Archive for Recipes I Love

Lemon White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

June 2, 2012 Sarah Beals One comment

To overstate the deliciousness of these cookies would not be easy!

I first bought one at a Whole Foods and knew I had to make them at home.

These cookies are special and a little more expensive because the nuts are a bit pricey, but they are great for a special occasion!

So here’s how I’ve recreated these cookies.

(This is basically the Crisco Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (my fav) that has been tweaked for our purposes. ;) )

Here it is:

LEMON WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

  • 1 and 1/2 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
  • 2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large egg
  • 3 1/2 cups  All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 and a half bags white chocolate chips (18 oz TOTAL)
  • 2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
  • 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of two lemons

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs, lemon zest and juice. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies.
Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

 

That’s it. So delish!

LINKED TO DARLENE

Homemaking, Recipes I Love

Key Lime Cheese Ball {Just like Tastefully Simple’s}

May 18, 2012 Sarah Beals 6 comments

My sister brought a delicious Tastefully Simple Key Lime Cheeseball to my house for our Mother’s Day celebration.

It was so delish. Did I mention that already? Okay then.

Key Lime cheese ball served with graham cracker "pretzels" (Pretzels are a Tastefully Simple Product)

Of course, we really don’t want to have to buy the mix if you can do it yourself.     What self-respecting Yankee would?

So, tonight I humbly submit to you, this copycat recipe. :)

 

Key Lime Cheeseball

1 box (7.5 oz) Key Lime Pie Filling and Dessert Mix- this is the brand I used

2 bricks softened cream cheese

1/2 stick butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix until blended will. Pop in the fridge until firm. Roll into crushed graham crackers to form a ball.

Serve with Nilla Wafers or Graham Crackers.

Enjoy!

Homemaking, Recipes I Love , ,

DIY Dry Shampoo

March 15, 2012 Sarah Beals 23 comments

Do you wash your hair every day? I don’t.

I have to admit that I use dry shampoo and love it. 

I have extremely thick hair and it takes me so long to dry.  So, washing my hair every other day saves me a lot of time. On the days when I don’t wash my hair, it gets a dry shampoo treatment.

Dry shampoo sales are soaring, because it is a great product! But, instead of paying $10 for an aerosol bottle of dry shampoo, I make my own with 2 simple ingredients:

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup corn starch

Just mix it together in a glass jar. Voila!

To use sprinkle about 1/2 tsp into your hands and rub (like you are using hand cream or like a gymnast covers their hands with chalk)

Flip you head/hair over the sink and massage your roots with the mixture, starting at the base of your head and working towards your forehead. Then run your hands through the rest of your hair evenly. (If you have thick hair, like me, you might have to use a little more.)

Let sit for a minute or two while you put on your makeup.

Comb out with a fine comb. Style as usual.

You are good to go!

**Added tip from reader: If you put it in a shaker bottle you can just sprinkle it on the root area and rub it in. Awesome!


IF YOU LIKED THIS TUTORIAL, WOULD YOU JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE BY CLICKING LIKE? I WILL BE ADDING MORE RECIPES AND ALL NATURAL MUST HAVES IN THE FUTURE. :)

 

Do you shampoo every day? What hair products make your life easier? If you’ve blogged about it, feel free to share your links!

Crafts and Decor, Random, I know!, Recipes I Love

Best Ever Stuffed Mushrooms

February 6, 2012 Sarah Beals 2 comments

My sister Hannah had a Superbowl party last night which we won’t even talk about. (sniffle)

But, you all know that I went to talk, visit with the girls, and eat. I didn’t even realize that NE had lost until my friend Janelle and I, in the middle of chatting noticed this strange, eerie silence coming from the living room. Yup.

So anyway, the food.

Although there were lots of great snacks to pick from…

While they were doing this….

and this…

I was eating these….

Hannah made these incredible “Just like Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms” and if you like this kind of thing you HAVE to try this recipe.

http://www.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-stuffed-mushrooms-copycat-84696

Soooo good!!

