Bread Bowls

I've had Mel's bread bowl recipe in my "box" for a while now. Since Jefferson has been off dairy, I couldn't think of a thick enough soup to go in a bowl that didn't require dairy. Well, he's doing well with dairy so far, so I made the bread bowls tonight with a potato soup.

Here's the link to the BREAD BOWLS. The only thing I didn't do is to put the cornmeal on the bottom, since it's corn that we think is giving Jefferson problems. I also learned that I need to NOT put them on an air bake pan (it's suppose to let your cookies not burn or get too crispy on the bottom). It made them get too soggy too fast on the bottom. I'll cook them on a regular cookie sheet next time.

My soup recipe was a mix of Mel's and one from Better Homes and Garden's cookbook:
(This made a very large batch)

Potato soup

12 Medium Potatoes
3 T. Butter
6 T. Flour
3/4 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon (Better than Bouillon)
3 cups water, divided

Peel, cook (I cooked mine in my pressure cooker), and mash the potatoes with 2 cups of water. (depending on how chunky or smooth you like your soup, you can also blend them instead of mash them)

Melt Butter in large pot over medium heat. Add flour, dill, salt and pepper. Heat, occasionally stirring for 5-10 minutes until it starts to "relax" or be more liquid-like. Add the milk all at once and heat, occasionally stirring, until it is thick and bubbly. This always take longer than I think it should. I think today it was at this step for almost a half an hour before it was "ready". Add the potatoes and add more water as needed for the consistency you want.

We topped ours with green onions and cheese, but I was really wishing I had taken the time to fry up some bacon.

My older boys were souper excited about eating out of a bread bowl until it came time to eat the soggy bread. I remember not liking soggy bread when I was younger (chicken pot pies use to make me gag). But Benjamin, Jon and I LOVED them.

First post for the Jenny!

I have no idea what I'm doing. Heee Heee. So here is my first post. Hee Heee. Can you see just how giddy I am!

Here is a recipe that I tried:

Crispy Chicken wraps

You'll find that I change recipes so much, they might not be the same. I didn't have cilantro. I used onions instead of scallions. I used mayo instead of the sour cream (since Jefferson wasn't eating sour cream then). And I used canned chicken since I didn't have a rotisserie chicken. So it ended up like a chicken salad sandwich recipe with cheese in a tortilla. My family loved these, although I don't think I used 3 cups of chicken like it called for, so it wasn't enough to make a full meal for us. But it was fast and tasty. Maybe a good hearty lunch.

Enjoy!

Big Beautifiul Muffins

This muffin recipe is one of my favorites. I make these a couple times a week. YUM!

Big Beautiful Muffins

3 cups flour (when I make it I use half white wheat, Brandon likes it all white)
1 cup sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt (if in a pinch you can use sour cream)
2 large eggs
8 T. unsalted butter (if using salted butter just lessen the salt just a little bit)

In one bowl mix all the flour ingredients. In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients (except butter) together. Then mix the wet with the dry. Fold in the butter. Spray the 12 cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tin. Bake 375 for 20-25 minutes. In our oven we usually only cook them for 15 minutes so you may want to check them earlier.

Variations that we love:

Lemon Blueberry muffins
Add 1 tsp. grated lemon zest (I have used 1/2 tsp. of lemon extract) to the wet mixture. Fold 1 1/2 cup of blueberries into the batter.

Raspberry-Almond muffins
Add 1/2 tsp. almond extract into the wet ingredients. Spoon half the batter in the muffing tin, then spoon 1 tsp. of raspberry jam in the middle. Top with the other half of batter.

Banana-Walnut
Add 1/2 tsp. nutmeg to the flour mixture. Substitute 1 cup of brown sugar with the white sugar. Fold in 1 1/2 cup diced (I mash) banana into the batter. You can add 3/4 cup toasted walnuts into the finished batter, but Bree wont eat it with nuts.

Baked Oatmeal

For dinner tonight I made Mel's Kitchen Cafe Baked Oatmeal.

3 cups oatmeal, either quick or old-fashioned

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1 cups milk

2 beaten eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 8X8-inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with milk and/or fresh fruit.

*We poured milk over it, sprinkled cinnamon, and I finely chopped up blueberries.

**I know Miranda has to make some changes so that it is not so sugary. hopefully she will leave a comment with her changes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is again Miranda's recipe.

These are delicious. I'm actually eating one right now.

I put all but one batch in the freezer. It seems to keep them from drying out and it only takes a couple of minutes out to have them thawed out.

2/3 c. shortening

2/3 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. chocolate chips (this time I used the mixed bag with chocolate and peanut butter chips)

Mix first six ingredients. Add next four. Then add chips.

