Finally...A Keeper Biscuit Recipe!

As a bread lover, I just can't get enough of it.  But sometimes I just need something quick.  Biscuits work to fill that need in my belly at those times when I don't have the time or energy to make a loaf of homemade bread.

But I'm always so disappointed in biscuits.  Flat, somewhat tasteless, despite new baking powder.

Until now.

Do you see that lovely split in some of the biscuits?  That had never happened before in the many recipes I've tried.

I made these biscuits twice.  The first time I was thrilled.  The second time I was even more thrilled-since I had made a double batch that time in hopes of putting some in the freezer.  Only a handful made it to the freezer, but it's enough for a dinner for the four of us.  

This recipe actually uses Bisquick, but please, allow me to assure you that they are nothing like the Bisquick recipe's product.  Because I've tried it.  Oh, if you have no buttermilk, that isn't an issue, either.  To make your own buttermilk, just add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk.

My Keeper Biscuit Recipe

(AKA Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Biscuits from Food.com)

2 1/4 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup buttermilk (OR 2/3 c milk + 2 tsp vinegar.  Let sit 5 minutes)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

melted butter for brushing

flour

Preheat oven to 450.  Mix Bisquick, buttermilk, and sugar together by hand.  Add the melted butter and stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough onto a well-floured surface.  If dough is sticky (likely) add additional flour.  Knead 20 times.  

Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick (or thicker).  Cut.  Place close together on ungreased cookie sheet.  Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove when nicely browned.  Brush tops again with butter.

A tip for you...when you are craving a bacon-egg-and cheese-biscuit on the way home from learning that you actually are not in labor and your lost sleep and painful contractions were all for nothing...make a batch of these biscuits and cut them out with your biggest biscuit cutter (or even cut squares!), and then make your own sandwich.  Your belly will thank you!

Bacon Ranch Chicken Recipe

Bacon Ranch Chicken is definitely a keeper for it's taste and ease.

Bacon Ranch Chicken

2 tablespoons of real bacon pieces (from jar or freshly cooked) 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

Please visit This Simple Home for the remainder of the Bacon Ranch Chicken recipe!  Thanks!

Kids in the Kitchen: Chex Party Mix

MMM...Chex Party Mix.  The best is homemade!  Have you made it before?  If not, I would encourage you to do so.  No party is needed.  I cannot imagine it going stale, though if you are single with no children you may just want to try a half batch...but probably only the first time you make it if you are as naughty as I am.

For years I only made this in the oven.  (I made my first batch in 2001.)  This was my first time using the microwave.  Wow.  Salty goodness in just 5 minutes instead of an hour!  It didn't lose any flavor or crunch in the microwave, so this will be my new way to make it!  (And FYI, for years when I would make this I would buy generic Corn Chex and Rice Chex, but my stores never had generic Wheat Chex.  Walmart carries a generic version of Wheat Chex, in case you wanted to know.)

Chex Party Mix Recipe

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups Wheat Chex

1 cup mixed nuts (I just use dry roasted peanuts.)

1 cup bite-sized pretzels (I prefer broken pretzel sticks.)

1 cup bite-sized bagel chips (I omit and increase pretzels and nuts.)

6 tablespoons butter or margarine 

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (In the past I didn't have this and just used garlic salt...worked fine.)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

In large microwavable bowl mix cereal, nuts, pretzels and chips; set aside.  In small microwavable bowl, heat butter until melted-about 40 seconds.  Stir in seasonings.  Pour over cereal mixture and mix thoroughly.

Microwave mix on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Spread and cool on paper towels. Store in air tight container.  YUM!!

Kid tasks: 

Breaking pretzels

Dumping and snacking

Mixing dry ingredients

Mom (and older child) tasks:

Measuring, if you have younger children,

Thoroughly mixing butter mixture into cereal mixture

Stirring heated mixture

Final results:

Chex Party Mix for a happy family!

Butterfly Cake (Or How to Thrill Your Daughter)

My intention was to make this banana butterfly cake with my daughter, but as it turned out, she spent a very long (contented) time in her room cleaning it while I made the cake without her.  However, she did help me frost it.

