Cuban Bread

This is just about the easiest bread recipe I have ever found ( book- Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn).
It only takes about an hour and 15 minutes from start to finish! And almost an hour of that time is IN THE OVEN!
No butter or oils needed!

I love the way it looks & smells when it comes out of the oven. It is a big hit with my family.
Texture:
It has a firm crust and chewy middle.

Note:
I replaced one cup of the flour with 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1/2 cup of ground flax. I used ground flaxseed on the top.

Cuban Bread
5-6 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. dry yeast (yes, that's 2 tablespoons.  Really.)
2 T. sugar  (I doubled this for extra flavor)
1 T. salt
2 c. hot water (not boiling, just from the tap)
1 T. sesame or poppy seeds or oats (I used ground flaxseed)

Mix 4 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt.  Pour in hot water
and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer.  Stir in the remaining
flour until the dough is no longer sticky.  Knead 8 minutes.  Place the
dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel.  Let rise 15 minutes.
Punch down.  Divide into 2 pieces, shape into 2 round loaves and place on
baking sheet.  Cut an X 1/2 inch deep on top with sharp knife.  Brush with
water and sprinkle with seeds or oats.  Place on the middle shelf of a cold
oven.  Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf.  Heat the oven to
400 degrees.  Bake 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown.

Milk-less Potato Soup

Ingredients needed:

• Potatoes (I used 20, although a small family would need less.  For this recipe, calculate about 4 potatoes per person and you will still have some left-overs)
• a small amount of oil
• Celery  3-5 stalks or less
• carrots (one is enough, but if you love carrots, you can add more)
• onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
• corn starch

*I added a small amount of sour cream and a small chunk of Velveeta cheese to mine that I had leftover, but it is not necessary.

For us, I normally use about 10-12 potatoes when I use milk, but for this recipe I use 20 (the creamed pototoes give it a creamy consistency). 

My grandmother gave me a great tip for speeding up the process for cooking potatoes.  After you add water, add a little oil, then slit the potatoes.  Place a lid on the pot.

While the potatoes are cooking, skin and cut up carrots (however many you want in your soup.  I would use one to two for this recipe).  I cut mine into little strips.

Chop celery.

In a frying pan, add your carrots and celery and enough water to cover them. I added about half a stick of real butter (you may want to add less if you are making a smaller portion). Boil the water (add a lid so that the water won't evaporate and the veggies will cook faster).  Add a couple of tablespoons of onion powder and about a tablespoon of garlic powder.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.

When the carrots and celery are tender and the water is still boiling, get a separate cup of  cold water and add about 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Mix well (make sure there are no lumps), and pour this into your celery/carrot water.  Stir the water until you have a nice gravy and then turn on low.

After the potatoes are soft, pour out the hot water and cover the potatoes in cold water.  Peel the skin off the potatoes.  Take half of your potatoes and cream them well.  Take the other half and chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Pour your celery/carrot gravy into a large soup pot, add your creamed potatoes, and add your dices potato bites.  Mix this together into your soup pot and turn on low.

Test your soup and add  whatever salt, pepper or spices you may need to have the perfect flavor.

My husband loves to eat Cuban bread with this.  Click here for the recipe.

Very tasty!

Milk-less pancakes

from: http://www.grouprecipes.com/24644/easy-pancakes.html




We added chocolate chips! Yum!


Ingredients


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 C. flour shopping list

1 Tbsp. sugar shopping list

2 tsp. baking powder shopping list

¼ tsp. salt shopping list

1 beaten egg shopping list

1 C. water shopping list

1 Tbsp. oil shopping list

How to make it

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In mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, combine egg, water, and cooking oil. Add to flour mixture all at once. Stir mixture just until blended but still slightly lumpy. Pour about ¼ C. batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet for each standard sized pancake or about 1 Tbsp of batter for each dollar-sized pancake.

Cook until pancakes are golden brown, turning to cook second side when pancake has bubbly survace and slightly dry edges. Makes 8 to 10 standard-size or 36 dollar-sized pancakes.

Using contact paper: storage ideas

I've been posting lots of recipes, but since this blog is about everything home-making, I thought I'd share some other home-making ideas.

