Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello, my name is Kayla, and I am a cookie-aholic.

I wear the title very proudly. I can easily say this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever tried! I make it a couple times a month.

{That stays between us.}

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups shortening
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. salt
5 cups flour
24 oz. chocolate chips

Cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla and almond. Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake on greased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes at 350*. Do not overbake. This recipe makes about 5-6 dozen, so I usually half it.

Another great recipe from Heather!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I had my friends over last night to watch The Bachelorette and I served these cookies. The girls loved them! These cookies are a fun twist and I'm sure you've never had them before! Before I added the mint, I tried the cookie and it tasted like the chocolate cookies they used to serve at school lunch in middle school and high school! Mmmm. I actually think next time I might make these without the mint. Either way, you can't go wrong with these cookies. Thanks for the creative and delicious recipe, Heather!

3/4 cup butter
1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 T. water
12 oz. chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 & 3/4 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 & 1/4 t. baking soda
1 lb. Andes mints

Melt the butter, brown sugar and water in a bowl. Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted. Let stand about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the mints. {Save those until the very end.} Place the dough in the fridge and chill for at least an hour. This helps make the dough less sticky so you can roll it with your hands. Roll the dough into balls and place 3" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Warning: They spread out! Bake 350* for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately put a mint on each cookie. Let it the mint melt for a couple minutes, then swirl with a knife. Makes 3 & 1/2 dozen.

I got this recipe from my friend Heather, who I met at Bunco!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I am very sad to say I am still on my diet, so I did not get to enjoy this delicious dish. It sure looked & smelled amazing in my house last night. Sigh. My husband & his friend were the lucky sweet and sour chicken eaters and they said this recipe is AMAZING. My husband even said it's better than take-out! Wow. We are serious about Chinese food, so that is really saying something. I can't wait to try it!

3-4 chicken breasts
3-4 eggs, beaten
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup oil {canola, olive or vegetable. Pretty much any oil will do the trick.}
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup sugar
4 T. ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. garlic powder

Heat frying pan with oil on medium heat. Cut chicken into chunks and season with salt and pepper. Roll chicken in cornstarch, then egg, then place in pan with warmed oil. Fry until lightly golden on both sides, but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a greased baking dish. To make the sauce, combine the rest of the ingredients {the last 5}. Pour over chicken. Bake 325* for 60 min, turning every 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice. To make extra sauce, combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then let simmer until desired consistancy. Stir frequently.

Thanks, How Sweet!!

Pizza & Garlic Bread

My husband taught me how to make this dish a couple years ago. I can't believe I never came up with it sooner! It is quick, easy, and very scrumptious!

1 loaf of french bread

8 oz. cheese of your choice

1 can pizza or marinara sauce

25-30 pepperonis {or other toppings of your choice}

A few TBSP. of softened butter

Garlic powder

Parsley {Optional}

Slice loaf of bread in half. On one half, spread butter, then sprinkle desired amount of garlic powder, then parsley. {Sometimes I add a little bit of cheese to the garlic bread.} On the other half, spread desired amount of pizza sauce, then sprinkle cheese and add pepperonis on top. Place foil on your cookie sheet so you don't need to wash it. Then, place the pizza & garlic bread on the cookie sheet. Bake at 425* for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully. Once the pizza is done, I like to put it under the broiler for a minute or two to get the edges a bit crispy. Mmmm.

S'mores Brownies

Beware: These brownies will be your new addiction. They are mine :) I can't stop thinking about how amazingly delicious these are. Perhaps my diet will have to end early...

1 box brownie mix
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 sticks butter
16 jumbo marshmallows

Melt the butter in a 9x9 in the oven under really high heat {450* or so}. Add crumbs and press together to form a crust. Make brownie mix, then pour over crust. Bake according to the directions on the brownie box. They may need an additional 15-25 minutes because of the crust. Just keep checking them with a toothpick about 2"-3" from the edge until the toothpick comes out clean. Once they're done, add marshmallows. Set under broiler for 1-2 min. Let cool 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.

Thanks, How Sweet!

Amazing Fruit Pizza

This dish didn't last long in our kitchen. Between me and two grown men, we had two thirds of it devoured in 15 minutes. Take caution. Too much fruit will make your tummy ache. I know from experience.



1 Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tub cool whip
1 cup sliced strawberries*
1 cup sliced kiwi*
1 cup sliced bananas*
2 TBSP. vanilla

Let dough come to room temp., then press into lightly greased jelly roll pan {rimmed cookie sheet}. Make sure it is thin because it will rise as it bakes. Bake 10 min. then rotate pan and bake for 5 more min. Be careful not to overbake it.

Once cookie has cooled, beat cream cheese, vanilla and cool whip. Spread evenly on cookie. Top with fruit, except bananas. {We save those for last so they don't go brown.} Refrigerate while making glaze.

Glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 TBSP. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until it thickens. Let cool for about 10 minutes or so. Add bananas to the pizza, then drizzle glaze over the top. Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

This recipe was altered, but originally came from How Sweet.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

There isn't really a recipe for these, I just threw it together and all the men loved them {even the picky eaters}. Everyone came back for seconds! {They would have come back for thirds and fourths if I hadn't made amazing S'mores brownies, too!} This "recipe" is so simple to double or triple. Here is what you will need to make just a few, maybe 3-5.

2-3 chicken breasts
4 tortillas
2 cups cheese of your choice {I use a blend}
BBQ sauce {We have a strong preference for Sweet Baby Ray's}

Put chicken in a pot and fill with enough water to cover the chicken. Boil for 20 minutes {or less or more depending if the chicken was frozen or thawed}. Place in a bowl of cold water to cool down enough that you can handle it with your hands. Shred the chicken with a fork or with your hands, like I do, then place in a bowl. Cover the chicken with BBQ sauce. Heat a pan over medium to medium/low heat. Place tortilla in pre-heated pan and sprinkle cheese on top. Heat until cheese is melted, then add chicken. Fold one side of the tortilla over and cook until lightly golden brown. Flip and cook the other side.
*You can also do this in your oven on broil. Add ingredients to tortilla, fold in half and cook until lightly golden brown. Flip and do the same to the other side.

Sooo, my pictures didn't turn out well for this but you get the idea :)

Tie-Dye Cupcakes

Some people call these cupcakes Tie-Dye cupcakes, Rainbow Cupcakes or even Dr. Seuss Cupcakes. They are so fun to make & such a big hit at parties! I made these last month for my little buddy's 3rd birthday. Everyone loved them. There isn't a real recipe, but I will tell you how I made them.

Tie-Dye Cupcakes:

1 White Cake Mix {must be white, not yellow}
Your favorite frosting
Food Coloring
Cupcake Liners
Sprinkles {optional}

Make the cake batter as directed on the box. Next, divide the batter evenly into as many bowls as you would like. I did six.

Next, use your food coloring to dye each bowl of batter a different color. ***I recommend not doing purple. Once it bakes it looks more like a brownish color. Not very flattering. :)

Scoop a spoonful of one color of batter and put it in the cupcake liner, to one side {if that makes sense?}. Scoop up another color of batter and place it next to the last color in the same cupcake liner. Don't stir the batters together, otherwise you won't achieve the tie-dye effect. Your cupcakes should look a little something like this:Bake cupcakes as directed on cake box. Once they have cooled, frost them with your favorite frosting, then top with sprinkles if you choose. Voila! Take these to a party and you'll be the talk of the town!

Creamy Spaghetti

The secret ingredient in this spaghetti dish is the cream cheese, which makes the flavor very rich! Mmmmm. Since there are some picky eaters in my family {I won't name names}, I do not add real onions, but instead onion powder for the taste.

Creamy Spaghetti:

3/4 lb. whole grain spaghetti, cooked

1 lb. lean ground beef {I prefer 90% lean or higher}

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. dried basil

24 oz. spaghetti sauce of your choice

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

2 TBSP. Parmesan cheese, fresh or canned

Cook spaghetti as directed on the package. Cook the hamburger, along with the onion powder, garlic powder & basil. Drain, then return to pan. Stir in sauce and cream cheese; cook on low 3-5 minutes or until sauce is heated and cream cheese has melted. Drain spaghetti noodles and add to sauce. Mix and dish up! Top with Parmesan cheese. {{399 calories per serving}}

Easy Cheesy Rolls

Why not have one of my favorite recipes be the first recipe post? My family loves these rolls. Even the pickiest of eaters will devour these!

Easy Cheesy Rolls:

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 TBSP. Parmesan cheese {HAS to be the green can kind}

1 TBSP. dried Basil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pkg. Pillsbury Grands Biscuits {I prefer Buttermilk.. mmmm!}

Combine butter, parmesan cheese, basil and garlic. Mix shredded cheeses in a separate bowl. Separate biscuits into individual biscuits. Flatten each biscuit slightly. Place some cheese in the center of the biscuit, then pull the sides up and push together to form a ball. Roll each ball into butter mixture and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 rolls. {{293 calories per biscuit}}

This recipe came from Real Mom Kitchen.

First Post!

Welcome to Kayla's Favorite Recipes! I have had lots of requests for my recipes, so I figured keeping a blog would be the easiest way to give out my recipes! If you have any recipes that you would like me to add to the blog, please feel free to send them to mybelleboutique@hotmail.com along with any photos of your dish, if you have any. Feel free to invite your friends to this blog!

If the recipe is not mine or if I have not changed the recipe from it's original state, I will, of course, mention whose recipe it is!