Today I wanted to share one of the things I do weekly to make my life just a little bit easier.
I used to make giant batches of pancakes or waffles and freeze them but the kids always took the giant batches as a right to eat as many as they wanted in one sitting. So I decided that it would be wiser to make an appropriate amount of them instead. So to make my life easier and have my own mix ready to go.
Like I said in my other posts I don't buy prepackaged foods any more. There are to many other ingredients that I don't want in my food.
I have two different mixes because I like spiced pancakes and waffles. I also have one for biscuits that has no spices in it.
I use about 2 cups of mix per batch of pancakes and about 3 cups per batch of waffles. I will include the recipe for each.
Pancake & Waffle Mix
6 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
6 Tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
Sour Milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vinegar
Pancake recipe
2 cups mix
4 TBSP melted butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sour milk (Or buttermilk can be used here)
combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 5 minutes before pouring onto hot griddle.
Waffle recipe
3 cups mix
1/4 cup oil or butter (melted)
2 eggs
2 cups sour milk
combine all ingredients and allow to sit for 10 minutes. You will see the batter sort of puff up and grow this will be when it is ready to use in your hot waffle iron.
For Biscuit mix (can also be used for dumplings like bisquick)
6 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
6 TSP baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
To make biscuits
2 cups mix
1/4 cup butter softened
1/2 - 3/4 milk
Mix butter into dry ingredients and keep it crumbly add in enough milk to pull together and either roll dough out to be cut up with a biscuit cutter or drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 350* oven for 10-12 minutes.
These are my simple mixes I keep in an air tight container on my counter. I usually go through both batches in a week but we also do not buy cereal any longer. I do make granola in the summer and we do eat hot oatmeal or cream of wheat. I make my own packets of "instant" cereal as well. I will share those soon.
P.S.
You still have a little time to get in on the Give Away The Drawing takes place on February 9th.
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Caramel Popcorn without the Corn Syrup
As part of my every day diet I refuse to eat anything that has HFGC (other wise known as High Fructose Corn Syrup) as well as any other form of corn syrup for that matter. When making Caramel corn 95% of recipes out there contain corn syrup as a main ingredient.
After searching the interweb for what felt like days, but was really probably only 20 minutes, I found this recipe on ehow. It seemed to be a great start so I went with it, making modifications along the way.
Pop 4-5 cups of popcorn in an air popper if at all possible. Place in a large bowl for mixing. Grease a large cookie sheet to place the popcorn on when its finished.
In a pot place:
1 cup sugar
4 tsp dark molasses
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp baking powder (leave out while boiling)
with a wire whisk stir this mixture until it comes to a soft boil. I do not happen to have a candy thermometer so I just eye ball it for the next 5-8 minutes stirring with whisk constantly. In the recipe I found it says 8-10 minutes, when I went 10 minuets with the next batch I had complete disaster! the caramel became a powdery solid once the baking soda is added. Once the caramel has come to a boil and cooked the amount of time it needs to take off the heat and add the baking powder. The caramel will foam and bubble and then go down. Pour over the popcorn and stir around trying to coat each piece of popcorn. Place popcorn on buttered cookie sheet and wait at least until its room temperature to enjoy, usually about 10-15 minutes.
After searching the interweb for what felt like days, but was really probably only 20 minutes, I found this recipe on ehow. It seemed to be a great start so I went with it, making modifications along the way.
Pop 4-5 cups of popcorn in an air popper if at all possible. Place in a large bowl for mixing. Grease a large cookie sheet to place the popcorn on when its finished.
In a pot place:
1 cup sugar
4 tsp dark molasses
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp baking powder (leave out while boiling)
with a wire whisk stir this mixture until it comes to a soft boil. I do not happen to have a candy thermometer so I just eye ball it for the next 5-8 minutes stirring with whisk constantly. In the recipe I found it says 8-10 minutes, when I went 10 minuets with the next batch I had complete disaster! the caramel became a powdery solid once the baking soda is added. Once the caramel has come to a boil and cooked the amount of time it needs to take off the heat and add the baking powder. The caramel will foam and bubble and then go down. Pour over the popcorn and stir around trying to coat each piece of popcorn. Place popcorn on buttered cookie sheet and wait at least until its room temperature to enjoy, usually about 10-15 minutes.
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| Bringing ingredients to boil. |
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| After adding the baking soda |
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| The finished product |
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Doughnut Muffins
I have had requests for the Doughnut muffins I made for Birthday breakfast.
I really like cake doughnuts but I don't have a doughnut pan so I decided to use a muffin pan. I found This Recipe. I of course adapted it because I am not one to ever follow someone else's recipe well. :) You may choose to use that recipe or try out my adaptations.
