Jelly Bean Cookies and The Weekly Menu #EasterLeftovers

Happy Day after Easter everyone.  I am rejoicing in my Living God.  Easter is my favorite Holiday of the year.  It is the celebration of the birth of Christianity.  Had our Lord not arose that Easter Morning 2000+ years ago our world (certainly my world) would be vastly different.  I hope that you had a wonderful celebration and should you profess a  different religion or no religion at all, I hope you had a wonderful Spring weekend.

Sue of PalatablePastime asked our  Holiday Fun with Blog Friends group to get together today to share some recipes using up our Easter leftovers.  Whether or not you celebrate Easter, you are sure to find some recipes in here that you will love and that will help you use up leftovers all the year through.

I'm sure you are going to see lots of recipes using ham.  I like to make Split Pea Soup with my ham bone. I also like to serve lamb on Easter.  Lamb just speaks Spring to me.  Leftover Lamb goes into this delicious casserole.  Did you serve a Beef Roast?  How about turning the leftovers into French Dip Sandwiches?  YUM!

Today, though, I am sharing a recipe to use up something that you have left from Easter that you didn't cook up first.  Today we are using up the last of those jelly beans!  I found this easy sugar cookie recipe containing jelly beans at Taste of Home.

I adapted this recipe very slightly, using half and half instead of milk, as my milk had passed it's expiration date.  These cookies are very sweet.  The next time I make them I am lowering the added sugar to 1/2 cup.  My Angel Face thought they were perfect but she is the Jelly Bean Queen.

Jelly Bean Cookies

slightly adapted from Taste of Home

1/2 c. shortening

3/4 c. sugar (I will reduce to 1/2 c. in future)

1 egg

2 T. half and half

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/4 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

3/4 c. small jelly beans

Cream together shortening and sugar in large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  Add the egg, half and half and vanilla beating until well blended.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix at low setting until incorporated, increase speed and beat into creamed mixture.  Reduce mixer to lowest setting and stir in jelly beans.

Using a small cookie scoop, place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing 1" apart.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown.  Print Recipe

Now that you've enjoyed your Easter meal, chocolate or whatever else, give the leftovers another lease of life! Get some inspiration from all the leftover recipes being shared today:

• Ham, Pea and Onion Risotto from Family around the Table
• Macaroni and Cheese with Ham from Palatable Pastime
• Jelly Bean Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Deviled Ham and Egg Salad from Cooking with Carlee
• Loaded Stuffed Potato Pancakes from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Leftover Lamb Pasta Sauce with Eggplant from Caroline's Cooking

Weekly Menu featuring Easter Leftovers

Meatless Monday

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Leftover Spring Vegetable Soup

Tuesday

Mac and Cheese with Ham and Broccoli

Wednesday

Greek Tacos (using leftover lamb)

Tomato/Mint Salsa

Thursday

Kapusta using leftover Kielbasa

Fish Friday

Crab Alfredo (using leftover crab from raviolis)

Stay tuned for recipes and photos in upcoming posts.  I pray that you and yours had a joyous Holiday and that this time of rebirth brings you renewed hope.  Thanks for visiting today.