Thursday, December 20, 2007

Cream Cheese Frosting

My mom gave me this super easy recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting. I used it for decorating Cut-out cookies but it can used for pretty much anything like pumpkin rolls or carrot cake or anything you like with cream cheese frosting!

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened (real butter tastes the best)
1 t. vanilla
powdered sugar to desired consistency (approx. 1 cup for pumpkin roll, approx. 3 cups to decorate cookies)

Whip cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla and whip again. Add powdered sugar. Allow to whip together well.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Ham Bone Soup

In crock pot combine:
1 ham bone (with small amount of meat still on it) and broth or 1 ham hock
1 rib of celery, chopped with leaves
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. dry pinto beans that have been washed
optional – 1 whole hot pepper (chop, if high heat is desired)

Cover all with water to an inch or so from the top of crock. Cook on high all day (5-6 hours). Taste test broth. Depending on amount of salt in ham, salt may need to be added as beans absorb salt. Before serving, remove ham bone. Allow bone to cool about 10 minutes. Remove meat, cutting into bite-sized pieces and adding back into the crockpot.

Good served with crusty cornbread, baked in a cast iron skillet.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 c. boiling water
4 tsp. salt
6 TB shortening
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 1/2 TB yeast
2 c. warm water
2 eggs
2 c. whole wheat flour
9 c. white flour

  • Combine boiling water, salt, shortening, honey and brown sugar.
  • Dissolve yeast in warm water
  • After honey mixture is cooled to lukewarm, add yeast, eggs and whole wheat flour + 3 c. of white flour; mix for 2 minutes.
  • Gradually stir in 6 more cups of white flour. Dough should be sticky, but let it rest for 20 minutes, then pour some oil over the top and gradually knead until oil is absorbed.
  • Turn dough over in the bowl, cover and let rest for 1 hour.
  • Form into 4 loaves; put in pans and let rise for 20 minutes.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*Debbie's notes:
This is a really good recipe, but the key is to not get too much flour in it. The dough has to be sticky when you first let it rise. As it is, the recipe doesn't use much whole wheat flour. I like more, so I increase the amount of whole wheat to 3 or 4 cups. If I do that, then I usually will decrease the white flour by a cup or cup and a half, since the wheat is more coarse and the recipe will require less flour in general. So, if using 4 cups of whole wheat then I would use only 5 1/2- 6 cups of white flour.

Also: make sure that the honey mixture is cool before adding the yeast mixture. Excessive heat can cause the yeast to die and the bread doesn't rise. (Much anger and flat bread to go around.)

A good addition to this recipe is rosemary and sea salt. =) Beat an egg and add fresh chopped rosemary to it. When you make your loaf, before it starts to rise, brush the egg/rosemary mixture over the top and then grind sea salt over it. You can also knead rosemary into the loaf.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Menu ideas

Ever tried making a menu for the upcoming week? I've found that menu planning takes away the headache of trying to decide what to make for supper that night, when the last thing you want to think about is planning out a balanced meal. I've found we eat healthier and cheaper when I plan out my meals before the week begins. Here's some of my ideas for menu planning.

  1. Theme the week. For example:
    • Monday-Italian
    • Tuesday-Mexican
    • Wednesday-American/Mennonite
    • Thursday-Asian
    • Friday-Soup N Salad
    • Saturday-Pizza
    • Sunday-Snacks and leftovers
With this plan a menu could look like this:

Monday
  • Spaghetti
  • Caesar Salad
  • Garlic Bread
Tuesday
  • Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole
  • Sliced apples or a fruit salad
  • Chips and salsa
Wednesday
  • Hamburgers
  • Applesauce
  • Veggie tray
Thursday
  • Crockpot Sesame Chicken
  • Rice
  • Steamed broccoli
Friday
  • Sausage Bean Stew
  • Biscuits
  • Cheese slices
Saturday
  • Pizza
  • Applesauce
  • Chips
Sunday
  • Whatever's left over!
I've also found that as I make my menu, I can easily collect the recipes (print them off this blog!) and create my grocery list at the same time. This way I'm not running to Aldis 5 times a week (like I've been known to do sometimes!)