The batter recipe:
While they are baking make the glaze and toast the coconut.
On a side note, don't forget to join in the Birthday Giveaway! Go to the blog and read about the giveaway and see the wonderful prizes I am giving away. You still have plenty of time to enter and tell your friends all about it! Make sure you comment directly on the giveaway blog so that you can be entered to win.
I really like cake doughnuts but I don't have a doughnut pan so I decided to use a muffin pan. I found This Recipe. I of course adapted it because I am not one to ever follow someone else's recipe well. :) You may choose to use that recipe or try out my adaptations.
The batter recipe:
Ingredients
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup butter, melted
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| Batter once its mixed together |
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400*.
In a medium bowl, mix sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and flour.Add the vinegar to the milk and let stand for 10 minutes. Mix milk, eggs, honey,almond extract, orange zest and butter in a separate medium bowl, and stir into the dry ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
Bake 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
While they are baking make the glaze and toast the coconut.
Glaze:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tbls molasses
3-4 Tbls water
2 Tbls corn starch
In a sauce pan combine sugar, molasses, and water on low heat. Whisk together until sugar is dissolved and it starts to bubble. Add the cornstarch one Tbls at a time whisking between additions. Allow to bubble slowly for 2 minutes stirring continually with whisk. Allow to cool slightly.
Toasting Coconut:
In a dry non stick pan place a thin layer of shredded coconut in the pan. Cook on low heat stirring occasionally as it browns.
Place muffins on wire rack to cool as they come out of the muffin pan. Once they are cool enough to handle dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze and set on the wire rack. Before the glaze has cooled sprinkle with toasted coconut.
2 Tbls corn starch
In a sauce pan combine sugar, molasses, and water on low heat. Whisk together until sugar is dissolved and it starts to bubble. Add the cornstarch one Tbls at a time whisking between additions. Allow to bubble slowly for 2 minutes stirring continually with whisk. Allow to cool slightly.
Toasting Coconut:
In a dry non stick pan place a thin layer of shredded coconut in the pan. Cook on low heat stirring occasionally as it browns.
Place muffins on wire rack to cool as they come out of the muffin pan. Once they are cool enough to handle dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze and set on the wire rack. Before the glaze has cooled sprinkle with toasted coconut.
On a side note, don't forget to join in the Birthday Giveaway! Go to the blog and read about the giveaway and see the wonderful prizes I am giving away. You still have plenty of time to enter and tell your friends all about it! Make sure you comment directly on the giveaway blog so that you can be entered to win.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Baked Oatmeal
I am beginning to wonder if my blog has become a food blog with all the food posts lately. I love to bake and cook so for me it is a natural progression to share the lovely dishes I create.
Today's blog is all about the wonderful baked oatmeal I made for breakfast today.
I found this recipe and totally adapted it. I wanted to give credit since I adapted her recipe for my creation.
4 TBSP Butter (melted)
1/4 cup olive oil (or coconut oil)
2 TBSP Crunchy peanut butter (or any other nut butter would work)
3/4 cups sugar
2 TBSP molasses
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 cup shredded apple
1/2 cup sliced whole cranberries
3 cups oatmeal *edit* (How could I forget to tell you how much oatmeal? chalk it up to being excited to share this recipe with you!)
In a medium sized bowl mix the oats,flax seeds, spices and baking powder together and set aside. In another bowl mix melted butter (and coconut oil if you use that) the eggs, peanut butter, sugar, milk (yes you can use coconut milk, flax milk, almond milk or rice milk) and vanilla together. slice your cranberries in half and then add them into the dry ingredients. Add shredded apple to the wet ingredients and then blend the wet into the dry. This looks a little soupy but it bakes up wonderfully.
Preheat oven to 350* and bake for 30 minutes.
I heated the milk up and added 1 tbsp of honey to it to sweeten it slightly. Then when the baked oatmeal was done I served it up in a bowl with a pouring of milk over the top.
I found this recipe and totally adapted it. I wanted to give credit since I adapted her recipe for my creation.
4 TBSP Butter (melted)
1/4 cup olive oil (or coconut oil)
2 TBSP Crunchy peanut butter (or any other nut butter would work)
3/4 cups sugar
2 TBSP molasses
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 cup shredded apple
1/2 cup sliced whole cranberries
3 cups oatmeal *edit* (How could I forget to tell you how much oatmeal? chalk it up to being excited to share this recipe with you!)
