Ricotta Cheese Cookies.... oh yum

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

YIELD: 6 Dozen

I cut this recipe in half!

Ingredients

* 2 cup(s) sugar

* 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened

* 1 container(s) (15-ounce) ricotta cheese

* 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

* 2 large eggs

* 4 cup(s) all-purpose flour

* 2 tablespoon(s) baking powder

* 1 teaspoon(s) salt

Glaze Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of confectioner's' sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Procedure

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

* In large bowl beat sugar and margarine or butter until blended.

* After the ingredients are blended - beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

* Add ricotta, vanilla, and eggs until well combined at a medium speed.

* Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until dough forms.

* Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased large cookie sheet.

* Bake about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly golden (cookies will be soft and cake like).

Kara's crazy concoction....

I have been making this dish for a while, and it just keeps getting fine-tuned, so I thought I would share.... It's supposed to be something like chicken scarpariello, but this is my own version.

Ingredients:
-Chicken tenders, about 4 to 5, cut into 1-inch pieces
-Potatoes- chopped- about 5 to 6 yukon gold size
-Lean Smoked turkey sausage link- I like Jenny O, which is healthy- chopped
-Orange or Red bell peppers- two, chopped
-you can add anything else you like as far as veggies go in here.....
-Italian dressing

Basically, you throw in the chicken and potatoes to cook on the stovetop- about 15 minutes until potatoes are getting tender. Next, add your other veggies and turkey sausage, and then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of italian dressing- season to taste. Let this all simmer for about 20 more minutes, until everything is tender, and peppers are still a bit crisp... Enjoy with some good bread or fruit- love it!

Crockpot Cashew Chicken....

This is one of my favorites, as well as our friends Brian and Angie- we have it every time they come over for dinner almost! Sooooo easy and really good..


1 pound bean sprouts (fresh is always best)
2 C. sliced chicken (cook if you like, but I put it in raw and cook longer)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 C sliced celery
1/2 C chopped green onion
1 can mushroom pieces, drained
3 Tbl butter
1 Tbl soy sauce
Cashews- as many as you want!

Super easy- just combine all the above in your slow cooker- cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 3-5 hours.... stir in cashews just before serving... I like to serve this over fresh cooked rice and with egg rolls!!

The much requested Fish Tacos....

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 package taco seasoning mix, divided (or make your own!!)
• 1 lb cod, pollock, or other white fish fillet, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 (12 count) package flour tortillas or taco shells, warmed
  

  Toppings

  • shredded cabbage
  • tomato
  • lime juice
  • pico de gallo
  • taco sauce
  • cilantro (if you like it)
  • special sauce (recipe below)
  
  Special Sauce
  (This is what makes them sooo good! Don't skimp on it!)
  
  
  1. In small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, and 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice.
     
  2. Chill.
  
  Fish Tacos
  
  1. Combine fish, vegetable oil, lemon or lime juice, and remaining taco seasoning in medium bowl.
  2. Stir gently to coat well.
  3. Pour into large skillet.
  4. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
  5. Fill taco shells with fish mixture.
  6. Top with toppings & plenty of Special Sauce.
  7. Enjoy!!

Creamy Ranch Chicken

I just found this on bhg.com, so I figure I'll make this for dinner tonite....

6 slices bacon, cut into strips

4 chicken breasts, halved.... cut into bites

2 Tbs. flour

2 Tbs. dry ranch salad dressing mix

1 and 1/4 C. milk

3 cups dried noodles, any kind

Parmesan cheese

-- Cook bacon in skillet until crisp, drain and set aside.

--In same skillet, cook chicken until tender and no longer pink, browning evenly. Sprinkle flour and ranch mix over chicken in skillet, stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute more, stir in bacon. Meanwhile, cook noodles as directed on package, drain and serve with the chicken. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Pumpkin Sandwich Cake...

I just found this at bhg.com... it looks really good and is different, so I am going to make it for Xmas dinner... thought I would share it with ya...

Ingredients....
3/4 C. flour
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. canned pumpkin
1/2 C. whipping cream
1/2 of an 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 Recipe of Chocolate Cream icing, below...

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottoms and sides of two round cake pans (the usual size). Line bottoms with wax paper and lightly flour. In bowl, combine flour, pie spice, baking powder, and salt... set aside.

2. In a second bowl, beat eggs and sugar with a mixer until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add flour mixture, beat just till combined. Spread cake batter into pans. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes- remove and cool thoroughly.

3. For filling, in a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream to soft peaks, set aside. Then, in separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, beat in powdered sugar. Fold in whipped cream. To assemble, place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over this, and top with second cake layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the icing.

4. Chocolate cream icing: In small saucepan bring 1/2 C. whipping cream just to boiling over med high heat. Remove from heat. Pour over 1 C. semisweet chocolate chips in medium bowl (do not stir!) Let stand 5 minutes and then stir until smooth. Cool 15 minutes.... (if icing is too thin, cover and chill for 30 minutes.. if too thick, add tsp. of milk or cream.

5. Remove cake from fridge and spread icing over top and sides. Sprinkle lightly with pumpkin pie spice... Chill for at least 1 hour before serving for it to set. Store in fridge!

Spaghetti and Meatball Stoup...

This is from a Rachael Ray recipe.... it is quite good- it's called stoup because it is a really thick soup, kinda like stew....

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1 quart chicken broth
One can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
One can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
1 large egg
1/4-1/3 cup fine Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a generous handful), plus more to pass around the table
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken into thirds
1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded

Preparation:

In a large soup pot, combine the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, the onion, carrots, garlic and bay leaf and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
In a large bowl, using a fork, combine the ground beef, parsley, egg, bread crumbs and 1/4 cup cheese; season with salt and pepper. Roll the meat into balls the size of a large walnut and drop each one into the soup pot (you should have about 16 meatballs). Simmer the stoup for 10 minutes.
Stir the broken spaghetti into the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil and season the stoup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing more cheese around the table.