Peasant Bread

I have made this bread several times.  It's easy and taste great.  It's a great base to use and then experiment with different flavors.  Today I added in some Thyme and baked half the dough in muffin tins and the other half just in a normal glass loaf pan.  The kids loved buttering the dishes and I made it earlier in the day when I had more time and then just punched it down after several hours, let it rise again, then separated it in the pans and let it rise some more.  It's super forgiving!  And the fact that there's no kneading makes it even better!  I used instant yeast, so no proofing.  This dough comes together in about 5 minutes.  If you've been wanting to try making your own bread but kind of scared to -- start with this one!

*Photo credit: Alexandra Cooks

 

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/

Lemon Herb Chicken

I made this chicken tonight and it was a HUGE hit! See the link below the photo for the full recipe.  I followed the directions as stated with minor changes:

• I used 6 organic chicken thighs (versus the recipe's 8-10) but used the same amount of marinade.  Which seemed perfect.  If using anymore chicken, I would increase the marinade. 
• I did not have onion powder, so I put onions directly in the marinade, tossed onions once I put the chicken in the baking dish (I don't really know why I did this....) and added freshly sliced sweet onions when cooking it. 
• Because I only had 6 thighs (and were smaller since they were organic), I baked the thighs for only 30-40 minutes.  Once they were done, I covered with foil while the rest of the meal was prepared. 
• I used Meyer lemons and sweet onions. 

I will definitely be making this again!

 

http://thatscountryliving.com/2013/07/lemon-rosemary-chicken/

Easy Spaghetti Squash Primavera

My friend shared this amazing recipe with me for Spaghetti Squash Primavera.  It called for basically making your own spaghetti sauce and using cream and all kinds of yummy goodness.  I went to make it for dinner today and realized I was missing like half of the ingredients.  Ooops.  So I whipped this puppy up instead.  I'm sure the "real thing" is much better but this tasted great, was really easy and everyone ate it.  Sounds like success to me! :)

Ingredients:
1 cooked spaghetti squash (HERE'S how I make it in the crockpot.  I had made it the other day as a side dish, so I used the leftovers tonight)
2-3 Sweet Italian Sausages, casing removed
Tomatoes -- whatever you got.  Canned, grape, Roma, beefsteak.....whatever, it's up to you. 
1/2 -1 Onion diced (to your liking or Onion powder if you aren't fond of the onions)
1 Jar of tomato-based spaghetti sauce (again, whatever ya got! -- just not Alfredo or anything)
Parmesan Cheese for topping
Seasonings -- I used some salt and African Smoke seasoning from Trader Joe's.   You can use whatever sounds good to you - Italian seasoning would also be great. Throw in whatever looks good!
2 TBSP Olive Oil
**HINT -- this is probably the easiest recipe in the world and lends itself so well to being customized.  Don't hesitate to throw in more veggies (carrots, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, zucchini....etc) or switch something up.  Play with your food and be adventurous!

Directions
 Remove the sausage casings and brown the sausage with the onions in the 2 TBSP of oil.  Add seasonings while you're browning it.  Once it looks pretty good (doesn't have to be perfect, it'll continue to cook with the sauce), dump in your tomatoes.  Let those break down a little bit --maybe 5 minutes or so.  Then add the jar of spaghetti sauce.  Turn temperature to low and let that simmer, stirring occasionally.  Prepare your spaghetti squash and divide it onto the plates (personally, I would NOT mix the sauce and the squash until it's on the plate).  After the sauce has simmered for about 10 minutes or so, taste it.  Depending on the tomatoes you used, you might need to add a bit more salt, seasonings or even some sugar.  I find that I sometimes need to add some sugar if I'm using canned organic tomatoes.  It'll taste a little acidic or bitter.  But again, it all just depend on the tomatoes and the jarred sauce.  Taste, season, taste again.  When it's yummy, pop it on top of the squash and sprinkle (or cover it ;) ) with Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash

Yes.  It's true. Spaghetti squash can be made in the crockpot. I loathe cutting raw squash of any kind, so when I found out about this super easy way to cook spaghetti squash, I may or may not have squealed with delight.  So...Wanna know how? Its' super tricky, but don't worry, I'll break it down for you:

1. Grab the squash and a knife or large fork.  Prick the heck out of the squash. Then, put it in your crockpot
2. Pour 2 cups water into the crock
3. Cover and let it do its thing for 7-8 hours.
4. Take squash out (careful - it's HOT!), cut lengthwise, scoop out seeds and then with a fork, scrape out all the squashy goodness.
5.  Eat it.  With butter, or sauce, or as a side or let your baby throw it all over herself and giggle to her heart's content.

