Sourdough Bread

Isaac's coworker gave me this recipe and it is one of my new favorites.

3 cups warm water
6 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 T course salt

Warm the 3 cups of water and add yeast. Let dissolve for a few minutes. Then pour into mixer or tupperware container. Add salt and then all at once add the 6.5 cups of flour. Mix until all the dough is wet and no dry spots. NO KNEADING! Place in a container that had a lid, but don't close it air tight.
Let rise for 2 hours, then place in refrigerator for 3 hours or over night.

To make a loaf sprinkle a little bit of flour and flour your hands a little bit. Grab a grapefruit size ball of dough. Take and fold under and turn the loaf a quarter turn and repeat 3-4 times. This should take less than a minute. Place onto cornmeal dusted cutting board or pizza peal if you have one.

Let raise for 40 minutes. 20 minutes into raising the dough place your cooking stone, and empty broiler into oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Transfer dough onto cooking stone and in a broiler place a cup of water and shut the door promptly.

Cook for 30 minutes and 450 degrees. Cool on wire rack.

You can place the rest of the dough back in the refrigerator and use within the next 14 days. If you mix your next batch in the same container it will have an even better sourdough taste.

EASY, BEST-EVER Crock Pot Roast

1 roast
1 pkt dry italien seasoning
1 pkt dry ranch
1 pkt dry brown gravy
1/2 c. water

Put roast (can be frozen) in crockpot. Add all packets and water (you can mix all together with water before adding, but you don't have to). Can throw in carrots and potatoes. Cook on high for 6 1/2 hours. That's it! Roast is tender and yummy. You can use leftovers for Beef Stew the next day!

Grandma Sherie's Cheesy Shell Lasagna

1 lb hamburger, seasoned with garlic, onion, salt and pepper
1 jar Prego (or other) spaghetti sauce
1 package mini shell noodles, cooked
provolone cheese
sour cream
mozzerella cheese

Layer hamburger sauce, shells, sour cream (she doesn't measure, but I layer it pretty thin; you can completely omit it too), provolone cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce. Top with mozzerella cheese.

Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes.

This dinner freezes great! Make double and freeze one. Leftovers the next day taste GREAT, too!

Best-Ever Banana Bread!

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. banana
1/4 c. sour milk (add 1/4 tsp lemon juice to milk & let sit a few minutes to make sour)

*Mix all ingredients together. Pour in greased bread pan.

Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 TBSP cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

*Sprinkle topping over top of bread mixture. (This topping MAKES the bread!)

*Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Jenny's Honey Oatmeal Bread

(This is adapted slightly from the church's food storage booklet.) Jenny is a friend who is a delicious cook, especially her breads!

1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 c. oatmeal, quick or old-fashioned
2 TBSP butter or margarine (I use margarine)
1 TBSP active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1/2 c. honey
2 tsp salt
about 3-4 c. white flour, or additional as needed (the booklet calls for 5-6 cups, but I NEVER use even close to that amount!)

Pour boiling water over margarine and oats. Stir until margarine melts. Cool ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in 1/4 c. warm water. Stir yeast, honey, salt and oats into the mixture. Stir in enough flour to form a stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased container, cover and let rise until doubled (about an hour). Punch down, divide into two medium loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise again. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake in hot oven ten minutes and then turn down to 350 F for an additional 15-20 minutes of baking. Cool on racks and butter tops. Let cool and gobble up!

Delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 c. shortening
3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 can (28 oz) pumpkin filling
5 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Then add other ingredients. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Cookies

Ok, so there's just some cookies where you have to have chocolate chips! (Sorry, Dan.) Mom's Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, already posted I believe, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've tried substituting raisens (which you can do) but prefer chocolate chips. Here's a quick and easy recipe.

1 box spice cake mix (dry mix only)
1 can pumpkin (the smaller one, 15 oz, I believe)
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Mix together. Batter will be moist. Spoon balls on sprayed sheet. Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes.

Molasses Cookies

Since Dan doesn't like to eat it, I try to make desserts that don't have chocolate in them. By his estimate, about 90% of desserts people make include some bit of chocolate. These molasses cookies are chewy and tender, with a light sugary coating. It's hard to eat just one.

3/4 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses or sorghum
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat in the egg, molasses, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll into 1 or 1 1/4 in balls; roll in remaining sugar. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-14 minutes or until tops crack and edges are slightly firm. (I like my cookies chewy and soft, so I always go for the shortest amount of time!) Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 T. yeast
1/2 cup honey
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix just until incorporated. This is not your kneading stage. Use your hands or spatula to mash any lumps. If you are using the Bosch bowl, remove the metal dough hooks. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let sit for 2 hours in a warm place (room temperature is fine if the air is 75 degrees or warmer).

Two hours later when the sponge has formed, remove cover and add the remaining ingredients to the sponge in the Bosch bowl:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 T. yeast
1/2 cup oil
1 T. honey
5 cups whole wheat (more added later)
1 T. salt
1 T. dough enhancer

Knead ingredients with the dough hooks. Gradually add more flour about a cup at a time until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and sticks to the hooks. Dough should be soft but not too sticky. (about 5 cups) Continue kneading on speed 1 for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees then turn oven off. Grease pans with oil spray.

Shape the dough into loaves by pressing a portion of the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 thick on lightly oiled surface such as a large cookie sheet. Roll like a jelly roll or fold ends toward the middle pressing out any air bubbles and shaping into loaf. Pinch ends closed or fold under. Place loaves into greased bread pan. Place on middle rack or warm oven to rise until nearly double, about 25-30 minutes (oven should be off).

When raised, remove bread carefully, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Return bread to hot oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Bread is done when top is lightly golden brown. Empty bread out of pan immediately and cook on wire rack.

Fettuccine

Classic Alfredo (by American Beauty Pasta)
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in sauce pan over low heat. Gradually add Parmesan cheese until blended. Then add cream. Stir constantly until sauce comes to a boil. Remove from heat and added fresh parsley. Toss with a package of cooked fettuccine noodles.

Salsa Chicken

4 chicken breasts
16 oz salsa
1 cup sour cream
1 can black beans
1 can corn

Place chicken in crock pot. Pour salsa over it. Cook for 3-4 hours on high. The last hour pour in sour cream, black beans and corn. Serve in taco shells or tortillas.