In a medium sized bowl mix the oats,flax seeds, spices and baking powder together and set aside. In another bowl mix melted butter (and coconut oil if you use that) the eggs, peanut butter, sugar, milk (yes you can use coconut milk, flax milk, almond milk or rice milk) and vanilla together. slice your cranberries in half and then add them into the dry ingredients. Add shredded apple to the wet ingredients and then blend the wet into the dry. This looks a little soupy but it bakes up wonderfully.
Preheat oven to 350* and bake for 30 minutes.
I heated the milk up and added 1 tbsp of honey to it to sweeten it slightly. Then when the baked oatmeal was done I served it up in a bowl with a pouring of milk over the top.
The results were a grin from this happy boy.
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| The Cuddlebug |
Friday, December 2, 2011
Herman Waffles
Today's blog is brought to you by Herman. Our Herman has made the move with us and we continue to create wonderful recipes with Herman. If you have never made Herman before you can find the blog about Herman Here.
I created a recipe for Herman Waffles and I am going to share it here. This recipe is my own creation, it is a large batch and enough to do more then 30 waffles. (remember I have a large family!)
Herman Waffles
6 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup oil
6 large eggs
5 1/2 cups milk (I have used regular milk, flax milk or almond milk)
1 cup of herman starter
In a medium sized bowl mix all wet ingredients including herman starter, wisk well. In large bowl mix all dry ingredients, sift or use a wire wisk to blend ingredients together. Slowly beat the wet ingredients into the dry being sure to mix all the flour well but do not over beat the mixture. Let stand 5-10 minutes before use. The longer it stands the fluffier they will become. Be sure your waffle iron is hot and ready to go and under load the iron as these waffles expand a lot!
I created a recipe for Herman Waffles and I am going to share it here. This recipe is my own creation, it is a large batch and enough to do more then 30 waffles. (remember I have a large family!)
Herman Waffles
6 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup oil
6 large eggs
5 1/2 cups milk (I have used regular milk, flax milk or almond milk)
1 cup of herman starter
In a medium sized bowl mix all wet ingredients including herman starter, wisk well. In large bowl mix all dry ingredients, sift or use a wire wisk to blend ingredients together. Slowly beat the wet ingredients into the dry being sure to mix all the flour well but do not over beat the mixture. Let stand 5-10 minutes before use. The longer it stands the fluffier they will become. Be sure your waffle iron is hot and ready to go and under load the iron as these waffles expand a lot!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
French Onion Soup
I had a request from a friend to post this recipe so here it is.
*sorry there are no photos, Its just so hard to get pictures taken when your camera is broken*
Ingredients:
3 medium sized onions
8 cups beef broth
1/4 cup butter
crusty french bread
Gouda Cheese
Directions:
Thinly slice the onions. I like to cut mine in half first then thinly slice each half. Melt butter in pot. Place all onions in the pot and allow to cook until translucent. This typically takes 8- 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently. Once onions are translucent pour 8 cups of beef broth (I make my own as often as I can but when I run out I just use store bought low sodium beef broth.) Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. While soup simmers thinly slice crusty french bread and toast in the oven. I like to toast mine by coating both the front and back with coconut oil and laying on a baking sheet in a 350* oven for 5-10 minutes per side. Once the soup has simmered for at least 30 minutes and the bread is toasted fill *oven safe* bowls with soup, place a piece of toasted bread on top and cover with slices of gouda cheese. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and brown around the edges. remove and serve.
Now I don't happen to have oven safe bowls so I have skipped the last step and just placed the cheese over the hot bread and soup with lovely results but for authentic soup you need to broil the cheese so it melts over the entire bowl of soup.
Enjoy.
*sorry there are no photos, Its just so hard to get pictures taken when your camera is broken*
Ingredients:
3 medium sized onions
8 cups beef broth
1/4 cup butter
crusty french bread
Gouda Cheese
Directions:
Thinly slice the onions. I like to cut mine in half first then thinly slice each half. Melt butter in pot. Place all onions in the pot and allow to cook until translucent. This typically takes 8- 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently. Once onions are translucent pour 8 cups of beef broth (I make my own as often as I can but when I run out I just use store bought low sodium beef broth.) Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. While soup simmers thinly slice crusty french bread and toast in the oven. I like to toast mine by coating both the front and back with coconut oil and laying on a baking sheet in a 350* oven for 5-10 minutes per side. Once the soup has simmered for at least 30 minutes and the bread is toasted fill *oven safe* bowls with soup, place a piece of toasted bread on top and cover with slices of gouda cheese. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and brown around the edges. remove and serve.
