tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21493796090001121942024-02-03T05:48:35.472-07:00Fun Foods On a Budget!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-46342002971458424802015-04-08T19:19:00.001-06:002015-04-10T21:26:22.332-06:00Sourdough Sticky BunsThe kids and I were watching an old episode of a food network show about sticky buns. I was drooling the whole time. All the kids were fascinated and wanted to know if we could make sticky buns someday. Well, all the kids except for the 2-year-old. He just thought that "sticky buns" was a really silly word, and giggled and repeated it every time someone on the show said it.<br />
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I had my sourdough starter all active and bubbly, having just used it that morning to make pancakes. I figured that I would treat the family to a batch of delicious sourdough sticky buns.<br />
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I used my new favorite <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/04/velvety-soft-sourdough-bread.html">recipe for sourdough bread</a>, because it makes bread that is very soft and not too sour. I combined a couple recipes for the sticky, gooey glaze, and came up with these fantastic sticky buns. Best served warm, so the glaze is caramel-soft.<br />
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I didn't make these buns super duper sticky. The caramel topping can be doubled if you want the kind of sticky buns with oozing caramel that drips down your fingers. But any mess the kids made while eating these is a mess I would have to clean up! So I stuck with a smaller amount of topping, one that would leave a minimal amount of sticky on the fingers, face, table, floor, and clothing. <br />
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<b>Sourdough Sticky Buns</b><br />
1/2 batch <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/04/velvety-soft-sourdough-bread.html">Velvety-Soft Sourdough Bread</a> dough<br />
3 tbsp. softened butter<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
3 tbsp. cinnamon<br />
<i>Caramel Topping:</i><br />
1 cup packed brown sugar<br />
4 tsp. honey<br />
4 tbsp. melted butter<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans are traditional, I used almonds)<br />
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Prepare <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/04/velvety-soft-sourdough-bread.html">bread dough</a> (mix sponge, rise, add flour to make dough, rise twice). I start the sponge early in the evening the previous day, then mix it into dough and set it to rise right before I go to bed. When I get up I punch it down and let it rise again, then punch it down again and it's ready to shape.<br />
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Roll out dough into large rectangle. Smear the 3 tbsp. softened butter over the rectangle of dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the butter. Roll, starting with long side. Cut into 12 segments. Cover while you make the topping.<br />
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In a bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, 4 tbsp. melted butter, and vanilla. Spread into greased 9x13 pan, then top with chopped nuts. Arrange buns on top of caramel topping and nuts. Cover and let rise until double.<br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake buns 20-22 minutes. Let sit in pan for about a minute. Invert onto another pan, or serving platter. Let the caramel drip over the buns a bit before removing the baking pan. Scrape any leftover topping out of the pan and spread over top of sticky buns.<br />
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I set aside a couple of these to give my husband when he gets home from work. It's taking all of my self-control and all of my love for my husband not to go in and eat them right now. I. Must. Be. Strong...<br />
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2015/04/think-tank-thursday-127.html">"Think Tank Thursday" </a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2015/04/link-party-palooza-and-50-target-giveaway-3.html">Link Party Palooza </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-66253836524285448642015-04-08T12:56:00.000-06:002015-04-10T21:27:11.887-06:00Velvety-Soft Sourdough Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been quietly going through a bit of a sourdough bread saga. When I first started my sourdough, my bread turned out pretty good every time. I always used the same simple recipe, and while it wasn't perfect it was good enough. But it eventually stopped working. I'm not sure what went wrong, but every time I tried making sourdough bread, the loaves would turn out flat and hard. I had one loaf that was supposed to be round and rustic but it ended up looking exactly like a flying saucer. And it tasted about as appealing.<br />
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So I've been trying a variety of new recipes, hoping to find one that I can count on, and hoping to improve my skills and knowledge of sourdough at the same time. I found a pretty good recipe for <a href="http://homejoys.blogspot.com/2011/05/soft-sourdough-bread.html">soft sourdough bread</a> that I made a couple times. It worked well and gave me consistent results. Through this recipe I learned that when making bread, you have to make sure the starter is active and bubbly. Some recipes can get away with flat starter that hasn't been fed for a few days. Bread is not one of them - it needs to have been fed within 12-24 hours in order for the yeast to be active enough to make the bread rise.<br />
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I recommend the above recipe, and would continue to use it, had I not found one that works for me even better! I recently bought a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Sourdough-Ruth-Allman/dp/0882400851/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DYB8207F45ZR7B0TN2G">Alaska Sourdough</a> by Ruth Allman. It's full of stories and recipes, all hand written by the author, and is just the sort of homey, down-to-earth book that I love.<br />
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I tried the basic sourdough bread recipe and was floored by how well the dough rose. I haven't had my sourdough rise that well since I started keeping a sourdough starter. Then when we sliced into it, I was even more amazed at the softness of the bread. I was seriously running my fingers over the slice of bread, because I like soft things and this bread felt just like velvet.<br />
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I did have to cut the recipe in half. I only cook 2 or maybe 3 loaves at a time, because that's how much we can eat before it starts going stale and yucky. I also had to adjust the baking time and temperature. The recipe called for baking the bread for 10 minutes at 500 degrees, then turning it down to 400 for 45 minutes. I took the bread out when there were still 27 minutes left, because it was turning too dark on the outside. The next time I made this bread, I tried 400 for 30 minutes and it baked perfectly.<br />
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<b>Velvety-Soft Sourdough Bread</b><br />
2 cups active (recently fed, bubbly) sourdough starter<br />
1 cup warm potato water (water from boiling potatoes, or just add 1 tbsp. potato flakes to 1 cup water)<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
3 tbsp. cooking oil<br />
5 cups flour, approximately<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
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Make soft sponge by mixing the sourdough starter, sugar, water, and oil. Add half the flour (2 1/2 cups). Set in warm place to double in bulk.<br />
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Add salt and remaining flour to make a dough that is easy to handle, smooth, and elastic. Place in greased bowl. Cover. Let rise in warm place until double in bulk.<br />
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Knead down dough. Let rise to double bulk once again.<br />
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Form into 2 loaves. Can use loaf pan or make free form loaves. Let rise about half an hour. Slash top of loaf. It's got to be a nice deep slash, or the bread will split down the side. I might or might not know that from several instances of personal experience...<br />
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Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.<br />
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2015/04/think-tank-thursday-127.html">"Think Tank Thursday"</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2015/04/link-party-palooza-and-50-target-giveaway-3.html">Link Party Palooza </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-8161811302711553132015-03-26T16:50:00.000-06:002015-03-28T08:13:21.303-06:00Sourdough SconesI knew that I needed to use my starter today. I'll be making three batches of <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/03/amazing-sourdough-brownies.html">sourdough brownies</a> tomorrow for a friend's wedding this weekend, so I wanted my starter to be drained and fed and ready to go. I didn't want to make bread, since I'm having some weird issues with sourdough bread baking lately and I just didn't feel like trying it again today. So I checked out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/stephmamabear/sourdough/">Pinterest board</a> and was reminded of these <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sourdough-Scones/Detail.aspx">Sourdough Scones</a> that I pinned a while back.<br />
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I made these for breakfast, and they turned out so good! I've come to expect a certain flavor when I make sweet baked goods with sourdough, but the baking soda in the recipe neutralized some of that usual sourdough flavor. What was left was just a really delicious scone.<br />
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The recipe I'm posting is just a basic sourdough scone that lends itself extraordinarily well to a variety of add-ins. I added spices and dried cranberries this morning, and I'm excited to try other things like chocolate chips, chopped apples, blueberries, etc.<br />
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<b>Sourdough Scones</b><br />
(adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sourdough-Scones/Detail.aspx">allrecipes</a>) <br />
2 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. cream of tartar<br />
1 tsp. baking soda<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
1/3 cup shortening or cold butter<br />
1 1/4 cups sourdough starter (this might vary depending on the hydration level of your starter)<br />
Optional milk and sugar for garnish<br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />
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Whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sourdough starter and mix by hand to form a soft dough. I ended up needing a bit more than 1 1/4 cups.<br />
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Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently a couple times. Divide into 4 pieces. Pat or roll one piece of dough into a 1/2-inch thick round. Cut it into 4 wedge-shaped pieces.
Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.<br />
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Alternately, press the whole batch of dough into a rectangle and cut into 16 triangles. The shape might not turn out quite as traditional, but I thought it was simpler this way.<br />
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Place scones on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.<br />
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Bake until the scones just start to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes.<br />
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Optional variations that I'm eager to try:<br />
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-Add 1-2 tsp. spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, citrus zest, etc) with the dry ingredients.<br />
-Stir in 1-2 cups additions (dried fruit, chopped fresh fruit, baking chips, nuts, etc) after cutting in the shortening.<br />
-Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze after baking.<br />
-Make a savory version by eliminating the sugar, adding savory spices (garlic/onion powder, cayenne, dry mustard, etc) with dry ingredients, and stirring in grated cheese after the shortening.<br />
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2015/03/link-party-palooza-and-50-target-giveaway-2.html">Link Party Palooza</a> Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-476133879652503022015-03-20T07:00:00.000-06:002015-03-20T14:05:37.662-06:00Sourdough Banana Bread<span style="font-size: small;">I recently discovered a fun website called <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/">Sourdough Surprises</a> - "a monthly baking group who strive to use our sourdough starters for things besides bread (although we do a lot of that, too!)." Given my recent obsession with exploring uses for my sourdough starter, this got me pretty excited. Basically, each month an assignment is given, participating bakers must make a specific something using sourdough starter. Past months have included challenges like <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/">steamed buns</a>, <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/2014/10/sourdough-croissants.html">croissants</a>, <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/2014/08/sourdough-granola-bars.html">granola bars</a>, <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/2013/11/sourdough-kolaches.html">kolaches</a>, <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/2013/06/sourdough-crepes.html">crepes</a>, and so many more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The challenge for March, because of celebrating three years of <a href="http://www.sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/">Sourdough Surprises</a>, was to choose from any of the previous challenges. I had some bananas that needed to be used, so I chose the category of <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/2013/10/sourdough-quick-breads-and-muffins.html">Quick Breads and Muffins</a>, and made Sourdough Banana Bread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I have found that there is a very distinct flavor in every sweet thing that I have made with sourdough. Sometimes it's strong, sometimes it's mild. It's a little bit of tang, a little bit of richness and depth of flavor that you don't really get when you don't sourdough. But add sourdough, and that flavor is always there, whether the recipe is cookies, <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/03/amazing-sourdough-brownies.html">brownies</a>, <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/02/sourdough-chocolate-cake.html">cake</a>, muffins, or <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/03/sourdough-pudding.html">pudding</a>. This recipe is no exception. Sourdough Banana Bread tastes exactly like I would have imagined it - like banana bread, but with that distinct tang and richness that sourdough adds. It's quite good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sourdough Banana Bread</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(recipe from <a href="http://www.cookshideout.com/2013/07/sourdough-banana-bread.html">Cook's Hideout</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup whole wheat flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/3 cup oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup mashed ripe banana </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup sourdough starter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup chocolate chips or walnuts</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In medium mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In large bowl, mix oil and sugar until sugar is almost dissolved. Add egg and mix well. Next add mashed banana, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Mix well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips or chopped walnuts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Notes: I doubled the recipe because I had lots of bananas to use up. I only have one 9x5 pan, so I put half of the batter into the loaf pan, and the other half went into an 8x8 baking dish. The bread in the 8x8 was finished baking after 50 minutes, the bread in the 9x5 loaf pan took the full 60 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I used peanut butter chips in one, and a combination of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips in the other, just for fun. Yummy!</span><br />
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This post is linked to:<br />
The Little Thumbs Up (March 2015 - BANANA) event organised by <a href="http://bakeforhappykids.blogspot.com.au/">Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids)</a> and <a href="http://my123favourites.blogspot.com/">Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY)</a> and hosted by <a href="http://fuzzymazing.blogspot.sg/">Faeez of BitterSweetSpicy</a>.<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2015/03/think-tank-thursday-124.html">"Think Tank Thursday"</a> at <a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/">Joyful Homemaking </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-26497155889706745712015-03-07T18:50:00.000-07:002015-03-11T21:59:20.045-06:00Sourdough Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was recently browsing for new recipes to use my sourdough starter. It's a fun pastime, I highly recommend it. I searched for "sourdough pudding," thinking that sourdough starter might make for an interesting custard, if used in place of cornstarch or flour as a thickening agent.<br />
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I found recipe after recipe for sourdough bread pudding, and a few random recipes that had nothing to do with either sourdough or pudding. But no recipes for a custard pudding made with sourdough. I tried different wordings, different search engines, but nowhere could I find a recipe that made a simple custard pudding using sourdough starter.<br />
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I couldn't let it go. I had to try it, to see if it would work. I was nervous and excited. I was about to attempt to do something that, according to the internet, had NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. Because obviously, if it had ever been done before, it would be somewhere on the internet. Amiright?<br />
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Well, now it has been done, and now it is on the interwebs. I have successfully made a custard-style pudding, using sourdough starter in place of flour, cornstarch, and part of the milk. And it totally worked.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeuPI0ZI3eLa4lVAluitkH3fPTV_PWGGOMzfteVOnnGCDpqgr-8QqTIR2G8nDQuorpZy5ul_kn_3EDKhc6SH74H9JmKQ9U9tusm8lqg_QlIWr2_1DN_gxkqoHQVgGfS03OZen_4TO3HhV/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeuPI0ZI3eLa4lVAluitkH3fPTV_PWGGOMzfteVOnnGCDpqgr-8QqTIR2G8nDQuorpZy5ul_kn_3EDKhc6SH74H9JmKQ9U9tusm8lqg_QlIWr2_1DN_gxkqoHQVgGfS03OZen_4TO3HhV/s1600/006.JPG" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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The flavor is what I would expect, having tried a number of dessert recipes that use sourdough starter. It's sweet and pudding-like, and it has that bit of tang and richness that sourdough usually gives. I will say that the distinct flavor that sourdough gives is very distinct in this recipe. There aren't any other flavors to compete with it, so it's quite strong. So if you don't like the flavor of sourdough starter, this probably isn't the pudding for you. But if you like sourdough in just about anything, you'll like it in this.<br />
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In the interest of being fully honest, at one point I thought I would have to scrap the whole thing, pour it out into cheesecloth, and claim that my intention all along had been to create a sweet sourdough cheese (details in the recipe below). Even now, I'm throwing around the idea of making cheese with sourdough, because I found out today that it would totally work. But I held out and it turned into pudding after all.<br />
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<b>Sourdough Vanilla Pudding</b><br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
Dash of salt<br />
1/2 cup sourdough starter<br />
2 2/3 cup milk<br />
2 eggs, beaten<br />
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla<br />
1 tbsp. butter or margarine<br />
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Combine sugar and salt in large saucepan. Mix together sourdough starter and milk, and add gradually to the sugar, stirring to combine.<br />
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Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly. At some point, the milk will curdle. Sourdough starter is acidic, which I halfway forgot when I was planning out this recipe. The mixture will look like you're making cheese, with chunky curds and watery whey. Just keep stirring. Don't use a whisk at this point, though, or you'll end up with a very large, gloppy, stretchy blob of curds stuck to the whisk. Just use a spoon.<br />
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Continue heating and stirring until the curds dissolve back into the whey. At this point you can use a whisk so the mixture gets smooth. Once it comes to a boil, boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.<br />
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Slowly stir half of the mixture into the beaten eggs. Blend egg mixture into hot mixture in saucepan. Return to a boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in vanilla and butter.<br />
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Pour pudding into serving dish(es). Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly (about 2 hours) before serving.<br />
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I'm pretty sure this could be used in place of vanilla pudding in any recipe. I want to try it in a pie crust. You could add bananas and make sourdough banana cream pie. Add coconut and make sourdough coconut cream pie. Stir in a cup of chocolate chips with the vanilla and butter and make sourdough chocolate pudding or sourdough chocolate cream pie. Layer this stuff with bananas and nilla wafers to make sourdough banana pudding. The possibilities are endless!<br />
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Linking:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2015/03/think-tank-thursday-123.html">Think Tank Thursday </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-73138620536499130822015-03-02T16:32:00.000-07:002015-03-19T13:45:36.729-06:00Amazing Sourdough Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbY3a8wjp0b9t9IEJ3MbqKyO7VUdOpDTKHGXrm6l0HHRkgYPpdvDTJHyr09wWXOvNYqgI-KQp7tf-O6y2DNOZaDFF4ivVTuSUNzQ04ynDCXQtFjLXVBY86439bum7LpMbIxkiCItoCZoJp/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbY3a8wjp0b9t9IEJ3MbqKyO7VUdOpDTKHGXrm6l0HHRkgYPpdvDTJHyr09wWXOvNYqgI-KQp7tf-O6y2DNOZaDFF4ivVTuSUNzQ04ynDCXQtFjLXVBY86439bum7LpMbIxkiCItoCZoJp/s1600/009.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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These sourdough brownies are absolutely amazing. The chocolate flavor is intense, more so than any brownie I've ever tried. The texture of the brownies is dense, smooth, and fudgy. The sourdough adds a touch of tang, but its most noticeable contributions are richness and intensity. The overall combination of flavor and texture makes these brownies divine. I would go on and on, but basically no words can really describe how amazing these brownies are, so you should just make them. If you don't have sourdough starter, <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/01/sourdough-adventures.html">make some</a>, then make these brownies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdbHMdPrVVzs_0QbXmRwSYsfYdIBq8TmQIEu8AykaaB2Ay4Af7lh6lNNMMAWXSrtWCMPfS1EidR1SFAULcYik8Jsjf4fwzSntAshXPH5mOaZQVX_-jk8FWJdKvyoEuYVyZlKBk5skzMF2/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdbHMdPrVVzs_0QbXmRwSYsfYdIBq8TmQIEu8AykaaB2Ay4Af7lh6lNNMMAWXSrtWCMPfS1EidR1SFAULcYik8Jsjf4fwzSntAshXPH5mOaZQVX_-jk8FWJdKvyoEuYVyZlKBk5skzMF2/s1600/007.JPG" height="640" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don't you want to dive in head first?</span></td></tr>
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I made a batch a few weeks ago, and have been dreaming abo<span style="font-size: small;">ut them pretty </span>much nonstop ever since. My mouth waters just thinking about these incredible bars of chocolate perfection.<br />
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This recipe gives ingredient amounts by weight instead of volume. I have a nice little digital kitchen scale that I use, I just zero it out after adding each ingredient. I prefer volume recipes, but I'm willing to make adjustments for a recipe this delicious.<br />
<br />
<b>Sourdough Brownies</b><br />
(source <a href="http://chefindisguise.com/2013/05/20/chocolate-sourdough-brownies/">Chef in Disguise</a>)<br />
<b> </b>300 grams chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips for one batch, and a *substitute made with cocoa powder, sugar, and oil the second time, both worked great)<br />
226 grams (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br />
200 grams sugar<br />
6 grams (1 tsp.) salt<br />
8.4 grams (2 tsp.) vanilla<br />
3 eggs, room temperature<br />
40 grams cocoa powder <br />
220 grams sourdough starter<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325 F.<br />
<br />
Line a metal 9×13 pan with parchment paper and grease it ( it makes
it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan if you leave some extra
parchment at the 13 inch sides).<br />
<br />
In a double broiler, saucepan, or the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter. Stir it often so it does not burn.<br />
<br />
Pour the melted chocolate/butter into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, salt and vanilla.<br />
<br />
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine each addition.
Sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate and stir to combine.
Add the starter and stir gently until it is completely incorporated.<br />
<br />
Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or
until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.<br />
<br />
Cool in the pan 20 minutes then lift the parchment paper out
and allow to cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.
