Tortilla Trauma!

(My version of Costco's uncooked tortillas--I have a LONG ways to go!!)

Do you love the new trend of the uncooked tortillas? Where have these been all my life? They are FAR superior to a precooked, dried out tortilla. The fact you can make them right before you eat dinner and have warm tortillas off the griddle in seconds is the next best thing to sliced bread!! The ONLY downfall is how expensive they are! It is hard to get a package of regular tortillas on sale for .77, verses the $3-$4 a package for the uncooked tortillas. For now, this is something I will splurge on, but in the case of an emergency or time I have to live off of my food storage, I think I will need an alternative.

Tortillas really are a great item to have the capability of making from your food storage. They would work great for wraps for lunches, be used in enchiladas, soups, burritos, and can even be used in desserts (they are great buttered with cinnamon and sugar or with a cream cheese filling and fruit inside). The other great thing about learning to make your own tortillas is that they can be made without a leavening agent (like yeast) and you wouldn't need to bake them in the oven if your power was out. They can be cooked on the grill or in a pan over a camping stove.

Now to my dilemma! I have not mastered tortilla making yet and it is driving me crazy! I am posting the recipe I have been using (it seems to be a pretty basic recipe I see out in the blog world), but I can not get them to work. They are either too thick, too dry, too doughy, or too ugly. You name it and I have had a something go wrong. My tortillas are more like saltine crackers than they are a soft, warm tortilla.

I need your help! If you know the secret to making a soft, thin, and heavenly tortilla, will you please share your knowledge with me? ANY tips or tricks would be helpful for me--just leave a comment or email me at Shandra@dealstomeals.com. THANKS!! In the mean time, here is my sub-par tortilla recipe:

Homemade Flour Tortillas
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
3 T. shortening

Mix together with enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll dough VERY thin and fry on hot skillet.

(My dough in a food processor)

(My dough balls that were uneven and dry)

(My million dollar tortilla smasher that I bought off of Ebay that doesn't work!!)

(My not-so-cute tortilla cooking on my grill)

Thank you in advance for your help with my tortilla dilemma :)

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Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

I was looking through a cookbook and found a couple of recipes that I thought looked good. I love having healthy (okay..somewhat healthy) after school snacks for the kids--or else they ransack the pantry looking for granola bars and fruit snacks. These muffins seemed like they would be worth trying. I have to admit, they were pretty good! My husband did say that he thought they were a little too healthy (I tend to do that--hey, at least I didn't put pureed beans in them!) They have a VERY dense texture, but I feel like they would fill the kids up and would be great in lunches. We have three friends over and they all came back for seconds :)

I happened to have flax seed on hand, so these muffins worked great to get rid of those. If you don't, I would assume you could use more flour or oats in it's place.

Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
1 egg
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 c. applesauce
4 bananas
3 T. sour cream
1 t. vanilla

Mix above ingredients together.

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. flax (if you have flax in seed form, put in a blender with the wet mixture above for 1 minute until well blended)
1 1/4 c. quick oats
1/3 c. brown sugar or honey
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. raisins or craisins
1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Mix together the wet ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Put muffins in a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes (until they are browned on top and have a cake-like texture). You could use all raisins or all chocolate chips--personally I think chocolate makes everything taste better!

Another great recipe to use up that food storage!

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Gingerbread Pancakes

(Sorry, another 'not so great picture' to add to my collection!)

A few weeks ago I was over at my mom's house for breakfast and she made these AMAZING Gingerbread Pancakes. She said she got the recipe off of Studio 5 and I have loved them ever since. You will definitely want to add this recipe to your food storage favorites! The bananas with the Gingerbread Pancakes and the Buttermilk Syrup was such a great combination. I should have posted this recipe before the holidays because the flavors remind me of Christmas and the fall--but good anytime of year!!

Here is the link to get this recipe http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=204&sid=8280860

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French bread brought to a whole new level!

One of the recipes I get asked about the most often is my homemade French Bread recipe. This recipe is SO easy and so light and airy. Baking this bread at the high temperature of 450 also gives this bread a crispy outer layer and keeps the inside soft and tender. This bread also can be made and the extra loaves frozen for later. Serve this bread with any pasta dish, turn it into garlic cheese bread, or use as a sandwich like I did below.