Now I don't happen to have oven safe bowls so I have skipped the last step and just placed the cheese over the hot bread and soup with lovely results but for authentic soup you need to broil the cheese so it melts over the entire bowl of soup.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Roasted Root Veggie Soup
In honor of fall I am sharing my favorite fall soup. There are so many lovely roots available this time of the year. I love to make soups and stews out of them.
Ingredients:
Butternut squash
Carrots
Potatoes
Rutabegas
Parsnips
Onion
Celery
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
veggie or chicken broth
sprig of rosemary
Directions:
Peel the squash and the rutabegas. Dice all roots place in large baking dish season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Be sure to toss the veggies around to coat in the olive oil. The amount of oil I use depends on the amount of veggies, you only need enough to coat the veggies. Bake in the oven for 20 -35 minutes at 400*. If there is any oil in the bottom of the roasting pan after the veggies are done I pour this flavored oil into my dutch oven, dice up the onion and celery, then saute it until they are soft and translucent. Pour the roasted veggies into the pot with enough broth to cover 1 inch over the veggies, place rosemary on top. Simmer for 45 minutes to allow flavors to come together. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.
*I will update with pictures tonight since this is today's meal*
Ingredients:
Butternut squash
Carrots
Potatoes
Rutabegas
Parsnips
Onion
Celery
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
veggie or chicken broth
sprig of rosemary
Directions:
Peel the squash and the rutabegas. Dice all roots place in large baking dish season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Be sure to toss the veggies around to coat in the olive oil. The amount of oil I use depends on the amount of veggies, you only need enough to coat the veggies. Bake in the oven for 20 -35 minutes at 400*. If there is any oil in the bottom of the roasting pan after the veggies are done I pour this flavored oil into my dutch oven, dice up the onion and celery, then saute it until they are soft and translucent. Pour the roasted veggies into the pot with enough broth to cover 1 inch over the veggies, place rosemary on top. Simmer for 45 minutes to allow flavors to come together. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.
*I will update with pictures tonight since this is today's meal*
Monday, October 17, 2011
Herman Bread
Well I promised a couple of weeks ago to come back and post about some of the things that I can make with Herman. Then my whole family got sick. When you live in a house with 4 kids and two adults this always takes a bit of time to over come. I am on the tail end of it, for a second time. Thankfully this second time was not nearly as bad as the first time I got it.
I have made several things with my Herman Starter and even shared starter with my neighbor. I can not tell you which my favorite thing to make thus far is but I do know that we all enjoy the bread. The bread can be made into cinnamon rolls or lovely free formed french bread. As the starter ages it gets more sour and not so sweet. Right now my starter is still on the sweeter side but it is turning out lovely rich tasting bread.
The recipe for the bread is simple (as far as bread from scratch goes) I don't have any pictures *yet* I hope to come and update with pictures later today since I have to bake more bread today.
Ingredients:
1 envelope (or 2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup Herman starter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
aprox 6 cups flour divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions:
in large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add starter, salt, sugar, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix well until there are no lumps. I use a wire whisk for this but you could use an electric mixer if you wanted to. cover with a towel and let rise in a warm draft free place about 1 1/2 hours until the mixture has risen and is bubbly. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour with baking soda and add to the mixture. With your hands add enough flour to make a stiff dough 1/4 cup at a time. Place on a floured surface and kneed 5-7 minutes. Divide dough in 1/2 shape dough. Allow dough to rise another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size. Bake in a 400* oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
I have also made lovely muffins with the Herman Starter, as well as pancakes. I have a recipe for cookies but have not attempted those just yet. I am thinking of making some Herman Doughnuts as well...
Tell me have you started your Herman yet? No? Want to? If so check out the link Here to see how to start. Then come back and tell me all about it in the comments section.
I have made several things with my Herman Starter and even shared starter with my neighbor. I can not tell you which my favorite thing to make thus far is but I do know that we all enjoy the bread. The bread can be made into cinnamon rolls or lovely free formed french bread. As the starter ages it gets more sour and not so sweet. Right now my starter is still on the sweeter side but it is turning out lovely rich tasting bread.
The recipe for the bread is simple (as far as bread from scratch goes) I don't have any pictures *yet* I hope to come and update with pictures later today since I have to bake more bread today.
