Super Quick, Super Easy Homemade Rolls

 Super Quick, Super Easy Homemade Rolls

3 1/2 C. Warm water

3/4 C. sugar

1 C Oil

5 T. yeast

1 T. salt

10 1/2 C. flour 

3 eggs

1. Mix warm water, sugar, oil and yeast until it is all mixed.

2. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. Add flour, salt and eggs. Mix well. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

4. Spray your pans with non-stick spray. 

5. Put a little oil on your hands.. Shape into rolls, cinnamon rolls, or bread sticks. 

6. Let them rise for about 10 minutes.

7. Bake at 425 F for about 10 minutes.

I decreased the yeast from the original recipe. It just seemed like a little much, and they turned out okay. Make sure that the warm water is no warmer than 120 F, and no cooler than 110 F. 

This recipe makes two sheet cake pans worth of rolls. It was super easy to half the recipe because I didn't need that many rolls.

Apricot Whip

When I was first married, I tried this recipe from a cookbook I had because the apricot trees on Grandpa Cox's farm were abundant producers. So I decided to try this new recipe with some apricots that I had bottled. I have since used fresh apricots so I will include both here.

Apricot Whip (Original Recipe from Jiffy Cooking by Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

1 1-pound 14-ounce can of peeled apricots (or one quart bottle of pitted apricots)

20 large marshmallows

1 cup whipping cream, whipped (or use an 8 oz tub of Cool Whip)

Steps

1. Drain apricots reserving 1/4 cup of the syrup; remove pits. 

2. Blend apricots in a blender or mash just until broken up. 

3. Combine apricots, marshmallows, and reserved syrup. Cook and stir till marshmallows are dissolved. 

4.Cool. Fold in whipped cream. Chill for a least an hour. 

Makes 6 servings.

Apricot Whip (Zina's version with fresh apricots)

1. Wash and pit about 15-20 apricots. 

2. Put in a pan with 1/4 cup sugar. 

3.Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool enough that you can put if in a blender and blend until smooth. 

4. Pour it back in the pan that you cooked the apricots in and add marshmallows. Cook until marshmallows are dissolved

5. Cool the apricot/marshmallow mixture and add the cool whip or whipped cream. (I started using the cool whip more because it doesn't contain carrageenan and the cream without carrageenan is really expensive)

6. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving..

Note: You can either put if in a 9x13 cake pan or in a bowl. Doesn't matter.

Mock Lasagna Casserole

 An old favorite of my family. 

Mock Lasagna Casserole

1 pound ground beef or ground pork

1 - 15 oz. can of tomato sauce (2 cups) (I have used ready made spaghetti sauce to make it easier)

1/2 tsp each of garlic salt, pepper, crushed dry basil leaves

1 1/2 cups cream-style cottage cheese

6 oz. of shredded cheese

6 oz package of elbow macaroni

1. Cook elbow macaroni.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, brown the ground beef or pork. Add salt and pepper.

3. Add spices and tomato sauce to the ground, cooked meat.

4. Drain macaroni and put half of it into a 2 quart casserole dish.

5.  Put half of the cottage cheese on top of the macaroni

6. Layer half of the cheese on the cottage cheese.

7. Layer half of the meat sauce.

8. Repeat the layers.

9. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

10. You can add a little more cheese to the top when there are about 5 minutes left to bake.

Serves 6-8.