egg-in-a-hole

i know this is easy, and we all know how to do it already, but we discovered a totally new way to make egg in a hole from the pioneer woman cookbook and it is AMAZINGLY easy! instead of buttering the bread, and then cutting out the hole and getting butter all over and having to spray the pan--you just melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan, and then put the break right in there, and crack the egg into the hole. the butter butters the bread and keeps the egg from sticking--and it tastes even better because it's fattier! seriously. it's so much easier and more enjoyable to make now. you can thank me later.

Peppermint Bark

I'm trying this out right now... hopefully it's good!

Peppermint Bark

1 lb. dark chocolate (I used 1/2 semisweet and 1/2 bittersweet)
1 lb. white chocolate
6 oz. (1 regular package) candy canes, crushed
1. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Spread (with an offset spatula) in an even layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place in freezer to harden, approximately 30 minutes.
2. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Spread (with an offset spatula) on top of the dark chocolate layer. Working quickly before the white chocolate sets, sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top and gently press into the chocolate. Refrigerate until complete hard and set, at least 2 hours.
3. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Murphy Rolls

1 cup warm water
2 T. margarine/butter (very soft)
1 egg
3 1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
3 T. yeast

For bread machine, just dump it all in in order, and set it to dough, so it will be done in 1 1/2 hours. After it goes off, punch it down, and form into balls, or however you would like your rolls. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Let raise for 30 minutes. Bake immediately at 375 degrees for 13-14 minutes.
For no bread machine...place yeast in warm water. Let set for 5 minutes. Mix other dry ingredients together. Combine water/yeast mixture with flour mixture. Add softened butter and egg. Mix well til it cleans side of bowl. Let raise in a warm spot till dbout double, for approximately 1 hour. Punch down on floury surface. Knead for a minutes. Then form into small round rolls and continue as with directions above.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Alyse:

adapted slightly from Pumpkin Nook's Cookbook

1 c canned pumpkin
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, soft
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 c rolled oats
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 c milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Add and mix in butter, mixing until crumbly.
3. Stir in egg and pumpkin. Then the rolled oats and chocolate chips.
4. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes.

no-knead artisan bread

oh my GOODNESS this bread is so fantastic! and so easy! and so awesome because it only has four ingredients! hooooooly cow we loved this. my friend libby gave us the recipe and we L-O-V-E-D it.

it's interesting because you bake it in the oven in a casserole dish, cast-iron skillet, Pyrex bowl, or whatever--Tommy used our Dutch oven to make it. the bigger the dish you use to bake it in, the flatter it'll be and probably the less time it'll need to cook. i'm sure you could use an actual bread-loaf pan too--we didn't even ask about that though! it sounds like something you just can experiment with and play around with and make in any way you like.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

1. Combine and cover with saran wrap and let it stand overnight or 8-12 hours. (Note: We let it rise for almost 21 hours because we made it at an Enrichment activity but couldn't finish it until we got home from school the next day. It was fine! But it needs to rise for AT LEAST 8 hours.)

2. Stir down in bowl and dust with flour. Let it rise 1.5-2 more hours in a skillet sprayed with Pam or a bowl greased with oil. (Libby showed us how she would just pour a tablespoon-ish of vegetable oil in under the dough after she stirred it again, and then just left it there.) Leave it covered while rising.

3. Grease dish you're going to bake it in and preheat it in a 450 degree oven. When the temperature of the oven hits 450, dump the dough into the dish. (Libby baked hers with the lid on, but it'll be good either way.)

4. Bake for 30 minutes. If you want to top to be more golden brown, remove the lid after 30 minutes and continue baking 5-10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing.

Wet Burritos

This is another good recipe that LaDawn has made for a couple of family reunions and it is really a crowd pleaser. She got it from her friend, Mayloni Edwards, from her ward.

Rotisserie Chicken
Tortillas
Beans
Rice
Lettuce
Tomato
Green Enchilada Sauce
Guacamole

Shred chicken, warm in pot with enough green enchilada sauce to make spreadable.

Put in middle of tortilla with warmed beans and warm rice. Roll and place seam side down on plate. Place green enchilada sauce generously on top and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave for 1/2 minutes until cheese is melted.

If making for a large group, place on cookie sheet and place under broiler until cheese is melted.

