Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp salt

Combine flour, yeast, and salt. Mix to distribute evenly.

1 1/2 cups cold water

1/2 tsp red wine vinegar (any vinegar will do)

Add vinegar to water, mix with flour mixture and stir until flour is incorporated; dough should be pretty stiff. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest for 12-18 hours at about 70 degrees. When surface is dotted with bubbles, dough is ready.

After the rest, place dough on well floured work surface (1/4 cup of flour) and knead (7-8 kneads) just to get some surface tension.

Clean your bowl, or get a new one, and spray with non-stick spray. Sprinkle bottom of the bowl with sesame seeds if desired; transfer dough, seam side down, to bowl. Cover and let rise till doubled in size, about 2 hours.

After 1 1/2 hours, prepare oven and baking dish. Place covered pot(4-8 qt) in oven and set to 435-450 degrees for 30 minutes. Pot and oven should be blazing hot!

When dough has risen and oven and pot are ready, turn dough over into the pot seam side up. Cover, bake 27 min. Uncover, and continue baking for an additional 6-10 minutes until browned. Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Here is a little timeline so you don't have to think about it. To have bread ready by 5:30/dinner time:

8 pm: mix the dough

Noon-1 pm: knead the dough

4 pm: turn on oven and heat covered pot

4:30 pm: bake bread

5:10-15 pm: bread should be done!!

Spaghetti casserole

This was really easy and turned out pretty good

http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/11/baked-cream-cheese-spaghetti-casserole.html#more

Bisquick copycat recipe

I found this recipe tonight. It tasted a lot like bisquick. The closest I have found to the store bought stuff. Possibilities are endless...red lobster biscuits, biscuits and gravy, and tonight I put it on top of chicken pot pie instead of making a pie crust.

Ingredients:


6 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons canola oil
Directions:

1. Whisk dry ingredients together. Mix well.
2. Using an electric mixer, slowly stir in canola oil.
3. Mix until all lumps are gone and mixture is a uniform texture, about 1 minute.
4. Store in an airtight container.

Here is how to bake the biscuits:

Ingredients

2 1/4

cups Original Bisquick® mix 

2/3

cup milk

Directions

• 1Heat oven to 450ºF. Stir ingredients until soft dough forms.
• 2Turn onto surface dusted with Bisquick mix. Knead 10 times. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Read more: <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/original-bisquick-baking-mix-copycat-357101?oc=linkback">http://www.food.com/recipe/original-bisquick-baking-mix-copycat-357101?oc=linkback</a>

Peanut Butter Pie

This pie is really good. You should all try it some time.

Afternoon Delight Peanut Butter Pie

• Author: CopyKat.com
• Recipe Type: Copycat Restaurant Recipes, CopyKat Recipes, Dessert Recipes
• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• Chocolate cookie crust or graham cracker crust - use the already prepared 9 inch pie shell

Instructions

Using a electric mixer combine cream cheese, sugar, cream, vanilla, and peanut butter. Chill a small bowl and beaters in the freezer. Whip the cream until very stiff in the chilled bowl. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and fold into remaining whipped cream. Spoon into the chocolate pie crust or graham cracker crust.   Keep the pie refrigerated until you are ready to serve, and store the pie in the refrigerator.

Auntie Anne’s Pretzel’s Copycat Recipe

These are super yummy and not hard. I use 1/2 whole what flour. Enjoy!

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/08/auntie-annes-pretzels-copycat-recipe/

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast (2 packets)
• 6 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus an up to an additional 1/2 cup as needed
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 3 cups warm water
• coarse salt, to taste
• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• Dipping sauce for serving, optional*

