Snicker Cookies

This recipe is from a cookbook I have "Amish Cooking" ©1995.  I love Snickerdoodles and when comparing it to the Snickerdoodle recipes it is exactly what I made.  These are wonderful cookies and don't spread a lot on the cookie sheet.  The recipe didn't call for a greased baking sheet, so I didn't grease it and the cookies came up fine with a pancake turner.  I ended up with 4 dozen cookies. I will definitely make these again.

Snickers

½ cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening (I used the butter flavor, 'cause that is what I had on hand)

2 eggs

2¾ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cream of tarter

¼ tsp. salt

Mix well. Chill dough overnight, form into balls. Mix ½ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.  Roll balls in the mixture and bake at 350° for 10-13 minutes.

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

This is a very flavorful, moist sweet bread.  I will definitely make it again! This recipe came from the same cook book as the Snicker cookies, "Amish Cooking" ©1995.

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

1 2/3 cups sifted regular flour

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

½ tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup mashed pumpkin

1/3 cup water

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Grease a regular loaf pan (9"x5"x3").

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.  Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughtly after each addition.  Stir in pumpkin.  Stir in dry ingredients alternately with water, beating just until smooth.  Do not overbeat.  Fold in nuts.  Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for about 45-55 minutes or until done.  Turn out on a wire rack and cool.  Store in tight container.  Slice and serve with butter.

Date and Nut Bread

I loved the Jiffy Date Nut muffins and they  are no longer available.  Don't you just hate when that happens?  So when I was cruising through the Good Housekeeping Cookbook ©1963 for a good Banana Bread recipe and I spied this recipe with my own little eyes aided by my red framed no line bifocal glasses.  I had the dates, don't know why I originally bought them but the rest of the ingredients are always in my kitchen. I also used whole wheat flour (which I bought at My HyVee yesterday), just for grins.  I also made a little mini loaf in addition to the big loaf for my dear and sweetest Mom who never reads my blog. The bread is delicious, not overly sweet, I warmed it up with some butter on top and it is yummy!  I also sprinkled the top with some of my sugar glitter and it gave the top a nice crunchy top. I love this and will definitely make it again.

Date and Nut Bread

¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup cut-up pitted dates
1½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3T shortening
¾ cup boiling water
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1½ cups sifted all purpose flour


With a fork, mix walnuts, dates, baking soda and salt.  Add shortening and boiling water, let stand 20 minutes.  Start heating oven at 350°. Grease a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.  With a fork, beat the eggs and add vanilla, sugar and sifted flour.  Mix in date mixture until just blended, turn into the pan.  Bake 65 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.  Then wrap in foil.  Store overnight before slicing.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

This recipe was given to me by one of the managers at work.  I did not prepare it in the crock pot but on the stove top.  Shredding the chicken is the time consuming part.  Putting all the ingredients in the dutch oven was quick and easy.  I cooked it for about a hour on the stove.  I forgot to buy the green chili's but it was delicious, thick and wonderful.  I also did not get the right size can of tomatoes, it was smaller by half so I added a can of tomato sauce.  I was thinking it would be good served over rice too!  Will I make this again, oh heck yeah!  Even the Professor liked it!

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1-16 oz can pinto beans

1-16 oz can white/kidney beans

1-11 oz can niblet corn

1-11 oz can Rotel tomatoes & chili's

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

1-4oz can chilies, green

1-1 oz envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1-1¼ oz taco seasoning mix

1 lb shredded chicken or hamburger, cooked

Cook meat and drain. Shred chicken, add all ingredients to the crock pot.  DO NOT DRAIN CANS!! Stir. Cook on high for 2 hours, on low 4 hours.  Keep hot until serving.

Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions and/or tortilla chips.  (I was also thinking sliced black olives.)



Stuffed Spud Soup

This recipe is from a book called "Just a Matter of Thyme" ©1992 from Among Friends.  I have made this soup numerous times and it is definitely a favorite.  I have made it in the crock pot and taken it to work.  It has also graced the entire trunk of my car once when I was transporting it.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Spud Soup

2 lbs frozen hash browns, thawed

½ cup butter

½ cup chopped green onion

1-10oz can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups Half 'n Half or milk (I always use Half 'n Half)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

parsley flakes or chopped chives for garnish

Saute onion in butter, add soup, half 'n half and thawed potatoes.  Stir in cheese and heat gently.  Garnish and serve.  Serves 8-10.

Easy Banana Bread

This recipe came from "The Pastors Wives Cookbook" ©1978.  It is good and the Professor likes it.  I wanted it to taste like the Amish Banana Walnut Bread I bought at the Gibson General Store and it doesn't.  It isn't as moist and not as sweet.  I was wondering if the Amish made it with a starter.  I could make this again but will be looking for the perfect banana bread I tasted before.

Easy Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter or margarine (I used butter)

2 eggs, unbeaten

1½ cups bananas, mashed

1Tablespoonful lemon juice (I used the ReaLemon)

2 cups flour

3 teaspoonsful baking powder

½ teaspoonful salt

1 cup nuts, chopped (I used English walnuts)

1 teaspoonful vanilla

Cream sugar with butter, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bananas and lemon juice. Sift flour with baking powder and salt; add and mix quickly. Stir in nuts. Bake in greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan at 350° for about an hour until done when tested. Cool on rack. 



Easy Lemon Bars

Note: Heating up the lemon curd for 45 seconds and adding 1/8 cup of water when mixing. That was helpful as the lemon curd is really thick.
One box angel food cake mix
one jar lemon curd (sold by jelly/jam section)
Mix together and spread in a 13"x9" greased pan. Bake at 325° for 25 mins. When cool sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Easy Lemon Bars
The Professor really likes these.  I am not very fond of them and won't make this recipe again unless he requests it. The Lemon Curd was around $4.50 and the Angel Food Cake mix a little less then $2.00 so it was rather expensive to make.