Christy's Homemade Rolls

Mix Dough:
1. Sprinkle 2 yeast packages ( 1 pkg = 1 TB) in 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Set aside. Stir.
2. Place 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large mixing bowl.
3. Heat 3/4 cup milk in microwave for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 cube margarine to hot milk. Stir to melt.
5. pour milk/margarine mixture into sugar/salt mixture in large mixing bowl. Beat.
6. Beat 3 eggs and add to mixture in large mixing bowl.
7. Add dissolved yeast. Beat.
8. Stir in 4 1/2 cups flour. Dough is very soft.


Let Rise
Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface (or spray with PAM). Cover, let rise in warm place for 2-4 hours.
(you can also put the dough in the fridge for overnight and roll the rolls out in the morning, believe it or not this really does work.)

Shape Rolls
Turn dough onto floured board. Knead slightly. Divide dough in two halves. With a floured rolling pin, roll one half of dough into a circle about 16 inches in diameter. Spread with softened butter. Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut the circle into 16 pie-shaped edges. lightly grease baking sheet. Roll each wedge from wide end to point. Place point down two inches apart on cookie sheet. Repeat with second half of dough.

Let Rise
Cover rolls with dry dishtowels and let rise i warm place 1 hour.

Bake
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Bake rolls in oven for 12 minutes.

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

1/2 bag spinach
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 bag romaine lettuce
1/2 c. bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 purple onion
3/4 c. chopped tomatoes and/or mushrooms
3/4 c. swiss or parmesan cheese
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1 orange, peeled and cut up or sliced strawberries

Mix all ingredients together in a salad bowl and toss. Serve with vinaigrette.

Strawberry Vinaigrette
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. poppy seeds
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
About 3/4 c. hulled strawberries
1/8 chopped onion

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Will keep 10 days to 2 weeks.

Braided Bread

1 tbsp yeast
1/2 c warm water
Combine and let rest.

1 1/4 c milk
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
Scald milk (bubbles on sides), than add butter, sugar and salt. Put 4 1/2 c flour in a bowl and add yeast & milk mixtures. Knead for 10 min in mixer or by hand.
Let rise 1 1/2 hours. Punch down. Braid into 2 loaves (fits lengthwise on a cookie sheet). Let rise 1 hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 min.

Baked Zitti

1 bag zitti pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
cooked meat (cubed chicken, sausage, ground beef) - optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pasta according to package directions. Put in 9 x 13 inch dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over noodles and stir to mix in. Stir in meat is using. Pour alfredo sauce over top. Spread evenly. Top with shredded cheese and bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling about 20 minutes.

Braided bread is super yummy with this meal...recipe coming soon!

Lasagna

12 Lasagna Noodles (boiled until soft)
Hamburger Mixture (see below)
1 lg. container cottage cheese
3-4 cups cheese (I like mozzerella or Colby Jack)

Layer in sprayed 9x13 pan:
3 noodles
1/4 of hamburger mixture (1 lb. hamburger browned, drain grease, sprinkle 1 T flour, add 1 lg. can (about 28 oz) diced tomatoes (italian seasoned or add your own spices) and 1 sm. 8oz tomato sauce.
1/4 of cottage cheese
1/4 of cheese

bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 spice cake mix (mix only)
1/2 bag chocolate chips

mix together, bake 350 for 11 minutes
ENJOY

Maple Glaze:
3 T Butter
4 T Milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
melt until heated/dissolved, do not boil
mix in 2 cups powdered sugar

Homemade Pretzels!

These homemade pretzels were absolutely amazing! I got this recipe from http://myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com/ She has some really fun recipes over there so you should go check it out. Matt and Melanie both said to me that they tasted just like the ones at Sams Club. I can't wait for Kaitlyn to get home from school and try them. She is my true pretzel lover. We will definitely be making these again.





I know not the greatest picture, but believe me they are delicious. They look kind of funny because I left out one twist from them.