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Here is the French Bread recipe (this amount makes 2 loaves):
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
2 T. white vinegar
Add these ingredients together and let sit until bubbly
1 T. salt
1/3 c. canola or vegetable oil
6 c. flour

In a mixer add the water, yeast, sugar, vinegar, and 3 c. of the flour. Mix until combined. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until bubbly and foamy. Add the oil, salt, and remaining flour and knead for 5 minutes. Once the dough is combined and has been kneaded, let the bowl and dough sit on the counter until it doubles in size. You can also do the quick method by putting the bowl in your oven on the bottom shelf with a small pot of boiling water. This will help the dough stay soft and rise more quickly. Either method will work great. Once the dough has risen to the top of the bowl, punch it down and let it rise again. You can do this as many times as you have time for (one is only needed though). The more times you punch down your dough, the more air bubbles your bread will have.

Put the dough on a greased counter top and divide into 2 sections. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Roll the dough balls into long rectangle shapes. Slash the tops of the loaves bread 3-5 times. Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled). Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes-until top of bread is golden brown.

Now that you have this AMAZING French Bread recipe you need to try this loaded sandwich. I got this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs and it was de-licious!! It was shown as an appetizer, and that is what I used it for, but it could easily be made for a quick week night meal. Here is my version of the recipe (I made a few changes):

Loaded French Bread

1 loaf french bread, cut in half lengthwise (This mixture for me actually made two loaves worth)
1/2 stick butter, softened (not melted)
2 heaping Tbsp. Mayonnaise (stick with the real stuff, not low-fat)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese (or you could use more mozzarella)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can olives, sliced
20 slices pepperoni, chopped
1 c. mushrooms, sliced, then roughly chopped
2-3 green onions, sliced and chopped
1/2 c. sliced banana peppers (these were my favorite part of the sandwich--the vinegar taste of the pepper was perfect in this mixture)
1 c. grape tomatoes (or regular), cut in half
Garlic powder, basil, Italian seasoning, etc. as desired

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (except for the bread) using a spatula or wooden spoon.

When everything is mixed together really well, spread the mixture evenly over the bread and bake at 325-degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly crispy. Cut up into individual slices and serve.

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Carrot Craze!

Spiced Carrot Waffles with Cinnamon Cream Syrup-YUM!


I was surfing through food blogs the other night and found a recipe that I KNEW I needed to try from the Tasty Kitchen. I found the recipe at 10:15 p.m. and was so excited to make this recipe I decided to make it that night and have it ready for the kids in the morning before school.

It really was delicious and the best part about it was that it used up the bags of carrots I had in the fridge that were about to go bad. I stock up my fridge and freezer when carrots go on sale (in the hopes we will be EXTREMELY healthy and reach for a carrot instead of a cookie :) Sometimes it works, and other times (like this past week) it didn't! So..I had 3 bags of carrots I needed to use up and this recipe saved the day! The carrots and applesauce make these waffles moist with a sponge like texture. They are SUPER good, and somewhat good for you!

I had my sisters and their kids come over for breakfast and they were a hit! Some of the kids asked why there were carrots in their waffles, but once they tried them, they were hooked. We even ate a second batch of them for lunch later that day--DELIGHTFUL!

I know many of us are trying to watch our calorie intake this time of year, but the Cinnamon Cream Syrup is worth the calories. It was the perfect pair with these waffles! Enjoy!

Spiced Carrot Waffles (my adapted recipe to include more food storage items)
1 c. white flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. corn meal
1 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
3 T. sugar
2 eggs (or egg powder and water equivalent)
1 3/4 c. water (or you could use buttermilk and leave out the powdered milk)
5 T. dry powdered milk
1 c. packed shredded carrots
1/4 c. oil (I used even less oil and substituted more applesauce-it worked great!)
1/4 c. applesauce

Stir together the wet ingredients, spices, and baking powder. Add the flour and cornmeal and mix until incorporated. For an even fluffier waffle (who has time for this??), you can separate the eggs, beat the whites to a stiff peak, and fold them into the recipe before cooking. This will make your waffles more fluffy if you have the time. Cook waffles on a hot waffle iron. Serve with Cinnamon Syrup.