Shrimp and Black Bean Chimichurri Soup

Photo: CookTJ 

I made this soup last week and we all loved the sweet and spicy flavors. I love that this is only 4ingredients and all stuff I can keep stocked in my pantry for an easy dinner.   I had sour cream on the table for those who wanted to add it in.  I, however, enjoyed the slight kick sans sour cream.  You can also add some spicy sausage. And I'm sure this would taste wonderful with a nice loaf of crusty bread to sop up all the soupy goodness.  I just followed the recipe as is. My only word of caution is to remember that shrimp are so delicate and can overcook so easily.  Saute them over medium- low heat and watch it closely! Check out the link for a tip on enjoying it cold. :)  Enjoy! 

Shrimp and Black Bean Chimichurri Soup  *Credit: Zach Stafford at CookTJ 

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) bag Trader Joe’s Frozen Shrimp (cooked or uncooked), thawed
• 1 (15 oz) can Trader Joe’s Black Beans, drained
• 1 (32 oz) container Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
• 1 (16 oz) bag frozen Trader Joe’s Chimichurri Rice
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions

• 1. If using cooked shrimp, skip to step 3, adding shrimp to pot with other ingredients.
• 2. If using uncooked shrimp, place medium size pot over medium heat; add a 1 tsp of cooking oil (olive or vegetable, your choice). Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat or until fully cooked; add a dash of salt and pepper to season.
• 3. Add chimichurri rice and black beans to pot; stir and allow to cook for 3-5 mins.
• 4. Pour in Roasted Red Pepper Soup, stirring to fully incorporate with rice.
• 5. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

TJ's Southern Greens with Onions and Bacon

I found this recipe via the Nom Nom Paleo blog. This blog is such a fantastic resource ....even if you're not on any special "diet" (aka - way of eating...).  She just has really good, kind of different recipes and meal ideas.  Fabulous.

I picked up a bag of TJ's Southern Greens Blend the other day and decided to make it tonight as a side to our meatballs (made in the crockpot with grape jelly and ketchup --or Chili sauce...whatever your fancy -- don't judge me and my yummy meatballs) and quinoa.  I whipped up this bad boy and even my kiddos enjoyed (well....Jake and Brooke enjoyed, Rylee tolerated it, which is actually saying a lot).

I basically did exactly what it said to do on Nom Nom Paleo but added bacon (per her suggestion).  Everything is better with bacon:

• I finely sliced half a sweet onion and chopped a couple strips of bacon.  I sauteed the onions and bacon pieces in some EVOO, until they were brown and succulent and all bacon-crispy. mmmm
• While that was doing it's onion/bacon goodness thing, I boiled up some salted water.  Once water was boiling, I threw in the bag o' greens (I had to do it in 2 batches since my pot wasn't big enough).  I blanched it for about 3 minutes, then drained and squeezed out all the excess liquid.  
• Then once the onions and bacon were done, I threw in the greens, mixed it around really good (breaking it up with my spatula), tasted, salted, mixed a tad more and then plated them.   

It was good, my friends.  And easy.  A tad expensive since we ate the entire bag (which I think was like $3 or so), but we ate an entire bag of greens.  I mean come on....that's gotta count for something, right? :)

Tex-Mex Style Quick White Chicken Chili

Tex-Mex style White Chicken Chili 

Adapted from CookTJ

I found this recipe when I was snooping around the good 'ole web via my iPhone, for gluten free meal ideas while in the TJ's parking lot. Because these days, that's how I roll.  Quickly trying to find meal ideas before I run into the store with a baby in tow while the big kids are at preschool for a couple hours.  I'm SO happy I ran across it.  It's quick. SUPER easy, and easily adapts to whoever you're making it for. It's also a one-pot, dump-and-cook kind of dish.  Perfect for this busy mama who tries to put dinner on the table while kids fight over toys and a baby crawls up my leg. :)  I chose to go a little more spicy route, but it's still not that spicy.  The little bit of kick is on the back end while the front notes are a mix of savory and sweet. I do think it's missing something though -- I just can't place my finger on it.  Don't get me wrong, it's a good dish, but I feel like the flavors could somehow be taken to a deeper level.  I just don't know how to take it there. :) 

Anways --  I think this would be a GREAT dish for a "helping hand" meal of some kind -- comfort food, but still lighter than a heavy pasta meal.  Makes enough...but not TOO much.  And a bit different than the normal casserole or tomato-type chili.    I served it with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and chips and salsa.

