Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

I hope that everyone had a great holiday season! It has been some time since I posted so it's good to be back. Several months ago I tried a no-knead bread recipe I found on Pinterest. It was great - easy, fast, and delicious! It got me looking at and trying lots of other bread recipes I came across. In fact, I haven't purchased any bread at the store since!

Some recipes, I found, were easier, some were faster, and some had a much better flavor and texture. I'm still trying new recipes and this one, for Rosemary Olive Oil Bread, will definitely be added to my bread rotation. I found this recipe at A Hint of Honey and made a few changes when I made it. For one thing she baked hers on a pizza stone. A pizza stone is on my want list but I don't have one yet so decided to bake mine in a loaf pan. It worked great! Also, she used white wheat flour in her bread but I didn't have any in my pantry so I used all-purpose and bread flour, and again, it worked great. So basically this is a very easy and flexible recipe.

If  you have never made your own bread it is really worth a try. There are recipes out there for bread that can be mixed up in just minutes and that don't require any kneading. Recipes for other breads, like this Rosemary Olive Oil Bread require a little more time but especially if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, are really very easy. AND the smell of homemade bread baking in your kitchen is one that just can't be beat AND no chemicals (preservatives, flavor enhancers ect - who needs them???)

This is a delicious bread, light and with a great flavor and texture! Don't be intimated by the long list of ingredients, it's not as complicated as it looks and mixes up quickly and easily! I would love to hear your comments about it!

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

With Christmas just around the corner I start thinking of Christmas cookies. This is a recipe I saw on Pinterest and just had to try. It comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything  and they are really very good. My picture doesn't do the cookies justice, they are much greener than the picture shows and the cranberries are much redder. (No photography definitely isn't my strong point, but I figure any picture to give you an idea of what the recipe looks like is better than none - I'm right - right???) Zip on over to The Girl Who Ate Everything and check out her pictures - now that's how the cookie really looks!! The color makes them a perfect Christmas cookie and the flavor - wow! This is a cookie you can be proud to give as a gift or serve at a holiday get-together.

Homemade Dinner Rolls

I have always loved the smell of bread or rolls baking - takes me back to my Mother's kitchen - there's just nothing like it. Plus, I love making homemade things, without all the added chemicals. I mean really, do bread or rolls need flavor enhancers? Preservatives? Not if they taste like fresh homemade ones. The flavor is great with nothing added but a little butter and when they are this tasty, they sure aren't going to last long enough to need preservatives!!! And if, like me, you don't have a houseful to eat them you can just freeze them and take out one or two whenever you want. If you have never made homemade rolls you really ought to jump right in and give them a try. They aren't difficult, if fact they whip up easily and if you have a mixer with a dough hook they don't even require any hand kneading. Easy Peasy! And once you try them, smell the wonderful aroma, and get a taste of the flavor, you will never want store bought again! If you have any questions or need any additional info about making your own rolls just let me know in the comments below and I'll be glad to help in any way I can! Don't hesitate - jump in and give them a try - I guarantee you'll be glad you did!!!

Snowy Chocolate Cookies

I have been seeing these cookies around the web and since I was craving something chocolate and didn't have a lot of time I decided to give them a try. My rating on them - so so. They were super easy to mix up, since they are made with a cake mix, but basically, to me, just tasted like a very sweet chocolate cookie. I'm sure that's because before they are baked they are rolled in powdered sugar. I guess I expected the powdered sugar to get a little crispier than what it did. It stayed soft and sticky so they were a little messy to eat and as I said, very sweet. So, though they were a good basic, soft, chocolate cookie, they really didn't have anything distinctive about them that made me want to devour them and then make another batch. I have no doubt that kids would love them, sticky and all. I've read good and bad reviews on them and would love to hear your opinion if you have, or do give them a try.

