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.

Buttermilk Pie Crust (All Butter Pie Crust)

 I was searching for an easy buttermilk pie crust recipe and tried this one. I love it! It was a perfect crust for my pies. I have to give credit to King Arthur Test Kitchen for this recipe.

2 1/2 cups of flour. 

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp buttermilk powder

16 Tbsp of unsalted butter (I did use salted butter and just reduced the salt in the recipe to 1/2 tsp)

1/4 to 1 cup ice water

Step by step

1) Whisk together flour, salt, and buttermilk powder (they said this was optional, but I think it needs it.)

2) Dice the butter into small cubes. Work it into the flour mixture (I used my food processor, pulsing until it was well distributed but not fully mixed in.) I call is small pea sized mixture.)

3) Gradually add the ice water mixing it with a fork or your fingers until it starts to come together. (I had to add more water the recipe called for, almost twice the 1/2 cup. However, start with the 1/4 cup suggested and add what you need for it to come together) 

4) Gather the dough, handling it as little as possible. Divide the dough in half and form a round disc.

5) You can roll the dough immediately or refrigerate up to a half hour. It was suggested that for a better texture that you refrigerate it. If you refrigerate it for more than half hour, you will need to let it come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before you work with it.

 I discovered this recipe from a canning book.  We have loved it! 

Pear Honey

7-8 cups of mash/chopped peeled pears. 

1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 cups sugar

1. Peel and core pears. You can either mash them or use a food processor or a blender to chop them.  It's nice to have little chunks of the fruit still in the finished product.

2. Put pears a large pot and add the crushed pineapple (if you don't have crushed, you can put slices, chunks or tidbits in with the pears as you blend them), 

3. Add the sugar and the lemon juice.  Stir well.  

4. Turn on the heat to a medium and make sure that you stir frequently so that it doesn't scorch or burn.  

5. When it is heated through, put in jars and process for 15 minutes.

We love it on pancakes and waffles but it's also great on ice cream.

Buttermilk Syrup

 I have seen a lot of different recipes for Buttermilk Syrup.  This is what I have come up with.

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1.  Start melting butter in a pan.

2.  Add sugar and buttermilk when it has is about half melted.

3.  Stir frequently.  When it is all melted and starting to boil, remove from heat.  Don't let it boil more than a minute.

4.  Add vanilla and stir.

5.  Add baking powder and stir in.  It will start to foam ,so make sure that you have a large enough pan or it will over flow.  I use a 1 quart pan and it doesn't overflow.

Down-In-the-Dumps Pudding (Brownies)

 1.  Mix together in a bowl:

        2 cups flour

        1 1/3 sugar

        4 tsp. baking powder

        1/2 tsp salt

        4 T. cocoa

2. Stir in 

        1 cup milk

        4 T vegetable oil

        2 cups chopped nuts (if you want)

3. Spread mixture in ungreased 9 x 13 pan.

4. Blend in a small bowl:

        2 cups brown sugar

        1/2 cup cocoa

5.  Sprinkle brown sugar/cocoa mixture on top of the mixture in the 9 x 13 pan.

6. Pour 3 1/2 cups hot water over all.

7.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Banana Pudding (and Pie)

 I found this recipe while I was looking for a Banana Pie recipe in China.  I loved the simplicity of this recipe.  Perfect for one premade pie crust or an 8" pie pan.

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

2 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons softened butter

1-2 bananas peeled and sliced.

1. Mix sugar, flour and salt in a medium size sauce pan.  

2. In a separate bowl beat the eggs.  Add to the sugar/ flour/ salt mixture in the pan.  Stir well, especially in the corners to get it mixed together well.  

3. Stir in the milk.

4. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, always cleaning out the corners.

5. When the mixture starts to thicken and have bubbles, remove from the heat.  Keep stirring and cool slightly.

6. Stir in the vanilla and the butter until it's smooth.

For a Pie:

Layer the bananas in the pie crust.  Pour the pudding in the pie over the bananas while it is still warm.  Cool in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

For Pudding:

Put some vanilla wafers in a cup.  Pour in some pudding, add some more vanilla wafers, layering as you like.

Breakfast Cake

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar

1.  Cream butter and sugar
2. Add eggs and beat until creamy.
3. Mix  flour, baking powder, and salt together.
4. Add some of the flour and then some of the milk,  Keep alternating adding the flour mixture and the milk until they are all added.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Spread batter evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
7. Mix 1/4 cup butter, cinnamon and brown sugar together.
8. Sprinkle over the batter as best you can.  Sometimes it is just globs on the batter, that's okay.
9. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. 

