Super Easy Whole Wheat Bread by Steph

really good but Super easy. Whole Wheat bread

I've been baking bread for quite some time.  But my friend Karyn F had a few friends over this week and taught us an even better way.  Save time, dishes and mess.

Whole Wheat Bread – makes 2 loaves

In bowl mix with dough hook:
 3 c flour
1/3 c gluten (I used 2 Tbs)
1 T instant yeast (I use Saf-instant. Amazon has 1 lb for decent price and great price for 4 1lb pkgs.)
Add 2 ½ c steaming hot tap water.

Mix one minute.Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Add:

½ Tbs salt

1/3 c oil (I used 2 TB butter or olive oil)

1/3 c honey or ½ c brown sugar (I use a little less.)

If you measure honey and oil in the same container, the honey slides right out.

Mix a minute then add 3 cups one at a time, mixing between each cup. You may use more or less flour depending on flour, humidity, etc... Beat till dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl 6 – 10 min.

A soft, little bit sticky dough will make moister bread.

Preheat oven 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. *Form dough into 2 loaves and place into oiled loaf pans. Let rise in warm oven 10-15 minutes till dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove from oven. Turn oven to 350. Bake 30 min.

*If you want, you can roll it out into a rectangle as wide as the bread pan, then:

Cover with butter (optional), raisins and cinnamon.

Spread butter over dough, sprinkle lots of brown sugar and cinnamon

Try grated cheese and onion/garlic powder

Whatever you want

Then roll it up and place seam-side down in oiled pan. Bake as above.

Posted by Steph

Pumpkin Muffins by Steph

3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1Tbsp baking powder
2tsp pumpkin pie spice
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 can(16 oz) pumpkin
3/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup real maple syrup
2/3 cup honey
2/3 milk or soy milk
chocolate chips(optional)
preheat oven to 400
spray muffin tins with cooking spray
mix wet ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
add wet and dry and mix well
fill muffin tins two-thirds full.
bake for 20 to 25 minutes. cool 5 minutes in the tins.
add wet and dry and mix well

Posted by Steph

Christmas Cooking by Stace

Food is the reason for this blog -- making memories with family and friends around a shared, joyful experience. I am excited that holiday baking time is finally here. I love this time of year the most because of the warm, settled, happy feeling I get when cooking and baking with family. There is nothing like steaming up the kitchen with loved ones when it is cold and gray outside. Our family tends to slow things down a lot this time of year-- we have more patience for little fingers in ingredients, and we just enjoy each others company without the stress of deadlines, homework, sports etc.

I was going to scale way back this year (due to new baby and no sleep), but I would miss out on the fun of cooking with family -- so we have scaled back a little. We have settled on the following menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas:

Tonight -- Potato soup with homemade bread (my family cannot get enough of this simple bread recipe -- we eat it fresh from the oven with some fancy salted butter, and it is gone in minutes!). We usually have a seafood gumbo for Christmas Eve dinner, but we had that for Thanksgiving this year (thanks to Pa Pa Skipper), so we wanted something different.

Christmas Eve goodies: - we are making this orange chocolate chunk cake (I am so excited about this-- I love orange and chocolate combinations). We are making Christmas cookies (our tradition Boddhi loves to make these -- we have made them the past 3 years-- usually deliver some to meals on wheels recipients but not this year). We are also making peanut butter balls (not our traditional family recipe because I don't want to use paraffin wax -- but this one is very similar -- just a different chocolate coating).

Christmas brunch - We are having a simple breakfast of chocolate chip scones (recipe from The Art of Simple Food), bacon and eggs (I might do a frittata if I am up to it -- saw one with apple, bacon and cheddar that looks delicious).

Christmas dinner - We are making pan fried pork chops (similar to our fried chicken recipe), mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, and cabbage.

That is it I think. What are you guys making? Mom, Steph and Bob -- feel free to edit this post and add what you are making for the Holiday.

Will be thinking about you all (family on both sides) since we cannot be together this holiday. We love you and miss you.

Enjoy your Christmas in the kitchen with loved ones.

Posted by Stace

Recipe Links by Stace

Here are some great links I have been using lately:

Raspberry Ricotta Scones by Smitten Kitchen - I made these yesterday morning. OH SO YUMMY! I had mine with a cup of hot raspberry tea (great for pregnant women!).

Homemade Naan - Bobbie and I made this to take to the beach while on vacation. We whipped up some homemade hummus and made hummus sandwiches -- soooo good. We added greens and tomatoes to the hummus and rolled them up -- great beach food.

Fry Bread - I made this bread a few months ago because I had a craving for something savory. I cooked up some grass fed beef, homemade black beans and we made fry bread tacos ( I could only eat half of mine). We topped them with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and whole milk yogurt.