Crunchwrap Similar to Taco Bell

I don't often eat out at fast food restaurants but when I do I like to go to Taco Bell, and Crunchwrap Supremes are one of my favorites. So when I started seeing recipes for copycat Crunchwraps on Pinterest they definitely caught my eye. I tried one, and though it was close to Taco Bells, it wasn't quite the flavor I was looking for so I started making a few changes and this is what I came up with. Though it's close to the recipes I have seen, I did make a few changes. Mostly what I found is that it's easy to adjust it to whatever your tastes are. I like to make mine with chicken, shredded mexican blend cheese and a little salsa verde, but I'm sure it would work just as well with whatever you want in it. So, here's how I make mine.  I'd love to hear your comments on what you have tried and liked. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Halloween

A chill is in the air and Halloween is almost here. I love this picture as it portrays how I feel about all the Halloween candy! Since I no longer have little ones living in the house I don't have to worry about all the candy they bring home. I do have to worry about any candy left over in the big bowl I hand out treats from. I can only hope I have lots of trick or treater this year and the bowl is totally empty at the end of the night. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Happy Halloween to All!!

Homemade Country White Bread

 

Grandma's Country White Bread from Pennies and Pancakes

Can't believe it's been a month since I posted anything. Ok, the reason, I admit it, is that I got sidetracked by Pinterest. My daughter ask me one night on the phone if I had ever checked out Pinterest, and when I said no, I didn't even know what it was, she told me I really needed to look it over as there was so much neat information there. Well, here I am, a month later, finally pulling myself away from Pinterest to do a post on my site. My mind is still in a fog from all the wonderful recipes and crochet patterns I've seen and been trying. SO.....BE WARNED! If you haven't checked out Pinterest yet don't even wander over there if you have anything at all that you need to get done - PEOPLE HAVE DISAPPEARED THERE FOR WEEKS AT A TIME!!!!!!!

I have always loved yeast breads but now that my kids are grown and I live alone I just never make it anymore - guess it just seemed to much effort for one person. But then there was Pinterest, tempting me with all these new recipes I had never seen before - No Knead Bread?? Fast & Easy?? Wow, they sounded really good. First I tried the "No Knead Bread" and I loved it. It made a beautiful round loaf that could be flavored with all types of add ins. I will try to get that recipe posted in a few day because if you haven't tried it you really might want to. Talk about easy, quick and delish!!

I really wanted to try a regular loaf of white bread like I remembered growing up with but I no longer had my Mom's recipe. Then I found this recipe! Not only is it far faster and easier than any I used to make, it raised up beautifully and tastes absolutely wonderful! I will definitely be making this bread again and again!

At the Pennies and Pancakes site Andrea has a wonderful tutorial called "How to Make Homemade Bread (Step by Step) that you might want to check out. Thank you Andrea for the wonderful recipe and the great tutorial!!

To try this great bread stop by Andrea's site or continue reading for the recipe:

Strawberry Banana Dessert

I recently made this dessert for a family get-together. My family always requests my chocolate desserts and they disappear quickly along with smiles and comments of "my favorite dessert!". But, great as chocolate is, I really wanted a   change of pace so decided on this strawberry banana dessert - I mean really, who doesn't like strawberries and bananas?? Well, this was a definite hit! One brother even commented that he now has a new "favorite"! I don't have an actual "recipe" so I've tried to list the ingredients I used as accurately as I remember. If you have any questions on the dessert please do not hesitate to e-mail me or put your questions in the comments and I will get right back to you. I really hope that you enjoy this dessert as much as my family did! (My picture doesn't do justice to the dessert so please don't judge it based on that - give it a try anyway)

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

I love puddings and by far prefer cook and serve puddings to instant puddings. I'm also a big fan of items I can make at home that taste as good as the items you can buy, but that don't have the long list of chemicals. When I saw this pudding recipe listed at Hillbilly Housewife I just had to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised! This pudding recipe was very easy to make and tastes fantastic. It's a rich and creamy chocolate and has a great consistency. In addition, it has no eggs and can be made with powdered milk - what more could I want? If you, like me, like homemade items, this is a recipe you really should give a try - it's well worth the little amount of time it takes to make it and you can serve it to your family without worrying about unwanted chemicals!

