Chicken Pot Pie

For the filling:
Chicken, cooked and shredded (of course I use a rotisserie chicken!)
3 Tbs butter
3 small potatoes, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
chopped onion or dried onion to taste
1 (1 lb.) bag mixed vegetables (in the freezer section; has peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

For the sauce:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
Dash of Worcestershire
Dash of garlic powder
Salt and pepper

For the topping:
1/2 cube butter, melted
1 cup self rising flour (must be self rising)
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and potato (and onion) to the pan, and sauté for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Once the vegetables are finished cooking, turn off the heat and mix in the chicken and the bag of mixed veggies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While veggies are cooking, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth (it will be sort of a paste). Whisk in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup. Mix in the cream, the Worcestershire and season with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cream sauce over the chicken and veggie mixture and stir to combine well.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Combine melted butter, flour, and buttermilk to form topping. Spoon topping over top and spread to cover.

Bake for 30-35 min, until golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My friend made these for book club and they were so good! I had to get the recipe so I could make them and they were so, so good. Especially yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few spoonfuls of hot fudge!

Cream together:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar packed
1 3oz. package instant vanilla pudding

Add:
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Add:
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Add 2 c. chocolate chips

Pat into 9x13 sprayed pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Specudoodles (Cookie Butter Snickerdoodles)

recipe source:  The Blonde Buckeye

1 3/4 C All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 C Unsalted Butter (1 stick), softened
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Speculoos Cookie Butter
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste ***I used 1 1/2 tsp vanilla***

FOR ROLLING
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together four, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  In a mixer bowl, cream butter on low for 2 minutes.  Add sugars and beat on high for another two minutes.  Beat in cookie butter for another 2 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 1-2 minutes until smooth.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and carefully mix until just combined (don't over-mix).
Let the dough chill for at least 2 hours, covered in the refrigerator.  (Chill up to two days, tightly covered.)  ***I baked one batch right after mixing dough and it turned out perfectly.***

In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon, mix to combine.  Take about 2 TBSP of dough and roll into a ball.  Roll dough ball in cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Place it on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes.  Cookie tops should be just set and the edges barely turning golden.

Peanut Butter Fingers

3/4 C butter
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C peanut butter
1/2 T vanilla
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 C flour
2 C oatmeal

Frosting:
1 cube butter, melted
2 T cocoa
1/4 C milk
3 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix well and add all dry ingredients. Mix well. Using a cube of butter, rub a thin layer onto bottom of a jelly roll pan. Press batter into the large jelly roll pan {17x11 cookie sheet} and bake at 325 degrees for 16 - 17 minutes. Don't over bake! They will look not quite done. Spread with 1 C or more of peanut butter (while still warm, not hot, this will melt the PB all over the top). Frost with chocolate frosting once cooled, or slightly warm.

Baked, with peanut butter spread and melted on top


Final Product, enjoy!

Chicken Kabob Marinade

This marinade is seriously so yummy!!

I don't know where it's from originally so I can't give props to the original owner.

If I find it I'll note it!!

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 lime, juiced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons olive oil

ground black pepper

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix all ingredients together and add chicken to marinade.

ENJOY!!!

Coconut Fruit Dip

This is the best fruit dip I've ever, ever had. It's especially amazing with raspberries. This recipe makes a lot, so for a small-ish crowd, halve it.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of coconut (found on the alcohol aisle with margarita stuff)

1 8 oz cool whip

Beat cream cheese with cream of coconut until well blended (you might have small lumps still). Fold in Cool Whip and enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Long time, no post. I've been making these for a long time and they're probably my favorite treat of late. They really turn out perfect every time and are so, so easy. Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Of course.

Bars:
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened to cool room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest (optional, but don't leave it out cause it's so good in these)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk or cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press and/or spread the sugar cookie mixture gently into an even layer into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Don't overbake! The bars shouldn't have any color around the edges and barely be set in the middle. Let the bars cool completely before frosting. For the frosting, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth (if the mixture has trouble coming together, add a drop or two of milk). Add in the vanilla and mix. Add the milk or cream and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add food coloring, if desired.

M&M Cookies

Stacie forwarded me a new M&M cookie recipe that I knew I had to try out.
And they were delicious.
And they were even delicious the next day!
It made about 2 dozen cookies.  Maybe 2 1/2 if you don't eat cookie dough while you bake.
My little family eats cookie dough so mine made 2 dozen.

Ingredients

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose Gold Medal Flour
• 3 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1-1 1/2 cups Mini M and M’s
• ***I used 2 cups total.  I didn't have a full bag of mini M&Ms because I had used them for a previous dessert.  So I used 1 1/4 c mini m&ms and 3/4 c of mini chocolate chips.  I love chocolate but I wouldn't recommend more than 2 cups total of whatever you choose***

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your egg and vanilla mixing to combine. Add your flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m’s stirring to combine.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Recipe source:  Picky Palate