Homemade Soft Pretzels
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007
Makes 8 pretzels 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I just used my table salt)
1 package active dry yeast 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (I used margarine)
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Pretzel salt (I didn't have any eggs or pretzel salt so I just shook my table salt on it and they were still delicious)

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake

1 package mint or regular oreos
1/4 cup butter
1 (12 oz) jar hot fudge topping (warmed up so easy to pour)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream (softened)
8 ounces Cool Whip


In blender or food processor break apart 1/2 package of cookies. Pulse until they turn into fine crumbs.

Place in bowl and add 1/2 stick melted butter. Mix together and press crust into 9 or 12 inch pan (could also use a cake pan but you may need a little more ice cream).

Soften ice cream by setting out for 1/2 hour before making or place frozen ice cream in a large bowl and melt in 30 sec. intervals. (You just want it soft enough to spread, not completely melted.)

Spread 1/2 of ice cream onto crust and place in freezer while you get the next part ready.

Break the rest of the Oreos up into the blender and pulse until crumbs form. Add warm hot fudge to cookie crumbs in bowl and spread over ice cream layer. (If you let the first ice cream layer re-freeze a little the hot fudge will spread better on it.)

Spread the rest of the softened ice cream over the yummy crunch layer.

Cover and place in freezer for several hours or overnight.

Just before serving, top with Cool Whip. You can also drizzle some warm hot fudge over the top and sprinkle with Oreo crumbs.....if you have saved some aside!

You can dip a knife in warm water and run it along the sides of the cake to loosen, then slice and serve! DELICIOUS!!!

Lemon Chicken

I usually don't do this in the crock pot, but I tried it yesterday and it worked great!

Spray crock pot with pam
Put 8-12 frozen chicken tenders in the bottom of the crock pot

mix together
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
3 squirts of lemon juice

put mixture on top of chicken

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8

About 20 mins before you eat mix together 1 package of ritz crackers and melted butter. put on top and let it crisp up until you eat.

Serve over steamed rice.

The oven version all you do is you don't wait to put the cracker mixture on and you cook it at 350 for 35-40 min.

Orange Jello Salad

1 large box of orange jello
3 cups boiling water
Cool Whip

Dissolve Jello and wather then add 8 oz Cool Whip (scoop frozen cool whip by the spoonful into jello and whisk until melted and smooth)

Pour into glass dish or cake pan.

Refrigerate. The jello will separate into layers.

You can top it with thawed cool whip and mandarin orange slices.

Thea's Salad

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

10 oz. berries (any kind), cut up

8 oz. cool-whip

Whip cream cheese and sugar. Mix in crushed pineapple and berries. Stir in cool whip. ENJOY!

Sweet Pork!

This tastes just like the costa vida and cafe rio pork. SUPER YUMMO!!

1 pork roast
1 can of coke
1 bottle red enchilada sauce
1 cup of brown sugar

Put roast in crock pot and fill 1/3 full of water. Cook all night long. In the morning the roast should be tender and able to shred with a fork. After shredding, mix the rest of the ingredients and let simmer all day.

Hints:leave the lid off to thicken. If you want it sweeter add more brown sugar to taste. The red enchilada sauce comes in mild and medium so you can pick how hot you want it.


Side notes: I did this sauce with country style ribs in the crock pot all day instead and it worked great! I think you could do it with any kind of meat. I had to add more brown sugar too, but then again I like it sweet.

Yummy Veggies

Ok, these are so good, I know not the healthiest but super yummy! They are worth every calorie!


Steam
1 bag of mini carrots-I like to slice mine down the middle
3/4 head of cauliflower
2 1/2 cups of broccoli

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While the oven is heating make the sauce
1 1/2 cubes of butter
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 medium sized cube of Velveeta cheese.

Poor over veggies in a pan, and let cook till bubbly. This makes a heaping 9 by 13 pan-so it serves a large party.

Yummy Crock Pot Chicken

Lay chicken in crock pot.
Mix 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, 3 T soy sauce, 6 T water.
(I usually double the sauce)
Pour on top of chicken.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring

Put in mixer and whip really well.

Huggzles

What you need for one Huggzle:

• Pretzel
• Hug
• M&M

What you do:

• Preheat the oven for 350 degrees
  
• Unwrap the Hug
• Put the Hug on the Pretzel
• Put the pretzel with the hug on top in the oven for 2-3 min.
• Right after you take it out of the oven put the M&M on top.