I got the idea for the cake and the recipe from Superheros and Princesses.  Christy's banana cake recipe was awesome.  In my opinion it doesn't even need frosting, but that is my opinion about every cake, so you may not want to listen to me.

The gummy worm antennae have been saved since Easter for this very project.  Yes, that's right.  My kids got gummy worms at an Easter egg hunt, and I saved them for months.  (Should I admit now that other Easter candy can be found in our house?  We're pathetic.)

M was excited to see the circle cake turn into a butterfly.  She helped me make the frosting and decorate it.

Today I have a guest post over at Milk 'n' Honey Learn and Grown.  Check it out, if you wish!

Kids in the Kitchen: Chocolate Eclair Cake

I made an eclair cake with just vanilla filling years ago...long before children.  Since I wasn't sure what recipe I used then, though it was good, I went looking for another recipe when I had a lot of milk to use.  This one came from my friend as part of a collection of recipes for a bridal shower gift.

Chocolate Eclair Cake (or any eclair cake) is a simple dessert to make and makes a good* choice for Kids in the Kitchen!


Chocolate Eclair Cake
Small box instant vanilla pudding
Small box instant chocolate pudding
4 cups of milk, separated
8 ounces whipped topping (more if you want to add it to the top for serving)
graham crackers (LOTS)
chocolate icing (I used this recipe, but you could buy a can of it.)

Mix vanilla and chocolate puddings, separately, with 2 cups of milk each.  Then mix vanilla pudding with approximately 4 ounces of whipped topping and the chocolate pudding with 4 ounces of whipped topping.

Arrange graham crackers to cover bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Pour chocolate mixture on top.  Arrange graham crackers on top of chocolate pudding to cover.  Cover graham crackers with vanilla pudding and then another layer of graham crackers.  Spread icing on top.  Refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours, but more is preferred). Serve cold.

Kid Tasks: (for ages 2 and 4)
Mix puddings.  Layer graham crackers (depending on age, adult may want to do layers on pudding).  Mix whipped topping and pudding.

Mom Tasks: 
I completed all the mixing, making sure each was mixed thoroughly.  I also helped my daughter pour the pudding mixtures and spread them.  The icing was also spread by me.

I knew I didn't want to make a 9x13 pan of the chocolate eclair cake for our family of four.  Instead of just making a half batch with leftover pudding, we filled two 8x8 pans and sent one to work with my husband.  If I had not split it into two pans, the layers of pudding mixture would have been thicker in the photo.

This was delicious!  I suspect the regular eclair cake recipe I made was this one from Kraft.  I suspect we'll add this to our dessert line-up for our family on a regular basis.

*This would have been a much better Kids in the Kitchen activity if I had two whisks.  My son didn't like giving it up to make the chocolate pudding!  He's two years old though.

See our other Kids in the Kitchen post, too.  I'm linking up to Adventures in Mommydom's Kid Friendly Recipes!

Easy Cake Mix Cookies

I love homemade cookies.  Some days it's really nice to have them without any effort though.  Though it'd be nice to always have a stash in the freezer, the reality is that sometimes we just need something with immediate gratification.

No-bake cookies tend to be my go-to quick cookie, but if I want M to help me, she can't help with those because they are cooked on the stove-top.  So then I make the easy cake mix cookies that you have probably already tried or seen around, but I'm sharing anyway.  Just in case.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box of cake mix (I prefer the chocolate type...and buy them when they are $1.)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

chocolate and/or peanut butter chips 1-1 1/2 cups

Mix the cake mix, eggs, and oil together.  Fold in chips.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  YUMMY!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

My kids both eat Hamburger Helper.  They don't tend to eat much for dinner most nights, and we don't eat Hamburger Helper too often...I do try to make more homemade meals than processed, packaged meals.

I was really excited when I found a way to make homemade Hamburger Helper.  Pictured above is the Cheeseburger Macaroni.  You can find all sorts of different versions of homemade Hamburger Helper at Chickens in the Road.  I was pleased with the way it tasted, and the kids ate it.  And it was made with real cheese and spices, not powdered "cheese".  Success!

