Snow and Cookies...perfect day!

First of all, I'd like to say that it SNOWED today! Not much for any of you northerners, but for a deep-southerner like myself, it totally counted!

Secondly my S.O. bought me a fabulous new Calphalon Cookie Sheet/Jelly Roll Pan. So to try it out, I decided to make some Valentines Day cookies to bring to work tonight...even though I work on VDay, figured I'd bring them today since it's going to be Mardi Gras madness down there tomorrow!

I LOVE baking, and I find that in general, I always have everything on hand to make sugar cookies so I can experiment with the recipes based on whatever else I have laying about!

Anyway, this is possible one of the easiest Sugar Cookie recipes ever. Not that any are complicated, but whatever. I was going to chill this dough and make rolled out cookies, but I didn't have time. So instead, I used some pink sugar that I found in the dollar section at Target a while ago (side note, great place to find seasonal sprinkles etc...I always find great Halloween stuff there for our Annual Drunken Pumpkin party...that's for another month though...) and I rolled balls of the dough in the sugar before I baked them.

First attempt: I did not "smush" the dough balls before I baked them.

Result: Puffy cookies

Second attempt: I "smushed" the dough balls.

Result: Cookies that sorta collapsed in the centers.

Conclusion: flatten cookies till they are about the same thickness as if they were rolled out.

Here's the recipe:

3/4 (1 & 1/2 sticks) butter softened...or microwaved for about 30 seconds

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

pinch salt

Preheat over to 350.

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla with a mixer. Add in egg and beat well.

In a separate bowl blend flour, baking powder and soda and salt together.

Slowly add dry mixture to wet, blending well each time.

(I switched to the paddle on my stand mixer for this)

Roll each dough ball with your hands, flatten to about the same thickness as rolled cookies.

Coat in colored sugar if desired.

OR - Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm, roll out and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Cookies will not change color or spread out much, so touch to determine doneness.

Let cool..or eat hot like I did and risk burning your tongue!!

Happy Valentines Day weekend everyone! Don't get too caught up in the consumerism, your sig-other would much prefer well thought out gestures from you!!

Cooking day

So the internet is working sporadically. I will post when it is working and once they fix it on the 10th, I'll be back to daily postings.

Since I have today off of work (after an exhausting weekend, I might add), I am trying to start my monday recipes on here. My goal is to bake something each week and to share some of my favorite recipes that are frugal, healthy and easy. My bigger goal for myself is to figure out how to do this whole meal-planning thing so that I can cook on my few nights off and then have bases to turn into easy meals for the other nights when I am at work.

I will also try to add pictures as I can, but today is an unorganized day as we were finishing installing our flooring yesterday (YEA!) and everything is pulled out of the office. Other goal for today is to get the office set up...

So...for today, how about some easy Mexican that can be quesadillas, tacos or nachos? and for baking, the easiest bread ever (I soo shouldn't be revealing my secrets!)

EASIEST BREAD EVER!!

Ready for this?

3 cups self-rising flour

(add 3 t. baking powder and 1 t. salt if using regular flour)

1/4 cup sugar

1 12 oz. can beer

preheat oven to 375 degrees

1) Mix dry ingredients together. Sift them if you can, but if not, meh.

2) Add beer. Mix together until a dough forms

3) Pour into greased loaf pan. Pour 1/4 c. melted butter over loaf if desired.

4) Bake for 1 hour. Remove from pan and cool.

5) Bask in the compliments and amazement from your friends that you made homemade bread!

Outside of bread will be crusty and inside soft. Perfect as a side for chili, soup, spaghetti etc.

Feel free to experiment with ingredients. I've had good luck with whole-wheat flour and dark beer, just play around with it!

Let me know how it turns out!

I was going to include my "recipe" for Mexican...but its basically browned meat (or soy meat in my case) simmered with sauteed onions and a can of salsa...then you can do whatever you want with it.

My mom always did this for chicken tacos and EVERYONE always wanted her "recipe".

Now you know our family secrets.

Have a great Monday!