You will want to make lots.

Karissa's Favorite food-Chicken pillows

Ingredients:

• Crescent rolls
• 1 box (8 oz.) of cream cheese -softened
  
• 1 can of Chicken Chunks
  

What to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Mix the cream cheese and chicken together
• Put the mixture inside the crescent rolls
• Bake for 15-20 min.

(If desired, serve with chicken gravy)

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Bars
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (16 oz.) can of pumpkin
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups flour
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar together. Blend in pumpkin and eggs. Mix remaining ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Spread in a greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. When cooled spread with cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar
Blend cream cheese and butter well. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and blend well.

Tomato Bruschetta

We made this for our Super Bowl Party and it was delicious!

Bread
Slice a baguette (long skinny french bread), any kind of harder dry french
bread will work, slice on an angle, lightly brush with oil on both sides,
broil until slightly toasted turn over and brown again. You can sprinkle
parmesan cheese on 1 side before toasting if you like.


Sauce
In the summer or when available fresh tomatoes are best, if you don't have
them use a petite cut canned tomato. Cut tomatoes roughly into small
pieces.

For 1 loaf of bread you need about :

1 cup of tomatoes or 1 can
Add 1-3 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4-1/3 cup of roughly chopped fresh basil (I just shook some dried basil in, be careful not to do too much.)
2-3 tablespoons of good olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
It's best to make the "sauce" at least an hour or 2 before you serve it so the flavors can mix, leave at room temperature.

You can get creative if you'd like and add some chopped olives or capers, or sauteed onions, or even diced fresh peaches, or roasted canned peppers, or artichoke hearts, or not.

Dave's pizza dough

1 Tbs. yeast
1 cup hot water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil

Let the yeast dissolve in the water while combining other ingredients. Mix all together. Roll out and bake at 415 degrees for 15 minutes.

(We use a can of tomato sauce with some dry spaghetti seasoning mixed in for the sauce. Then top with cheese and any toppings you like.)

**Thanks for getting this set up Kristi....it will be lots of FUN!

Raviloi with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce!

Ok girls this one is amazing! I got it from my friends kitchen blog who got it from another blog, but anyways. We had this tonight and Melanie said "Mom, this is amazing!" Brad even loved it which says alot.

It isn't the healthiest, but man it sure was worth it!! I think we shall consider this over girls weekend!

2 Tbsp. butter

1 garlic clove, minced (more if you want, I used my garlic powder)

1 c. chicken stock or broth

1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes

2 cups whipping cream

3 tsp. cornstarch

8-12 oz. fresh or frozen ravioli (I used 8oz frozen bag and we had sauce left over it could cover two bags easy.)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried

2 T. chopped fresh parsley (only if using dried basil, but I didn't use any and it was fine)

salt & fresh ground pepper


Melt butter in med. saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook 30 secs. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered over medium heat about 10 mins. or until tomatoes are tender. Remove tomatoes with slotted spoon. Cut into smaller pieces. Return tomatoes to saucepan. Add cream and bring to a boil, and add your corn starch stirring consistantly. While this is simmering cook ravioli according to directions. Drain well. Add basil and/or parsley to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix with your pasta, and that's it.

Make sure to have some sort of bread or breadstick to sop up this delious sauce!

Aunt Gwen's YUMMY POTATOES

1 bag frozen hash browns
2 cubes butter
1 pt. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. grated cheese

Melt butter, sour cream and soup over low heat. Pour over hash brown, onions, cheese in 9X13 pan. Bake 350 for 40 minutes

Kristi's Easy Taco Soup!

Thought I better claim this one after Sunday! j/k

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot:

1 can (15 ounces) Chili with beans and meat
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, with liquid
1 1/2- 3 tablespoons dry taco seasoning mix (I usually do 2 TB)

Combine all ingredients in greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours, or you can do high heat for 4 hours.

Serve with sour cream, Frito chips and grated cheddar cheese!