If you want this to be really quick every time you make it, you can cook your ground beef in advance and freeze it in zippered freezer bags, one pound at a time.  Of course, the spices and pasta can be measured in advance, too.

Let me know what you think!

My BEST Homemade Pizza

For well over a year I have been on a quest to find a homemade pizza that we really can enjoy.

Let's see.  To have good pizza, you must have good crust.  That's basic, common knowledge.  I have also learned that freshly shredded mozzarella cheese is important.  Do not purchase shredded cheese for pizza.  And the third thing for our family is homemade pizza sauce.  I have an easy recipe.  I like to double it, and then freeze it (once cooled) in baggies in the freezer.  An extremely important tip is to put the sauce on very, very lightly!  Many swear that the hot oven and pizza stone are crucial.  They probably are.  Since the oven is SO hot when I use it, I have learned the hard way (repeatedly) to keep my oven light on while cooking the pizza, and to check it after just five minutes.  Seriously, we have eaten too much burned pizza.

In the past, I have shared about grilling pizza.  That was very good.  I also wrote about pizza buns.  Not Derek's favorite, but still good.

When time is short, and it usually is, I use this recipe for my quick pizza dough.  It only takes about half an hour.

I know the best pizza dough should ferment overnight.  (I'm not sure if ferment is the right word, but that's what I'm using.)  I had tried this recipe a couple times.  I know I burned it once, and I think I did something wrong the other time, too, even though it was still good.  Well, this past week I wanted to keep at my pizza attempts.  AND I remembered the day before that I wanted pizza the following day.  It was time to try a brand new recipe!

The winning recipe that Derek and I both really liked comes from 101 Cookbooks.  It is amazingly detailed!  I truly think all those details are what made this recipe a success for me.  It gives instructions for hand-kneading and for using a stand mixer!  There are nine steps total, and wow, are they detailed...perfect for someone like me who really isn't a very capable cook past the basics.  Find the Best Pizza Dough Ever by clicking the link.  You'll have to scroll down a ways to get to the recipe, but it's well worth it.

Some things to know.

• For this recipe, you need to prepare the dough a day in advance.  
• It makes a large amount of dough.  The directions tell you specifically how to freeze the dough, too.  The directions suggest you divide it into six equal pieces, but I divided it into four.  We froze two pieces for future use, and used two pieces for our family, and that was perfect for us, with just a snack left over.
• I have found that 500 degrees is hot enough for our oven and pizza stone.  If it's hotter, I seem to burn the pizza.  
• I made both pizzas on the stone.  With only taking a bit more than five minutes to cook, it was just fine.
• We're rather boring.  We prefer cheese and sauce on our pizza.  Nothing else.  (Though ham can be a nice treat on occasion, according to me.  Derek doesn't mind pepperoni and some other toppings.)  When testing recipes, try to be consistent in your toppings (or lack thereof) so you can fairly gauge the pizza dough.
• We've only made this pizza one time.  It was very good.  It was also sticky.  Though I had learned to "knuckle" pizza dough when I was a teen working in at Roman Pizza, I struggled with using my fists this time.  Next time I will thoroughly cover the backside of the dough in cornmeal...it still stuck to my pizza peel a bit, and my pizzas were NOT circular.  Despite the funky shapes, we agreed that this recipe was a keeper.
• Is all the effort worth it?  Yes, I think so.  I would like to eat pizza every week.  Take out gets pricey, even with coupons.  And really, take out just isn't practical for us to do each week.  This is good pizza, and worth the effort...and though very good, nothing compares with pizza from your favorite pizza joint, though this is close!

If you like thin crusted pizza, I would definitely suggest trying this recipe.  Let me know what you think!  

Not-Too-Sweet Corn Bread

For the past year or so, I have been trying to find a good recipe for corn bread.

At first we tried a corn bread recipe that had corn in it.  It was really good.  The next day, the corn kernels turned to crunchy, icky yellow blogs that were not preferred.  Being as we are just a family of four, we appreciate our leftovers.  I stopped trying to find a recipe with corn in it.

