Two Winning Recipes

 My mom and sister tried this bread recipe and then emailed it to me.  It is so easy and so delicious! 

Artisan Bread

3 c flour

1/4 tsp yeast

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 c  water plus enough to clean dough off the sides of the bowl and form shaggy ball (be careful, you don't want too much water!)

3+ Tbs vinegar

Whisk dry ingredients in bowl, add wet and stir until a shaggy ball forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 8-18 hours.

Transfer to counter, knead 10 times and form into a ball. Place on parchment paper or small pie plate and let rise until double about 2 hours. 

About 30 min before baking preheat oven to 500 and place a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot inside (a big pan with a lid). Make one slash across top of loaf. Pick up by the paper / pie plate and transfer into the hot pot. Put the lid back on and place in the oven. Reduce the temp. to 425 and bake for 30 min. Uncover the loaf and if needed bake for up to 20 more min. Until golden brown, or 200 degree internal temp.

Amish Oatmeal

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar (I used less)

3 cups oats

2 tsp. baking power

1 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 apples, peeled and diced

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup craisins

Combine all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a 9-inch square pan.  Spoon into bowls and serve with half and half or milk on top.   

I doubled the recipe.

All of my kids thought it was so yummy.  My four year old keeps asking me to make it again!  

Getting Ahead of Breakfast

At our house we prefer to eat something besides cereal for breakfast.  That said, we have had cereal a lot lately as we have scurried out the door for school.  

When it comes to cooking, eating healthy is a big priority for me.  I make most things from scratch.  The truth is I don't have time to make pancakes from scratch on a school mornings, nor do I have time to wait for muffins to bake.

Today I made made up bags of our favorite pancake recipe so that I  can quickly add wet ingredients and get pancakes made for breakfast.  

I also made a big batch of  "6 Week Bran Muffins."  I put them in the freezer so that I can pull them out the night before we plan to eat them for breakfast.  

I am also planning to boil eggs ahead of time and I always try to have fruit on hand to add to each breakfast.  

6 Week Bran Muffins
(My sister-in-law, Shannon, shared this recipe with me, it has been a favorite for many years!) 

2 cups flour (I use fresh ground white wheat flour)
1 cup oats
1 cup wheat germ
3 cups sugar (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 cup oil (I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)
1 quart buttermilk
1 25 oz. box Raisin Bran

Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls.  Mix together.  Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Store batter in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.  It makes about 3 dozen.  

Garlic Breadsticks

My Friend Wendee shared this recipe with me.  I think they taste like Olive Garden's Breadsticks.  Yummy!

Garlic Breadsticks

Wendee Bacon

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. very warm water

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp.)

4 ¼ c. all purpose flour

2 TBS unsalted butter, melted

2 TBS sugar

1 TBS salt

Garlic Butter Topping:

½ stick unsalted butter

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp table salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered.  Mixture should be frothy.  In the bowl of your stand mixer or medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt.  Add yeast mixture and melted butter to flour mixture.  Mix with dough hook attachment on stand mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined.  Knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth and elastic.  Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Pull off small pieces of dough and roll out into strips.  Cover and dough with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray (so dough doesn’t stick to it from the inside) or cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Put in a warm place to rise.  Once they have doubled in size, preheat oven up to 400 degrees. 

While they are baking, make butter topping.  Microwave butter until melted and add garlic powder and salt, stir until combined.  After 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture.  Then continue to bake for another 6-7 minutes.  Immediately upon removal from the oven, brush the other half of the butter on the sticks. 

60- Minute Cinnamon Rolls

60- Minute Cinnamon Rolls (Becky Rose) 

Beckie Smith

3 ½- 4½ c. flour

3 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

3 tsp yeast

1 c. milk

½ c. water

½ stick butter or margarine

1 egg

½ c. softened butter for spreading on dough

Cinnamon and sugar mixture (2 tsp cinnamon, ½ c. sugar)

Glaze – see below

Pre Heat oven to 425 degrees

Directions:

1.     Mix 1 ½ c. flour, sugar, and yeast in a medium bowl or mixer bowl. 

2.     Heat milk, water and butter until warm.

3.     Add 1 egg and gradually add liquid to dry ingredients while beating with hand mixer (or in mixer) on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4.     Add 1½ c. flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes. 

5.     Stir in (or add if using stand up mixer) enough flour to make a soft dough.  Dough should be a little tacky to the touch. 

6.     Knead 5 minutes.  (I knead in mixer on medium speed.)

7.     Put in greased bowl and let rise 15 minutes. 

8.     Punch down dough.  Roll out into rectangle.  Spread with soft ¼ c. butter and cinnamon sugar mixture.  Roll up and pinch shut.  Cut into rolls. 

9.     Place in greased cake pans.  (If you wanna go crazy . . .pour some melted butter in each pan and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar mixture before adding rolls.)  Cover and let rise 15 minutes. 

1.     Bake at 425 degrees until browned and center of rolls are firm to the touch.  In my oven that is around 15-20 min.  Cool slightly before glazing. 

