Strawberry Shortcakes

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
5 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, frozen
1 egg, beaten
1 egg white (optional)
1/2 cup half-and-half

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt and baking powder and 3 Tbsp. sugar in a medium bowl. Grate 2 Tbsp. of butter into dry ingredients; toss to coat. Repeat grating and tossing with remaining butter. Combine egg and half-and-half; pour into flour mixture. Toss with a fork to form large clumps. Add a tsp. more of half-and-half to dough if it won't come together.
Press dough into an 8 by 4 inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares and place 1 inch apart on small baking sheet. Before baking, brush tops with optional egg white. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar. Bake until golden brown about 12-14 minutes.
Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries over cake bottom. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Finish with cake top and serve immediately!

Strawberry Jam

2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled
1- 1 3/4-oz pkg. powdered pectin
1/2 tsp. margarine or butter
7 cups sugar

Crush 5 cups of berries in an 8-quart pot. Stir in pectin and margarine. Heat on high, stirring constantly, till mixture comes to a full roiling boil. Add sugar. Return to boiling, boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam.

Ladle into containers with 1/4-inch headspace. Let sit for 24 to 48 hours. Freeze or Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
FROSTING
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Chicken Salad

What do you make for dinner on a days when it is 109 degrees besides cold cereal?! That is how hot it has been here...uuugghhh...it is only June. So I made this chicken salad. I have never made a chicken salad and was eager to see how my family would respond. Of course, my picky eaters were picky and didn't enjoy it as much...BUT, my husband couldn't get enough. He now wants me to make this so he can take it for lunch and wants to take it to the beach! I don't know about that, because all the mayo, but it does hit the spot on hot days.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups diced and chilled, cooked chicken meat (I used a cooked rotisserie chicken)

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced, seedless grapes (I also added a chopped apple)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I toasted them)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt/ pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

I added half of an onion to give it more flavor
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Add mayo.
Combine meat, celery, grapes, almonds, parsley, salt, and onion with whipped cream. Chill.

Inspired by Allrecipes.com

Chicken Pot Pie

Oh, man is this a good recipe. We had this for dinner again and my picky eaters in my house even liked it. I loved it because they ate the vegetables without complaining. Yeah...victory!

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas (Using frozen veggies is another alternative!)
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Courtesty of Allrecipes.com