J.T. Sugar Cookies

These cookies are the best 'special occassion' cookie out there.  For those of you who live in South Western Ontario, I compare them to Spicer's cookies.  If I'm being entirely honestly, I think this recipe is better :)  This isn't your typical thin, rolled and cut sugar cookie.   Definitely give these a try when you have the time.

1 c sugar

1 c butter, softened (not melted!)

1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg

2 1/3 c flour
½ tsp baking soda

Yields 2 dozen large or 3 dozen small cookies


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy.
Stir in vanilla, nutmeg and egg. Stir in flour and baking soda. (add flour in 3 parts, mixing in between) Shape dough into balls (about the size of a tim bit). Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with bottom of glass (or something flat).  Bake 9-11 minutes.  Don't let them brown around the edges at all.  They will look slightly undercooked but don't worry - they are fine! Remove from cookies sheet to wire rack.  Cool & ice.

Sugar Cookie icing
1 c confectioners' sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
assorted food coloring
In a small bowl, mix together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond /vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Spread onto cookies. Be sure to decorate with sprinkles immediately as this icing hardens right away.
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuumy!

Fresh Pesto for ladies night...

Two girlfriends are coming into town for the night and will be doing a mini triathlon tomorrow morning.  They need a carb and protein packed meal for dinner so I decided on Pesto Chicken Pasta.  Hope they like it!

Homemade Pesto Sauce

2 c fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 c olive oil

1/3 c pine nuts

3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Use on pasta, spread on baguette slices or on baked potatoes.

Basil Galour...

The beautiful basil plant my Mom gave me a few months ago is still kicking!  It sits on our kitchen counter and is put to good use frequently. For my school lunches I've been taking tomato salad that was inspired by my friend Leah, who brought a similar one to a poolside ladies lunch this past summer. For all of you tomato lovers out there...ENJOY!

4-5 plum tomatoes, diced

splash of olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp red wine vinegar

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

salt & pepper

goat cheese, crumbled (amount is up to you!)

Gently mix all ingredients together in a leak proof container. It's more tasty if you make it the night before you eat it so the awesome basil flavour infuses its' way through the tomatoes and cheese. Yum!

...too good to be true.

In a previous post I gloated about our fabulous Ontario peaches this year and not getting a bad one....yet. I jinxed it. I bought about 12 at the grocery store late last week, bit into one on the weekend and spat it out (that's what she said). It had a sand like texture. I'm not much of a waster when it comes to food (my Mama taught me well), so I decided to bake a peach crisp. A few weeks ago I did a peach cobbler - this recipe is far better than that one, in my opinion. This was a yummy treat on this cool fall evening.

7 peaches, peeled, pitted & sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats
1/4 c flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
1/4 c butter, not quite all the way melted (do you like my technical description?)
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon (depending on how much you like it)

Put sliced peaches in a baking dish. In a bowl mix brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon together. Drizzle butter over top and mix. Sprinkle/spread over peaches. Cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. This recipe can be used with apples too. Yummy!!! Serve with vanilla ice cream.

15 minute Garlic Shrimp Rice Bowl

Tonight I was looking for something quick to make for dinner, preferably something that didn't produce a ton of dishes. I've had a craving for shrimp for the last few days so thought I'd use some of the frozen precooked shrimp taking up space in our freezer. I was pleased with the outcome of this make-it-up-as-you-go creation. This yields two servings.

2 servings of cooked basmati rice (I cooked 1 c rice in 1 1/2 c of water which gave me leftovers for lunch tomorrow)
4 large mushrooms, quartered
20 frozen, devained, precooked shrimp
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp dried parsley
1 large tomato, diced (you could also use 1/2 c of canned diced tomatoes)

Put rice on to cook. Thaw shrimp under water. Remove tails. Warm olive oil over med heat in fry pan. Add salt, garlic, hot pepper flakes and parsley. Let cook for a few minutes. Add shrimp, mushrooms, butter and tomato. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over warm rice.
*** I wish I had white wine on hand for this recipe because I think it would have added more to it. If you have white wine kicking around add a 1/2 cup after your garlic has browned slightly.

Artichoke Dip & Pita Chips

My husband is working hard in the basement today so I decided to put together a yummy lunch for him. We both love meals that are made up of appetizers so I thought this would be a perfect Sunday lunch. I made the dip recipe up as I went a long and was happy with the results. The baked pita chips idea came from a good friend, Jenny (check out her awesome craft blog www.craftylittlebiatch.blogspot.com) who shared this idea with me a few weeks ago. I believe she made hers with Parmesan cheese on top but I thought with the creamy dip this might be a little too much. Thanks for the inspiration Jenny.

Artichoke Dip
1/2 package light cream cheese
1/2 c 1% plain yogurt or light sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 artichoke hearts, finely chopped
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to an oven safe dish. Cook at 375 degrees for 17 minutes, until bubbly. Double recipe if feeding more than two. We ate about 3/4 of this for a meal.