Garnish with lettuce, tomato and guacamole.

Summer Lime Chicken Breasts

We went up to EDH and visited the Stone Family and LaDawn made these for us--very delicious. I love the taste of lime, cilantro and garlic...very good!

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/3 c. olive oil
juice of 3 limes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbl. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Pound chicken between plastic to flatten slightly. Combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, 2 Tbp. cilantro, salt, and pepper in bowl. Pour over chicken and marinate for one hour. Grill or broil chicken breasts for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with cilantro.

blueberry cream muffins

we made these while the leiningers were here with our hand-picked blueberries and they were so fantastic. the original recipe calls for a little bit less sugar and no cinnamon, but i read some of the comments on allrecipes.com and added them and it made a fannnntastic muffin. the cinnamon really gave it its kick. i would add a crumble topping next time, because they were really good but i just LOVE crumble toppings.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
3. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

for my own future reference, here's a crumbly topping recipe:

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

black bean soup

easiest soup you'll ever make, but really oh, so good.

2-3 cans black beans (do not drain)

2 cans chicken broth

1 tsp. salt

3 cups cooked rice

avacado, sliced

grated cheese

tortilla chips, crushed

sour cream

Blend together the black beans with one of the cans chicken broth. Add black bean mixture, other can of chicken broth, and salt to a large pan. Cook on medium heat until nice and hot. (You don't need to bring it to a boil). In individual bowls, layer the rice, then the soup, then the other toppings.

cobb salad sandwich

yep, they're exactly what you think they are. but man, we felt so gourmet eating these for lunch! add a bit of bacon and avocado to a sandwich and it seems wayyyy better. you could even do it on just two toasted pieces of bread, as we discovered after i'd bought 12 croissants (they didn't sell them in any smaller quantities at the grocery store). we also ditched the bleu cheese and just went with cheddar. the ranch is what made the sandwich!

• 4 croissants, cut in half lengthwise
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 slices of crisply cooked bacon, halved
• 8 slices of deli ham, turkey, or chicken
• 4 slices of red onion
• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• mayonnaise, blue cheese dressing, or ranch dressing

Directions

1. 1Spread your choice of mayonnaise, blue cheese dressing, or ranch dressing on both halves of the croissant.
2. 2Layer one half of each croissant with lettuce, tomato, bacon, 2 slices of ham (or turkey\chicken), onion, sliced egg, 2 avocado slices, and a tablespoon of blue cheese crumbles. Place other croissant half on top and enjoy!

peach and raspberry crumble

wow, this was a super-delicious AND easy dessert to make! and so good and summery! you HAVE to eat it with ice cream, of course. i wanted to put it up here so i didn't forget about it. enjoy!

the only thing is that the "crumble" part makes a ton. so i didn't put it all on because i thought i had enough already. put on more than you think. it's necessary!

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

makes 1 8×8-inch square baking dish

5-6 medium ripe peaches, sliced

1 cup fresh raspberries (if using frozen, just thaw and drain)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place sliced peaches and raspberries in a square 8×8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, oats, spices, and salt. Add the butter and toss the mixture together with your hands. Break the butter up into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small pebbles and oat flakes. This took me about 4 minutes.

Toss a generous handful (about 1 cup) of crumble topping into the peach and raspberry mixture. Toss loosely with your hands. Spread fruit evenly in the pan and top with the remaining crumble mixture. Bake until fruit is juicy and bubbling, and the top of the crumble is slightly browned and crisp, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve with vanilla ice cream. Crumble is delicious served warm and can be stored, covered, in the fridge and reheated in the oven or microwave for serving.

pizza pasta

This is just a small variation on the standard (and most amazing) pasta salad that you get at any and every church potluck. It's got pepperoni and cheese sprinkled in it, but we also added a cucumber and broccoli to it, which makes it less pizza-like but more healthy. Once again, I just wanted to put it up here so that I wouldn't forget what it was, because we really really liked it!

1 bag colored spiral noodles
¾ c. pepperoni cut into wedges
¾ c. mozzarella cut into small cubes
¾ c. fresh tomatoes, diced
¼ c. parmesan cheese
1 bottle Bernstein's Restaurant Recipe Italian Dressing

Mix together all ingredients and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

choclate cake with Peanut Butter frosting

Okay, I got this from your friend, Kelsey Nixon's blog page and we made it and it was addicting! Actually, we cheated and used a box cake (!!!--Grandpa Myres would not be proud) but then used this peanut butter frosting and it was to die for. Very delicious!