Doubled makes 4 - 9 x 13 pans.

Creamy Glaze Recipe: (Don’t double – already a lot)

2/3 c. melted butter (1 stick plus 2 TBS)

4 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4-8 TBS hot water (one at a time)

In medium bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water 1 TBS at a time until glaze reaches desired consistency.  Spread over slightly cooled rolls.  ENJOY!

Friday Night Pizza

We have Friday night pizza night at our house. Our kids love it, and believe it or not it is actually healthy. I make homemade whole wheat crust with fresh ground white wheat flour. We always have vegetables and use 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese. Our family would all agree that our pizza is better than a restaurant. . .and a lot healthier!


Almost all of my pizza ideas come from Liz Edmunds, "The Food Nanny." This is her pizza crust recipe that we love! I always double her recipe and freeze half so that I only make the dough every other week.

Basic Pizza Dough

(The Food Nanny)

One 16-inch medium-crust pizza or two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or four 8-inch thin-crust pizzas

1 tablespoon active dry yeast


1 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water


2 tablespoons olive oil


1 tablespoon honey


1⁄4 teaspoon salt


3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour or half all-purpose and half whole wheat (See Note) *I use white wheat four

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, add 1 cup of flour at a time, up to 3 cups, mixing well after each addition. You may have to stir in the third cup of flour by hand, depending on your machine. Or mix in all 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.

3. Lightly grease pizza pan(s) or a cookie sheet(s) with oil. If you are making two or more thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on the floured surface. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan(s).

4. Let the dough rise (it will not rise very much) while you make sauce and continue with the pizza recipe of your choice.

Note: I like this pizza crust best with half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat. I now keep my whole wheat flour in a canister right beside my all-purpose so I can dip into and add whole wheat to almost any bread dough or pancake or waffle batter.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis (based on 8 servings): Calories: 213; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 74 mg; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 5 g

Topping ideas: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, red peppers, green peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, olives. . .

My personal favorite is "3 Cheese Pesto Pizza." I have the recipe in the week #1 recipes.

French Baguettes

This is a wonderful recipe from "The Food Nanny." It is very easy to make and perfect for any meal!

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 T. active dry yeast, (2 packets)
2 tsp sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
melted butter

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the warm water, the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar. Stir to combine and let mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.

In a large mixing bowl blend the flour, salt, the remaining teaspoon of sugar and the yeast mixture. Gradually add remaining water and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball that is not too sticky to handle (if it is too sticky add a little more flour) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly until the dough is smooth and elastic. (I mix in my Bosch on speed 1 for about 7 minutes).

Cut the dough in half and shape the halves into baguettes. Grease a baguette pan and place the loaves in the pan. Score the loaves down the middle, cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes. If desired brush the tops with melted butter halfway through the baking. For a softer crust, brush with butter when they have finished baking. This is the easiest bread recipe that I have made, I use it all the time!! (I also make it with part or all fresh ground white wheat flour)

Homemade Tortillas

This was my first attempt at homemade tortillas.  Everyone in my family agreed that they were so much better than store bought tortillas.  I was amazed how easy they were to make! 

Whole Wheat Tortillas

(Taken from "Wild Flour" by Denise Fidler, the Country Baker)

3-4 cups soft whole wheat pastry flour (I used freshly ground white wheat flour)

1 tsp. sea salt

1/3 cup oil

1 cup warm water

In your Bosch bowl with batter whips (or other mixer), mix dry ingredients.  Add all wet ingredients in a slow and steady stream.  Mix and knead adding more water or flour as needed to produce a smooth dough for 1-2 minutes.  Form into 12-18 balls.  Cover and rest 30 minutes.  Press in electric or manual tortilla maker and cook.  The secret to a great tortilla is a soft and moist dough.  

*I used a rolling pin to roll them out and cooked them on my electric griddle.  

*Warm tortillas with butter, cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top are delicious.

*Tortillas freeze great.  Just seal in heavy-duty freezer bag with layers on waxed paper between them.  

Favorite Wheat Pancake Recipe

Whole Wheat Pancakes
(Aunt Brenda Wake)

2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites (beaten)

Put all ingredients except egg whites in a large bowl.  Beat on low until moist.  Increase to medium, mix until smooth. (I mix everything by hand)  After egg whites are beaten, add and fold into batter.  Cook on hot grill and top with favorite toppings.

Some of our favorite toppings:  
(I don't use syrup much because it is a lot of calories and not a lot of nutrition)
Natural Applesauce with Cinnamon and Pecans
Bananas and Walnuts
Strawberries or Rasberries
Peaches
Yogurt any variety of flavors

Applesauce Muffins

applesauce muffin recipe

(I got this recipe from Brooke Oldroyd's blog.  It has become one of our favorites!  She is always cooking up something amazing!)


1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c flour (I use wheat)
1c applesauce (I add more applesauce and less oil)
1/2 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all together, pour in lined muffin tin. Bake 375 for 18 min.