Sugar Cookies

By Lonnie Niver


Guess what I found? My favorite sugar cookie recipe my mom use to make. When I was a kid I couldn't wait till Christmas or Valentine's Day because I knew my mom was going to bake my favorite cookie for the holidays. Mom would let my brother, sister and I help roll the dough and using those fancy cookie cutters to cut out our favorite shapes. Every now and then we would sneak a pinch of the dough just for a taste.

Now that I am all grown up I still have those cravings during the holidays for my moms sugar cookie recipe. so, I would like to share it with you.

Ingredients

2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Mix together then chill. Roll out dough 1/8in. thick - cook
on 375° for 10-12 min. on an un-greased sheet. Next, let the cookies
cool and then serve.

Serves 3 to 5 dozen depending on how thick you roll out the dough.

ENJOY! If your looking for more easy recipes don't hesitate to surf our blog.

---

Anti-aging Fruit!

---

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

By Jill S

The first beautiful dusting of fluffy white snow always puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up massive batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have always loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for traditional Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

6 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening, melted and cooled
1 cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient mixture slowly and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured surface and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of family and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup soft butter
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into your favorite Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a family project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into different bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Jill Seader loves to share her baking recipes at http://YourBakingStory.com - She has a passion for baking and stories that she shares through recipes and recipe scrapbooking supplies. Come share your story or create one of your own! Happy Christmas Baking!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_S
http://EzineArticles.com/?Christmas-Cookie-Baking-Recipes&id=879881

---

Anti-aging Fruit!

---

Great Summer Snacks For Children

By Michelle Dudley

The school year is over, the streets are alive with active children going to the pool, the park, riding their bikes and skateboards with friends. With this much fun going on it makes it hard to make sure they are getting enough good things to eat. So why not follow the spirit of summer and make fun good-for-you treats?

Frozen Bananas

1 Cup sweetened dry cereal

3 firm bananas

3/4 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips


Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil or waxed paper. Place cereal in plastic bag. Tie bag and crush with rolling pin. Put crushed cereal on waxed paper and set aside. Peel bananas and cut in half width wise. Insert a popsicle stick into cut end. Set aside on cookie sheet.

Place water in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the pot over medium heat on stove. When water begins to simmer lower heat but keep water simmering. Place chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Melt chips, stirring occasionally. (chips can also be melted in a microwave, on high for 30 seconds, then another 15 seconds).

Once chips have melted, dip banana into chocolate using a wooden spoon to help cover banana completely.Roll the banana in the crushed cereal and put on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining bananas.

Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

Egg Bunnies

Hard Boiled Eggs

Celery

Raisins, carrots or other vegetables


Slice off the base of a peeled hard-cooked egg so that it will stand up.
Cut ear 'shapes' from piece of celery and carefully insert into top sides of egg to make bunny ears.
Use bits of carrot, or raisins to form eyes. Make small slits into the egg to place eyes. Do the same for nose.

You can use slices of green onion for whiskers.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

2 Bananas

2 c. Strawberries

1 c. Milk

1 c. Plain yogurt


Blend all ingredients and enjoy.

Ants on a Log

Peanut butter


Celery


Raisins


Dried cranberries


Spread peanut butter (or almond butter) onto celery sticks
and decorate with raisins or dried cranberries. It looks like "ants on a log".
(If you use cranberries, you can call it "lady bugs on a log")

Spring Flowers

sliced bananas
blueberries and raspberries
fresh mint leaves

Use a sliced banana for the center of the flower and surround with raspberries
or blueberries. Use the mint leaves for the stem.

Grilled-Cheese Butterfly

sliced cheese

2 slices bread

celery stalk cut in half

2 small carrot sticks

2 cherry tomatoes


Cut the sandwich into wing shapes by cutting in half. Place a celery stalk
between the halves. Use carrot sticks for the antennae with cherry tomatoes as the ends.

Edible Veggie Bowls

1 green, yellow, or red pepper, washed

1 bunch of celery, washed

1 carrot, washed and peeled

your favorite salad dressing


Cut the pepper in half (from side to side). Clean out the seeds and gunk from the inside.

Now you have two pieces. One will be your pepper-shaped bowl.

Cut the other half of the pepper into skinny slices.

Cut the carrot into skinny sticks about 4" long.

Cut celery into skinny sticks so each one is about 4" long.

Put a little salad dressing in the bottom of your pepper bowl.

Put celery sticks, carrot sticks, and pepper slices into the pepper bowl.

Let your child help you make snacks by letting them gather ingredients, let them measure, also by letting them add them. Ask your child to read the recipe to you and let them pick out the snack recipes. Now if you can only get them to clean their room!

Michelle Dudley runs http://www.gotdudley.com where she is always looking for unique Food and Drink articles, feel free to contact her if you have an article on the subject at shelly656@gotdudley.com
Visit her product catalog here http://www.usfreeads.com/catalogs/324124

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dudley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Great-Summer-Snacks-For-Children&id=594474



Royalty-Free Photos
Find quality Royalty-Free Photos
at Paragon Grafix.com

Watch a presentation of Amy and Lonnie's Home Based Business at Create My Success!

Classic Cookie Recipes

By Jill S

Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is nothing quite like a fresh chocolate chip cookie. This particular recipe has become my favorite over the years. It is soft and chewy and full of chocolate. Whenever I make this, I always have memories of coming home from school to a house filled with the smell of chocolate chip cookies. All five of us with chocolate smeared all over our faces. Great memories!

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 packages (12 ounce) semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. In a different bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Roll into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My husband is not a sweets man but he loves these cookies. The first time I made these it was for some friends. They almost all disappeared in one night! My husband and another friend of ours (also not a sweets man) were eating these the way I eat chocolate (with both hands, one right after the other). Whenever I make these, I always find my husband sneaking one when he thinks I am not looking. He will just look at me, smile sheepishly and say, "What? They're good." Ah yes, the highest compliment any baker can receive. :-)

3 eggs
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Beat the eggs, stir in the vanilla extract, and then stir in the raisins. Refrigerate this mixture for at least one hour.

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups oats (quick cooking kind)


In a large bowl, mix together the shortening and sugars. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add in the raisin mixture and the oats. Roll it into balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10 to 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Come share your own baking recipes and stories with Jill Seader at her website, www.YourBakingStory.com . Every baking recipe Jill shares on her website comes with a piece of the story behind the recipe. Happy Baking!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_S
http://EzineArticles.com/?Classic-Cookie-Recipes&id=569550


Watch a presentation of Amy and Lonnie's Home Based Business at Create My Success!