Stocking the Pantry: Cornmeal

Over the years I have learned to stock my pantry with ingredients rather than boxed mixes which gives me better flexibility in the kitchen and is easier on the budget, too.

Cornmeal is something I buy regularly and always keep in my pantry. I grew up on the Jiffy cornbread mix. I especially remember my mom making cornbread to go with our ham and beans, which I still make whenever we have a ham bone, but as I grew more curious and adventurous as a cook I wanted to do more than just make cornbread.

I remember the first time I bought cornmeal. My husband loves breaded and fried catfish and wanted to have it for dinner many years ago, so I went to the store and bought some yellow cornmeal (it also comes in white and self-rising). He then taught me how to make fried catfish.

Well, since I had all this cornmeal left over, I got out my cookbooks and learned how to make cornbread from scratch, which led to other ways to use up cornmeal.

Cornbread made in a castiron skillet-yum!

Here is my recipe for cornbread, with some things you can add to make it even better!

Cornbread

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cornbread)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil or butter
1 egg, slightly beaten

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the oil or butter in a castiron skillet or 8- or 9-inch square pan. Place the skillet or pan in the oven while you prepare the other ingredients until the butter is melted.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk and egg. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry beating by hand just until smooth. Take the skillet or pan out of the oven and add the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Additions and variations: Fry 4 to 5 bacon slices until crips, drain on a paper towel and substitute the bacon drippings for the oil. Sprinkle the batter with crumbled bacon before baking.

Mexican cornbread: Prepare the batter using 2 eggs, slightly beaten. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green chilies and 1/4 cup finely chopped onion. Bake 22 to 28 minutes.

I've used cornmeal for my Cracker Barrel Copycat Chicken Casserole, which is much like cornbread on top of a chicken casserole. I've also used cornmeal for breading chicken. Here's one of our favorite ways of using it on chicken:

Southwestern Baked Chicken

2/3 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup bread crumbs

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

3 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 bonesless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Cooking spray*

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the cornmeal, bread crumbs, and all the spices in a large plastic bag and shake well. Combine the Worcestershire sauce, and egg whites in a small bowl. Dip the chicken breasts one at a time into the egg mixture. Allow the excess to drip off, then place in the bag and shake to coat. Spritz a shallow baking pan with spray then transfer the chicken to the pan. Spritz the chicken with the spray. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 mintues or until cooked through.

* Instead of the cooking spray, you could place a couple tablespoons of oil or butter in the baking dish and place in the oven to melt the butter or heat the oil a little. As you place the chicken in the dish, turn it over into the oil/butter to coat on both sides. Continue to bake as instructed.

Other uses for cornmeal are hushpuppies, spoon bread, and Red Pepper Corn Muffins. Cornmeal is also used for Polenta, which I've never made but is next on my learning how-to-make list.

Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon-Walnut Streusal

I recently found a recipe for Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon-Pecan Streusal and as I didn't have all the ingredients called for in the recipe, I used what I did have and still made a really good muffin. Please, don't skip the streusal topping-even if you have to eat this muffin as a dessert to make yourself feel less guilty about the butter and sugar :) This topping just makes the muffin! This recipe does make 18 muffins so I make the whole batch and put some in the freezer for later. I am building up a nice stockpile of baked goods in my freezer since I don't always have the time these days to bake when I want something good to eat-and homemade goodies are always better than store-bought to me.

Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon-Walnut Streusal

Makes 18 muffins

1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sweet potato puree

Streusal

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use cup liners.

In a large bowl, combine the muffin ingredients, wet ingredients first. Add the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill the muffin tins with the batter.

For the streusal, in a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut into the mixture the butter until crumbly. Add the walnuts. Generously sprinkle streusal over each muffin. Bake for 21 to 23 minutes.

I'm linking up with Ekat's Friday Potluck

Cooking On A Shoestring Budget: Create Your Own Muffin

Blueberry and Lemon Muffins-mmmm!

I don't like wasting any of the food in my fridge, so I'm always glad to find recipes that help me use up the little bits of this or that. And, now, with just my husband and me in the house, it's more important than ever that I use up what we have. This recipe helps me do just that.




I love muffins, just about any kind. It's probably my breakfast of choice on any given morning and they are so portable! So good with coffee. When I first started making muffins, I always went strictly by the recipe in the cookbook. Then I found Amy Dacyczyn's Creating a Muffin recipe and I found that muffins are pretty flexible just as long as you go by the guidelines she sets out in her book, The Complete Tightwad Gazette, one of my favorite frugal sources. I have used this recipe many times and they have come out good just about every time. And, it feels good not to throw out food!