Cinnamon Cream Syrup
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1/4 c. water
dash of salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 (12oz.) can of evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

TIP: I could tell reading through the ingredients that I would love this recipe so I chopped extra carrots to freeze for a later breakfast in a hurry. Carrots freeze GREAT for later cooked meals, so stock up when prices are low.

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Beans...the options are limitless!

The other day I was making White Bean Chicken Chili and decided to use some of the dried white beans from my storage (SO much less expensive than canned beans!). I put 3 lbs. of beans in my large roaster oven and had them simmer in the water for 4-5 hours. By the end of the day the beans were perfectly soft and ready for my chili. Needless to say, out of 3 lbs. of beans, I had LOTS of left overs and wondered what to do with them. I have read several blogs and books where they say you can substitute white beans pureed for fat/butter in recipes. I decided to give this method a try. I was over all quite pleased with the results! Here are a few of my cooking adventures with pureed white beans.




My first attempt was pretty terrible. I don't know if it was the recipe I used or the fact I used 100% whole wheat and 100% beans-with no butter or fat. The cookies turned out dry and crumbly and NOT worth posting about. When I perfect a chocolate chip cookie recipe with white beans I will post about it.


I then decided to try white bean puree in some muffins I was making for an after school snack for the kids. These actually turned out pretty good! I think if you used all white flour you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference of the butter or beans. However, I tend to go over board with the wheat flour in hopes of being healthy, and usually do too much. Try this recipe with half wheat flour and half white flour and I think it will be perfect! I have tried all bean puree and no butter and they just turn out too crumbly and dry. Having some fat in the recipe helps the item stay moist and soft. Sorry...these are 'healthier' not 100% healthy :)
*I liked the lemon butter/sugar topping of these muffins, but I think a traditional streusel would actually taste even better.



Blueberry Muffins
2 c. wheat flour
2 c. white flour
1 cup sugar
6 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
zest of two lemons
2 egg
2 cup water
6 T. dry powdered milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. white bean puree
2 cup frozen blueberries

Topping (this makes extra - you can try cutting it down if you want):
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tb lemon juice
lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar

Beat eggs, bean puree, butter, water, powdered milk, and sugar. Stir in blueberries. Add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 24 muffins.


This afternoon I decided to try another recipe with white beans (I had lots to get rid of!) and this one is my favorite so far. This Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe was one I adapted from Mrs. Fields Cookbook into a healthier version. Again, you need some of the fat, so use 1/2 beans and 1/2 butter and they will be delicious! This recipe makes a TON! You can freeze the extra dough for later or give some away to your neighbors.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (Okay...healthier)
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. pureed white beans
Beat top ingredients and then add:
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
Add dry ingredients and beat together:
1/4 c. powdered dry milk
2 c. white flour
2-3 c. wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
5 c. oatmeal (quick or regular)
2 t. soda
1 t. salt
2 c. raisins or chocolate chips
3 c. nuts (optional)

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on greased cookie sheet. Don’t over bake.

**GREAT TIP: Make extra white beans and puree them into separate portions for later. Label your bags with how much beans you put in the bag and keep them in the freezer until you need them. When you are baking, pull out a bag, thaw them in the microwave, and add them to your recipe as desired. It works great!

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Feta Fun!!

Do you love feta cheese as much as I do? It is probably one of my absolute favorite cheeses. I don't know if it is the salty flavor or the smooth texture I love more--but, boy..it is delightful! I had ground beef thawed in my fridge today and I was dreaming of a feta filled hamburger. I have never had this before, but I imagined it being yummy! So..I did a little research and created my own recipe that was FANTASTIC! I even had a second small helping tonight because it was SO good (late night snacks are okay for pregnant people, right??).

Before I get to the recipe, here is a tip to save money on your bread budget. I didn't want to go to the store for $2.50 whole wheat hamburger buns, so I found an easy way around it. I was making wheat bread this morning and decided to make a few hamburger buns while I was at it. I used the same dough and just formed them into large roll shapes. They cooked up perfectly and made for the perfect INEXPENSIVE hamburger bun--fabulous!