Here's the description via CookTJ :

White chili is a delicious alternative to traditional tomato-based
versions.  This sweet and spicy white chili gets its flavor and kick
from Trader Joe's well-known and loved Corn and Chile Tomato-less
Salsa.  To thicken this chili, I added quinoa, which is a great way to
add body to any soup, chili, or stew.  The quinoa will absorb most of
the liquid and soften, becoming a flavorful component that binds it all
together.  Quinoa is also a healthy addition to any dish since it's
packed with protein and high in magnesium, calcium, and iron. 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of cooked and shredded chicken  (or 1 1-lb container of Trader Joe's Just Chicken cut into bite size chunks)
• 4 cups (1 box) TJ's Organic chicken broth
• 1/2 cup quinoa 
• 1 15-oz can White Kidney Beans (Cannellini Beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 15-oz can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 13.75-oz jar Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Salsa 
• 1 (or 2 if you want a little more kick) Southwestern Caliente Chicken Sausage from Sprouts -- taken out of the casing (this is just chicken sausage with a southwestern kick to it.  You could use any kind of spicy or tex-mex style sausage. 
• TJ's South African Smoke seasoning grinder -- a good several grinds. **This is a GREAT grinder to have on hand, but if you don't want to buy it, all it has in it are paprika flakes, sea salt, garlic and basil
• Optional: Garnish of your liking - cheese, avocado, sour cream, salsa, chips, cilantro...

Directions:

•  I poured the entire box of broth into a dutch oven, added the 1/2 cup of quinoa and brought it to a boil.  
• While that's coming to a boil, rinse and drain the beans and take the sausage out of the casing. 
• Once at a boil, add the remaining ingredients (just dump it all in and give it a could stir.  Give the Smoke seasoning some good grinds)  and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.**Note - it WILL continue to absorb the liquid.  So just pull it whenever you feel like it's ready! 
• Taste and season again to your liking!
• IF you'd like, after the liquid has mostly been absorbed, turn the heat off and stir in chopped cilantro.  Or just serve the cilantro on the side.  OR a little of both! :) You could also stir in some lime juice for a little bit more of that tex-mex flavor!

Eat, enjoy, pack up leftovers and eat again later. :) 

Slow Cooker (or stove top) Potato Soup

ok I know I haven't updated this blog in f.o.r.e.v.e.r. But I made this soup tonight and it was AMAZING! Seriously. Make this soup. It's easy, fast and healthier than traditional potato soup. Oh my goodness...and so good!

Photo Courtesy The Tidy Nest


Slow Cooker Potato Soup from The Tidy Nest

Click the link to go to her website for the recipe (and you can even get a printable version. oooo,fancy!)

It's basically just potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, chicken broth, salt and pepper that's simmered until the veggies are done and then you put in a can of evaporated milk and some dried parsley. I also added some garlic and Thyme (as the author suggested) and I really think that made the dish. I served it with garlic bread. OH ....and you don't even have to use your Crockpot for this. I did it over the stove in my dutch oven and it was ready in about 20-30 minutes. Actually - I'm kind of wondering how the veggies would do in the crockpot all day long. I say skip the crockpot this time around and instead just have everything pre-chopped and ready to go. When you get home from work/driving the kids around/going insane with a busy schedule - just plop everything in a big pot, cook until veggies are tender, throw in the milk and parsley and you'll be good to go.

Enjoy!!!!

