Sugar Cookie Bars

These are TO DIE FOR!!!!! We made these for my daughter's baptism and everybody loved them. I found the cookie recipe from mybakingaddiction.com and then used my Grandmother's cream cheese frosting recipe. It was fabulous!

Cookie

1 cup butter (I used salted butter- not margarine)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla (I use a vanilla that says it is double strength- so it was super yummy)

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together and add to wet ingredients. Spread on a greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan with sides- 13X18)

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)

1/2 lb. powdered sugar (about 2 cups- add more or less depending on the consistency you like your frosting)

1/2 tsp vanilla

food coloring if you want it colored.

*Side note: We made 3 of these sheet cake cookies and made 4 batches of frosting to go on them, so you may want to double the frosting if you like it thicker. These were great to freeze too. We baked them and froze them and then took them out and frosted them as they were thawing. Great for a large gathering!!!

Easy Cream Cheese Pie

This is an oldie but a goody. My family all loves this treat and its so easy to make. It's a favorite for Family Home Evening Treat because we can whip it up so fast.

1 graham cracker pie crust (I try and buy the "2 extra serving" one so that it goes further)
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all together and pour in pie crust. Refrigerate until firm (2-3 hours) and top with your favorite toppings.

Tomato Pesto Macaroni Salad

I just threw some ingredients together one night to make this pasta salad. It turned out yummy and all the girls really liked it. (My kids are great eaters though and they love tomatoes though- I know some people are not tomato people)

2 cups small shell pasta
3 TBSP Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
1 small can Sliced Black Olives
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 green onions, diced
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (I used a roast chicken from Sam's Club and cut it up to use for 2 different dishes)
1 cup light Mayo
Salt, pepper to taste

Cook the pasta until done, drain. Add pesto, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and chicken. Mix thoroughly. Add Mayo (you may want more- according to how creamy you like it) and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 1 hour.