Pita Bread - I am always on the look out for bread recipes. I hate store bought pita bread, naan and tortillas, so I love to experiment with new recipes at home. Saves money and tastes soooo much better than the processed kind. I used this recipe when I made hummus sandwiches for the family a while back. We stuffed the pita with hummus, added spinach, tomato, olive and topped with whole milk yogurt (with some dill mixed in).

posted by stace

Flour Tortillas - by Stace

This is Bobbie's recipe (I will let her add origins, memories etc.). We have been using it for a while now as a super-easy way to make homemade tortillas. Boddhi cannot eat the store bought ones (and nor should we) because of the hydrogenated oils --[by the way did you know that eating hydrogenated oils and processed fats inhibits your body from absorbing good fats that your brain needs to function?].

This recipe is so quick -- you can have yummy homemade tortillas cooking in a matter of minutes. Dude and I have also used this recipe to make chimichangas. We just par cook the tortillas, then add the ingredients, seal the dough and fry (yummy!).

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients together, then add the oil and water. Knead until they come together. Then pull off small bits of dough and roll into balls. Use a rolling pin to roll out the tortillas on a floured surface. Heat on each side in an hot skillet (I prefer iron) and enjoy! This recipe makes 6 tortillas.

posted by stace

Pizza Dough by Stace

Friday night is the perfect night for pizza and movies.

Nothing beats a handmade pizza for bringing the family together around a project. One person rolls out dough while the others chop and grate. Then everyone gets to sit down together to watch a movie.

I started pizza / movie night originally as a way to limit tv time during the week. Whenever Boddhi asked me if he could watch a movie, I would just say "on movie night you can." Then watching movies became something special (and rare) and not just a way to get him out of my hair.

I have tried a few different dough recipes, but my favorite for flavor and texture comes from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. I usually double this recipe for my family -- then we make half the pizzas and freeze the rest of the dough for the next week (then I don't have to make dough every week).

Pizza Dough

Stir together

• 2 tsp dry yeast

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water

Add and mix well

• 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/4 cup rye flour

Allow this to sit until bubbly (about 30 min)
Mix together in another bowl:

• 3 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Stir this into the yeast and flour mixture with

• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Mix by hand or in electric mixer with dough hook. Dough should be soft and elastic -- soft and slightly sticky. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 2 hours).

Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you like think like me) and form into nice smooth balls. Allow the dough balls to rest wrapped loosely in plastic for an hour or so. Flatten each ball into a disk about 5 or 6 inches, flour lightly, cover and let rest for another 15 min. Place a baking stone on the lowest rack i the oven(remove other racks for easy access) Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Gently stretch one of the disks into a round about 10 inches across. Put on a floured peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush dough with olive oil and, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered, top with your choice of ingredients.

We like hamburger pizza (grass fed ground meat cooked with habanero peppers from the garden) and also veggie pizza with spinach, purple onion, tomato, olives and feta cheese. Boddhi prefers plain cheese, and the girls eat just pepperoni.

Enjoy your pizza :)

Posted by Stace

Baked French Toast Casserole w/Maple Syrup - by Mama Katie

This is a recipe that a friend gave to me from work. It was one of the dishes that was shared at our birthday breakfast. I think it was one of Paula Dean's recipes but with a few minor changes.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French Bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple Syrup

Directions:

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 inch baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. (I do not leave overnight because it makes it soggy to me. I just prepare it 30-40 minutes ahead).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping (recipe below) evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Posted by Mama Katie

Corn Bread Dressing by Stace

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Mama Katie, Papa Leo, Bob & Jovan, Lauren and my family are together for Thanksgiving this year (but sadly missing our sister Steph). Bob and I are are sitting at the kitchen table while Mama Katie runs around frantically preparing corn bread dressing and Papa Leo is calmly preparing the turkey.

I did manage to get out of my chair long enough to retrieve my mom's recipe box from the top shelf of the pantry, so I am posting her yummy corn bread dressing recipe.

I will paraphrase her memories about this dish while she cooks it.

Mama Katie says: It was my first Thanksgiving as a new mother, and I did not know how to cook. My mother-in-law and her sister, (Cajun Queens of cooking) were slowly educating me, offering me recipes and tutoring me to make things like beans and rice, gumbo, homemade biscuits, chicken & dumplings and Thanksgiving dishes for my new, tiny family.

The first time I prepared this, I added a whole chicken. You can add a lot of meat to this recipe and make it a meal in itself. I brought my offering of dressing to the big family Thanksgiving, and it was a hit! (which encouraged me to make it again and again). This has been a Thanksgiving tradition for our family since that first Thanksgiving over 35 years ago.

