Coconut Chicken Curry

from the kitchen of Brionna

 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 large breasts)
 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
 2-3 tablespoons curry powder (depends on how spicy you want it)
 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
 2 cloves garlic, crushed
 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (NOT light)
 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
 3 tablespoons sugar
 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
1 red pepper, cut into pieces
1 potato, skinned, cut into pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion & cut up chicken. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add curry and mix thoroughly. Let flavors meld for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in onions, garlic, and flour, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is mostly cooked through. Transfer mixture to a heated crock pot. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, sugar, potato, lime juice, and red pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours. Serve over jasmine or basmati rice.

Soft Sugar Cookies

from the kitchen of Marissa

1 1/2 C. butter softened
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1/2 C. sour cream
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp of lemon zest
8 C. flour

Frosting

1 lb powdered sugar (3 1/2 Cups)
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
Add evaporated milk until right consistency

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and sour cream. Gradually add dry ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Roll out thick. Cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 5 - 8 minutes. Frost when cool.

Cranberry Cookies

from the kitchen of Amy

1 1/2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 T grated orange peel
2 tsp vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. craisins
1 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 c. coconut (optional)

Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes. Done when edges begin to brown.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

from the kitchen of Marissa

1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp grated lemon zest

Mix all but lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Add lemon zest and combine. Fill paper liners 3/4 full . Bake at 350 for 15 - 18 min. Frost when cool.


Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Stop mixer and add sugar and vanilla. Start mixer on low and gradually increase speed until fluffy. Frost and refrigerate.
Garnish each cupcake with one raspberry, blueberry or lemon drop.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

from the kitchen of Ann Marie

2 1/4 cups flour
 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
 4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice)
 1 teaspoon red food coloring
 4 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Gently remove from oven (these are super-moist, and will collapse if you aren’t careful). Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

Homemade Oreos

from the kitchen on Sarah

2 pkgs. Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 1/2 Cups Shortening
4 eggs

Icing:
1- 8 oz. pkg Cream Cheese
6 Tbsp. Butter
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Combine ingredients for cookie dough Roll into 1/2 inch round balls. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for no longer that 8 minutes.

For icing: Combine all ingredients. Spread icing between 2 cookies when cool.

Variation: I like to switch it up sometimes and add mint extract to the icing for mint oreos or a little orange zest and juice for orange icing. (Yummy!) This also works with any flavor of cake mix.

Sweet Crock Pot Roast

from the kitchen of Christine

1 (3-5 lb) beef roast
garlic salt to taste

Garlic salt the roast and place in the crock pot.

1  (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup (I use healthy request)
 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can beef gravy
1/2 c brown sugar
3 T  vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 T Worchestershire sauce
8-16 oz fresh mushrooms (opt)

Mix together and pour over roast.  Cook on low for 12 hours or high for 6-7 hours.  Take the roast out when cooked, strain gravy to get rid of the lumps and thicken with cornstarch and water mixture.

I actually added a package of fresh mushrooms to the sauce and did not do the cornstarch thing.  You just have to see if it is thick enough for you when done cooking.