AWOL (Absent WithOut Leave)

Hard to believe that I've been gone so long...don't really know why and can't say I didn't have the time...I just never set aside the time.

 

I'll catch you up on the kids later but, believe me, they are growing like weeds!

 

I've been in a cooking funk because husband would rather eat out...when I do cook...well...

 

Today I cooked my first Dutch baby. Have no idea where the name came from...haven't tried looking it up.

This is what it looks like straight out of the oven...can't really see it, but the middle is puffed up...that settles flat.

Dutch Baby

3 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup all purpose flour

 

Oven 425 degrees.

Put butter in a 10" cast iron skillet. Put in oven.

In blender, blend eggs on high for one minute. Slowing blend in milk then flour blending 30 seconds.

Pour into hot skillet.

Put in oven for about 20 minutes.

 

I dusted with powdered sugar then drizzled my slice with maple syrup.

 

OH MY!!! This was like eating custard. Soooo gooood.

 

Husband didn't get up and out of bedroom until after 9 at which point he wasn't sure if eating a Dutch baby sounded good at all. LOL

 

Since he normally doesn't eat breakfast, I didn't worry about lunch at noon. When I did get up, I got out my #8 Griswold Dutch oven that I paid a whopping $18 for at a thrift shop in Delta Colorado while on vacation a couple of years ago.

 

First you start with a roux.

 

Husband walked into the kitchen, looked in the pot then at his boots and pronounced that the roux was almost ready since it was almost the color of his boots. 

 

He was so excited that he even chopped the vegetables. This is an unusual occurrence which happens only a couple of times a year. The last time I asked for help...this time he volunteered. I definitely thanked him!

 

Look quick before the lid (Griswold - matched the Dutch oven and cost considerably more than $18!!) goes on.

 

FINISHED!

 

A bit of rice in the bottom of the bowl...a sprinkling of Gumbo filet on top to help thicken.

 

DELICIOUS even if I do say so myself.

Easy Bread Recipe

I was informed by Tisme that I had not posted the recipe for the bread mentioned in a couple of my previous posts. Here it is:

Easy Bread

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon yeast (I use more like 3/4 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water

Mix all. Dough will be shaggy. Spray or wipe some oil on a piece of plastic wrap. Press on top of dough and leave on countertop 12 - 18 hours.

When you are ready to bake it, flour your hands and scoop it out on a floured surface. Very lightly knead the dough. Leave it on the floured surface and cover with a towel. After 30 minutes turn your oven to 450 degrees and put your cast iron pot and lid in the oven for 30 minutes. After the cast iron has heated, remove from oven and gently dump dough into the pot; cover with a lid and return to oven. Bake with lid on for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browned enough.

Somewhere I have photos of my newest cast iron purchases. When I find the photos, I will post them.

Tomato Soup

Sam was out-of-town a couple of weekends ago attending a three-class lunch reunion in Bay City Texas. I cleaned house for two straight days. I got a few other things accomplished as well as watched a couple of movies.

I watched the latest Star Trek movie. I laughed all the way through Grease. I think it was because I subbed at high school for five years. The kids are THE SAME!

I wanted to cook something light. Earlier I ran across a recipe for roasted tomato soup...so that's what I cooked. DELICIOUS!

The only tomato soup I knew anything about was Campbell's tomato. That's enough to turn anyone off of tomato soup! On vacation one year, Sam and I ate at Crystal Lodge in Lake City Colorado. The French-trained chef prepared tomato bisque soup for the first course.  First bite sold me on tomato soup!

This recipe is simple:

4 tomatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, sliced thick
3-4 garlic cloves, halved

Roast at 350-400 degrees for 30 or so minutes.

While that is in the oven, slice some good bread - I used a couple of slices of the bread I cooked in my "new" Dutch oven...photos will follow. Spray/sprinkle with olive oil and toast almost to crouton stage in your cast iron skillet.

Remove from oven, add 1 cup vegetable broth. You can blend in a food processor in batches or with a stick blender...I did the stick blender. Add salt, pepper, basil, any other Italian seasoning to taste.

Ladle into serving bowl, top with toasted bread. Sprinkle with bleu cheese and a spoonful of olive bruschetta.

DELICIOUS!

Snacks and Clouds

 Look good?

