Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

(from the Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen blog)

I made this dinner tonight and it was so good! And so easy too. My super picky husband LOVED it. The original recipe called for chicken thighs, but I just used frozen chicken breasts and then cut them into bite-size pieces while I cooked the sauce, added it back to the crockpot while the rice cooked.

CROCK POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice.

Maison Salad-(from the Keeping up Cookbook)

1 Large head of Romaine lettuce ( chopped finely ;)
1 cp. grated Monterey Jack or Swiss Cheese
1/4 pd. bacon, cooked crisp and chopped up
2/3 cp. slivered or sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing:
Juice of 1 Lemon ( or 3 tbsp. of Lemon Juice)
1 clove garlic, ( or 1 tsp. of the fresh minced garlic that comes in the jar.)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cp. canola oil or olive oil

Whisk together dressing ingredients ( refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight for best flavor.)

*This is the salad I took to the Hansen Family Christmas Party. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Molasses Cookies

2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 C. oil
2 eggs
1/2 C. molasses
4 C. flour
4 tsp baking soda
1tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
additional sugar to roll

In mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses. Combine all dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into balls and roll in sugar. Place 2" a part on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (don't overcook). Cool completely.

Optional: Melt vanilla almond bark and dip cookies halfway. Place on wax paper to cool.
Makes about 4 dozen.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

(these are the ones I made for the Christmas party)

Cookie
1 cup softened butter (recommend using a good brand butter!)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 to 3 tsp water

-combine butter, sugar and almond extract. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add flour. Beat until well mixed. Cover and chill until firm.

- Heat oven to 350. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart  onto ungreased cookie sheet. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb (edges may crack slightly). Fill each indentation with about 1/4 tsp jam. (I put the jam in a sandwich bag and snip a corner and squeeze into each cookie.)

- Bake for about 14 minutes (do not overbake!). Cool completely.

- Combine glaze ingredients and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies. (I use the sandwich bad trick for the glaze too)

Caramel Bars

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cook books. Keeping up cook book. I love it.

3/4 cp. butter
3/4 cp. brown sugar
1cp. flour
1 cp. old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together. Press 3/4 of mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

1 (14 oz) package Kraft caramels, unwrapped
3 tbsp. cream or half/half ( I used half/half- Less calories)
3 tbsp. butter
2 cps. milk chocolate chips

While crust is baking, melt the craramels, cream and butter over low heat or in a double boiler. Pour melted mixture over crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and crumble remaining oat mixture on top. Bake at 350 for an additional 15 minutes. Cool before slicing.

Perfect Chicken Fajitas

Last night I thought I would try a new Fajita recipe. I had to tweak it a bit, but WOW was it good! Cam came home started eating, while I was busy cleaning up, and out of no where he says, "I give this meal a good 9!" It was hilarious! Sometimes he will rate the food 1-10. I should have asked why not a 10, because after his second one, I confessed and told him, I even had two, probably smaller than his, but still. It was that good!

3 or 4 chicken breast
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Chili powder
sprinkle of salt/Pepper

and 1 tsp garlic salt
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Saute: 1 medium onion, 2 green peppers, and a little bit of butter. Set aside and add to your ( just cooked tortilla, I love Costco and Sam's) tortilla with some mild cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

1. Add all ingredients (except the chicken of course!) into a blender or food processor. Blend until the whole mixture comes together.
2. Pour over Chicken, coating on both sides, in a dish or plastic bag, for one hour. ( I didn't have time and it still went great!

3. Cook Chicken in pan with a little bit of Olive oil until done on med. heat. The chicken gets so tender!

Top with cheese, onions, peppers, and sourcream! Enjoy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Super Easy Cupcakes...

1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake mix
*Follow directions and also add one 3 oz. box of Jello chocolate pudding mix. ( Yes, the powder.)
* Then I added in some Reeses Peanut butter chips, to the batter and baked by the directions.

Peanut Butter Frosting ( Wilton)-

• 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening( I used 1/4 cp)
  
• 1/3 cup butter ( I used just a little more than a 1/3)
  
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 4-6 tablespoons milk

Makes:

About 3 cups.

Instructions:

Step 1

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Step 2

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

Step 3

*To do the swirls on the cupcakes I used a 18 star tip. Put it in the bottom of the little decorating bag, loaded my frosting, and swirled away. A bigger tip would have been better.