When cool completely, cut into squares and enjoy!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIfIS4mjov6Silph7fIUW67ZcWfbFy_9GP5NZVZJin5ckE1wz2fihpOC4TPtKx3mRc-ofbNQjfiIMXw9fk3fskq06BZd3g-Em31LYjSBzz3eiE4K5wJh2GgZzdqkTxTJNbUE8rAdW_Vo5/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIfIS4mjov6Silph7fIUW67ZcWfbFy_9GP5NZVZJin5ckE1wz2fihpOC4TPtKx3mRc-ofbNQjfiIMXw9fk3fskq06BZd3g-Em31LYjSBzz3eiE4K5wJh2GgZzdqkTxTJNbUE8rAdW_Vo5/s1600/008.JPG" height="640" width="604" /></a></div>
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*To make chocolate substitute: For one ounce of semisweet/bittersweet chocolate, whisk together 1 tbsp. cocoa powder, 3 1/2 tsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. oil or softened butter or margarine.<br />
<br />
300 grams of chocolate converts to about 10.5 ounces. So for this recipe I used 10 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder, 12 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar, and 7 tbsp. oil. I then added this mixture to the melted unsalted butter and continued with the recipe from there.<br />
<br />
Complicated enough? I know, I know. But I WANTED these brownies and I was out of chocolate. I did what I had to do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SaoeEVVvj8R8mleu_bick1naAPT5FW8zHVo6jHV18IFm8z3IAlse4dxNsWnVfjvFfzd6XLtozHP3VC4X1VtxaLcj8333jGAA6T-lbm1ytGx7jeuJc23IqavCo9zXhbguYiSnDga5J3t5/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SaoeEVVvj8R8mleu_bick1naAPT5FW8zHVo6jHV18IFm8z3IAlse4dxNsWnVfjvFfzd6XLtozHP3VC4X1VtxaLcj8333jGAA6T-lbm1ytGx7jeuJc23IqavCo9zXhbguYiSnDga5J3t5/s1600/011.JPG" height="640" width="572" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Le Swoon!</span></td></tr>
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2015/03/think-tank-thursday-122.html">Think Tank Thursday </a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2015/03/link-party-palooza-and-50-amazon-giveaway.html">Link Party Palooza </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-55828717664019659562015-02-26T13:20:00.001-07:002015-02-28T18:52:42.938-07:00Homemade MayonnaiseI am often thankful that I have a very do-it-myself kind of mindset. When I wanted my kitchen remodeled, I gathered as many details and tutorials as possible, the dug in and did it myself. I also have a I'll-finish-it-later mindset at times, which is why my kitchen still isn't finished, after a year and a half, but that's beside the point...<br />
<br />
Sometimes this do-it-myself-ness applies to food, which is always fun. Making my own bread has become second-nature. I recently started making my own pasta. Occasionally I do homemade tortillas. There are lots of things that are typically purchased at the store that can actually be made pretty easily and inexpensively at home.<br />
<br />
Today, I wanted to make sandwiches for lunch. I got out the (deliciously homemade) bread, lunchmeat, cheese, pickles, and lettuce. Then I looked for the mayo, only to find that there wasn't any! What to do?! We never run out of mayo! Well, I was too lazy to put away all the sandwich fixings and come up with something else for lunch. But not too lazy to look up a recipe and make my own mayonnaise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJwG_aIN2YdSe796O5P3XWKluvwYIujvSP5g4bB-HUJnDpQC-BsPOmiePR9iuL6qJPkq5G2wsCO_2zkTtrI18AoGaMryoGgj0MfrTrolfeUcDwXnF7WSMPbLCTBHWBlE_1eNIFORncL79/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJwG_aIN2YdSe796O5P3XWKluvwYIujvSP5g4bB-HUJnDpQC-BsPOmiePR9iuL6qJPkq5G2wsCO_2zkTtrI18AoGaMryoGgj0MfrTrolfeUcDwXnF7WSMPbLCTBHWBlE_1eNIFORncL79/s1600/008.JPG" height="408" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It was super easy. Mayonnaise basically just needs egg, acid, flavor, and oil. For the oil, I used mostly extra-virgin olive oil (store brand, of course) combined with some vegetable oil. It made for a very strongly olive oil-flavored mayo. I thought that might be a problem, as I have been raised on store bought mayo with its mild flavor, but on the sandwiches the flavor was diluted enough to be quite pleasant. Still, if the flavor is too strong, light olive oil could be used, or just less olive and more vegetable or canola. All in all, my homemade mayo was a successful venture.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwsrCZdm1tCk3loUTfSfkVEH8CflAyMZPxTm47jwCblbqRr_2ZksAcjQJA3ncUXojt4m7nnZLAgX7a2jUO64y451RT_dmxk-E6QFLDllJdx2I-VGqN58LfLZEsD2FqMcA4iPf-H9o0k6b/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwsrCZdm1tCk3loUTfSfkVEH8CflAyMZPxTm47jwCblbqRr_2ZksAcjQJA3ncUXojt4m7nnZLAgX7a2jUO64y451RT_dmxk-E6QFLDllJdx2I-VGqN58LfLZEsD2FqMcA4iPf-H9o0k6b/s1600/003.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super yummy with some ground black pepper</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Homemade Mayonnaise</b><br />
(from <a href="http://theysmell.com/homemade-mayo-recipe/">What's That Smell?</a>)<br />
<b> </b>1 egg<br />
2 tbsp. vinegar<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (or whatever seasoning you'd like)<br />
3/4 cup oil (I used 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup vegetable oil)<br />
<br />
Place all the ingredients except the oil in the blender and blend
on high for 10 seconds. Reduce speed then slowly pour olive oil in
through the top and blend until thick. Store in refrigerator. Mayo will last 2-4 weeks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidg7x2oGn3XrEhHoGVUveNHMrKASb-F0kd78dhklok704QiLTOURK59q4RlTQhiRk_l9kDopiEJlxqL9MPHgBeY-ma4_iECc6W8ZawjBDcwBd28O8fGpo6tZ7E9_xbYpgrk5aNM3O_im1B/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidg7x2oGn3XrEhHoGVUveNHMrKASb-F0kd78dhklok704QiLTOURK59q4RlTQhiRk_l9kDopiEJlxqL9MPHgBeY-ma4_iECc6W8ZawjBDcwBd28O8fGpo6tZ7E9_xbYpgrk5aNM3O_im1B/s1600/007.JPG" height="343" width="400" /></a></div>
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2015/02/link-party-palooza-and-25-target-giveaway-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FOivM+%28Tatertots+and+Jello%29">Link Party Palooza </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-54177260516462417272015-02-10T13:48:00.000-07:002015-02-12T16:39:50.744-07:00Sourdough Chocolate CakeI've been seriously enjoying my sourdough starter lately. You can just do so much with sourdough! I keep trying to find new recipes to try, because the starter needs to be drained and fed every few days. I simply refuse to throw away the starter that I drain off, so I just have to make fun and delicious foods with it instead. Oh so difficult. ;)<br />
<br />
My latest sourdough adventure was this delicious chocolate cake. The batter was fun - it looked just like instant chocolate pudding, and tasted similar to pudding too. Yes, I tasted the batter. I licked the beaters, the spatula, the bowl. It was fantastic. I regret nothing.<br />
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I topped the cake with a basic cream cheese frosting, and it complimented the cake well. Both the cake and the frosting were sweet with a little bit of a tang, and it was a great combination.<br />
<br />
<b>Sourdough Chocolate Cake</b><br />
(from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sourdough-chocolate-cake/">allrecipes.com</a>)<br />
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa<br />
3/4 tsp. baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
2/3 cup shortening<br />
1 2/3 cup white sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 cup sourdough starter (recipe <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2015/01/sourdough-adventures.html">here</a>)<br />
3/4 cup cold water<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 baking pan. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, and salt.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Cream shortening, sugar, and
eggs. Blend in sourdough starter. Add sifted ingredients slowly to
creamed mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in water and vanilla, and
mix well.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> </span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> </span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Bake for 35 minutes, or until done.</span><br />
<br />
Cool completely before frosting.<br />
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<b><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Cream Cheese Frosting</span></b><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> 8 oz. cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened</span><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">1 tsp. vanilla extract</span><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">4 cups powdered sugar</span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and creamy.</span><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><br /></span>
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">I left the cake in the pan and only frosted the top. That way I only used about two-thirds of the frosting, and could keep the leftover frosting in the fridge. Because, let's face it, there are certainly worse things than having a cup or two of cream cheese frosting sitting around waiting to be used. So convenient for delicious snacking...</span><br />
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<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Linking:</span><br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2015/02/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-119.html">Think Tank Thursday </a></span>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-90573161470385035422015-01-09T19:50:00.001-07:002015-02-09T22:19:25.665-07:00Sourdough AdventuresSeveral years ago, I kept a <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2009/04/sourdough-bread-with-creamy-cheese-dip.html">sourdough</a> starter for a while. I wasn't very good at making bread with the recipe that I had (I kept trying to add too much flour, and ended up with rock-hard bread every time), and eventually the starter was neglected into oblivion.<br />
<br />
But recently, I started myself a new starter. I'm much more experienced with bread baking now, and have been turning out some lovely loaves of delicious sourdough bread. My kids really like having a sourdough starter, I've told them it's like "pet yeast" because we have to feed it and take care of it just as if it were a pet. But mostly they just really like all the stuff I make with it.<br />
<br />
Before, I used to keep my starter in a pitcher in the fridge, and only pull it out to use every once in a while. Nowadays, fridge space is a valuable commodity, and there's just not room in there for a container of sourdough starter. So I keep it in an open cabinet, up high enough that the kids won't bother it, but visible enough that I can check on it and remember that it's there and needs to be used frequently.<br />
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See, there it is on the top shelf in the old ice cream bucket. Lots of people store their starter in a jar, but I like a container with plenty of space to stir the starter when I feed it. And I promise that someday I will get around to making doors for my cabinets. Let's just ignore the fact that this cabinet has been waiting for doors for over a year...<br />
<br />
I'll share the same recipe I shared six years ago, just because. This particular starter uses flour, water, and yeast. I've seen starters that use only flour and water, taking advantage of the wild yeast that is found naturally in flour. But I didn't know about that type until I'd already had my starter for a while, and I'm not going to throw away a perfectly good starter just because I learned there's another kind. :)<br />
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<b>Sourdough Starter</b><br />
2 cups chlorine-free water (let tap water sit out on the counter for a while)<br />
1 tbsp. yeast<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients. Use glass, plastic, or earthenware container. Metal is a no-no for sourdough starter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours, until it foams and develops a pleasantly sour smell. At this point you can cover loosely and store in the fridge, like I used to do, or just leave it at room temperature, making sure every 2-4 days to either use or drain some of the starter (I always use it, I'm too tightwad to discard perfectly good sourdough starter), and then feed it.<br />
<br />
For feeding the starter, I use equal amounts flour and water. I add back 3/4 of the amount I removed. For example, if I remove 1 cup of starter, I feed the rest of the starter with 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup flour.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the starter will separate, with a layer of liquid on top. That liquid is called the hooch. I just stir it in really well before using the starter. <br />
<br />
Here's the recipe I've been using to make bread. It's simple, you don't have to make a sponge, it doesn't call for additional yeast. It turns out quite delicious.<br />
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<br />
<b>Sourdough Bread</b><br />
1 cup water<br />
1 tbsp. salt <br />
2 cups sourdough starter<br />
4 to 5 1/2 cups flour<br />
<br />
Dissolve the salt in the water in a mixing bowl. Add the starter, and then the
flour (<span style="font-size: small;">only as much as necessary to make a soft dough</span>). Knead into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and let rise overnight at room temperature.<br />
<br />
The
next morning, punch down risen dough and divide in half. Shape each
half into a round loaf, make an X-shaped slash on each top, and place
the two loaves on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and
allow to rise at room temperature for about four more hours. Place a pan
of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Bake for 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
I have also made this successfully in loaf pans (as shown above), and without the pan of water. Baking time and temp is still the same.<br />
<br />
Sourdough bread is great and wonderful, but I don't need to make it every 2-4 days. So when I need to use/feed the starter, I have discovered several different things to make using sourdough starter. Isn't the internet awesome like that? Here are some of the things I've made since I started doing sourdough a few weeks ago:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Cookies</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<a href="http://www.trippinwithtara.com/sourdough-chocolate-chip-cookies/">recipe here</a>)</div>
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I changed the recipe to use cinnamon chips instead of chocolate chips. I can't wait to try it with chocolate sometime. These cookies were very unique, and enjoyable. The texture was more bread-like than most cookies, almost like a biscuit. The flavor was sweet and tangy. If I weren't watching my calorie intake, these little guys could become quite addictive.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Naan<br />
(<a href="http://ambikaskitchen.com/?p=3904">recipe here</a>)</div>