A few years ago,  I really needed a place to keep our library books, but I didn't really have a lot of extra money to spend on the large storage baskets (which can be quite expensive even at Wal-mart).  So, I found the idea that you could choose a sturdy box and get decorative contact paper and cover it.    It was a very fun project, and I was pleased with my box.

Wouldn't you know, even though that box was covered YEARS ago, I still have it!  It has outlasted some of the wicker baskets on which I spent more money.

Another way I used contact paper was to cut into cereal boxes and book/magazine holders similar to these and then cover them with contact paper.   I still have them as well and they help keep the cookbooks in my cabinets organized.


Here are some links with more ideas for using contact paper:

http://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Decorating_with_Contact_Paper


http://www.ehow.com/how_6710827_decorating-contact-paper.html

No Guilt Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

From my friend Mary Ellen:


181 calories and 3.5 gram of fat!!!!

• 1 choc devil food cake mix
• 1 small can of pumpkin
•  no eggs, oil or water,
• May add walnuts if you like

Regular size:
20 min. at 400 degrees
mini muffins, cut down on the time to 10 minutes

Self -Rising Rolls

Do you want a quick roll recipe? 

These are absolutely delicious, and they remind me of a mix between a biscuit and a muffin.  They turn out light and fluffy and they are so easy!  They do not even need to rise even though you use yeast.  I got the recipe from Heather Dickinson who is an excellent cook.

Self-rising Rolls

In a small-medium bowl, dissolve 1 heaping Tablespoon of yeast (or 1 package) in 2 cups of warm water (not too hot, not too cold!)

In a large bowl:
Melt 3/4 cup of margarine or butter (a stick and a half) in microwave.
Add: 1/4 cup of sugar (she always uses 1/2 cup, but it might rise higher with less sugar.)
1 egg
4 cups of self-rising flour (or just add 2 teaspoons of salt and 4 teaspoons of baking powder to 4 cups of regular all purpose flour)
Add the yeast/water mixture, stir well, and spoon into well greased muffin tins.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

THESE DO NOT HAVE TO RISE, even when the dough is cold!  You may refrigerate dough for 1 week, pull out, and spoon into well-greased muffin cups, and bake!

(Since this is the week before Thanksgiving, I am thinking these are great to make ahead!)

Home-made Cleaning Wipes

My cousin Tawana sent me her recipe for home-made cleaning wipes:

You need:

• 1/2 cup liquid Lysol
• 4 capfuls of bleach
• a clean, plastic container such as an empty butter tub  

Mix fluids into the container.  Add water to the top, and fill with paper towels.
After the paper towels are fully soaked, you have inexpensive disinfectant wipes!

Thank you,  Tawana!  Just in case anyone is wondering, Lysol and bleach are o.k. to mix.  Just use caution while cleaning just as you would anytime you use bleach.

See:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_happens_when_you_mix_bleach_with_Lysol

Banana Muffins

from:
http://www.catcancook.com/awesome-banana-muffin-recipe/

Banana Muffins (makes 12 muffins)3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister, so I use 4)
1/2 cup white sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I don’t like them too sweet)
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together! Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees F oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Chicken noodle soup

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP W/ vegetables


You need:


cooked chicken (a cup or two will do)

 

Amish style noodles or egg noodles

 

1 can of cream of chicken soup

 

1 cup of sour cream

 

a bag of frozen mixed vegetables or a can of mixed vegetables

 

garlic powder, onion powder, salt, & pepper to taste

 

****************************************************************************************
Instructions:

 

• Cook  chicken and shred it.
• Boil the noodles (I used a bag of Amish style noodles ...they are a little more expensive but they are delicious!), I didn't drain out the water. I just added it all in
• Boil a bag of frozen vegetables or add a can of mixed vegetables (like Veg-all). Undrained. 
• Mix noodles, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of sour cream 
• I seasoned with garlic powder (or garlic salt), onion powder, salt and pepper

Heat to desired temperature.

 

Everyone loved it.

 

 

 

Pizza Soup

Pizza Soup is a favorite around here! 