Directions

• Warm milk in a microwave safe bowl in microwave (or alternately over stove top in a small saucepan) until temperature of milk reaches 110 degrees, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on HIGH power. Pour milk along with yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whisk together until yeast has dissolved, let rest 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, 4 tbsp softened butter, 1 cup flour and 2 tsp fine sea salt to milk mixture and using the whisk attachment, stir until blended. Switch attachment to a dough hook, add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and kneaded mixture on medium low speed until elastic. Mix in up to an additional 1/2 cup flour, as needed, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper (alternately you could grease them). Punch dough down several times to release any air pockets. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (the easiest way to do this is to divide the dough in half, then divide the halves into halves then those and into thirds). Cover divided dough loosely with plastic wrap (just to prevent a dry crust from forming on the outside) and roll each piece out into a long, thin rope about 32 - 36 inches long (I found working on a non-floured to very very lightly floured surface worked best, I began with a lightly floured surface and realized it was much harder to get more stretch, plus it was much faster to roll them out when working on a less-no flour surface). Form dough rope into a pretzel shape.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk together baking soda and warm water then fully immerse pretzel into water mixture and allow excess water to drip off (I ended up shaping most of them into the pretzel shape once placing on the cookie sheet rather then doing it twice, I would just fold the rope into halves several times then immerse in water mixture then shape them on cookie sheet). Place on prepared baking sheet, reshape as needed and sprinkle to taste with coarse salt. Repeat this process with remaining dough. Bake pretzels in preheated oven 7 - 11 minutes until golden brown (note that you will likely only be able to cook 6 at a time among the two baking sheets) Remove from oven and brush top and bottom of pretzels with melted butter. Serve warm with optional dipping sauce. Reheat in microwave or in a warm oven once they've cooled, if desired.
• *Dipping sauces I would recommend are Yammie's amazing garlic cheese sauce (click here for the recipe), marinara sauce, or honey mustard. For a sweeter option, try with a warm homemade doughnut glaze, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce. Alternately if you want another dessert option, skip the coarse salt step of the recipe and sprinkle instead with lots of cinnamon sugar.
• Recipe Source: adapted from Yammies Noshery and Food Network

Shrimp Fettuccini

Another fish recipe. It was way good.  I added the shrimp uncooked at the end instead of adding cooked shrimp.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/shrimp-fettuccine-alfredo/

My Raspberry Sherbet Pie

Thanksgiving is coming and Becky and I were dreaming of this. I thought you girls might want the recipe!

1 8 oz container cool whip
1 small container raspberry yogurt
1/2 carton raspberry sherbet

Mix all together, and then put in a graham cracker crust. Freeze. Enjoy!

Easy as that.

Unbeatable Salmon Rub

I try to cook with fish once a week. My kids sometimes don't love eating the recipes I make. Last night they both turned those noses up to this when I told them what I made. After trying it they both wanted more. This recipe is really good! I roasted green beans with olive oil, salt, and minced garlic as a side dish.

3 T kosher salt
2 T sugar
1 T brown sugar
2 t pepper
2 t celery seed
2 t paprika
2 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground fennel seed

Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight bottle. Makes about 2/3 cup. For each 2-3 lb salmon fillet, use 4 T rub. Work rub in with spoon. Place salmon on tin foil skin side down. Place on grill and cook. (I put them on foil and placed them under the broiler.)

Lions House Dinner Rolls

These are the only rolls that I have ever successfully made. We think they are pretty yummy. The best part about them is that they make a huge batch, but the recipe gives you an option to make them in a way that you can freeze them and pull them out and use when you need to.

Just for reference, Jenny, these are the rolls I made a few months ago when we were bbqing at Angi's that you really liked.

So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110–115 degrees)
2/3 cups nonfat dry milk
2 Tablespoons dry yeast (if you are freezing the rolls, double this)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine
1 egg
4 1/2 –5 cups flour
1/2 cup butter melted

Directions:
In an electric mixer, combine water and dry milk powder, stirring until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet. Increase mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for two minuetes at medium speed. (dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand.)Add remaining flour. 1/2 cup at a time, and  mix again until dough is soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.

scrape dough off sides of the bowl and pour about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil all around the sides of teh bowl. Turn doug over in the bowl so it is covered with oil. cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm place until doubled in sized (about 1 1/2 hours).

Shape rolls how you like them. I like to dip them in melted butter at this point, but the recipe says to brush them with melted butter when they come out of the over. You can choose how you like to do it or put butter on them before and after :).

Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the rolls are double in size.

Note: If you are going to freeze them, here is where that comes in. To freeze them you shape the rolls and then I put them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer. once they are good and frozen, I take the cookie sheet out and put them in a ziplock baggie and then keep them in the freezer until they are ready to use.

