Snicker Doodles

Have you ever heard of Snicker Doodles? They are an old fashioned cookie that I first baked when I was in my teens. They are buttery, flavorful, covered with cinnamon, and very chewy.

I found this particular recipe on the back of a sack of King Arthur’s flour. Wondering if they were as good as the ones I remembered from my childhood, I made a batch. They taste just as good now as they did years ago. The preparation for these cookies doesn’t take long and they bake in about eight minutes. Try them out on your munchkins. They'll love them and want to help you bake them too.

                                                  

Ingredients:

½ cup soft butter

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Process:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease two cookie sheets.

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Blend in egg.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and then add to butter mixture.

Mix two tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon on a small plate.

Drop dough by small teaspoons on to cinnamon sugar and gently coat. Lay one dozen coated balls on each pan. Use a flat bottom glass to flatten each cookie slightly.

Bake in preheated oven for about eight minutes until slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on rack for a few minutes. Remove to wax paper and cool. This recipe makes about 2 ½ dozen. Enjoy.

 

Zhanna's Russian Health Drink

Greetings to my friends who are probably wondering what happened to me. I haven’t made an entry in my blog in several months. We recently moved to a beautiful remote area of the country. The birds awaken us in the morning with their melodious songs—we never hear traffic. Occasionally we see happy neighbors walking or biking past the house.

They always wave or stop and say hello.

Now that I am nearly unpacked I can get back to writing, visiting with my grandchildren that are closer than before, lying on the beach, and having fun in the kitchen.

I recently met a friend of my daughter-in-law named Zhanna who moved to the U.S. from Russia a couple of weeks ago. She was a little under the weather and was sipping a concoction that looked somewhat like lemonade. Through translation my daughter-in-law explained its purpose and contents. It was a health drink she had been drinking since she was a child. She got the recipe from her mother and it was good for whatever ails you.

The flight from Russia took more than a full day, being cooped up with a lot of people

that may or may not have been ill and she was not taking any chances. Hence she was drinking this Russian health drink. The next time you are around someone with flu or your kids come home from school with the sniffles, brew a jug of this Russian Health Drink. Zhanna swears by it. Thank you Zhanna! Stay well.

 

 Health Drink from Zhanna

1 medium fresh ginger root

4 fresh squeezed lemons

1 tablespoon honey

2 pounds frozen or fresh cranberries

3 liters lukewarm water 

             

Place following ingredients

in 3 liter or half gallon container:

a) Peel the ginger root and squeeze through a garlic press. Taste for heat, if it is too hot       use only half. Save the rest of the ginger for another day.

  b) Squeeze the lemons and remove seeds.

  c) Thaw frozen cranberries or wash if fresh. Grind in blender  

  d) Add honey

  e) Add lukewarm water and mix thoroughly.

  

Drink through the day on a full stomach to prevent getting sick. If you are using this drink for children use half the lemon and add more water.

Chicken Enchilada Caserole

This recipe has to be credited to my friends and teachers from North lake Elementary School. I spent most of my teaching career there in Garland, Texas.

The North lake staff had a lovely tradition of celebrating birthdays monthly in the teachers’ lounge. During lunch time, we brought in homemade treasures from salads and casseroles to cakes covered with candles. Many of the cooks shared their recipes many of them are among our family favorites.

Try this sumptuous Chicken Enchilada Casserole with your family and friends. If you are lucky enough to have a group like the teachers at North lake, you might share your recipes with them too.

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas

½ cup cooking oil

2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

¾ cup chopped onion

¼ cup butter

3 tablespoon flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

2 cups diced chicken

1 cup (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

Directions:

Cook tortillas in oil—5 seconds per side to soften.

Place 2 tablespoons of cheese and 1 tablespoon of onion on each tortilla and role up. Place seam side down in 9x13 baking dish.

In a large skillet, melt butter and blend with flour. Add broth and cook until thick. Stir in sour cream, chicken, and green chilies.  Cook until heated—(do not boil!). Pour sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly and light brown. This makes 6 servings with two enchiladas each. You’re going to love this! 

Dutch Baby Pancake

Have you ever heard of a baked pancake called a Dutch Baby? I first found this recipe in a ladies magazine during the 1990’s. Our family liked it so much that we kept the magazine on the shelf with our favorite cookbooks.

Last weekend, I thought of a Dutch Baby, recalling its puffy crust topped with blueberries and powdered sugar then drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. On Sunday morning I prepared the light pastry, placed it on my favorite platter, and then topped it with whipped cream.

As soon as I took it out of the oven, everyone came to the table eager to try the Dutch Baby. There are several different toppings you can enjoy with this pancake other than berries. Try cooked apples with brown sugar and butter topped with cinnamon—especially good in the fall when apples are ripe or sliced peaches during the summer.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter (melted in large ovenproof skillet)

3 eggs

¾ cup flour

¾ cup milk (warmed for 20 seconds in microwave)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 pint blueberries (or other berries washed and drained. Combine with 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside.)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in large oven proof skillet and put in oven to melt.
2. Place all ingredients, eggs through salt in blender and combine.
3. Pour blender contents into hot buttered skillet and return to middle of oven.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffy and brown around edges. Remove to rack and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Carefully remove pancake to large round platter.

Spread with sweetened fruit, sift with powdered sugar, and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk—last decorate with whipped cream. However you choose to adorn your Dutch Baby, I promise one thing—you’ll love it.

Kale Casserole

In Connecticut, I belonged to a farm co-op. We picked up fresh vegetables harvested daily from the farm. Our share was plentiful and sometimes more than we could use.

The farm produced a weekly paper with information about local farms, activities for children, and seasonal vegetables and fruits. Usually there was at least a recipe or two many shared by the other co-op members.

I remember once we had a big crop of kale and I was trying to find more recipes using this healthy green. I hid a few leaves in our smoothies and then went on to make a meatless casserole with eggs, cheese and kale. Everybody in the family liked the dish and I prepared it for my writers’ group as well. The recipe was printed in the co-op paper and also in Baking with Barb in CAPA’s Monthly magazine. Recently I found a good buy on kale and again made Kale Casserole. Try this recipe, feed it to the kids, and feel good about hiding healthy vegetables in your casserole.

 Ingredients:

1 bunch kale

4 cups cubed stale bread

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

¼ cup olive oil or butter

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

¾ cup of milk

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.    Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and spread bread cubes into the dish.

3.    Wash the kale and drain in a strainer. Cut stems from leaves and chop to bite sized pieces.

4.    Place 2-3 tablespoons from the olive oil or butter portion in a large skillet.

5.    Wilt half of greens in skillet and remove to large mixing bowl, wilt remaining greens in butter and add to mixing bowl.

6.     Saute mushrooms and onions in butter until light brown. Mix in bowl with greens.

7.     Add milk, eggs, and mushroom soup to vegetables and toss in two cups of cheese.

8.     Pour kale mixture over bread pieces in casserole dish. Sprinkle casserole with remaining cup of cheese. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until bubbly and light brown.

This casserole will serve about 8 to 10 people or make two smaller dishes and freeze one for another time. Refrigerate leftovers. Enjoy!