Keylime Sugar Cookie Truffles

Spread cookie mixture after lemon & lime zest and juice added... bake

Cookie Balls rolled after mixed with cream cheese...

Lemon-Lime Sugar Cookie Truffles

1 batch of sugar cookie dough (I used a store-bought mix, but you can use any recipe you like!)
zest and juice of 1 large lemon and 1 large lime
1 1/2 blocks cream cheese (12 ounces) at room temperature
1 package white chocolate candy coating
colored sprinkles or coarse sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cookie dough as directed on package or recipe; add in the zest and juice of the lemon and lime and mix well. Spread the cookie dough in a greased 9×9 baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cookies are fully baked. Cool completely.

When cookies are cooled, using your hands, remove from the dish and crumble into the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor (small chunks are fine). Add in the cream cheese and mix until the cookie crumbs and cream cheese are completely mixed together. Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When the balls are thoroughly chilled, melt the white chocolate candy coating in the microwave, or over a double boiler. Carefully dip each ball into the white chocolate and turn to coat. Remove with a tooth pick and set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Top with sprinkles. Repeat until all the balls are coated. Store in the refrigerator.

Homemade Bagels

Any flavor you want!

roll dough into balls, let settle....

put holes in the balls in the center, make into rings!

Drop into boiling water....2 mins on each side..

Put egg wash on and cover with toppings... I used sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced onion, then I had a pampered chef Caramel Sugar sprinkle and I used that  with cinnamon and sugar as well.... Place in oven for 24 minutes or until brown.

Bagels before I put in oven..

Here are the cinnamon bagels when done... cooling on a wire wrack...

Homemade Bagels
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 3/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)
4 cups bread flour (not all purpose)
1 tsp salt
1 egg, for egg wash
Optional Seasonings:
Poppy Seeds
Onion Powder (I used chives because I didn’t have this on hand)
Caraway
Sesame Seeds
Kosher Salt
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour and salt. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (first quarters, then halves). Shape each piece into a tight ball, pinching the corners together at the bottom of the dough. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.
Once dough balls have rested, the bagel shape can be formed. Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers and be sure to make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. Let bagels rest for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil and preheat the oven to 400F. (I used a deep dish skillet because it’s wider.) Line a baking sheet with paper towels and another baking sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.
Working four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to the paper towels to drain for a moment, then place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining bagels.
Brush boiled bagels with lightly beaten egg (a pastry brush is a good tool for this) and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake for 24 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack (bagel will soften slightly as it cools). Slice and toast to serve.



My take: 
I think I added too much salt to mine, so I already adjusted that in the recipe... but they were still good.  I will be making my own bagels from now on!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken/Pasta with White Wine Sauce

The set up to dredge the chicken (dip in flour, then egg, then panko and parmesan cheese)

Here is the chicken before it is cooked....

Brown each side in pan with olive oil...

Finish off chicken in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes...

Mushrooms cooked in garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream and white wine... yum.. I added flour to thicken it up, 1/4 cup of flour will do the trick... salt and pepper to taste!

Parmesan Crust Chicken & Pasta

with Mushroom White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

-Pkg. of Fettuccine Noodles

For Chicken:

-4 chicken Breasts (boneless, Skinless)

-2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs

-2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese

-2 eggs

-3/4 cup flour or less

Mix bread crumbs and cheese together in a separate bowl, flour in a separate bowl, eggs in bowl.  Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg and then roll in the crumbs...Brown on both sides with some olive oil in a pan on stove and then finish off in a foil covered pan in the oven at 350
for 30 mins.

Sauce:

1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups heavy cream

3 cloves garlic diced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms (sliced)

2 cups white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup of flour to thicken

salt and pepper to taste..

Saute garlic in olive oil, add mushrooms and 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  Cook mushrooms down on medium heat.  Add White wine, the rest of broth and cream, add flour and bring to boil.  salt and pepper to taste.

Cook up noodles and serve sauce over noodles with Chicken on top... So good!

This is my friend Leslie's recipe and she came over to my house and made it and it was so delicious! I am in love! I added the flour because I like thick cream sauces and also if you want to sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top of the meal at the end that makes it great!

Homemade Red Sauce

Chop up some onion, garlic and fresh basil

Peel the tomatoes, the skin makes the sauce bitter

Add Red wine to the onions, basil and garlic, let it reduce

chop up tomatoes, make them larger or smaller depending on how chunky you like your sauce

Yum, finished sauce, serve over Pasta!

Homemade Red Sauce

2T Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 med onion, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup of fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup red drinking wine
1 T sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
28 oz of crushed or diced tomatoes ( I used 5 fresh tomatoes)
1 tsp Lemon Juice (optional)
1 small can of tomato paste

*I added 1 Red Pepper chopped and 1 cup of diced up fresh mushrooms... add whatever you like

Directions:
saute onions in olive oil for 10-12 minutes on low heat, covered.  Add garlic and basil, recover for 5 minutes. Uncover and add wine, reduce by half, Add tomatoes (and other veggies), salt, pepper, sugar and tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tomatoes break down and look saucy! :)

Serve over pasta

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Wow, sorry for the fuzzy picture!

Yummy icecream for the middle

Bake the cookies, let them cool....

stuff cookie with icecream and wrap with saran wrap, put in freezer and enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 pint favorite ice cream

even number of favorite cookies

saran wrap

sprinkles for the sides if you desire

Make the cookies, stuff them with ice cream, put the cookie on top, roll edges in sprinkles if you like and wrap in saran wrap... oh ... so... good.

Pasta Salad

Boil the noodles...

Add some diced celery...

some fresh cut up tomatoes

Mix in some black olives... some provolone cheese... and the dressings... minced onions and seasoned salt.

Pasta Salad

1 bag of veggie blend spiral noodles (boiled and drained)
1/2 cup of sliced black olives
1 cup chopped celery
1 chopped tomato
4 slices (thick cut) Provolone Cheese cut into chunks
 1 tbsp.  minced dried onion
seasoned salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup of Green Goddess salad dressing
2 tbsp Vidalia Onion Dressing
2 tbsp Honey Mustard dressing
2 tbsp Zesty Italian Dressing

Those are rough estimates on the dressings...

Boil noodles, drain, add in celery, tomato, olives, cheese, salt, pepper, minced onion and then dressings... mix together and chill for an hour before serving.


 This recipe is from my friend Adreane, she served it at the lake this weekend and Daniel FELL in love with it (he had never had pasta salad before) so I decided to make it for him. 

Cheesy Topping for Hamburgers

First off I'd like to say I'm sorry Bryan I haven't updated in awhile.... :)  I'll be sure not to just leave it for days with no updates....

Unfortunately I have no pictures of this, because we ate them so fast that I forgot... but FORTUNATELY, it was amazing and Daniel loved it, so we will make it again, but in the meantime, for my one  fan, I will post the recipe and a picture of what it looks like, but not a picture I took, but mine did look like the picture, if that is any comfort!


For the record, this picture above is NOT my picture, it was taken from a blog, I don't know whose, I forget, but hopefully if they follow me they can leave their name and claim their picture, because obviously they have great recipes! :)

*Easy Cheesy Topped Burgers*

Serves 4 to 6

2 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 slices cooked smoked streaky bacon, crumbled ( I didn't have time, I used Bacon Bits, I know ghetto)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS tomato catsup
3 tsp hot pepper sauce (Optional)
12 minced beef patties (3 pounds)
Bread or hamburger buns, if desired
I added a dash of ranch dressing, because Daniel is obsessed with Ranch.


Heat gas or charcoal grill, or oven grill.

In a small bowl mix all ingredients except for the beef patties.


When the grill is heated, place frozen patties on the grill. Cover grill, and cook over medium heat 4 to 8 minutes, turning once, until the patties are nicely browned and cooked through.

Carefully top each patty with about some of the cheese mixture.

Cook, covered, for 4 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted. Serve on toasted bread.