Beef Sausage and Balsamic Tomatoes

Photo Courtesy of Kayotic Kitchen

HOLY SAUSAGE, BATMAN!! This was SO good! I made it tonight for family dinner with my parents and grandparents. My mom's secretary for a middle school and today was the kids' first day back. So I wanted to let her come home and totally relax, without worrying about what to make for dinner. I brought everything over to their house and it was SO EASY to put together. Plus, it just popped in the oven and required minimal checking, so I could actually enjoy some time with the family. This would be the perfect meal to make while having friends or family over. You have a nice hot meal, the kitchen stays pretty clean and you can chat away while multitasking in the kitchen and look like you totally have it all together. Seriously....try this recipe. Please. I made homemade garlic bread but whatever kind of bread you have would do. You do need bread though (if you have a/go to Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market, pick up one or two of their Garlic Loaves. Seriously would be SO good with this)! Lots of bread to sop up all the yummy juiciness at the bottom of the pan. Oh and whatever kind of sausages 9or Brats) you have would work too. I like to keep on-sale brats or sausages in my freezer for quick meals. So that's what I used for this. Anything would do. I also served a salad on the side. You gotta have some kind of greens, I guess. :) I'll give you a VERY QUICK how to with this recipe but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE visit Kayotic Kitchen because she gave an awesome story and photo step by step on how to make it.

Kayotic Kitchen's Beef Sausages & Balsamic Tomatoes

http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/beef-sausages-balsamic-tomatoes

I made this for 6 adults and 2 kiddos. So I made some adjustments. I would say to plan on one to two sausages per person.

Ingredients:

6 beef sausages (I used 10)
2 small red onions
1 pound cherry tomatoes (I only had a pound so then I cut up 2 Roma Tomatoes into thick wedges and added them)
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (5 or 6 for me)
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil
fresh basil
pepper
salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350

Thinly slice up the garlic and cut the onions into wedges or thick slices.

In a big rosting pan or a 9X13 baking dish add the EVOO, garlic, sausages and salt and pepper (be nice and generous on the S&P, this will help season your "sauce" too). Flip and toss the sausages around so all the oil/seasoning/garlic get mixed together.

Add onions and do a couple more tosses.

Pop it into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

The sausages will start to brown already. After the time is up, pull them out and toss in the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.

Pop it back into the oven for another 15 minutes or so. The skin of the tomatoes will split and pucker. Take it out when it looks done.

***Tip -- if you're going to bake/reheat some bread (like the Garlic Loaf from Fresh and Easy. :) ) pop it in now too. That loaf normally take about 8-10 minutes. :) Then prep your salad if it's not already done.

Take it out when it's done. Tear up a couple bunches of basil and then stir it in.

Serve and sit back while you get a bunch of "oooos and ahhhhs" :). Use the bread to soak up all the yumminess.

Go back for seconds. :)

Santa Fe Chicken

I have discovered a new recipe website and I am IN LOVE!!!! Gina's Skinny Recipes is a super amazing website filled with tons of healthy, WEIGHT WATCHER recipes that are gooooooooood. So far, I've only made a couple but I am sure that her recipes will be on our menu for quite some time! :) Please.....for all that taste good and scrumptious....go over and check out her site.

This chicken recipe was great and oh-so-versatile! The first night I made it I also made her Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice and used them in lettuce wraps. However, I quickly ditched the lettuce leaves and just scooped the chicken and stuff on top of the rice. Gina said that she really likes to use the two as a rice bowl. I can see why. De-lish! Darrin put it on top of some chips we had leftover and ate them like nachos. He said he could hardly make himself stop eating it! :)
The second night I used them in chicken enchiladas. She also has a Chicken Enchilada recipe that looks great and the sauce is from scratch. mmmm....
And for the final night (yes....this one dish fed our family of 4....well, 2 and the kids.... for THREE meals AND I have leftovers of the enchiladas, so 4 if you count that leftover meal!) I think I'm going to use them as topping on baked potatoes or maybe in a taco salad. There's not THAT much leftover, but enough for one more meal. I can't wait! :)

Here it is! I followed the recipe as-is with one small change...I only put in 1 cup of chicken broth rather than the 14 oz. Many people on her site commented that it was a bit soupy. I'm happy with my change. :)

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken from Gina's Skinny Recipes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast --- I put in 4 frozen chicken breast portions (5oz each)
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies --Rotel
15 oz can black beans (drained)
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth --**I only used 1 cup
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).