• 1 pound of ground beef, venison, or sausage
•  1 tbsp dried, minced onion (or diced fresh onion)
• 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• 1 large can of spaghetti sauce and another full can of water (use the sauce jar)
• 1 large can of tomato juice
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 2 cans of mushrooms
• 1/2 package of pepperoni, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• sprinkle onion powder - to taste
• Any other toppings your family enjoys on a pizza (saute'd red peppers, black olives, etc...)
• Shredded cheese

Brown meat/saute' onion & Italian seasoning with the meat.  Drain

I like to also cook my pepperoni for a couple of minutes to crisp them up.

Fill a large soup pot with all ingredients, and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.  You may want to let it simmer for about 20 minutes on low so flavors can blend.

Sprinkle cheese on top of the soup after you ladle it into the bowl.  Serve with Texas toast or bread sticks!

Corn Salad

My family went to an out of town church home-coming service. Of course there was a pitch-in dinner, and of course that always makes me happy!
One lady shared her delicious, unique salad recipe with me:
Sister Perry's Corn Salad:
Mix together: 2 cans of Mexicorn (drained)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup of real mayo
Right before serving, add 7 ounces of chili cheese corn chips.
Very tasty and crunchy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

The picture above shows what was left after the boys ate their fill!

Pumpkin pancakes

This is a bulk recipe.  It makes a BUNCH of pancakes for the freezer.  Make sure you have plenty of quart-sized freezer bags to hold it all.  I usually put in 3 or 4 pancakes into each bag because that's what the kids usually eat.

5 cups of flour (I used wheat)
2 heaping TBSp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
milk  (I probably used about 5 cups)
I also added about 1/4 of a bag of chocolate chips, but that's not necessary.  I just had extra and it makes them extra special. :-)

Mix dry ingredients well.  Add eggs and gradually add milk until your pancakes reach the desired thickness.  I like mine thin and light so I add quite a bit of milk to make the batter pretty runny (about the consistency of gravy).

Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot griddle.  Turn when batter bubbles in the middle.

If you want to make a home-made syrup, see the previous post or click here.

Home-made pancake syrup (Maple)

2 cups of sugar.  I usually do half brown and half white
1 cup of water.

Mix together and boil for 1 minute.  Add one tbsp of maple extract.  Cover while cooling so that the sugar won't crystalize.  Store in an airtight bottle or container!

Home-made Crockpot Yogurt!

I enjoy making yogurt in the crock pot.  Ryan could eat it all day, so it's nice to be able to make an entire quart of it. 

(Ryan's caramel syrup yogurt right before he stirred it)

Instructions:
Pour 1 quart of WHOLE milk into the crock pot.  Turn on low for 2 1/2 hours.  Then turn the crock pot off and leave for 3 hours.  Take 1 cup of store bought PLAIN yogurt and 2 cups of milk from the crock pot and stir together.  Dump this back into the crock pot.  Wrap a heavy towel around the crock pot for insulation and let sit overnight.  Chill in the refridgerator.  Before you eat it, mix in fruit, honey, or any type of syrup.  We love to add strawberry, caramel, or chocolate syrup to ours.  It is a little thinner/runnier than store-bought yogurt... this is normal and how yogurt is naturally.  Thickeners are added to get the store-bought consistency.  If you use less than whole milk, it will still turn out, but it will be runnier.  I'm thinking.... drinkable yogurt.  Either way it is very yummy and healthy!

P.S.  I've never added dried milk, but I've read that you can add it to thicken the yogurt.

Some really neat links. Try some new things!

http://www.homemademamas.net/2010/10/breakfast-banana-splits.html

http://meandmypinkmixer.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-spice-granola.html

http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2010/10/caramel-apple-cookies.html

http://prairiecottagerose.blogspot.com/2010/09/toffee-mocha.html

http://sweetbeebuzzings.blogspot.com/2010/10/so-corny-fabric-candy-tutorial.html

Creamy Potato Soup

I made this for Sunday afternoon dinner. 

I planned ahead, and  used my crock-pot the night before to boil the potatoes. 

I wash mine, cut an x in them, cover them with water, and turn the crock pot on high.  They were actually cooked by morning and I just unplugged the crock pot.  

