, this one is a winner and the whole family is going to LOVE you, once you make it for them.

Ingredients

12 strips of THICK Bacon, cut in 1/2 width-wise

6 Eggs

12 tsp. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then pull out your trusty muffin pan.  (The one with 12 holes).

Spray your muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.

Then you are going to line outer edge of each cup with 1/2 a slice of Bacon until the entire cup is surrounded.

In a little bowl combine 1 egg, a dash of pepper, and 2 tsp. cheddar cheese.  Beat for just a few seconds until well combined.

Slowly pour 1/2 the mixture into a cup, and the remaining 1/2 in another cup.  (You can always use 1 egg per cup, I just chose to 1/2 them.)

Sprinkle the top with a little salt and pepper and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

When you can see that the top of the bacon is sizzling, and the egg is cooked, turn the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes.  You want the egg and bacon to be crispy.

Pull out of the oven, let sit for just a minute, and then scoop them out and send them out the door with those hungry tummy's.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Knock Off

Hey everybody!  It has been awhile since I've posted and I'm SOOOO sorry about that.  I have been moving this past month into a new home and haven't been doing much cooking lately.  I finally got things settled this week and was able to make my first homemade meal in my new house, and I think I came up with a pretty good soup you are all going to love!

If you have ever had the soup, salad, and bread sticks, at Olive Garden, I'm sure you have tried their Zuppa Toscana soup.  It is by far my favorite, and for years I have wanted to try to make it.  Being that a lot of my pans were packed up and I only had my soup pot, I thought it was a great time to try.  This soup is their creamy, sausage and potato soup.  It's the perfect winter soup, but considering I love soup all the time; I could eat this on a 90 degree day.  Anyway, here is my version of the Olive Garden's amazing soup.  I hope you all like it!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground Mild Italian Sausage

3 Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

1 Onion, chopped

1/2 lb. Bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2-3 cups Swiss Chard, chopped

28 oz. Chicken Broth

1 quart Water

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tsp. Chicken Boullion

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Parsley

1/4 tsp. Pepper

Directions

In a skillet cook your sausage. Remove sausage and in the drippings cook your garlic and onion until translucent, drain and set aside.

In a pot combine your chicken broth, water, chicken boullion, spices, potatoes, and cream.  Let cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat.  Add in remaining ingredients, except swiss chard.  Simmer on medium to low heat until potatoes are soft. About 30-45 minutes 

Once the potatoes are soft, add the swiss chard and let simmer for 30 minutes. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with some thick, crusty bread, and your set.  Enjoy!

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Pie

 I have never made a Strawberry pie until last night.  I finally decided that I was going to tempt fate and try the recipe that I had come up with in my head.  I'm happy to say that it turned out AMAZING!  If you like creamy fruit pies, you will love this pie.

Ingredients
1 Pie Crust, baked and cooled
1 lb. Strawberries, sliced
1 pkg. Strawberry Danish Dessert
1 pkg. Cream Cheese
6-8oz. Sour Cream
2/3 cup Sugar

Directions
Make your Danish dessert according to pkg. instructions. Set aside to let cool while you cut your strawberries.  Mix the strawberries and danish dessert together.
In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar together.
On the bottom of your cooled pie crust, layer 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture.  On top of the cream cheese mixture layer all your strawberry mixture.
Refrigerate to set up for 2 hours or more.  Enjoy!

Apple Pie Dump Cake

 I saw a recipe like this on pinterest, and decided to step it up a little bit.  I love a good apple cobbler/cake so when I saw this recipe, I just saw a few things that I thought were missing and decided to come up with my own recipe.  So here is your Stepped Up Apple Dump Cake.

Ingredients

2 cans Apple Pie Filling

2 Tbs. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Nutmeg

1 Yellow Cake mix

1/2 cup Quick Cooking Oats

1/2 Cup Pecans, Chopped

2 cubes Butter, sliced into Tbs. portions

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Dump in Apple Pie Filling.  Sprinkle your cinnamon and nutmeg on top.  Mix your cake, oats, and pecans, together and sprinkle over the Apple pie filling.  Evenly place your slices of butter all over the top of your mixture.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Yum!

Banana Bread in a Jar

 So I'm obsessed with jar baking lately because you can just make it so cute!  So here is my fun little banana bread recipe in 3 pint size jars.  Remember, you can put them in smaller to get more.  I only needed 3 Thank You's so that's why I did Pint size.

Ingredients

3 ripe Bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 C. Sugar

1 1/2 C. Flour

1 cube Butter, melted

1 Egg, beaten

Dash of Salt

3 Pint Size Mason Jars

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a mixer, mash bananas until smooth and creamy.  Add in flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and egg.  Mix well.

Mix in butter until smooth and a little runny.

Slowly pour into 3 pint size wide mouth mason jars.  Fill Each jar 3/4 of the way full.

Place 3 jars on middle rack in oven, on the lower rack fill a cookie sheet with about 1/2 inch of water.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until brown on top.

Remove, and cool on rack until completely cool.

Screw on lid and then cut a fun piece of fabric and tie over the top with twine.  Give as gifts!

Hootenanny Hot Cake

I love easy breakfasts, and if you do too, then this recipe will become a "must memorize" recipe.  It's easy, fast, inexpensive, and delicious!  It's my go to on a Saturday when I just don't have enough energy for French Toast. 

Ingredients

1 C. Flour

1 C. Milk

6 Eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 cube Melted Butter

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a blender combine all ingredients except butter.  Mix until smooth.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish, and pour your batter into dish.  Pour your melted butter 

on top of the batter, but DO NOT MIX!  

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly brown on top.

Break off pieces and serve with warm maple syrup.  Delicious!