I had tried a couple other recipes, but they were too sweet.  Finally, I tried the recipe on the Indian Head Yellow Corn Meal bag.  It was a hit with both of us!  It was so moist, too, that when it was warm I did not need butter on it!  Below is the recipe, word for word, though I'm sure you can tweak it to make it your own. They did have a suggestion for a sweeter corn bread, but I'll just share the standard recipe.

Golden Yellow Corn Bread



1 cup Indian Head Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
...


Please read the full Corn Bread Recipe at my new blog, This Simple Home.

Easy Muffins

Okay, really these are called French Puffs, but they aren't particularly light and fluffy, though they are sweet and easy!  Maybe I'm wrong thinking something with the title "puff" should be light and fluffy, but I will just call these Easy Muffins.  Needing a really quick and easy recipe that could be served to my Bible study as part of our fellowship time, I chose these easy muffins.  I hadn't made them in years...since my husband and I were dating.  They are best served warm.  Once "cold" they are still good, but seem to be a heavier muffin.  They also make a great mini-muffin!

(The muffins did stain the napkin I had used because of the butter.  Just in case you might do the same thing I thought I'd warn you.)

Easy Muffins (or French Puffs)

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Cream together butter and sugar.  Mix in the egg.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Fill greased muffin cups 1/2-2/3 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While muffins bake prepare cinnamon and sugar mixture.

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

Remove muffins from tin.  Immediately dip tops into melted butter, then press into sugar mixture until coated.  Best served warm.

I found this recipe in a church recipe book (not my church).  Mrs. Matthew Miller contributed it.  Thank you, Mrs. Miller!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Valentine's Day may have been ages ago, but I thought I'd share what I did for my dear husband.  

He has always loved the peanut butter and chocolate combination.  I've made various creations for him over the years, typically for no special occasion.

This year for ♥ Day I made him homemade peanut butter cups!

They were somewhat torturous to make, but they were pretty good.  I haven't made peanut butter eggs in years, but I am certain eggs were easier.  

We used this peanut butter cup recipe.  (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter instead of the recommended.)  Unlike what the recipe says, this only made about 20 cups for me...not 30.  The recipe also suggested putting chocolate almost to the top of the cups, but that was just wasted chocolate.  Lining the bottom of the cup, filling with the peanut butter mixture, and topping with additional chocolate would have been sufficient.

Good peanut butter cups, but a lot of hard work (and love) definitely went in them.  I spent over 1 1/2 hours making them.  (Not including clean up.)  But if you are adventurous, give them a try!  They do taste good.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
2 cups chocolate chips (Milk chips are recommended.)
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter (Crunchy is recommended; creamy was good.)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

1. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan.  Cook on low, stirring occasionally until completely melted and blended.
2. Keep cupcake liners in the stack, but loosen the top  one.  Spread about 1 teaspoon of chocolate mixture.  (The recipe says to take almost to the top of the the sides.  I totally disagree!  Just cover the bottom and a little bit of the side.)  Repeat for 20 (possibly 30 according to recipe.)  Refrigerate cups, but leave remaining chocolate on cold stove top.
3. Combine butter, peanut butter and cook over medium heat until melted.  Then stir in sugar and graham cracker crumbs.  Since it was so thin, I let it cool a bit before placing about 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture in chocolate coated cups.  
4. Cover with just enough chocolate to cover the chocolate!
5. Freeze cups and remove paper liners or just refrigerate in the cake liners!  Store refrigerated.

If you follow the directions of the original recipe and try to take the chocolate up the whole sides with a toothpick, you will feel the torture.  If you have some sort of paintbrush for food or just don't take the chocolate very far up the sides, they might be fun to make.  YUMMY!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Even my daughter enjoys these tacos!  They couldn't be easier to make!

Chicken Tacos

3-4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup chicken broth

Please see the remainder of this Chicken Taco recipe on my new blog.

Happy cooking!

No-Bake Cookie Recipe (Chocolate or Peanut Butter)

Need a quick and tasty sweet?  Try No-Bake Cookies!  Cooked in one pot on the stove top, they really are quite simple to make.   Filled with oats and peanut butter (and a bit of sugar and chocolate) they aren't completely unhealthy!  With a simple adjustment to the recipe, you can make chocolate or peanut butter cookies!  

We had a friend who would request these cookies every time we came to visit as my contribution to dinner.  So easy!! 

Mom's No-Bake Cookies

Prepare wax paper for cookies.

2 c sugar

½ c milk

½ c cocoa

½ c butter

Put sugar, milk, cocoa, and butter in pan.  Stir frequently at medium-high heat bring to a rolling boil for 60 seconds.  (A rolling boil cannot be stirred down.)  Then remove from heat.

½ c peanut butter

 Stir in peanut butter.  (Peanut butter can be smooth or crunchy.)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

2 ½ c+ oats 

Then add vanilla, salt, and oats.  Stir until completely blended.  (Quick or old-fashioned oats are fine, though you will get different textures.)

Drop on wax paper by teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on the size of the cookie you want!  Cookies will set up as they cool.

To make peanut butter no-bakes, omit the cocoa and add an additional 1/4 cup of peanut butter.
Some notes: When I measure the oats, I like to have each measuring cup of oats slightly rounded to give my cookie mixture a thick enough texture.
If your No-Bake Cookies do not set up, then you likely didn't cook them at a rolling boil for the complete 60 seconds.  (I personally don't mind them a bit gooey, but they don't transport as well if gooey.)
If your cookies are really hard, you likely cooked for too long.

This is what my cooking space often looks like.  I have my recipes typed on color-coded papers and laminated.  I have used this method for about a year and still love it.  If interested, you can read more about how I organize my recipes by clicking the link.

♥Happy Valentine's Day to all of my blogging friends!♥

^{♥ 4} Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.       ♥ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

About ten years ago, I had a mentor at my little church.  When I learned that she had a fettuccine Alfredo recipe, I was so excited.  Derek and I hadn't been dating for too long at that point, but I already knew that it was one of his favorite dishes to order at a restaurant.

The amazing part is that it is so, so easy to make!  Seriously!  It's also even easier if you use leftover chicken from your freezer to go with it!  (I like to roast a big chicken.  Then I serve it for two meals and the remaining chicken goes in the freezer for meals such as this.  The chicken is flavored so much better than if you just pan-fry chicken breast.)  The other option for excellent chicken to prepare with this dish is to grill it.  Yum.  My husband likes when I serve this chicken and broccoli.  

Both of my children love fettuccine Alfredo!  Other than processed/packaged meals the only other main dish that we all like is spaghetti.

Have I convinced you yet?  I hope you'll give fettuccine Alfredo a try!

Fettuccine Alfredo
1 16 oz package of fettuccine (or pasta choice)
1/2 c melted butter
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste


Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, combine melted butter with remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Drain pasta.  Pour sauce over hot pasta and toss lightly.  Serve on warm platter.

It's so easy!!  Since I tend to cook from my pantry and freezer, the hardest thing for me is buying the whipping cream.

Can anyone tell me why Alfredo gets capitalized?

Easy Roasted Chicken

This is how we like to roast our chicken.  It's super easy.  (Even if you have to touch the raw meat to do it.  Ick.)  We've been eating this roasted, flavorful chicken for a couple of years now.   I got the recipe on the internet somewhere years ago.  Sorry I do not know the source.

Mimi's Sticky Chicken

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 pounds

1/2 onion

Combine all spices (first 8 ingredients) in small bowl.

Rinse chicken, inside and out. Drain well and then dry.  Rub spice mixture over skin and the inside of chicken.  If you rub it under the skin it will be even tastier!  Place in a plastic storage bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roast, stuff cavity with onion. Place chicken breast side down in pan.

Roast uncovered at 250ºF for about 5 hours. Baste occasionally (if you remember...I rarely do) with pan juices or until pan juices start to caramelize on bottom of pan and chicken is golden brown.

It's that easy!  It always makes enough juices for plenty of gravy, too.

