Recipe: Sugar Cookies

I typically make these around Christmas but the pastel mints work perfectly for Easter as well. These sugar cookies are delicious with the simple frosting and the mints. They are  my mom's favorite holiday cookie and she was very excited to have them around the house. They are  also easy to make and  a hit.

Cookies:

1 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg

1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

Mix together everything except the flour, soda, and cream of tartar. Then add the final three ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Roll out a flour board to cut the cookies and bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes. Once cooled frost.

Frosting:

~3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar

½ cup butter

¼ cup 4% milk

1 tsp vanilla

Food coloring (Optional)

Shaved pastel mints (Optional but recommended)

Mix together adding the powdered sugar gradually until a good taste is made. Add food coloring if desired,  sprinkle on the pastel mints.

Spread icing on to cooled cookies and then cover in shaved pastel mints. Enjoy!

Building a Smoothie

Bannana-Berry

Smoothies are delicious. I love making one after class to enjoy as a snack. I have been making myself smoothies for awhile but I always managed to make too much and smoothies don't remix very well in my experience.

2 cups fruit

1 container yogurt (~1 cup)

1+ cup milk

~2 inch piece banana

Blend together and enjoy!

Notes:

If it's not mixing well add more milk. That's typically the problem, an air bubble forms at the bottom of the blender and the best way to prevent that and get better smoothing is to add more liquid.

You can also add a handful of vegetables to boost the nutritional value .

Pizza Bites

Easy snack or appetizer anyone? Not only are these easy to make they're done in less then two minutes after they're put in to the oven.
Get sliced baguette or similar and spread sauce. Form the sauced bread into one large group, pictured right. It makes it easier to spread toppings than doing it individually. Press toppings down on the bites to make sure it doesn't fall off when separating.. Bake at 350 for a minute or two. Remove and enjoy.

Notes:
Separating the individual bites may seem like a weird step but by doing so the edges are able to crisp in the oven

I've used spaghetti sauce every time I've made it but you could also try a pesto or white sauce, it's all up to you and what you like. Let me know how it turns out though.