Nelma's Soft Molasses Cookies

This is a recipe from Jay's Mom, Nelma Irvine. We love the softness of the cookies. We recently did a taste test of 4 different boxes of Gingersnap from the grocery store. They were okay but we were still not satisfied. Then, I remembered this recipe (I had to do some digging to find it in my pile of recipes.) So, I made a batch of the cookies and we both think that this recipe is better than any of the store bought cookies. Bake a batch and decide for yourself!

Nelma's Soft Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together. *Chill. Roll into teaspoon size balls. Drop into sugar. Roll in sugar to coat. Bake at 350 degrees on greased baking sheets for 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

*Chill- for fluffier cookies
*Don't chill- for crunchier cookies

Recipe shared by Robin.

Fried Eggs in Onion Nests

This recipe is from Suzanne Somer's Get Skinny on Fabulous Foods Cookbook. I decided that I want to collect my favorite recipes from cookbooks on to this blog. So, this is the first of many recipes that I love from a cookbook.

Fried Eggs in Onion Nests

Makes 2 Servings

2 large onions
4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
4 large eggs

To make the Onion Nests:
Peel the onions and slice as thinly as possible, In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions. Let them cook until they are brown and crispy, almost burned. This could take 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the onions up with a spatula and place on 2 plates, creating 2 "nest" shapes per plate.

To fry the eggs:
Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet. When the oil is hot, Crack 2 eggs into the hot oil. Let the eggs cook until the whites start to brown on the edges. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 1 minute longer. The whites will be cooked all the way through and the yolks will be runny. (If you prefer the yolks are cooked more, leave the lid on until the yolks are cooked to your liking.) Lift the eggs out of the skillet with a spatula and place 1 egg in the center of each "nest". Repeat the process with the last 2 eggs.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Chinese Chicken

We recently had dinner at some friend's house and they served this chicken for dinner. We LOVED it! So, we had to get the recipe. Of course! Thank you, Audrey and Opal! (Changes in the recipe are from Audrey.)

Chinese Chicken

3 lbs. chicken parts (we use thighs)

Sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce (shoyu)

¾ cup ketchup

½ cup water

1 tsp. vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

1 onion diced (I do not add this)

Dash garlic powder and seasoned salt (I use regular salt)

Bring sauce ingredients to a boil.

Place chicken in baking dish. Pour sauce over the top.

Bake 350*F for 1- 1 1/2 hours. Spoon sauce over chicken several times during baking.

(I bake at 400*F on conventional oven for one hour, or 30 in the microwave on high until done.)

Recipe shared by Robin

Jam Kolaches

This recipe is from The Boreas Inn Bed and Breakfast blog. It is a cool bed and breakfast in Long Beach, Washington.

Jam Kolaches

August 2, 2016 by: Susan Goldsmith

This is my favorite pastry recipe that my mother got from her mother, a career baker. The recipe is so simple. You can use any kind of jam or preserve, but I love apricot!

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• jam of your choice

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer or food processor until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the flour. On a lightly floured cutting board, knead the mixture a few times until it holds together. You want to touch this dough as little as possible or it will be tough. Chill dough for 15 minutes and then roll it out and cut into 2″ rounds,around 1/4 inch thick. You can also cut into squares to make triangular pastries. Spoon 1/2 to 1 teaspoon jam onto each round or triangle and fold in half, carefully pinching the sides together to form a seal. Mix an egg yolk with a little water to make an egg wash and brush on the pastries. Bake for around 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. (It is not unusual for the pastries to “leak” jam. Still tasetes wonderful! Immediately remove the kolaches to a cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar. Allow to cool a bit and serve warm. This recipe can be made in advance and kolaches may be frozen and used as needed. Bake a little longer if you are baking the kolaches from a frozen state!

Recipe shared by Robin.

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken

This recipe is from Our Best Bites, from an email, not in their website.

Bacon-Wrapped, Cheese-Stuffed BBQ Chicken. I mean, you can do no wrong here.

 

Here’s how it goes, listen up:  

→ Take some boneless skinless chicken breasts; they need to be thawed, not frozen. You’re going to make a “pocket” in the center of each one and stuff it with cheese, so take a sharp knife and stick it into the end of one end of the chicken piece and stab it right into the center. Glide your knife one direction, and then the other direction so you’ve got an opening at one end of the chicken piece and a nice pocket in the center. Cut a chunk of white cheese (smoked cheddar, provolone, mozzarella) to fit inside the pockets and stuff it in there.  

→ Generously slather each piece of chicken with your favorite bottled bbq sauce

→ Wrap each piece of chicken with 1-2 bacon slices, securing at ends with toothpicks if necessary. 

→ Slather on a little bit more BBQ sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

  

→ Cover a baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top of it (like a cooling rack you’d use for cookies). Place chicken on top of the rack and bake at 375 until chicken reaches 165 degrees inside. Mine took 20 minutes or so but it will vary depending on size. Serve with a simple green salad or your favorite veggie for a quick and easy dinner!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada

This recipe is from Cook with a Shoe.com.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Ingredients:

16 flour tortillas

3 cups sour cream

2 small cans green chilies

about 2 cups grated cheese

2 bunches of green onions, chopped

1/2 a bunch spinach leaves, washed and cut into ribbons

2 cups, cooked, shredded chicken

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips

1- 28oz can of green enchilada sauce

1 cup broth

1 tsp adobo seasoning

2 TBS butter

2 TBS flour

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350'F.

Mix sour cream, chilies, 1 1/5 cups of cheese, spinach, green onions, chicken

and bell pepper. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add flour and adobo seasoning, stirring often,

and then add broth.

Add broth roux to filling mixture, mix and set aside.

Pour enough enchilada sauce into two 9x13 pans to cover bottom. Spoon

filling into tortilla, roll and place in the pan.

Pour rest of enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with

remaining cheese.

Place pans in oven and bake at 350'F for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted

and sauce is bubbly. Enjoy!

Freezing directions:

Stuff 8 tortillas with filling (from above), roll and place on a cookie sheet.

Flash freeze for 30 minutes. Place frozen enchiladas into a ziplock bag.

Pour about 1 cup of enchilada sauce into a small ziplock bag. Place in large bag

with enchiladas.

Freeze until ready to use. Thaw sauce in water. Cover bottom of pan with sauce.

Place frozen enchiladas into pan. Cover with more sauce and cheese.

Bake at 350’ for 30-45 minutes until hot and bubbly, and cheese is melted!

Recipe shared by Robin.

Homemade Chicken Broth

This recipe is from Cook with a Shoe.com.

Homemade Chicken Broth

Ingredients:

chicken bones, skin and drippings

water

1/4-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Onion peelings

Celery scraps

Garlic papers

Carrot peelings

Salt to taste (after broth is made)

Directions:

Put chicken bones back in the crock pot with the drippings from the roast

chicken. Fill the crock pot with water. Add apple cider vinegar and vegetable

scraps. Cook on low for 24 hours. Strain broth out and cool. Store broth in the

fridge or in the freezer until ready to use.

Salt to taste when using the broth.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Crockpot Roast Chicken

This recipe is from Cook with a Shoe.com.

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole fryer chicken

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp onion flakes

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp rosemary

2 tsp salt

Directions:

Remove chicken from wrapper and place in crock pot. Mix all spices together

and rub all over chicken. Turn crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours.

Once meat is cooked, remove meat from bones and set aside.

Eat as is, or include meat in another recipe.

Recipe shared by Robin.