That's the recipe, though I don't use cayenne or white pepper.  Also, the chickens I use are typically bigger, but are still at the right internal temperature after 5 hours.  Always.

I am all about shortcuts. After roasting a chicken, we eat from it for a few days, but that first night I always put a couple cups of chicken in the freezer.  I try to have chicken in the freezer for those days when cooked chicken is needed in a recipe.  

Pizza Tips and Pizza Buns

I love pizza.  We typically have pizza on Fridays.  I like to make my own and continue to be on a quest to make a great pizza.  I like this recipe, but you need to make it the day before.  It is good though.  I also shared about our grilled pizza.  Very good, but with a thick crust.  I tried another new recipe (pictured below with the first cut) and we really liked it.  It was really fast and easy, too.  Unfortunately, I made the pizza too large (16", but still had leftover dough) and had to bake it in my pizza pan instead of on my pizza stone, but it has great potential.  Doesn't it look good?

To make a good pizza at home, we feel a few things are needed.

1. homemade crust  (check links above if you don't have one)

2. homemade pizza sauce (Linked to my easy sauce.  It makes enough for several pizzas.  I freeze the extras.)  Also, I recommend spreading the sauce thinly.

3. mozzarella cheese purchased in a block and shredded by you.  Purchased shredded cheese just doesn't work on pizza.

4. pizza stone -This is somewhat optional, but makes a big difference.  You also need to preheat your oven, with the stone inside it, for about 45 minutes.  It's not ideal in the summer, but works great the rest of the year.   

5. hot oven-You want your oven as hot as possible.  I've also heard that using the lowest part of the oven is good.  

Since the Mennonite Girls Can Cook's pizza crust recipe was so good, I decided to try their pizza buns too.  They were good!  I used the French bread recipe mentioned in the post instead of my own.  (Of course you could even buy a can of French bread dough.) 

 Sorry for the orange picture.  (Silly oven light.)

  Anyway, these pizza rolls were really good, though next time I will sprinkle additional cheese on top for the last five minutes of baking.  Too much of the cheese oozed out during the baking process, as seen on the parchment paper below.  Anyway, if you are looking for a good pizza alternative, these are pizza-but perfect for on the go with no mess...and loved by children!

What pizza tip do you have for me?  

MMM...Apple Dip and Onion Dip

Maybe I shared before how I don't really like fruit.  I tolerate a few fruits (and love homemade applesauce).  Apples are one of the fruits that I eat.  Don't think I'm too weird, but sometimes to eat a whole apple just seems a bit like torture work.  I enjoy a few bites...but past that gets tough.

Several years ago we had some friends over for dinner and Richel brought over a delicious apple dip.  Oh yeah!  It is so good, that I can eat a whole apple just because I want to eat the dip.  I'm not the only one who loves it.  Maybe you will, too!

Caramel Dip

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar to a boil.  

Stir constantly until smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Stir well.  

Serve warm.  (Can be reheated.)

Not only am I not a big fruit person, but I'm not too keen on vegetables either.  Shameful, I know.  It's awful.  Let's just say I make sure my children eat plenty, even if I'm not a great role model.  Lots of people consider dip to be the answer to the problem of not liking veggies.  That never worked for me.  Until now.  I like this onion dip with carrots, but prefer to dip pretzels.

A few months ago I went to my friend, Faith's Tastefully Simple party.  She had just become a consultant, and I had Onion-Onion Dip.  I was hooked!  It's fabulous with pretzels, crackers, bread, and even veggies.  At my children's recent birthday party both the recipe for the apple dip and the onion dip were asked for.

The onion dip is so worth buying the Onion-Onion seasoning.  (And yes, it is shipped directly to your home!)  It takes just two tablespoons of Onion-Onion seasoning mixed with one cup of sour cream to make this fabulous dip. (If you are frugal like me you can use less if you prepare it the night before you need it.)