Stacey adds: This is one of the only dishes my mother prepares at Thanksgiving anymore. Papa Leo usually prepares most of the meal, dishing up tender turkey, sweet and bacony green bean wraps, smooth homemade mashed potatoes, sliced and baked sweet potatoes, fresh from his garden carrots, and homemade cranberry sauce.

Stacey says: This dressing is amazing, much better than the stove top I made and took to church on Sunday :(

Enjoy this time with your family. We are thankful that we have time to be together, time away from the everyday schedules, pressures and stress -- to relax, tease each other and enjoy good food together.

Recipe for corn bread dressing (feeds 10-12):

Ingredients:
-- 2 9x11 pans of cornbread (we used a mix today but my mom usually makes it from scratch). Here is a corn bread recipe from the web in case you need one.

--turkey giblets (whatever comes in your turkey)

--8 stalks of green onion (use all of them)

--6 stalks of celery (less or more depending on your preference)

--seasonings: sage (we have some fresh from Papa Leo's garden), garlic, onion, curry powder, red pepper, pepper and paprika, a tiny bit of salt (to taste).

--4 or 5 chopped, boiled eggs

--almost 64 oz of chicken broth (to add moisture)

--Grandma Werth suggested oysters, but we have never used them in ours

Instructions:
Crumble the cornbread into a bowl and add chopped onions, celery and eggs. Pour chicken broth into the mixture (you want the texture to be wet not crumbly). Add finely chopped giblets. Add seasonings to taste. Place mixture into pans (either 2 9x11 pans or one 12x17 pan). Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (moisture will have absorbed into the dressing).

--posted by Stace

Homemade Dinner Rolls - by Momma Katie (Aunt Priss)

Momma Katie memories: I will never forget the smell of these rolls rising and baking in Aunt Priss's oven. After starting a warm fire in the fireplace, cooking breakfast (homemade biscuits, sausage, eggs and milk gravy), she would start the rolls so that they would be ready for dinner. She would even put 2 balls of dough side by side to make rolls that split down the middle for easy butter application.

Ingredients:

1 package dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar

Put into 1 cup of warm water and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Then add:

1 cup scalded milk
3 TBS. lard (haven't tried oil in it's place yet)
2 TBS. sugar
2 tsp. salt
5 cups flour

Let rise. (can't remember if you let it rise in bowl and make into rolls and rise again or just make into rolls and let rise) I do remember it is an all day process and needs to be in a warm area to rise.

Bake at 450 degrees. Makes about 4 dozen.

posted by: Momma Katie

Buttermilk Biscuits - by Momma Katie (Grandma Werth)

Momma Katie memories: I was a 19 year old stay at home mom trying to learn to cook, sew, crochet and be domestic. Your Grandma Werth and Aunt Sylvia were instrumental in teaching me some of these skills. This buttermilk biscuit recipe from Grandma Werth is the one that I used to make dumplings for my chicken and dumpling recipe. They were absolutely the best dumplings ever. Cracker Barrel comes close. I used it occasionally for just biscuits too.

Ingredients:

4 cups unsifted flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Blend in oil and buttermilk into mixture. Knead lightly till smooth.

For biscuits : Roll out onto lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick for biscuits. Cut and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees fir 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

For dumplings: Roll out to a thick version of a tortillia and cut into strips. Save these to drop into your chicken dumpling broth.

posted by: Momma Katie

Banana Bread - by Steph

Mom made several things that were wonderful. But another of her recipes that stood out as the best of its kind is Banana Bread. The moist cake like insides hidden under the sweet and slightly crispy top is so Delicious.

Momma Katie added: Claim to fame for this recipe actually goes to Aunt Priss. It was one of my favorite recipes and a great way to use bananas that young girls determined were no longer edible. Priss shared many yummy comforting recipes with me such as her delicious apple cake and her (bet you can't eat just one) caramel popcorn.

4 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1/2 buttermilk (or a few drops of vinegar in with reg. milk)
1/2t soda
4eggs beaten
1tsp vanilla
1cup pecans(some say are optional but not to me)
3 or 4 lg bananas chopped

Mix wet ingredients
And dry ingredients separately then mix together. Stir in Bananas and pour into greased pans.

Stephs modifications
1/2 white 1/2 wheat flour
1/2 applesauce 1/2 oil
1/2 sugar 1/2 honey
and triple the soda.

I usually double or triple for our family. I make 1/2 of the loaves with no nuts. Then when the bowl is 1/2 empty I pour in nuts to my liking. Otherwise I find little already been tasted (and then spit out) pecans in corners of the house or table.
Admittedly it is not the original. But it allows us to eat more of it, with a little less guilt.

Stace added:
Thanks for posting this Steph. We made this recipe last night (nearly all gone now). We cooked the bread at 350 for about 1 hour. The recipe made two regular loaves. We just kept checking until the toothpick came out clean. Here are some pictures: