Sugar Cookies

One of my very best friends gave me this sugar cookie recipe a while ago. I was asked to bring a dessert to our annual family Memorial Day BBQ this year and decided I would finally try this recipe. So Yummy! As I started to make these cookies, I realized I didn't have any white flour so I substituted whole wheat flour that I had ground on the most fine setting. I was a little worried how they would turn out... and they tasted delicious!!!

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup cold butter cut into pieces

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

5 cups flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cream sugar, butter, sour cream and egg. Sift soda, salt and flour. Slowly add to creamed mixture. Roll dough onto lightly floured surface about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into your favorite shapes. Bake for 6 minutes. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
1 2 lb. package of powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together until smooth.

Soup in a Jar

The past year or two I've had several opportunities to make dinner for families who just had a baby or someone who is sick. I'm never really sure what kind of food to make. Last night I decided to make Chicken Chili for someone, but I wasn't certain the best way to transport liquid without spilling it all over.

My first thought was a plastic container. However, my husband (the logical man that he is) suggested a glass jar. BRILLIANT! I cut out some patterned paper to line the top of each jar and tied a cute bow around the top. Botta-bing, Botta-bang - dinner is served!

I also added a plate of muffins and a little dessert to complete the meal (and a little container of shredded cheese and a little container of sour cream to eat with the chili). The beauty of giving away soup in a jar is that it saves nicely in the fridge to eat the next day and if for some reason the person you are leaving dinner for is not quite home yet, you can just leave it on their front porch in pretty much any weather condition. Love it!