Focaccia

Do you like Focaccia bread? Brandon, Kelli and I really do. Haggen has a great one, but why not make it at home? He has you make your own herbed olive oil, which is great so you can make it with whatever herb combination you like! I used about half the oil that he had you use, and next time I will divide the dough in half because ours was quite thick. I think thinner would be better. But the texture and taste was perfect!

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Raisin Bread

I attempted to make a raisin bread with the recipe that I use to make our bread for sandwiches, but it didn't give me the results that I really wanted. This recipe, however, did! This is a real winner and I will be making this many times in the future. The pics are from the site, the title will take you right there, and under the pictures are links to the step-by-step tutorial, and a printable recipe page. I made mine in two loaf pans, and either way you make it, it tastes wonderful.

Alesha's Taco Soup

 

I'm sure most everyone has had this before, but a couple of years ago, at a family reunion, I had this for the first time. It was my cousin, Alesha who made the soup so I gave it a try. I was hooked, so I shared this with my family, and have made it several times. Not sure where this one came from originally, but I call it Alesha's Taco Soup. I love dishes like these, where I can puree extra veggies and throw them in for extra nutrition. Spaghetti is another favorite to do that with. This is the only way I can get my family to eat Spinach (they think it tastes like dirt). Now I don't hide this from them, I don't think that's the answer, I announce which extra veggies I have put in so they can be excited like I am. I have put spinnach, carrots, green pepper, red, orange and yellow bell peppers, cellery, and a number of other veggies. I like to switch it up each time.

1 pound Ground Beef (works great with cooked chicken too)
1 package taco seasoning(I eyeball it, I buy bulk)
1 can kidney beans(do not drain)
1 can pinto beans(do not drain)
1 can corn(do not drain)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can water
2 cans diced tomatoes (my fam doesn't like to eat chunks of tomato, so I just puree this as well)

Brown the ground beef, drain, then add taco seasoning. Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, tomato sauce, water and diced tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.

Pour over crunched up chips, top with shredded cheese (pepperjack is aweseome), and sour cream if you like.

One more note here. Brandon's not a huge fan of soups, so I make this thicker sometimes, by leaving out the water, and the diced tomatoes. Still tastes awesome!

Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Here is my first attempt at taking my own photo of the food I've made. My goal would be to have all of the posts be my photos instead of others that I have found. We'll see how it goes for future posts.

These Chocolate Chip cookies are seriously the best I've ever made. I'm sure there are a ton of great recipes out there, but this one is on the top of my list. My cousin, Marcella gave me the recipe, but I'm not sure where it is originally from. Kelli helped put the cookies on the tray and stuck them in the oven to bake. I love it when the kids want to be involved, it's my favorite.

Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened (I used 3/4 cups butter, 3/4 cups canola oil)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups all-purpose)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar mixture, vanilla and eggs on medium speed or with spoon until light and fluffy. Stir in flour mixture (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.

On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
Flatten slightly.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1-2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

About 6 dozen cookies.

Baguette

The title is the link, for a pictured tutorial and there is a printable recipe card too. I found the pic off their blog. These Baguettes are REALLY good. They turned out perfectly! I can't wait to make these again. I think the only thing that would make them better, is if they were baked on a stone, instead of my cookie sheet. :) I just use what I have, and it still worked wonderful. This is a two day recipe, but super simple. The night before you add three ingredients(takes less than two minutes), then finish up in the morning(or afternoon in my case).

New England-Style Clam Chowder

About a year ago I attempted to make Clam Chowder, and while it tasted good, it wasn't quite the consistancy that I wanted, and I had a hard time eating it knowing how bad it actually was for me. So, this time I made some tweeks and "Voila!", here it is, hope you like it too. I got the "This is a keeper" ok from Brandon, and both the kids ate it all up! This afternoon Kelli asked me what was for dinner, so I said we were having Clam Chowder. Kaleb, over hearing, says to Kelli, "do I like Clam Chowder?", and Kelli answered "Yes you do!". Then he said "Oh I like Clam Chowder", in his happy voice. I love that he still looks to Kelli, Brandon and I to see if he likes or dislikes something. In the future I know that will change, but until that time, I'm good. I got most of the recipe just off the can of chopped sea clams, by Seawatch, from Costco, and the other part just looking online at several different recipes. Here goes:

1 can (51 Oz. Sea Watch Chopped Sea Clams
1 onion, finely chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
6 Tablespoons butter
3 ounces Extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup flour
3 cups Evaporated Milk (fat free, or skim)
salt and freshly ground pepper

(The original recipe calls for Half and Half. I want a good flavor, without all the fat and saturated fat, and extra cholesterol, so I found a good substitute- Evaporated Milk. I only had Evaporated Milk made with whole milk, and I still didn't want to go that route, so I found this substitution: To make the equivalent of a 12oz can, mix together 1 cup non-instant nonfat powdered milk and 1 and 1/3 cup cool water. Whir in a blender, let set for a few minutes for the bubbles to all rise up then skim off bubbles. Refrigerate leftovers. There were a ton of substitutions out there, so you could find one that works for you)

Combine potatoes, onions, bay leaves and canned sea clams with their juice. Simmer until potatoes are tender(I put mine into a slow cooker on low all day). Remove bay leaves. Sift flour into melted butter and oil, and gradually stir in milk, stirring constantly until well blended. Simmer until thickened. Add the milk mix to the clam chowder, and add seasonings. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot. (Don't put the milk mixture in until you're just about ready to serve, or it will start to sepparate- last time I made this, I made that mistake.)

This is fun to serve in a bread bowl, or just fresh baked bread. We'll have enough for leftovers tomorrow night-yay!

Crust for Chicken Pot Pie

 

This recipe can be doubled if you like a thicker crust, one for bottom and one for the top of the pie. I personally like a thin crust.

Crust for Chicken Pot Pie

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

In food processor, add flour, salt and butter, whir till small crumbs form. Slowly drizzle in the ice water and whir until it forms a ball. Remove and cut in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough thin to fit in an 8 x 11-inch baking dish. Place on bottom and sides. Repeat with second half.

Chicken Pot Pie

 

I love this recipe because it doesn't use Cream of Chicken Soup, it's completely from scratch. Love it!

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced, fresh green beans
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 small potatoes, cubed, skins still on
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 thin pie crust

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, green beans, celery, potatoes, chicken broth, pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Bring to boil and boil for 20 minutes, remove from heat.

In another saucepan over medium heat, add butter and onions, cook till onions are tender. While still heating, add flour and mix well. Slowly, add the hot chicken broth from the vegetables with a ladle, while stirring the onion and flour mixture till all liquid is used. Remove from heat and add to the vegetables and stir well.

Pour over bottom crust and spread evenly. Add top crust, brush with egg whites and bake 30-35 minutes.

Caramel Corn

 

When Brandon and I first got married, back in 1997, I worked in a candy shop. The coolest thing about this candy shop, was that there was freshly made Caramel Corn everyday. The shop smelled wonderful, and usually on the weekends there would be a long line waiting for the freshly made Caramel Corn. I remember people asking when the next batch would be done so they could have first dibs. Who doesn't like fresh Caramel Corn? This recipe is Corn Syrup free. My house smells wonderful. MMMMM.

Caramel Corn
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
One batch Pop Corn(1/2 cup, unpopped), popped in air popper
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

In a small saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, pure maple syrup and sea salt to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and add baking soda and stir till combined(it will bubble).

With popped Corn in a large bowl or large pot(bigger than you think you need), pour caramel over the popcorn. With a large wooden spoon, stir gently till well coated(be careful, it's really hot).

Spread pop corn on a buttered baking sheet, evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Break apart pieces on pan and let cool. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh.

Ginger Crinkles

Certain foods, or smells can bring back a flood of memories. For me, the smell of Ginger Snaps bring back a ton of memories of going to Grandma and Grandpa Blands house and all the fun times we shared. These Ginger Crinkles taste like a soft ginger snap to me. Cyndi was over today and helped me "test" them to make sure they were the right consistency. The first batch was too hard, the second batch was too soft(under-done), but the third batch was just right. I feel like I'm telling a story to Kaleb. He loves the story of Goldy Locks and the Three Bears. :)
When I make these again in the future, I'll add a bit more flour to help them hold their round shape, and bake them at exactly 13 minutes.

Homemade Tortillas

These are seriously really good. I've tried several homemade recipes for these, and have been disappointed every time, but no more! I was looking for one that didn't use lard, or crisco (I don't believe in those). I got the picture off of gourmet.com, but the recipe from Everydayfoodstorage.net. There is a how-to video (yay!), just click on the Title of this post, it will take you right there. She claims that you'll never buy another Tortilla again, and I agree with her on that, they just don't compare! I'm also including the recipe here on the blog.