Ingredients:
1 envelope (or 2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup Herman starter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
aprox 6 cups flour divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions:
in large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add starter, salt, sugar, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix well until there are no lumps. I use a wire whisk for this but you could use an electric mixer if you wanted to. cover with a towel and let rise in a warm draft free place about 1 1/2 hours until the mixture has risen and is bubbly. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour with baking soda and add to the mixture. With your hands add enough flour to make a stiff dough 1/4 cup at a time. Place on a floured surface and kneed 5-7 minutes. Divide dough in 1/2 shape dough. Allow dough to rise another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size. Bake in a 400* oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
I have also made lovely muffins with the Herman Starter, as well as pancakes. I have a recipe for cookies but have not attempted those just yet. I am thinking of making some Herman Doughnuts as well...
Tell me have you started your Herman yet? No? Want to? If so check out the link Here to see how to start. Then come back and tell me all about it in the comments section.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Jam
I decided to try and make my own Jam with things I had on hand.
I had several apples and read online that I could make my own pectin with apples. So decided that I could probably make my own jam if I combined apple with some frozen fruit.
This is entirely an experiment and I have no idea if it will work or not. But I *think* it will. :) If nothing else we will have some lovely topping for some pancakes or something.
So what I have done is cut and quartered 5 medium sized apples and added 2 cups of water. I waited until those were cooked util they were soft and then I added 2 cups of frozen mixed raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I cooked those until they were completely soft and then mashed the whole pot together. I picked the apple skins out of the pot since I did not want them in my finished product.
I then added 3 cups of sugar and a half a cup of water to the mashed fruit. I continued to cook this until it was about half its volume and was thicker then before. This took a few hours on very low heat. I did not want the fruit to scorch so I cooked it very low and stirred it often. Once it seemed thick enough I did the "freezer test" which requires you to place a small bit and place it in a bowl then put it in the freezer. If it sets up then it is done.
I placed my jam into several recycled containers I had on hand since I did not have any mason jars. The kids loved this jam and it turned out perfectly, especially since it was an experiment and I was not sure it would turn out.
I had several apples and read online that I could make my own pectin with apples. So decided that I could probably make my own jam if I combined apple with some frozen fruit.
This is entirely an experiment and I have no idea if it will work or not. But I *think* it will. :) If nothing else we will have some lovely topping for some pancakes or something.
So what I have done is cut and quartered 5 medium sized apples and added 2 cups of water. I waited until those were cooked util they were soft and then I added 2 cups of frozen mixed raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I cooked those until they were completely soft and then mashed the whole pot together. I picked the apple skins out of the pot since I did not want them in my finished product.
I then added 3 cups of sugar and a half a cup of water to the mashed fruit. I continued to cook this until it was about half its volume and was thicker then before. This took a few hours on very low heat. I did not want the fruit to scorch so I cooked it very low and stirred it often. Once it seemed thick enough I did the "freezer test" which requires you to place a small bit and place it in a bowl then put it in the freezer. If it sets up then it is done.
I placed my jam into several recycled containers I had on hand since I did not have any mason jars. The kids loved this jam and it turned out perfectly, especially since it was an experiment and I was not sure it would turn out.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Herman
One of the things that my mother in law gave me not long after my husband and I were married was a recipe for "Herman". This is one of my husbands favorite things and we have not had it in many many years. You see Herman is a yeast starter. You have to grow and feed Herman and he requires work on certain days. I am not so great at keeping Herman alive. I often tend to forget about him when he sits in the fridge. I have to mark the calendar and keep an eye on him or I forget. Herman has to be stirred constantly the first few days.. well ok not constantly but over a period of a few days. Of course because you feed Herman he grows and sometimes you have more then you need, if that is the case you can give some to friends and share the love of Herman with everyone.
Last summer when I went to my Mother in laws for the fourth of July she copied off some other recipes she found in her stash for several Herman recipes. These recipes use some Herman and then you add to it to create other foods. There is a recipe for pancakes, coffee cake, a 'white bread' that is a bit more like sourdough because of the Herman starter. There is also a recipe for cookies. I was a bit shocked by that.
Today I have started Herman. It is sitting on top of my fridge covered with a towel and growing as we speak. I am hoping that by Friday night when my husband is able to come home to have lovely dishes of Herman making set out for him to enjoy. Well ok I will likely be trying out the bread as I am baking bread constantly and honestly anything that makes it a little more accessible is always a plus. I also will have coffee cake for breakfast on Saturday when we wake up and share a meal together.
On another note I am also making some apple berry jam from scratch today and bread is rising for the day. I am feeling a tad better but still a bit loopy in moments as the crud rolls round in my head.
I am also roasting a chicken that will then get boiled and pulled apart for two meals this week. Cooking on a severe budget doesn't have to mean nothing good for the belly. I am contemplating what dishes to do with this chicken but at least the chicken is cooking and the house smells good.
***EDIT***
Here is the recipe for the starter, as well as the directions.