You need:

• 10-12 boiled & cubed potatoes -- you could do less if you think this is too much, but it was enough to feed our family of five and have enough for seconds or leftovers.
• Either 2 cans of cream soup ( cream of mushroom or chicken), or make the equivalent home-made (click here for a home-made recipe)
• 8 ounces sour cream
• bacon bits (real or imitation/soy).  I used half the bag.
• milk or water (to add at the end to get the consistency you like)

Mix the cream soup (I made a home-made cream gravy) & sour cream into a large soup pan. Add the cubed potatoes & bacon bits. Add milk or water to get the desired consistency.  Salt and pepper to taste.     Very easy and very tasty.

Easy Home-made Pizza, using Self-Rising Pizza Crust

This is an extremely frugal meal if you just use cheese and sauce.  :-)

Self-Rising Pizza Crust (from HillbillyHousewife.com)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry yeast

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

I doubled the recipe, making a giant pizza on my giant cookie sheet.  If you don't have a giant cookie sheet, you can make 2 pizzas if you have extra pans and pie pans and such.

 The recipe above (undoubled) makes a 9x13 size.

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and yeast.  Stir it up to distribute the salt and yeast evenly.  Add the water and oil.  You may need a spoonful or two more of water if the day is dry.  Mix he dough with a wooden spoon until it forms a big ball in the middle of the bowl.  It will be a little stiffer than biscuit dough.  Knead the dough about 10 or 12 times and then form it into a ball.  Place the ball in the center of a 16 inch pizza pan or a 9 x 13 inch rectangular pan.  Use your hands and a rolling pin, to press the dough into the pan.  I find a rolling pin most effective in this effort.  The dough will be a medium thickness.

For rolling out the dough, I use a mat I found at Walmart in the kitchen utensils section (near the cake pans).  It is  made by Wilton used to roll out pie crusts.  It is great for rolling out doughs.  You roll it up and dump the excess dough and flour into the garbage.  Hand wash on the counter with soap and water. Easy clean up!  I have found that I am more likely to do from-scratch dough recipes when I have an easy way to clean up.  I highly recommend it. Click here to see what it looks like.

 Top the crust with a sauce and toppings of your choice.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. 

Extra chewy Granola Bars

Extra Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup of flour (I use wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup of honey
1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
2 cups of choc chips (or raisins, dates, you could also add nuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.  In a large mixing bowl combine ingredients.  Pat into pan and bake for 18-22 minutes.  Let it cool for a few minutes; cut into bars.  These could  wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
Mine never last long enough though to do that.  They get devoured!  A good idea would be to make a double batch if you wanted to freeze them. :-)

My favorite quiche recipe

Easy Bacon Quiche

Pie crust  - put it in the oven while preheating to prevent sogginess
3 eggs
1 cup of cheese
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 package of real bacon bits (I like real bacon bits, but you can also do the soy kind and they are tasty too)
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all together and pour into pie crust.  Bake at 425 degree for 10 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45 minutes. 

If you are serving for dinner, add salad & fruit on the side.  Yum!
This is enough for one pie, but I always double this recipe and bake in a 9x13" pan.
Quiche is very versatile.
 Another favorite is to add asparagas or mushrooms, if you like those types of veggies (my favorites!).

Fudgy Buttons

These taste a lot like a Resee cup!

Fudgy Buttons
Ingredients



Click here to see a picture at allrecipes.com
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons baking cocoa

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon milk

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions

1.In a small saucepan, melt the butter; remove from the heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper; flatten tops and shape into 1-in. patties. Refrigerate until serving.Ingredients


2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons baking cocoa

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon milk

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions

1.In a small saucepan, melt the butter; remove from the heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper; flatten tops and shape into 1-in. patties. Refrigerate until serving.

Edible play dough recipe

Here's a fun alternative to play dough.  It's edible!  I made this with Ryan yesterday and he loved it.  Put it in the refrigerator when you aren't using it and it will keep.

Yes, that's a Kool-Aid smile (actually it's a Crystal lite smile!)

See my snake?

He and I both ate a few bites.  Its SWEEEET.

Tasty Clay
from  McCormick



INGREDIENTS1/3 cup margarine, softened, or shortening




1/3 cup light corn syrup



1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract or 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Peppermint Extract (I used Maple)



1/4 teaspoon salt



1 package (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar



McCormick® Assorted Food Colors and Egg Dye or McCormick® Assorted NEON! Food Colors and Egg Dye



DIRECTIONS

1. Mix margarine, corn syrup, extract and salt in large bowl. Add sugar; mix with hands until well blended. Add additional corn syrup if mixture is too dry.







2. Divide the mixture into as many portions as you would like to color. Add food color to each portion; knead well.







3. Shape into flowers and other stuff you can eat! Store in an airtight container.

Beef & Mushroom Lasagna

I clipped this recipe from a magazine. You can also find it at campbellskitchen.com. It was a hit with my family. :-)


Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup milk

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups Mushroom flavored spaghetti sauce

9 cooked lasagna noodles (I  have used both lasagna and egg noodles.  Egg noodles are very simple and easy... especially if you have children!)

1 cup shredded Italian-blend or mozzarella cheese

Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat. Stir in the Italian sauce.

Layer half the beef mixture, 3 lasagna noodles and 1 cup soup mixture in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, remaining beef mixture, remaining noodles and remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover the baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the lasagna is hot. Uncover the baking dish.

Heat the broiler. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Next time I make this, I may try to layer cheese into the dish as well as on the top. 

Texas Sheet Cake

This is my absolute favorite from scratch cake recipe. It is so good, that I made it this year for my boys' birthdays!

I got the recipe from:

http://southernfood.about.com


Ingredients:
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 cups sugar
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 cup butter
•1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•2 eggs
•1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
•.
•Chocolate Frosting:
•1/4 cup butter
•3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
•3 tablespoons buttermilk
•2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
Preparation:
Cake
Grease a 15X10X1-inch or jelly roll pan or a 13X9X2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. With an electric hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes for the 15X10-inch pan or 35 minutes for the 13X9-inch pan, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Pour warm chocolate frosting over the warm cake, spreading evenly. Place cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly before cutting.
Makes 24 servings.

Frosting:
In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. If desired, stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans.

English Muffin Pizzas

I bought some sourdough English muffins and made little pizzas from them. They were a big hit.

*Halve the English muffins
*Spread them with pizza sauce - not too much
*layer favorite vegetables (I used mushrooms & diced tomatoes)
*layer with favorite meat if you like (I used real bacon bits)

*Broil for a couple of minutes

*sprinkle with shredded cheese and place into oven

*Turn oven off and let sit until cheese is melted (cheese will melt superfast since oven is so hot).

*Serve with a tossed salad!

Fruit Pizza recipe

I made this as a dessert for Father's Day:

FRUIT PIZZA

2 pkgs. cream cheese
1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sugar (or to taste)
Pizza pan
Assorted fruit suggestions: Kiwi, strawberries, mandarin oranges, bananas, black or blue berries

Spread cookie dough over pizza pan. Cook the crust as directed on wrapper. In a bowl, microwave cream cheese until soft. Add vanilla and sugar. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled cookie. Cut and lay fruit in circles. Serve immediately. (Needs to be eaten immediately... the crust gets soggy if it sits for too long)

I got the recipe from Cooks.com

Printable Master Grocery List link

Click here for a free printable Master Grocery List.

Meat Crust Pizza (No Dough)

1 pound of ground beef or venison (browned and drained)
2 cups of shredded mozzarella chesse (divided)
1/2 cup low sugar pizza sauce
pizza toppings

Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat and drain. Mix meat with 1 cup of the mozz. cheese. Spread the mixture into a circle on a round pizza pan or stone, and top with 1/2 cup of pizza sauce. Top with the rest of the toppings and cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Yum! Will need a fork though ;-)

Black forest pudding

A good sugar-free dessert is pudding and jello. I decided last night to pick up a box of cherry jello and a box of chocolate pudding.

I had heard of Black Forest Cake (which is so delicous), so I thought it might be tasty to try a layered jello/pudding.

So, I fixed them separately according to the boxes. Then after they set,I put the cherry jello on the bottom and topped it with the chocolate pudding. Pretty good! And for one watching carbohydrates, just a little bit of the pudding on top of more of the jello will still help get a little bit of a chocolate kick. This could also be topped with whipped cream!

Note: I bet a can of cherry pie filling would be great with pudding on top too (but that isn't as low carb) :-)

Healthy Stew

I am watching my carbohydrates, but not avoiding them completely. This stew is really good because it cuts out high carb vegetables. Probably the highest vegetable I added was carrots, but in moderation it doesn't hurt.

I usually make stew with corn & potatoes, but I used cauliflower, cabbage, and green beans to substitute. This was a hit with my family.

Pound of ground venison (or low fat ground beef)
large can of tomato sauce
1/4 of fresh cabbage (chopped into bite sized)
1 bag of baby carrots
1 package of fresh, sliced mushrooms
1/4 of cauliflower (chopped into bit sized)
1 can of green beans
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder to taste (you could also add a little chili powder if you want.)

Brown meat and drain. While you are browning the meat, boil all of the fresh vegetables in a large stew pot. After the vegetables are tender, add the can of tomato sauce, meat, and spices. Heat through and enjoy.
I usually thicken with cornstarch, but I didn't for this stew. It was still good!
Heat through and enjoy.

Home-made bread?

Have you ever wished you could make home-made bread, but didn't feel like you had enough time? Well, ya know there is a way to make a quick, easy, and healthy "bread" that you can keep on hand.
Guess what it is? Pancakes!

Pancakes do not have to be unhealthy, because you can use healthier flours as you make them. I typically use whole wheat flour. Sometimes I add flax or oats as well.

The boys love pancakes, so I have been making large batches of them on the griddle and keeping them in a bread bag in the refrigerator. When they get hungry, we just toast them and spread peanut butter, jelly,honey, or butter on top. I have also been thinking about how you could spread cream cheese and fruit on top (I'm thinking about strawberries right now).

One really nice thing about pancakes is that they can be made whatever size you like, using whatever flour you like, and you can add whatever healthy thing you want (even ground up nuts!).

B.L.T.

Low Carb B.L.T's

All you do is omit the bread and wrap your bacon and tomato in Romain lettuce! 

Cheese would be good too!

Salmon Salad

I am trying to go lower on the carbohydrates yet high fiber, so I invented a yummy salad:

Salmon Salad

This makes a giant batch; it fed my family of five and I had leftovers for today...

Mix the following:
2 cans of Salmon (with or without bones... mine is with)
1 can of water chestnuts (chopped or diced or whatever)
mayo - enough to make it stick
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste
dill - to taste
diced pickles, if desired or pickle juice!  I just poured it in and tested it until I liked the taste. 
sunflower seeds - I probably used about 1/4 cup

Fresh spinach leaves
Give everyone a portion of spinach leaves, and then top with the salmon mixture.
Yum!  High protein... low carb... high fiber

Breakfast cake

I clipped a recipe from a magazine that is just absolutely delicious.


Breakfast cake


1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour  (I used mostly wheat)
1 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 egg
1 cup of buttermilk (I sour my milk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of milk)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup of applesauce (either sweetened or not... I think it needs the sweetened kind because this is not an extremely sweet cake)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used maple)
2 cups of fruit.   I tried frozen berries the first time, but they were not sweet enough.  The second time, I tried canned, dark sweet cherries.  Perfect!

Grease a 9x13 cake pan.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Mix all wet ingredients separately except fruit.  Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Fold in fruit.  Bake at 375* for  35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  (20 servings)

I love this with coffee!

Mushroom Noodle soup

I realize this recipe carb & sodium city, but today is the day before getting groceries.  I try to only shop twice a month so...  If anyone is like me, I usually have a few things left in the pantry (we always have tons of deer meat but who wants to cook that for lunch?).  This is what I threw together for lunch and it was just too tasty not to share:

1 package of Amish noodles
2 packets of mushroom gravy
1 packet of country gravy (white)
If I had them, I would add sliced fresh mushrooms too

Prepare the Amish noodles according to the package.  During the last 5 minutes (while the noodles are boiling).  Mix all 3 packets of gravy in about a 1 1/2 cup of cold water or milk.  Pour the gravy mixture into the boiling noodles and mix.  If you have mushrooms...add them too!
I will probably be bouncing off the walls in a bit after all those carbs (and very little protein) but it sure was good!

Grilled pizza

This recipe was in our electric consumer newsletter.  The boys loved it.

I am typing from memory so I apologize for the un-sofisticated style here. ;-)

You need bread, white cheese slices of your choice (mozzerella, monterey jack, etc), basil, and pizza sauce.

Make a grilled cheese sandwich with the bread and cheese, except sprinkle the bread with basil before you grill it.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into long strips.  Dip in warm pizza sauce.

I think next time I am going to try to put mushroom slices or even pepperoni in the middle! Well.. anything that might top a regular pizza would probably be good.

Creamy Chicken Stir-Fry

The other night I just kind of created as I was cooking and it turned out really yummy!
Here are my instructions:

• You need some cooked, diced chicken
• Boil stir fry vegetables (the kind with lo mein noodles)
• and white sauce or cream of chicken soup (or mushroom or celery)

After preparation, mix and enjoy a creamy one dish meal! 

*Edit: Thanks Lisa for naming my concoction!

No Bake Cookies

This is a favorite around here!

No Bake Cookies (from our church cookbook)

2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1 stick of butter

Boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Have ready:

1/2 cup of peanut butter
6 T (1/3 cup) of cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups of oats
Pinch of salt

Mix all together. Drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet and put in refrigerator for a few minutes (optional), until cooled and set.

Fun, frugal idea

I was about to throw away an olive jar, and I looked at it and realized it would make a really nice glass for the kids. So I washed it out (soaked it) and have been using it.

I have collected 3 so far (I think one had peppers in it). I like the odd shapes, and so do the kids.

Brownies

A good and easy brownie recipe. Icing is optional since they are so rich and sweet.

1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (I used maple)
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar,eggs, and vanilla. Add butter; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; add to batter and mix well.

Pour into a greased 8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.


from Taste of Home Baking p. 96 (icing recipe is included in the cookbook)

Amish Whole Wheat Bread

I got this from my 1977 Amish cookbook (published by Pathway)

"Best Whole Wheat Bread"

Makes 3 loaves....

2 cups milk
1/3 sugar (can use honey)
1/3 cup of butter, plus 2 tbsp.
1 tbsp salt
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of cold water
1 cup of very warm water
3 tbsp yeast

Scald milk. Add butter, sugar, and salt, stir until dissolved. Add whole wheat flour and beat rapidly with a wooden spoon (or mixer). Add dissolved yeast and cold water. Mix well, then add enough white flour to make a nice soft dough (Instead of white flour, I used wheat flour, oats and flax... just mix them in instead of white flour until dough is slightly sticky)

Let rise til double, punch down and turn over in a greased bowl. Let rise until double again. Then shape into 3 loaves and spank real hard to take out all air bubbles. Cover for 15 minutes. Let rise until double, then bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Calzones

The last post was a recipe for home-made pizza. Since then, I have used the pizza crust to make a calzone.

It works very well; you just bake it longer.

Here is how I made the dish tonight:

• I made spaghetti
• I made the pizza crust
• Roll out the pizza crust and spoon the spagetti into the middle, (like you would for a burrito).
• Roll the crust up like a giant burritto, pinching the ends and placing it folded side down on the ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400* for 30-35 minutes. After it bakes, slide it out and brush it with butter and bake for five more minutes to brown it (or if you are brave, put it on broil).

After I made the spaghetti calzone, I thought it would have been even better if I had sprinkled some garlic salt/powder or Italian herbs on top. Have fun with it!

Here are some good ideas for a large variety of calzones.

Home-made Pizza

I found a great recipe for pizza crust a couple of years ago. It has served me well, so I decided to share. I always double the recipe to make a giant pizza.

Self rising pizza crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry yeast

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. I mix all together with a wooden spoon.

I roll it out on top of a large piece of aluminum foil (sprinkle with flour). Pick it up and flatten it into the pan and up the sides.

Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes (make sure it is browned or it will be gummy).