Zina's Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 large can stewed tomatoes (I use a quart jar of my bottled tomatoes.) Pour off most of the water.
2 cans of kidney beans
2 cans of red beans
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Chili powder

1. Brown the ground beef.
2. While there is still some pink in the meat, add the celery and onion.  Continue browning the meat.
3. Add the salt and pepper.  Taste the meat at this time to make sure you have enough seasoning.
4.  Add the chili powder. 
5. Add the tomato sauce and the tomatoes.  Let this cook on low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
6. Add the beans, both kinds.  Stir them in well and let then simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes.  If you like your chili spicier taste it and add more chili or other hot spices.

This should make about 5 quarts of chili.

Navajo Taco Dough

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F.)
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp honey
3+ cups flour
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

1. Put the yeast in the bottom of a bowl.
2. Add the honey.
3. Slowly pour in the warm water.
4. Let it set for about 5 minutes.
5. Add 2 cups of the flour. Start mixing with a mixer. Add the oil.
6. Mix for about 10 minutes
7. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes
8. Start the mixer again and slowly add the other cup of flour and the salt.  Keep mixing until the dough is no longer sticky.  You will want to stop the mixer and lightly touch the dough.  If it doesn't stick to your finger and it bounces back really well, it is ready.  If not, add a little more flour (about 1/4 cup at a time) until the dough responds well.
9.  Let the dough rise for 10-15 minutes and then you can start making the tacos.

I like to take a gob of dough that is about 1 1/2 inches diameter.  Butter or grease your hands first.  Flatten the ball a little bit and then start from the center and push the dough to the outside.  Keep rotating the dough around, being careful not to put holes in it.  When it is the right thickness (1/4 to 1/3 inch thick)  You can either put if on a cloth while you make the others or start frying them.  Oil should be between 350 -400 F.

Banana Cake

Banana Cake

Mash 3-4 bananas in a small bowl. 
Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together.
3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 white sugar

Add:
3 eggs one at a time.  Mixing well after each egg. 

Then stir in:
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add some of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and eggs, alternating it with:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk.

Mix well.

Stir in the banana mixture. 

Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. 
Pour the cake mixture into the pan.

Preheated the oven to 275 degrees F. (135 degrees C.)

Bake for one hour, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool completely before you frost it.

Frosting:
Cream a softened 8 ounce package of cream cheese until smooth.

Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. 
Add 3 cups confectioners sugar until it is combined, then beat on high speed until it is smooth. 
Spread on the cooled cake.

Seth's Healthier Pancakes

Preparation : 15 mins

Cooking : 5 mins
Total : 20 min
Yield : 16-20 pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp chia seeds
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup shredded zucchini (optional)
1/3 cup applesauce
3 eggs

2 cups wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Recipe

1.  Add vinegar to milk and let sit for up to 5 mins.
2.  Mix all dry ingredients while it sits.
3.  Add chia seeds, butter, zucchini, applesauce, and eggs to milk mixture.
4.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix. You don't want any dry clumps.
5.  Heat griddle to 350º or medium heat.
6.  Pour batter over griddle.
7.  Cook until edges start to lift off griddle (2-3 mins), then flip over and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until bottom is golden brown.

Attachments area

Seth's Protein Pancakes

One of my son's has a great recipe that he has developed for his family that meets the needs that they have for breakfast.  His children all love theme and they taste really great!  I just thought it would be good to add it to the blog so the rest of the family has access to it if they want it.

Seth’s Pancakes (12 - 14 Pancakes)

Mix and let sit 5 min:

1 2/3 C Milk

¼ C Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix with milk mixture:

2 TBLS Melted Butter

1/3 C Applesauce

2 Eggs

Mix dry ingredients:

(can be done ahead of time, if desired)

1 C White Flour

¼ C Wheat Flour

¼ C Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

Grind and add to dry mix:

(Do not mix with other dry ingredients when storing)

4 tsp Flaxseed

1 C oats

Beat wet ingredients and mix with dry. Then cook like normal pancakes/waffles.

If you want to add extra protein, add protein powder: either whey, soy or vegetable, your choice.

Seth’s Pancakes (5 - 7 pancakes)

Mix and let sit 5 min:

5/6 C Milk

1/8 C Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix with milk mixture:

1 TBLS Melted Butter

1/6 C Applesauce

1 Egg

Beat wet ingredients and mix with dry. Then cook like normal pancakes/waffles.