Okay, here is my made up recipe for these fantastic Feta Burgers (play around with the amounts of items, I didn't measure, so these are just estimates):


Stuffed Feta Burgers
2 lbs. lean ground beef (ground turkey would also work great)
Montreal Steak Seasoning (good amount!)
2-3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. dried parsley
1 egg
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
Large chunk of feta cheese (I prefer the Greek Feta that is sold at Costco in a large square block--it is softer and has better flavor. Feta freezes well if you won't use up the whole package).
1 package hamburger buns (or homemade) Brush each side with a little olive oil or butter and broil for 30 seconds to a minute until golden brown.

Mix all together (minus the feta) and form half of the mixture into 7 patties. Put a large chunk of feta cheese on top of each half of the patties. Put the remaining beef mixture flattened on top of each patty, covering the feta cheese. Grill burgers until cooked through on the grill (dust off the snow on your outdoor grill, it will be worth the effort to have the yummy charcoal flavor!)

Serve burgers on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber sauce (below):

Cucumber Sauce (this is what makes these burgers)
1/4-1/3 c. mayonnaise (not low fat, you don't want a sweet flavor--sorry!)
1/4 c. sour cream
2 t. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic salt
Dash of lemon juice
1 small cucumber, peeled and shredded
Ground pepper
1/2 t. parsley
Salt to taste (it should be salty and tangy with the lemon juice)

Mix together and chill until ready to serve with burgers.

Enjoy!

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Perfectly Pumpkin

What is a more traditional Thanksgiving than pumpkin? If you have not stocked up on your cans of pumpkin yet this year, you only have a couple more days! For a 29oz. can of pumpkin, anything from $1-$1.67 is a GREAT deal, so stock up before prices go up.

So, now that you have your year supply of pumpkin, what do you do with it? Here are four of my FAVORITE recipes that call for canned pumpkin:


These are GREAT as a Thanksgiving breakfast, or even make a easy week night dinner. Have them with real whipping cream and you will be in heaven!

Pumpkin Waffles
3 eggs
1 pound can of pumpkin
¾ c. vegetable oil
½ c. water/beat together then add:
2 ½ c. flour
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 ½ t. baking soda
1 ¼ t. salt
¾ t. nutmeg
¾ t. cinnamon

Beat all ingredients together. Spray waffle iron heavily with oil. Pour scoopfuls into waffle maker. Serve with whipping cream & cinnamon.


This is a delicious dessert that is MUCH easier than making homemade pumpkin pie. Again, serve with whipping cream and you will have a perfect EASY Thanksgiving dessert.

Pumpkin Pie Dessert
1 yellow cake mix
Remove 1 ½ c. of dry mix-set aside
1 stick margarine or butter, melted
Add one egg to melted margarine, stir into large volume of cake mix. Spread this into a 9x13 pan. To one
Large Libby’s Pumpkin Pie mix, add 2 ½ t. pumpkin spice, 2/3 c. milk, 1 c. sugar and 2 eggs. Pour onto cake mixture
Spread in the bottom of pan.
To reserved cake mix add:
1 ½ t. cinnamon
3 T. margarine
¼ c. sugar
Sprinkle dry ingredients on top of pumpkin mix. Bake at 350 for one hour. Top with whipping cream.

I don't think there is an easier cookie recipe, than this one! This cookie makes the perfect treat for the holiday season. These cookies are a GREAT food storage recipe--all of the items can be stored in your storage long term.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
1 spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a spoon, mix cake mix and pumpkin together in a large bowl. Stir in nuts and if desired, chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool 2-3 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to a nonstick rack to cool completely.



I found this recipe on a great food blog, and have loved it ever since! If you don't have time to make the apple cider syrup, they are great with regular maple syrup as well. Yum!!

My Favorite Pumpkin Pancake Recipe
2 cups flour (I use at least 1/2 freshly ground white wheat flour)
3 Tb brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground all spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I do an overflowing 1/2 cup)
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 Tb canola oil
2 Tb vinegar

In one bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, oil and vinegar. Combine dry ingredients separately and them stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Heat your pan or griddle (lightly butter or oil if it is not seasoned), using about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot with apple cider syrup.

Apple Cider Syrup
www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBs cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups fresh apple cider (or juice would work)
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter

Mix sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg well. Add apple cider and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, use within a week or two.