 Bake at 375 for 15–20 minutes.

Eat with honey butter, raspberry honey butter, or whatever you like!

Recipe is from my Lion House Bakery Cookbook

Chow Mein Noodels

Last but not least, here is a recipe I really like. It is good for when you need a vegetarian meal, which doesn't happen very often at our house!

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2012/12/our-version-of-panda-express-chow-mein.html

So this recipe only calls for  celery and onions, but I made it yesterday and loaded it with veggies and it was way good. I added zucchini, broccoli, green peppers, and onions. Yum.

Cinnamon Roll Popcorn

Tyce and Emrie both LOVE this stuff. So do I. I made a simpler version of it and didn't add the nuts or the white chocolate and it was still super yummy.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/cinnamon-caramel-corn-with-pecans-white-chocolate-aka-cinnamon-bun-popcorn/

Tacos with a twist

I made these tonight and they turned out really good. They are really simple—basically hard-shell tacos with a little bit of a twist, but I thought they were quite tasty!

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/07/oven-baked-beef-tacos-recipe.html

Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Here is another recipe from Becca. She would always share this with us when she made it. It is soooooooooo yummy! :)

http://kariesrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/peanut-ginger-chicken-with-mango-salsa.html

Sticky Buns

My friend Becca used to make these every conference weekend. They are super yummy and easy. I just emailed her and got the recipe so I thought I would share.

1/2 c Pecans

1/2 package COOK AND SERVE butterscotch pudding powder

18-22 frozen Rhodes Rolls

1/2 c Butter

1/2 c Brown Sugar

Spray Bundt pan with oil!!! 

Pecans on bottom

Sprinkle butterscotch on top

Put rolls on top

Mix melted butter and brown sugar to make a paste...

Drizzle that on top of all the rolls.

Spray plastic wrap with oil, and cover pan.

Leave over night to rise (8 ish hours)

350 for 20-30 min, till the tops of the rolls are golden brown.

Healthier Shepards pie

http://iowagirleats.com/2012/03/15/healthier-mashed-potatoes-that-actually-taste-good/

So I use ground turkey instead of beef and it was super good!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

OK. So I know we didn't really grow up with rhubarb and last year I posted a few recipes that were pretty good made with it, but this is one you have to try. I was worried because rhubarb has kind of a funky flavor when you try it just plain—it is really sour and has a strange taste, but the beauty of rhubarb is that it gives into peer-pressure and takes on the flavors of whatever it is cooked with, in this case strawberries.

So here is what you do:

Make your favorite pie crust (you will need enough for both the pie pan and the top of the pie). Don't bake it, just put it in the bottom of the 9 inch pie dish, nice and pretty.

Filling:
4 1/2 cups rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces (I made mine a little thinner...probably a half inch)
a cup of strawberries hulled and halved
3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into the pie crust. Roll the cover for the pie out and if you have a cute little cookie cutter like a star, cut holes in the crust. If not, just cut some slits. Put it on top and seal it all together.

Bake at 375 for 45–55 minutes.

It is delicious!

If you need some rhubarb, come visit. I'll send you home with tons! Those things grow like weeds. Don't fear the rhubarb!

*Recipe from my Farm Chicks in the Kitchen cookbook

Spinach Salad with Strawberries

This is different than your typical spinach and strawberry salad. The dressing is amazing. My friend made it for me after I had Jefferson. It is super yummy.

Salad:
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 pkg. spinach
1/3 c. bacon
1 c. strawberries slices
purple onion chopped (however much you like:)

Sugared nuts:
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. pecans, almonds, cashew, or walnuts (I like pecans)

I usually put the sugar and nuts in a sauce pan and stir over med. heat until the sugar
sticks to the nuts.
After cooking I pour the nuts onto a wax paper to cool then add to the salad.


Dressing:
Mix in a blender
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2. c. strawberry jam

Dirt Cups

I got this recipe from Nate's sister. These are dirt cups spiced up a little. We made them today for Lucy's playgroup. I think adults like them more than kids! ;) They are seriously really yummy and super fattening. The recipe makes a TON so half it if you don't want to be eating them for a week.

