Best Buttercream frosting

I made cupcakes for a family function and wanted to pipe the frosting.  I found this recipe at http://www.all-about-cupcakes.com.  It's easy and yummy.

1 stick butter
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk

1. Have butter and milk at room temperature.

2. Place butter in small bowl of electric mixer and beat until butter is as white as possible.

3. Gradually add about half the sifted icing sugar, beating constantly.  Add milk.

  4. Beat in the remaining icing sugar.

5. Mixture should be smooth and easy to spread with a spatula. Add extra milk or icing sugar until cupcake frosting is of a spreadable consistency.

Allrecipes "The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies"

A few weeks ago, I about went into a severe panic.  I had lost my go-to sugar cookie recipe.  You have to understand, I am famous for my sugar cookies.  So, not being able to find the recipe had me very concerned.  Fortunately, just a couple days ago, I found it stuck up in one of my kitchen cabinets.  I've decided I must store it in multiple places so it won't get lost!

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Meal ideas

Sausage stroganoff
Crock Pot Kalua pork (Gina's Skinny recipes)
Grilled Flank Steak and Onions (weight watchers)

Paula Deen's Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Onions

I made these for the first meal with our new grill.  Everyone raved and now they are a favorite of my family and friends...we make a lot because they are the main course, not an appetizer.  I think the key is the marinade.

3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Pinch pepper
Pinch salt
1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half
1 bunch green onions
Special equipment: 10 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Spray a grill rack with nonstick, nonflammable cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, teriyaki sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Add the chicken. Seal the bag and chill for 1 hour.
Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade. Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Arrange the skewers on the grill, and grill until the chicken is done, about 3 minutes on each side. Grill the green onions until browned, about 1 minute on each side. Arrange the green onions on a serving platter. Top with the chicken. Serve immediately.

Weight Watchers update -- and recipes

Well, it's about week four of weight watchers for Doug and I.  We're doing pretty well.  There have been a few struggles but we're working through them.  It's hard cooking for a family and staying within our points regimen.  everything takes longer because I spend so much time figuring out points, etc.  I think I make it more difficult than necessary.

But we've had a lot of successes also.  First, I took my Spicy Basil Chicken recipe and weight-watcher-ized it.  I'll post it soon.  But today's recipe is my own version of a burger.

Rene's Weight Watchers Turkey Burger

1 pound ground turkey (93%lean)
3 T dried bread crumbs
1 clove minced garlic
1 T chopped parsley
1/2 c red onion, diced very finely
1 egg white
1/4 c lowfat beef broth

Dice red onion very finely.
Spray skillet with cooking spray and cook onions over medium heat until they are soft.

After onions cool slightly, combine all ingredients.

Form into four patties.

Cook in non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray.

Turn after about 5-10 minutes.

To prevent drying out, I added about 1/4 c beef broth and covered the skillet while the burgers finished cooking.

4 servings.  5 Points plus points each

These were really awesome.  I served them with a slice of lowfat pepper jack cheese, which was an extra point.

weight watchers

Well, Doug and I have decided to do weight watchers.  I'll try to put our update, lower calorie versions of recipes on here too...and let you know how they compare.  Wish us luck!

Miscellaneous recipes

I've been cooking quite a bit lately and I have some recipes that I don't want to lose track of.

The first one is something that Doug and the kids loved.  I'm not a big ham eater so I didn't really care much one way or the other.  I will say that anything that I can put in the crock pot and have done when I get home is a winner with me.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker Ham

2 c packed brown sugar
1 cured (8 pound) bone-in picnic ham

Spread about 1 1/2 c brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock.  Place the ham, flat side down, into the slow cooker.  (You may have to trim it a little to make it fit).

Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.


Cream Tarragon Chicken

2 T butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
3/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh ground pepper
2 T chopped onion
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 T flour
1 c dry white wine
1/2 t dried tarragon or 1 1/2 t fresh tarragon
1/2  c heavy cream

In medium frying pan, heat the butter over moderate heat.  Season chicken  with 1/4 t of the sat and the pepper.  Add it to the pan and cook the chicken until brown  about five minutes.  Turn over and cook just unitl done, about five minutes longer.  Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Reduce the heat to moderatly low.  Stir in the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook until done.

Sprinkle flour over the onion and stir to combine.

Increase heat to moderate. Whisk in wine and the tarragon and cook until sauce starts to thicken.

Stir in the ream, the remaining 1/2 t salt and any accumulated chicken juices.

Serve the sauce over the chicken.