Crusty Soup Bowls Recipe

Crusty Soup Bowls (Lion House)

• 2 T dry yeast
• 2 C warm water
• 1 T sugar
• 2 t salt
• 5 C flour
• Cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 1 T water

1. Dissolve yeast in 2 C warm water in a large mixing bowl. 
2. Add sugar, salt, and 3 C flour; beat 3 minutes on low speed. 
3. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. 
4. Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic 5 to 6 minutes. 
5. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. 
6. Punch down, and divide into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. 
7. Beat egg and water together and brush over top and sides of dough balls. 
8. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 40 minutes. 
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. 
10. Cool. 
11. Cut off tops; scoop out bread to make a bowl. Pour hot soup into bread bowls and serve. 

Makes 8 large bread bowls.

Cranberry-BBQ Chicken

I've seen many versions of this, but here is my own take on the Cranberry-BBQ Chicken:

3 Large Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 Can (14 oz) Whole-berry Cranberry Sauce

1/2 C BBQ Sauce of your choice

1/3 C Dried or 1/2 C Fresh Diced Onions

1 t Diced Garlic

1/4 t Five Spice (an Asian spice that is found in most grocery stores in the spice aisle)

1/4 t Dried Basil Flakes

1/8 t Red Pepper Powder

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients except chicken breasts.

Put frozen chicken and sauce mixture in a crockpot. Cook: 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

After the chicken has begun to thaw/cook, pull it out and slice each breast into 4-5 pieces. Return to crockpot for remaining time.

Serve with baked potato or shred the chicken and serve over a bun.

This recipe can be prepared in advance and then frozen: mix sauce as directed, put chicken breasts in freezer bags, pour sauce over the chicken, freeze. The night before you plan to cook it, take a bag from the freezer and thaw it out in the refrigerator. Cook as directed (times can be lowered an hour with thawed chicken).

Make It Quick Pizza Crust

If you are like me, you like to make your own pizza but don't think about it until 5pm and at that point it is easier to make something else or pick up the phone. I've tried other "quick" dough recipes but they haven't wowed me. Either they are too heavy or don't really have the right texture. Then I tried this.

• 1 T Instant Dry Yeast (I use Fleishmann's)
• 1 C Warm Water, with a squeeze of honey dissolved in it
• 1 C Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 C White Flour
• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1 t Salt

1. Dissolve the honey in the warm water and then add the yeast. I use my glass measuring cup for this (the 2 C one works great). Set aside and watch it ferment.
2. Put the yeast in your mixer (or a large bowl).
3. Add the flour, oil, and salt.
4. Mix until everything is moist. Don't mix too much or you'll over-activate the gluten and your dough will be too rubbery and hard to spread.
5. Let the dough sit 10 minutes (not bad considering most recipes call for two hours!)
6. Form dough into your pan, top with your favorite toppings and cook as directed in your recipe or at 425f for about 15 minutes.

Yield: Two Medium Pizzas (8 slices each)

Nutritional Facts per Serving:

(these stats are for the crust only, you'll need to calculate your toppings)

Calories: 78

Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: .4mg

Potassium: 45.6mg

Carbs: 14g

Fiber 1.1g

Sugars: .5g

Protein: 2.2g

Lemon Chicken Pasta and Peas

I know! PEAS! The truth is I like peas as long as they are still crisp and not mushy. I like peas as an ingredient but not as a side dish. I found this recipe in a recipe book I picked up (total impulse buy) at Sam's Club. It is the Good Housekeeping Fast Weeknight Favorites. So far I've been very pleased with the food and the "fast" aspect. Slow food is great but when I'm cooking for 1 and 1/4 (yes, Eden only counts for 1/4 of a normal eater) the payoff of slow, deliberate cooking just isn't there for me. Quick, easy, balanced meals are the way to go and this book seems to fit the bill for me right now.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

• 8 oz pasta (they suggest extra-wide egg noodles - I used chinese noodles because that is what I had)
• 4 oz stringless sugar snap peas
• 1 C shredded carrots
• 1 C frozen peas
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1/2 C heavy or whipping cream (or in my case I have to use Soy Milk because of E's lactose issues)
• 1 t freshly grated lemon peel (I think it could have used more)
• 1/2 t coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 C skinless chicken meat–cubed

1. In large sauce pot, cook noodles as label directs. Add snap peas to pot 1 minute before noodles are done.
2. Place carrots and frozen peas in colander. Drain noodles and snap peas over carrots and peas.
3. While noodle mixture drains, in same sauce pot, heat broth, cream, lemon peel, pepper, and salt to b oiling over high heat. 
4. Add chicken and noodle mixture to sauce; heat through, stirring constantly.

