Stromboli (Recipe 14)

I had planned to show pictures of the finished dish, but the family wiped out all the food before I had the opportunity.

Stromboli

Ingredients:

Bread choices:

White Bread Style
5 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoon yeast
2 cups very hot water

or Wheat Bread Style
1 cup flour
3 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoon yeast
2 cups very hot water

Filling:
Slices of your favorite deli meat and cheese. For my family of 9, I used 3/4 pound of salami and 3/4 pound of Colby-jack cheese. Both were thinly sliced.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add all bread ingredients together and mix well. Place in large bowl and cover. Let rest in warm place for 30-45 minutes, until at least double. Split dough into two equal portions.

Roll one portion of dough into a 11" x 13" rectangle. Place a single layer of deli meat on top of dough, leaving a 1" border of dough on the outside of the rectangle. Repeat with a layer of cheese. Roll dough up, beginning with the long end. Seal the dough seam and ends by pinching. Place seam-side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with other portion of dough. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cover with foil for first twenty minutes. Remove foil to allow browning.

My kids raved about this meal. While not a particularly healthy entree, it is an alternative to homemade pizza when we need comfort food. We all ate too much!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (recipe 13)

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars


Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and shortening with sugars. Add eggs and beat well. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. Mix well. Add oatmeal and raisins. Mix by hand until thoroughly mixed. Spread on ungreased 11"x 13" baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into squares.

I will probably decrease the amount of white sugar to 1/2 a cup next time. My family is still becoming accustomed to the texture of whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Over time, I will be increasing the wheat flour to 1 1/2 cups, while only using 1/2 cup white flour.

A short break

My cupboard is bare and will not be restocked until Friday. Due to the strange items remaining in my pantry and refrigerator, I won't be able to try any good-tasting recipes until I have more food in the house. On a positive note, I fed our family of 9 for about $335 dollars for the month of January. Some of our recent meals have been a little strange, but the small grocery expense shocked me when I added up our food expenses.

I did try to make Baked Beans last week, but did not have any success. More beans are soaking now, so hopefully I'll have a new Baked Beans recipe to add Wednesday. In the new few weeks, the plan is to prepare 2 or more new items each day to catch up on my missing recipes.

Coffee Cake Muffins (recipe 12)

My 16 year old daughter wanted to make a walnut coffee cake for breakfast. She got up early and began her preparations only to discover that we were out of butter. I over-slept this morning. After a trip to the grocery store, we enjoyed this new recipe for coffee cake muffins.

Coffee Cake Muffins (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook)
makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

topping:
6 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans

batter:
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Line or grease muffin tin; set aside.

To make topping:
In small bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, brown sugar. Cut in butter. Add nuts. Set aside.


To make batter:
In large bowl place flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter, until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and milk. Stir until moistened. Spoon half of batter into bottom of prepared muffin cups.



Sprinkle on 1/2 the topping mixture. Cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle remaining topping mixture on top layer of batter.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. Remove from pans and serve immediately.



These were delicious. My family really enjoys cinnamon. If you don't like a strong cinnamon flavor, cut back on the cinnamon.

Cream of Asparagus Soup (recipe 11)

Feeling the need for more green vegetables in our diet, I came up with a cream of asparagus soup. The asparagus taste is mild and faintly sweet. The members of the family who like asparagus enjoyed this soup; the others did not.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:
2 quarts of frozen asparagus
4 cups of milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 pints half and half

Thaw out asparagus and remove tips. Place approximately 2 cups of asparagus and 1 cup of milk in blender. Process until smooth. Repeat until all asparagus is pureed.

Heat butter and flour in large pan over medium heat. Add onions. Cook until tender. Add pepper, salt, nutmeg, and half and half. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 minutes, until mixture thickens.



Add processed asparagus.


Heat for 3-4 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. Garnish with asparagus tips.

Michael's Warm Mexican Salsa recipe 10

My husband loves to concoct things in the kitchen. Occasionally, the items he makes are a little strange. Most of the time his concoctions are wonderful. This is a salsa that he whipped up to go with a Mexican feast. This is the best salsa I have ever eaten.

