Fast and easy pizza dough

We eat lots of homemade pizza at our house so I am always trying different dough recipes. This is by far my favorite. Even better its super quick and easy. I found this from a blog called
realmomkitchen.com

3 C. flour
1 Tbl. honey (heaping)
1 Tbl. oil (heaping)
1 C. warm water
1 Tbl. yeast
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 475 if using a pizza stone let heat in oven for 30 min. Mix everything except flour then slowly add flour until all combined. Knead for a min. press into pan or roll out for the pizza stone. put dough on stone add sauce and toppings. Cook 12 min if using pan, 8 min if using stone

Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

These take a little longer then the shortcut pumpkin cookies where you use the box mix, but they are well worth it. Plus it makes a lot so you can freeze them. They freeze great and are still soft when frozen. So far my favorite pumpkin cookie.

1 C. butter
3 C. sugar
2 C. canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
5 C. flour
1 bag choc. chips

Cream together butter and sugar ten add pumpkin eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Combine with wet mix well then add choc. chips. Bake at 350 for 12-14 min.

Mexican Haystacks

1 pd. hamburger

1 diced onion

1 1/2 cups medium salsa

1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 chicken bullion cube

rice

lettuce

cheese

tomatoes

diced olives

sour cream

Brown hamburger & onion, add salsa, tomato sauce, & bullion cube. Bring to a boil.

Make rice.

Layer individual servings with rice, hamburger sauce, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives, & sour cream.

Yummy Coconut Pecan Frosting for German Chocolate Cake

For Mom's birthday she decided she wanted a German Chocolate Cake, so the search was on for a good frosting recipe to make the perfect cake. I found this particular recipe on the blog called "Sweet Pea's Kitchen," and I have to admit, it was pretty dang good.


4 egg yolks
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2  1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans (6 1/2 ounces)


In a medium saucepan, whisk yolks; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Add sugars, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is boiling, frothy and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to a heat proof bowl, whisk in vanilla, then stir in coconut and pecans. Cool until just warm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Image from www.sweetpeaskitchen.com 

Hope you like it as much as we did! Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

Pear Pie

I had 6 pears left over after canning yesterday, and a dinner invitation today to which we were supposed to bring a dessert. The result? We tried this delicious recipe from allrecipes.com for the first time, and everyone raved about it! Every single piece was gobbled up. I know pear pie sounds strange, but we loved it so much I think we'll be making this for Thanksgiving this year and many other times in the future. It has a similar taste and texture as apple pie, only it's not as tart and the filling was cinnamon-y and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe for a 9-inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 5 cups peeled and sliced pears (about 6 pears)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon rind in mixing bowl. Gently stir in the pear slices until the sugar mixture has evenly coated the pears.

2. Roll out the pie dough, and place in a 9-inch pie dish. (I use this recipe.)

3. Arrange pears and sugar mixture in the the crust. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll out remaining dough. Place top crust over filling; cutting slits for venting. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge.

3. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes.

(picture from allrecipes.com)

Bottled Pears

My canning adventures for this year aren't over yet! I just finished bottling pears this morning. We LOVE pears. Oh, yumminess... Here is how I do them.

Start with nice, ripe pears. I haven't given an amount of pears because -- if you're like me -- you can whatever amount of pears you want. This recipe is so easy you can adjust it to fit a small batch of 6 or 8 pears, or an entire 40 lb. box like I did.

Put a small pot of water to simmer on the stove top and put the lids in to simmer on a medium heat. Start heating the water in your big pot where you will process the jars so it can begin to boil. Be sure your jars are cleaned and ready to go, and keep them in hot water so they are nice and piping hot when ready to use.

Using a potato peeler, peel off the skin. Cut lengthwise in half, then use a melon baller or measuring spoon to scoop out the inner section with the seeds, the stem, and the section of the stem that extends into the pear. You'll see it when you cut the pear in half.

I put a skillet or bowl on the counter and fill it with water, then squeeze a lemon into it. This liquid is where you'll place the pears after you've peeled and cored them -- it keeps them from browning.

Prepare a very light, light, or medium syrup or pack pears in apple juice, white grape juice, or water. I chose to use a light syrup.

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
  

Mix the two together in a pot and stir them over a medium-low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase your heat to high and bring this mixture to a boil. I usually start my sugar syrup when I'm about halfway finished with preparing my pears. The syrup will be boiling by the time I'm finished and ready for it.

Raw packs make poor quality pears - you need to cook your pears a bit. When the sugar syrup boils, put your prepared pears into it and bring it back to the boil. This won't take long -- and boil the pears for a few minutes in the syrup.