If you haven't heard of Tastefully Simple, check out Faith's Tastefully Simple catalog.  There's a lot more than just seasonings.  (The beer bread can even be made with soda and no kneading or rising is needed!  I also love the Garlic Garlic.  I tend to be too frugal to buy the mixes for baked goods, but they really are very, very good!)  Everything is easy to prepare and quite tasty.  I'm actually having a party in a few weeks.

If you are interested in placing an order and getting a discount on the shipping by going through my party, you are welcome to!  You'll need to go here and put in my name to find my party.  (Annette Whipple in PA)  I'm excited to help my friend Faith out with her new business!

Yummy White Bread Recipe

Bread is just one of those wonderful foods that I cannot eat enough.  It's my comfort food.  Recently I came across this recipe on a Babycenter recipe board.  It was called "Amish White Bread."  I have no desire to claim it as Amish...it's just bread.  My Amish neighbor certainly doesn't call the recipe she uses for her ten loaves of bread each week Amish Bread.  Anyway...It is a basic white bread...but the way I remember homemade bread that my aunt made when I was a little girl.  I use a Kitchen Aid to knead it with a bread hook to knead it.

White Bread
(makes two loaves)

2 cups warm water
1/3 to 2/3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6+ cups bread flour.

In a large bowl dissolve sugar in water.  Stir in the yeast.  Allow to proof until yeast is a creamy foam.  Mix in salt and oil.  Mix in flour, one cup at a time.  Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth.  Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn to coat.  Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  Punch dough down.  Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half.  Shape into loaves.  Place in two well-oiled 9x5 pans.  Allow to rise again for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

If you try this, let me know!  I'd love to hear your input.

I'm linking up with Offering Hospitality.

offering hospitality link up 10/6

Homemade Butter for Kids

Back when I taught third grade we had a farm unit that incorporated some nutrition, too.  We made butter together, and I remember it was some of the best tasting butter the students and I had ever had!

Recently, Superheroes and Princesses also made butter...and it reminded me of my previous experience.  Check her out for some more of the scientific reasons as to why the butter is formed.  Well, after making some fettuccine Alfredo, I knew what to do with the leftover whipping cream.

First, I gathered my materials: whipping cream, marble, jar (any clean jar with a lid works).  I added a dash of salt, too.

Place the cream, salt, and marble in the jar.  Seal.  Then shake.  Shake.  Shake!!

The marble speeds the process a bit.  Keep shaking even after the marble stops moving around.

Eventually, you will have a solid and a liquid!  Think of Little Miss Muffet.  The liquid here is called whey.  The butter is made from the fat in the whipping cream.  Whipping cream is preferred over milk because it has more fat in it.

To do this properly, you should remove the butter from the whey and rinse it in cold water.  

Be sure to enjoy the butter!   

I prefer my butter at room temperature, but this was stored in the fridge.

I'm linking up with Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom!

Fudge (Nut) Bars Recipe

This is a recipe from Derek's family, though I was eating them long before I met Derek through another family.  I remember asking what "that cookie" was called, and I was told Fudge Nut Bars.  I explained that it must be something else because that yummy cookie didn't have any nuts.  Silly me.  I've had these made by several different people, and no one I know uses nuts, but they are still called Fudge Nut Bars.  

Fudge Nut Bars are one of two ways my husband eats oatmeal.  The other way is with No Bake Cookies.  

This weekend I made a batch to help out with a fundraiser event for a family at our church since some finger goodies were needed.  It makes a good amount, so I kept the top and bottom edges for us, while sharing the "good" stuff with the others.

Forgive my blurry fudge nut bars.

Fudge Nut Bars

Batter

1 cup butter, softened

2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick oats

Beat together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Then mix and add flour, soda, and salt.  Then mix in oats.  Dough will be sticky!

Chocolate

1 cup sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)

1 tablespoon butter

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt together over low heat.  

Optional-add 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired.

Spread 2/3 of dough in 11x15 jelly roll pan.  I need to use my hands to do it, (and remember the dough is sticky). Spread chocolate mixture on top.  Crumble remaining dough on top.  Some chocolate will show.

Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

When cooled, cut into bars.  My bars are usually 1x2 inches...give or take.  These freeze great!  If you have any questions, please just ask!