Cook at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Calzones

This is a super easy meal that I learned from my friend Diana.

Rhodes rolls (3 for adult, 2 for children)

Toppings (we usually do pepperoni, pineapple, and olives)

Mozzarella cheese

Thaw out rolls about 45 minutes) roll 3 (or 2for children) into circle. Fill half with toppings. Add generous amounts of cheese on same half. Fold over and pinch edges. Place on greased cookie sheets. Cook on 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

No Bake Lasagna

This again is Miranda's recipe. I made this for the missionaries this week. I didn't take a picture because I felt weird taking it in front them.

This is also a great freezer meal.

For meat, this time I used 1/2 pound ground beef, 1/4 pound Italian sausage, and 1/4 pound hot Italian sausage. Mmmmmmm.

1 lb. ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

Garlic (to your liking)

1 32-oz Jar spaghetti sauce

16 oz. medium diced tomatoes

½ cup water

½ package lasagna noodles

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 T. Parsley

3 cups shredded cheese

Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef with onion and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, water, and tomato chunks.

Cheese mixture: Ricotta cheese, garlic, salt, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Spread on noodles.

Meat mixture, noodles, cream, meat, cheese, noodles, etc.

Bake at 375 for 50 minutes with foil and 15 minutes without.

Here's a great pizza sauce recipe that we tried with Miranda's  pizza crust! it was really good. :) here's the link - http://www.food.com/recipe/ultimate-pizza-sauce-114392  Enjoy!

Brownies

This really is not the best picture. My friend Kimber gave me this recipe. It's nice to have a fast easy recipe for desert. It's gooey yumminess!

Brownies

1 cup melted butter
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
dash salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa

Mix all ingredients. Grease bottom of 9X13 in pan. Pour brownies in pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Sandwich Bread

Tonight I made dinner for a friend that had in-vitro done today. I am so glad that Heidi reminded me about the Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. When I take meals to people I love to take soups because because it already has the vegetable in it. It seems like so much to do when you have to add veggies to a meal. Yum! So, this bread recipe is my most favorite bread. It is a little more dense than my other bread recipe so it works really great for sandwiches and french toast. Let me know if you have any questions.

Sandwich Bread

1 cup whole milk, warm

1/3 cup water, water

3 T. unsalted butter (I don't use unsalted butter so I just don't put as much salt in)

3 T. honey

3 3/4 cup bread flour, plus extra for the counter

1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.)

2 tsp. salt

This is how I make it: I use a 2 cup measuring cup and measure 1 cup of milk and put it in the microwave for 1 minute. Then add the honey, hot water, and melted butter to the milk. In mixing bowl I measure the flour, yeast, and salt. I use 1 1/2 cups of white wheat and 1/2 cup red wheat and the rest white flour. Before adding the wet ingredients make sure that it is hot. If it's not hot enough put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and test. I like it to be almost too hot for my finger. When it is hot enough add it to the dry ingredients. When there is enough flour to make a nice dough knead for 10 minutes. Then knead by hand for 1 minute. Let rise in a greased bowl for 30-45 minutes until it has doubled. Punch out and place in a greased bread pan. Cover with greased saran wrap and a towel. Let rise till doubled, about 1 hour. When you heat your oven put a bowl of water in it. I'm not sure why but I think it helps keep the bread moist and makes the crust nice. Bake 350 for 22-26 minutes. I usually check it at 22 minutes and then cover it with foil so that I can cook it longer without the crust getting too dark.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

For family home evening we had cookies for desert. I had these healthy cookies and they had some Fudge Shop EL Fudge cookies (Brandon's favorite). I do like to still lessen the sugar and the chocolate chips to take away some of the sugaryness. Tonight I only had like a Tablespoon of chocolate chips and it was enough for me. They are nice and gooey. On the recipe it calls for cranberries but I don't put those in. I love them frozen. The recipe is off of Mels Kitchen cafe http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html. Try it, some of you may like them.

While I was making these cookies, Bree was getting ready her pj's on and needed to find a brush. So I told her it was in my drawer in the bathroom. When she came back to the kitchen she had no brush and had found her bubble gum chap stick. I asked her where she found that and she said "I found it in the drawer with all your crap in it." I told her I didn't think that my stuff was crap:-)!

Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup

This is actually a recipe that Miranda gave me. I had left over rotisserie chicken and I had a bag of tortellini. Mmmmmm. This was delicious.

8 c. chicken, cooked and shredded

1 onion chopped

1 Tbls. parsley

3 c. carrots, shredded

1 celery stalk, thinly chopped

1 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes.

Add 1 bag tortellini.

Add shredded chicken.

Heat till warmed through.