All you need is a package of oyster crackers. Mix some vegetable oil, ranch dressing mix, onion powder, fresh ground black pepper, whatever other spices you want. Spread in a baking pan. Bake 30 minutes at about 350 degrees stirring every 10 minutes.

I LIKE Penzey's spices and blends. I used their ranch dressing mix. I believe I had more of it left in the bottom of the pan than I did in the past when I used Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix which must be finer ground.

If you don't know that I love cloud formations...you haven't followed my blog very long.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I have a wee bit o' the Irish in me - Fields from my mother's side and Griffith from my dad's side. 

I use my cast iron chicken fryer with its cast iron lid to bake

 

Irish Soda Bread

It does a smashing job of it!

Before church I put carrots, potatoes, onions, and corned beef in the slow cooker. 

I also made shortbread.  

Everything I read online stated that REAL Irish Soda Bread has just four ingredients. When you start adding sugar, raisins, orange rind, etc. it becomes cake.

I got my recipe from The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread.

White Soda Bread
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon salt
14 ounces of buttermilk

The way I did it:
Put your cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with its lid into the oven. 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.
Stir in buttermilk.
Place dough on floured surface and knead just a bit. Not too much!
Shape into a ball.
Cross cut the top.
Remove skillet from oven and pour in just a bit of vegetable oil to lightly grease the skillet.
Put the formed loaf into the skillet.
Put the skillet in the oven and cover with the lid.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.

Remove from oven. You must then immediately slice off a bit and slather with butter. Quality Control is a job...but sigh...somebody's got to do it. ;-)

My shortbread recipe was found in an old cookbook called The Highlanders Cookbook. Once again REAL shortbread has only three ingredients.

Shortbread
1 pound butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar 
4 cups sifted flour

Beat butter and sugar until just combined. Gradually add flour.
Dust counter with a combination of flour and powdered sugar. You can form two circles 3/4" thick or one large rectangle 3/4" thick.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Using your thumb, indent around the edge. Then prick all over with a fork.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
Lower temperature to 300 degrees and bake about 45 minutes. These should not brown much at all.
Remove from oven and immediately slice into desired shapes. Triangle for your circles or squares for shortbread baked in a rectangle.

Just Stuff...and a New Pie Recipe!

This hawk is sitting on a high-line pole nearly every evening. One day I'm going to be prepared and catch him on that pole!

I made one placemat at the COF 2012 retreat in Branson - well I started it there. I finally completed all eight and made the tablerunner to match from a PJ party on the HGTV quilting forum. :D I'm happy!

A couple of weeks ago we spent Sunday with Isabel and her parents. She was starved for barbeque at lunch...

Ah...sated!

This is what 15 mph looks like at 7:40 a.m on the way to work via a country road. He got up to 20 and hit his breaks to slow down. LOL I leave early enough that I don't always go straight to work, sometimes I take an alternate route. This guy may have thought he was "getting to" me...but I was behind him laughing. neener neener He turned right at the farm-to-market road and looked over his shoulder - I guess to judge my degree of frustration. He was a young guy. Go figure...

Remember that Ozark Mountain Pie I had at the Rainbow Cafe in Mt. View Arkansas?

Here's my version.

I sorta held a naming contest with some quilter friends: To Die for Pie, Sherry's Sinful Indulgence, Sherry is a Big Tease (LOL), No Name Pie...but the winner is ...

Big Butt Pie

1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light Karo
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add Karo and vanilla, mix in. Then add eggs and beat until all is blended in. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts. Pour into a prepared pie shell. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Note: I used dark chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
 

This is my "Does this hat make my butt look big?" gift from Sue - aka Florida Farm Girl. Yes...there's a story. ;)

My new crust recipe. 
When I got my new KitchenAide food processor last year I searched for a pastry crust recipe. So flaky it melts in your mouth!

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pulse a couple of times to mix.

8 tablespoons of lard (I weigh it - 4 ounces)
Cut into chunks and spread on top of flour. Pulse 3 times counting to 3 each time.

Run and sprinkle in three tablespoons of ice cold water. This comes together real quick. Turn off. Gather up into a bundle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour.

Note:
You can use shortening instead of lard. Some of the fat can be butter, but butter tends to toughen the crust.