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I guess my starter is quite a bit less wet than the starter in the recipe, because I had to almost double the starter in order to go from crumbs in the food processor to dough. But once the dough was made, it was extremely easy to work with, and the naan turned out yummy. I made miniature naan, forming the dough into 16 small balls instead of the 8 called for.<br />
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English Muffins</div>
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(<a href="http://www.littlehomesteaders.com/2013/06/pantry-revamp-sourdough-english-muffins/">recipe here</a>)</div>
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I've made these sourdough English muffins twice now, and they've been delicious each time. I start the sponge in the evening, then mix up the dough in the morning to cook up the muffins for breakfast. They're delicious with butter and scrambled eggs, or topped with jam. Any leftovers are good split down the middle and toasted. They don't form huge nooks and crannies like store-bought muffins, but the flavor is wonderful.<br />
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I've found that pretty much anything you to which you add sourdough starter develops a wonderful flavor. It's tangy and rich, and downright awesome! That said, I have pinned several more recipes which I am eager to try. Pancakes, waffles, brownies, cake, donuts, cookie bars, muffins - the possibilities are endless! Here's my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/stephmamabear/sourdough/">sourdough Pinterest board</a> for anyone interested.<br />
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I do apologize for the poor quality of the pictures in this post. I admit that this post might have been an afterthought... And I can't find my real camera so for most of the pictures, I had to use my husband's little tablet to take some last-minute pictures in poor lighting.<br />
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Linking:<br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2015/01/link-party-palooza-new-essential-oils-giveaway.html">tatertots&jello</a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-63985494721195386162014-10-13T09:09:00.002-06:002014-10-13T09:13:03.483-06:00Cranberry Oat Eggnog MuffinsGood morning, my poor little neglected blog! Let's start the day off with some delicious muffins, shall we?<br />
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It's shopping day, so the fridge is pretty bare. Lately, with homeschooling my kids, I've been taking the easy way out of breakfast, with just cold cereal or maybe branching out to scrambled eggs. Not necessarily the cheapest solution, but definitely fast and easy. However, today we were out of cereal, and had only two eggs. I thought about doing oatmeal, my other recent standby, but was kind of bored with that. So I put on my not-so-lazy pants and made muffins instead.<br />
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I made these using the <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2009/02/universal-muffins.html">universal muffin formula</a> that I've posted before. I've never had a batch fail using this formula (except once when I forgot oil, and the muffins turned out rather tough). Formula cooking isn't for everyone, some prefer specific ingredients and amounts. But I actually really like recipes that I can play with to come up with new variations. In fact, I rarely follow recipes exactly as written, so formula recipes work really well for me.<br />
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Anyway, this was a delicious muffin, full of dried cranberries and oats, with a hint of eggnog flavor. Later in the year, this combo would be great for the holidays.<br />
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<b>Cranberry Oat Eggnog Muffins</b><br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup whole-wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup rolled oats<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/3 cup dried cranberries <br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup oil<br />
1 cup eggnog<br />
1 egg<br />
Additional sugar <br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan. <br />
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Stir together flours, oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cranberries. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggnog, and egg. Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.<br />
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Divide the batter evenly between twelve muffin cups in prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 tsp. additional sugar over each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to cooling rack immediately.<br />
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We liked these split through the middle and spread with butter. Jam would also be good, or even just eat them plain.<br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-75405739491319288372014-09-03T17:47:00.002-06:002014-09-06T09:55:04.896-06:00Acorn Squash CasseroleThis is one of those awesomely sneaky recipes. It's called a casserole and served as a side dish, but it actually tastes like a dessert. Reminiscent of those delightful candied yams or sweet potato casseroles served alongside turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving, this acorn squash casserole has a wonderfully sweet autumnal flavor. I found the recipe over at Cooks.com, where it was titled "Heavenly Squash Casserole." I have to agree, this stuff is heavenly.<br />
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Sorry about the picture, it was an afterthought. It wasn't until after dinner that I decided I needed to post this recipe so I could have it available whenever I wanted it. So I scooped out another serving just for the picture. Then I ate it. Of course. Can't let it go to waste. :)<br />
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<b>Acorn Squash Casserole</b><br />
(adapted from <a href="http://www.cooks.com/recipe/v23no6kz/heavenly-squash-casserole.html">Cooks.com</a>)<br />
2 large acorn squash<br />
1 cup white sugar<br />
1 stick butter, softened<br />
4 tsp. vanilla, divided<br />
4 eggs, well beaten<br />
<i>Topping:</i><br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
1 stick butter<br />
2/3 cup flour<br />
1 cup pecans, chopped (didn't have these, but they would have been an amazing addition)<br />
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Split each squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place cut side down in two large baking dishes. Unless you have one large enough for all four halves. Then by all means use that one. Add 1/4 inch water around the squashes. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Scoop out squash into large bowl and beat with mixer or potato masher until smooth.<br />
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Add sugar, butter, and 2 tsp. vanilla to the squash. Mix well. In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining 2 tsp. vanilla and eggs. Add to the squash mixture and mix thoroughly. Place in a greased 2 qt. baking dish or 9x13 pan.<br />
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Combine topping ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle over top of squash mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm.<br />
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This is great served on its own, but topping it with whipped cream takes it to a whole new level. Just saying.<br />
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/09/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-97.html">Think Tank Thursday </a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2014/09/link-party-palooza-teamshout-shutterfly-giveaways.html">Link Party Palooza</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/09/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-163.html">Strut Your Stuff Saturday</a> Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-68015896253361683402014-08-19T22:19:00.000-06:002014-08-24T13:39:04.335-06:00Dutch Oven Apricot ChickenI made those <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2014/08/dutch-oven-snickerdoodle-bars.html">snickerdoodle bars</a> again, that same evening, at a campout for a dutch oven dessert cookoff. And because of all the extra heat in the fire pit where the ovens were, and because I didn't check on the cookie bars as early as I should have, I burned the bottom to a crisp. That having been only the second time I've ever cooked with a dutch oven, I wasn't too embarrassed or devastated or anything, I just scraped the bottom off and served the bars anyway.<br />
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I thought I was over it, and okay with it. But when I decided I wanted to plan a dutch oven meal to cook and eat this week, I kind of froze. Recipes I had looked at before and wanted to try suddenly looked too complicated, too easy for me to mess up. I was scared to try again. It took some facebook encouragement from my aunt and a couple friends to get me feeling okay again. I found a very simple recipe to try and wrote it on the menu calendar for today.<br />
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Then it rained all morning, and I thought I'd have to put it off until tomorrow. Luckily, by early evening the rain had stopped and the cement in the backyard had dried enough that I was able to go ahead and light up the coals.<br />
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I'm so glad I was able to get over my nervousness and give the dutch oven another try. This apricot chicken (again, from <a href="http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-253-apricot-chicken.html">Dutch Oven Madness</a>) was very easy to prepare and cook, and turned out very good. For one thing, it's just beautiful. And of course, the flavor is yummy - tangy, with bits of fruit from the jam and onion from the soup mix. I would not be opposed to making this again sometime.<br />
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<b>Dutch Oven Apricot Chicken</b><br />
12" dutch oven<br />
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />
1 cup apricot jam (I used apricot pineapple jam that my aunt made, super yummy)<br />
1 cup catalina or french salad dressing (I used french, because the store I went to didn't have catalina in the generic brand)<br />
2 tbsp. sugar<br />
1 pkg. onion soup mix<br />
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Place chicken in your dutch oven. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Easy peasy! I will say that my chicken didn't take the full hour to cook, it was done at about 45-50 minutes. Check for doneness before the full time has passed.<br />
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I served this over reconstituted potato shreds, the kind that comes in a food storage can. I was considering doing rice, but we've had chicken and rice a lot in the last few days, and wanted something different. Just in case anyone was wondering what that weird-looking stuff under the chicken is. :)<br />
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I used the <a href="http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/2010/06/dinwiddie-ring-method-of-temperature.html">Dinwiddie ring method</a> for achieving the correct heat, coal counting works too if that's what you prefer. I had to add a few coals about halfway through as they got smaller. I thought that would be hard to figure out, but I just started more coals than I needed, kept the ones I didn't use right away all together so they would stay hot, and just tucked them in where needed. For longer cooking times, like several hours, I might start a new batch of coals partway through to replenish coals as they go out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_uC5G_lvtc4990jJPsyQD_QMr63E0S7u5iO8CL9NLqCu-93qZAGan_v9rBKoB4qRBzuXuQDJdctDjw0Tl1wYtZMCFIOqyc-OEISgEXW3qJQgf_7PW07SVjxXOAmG38CpIeL_e6husOSZ/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_uC5G_lvtc4990jJPsyQD_QMr63E0S7u5iO8CL9NLqCu-93qZAGan_v9rBKoB4qRBzuXuQDJdctDjw0Tl1wYtZMCFIOqyc-OEISgEXW3qJQgf_7PW07SVjxXOAmG38CpIeL_e6husOSZ/s1600/005.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mmm, look at that chicken swimming in all that tangy sweet sauce!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/08/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-95.html?">Think Tank Thursday</a><br />
<a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/link-party-palooza-55/">Link Party Palooza </a><br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-161.html">Strut Your Stuff Saturday</a> Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-22946092013943978382014-08-15T15:04:00.000-06:002014-08-21T11:21:59.136-06:00Dutch Oven Snickerdoodle BarsWe recently had our bi-annual family reunion. At these reunions, there is always a big auction, where everyone contributes items to sell and the proceeds go toward funding the next reunion. It's kind of a big deal in our family. I posted about this a few years ago <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2008/07/outrageous-peanut-butter-oatmeal.html">here</a>.<br />
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Anyway, Jeff and I had a lot of fun at this year's auction, and got all sorts of neat stuff. Our biggest purchase was a dutch oven. It's a 12-inch, 8-quart dutch oven that has obviously been properly cared for and beautifully seasoned. The thing is, I've never cooked anything in a dutch oven. So I've been reading everything online that I can find about how to cook with and care for dutch ovens, and I was finally ready today to give it a try!<br />
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This recipe came from a <a href="http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/">great blog</a> for anyone interested in using a dutch oven. Toni decided that she wanted to try something new, so she committed to cooking in her dutch oven(s) every day for an entire year! Wow! Her first month or two of recipes include helpful tips of things that she was learning along the way, and she has a few other resources scattered throughout that were helpful and encouraging. Plus she graded almost every recipe so you know what was really good and what wasn't good at all. Most of the recipes rated either a B or an A. These cookie bars received an A.<br />
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<b>Dutch Oven Snickerdoodle Bars</b><br />
(from <a href="http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-224snicker-doodle-bars.html">Dutch Oven Madness</a>)<br />
12" dutch oven<br />
2 1/3 cup flour<br />
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
3/4 cup butter, softened<br />
1 1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
<u>Cinnamon Filling</u>:<br />
1 tbsp. sugar<br />
1 tbsp. cinnamon<br />
<u>Glaze</u>:<br />
1/2 cup powdered sugar<br />
1/4 tsp. vanilla<br />
1/2 tbsp. milk<br />
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In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the sugars until fully incorporated. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add vanilla. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.<br />