********I didn't mix separately. I put the chicken in, dumped everything on top and closed the lid. Then I stirred after the chicken thawed a bit. Mine was done in about 5 hours on high. So I shreded the chicken (while still in the pot), put the lid back on and set it to Warm for another couple hours until dinner time. It was good, but the chicken was a little more done than I would have liked. Not a huge deal though. Just FYI. ****

Broccoli Chicken Dijon Stirfry

From Food.com -- Broccoli Chicken Stirfry


1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
4 cups broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Change Measurements: US Metric

Directions:

1. Mix chicken broth and soy sauce; set aside.
2. Cook and stir broccoli and garlic in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until crisp-tender.
3. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.
4. Add chicken to skillet; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Add broth mixture; mix well.
6. Bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low.
8. Stir in mustard until well blended.
9. Return broccoli mixture to skillet; mix lightly.
10. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.


My thought - This was really good served with brown rice. I wasn't as heavy as a normal stirfry but still had that great soy sauce flavor. I put a little bit of red pepper flakes with the veggies too which gave it a little bit of heat, but not overpowering or anything. I also added red bell peppers and you could totally add whatever veggies you have in the fridge!

White Sandwich Bread

I've been on the hunt for a good, plain sandwich bread and I've finally found it! This is a white bread that has a great flavor, nice chewy crust, soft texture inside but not too soft ...it holds together just right with a good spring. Love it!

King Arthur Flour - White Sandwich Bread


1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water* ----------------I only used 1 cup
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Directions
1) If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy. **Jenn's note -- if using a bread machine to make the dough, the dough cycle already has this step in it. Skip this proof and go straigh to #4**

4) Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into an 8" log.

5) Transfer the log, smooth side up, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap.

6) Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it's 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

7) Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, till the crust is golden brown, and the interior temperature measures 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

8) Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. As soon as it's completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; or in a plastic bag, air pressed and fastened securely at the top.

Mennonite Recipes

My grandparents are German and both came from a Mennonite community. My Grandma has this amazing Mennonite Church cookbook that she cherishes (seriously, you could take anything from her house....except this book. I even get a little nervous touching it). Anywho - the idea came up for me to make Paska Bread for Easter. Then my sister had the idea for me to make Zwieback....a traditional Mennonite roll. When I asked if I should just make one, or both (thinking that two breads would be a bit overkill), my grandpa jumped in and said "BOTH!!" lol Since he doesn't ask for anything...there's no way I was going to say no to that request! :) So now I'm looking at different recipes and researching information about both breads. I've stumbled upon this wonderful site called Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I'm like a kid in a candy store! In order to not forget all the yummy recipes I'm coming across, I'm going to post the links below...then I can make sure to come back to this post and remember which recipes I liked and where I found them. Let me know if you try any of them too!! Oh but just FYI -- just the quantity that the recipes make before you start to make them. Mennonites cook for the entire church. Seriously, the Zwieback recipe makes 8 dozen rolls! :) http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2008/12/zwiebacksgrandma-buns.html http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2009/11/kraft-carmel-squares-with-gluten-free.html http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2009/04/seerney-paska-for-kulichpaska-cheese.html http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2009/03/paska-lovellas-recipe.html http://thebergens.blogspot.com/2010/03/mennonite-monday-zwieback.html

Chewy Granola Balls

Weelicious ™ – Chewy Granola Balls

SO GOOD!! These are easy to whip up and a big hit with everyone -- Rylee, Jake, Darrin and even my in-laws!! They're a healthy snack packed with protein and fruit and they're great to put in lunches. I was a bit hesitant to buy the Rice Syrup because it was $5 for the jar. But Catherine (at Weelicious) mentioned that you really can't substitue anything else for it. Agauve Nectar isn't sticky enough and honey is too sweet and too sticky. The Rice Syrup has just the right neutral taste and texture (warning: if you taste it right out of the jar, don't be alarmed. It tastes much better IN the granola balls!) Thankfully, I'll be able to get 4 batches from the jar....so it's not too too bad.

**I used Peanut Butter instead of Almond Butter and Brown Rice Crispys since that's all that Sprouts had. Someone else had said they used popped Quiona and it worked just fine too!


