Bread Sticks

Breadsticks

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!
Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. Look how fat and happy they are...

When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt.

Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. I did that once. It was awesome.
http://www.ourbestbites.com/

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Most sweet potato dishes are full of bad-for-you ingredients (deep frying oil, brown sugar, butter, marshmallows). And sweet potatoes are very very good for you. They're packed with vitamin C, fiber, and tons of antioxidents, just to name a few. They're also lower in carbs than regular potatoes. If you battle with blood-sugar issues, regular potatoes are disastrous, but ironically "sweet" potatoes are much better. The sweetness comes from complex carbohydrates (the good kind) and not simple carbs (the bad kind). Also, they're tossed in olive oil which is well known for it's healthy qualities. This is a great, healthy alternative to french fries and they taste fantastic.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes*
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t parsley
fresh ground pepper (about 10 turns of a pepper mill)

*you want 1lb sweet potatoes after they are peeled, sliced, etc. If you weigh them at the store make sure you have a little more than a pound to allow for the peeling, and tossing of small pieces.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. (Do you need to spray it? Probably not. But I feel safer doing it!) Don't use a silpat, or parchment, or anything like that. You want them right on the cookie sheet.

Slice your sweet potatoes into french fry shape and size. I like mine to be 1/4", or maybe a tad bit bigger. Cutting them larger, like steak fries, will sometimes result in a big soggy mess, so stay small to get the best results.

It's important that all of the pieces are evenly sized to ensure even cooking. So toss any irregular pieces aside (or eat them in another dish). When you're ready, you'll have something that looks like a pile of carrots.

Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over them. Use your hands to make sure each one is coated. If you've got more than a pound of sweet potatoes, add a little extra olive oil. They should all be glistening.

Then sprinkle on all of the herbs and spices and continue to toss until well coated.
Place the fries on the baking sheet. It's very important that they are not touching, but can be pretty close together.

*if you end up needing more than one cookie sheet, make sure they are spaced more than one rack apart in your oven to prevent steaming. Also, rotate the pans when you take them out to flip.

Place cookie sheet in pre-heated oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Don't open the oven door, not even for a peak! Let them do their thing.

After 15 minutes take pan out of oven and flip the fries. If you try to do it one at a time, it will take forever. Flip a bunch at time then make sure they're spaced out again. Be careful because at this point they're quite soft.

Put the pan in the oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Just keep an eye on them. They should be nice and golden brown. Click on the picture below so you can see the nice caramelization in detail! Mmmm...I want to eat that up right now. Crispy crunchy on the outside, and sweet and soft in the middle.

Take them out of the oven and serve immediately. They cool off very quickly so they're best eaten right away. Serves about 4.
http://www.ourbestbites.com/

Bacon Cheddar Fondue

Bacon-Cheddar Fondue
The acidity in wine makes for a smooth cheese fondue (the alcohol has nothing to do with it). Other stabilizing agents such as flour, corn starch, lemon juice and soup can also do the trick.

5 slices bacon
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 pounds sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
Parsley

Fry bacon until crisp and brown in 3-quart heavy saucepan. Drain and crumble; set aside.

Add onion and garlic to 1/4 cup drippings; saute' until tender. Do not brown. Add soup; slowly stir in milk, over medium heat; blend until smooth. Add cheese, a little at a time, stirring until melted. Add bacon, reserving some for garnish. Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard and Tabasco sauce. Pour into fondue pot and keep warm. Garnish with bacon and parsley. If mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little hot milk.

Yields 5 cups.

Assorted dippers - cubed ham, blanched broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, chopped green bell peppers, cubed French bread, peeled and chopped apples or pears

These baked potato wedges are great for dipping into the fondue, or just eating on their own, maybe with a dab of ketchup.

Oven-Baked Fries
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Wash and scrub the potatoes. Cut into long wedges/fingers.
3. In a bowl, toss together the potatoes, oil, salt and pepper.
4. Spread the potato wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking, till wedges are crispy and golden.
Try these with other seasonings such as garlic powder, rosemary or chili powder.

Video on Making a Classic Cheese Fondue:
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Making-Classic-Fondue-Video/Detail.aspx

Fudgy Chocolate Fondue

Fudgy Milk Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) can chocolate-flavored syrup
* 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* Dash salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* Dippers: fresh apples, strawberries, bananas, Nilla Waffers, pound cake, angel food cake

Directions

1. In heavy saucepan, over medium heat, combine syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Cook and stir 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
2. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm with dippers. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Footnotes
Microwave Directions: In 1-quart glass measure, combine syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 3 ½ to 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
Tip: Can be served warm or cold over ice cream. Can be made several weeks ahead. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Yield: 24 servings
Haley's post Sadie Hawkins chocolate fondue party.

