Over the Top Lemon Drop Candy Cookies

By far the BEST cookie out there.  There is a store by my work called Over the Top Cookies and their lemon is simply amazing.  I had to do a search for a copycat and this did not disappoint!  It's definitely a new favorite around our home.  The original recipe says bake 10-12 minutes, but that was way too long.  I baked for about 8-9 for a nice chewy cookie.  ENJOY!

Over the Top Lemon Drop Candy Cookies

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 (4 ounce) package lemon drop candies, crushed

Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Put sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix on medium speed 30 seconds.  Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Mix in eggs one at a time; add vanilla and lemon extract.  Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.  Stir in crushed lemon drop candies.

Roll into 1-inch balls, flatten slightly and bake on parchment-lined baking sheet for 8-9 minutes until edges start to brown and center is almost set.  Let cool slightly on pan 1-2 minutes transfer cookies to cooling racks; let cool completely. (I put glaze on after I transferred.  It flowed over the whole cookie easier).

Make glaze by mixing powdered sugar with lemon juice; then spread over cookie tops.

Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits
ABC News

Yummy!  You guys HAVE to try this.  We go to Red Lobster just for these biscuits and now we don't have to.  These seriously taste JUST like them.  Enjoy! :)  PS- They're really only good when they first come out of the oven so plan accordingly.

Ingredients:

 2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix

 ¾ cup cold whole milk

 4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)

 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

 1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Bush on Top:

 2 tablespoons butter, melted

 ¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

 pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

McDonalds Shamrock Shake

So I haven't ever tried the shamrock shake that is at McDonalds in March. My hubby started talking about it the other day and saying how excited he was for March and to go to McDonalds to get this special shake. Then as I was going through pinterest the next day guess what I came across? This recipe!! So I had to give it a shot. It turned out pretty good. The original recipe said 1/4-1/2 tsp of mint extract, but I even thought that 1/4 was too much mint flavoring. I would even say 1/8-1/4 tsp. 1/2 would be way too much. Anyway, you all should give this recipe a try... it's delicious! :)

SHAMROCK SHAKE

Craving Comfort

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp mint extract
• 9 drops green food coloring

Optional decorating ingredients:

• Chocolate syrup
• Whipped Cream
• Green sprinkles

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Pour shamrock shake into glass.
3. Top with whipped cream and green sprinkles.
4. ENJOY!

Cafe Rio Pork Salad with Crock-pot Pork

YUM! This is definitely a new favorite in the house and a fairly easy Sunday dinner. I went ahead and warmed up a can of black beans and I also buy the tortillas that you have to make at home. They're super soft and taste just like their tortillas. I buy mine at Costco in the frozen food section.

Shredded Pork

5-6 lb pork loin or butt

1 jar of salsa

2-3 cups brown sugar

1/2 can coke (NOT diet)

3 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Place pork in a crock-pot. Cover with brown sugar, salsa, molasses, cumin, salt and coke. Cover and cook until tender and pulls away with a fork. (6-8 hours on high, or 8-10 hors on low).

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups chicken broth

Juice from 1-2 limes (I only used one and there was plenty of lime flavoring)

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy pan, melt butter with rice. Add broth and other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Keep checking on it though other wise it will stick to the pan and burn. Add a little more fresh chopped cilantro.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

3 fresh tomatillos

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pkg ranch BUTTERMILK dressing

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/3-1/2 cup buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in blender. Chill for at least one hour.

Pizza Factory Breadsticks

Okay I KNOW I'm not the only one that makes trips to Pizza Factory solely for their breadsticks. In fact I've only actually eaten there once. I take all my trips there just for some breadsticks to go! Get ready for your life to change....

{What you need}

4.5 cups hot water

3 tablespoon sugar

1.5 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons SAF instant yeast

10.5-12 cups flour

{Glaze}

1 1/2 cube butter, melted

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

Combine (in a Bosch mixer or something like it) water, sugar, salt, yeast, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 3-4 minutes. On greased countertop, break of pieces of dough ( a little bigger than a golf ball when rolled into a ball) and roll into thin ropes. If you're using skewers like at Pizza Factory, roll the ropes about 1 1/2 times the length of your skewers. Twist the rope around the skewer. I didn't use skewers. Instead I twisted two ropes together and pinched the ends so they stayed. Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise for about 30 minutes, or until the breadsticks double in size. Repeat till all dough is used.

While they are baking, combine glaze ingredients so the flavors will blend. Bake twists at 375 for about 12 minutes if you're using skewers, and 14 minutes if you are not, and are using the twisting method. Remove from oven and brush with the butter glaze. (Don't glaze before you bake, it's not as good.) I sprinkled fresh parmesan cheese on top, too, and let that melt before I served them. Or you can add add canned parmesan cheese to the glaze, which adds even more flavor. Best if served immediately, but amazing at any time!!!

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Recipe: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix biscuit mix, milk, and cheddar cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley; brush generously over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Make 10-12 biscuits.

Macaroni Grill Focaccia Bread

I've actually only been to Macaroni Grill once... Was NOT a fan of what I got or my husband had, but we did fall in love with that bread. I found this recipe today and just HAD to have it for dinner tonight. Such an easy easy bread to make and it's simply delicious. At the restaurant they give you olive oil with freshly ground pepper and you can dip your bread in it. However, this bread is amazing as is. Goes great with any Italian meal. YUM!

Macaroni Grill Focaccia Bread


What You’ll Need:

• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 c. warm water
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp rosemary
• 1 Tbsp butter

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast, sugar, and water in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add butter, salt, and 2 c. flour. Mix together.
2. Add rosemary and rest of the flour. Mix for 5 minutes. Then cover up the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
3. Split the dough in half and put on a cookie sheet. Let it rise for another 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Brush with some melted butter and enjoy!