Homemade Snickerdoodle Cookies

Another favorite cookie recipe from my baking days with grandma, snickerdoodles. I usually have to save some for the freezer right away because my husband and the children love them! Soft cookies are their favorites!
Ingredients:
1 c butter, room temperature but not too soft
1 3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 c flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
* Cinnamon and sugar mixture = mix together 2 T sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. You'll dip your cookie dough balls in this.

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix together.
• Roll dough into one inch balls then dip into the sugar and cinnamon mixture - (just the tops are ok).
• Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Makes about 5-6 dozen. Sometimes I make mine bigger then I get 5 dozen cookies.
• Cool on a cooling rack. Freeze a few for later - they'll be gone before you know it!

Enjoy!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Chicken Tacos

Simply another one of the easiest meals ever! Chicken tacos are a quick meal idea and there are so many ways you can make them. Some of my friends even use precooked, shredded chicken... I do not - haha!!
I prefer to boil my chicken parts for about an hour, remove the skin and shred the chicken. Since I like to be frugal in the kitchen, I buy whole chickens and cut them up myself. Once you have shredded your chicken, you can freeze the leftovers in bags or containers, then thaw it out in the refrigerator when you want to make your chicken tacos. For soft shell tacos, I used the Simply Homemade Soft Flour Tortillas recipe. Then added the shredded chicken, fresh homemade salsa and some shredded cheese. I added shredded lettuce from the garden last, after I took the picture. Enjoy!

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting

The other day I was cleaning out my freezer and found 4 frozen bananas that I needed to use up. Since we are still in temporary housing, I don't have my baking pans. I only had one pan for banana bread and my recipe makes 2 loaves. I did have a 9x13 pan, so I decided to find a recipe for some type of banana cake. I adapted this recipe from several others, it turned out delicious...and I love the caramel frosting on top!
Here's the recipe:

Banana Cake

1 c butter

2 c sugar

2 eggs

4 very ripe bananas, mashed ( I usually have them frozen and thaw before I need them)
1 c milk

3 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (I don't add if I use salted butter)

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, add bananas and milk. Combine flour, soda, salt. Add to other mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.

Bake 350 about 45 minutes.

Caramel Frosting

1/2 c butter

1 c brown sugar, packed

1/4 c milk

3 1/4 c powdered sugar (add gradually, I only used 3 cups)

Boil butter, brown sugar and milk over med heat for 2 min. Cool, (I let mine sit out for a little bit, it was still warm, I didn't want it to get too hard by cooling it).  Beat in powdered sugar until it's desired consistency. Pour over cake and spread.

I frosted mine when it was still warm, (because I'm impatient like that!) my frosting got a little stiff but it was still yummy!
~Simply Angie

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

Another recipe from Grandma's 1929 recipe book. I copied the recipe from Grandma's book and wrote on the back of the recipe card that I was 9 years old. I still remember writing it - I love that! If you've been following you know I use organic and homemade ingredients (such as homemade peanut butter, organic sugars, etc) but this is the original recipe, feel free to substitute as you like or use the original. These are soft, chewy and amazing! If you need a gluten-free peanut butter cookie recipe, we posted one earlier that is almost as good as Grandma's! Here's the link Simply Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies.
Ingredients:
1 c butter, softened
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Cream the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla together. Add the peanut butter and beat on low just until blended. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until blended. The dough should be fairly cool. I used a small cookie scoop and placed each round cookie on parchment lined baking sheets. Dip a fork into some sugar and flatten with a fork on each cookie. Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack and store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi