Day 357 - Baked Spinach and Cheese Quinoa

I wanted to make something on the healthier side tonight for dinner and was pressed for time because my son had his first track meet hence the lack of pictures for the prep.
I was making dinner with artificial lighting anyway tonight as you can see and that doesn't make for very good photos.  I am NOT happy with the way they turned out, but I don't want to put up a post without pictures.
Tomorrow some appetizing pictures!

Recipe adapted from The New York Times - Recipes for Health
Baked Spinach and Gruyere Quinoa - serves 4-6

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 6oz. bag spinach, chopped
4 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare a 2-quart baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

To cook quinoa
1 cup quinoa
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

Place quinoa in a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil.  Add the salt and quinoa.  Return to boil and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until quinoa is tender and translucent.  Each grain will also show a little thread when it is fully cooked.
Drain and return to the pot.
Cover the pot with a clean dish towel and place the lid over it.  Let the pan sit for 10 minutes without being disturbed.

Assembly
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Saute onion and garlic until tender and slightly translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add chopped spinach, salt and pepper to taste, and saute until wilted.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add the spinach mixture, quinoa, Gruyere cheese and sage.  Add freshly ground pepper.
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.  Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Bake for 25 minutes until top is golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Baked Spinach and Cheese Quinoa earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
The combination of flavors was quite delicious, the spinach, garlic, onion, cheeses, and quinoa blended perfectly to make a wonderful dish.
This is the first time I've cooked/baked with quinoa and I am definitely interested in finding other ways I can add this grain to our menu.
This also made the house smell really good while it was baking.
I 'm so glad we tried something different for a change.  It's great to be able to try something new and LIKE it!
Woo Hoo!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 356 - Baked Asparagus

I had a wonderful day with an extremely close friend named, Tina.
We went to afternoon tea and ate cucumber sandwiches and then went shopping in antique stores!
We had such a wonderful time, but then again, we always do.  We tried on vintage hats, and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Tina and I have the kind of relationship like a husband and wife would have (or at least Mr. 365 and I do) - when one is going through a rough patch, the other is there to pick up the pieces and put you back together.  It is so wonderful and we have readily admitted that we are both very fortunate and extremely grateful to be so blessed to have each other.

And I REALLY needed some picking up because if you've read previous posts and are a fan on the 365 Facebook page then you know that I have a friend who has a two year old daughter missing.
It has been extremely difficult and heartbreaking to watch their family go through this.
I am posting the flyers that the Phoenix Police Department has issued in hopes that you will pass them on and share them with friends and family and Pin them.
The little girl's name is actually misspelled.  It is Ava and she is 2 years old, turning 3 in a few months, not presently 3.

There have been absolutely NO leads in the case and they could be ANYWHERE which is why I am sharing them with you.  They could even be in Mexico and have been missing since Wednesday, 2/22 or possibly as early as Saturday, 2/18 when Athena dropped Ava off for her visitation with her father.
It has already received national attention as it aired on Nancy Grace last night and tonight.
A website has been set up, Bring Ava Home, as well as a Facebook page, Help Bring Ava Home.
I will keep everyone posted when I hear any details.
Thank you, friends for your help and prayers!  XOXOX

Tina and I had SO much fun today and spent quite a bit of time together that I was in a crunch for my baking time.
We discussed it and she mentioned that she had a great recipe for baked asparagus.
"Really, expergrass?  I like expergrass!"
It was the tea talking.  I had had three cups and was being ditzy, or maybe that really is me!  (Is that word ditzy even used anymore?)

Asparagus.
So simple.  So easy.
And,...
It's BAKED!
And it's different from the way I am forever preparing it - steamed or sauteed with garlic and olive oil in a skillet.

Baked Asparagus - serves 4 or 3 with extras, if you have one child who says he doesn't like asparagus and won't even eat a "no thank you bite".

1 pound asparagus, rinsed and with 1/4 inch trimmed off the flat ends
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place asparagus on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Drizzle with olive oil.
And sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Toss the asparagus in the baking sheet, making sure it is coated completely.
Return it to a single layer in the pan.

Bake for 10 minutes.  That's it!!
It doesn't get any simplah than that now, do it?

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and Tina's Asparagus earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
I loved it because it was SO simple, fast, and SO tasty!!
I have to say that for the sake of pictures I baked them before I put our stuffed shells into the oven.  The shells were to be ready in 35 minutes, so with 7 minutes left I returned the stalks to the baking sheet and popped them back into the 375 degree F. oven.
Some of them browned a little and I liked that.  More flavor.

Tomorrow is Wednesday or maybe it already is for you.
I have two more weigh-ins before 365 is up and I haven't been too diligent with my updates, so I'll be sure to step on that scale in the morning.  Looking forward to it, believe me.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 355 - Carrot Chips

10 days left,10 days left, la la la la la, la, 10 days left!

Today for the 355th day we had carrot chips!

Alright, before you become all excited, there are some things you're just gonna have to know.

I'm typing this while the "boys" of the house are watching NASCAR and my southern accent is coming out because I'm a listnin' to ol' D.W.   And no, I am not in any way southern - I was born in Rhode Island, and we are not huge fans of NASCAR, but we do like to watch a good race, each cheering our favorite driver on:  Mr. 365 - Kyle Busch, our son - Tony Stewart, and I like Matt Kenseth.

So, there's something I'm sure you didn't know about me because not too many do.  We do joke that when our kids are married and with families of their own, Mr. 365 and I are going to drive up to their houses in our HUGE RV with a really loud horn that yells, "Boogedy, boogedy, boogedy, let's go racing, boys!"  I can see it now, our grandchildren will come running out to greet us, all happy and screaming with excitement while our children are locking their front doors behind them.

About this recipe, one thing you'll need to know is to get yourself a good sharp mandolin so you have nice lloonnnggg strips of carrot, not little inky dinky pieces.

This recipe was adapted from Penny Pinching Epicure.  And believe me, Rella's look much better.

Carrot Chips - didn't really serve as many as it should have.

2 big carrots

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment.

Into a large Ziploc bag, combine olive oil, salt, cumin, garlic powder and ground pepper.  Mix well.

Using a really nice mandolin, but not so nice that you slice a knuckle like I did, slice the carrots to about 1/8-inch thick.  See, not like mine.

Place carrot pieces into the Ziploc bag.  Seal and shake that baby up, back and forth, up and down, left to right - shake, shake, shake.  Make sure all those "strips" of carrot are nicely coated.

Place carrot slices onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove tray from oven and turn chips over (or shuffle them around and flip them) so that they become crispy during the second half of baking.  See, my slices were too small and some were too thin because only in 45 minutes they burned.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes until slices are crispy.  At least it was supposed to be another 45-60, if I had done that I would have been taste-testing charred carrots.  Actually, I was anyway and I only put them back in for another 20 minutes.

Ah, well.  You win some, you lose some.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these carrot chips earned 2 1/2 rolling pins.  I have to say that these, or at least the ones that weren't burnt to a crisp, were pretty good.

I was disappointed that the strips weren't long, so that we could really enjoy these.

I would recommend cutting back on the salt though, probably to 1/4 teaspoon.

And probably because they shrink to almost oblivion, add another carrot or two.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 354 - Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken

Can I just start this by saying how bummed I am?
I watched the Oscars.  Did you?
Meryl Streep is my all-time most favoritest (don't worry, I know that isn't grammatically correct) actress and yes, I guess I have to admit that I was one person in the "half of America that went, Oh, no, really?  Why?".
She is a GREAT actress, a master at her craft, and I have yet to see 'The Iron Lady', so I honestly cannot say that she didn't deserve her award because I'm sure she did and she is one of the top people on my Pinterest board of people I'd LOVE to have dinner with, actually she is my first choice.
Phew, there's a run-on sentence if I ever did see one.
And Meryl if you're reading this, I REALLY, REALLY do still LOVE you and definitely want to have that dinner date whenever you can wriggle me into your busy schedule.  Just don't take this to heart and I'm sure you understand.
BUT...
I SSSOOOOO wanted Viola to win!!!!!!!!
Wow, do I feel like a BIG whiner!
Viola's performance was stellar, so moving, so profound and had me gripping the edge of my seat as I was watching 'The Help'.
I adored her performance and thought her portrayal of Aibileen was definitely Oscar worthy.
Heck, even Oprah agreed with me!
Yeah, she and I had a heart to heart about it.  Oprah and I are like this *crosses fingers*.
Ok, not really.  I don't even know her.  Although I did get to go to a taping of one of her shows about 21 years ago.  It was about parents going to jail for their children's misbehavior.  Not too exciting, but I did get to shake her hand.  Once again, I digress...
And I have to admit that even though I thought that Viola did a great job, I am partial to her anyway.
Way back in 19aught...kidding, ok, it wasn't that long ago, but it was the mid-80's, Viola and I were in the theater department together at Rhode Island College.
I vividly remember her in her purple or magenta-y costume as the nurse in 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Granted, she wouldn't know me from a hole in the wall and I don't think we ever had a conversation, but we did work on a few of the same productions, she in performance and I backstage.
Anyway, Viola, you won in my book and you will forever be remembered for your portrayal of Aibileen and the life you brought to her.  Well done, my dear!

Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken - serves 4

2 large chicken breasts, divided in half
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet by spraying it generously with cooking oil.
Place chicken breasts on a sheet of wax paper.  Cover with another sheet of wax paper and pound until they are about 1/2-inc thick.
In a large zip-lock bag, combine flour, paprika, salt, garlic powder, thyme and pepper.  Shake to mix well.
Place the milk in a bowl and take one chicken breast and dip it into the milk, coating both sides.  Allow the excess to drain off.
Place the chicken breast into the bag of flour and spices and seal.  Shake to coat both sides.
Place on prepared baking sheet.
Repeat process with remaining chicken breasts.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, flipping over halfway in between baking time.

No pictures today because I couldn't find my SD card and wouldn't you know, it was right where I left it.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Homemade Shake and Bake chicken earned 2 rolling pins.
It was kind of blah and I really think it needed some kind of a mustardy sauce with it.  Of course, I think of that as we're sitting down to dinner.  No time to make one, so I'll live vicariously through you.  Let me know how it turns out.

Alright, I'm off to bed...will be dreaming of Viola in future performances and winning awards.
Have a great tomorrow or even today, y'all!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 353 - Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Yes, it's cookies again.
But does anyone ever really tire of cookies?
I didn't think so.
I know I've made quite a few of them the past few days, but I wanted to make something special tonight for Avalee's family.
This was adapted from the Nestle Toll House Cookie Recipe.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - makes 4 dozen

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
48 miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped and cut into fours

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment.
In a medium bowl. whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars and vanilla until light and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually add flour mixture until combined.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet, placing them about 1 1/2-inches apart.
Bake for 8-9 minutes.  Middles should not be set.
Remove cookie sheet from oven and place 4 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup pieces (1 whole miniature cup) into the center of each cookie.

Return cookie sheet to oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes, until cookies are golden and middles are set.

Allow cookies to cool on sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

You'll notice that I didn't have the cookie sheet covered in parchment.  Yeah, that was a mistake, that's why I'm suggesting you do it.  This batch of cookies became a little browner than I would have liked.  After I used the parchment, they were much better and were able to be removed from the cookie sheet without nearly as much trouble.
Yeah, it wasn't pretty.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and I have to say that these Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
These were quite delicious!
The thing that took the most time with these cookies was the unwrapping and cutting of the peanut butter cups.
A couple of these cookies and a nice tall glass of cow juice and you'll be ALL set!
Ok, maybe a few more than a couple.
Just watch the baking time.  You want the middles a little gooey so you can stick the cup pieces in, and then bake them for a few more minutes to set them.
There was something else I was going to tell you, but I can't 'member.
Hm.
Um.
I don't know.  I can't remember.
Obviously it wasn't too important.
I don't think it had anything to do with the cookies.
Chalk it up to a pre-pre senior moment.

Oh yeeeaaaah, about cutting up the peanut butter cups...
There isn't an easy way to do it.
I did it when they were room temp. and I did it after they had been refrigerated and I did it after they had been frozen for a while.  It really didn't make a difference, a few of them broke apart.
The good thing, I just stuck them back together and you couldn't even tell after they'd been in the cookies.

And storing them...I put them in an airtight container and stuck them in the fridge to set the peanut butter cups, separating the layers with parchment.
Good idea, if I do say so myself.  I liked them better cold anyway because they were a tad bit chewier and I'm really into anything chewy.
And these certainly aren't the kind of cookies you want to be making in the middle of an Arizona summer.
Just sayin'.  If you were wanting the urge to do that.  I can see those peanut butter cups melting all over your little digits.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 352 - Twice-Baked Acorn Squash

Today it's a side dish and I adapted this recipe from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - The Original Classics, p. 350; author, Martha Stewart; publisher, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-307-39382-1.

Twice-Baked Acorn Squash - serves 1-2

1 acorn squash
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons green onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons Italian style bread crumbs

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise.

Remove the seeds and fibrous material.
Place the squash, cut sides up in a roasting pan filled with about 1/4-inch of water.  Season each half with salt and freshly ground pepper and cover with tin foil.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the inside of the squash is tender enough to be poked with a fork.

Remove from the oven and transfer squash to a cutting board to cool enough so that it can be handled.
Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Using a spoon (I used a grapefruit spoon), scoop the inside of each acorn squash half out and place it into a medium bowl.  Be sure to leave about 1/4-inch of the flesh around one of the halves for support, discarding the other half.

Place the sour cream, chopped green onion and Old Bay seasoning into the bowl.  Season with additional salt and pepper.
Using a potato masher, mash and mix until thoroughly combined.
In a small microwavable bowl, melt the butter.  Add the bread crumbs and mix well.

Fill the one half with the squash mixture.

Place buttered bread crumbs on top of the squash.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and heated through.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Twice-Baked Acorn Squash earned 2 rolling pins.
It was, as Mr. 365 said, "Eh."
Yes, nothing spectacular and I don't think I'll be making it again.
I think the Old Bay seasoning may not have been the right choice of seasoning because one bite into it and it tasted like I was eating a Stuffie - a stuffed Quahog, and a Quahog (pronounced Kwo-hog) is a large clam.  We used to dig for those things at the beach with our feet when we were little.
We?
I'm an only child.  There wasn't a "we", it was me and my mom and she certainly wasn't little.
I remember her showing me the holes in the mud I had to look for.  It was pretty neat being able to find them, but I can't tell you how many times I was cut by a razor clam because the mud holes are very similar.
Heck, what other blog can you go to where they talk about razor clams and educating you as to what they are?

Alright, enough of the marine biology.  I'm off to bed.

I give you all BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 351 - Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

I hear the trumpets sounding...

in my head anyway because I couldn't find the appropriate sound on YouTube.

2 WEEKS!!

14 more BAKED recipes!!!

I'm a little excited, can you tell?

Surprisingly enough, this year I haven't bought 1 box of Girl Scout Cookies.  And I have to say that the family really didn't even miss them.

No Girl Scout came to our door, I didn't have any friends whose daughters were selling them (at least that I knew of, or were here in Arizona anyway) AND I didn't even buy a box when they were selling them out in front of the grocery store.

How good is that??  Hunh??

At $4 a box, with the cookies becoming smaller and the amount in each box becoming less, I just rather make them myself anyway, especially since I know that I can.  And it is much more productive for me to just give a donation to the Girls without receiving the cookies in return.
Less calories.

Mission accomplished.

Enter an oven, a strong craving for some Thin Mint cookies and the recipe found at Baking Bites.

Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mints - makes  

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

6 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the milk and extracts with the mixer running on low speed.  The mixture may look curdled.  It's ok, don't freak out on me.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until combined thoroughly.

On two separate pieces of plastic wrap, shape half of the dough into rolls about 1 1/2-inches thick.

  

Refrigerate for at least one hour, until dough is very firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment.

Remove one of the rolls from the refridgerator and with a sharp knife, make slices about 1/4-inch thick.  In order for the cookies to be crisp, the slices need to be not more than 1/4-inch in thickness.

