Toffee,Chocolate Chip, Pecan Shortbread cookies

This is not exactly a Valentines cookie, but I found it in a magazine and it was listed as "quick and easy," so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did! Trent says these have moved onto his favorite cookies list. They're a true shortbread cookie though, so keep that in mind (meaning they're not especially moist) but the flavor is great!

Ingredients:

8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp

1/4 C confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I didn't have mini, so I just used regular and it seemed to work fine--I might try mini next time just to see the difference)

1/2 C toffee bits (I used the Heath Bit o' Brickle that I now find all the time at Walmart--FYI, Alyssa! :))

1/2 C chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar & vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Fold in choc. chips, toffee bits & pecans.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, press down lightly on each one with a moistened palm. (I didn't press down on them at this point--when I checked to see if they were done, I used a fork to lightly press each one and they were easier to work with at that point--then I cooked them for a minute more)

3. Bake until cookies are firm & just golden around edges, 12-14 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.

**This recipe only makes about 2 dozen cookies...I am sure that I will try doubling it the next time I make them. This size batch doesn't last long!

Enjoy!

Snow Ice Cream

This is a Paula Deen recipe...easy and perfect to make with all of the snow we have in our yards today!

Ingredients:

8 cups snow, or shaved ice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls.

Vodka Sauce Parma Rosa

** I bought one of those Knorrs sauce mix packets at Super Target last week and used it to make our dinner tonight. It was REALLY good, easy, and everyone ate & enjoyed it.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped (I just used onion)
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons vodka (I used chicken broth since I didn't have vodka)
Knorr parma rosa sauce mix (1 pkg.)
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup light cream or milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
8 ounces pasta (I used Rigatoni), cooked and drained

Directions:
1. In 3 quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook shallot, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in vodka and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Stir in parma rosa mix blended with milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese. Simmer 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened.
3. To serve, toss sauce with hot pasta. Serve, if desired, with freshly ground pepper and additional grated parmesan cheese.

** I sauteed some chicken earlier and added that to it when I tossed everything together. Would also be good with shrimp.

** Mushrooms would be good in it too.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

REALLY easy recipe from Martha Stewart

• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package cut-up whole chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it tasted good, but I think next time I would use a regular chicken like it called for since I think the skin would insure that it did not dry out)
• 1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried in my spice cabinet)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

I found this recipe for Italian Pasta & Bean Soup in a magazine I picked up the other day--I have since made it several times and have moved it to my "make frequently" list. It's easy & very flavorful. I made it tonight along with a salad and the whole family enjoyed it...next time I may add breadsticks--it's soo good! Hope you'll give it a try!

Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 ounces pancetta chopped

1 TBS olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes(try italian diced tomatoes!)

4 C chicken broth

1 C water

3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving 

1 Sprig fresh rosmary (fresh is best!)

1 C ditalini

1 (16 oz) can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

S&P to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat chopped pancetta and oil in large saucepan over med-high heat until fat renders & pancetta is browned, about 5 min. Add onion & cook until onion is softened, about 3 min. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, broth, water, Parmesan, and rosemary and bring to a boil.

2. Add pasta & beans to pot and cook until pasta is al dente*. Discard rosemary sprig. Season with S&P. Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Serve--goes great with Pepperidge Farm 4 Cheese Bread and a caesar salad

*I think it is almost easier to cook your pasta separately and then add it to the soup when ready. I keep finding that my cheese is sticking to the bottom of my pan b/c I am having to boil the soup mixture long enough for the pasta to get soft...

Crab Cakes

Again, something else I made this weekend from the Kojie cookbook (page 117). The lady that put that recipe in was a great cook (she was a sponsor when I was there) so any of the recipes by her are probably good!

Kevin doesn't even really like crabcakes, but we almost made ourselves sick eating them!

Enjoy!

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1 egg
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 (6 oz) cans LUMP WHITE crab meat (found by the tuna at the store)
about 20 Ritz crackers, crushed finely
1/3 cup each of shredded parmesan, romano, & asiago cheese (I cheated and used 1 cup of the the Italian blend cheese that had pamesan, asiago, and mozarella from the store)
2 green onions, chopped finely
1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Beat egg and dressing together in a large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Drain crabmeat and add to mixture. Mix well. Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Let stand 3 minutes. Using about 1-2 T of mixture, shape into cake (I used the Pampered Chef medium scoop and flattened them out). Place in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet (I used my Pampered Chef cookie sheet stone) Bake 5-7 minutes on each side or until cakes are golden brown and heated through.

** After eating them, I thought it might be good to just put the mixture in a pie plate and bake like that. Then use crackers to eat it like a dip. They also would be good to make very small/bitesize to serve with crackers.

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

This is a recipe I tried tonight from the Kojie cookbook (page 126 if you have one) -- everyone ate it, it was super easy, so I guess that means it was a hit!

1 pork tenderloin
salt & pepper to taste
2 green apples
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups chicken broth

Rub pork tenderloing with S&P and put in crock pot (I used one of those crock pot liners to make it clean up easier). Slice green apples very thinly and lay over the pork tenderloin. Layer onions on top of apples. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar over all ingredients. Pour chicken broth on top of that. Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low for 6.

Enjoy!