Chewy Granola Balls (Makes about 30 Balls)

1/2 Cup Almond Butter
1/2 Cup Rice Syrup
1 Cup Rice Crispys
1 1/2 Cups Granola or Wee Granola
1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries, Cherries, Blueberries and/or raisins, chopped

1. Place the almond butter and rice syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and warm for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth and combined.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Pour the warm almond butter mixture into the bowl with the granola mixture and stir to combine.
4. Roll into 1 inch balls (I used a mini ice cream scooper to scoop out each portion, but you could also use a tablespoon) .
5. Serve.

Honey Wheat Bread

Taken from ALLRECIPES

1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast


Add ingredients according to the manufacturer's directions to your bread machine. Use the wheat bread cycle and light color setting.

** I set it to the dough setting. When it was done, I took the dough out, punched it down and kneded it slightly to reactivate the yeast. I let it sit in a loaf pan for about an hour to rise (with an oiled plastic wrap covering it and then a damp cloth over that). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-28 minutes.

Italian Bread

I made this last night for dinner with my parents nad grandparents. SO. Good. Yum. Plus, they looked really pretty (although I totally forgot to take a photo). I ended up leaving one plain and on the other one I topped it with minced garlic, Oregano, Thyme and Rosemary. The plain was good...but plain. I read some comments that said it's really good if you make it into garlic bread. The Herb crusted one was VERY good but I think next time I'm going to incorporate the herbs into the dough itself. That'll taste awesome.

Here's the recipe

Ingredients
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions
1.Place flour, brown sugar, warm water, salt, olive oil and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2.Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves. Place the loaves seam side down on a cutting board generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise, until doubled in volume about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3.In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the risen loaves with egg mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife. Gently shake the cutting board to make sure that the loaves are not sticking. If they stick, use a spatula or pastry knife to loosen. Slide the loaves onto a baking sheet with one quick but careful motion.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.


***TIPS ***

---> to shape the loaves. Cut the dough in half, then roll out the dough and roll it up. Pinch together the seam really well and then lay it seam-side down.
--->Let it rise on the baking sheet (or I used a pizza stone) itself, instead of transferring the dough. I put the stone with hte dough on top of my stove that was on at the lowest setting (I think it was like 175 degrees or something) since it was a little cool in my house. I then put an oiled piece of cling wrap on top of the dough, then a warm damp kitchen towel on top of that. The dough rose beautifully in about 50 minutes or so.

Bagels!!

This is something that I've been wanting to try since I started using the bread machine, but they just looked really intimidating. However, Darrin loves bagels, so I thought I'd get over my fear and just try them out! They are a *little* labor intensive, since it requires more effort than just throwing everything in the machine and pushing a button. But they are SO WORTH IT! They turned out great!

Here's the recipe -- and then my photos I took throughout the process.


Basic bagels

From Rhonda's Homestyle Recipes

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 quarts boiling water
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
3 tablespoons poppy seeds (or whatever topping you want on them)

Directions
1.Place water, salt, sugar, flour and yeast in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting.

2.When cycle is complete, let dough rest on a lightly floured surface. Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar.

3.Cut dough into 9 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a small ball. Flatten balls. Poke a hole in the middle of each with your thumb. Twirl the dough on your finger or thumb to enlarge the hole, and to even out the dough around the hole. Cover bagels with a clean cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes.

4.Sprinkle an ungreased baking sheet with cornmeal. Carefully transfer bagels to boiling water. Boil for 1 minute, turning half way through. Drain briefly on clean towel. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. Glaze tops with egg white, and sprinkle with your choice of toppings.

5.Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until well browned.

After the dough is made in the bread machine, pull it out and divide it up. I tried to squeeze 12 rolls out of the dough (here's 10 out of the 12). They ended up too small. Next time, I'll only divide it up to make 8 or 9.

Poke a hole in the middle of hte dough ball and twirl it around your finger. This was an easier technique but not as pretty. You can also roll out the doughballs into 7" ropes, then connect the ends making a circle. I did this with one of them and it looked a bit nicer.


Here's all my bagels, ready to be boiled!!

After I boiled them (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of that), then I put them on a baking sheet with some cornmeal and popped them in the oven!

Fresh out of the oven!

Lightly toasted wtih cream cheese. Yum.

Bread, Rolls and Pizza Dough!