Michael's Warm Mexican Salsa

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup canned tomatoes with green chilies, divided
1 can chicken broth
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon crushed cumin seed, divided
1 teaspoon dried cilantro leaves
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup milk


Combine butter and flour over medium heat to prepare a roux. Add1/8 cup tomatoes with green chilies. Mix well. When mixture dries out add chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, pepper, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of the cumin seed. Continue to simmer until mixture thickens. Add milk and continue cooking until mixture thickens again. Add beef broth, cilantro and remaining cumin seed and remaining tomatoes with green chilies. Cook until thoroughly heated and desired consistency is reached. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Windmill Bar Cookies Recipe 9

The kids were craving a sweet, satisfying afternoon snack today. It's still really cold in our area of the country, so I decided to use the oven. The recipe was found in the Taste of Home Cookies and Bars, January 10, 2005 magazine.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, seperated
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup almonds, sliced (I didn't have sliced almonds, so I chopped up whole almonds)

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add egg yolk and mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda. Mix until crumbly.



Press mixture into 15x10-inch greased pan.



Wash with egg white and sprinkle on almonds. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into bars.



These were wonderful. They remind me a little of the Swedish Tea Cakes my family makes at Christmas, without the powder sugar. Even my non-cookie eating child really loved the taste and texture of these. YUM!

Cheddar Cheese Drop Biscuits Recipe 8

Cheddar Cheese Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening.


Add cheese and milk.


Mix thoroughly.



Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets.



Bake in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 11 minutes. Remove from baking sheets immediately. Approximately 16 biscuits.





These were delicious. I made a double batch to feed my crowd and there were no left over biscuits. The extra sharp cheddar cheese adds a more intense flavor than, Colby or regular cheddar.

Hamburger Stroganov Recipe 7

One of my kids has been begging me to make Stroganov, probably because the name sounds exotic. While picking up the ingredients for Beef Stroganov, the cost mounted up quickly. The beef was replaced with ground beef that was on sale.

Hamburger Stroganov

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
3 tablespoons butter
10 oz. fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon garlic powder (I forgot to pick up garlic)
3/4 cup water
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sour cream
16 oz. egg noodles, cooked and still hot



Slice the mushrooms.Heat butter in saucepan with onion and mushrooms. Add garlic powder. Cook until onions are tender over low heat.



Remove vegetables from pan and add ground beef. Cook until well done. Add water and mashed bouillon cube.



Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and add sour cream. Heat through.



Serve over cooked noodles. I began boiling the water for the noodles when beginning the Stroganov. We served the Stroganov with Cheddar Cheese Biscuits and Spinach. My husband and four out of six kids liked the Stroganov. I thought it was nothing special, but will probably make it again because the kids enjoyed it.

Cream of Carrot Soup (Recipe 6)

My family tends to eat chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, and vegetable beef soup. We haven't been adventurous with our soup selections. That will be changing throughout this year. Today, I decided to make a soup with carrots as the main ingredient. My 4 and 5 year old girls can eat a 3 pound bag of carrots in one sitting, if I don't catch them in time.

Cream of Carrot Soup
serves 5

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth or stock
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 cup half and half
1 teaspoon sugar

Bring chicken stock and carrots to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, uncovered. The carrots should be fork tender.



Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Process the carrot/broth mixture in food processor or blender, until smooth. I did it all in one batch and had small carrot chunks. Next time, I will process in smaller batches.



Return processed mixture to pan. Add half and half and sugar. Heat through.



Overall, this was a successful dish. Four out of six children really enjoyed this soup. The 5 year old and 14 year old didn't like the texture.

3 Bean Barley Salad (Recipe 5)

In Search of a new side dish, I found this recipe for a cold bean salad. I've never made or eaten a bean salad. Most of my family really enjoyed the taste of this dish. My husband thinks the taste is good, but the texture is different than what he normally eats. He suggested that I add chopped raw carrots or celery to it next time. My 5-year old fussy eater didn't like this, but she doesn't like anything.

Three Bean Barley Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules (I used one cube)
1 cup quick cooking barley
1 16-oz. can kidney beans
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans
1 cup honey mustard dressing

Thoroughly rinse all beans.


In a saucepan, bring water and bouillon to boil. Stir in barley. Cook at reduced heat for 10-13 minutes, covered. The water should be absorbed and the barley tender.


Let cool 10 minutes. Add beans and salad dressing. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2-12 hours. Approximately 10 servings.

Orange Breakfast Rolls Using Bread Machine

Orange Breakfast Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 egg
3-1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1/4 cup softened butter

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
juice from 2 oranges
milk

Put ingredients into bread machine "bowl" in the order listed. Turn on machine to sweet dough setting.

When dough is finished, punch down. Roll dough on lightly floured surface into 15x10 in rectangle.




Spread butter for filling evenly over dough surface. I just open the wrapper and smear the butter across the dough surface. One less knife to wash.