Place on the prepared cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until edges are firm.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping them in chocolate.
Repeat with second cookie dough roll.

Chocolate Coating

10 oz. dark or semi-sweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
*1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract - I added to give the cookies a stronger mint flavor.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter.  Heat on high for 30 seconds, stirring until chocolate is smooth, and reheating for another 15-30 seconds depending on how well the chocolate has melted.
Mix in the peppermint extract.

The consistency of the coating should be between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating.

Using two forks, dip a cookie into the chocolate, transferring between the forks to drain.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment to set for at least 30 minutes.

If necessary, reheat chocolate in 12 second increments to ensure the coating will be smooth.

Ok, so here's the thing.
I was a little preoccupied today.  I went to bed last night after learning of a friend's daughter's disappearance.  This two, soon to be three year old little girl, Avalee, has been missing since 9am yesterday morning when her biological father failed to drop her off after his visitation.  Athena and her husband have not been able to contact him or his family and neighbors said he was seen moving furniture out of his home over the weekend.
Needless to say, her mother, Athena, is worried sick.
I've posted her picture on the 365 FB page and information about the father's vehicle he drives.
Your prayers and positive thoughts for Avalee's return to her mom would be greatly appreciated and I thank you.

After learning there was no news on Avalee, I was able to motivate myself and planned to do a major grocery shopping and some cleaning after my P90X YogaX workout.  Don't worry, I wasn't able to do the whole thing.  I am certainly NOT a yoga person.  I did about 45 minutes of the 1 1/2 hours and was then totally exhausted.  The only energy I could muster was used to make these cookies.

I realized when I was writing the post that I added an extra 1/2 cup of butter.  For some reason, my mind computed the 1/2 cup to be 1/2 pound.  I don't know.  I've done this way too much in the past few weeks, misreading recipes. I just wasn't focused I suppose.
Then I had the cookies on the sheet and went to put them into the oven when my daughter, standing behind me, said, "wait, can I see them?".
I guess I turned around too fast because 4 of them went flying off of the parchment onto the floor.
These cookies require a bit of love and care.  They took me some time to coat and the chocolate may have needed another tablespoon or so of butter to make it a tad but thinner.  I found myself scraping some of the chocolate off because it was just way too thick.  It also only coated 1/2 the cookies and my ingredients made about 60 of them (it may have been that extra butter  ;-)  ).

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mints earned 3 rolling pins.
They were good and adding that 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint to the chocolate made a big difference.  We had coated some of them when my daughter tried one and suggested we do that.  I am so glad she did!  Thanks, girl!
I wonder how much different they would have tasted without the extra butter.
They were good without the chocolate coating, too.  Because I ran out of the chocolate we left some uncovered.
I think you'll like them.  And it may even bring back some girl scout memories.  It did for me!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Day 350 - French Butter Cookies

Cookies, cookies, cookies!!!
We LOVE cookies!
I really love cookies!
I love them so much that I'll be making them for you again tomorrow!  Not the same cookies of course, that would just be plain silly.
I'll give you a hint - they're popular this time of year.
That's all I'm sayin'.  Nope, I'm not telling you anything else.
Don't even try to get it out of me.
You'll just have to come see tomorrow.
Oh, I can't wait to eat them.

In the meantime, these cookies came from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - The Original Classics, p. 530; author, Martha Stewart; publisher, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-307-39382-1.

French Butter Cookies - makes about 5-6 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing on low speed until just combined.
On three separate sheets of plastic wrap, roll the dough into three logs 1 1/2-inches thick.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and placing a rack in the center.
Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment.
Remove one log from the fridge and roll it in the granulated sugar, making sure to coat it completely.

With a sharp knife, cut slices 1/4-inch thick.
Place the slices on the prepared cookie sheet 1-inch apart.
*Optional - with a toothpick, make 4 decorative holes in each cookie.* I did this, which was time consuming, and when they were removed from the oven, I couldn't really tell that most of them had holes.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack so that they can cool completely.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these French Butter Cookies earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
They were very simple, but very delicious.
Be careful, A LOT of these can be eaten in one sitting; they're bite-size and yummylicious!
I think you'll enjoy them.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!