the kitchen

12 oz frozen OJ 12 oz frozen Lemonade 1 gal hot water 2 c sugar 1 1/2 tsp almond extract 2 tsp vanilla 3 TBS lemon juice Mix well, esp. to dissolve sugar.  Can be served cold, but we like it just hot enough to drink.  I slice up lemons and oranges purely for looks. I keep it in the crockpot on warm throughout the day.... and refrigerate at night to serve the next if we have leftovers. Enjoy!

This is before frosting! 1 ¼ c flour ½ c cornstarch 1/3 c powdered sugar ¾ c soft butter 1 TBS grated lemon peel 1 TBS lemon juice *best if fresh squeezed! Combine on low speed. Divide the dough in half.  Shape each mound into a half inch roll, 6-8 inches long.   Work it like play dough.   Gently wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours or 30 minutes in the freezer.   With a sharp knife, slice the roll into ¼ inch pieces.   It reminds me of banana slices for a sundae. Place on a cookie sheet and bake away! Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.  They don’t brown or spread- they just get a little puffy.  Cook completely before frosting. Frosting: ¾ c powdered sugar ¼ c soft butter 1 TBS grated lemon peel 1 TBS lemon juice  *best if fresh squeezed!

Okay, these are the best way to do sugar cookies FAST.  And I mean, FAST! My life-long friend Mykalee share them with me, and I'm not sure where she dug this gem of a recipe up, but it's become a huge hit in our home.  recently, it was requested by several friends from the cast of The Wizard of Oz, and I am flattered they've loved them so much they want a copy of the recipe!  So, friends, here it is! Sugar Cookie Bars Yields: At least 3 dozen Time: 45 minutes 1 c soft Margarine 2 c Sugar 4 Eggs 2 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Soda 5 c Flour Yup, that's it.  Mix all the ingredients well and then I do lightly grease my cookie pan before manipulating the dough into it.  I also spray my rolling pin and hands a bit too and it works so much easier than dusting with flour, IMO. Get the dough in that cookie sheet until you've got one smooth and large rectangular cookie.  We'll cut it up AFTER we bake it. Bake at 375* for 10-15 minutes.  It d

These are a huge hit at my house. I'll forever be in debt to my friend Jamie at Jamie Cooks It Up for sharing this one! I don't think my version has altered from hers in any significant way, so this recipe is courtesy of her! I use different salt and less butter, but it's her recipe all the way. Quik 'n EZ Breadsticks Yields: 36 small bread sticks Time: 45 minutes *I have started using Bread Flour for bread sticks and rolls, and have seen a big improvement, but you can use either for this recipe, I have found. 1 1/2 c warm water 2 T sugar 1 T yeast 1/2 tsp salt 4 c flour 1/3 c melted butter Grated Parmesan Cheese Seasoned Salt -Mix the water, sugar and yeast, and let it sit 5 minutes. -Add the salt and one cup of flour at a time. -Mix on HIGH for 5 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes. -I roll the dough out until it's a pretty good sized rectangle that I can then manipulate into a lightly greased cookie pan. -Spread dough out with

What a delight and sheer compliment to have another recipe requested!  Thanks Joy for asking!  it sure makes my heart smile. I searched and baked and read and compared a lot of zucchini bread recipes that would work well for baking them in a jelly roll pan (aka Cookie Sheet here in Idaho).  FINALLY, after  a lot of wasted flour, because let's face it, I had plenty of zucchini to spare, I found one. Even my wonderful neighbor was in on the process. I love using the cookie sheet because something magical happens.  The bread disappears faster.  Which is good.  There is something psychological with little kids and  the way food looks.  Okay, the same applies to adults. If the bread LOOKS like a brownie, all the better! So while this recipe can be made in regular bread pans, why bother?  You can have warm, delicious zucchini bread in under 30 minutes! Shall we? Zucchini Bread Serves: varies (make one Jelly Roll pan) Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes to bake 3 eggs 1 c

Fruited Chicken Salad 10+ servings Ingredients: 5-8 c cooked Bowtie Pasta, cooled 3-4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and diced, and cooled 2 cans drained Mandarin Oranges 2 cans Water Chestnuts, dice a bit Large Bunch of Grapes, halved Dressing: 1 c Mayo 1/2 tsp-1tsp Curry Combine  ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredient well, then coat ingredients well by stirring well. Refrigerate before serving.  You can absolutely half the recipe, but it keeps really well in the fridge for several days, so I always make a huge bowl of it.  I apologize the ingredient measurements aren't spot on, but it's a very forgiving recipe, one that I just whip up and never really need exact measurements for. Warning: If your pasta and chicken isn't cooled really well, it will ruin the dressing, in a bad way. I recommend making your chicken well in advance.