Chocolate Drop Sugar Cookies

You'll need:
2/3 cup butter or margarine - softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk

To make sour milk add 1 tsp white vinegar to 1/3 cup milk

How to make your own Buttermilk

1. Heat oven to 350F

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. 

3. add egg and vanilla. beat until fluffy.

4. In separate bowl mix flour. cocoa, baking soda and salt

5. alternate between the cocoa mixture and buttermilk and add this to the egg & sugar mixture

6. lightly grease cookie sheet

7. use an ice scream scoop to put balls onto pan (about 2" apart"

8. Bake for 13-15 minutes.  They are done when you touch the top and it springs back.

9. Lightly sprinkle with sugar, let cool on pan for 5 minutes.  Then move to cooling racks. Let it cool completely.

* Makes about 1 dozen  (they are large cookies)

Easy BBQ Chicken Wings

you'll need 1 pkg fresh chicken wings (tips removed) - about 2 lb
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup bottled bbq sauce
2 tbsp chicken stock

How to make your own Apple Butter

Make your own BBQ Sauce

Get the BBQ going and bring it up to 400F

In a large bowl combine wings with oregano, thyme and garlic.  Place on metal baking pan. Cover with foil.  Put on BBQ grill on medium high for 20 minutes - turning once. (or until it's not longer pink on the inside)

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple butter, bbq sauce and chicken stock.  Put the wings right on the grill and baste with the sauce for 10 minutes or until they are crisp and golden.

Makes 4-6 servings

What's in your Fridge?

Go to this website.  Check the boxes for what you have - then click Find Recipes!

http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/frames.html

Presto Ham Fritata

A nice quick meal (great for summertime when you don't want to have the oven on for a long time)

You'll need:
8 eggs  (or 2 eggs per person)
1/2 cup water (or 1 Tbsp per egg)
6 slices ham
2 TBSP pesto
1 tomato

Whisk eggs with water salt and pepper

put Ham in skillet, spread the pesto over the ham.

Pour egg mixture over ham.

As it cooks, lift the cooked portion so the uncooked egg will cook.

Cook until almost done, then turn off the heat and cover it.

Let it set and then cut into wedges and serve.

Pesto Recipe

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.
Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.
Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Serve over pasta. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.

Apple Pat-a-Pie

I read this in Today's Parent magazine, haven't made it yet but looking forward to making this in the fall with fresh-picked Ontario apples.

If you make it beforehand and have any tips or things to add please post a comment :)

Filling
3 large apples (peeled, cored, cut into wedges about 5 cups)
1/2 cup raises or dried cranberries
1/2 sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Crust
2 1/2cups flour
1  tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup 2% milk

Using your hands, toss apples with raisins, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.  It's OK if apples don't absorb all the dry bits.  Let stand, stirring occassionally.

Using a fork, stir flour, sugar, ginger and salt.  Make a well in the center.  In measuring cup add oil with milk and then pour into the well.  Stir with fork until dough starts to come together.  Use hands, gently pat to form a ball.

cut off 1/3 of dough and set aside.

Break the large piece of dough into smaller pieces and press over bottom and up the sides of pie plate.

Put the reserved dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper.  Press to flatten and then cut into shapes.
- triangles
- use cookie cutters for shapes if you'd like

Fill the pie shell with apples.  Overlap the pastry pieces to make the crust. It's ok if it doesn't cover completely.

Place on baking sheet to catch the over spill (if any)

Bake in the LOWER part of the PREHEATED Oven  400F for 20 minutes.

This will help the crust stay crisp.

Then reduce heat to 350F and continue to bake until the crust is deep golden brown and it's bubbling. (about 40 minutes)

If the crust starts to darken before it's bubbling cover with tin foil.

Let it cool completely before cutting.