Homemade Salsa

This recipe doesn't make very much, so if you are a salsa lover like me you may want to double or even triple it. I could eat this whole batch by myself in one sitting.

Recipe:
Juice of 1 Lime
1 tsp. Garlic
1/4 to 1/2 white onion (depending on size and personal taste)
Bunch of cilantro
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 14 oz can tomatos with green chilis
Salt and Pepper to taste

I do this in my food processor. I add all ingredients but the tomatos and blend away. Once everything is chopped, I add the can of tomatos and pulse till they are chopped.

Enjoy!!

Tortilla Rolling Pin

I just wanted to share with you all my favorite rolling pin to roll tortilla dough! I bought it online from Gourmet Sleuth. It makes rolling tortillas quick and easy. If you are interested, you can order it here. FYI Gourmet Sleuth has great customer service. Here is a picture of mine dusted in flour. I took the pictures while making tortillas.

Don't miss the recipe and directions for the homemade flour tortillas.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I LOVE fresh cooked flour tortillas. I learned how to make these at a church activity a few years ago and have been making them ever since. They are really not difficult, simple ingredients and they are SO yummy!! When I make these my husband and children are like vultures waiting to grab one hot off the griddle:)

Tortilla dough ready to rest.

Ready to roll.

Ready to flip to the second side.

Ready to eat!!

Ingredients:

• 10 cups all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 T salt
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• 4 cups hot water

Directions: Place flour and salt into large bowl. Mix with fingers. Add shortening. Blend with your hand or a pastry blender until crumbly. Slowly pour in hot water. Gently incorporate until all flour is mixed in. If dough is too sticky, add a little flour. If dough is too stiff, add a little more water. Dough should be soft and elastic like. I knead the dough for a couple of minutes in the bowl, but make sure you don't overwork the dough. You can then separate into small balls about the size of a golf ball(I just leave it all together and pull off a bit of dough when I am ready to roll). Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. I cover my dough with plastic wrap and then cover the bowl with a large towel. After 1/2 hour, take a piece of dough roll into a ball and flatten slightly. Roll it out into a circle on a floured surface. I cook my tortillas on my griddle at 400 degrees. You want the griddle or pan to be HOT. Put it on the griddle, when it starts to 'bubble' a little flip and cook until just starting to get brown on the bubbles spots. I then move them to a towel and cover them to cool while I cook the rest. When the tortillas are cool, I store them in a gallon size ziploc bag in the refrigerator or freezer.

**I usually half this recipe(this recipe will make A LOT of tortillas), actually I have made them SO many times now that I just add what 'looks' right to me for the # of tortillas I want. If you make this large batch, they will be good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or you can freeze them for up to 2 months. I usually just make small batches that we use in a day or two, otherwise I don't have time to roll and cook them all before the kids or baby are calling:)

Our first post!! Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies are SO good! I have made them twice and they were devoured both times. The first time they were mostly devoured by myself. The second time I made them for a family BBQ and luckily I only got 2 or 3.

These cookies are super easy. My boys had a great time unwrapping all of the Reese's peanut butter cups and then loved pushing them down into the cookies when they came out of the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin tin.
5. Back at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

I got this recipe from a great blog, Crafting Chicks. You have to check it out. They have a bunch of fun ideas and projects. I only made one change to the recipe when I made it. I increased the cooking time by one minute. When I cooked them for 8 minutes they didn't seem quite done in the middle. I used my silicone mini muffin pan, that might have been why I needed to increase the cooking time.