Did you watch the game? Or did you go for the food and friends like me? ;)

My Family, Recipes I Love

Easy Bakery Style Fruit Tart

December 4, 2011 Sarah 2 comments

Wanted to share one of my favorite, easy holiday recipes. This delicious fruit tart! My brother-in-law’s wife, Robin, shared this recipe with me after she made it for a family anniversary party and I believe she said it originated from Taste of Home magazine. Anyway, it is delish! And it always looks beautiful!

For the crust:

Cream together 3/4 c. butter and 1/2 c. confectioners sugar.

Stir in  1 1/2 c. flour.

Press into an ungreased tart pan and bake in a 300 degree oven for 25-30 min until lightly browned. Cool.

Filling:

Melt 1 16.oz  bag of white chocolate chips. (in micro is fine)

Stir in  1/4 cup whipping cream (or half and half)  and 1 brick softened cream cheese. Combine until smooth. Fill your crust.

Top with whatever fruit you like: sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple, kiwi, etc.

Fruit Glaze:

In small saucepan, combine:

3. T sugar

2. T cornstarch

1/2 t. lemon juice

1/2 c. pineapple or orange juice

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let cool. Gently brush over fruit.

Chill dessert before serving!

I made this to bring to my mother’s birthday dinner tomorrow. Great with coffee. :) Enjoy!

Recipes I Love

Molasses Sugar Cookies

September 30, 2011 Sarah 2 comments

You have to try these cookies. They are so delicious!

My first recollection of ever having tasted these cookies was when Peter and I were first married and we went away to a bed and breakfast somewhere with his sister, Nancy and her husband, Fred. Well, Nancy made a bag of these cookies for our trip, and offered us some, and that was that.

I made these cookies frequently when I was pregnant, because the ginger and cinnamon spices seemed to soothe my stomach and was one of the only things I could keep down during the first trimester. These are great with cold milk or a mug of tea. Enjoy!

Molasses Sugar Cookies

3/4  cup melted shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375. Combine melted shortening, sugar, molasses and egg until mixed well. Sift together baking soda, flour, ginger, cinnamon and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Form into 1″ balls. Roll in some granulated sugar and place onto greased baking pan. Flatten slightly.(I use the bottom of a cup) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

 

Happy baking! May your kitchen be a place of grace today, to all who enter!

Homemaking, Recipes I Love

In Celebration of Fall {Pumpkin Lattes}

September 17, 2011 Sarah 9 comments

Today it feels like fall {or winter…it was down to 40 degrees last night.} And what could be better than a steaming hot latte?

My childhood friend, Janelle, shared this recipe with my readers on our facebook page, and I wanted to post it on the blog as well.  They are  DELISH and easy to make! Thanks for the treat, Janelle!

Pumpkin Lattes

2 Tbs. canned pumpkin
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Hot Coffee or Espresso
Hot Milk

Into each large mug put first 4 ingredients. Fill cup halfway w/ coffee & stir well.
Fill cup the rest of the way with hot milk & whisk.
(steamed milk is the best) Top w/ whipped cream & dust w/ sprinkling of nutmeg.

Yum! Make one this weekend!!! :)

Recipes I Love

Found: Best Ever Lemon Cake

June 7, 2011 Sarah Beals 6 comments

I have been on a lemon cake kick lately and have made a few different recipes in search of the best ever cake.

For Rebekah’s birthday breakfast, I decided to make the Barefoot Contessa’s Lemon Yogurt Cake.  Can I just tell you how wonderful this cake was? Past tense, because it was gone too fast.

This is perfect for a brunch or for afternoon tea. Try it! You’ll looooooove it!!

If you have a large family, make two! If you make one, it will be gone in one sitting. :)

***************************************************************************************************************************

** If you enjoy this blog, would you pop over here and vote for my blog on The Top 25 Blogs of Faith. You can vote once a day through June 8th! Thx! Vote here.  

Recipes I Love