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Spread half of the batter on the bottom of a greased 12" dutch oven. Mix together the cinnamon filling ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining batter in teaspoonfuls over the cinnamon filling. Don't worry about it not completely covering the filling - everything will spread out in the oven and have a great marbled look.<br />
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Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely, then mix together the glaze ingredients (adding more milk if it's too thick, or more sugar if it's too thin) and drizzle over the top of the bars.<br />
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There are different ways to get the dutch oven to the temperature you want. One popular method is coal counting - for a 12" oven to cook at 350 you would want 16 coals on top and 10 on the bottom. But this doesn't take into account the size of the coals - some are bigger than others. Toni at <a href="http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/">Dutch Oven Madness</a> prefers the <a href="http://dutchovenmadness.blogspot.com/2010/06/dinwiddie-ring-method-of-temperature.html">Dinwiddie Ring method</a>, because it allows you to accurately cook with any size coals and makes it so you don't have to count. I chose to use this method and it was easy to figure out, and the bars baked up beautifully.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs2J_RBqkcTjDQagE8L0oUU8LKEKD5c3PUP1fuSmJhTVv2i-BAmw5G_mcKzEHzPEF6aO_rJujLgmXujJIbT5hq1gR6x_2xuw6nO9VNHPee4xKoc2iA6s03Or73WiQopIl-rwvhFdHAxCs/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs2J_RBqkcTjDQagE8L0oUU8LKEKD5c3PUP1fuSmJhTVv2i-BAmw5G_mcKzEHzPEF6aO_rJujLgmXujJIbT5hq1gR6x_2xuw6nO9VNHPee4xKoc2iA6s03Or73WiQopIl-rwvhFdHAxCs/s1600/001.JPG" height="640" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dinnwiddie ring method - one ring of coals on the bottom, one and a half rings on top to achieve approximately 350 degrees.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Actually, my cookie bars were slightly undercooked, but that's because I jumped the gun and didn't actually test them for doneness with a toothpick. They could have used a few more minutes, but even underdone, they tasted incredible, and I'm so excited to try more recipes! I don't think I'll be cooking in the dutch oven every single day, but I can say for certain that my new toy will not be put away in a closet only to be brought out for camping. It's too easy and too fun to only be used once or twice a year!<br />
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2014/08/link-party-palooza-back-school-pinterest-party-rsvp.html">Link Party Palooza</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-160.html">Strut Your Stuff Saturday</a><br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/08/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-95.html?">Think Tank Thursday</a> Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-45836040964983006252014-07-28T20:19:00.000-06:002014-08-02T15:52:52.404-06:00Chocolate Berry Truffle Cheesecake<br />
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When I was a teenager, my dad decided he wanted to learn how to make gourmet cheesecakes. He bought a recipe book featuring a large variety of cheesecakes, and started baking. These cheesecakes were a big departure from the no-bake Jell-O cheesecakes of my childhood. There was a year or two when we were almost constantly trying new fancy cheesecake recipes, everything from Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake to No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake to Banana Split Cheesecake. Mmm. Those were good times.<br />
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The very first cheesecake that Dad made out of that beautiful little book was called Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake. It was a 10-inch cheesecake that used 2 full pounds of cream cheese, a lot of chocolate chips, and seedless raspberry preserves. He took the sides off the springform pan too soon, so it ended up being a giant shapeless blob in the refrigerator. But it was the richest, most decadently delicious shapeless blog any of us had ever experienced. It was amazing.<br />
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After that first cheesecake, Dad's skills improved and we had no more shapeless blobs occupying the place of honor on the fridge shelf. With each cheesecake, he (and those of us kids who watched or helped) learned about ways to keep the cheesecake from cracking, how to mix it properly to reduce lumps, how to bake it and cool it just right. For instance, scrape the sides of the bowl very frequently while mixing, especially after adding a new ingredient. The cheesecake is done baking when the middle half is still relatively jiggly - if it doesn't still jiggle it's overdone. Make sure to let the cheesecake cool completely (and slowly) before removing the springform pan sides. If your cheesecake cracks it's perfectly acceptable to top it with whipped cream or sweetened sour cream to hide the cracks! But still, no matter how many successful and beautiful masterpieces Dad turned out, that first sloppy pile of cheesecake-y goodness has always been my favorite.<br />
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The recipe calls for seedless raspberry preserves. But I can't always find those, I don't know why. So I'll sometimes use a different type of berry preserves, with great results. This time I used seedless blackberry preserves. I'll compromise on the type of berry the preserves are made of, but I won't compromise on the fact that they have to be seedless. To get the smooth, perfect texture in the chocolate truffles, you need to use preserves that don't have seeds or chunks.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Berry Truffle Cheesecake</b><br />
<u>Crust</u>:<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 1/2 cups finely crushed cream-filled
chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs<br />
2 tablespoons margarine, melted</div>
<u>Filling</u>:<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened<br />
1
1/4 cups sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 cup sour cream<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<u>Truffles</u>: </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
8
ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate,
melted<br />
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves</div>
<u>Topping</u>:<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate<br />
1/3
cup heavy cream</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1. To make crust, combine cookie crumbs
and margarine and press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.
Set aside.<br />
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<br />
3. To make filling,
with an electric mixer set on medium speed combine 1 1/2 pounds cream
cheese and sugar until well blended (<i>scrape sides of bowl frequently throughout steps 3-7 to prevent lumps</i>).<br />
4. Add eggs, one at a time,
mixing well after each addition.<br />
5. Blend in sour cream and
vanilla and then pour into prepared crust. Set aside.<br />
6. Combine 8
ounces cream cheese and melted chocolate, mixing at medium speed
until well blended.<br />
7. Add raspberry preserves, mixing together
well.<br />
8. Drop chocolate raspberry batter by tablespoonfuls onto
plain cream cheese batter in pan (<i>I used my 2-tbsp. cookie scoop</i>). Do not swirl.<br />
9. Bake for 1 hour
and 25 minutes.<br />
10. Remove from oven, loosen cake from sides of
pan, and let cool on a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours before removing
from pan (<i>I actually leave it in the pan until ready to serve</i>).<br />
11. To make topping, cook chocolate and heavy cream over
low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted and mixture
is smooth.<br />
12. Remove from heat and spread over cooled
cheesecake.<br />
13. Chill for 4 to 6 hours.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">After dolloping on the chocolate truffle mixture and placing in the oven.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXbUxSABou-MNJjpuLRCIkcNxeIaXdg7eRYdwnvgU15VzUuzjJhkotHnuetuogjzsluE-Z4Oyfh47D8wDxc-X9SDe-Edi_TT4pGbuCsT5kZSH8t2IWHFIfUJ_L6XsPA0SY9_cB63P1cxu/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXbUxSABou-MNJjpuLRCIkcNxeIaXdg7eRYdwnvgU15VzUuzjJhkotHnuetuogjzsluE-Z4Oyfh47D8wDxc-X9SDe-Edi_TT4pGbuCsT5kZSH8t2IWHFIfUJ_L6XsPA0SY9_cB63P1cxu/s1600/004.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Immediately after removing from the oven. The cheesecake sinks quite a bit while cooling, that's normal. I baked the cheesecake last night, forgive my use of the camera flash!</span></td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwl0G6Wr7EraFauJonc0hGYu9GkKeRUU2D80WqTCS67jY1sHvjDAYJo8womMeqHktP6kGI0PtpCltFthde1ZgCkVYVbgSh0gh93qJ5KT2CkVuNPPHRlSHlFhwjqnImQHWw9mK26H4hzAVd/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwl0G6Wr7EraFauJonc0hGYu9GkKeRUU2D80WqTCS67jY1sHvjDAYJo8womMeqHktP6kGI0PtpCltFthde1ZgCkVYVbgSh0gh93qJ5KT2CkVuNPPHRlSHlFhwjqnImQHWw9mK26H4hzAVd/s1600/001.JPG" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">After cooling, the cheesecake is at least half an inch shorter than it was before.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2jagmzFpxV63oStEzf1Mkq2vlGdzv4kcGSl6Ed7oUOy_VI-2lLqeH3utiLfrfVwgv-MFSDmka7v9le2QhC2NcI1JD07m5mHd-dcRu9Q3VUx1YksLZnjEKm6g32mPh8JZyOVJcwUyjltj/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2jagmzFpxV63oStEzf1Mkq2vlGdzv4kcGSl6Ed7oUOy_VI-2lLqeH3utiLfrfVwgv-MFSDmka7v9le2QhC2NcI1JD07m5mHd-dcRu9Q3VUx1YksLZnjEKm6g32mPh8JZyOVJcwUyjltj/s1600/003.JPG" height="486" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freshly covered in chocolate ganache.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Rich, dense, chocolaty. The most intense cheesecake experience ever.<br />
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Linking:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/07/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-92.html">Think Tank Thursday</a><br />
<a href="http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2014/07/one-project-at-a-time-72914.html">One Project at a Time</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2014/08/link-party-palooza-rubyclaire-boutique-giveaway.html">Link Party Palooza</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/08/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-158.html">Strut Your Stuff Saturday</a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-37940775134156494352014-07-25T18:54:00.000-06:002014-07-25T21:51:54.675-06:00Biscuits and Gravy Casserole, and Milky Maple SodaEveryone knows it's fun to have breakfast for dinner. It's one of my personal favorites, because it's usually easy and cheap, and I just love breakfast foods. Biscuits and gravy especially seem to be delicious and appropriate any time of the day.<br />
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This recipe takes those simple biscuits and gravy just a step further - a little fancier and a little funner. But without adding a lot of extra work. This recipe originally called for canned biscuits, which I'm sure are absolutely delicious when used in this dish. I took it a little step toward tightwaddery and used homemade biscuit dough.<br />
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These biscuits and gravy turned out so yummy. The bottom layer of biscuits soak up the gravy and take on almost a dumpling texture, while the biscuits on top are browned and fluffy like typical biscuits. The gravy is just a basic sausage gravy that complements both layers of biscuits perfectly.<br />
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<b>Biscuits and Gravy Casserole</b><br />
(adapted from <a href="http://lemon-sugar.com/2013/12/biscuits-gravy-casserole.html/">lemon-sugar</a>)<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1 tbsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
2/3 cup shortening<br />
3/4 cup milk<br />
1/2 lb. ground sausage<br />
3 tbsp. flour<br />
2 1/2 cups milk<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. black pepper<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a small casserole dish (7x11) with cooking spray. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt. Cut in shortening. Stir in milk just until combined. Turn out onto floured surface and knead gently 2-3 times. Flatten with hand or rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 1 1/2- or 2-inch squares.<br />
<br />
Layer half of the biscuit squares in prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, prepare gravy: In a heavy skillet, cook ground sausage over medium heat until fully cooked. Sprinkle the sausage with 3 tbsp. flour. Stir flour into sausage until completely absorbed. Lower heat to medium, and cook flour/sausage mixture 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.<br />
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Add milk, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Stir frequently until mixture comes to a slight boil. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.<br />
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Pour gravy over cooked biscuits. Layer remaining uncooked biscuit squares over the gravy.<br />
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Place casserole on a baking dish, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
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This soda recipe came from a book we got at the library. It's called Grandpa's Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Cookbook, based on the original story. It's got recipes for things like Spaghetti Twister with a Tomato Tornado, Foggy Pea Soup, Chewandswallow Chicken Legs, and Jello-O Setting in the West.<br />
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Jeff decided to mix up some Milky Maple Soda to go with dinner tonight, "just like they serve in Ralph's Roofless Restaurant."<br />
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<b>Milky Maple Soda</b><br />
Milk<br />
Plain seltzer<br />
1 tbsp. maple syrup<br />
<br />
Fill 1/4 of a glass with milk. Fill the rest of the glass with seltzer, leaving a little room at the top. Add about a tablespoon of maple syrup (more or less, to your taste). Stir and slurp!<br />
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I think I added about an extra tablespoon of syrup to my glass, I like things to be sweet! Anyway, this was a fun and unique little treat.<br />
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Linking:<br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2014/07/link-party-palooza-and-fabric-expressions-giveaway.html">Link Party Palooza</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/07/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-157.html">Strut Your Stuff Saturday </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-55930071303130650372014-07-07T19:21:00.000-06:002014-07-11T21:26:32.032-06:00Creamed ChickenI have spent a great portion of the day reading through my blog, sort of a trip down memory lane. It's been fun to reminisce, and to see how my blog has progressed and gone through its many phases and stages. For a while, I was posting so frequently that I felt guilty if I went a whole week without posting. Wow, that is not how I do it lately! Anymore, I only post once or twice a month, if that. I really want to get back into the habit of posting more frequently. So here I am, posting our simple, inexpensive, yet delicious meal that we enjoyed tonight.<br />
