Easy and Quick Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

This is a re-post... from seven (7) years ago!!!  OMGosh where does the time go??????   Whenever we have a sunny day in the middle of January or February, I start to think spring and light and lemon.




Thinking back to the Mom I was 5 years ago verses the Mom I am today I can only smile. It was certainly easier to keep the house clean, keep everyone on schedule, get everyone to wherever they needed to be, cook, bake, clean and keep up with laundry... when the kids were younger.

I had all three kids in under 5 years. (Just 2 days short of being able to say 'four' years!). But I can honestly say we are far more busy and it's harder to keep up now that the kids are 16, 15 and 11. Still - I see how quickly time is passing us by and the kids will be off to college soon and this is the one shot that I have to raise them the way I believe they should be raised... and cookies are part of that lifestyle.  SO SIMPLE even your 7 year old can make them.




Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

1 package dry lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil

Mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Scoop or spoon into balls and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake on parchment or ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 6-7 minutes. Let cool 1 minute and remove from pans to cool.

In the meantime prepare a simple glaze;

1 c powdered confection sugar
2 T lemon juice
colored sugar spinkles

Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice and drizzle or spoon it on the warm or cool cookies. While the icing is still wet sprinkle with yellow sugar crystals.

Homemade Won Ton Chips

I don't know what I can say to get you to try making these 'chips' but if you do, you'll probably thank me. So crispy and so good! You only need one ingredient and then oil to fry them. That's it. How can something so simple be so good?

I love these dipped into a cream cheese and banana pepper or cream cheese and jalapeno pepper dip or cheese ball. But they are crazy good dipped in a plum sauce or duck sauce and of course a bit of soy sauce on them isn't bad either!  I don't even salt these or use any seasonings on them.  They don't need it.


Wonton Chips

1 pkg. egg roll wrappers or wonton wrappers
hot oil to cook them in

If you are using wonton wrappers, just cut them in half from tip to tip to form 2 triangles.  If using larger egg roll wrappers, cut in half from corner to corner and continue slicing in halves until you have 8 triangles out of each egg roll square.  Heat your oil to medium high hot - which if you drip a drop of water into the oil it will bubble and spit.  Fry about 8 triangles at a time, flipping both sides til golden and crisp.  Drain on paper towels and serve plain or with a dip or sauce.  If your chips are getting too dark too fast it means your oil is too hot.  Turn it down a bit.  They should take about 30 seconds for each side. 

We had Mexican Casserole Again - Probably one of our family's top 3 favorite meals

Mmmmmexican Lasagna!  A family favorite!

This is a recipe I've been making for years and years...  Here's the deal.  You can make this ground beef.  You can make it with chicken.  I was able to use up leftovers from the freezer for all the chicken in this recipe and it felt like I was getting a 'free' meal since I saved about $8 by not having to purchase chicken breast for this!  If you don't have anything in the freezer or fridge to use up - no worries.   Make this with ground beef, chicken, ground turkey... play with your food!

Mexican Lasagna

1 - 2 lbs. ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc.
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 t seasoned salt
2 cups diced tomatoes (or use canned if you prefer)
1 T jalapeno's, diced fine (optional if your family hates them)
1 T onion (another option!)
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste with 3 empty cans of water OR use 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c sour cream  OR  ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs
10 flour tortillas (any style - low carb, etc. is fine too)
2 1/2 - 3 c shredded cheese

Cook the ground beef (if you are using) and drain.  If you are using already cooked beef, chicken, etc. place it in a large pan on the stove top.  When hot, add the taco seasoning, salt, tomatoes, paste and water or tomato sauce, jalapeno's and onions if you are using them.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce and simmer about 10 minutes while you mix the sour cream OR ricotta/cottage cheese with the eggs in a bowl.  Preheat the oven to 350.

Spread half the meat mixture in a 9X13 inch pan.  Cut your flour tortilla in half.  Layer about 5 of them over the meat.  Spread half the sour cream or cottage cheese mixture over the tortillas.  Sprinkle with half the shredded cheese.  Repeat the layers with the rest of the meat, tortillas, sour cream or cheese mixture and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.  You can now use green olives or black olives on top if your family likes them.