Create Your Own Muffin

Grains: Use 2-2 1/2 cups of white flour. Or substitute oatmeal, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, rye flour, or flake cereal for 1 cup of the white flour. Or substitute 1 cup of leftover cooked oatmeal, rice, or cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the white flour and decrease liquid to 1/2 cup.




Milk: Use 1 cup. Or substitute buttermilk or sour milk (add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup milk). Or substitute fruit juice for part or all of the milk.




Fat: Use 1/4 cup of vegetable oil or 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Or substitute crunchy or regular peanut butter for part or all of the fat. The fat can be reduced or omitted with fair results if using a "wet addition."




Egg: Use 1 egg. Or substitute 1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour and 1 tablespoon of water. If using a cooked grain, separate the egg, add the yolk to the batter, beat the white until stiff, and fold into the batter.




Sweetener: Use between 2 tablespoons and 1/2 cup of sugar. Or substitute up to 3/4 cups brown sugar. Or substitute up to 1/2 cup of honey or molasses, and decrease milk to 3/4 cup.




Baking powder: Use 2 teaspoons. If using whole or cooked grains or more than 1 cup of additions, increase to 3 teaspoons. If using buttermilk or sour milk, decrease to 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.




Salt: Use 1/2 teaspoon or omit if you have a salt-restricted diet.

The following ingredients are optional. Additions can be used in any combination, up to 1 1/2 cups total. If using more than 1 cup of wet additions, decrease the milk to 1/2 cup.

Dry additions: Nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, etc.




Moist additions: Blueberries, chopped apple, freshly shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, etc.




Wet additions: Pumpkin puree, applesauce, mashed and cooked sweet potato, mashed banana, mashed and cooked carrot, and so on. If using 1/2 cup drained, canned fruit or thawed shredded zucchini, substitute the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.




Spices: Use spices that complement the additions, such as 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cloves. Try 2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon peel.




Jellies or Jams: Fill cups half full with a plain batter. Add 1 teaspoon jam or jelly and top with 2 more tablespoons batter.




Topping: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the batter in the tins.




Nonsweet Combinations: Use only 2 tablespoons sugar and no fruit. Add combinations of the following: 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 3 strips fried and crumbled bacon, 2 tablespoons grated onion, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Spices could include a teaspoon of parsley and a pinch of marjoram.

Basic Recipe:

2-2 1/2 cups grain
1 cup milk
Up to 1/4 cup fat
1 egg
Up to 1/2 cup sweetener
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Up to 1 1/2 cups additions

To make the muffins, combine the dry ingredients, and then mix in wet ingredients until just combined; the batter should be lumpy. Grease muffin tin and fill cups two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (give or take 5 minutes).

The sky's the limit on this formula. No longer am I limited by what is in a recipe, I can use up whatever is in my cupboard or refrigerator.

Peppery Cheddar Biscuits

I love how these biscuits turn golden brown from the egg wash and are square instead of round, but you can make them round, too. You can also see the flecks of cheddar cheese throughout each piece and come out beautifully every time.

Peppery Cheddar Biscuits

4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup finely crumbled or shredded sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
2 to 3 teaspoons pepper (I usually use 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon water

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a large baking sheet; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cheese and pepper; mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add milk all at once; stir until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 10 to 12 strokes until almost smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Roll or pat each half of dough into a 6-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Using a ruler or sharp knife, cut both squares of dough into 2-inch squares (or, cut squares of dough using a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter).

Combine egg and water. Brush the tops of biscuits with egg mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden on top. Serve warm.

Makes eighteen 2-inch square or twently 2-inch round biscuits.

*Make ahead tip: To reheat biscuits baked earlier in the day, wrap them in foil and reheat in a 325 degree oven about 10 minutes or until warm.

I'm linking up with The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap and Foodie Friday

Wild for Pumpkins!

This is a post that I wrote last November on my other blog and since I'm really looking forward to some fall cooking, I thought I'd repost these great pumpkin recipes here. I'm hoping to find some nice sugar pumpkins at my farmer's market again this year.

Last week I roasted a large pumpkin and 2 small sugar or pie pumpkins. Last year was the first time I had even attempted such a feat but it was easy once I got the huge think cut up. I have been told that sugar pumpkins are different from the kind of pumpkins jack-o-lanterns are carved from in looks and texture and now I believe it. There isn't as much pulp to the pie pumpkins and they are a slightly darker color after being cooked. If you would like to roast your own pumpkin in the future, you can to All Recipes for 3 different ways to cook your pumpkin. It really is easy to do. The result was that I had all this cooked pumpkin! What was I going to do with it?