Ingredients

Cake
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups hot water

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 by 15-inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the sour cream, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder, and hot water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat. Cool slightly, and incorporate the cocoa mixture with the dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the frosting:
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Remove from the heat. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, and powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla, and slowly incorporate the peanut butter mixture, blending well after each addition.

Frost the cake while both the frosting and cake are still warm. Top with nuts, if desired.

chicken in garlic sauce

another blog recipe: this was a really easy but delicious chicken recipe. i would have doubled or tripled it if i had known it was going to be so good--and if we'd had enough honey. but i'll be making it again for sure.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 2 hours refrigeration) Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup water
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 head fresh broccoli (cut into florets)

Step 1: In a bowl combine garlic, soy sauce, water, honey, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, cornstarch, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix well. Stir chicken into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step 2: In a large wok or skillet, heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. With a slotted spoon remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the wok or fry pan (reserve the marinade). Stir fry chicken for 3 minutes. Add broccoli and stir fry for an addition 2 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Step 3: Add the reserved marinade to the wok or fry pan and cook until thickened.
Yield: about 3 servings (but that's for Tommy and I. hahaha.)

s'mores cookies

hello, these were amazing. not something i'd make every day, but a pretty fun summer cookie treat. we brought them to our ward potluck and got many compliments. i bet beetle would like to try making them--they're really easy! once again, got this from a recipe blog.

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. I used one 11x17 pan and one 9x13 pan but you can really use any sized pans you want.

Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). I used 16 graham cracker squares on one pan and 10 squares on another. You may have to add or remove graham crackers according to how much dough you have. If you want your cookies thicker you will use more dough and less graham crackers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.

Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight (I did one batch right away and another after chilling overnight and found there was no difference.)

Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. I averaged about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per graham cracker square.

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. You can place as many pieces or as little as you want depending how much chocolate flavor you want.

Bake for 5 – 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

strawberry shortcake with almond glaze

i've never made strawberry shortcake before. and i'll never make a different one. nothing could be better than this one.

it's moist, moist, moist, soft, soft, soft, and oh so heavenly. ooooooooohhh it was good. i'm sad it's gone.

i got it from here.

here's the recipe itself, just in case that blog goes away. i never want to lose this--it's that good.

Strawberry Shortcake with Almond Glaze

1 yellow cake mix

1 cup sour cream

 4 eggs

1 small vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the above ingredients together for a few minutes until well combined. Pour the batter into 2 round cake pans that have been greased or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes and then gently remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Almond Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons almond extract

1-2 Tablespoons milk, if needed

Mix the glaze ingredients together while the cake cools. Once cake is still warm but has cooled slightly, prick the cake with a large fork or the back of a wooden spoon. Spoon the glaze over the two round cakes letting it sink in. Save about 1/3 or so of the glaze and set aside.

Strawberries and Cream Topping

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1-2 pounds of fresh strawberries, sliced

Whip cream with 3-4 Tablespoons of powdered sugar, using a mixer. Wash dry and slice the strawberries and set aside.


Assembly:

Place one of the glazed cake rounds on a cake stand or large plate. Top with freshly whipped cream and a layer of strawberry slices. Follow with the second cake, more whipped cream and arrange more fresh sliced strawberries on top in a pretty pattern. Next drizzle the more of the almond glaze over the top and down the sides. Store in fridge until ready to serve. We like it chilled.

Sure Jell, Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
3/4 cup water
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

1. RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

2. MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

3. FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

banana split cake

We got this recipe from someone in our singles ward, AGES ago. They made it for us for a service auction (well, for Tommy, but we shared it) and it was delicious.

Banana Split Cake

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

dash of salt

Mix and press in a 9x13 pan, bake for 10 minutes at 350. Pull it out and let it cool before spreading the filling over it.

Cream cheese filling:

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)

1-2 cups powdered sugar

8 ounces Cool Whip

1 tsp vanilla

Spread over cooled crust, then add layers of:

8 ounce can of crushed pineapple (we didn't actually add this when we made it, but I'm sure it would be good!)