Bake uncovered about 20-30 minutes until golden brown, bubbly and hot.  Let it stand 10 minutes to 'set up' for easier cutting.  You can serve this as is or offer sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.

I used cooked, leftover chicken.  But you can make this with ground beef too.

Your flour tortillas become the 'noodles'

Let stand about 10 minutes for easier cutting

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pineapple Ice Cream

Pineapple Ice Cream

2 pineapples, peeled and cored
1 lime, juiced
2 T agave nectar
1 1 /2 c half and half or cream
1/2 t vanilla

Blend pineapple with lime juice and agave nectar in heavy duty blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and store in the refrigerator until well chilled. 

In blender or processor, process cold cream and vanilla until thick and creamy. Add in pineapple mix and blend well.

Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacture's instructions for making ice cream. Place in a container and freeze 1-2 hours before serving.

Naan - two recipes one with yogurt, one without

If I was to choose a favorite bread to have every day in some way, shape or form, it would probably be Naan.  Although I know flour can wreck havoc on a digestive system and cause bloating and pain... sometimes it's worth it because I really, really (really) love bread.  If I had the money I'd invest in authentic, non-GMO flour or purchase the wheat whole and grind it myself, but my 'grinder' is probably about 3 years off into the future yet and my budget only allows for me to purchase the flour readily available... which unfortunately is so genetically modified that our bodies hardly recognize it.  Ooops.  I'm getting off topic! 

Back on topic.  Naan.  That soft, chewy, delicious... omgoodness delicious Indian bread that can be ate as is, grilled crisp, made into gyro style wraps, pizza, garlic bread and more more more more more.  The thing is...  I don't make it often enough (that whole 'ouch' on the digestive track thing) to have a really great go-to recipe.  So here are two recipes in my files - the first one I made and it was fine but it wasn't 'it'.  I didn't know why at the time but I do now.

Naan made with yogurt has that 'something' that naan without yogurt doesn't.  So I'm putting both of these recipes together in one post so when I want to make naan again I have it at my fingertips;  but I have two versions.  The quick, easy one without a sponge or yogurt... and the one I will make if I'm not quite in such a rush and I have yogurt on hand.

 Quick and Easy Naan

1 package active dry yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c white sugar
3 T milk
1 egg, beaten
2 t salt
4 1/2 c bread flour
2 ts minced garlic (optional)
1/4 c butter, melted


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.




If you have time to plan ahead....   This one!  From King Arthur Flour company

Naan

Sponge
1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water

Dough
2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 ounces)King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain yogurt 

salad oil or pan spray for grilling
melted butter (garlic and pepper optional), for serving

Sponge: Mix the sponge ingredients together in a bowl, and set it aside for 4 hours (or up to about 16 hours), until the mixture is bubbly and has a nice aroma.

Dough: Transfer the sponge to the bowl of a mixer or bucket of a bread machine Add the dough ingredients, and mix and knead the mixture till it becomes smooth; the dough will be soft, but not sticky. Adjust its consistency with additional flour or water, if necessary. If you’re using a bread machine, cancel it after the machine finishes kneading, before the dough rises.

Divide the dough into 8 balls, about 3 3/4 ounces each (about 2 1/4 inches, the size of a tennis ball). Let them rest, covered, for half an hour in the refrigerator while the grill is heating.

Baking: To bake, stretch each ball into an oval shape a scant 1/4-inch thick. Brush with oil or spray with pan spray, then lay the oiled side of the dough down on a clean, hot grill. After 1 minute, pick up the bread with a spatula, turn it 45 degrees, and put it back down to cook for another minute; it’ll start to puff up a bit. Oil the top side, then turn it over, cover the grill, and cook for 2 minutes to finish. Remove the naan from the grill.

If you don’t want to grill the naan, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or directly on a baking stone), and bake it on the bottom rack of a preheated 450°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until it’s puffed and golden. To serve, brush the naan with melted butter, and season it with salt and pepper while it’s still hot. Stack the breads to keep them soft. Naan can be served in a basket on its own, or wrapped around grilled meats. Yield: 8 flatbreads, about 6 1/2 x 4 inches each.