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A friend of my sister's just started a food blog and when I saw this recipe, I KNEW I had to make it. Yes, I love carbs, it is one of my downfalls! I remember as a child my dad buying store bought raisin bread and out of each loaf we would only get ONE small slice. All four of us kids would drool over my dad's loaf of raisin bread and dream of our next slice. He used to toast his slice, put a generous amount of butter on the bread, and then sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top---yum!! This was truly a treat to us as children (we must not of had many sweets back then!). I have tried making raisin bread before, but haven't been able to find a recipe that I loved. This recipe off of her blog, was VERY good! I only made a couple of changes. First, I put more like a 1/4 c. of powdered milk (why not, I have TONS of it!) and then I also added a 1/3 c. of vital wheat gluten (my bread secret weapon!). The vital wheat gluten gave the bread that soft and pliable texture which I love, and will help the bread stay soft and fresh for a couple of days (that is..if it lasts that long). Here is the great recipe...I might add, it is an awesome food storage recipe at that!

Raisin Bread
* 4 C hot water
* 4 t salt
* 6 T butter
* 3/4 C sugar
* 2 T dry milk (I used 1/4 c)
* 4 t cinnamon
* 2 C raisins (tip for hard raisins that have been stored too long--put them in a bowl with a little water and microwave them for a minute or so. They plump up just like they were brand new and have a softer texture in the bread)
* 10-12 C flour (I found it was about 10 1/2 c.)--you could use all wheat flour or even 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat. The cinnamon gives the bread a brown color anyway, so why not add some wheat to make it healthier
* 2 1/2 T yeast
(1/3 c. vital wheat gluten--optional) Add during the first step with the water, butter, sugar, etc.

1. Put the water, salt, butter, sugar, dry milk, cinnamon and 4 C of the flour in the mixer, mix for 1 minute.

2. Add the yeast.
3. Keep adding the flour one cup at a time until the dough scrapes the side of your mixer clean.

4. Mix for 8 minutes.

5. Add the raisins and mix just until incorporated.

6. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.

7. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and place each piece in a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Pick each piece up, holding it in one hand, smack it repeatedly to get the air bubbles out. Shape it into a ball and place it back in the pan. Repeat with each section of dough.

8. Put the pans into a warm 170 degree oven and let rise for about 20 minutes, or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

9. Turn the oven up to 350 and bake for 25 minutes. (The 25 minutes includes the time it takes for the oven to increase in temperature)

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Rustic Baguette Bread...the BEST yet!

Have you ever opened a cook book and had a desire to try something new? Well, since I do enjoy baking I have a tendency to try a few new recipes in high hopes that I will love them even more than my standard ones. Well, I must admit that we have found a winner. If you are familiar with the recipe book, America's Test Kitchen then you will know that they have great recipes. One thing about them is they walk you step by step through an entire recipe and they give the reasons why they do each step. It is very helpful when trying a new recipe. However the recipes do require lots of reading, but I must admit that the success of this new "baguette" bread recipe is WELL WORTH the reading!

Baguettes

(aka a great Rustic French Bread Recipe)

Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Sponge:

½ c. bread flour or all purpose flour

½ c. warm water

½ tsp. instant or rapid-rise yeast

Dough:

3-3 ½ c. bread flour or all purpose flour

¾ tsp. instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 ½ c. warm water

1 ½ tsp. salt

Glaze:

1 large egg beaten with 2 Tablespoons water

1. For the Sponge: Stir all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until the sponge has risen and fallen. At least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.


2. For the Dough: Combine 3 cups of the flour and the yeast in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the water and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.


3. Remove the plastic wrap, add the sponge and salt, and knead the dough on medium-low speed until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining ½ cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl, but sticks to the bottom.


4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.


5. Turn the dough in the bowl with a dough scraper or large rubber spatula. Cover, let rise for 30 more minutes, and then repeat the turning process. Cover and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes longer. (**If using all purpose flour repeat this process 6 times total. If using bread flour repeat a total of 2 times.)


6. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a baguette and lay it seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 5 inches apart. Mist the baguettes with vegetable oil spray, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size and the dough barely springs back when poked with knuckle, 1 to 1 ½ hours.


7. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position, place a baking stone on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Let the baking stone heat for at least 30 minutes.
   
8. For the Glaze and to Bake: Score the top of the breads with a sharp knife. Brush the breads with the egg mixture, then spray lightly with water. Carefully slide the breads and parchment onto the hot baking stone. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake until the crust is deep golden brown. About 25 minutes, rotating the loaves halfway through baking.

VARIATION- Slow-Rise Baguettes

While it is convenient to be able to make a baguette in one day, if you have time, a long, slow overnight rising produces a more impressive loaf, richer in color with dramatic blistering and complex nutty flavors. Make sure that the plastic wrap covers the loaves completely but is loose enough to allow the baguettes to rise upward.

In step 6, do not let the baguettes rise, but refrigerate them overnight or up to 12 hours. Let the baguettes sit at room temperature, covered, for 30 to 60 minutes while heating the baking stone, then bake as directed.

MY FIRST ATTEMPT: I did the slow rise method one day and then the quick rise method the next to test the recipe to see the differences. The slow rise really was SLOW...I allowed the sponge to sit for 24 hours, then it sat in the fridge formed like the baguette for another 24 hours. This is what I found...The slow rise method did EXACTLY like the recipe said it would, the outer crust was VERY crusty and chewy. I also did use bread flour with the slow rise method, so it made the bread extra chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside. It was perfect for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

MY SECOND ATTEMPT: When I tried the quick rise method I allowed the sponge to rest for about 6 hours. Then I followed the directions as instructed. This time I used regular all-purpose flour (since that is what the majority of my flour is from my food storage) and allowed it to rise and then turn down a few extra times. In the end the crust was still crunchy and the center was soft and chewy. The quick rise had more texture as regular french bread would, small air pockets, very bread like. The slow rise was FULL of tons of air pockets, flavor, taking on a more distinct rustic bread texture.

So in the end both were wonderful and VERY tasty. Depending on what the purpose and my ability to remember to get started TWO days in advance before I would even need to make this bread, would determine which method I would choose. I give my approval on both!

This was a quick picture of personal size hoagie buns I tried. I used them for French Dip Sandwiches, which I personally think were the BEST I have ever had! I didn't have the chance to run to the store and purchase hoagie buns so I thought...I should try the fast version and make small individual size hoagie buns with this same recipe...YES it worked so well!!!

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Do you need a little bran in your diet?

I don't know about your children, but my kids only like Raisin Bran with LOTS of raisins. I bought Post Raisin Bran the other day and found there were VERY few raisins. The kids would poor their bowls of cereal and get frustrated that their were so little raisins. It was then that I realized my boxes of Post Raisin Bran would now be sent to my 'muffin' cereal stash. Raisin Bran makes the PERFECT Bran Muffins. It is a great way to use up those left over small bran crumbs in the bottom of the cereal bag (I just keep a baggie full of the crumbs in my pantry until I have enough to make muffins). These muffins can be made COMPLETELY out of items in your food storage (you would need to use powdered eggs and dried carrots-or just leave the carrots out). This recipe is a great way to practice using and eating those whole grains--bran, whole wheat flour, etc.

These muffins are GREAT the way they are (and extremely healthy), but if your children need a little more sweetness to eat these healthy muffins, you can add a simple struesel to the top to make them even better (butter, cinnamon, flour, sugar).

These muffins are great for breakfast, or as an after school snack. The muffin mix will also stay good in the fridge for a couple of weeks if you want to make fresh muffins each day.

Bran Muffins
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. bran (if using bran flakes from cereal, just let them soak in the wet ingredients for a few minutes to help them become soft so you can mix them together)
1 ¼ t. baking powder
1 ¼ t. baking soda
¾ t. nutmeg
½ t. salt
5 whole carrots, grated (about 1/2 c. grated mini carrots if you use those instead)
10 oz. raisins
2/3 c. applesauce
2/3 c. honey
5 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients. Add carrots, raisins, applesauce, honey, eggs and vanilla. Stir everything together and cook in muffin tin for 15-17 minutes at 375. Icing for top of muffins is 2 T. lemon juice, 1 c. powder sugar-stir until smooth and drizzle on muffins.

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My favorite cinnamon roll recipe!

