Spinach Enchiladas

Tecia...here is the recipe you requested. Hope you like it as much as we do!! :)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1-2 (19 ounce) cans green enchilada sauce (you can substitute a little green salsa for some of the sauce if you like it a bit more spicy...we do. :)

10 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed, drained and squeezed dry (I like fresh spinach more...but either way tastes great)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Added To Shopping List!

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

Serve with rice and beans (optional).

Favorite Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

I LOVE this recipe!! We use this recipe every holiday for our cut-outs. The cookies keep their shape while still tasting chewy, and yummy. :)

Also see cookie tips below.

makes between 8 and 12 dozen, depending on size

3 cups butter, softened at room temperature for an hour
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
6 ounces cream cheese (3/4 of a standard cream cheese package)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
9 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and add the sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until golden. Add the cream cheese and again beat until well incorporated. Add the flavorings and lemon zest.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl then add, bit by bit, to the butter/sugar mixture.You will have chosen a large bowl for this particular recipe, I hope - mine was overflowing by this point and I ended up doing the final mix in a large plastic bag.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour - preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 350° F. Divide the dough into smaller balls and roll out 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies.

Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness. The small, thinner ones started browning after about 8 minutes, and I didn't want these brown at all. The larger ones had a slight golden bottom after 11 minutes, which was perfect for my purposes.

Let cool before icing or decorating, and store in a tightly covered container.

TIPS:

• The dough freezes perfectly. This is a very large quantity, so roll out a few sheets of dough and freeze flat in the freezer between wax paper and plastic wrap for quick cut-out cookies later.

• When you take the chilled dough out of the fridge you may need to let it sit for a few moments before it is soft enough to roll out. The high quotient of butter makes this a very firm dough.
• That firmness makes these perfect cut-out cookies for children; if you roll the dough at least 1/4 inch thick children should have no problem cutting and picking up cookie dough shapes. The dough doesn't tear easily or get too soft like other more delicate cookie doughs.

Decorating Ideas:
• Ice with a sugar glaze then sandwich with Nutella or a yummy buttercream between two cookies.
• Glaze with warmed jelly then sandwich with another cut-out cookie on top.
• Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip one side in melted chocolate.
• Ice with royal icing and use sprinkles or candy to decorate.

Royal Icing for Cut-Out Cookies

This is my absolute favorite icing for cut-outs...you can use any flavor it any way you want!...Like all other royal icings...it's not great by itself...but it hardens beautifully and is excellent paired with a cookie!

Ingredients:

6 oz (3/4 cup) of warm water

5 Tablespoons Meringue powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2.25 lbs. powdered icing sugar

*** Note; if your meringue powder has no vanilla flavor (vanillin powder) in it, add a teaspoon of clear vanilla to this recipe.

Directions:

In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds.

Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

Tint with food colorings and thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency for floating cookies.

Baked Oatmeal 1

Another favorite breakfast recipe. This one is really good too, I like how I can make it ahead of time and cook it in the morning.

Ingredients:

2 c. milk

1 c. quick oats

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. oil

2 eggs

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/2 c. raisins or craisins, or both!:)

Mix well. Put in 9 x 13 in. pan and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Raspberry Cofee Cake

Made this to go with our brunch on Sunday...although it really should be a dessert! :)

Recipe originally found here.

1 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. shortening
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
3 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 can raspberry pie filling (can substitute with cherry, strawberry or peach...but raspberry is our FAVE!!)

Mix first 8 ingredients.

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Press 2/3 of batter into bottom of pan. Spread pie filling evenly over batter.

Dollop the rest of the batter over the top. (It's pretty sticky, so I take little balls of it, smash it flat like a pancake and then lay it on top. I do this over the entire surface so that it covers more space than just dropping little drops here and there.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Drizzle runny icing over the top as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Icing:

Mix 3 C. powdered sugar, 1 cube margarine (melted), 1 tsp. vanilla & milk - prepare it RUNNY so that it pours easily over the top of your coffeecake.

Enjoy WARM with a tall glass of milk or orange juice!

Best Breakfast Casserole EVER.

I made this twice this past weekend! Once for a little get together with friends...and then again on Sunday morning for a brunch with my family...it was THAT good. :) Enjoy!

1 large bag of frozen hashbrowns (with or without onion and peppers), thawed
1/2 cube of butter, melted

Spray 9x13 pan, spread THAWED hashbrowns in pan. Pour butter over top of hashbrowns. Salt & Pepper to taste. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes. (This can be done the night before and you can refrigerate hashbrowns after cooking them and then continue with the recipe the next day.....or you can do it all at once.)

Mix 8 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese & 8 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese (THIS is the secret ingredient.....YUM!)

Spread cheeses over the top of hashbrowns.

Choose ham, bacon (cooked and crumbled) or sausage (cooked) - desired amount - spread over cheese layer. (Or leave a part without the meat for your vegetarian husband... :)

Mix 5 eggs & 1 C. milk - pour over entire casserole. Salt & Pepper to taste. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Asparagus Lasagna 1

I have a few of Asparagus Lasagna recipes we love...this one being the easiest. I'll post the others as I make them...this one really is so simple and yummy!! You can assemble the lasagna the night before and refrigerate. Just remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking!

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut

into 1 inch pieces

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

5 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (we use whole wheat noodles)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.	In a large saucepan, cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes; drain and set aside. In another large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour , salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cream cheese, lemon juice, peel and nutmeg until cheese is melted.
2.	Spread about 3/4 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in.-2-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles, a fourth of the sauce and a third of the asparagus and mozzarella. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles and sauce (dish will be full). Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.