Casbah Sugar Cookies

These cookies taste like those lofthouse sugar cookies you can buy at the store, only these are made with fresh ingredients and no preservatives. My husband's mother Brenda and his Grandma Beckhoff made these cookies every Christmas. They would be frosted white, with a red hot in the middle and two little green frosted ivy leaves.

Casbah Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
1 C. butter
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Instructions
With a mixer, beat well the butter and sugar until creamy. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix well. Chill in fridge. Roll into balls, place on cookie sheet and then smash down ball with the bottom of greased glass pressed in sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Frosting
1/3 C. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 C. powdered sugar
2 T. milk (or more)

Mix all together with mixer. Spread on the cookies.

Recipe Credit: Brenda Rathsack and Janet Starwalt Beckhoff (1934-2002)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I always thought that Mac and Cheese was too difficult to make, so I never tried. I stuck to my favorite Kraft Macaroni and Cheese from a box. The other day, I came across this recipe from my mother-in-law Brenda Rathsack. She had written a bunch of recipes for my husband Ben on a steno-pad when he first went off to college. Now of course, Ben has never made anything other than chicken fajitas or chicken stir-fry (i.e. all the same ingredients except for the bottle of spice he grabs.) He did say he tried a tuna casserole once, enough said.

Anyway, this is VERY simple. I am now addicted to the stuff. It's REAL mac and cheese. (Can you tell I am excited?)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
1 bag of elbow macaroni
Milk (I did use whole milk - but try 2%)
1/2 a large box of Kraft Deluxe American Cheese - cubed
Butter - about 1/2 a stick or more

Instructions
After macaroni is cooked and drained, place it back in the pan. Start heating (about medium). Add enough milk to just cover the macaroni.
Add cubed cheese and butter.
Heat until cheese has melted and milk has thickened.
You'll know when it's ready!

Recipe Credit: Brenda Rathsack

Pumpkin Bread

I came across this recipe after I married my husband. His mother had written it down for him on a recipe card. I tried it one Christmas and it was wonderful. It makes a very moist pumpkin bread. I make it every year. My son loves it and my daughter is allergic to bananas, so she'll be eating pumpkin bread Christmas morning.

Update: Made this recipe a few days ago. Turned out great, here are a couple of photos. 12/28/08

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients and Instructions
Combine these five ingredients:
3 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Combine these ingredients:
3 C. granulated sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 C. water
2 C. canned pumpkin (1 15oz can)

Combine dry ingredients (first 5.) Mix oil, water, and eggs well. Add sugar.
Fold in half the flour mixture and half the pumpkin. Mix until blended. Add remaining flour and pumpkin. Mix only until combined (don't over mix.)

Pour into pre-greased/floured pans.
Bake ~1 hour in preheated oven at 350 degrees.
Cool slightly and move them from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 loaves

UPDATE: I recently tried using two 9 hole mini-loaf pans. Bakes about 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Recipe Credit: Brenda Rathsack and Arrion Rathsack