I am a BIG fan of cinnamon rolls and can not count the number of different recipes I have tried over the years. Some are too gooey, some too dry, some too thick, some that don't raise, etc. I have a friend Camille that is famous for her AMAZING cinnamon rolls. They are always the perfect texture, the frosting is PERFECT, and they are light and airy. So..I finally got the recipe from her and WOW, they are delicious! I don't think I will try another cinnamon roll recipe again. My only alteration would be that I would maybe 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe..I like a lot of frosting!

Now, my picture does NOT do these cinnamon rolls justice. I had to make FOUR pans of cinnamon rolls (64 rolls) for a church activity and when I got home there were only four cinnamon rolls left. After the children got to them for breakfast, there was ONE lone cinnamon roll left :( So, here is the day-old LAST cinnamon roll left on my pile of four cookie sheets...to show you just how GOOD they are and how fast they go!

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast

Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.

Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt

Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking.

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Pretzel Maker here we come!!

These homemade pretzels were absolutely amazing! Dip them in mustard and you will feel you are the mall at the Pretzel Maker (only BETTER!!). I am going to make these again and play around with different flavors--Parmesan, cinnamon & sugar, etc. They were not hard to make either, so give them a try! They made the perfect after school snack.


*Wrapping the pretzels took a little practice. Don't give up, just keep twisting and you will get it.


*Boiling the raw dough pretzels was an unusual step, but made the pretzels have that perfect chewy texture. Don't over boil them though, or they get soggy and too mushy.

Homemade Soft Pretzels
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007
Makes 8 pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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Another GREAT food storage recipe--Homemade Biscuits

Hey ya'll, here is a GREAT southern recipe for Biscuits and Gravy. Throw some fresh fruit on the side and you have a delicious breakfast--or dinner! Nearly every item in the biscuits can be found in your food storage and freezer (butter). These would be great to make in an emergency if you did not want to cook a yeast bread. You could use them with sandwiches, for breakfast, or as a side dish with dinner.

Americas Test Kitchen did it again with this great recipe!

Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 12
2 c. flour
1 T. cornstarch
2 t. baking powder
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
8 T. butter, cut into 1/4 in. cubes and chilled
3/4 c. cold buttermilk (or 1/4 c. milk & 1 t. lemon juice--you could also use powdered milk if you didn't have milk on hand with the lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a wisk. Scatter the butter evenly over teh top and pules to combine, about 12 pulses (or use a dough blender/pastry knife to cut butter into dry ingredients). Stir in the buttermilk with a spatula until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. Do not over mix. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces (I just grabbed balls and eyeballed 12). Roll into a rough ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet. If you want cute and evenly formed biscuits you can roll the dough out onto a floured counter, roll the dough out, and use a cup to make perfectly shaped biscuits. Bake until the biscuit tops are light brown, 10-12 minutes. Serve warm with jam or gravy.

*For the gravy, I just made a country gravy with 1 lb. sausage, flour, butter, salt & pepper, and milk. I cooked the sausage until done and set aside. I then made a quick roux with flour and butter and then added the milk. I let simmer until the gravy thickened and then added salt & pepper to taste. Delightful!

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Healthy after school snack

If your children are like mine, they come home from school like raviging beasts (cute ones, I do have to say!). My kids seem to come home starving every day after school, and many mornings leave in such a hurry that they don't eat a lot of breakfast.

These muffins are the answer for my children! They are hearty, healthy, and fill them up with something worthwhile, until dinner is done. Not to mention, they are a GREAT food storage recipe and can help use those long term grains in your storage--oats, wheat, and your flour.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Banana Muffins
1 1/2 c. flour (I used 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 white flour)
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. nutmeg
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
3/4 c. applesauce
2 c. smashed bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
1 3/4 cup oats
1 pkg. chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Cinnamon Chips--they tasted great!!)

Mix eggs, sugar, applesauce, bananas. Add everything else then chocolate chips.
Put in muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. YOu will probably want to double these--they are gone before you know it!

**Thanks Andrea for the recipe :)

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Would you like some chocolate with your zucchini?