Mix dry ingredients:

(can be done ahead of time, if desired)

1/2 C White Flour

1/8 C Wheat Flour

1/8 C Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

Grind and add to dry mix:

(Do not mix with other dry ingredients when storing)

2 tsp Flaxseed

1/2 C oats

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Getting ready to leave China, I had 1/2 cup of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese to use up.  I found a recipe that was similar to this, but I had to make changes for exactly what I had left to use up.  I was pleased with the results.

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c white sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix these all together in a large bowl.  Make sure it is well blended.

In a small bowl:

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup softened butter (this must be butter!  no margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
1TBS apple cider vinegar

Blend together and then add to the flour, sugar, cocoa mixture.  Mix until well blended
Fill lined cupcake pan with about 1/2 inch of batter.  You will have a total of 18-20 cupcakes with batter left over for just a minute.

Mix together:

8 oz of cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Mix with a mixer until the sugar is well blended in. 

Add:

1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Put a TBS of the cream cheese/chocolate chip mixture in the batter that is in the cupcake tins.  When all the cream cheese mixture has been added to the batter in the cupcake tins, finish putting the rest of the batter over the top, using up all the rest of the batter. 

If you want, you can add chopped walnuts or pecans to the top of the cupcakes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Test with a toothpick to see if they are done.  No batter will be sticking to the toothpick if they are done.

Buttermilk Biscuits

I have had to cut this recipe down so that when it is just the two of us, we don't have a lot of biscuits left over.  This made four good sized biscuits.  It's easy to double, triple or quadruple for how many you are feeding.

1 cup flour
1/2 TBS Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup butter or shortening
1/3 cup cold buttermilk

1.  Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together.
2.  Add the butter or shortening.  Using a fork, mash the butter into the flour mixture.  Keep mixing until the flour and butter are well blended.  I start using the fork and then mix it with  my hands to finish getting the right texture.
3.  Add the cold buttermilk and stir with a fork, gathering the flour/butter mixture in together. 
4.  When it starts to hold together well, knead the dough for about a minute.
5.  Let is sit for two minutes.
6.  Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut the biscuits into round shapes.  (Doesn't have to be round though...)
7.  Place the biscuits onto an un-greased baking pan.  You can either have them touching, or not.  If they touch, the sides will be softer where they join together.
8.  Bake at 425 F. degrees (230 C) for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake Cookies

1/2 c. butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth
2. Mix in the 1 1/4 cups of sugar
3. Add the 2 eggs and vanilla and mix well.
4. Blend the flour, baking powder, and salt together.  Then add to the butter, sugar, egg mixture.  Be careful to only mix it until all is blended.  Don't over mix!
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Lay parchment paper on the cookie sheet.  Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on the paper.  This dough will be sticky.
7. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the ridges are golden brown.
8. Sprinkle warm cookies with powdered sugar.

Makes 4-5 dozen cookies, depending on how large your spoonfuls are.

Apple Brownies

Apple Brownies

1/2 C. Butter
3/4 C. White Sugar
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1 egg
3 apples
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

1.  Melt the butter
2. Add white and brown sugar and the egg.  Beat them until they are fluffy.
3. Peal and thinly slice the apples.
4. Add the apples and walnuts to the butter, sugar, egg mixture.  Fold them in.
5. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together.
6.  Add them to the apple mixture and stir it just until it is blended.
7. Spread the mixture into a 9x9 inch greased pan.
8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Check to make sure it is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle.  If it comes out clean, it is done.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. 

Beat in:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Once the batter is smooth, shape the dough into balls that are 1 inch in diameter. 

Stir together:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet. 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the outer edges are starting to look a little darker than the rest of the cookie. 
Let them sit on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes. 
Remove them to a paper towel to finish cooling.

Makes about 36-40 cookies, if you can keep from eating the dough...  😉

Brookies (Half cookie, half brownie!)

Brookies

This was inspired by the fact that I had left over chocolate chip cookie dough and it wasn't going to make enough cookies for the group I was making a dessert for, so I quickly looked up for a recipe on Allrecipes.com  and up pops THE perfect solution.  I used my own chocolate chip cookie recipe that is on my blog and it is a little different than the one on the recipe page mentioned earlier.  So I would use half of that recipe for the cookie base and then the following to make the Brookie.

Use half of this recipe http://step-by-stepcooking.blogspot.com/2012/10/chocolate-chip-cookies.html  for the cookie base.  Spread it in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan make it no more than 1/2 inch think.

Then for the brownie part:

Mix together:
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter that has been melted
1 tsp vanilla

Add:
2 eggs

Beat well.

Mix together:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Add to the egg, butter, sugar mixture.
Stir to combine all ingredients.

Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough in the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees (175 C), for 20-25 minutes.  Use a toothpick poked in the center to check it, if the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready.