Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day

I found video on how to make easy bread everyday. I am planning on trying this out today and hopefully be able to make a whole grain bread or white bread easily without having to buy bread from the store. The good thing about this is my daughter loves bread and so do the boys. Also you can make the dough into whatever shape you would like bread, rolls, or bread-sticks. Just use your imagination and see what you can create.

White Bread

6 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 Tb. kosher salt, 1 1/2 Tb. yeast, 3 cups lukewarm water

Mix this up in a big container and let rise on the counter for 2 hours. Also mix in a big enough container, so it has room to rise. The dough then can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or until you use it up.

Whole Grain Bread

5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 1/2 cups white flour, 1 Tb. kosher salt, 1 1/2 Tb. yeast, 4 cups lukewarm water

Mix this up in a big container and let rise on the counter for 2 hours. Also mix in a big enough container, so it has room to rise. The dough then can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or until you use it up.

Yummy Hash Brown Casserole......

Ham Hash Brown Bake
1 (32 oz) package of hash browns potatoes, thawed slightly
1/2 cup butter or margarine melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 to 2 cups cubed pre-cooked ham or turkey ham (the recipe called for 1 12-ounce can of SPAM cubed, but I used turkey ham)
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/ 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups of crushed potato chips

Combine potatoes, butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a separate bowl, combine ham (spam) soup, cheese, sour cream, milk, onion, and chilies. Combine both mixtures and place in 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with chips. Bake 45-60 minutes or until heated
Serve & Enjoy:)

Squash Muffins & Scones

Yesterday I decided to make up a recipe that I had found at one of the blog's that I like to read. It was called "Sweet Potato Muffins", but I decided that I was going to use squash in mine, since I had just baked up a big butternut squash a couple of days ago. They turned out really good.

So what I did, since it makes such a big batch is after the batter was mixed up I prepared 18 muffins and then with the rest of the batter I added an extra cup of flour. I do that so the batter is thicker and I can make scones with it. I have figured out that if I take a muffin recipe and just put more flour in it that I can make scones with it and they are like the Victor Allen's scones that I like.

Crockpot Pirate Stew
This is a recipe that I found on line last year and decided to try out. It does not look like much when it is done, but it tastes great and even taste even better the following day.

3/4 c. sliced onion
1 lb. ground beef (cooked)
1/4 c. uncooked rice
3 c. raw potatoes
1 c. diced celery
2 c. canned kidney beans, drained or any other bean of choice
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 c. tomato sauce
1/2 c. water or more if you think you need it.

Brown onions and the ground beef in a skillet. Then layer the ingredients in the slow cooker in the order that they are given. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until potatoes and the rice are cooked.

Toffee Pecan Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour 1/2 C. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 C. (2 sticks) butter

3/4 C. firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 C. granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 C. coarsely chopped pecans (see note)

1/2 C. toffee pieces Directions: Mix the flours, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Then in another mixing bowl cream butter, sugars, egg, vanilla together. Then add the chopped pecans and toffee pieces mix together. Lastly add the flour mixture. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 10-12 mins. Eat & Enjoy!

Cookie Recipes.....

Go here to find some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Vegetable Wreath Recipe

On Wednesdays I have been going to a Women's Bible study, which has been wonderful. I have only been there for the last couple of weeks, but I am looking forward to next month when they start there new study. Well yesterday we had a little Christmas party and one of the lady's brought this wonderful dish that was very yummy and sounds easy to make.

Ingredients

• 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
• Celery leaves

Directions:

• Remove crescent dough from packaging (do not unroll). Cut each tube into eight slices. Arrange in an 11-in. circle on an ungreased 14-in. pizza pan.
• Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a serving platter; cool completely.
• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over wreath; top with broccoli, celery and red pepper. Form a bow garnish with celery leaves. Yield: 16 servings.

EASY PEANUT BUTTER CRACKER COOKIES
NO BAKE

I came across this link and remember having these before and they are so good. I think this might me something the kids and I would like to make. To find out how to make them go here.

Christmas Bark......

Here's a recipe that I want to try out this year. It looks so easy and yummy too.

Ingredients:

• 35 saltine crackers
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• toffee bits or chopped walnuts for topping

1. Line a sheet cake pan with foil or parchment paper. Lay crackers on the pan in a single layer.
2. Stirring frequently, melt butter and sugar together in a small saucepan. Stir until bubbly.
3. Pour butter mixture over crackers. Spread with a spoon. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to the oven for 2 minutes.
5. Spread melted chocolate chips evenly over crackers.
6. Top with chopped walnuts or toffee bits.
7. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate until set. Break crackers into pieces for serving.

Runza Casserole.....

I was looking at some menu's this morning and came across this Runza Casserole recipe. Since my hubby is from Nebraska I have to put this on my list of recipes to try. For those who may not know they have Runza Restaurants there.

French Toast Mix Recipe......

This is a recipe that I got from Brandon's sister several years back and I love it so much. I have to say French toast is probably one of my favorite items for breakfast with bacon as a close first as well. I also like to use French or Italian bread, which makes the best french toast, but you can use bread if that's what you have on hand. Enjoy and let me know if you try it out:)

French Toast Mix

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour

Combine all the ingredients as listed and whisk well.

Thanksgiving Recipes......

We are staying home for Thanksgiving this year, so Brandon invited a friend from school over to enjoy dinner with us. It will be a nice relaxing day of cooking & baking, which are two things I really enjoy. To find a few of the recipes that I will be making you can go here.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess 5:18

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

I needed to make a dessert last week and I came across this pumpkin pie recipe in a Midwest Living magazine. It turned out really good and I will definitely make it again. You can find the recipe here on the Taste of Home website. I used evaporated milk instead of the whipping cream. I also thought about putting a crumb topping on it. You can find the crumb topping recipe here and also the Streusel Pumpkin Pie recipe.

5 Star Brownies......

Do you ever just need chocolate? I decided to try out this from scratch brownie recipe and they were delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup shortening, melted
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until blended. Beat in butter and shortening until smooth. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts if desired.
• Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with foil and grease the foil; pour batter into pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Using foil, lift brownies out of pan. Discard foil. Cut with a star cutter or into bars. Yield: about 3 dozen.

German Apple Pie

This is a super easy recipe. I usually used a tart apple like granny smith, which hold up the best for baking. This time I used some of the free apples that the kids and I found down by the library. They are a nice tart apple like the granny smith and the hubby thought the pie tasted great.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cups of apples
pie crust of choice

Mix together the the first 5 ingredients & then add the sliced apple. Mix together well and pour into pie crust. You can either top it with another crust or make up a crumb topping. For my crumb topping is use: 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c. flour, & 1/4 c. cold butter. Cut butter into the flour & sugar till it forms a crumb mixture.

Bake pie at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool & enjoy! Refrigerate if the whole pie is not devoured.

Fried Bread Dough Donuts......
This is a favorite that my mom use to make for us growing up. I loved it and still do, but you have to make peanut butter frosting to go on top. Yum Yum!!!!

Making these are super easy. Just use some fresh bread dough that has risen. It can be keep in the refrigerator until your ready to make them. Then cut off a good size chunk and make it into a donut shape. Then fry in the deep fat fryer. Put on a plate that has some paper towels on it to let it cool a bit.

To make up the peanut butter frosting just use powdered sugar, peanut butter, & milk. I suppose 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 2 Tb. peanut butter and just enough milk to make it look like a frosting. I have also found that using french vanilla coffee cream adds a nice extra flavor to most frosting's I make.

These could be eaten as a dessert or breakfast. It's your choice. I think we usually had them as a desert, but with using whole wheat bread dough why not for breakfast?

Eat & Enjoy!

Zucchini Fritters.....
We had these for supper the other night and they were great. You can find the recipe here. The recipe calls for carrots and zucchini, but I just used zucchini because I have a lot of it and have been looking for good recipes to use it in.

Here is my hubby making up some battered fried fish, which was really yummy.

Zucchini Cobbler....

Here is a recipe I found on the Taste of Homes website. It is definitely different but I was very surprised at how tasty it turned out. My hubby thought it was good, but it is best to eat it after it has been refrigerated for a few hours and served with some vanilla ice cream. So if you have some extra zucchini sitting around give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Ingredients:

FILLING
4 cups chopped seeded peeled zucchini (about 3 pounds)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
cups sugar
3/4 cups cold butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; simmer 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; set aside. For crust, combine the flour and sugar in a bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup into zucchini mixture. Press half of remaining crust mixture. Press half of remaining crust mixture into a greased 12-in. x 13-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Spread zucchini over top; crumble remaining crust mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

I came across this recipe the other day while looking for some new zucchini recipes. I have lots of zucchini to use up and more on the way. This is a winner for my husband as he helped himself to thirds last night. To find the recipe go here.

Also to find out nutritional information on zucchini you can go here.

Monkey Bread.....
This is one of my husbands favorite breakfast breads. I like to make it and the kids also love to help out. I came cross a monkey bread recipe here and had to try it out. I like the idea she had for using a pie pan. This blue Pyrex dish worked great and baked up so easy and I didn't have to worry about it not getting done in the middle like with using a bunt pan.

Ingredients:
2 can buttermilk biscuits
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

First mix the sugar & cinnamon together. Then roll the biscuits in the cinnamon sugar mixture and cut into 4ths. I actually had the kids roll the big biscuits in the mixture first before I cut them up because it was easier & faster.

On the stove top cook together:
1/2 c. butter, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. white corn syrup & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cook together till it is nicely melted and bubbles a bit. Then pour over your cinnamon sugar biscuits in your dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Take out and let cool a minute. Then put plate over the top and invert on to plate.

Most monkey bread recipes only use butter and brown sugar for the sauce, but I have found that if you add some corn syrup to the mixture you get a nice gooey caramel sauce. It's super yummy. I hope the picture makes your mouth water:)