OSU-Beats-Michigan Good Wings

5 lbs chicken wings

Sauce

1 1/4 c. Louisiana style hot sauce
1/2 c. + 2 TB butter
3/4 c +1 1/2 TB honey
pinch of garlic salt
pinch of black pepper
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper-- more if you like them spicier.

Marinate chicken wings in one batch of sauce for at least 4 hours.

Preheat grill on high.
Lightly oil grill grate. Grill chicken 8-12 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove to a large roasting pan.

In a saucepan over med. heat, mix another batch of sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes until blended and heated through. Mix 2 TB cornstarch into 3 TB water. Add to sauce. Bring to a boil until thickened slightly. Pour sauce over grilled wings and stir to coat.

*Debbie's note: I usually just do 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper in the first batch and then add a little bit more to the sauce that goes over the grilled wings.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Crockpot Jambalaya

2 to 3 lb. chicken, cut up
1 to 1 1/2 lb smoked sausage, cut in bite-size pieces
2 (1 lb.) cans of tomatoes (I use 1 qt. tomatoes or juice)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch shallots, chopped (green onions)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 t. salt
pepper and red pepper, to taste (or 1 chili pepper, chopped)
2 c. water

Place all ingredients into crockpot. Set on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5 hours. Stir well and serve over rice with crusty French bread. Serves 6-8.

I use a mixture of meats, not just chicken - beef, squirrel, venison, a handful of shrimp - enough to equal 2-3 cups of meat. The sausage should not be omitted though. I freeze the liquor from fresh oysters to add as part of the water amounts to give it a more Cajun seafood boost. If serving different levels of spicey hot preferences, start mild and serve with Tabasco on the side.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Seasoned Salt

3/4 c. salt
1 t. thyme
1 t. marjoram
1 t. garlic powder
4 t. paprika
2 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. curry powder

Blend well. Store in air tight container/shaker. Makes 1 cup.

I don't like to be without this in my kitchen for seasoning meats or any dish that needs a boost in flavor.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Monster cookies

Measure following ingredients in a large mixing bowl in the order given. Mix thoroughly. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet.
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 c. soft margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. light corn syrup
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 c. quick oats
2/3 c. chocolate chips

Place several M&M's and Reese's Pieces on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. These are flat, moist cookies. For slightly thicker cookies, include 1-2 cups flour.

*Janelle's note: definitely add some flour to these. I usually add about 2/3 cup of flour. Also, when you put them on the cookie sheet, don't flatten them out at all. They will totally flatten out as they bake. They should be about the size of a ping-pong ball.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Crockpot Sesame Chicken

Serves 4-6 people.

3 lbs skinless chicken thighs
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 TB. cooking sherry (optional)
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ginger
2 TB Ketchup
2 TB sesame seeds

Hot cooked rice

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Pour over chicken, being sure to get some sauce on every piece of chicken. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Serve over rice.

*I usually half the amount of meat in this recipe, but keep the sauce amounts the same. That way there is not as much meat but still lots of sauce to pour over rice. Yum.

Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole

2 c. uncooked rice
1 c. water

Bring water to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

2 chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
2 c. shredded cheese (Mexican mix works well for this)
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 onion chopped
3/4 c. salsa

Saute chicken breast in skillet with onion. Add soups and salsa-simmer until chicken is cooked (juice runs out clear when cut) . Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Combine cheeses. Layer 1/2 of rice, 1/2 of chicken, 1/2 of cheese. Repeat.
Bake 30-40 minutes. It should be bubbly in the middle.