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I enjoy using chicken leg quarters. They're one of the cheapest sources of meat, at under a dollar a pound. We use them as is, or separated to have the thighs for one meal and the drumsticks for another. My favorite way to use them in recipes is to start by stewing them in water until they are tender. Just cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-high, and simmer until completely done. The longer they cook, the more tender they get. Remove the chicken from the broth, reserving the broth of course. Once the chicken has cooled down, you can pull all the chicken from the bones and use the chicken in whatever recipe you want.<br />
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I recently learned a great tip for taking chicken dishes from good to amazing. Adding thyme and a small amount of turmeric gives an incredible flavor, as well as a pretty color, to everything from chicken soup to chicken pie. Tonight I used this seasoning trick in our creamed chicken, with great results. We served the chicken over pasta, but it was so good I was eating the chicken gravy by itself by the end of the meal!<br />
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<b>Creamed Chicken</b><br />
2 chicken thighs, boiled in water until tender, then removed from bones and shredded (see above)<br />
Broth from boiling the chicken<br />
1 cup frozen peas, run under hot water until thawed<br />
1 cup frozen sliced carrots, microwaved with a little water until thawed and softened<br />
1/4 cup margarine or butter<br />
1/4 cup flour<br />
1 or 2 dashes turmeric<br />
1/2 tsp. dried thyme<br />
8 oz. macaroni noodles, cooked and drained<br />
<br />
Melt margarine in large saucepan. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in 2 1/2 cups chicken broth. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth and thickened. Stir in turmeric, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Add peas, carrots, and chicken. Serve over noodles. This would also be good over rice, mashed potatoes, or like I said, all by itself!<br />
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Linking to <a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/">tatertots & jello</a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-90438869558773074122014-07-01T21:24:00.001-06:002014-07-06T16:55:13.258-06:00My Kitchen My World - IsraelIt seems that all I'm posting lately is my monthly submission for <a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/">My Kitchen My World</a>. I need to get on the ball and post other things! Especially since MKMW is going to be taking a break for a while. Participation has not been very high for the past several months. My family and I have really been enjoying the opportunity/excuse to make something fun from a different country each month, we've tried a lot of things we otherwise wouldn't have.<br />
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Israel was originally assigned for April, but due to lack of participation it was moved to June to give everyone a chance to try again. The funny thing is, I actually made this meal back in April, but never got around to blogging it. Now here it is all the way into July, and I'm finally putting these delicious recipes up onto the blog. I might be a little bit of a procrastinator...<br />
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I chose to make falafel, a popular Israeli street food. We served it with pita bread, yogurt sauce, and fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce. Super yummy! The whole family liked the little fried balls of seasoned chickpeas, the pita bread was soft and delicious, the yogurt sauce brought it all together. All in all a great meal.<br />
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<b>Falafel</b><br />
(from <a href="http://www.thisamericanbite.com/falafel-recipe/">This American Bite</a>)<br />
2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
1/2 cup parsley (used 2 tbsp. dried parsley)<br />
6 cloves garlic (used equivalent in bottled minced garlic)<br />
4 tsp. cumin<br />
2 tsp. coriander<br />
2 tsp. za'atar (substituted thyme)<br />
1 tsp. black pepper<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
Juice of 1 lemon<br />
1/4 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 egg<br />
<br />
With the exception of the flour and egg, put all of the ingredients into the food processor. Rather than running the food processor continuously, pulse the ingredients three or four times until the ingredients are minced, but not pureed.<br />
<br />
Transfer the falafel mixture into a non-metallic bowl and add 1/4 cup of flour and one egg to bind the mixture. Mix the flour and egg well so you don’t get any flour pockets.<br />
<br />
Using a teaspoon, scoop 1.5 tsp of the falafel mix into your hands then use the spoon to mold them into a ball shape. Press the mixture so that it is firm – this will prevent them from disintegrating when you fry them.<br />
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Using any pot or dutch oven, fill it with a neutral oil, like canola, vegetable or grapeseed oil and use a chef basket. If you have a candy thermometer, wait until the oil reaches 350 degrees before frying putting the falafel balls into the hot oil to fry. If you do not have a candy thermometer, you can put one of your falafel balls into the oil, if it’s not hot enough it won’t cook and it may start to disintegrate.<br />
<br />
When you are sure the oil is hot enough, gently place the falafel balls into the hot oil. Don’t crowd the falafel, let them swim in the oil for two minutes, until golden brown. If the top of the falafel float above the oil, turn them with a spoon then fry for another minute. The falafel will cook quickly at this size, so be ready with a plate covered with a sheet of paper kitchen towel to soak up excess oil once cooked.<br />
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Best served fresh from the oil, but you can reheat them in a warm oven (no hotter than 250 degrees).<br />
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<b>Pita Bread</b><br />
(from <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2008/08/10/pita-bread/">Annie's Eats</a>)<br />
3 cups flour, plus 1/2-3/4 cup more as needed<br />
1 ½ tsp. salt<br />
1 tbsp. sugar or honey<br />
1 packet instant yeast<br />
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups water, roughly at room temperature<br />
2 tbsp. olive oil, vegetable oil, butter or shortening<br />
<br />
Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 ¼ cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.<br />
<br />
Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.
As the dough is mixing, continue to add flour, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky.<br />
<br />
When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the dough around so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.<br />
<br />
When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it will be easier to shape.<br />
<br />
After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between ¼ – 1/8” thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently, you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5-10 minutes before trying again.<br />
Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.<br />
<br />
While the discs are rising, preheat the oven to 450°. If you have a
baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a
baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and
place it on the middle rack of the oven while it is preheating. This
will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.<br />
<br />
Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. You may need to let the baking surface reheat for a minute or two
between batches - if the surface isn't hot enough a pocket will not
form. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn’t necessary.<br />
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For the yogurt sauce, I remember that I used elements from various recipes to create it, but it was two months ago and I don't remember exactly how I made it! So this is sort of a guess about the general ingredients and quantities...<br />
<br />
<b>Yogurt Sauce</b><br />
1 cup plain yogurt<br />
1 tsp. onion powder<br />
1 tsp. minced garlic<br />
2 tsp. dried mint, crushed<br />
1 tsp. dried oregano <br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Combine in a small bowl. Chill for at least a couple of hours.<br />
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Serve falafel inside pita pockets with yogurt sauce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and shredded lettuce. Enjoy!<br />
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Linking to <a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/">Tatertots and Jello</a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-14501017383662405282014-05-26T18:45:00.000-06:002014-05-28T21:46:30.106-06:00My Kitchen My World - Saudi Arabia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know that the last time I did a dish for <a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/">My Kitchen My World</a> I did <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-kitchen-my-world-belize.html">chicken and rice</a>, but I couldn't resist doing it again this month. It's interesting how so many different countries can do a similar dish, but do it so differently!<br />
<br />
Saudi Arabian chicken and rice, called Kabsa, was different from other versions of chicken and rice I've done, thanks to the exotic blend of spices, and the delicious topping of fried nuts and raisins. The whole family very much enjoyed this culinary trip to Saudi Arabia.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Kabsa (Saudi Chicken and Rice)</b><br />
(adapted from <a href="http://thesaji.blogspot.com/2011/10/recipe-4150-saudi-arabia-kabsa.html">Saji's</a>)<br />
2 chicken breasts<br />
6 cups water<br />
1/2 cup chopped onion<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
2 tbsp olive oil<br />
6 tbsp butter, divided<br />
1 1/2 cup chopped ripe tomato<br />
2 cups chopped onion<br />
2 cups long grain rice<br />
salt to taste<br />
1 tsp ground cardamom (at $10 a bottle, this is too expensive for me - I substituted an additional 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice, and 1/2 tsp ginger)<br />
1 tsp ground coriander<br />
10 cloves<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
1/4 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground black pepper<br />
1/2 cup raisins soaked in 1/3 cup water<br />
1/2 cup sliced almonds<br />
1/2 cup pistachios<br />
1/2 cup pine nuts<br />
<br />
In a large pot place chicken, water, onion, bay leaves, cinnamon,
and 1 tsp salt and let cook covered on low heat for about 1 1/2 hour.<br />
<br />
In another large pot add olive oil and 1 tbsp butter, then add
chopped onions and chopped tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes on medium
heat. Next add rice and seasonings. Mix and then add 4 cups of chicken broth from the
cooked chicken. Stir and then add 3 tbsp butter. Let come to a boil and
then turn down to low heat, cover and let cook for 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
In a
small pan, add 2 tbsp butter and stir in nuts and raisins, let cook until
all are evenly brown, set aside for garnish. In the mean time, pull
apart cooked chicken and remove any bones.<br />
<br />
After 45 minutes, fluff rice with a fork and let sit another 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Pour out the rice into a large serving dish, place pieces of chicken on
top and then put the nut and raisin mixture on top of that. Serve.<br />
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Linking to:<br />
<a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/">My Kitchen My World</a><br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/05/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-83.html">Think Tank Thursday</a> (<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/">Joyful Homemaking</a>)Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-89849497497388660692014-04-14T22:08:00.000-06:002014-04-17T11:52:41.345-06:00Cream Cheese Danish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our kids officially started their spring break today, and we celebrated with this delicious pastry for breakfast. The recipe makes 2 loaves and we only ate one today, so we get to enjoy the other one for breakfast tomorrow. I like recipes like that!<br />
<br />
This is a good recipe for a late breakfast. You mix up the dough the night before, then it rises in the fridge overnight and you roll it out, fill it, and bake it in the morning. The kids and I really enjoyed it, though one didn't care for the filling. The rest of us loved the whole thing. Because it takes so long to finish in the morning, it's definitely not an everyday breakfast, but worked really well for a special occasion and I want to make it again sometime.<br />
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<br />
<b>Cream Cheese Danish</b><br />
(adapted from <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apricot-cheese-danish">Taste of Home</a>)<br />
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast<br />
1/4 cup warm water<br />
3 tbsp. sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/2 cup sour cream (didn't have any on hand, I just used whole milk soured with some vinegar)<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
<i>Filling:</i><br />
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
2 egg yolks (I used whole eggs, why separate the eggs if you don't absolutely have to?)<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
1/4 cup jam, jelly, or preserves (used grape jelly)<br />
Powdered sugar<br />
<br />
<span class="rd_name">In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the
sugar, butter, eggs and sour cream. Gradually add salt and 2 cups flour;
beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour (the dough will be soft and
sticky). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="rd_name"><span class="rd_name">Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured
surface; knead 2-3 times. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 16-in. x
10-in. oval; place on greased baking sheets.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="rd_name"><span class="rd_name"><span class="rd_name">For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream
cheese, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Spread 1-1/4 cups
filling over each oval to within 1 in. of edges. Fold longest sides over
filling to meet in the middle; pinch edges to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until
doubled, about 1 hour.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="rd_name"><span class="rd_name"><span class="rd_name"> </span></span></span><span class="rd_name">Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until golden
brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Spread jam on top.