3 bananas, sliced

2 cups strawberries, sliced

Dollop some more Cool Whip and melted chocolate chips over the whole thing.

pizza dough and breadsticks

i love this food blog. the people who write it are clearly mormons--one of their favorite recipes is a cafe rio knockoff we have yet to try. this recipe is a knockoff of the pizza factory breadtwists, and the dough can be used for pizza dough. it's DELICIOUS and really easy--i'm always afraid of dough-like recipes and this one worked like a charm.

i'll just put a link to it because i'm lazy, and it's got pictures: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2010/03/breadtwists-our-version-of-pizza.html

pizza sauce recipe

tommy and i tried this pizza sauce recipe tonight and really liked it. it was a bit spicy, so we'll probably cut the peppers down when we make it next, but really flavorful. i just wanted to put it up here so we'd remember about it! we found it on allrecipes.com and changed a few things to make it more delicious for us.

Ingredients

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
2. Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

strawberry swirl cream cheese pound cake

i got this recipe from southern living magazine and just made it for a party we're going to tonight. we had to sample it beforehand of course--and it is GOOD. especially with some whipped cream. mmm mmm.

ingredients:

1.5 cups butter, softened

3 cups sugar

1 package cream cheese, softened

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup Marzetti strawberry glaze (i found this in the produce section by the strawberries)

1 wooden skewer

1. preheat oven to 350. beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. add cream cheese, beating until creamy. add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

2. gradually add flour to butter mixture. beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. stir in almond and vanilla extracts. pour one-third of batter into a greased and floured tube pan. dollop eight rounded teaspoonfuls strawberry glaze over batter, and swirl with wooden skewer. repeat procedure once, and top with remaining third of batter.

3. bake at 350 for one hour to one hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool in pan on a wire rack 10-15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

italian herb bread (for the breadmaker)

1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes (we've always just used onion salt, i think)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

directions:
you know the drill. wet ingredients, dry ingredients, make a well for the yeast. the only thing different about this one is that it needs to be on the "french" setting. it's delicious!

Honey-Cumin Dressing

Honey-Cumin Dressing
(Gathering at the Table)

¼ c. apple-cider vinegar

3 T. honey

1 ½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Shake all ingredients in a jar and serve over your favorite salad. It's great as a southwestern-like salad. I like it best on romaine, avocados, grape tomatoes, kidney or black beans, red bell pepper, green onions, and frozen corn served with tortilla chips and grilled chicken. This is a great, low-fat meal.

Anderson Bread

Andersen Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 4 large loaves

4 cups warm water
8 cups whole-wheat flour (or until it scrapes sides of mixer clean or feels like grandma's arm when dented:)
2 Tbsp. yeast
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
1 generous Tbsp salt
(opt. 2 Tbsp. gluten)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients,(1/2 flour and then remainder of flour as mixer is mixing). Mix bread 10 min. Let raise approx. 20 min. Knead into bread pans. Let raise approx. 45 minutes. Bake at 350 approx 25 min.


Notes from Brenley (that I learned from my mom, of course):

I usually need more than 8 cups of flour here. I add flour until the mixer cleans itself off. I never use the gluten. My mom doesn't either, but my sister does. So--it's preference. My mom wouldn't dream of using store-bought wheat flour, but I don't have a grinder yet so I buy King Arthur's and it works great. I've also bought bulk at Sprouts and had great results with that too. My mom swears by SAF brand yeast but also likes "Red Star", which is the brand you can buy at Costco for super cheap (and in huge quantities).

Make sure to oil the pans. Knead the dough on the counter into a rounded, flat ball then punch the dough into the greased pan and then turn it over so it's shapely on top. My bread takes closer to 30 min. tobake. Remove the bread quickly from the pans so it doesn't "sweat" and let it cool on racks (although I'm usually picking at it as soon as it won't burn my mouth!). We always butter the tops of the loaves so they have a nice shine.

Side note: My mom and her sisters used to sell their bread to their neighbors when they were little girls back in the 50s. The bread was legendary and Spencer's mom (who happened to be one of the Andersen's neighbors) remembers buying their bread! Small world!

