Monthly Archives: August 2012

Dinner time!

Sloppy Joe BLT’s

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We love these!  And usually, instead of bread, we’ll use the tortillas and have wraps.  I’ve been told this is “deli-quality”.  The recipe is from Taste of Home magazine.

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 lg tomato, chopped
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar
1/2 cup real bacon bits (found near salad dressing in grocery aisle)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
12 slices Italian bread (3/4 inch thick), toasted, or you can use tortillas instead for wraps.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato, cheeses and bacon. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper; spoon over salad mixture and toss to coat. Spoon about 3/4 cup over six bread slices; top with remaining bread.

Serves 6

Mo-o-om! I'm hungry!!, Smart Substitutes

Yummy yogurt

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A gallon of homemade yogurt!! I find, with the way my kiddos like yogurt, this is the best and cheapest way to do it. And this is plain yogurt, but I also have a great way to flavor it (other than just mixing in something at the last minute). So I thought I’d share the recipe as this is VERY easy to make! 

The recipe makes 2 quarts, so you’ll have to double it for a gallon

1 pkg unflavored gelatin (ya know, like Knox)
1/4 cup cold water
6 cups very warm water
3 cups powdered milk
1 can evap milk (or you can scald 1 1/2 cups of milk instead)
1/4 cup yogurt (yeah, you have to have yogurt to make yogurt)

Put 1/4 cup water in small saucepan, sprinkle with gelatin, mix and slowly heat until gelatin has dissolved and mixture is just about to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine powdered milk with 6 cups warm water and mix well.  In saucepan with gelatin mix, pour in evaporated milk and yogurt. Mix well, then pour into warm milk mixture. Mix gently, then set in a very warm place to set for 6-8 hours (I put it in my oven with the light on). That’s it! Refrigerate before eating (unless you like really liquid yogurt!). Note that homemade yogurt is a bit “slimier” than store bought.

Now, for flavoring (and if you have picky people who are grossed out by the slimey yogurt). Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a large glass bowl. Pour a 4oz box of FLAVORED gelatin (one of our favorites is lime) into the water and mix until it is all dissolved. To this, add 3 cups of plain yogurt. Mix well, refrigerate. Later you will have a custard like yogurt to make any picky person happy!

G'mornin' Sleepy Head!

Mini Quiches

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When I made these for breakfast, I started out following a recipe, but then just took off with it, so here’s what I did:

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup half and half or evap milk
1/2 cup mayo (btw, we LOVE the Best Foods Canola Oil mayo! Give it a try!)
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup cooked ham, bacon or sausage
4 oz fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 12 muffin cups + 1 small glass oven-safe dish with cooking spray.
In a food processor, chop up meat, mushrooms and onion (fairly small, but don’t puree it!)
Combine eggs, mayo, salt, pepper, and flour in bowl and beat with egg beater. Add chopped meat-veggie mix and shredded cheese. Mix to combine.
Scoop batter(I use an ice-cream scoop with the built in scraper for making these and muffins) into prepared muffin cups and bake for about 22 minutes or until quiches are lightly browned and puffed. A knife inserted in the middle of one should come out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes (they will deflate, but that’s okay) and enjoy!!

Bread, Glorious Bread

Tortillas in No Time

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Every year my Mother-in-Law buys me a subscription to Taste of Home magazine for my birthday. Well the latest one had a recipe that has already become a favorite in our house! Now, as I’m posting this, I’m very aware that this probably isn’t the most traditional tortilla recipe. God blessed me with a sister-in-law who is from New Mexico and she (Gina) has got tortilla making down as an art form (see, she got me addicted to fresh tortillas!) Anyway, here’s the recipe….should these be called “Gringo Tortillas”? Who knows, I don’t care! They’re easy and tasty!

from Taste of Home magazine, June/July 2010
Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
Yield: 8 Tortillas (I always double this)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 Tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 5 to 6 times (lately mines been VERY sticky so I’ve added flour until it’s a soft dough) Begin heating a large non-stick skillet (I use my 10-in. cast iron skillet) Spray lightly with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Divide flour into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle. Cook tortilla for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm.

That’s it! Pretty easy! What makes it even more fun is that I have a helper (tonight it was my 7 yo) to do the cooking while I roll out the tortillas….kind of an assembly line. They watch for a few bubbles and then flip it. By the time I have the next one rolled out, the cooking tortilla is done. Great teamwork!

Enjoy!! We’re having beef fajitas on fresh tortillas tonight!!

