Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

Tis the season for tasty cookies! Try these ones out!

Chewy Sugar Cookies

2 ¼ flour

½ t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 ½ c. sugar

2 oz cream cheese cut into 8 pieces

6 T butter, melted and warm

1 large egg

1 T milk

2 t. vanilla

Mix 1^st four ingredients, set aside. Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar, lumps may remain.  Add oil, egg, milk, vanilla, whisk till smooth.  Add flour, mix until just combined.  Make into balls, roll in sugar, place on parchment on cookie sheet, and flatten with bottom of a glass.  Bake until edges are set and beginning to brown.  350’  11-13 minutes, rotate tray after 7 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes.

IF you'd like to do Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies instead, just change the recipe with these three steps...

½ c. + sweetened coconut chopped fine into flour mix.

1 t. lime zest to butter mixture

1 T lime juice in place of 2 t. vanilla

Enjoy!!

Homemade Buttermilk

It's so easy! Buttermilk is so expensive! And we go through SO much buttermilk in a month I don't know why it has taken me all my life to learn this...

To make buttermilk.

1. Buy buttermilk. For the last time though! You have to have something to start with...

2. Get cleaned quart jar.

3. Fill quart jar to second notch, or one cup of buttermilk in quart jar.

4. Fill remainder of jar with milk, preferably whole, but I use what is in my fridge, which is 1 or 2%.

5. Put a lid on it.

6. Shake the jar a bit to combine buttermilk and milk.

7. Set on counter for 24 hours.

=

BUTTERMILK!

A friend told me how to do this process, but I just did a quick search and found this link which provides  a bit more detail.

Mint Tea

Does anyone know anything about making homemade mint tea. I have some delightful smelling mint growing in my yard that grows so well I'd like to tear it out... But I wondered if there was an easy, tasty way of making a drink out of it. I found this recipe online... What do you think? Any suggestions? Any other ideas of what I can do with this stuff?

"Using fresh mint, hers was spearmint. Take 6 new leaves from the top of the plant, take 2 cups of cold water ,bring to boil,add the leaves and simmer for a minute or two remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of orange juice and honey to taste. Strain into pretty tea cups or mugs .Makes two servings. YUM
You can use less dried mint, about 1 teaspoon or to taste. Dry the larger leaves. Peppermint is good for upset tummys too"

Cinco de Yummy!

This was our dinner for Cinco De Mayo tonight. I meant to put beans in the burritos but I didn't have any in cans and it was too late to cook up my dried beans. I ended up just warming some refried beans. I also didn't have very much ground beef so I did half ground beef and half Jimmy Dean regular sausage. And for our veggie, I shredded some lettuce. Hope you like it! I did take pictures. Jason enjoyed it, although from the pictures, it may not look that tasty.

Burrito Grande

1/2 lb ground beef
1 can spicy chili beans
1 t ground cumin
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups Shredded cheese
1 cup taco sauce
Sour cream

1. Heat oven to 375(I used a small 8 inch pan so that it would fit in my toaster oven.) Spray  15x10x1 pan with cooking spray. (I also skipped this step since I browned the tortillas in a non-stick pan sprayed with pam... I figured more grease wasn't needed. I had no problem with sticking.)

2. In skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until well browned. Drain. Add chili beans and cumin; mix well. (I, of course, skipped the chili beans step.)

3. Spoon sausage mixture down center of tortillas; sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Place in pan seam side down. Spoon taco sauce over burrito; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until hot. To serve, cut burrito into slices. Serve with sour cream.


Note: High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 2, add chili beans and cumin, mix well and cook about 1 minute or until hot, stirring constantly. In step 3, do not spoon taco sauce or cheese over burrito. In step 4, bake 15 minutes, then add sauce and cheese over burrito and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer.


Spanish Rice

1/2 cup chopped green,yellow, or red sweet bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T minced fresh garlic
1 T minced fresh rosemary
2 T olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
1 cup of diced tomatoes, canned or fresh, if canned, no need to drain
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper


In skillet cook green pepper, onion, garlic, basil, and rosemary in hot oil till vegetables are tender. Stir in rice, chopped tomato, salt, pepper, and 2 cups water. Cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes or till rice is done. Makes about 6 servings.
 

Now heat up sum beans(if they aren't in the burrito already), slice some lettuce, grab your sour cream, and feast! Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Balsamic Portobello Burgers with Bell Pepper and Goat Cheese

With the weather getting warmer, I though I would share some of our most favorite grilling recipes. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for grates
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 4 equal pieces
• 4-8 (depending on size) portobello mushrooms (about 1 pound total), stems removed
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns
• 5 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 4 lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. In a shallow dish, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add bell pepper and mushrooms; toss gently to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate, up to overnight).
2. Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Grill bell pepper, skin side down, until blackened, about 10 minutes; remove from grill. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin; set bell pepper aside. Grill mushrooms, covered, until lightly charred and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3. Dividing evenly, top bottom half of each bun with bell pepper, mushrooms, goat cheese, and lettuce. Close burgers, and serve immediately.

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Basil and Tomato

Before grilling, soak the toothpicks or skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning. Butterflying the chicken -- splitting each piece in half and fanning it open like a book -- creates two layers. They make tasty "sandwiches" with tomato and basil.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• FOR THE STUFFING
• 12 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

DIRECTIONS

1. Butterfly chicken breasts: Put halves on a cutting board, smooth sides down, with the pointed ends facing you. Starting on one long side, cut breasts almost in half horizontally (stop about 1/2 inch before reaching the opposite side). Open cut breasts like a book. Sprinkle each piece all over with 1/8 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Transfer to a plate, and coat both sides with garlic and oil. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan until medium-hot. Place 3 basil leaves on the bottom half of each opened chicken breast; top each with 2 slices tomato. Fold over other half of chicken breast, and secure with two toothpicks or short skewers.
3. Grill chicken breasts, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Place on a clean serving platter; garnish with basil. If desired, remove toothpicks or skewers before serving.

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Grilled Orange Sesame Chicken and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6.

• 3 oranges
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
• 2 pounds (2 bunches) asparagus, trimmed
• 6 small (1 3/4 to 2 pound) zucchini, cut on the diagonal 1/4-inch thick
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut 1 orange into wedges (peel intact); set aside. Of the remaining 2 oranges, remove zest of 1 and juice of both; place zest and juice in a glass bowl. Add lemon juice, vinegar, pepper, and mustard; whisk. Slowly whisk in sesame oil; set aside.
2. Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap; pound with a meat tenderizer to 1/2 inch thick. Place chicken in a glass bowl; pour half reserved vinaigrette over chicken. Coat thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 2 hours.
3. Heat a grill or grill pan until very hot. Coat asparagus and zucchini with olive oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Grill vegetables and reserved orange wedges until tender. Remove chicken from marinade; season with remaining teaspoon salt; discard marinade. Grill until browned on both sides and cooked through. Arrange chicken and vegetables on platter; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with remaining reserved vinaigrette.

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.