Remove your HOT jars, and carefully pack them with the hot pears. I use a slotted spoon to remove them from the hot syrup.

Using a funnel, pour the boiling sugar syrup over the pears. Make sure that the pears are fully covered by the sugar syrup, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Clean the rim of your jars well and then place a lid on top of it. Screw your bands onto the jar. Lower the hot fruit-filled jars into the hot water in your water bath processor pot. Bring to a boil.

Again, processing instructions and times vary depending on the elevation you live at. You can use the table on this website to see how long you should process your pears. I processed mine for 35 minutes. Start timing after the water comes to a full boil.

My latest batch is sitting on the counter top. I love how they look; bottled pears are SO pretty.

Grape Jelly Meatballs

Sounds weird, but really good!
A friend brought this dinner over to me when I had Trey. This is really good and super easy.

Bag of frozen meatballs
jar of grape jelly
12 oz chili sauce
Rice

put in crock-pot and let heat for 5 hours. Serve over rice.

* I made this again since she brought it to us but instead of using frozen meatballs I made my own.
Here's how I did them.
Hambuger, 1 egg, 1/2 C. bread crumbs combine cook uncovered in oven for 30 min. Then put in the crock-pot with the jelly and chili sauce and cook for a few hours.

Vermicelli Salad

Here is the salad recipe Lindsay made from Trey's baby blessing. I know a lot of people wanted the recipe. It is really good.

16 oz vermicelli noodles
1 T accent seasoning
2 T Lawreys seasoning salt
1 T lemon juice
3 T Wesson oil ( I just use any Veg. oil)
4 oz jar chopped pimentos (optional)
1 Cup chopped green pepper
3/4 Cup chopped onion
1 can chopped olives
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups mayo

Chop up all the vegetables pretty small while the noodles are cooking. When noodles are done rinse in hot water. Add oil, seasonings, and lemon juice into the noodles. Add chopped veggies and then add mayo. Mix well .
* I usually half this recipe unless i am making it for a big crowd.

What to Make for Breakfast

This isn't exactly a recipe. Rather, it's a list for me to refer to in the future, and hopefully the start of a discussion about breakfast.

In an ongoing effort to spend less money on groceries, I have changed how we do breakfast. We love breakfast cereal, but it is SO DANG EXPENSIVE unless you are a master shopper and use lots of coupons and match the ads . . . which I'm not very good at doing. We also eat through cereal extremely fast. In an effort to change, I am proud to say that we have only eaten cereal 5 times in the last month - WOOT! This is HUGE for our family. We also do not buy other 'instant' breakfast foods. I have discovered that making breakfast for my family is really rewarding, extremely cheap, and actually doesn't take as much time as I thought. And I love sending Katelee and Gerald off to school knowing I've fed them a healthy and hot meal.

So, here is a list of the top breakfasts we recommend that's good for your budget, your health, and your busy schedule.

• Oatmeal - we use quick oats, which only take a couple of minutes to make and add our own favorite toppings - brown sugar, raisins, frozen blueberries, fresh fruit such as diced apples, cinnamon and other spices.
• Toast. This is especially good if made from homemade bread and spread with jam, honey, or agave. We also really enjoy this cinnamon toast recipe.
• Waffles or pancakes. They really don't take that long to make, and are so much tastier and cheaper than their frozen counterparts. Leftover waffles reheat well in a toaster the next day. These pumpkin waffles are especially yummy if you have a bit more time.
• Breakfast rounds - always a HUGE hit with everyone.
• Crepes - which we call "rolly-up pancakes" around here - are a favorite around here, and I've gotten really fast at making them. I love them with fresh fruit and whipped cream, or buttered with a sprinkling of lemon juice and powdered sugar (AMAZING!). Gerald likes his savory, stuffed with ham and eggs. Katelee's favorite way to eat them is buttered with jam or maple syrup. So many options, but all of them delicious.
• Muffins. I've taken to making a batch of quick banana or bran muffins when I have a little time during the day, and freezing them. We can pull them out for a quick and delicious breakfast on a busy morning. Here's a fun muffin recipe. I also like to make my mom's banana bread recipe and bake it up as muffins rather than in a loaf.
• Eggs. Katelee LOVES her eggs hard-boiled, and so does Gerald. I'll boil several extra and we will eat them up over the next couple of days. Scrambled or fried eggs are also a quick and easy breakfast idea.
• Fruit smoothies. What else is there to say - YUM! Coupled with a muffin, this is a great and very quick breakfast!
• Puff-Over Pancakes. 4 ingredients. 3 minutes. Let it bake while you get ready. Our family LOVES this for breakfast.