The sugar pumpkin pulp I am saving for 2 pumpkin pies for our Thanksgiving dinner. This is the recipe I usually use for one pumpkin pie, which is adapted from Libby's Brand Famous Pumpkin Pie:

Pumpkin Pie
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
(Instead of the individual spices, you can also use 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice)
2 large eggs
2 cups pumpkin (15 ounce can of pumpkin can be used here)
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Mix sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving, if desired.

From the big pumpkin I have already made some yummy treats for us.
The first thing I made was 4 loaves of pumpkin bread, one of my family's favorites. This is pretty much the same recipe I've always used for the last 25 years, although I have tweaked it a little to make it more healthy. It's from my 1980's Pillsbury cookbook.

Pumpkin Bread

15 or 16-oz. can (2 cups) pumpkin
2 cups
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (not oil) and flour bottoms only of two loaf pans. In large bowl, blend first 5 ingredients. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Add remaining ingredients; blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.

This next pumpkin recipe is a new one for me and my family went crazy over it, even the ones that aren't crazy for pumpkin anything! I got it from About.com in the Southern Food section. I will be making this one again. It was so moist and cream cheese-y.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pumpkin puree or cooked mashed pumpkin
cream cheese frosting, below
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl; stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in pumpkin puree.

Pour batter into two greased floured 9-inch round layer cake pans or a 13-x9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using round cake pans, turn out cake onto racks to cool. Frost pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound confectioners' (powdered) sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl; beat well until smooth. Makes enough for 2-layer pumpkin cake or 13-x-9-inch cake.

The last recipe I tried was the Crockpot Lady's CrockPot Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe, although I made mine over the stove. I couldn't wait 2 hours to try it! It was very good!

I still have lots of pumpkin in the freezer and I'm always looking for new recipes, so what do you use your pumpkin in? Please, share your favorites!

I'm linking up with Tasty Tuesday Tuesdays at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Kitchen Happenings?

I haven't been cooking much this week except for making some Sticky Chicken that I've been making in the crockpot rather than the oven these days, and I did manage to bake a yummy loaf of French bread. My husband has doing most of the cooking these days. But, I will be trying a new to me cheesecake recipe for my daughter's birthday celebration this weekend. My oldest daughter has made it before and it was so good!

Sourdough Wheat Bread from the Bread Machine

Since starting my own sourdough starter, I have making some type of sourdough recipe every week. I've made pancakes, biscuits, and bread because I just love the sourness of it. The last loaf of bread I made was particularly sour, probably because it was so hot in my kitchen the other day (it got into the 80's, where it will stay for the next week at least) and before using a sourdough starter, it has to come to room temperature before using it. I usually make my breads in the bread machine to mix the dough and then finish it off in the oven to bake. And, although every recipe I've found for making sourdough bread in the bread machine tells you to use active dry yeast, too, I'm going to start experimenting a little and maybe use less of the yeast. We'll see what happens, but this recipe is the one I use most often.



Sourdough Wheat Bread



6 ounces (3/4 cup) warm water (90-100 degrees)

1 cup sourdough starter (room temperature)

1 tablespoon molasses

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon active dry yeast



Put the ingredients in the order given or according to your bread machine instructions. Put machine at dough setting and start. When the machine is finished (about 1 hour 20 minutes), put the dough onto a floured surface and shape into the desired form. Place in a greased pan, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until done (bread sounds hollow when tapped when it is done). Cool, (if you can wait that long!) and slice.

June Freezer Cooking

I love using my freezer to store my food. When we aren't going to use up some leftovers or other food that is in the fridge, I label it and toss it in the freezer. I also like to make food ahead of time and put it in the freezer to make my life easier later. For those of you that read my other blog, you know that I am actively looking for work outside the home, so I will need meals that come together easily when time and energy are low. (Update: job found-Hallellujah!) Jessica at Life as Mom is doing another freezer cooking month and I'll be joining with her to fill up my freezer with meals or parts of meals that will save me time and money. My husband will be taking his annual fishing trip to Wisconsin with his best buddy, his twin brother, his brother-in-law, and our two sons-in-law this weekend, so I figured that will be the perfect time to get some cooking done and stocking up our freezer.