2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 envelope yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast)
1 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, yeast, salt then gradually stir in water. beat or whisk until smooth. Place bowl in a warm draft free place in the kitchen (mine is on top of the fridge) cover with a towel. Stir 2 -3 times a day for 3 days or until starter is bubbly and produces a yeasty aroma. After day 3 you can use part of the starter and refrigerate the remaining Herman. Herman must be stirred everyday so even when you are not using any Herman you must stir him. Be sure not to cover tightly when it is refrigerated, either cover with plastic wrap or with a lid off to the side. When you use Herman you feed it, so you use some and feed the remaining starter.
To feed Herman:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
add to starter whisk or stir well.
If it will be more then 14 days before you use Herman again then you can pop the starter in the freezer and pull it out again when you want to use it.
Check back in 3 days to see what I have used my Herman for first.
Last summer when I went to my Mother in laws for the fourth of July she copied off some other recipes she found in her stash for several Herman recipes. These recipes use some Herman and then you add to it to create other foods. There is a recipe for pancakes, coffee cake, a 'white bread' that is a bit more like sourdough because of the Herman starter. There is also a recipe for cookies. I was a bit shocked by that.
Today I have started Herman. It is sitting on top of my fridge covered with a towel and growing as we speak. I am hoping that by Friday night when my husband is able to come home to have lovely dishes of Herman making set out for him to enjoy. Well ok I will likely be trying out the bread as I am baking bread constantly and honestly anything that makes it a little more accessible is always a plus. I also will have coffee cake for breakfast on Saturday when we wake up and share a meal together.
On another note I am also making some apple berry jam from scratch today and bread is rising for the day. I am feeling a tad better but still a bit loopy in moments as the crud rolls round in my head.
I am also roasting a chicken that will then get boiled and pulled apart for two meals this week. Cooking on a severe budget doesn't have to mean nothing good for the belly. I am contemplating what dishes to do with this chicken but at least the chicken is cooking and the house smells good.
***EDIT***
Here is the recipe for the starter, as well as the directions.
2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 envelope yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast)
1 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, yeast, salt then gradually stir in water. beat or whisk until smooth. Place bowl in a warm draft free place in the kitchen (mine is on top of the fridge) cover with a towel. Stir 2 -3 times a day for 3 days or until starter is bubbly and produces a yeasty aroma. After day 3 you can use part of the starter and refrigerate the remaining Herman. Herman must be stirred everyday so even when you are not using any Herman you must stir him. Be sure not to cover tightly when it is refrigerated, either cover with plastic wrap or with a lid off to the side. When you use Herman you feed it, so you use some and feed the remaining starter.
To feed Herman:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
add to starter whisk or stir well.
If it will be more then 14 days before you use Herman again then you can pop the starter in the freezer and pull it out again when you want to use it.
Check back in 3 days to see what I have used my Herman for first.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
I forgot...
Just how much I love to kneed bread dough.
It's been YEARS since I have made a batch of dough by hand.
So tonight I took the wooden spoon in hand.
Grabbed a large mixing bowl and got started.
I used a recipe I found online because the only books I have that are bread dough recipes are for the bread machine that I no longer own. I used this recipe and modified it slightly, I added ground flax seed powder, and whole wheat bread as well as allowing the yeast to proof before mixing the dough. I mixed half the flour in slowly then added the second half and the flax seed powder. I also used coconut oil for the oil and honey in one loaf and sugar in the other.
I just made a whole wheat loaf. I used my great grandmothers loaf pan that is really long super tall and heavy duty! This thing is the size of a long store bought loaf of bread. It is maybe the size of those wonder bread loafs. You know that pasty white bread that some people love? Personally I can not stand the stuff. The only "white" bread I like at all happens to be potato bread, which really isn't white but is more of an eggy yellow color.
I also made 18 buns. 18 buns to go with tomorrow nights dinner...
Drum Roll Please....
Barbecue Beef Sandwiches. A whole lot like pulled pork but I never eat pork, it upsets my stomach so severely that it is not worth the effort. We will also be having home made coleslaw and watermelon sorbet for desert.
Speaking of pork products I recently discovered something that has thrilled me! The one thing I have missed more then anything when I gave up pork was bacon. I mean really good crispy smokey bacon. I have tried every turkey bacon there is and they all taste bad. They either do not crisp up or they are just so fake tasting that I can not fake my way into eating it. But I was at the dreaded box store recently and I discovered ...
BEEF bacon! That's right. Bacon that is made from beef. It does not get quite as crispy as pork bacon does but the flavor is superb and the smell is o so divine! I found this review that gives a good bit of info on it, as well as a picture of the exact brand I bought.
