Mickey Shortbread Cookies ... Baking with Little A

Baking with my girl…..

Foodie nerds that we are, we watch a lot of the cooking competition shows and evil parents that we are we make the kids watch with us. As much as they will tell you the contrary they actually like watching them with us, especially “Master Chef Junior”. Little A is convinced that she is going to be on the show  “When I'm really big, like 8 or something.”

 I figure it’s time to let her start helping in the kitchen. What better project for a three year old then cookies? We made some fantastic shortbread cookies (mickey shaped of course!) and little A did a ton of the work. They turned out SO yummy! Who knows maybe she will be berated by Mr. Ramsey in a few years.

Shortbread Cookies (Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe)

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Directions
 

Mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour and salt, (I use Martha’s trick of mixing them up with a Wisk instead of sifting!) then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a shaped cutter of your choice (I like mickey!). Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

                       Enjoy!!

Amazing Easy Peach Salsa

I absolutely adore peaches. They are by far my favorite fruit. Nothing is better than a fresh picked ripe peach. I typically serve them up like my Mom always has; chopped with a heavy heaping of sugar. It’s absolutely delicious but I’m sure it is probably the LEAST healthy way to eat fresh fruit imaginable. I have been thinking up fun and different ways to serve up peaches and decided to try a fresh salsa. If I do say so myself… Wowzas! It is fantastic. The spicy peppers are such a fantastic compliment to the fresh sweet peaches. To sounds like a crazy foodie, it’s a wonderful balance of flavors.

Try this Fast, delicious recipe with your harvest….

Jenn’s Fresh Peach Salsa

2 Medium Peaches (peeled)

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

¼ Red Onion

½ Jalapeno Pepper (Seeded)

1 Tbl chopped Cilantro (more or less to taste)

1 Lime

Salt & Pepper

 

Chop first 5 ingredients (Finely chop jalapeno and onion) and add to bowl

 

Squeeze juice from lime over all chopped ingredients

 Add salt and pepper to taste

Mix and enjoy!

 

 

See easy peasy!!

There's No Wrong Way to Eat a "Peep"... Three fun ways to eat your Easter Leftovers!

We had a "Peep-Tastic" Easter!!

 

One of our family favorites is the squishy, sugar coated goodness that is a peep;

Our kiddos even have "Peep" Easter baskets.  It's pretty awesome.

 

Peeps seem to last forever if you don't open the package so there is no race to snarf them down the week after Easter. I however have found 3 Fun ways that you should consider eating your peeps!

 

1. HARD

Yes you heard me correctly, hard. My favorite way to eat a Peep is to slice open the end of a package and let it sit for a couple of days. The result is a stiffer, less "smooshy" marshmallow. I love the more solid texture. One warning, don't let it sit open more than 3 days... you'll end up with a peep-rock! 

 

2. MICROWAVED

Try popping one of these little guys in the microwave for 5 seconds (WARNING: do not OVER microwave or they WILL explode!) It just ever so slightly warms the middle and crusts the outer sugar. It is a whole new experience.

 

3. COLD

Put a pack in the fridge overnight. The result is again a much stiffer texture on the marshmallow. It gives the impression of a less heavy, more refreshing snack.

 

However you eat your Peeps ENJOY!!!

 

Thoughtful Eater

MONSTER eater

Our Peep-tastic Easter


Thank you to Just Born for providing me with samples. The thoughts and opinions above are my own.

 

 

AMAZING, EASY "Wingers" Wing Sauce - Perfect for the Super Bowl

We love the sticky wing sauce at "Wingers" restaurant's. It is the perfect blend of spicy and sweet. Awhile ago Costco started selling the sauce. We loved it, we bought the insanely huge jars and loved our "wingers" nights at home. Then all of a sudden...BLAM, Costco quit selling it.  Let me tell you, it was a sad day in our house. I however was not going to be deterred! I found then tweaked a DIY wing sauce that is SO close to "Wingers" it's crazy! We love it with Tyson chicken strips and something Ore-Ida for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. It would be PREFCET for your Super Bowl party! Here is the "complicated" recipe....

DIY "Wingers" Sauce

1/3 Cp "Frank's" Hot Sauce
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tbl Water

In a small saucepan mix all ingredients over medium heat stirring ocasionally until the sugar is melted and it just starts to boil. It will be VERY runny, cool before serving to thinken it up (I usually throw it in the freezer for 20 minutes to quickly thicken it... I have no patence!)

Serve over Wings, chicken fingers... the possibilities are endless!!!

The ingredents (plus water!)

We love these drowning in the sauce!

 

Truly AMAZING creamy chicken noodle soup

 

Have you ever created a new recipe and got it all dished out, tasted it and thought “Damn! That’s SO good!”, but then felt kinda weird to say it because… well, you made it? Well I am not going to be coy, this recipe was AMAZING!!!  My Favorite restaurant here in Salt Lake City (Little America Coffee Shop) makes the most amazing creamy chicken noodle soup. It is crazy expensive to buy as take out and only available on Sundays (soup of the day) so I decided to try and concoct a copy cat recipe. I snooped around pinterest and brought together elements from several recipes and added a few twists of my own and Voila! It turned out just as good if not (dare I say it???) better!

Jenn’s Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 Tbsp. Chicken Bullion
3 cups chicken broth
8 carrots (2 cups), chopped
5 celery stalks (2 cups), chopped
1/2 onion (3/4 cup), chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup half and half
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded (I boil mine for 30 minutes with ½ an onion for added flavor)
2 1/2 cups noodles egg noodles, cooked

Optional: 1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, 1 tsp fresh Rosemary(chopped), I tsp fresh sage (chopped)

Bring Broth, Bullion and Vegetables (carrots, celery and onion) to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (till veggie’s are tender)

Combine soup and half and half, add Chicken and noodles. Then add the vegetables and the broth they were simmering in. Stir together (add fresh herbs now if using) and simmer 5- 10 minutes.

I even Got Big A's seal of approval

"Mommy, this is DE-LISH-IOUS! I LOVE it!"

Delicious, Delicate Butter Cookies and Frosting

I know I know, another cookie recipe. You are probably saying that I should change the title of this blog to AdventuresWithCookies. These cookies are SO good though I HAD to share. Me and Big A made a batch for Valentines Day and they disappeared VERY quickly.

Enjoy this recipe and once again, sorry for the extra pounds it may add :)

Butter Cookies and Frosting

Makes 35 cookies (yes I have not been able to squeeze 36 out of the recipe)

 Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

Icing:
2 Tbl. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
milk (usually 2-3 Tbl.)

Food coloring if desired

 

Directi\ons:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together.  Add egg yolks and vanilla, mix well.

3. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined.

 

4. Shape into 1 inch balls. (I use a cookie scoop for uniformity)  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

5. Use a flat bottomed glass dipped in sugar and flatten cookies to about 1/4 inch thick.

 6. Bake for about 12 minutes. (I rotate the pan at 6 minutes for even cooking)

   Allow to cool on cookie sheet

For Icing:

1.  Mix Butter, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla and Salt

2.  Add milk to desired consistency

     (also add 1-2 drops food coloring if desired, I did pink this time)

*Note this amount only frosts 2 dozen cookies for me, Which is good since my Hubby hates frosting (Seriously who hates frosting?? ), I leave one dozen plain, if you want to frost the whole batch I’d double the recipe.

My Little Helper