Each serving: about 510 calories, 33 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate, 20 g total fat (9 g saturated), 158 mg cholesterol, 750 mg sodium.

Chicken, Tomato, Spinach and Tortellini Soup

I wanted soup the other day. We've recently discovered Eden is lactose intolerant and so I couldn't go to my stand-by of potato soup. I looked in the pantry and here is what I came up with:

• 1 Can Chicken Broth
• 1 Can Stewed Tomatoes
• 1/2 C Chopped Chicken
• 3/4 C uncooked Cheese-filled Tortellini
• 1/2 C Fresh (or flash frozen) Spinach
• Italian Herbs (I used thyme and basil) to taste
• Pepper to taste (the broth and tomatoes both have plenty of sodium so you shouldn't need salt)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for on top (this is low in lactose so I used it, if you aren't dealing with LI issues you could use Parmesan)

1. Put the broth and tomatoes in a pot and bring to a simmer. 
2. Add herbs (dried or fresh) - you could also add garlic here.
3. Add the chicken and tortellini. 
4. One minute before the tortellini is cooked through add the spinach.
5. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle cheese on top.

Serve with bread or biscuits and some fruit.

This is a beautiful soup with a hearty yet fresh taste–not heavy. I will definitely be making this again!

 (I really should get pictures of my food so I can show you but I'm always too busy devouring it to take a picture so you'll just have to take my word for it.)

Spudnuts

Every Halloween, my mom makes a bunch of doughnuts and all her neighbors flock to her house. She has candy for the kids (silly kids, choosing candy over spudnuts!) but the adults get a warm doughnut. I made them this past weekend and thought I'd share the recipe.

This makes over 100 doughnuts but you can half or even quarter it.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 C Water
• 1 1/2 t Salt
• 1 C Margarine (or butter)
• 5 Eggs (if halfing, my mom suggests using 3 eggs)
• 1 C Sugar
• 2 C Mashed Potatoes (left overs are fine as long as you didn't add garlic or ranch to them)
• 2 t Nutmeg
• 14 C Flour

Instructions

1. In small bowl, mix 1/2 C water, 2 T yeast, and 1 t sugar. Let brew.
2. In large bowl (as in HUGE) mix 4 C water, salt, margarine, eggs, sugar, mashed potatoes, nutmeg.
3. Add yeast mixture and mix with a wire wisp. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon until all flour is moist.
4. Let rise in bowl until double (approx. 1 1/2 hours)
5. Roll our and cut into doughnuts or bars and let rise again until double (approx. 1 1/2 hours)
6. Deep fry in very hot oil. Place the side that was up while rising in the oil first, then turn..
7. Glaze, eat!

Glaze Recipe

1. Mix 4 C powdered sugar with enough milk to make a glaze (not frosting), mix with a wire wisp.

Plan on starting these about 4-5 hours before you want to eat them. While they are time intensive, most of that time is rising so you aren't actually working on them.

We made ours pumpkin shaped. They didn't keep their shape too well in the rising/frying process.

Deep frying - be careful!

We added orange food dye to our glaze since we made "pumpkins"
These were yummy. We're glad we had the Voice Male gang here to help us eat them!

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

This is a knock-off of the California Pizza Kitchen recipe (with a few of my alterations, of course).

It is THE pizza dough for margarita pizza (still addicted, so yum!).

Yield: enough dough for one large pizza.
Time: prep time is about 20 minutes but total time is 3 hours(ish).

Ingredients

• 1 t active dry yeast
• 1 C warm water (less if you live somewhere other than a desert)
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C wheat flour (my addition)
• 1 t sugar
• 1 t salt
• 2 t olive oil

