Shirley's Bread... again

Ok, once again, here is my ALL time favorite bread recipe... YUUUUMY!

Shirley's Bread click on the link to get to the recipe.  You can also cut it in half too (that is how I have to make it, cause it won't all fit in by bowl if I don't)

My kids aren't fond of whole wheat bread, but they just can't get enough of this bread.  I made some on Monday, and I am about to pull a third loaf out of my freezer... talk about awsome, wholesome, delicious bread!

Don't freak out... the dough is supposed to be like cookie dough... I never have made a bread that is supposed to be this sticky, but tastes SOOOOOOO yummy.

 

Three - Bean Casserole

Makes 8 servings
Prep: 20 min; Bake: 45 min

1 pound bulk pork sausage
2 stalks , medium, celery, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans (each) baked beans, in tomato-sauce
1 (15-ounce) can lima beans or butter-beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons honey or packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce

1. Heat oven to 400°.
2. Cook sausage, celery, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
3. Mix sausage mixture and remaining ingredients in ungreased 3-quart casserole. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes, stirring once, until hot and bubbly.

Slow Cooker Directions: Substitute 1/2 cup ketchup for the tomato sauce. Decrease honey to 1 tablespoon. Cook sausage, celery, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Mix sausage mixture and remaining ingredients in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes to blend flavors.

** Now, I have to admit, I was in such a hurry to make this recipe, that I forgot to add the brown sugar, vinegar, ground mustard, and the red pepper sauce, BUT it was still a very tasty dish**

From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sloppy Joe Bake

Makes 6 servings

1 pound ground beef
1 (15-ounce) can Original-Style sloppy joe sauce
2 cups Original Bisquick®
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
4 slices process American cheese, cut diagonally in half

1. Heat oven to 375°. Grease round pan, 9 x 1 1/2 inches. Make beef and sloppy joe sauce as directed on can.
2. Stir Bisquick, milk, margarine and egg until soft dough forms. Spread dough in bottom and up side of pan to within 1/4 inch of rim. Spoon beef mixture evenly over dough.
3. Bake uncovered 25 minutes. Arrange cheese triangles on beef mixture. Bake about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

HIGH ALTITUDE (3500 to 6500 feet): Heat oven to 400°.

From "Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mexi - Tortilla Casserole

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb ground pork (I used beef)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c shredded cheese
2 c tortilla chips
1/2 c sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies, drained
2 Tbsp minced cilantro

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Heat oil in large skillet over med heat.  Cook and stir onion 5 minutes or until tender.  Brown meat, stirring to seperate.  Drain fat.  Stir in tomatoes with juice, pregano, salt, cumin, and pepper.  Spoon into 11x7 inch casserole.  Sprinkle with cheese; arrange tortilla chips over cheese.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until cheese emlts.  Combine sour cream and chilies; mix until well blended.  Drop by tablespoonfulls onto baked casserole.  Sprinkle with cinlantro.  Makes 6 servings. 

Taken from Cooking for Kids Bible

Oatcake

Serves a family of 6-8  (For extra hungry teens, double this recipe)  taken from Pantry Principles

2 ½ c. Old Fashioned Oats
½ t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. honey
1 t. vanilla
½ c. any dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins, chopped prunes, chopped apricots, etc.)
¼ c. chopped nuts (optional)

Soak oats in milk overnight.  Mix dry ingredients in another bowl.  Mix eggs, honey, and vanilla into oats.  Combine and mix everything until just barely moistened.  Pour into a buttered 9 inch round cake pan.   Bake in a 350F oven for 30-35 min. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Hint: This recipe may be made through step 2 the night before. Cover and refrigerate wet ingredients. Cover dry ingredients.

Menu Feb 21-27

Sunday
  Breakfast:  Oatmeal
  Lunch: Leftovers or PBJ/H sandwiches
  Dinner:  Mexi-Tortilla Casserole

Monday
  Breakfast:  Oatcake
  Lunch:  Egg Salad Sandwiches
  Dinner:  Creamy Potato Soup
 
Tuesday
  Breakfast:  Cream of Wheat
  Lunch:  Bulgar Wheat
  Dinner:  PBJ/H Sanwiches

Wednesday
  Breakfast:  Bulgar Wheat
  Lunch:  Ramen Noodles w/veggies
  Dinner:  Lentil Chili

Thursday
  Breakfast:  Rice Cereal
  Lunch:  Nachos
  Dinner:  N/A -- we get to go to a dinner

Friday
  Breakfast:  Oats Groats
  Lunch:  Tuna Salad Sanwiches
  Dinner:  Pirate Stew

Saturday
  Breakfast:  Waffles
  Lunch:  Pizza
  Dinner:  Cheasy Vegetable Strata

as I make the recipes, I will post them :)

Silly Spaghetti Casserole

This dish was a HIT with the kids.  You can't tell, but those are stars that I cut out of an orange bell pepper with a small cookie cutter.  I got this recipe from one of my NEW cookbooks, Cooking for Kids Bible.

Nonstick cooking spray

8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken in half

1/4 c finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c cholesterol-free egg product (or 1 large egg)

3/4 lb lean ground beef/turkey/chicken

1/3 c chopped onion

2 c pasta sauce

1/2 (10 oz) pkg frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 green, yellow, orange or red bell pepper, cored and seeded

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Spray 8-inch square baking dish (you can use a casserole dish too) with cooking spray.  Cook spaghetti according to pkg directions, omit salt and oil.  Drain.  Return spaghetti to saucepan; cool slightly.  Add Parmesan cheese and egg.  Toss until well mixed.  Place in prepared baking dish.  Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Brown beef and onion in skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat.  Drain fat.  Stir in pasta sauce and spinach.  Spoon on top of spaghetti mixture.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Use small cookie cutter to cut decorative shapes from bell pepper.  Arrange on top of cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until bubbling.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Cut into squares.  Makes 6 servings.

HOOTenanny

Don't let the name fool you.  There won't be any HOOTing going on in the house during or after consumption.  Also, you are probaly thinking, What in the world is Hootenanny?  Well, it is a cross between a pancake and french toast. Who would have thought that you would start out a breakfast (besides a shake or smoothie) in a blender?

First, pull out the blender and add...

1 c milk

1 c whole wheat flour

6 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter

Mix on HIGH till well blended,

and you get this...

Heat oven to 425*F.  When oven is preheated put an empty 9x13 cake pan on to heat, when hot add butter.  When butter is melted, pour in egg mixture, and This is what you will get...

Bake for 20 minutes, and you will get this...

Now, it is time to serve and eat.  Top with applesauce, jam, or syrup

this recipe came from Pantry Principles by Kathryn Louis

Breakfast Sundaes

For Valentine's Day, I thought that I would make a special breakfast for my family. So, here it is...

Homemade Granola

Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Homemade Yogurt
Chopped Almonds

My kids loved it.  It is quick and simple and most of all, very healthy

Homemade Yogurt

3-3/4 c warm water
1 2/3 c instant nonfat dry milk
-- or you can use 4 c milk instead of the water and powdered milk--
2-4 Tbsp store bought, plain yogurt w/live cultures (read label to be sure there are live cultures)

In a large bowl, combine water and powdered milk.  Stir very well and let sit for a few minutes.  All powdered milk should be dissolved.  Heat milk over medium heat until it reaches 180*F.  This kills off any bacteria.  Remove from heat and stove and allow to cool to 110*F.  If the milk is any hotter, it will kill the yogurt cultures.  Add the store bought yogurt to the warm milk, stir well until yogurt is dissolved completely.  Carefully pour the mixture into a very clean, quart-sized canning jar.  Incubate the yogurt in the oven which is set to about 100*F -between warm and 200*F (my electric oven has a warming temp) for 6-8 hours or until set almost as thick as store bought yogurt.  Chill and eat. 

I buy a big container of plain yogurt, use the 2-4 Tbps and then freeze the rest of the yogurt (I use ice cube trays - 1 Tbsp for each cube).  Once they are frozen, I remove and put into a freezer bag and store in the freezer.  When I am ready to make some more yogurt, I pull out the cubes and let them thaw while I am heating the milk.