Leftovers for dinner!

So, this one was kind of a left over meal. We had left over potato rolls from last night and I had Sloppy Joe mix in the freezer. I did try this time, toasting the buns with a little butter. It was so good. With the potato rolls it is a really soft roll so the sloppy joe mix makes the rolls soggy. The Toasting with butter made it not so soggy and who wouldn't love to add a little more butter to a meal? I do love mom's recipe for sloppy joes and it is a really great food storage meal, but I have wanted to try the sloppy joe recipe off of Mels Kitchen. So when I do I will let you know how it is. (Man, I want a better camera!!!)

Easy Potato Rolls

2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. mashed potatoes(I mix up some potato pearls)
2 ½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 packages yeast
1 1/3 c. warm water
6-6 ½ c. flour

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add potatoes, salt and eggs mix again.
In small bowl, dissolve yeast in 2/3 cup of warm water; add to creamed mixture. Beat in 2 cups flour and remaining water. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Shape into a
ball. Knead until it is a soft dough (5 minutes). Place in a greased bowl. Let raise till doubled about 30 minutes. Grease a cookie sheep and roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Cover with greased saran wrap. Let raise till doubled. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Sloppy Joe’s

Brown 1 lb. of hamburger
With 1 T. dried onions
Drain grease
1 can chicken gumbo
About a ½ bottle ketchup
1 T. mustard
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. chili powder

Simmer and stir for 20 minutes.

Waffles

My Pictures aren't so awesome either.

This is my favorite waffle recipe. My roommate Anna made it for us for our birthdays along with ice cream. It is her family tradition and so for my husbands birthday this week I surprised him. I only serve it with strawberry ice cream. Homemade when possible. (I'll have to share that recipe some time.)

2 c. flour

2 Tbls. sugar

1 Tbls. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

whisk dry ingredients and then add wet.

*perfect in Belgium waffle makers

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Heidi was telling me that she was getting a Rotisserie chicken for dinner tonight and I told her that I had a really good recipes for that. So here it is.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

1 jar salsa Verde
3 cup chicken broth
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup black beans, drained
1 tsp. cumin
1 deli Rotisserie chicken

Heat through. Serve in bowl with crushed tortilla chips and sour cream.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ok..so my pictures are not like on Mel's Kitchen, one day! They are so YUMMY! So I made these cinnamon rolls tonight for my baby that is sick. The school called and said that Bree didn't feel very well. NOOOOOOO! I thought for sure that she had the stomach flu because it is going around our neighborhood like crazy. Anyways, I got her home and she was shivering and crying. So I lined the couch and floor with towels and made sure she had a bucket. Anyways, she ended up having a 102.5 fever and a sore throat. False alarm! Later in the afternoon, while I was on the phone she cleaned both the bathrooms as a surprise. Enough of my day, here is the recipe. I love this recipe because the potatoes in them make them so moist and yet dense. Try it, you'll love it!

Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup butter
2 T. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
7 cups flour (approximately)
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
brown sugar
cinnamon

Heat milk and butter in pan on the stove or in microwave until luke warm. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of the one cup of sugar. Add to the milk mixture with the eggs, sugar, salt, mashed potatoes and 4 cups of flour. Mix with mixer until smooth and well blended. Flour nuts and raisins with part of the remaining flour and add to the dough. Slowly add the remainder of the flour to make a soft dough. Cover and allow to raise until double about 45 minutes to an hour. Roll dough in a rectangle 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick. Spread with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up and cut into slices. Place on cookie sheet and cover. Let rise until double 45 minutes to an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Makes 18 large or 24 regular cinnamon rolls.

Icing

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 T. Milk

Mixed powdered sugar and butter. Add vanilla and milk and beat until smooth and creamy.

Variations

To make raspberry rolls after you roll out the dough spread with 8 oz. of cream cheese and one cup raspberry jam then roll and cut.

To make orange rolls after you roll out the dough spread with a 1/2 cup melted butter, 2-3 T. frozen orange juice and 1 tsp. orange zest. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and roll and cut.

Red & White Mostaccioli

1 lb. uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta

Alfredo Sauce, divided (recipe below)

1 (26 oz.) jar meatless spaghetti sauce (my personal favorite is Newman's Own Marrinara)

OR 3 c. homade sauce, divided

3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.

3. Meanwhile, prepare Alfredo sauce.

4. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and 1 1/2 c. of the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

Serve with a tossed green salad and Italian or French bread.

Note: This dish can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Lower the oven temperature 25 degrees and add 15 minutes to the baking time.

Alfredo Sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Mix the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often. If the sauce needs additional thickening you may sprinkle in flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Liz Edmunds, The Food Nanny