Heading off to the Hospital!!!!

My water broke a little while ago and David's on his way home from work right now to whisk me away to the hospital!!! I feel great and am not too anxious, but please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!! I can't wait to meet Peter! I'll update again as soon as I can!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I think this is *the* recipe for cinnamon raisin bread. It makes a lot -- 3 whole loaves, so scale it down if you don't want to make that much. The bread was delicious toasted with butter, and it also makes excellent french toast. My bread cooked faster than the recipe states - mine was done in about 30 minutes rather than 45. Also, I soaked the raisins in boiling water for about 5 minutes (and then drained them) to make them plumper in the finished bread.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Raisin-Bread-I/Detail.aspx

Whole Wheat Bread

I make this bread every week, and it's our sandwich and regular toast bread. I use the bread machine to knead and rise it, and then I pop it into a 9x5 bread pan, let it rise, and cook it in the oven (I don't really like how bread machines cook bread).

Whole Wheat Bread
3/4 C buttermilk
1/4 C water
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 egg
2 C whole wheat flour
1 C bread flour
1/4 C sugar or honey
1/4 C oats (quick or regular is fine)
1/4 C flax seed meal (in baking aisle at grocery store)
1 Tb vital wheat gluten (in baking aisle)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Combine buttermilk, water, and oil in a measuring glass. Microwave for about 45 seconds on high to warm up the liquids.
2. Put liquids in bread machine pan. Add egg.
3. Add remaining dry ingredients.
4. Turn bread machine on to dough cycle.
5. When cycle is complete, punch down dough and place in a 9x5 bread pan. Cover with a moist towel.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Allow dough to rise about 30 minutes, until it is slightly above the top edge of the bread pan.
8. Cook bread for 30 minutes, until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Butter Spread

This is a homemade butter spread that we really like. You store it in the fridge, and it's a little soft so it spreads very easily. Also, it's half real butter and half canola oil, so it's cheaper and healthier than real butter or store-bought margarine.

Butter Spread
2 C canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
2-3 Tb powdered nonfat milk
2 c (4 sticks) butter, softened

1. Blend the oil and powdered milk in a blender until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Add softened butter and blend until combined, about 45 seconds - 1 minute.
3. Pour into a container and place in refrigerator (it will firm up once it cools down).

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are cookies that I made for Kim's baby shower, and they turned out pretty good! I think the key is the make sure you don't overcook them -- they stay a lot softer that way. I cook them for exactly 8 minutes in my oven, and that seems perfect.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=30152

Chicken Marinade

Here is a good recipe for a chicken marinade. It's great when the chicken is grilled, but I imagine it would also turn out well broiled, baked, or cooked in a skillet.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marinade-for-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Note -- I didn't have fresh parsley, so I used a decent amount of dried parsley and it turned out just fine.

Gnocchi

This gnocchi recipe is flexible -- I adapted it from some other recipes I've found online, but it seems to turn out pretty well for us every time. I especially like to use leftover mashed potatoes from a previous dinner because it cuts down on the prep time a lot.

Gnocchi

• 1 C mashed potatoes (leftover, or boil/bake and mash about 2-3 potatoes)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine mashed potatoes (make sure they've cooled down if they are freshly made), egg, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add flour.
2. I find it easiest to mix the dough with my hands at this point. It's messy, but it mixes it faster. Knead the dough into a ball. It should be soft and moist, but not overly sticky (like bread dough).
3. Add a little more flour if needed and knead just a minute or two until smooth. Don't overwork or the gnocchi will be tough.
4. Take a section of dough and roll it into a rope on a floured surface. The rope should be about 3/4"-1" thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the gnocchi into small pieces. They will puff up a little when cooked, but not much.
5. Put the gnocchi on a floured cookie sheet and refrigerate until ready to cook. Or, freeze at this point.
6. Boil a large pot of salted water. Add gnocchi and reduce heat to maintain a gentle but steady boil. Gnocchi is done when it floats and stays on the surface of the water, about 2 minutes for refrigerated gnocchi and a little longer for frozen gnocchi.
7. Remove gnocchi from water with a slotted spoon.

Pizza Dough

This is a good, easy recipe for pizza dough. I like to double the recipe and make 2 pizzas out of it, which makes for thicker crust. If I want a thinner crust, I'll double the recipe and make 3 pizzas. Also, be sure to read the chef's note about salt and sugar at the bottom of the recipe. I follow his instructions and reduced the salt and sugar slightly since I don't care for overly salty pizza crust.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_13823,00.html

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

This turned out really good!! I like making homemade pizzas, but sometimes I get bored with my usual recipe. I found this one and David said it tasted very close to the deep dish pizza he tried once when he was in Chicago!

Note -- I didn't have any fennel seed, so I omitted that from the sauce and we didn't miss it at all.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21802,00.html?rsrc=like

Good Breakfast Foods

I think I end up making hot breakfasts about 5 or 6 days out of the week. Cereal and milk just never seems "meaty" enough, plus sometimes I like to give the boys dry cereal for a late morning or afternoon snack, so I don't want to give them cereal twice in a day. Anyway, I've come across some great hot breakfast recipes that we really enjoy:

Yeast-raised waffles. These you start the night before, and just add eggs and baking soda in the morning, stir up the batter, heat up the waffle iron, and you're ready to go! It's a nice time saver. And, something about the yeast makes them extra light and tasty. I do usually add more sugar than the recipe calls for (1 use 1 Tb, the recipe calls for 1 tsp) because I like just a little more sweetness.

Whole grain waffles. These are also very tasty, and very healthy. I just use regular whole wheat flour, not pastry flour, and they turn out great!

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

2 small bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1 C milk
1 C whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
A few shakes of ground cinnamon (~1/2 tsp) and a pinch of nutmeg
About 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chopped nuts (optional)

1. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs and milk. Beat until as smooth as possible. Add flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and vanilla. Whisk again. Stir in nuts if desired. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased skillet.

Tortilla Soup

There is a restaurant called Marcellino's in Apple Valley, and they have the best tortilla soup I've ever tasted. This is as close as I've come to making tortilla soup anywhere near as good. It's great as a vegetarian soup, but you can also use chicken broth and add in some cooked chicken. Also, I love using the frozen pepper strips in the frozen vegetable aisle instead of chopping bell peppers.

Tortilla Soup

3 Tb vegetable oil, divided
6 corn tortillas, cut into very thin strips
1 med onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 14-15 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
~2 tsp cumin
6 C vegetable or chicken broth
Juice of 1 lime
Jack and/or cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Heat 2 Tb of oil in a stockpot over med-high heat.
2. Add corn torilla strips and fry until crispy and golden brown.
3. Remove and drain on paper towels.
4. Add remaining 1 Tb oil and saute onion, garlic, peppers, carrots, and celery until onion is soft, ~6 minutes.
5. Add diced tomatoes plus their liquid and reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes.
6. Add cumin and broth. Heat to boiling, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
7. Add lime juice.
8. Serve with shredded cheese and crispy tortilla strips.

BBQ Boneless Pork Loin

We like to get boneless porl loin when it goes on sale for $1.99/lb or buy-one-get-one-free. The seasonings are great, and later in the week we often like to simmer the leftover pork with BBQ sauce to make BBQ pork sandwiches.

BBQ Boneless Pork Loin

1 boneless pork loin
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Lawry's seasoned salt

1. Cover pork loin with generous amounts of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt on all sides.
2. Barbeque, turning frequently, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (Ours usually takes an hour or less, depending on the thickness). Watch carefully so as not to overcook.
3. Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Red Beans and Rice

Here is the vegetarian version of this recipe. It's great with any kind of rice, but using one of those saffron rice packets along with regular rice is especially good! We also like serving corn muffins on the side.

Red Beans and Rice

3 16 oz cans kidney beans
2 C water
1/4 C fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 C butter
3 cubes vegetable bouillon (beef is also good if you don't need a strictly vegetarian dish)
1 large onion, diced
~4 cloves garlic, crushed (more is good if you like garlic)
1 Tb dry mustard
cayenne pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients. Simmer over medium heat, stirring every 15 minutes, until beans are creamy.
2. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Serve with rice.

Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie

This is our favorite pot pie recipe so far. I've made Pot Pie Wellington by using puff pastry sheets as the crust instead of traditional pie dough, and that's very tasty also.

Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie

1 recipe for a double pie crust (or 2 pre-made pie crusts)
4 Tb butter, divided
1 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Tb dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C cooked, cubed chicken or turkey
3 Tb flour
1/2 C milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out bottom pie crust in a deep pie dish and set aside.
2. Melt 2 Tb butter in a large skillet over med heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the carrots are tender.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until they are tender but still firm.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 Tb butter over med-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute until it bubbles. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened. Stir in chicken or turkey.
5. Stir chicken/turkey mixture into vegetable mixture. Cook over med heat until thickened.
6. Cool slightly, then pour into bottom unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top pie crust and place on top of filling. Flute and seal the edges and make 4 slits in the top to let out steam.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
8. Continue baking at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Focaccia Bread (bread maker)

This is a tasty flat bread that is excellent dipped in olive oil and balsalmic vinegar.

Focaccia Bread

1 C warm water
1/4 milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tb olive oil
1/4 C parmesan cheese
1 Tb dried Italian herbs (an Italian herb mix, or half dried basil and half oregano is good)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 C bread flour
2 tsp yeast
Additional olive oil for spreading on dough.
Additional parmesan cheese, coarse salt, or minced garlic for sprinkling.

1. Put wet ingredients in breadmaker first, followed by dry ingredients. Set to dough cycle.
2. When cycle is complete, remove dough and divide into 2 equal pieces.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
4. Grease 2 baking sheets with oil (2 pizza pans work well, or cookie sheets).
5. Pat dough onto baking sheets in desired shape until it is ~3/4-1" thick.
6. Poke fingers halfway into dough to make indentations all over.
7. Spread top of dough with a little additional olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese or coarse salt or garlic.
8. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Roast Chicken

This comes out tender, juicy, and flavorful for us, and is easy to prepare.

Roast chicken

1 whole roasting chicken, giblets removed, rinsed and patted dry
1 lemon
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 Tb olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 C chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan, on a roasting rack if possible.
3. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into a bowl.
4. Mix lemon juice with olive oil.
5. Sprinkle inside of chicken cavity liberally with salt and pepper.
6. Stuff the rosemary sprigs and the 2 lemon halves into the cavity.
7. Rub the olive oil-lemon juice mixture over the entire top surface of the chicken.
8. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over the chicken.
9. Cook chicken in oven until internal temperature (measured at thickest part of thigh) is 180 degrees F. I set the timer for 30 minute intervals and turn the pan around to ensure even browing. (My chickens usually take around 1.5-2 hrs to cook).
10. When chicken is done, remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Broccoli, Potato, and Cheese Quiche

This is the only way I can get the boys to eat large quantities of broccoli and potatoes easily :).

Broccoli, Potato, and Cheese Quiche

1 pie crust (Pillsbury, refrigerated pre-made crusts that you unroll are great!)
3 potatoes, diced into 1" cubes (we leave the peel on if they're red potatoes)
About 1/2 C broccoli, lightly cooked and chopped up
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tb melted butter
1/4 C grated sharp cheddar, Romano, or Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
About 1/4 tsp each of black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder (to taste)

1. Boil enough salted water to cover potatoes by a few inches. Add potatoes when water boils. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While potatoes are cooking, prepare pie crust (unless yours is pre-made).
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add melted butter, cheese, seasonings, and mix well.
4. Drain and rinse potatoes lightly with cold water, then drain again and add to egg mixture.
5. Add broccoli (also rinse with cold water if broccoli is still very hot from cooking).
6. Mix it all well, and pour into pie shell.
7. Distribute mixture as evenly as possible in pie shell (it will puff up as it cooks).
8. Bake on top rack of oven for about 20-35 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.
9. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Rosemary Lemon Pepper Chicken

One of my easiest, fastest, and tastiest chicken recipes. It's excellent cut up over a salad, or sliced cold and put onto a sandwich.

Rosemary Lemon Pepper Chicken

4 Tb olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 Tb lemon pepper, divided
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1. Heat 2 Tb oil in a skillet over med-high heat.
2. Place chicken breasts in skillet and drizzle with 1 Tb of olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the lemon pepper and rosemary.
3. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Turn chicken breasts over and drizzle with remaining oil on top. Sprinkle remaining seasonings on top and replace cover.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.

Recipes!

Since I spend so much time dealing with recipes and meal planning for our family, I thought it might be nice to post some of our favorites here in case someone else might be able to enjoy them!