Lebkuchen: German Christmas cookies

The German town of Nuremberg has been famous for its "lebkuchen" since the late 1300s; the soft, cakey cookies are traditionally made with several spices, candied citrus peel, hazelnuts, and almonds. Packaged in quaint town house boxes, the cookies seem all the more authentic. The house templates create a sleeve that slips over a box filled with cookies.

Ingredients

Makes 17

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup blanched whole almonds (about 1 3/4 ounces), toasted, plus more untoasted for decorating
• 1/3 cup blanched hazelnuts (1 1/2 ounces), toasted
• 1/3 cup diced candied orange peel
• 1/3 cup diced candied lemon peel
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 3 ounces almond paste, crumbled into small pieces
• 1/3 cup apricot jam
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Pulse almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add candied peels and dates, and pulse until finely chopped. Add almond paste, and pulse to combine. Add jam, and pulse. Add eggs and brown sugar, and pulse. Add flour mixture, and pulse. Transfer dough to an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop ( 1/4 cup), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Place 3 almonds close together on top of each cookie. Bake until golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
3. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk, and brush over cooled cookies. Let stand until set. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

April Fools prank ideas

There's no cause for alarm -- if the mess isn't real. Mix 1/4 cup white glue and 2 tablespoons puff paint. Place an old mug on a parchment-lined cookie sheet; drizzle the "spill" in and around mug. When dry to the touch (about 4 days), peel away paper; let dry completely, about 1 more day. http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/spill-thrills?backto=true
Turn the kitchen sink into a blue lagoon with nontoxic dye pellets, designed to tint children's bathwater. Unscrew the cap on the faucet, and set a couple of the colored tabs inside before replacing it. When the water is turned on, the burst of color will be short-lived yet shocking. (Dye pellets are made by Crayola.)
Transform milk into an unpourable mass: Stir 1 packet of powdered gelatin into 2 tablespoons of water, and let stand for 5 minutes. Warm 2 cups of milk in the microwave. Stir the gelatin mixture into the milk. Transfer to a glass pitcher or bottle, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/april-fools-trick-solid-milk?backto=true
A mashed-potatoes-and-gravy sundae is a good gag for the afternoon, when everyone thinks the jokes are over.

Philadelphia-style Pretzels

These old-fashioned "Philadelphia-style" pretzels are almost like bagels -- smooth and shiny on the outside, chewy within. This is a great recipe for baking with kids.

1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups room-temperature water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast or 2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 cups 100% White Whole Wheat Flour *
2 teaspoons non-diastatic malt powder or sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

* Hard white spring wheat, rather than traditional red wheat, makes lighter-colored, milder-tasting baked goods.

Mix the sugar, water and yeast; stir to dissolve. (If you're using instant yeast, skip this step, simply combining all of the ingredients at once.) Add the white wheat flour, malt, salt, and enough unbleached flour to make a soft (but not sticky) dough. Knead well, place in a bowl, and let rise till doubled.

Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a log, and shape the logs into pretzels. In a large pot, boil together 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Put 4 pretzels at a time into the boiling water, and cook for 1 minute. (The baking soda bath changes the PH of the dough, allowing it to develop the dark brown exterior without burning it. If you skip this step, the pretzels would be very light and unevenly browned.) Transfer the boiled pretzels to a lightly greased baking sheet.

When all the pretzels have been boiled, paint them with an egg glaze (1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with salt, then bake in a preheated 450°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pretzels are well-browned. Yield: 16 soft, chewy pretzels.

Manti Temple Wheat Bread

I've been trying a different recipe just about every week. While my family really likes the one with white flour "Honey Whole Wheat", I think it has too much white flour. This one is awesome and has a higher wheat flour ratio. I have been grinding Red Wheat for this on a coarser setting.

I was told that if you use local honey it helps lessen the severity of allergies once spring rolls in. I hope that is true.

This recipe is from Cookin' with Home Storage by Peggy Layton. A great book that I highly recommend. It literally has a recipe for everything. I don't really want to make my own yeast. It's so much easier to get the big package from Costco. But there is a recipe to do it.

Bread Recipe:

12 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups white flour

8 cups warm water

1 c. melted shortening

1 c. powdered milk

1 1/2 T salt

6 T honey

5 tsp. yeast

These are the steps I personally follow:

Put warm water (the hottest your tap water will get) into mixer. Add powdered milk, yeast, honey and salt. Start mixing. Add white flour and melted shortening. Gradually add wheat flour. Let it mix about 10 minutes. This isn't a very stiff dough. Let it rise until doubled in size. Spray bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. I get 4 large loaves.

Put dough in pans. You will need extra flour to do this because it is sticky dough.

Let rise no longer than 15 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. I bake all of the loaves at the same time and it works out great.

Chicken Parmigiana with Spaghetti

Albertson's has $1.99 boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the butcher case. We made Melinda's Thai chicken Pizza on Saturday night. It was yummy! We found the recipe on this blog.

For Sunday dinner I made Chicken Parmigiana. This is how I did it:

Caleb rolled the rolling pin over a ziploc of corn flakes until they were finely crushed. I added 1/2 an envelope of Italian Dressing mix, shook it up and dumped it into a bowl. I then covered each chicken breast in the crumb mixture and cooked it in a skillet with olive oil until the coating was browned.

I transferred the chicken to a baking pan, topping each chicken breast with Classico Spaghetti sauce in the jar--the sweet basil tomato flavor-it's so delish! I topped the sauce with freshly chopped basil and a couple of slices of Precious fresh mozarella.

I let it bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While it was baking, I boiled spaghetti noodles and in a skillet melted 1 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil. I added minced garlic and Meditteranean sea salt. Once the noodles were al dente, I transferred them to the skillet and tossed them in the garlic butter mixture. I then sprinkled chopped fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese and tossed it.

I served the chicken parmesan alongside the spaghetti. It turned out really yummy and was easy and economical.

Here's the Albertson's deal pricing guide:
Chicken Breasts $1.99/lb.
Fresh Basil $1.99 package
Precious Mozarella $4.99/ package on sale from $6.99
Spaghetti 10 packages for $10
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Huge can for $12.99 normally $26.99 is on sale for $17.99 and has a $5.00 off coupon. It is a huge amount but doesn't expire for over a year.
Butter 2 boxes for $4

Honey Wheat

This recipe is the one Katie gave me that she now swears by. We had some for lunch and it is yummy!

HONEY WHEAT
3 3/8 C water
7 1/2 C white bread flour
1 1/2 C wheat flour
4 1/2 Tbs. dry milk
4 1/2 Tbs. honey
4 1/2 Tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter

6 tsp fast rise yeast
-or-
9 tsp active dry yeast
Bake 350 for 40 minutes

The only altering I did here was up my wheat flour to 3 1/2 C wheat and 5 1/2 C white... Soooo good right out of the oven!

Wheat Bread

Annee- here is the wheat bread recipe I originally used from the wheat grinder recipe:
100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
5 C warm water
2/3 C oil
2/3 C honey
2 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. tofu drink mix (optional)
2 Tbs. SAF instant yeast
2 Tbs. Vital Wheat Gluten
2 Tbs. Dough Enhancer
10-12 C freshly milled wheat flour

In your mixing bowl, put water, 5 cups of wheat flour, oil, honey, yeast, gluten, dough enhancer, and tofu. Mix on speed 1 until combined. Then add approximagely 5 more cups of flour and salt. Mix, and continue to add flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Then knead for another 4-5 minutes. The dough should feel soft, not rainy. Form it into loaves and place in pans. Let rise until double in size. Bake at 350 for 30min or until the top is golden brown. (makes 6-8 1lb loaves)

*** due to lack of ingredients, I omitted th etofu, gluten and enhancer. because of this, I did 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat. The bread tasted great. Maybe it'd be even better following the directions:)

MELINDA- correct me if I'm wrong, but rumor has it you have said the gluten and dough enhancer is not necessary when using fresh wheat???

Recipe Contest: Win the Harvest Food Rotation System ($459 value) from Shelf Reliance

Do you have any great recipes that can be made with ingredients from your food storage?

Enter to win one of 3 food storage prizes from Shelf Reliance.

Multiple entries allowed.

To view the prizes or for more information go to:

http://www.shelfreliance.com/pages/contests

It's worth a try.

Good luck!

Cute Cake and Cupcakes

I saw these adorable cakes at our party supply store and had to take a picture with my phone so I could share them with you. The little animals are cupcakes made in the rubber (silicone?) cupcake papers and they used frosting (fondant?) for the feet. If anybody can figure out how to do this, please share your ideas. I would love to know how to decorate/frost/fondant them like this picture.