Raspberry Bars

Disclaimer: These are not good for you.  Don't let the fact that there is fresh fruit in it fool you.  But, they are totally worth the calories!  Delish!!

1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
2 cups Flour
2 cups Raspberries
3/4 cup Sugar

Mix Berries and 3/4 cup of Sugar.  Set aside.  Cream Butter and Sugar together.  Beat in Yolks.  Add Flour.  Pat half of the mixture into an 8" square pan.  Spread berries over top.  Crumble remaining mixture over berries.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (until lightly browned).  Makes 16 Bars

Sugar Cookies

The kids made sugar cookies today.  And I didn't take a picture :(  They picked out a bunch of random cookie cutters, and went to town.  We found the recipe at Tasty Kitchen.  Easy and tasty.  And I loved the frosting.  Anything with Cream Cheese is good :)

Sugar Cookies
1 cup Butter, Softened

2 cups Granulated Sugar

2 whole Eggs

1 cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla

4-½ cups Flour

½ teaspoons Baking Soda

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

½ teaspoons Salt

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Frosting:

1 block Cream Cheese, Softened, 8 Ounce Block

5 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

4 cups Powdered Sugar

1-½ teaspoon Vanilla

2 Tablespoons Evaporated Milk

Food Coloring (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs in one at a time. Then mix in the sour cream and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then slowly add the flour mixture into the cream mixture.

Roll cookies onto a floured surface. I like to roll the dough till it is about 1/4″ thick. Cut with your cookie cutters of choice. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.

For the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar till soft. Add in vanilla. Mix in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, the evaporated milk till desired consistency is reached. (Usually 2 Tablespoons is enough). Then mix in food coloring of choice.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

I have had a hard time coming up with a Peanut Butter Cookie that I really love.  This one did the trick!  

1 cup Peanut Butter

1 cup Butter

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Cream Butters and Sugar together.  Add Eggs and Vanilla.  Add Dry Ingredients.  Add Chocolate Chips.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

And what makes them even better is if you have one of the cute cookie jars to put them in.   I love that my mom and dad are so talented!

Bowtie Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my sister and made it for our family bbq last night. It was so good!

1 Package Pasta

1 C. Pine Nuts

Grape Tomatoes

1/4 C. Crumbled Feta Cheese

Chopped Spinach

Dressing:

1/4 C. Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 C. Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic

1/4 C. Asiago or Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 squirt Worcheserchire Sauce

Pinch of:

Basil

Oregano

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Sugar

Mix all together, refridgerate, enjoy!!