Sprinkle the buttered dough with brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange peel.


Roll up dough, jellyroll style, beginning with the long side of the dough.

Cut the roll into 1-1/2 to 2" slices.

Set the dough slices slightly apart in an 11x13" baking pan.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes


Remove from oven when golden brown. Combine powdered sugar and orange juice. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Spread or pour over warm rolls.

These were delicious warm or at room temperature. My family wiped out the entire pan in about 3 hours. I will make these again, but not as often as the kids would like...I don't need the calories. YUM!

Day 3 New "Alfredo" Recipe

My 5 year old daughter was sick today, and I didn't have much time to try involved recipes. My 14 year old son drank all the milk that I was planning to use in Alfredo Sauce for supper. Here is the new version which was quite tasty.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk
1 pint Half and Half
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Cheddar and Monterey Jack combined cheese
1 cup chopped ham
1 16 oz. bag frozen broccoli
1 16 oz. bag egg noodles
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Fill large pot with water and bring to boil. While waiting for water to boil, combine evaporated milk, Half and Half, cream cheese in a large sauce pan. Heat until bubbly. Reduce heat under cheese sauce. Add Cheddar/Montery Jack cheese and ham, stirring frequently. The sauce will have be slightly orange in color.

When water in large pot boils, add noodles. Return to boil. Add broccoli, when noodles are almost done. After noodles are fully cooked, drain completely. Combine cheese sauce with noodles and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

This sauce was really good. The kids all had second helpings.

Day 2 Cheese and Rice Casserole (Riso e Formaggio)

There is a lot of left over cheese from our New Year's Eve party, so I decided to make a cheese recipe. This recipe was inspired by the recipe Cheese-and-Rice Casserole in the Betty Crocker's International Cookbook.

Cheese and Rice Casserole, serves 8
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoonground pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Colby-jack cheese, chopped fine
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, chopped fine
4 eggs
2 cups milk

Heat water, rice, salt, hot sauce to boiling. Cover and cook at reduced heat for 10-14 minutes, until tender.



Fluff rice. Layer half the rice in the bottom of a 11x7 inch baking dish. Top with 1/2 chopped onion and 1/2 chopped green pepper. Repeat layers.


Beat eggs with milk, pour over rice mixture. Top with cheese.



Bake in 325 degree over for 45-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes, then cut into squares.



Almost everyone enjoyed this dish. I don't care for cooked green pepper, so I probably won't make it with green pepper when the kids have grown up and moved away. This was a nice change from potatoes or pasta.

Day 1 Soft Pretzels

Since it's a holiday, I decided to make a snack that the kids love. We pick up Auntie Anne's Pretzels from our local mall. I found a recipe in the Taste of Home's Baking Cook Book that I tweaked to fit our family's taste preferences.

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Kosher salt
Delallo Roasted Garlic and Cheese Dipping Spice


In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.



Add butter, sugar, salt and 2 cups flour.

Beat well, adding additional flour as needed to form a soft dough.


Cover and let rise for 20 minutes in a warm place. Punch down dough. Fill a large pan with the 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Roll the dough into long logs using your hands. I told my pre-school aged kids to make snakes, like they do with clay.



Loop the dough and cross at one end.


Cross the ends a second time. My oldest daughter was able to do the rolling and crossing in the air from watching the pretzel makers at the mall. I'm hoping to improve with more practice.


Add baking soda to boiling water. Boil the pretzels 2 at a time for 1 minute. Drain well on a cooling rack. Grease cookie trays or jelly roll pans. We just drained the first tray of pretzels, without cooling. Don't do that. They stuck to the bottom of the pan. The pretzels were too warm and melted the grease off the prepared cookie sheets.


Sprinkle the boiled pretzels with coarse salt or Dipping Spice. We prepared two batches and made 12 of each. Bake in a 475 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

These were delicious and so much fun to make. The kitchen wasn't trashed when we were through and I had several helpers. The children asked if I would make them again soon and make cream cheese dip.

Introduction

Our family has become stuck in a cooking and eating rut. When I was first married, we tried new recipes frequently. After the birth of our first child, several of our recipes were rejected by our new bundle of joy. Each successive child has limited our selection, based on their individual palates. We still eat relatively healthy foods, but I want more variety in my life. One of my New Year's resolutions is to make a new recipe for every day in 2009. I dislike preparing separate dishes for the children, so everyone will be eating whatever is prepared. It sounds mean, but I prepare meals for up to 9 people, three times a day. Join me for a culinary adventure and please feel free to comment or make suggestions! Karen