I snatched my mom's "old" 90's bread machine and sought out to make my own bread. So far....so good!! I'm on a roll making everything from pizza dough to 100% whole wheat loaves of bread! Here's some of the recipes that I have used. But first, a couple tips:

1. I know that you can make all of these by hand if you don't have a bread machine. Some of hte recipes I have give oyu "by hand" instructions and some don't. If you see something you want to try and it doesn't have instructions on how to do it by hand - I would just do a quick google search. I'm sure you'll be able to quickly find something helpful.
2. I've been noticing that I like using the "dough" cycle a lot and then pulling the dough out, letting it rest awhile in a greased loaf pan, and then baking it in the oven. I like the shape and consistency a little bit.
3. You need to get to know your bread machine. I've learned that I need to add a bit more water/liquid than what the recipe calls for. I don't know why, though.
4. Make sure all ingredients are room temperature!! The yeast can die if the other ingredients are too cold/hot.

Whole Wheat Bread (from the manual):

Extra Large Loaf (2 pounds)
1 3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
4 2/3 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 teaspoons regular active dry yeast OR 3 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast or quick-acting dry yeast

DIRECTIONS:
1.Remove bread pan; attach kneading blade.
2.Place all ingredients in bread pan in the order listed.
3.Insert bread pan, close lid and plug in.
4.Select bread type: Press SELECT until the desired bread setting number is displayed. Press START.
(For whole wheat breads the bread setting selections are numbers 4-6. Select “4” for 1 pound loaf recipes.
Select “5” for 1 1/2 and 2 pound loaf recipes. Select “6” for RAPID BAKE cycle for 1 1/2 and 2 pound loaf
recipes. RAPID BAKE cycle reduces the overall completion time by about 20%.)
5.If Delay Bake option is desired, press s and t to set timer.
6.Press START. Bread will be done baking in the number of hours indicated.
7.Please note: Wheat has a 15-30 minute rest period before mixing begins.




Rice Bread:
From Rhonda's Homestyle Recipes

1/2 cup cooked white or brown rice
1 1/2 Tbsp. (1 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp.) vegetable or canola oil
Put these two ingredients in a 2 cup measuring cup and add enough warm water to make 1 1/2 c. Dump into bread machine pan or mixing bowl.
Add:

2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 cups all purpose flour (I've used all purpose or whole wheat, even a mix of both)
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast.
If using a bread machine, set to desired setting and start. I prefer to use the dough cycle then take the dough out and form a loaf, let rise in my bread pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
If using a stand mixer, add the flour last, cup by cup. If mixing by hand I will also add the flour at the last and then knead for 6 to 8 minutes before letting it rise, covered, in a greased bowl. Form into a loaf, let rise in bread pan and bake 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

I've also used this recipe to make dough for burger buns. Divide dough into 12 parts and form into balls, place in greased 9 x 13 pan to let rise. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes.






Dinner Rolls -- makes about 12 rolls
(from my friend, Abby Weber, who got it out of her Betty Crocker Bread Cookbook)

1 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
3-1/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon bread machine or quick active dry yeast
Margarine or butter, melted, if desired

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except melted butter in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. (Mine is the same order as listed)

Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycles.

When done, remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Grease a large cookie sheet. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces and shape into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise 30-40 minutes or until doubled (dough is ready if indention remains when touched)

Bake 12-15 minutes in a 375 degree oven, or until golden brown. If desired, brush tops with melted butter.

Pizza Dough

From Rhonda's Homestyle Recipes
**Makes one very thick crust or 2 thinner crusts)

1 1/3 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Put all ingredients except cornmeal in bread machine in order listed. Set for dough setting and let it go through the cycle. Grease a pizza pan with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Spread dough. Brush more vegetable oil or olive oil onto dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes, remove, brush with oil again and top with sauce and other desired toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.

**JENN TIP -- I used all the dough to make one thick crust and it was THICK. It also took longer to cook than the above times. I first pre baked it without toppings for about 10 minutes, then put it back in with topping for another 20 minutes. Next time, I will definitely cut the dough in half and use only half of it. It was still great though!!

Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Photo curteosy for 5dollardinners.com

This was easy, good and cheap. Really, how much better can you get?

I only used 2 chicken breasts since that's what I had after I broke down a whole chicken. You could also use other cuts though -- like boneless thighs or something.