Directions

1. Brew yeast in the warm water (not too warm or it will kill your yeast) until it is bubbly and frothy. I have it in my brain that yeast brews better in glass but I don't know if that is really the case. 
2. In your stand mixer (e.g. KitchenAid), add the flours, sugar, salt, and olive oil. Use a slotted wooden spoon to mix this all together.
3. Slowly add your yeast mixture while the mixer is on low (you can use either the bread hook or paddle attachments).
4. Once the dry is no longer dry, turn your mixer to medium and mix for 1-2 minutes. If you mix too long, it will cause too much glutton and your dough will be too elastic to spread out on your pizza pan.
5. Remove your dough-ball from the bowl and spray the bowl with oil. Replace the dough, cover with either plastic wrap or a wet rag.
6. Let your dough rise for approximately 2-3 hours.
7. Punch the dough down, form into a ball and then use a pastry roller to shape onto your pizza pan/stone. You want this thin. It will cook into a nice, crunchy thin crust.
8. Top and bake as directed with your pizza recipe. If you don't really have a recipe and you are just putting toppings on and want to cook it, try 450-475 for 10-12 minutes.

(note: although this is a thin crust recipe, it works fine as a thicker crust too so you could do a medium thick crust with these same instructions.)

ENJOY!

What's for Dinner - Margarita Pizza

Really Simple Margarita Pizza

• 1 Thin Bagle
• 1/2 t Olive Oil 
• 1 small Roma Tomato (sliced)
• 4-6 sprigs of fresh Basil
• 2 slices of Fresh Mozzarella (get the good kind that is still moist - it is totally worth it!)
• some thinly sliced Purple Onion
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Sprinkle the Olive Oil on the Bagle slices (one top, one bottom).
3. Arrange the Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella, and Onion on top.
4. Shake some salt and pepper on top.
5. Place pizzas in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories:  273
Carbs: 30
Fat: 15
Protein: 15

Freezer Jam

This is not an advertisement for Ball caning products, but it could be.

I love making freezer jam. I love the plastic 8 oz containers with the screw tops that Ball makes. I love that they are the perfect size. I love that the bottom clicks into the top of the lid so that they stack perfectly. I love that they are easy to wash and reuse (I use them for all kinds of things after the jam is gone).

I prefer jam made with Sure-Jell pectin rather than Ball instant pectin. It tastes better. And why wouldn't it? It has TONS more sugar. So, because it uses less sugar and because it doesn't require any preparation (you just dump the powdered pectin in with your sugar), I use Ball pectin. It also works with Splenda which is a nice alternative for diabetics. I love that I can make 5-8oz containers of jam in about 20 minutes. How easy is that?

Last fall I bought some fresh/frozen blackberries from Oregon (they are actually from a farm on the same road that my high school and church are on). I put the berries in freezer bags and tonight it was so easy to pull out one of those bags (I'd already defrosted it in the fridge) and just moosh the berries right in the bag, pour them into my measuring cup and then add them to the sugar/pectin mixture, stir for 3 minutes, then ladle them into my handy containers, let them sit 30 minutes and pop them into the freezer.

It REALLY is that easy! The taste of fresh berries* to last throughout the year!

*I like my jam to be fairly chunky, with pieces of berry in it. If you want a smoother texture, you'll have to work a little harder at mixing and straining. Raspberries are so seedy that I usually strain half and leave half chunky so that when mixed I get my desired chunkiness without all those seeds. Strawberries are less juicy and so they require a little more mooshing. I like to use my blender for strawberries and then I lightly chop a few so that I get the chunky-factor. I've never done fruit jams (just berry ones) but this summer I'm going to experiment. I'll keep you posted.

Awesome Pizza Dough Recipe

I found a recipe online and then tweaked it a bit (of course). The original is Jay's Signature Pizza Crust on allrecipes.com.

The crust turned out really great. It had a really light texture, was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The flavor was great too. It is fairly easy to make (you do need to plan on starting your dough about 2 hours before you plan to eat though).

Here is a piece of our pizza from last night. See how yummy that crust looks!

Ingredients: (for two large pizzas or three medium pizzas)

• 1 T active dry yeast
• 1 t brown sugar (or honey)
• 3 C warm water
• 2 t salt
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 5 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C wheat flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl (or your Kitchen Aid bowl), dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Let sit 10 minutes (be patient and let it sit).
2. Add the salt and oil and mix.
3. Add half the white four and all of the wheat flour. Mix.
4. Knead in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky and has a nice smooth texture.
5. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl (let's be honest, I just lifted the dough, sprayed my already-used bowl with olive oil spray and then plunked the dough back into it, I then sprayed the top of my dough with a little of the olive oil spray).
6. Cover and let rise until double (approximately 1 hour).
7. Punch down dough and form into balls (3 for 3 pizzas, etc.). Let it relax a bit before you start to spread it.
8. Form into the shape of your pizza pan. Because the dough is quite rubbery, I found a small (like fits in my hand) roller to be essential. Before Phil bought me said roller, I would use a small glass and that worked as well.
9. Preheat your oven to 425 and then top your pizza with your favorite toppings.
10. Bake until the cheese and crust are golden brown (about 15-20 minutes).