Let the discussion begin! What do you eat for breakfast that is 'homemade', inexpensive, and yummy? For example, does anyone have a good granola recipe? Anyone have any other fabulous ideas?

PLEASE SHARE!

Jenn's Wheat Bread

With the rising cost of groceries, we are trying to save money on our food bill. I've made a goal to start making all our bread again - something I did once upon a time but haven't done now for years.

To me, a good bread recipe should require relatively simple ingredients, have a light, tasty flavor, be healthy, and cut into slices well for sandwich-making. I experimented with a new recipe today that I tweaked for my own purposes, and we LOVED the results. Katelee and I enjoyed a warm, fat slice with homemade jam for lunch today - and it was heavenly. :) This bread cuts easily and smoothly for excellent sandwich-making. And I like that it is quite healthy and seems to freeze well.

• 3 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)
• 4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (OR 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast)
• 1/3 cup agave or honey (I used agave, but the original recipe called for honey)
  
• 5 cups bread flour
  
• 3tablespoons butter, melted
• a few more Tablespoons of agave (the original recipe called for 1/3 c. honey)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (this was not in the original recipe, but I think it helps to add an egg)
  
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup agave. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey (or, I just squirted about a few tablespoons worth of agave instead), salt, and I added an egg at this point because I've heard that adding an egg helps bread not be so crumbly. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. (I used my KitchenAide and just added wheat flour until it no longer was sticking to the bowl. Be sure to use your dough hook.)

3. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

4. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch. (I used my monster-long wilton loaf pan, which is 16 x 4 inches, and put all the dough in there at once. I probably should have only put about 2/3 of the dough in there, and reserved 1/3 for a smaller bread pan, but it worked. ;)

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely. (Or don't. We can't resist eating some of it while warm!) Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Just tried this recipe for the first time, and we LOVE it! I highly recommend that everyone try this one. This if from "Our Best Bites" cookbook by Sara Wells and Kate Jones.

"It's pretty rare for reduced-calorie alternatives to traditionally fried foods to taste as satisfying as the original, but these are an exception. The creamy filling is quick to throw together and can be made ahead of time. The tortillas bake up so crispy and flavorful that you won't miss the deep-fried calories for even a second! This is definitely one of the most popular recipes with our readers."

• 1/3 C. (3 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/4 c. green salsa
• 1 T. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
• 3 T. chopped cilantro
• 2 T. chopped green onions
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
• 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, as fresh as possible (the longer they sit, the more likely they are to crack - we used flour and had no problems with cracking)
• 2 T. vegetable oil, optional
• cooking spray
• Kosher salt (I substituted regular salt here)
  

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken, and pepper jack cheese.

Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20 - 30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. If you find your tortillas are cracking when rolled, used damper paper towels and increase the microwave time.

Place 2-3 T. of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and then roll it up.

Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt on top. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes (mine only needed 15 minutes) or until crisp and the ends starts to get brown. Cool for 5 - 10 minutes and then serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo. Makes approximately 16 Taquitos.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Place unbaked Taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen enough to hold their shape. Pack in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. (I used a gallon-sized freezer bag.) To bake, follow the regular instructions, extending the baking time by about 10 minutes.

Strawberry Jam

I've continued with my canning efforts this week with some strawberry jam! Homemade jam tastes so much better than store-bought, not to mention that making a jar of jam costs MUCH less money than buying it.

Here is the basic jam recipe I use.

5 cups hulled mashed strawberries
7 cups sugar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 49g package powdered fruit pectin

1. Place 8 or 9 8-ounce mason jars in a large hot water bath canner (or pot). Cover with water and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer center lids in separate saucepan full of water.
3. Place mashed strawberries and lemon juice in a separate pot. Stir in pectin until dissolved. Bring strawberries to a strong boil.
4. Add sugar and a pat of butter (measure beforehand so you can add it all at once), then return mixture to a full (violent) boil that can’t be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute 15 seconds.
5. Skim foam off the top.
6. Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Pour water back into the pot. Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill each jar with jam, being careful to keep the liquid/fruit ratio consistent. Fill jars so that they have 1/4-inch of space at the top.
7. Run a knife down the side of the jar to get rid of air bubbles.
8. Wipe rim of jar with a wet cloth to remove any residue or stickiness.
9. Remove center lid from simmering water and position it on top.
10. Put screw bands on jars, but do not overtighten!
11. Repeat with all jars, then place jars on canning rack and lower into the water.
12. Place lid on canner, then bring water to a full boil. Boil hard for 10 to 12 minutes.
13. Turn off heat and allow jars to remain in hot water for an addition five minutes.
14. Remove jars from water using a jar lifter, and allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
15. After 24 hours, remove screw bands and check the seal of the jars. Center lids should have no give whatsoever. If any seals are compromised, store those jars in the fridge.