Tortillas (or Gorditas if you make 'em thicker)

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
heaping 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup hot water

Put first three ingredients in food processor, process till combined. Add the wet ingredients and process until it forms into a ball then stop (Gluten will develop if it's mixed too much). With a damp paper towel or damp cloth, cover dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Separate dough into sections(about the size of a golf ball, doubled for a burrito, less for smaller, more for Gordita size). Roll each section, by hand into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Press each ball flat by hand, then roll out really thin. Roll on one side, flip over and roll on other side. Keep doing this till you get the size you want. They don't shrink so what you see is what you get.

Use skillet, griddle or a pan, whatever you have, on medium-high heat. It will be done cooking on one side when you see it start to bubble, then flip. Don't cook too much, they still need to be able to roll up into a burrito.

Makes 4-5 burrito sizes.
Enjoy!


Just a note here. I have made these several times, and the first few times I made these, they were too sticky and then I added too much flour to them. I rolled them out on a floured surface too. But, with practice, I have come to realize that they need to be a little on the sticky side, and from the oil that is in them, it makes it perfect for rolling on the counter. So if you find it's sticking to your roller, just add a little bit of flour at a time till it stops sticking to your roller and then you know it's the perfect amount.

I have made chips with these, and are pretty good, just cut and put under the broiler, flip and broil again till they are done. Good with Hummus or with Salsa. You could even spread some melted butter on them, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before you stick it in the oven. Then top with mixed berries- yummy!

Top Notch Top Round Chimichangas

These take a bit of time to make, but I get requests from my family to make it again and again. I looked at several of the reviews for these and with 5 stars from everyone, I figured we were safe to try these. So glad we did. We just love these! There is even a video on the site to watch Guy Fieri make these-Yum! We don't fry foods in our house here, so we just skip the oil, and roll them up and put them under the broiler. Don't forget to turn them over to crisp the other side too.

Homemade Energy Bars

 

I have made these several times and will continue to make these. I love them because they are so easy to make and taste so good! Kaleb calls them Granola Bars and I don't tell him any different-they are pretty much the same thing, right? I, personally love blueberries, so I throw in dried blueberries instead of raisins, and have done a number of substitutions and it always turns out great.

Homemade Energy Bars
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup raw sun flour seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried dates
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk (optional, for added protein)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Whir all ingredients to Food Processor. Process till everything is processed really small. Then...

Add:
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs

Process till well combined.
Press onto cookie sheet(Be patient, it's sticky, but you can do it)
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cool and cut into bars, wrap individually if you want and store in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last about a week in the fridge, if you're not in my family where they can't last that long anyway. These freeze well too.

Crumb-Topped Apple Pie

So, if I don't actually have a recipe written on any of these posts, I will have the title of the post as a link. My Sister-in-Law, Mindy, follows this website that has this recipe, and I am hooked! This past Sunday I was wanting to make a dessert, and we thought of making some sort of Apple Crisp, and I remembered seeing a recipe from the site Best Bites that looked good. So, we tried it, and it's really really yummy, and way easier than making Apple Pie. It has a crumb crust as well as the crumb topping, so it's double delicious!

French Toast with Challah Bread

I made this French Toast with the Challah Bread- Absolutely Fantastic! It was Brilliant! This is seriously the only way to go from now on. if you want French Toast, don't go any other route, this one is the best. Stop looking, you've found it, the perfect recipe! I can't say it enough, yummo!
The recipe for the bread has you bake it for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat, rotate it and bake some more, but after 20 minutes in my oven it was perfect. If i would have baked it any longer it would have turned out black. I also left off the optional ingredient of sesame seeds and it was still beautiful. They mentioned serving this at a Bed and Breakfast place. If we had a bed and breakfast, this is what I would be serving! The title of this post is the link to the recipe, also included is the recipe for the Blueberry and Nectarine Sauce, and the Granola topping. This time I didn't make the toppings, we just topped it with Pure Maple Syrup and devoured it for breakfast. Oh, by the way, I would recommend making the bread the day before so you're not getting up 3-4 hours before you really want to. :) I hope you give this one a try, it's sooooo worth it!