Chocolate Cake (no eggs)

Today we made cupcakes and then gave them away (while asking for a donation for the Alabama Tornado Relief effort). It was great fun and we made almost $130 to send to our friends in 'bama.

I did a batch of regular yellow cake from a box and then wanted a chocolate option. Also, one of my neighbor boys is allergic to eggs so I thought this recipe would be a good one so he could enjoy a cupcake too.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe (growing up we called this Mystery Cake - I guess because of the vinegar):

2 1/2 C Flour

1 1/2 C Sugar

4 1/2 T Cocoa

1 1/2 t Baking Soda

3/4 t Salt

1/2 C oil (or margarine)

1 1/2 T Vinegar

1 1/2 t Vanilla

1 1/2 C Cold Water

Mix dry ingredients then add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water.

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes (cupcakes) or 30-35 minutes (cake rounds)

*****

For the frosting I just threw things together without measuring but my guess would be (and this was for a double batch):

1/2 C butter

1/4 C shortening

1/3-1/2 C cocoa

1 t vanilla

1 T millk

enough powdered sugar to make it the right consistency (maybe 2 C?)

Banana Cake

I'm not a purest. There, I said it. I am probably a lot more like Rachel than I am Martha. I hope this doesn't cost me any friends. Especially those friends who might happen to raise their own chickens and goats and make their own cheese.

Ok, that said (whew), I have to share with you my easy banana cake (I can't call it a recipe).

I had three over-ripe bananas. I didn't feel like really baking. I needed a dessert for FHE. I had a yellow cake mix. Knowing that bananas make things really moist, I decided that I could leave out the oil and reduce the water. I baked it. It turned out great (I know this because I made some mini cupcakes and devoured them already). Now I'm trying to decide whether to frost the cake with chocolate or PB frosting.

1 Yellow Cake Mix
3 Over-ripe Bananas
1 C Water
3 Eggs

Mix and bake according to directions on the box

Recipe: Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

My friend, Corrie, gave me this recipe. It is so delicious! I made it this weekend while all my family was in town for my brother's wedding. It was a hit and my sister said, "will you put that on your blog?" So, Merilee, here you go:

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup 

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:
3 Italian Turkey Sausage Links (4 oz each), casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
13/4 C water
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg (9oz) cheese tortellini
6 oz fresh (of course I used my frozen) baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2 1/4 t minced fresh basil or 3/4 t dried basil
1/4 t pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan Cheese for on top

Directions:
1. Cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic, cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil

2. Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until tortellini are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (but I think it yielded much more)
203 calores, 8 g fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 878 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 16 g protein
Attributed to Tracy Fasnaccht from PA

Recipe: Stuffed Potatoes

In October 2010 I was making twice-baked potatoes and wanted to "jazz" it up a bit. They were delicious! About a month ago I was making mashed potatoes and felt the need to "jazz" them up because we weren't having gravy. I remembered the jazzy potatoes and did basically the same thing. I made them again this past Sunday and I just have to say: Y*U*M!!!!

In true jazz fashion, there aren't any exact measurements so I will try to estimate.

5-6 large potatoes (I have used both bakers and red) - cut into pieces and boiled (I leave the skins on)*
1-2 T minced garlic
1- 8oz cream cheese (or the low-fat stuff which is what I used)
milk - as needed to make the consistency you like
salt - as needed to make the flavor the way you like it
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3 C cottage cheese
1/4 C bacon bits
1/4-1/2 C spinach flakes **

Put the cream cheese into the hot/drained potato chunks and then mash (with mixer or however you normally would). Add all the other ingredients (tasting along the way to get it the way you want it). When the taste is perfect, put the potatoes into a microwavable serving dish. Next, put it into the microwave on high for five minutes. I don't know the chemistry behind this but it makes the potatoes change and get more fluffy. It also melts the cheeses into the potatoes.

Serve. (10-12 servings)

* if you want to bake your potatoes and then scoop it out and save the skins, you can prepare the potatoes as directed but rather than put them in the serving dish, scoop them back into the skins and bake for 30 minutes. Also a delicious way to do these taters.

