Classic Sugar Cookies

recipe courtesy of Southern Living

 Ingredients

• 1  cup  butter or margarine, softened
• 1  cup  granulated sugar
• 1  large egg
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• sprinkles and sparkling sugar for decorating
• Glaze
• 1  (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 6  tablespoons  warm water
• Liquid  food coloring (optional)
•  Stir together powdered sugar and warm water using a wire whisk. Divide mixture, and tint with food coloring, if desired; place in shallow bowls for ease in dipping cookies.

Directions

1.  Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Divide dough in half. Cover; chill 1 hour.
2. Roll each portion of dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with desired cookie cutters. (We used flower and starfish cutters.) Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool cookies 1 minute on baking sheets, and remove to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Dip cookies in Glaze and sprinkle, while wet, with sparkling sugar and sprinkles.  Yield: 20 medium size cookies or 40 small cookies.

 Perfect Roast Chicken

recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

 Ingredients

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• EVOO

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the EVOO and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken on roasting pan.  
3.  Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve.  Serves 8.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

recipe courtesy of Lipton Secret Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 3-to 3-1/2- lb. boneless beef pot roast (rump, chuck or round)
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 4 medium all-purpose potatoes (about 2 lbs.), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 envelopes Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
• 3/4 cup water

Directions

1.	Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown roast.
2.	Arrange carrots and potatoes in slow cooker. Top with roast and set aside.
3.	Combine Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix with water in glass measuring cup. Add to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Add soup mixture to slow cooker. Cook covered on Low 8 to 10 hours or HIGH 4 to 6 hours. Remove roast and vegetables to serving platter.
4.	Thicken gravy, if desired, by combining additional 1/4 cup water with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Cook on HIGH 15 minutes or until thickened. Serves 6.

Easy Coconut Cake

recipe courtesy of cooks.com

Ingredients

• 1 white cake mix
• 1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
• 1 can cream of coconut or 1/2 can coconut milk (not lite)
• 1 lg. container Cool Whip
• 12 oz. pkg. coconut, flaked

Directions

1. Bake white cake according to box instructions. Punch holes in cake with straw or small round object, about 1 inch apart. Pour cream of coconut (or 1/2 can coconut milk) and then condensed milk over holes. Top with Cool Whip and coconut on top.  Refrigerate for 4 hours, then serve.

Note: This recipe is not gluten or dairy free.