Here's the plan:



I have about 10 pounds of chicken legs and thighs that I plan on putting in the crockpot. It will not only cook the meat until it's incredibly tender for lots of dishes like my chicken potpie but it will also make a wonderful chicken broth for soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.

I already have some cinnamon rolls in my freezer that I plan on using for easy breakfasts and desserts.

I'm going to be trying Rhonda's method for freezing pizza dough, along with a couple of other breads and roll recipes so that we can have homemade bread even if I haven't been home to make it that day.

I have some white beans in the freezer now but I want to add some black beans, lentils, and pinto beans to that. I can make my Tuscan White Bean Soup, Black Bean Chili with Red Onion Salsa , lentil cakes, refried beans, and salads. I have yummy recipes for a chickpea salad and a black bean salad that I will be sharing soon since we are in the warmer months, which is when we enjoy salads the most.

I also have a whole chicken that I plan on cutting up and marinating in the freezer for the grill. Mary Ann-I will do a tutorial on how to cut up the chicken :)

Since it's often just my husband and myself at home to eat, I will set aside some of the leftovers for our daughters or for the next day's lunch, and put the rest in the freezer. I will be putting some of the leftover soups in separate small containers in the freezer for taking to work for our lunches, too. Even after I find the right job,(found it!) we want to try and eat as little fast food and premade foods as possible. We've been eating this way for so long that I think it will affect the way we feel and we are going to need extra energy!

Cinnamon Rolls

There's nothing like homemade cinnamon rolls. For years and years I made the kind you get out of a can. In fact, it is our tradition to have them on Christmas morning before we open presents and while the ones from a can are really, really good, homemade ones just can't be beat. But, who wants to get up at 5 a.m. to make cinnamon rolls? Not me. So, first I'll give my recipe and then I'll tell you my secrets for having them ready when I want them, not the other way around. The first picture above is what they look like before I put them into the oven. They have risen nicely.



Cinnamon Rolls



6 oz. (3/4 cup) milk (90-100 degrees)

1 egg

3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoon active dry yeast



Filling:



1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon



In your bread machine pan, place the dough ingredients in the order given or according to your bread machine instructions. Place machine on Dough setting and start. When the dough is done (about 1 hour 20 minutes) place dough on a floured surface. Roll dough into an oblong shape of 9 inches by 18 inches. Spread with the butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Cut roll into 1 inch slices. Place a little apart in a greased 13" x 9" pan or 12 muffin cups.



Cover and let rise until double in bulk (about 1/2 hour). Bake until golden brown and completely baked through at 375 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. Makes one dozen rolls.



If you want to wait until the next morning to bake your rolls, immediately after rolling and cutting them and placing in the pan, cover with a towel and put in the refrigerator over night. The next morning take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise for about 30 minutes, then bake as above.



If you want to freeze them, immediate after shaping and cutting, place the rolls on a pan and put them in the freezer. When they are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to use them. The night before you want to bake them, take them out of the freezer and place on your pan. Cover with a towel and let set overnight. The next morning they will be risen and ready for the oven.





The glaze we usually spread on the warm rolls is a simple one.



Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-6 tablespoons hot water

Combine the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together, adding enough of the hot water to make a smooth thin glaze. Spread on the warm rolls and enjoy!

I'm participating in Foodie Fridays and Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap

Homemade Pizza Crust

Last week my youngest daughter turned 19 and on Sunday we celebrated. The tradition in our home, as it was in my parents' house when I was growing up, is that if it's your birthday you get to pick the dinner and the kind of cake that is made. My daughter chose homemade pizza, and since I would be feeding 10 adults for her birthday celebration, I figured I better get a headstart on the pizza crusts, so on Thursday I made two batches of pizza dough in my bread machine, shaped and baked them for about 8 minutes and froze them until party day.

This is how the pizza crusts looked before I put them in the oven. These are the whole wheat crusts, although I made two regular crusts, too.

This is what they looked like after I took them out of the oven after 8 minutes.

These are the recipes I used for making my crusts.

Pizza Dough

12 oz. lukewarm water

3 tablespoons oil

4 cups unbleached or bread flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons active dry yeast

OR

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

12 oz. lukewarm water

2 tablespoons oil

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons active dry yeast

Following the directions of my bread machine, I added the ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order given. I put it on the dough cycle, which takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. When the cycle was finished I took the dough from the bread pan and divided the dough into 2 parts with a sharp knife. I let it rest a few minutes and then shaped each piece of dough into the shape of the pan (in this case I used rectangular baking sheets, greased with oil and sprinkled with a little cornmeal). I then let the dough rise in a warm draft-free place for 20 to 25 minutes. I preheat the oven to 425 and baked the pizza crusts for 8 minutes, let them cook, covered with foil, and froze them until the day of the party. I let them come to room temperature, put the desired toppings on, and baked at 425 until the crust is crisp and golden brown.