** I buy fresh spinach, wash it, dry it, put it into freezer bags and freeze it (no blanching). Then I take the bag of frozen spinach and pound it with my fist (a great stress reliever) and it breaks into flakes. These are perfect for putting into these potatoes (and soups and a ton of other things). Don't thaw them out, just throw them straight in (otherwise you'll have a wet, gloppy spinach flake).

PBWC

I have discovered the magic that is peanut butter + white chocolate. The funny thing is that I don't really like either on their own, but put them together and it really is magical!

Here are a couple of my PBWC creations:

PB Popcorn

1. Pop (preferably air pop) some corn (enough to fill a large bowl - approx. 1/2 C kernals).
2. Shake some salt on the popcorn.
3. Melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate with 1/4-1/3 C PB (just toss them together in the microwave for 30 second increments, stir, repeat, until fully melted - don't over-cook).
4. Pour PBWC over the popcorn and toss until all the corn is well covered.
5. Dump it onto a sprayed tray/cookie sheet.
6. Put in a cool place (my garage works great).
7. When the PBWC has set, put into bowls or bags or directly into your mouth.

PB Brownies

1. Make your favorite brownies. (Phil's Brownies work great!)
2. Melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate with 1/4-1/3 C PB (just toss them together in the microwave for 30 second increments, stir, repeat, until fully melted - don't over-cook).
3. Pour the PBWC on top of the brownies.
4. Put in a cool place (my garage works great).
5. When everything is cool, cut, serve, eat.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

 Today we had this for breakfast:

It was so yummy!

Over the weekend some friends were here and they made pumpkin cinnamon rolls (recipe here) and so there was some leftover pumpkin. I thought pumpkin pancakes with caramel syrup sounded just too good so I adjusted my regular pancake recipe and came up with this:

Heidi's Pumpkin Pancakes

In a medium mixing bowl combine:
2/3 C All Purpose Flour
1/3 C Wheat Flour
2 T Sugar
1 t (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 t Salt
a Dash of Cinnamon
a Dash of Ginger
a Dash of Nutmeg
Mix and then add:
1 egg
1/3 C Pumpkin Puree
1/3 C Buttermilk
1/2 C Water
Mix just until a thick batter is formed (add more water if needed), don't over-mix.
Cook as you would a regular pancake (for us that means on a griddle at 350 degrees). These take a little longer to cook through but they are worth the wait.

Makes enough for 4 average people (probably 2 hungry people).

Caramel Syrup

In large pan combine:
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C buttermilk
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
2 T Karo syrup

Mix and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Orange Chicken

Sauce:
In a medium bowl combine the following ingredients.

• 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (or 1/8 teaspoon of powdered)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Place 1/3 of mixture into a Ziplock and add:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Place the chicken into the fridge and marinade for 3 or more hours. Place the remaining liquid in a container and refrigerate.

45 minutes prior to dinner, remove the chicken and drain it. Add the following ingredients into a clean Ziplock:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Add the chicken pieces and seal the bag, then shake to coat the chicken.

• Heat a skillet with:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 drops sesame seed oil

When sizzling, add the chicken and brown.
Add:

• 1/2 -  1 cup julienne carrots 

In a medium sauce pan, heat the remaining orange mixture plus:

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

When thickened, add:

• one small can of mandarin oranges (with the juice)

Pour over the chicken and carrots just prior to serving. Serve over rice.

Thanksgiving: Vegetables

I don't do yams or sweet potatoes. Not even with marshmallows.

There, I said it.

Here are some other Vegetable options (brought to you by the Lion House cookbook).

Harvest Vegetable Bake

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/2 C celery, chopped
• 1/3 C green pepper, chopped
• 3 T butter
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 C milk
• 1 C grated Swiss cheese
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 tomato, sliced
• paprika

1. Preheat ove to 350 degrees (f).
2. Break cauliflower into flowerets and cook in small amount of salted water until tender.
3. Drain and pour into a shallow baking dish.
4. In a small saucepan, saute celery, onion, and green pepper in melted butter until crisp-tender.
5. Pour over cauliflower.
6. In the same pan, combine cornstarch and cold milk and bring to a boil, stirring until thickened.
7. Stir in Swiss cheese and salt.
8. Pour sauce over vegetables.
9. Top with sliced tomato and sprinkle with paprika.
10. Bake 20 minutes.