Butterscotch and White Chip Cookies

I seem to be on a cookie jag lately. Cookies are a fairly easy dessert to make and take to get togethers and picnics and seem to be enjoyed by everyone. I saw these on Pinterest and just had to give them a try. The recipe was from Jamielyn at I Heart Nap Time and they turned out every bit as good as she said they would, and that I hoped they would. These cookies have less sugar than some cookie recipes, are soft and the butterscotch and white chips give them a great and very butterscotch flavor. Give them a try, I really think that you will like them.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

I have seen many recipes for Homemade Oreo Cookies on the internet and most of them are very similar. This is the one I decided to try, and was very pleased with the result. These vary only slightly from the other recipes so I have no doubt that all of them are very, very good. I know that I love Oreos, who can resist these favorites we grew up with? Not me, that's for sure! And, everyone I have had sample them has thought these cookies were delicious. To me they don't taste just like Oreos but I find the difference to be one that I really like. These cookies are softer and can have as much filling as you might want to put in them. Anyway I look at it, I and my friends thought these cookies were definite winners!!!

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

My family has a big get together each year over Labor Day weekend and I usually supply the desserts. This year I was looking for something a little different than what I usually make. So in addition to the tried, true and requested that I make each year I decided to try some additional, easy to eat on the run items. I made up some of my Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies the first night and when they disappeared quickly decided to do another cookie the next night. I found white baking chips in my cupboard and found this recipe on the back of the Hershey's Premier White Chips bag. Since chocolate is always a big favorite I decided to give it a try. The cookies baked up really nicely and had a really good flavor. They were soft and chewy and got rave reviews! But then, with my family, anything chocolate always goes over big. If your family is like mine, these are a winner!

July 29 Thought For The Day

Layered Tex-Mex Taco Salad

I love taco salads but don't always want to make them up in the tortilla bowls. This is a great way to make up taco salad for a potluck or family get together. You can make as much or as little as you will need. If you have people who may not care for the salad dressing you can always leave it off and serve it on the side. The salad looks pretty in the bowl and when tossed well and served, tastes great!

2 Ingredient Angel Food and Fruit Cake

This recipe is super easy to make and can be made with lots of different flavors. I made mine with cherry pie filling and it turned out delicious. It can also be made with crushed pineapple or with any flavor of pie filling that you like. As I said it's super easy to make, just pour the 1 step angel food cake mix into a bowl, dump in the pie filling, stir together and pour into the pan. It took me about 3 minutes to mix it up. It does sink some when taken out of the oven, so don't let that panic you. It makes a super moist, flavorful cake, though not with a normal angel food cake look. This will definitely go on my make in a hurry for unexpected quests list! I hope that you decide to give it a try and let me know what you think!

July 25 Thought For The Day

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

This is a great recipe from the Betty Crocker site made with sugar cookie mix. I was in a hurry when I needed to make up a batch of cookies and since I had a pouch of the mix I decided to give these a try. I plan on making some soon from scratch with my sugar cookie recipe and basically rolled up and sliced the same way - not that these are bad, they are actually very tasty. I just prefer to have things made from scratch. This dough was not hard to work with and rolled out easily and rolled into a log with only a couple of very small cracks. After chilling they sliced up nicely and baked up looking pretty. They also taste great - so what more could you ask for???? They are definitely worth trying since the idea of them is different and will get positive comments, plus who doesn't like the taste of cinnamon rolls?

July 22 Thought For The Day

Salsa Chicken

I have seen this recipe on various sites and finally decided to give it a try. I'm really glad that I did! The chicken was moist and tender and the seasonings gave it a wonderful Mexican flavor. I used the Taco Seasoning II recipe posted on this site, which I make with a little less cayenne pepper than the recipe calls for as I don't care for seasoning which is very spicy hot. That's the nice thing about this recipe for Salsa Chicken, you can make it spicy or not, your preference, by the spices you use and the salsa you choose. I will definitely be making this chicken again, as not only was it tasty, it was also very very easy! I would love to hear your comments if you give it a try!

July 21 Thought For The Day

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe at Rachel Schultz's blog and decided to give them a try as she lists them as the "Softest Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever", and the recipe uses pudding mix rather than white sugar. Intriguing! Well, the cookies do cook up soft and they do stay soft for days. The only changes I made in Rachel's recipe was that I used sugar-free instant pudding, rather than regular, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, rather than milk chocolate chips. I really like the idea of less sugar in the cookies, though you certainly can't tell from the flavor that they aren't chock full of sugar! Nestles Toll House Cookie recipe calls for 3/4 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar. In this recipe I used only 3/4 cup brown sugar, and so I feel much better about eating them at only 1/2 the sugar - I love cookies so I'll take any little rationalization I can get (and no, I'm not even going to think about all the butter that's in them, lol!) Rachel has some great recipes on her site so wander on over if you have the chance. And, these cookies are really worth trying!

