The Best Sugar Cookies

Amy’s Mom’s Sugar Cookies

(this is a double recipe and can be halved if desired)
2 Cups butter
2 Cups sugar
6 eggs
2 Tablespoons baking powder
7 Cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk
Cream together butter and sugar
Mix eggs in one at a time, scraping the bowl
Add dry ingredients and milk
**Don’t overmix**
Chill prepared dough overnight, then allow to warm to room temp before rolling
Roll out and cut with cookie cutter
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Frosting:

½ Cup butter (softened)
5-6 Cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
food coloring, as desired
Combine the above ingredients until well-mixed
Add hot milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. (It’s approximately 6 Tablespoons for thick icing, but you can use your best judgment). Also, the frosting will thicken as it sets.

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting

Props to my awesome buddy, Misty, for hooking me up with this recipe and giving me an in-home demonstration of it :)

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare your pan by cutting out a piece of parchment or waxed paper to cover the bottom of your cookie sheet.  It's okay if some of the edges aren't all the way covered, just so that most of it is.  I usually spray a little cooking spray around the edges.  You can also get your cream cheese and butter out to soften if you haven't already.

Pumpkin Cake
3 eggs - beat 5 minutes then add:

1 C. sugar
2/3 C. pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice

Stir together, then add the following and mix until everything is incorporated:

3/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (optional... I don't like nutmeg, so I don't add it)

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes.  The batter should cover the entire pan, but it will be thin.

While that's baking, get a dish towel that is about the size of your pan, maybe a little bigger, and lay it out and sprinkle it with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

As soon as your cake is done, run a knife around the edges and turn it out onto the towel.  Then take off the parchment paper and roll it up as tightly as you can with the towel so it makes a spiral.  I usually roll the shorter end so you get more spirals.  Then put the roll-up into the fridge to cool while you make the frosting.

Frosting:
1 package cream cheese
4 Tbls. butter
1 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Beat until smooth.

Once the cake is cooled, unroll it, spread the frosting evenly, making sure you get all the way to the edges, and then roll it back up (without the towel, of course).  Then you can just slice it and serve it!  Yum!

Tomato Soup and Toasted Cheese Sandwiches

This is what we had last night for dinner and it was delicious as always.  I got this recipe for homemade tomato soup from my sister, Jill.  It is one of Mike's favorites.  Thanks, sis!

3 quarts tomatoes- peeled and blended
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp celery salt

Bring all ingredients to a boil then add:

1 cube butter melted with 1/2 cup flour

Cook until thick.

*Note:  This makes a lot of soup, so I usually half the recipe for just the two of us.

Bowtie Asian Chicken Salad

I took this one to Mike's work potluck today, but not before saving a bowl for myself for lunch :)

Salad:

3-4 chicken breasts cooked, cubed and cooled*

3-4 T. sunflower seeds

1/2 lb. bowtie noodles cooked and drained

1 1/2 heads of romaine lettuce

Dressing:

1/2 C. oil

1/2 C. sugar

1 t. sesame seeds

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. rice vinegar

1/2 t. sesame oil

1/2 t. garlic powder

Stir, refrigerate and serve.

*Note: My favorite way to prepare chicken for salads or as a pizza topping is this:

First I marinate my chicken in buttermilk all day (if no buttermilk 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice) this makes for some extra moist chicken.

The best way I've found to pre-cook the chicken is to place each breast in the center of a square piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle on both sides with salt (and pepper, if desired). Fold up the sides of the foil to form a sealed packet. (Like a tin foil dinner).  Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. The chicken will come out moist and delicious. Simply cool and cube the chicken and it is ready to add to your recipes.