I LOVE summer for the fresh vegetables grown in your garden. My garden is nothing to write home about, but every year we seem to be able to grow an adequate amount of zucchini and tomatoes (my two favorite garden veggies). After making stir fry, zucchini & eggs (a family favorite--try it, you will be amazed at how good it is), putting zucchini in soups and pastas, etc...I was ready for something sweet. I love the traditional zucchini bread with cinnamon, but last night wanted something chocolatey. This bread hit the spot (although I would put even more chocolate chips in it next time :)

Here is a great, moist chocolate zucchini bread recipe:

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 c. wheat flour)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or more)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix well. In separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in zucchini. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon evenly into loaf pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

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Using up those delicious garden vegetables!

This recipe has been around the block on many food blogs lately, but I had to give it a try to use up those garden tomatoes! I loved the freshness of the tomato and the savory garlic and cheese flavor...delightful! We dipped this bread in an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan cheese mixture. We felt like we were at Macaroni Grill. (Yes, I tripled the batch--I can't do anything in small quantities!)

Herbed Tomato Focaccia
1 ¼ c. warm water
1 T. yeast
2 T. honey
1 t. salt
3 ½ c. flour
¼ c. olive oil
2 T. fresh or dried rosemary—chopped
2 large tomatoes—sliced thin
½ c. asiago or Parmesan cheese--shredded
Kosher salt (opt.)
Olive oil to brush the top of bread

Combine water, yeast, salt, oil and honey in a large bowl and let sit until foamy. Add the flour and knead well. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise to double. Punch down and roll out to 1/4” thickness. Place on an oiled pan and lightly brush the top of the bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese and rosemary and top with tomato slices. Let rise to double again. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes.


QUICK GARDEN VEGETABLE SIDE DISH
One of my other favorite ways to use the vegetables from my garden (or ones you buy at the store) is this quick and healthy vegetable side dish. There isn't a fancy name for this recipe, it's just something I throw together for a quick side dish and a way to get my kids to eat their vegetables. I just coarsely chop up any vegetables I have on hand in the fridge (zucchinis (there's always tons of those going around!), onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.) and toss them in a drizzle of olive oil (or you can use butter for more flavor). I sprinkle the veggies with Montreal Steak Seasoning (my ALL time favorite seasoning!) and Johnny's Garlic Spread (my second favorite seasoning--both you can get at Costco in BULK!!) and put it in the oven on a cooking stone. I broil this at 450 degrees until the vegetables are slightly soft and have a few crispy edges (like they were grilled on the barbie). Put your pan down on the lowest rack to prevent burning. You can also just bake these vegetables, but I like the crispiness of the veggies verses the soggy-overcooked flavor baking gives. This is just a quick option to skewered vegetables without all of the skewering! I served these tonight with the Teriyaki Pork from this weeks menu planner and it was AWESOME!!

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The BEST crescent recipe around!

My sister made these for a family dinner last week and we haven't been able to think about anything else! Our family has made several batches of them this week and they are AWESOME! Eat them with homemade strawberry jam and you will be in heaven!

Crescent Rolls – (The Food Nanny – Liz Edmunds)
(makes 2 cookie sheets, 48 rolls, 24 on each pan)

4 T. yeast
½ c. + 2 T. warm Water

Mix together and allow sitting for 10 minutes.

Mix together very well in separate bowl:

6 eggs
1 c. oil
1 c. sugar

Warm milk in the microwave only until warm NOT scalding.
2 c. warm milk

Add egg mixture and warm milk to the yeast mixture. Mix all together until combined.

10-11 c. flour
2 T. salt

Add 1 cup of flour at a time until combined together. Continue to mix/knead for 5 minutes on med-high speed. Allow to raise 2-3 hours.

Separate dough into 6 even balls. Roll out each ball until the size of a dinner plate on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 pizza wedge slices. With each wedge, roll down ward wrapping bottom skinny bottom piece down and around to make pretty crescent shape. Place 3 rolls across and 8 down, 24 on each cookie sheet.

Allow to double in size while covered with clean dish towel (about 15 minutes). While raising on top of oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake one sheet at a time. Bake 6 minutes on bottom rack and then 5 minutes on middle shelf until light golden brown. (Before you take them out, double check the bottom to make sure they are golden brown, not too light they could be doughy). Once they are perfectly golden brown, brush tops with melted butter once removed.

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