Broccoli Valhalla

• 2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 3 large oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 T butter

1. Wash broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces.
2. Cook in a small amount of salted water until crisp-tender.
3. Drain off water and set broccoli aside.
4. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and saute oranges for a minute or two.
5. Add broccoli and heat to blend flavors.

Carrots Lyonnaise

• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/2 C boiling water
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
• 2 T butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 T flour
• 1/4 t salt
• dash pepper
• pinch sugar
• 3/4 C water

1. Dissolve bouillon cube in boiling water in a medium saucepan.
2. Add carrots; return to boiling.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes, until crisp-tender.
4. While carrots are cooking, melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add sliced onions and saute until translucent.
6. Add flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and 3/4 C water.
7. Stir until thickened.
8. Stir in cooked carrots and teh cooking water.
9. Stir until all ingredients are blended.
10. Serve hot.

Here is a picture of julienned carrots (just so you know what that fancy term really means):

Thanksgiving: Stuffing

More conflicted feelings.
Stove Top or the good stuff?
Maybe a hybrid?

Here is my "good stuff" recipe:

Herb and Butter Stuffing

• One loaf of rustic white or Italian bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
  
• 2 medium onions, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter (that's 3/4 C)
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1/2 t poultry seasoning
• 1/2-1 t crushed sage
• 1/2 t thyme
• 1/2 t rosemary

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees (f)
2. Coat large cookie sheet with butter, then arrange your bread cubes on cookie sheet so that there is just one layer of bread throughout.
3. Place bread in the oven and bake until slightly browned; remove from oven and turn cubes; brown the other side.
4. Place bread cubes in a casserole dish.
   
5. In a deep skillet melt 1/2 cube (1/4 C) of butter then saute onions, garlic, and celery until the onions begin to be transparent.
6. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up the bits of onion and celery that may have stuck to the skillet.
7. Add the remaining butter (1 stick or 1/2 C) and the herbs.
8. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes; cover with tin foil; and refrigerate at least 2 hours and as much as over night.
9. Remove from fridge.
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f).
11. Bake stuffing with foil on for 25 minutes.
12. Remove foil and bake until browned (approximately 15 more minutes).

Ways to fancy-up the stove-top kind:

• Add cranberries (fresh or craisons)
• Add almond slivers
• Add celery and onions (sauteed in some butter)
  
• Bake it after you've cooked it so that it crisps up a bit
  

Thanksgiving: Rolls

I'm conflicted about rolls. Which is weird. I've ALWAYS been a homemade roll kinda gal. This year, though, I'm actually considering buying rolls. Strange, I know. I'll probably end up making rolls ... probably.

Here are two great roll recipes:

One-hour Rolls

• 5 t Yeast
• 1/4 C warm water
• 1 1/2 C buttermilk (I think this is the real key)
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 t salt
• 4 1/2 C flour (I did 2 1/2 of wheat and 2 C white)
• 1/2 t baking soda

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl.
   
2. In mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, oil, and salt, then mix.
   
3. Add the yeast mixture once it has become frothy, then mix well.
4. Add flour and baking soda.
5. Knead (with machine or by hand) until the dough is smooth (2-5 minutes).
6. Let stand for 10 minutes.
7. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Cut into triangles and roll from wide side to thin (forming a crescent).
9. Place on cookie sheet (with nonstick spray on it).
10. Let rise for 30 minutes.
11. Bake in preheated 425f oven for 10 minutes.

These have a fabulous texture. I use honey instead of sugar and that works great. I also reduce the oil slightly.

Mom's Rolls

In a small bowl combine and then brew until very frothy (usually about 5 minutes):

• 1/4 C warm water
• 2 T yeast
• 1 t sugar

In a large bowl stir/dissolve:

• 1/2 C oil
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3/4 C hot water

Add and stir well:

• 2 t salt
• 3 eggs
• yeast mixture

Mix in (it should still be somewhat sticky and a little lumpy):

• 4 1/2 C sifted flour

Raise for one hour.

1. Punch down and on a floured surface roll out until about 1/3 inch thick rectangle. 
2. Brush softened butter on the dough. 
3. Cut into triangles and roll from the fat side to the point. 
4. Place rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray (like Pam).
5. Raise for an additional hour.
6. Bake at 400 f for 9-12 minutes.
   

total project time: 2.5 - 3 hours