(we wont talk about how long it took me to upload that photo!)
Anyway back to the bread, since I just took the buns out of the oven and they smell heavenly...
Do any of you bake bread? Kneed it by hand?
I was so excited with how good it felt that I just knew I had to make a second batch! I will be making as many more batches as I can in the coming weeks. If I can freeze dough then I wont feel obligated to buy bread if I get tired of making it. Plus I could pull a loaf of dough out of the freezer at night pop it in the oven early in the morning and then bake it and have fresh bread each day to eat.
I wonder why so many women found it so challenging to bake a loaf of bread for their family each day? It isn't that challenging nor time consuming. The hardest part is waiting for it to raise to bake it which is why freezing the dough is perfect. I think tomorrow when I make a batch of dough I will also make some cinnamon rolls... They are a sinful treat that I have not had in years because I simply could not bring myself to eat the kind that are made from a can. I smell them and they smell wonderful but O how disappointing they are.
So until next time folks, Have a fantastic
Morning,
Afternoon,
Evening,
Day,
Night
Wherever you are!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
German Chocolate Cake Frosting
I have had a few people ask about the frosting and I realized I never got around to posting the recipe.
This recipe is my husband's grandma's recipe and was lovingly shared with me from my Mom in law.
The list of ingredients isn't long but it sure makes for a fantastic frosting!
1 egg
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 can)
1/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Over medium heat melt butter, add sugar, milk and egg until it boils, and thickens. This takes anywhere between 5-10 minutes.
Use a whisk to stir continually until the liquid thickens and is about half the amount of liquid you started with.
Then add the Coconut and Pecans to the pan stirring with a wooden spoon.
Pour onto a warm cake to frost. This recipe will frost one 8x8 cake. You can double the recipe to have frosting for between two cakes or for a larger 9x9 round, or 11x14 sheet cake.
Yesterday I posted Chocolate Beet Cake so now you can make them together and enjoy them!
This recipe is my husband's grandma's recipe and was lovingly shared with me from my Mom in law.
The list of ingredients isn't long but it sure makes for a fantastic frosting!
1 egg
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 can)
1/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Over medium heat melt butter, add sugar, milk and egg until it boils, and thickens. This takes anywhere between 5-10 minutes.
Use a whisk to stir continually until the liquid thickens and is about half the amount of liquid you started with.
Then add the Coconut and Pecans to the pan stirring with a wooden spoon.
Pour onto a warm cake to frost. This recipe will frost one 8x8 cake. You can double the recipe to have frosting for between two cakes or for a larger 9x9 round, or 11x14 sheet cake.
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| 9x9 round only frosted on the outside |
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| 11x14 sheet cake Chocolate Beet Cake |
Friday, March 11, 2011
O my word... Chicken Chili Verde
One of my favorite Mexican food dishes is Chili Verde. I love the tangy flavors of the tomatillo. A few years ago I discovered that I am allergic to pork. When ever I eat pork I end up with the worst stomach aches and hives. So I stopped eating all pork. This meant no more Chili Verde for me...
Then one day the light bulb above my head went off...
Why not use Chicken Thighs!!?
So off to the grocery store I went...
Normally I do not buy canned products. I try to only purchase in season fruits and veggies, but I really wanted to try out this new recipe! So I went ahead and bought a couple of the giant cans of tomatillo's in the mexican food isle of my local grocery store.
I also bought 1 family size package of chicken thighs. You must go with dark meat on this because the breast will just dry out far to much.
in the crockpot went the chicken and the two cans of tomatillo's. I let this cook for about 4 hours then went in and pulled the chicken bones out. Then shredded up the chicken and we dished it up about a half hour later. It turned out pretty good... but being that I am a stickler for fresh when I can get it... It is currently Tomatillo season in Northern California. When I was in the grocery store the other day there was a large bin FILLED with them. I just couldnt help myself I HAD to have from scratch home made Chicken Chili Verde...
Without further ado
Here are some pictures and the recipe.
Crystals Chicken Chili Verde (fresh)
2 lbs fresh tomatillo's
2 lbs chicken thighs (remove the skin)
1 medium onion
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 cup water
dump it into the crock pot for 4 hours on high then remove chicken bones and shred chicken thighs up. allow to sit for another half hour serve with Spanish rice, black beans, cheese and tortilla's.
For those of you who have never seen a fresh tomatillo here is what they look like still in their skins
I peel the skins off and keep them in a bowl of water because they have a tacky film on them. This is what they look like floating.