Pita Chips
1 1/2 whole wheat pitas
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp butter, melted

Cut pitas into triangles. Rip each triangle along the seam to create two pieces. lay out on a cookie sheet. Mix butter and garlic powder together. Brush mixture onto the pitas. Put in oven for at 375 degrees (while dip is cooking!), for 2-4 minutes. Keep your eye on them because they brown quickly. Serve warm with dip. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Thighs

I typically don't enjoy meat with the bone in (that's what she said), but I've been consciously trying to purchase more of it at the grocery store. This unfamiliarity causes my judgement on cooking times to a little off, I proved that tonight when I served up a meal with chicken that wasn't fully cooked! Oops! Back in it went for a few more minutes. It ended up being very tasty! Hope you enjoy it too. You could also use chicken breast with this recipe.

4 large chicken thighs - skin on or off, bone in
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 bread crumbs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

In one bowl mix mix sour cream, corn starch and basil. In a second bowl mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Lay chicken thighs in a shallow baking dish. Pour on sour cream mixture. Sprinkle on bread crumb mixture. Put in oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. If cooking with no bone thighs you can cut cooking time by about 7-10 minutes.

D.I.S.H.E.S.

The worst thing about cooking...

Homemade Hot Peppers Poppers

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I guess I can't call them poppers if they aren't stuffed and don't actually 'pop' in your mouth (that's what she said). How about 'Open Faced Stuffed Peppers'? Meh - who cares....
As promised here is my hot pepper creation that I put together this morning in preparation for my Mother's Birthday celebration with the family tonight. I cooked up a test one to make sure they were tasty and am extremely happy with the outcome. I prepared the remainder and put them in the fridge until the fam arrive, at which time I'll toss them in the oven. I will be serving them before we head out to have a lobster dinner on the beach. YUM! (Fingers crossed the rain holds off). Since my brother has a gluten allergy I made this without breadcrumbs. This recipe could also be altered to be vegetarian. Hope you like it!

8 hot peppers
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 artichoke heart, minced
1/2 container light cream cheese
4 strips of bacon, precooked (or slices of Cheddar cheese or olives for a vegetarian option)

Cook bacon, set asside. Cut hot peppers in half length wise and remove all seeds. Rinse peppers thoroughly (and wash your hands VERY well!). In a bowl combine all ingredients except peppers and bacon. Fill hot pepper halves with cream cheese mixture (not too much or it will be messy). Top with a 1/3 strip of cooked bacon. Put on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. ***My peppers weren't spicy at all because I removed the seeds and rinsed. Hot factor will depend on the type of peppers you are using. Jalapenos will have more kick.

Two Bite Brownies

I purchased a mini muffin tray about a month ago and have yet to put it to use. I decided on homemade two bite brownies - a lower fat recipe when compared to store bought brownies. They turned out GREAT! I will definitely been making these again.

1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. instant espresso or coffee, dissolved in 1 tsp. water
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar with electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and coffee and mix until well blended and smooth. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and stir by hand just until combined. Spoon the batter mini muffin cups that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed but still soft to the touch. Do not overbake! Test with toothpick. Makes 24 brownies.

Farm Fresh

One of the biggest benefits of living on a farm (other than the privacy) is the unlimited space available to plant a vegetable garden. I am far from a gardener - in fact, I don't like to garden at all. With little patience and a fear of most insects, gardening is pretty much my biggest nightmare. However, there's something about my veggie garden that lours me in. I find myself walking around barefoot checking on my peppers like they are my children. I get this weird thrill when I see fresh fruits and vegetables growing just outside my back door. FREE FOOD?! Yup, I'll take it!

For the last 3 years my husband and I have been experimenting growing different types of produce. This year we planted 5 new crops (pumpkins, watermelons, green peppers, hot peppers and tomatoes) while keeping a few the same (green peas, lettuce, green beans, carrots and fresh herbs). We also have an enormous amount of blackberry bushes that have had an incredible year. We ended up with so many berries we had to pon them off onto friends.

Our hot peppers are doing so well. I was at a get together this weekend and had homemade stuffed jalapenos. They had the perfect amount of spice to them because the seeds were removed. I will be trying out a similar recipe this weekend and will post the results.
It looks like we are going to end up with about 6-10 good sized pumpkins this year. Last Halloween I saved 6 seeds from our jack-o-lanterns. It's amazing how much they have grown.

I was nervous to grow green peppers since I heard that they don't do well with wind - - and apparently I live in a wind tunnel. Green peppers are looking amazing! They'll be ready to go within the week. Yum!

There are currently about 8 watermelons and I'm fairly certain we'll have more. Watermelons can be hit and miss at the store - fingers crossed these ones don't have that gross sandy texture.

What a summer it has been - Sunny, hot and VERY humid. An awesome summer for the garden, a not so awesome summer for a teacher home from work for two months with no A/C. I cannot complain though - - two months filled with visits with friends and family, cooking and adventures. ugh... back to school I go...

* Apologies for the grammatical errors throughout this blog - Rest assure I am not an English teacher ;)