What I did today

The secret to light, fluffy, tender pancakes? Mix batter well, then let the batter rest for 10 minutes to rise up. Don't mix it again...just scoop the batter onto the griddle.

My Pancake recipe:

2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar

Beat eggs well, add milk and oil. Add dry ingredients. Mix until there are no lumps. Let rest for 10 minutes. DON'T MIX AGAIN! Scoop onto hot griddle. Let cook till bubbles show...flip but DO NOT FLATTEN WITH SPATULA!! Cook for another minute.


~My "rested" batter (see the bubbles?):


~Just scooped onto griddle:


~One side done:


~Look how light and fluffy they look!!


Made some Peanut Butter/Cashew Butter cookies today, too:



I also made some dinner rolls today. If you haven't made yeast dough, I urge you to give it a try! It's really not that difficult at all! The most critical part of using yeast, is making sure the water that it's dissolved in is just a bit warmer than body temperature. Other than that, it's just the time involved. Follow the directions and it's almost foolproof!

My (versatile) Roll recipe:

1 Tablespoon or single package of yeast
1 Cup of warm water (remember, it's just a bit warmer than body temperature)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour

~In a large bowl or mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
~Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed in mixer or by hand with wooden spoon.
~Turn out on to a floured surface and knead until it is elastic. (this means until you don't need to add any flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and surface)
~Spray a large bowl with spray oil and put dough in bowl, turning to coat all sides.
~Cover with a paper towel and put up on top of your fridge. (the warmest place in your kitchen)
~Let rise until doubled in size...about 45 minutes to an hour.
*See the pictures for hints on how to make the crescent shaped roll.
Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 12-15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.


Here is the dough rolled out to a circle:



Cut with a pizza cutter into 16 triangles:

Roll up, starting with outside edge:




p.s. If you have any questions...leave a comment and I'll get back to you asap.

Home-made Donuts~Happy Family~Good Morning

A frigid day in January calls for a memorable breakfast. I haven't made donuts in years...but today, I got the urge to try again. This time, with a thermometer and the correct timing for cooking...they can only be described as sublime. I wish my Mom were here to enjoy them with us...I know how she enjoys a good plain donut!! (and I did leave a bunch plain, because I also LOVE them!) Crispy, slightly sweet...I give you...the donut!

Amateur Cooking show

My first attempt to make a film of me actually cooking something...it turned out a bit on the comical side...but did you expect anything less from me?
Enjoy.

Come and get it!!!

Cornmeal muffins! Easy peasy!






They go perfectly with my version of bean stew! (recipe follows)



Very Versatile Bean Stew
1 can (29oz)ANY KIND of beans (I like black beans)
1 can (28oz)petite chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped pepper
1 cup frozen corn
1 small jar of salsa (you decide how spicy or mild)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Any leftover meat (sausage, hamburger, roast beef, etc)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

~Drain and rinse beans well with water in a colander.
~Put beans and rest of ingredients (except for cheese)in a crockpot.
~Cook on low for 3 hours or more.
~Serve with shredded cheddar cheese on each serving.
Serves about 8 people

Another option is to make the cornbread batter and spread on top of the cooked bean casserole. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. (This works for a crockpot that can go in the oven OR you can pour the beans into a 2 quart oven safe casserole dish and bake the cornbread on top that way.)

p.s. I just found out that one of my most beloved appliances, (my crockpot pictured above) has a crack in the bottom...and because I can't live without it, I'm going to have to replace it!! The sooner the better, as I use this thing a couple of times a week...

Pizza (What? You're surprised?)

Peppers, red onion, spinach and mushrooms:


Mozzerella cheese:


Any white cheese sauce:


The secret to tasty pizza? Spices...and LOTS of 'em!


Drizzle olive oil over all:


Leftover meatballs:


25 minutes in a 425 degree oven and you get:




My Pizza Crust Recipe

1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Cup very warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon oil
2 1/2 cups flour (and extra to knead dough)

~In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
~Add sugar, salt, oil and flour.
~Use a stand mixer with dough hook or mix by hand with a wooden spoon until dough is together in a ball.
~On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it is smooth and elastic.
~Cover with towel and let "rest" for 20 minutes.
~Divide into two balls of dough and press out onto two greased pizza pans.
~Add toppings, sauce, cheese and whatever else you wish to have...in that order.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes...lifting pizza partially with spatula to check bottom. (it should be lightly browned) Makes two 12-14 inch thin crust pizzas.
ENJOY!

Be creative with toppings...Many times I use leftover meats and a few different kinds of cheeses...also traditional red pizza sauce is yummy, too!
You can also double this dough recipe to make two thick crust pizzas.

Side dish

Turn a regular bag of frozen whole green beans into something yummy! Forget boiling it in water...heat two Tablespoons of olive oil in a saute' pan...add a couple of minced garlic cloves...throw in your entire bag of beans and saute' over medium heat until they are just a bit carmelized....Oh Ya!!

Friday night dinner ideas

Ever have one of those meals that needed something extra? Some meals just call for cornbread or muffins or in this case, biscuits! Tonight we had homemade chicken tenders, baked beans, oven baked zucchini slices and biscuits! I make my biscuits from scratch. Here is the simple recipe with pictures to follow:

1 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of butter or shortening, softened
3/4 cup milk

~Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
~Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl with a fork.
~Cut in butter with fork until the mixture looks like crumbs.
~Add milk and mix until the dough is in a ball.
~On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 10-15 times.
~Flatten out into a 1/2 inch thick circle.
~Cut out 10 biscuits with 3 inch biscuit cutter. (or a round cookie cutter...)
~Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.









For an interesting way to cook zucchini that doesn't require frying in oil, I oven-bake zucchini slices that have been dipped in an egg bath (one egg and one tablespoon water, beaten together), then dredged in italian dry bread crumbs. I put my bread crumbs in a plastic gallon bag and shake the slices until they are covered. Then simply spray a cookie sheet with oil and lay the slices in a single layer. Use the same 450 degree oven that the biscuits are cooking in...flip the zucchini halfway through baking time. (about 8 minutes per side...check to make sure they are tender, but not burning) You can also use eggplant the same way and then use them in your eggplant parmesan! Not at all greasy!







My dinner plate...not very colorful...but still VERY tasty!

Thanks!

Thanks for all the positive response to my new blog...it's very encouraging and fun to know that so many people are enjoying my world of cooking.

Hope to upload tons of recipes very soon!

~Chicken flavored water~

Here is what I did with the leftover chicken carcass...It was yummy, but I think my family has had enough of chicken for a while! We'll be having some beef or fish very soon, for sure!

Chicken Pot Pie

Here is my version of Chicken Pot pie....

1/3 cup chicken fat or butter (chicken fat adds tons of flavor! I collect it from the bottom of the pan the chicken roasted in and save it for this recipe...it usually is just the right amount of fat and jelled flavor)
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups of chicken...chopped largely
Leftover stuffing for bottom of the pan

~Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

~Melt fat in large saucepan. Add onion and sprinkle flour, salt and pepper on top, whisking till smooth. Cook for one minute over medium heat.

~Slowly add broth and milk to flour mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil...boil and stir for one minute. Remove from heat.

~Add chicken and frozen vegetables. Mix well.

~If you have leftover cooked stuffing, spread evenly in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Pour chicken filling on top.

~Make pie crust. Roll out to a bit larger than 13x9 pan. Put on top, rolling edges inside of pan, covering filling completely.

~Bake in preheated 425 oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy!




Oil Pie Crust (2 crust recipe)

1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons cold water

~In a large bowl, mix flour and salt together with a fork.

~Add oil and mix lightly...you should still see some flour pockets.

~Add cold water and mix lightly again...flour pockets are good..they make the flakes in the crust!

~Roll out all the pie dough in rectangle shape between two large pieces of waxed paper. ( I have been using waxed paper for rolling out pie crust for years...I wouldn't do it any other way!)

~Place on top of chicken filling, flute (poke with fork here and there)

~Bake in 425 oven for 30 minutes.

Yes, I DO cook because I LOVE to eat!

That doesn't mean that what I cook is always tasty! I have been a cook since a very early age. As a young girl, I watched my mom cook and bake most of our meals from scratch. She baked our bread and made amazing tomato sauce, she baked cookies and a chocolate cake I will never forget. I watched and learned...

However, my positive cooking experiences didn't truly begin until I had my family of six to feed. After I got married, being used to all home prepared foods, I went in the complete opposite direction and bought all ready made food for Paul and me. I must have felt like I was missing something special, so I served all microwave meals and store bought baked goods.

Well, it didn't take long to realize that home-cooked is 100% better tasting, cheaper and that much better nutrionally, too! I realized that even though it might look like it's more difficult to make home-cooked and it might take just a little bit longer to prepare...it is well worth the end result. And, as it turns out, the family is much happier when I pull a (from scratch) pork pie out of the oven than when we order Dominoes pizza!!


And so, I begin documenting my own recipes here on this blog...sometimes it will only be pictures and sometimes I will post the actual recipe. I hope you enjoy what I prepare and can someday join us here at our table!