Dust with confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator.</span><br />
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Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-87920081221772264802014-04-01T20:19:00.003-06:002014-04-09T21:05:35.338-06:00My Kitchen My World - BelizeBelize was the <a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/">MKMW</a> country for March. I know that I'm posting in April, but since we made and ate this meal yesterday, technically it still counts for March.<br />
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Belize is a small country in Central America, between Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. The food is similar to both Mexican and Jamaican/Anglo-Caribbean cuisine.<br />
<br />
One of the basic staples of Belizean cuisine is stewed chicken served with beans and rice. The recipe I found for the chicken does not use recado (a Mayan spice blend), and the beans and rice use coconut milk. This was a delicious meal. My favorite part was the sauce made from the pan drippings. The onions just melted into the chicken drippings, and it all came together to make a very flavorful gravy that I really enjoyed.<br />
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<b>Belizean Stewed Chicken</b><br />
(from <a href="http://www.belizenewspost.com/874/belizean-stew-chicken-no-recado/">Belize News Post</a>)<br />
4 lbs of chicken cut into pieces, drumsticks and thighs seem to work best, bone in (I used two leg quarters)<br />
1 tsp salt, or to taste<br />
1 tsp pepper, or to taste<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme<br />
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
2 tablespoons oil, or enough to just cover the bottom of the pot<br />
1 small yellow or Spanish onion, chopped<br />
2 tablespoons flour, mixed with 2 tablespoons water (I used extra water, it was too thick at first)<br />
<br />
Mix salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic (garlic powder can be substituted)
creating a rub. Season chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic
mixture.<br />
<br />
Heat two tablespoons (or enough to fully cover the bottom of
the pan) of oil in large dutch oven or stewing pot over moderately high
heat.<br />
<br />
Place the chicken in the pan starting skin down. Brown chicken,
turning pieces once, about 5 minutes per side.<br />
<br />
As chicken browns, add
onions, cover pan and simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes so chicken
will stew. Recipes vary on the amount of time, many call for 1-2 hours
of stewing. Make sure your chicken is fully cooked before enjoying! (Mine stewed for about half an hour before the chicken was done).<br />
<br />
After the chicken has finished cooking add a few teaspoons of water
to skillet and the flour to thicken the gravy.<br />
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<b>Belizean Beans and Rice</b><br />
(adapted from <a href="http://www.belizenewspost.com/225/belizean-style-recipe-for-rice-beans/">Belize News Post</a>)<br />
1 large can beans (I used a combination of several types, including black, navy, and pinto)<br />
1/2 tsp pepper<br />
1/2 tsp thyme<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
1 medium onion, sliced<br />
1 cup coconut milk<br />
2 lbs. rice (I only used 1 1/2 cups, whatever that ends up weighing)<br />
<br />
Season beans with black pepper, thyme, and salt. Add coconut milk and 3 cups water. Stir and taste. Let boil.<br />
<br />
Add rice to seasoned beans. Stir, then cover. Cook until water
is absorbed or rice is tender. If necessary, add more water gradually
until rice is tender.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-20503904250805009442014-03-14T20:33:00.001-06:002014-03-30T15:38:36.865-06:00Layered Pumpkin Chiffon PieIn honor of Pi Day (March 14 = 3/14 = 3.14), Jeff and I decided it would be criminal not to make some sort of pie. I know that pumpkin is more of an autumn thing, but it's what we had on hand and the recipe just looked so delicious.<br />
<br />
This recipe came from an old (1978) Better Homes and Gardens recipe book, called "All-Time Favorite Pies." I love old recipe books, they're so much fun! Anyway, this layered chiffon pie has a mild pumpkin flavor that Jeff and I agreed would be wonderful as a Thanksgiving dessert. But being so light and fluffy, it wasn't at all too heavy for early spring. Just an all-around delightful pie.<br />
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<b>Layered Pumpkin Chiffon Pie</b><br />
<i>Oil Pastry Crust</i>
<br />
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
<br />
1/2 tsp. salt
<br />
1/4 cup oil
<br />
3 tbsp. cold milk
<br />
<i>Chiffon Filling</i>
<br />
1/2 cup sugar
<br />
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
<br />
1/2 tsp. salt
<br />
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
<br />
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
<br />
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
<br />
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
<br />
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
<br />
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or cooked from fresh
<br />
1/2 cup milk
<br />
3 egg whites
<br />
1/4 cup sugar
<br />
<i>Whipped Cream Filling</i>
<br />
1 cup whipping cream
<br />
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
<br />
1/2 tsp. vanilla
<br />
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
<br />
<br />
Prepare crust: Stir together flour and salt. Pour oil and milk into small bowl (do not stir); add all at once to flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork. Form into a ball; flatten slightly with hands.
<br />
<br />
Cut waxed paper into two 12-inch squares. Place ball of dough between 2 squares of paper. Roll dough into circle to edges of paper (Dampen tabletop with a little water to prevent paper from slipping). Peel off top paper and fit dough, paper side up, into pie plate. Remove paper.
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<br />
Prick bottom and sides of pastry all over with a fork, to prevent the crust from puffin up. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of heady-duty foil; press down firmly but carefully. Bake pastry in preheated 450 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove foil, continue baking 5 to 7 minutes more or until pastry is golden. Set pastry aside.<br />
<br />
Prepare chiffon filling: In a saucepan combine the 1/3 cup sugar, gelatin, salt, the 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. Combine egg yolks, pumpkin, and milk; stir into gelatin mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat till gelatin dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Chill gelatin mixture to the consistency of corn syrup, stirring occasionally. (<i>That's what the recipe says. But with the pumpkin, the consistency was never anywhere near corn syrup, it was too thick and gloppy. I just chilled it until it was noticeably thickened.</i>)<br />
<br />
Immediately beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar, beating till stiff peaks form. Fold stiff-beaten egg whites into gelatin mixture. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Prepare whipped cream filling: Combine whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and the 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon. Whip mixture till soft peaks form.<br />
<br />
Spread half of chiffon filling into baked crust, top with half of whipped cream filling. Repeat layers; chill several hours or overnight until set. After serving, cover and chill to store.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdHG1p9_On47a4orxbJTzNHW9W9CX3p2GgSVo1qwNwBO-VlYteJfQEOJ9B7iWHfU7gyz3qiEghMuP90iuF1qfxUSJXE621GwquYHUbJFBlUMbDSE_KU0xWgWWncy_4unFKstjptpyAtT5/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdHG1p9_On47a4orxbJTzNHW9W9CX3p2GgSVo1qwNwBO-VlYteJfQEOJ9B7iWHfU7gyz3qiEghMuP90iuF1qfxUSJXE621GwquYHUbJFBlUMbDSE_KU0xWgWWncy_4unFKstjptpyAtT5/s1600/005.JPG" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know there's a lot of steps. But the finished product is so worth it. As a side note, I really liked this method of pie crust. No shortening to cut in, no floury mess on the table to roll it out. It turned out light and crispy, a great accompaniment to the airy fluffiness of the filling. Mmm, so yummy!<br />
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P.S. Here is the book where I got the recipe. Isn't it delightful?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN5ajm-MFFFqjixU-uWGidYH8uXHfw7iwD_KN6vkoaT6Utpv2YjtepE9zXbJRE6hjZ-ck1O83k4MA-gT3aiwMpbPWbr_6ZshpsM2-yz2Sra0849AvtyfLexOzoBQuNf0ig7xe-6QD0rcy/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN5ajm-MFFFqjixU-uWGidYH8uXHfw7iwD_KN6vkoaT6Utpv2YjtepE9zXbJRE6hjZ-ck1O83k4MA-gT3aiwMpbPWbr_6ZshpsM2-yz2Sra0849AvtyfLexOzoBQuNf0ig7xe-6QD0rcy/s1600/010.JPG" height="391" width="400" /></a></div>
Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-9234510081525817692014-02-22T23:09:00.000-07:002014-02-22T23:21:38.719-07:00My Kitchen My World - Czech RepublicOur <a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/">MKMW</a> destination for February was the Czech Republic. I found a few re<span style="font-size: small;">cipes that intrigued me, but finally decided on these lovely deli sandwiches called <a href="http://www.kolarsky.com/family/cookbook/oblozene_chlebicky.htm">Obložené Chlebíčky</a>. I have no idea how that is actually pronounced! But basically these are open-faced sandwiches with flavorful and artfully-arranged toppings. So pretty, and so yummy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAjZ428HURkRzdT3Tba4irbhvkJ0RMaEWzAkMTHFCn8aOK5WQecmzJXCMAQoRSnszI7eFeL6TsqSbTbiiiL1xo9yE0kgr0iZ1RDt0Zh3u4hieIRChwmITlNzxQHRrJbNSFRHWxMoQkeT6/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAjZ428HURkRzdT3Tba4irbhvkJ0RMaEWzAkMTHFCn8aOK5WQecmzJXCMAQoRSnszI7eFeL6TsqSbTbiiiL1xo9yE0kgr0iZ1RDt0Zh3u4hieIRChwmITlNzxQHRrJbNSFRHWxMoQkeT6/s1600/006.JPG" height="418" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My daughter recently asked if we could do a "sandwich meal" - different kinds of breads and spreads and sandwich fillings, and everyone makes their own special sandwiches just the way they want them. I thought that was a great idea, and the perfect time to do the Czech sandwiches.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We set this all up using some ingredients typical of the Czech deli sandwiches, and some typical of regular old American sandwiches, so everyone would have a good variety to choose from. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">So here is my kitchen island, covered in the breads and some spreads and toppings:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafBaT2E-K-0vU8e6WCakjR16KphYz6FS6-KPW7y9teZmI-2xQBC0t-qBAGresit6FvQbT55t2KYrB9gN2bP2wp94ZaxWq60eKIkUCwmystWZnbNmhGx278j5O-4v74nu9bRnG8HR_vxnP/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafBaT2E-K-0vU8e6WCakjR16KphYz6FS6-KPW7y9teZmI-2xQBC0t-qBAGresit6FvQbT55t2KYrB9gN2bP2wp94ZaxWq60eKIkUCwmystWZnbNmhGx278j5O-4v74nu9bRnG8HR_vxnP/s1600/001.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Homemade french bread, hoagie rolls, and flat bread, all made using my favorite <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2009/02/homemade-bread.html">universal bread formula</a>; mayo, mustard, oil and vinegar, sriracha, and relish</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">And here is the counter with all the meats, cheeses, veggies, and a couple other spreads:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0-jc5qg2jP0P6rNTXnXCS1-Hts3Dz5eL8HE2MFJySc6cMS3hvBrPBn1PtYTUThSZpCZqexmtihVTKJ5-YVJoUleWVnAZ-5e6YJ17CphyphenhyphentaBI28gF1foPLhwyux0D3a44Lr_gM55_QWJt/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0-jc5qg2jP0P6rNTXnXCS1-Hts3Dz5eL8HE2MFJySc6cMS3hvBrPBn1PtYTUThSZpCZqexmtihVTKJ5-YVJoUleWVnAZ-5e6YJ17CphyphenhyphentaBI28gF1foPLhwyux0D3a44Lr_gM55_QWJt/s1600/002.JPG" height="394" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ham, turkey, salami, and pepperoni; provolone, swiss, muenster, and colby jack; tomatoes, red pepper, pickles, eggs, lettuce, and cucumber; <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2008/04/conference-menu-part-1.html">potato salad</a> and guacamole</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I was really the only one to make Obložené Chlebíčky sandwiches. But wow, I'm glad I did!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvBQxu9Pr05M1IMP36XHm0BauBxvNpzJzCFubcNIvEQFmJfFHMKk9lwx9w81My4Z5e5jKouL359lIP7WnPIkoweUs0Xek-vIIfFbnjczJf0uuJphiKyVNioKpP3EhMsktiX32dbT3HY9Q/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvBQxu9Pr05M1IMP36XHm0BauBxvNpzJzCFubcNIvEQFmJfFHMKk9lwx9w81My4Z5e5jKouL359lIP7WnPIkoweUs0Xek-vIIfFbnjczJf0uuJphiKyVNioKpP3EhMsktiX32dbT3HY9Q/s1600/003.JPG" height="448" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So beautiful! I do, however, admit to having to use toothpicks to keep my salami rolled like that...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">The first sandwich is a slice of french bread spread with potato salad, and topped with hard salami, provolone cheese, sweet pickle, a slice of tomato, and a slice of boiled egg.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The second sandwich also started with french bread and potato salad, then was topped with ham, muenster cheese, sweet red pepper, a slice of boiled egg, and a dash of paprika.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoA0XiruAHg8H7T3DSCOO5WNSxEV8MvZXgHxjuYxwyilwYksk_Br6i4u4SzPmQYWpX5aznw-2pD7GqXhgxm4ArE_3718KAjLCxfpu4Rwbg5HZC5Sfi4cJMH3i-ojns0CKybzFlIBpZ7V5/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoA0XiruAHg8H7T3DSCOO5WNSxEV8MvZXgHxjuYxwyilwYksk_Br6i4u4SzPmQYWpX5aznw-2pD7GqXhgxm4ArE_3718KAjLCxfpu4Rwbg5HZC5Sfi4cJMH3i-ojns0CKybzFlIBpZ7V5/s1600/004.JPG" height="502" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Honestly, I have never before thought to put potato salad on a sandwich. It never even crossed my mind. But it was so delicious on these sandwiches! Also, I don't really even care for sweet pickles. But again, together with the other sandwich toppings, they somehow worked.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It would have been fun to experiment with some of the more fun and unique toppings typical of the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Obložené Chlebíčky, but our budget doesn't quite cover stuff like lobster spread, anchovy paste, caviar, capers, or camembert. Maybe someday. :)</span>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-43857022571113811682014-02-01T22:56:00.000-07:002014-02-01T22:57:23.833-07:00My Kitchen My World - PolandJanuary's country for <a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/">My Kitchen My World</a> was Poland. I enjoy cooking foods from European countries, they're almost familiar but different enough to make it fun.<br />
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Halushki is a Polish dish made of noodles, cabbage, and pork. This recipe makes a LOT - we were eating leftovers for quite a while. No complaints though, it tasted really good. But until our family has added a couple kids (not for a while!), I'll probably make this recipe in a smaller batch next time.<br />
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<b>Halushki</b><br />
(from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Halushki/Detail.aspx?evt19=1">allrecipes.com</a>)<b> </b><br />
1 1/2 lb. pork chops<br />
garlic powder to taste<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
1 large head cabbage, cut into squares<br />
1 lb. large egg noodles<br />
1 tbsp. butter<br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Sprinkle pork chops with garlic
powder, salt and pepper and place in a large greased sauce pan or deep
skillet with chopped onion and fry until very brown and well cooked. It
is ok if they stick a little, as the drippings are essential in this
dish. When done, remove chops and set aside.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Add a little water to the
saucepan or skillet and mix up the drippings a bit. Place cabbage into
the pot, and allow to cook down completely.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a separate large saucepan, boil the egg noodles in water until cooked. Drain noodles and mix in butter.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Cut up the pork chops to bite
size pieces and set aside. When the cabbage has cooked down, add pork
and cooked noodles and mix completely.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-14957734167143048902014-01-02T12:40:00.002-07:002014-07-28T13:02:20.019-06:00Coconut Cheesecake Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdLGlbaM17ga4Dp5olrQz3-GjPYHicZwgpiHGuHfkbJKl99QPq1g3bWQRz4VNg5-3iEvmMIZsfWKZglRFE3SfLfDtFBVByv88YdK7ZAvmV1pY74LCeaRLEXsQ9pWujtSVYJsqWT4V-1_O/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdLGlbaM17ga4Dp5olrQz3-GjPYHicZwgpiHGuHfkbJKl99QPq1g3bWQRz4VNg5-3iEvmMIZsfWKZglRFE3SfLfDtFBVByv88YdK7ZAvmV1pY74LCeaRLEXsQ9pWujtSVYJsqWT4V-1_O/s640/001.JPG" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometime in November, my daughter asked me what I wanted for Christmas. She had taken it upon her sweet little 8-year-old self to write letters to Santa on behalf of everyone in the family. I thought about it and told her I would like a tart pan with a removable bottom. I had watched a cooking show where the host made pecan pie in a tart pan and was able to slice and serve the pie easily and beautifully. It looked like a great idea and something that I would actually use. So she wrote this letter to Santa: "Dear Santa, I was good today and I would like a tart pan with a removable bottom. Stephanie." So cute, right?<br />
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So I was pleased, but not surprised, to find this lovely fluted tart pan under the tree on Christmas morning.<br />
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And yesterday the kids and I mixed up this delicious tart, with a cookie pastry, a cream cheese and coconut filling, and a toasted coconut topping.<br />
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<b>Coconut Cheesecake Tart</b><br />
<i>Tart:</i><br />
1 1/4 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
<i>Filling:</i><br />
2 cups shredded coconut<br />
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature<br />
8 oz. whipped topping<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
<br />
For the crust, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine crust ingredients until a dough is formed. Press onto bottom and about an inch up the sides of ungreased 9-inch fluted tart pan. Bake for 12 minutes.<br />
<br />
While the crust is baking, spread coconut in a thin layer on a large baking sheet. Toast in the same oven as the crust, stirring every 3-4 minutes, until most of the coconut is golden brown. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Once the crust and the coconut are cool, make the filling. Beat cream cheese until smooth, mix in sugar and vanilla. Add whipped topping and mix well. Stir in toasted coconut, reserving 1/2 cup for topping.<br />
<br />
Spoon filling into crust, spread evenly. Sprinkle coconut evenly over filling. Remove sides from tart pan, then slide tart off the bottom of the tart pan onto serving dish. Chill until ready to serve.<br />
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I gotta say, slicing and serving this delicious tart was a dream! No digging around in the pie pan trying to fish out the first slice without tearing it apart. All I had to do was lift each slice right off the cake stand. It was a beautiful thing.<br />
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Linking:<br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/01/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-62.html" target="_blank">Think Tank Thursday at Joyful Homemaking</a><br />
<a href="http://mylove2create.blogspot.com/2014/01/wowza-weekend-link-party-37.html" target="_blank">Wowza Weekend Link Party at My Love 2 Create</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2014/01/link-party-palooza-huge-silhouette-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Link Party Palooza at tatertots & jello</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/01/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-128.html" target="_blank">Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party at Sis Sisters' Stuff</a><br />
<a href="http://anextraordinaryday.net/a-fresh-start-for-the-year-and-me-project-inspired/" target="_blank">Project Inspire{d} at An Extraordinary Day</a> Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2149379609000112194.post-52478246991557674302013-12-31T16:13:00.001-07:002014-01-03T23:23:48.042-07:00My Kitchen My World - DessertDecember's assignment on <a href="http://mkmw.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">My Kitchen My World</a> was a little different than usual. Normally we make a dish from a specific country each month. This month though, we could choose any holiday dessert from any country.<br />
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I chose to make a Jewish dish that is common in many European countries, called Noodle Kugel. It is a traditional dish for Sabbath and for festive holidays. This particular version is from Russia, I found it under the title of Russian Noodle Pudding.<br />
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Kugel isn't as sweet as I usually prefer for desserts. That's understandable considering that it's commonly used as a side dish as well as a dessert. It has a tartness from the cottage cheese and sour cream that melds nicely with the small amount of sugar and vanilla. My kids would definitely have enjoyed this more if it were topped with some maple syrup and whipped cream, but I actually liked it as is.<br />
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<b>Noodle Kugel</b><br />
16 oz. pasta, cooked and drained<br />
24 oz. cottage cheese<br />
2 cups sour cream<br />
2 eggs<br />
7 tbsp. sugar<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
2 graham cracker sheets<br />
2 tbsp. brown sugar<br />
dash cinnamon<br />
dash nutmeg<br />
3 tbsp. butter<br />
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Heat oven to 350, butter a large baking dish.<br />
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Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pasta. Spread into buttered baking dish.<br />
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Crush graham crackers, add brown sugar and spices. Sprinkle over pasta mixture. Dot with butter.<br />
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Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.<br />
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I do wish I hadn't made such a large pan of this. It's yummy, but since the kids aren't huge fans I'm worried we might not eat it all fast enough. I wonder if it freezes well?<br />
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And here's an update on the kitchen. The <a href="http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2013/10/my-kitchen-my-world-tonga.html" target="_blank">last time I posted</a>, it was an absolute mess of renovation horror. Well, here is what it looks like now. Much better! We're putting the renovation on hold for the winter, and will eventually put in the final touches like back splash, base boards, and the remaining cabinet doors in a few months. In the meantime, it's so nice to have it functioning and looking decent!<br />
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Linking:<br />
<a href="http://dukesandduchesses.com/2013/12/project-inspired-link-party-2" target="_blank">Project Inspire{d} at Dukes and Duchesses</a><br />
<a href="http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2014/01/welcome-to-think-tank-thursday-62.html" target="_blank">Think Tank Thursday at Joyful Homemaking</a><br />
<a href="http://mylove2create.blogspot.com/2014/01/wowza-weekend-link-party-37.html" target="_blank">Wowza Weekend Link Party at My Love 2 Create</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2014/01/link-party-palooza-huge-silhouette-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Link Party Palooza at tatertots & jello</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/01/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-128.html" target="_blank">Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party at Six Sisters' Stuff </a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12591387295768935118noreply@blogger.com1