Here's the recipe and then what I did a little differently is below that.

Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on January 19, 2011

Ingredients
■1 box frozen spinach
■1 Tbsp olive oil
■1 tomato, diced (or 1 15 oz can drained diced tomatoes)
■4 garlic cloves, crushed
■Sprinkles of dried basil, salt and pepper
■3-4 chicken breasts, depending on size…about 1.3 lb.
■About 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
■1 6 oz can tomato paste
■About 1 tsp Italian seasonings

Directions
■Cook the spinach as directed on the package and drain well. And by well, I mean well.
■In a large skillet, add the olive oil, well drained spinach, diced tomato and crushed garlic. Add a few sprinkles of basil and salt and pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until fairly dry and liquid has steamed off.
■Pound out the chicken breasts and place into a slightly greased baking dish. Spoon the spinach and tomato mixture into the chicken breasts. Top with some shredded mozzarella cheese and roll up. Repeat for all the chicken breasts. Spoon any remaining spinach around the chicken in the baking dish. Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes, or until cooked through.
■While the chicken is baking, make some red sauce with the tomato paste. Spoon the tomato paste into a small saucepan and add 2.5 cans worth of water. Whisk and add some Italian seasonings and let simmer over low heat until the chicken is finished baking. Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieves (You could also use tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes or spaghetti sauce!)

----------------------

So I basically followed the directions exactly. I only used 2 chicken breasts though, so I cut down on the spinach and used only 1/2 a bag of frozen spinach. I don't know why you would need frozen spinach though. You could totally use fresh spinach and ust let it wilt down in the pan with the tomatoes.

For the mozzarella -- use whatever you have or whatever is on sale. Shredded, sliced, string cheese....whatever.

I made her "red sauce" but honestly, it wasn't the greatest. Next time I'd rather just use some pasta sauce or some jazzed up tomato sauce. The sauce made from the tomato paste wasn't bad...it just wasn't great. I had to add sugar and ketchup and spices and what not to make it alright. And even still...it just lacked depth. I dunno...

After the chicken was done, I topped it with the red sauce and then put more mozzarella on top of that, then stuck it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese was nice, golden and bubbly. This was a HUGE bonus. It made it REALLY good. I think it kind of took the dish from 3.5 stars to 4.5 stars. DO THIS! :)

Taco Soup

I know this girl, Rhonda, from one of my online groups. She amazing. She has a family of 7 ( all of her kids are in the teenage/early adult years and live at home). She says she has a nice size garden and she has meat in the freezer because they buy like 1/2 a cow and whole hogs and what not (I think she lives in the midwest...where they get to hunt and kill things). But she makes EVERYTHING from scratch and she feeds everyone on $250 a month. Seriously.... a family of SEVEN on $250 a month. And she has special diet restrictions (I think she has borderline diabetes or something) so don't go thinking they do processed stuff in their household. Everything is healthy and everything is made from scratch. She's insane amazing! :)

So today I stole her "Taco Soup" recipe. To be honest, it didn't look good at first, but I had almost everything I needed already, and I wanted to use it all up before I went shopping for the week. It turned out SOOOO good. Kind of like a Taco Salad, but instead of the lettuce part, it's a thick soup. Seriously....yum. I topped it with grated cheese, green onions and sour cream (oh and some Corn chip crumbles because we had them!). Then served cornbread on the side. It was a hit with everyone! Plus it made a ton. I'm going to try and freeze some of it. I'm sure it'll freeze really well!


I first browned some ground beef and onions in a big pot (you can use a dutch oven or whatever) and then drained it as much as I could. Then I followed the recipe below:

Taco soup from Rhonda's Homestyle Recipes

•1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
•1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes and diced chilies
•1 cup sweet corn kernels
•2 cans pinto beans (I cook my own from dry)
•1 pkt. taco seasoning (I mix my own)
•1 pkt. ranch dressing mix (I mix my own)
Mix all together, bring to a boil, then serve. OR you can cook it in your crock pot for 4 hours on low.

**To get the recipes to make your own Taco and Ranch dressing mix click HERE. Seriously, it's easy and so much healthier. Next time you're at the store, check out the ingredients in those pre-made seasoning packets. bleh..... You'll never go back to them once you start making your own!