July 13 Thought For The Day

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

This is another homemade recipe from Maeghan at The Way To His Heart. I really like knowing what is in my food and definitely like not having a whole list of chemicals with names I can't even pronounce in the list of ingredients! This sauce is easy to make and you can adjust the seasonings according to your personal preferences. Hope that you enjoy it!

July 11 Thought For The Day

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

This is another recipe from Recipe Girl that I'm anxious to try. The picture is from Recipe Girl also. When I have a chance to make the recipe I will be posting my own picture, but until then her picture will show you what it looks like - her picture is probably better than mine would be anyway, LOL! This recipe also looks to be quick and easy, one of my favorite requirements, as well as delicious - I love the idea of the spinach added to the filling. The only changes I will make when I prepare it is to add sliced black olives and onions to the chicken mixture. If you give this recipe a try I would love to hear your opinion on it!

July 9 Thought For The Day

Chalupas

Picture from RecipeGirl.com

I found this recipe at Recipe Girl which has now become one of my favorite recipe sites. She has tons of recipes listed and all of them look so good I don't know where to start on trying them. These looked very simple and like they would work really well with homemade flour tortillas, and sometimes, especially during the summer, I just want something really quick and easy to make but that still tastes delicious. These qualify on all levels! You can get as fancy as you want with the toppings or eat them with just a little salsa and sour cream and either way they are quick, easy and taste wonderful!

July 5 Thought For The Day

Angel Pudding

I came across this recipe in one of my Mom's old cookbooks. I really can't remember if she ever made it or not but she had noted on the recipe that it was really good so she must have at least been served it on some occasion. It sounded good to me so I decided to give it a try and I was mostly pleased with the way it turned out. It is a very simple, easy dessert to put together. I baked my angel food cake but it would really be quick to put together if you purchased an angel food cake already prepared. I am not a big fan of instant pudding so if I make it again I will make it with cooked pudding - then I think that I would be great.

I will be keeping this recipe handy though, for when I need a fast dessert to put together for unexpected company.

July 4 Thought For The Day

Cheesy Taco Casserole

I saw this recipe on Averie Cooks  and decided to give it a try with a few minor changes. I'm really glad that I did. I was pleased with the flavor and with the ease of making it. The recipe suggested lining the baking dish with foil, which I did, and that made the clean up really easy also. So.....what's not to like? The recipe has a rice base and no tortillas. Taco's with no tortillas??? Well, the taco flavoring is so good I didn't even miss the tortillas! If you like tacos, have a family to feed and need something easy to throw together, you really ought to give this a try!

June 27 Thought For The Day

Strawberry Cake

This weekend we had a family get-together and I was looking for something different to make for a dessert when I came across this recipe for strawberry cake. I usually make chocolate desserts for my family as anything chocolate always seems to be their favorite, but I wanted something different this time. This strawberry cake was a good choice and got thumbs up from everyone!  Of course, they did mention that they would be ready for chocolate again next time!!

This recipe does start with a white cake mix but I was very pleased that the finished product did not taste in the least like a "cake mix" and was super moist and had a really strong good strawberry flavor without being overly sweet. I used frozen sweetened strawberries but I'm sure it would be delicious with fresh strawberries. I used a pudding mix and whipped topping for the frosting rather than a powdered sugar frosting and topped that with whole strawberries to decorate. I am including directions for my topping. This recipe will, for sure, go on my "make again" list.

June 23 Thought For The Day

Quick Chicken Parmesan

Image courtesy of campbellskitchen.com



I'm sure that many of you, like me, prefer to do your cooking from scratch. But, we live in a fast paced world anymore and sometimes there just isn't time to cook up a meal from scratch so I usually keep a few item in my pantry that can be used to put together a quick and delicious meal. This is one that I really enjoy and takes very little time. Hope that you enjoy it also.