I also have a quicker way to make pizza dough with my food processor that I got from my The Complete Tightwad Gazette book by Amy Dacyczyn. It makes a great spur-of-the-moment pizza crust that can be done in no time flat. It's called Thick and Chewy Pizza Dough and it's in the Tightwad Gazette II, although I didn't think it was so thick or chewy, I guess it's all in the way you roll it out. I usually use a large sheet pan or pizza pan.

Quick Pizza Crust

1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

1 package (1 tablespoon) dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine 1/4 cup of the water with the yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let stand until bubbly, about five minutes. Put the flour, oil, and salt into a food processor, and process about five seconds with a steel blade.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, and process about 10 seconds, or until blended.

Turn on the processor and drizzle just enough of the remaining water through the feed tube so the dough forms a ball that cleans the sides of the bowl. Process so that the ball turns around about 25 times.

Put the dough ball onto a 14-inch greased pizza pan or large cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a bowl (or towel) and let stand 10 minutes.

Pat the dough out so that it covers the pan, leaving a ridge on the edges. At this point I put the crust in the oven for about 5-8 minutes to give it a headstart; otherwise my toppings are done way before my crust-this is just my experience with pizza).

Spread with pizza sauce, and add cheese and toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Although my family still loves to go out to the pizzeria on occasion, frozen pizzas are really not an option anymore. They just don't seem to measure up to what we can do at home and for a lot less money.

I'm participating in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Sourdough Know-How

Do you like sourdough bread? Have you ever made it? If you did, you would have to have a sourdough starter, which I was pretty clueless about until about a year ago when I sent for my first starter from Carl. Who's Carl, you are probably wondering, right? Well, go over there and find out. I'll wait. Pretty interesting, right? The first time I sent for my free starter, I fed it until, well, I just stopped feeding it, and it died a horrible death. I finally got up my nerve to send for another one about 6 weeks ago and it is doing very well. I haven't made any bread with it yet, but I have made pancakes, which were absolutely delicious.


The internet seems to be overrun with sourdough articles from blogs these days. Katie from Kitchen Stewardship has a very good in-depth series of articles on how to make your own sourdough starter as well as lots of recipes to use it in. If you are familiar with Katie's site, you know she doesn't leave any stone unturned, and that's a good thing!


Passionate Homemaker also has an article on her blog called An Introduction to Sourdough that will give you an overall picture of sourdough starters and recipes if you don't have time to read all of Kitchen Stewardship's articles.


If you need some visual help on sourdough-like I do-go to Breatopia.com and you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about sourdough or breadmaking in general. I'm especially interested in learning how to make the No Knead Sourdough Bread recipe.


I will share with you my bread from my sourdough starter as I make them and I am really hoping that I can get others excited about this new skill.

Crusty French Bread

I love homemade bread! There's nothing like it, warm and fresh from the oven. This past Sunday we had a dinner of pasta and a fresh green salad, so French bread was something I knew my family would love to go with it. I've bought lots of French breads from the bakery in my grocery store, but compared to what I can make at home, well, it just doesn't compare. I use my bread machine to make the dough and I finish up by using the method from my 1950 Betty Crocker Cookbook to form it and bake it in the oven. The crust is nice and crusty and the inside is perfect. I've made this bread with both unbleached white flour and whole wheat flour.

French Bread (makes a 1 1/2 pound loaf)

9 1/2 ounces warm water (1 cup + 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour or whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add ingredients to your pan prescribed by your particular bread machine instructions. My bread machine calls for the liquid ingredients first. Load pan into bread machine and set on the dough setting, which will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

When the bread machine completes the dough cycle, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly grease a large baking pan. Roll dough out into a 15-inch by 10-inch oblong shape. Roll up tightly toward you beginning with the wide side. Seal the edges by pinching together.

With a hand on each end, roll gently back and forth to lengthen the loaf and taper ends. Place it diagonally onto the baking sheet. Make 1/4-inch slashes in the dough at 2-inch intervals. Brush the top with cold water.* Let stand uncovered about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush the bread with cold water again and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and brush again with the cold water and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 10 more minutes. Remove the bread from the oven one more time and brush again with the cold water. At this time you can sprinkle the bread with sesame or poppy seeds. Continue baking another 15 to 20 minutes until the bread is a nice golden brown.
*If you want your bread nice and crusty, make sure you brush the entire surface of the bread with the cold water every time. It will make a difference.