Bread, Glorious Bread

Alicia Bread

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Just so you know, this isn’t named after My Girlie (hers is spelled differently), but for a friend who claims this is the ONLY bread she can make. I LOVE this recipe and use it often, especially when I’m short on time. This is also what I used to make those sandwich squares (rolled the dough out to 1/2 inch thick, cut into big squares and bake)

3 cups flour
1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp salt
3 Tbs sugar (I only use 1 1/2 Tbs)
1 Tbs gluten (I also add 1 Tbs dough enhancer)
1 Tbs oil
1 1/4 cup hot water

Throw all of the dry ingredients in your mixer and then pour in the oil and water. Mix for about 3-5 minutes. Let sit 10 min. Shape it and let it rise for 30 min. Bake at 350 degrees (15-18 min for sandwich squares or 20-30 min for loaf)

Bread, Glorious Bread

Linda’s Brown Bread

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another favorite bread recipe. This one if for your bread machine (although I have made it in my mixer, too) Very tasty (unfortunately there are some in this family who prefer boring white bread….course that means all the more yumminess for me!!

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oats
Mix these together and let sit for about 5 minutes in your bread machine pan.
After 5 min., add the following:
2 Tbs oil
1 Cup warm water
1/4 c. molasses
3 1/4 cup flour (or 2 1/4 white and 1 c wheat)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs gluten
1 Tbs dough enhancer
optional 1/2 cup raisins

If baking in oven, bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
Oh yum! Now I’m wanting this!!!!

Bread, Glorious Bread

Mashed Potato Bread

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image

I found this recipe online, but now can’t find it to give it it’s proper credit.  Sorry!!!

1 medium potato

2 1/2 c boiling water

1/4 c. warm milk

2 pkg yeast

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs sugar

5-6 c flour

2 tsp salt

Wash, scrub, and boil potato (leave skins on, you can get the vitamins from the skin too!)  Once potato is cooked, reserve potato water, and remove skins from potato (now you can discard the skin).  Mash up the potato and let it cool slightly.  In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm milk, stir to dissolve.  Mix cooled potato and butter and then add it to the bowl, along with 2 cups of the reserved potato water.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well (will be a tad sticky).  Knead 10 min (thank you, Lord, for my KitchenAid mixer!!)Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil.  Cover with oiled plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled.  Punch down, cut dough in half, shape into 2 balls and let it rest for 10 min.  Press each ball down and shape into loaf pans.  Let rise until dough is above sides of pan.  Slash tops.  Bake at 375 for about 50 min (tap bottom to listen for hollow sound).  If it’s not quite done, you can finish cooking it on a flat stone.

Dinner time!

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

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This is an AWESOME summer meal.  And if you want to make it quicker/easier, you can always use popcorn chicken or chicken nuggets in place of frying up the chicken.  I also add a can of black beans to this, although kidney beans would also work well.

    • 6 tablespoons honey
    • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
    • 2 teaspoons Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
    • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup corn flake crumbs
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 2 skinless chicken breast halves
    • 4 cups vegetable oil ( for frying)
    • 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
    • 2 cups red cabbage
    • 2 cups napa cabbage
    • 1 carrots, julienned or shredded
    • 2 green onions, chopped
    • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
    • 2/3 cup chow mein noodles

Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat.You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees.Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer.Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad.In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well.In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper.Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips.Dip each strip of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture, coating each piece completely.Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has darkened to brown.

Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots.Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce.Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks.Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle.Serve with salad dressing drizzled over it or on the side.

Bread, Glorious Bread

Sourdough Bread

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I LOVE this sourdough bread recipe because you don’t need a starter, you use plain yogurt instead!!!  Got if from Food.com

“Sourdough bread without using a starter. The yogurt does it. It makes a very tasty loaf of bread. One of our favorites.” By Barb Gertz on March 10, 2003

    • 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
    • 2/3 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
    • 3 1/4 cups bread flour
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 3 teaspoons dry yeast or 2 3/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
  1. Do not use delay bake option with this recipe.
  2. Bake on regular bread cycle.
  3. Have water between 70 and 80 degrees.
  4. Add all ingredients in order listed.
  5. Make a hole in flour for yeast, don’t let yeast touch water.
Mo-o-om! I'm hungry!!

Philly Chippers

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warning:you may get unexpected marriage proposals when you share these cookies….they’re that good!!

1 (8oz) pkg softened cream cheese

1 cup margarine (it MUST BE margarine, butter does NOT work)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine cream cheese, margarine, and sugars, mixing until well blended.  Blend in egg and vanilla.  Add combined dry ingredients, mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 min or until lightly browned.