Otherwise, fill your pantry with your newly canned goodness.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is the first time I've ever made chicken cordon bleu, and I was surprised at how easy it was. Also, Gerald and Katelee really liked it, so I think we'll definitely be having this again! I'm really working on getting my freezer stuffed full with ready-to-eat freezer meals for all our late and busy weeknights, and this is a recipe I found in a freezer cookbook called "Fix, Freeze, Feast" by Kati Neville & Lindsay Tkacsik. (I think it's a great cookbook, if anyone is interested. I just found it at my local library.) Anyway, we didn't freeze all of this meal - we saved some of it and took it camping and cooked it fresh in our dutch oven (which worked really well!) - and froze the rest. A great meal, either way.

12 fresh chicken breasts
1 c. flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. dry bread crumbs
12 slices Swiss cheese
12 slices deli ham
wax paper
plastic wrap
freezer bags (if planning to freeze)

Rinse and trim chicken as desired. Lay out three shallow dishes (I just used sturdy paper plates for easy clean-up). Measure the flour into one, eggs into another, and breadcrumbs into a third. Lay each piece of chicken, smooth side down, between two sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer, pound each chicken piece to 1/2 inch thick. (Katelee thought this step was awesome! We had fun beating up the chicken together. :) Take one piece of chicken, coat with flour, dip in egg and then coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Discard remaining flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Fold one piece of cheese into a small bundle and place in the middle of a slice of ham. Fold the sides of the ham in, enveloping the cheese. Place a ham/cheese bundle on the narrow end of a breaded chicken piece, roll chicken into a packet, and secure tightly by wrapping with plastic wrap. (Note: I created the ham/cheese bundles before dipping any chicken, and also pre-cut a stack of plastic wrap, so I could do the whole process in one fell swoop - bread the chicken, roll, wrap, repeat.) Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Divide chicken rolls evenly among the freezer bags, seal and freeze. OR, if using some for tonight, throw in the freezer for an hour or two just to help the roll to solidify in place, and then bake as directed. Remove desired number of chicken rolls from freezer, discard plastic wrap while chicken is still frozen, and place the rolls in a greased baking pan. Place in the fridge to thaw completely. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush each chicken roll with 2 tsp. melted butter (I skipped this step and it was still yummy!) and bake for 45 minutes, or until thickest part of the chicken is 170 degrees F. Enjoy!

Side note: Some rolled chicken breast recipes call for toothpicks to secure the bundles. In my experience, toothpicks do not do a very good job of sealing the rolls tight enough to prevent the cheese from leaking out. I like the idea of using plastic wrap in this recipe, because it makes the rolls nice and tight. Take care to pull in the ends to create a snug bundle, and it should stay together on it's own when it comes out of the freezer. Nice!

Killer Nachos

I've had this recipe from Josi S. Kilpack's book Devil's Food Cake in my pile of To-Try-Soon meals. We tried it earlier this week, in our own way. The fun thing about this meal is that it is so super fast and easy to make, and Katelee thought it was like eating junk-food for dinner. :) Okay, it's not super healthy, but every now and then something like this just hits the spot! Below is the original recipe. We used shredded beef that we already had prepared and frozen, the half-empty bag of chips from the pantry, whatever cheeses we already had in the fridge, and added refried beans. We didn't include the chilies, olives, or onions. Everyone enjoyed it! Nice for something a little different on a busy weeknight!

1 pound hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 bag corn tortilla chips

Toppings
4 cups of cheese (a combination of Monterrey Jack, cheddar, mozzarella, and Colby work the best)
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1 (4-ounce) can sliced black olives
1–2 diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup diced onions
Sliced jalapeños, to taste (optional)

Garnish
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger, drain, and add taco seasoning and water. Simmer and stir until water is well incorporated. Layer half of the corn chips in a 9x13 pan and bake for ten minutes to make chips crispy. Remove from oven and add a layer of hamburger mixture, cheese, and other topping ingredients as desired. Cover with the remaining chips and bake 6 minutes, until cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven and top with remaining toppings. Bake an additional 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish hot nachos with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
* Nachos can be made in the microwave, but the chips won’t be as crispy.