Multi-grain Bread

8 c. flour (white)
4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. flax seeds
4 TB poppy seeds
1/2 c. sesame seeds.
3 TB yeast
5 c. warm water
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. oil
5 tsp. salt

Combine water, yeast, honey, oil, salt and seeds. Add in flours. Raise 1 hour. Poke down and raise 1/2 additional hour. Form loaves and put in pans. Raise 35 minutes and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

Prep Time: Minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Yield: 4 servings


4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope of Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup of water

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained.

Hot cooked rice or noodles

Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cook 1 hour longer. Serve over rice or noodles.

*I prefer this over noodles, although the rice is a lower carb option. I think brown rice would also look better, since the sauce is very white and looks a little blah on white rice. This recipe has lots of flavor and is really very easy to make.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Poppy Seed Bread

3 c. flour
2 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. poppy seed
1 1/2 t. Baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. veg. oil
1 1/2 t. Vanilla
1 1/2 t. almond extract
In large bowl combine first ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil & extracts. Pour into two large greased bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 min. Cool in pans.
Glaze:
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
Bring to boil, then pour over bread in pans. Cool for 5 min. Remove from pans and finish cooling. This is always a hit.

Sausage Bean Stew

4 c. chicken broth
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 c. barley
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. lentils
several drops Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce.
Cook together for about 20 min.
Add:
3 cans (16 oz. each) beans, like kidney, butter, pinto or black eyed peas etc. rinsed and drained. Add 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into slices. Cover and cook till barley and lentils are tender. I often make a double batch and freeze some.

Serves 6-8.

Creamy Pesto

1/4 c. almonds, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/1/2 c. basil (minced)
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
pinch of salt

Mix together. I like it spread on toasted french bread and then adding other veggies like sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, onions etc.

Pecan Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust 1 T. butter, melted
1 c. light corn syrup 1/3 tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, slightly beaten 1 1/2 c. pecans


Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. If crust or pie appears to be getting too brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time.

*So I've never been able to get the toothpick to come out clean. This pie looks puffed up while it's in the oven and seems to be all runny yet. But after you take it out and it has time to cool, it settles down and becomes solid.

Chicken Black Bean Salad

1/3 c. oil 1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. lemon juice 1/4-1/2 tsp. Cayenne powder
2 T. Cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar 1/4. tsp. pepper

Combine and let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.

1 bell pepper Lettuce
15 oz. black beans tomatoes, chopped
1 c. corn, Optional Shredded cheese
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, diced

Place shredded lettuce on individual plates or on a large serving plate; top with the chicken, beans, corn, onions, and pepper. Drizzle with dressing and top with cheese and tomatoes

Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is great to have around for a quick breakfast in the morning. I grew up on this stuff. I hate regular oatmeal, but this stuff has a completely different texture.

1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
Beat, and then add:
6 c. oatmeal
1 T. and 1 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
2 c. milk

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

*The last time I made this I sliced and peeled 2 apples and mixed them in. Add some cinnamon makes it really good too. This can be eaten just plain or with milk poured over. Sometimes I add some brown sugar too.n yum

Fresh Salsa

3 large size roma tomatoes (or any other kind you have around)
1/8 onion, or to taste
3-4 sprigs of cilantro
1/8 lemon or lime (juice only), I just use a teaspoon or so.
1-2 garlic cloves
chili peppers (however hot you want)
1 t. salt

mix it all together and enjoy.

Granola Bars

4 c. uncooked oats 1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. packed brown sugar 1 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla 3/4 c. melted butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. raisins

Combine all ingredients. Mix will and press into a well greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool thoroughly and cut into bars. Store in an air tight container.
*note from Janelle: this recipe works best if you use some sort of non-stick pan. I've made it in other kinds of pans and you have to work like heck to get the bars out.

6 week bran muffins

5 c. flour 4 eggs beaten
3 c. sugar 1 qt. buttermilk
2 tsp. salt 12 c. branflakes (cornflakes)
1 c. oil 1 c. raisins
5 tsp baking soda

mix all ingredients except branflakes and raisins together. Stir in raisins and branflakes last. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes in greased or papered muffin tins. This batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.