1/4 c. butter
1 (8 oz) pkg softened cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups milk
2 (3 1/2 oz) vanilla pudding
1 (12 oz) cool whip (I used whipping cream this time b/c I had it)
1 pkg crushed oreo cookies
gummy worms

Cream together butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Set aside. Mix together milk and pudding. Let sit five minutes until thick. Add to cream cheese mixture. Add cool whip and mix. You can layer the oreos and pudding if you want. Add gummy worm to the top and enjoy!

Apricot Chicken

Okay this recipe is kind of made up, but Becky asked for it so here it is:

3-4 frozen chicken breasts
1 small jar salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup apricot jam

cook all of this in the crock pot until the chicken shreds. In the last hour add 1 can of black beans rinsed and 1 can of corn. And your done! Then I serve it like taco salad with chips, lettuce, tomato and all of the fixings.

Crock Pot Fajitas

I'm pretty picky about my crock pot recipes but this one is really good!

http://www.stacymakescents.com/fix-and-forget-friday-crock-pot-chicken-fajitas

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas 

1 yellow onion, sliced
3 sweet peppers, sliced
1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
1/4 to ½ cup chicken broth, depending on preference (leave this out if you prefer a drier fajita filling)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cumin
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
Squirt of lime juice
Tortillas
Fajita fixings

Combine sliced onion and peppers in the bottom of a greased crockpot. Lay chicken on top of veggies. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, and chili powder. Give a nice quirt of lime juice over the top. Cover and cook on low for 4-8 hours (or on High for 4 hours) or until meat is shreddable. When meat is done, shred with two forks and stir back into juices. Serve meat mixture with slotted spoon on tortillas with your choice of fixings.
- See more at: http://www.stacymakescents.com/fix-and-forget-friday-crock-pot-chicken-fajitas#sthash.tLDh8PtQ.dpuf

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas 

1 yellow onion, sliced
3 sweet peppers, sliced
1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
1/4 to ½ cup chicken broth, depending on preference (leave this out if you prefer a drier fajita filling)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cumin
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
Squirt of lime juice
Tortillas
Fajita fixings

Combine sliced onion and peppers in the bottom of a greased crockpot. Lay chicken on top of veggies. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, and chili powder. Give a nice quirt of lime juice over the top. Cover and cook on low for 4-8 hours (or on High for 4 hours) or until meat is shreddable. When meat is done, shred with two forks and stir back into juices. Serve meat mixture with slotted spoon on tortillas with your choice of fixings.
- See more at: http://www.stacymakescents.com/fix-and-forget-friday-crock-pot-chicken-fajitas#sthash.tLDh8PtQ.dpuf

Side Dishes!

Okay the post you have all been waiting for! I have been neglecting the blog and I'm back! I'm always looking for good side dishes and ways to cook veggies and thanks to pinterest I've found a few new ones that we really like. Here they are:

Broccoli:

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html

Cabbage (my favorite... thanks Martha):

http://www.marthastewart.com/315062/roasted-cabbage-wedges

Potatoes:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding (made by Angi)

Angi made this the other night and it was to die for! I thought you girls might like it. Seriously one of the best desserts I have ever had! http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/02/kneaders-raspberry-bread-pudding/

Crusty Rolls

This recipe is really easy and the rolls are super good. They taste like a roll you would buy at a fancy bakery. They take a lot of time, but not a lot of work. You start them before you go to bed and then in the morning add more flour. I made them yesterday to use as the rolls for the french dip I made for dinner. I made 8 rolls and it was perfect for the sandwiches.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/crusty-european-style-hard-rolls-recipe

This is a MUST Try!!

I made this recipe tonight for roast chicken and it was amazing!!! There is even a video to watch and she shows you how to do it. I used dried thyme and only half the garlic because I didn't want to use a whole clove. Also, I used quartered red potatoes and I didn't have any fennel. Anyway, it was amazing and you all should make this recipe. Lastly, I don't have any cooking twine so I looked up that you can use a heavy duty thread instead. Enjoy.

M&M Sugar Cookies

I made these for friends at Christmas and they were a hit! Just wanted to share.

http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2012/07/m-sugar-cookies.html