Sugar Cookie Icing

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (sifted after measuring)
• 1 tablespoon low-fat milk (skim or 1% is fine although I have made this successfully using 2% fat milk)
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup (more if needed to reach desired consistency)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon almond extract
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon vanilla
• food coloring (use colors of choice)

Directions

1. VERY IMPORTANT; the confectioners sugar must be sifted before using.
2. In a bowl beat the sifted confectioners sugar with milk until smooth.
3. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until smooth and glossy (if icing is too thick add in a small amount of corn syrup).
4. Divide into as many separate bowls as desired.
5. Add in different food coloring to each bowl beating/whisking until the intensity is achieved.
6. Paint the icing over the cookies using a brush or dip the cookie edges into icing (this will set quite quickly).
7. Place cookies on waxed paper to dry.

Butter Cream Frosting

 

 Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (salted, or unsalted)
1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (best quality available)
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, half and half or milk.
*Optional- As mentioned above, I like a cream cheese version of this frosting best.  The cream cheese adds to the creamy texture, and cuts down on the sweetness just a bit.  If desired, for a very light cream cheese flavor add 1/2 block (4 oz). cream cheese, leaving the other ingredients (as listed above) the same.  For a more traditional cream cheese flavor, reduce the butter to 1/2 cup, and add 1 block (8 oz.) of cream cheese.  If using a full block of cream cheese, you can reduce the cream or milk to 1 tablespoon total.
Flavoring options- An almost unlimited number of flavoring options can be added in addition to, or instead of the vanilla.  Orange and/or lemon zest, citrus extracts, mint extract, coconut extract or the seeds of a vanilla bean are all wonderful options.  In most cases I’ll still add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, then 1/2 teaspoon of the other flavoring.  For zest, add about 1 teaspoon fresh zest.  For chocolate butter cream, add 1/2 cup (good quality) unsweetened cocoa powder.
Directions-
* In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth (30 seconds to a minute). (If you are adding cream cheese, add it now, then beat until smooth)
* Add salt (if needed).
* One cup at time, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating after each addition.
* Add vanilla, or other flavorings and beat to combine.
* Add about 1 tablespoon of cream, and continue beating.
* Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, one at a time.
* Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached.  If you want to pipe the frosting on cupcakes, the frosting should be nice and thick.  Continue to beat another minute or so.  The frosting should now be smooth and fluffy.
Troubleshooting-
* If your frosting is not smooth, it is likely because the butter was not fully smooth before adding the other ingredients.
* If your frosting will not hold up when piped on cupcakes, your frosting has too much liquid or is too warm.  Put entire bowl of frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it will stiffen up.  If it is still too thin, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beat well.

Slow Cooker Bacon-Wrapped Apple Chicken

Ingredients

1. 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2. 1 cup BBQ sauce, I LOVE Sweet Baby Rays
3. ¼ cup brown sugar
4. ⅛ cup lemon juice, fresh or from a bottle
5. 5 small apples, peeled and chopped, I used gala
6. 8 slices bacon

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and peeled/chopped apples.
2. Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon and place in a greased slow cooker.
3. Pour BBQ-apple mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.

Notes

Yummy but the bacon was soggy. I would pull them out a bit sooner and stick them in the frying pan to crisp the bacon up. Or just put the whole combo in the pan and cook that way. Great flavor though! 

Old-Fashioned Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Notes: Really good, super fast and fluffy! 

Mom Tobler's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle soup

I love making homemade Chicken soup. It's fast (almost as fast as opening a can of Campbells) to make, especially if you have leftover chicken. It's a throw together dish..I don't measure. It's wonderful ( so much better than Campbell's that it's not even comparable). It's guilt free...eat as much as you want and you won't blow your diet. And it's scientifically proven to cure whatever ails you.

(these measurements are just approximate...for those that feel more secure with measurements.)

8 cups water (or homemade broth*)
3 Tbsp. Chicken base/bouillon (1 tbs. if using homemade chicken broth)
Cooked chicken ( whatever you have leftover)
1/4 onion finely chopped (optional)
1 small garlic clove (optional.. I don't like the onion and garlic to overpower the other flavors)
3 carrots, sliced (not the ones used to make broth...flavor is out of those)
2 celery, chopped
1/4 tsp. Thyme
1/8 tsp. ground sage ...just sprinkle it until you feel good in your heart.
1/8 tsp. white pepper ...a few shakes
fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste...it usually has enough salt from the bouillon for my tastes.

Egg noodles - a couple big handfuls

Simmer until noodles and carrots are tender.

Sometimes I add broccoli after the noodles are cooked. Broccoli cooks enough just from the heat of the broth after the heat is turned off and the soup is waiting to be served.

*Homemade Chicken Broth:
Boil chicken with onion, celery,carrot, garlic until chicken is cooked. run broth through a fine sieve for a clear broth. Chop chicken for soup or other dishes and toss the veggies away...but I alway eat the carrots while I'm cooking:)

My favorite egg noodles are homemade but these are a close second:
I find them at Walmart with the dry pasta, usually on the bottom shelf.

This is my favorite bouillon!I use it when a recipe calls for canned broth, bouillon or I use it undiluted to just add more favor to gravies and sauces.
Walmart here (Las Vegas) carries small jars of it. Or I can find large jars at Smart and Final (here) or Costco in St. George, UT. I try to keep several jars ahead for food storage.

White Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 2 ounces milk chocolate, for garnish
• 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped (add slowly to desired sweetness)
• 6 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream (I only used 3/4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Peppermint sticks, for garnish
• Whipped cream, for garnish

Directions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave milk chocolate into curls; set aside.
   
2. Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place milk and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan, about 4 minutes. Immediately pour mixture over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, stir to combine. Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until a light foam forms.
   
3. Serve immediately garnished with peppermint sticks, whipped cream, and chocolate curls.
   (Recipe from Martha Stuart)

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 ounce) box white cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (cold)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. 1
   Combine cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, lemon juice and lemon zest. Follow directions on box. Pour into greased and floured spring-form pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Cool.
2. 2
   For filling, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Combine by hand with cream cheese mixture.
3. 3
   For crumb topping, combine flour and powdered sugar, cut in butter, vanilla, and lemon juice (pastry blender or food processor).
4. 4
   Slice cooled cake in half. Drizzle lemon juice on each cut side. Spread half of the cream mixture on bottom half of cake, put cake top on and spread the remaining cream on top and sides. Sprinkle crumb topping on top and pat on the sides.