Scrumptious Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of white sugar
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 cup of butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups of sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons of white sugar
whipped cream


Preheat oven to 350.


Pour 3 cups of all purpose flour and 1/4 cup white sugar in a large bowl.


Add 4 teaspoons of baking powder and mix.



Add 1 cup of butter. Cut in using two knives.


Pour 2/3 cup of heavy cream in a measuring cup. Add the egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract. Mix well.



Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir well.



Sprinkle a little flour onto the counter or pastry board.


Pour dough onto floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes until it comes together.



It should look like this.


Roll out the dough using a rolling pin. Make sure to use flour to keep it from sticking.


Cut out shapes and place on a cookie sheet. The cookie sheet does not need to be greased.


Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes.


Cool on cooling rack.


Wash strawberries.


Slice and place in a lidded bowl.


Pour 3 tablespoons of sugar on top of the sliced strawberries and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.


Put the shortbread and strawberries on a plate or bowl and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!



Adapted from the recipe Scrumptious Strawberry Shortcake on AllRecipes.com.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground meat
1 20 oz package of Simply Hashbrowns
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
A splash of Tabasco
1 cup of shredded Kraft Cheddar Cheese
water


These are the ingredients you will need.


Fill pot about 3/4 full with water and put on medium-high heat to boil.



Cut the tops off the bell peppers.



Remove tops and seeds. Move to the side. They will be placed in the boiling water later on.


Place ground meat in a pot and begin to brown. Stir occasionally until brown and no pink remains. Drain.



Put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet. Turn heat to medium.



Put shredded potatoes in the skillet and flatten with spatula. Brown them for about 5-7 minutes.



Peel onion, chop, and place in mini-chopper (or dice with a knife).


Peel garlic clove and add to mini-chopper (or dice with a knife). Chop until finely diced.



Add 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, and a splash of Tabasco (optional). Mix together well.



Set to the side until ground meat is brown.


It should be about time to flip the hashbrowns. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of vegetable over the top of the hashbrowns.


Flip hashbrowns one section at a time. Brown for another 5-7 minutes.



Drain the ground meat. Add the onion, garlic, and seasoning mix. Stir well and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.


Add hashbrowns.



Mix well.


Add 3/4 cup of cheese and mix well. Move to the side.


Once your water is boiling add the bell peppers to the water and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from stove, drain hot water, and replace with cold water until bell peppers are able to be handled.


Line a baking sheet with foil to make clean up easier. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Place bell peppers on baking sheet


Using an ice cream scoop or spoon fill bell peppers with the filling to the top.


Fill all four bell peppers.


Place bell peppers in oven and bake for 15 minutes.


After 15 minutes they should look like this.


Add the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese to the top and bake for another 5 minutes.


Remove from oven.


Enjoy with a nice salad.

Strawberry-Banana Cooler

Strawberry-Banana Cooler
Crust:
2 sleeves of graham crackers (crushed in mini-chopper or Ziploc bag)
¾ of a cup of melted butter
1/3 of a cup of white sugar
Cream Cheese Filling:
2 packages of cream cheese (8 oz)
1/3 of a cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
½ of a tub of whipped cream topping
1 pint of strawberries, tops removed and sliced in half
2 bananas
Jello Topping:
1 package of Jello (6 oz)
1 ½ cups of boiling water
2 cups of ice
½ of a tub of whipped cream topping
Directions:
Mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup of sugar, and ¾ cup of butter in small bowl. Press crust in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
Beat 2 packages of cream cheese and 1/3 of a cup of white sugar with mixer until well mixed. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix until well mixed. Fold in ½ tub of whipped cream. Reserve the remaining ½ tub of whipped cream. Spread on top of the graham cracker crust. Top cream cheese with strawberry and banana slices. Place in refrigerator.
Pour Jello powder in a small bowl. Add 1 ½ cups of boiling water in the bowl and stir until well dissolved. Add 2 cups of ice and stir until ice is melted. Stir in ½ tub of whipped cream into the Jello. Remove the 9 x 13 pan from the refrigerator. Pour the Jello whipped cream liquid over the top. Refrigerate for about 4 hours until firm.

Adapted from a recipe on Kraft Foods, Creamy Layered Peach Squares.