Moonbeam Cookies

18 oz package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 cup flaked or sweetened coconut

½ cup lemon curd

⅓ cup white chocolate chips

In a large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir in coconut. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. With thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make an indentation in center of each cookie. Spoon about ½ tsp lemon curd into each indentation. Bake at 350° for 10-13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Microwave white chocolate in a small microwavable bowl on medium for 1-2 minutes. Stir well. Drizzle over cookies.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Peanut Butter Fingers

I've been wanting to make these yummy treats for a while now and just haven't been able to find a really good recipe. Well, I finally found one and made them today for a friend of mine that has been going through cancer and is now in remission. She hasn't been able to eat certain foods, but I was told a few days ago that she would enjoy these. :)

1 cup butter
1/2 cup + 3 TBS white sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats

Cream together butter and sugars, add eggs and mix. Then add peanut butter, mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix together. Place in jelly pan ( it is enough dough for two 9x13 pans, the dough should be 1/2 thick for the size of pan you use) I used a cookie sheet and it worked great.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 min. watch closely, the dough will raise. Pull out of the oven when the dough first starts to fall. Do not overcook. Let cool in pan. Put a layer of peanut butter and then chocolate frosting on the top. Cut and serve.

pork quesidillas with jalapeno jelly

if you have ever eaten at cafe sabor, this jalapeno jelly is just like what they serve with their sweet pork quesidillas. delicious! the pork i made isn't really 'sweet' pork, but i liked it that way because you could taste the jalapeno jelly more.

oven roasted pork
5-6 lb. pork roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 T. rock salt
1 t. worcestershire sauce
1 t. ginger
1 clove garlic
1 t. liquid smoke

combine first five ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. lay three pieces of aluminum foil on top of each other and place pork in the middle. rub mixture over pork and drizzle with liquid smoke. fold all sheets of aluminum foil over pork and wrap tightly. place wrapped meat in a baking dish and bake 5 hours at 375. shred pork before serving.

this makes a LOT of pork, which i love, because then we have leftovers all week. we use the pork in taco salad, burritos, BBQ sandwiches, quesidillas, etc...

jalapeno jelly
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno
5 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 6 fluid ounce container liquid pectin

mince peppers in food processor. in 5 qt. pot over high heat, combine peppers, sugar, and vinegar. bring to a rolling boil and cook for 3 minutes. remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. add pectin, stirring continuously, and cool 2 more minutes. pour into hot, sterilized jars and allow to cool in order to seal. yield: 2 quart size jars or 6 jelly size jars

i didn't want to deal with the sterilizing jars and canning part, so i halved the recipe and it made just under 1 quart of jelly. it was so yummy that it will definitely be gone soon.

Sweet Pepper Rice

FINALLY, rice that tastes like Bajio's rice! Mike thinks it could have done without the onion and pepper, but I know that they added to the yumminess :]

3 TBSP. butter
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely copped
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock

In large saute pan, melt butter. Add onion and pepper. Cook until soft. Add cilantro, salt, and garlic powder. Cook another minute. Add rice and brown but don't let it burn. Disolve sugar in chicken stock. When dissolved, add to rice. Bring to a simmer, turn to low, and cook covered for 30 minutes.

Sweet Lime Chile Enchiladas

*recipe and picture from this blog. the flavor of the chicken was amazing!

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

12 oz. bottle salsa verde
1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 TBSP. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup heavy cream

8-10 flour tortillas

5 cups shredded cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add shredded chicken to lime mixture. Let sit 10 minutes.

In a 9 x 13 pan, pour 3/4 bottle of salsa verde and reserve the rest. Take each tortilla and fill with chicken and cheese. Roll up and place seam down in the salsa verde. Repeat until tortillas are filled. After you remove all the chicken, there will be remaining lime sauce in the bowl. Add heavy cream and remaining salsa verde to sauce. Pour over enchiladas and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Serve with Sweet Pepper Rice.