Go to Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more inspiration in the kitchen!

Honey Nut Bread

Most of my quick breads have way too much sugar in them but I love making them and my daughters love eating them, so I've been doing some searching for healthier versions of quick breads. I found a recipe in my Joy of Cooking cookbook called Nut Bread with the alternative of using honey instead of sugar. I also substituted most of the flour for whole wheat and I added raisins. This is just a good all-purpose quick bread that you could add all kinds of ingredients to, such as dried cranberries, orange or lemon zest, almonds, almond extract, etc. This bread is a good substantial bread that I feel good enough about to eat for breakfast with my coffee. It even stood up to the toaster, which most quick breads do not. I'm confident it freezes well, too.

Honey Nut Bread

1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 (or less) cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans
3/4 cup raisins

Butter or spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk until blended the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the liquid ingredients together. Add the nuts and fruit, if using. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly, then turn out onto a cooking rack until cool. Makes 1 loaf.

I'm participating in the Ultimate Recipe Swap and Foodie Friday this week.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm taking lots of help from my freezer again this week. In fact, I won't be doing much grocery shopping for the rest of the month, except for things like milk, eggs, and fresh produce. My two still-home daughters haven't been home much lately, so I've just been feeding my husband and myself for the most part, which means that we have lots of leftovers and sometimes I don't make everything that was on the previous week's menu plan.


Here's what's planned for our menu this week:


Monday: Spanish rice and beans, homemade tortilla chips, salsa, and all the trimmings (cheese, sour cream, lettuce)


Tuesday: Johnny Marzetti Spaghetti Pie, green beans, french bread


Wednesday: Black Bean patties, cole slaw, soaked whole wheat bread from the bread machine

Thursday: Greek Chicken (I made a double recipe and froze half) and roasted potatoes

Friday: Pork and Sauerkraut

For meal planning inspiration, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see other meal plans.

Pancakes and Waffles

I love pancakes and waffles. My husband, not so much. He'd rather have a couple of eggs, over easy, thank you very much. But the rest of the family just loves pancakes and waffles. When my girls were younger I would buy the packaged, just-add-water kind of mix, but I remember one morning one of my daughters asked if I could make pancakes and I was out of mix. So, I got out my Pillsbury cookbook and found a from-scratch recipe for pancakes. The girls loved them. Fast forward a couple of years later, when I was learning about the benefits of whole grains and found a recipe for Whole Wheat Pancakes. We were hooked. They tasted so much better than the white flour variety and they kept the girls fuller for a much longer time, yet they didn't eat as much. Interesting, hmm?

Today my husband was in the mood for breakfast for dinner, so I made grapefruit halves, bacon, eggs (of course!), and waffles using my whole wheat pancake recipe. Yes, I know there are separate recipes in many cookbooks for pancakes and waffles but I've found that they are pretty interchangeable and I have used this recipe for either.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (and Waffles!)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

For pancakes: Heat griddle to 400 degrees or skillet on medium-high heat. In large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients; beat (or stir) just until large lumps disappear. Lightly grease heated griddle or skillet. A few drops of water sprinkled on pan will sizzle and bounce when heat is just right. Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto the hot pan. Bake until bubbles form and edges start to dry; turn and bake the other side. Makes sixteen 4-inch pancakes.

For waffles: Heat waffle iron. Follow instructions above for mixing ingredients together. Bake in hot waffle iron until steaming stops (my waffle iron has a light that tells me when it is done) and waffle is done to a golden brown.

We love to add all kinds of things to our waffles and pancakes: nuts, bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, or apples and cinnamon.

This is another recipe I tried last week for pancakes or waffles. This batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. After a couple of days they will develop a slight sour dough flavor. This is what the batter looked like after one day in the refrigerator. There were a few bubbles forming from the yeast.


Make Ahead Pancake and Waffle Batter

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour (I used half whole wheat flour)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or oil
3 eggs

In large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. In small saucepan, heat milk and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Add to flour mixture along with the eggs. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days, adding 2 additional tablespoons of sugar after the second day. Prepare as you would regular pancakes or waffles.

Nowadays we don't usually eat a whole batch of pancakes or waffles in one sitting, so I have been freezing them for when we want them again.