Denice's Broccoli Salad

2 bunches of Broccoli (or one with 1 cauliflower),
cleaned and cut up
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
1 lb. fried bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, shelled and salted
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine broccoli (cauliflower), raisins, onions, bacon
and sunflower seeds in a bowl. In a smaller bowl
combine mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Mix well.
Pour dressing over broccoli (cauliflower) mixture, mix
well, cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Avocado Basil Tomato Pasta

Another good recipe from a friend, Brenley Burton. The kids could not get enough of this when I made it--I made it into a meal by adding shrimp, but you could also add chicken. We made it with fresh tomatoes from our yard and it was to die for!

8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 to 3/4 large avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes
4 medium tomatoes, cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
2. while pasta is cooking, heat oil in 3 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic in oil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender but not brown; remove from heat.
3. Stir basil, avocado and tomatoes into garlic in saucepan. Toss vegetable mixture and pasta.

(Can also add toasted pine nuts and sprinkle with Parmesan).

Korean BBQ Beef (Wongs)

This is the recipe that has literally fed thousands of Mormons all over southern California as the Wongs have catered all of these singles conferences and 4th of July band fests. Erna was so good to share it with me.

4 lbs. of beef (sliced 1/8")
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 - 3/4 cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
1/4 sesame seeds (toasted)
1 bunch green onions (finely chopped)
lots of garlic (1 head of cloves finely chopped)

Put meat in a big mixing bowl. In a different bowl mix all of the sauce ingredients together and pour over the meat. You will need to make more sauce if the meat is not covered all the way. Marinade beef for at least 1/2 an hour. The Wongs only bbq their beef on one of their 8 grills.

BBQ Sauce

This is from Jen Izu, our good friend. You can use it for anything you would use BBQ sauce for, but I have used it to go in the crock pot over a good size rib eye roast, cook all day, and then shred at the end and serve over warmed buns. It really is delicious. (makes a lot so you can half it if you don't want too much).

3 c. ketchup
2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. white vinegar

Cook all ingredients over the stove, just until the sugar dissolves. Keep leftovers in the fridge.

lemon-poppyseed waffles with blackberry maple syrup

this recipe came from southern living magazine and tommy and i made it this morning for breakfast--and it was delicious! so i wanted to share.

The waffles:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 1/4 cups cold club soda
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Blackberry Maple Syrup

Preparation

1. Stir together baking mix, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. Whisk together club soda, egg, and butter in a small bowl; gently whisk egg mixture into poppy seed mixture. (Mixture will be lumpy.) Let stand 3 minutes.

2. Cook batter in a preheated, oiled Belgian-style waffle iron until golden (about 1/2 cup batter each). Serve with Blackberry Maple Syrup.

The syrup:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 (12-oz.) package frozen blackberries, thawed*
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.

*Frozen mixed berries, thawed, may be substituted.

kringla

so there is a pair of icelandic twins who live in our ward in north carolina. they made us some of this traditional scandinavian dessert right before we left for christmas and it was A-MAZING. it's a kind of pastry that has jam and a glaze on top, and tommy said it was very authentic, very similar to things he had in denmark. we made it again for tommy's family and it wasn't even that hard! i usually shy away from things that involve rolling out (like sugar cookies or pies) but this worked just fine. and it was worth the effort.

Kringla

Ingredients:
2 C flour

2 sticks butter (room temp)

1 (8-oz) tub of sour cream

½ c jam or preserve for filling

1 egg white

1 egg yolk beaten w/1 tsp vanilla

Frosting: mix ½ stick of softened butter with 1 cup powdered sugar (more or less depending on the consistency you want) and 1 ½ tsp almond extract. Add 1 -2 TBS of milk to thin.

Directions:

1. Mix flour and butter as for pie crust (criss-cross with 2 butter knives or buy tool or with electric hand mixer or food processor).

2. Add sour cream; mix and form into ball. Flatten and dust both sides with flour. Stick in Gallon size ziploc

3. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

4. Roll (dust surface with a little flour) into long and wide rectangle (about 1 ½ feet long and 1 foot wide.

5. Brush with egg whites and fill spoon and spread filling down middle (imagine a dough is divided in three rectangles and fill just the middle rectangle).

6. Fold each side (visualize the rectangle as 3 equal parts; fold in the two outer parts). Pinch ends or press down.

7. Brush tops with egg yolk mixture.

8. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 40 minutes or golden brown.

9. Cool and frost with icing; slice for serving.