June 21 Thought For The Day

We may not know what the rest of our mission in life might be, but I believe this:

Easy Bristo Chicken

I saw this recipe in my Kraft Foods newsletter and decided to give it a try. Overall I was pleased with the results and thought that it had a good flavor. I did add a little garlic and used sliced canned mushrooms instead of fresh as that was what I had in the pantry. The recipe makes a lot of sauce and when I make it again I think that I will serve it over pasta and then have the pasta and sauce leftover after the chicken is gone. It was simple and easy to make and I liked the idea of cooking it in one skillet though I think it would have worked well in a casserole over pasta also. I would love to hear your comments if you try it!

June 19 Thought For The Day

Classic Macaroni Salad

Summertime and potato salad, macaroni salad and grilling all just go together! This macaroni salad is not the one I make most often but I like to make it once in a while as a change of pace. The dressing is what makes the difference in it. I like lots of "stuff" in my macaroni salad but you can add or delete items as your tastes dictate. The dressing is a little tangy and a little sweet and is very creamy. Macaroni salad just can't be beat with hamburgers, hot dogs or with steaks. Enjoy!

June 18 Thought For The Day

This is so very true - try as we might we just can't please everyone!

Cinnamon Streusel Cupcakes

Cupcakes are really popular now, and no wonder, they are so convenient to serve and eat, easy to transport for picnics and get togethers and you can make them in about any flavor. These cupcakes are like a cinnamon streusel coffecake. I topped them with a little cream cheese frosting though they are really good with no frosting at all. Yum-Yum! The brown sugar and cinnamon streusel is layered in the center of the cupcake and sprinkled over the top. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

June 15 Thought For The Day

If you believe it...it must be true. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Tunnel of Fudge Bundt Cake

I hadn't made this recipe for years but it was my Dad's 90th birthday today and he loves chocolate so when I was looking through my recipes to find one to make for him, I came across this one and decided to give it a try again. I'm really glad that I did. The cake turns out really pretty and the fudge center makes a nice surprise and a nice rich taste. The chocolate glaze that I use to drizzle over the top is easy to make and gives the cake a final touch. Dad and the family gave it a big thumbs up!

June 13 Thought For The Day

Pretzel Turtles

These quick and easy candies are always a treat and get rave reviews. I personally prefer to have my chocolate covered caramels, pretzels, and pecans separately - but that's just me - everyone else I have made these for really likes them so I am including them here. If you give them a try I would really like to hear your comments.

June 10 Thought For The Day

It seemed like a good day to go with a lighter thought for the day. Hope you can't identify with this as much as I can!

Amish Potluck Potato Casserole

This recipe is from the Homestyle Amish Cookbook, 2010. It's a basic, simple casserole that isn't low on flavor.  If you find the flavor is a little to basic for your tastes you can always add extra flavors like green onions, bell peppers, pimentos or spices. The corn flakes on the top are tasty but it's also tasty made with crushed Ritz crackers instead of the corn flakes. Hope that you enjoy it!

June 9 Thought For The Day

I think this saying is so true:

Apricot Pineapple Freezer Jam

Last year was a bumper crop for apricot trees in my area and I made several batches of this jam. This year the trees don't have near as many apricots on them but hopefully there will be enough for another batch as last years batches disappeared quickly among the neighbors. This jam is easy to make and is delicious and it's great to just go to the freezer in the winter and be able to have that great summer taste!

June 7 Thought For The Day

This is so very true! We never know how much time we have so enjoy life while you can and appreciate those who share the journey with you.

May 30 Thought For The Day

People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing - and I've had some doozies.

Ravioli Taco Bake

I receive a newsletter from Recipe Lion and have found some of their posted recipes really good and some only so-so. They have a lot of copycat recipes listed for places like Cracker Barrel and many others and again some of them I have tried have been very good and very close to the original, some not so much. This recipe is one they had listed on their list of favorite casseroles for 2011. I haven't tried it yet but it is so different that I have added to my list of "want to trys". If you give it a go I would love to hear your response!

May 29 Thought For The Day

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and love is the best pair of rose colored glasses available.

King Ranch Chicken

I received this recipe from a co-worker years ago and it has always been one of my favorites. It's easy to make and reheats really well IF you have any leftovers.

May 28 Thought For The Day