They look a bit like a green tomato on the outside, but not on the inside.
The crock pot was loaded down and ready to simmer.
This is the final product after cooking for 5 hours. (I love crock pot cooking, because if I can't get to it as soon as it is done it stays good until I can get to it.)
Then one day the light bulb above my head went off...
Why not use Chicken Thighs!!?
So off to the grocery store I went...
Normally I do not buy canned products. I try to only purchase in season fruits and veggies, but I really wanted to try out this new recipe! So I went ahead and bought a couple of the giant cans of tomatillo's in the mexican food isle of my local grocery store.
I also bought 1 family size package of chicken thighs. You must go with dark meat on this because the breast will just dry out far to much.
in the crockpot went the chicken and the two cans of tomatillo's. I let this cook for about 4 hours then went in and pulled the chicken bones out. Then shredded up the chicken and we dished it up about a half hour later. It turned out pretty good... but being that I am a stickler for fresh when I can get it... It is currently Tomatillo season in Northern California. When I was in the grocery store the other day there was a large bin FILLED with them. I just couldnt help myself I HAD to have from scratch home made Chicken Chili Verde...
Without further ado
Here are some pictures and the recipe.
Crystals Chicken Chili Verde (fresh)
2 lbs fresh tomatillo's
2 lbs chicken thighs (remove the skin)
1 medium onion
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 cup water
dump it into the crock pot for 4 hours on high then remove chicken bones and shred chicken thighs up. allow to sit for another half hour serve with Spanish rice, black beans, cheese and tortilla's.
For those of you who have never seen a fresh tomatillo here is what they look like still in their skins
I peel the skins off and keep them in a bowl of water because they have a tacky film on them. This is what they look like floating.
They look a bit like a green tomato on the outside, but not on the inside.
The crock pot was loaded down and ready to simmer.
This is the final product after cooking for 5 hours. (I love crock pot cooking, because if I can't get to it as soon as it is done it stays good until I can get to it.)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Chocolate Cake is the answer
After hours of studying and reviewing information in my Mexican-American history class I feel brain dead. I am certain that the answer to every question the teacher asked must be chocolate cake. Wasn't it the Aztec's who introduced chocolate to us anyway?
I have hours more to study and several chapters to read. I am certain that this is going to be a challenging essay that I have to write because I simply can not retain the information needed to get me through. I feel as though I am spinning my way through this class and not really getting very far.
So instead I resort to doing what I do best. Cook! I am going to plop a wonderful dressed chicken in the oven and roast it for several hours. I am going to chop veggies and add them to this roasted delight. I will bake a chocolate cake completely from scratch and top it with grandma's coconut pecan frosting. I will make delicacies that everyone can enjoy and will bring me pleasure. I will then come back completely sated and attempt to compile information from the recesses of my brain so that i can pass this test.
I am posting this blog pictureless but will come back and add pictures soon ... Pictures of the beauty of roasting chicken and baking chocolate cake.
Alright folks you have waited all day for pictures of this beautiful cake so here they are!
The frosting has to be cooked, but it tastes wonderful & is well worth the effort.
I have hours more to study and several chapters to read. I am certain that this is going to be a challenging essay that I have to write because I simply can not retain the information needed to get me through. I feel as though I am spinning my way through this class and not really getting very far.
So instead I resort to doing what I do best. Cook! I am going to plop a wonderful dressed chicken in the oven and roast it for several hours. I am going to chop veggies and add them to this roasted delight. I will bake a chocolate cake completely from scratch and top it with grandma's coconut pecan frosting. I will make delicacies that everyone can enjoy and will bring me pleasure. I will then come back completely sated and attempt to compile information from the recesses of my brain so that i can pass this test.
I am posting this blog pictureless but will come back and add pictures soon ... Pictures of the beauty of roasting chicken and baking chocolate cake.
Alright folks you have waited all day for pictures of this beautiful cake so here they are!
 |
| The Ingredients |
Baking tip for the night, when making chocolate cake grease your pan and then "flour" it with coco powder instead of flour. This will prevent your cake from sticking, but will also prevent that flour look on the outside of your cake. :)
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| before baking |
 |
| after baking & cooling |
 |
| start cooking |
 |
| let it boil |
 |
| add coconut & pecans |
The finished product is calling for me! I pour the frosting on while its still warm right into the center of the cake and work my way out from the center to the edge. This makes a wonderful frosting method especially when its still warm enough to spread easily. I do not like frosting in the center of this cake so I simply make a larger cake and then frost only the outside.
I hope that you all enjoy the pictures. I may post the recipe for this cake & frosting soon if enough people want it.
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