Caryn Esplin's Sugar Cookies

World's Best Sugar Cookies:
1 c. butter
2 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sour cream (fat free works fine)
1 pinch salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baing powder
5-7 c. flour

Cream first four ingredients, then add the sour cream and salt. Add the dries to the top, and stir them together with a spoon, then blend them into the rest of the mixture. Mix well. Add enough flour so the dough is still a bit sticky.

Chill for 20 minutes and it will be easier to handle. Roll out so they are at least 1/4" thick. Cut into shapes and bake at 365 for 8-10 minutes. Watch them and remove from oven just before they brown. Keep them light so they'll be soft! If you make them plenty thick, you can even insert a lollipop stick and transform them into cookie pops, which look great arranged into a mug with some styrofoam in the bottom. ENJOY!

Frost with Cream Cheese frosting:
8 oz. fat free cream cheese
4 - 8 oz. butter (either way works)
Powdered sugar until thick and creamy
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

I halved the recipe and it made approx. 3 dozen.

Stuffed Cream Cheese Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breast

4 frozen puff pastry sheets

4 oz cream cheese (the firm kind)

3 strips of bacon

flat-leaf parsley

1 green onion

1 large egg

pepper
salt

Directions

Start out by combining the cream cheese, cooked bacon, parsley, and green onion together in a bowl. Set aside. Cut the chicken breast down the middle and stuff the cream cheese mixture inside. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the chicken. 

Roll out the frozen pastry sheets, and then wrap the chicken in the pastry sheets. Brush the egg on the pastry and pop them into the oven at 400 for 35 to 40 min. Or just until the chicken has a temp of 170. 

Thats it, SUPER easy! Treagan LOVED these last night! I wasn't sure how dinner would turn out so I didn't take any pictures. Hence the super professional stolen pictures. You can check out the site Here. They have step by step pictures which are pretty cool :) Hope you guys are all having as fun of summer as we are in NC! Come visit! We even have an extra HUGE bedroom for you! 

Avocado Pasta Salad

What you need. . .

8 oz of bow tie pasta 

1 med sized avocado (cut up into bit sized pieces)

6 strips of cooked chopped bacon

2/3 cup chopped fresh basil 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup cut red grapes 

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 large lemon

1 T of veg oil 

Directions 

Cook pasta and cool in fridge for 45 min

When pasta is cool add the next 7 ingredients in bowl.

then add oil and juice from the lemon.

Toss and serve 

I added the grapes and walnuts,Treag and I thought it needed a little more crunch besides the bacon so we added them in. 

Here is the actually recipe if you want to try theirs. Its pretty yummy for a hot summer day! 

  

Blake's Super Bowl "Must Haves"



      

                                    

Brown Sugared Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

Ingredients

Bacon

Smokies

Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cut bacon into 3rds. Wrap bacon around smokies and place on a cookie sheet. Generously cover with brown sugar. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until bacon starts to brown and brown sugar has melted.

Cheesy Chicken Chowder and Rolls

Moses Lake got some snow! We've hardly had any snow this winter, so we were excited when we woke up to lots of snow. When I got a call saying that my Zumba class at Curves got cancelled because of the weather, I was excited because I've been wanting to have the Penas over, but work almost every night. So I thought it was a perfect excuse to make my favorite soup! We love them and can't wait for Brit to have her baby!!! She is due in about 5 days, so hopefully she has it soon!

Cheesy Chicken Chowder

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups diced, peeled potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery (I don't put them in, cuz Blake doesn't like it)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups grated cheese

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

In large saucepan bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and add potatoes, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender. While simmering, melt butter in a medium saucepan; add flour and mix well. Gradually stir in milk and cook until thickened over low heat. Stir in cheese and cook until melted. Add to broth along with chicken and cream of chicken soup. Stir together, then serve.

Dinner Rolls

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened

With Bread Machine

Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Without Bread Machine
In large bowl add warm water and warm milk (I put milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds). Then I add in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Then add yeast and leave it to foam for about 15 minutes. Then I added in the butter, salt, and egg. (If the butter is hot, wait a minute before adding the egg, to make sure it doesn't cook the egg.) Make sure all ingredients so far are mixed well. Then start mixing in flour 1/2 cup at a time. (You might not use all the flour it asks for.) After all ingredients are mixed in let dough raise about an hour. Then punch down dough and form into rolls (any style works). Then once on the pan, let raise for about another hour.  Then bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated 400 degree oven.

Pauladeen's Monster Cookies

Recipe

1/4 cup raisins, optional
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1   stick butter, softened
1   12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3   eggs
2 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

I made these for Blake's team for their first day of the Winter quarter. I'm not gonna lie, they looked really good! It has been so fun watching basketball this year! Blake's team is really good, and Blake has been doing SO good. He continues to amaze me. I am his biggest fan (and Blake has a lot of big fans in Moses Lake)! A lot of them don't even know him, but will come up to me after games and tell me how good Blake does. I just agree... I am kind of proud of him, and am not afraid to let anyone know. I figure that because Blake is so humble, I can be a proud wife. I wish that everyone that loves watching him play just knew how Blake is off the court. They would love him SO much more than just watching him on the court. I am so glad that I get to be his wife. :) And our future son will be so lucky to have him as his dad!



Blake was the MVP of the after Christmas tournament at Big Bend. Their team won the tournament.

 

He hates when he's here (on the bench). I just have to laugh cuz he just glances at the coaches a couple times every minute waiting for them to tell him to go back in. :) I love how much he loves to play.

I have also loved Blake starting to play, because we've got to have some fun visitors come watch him play. Gary has been so supportive and come to lots of Blake's games; bringing people with him!

My dancers also got to perform at Blake's game. Aren't they adorable? :)