A Cooking Baker

I needed to do a practice run for the 2 upcoming bake sales I need to contribute goodies to.   As I am terrible at kneading and letting dough rise, and managing the time - I will more than likely walk away and forget about the poor lump of dough - I tried a recipe where I could do the dough in the bread machine, and get around all of that.   Last time I made them the traditional way, I ended up being up way, way too late at night so they would be ready for the morning, and it was not fun.  They were AWESOME, but stressful. This method worked out well - I'd make them again - it was ridiculously easy. (See that little crazy one in the top of the picture, by the way?   That was an end piece I squeezed in there, and it was just like a built-in sample piece, so I went ahead and grabbed it as soon as they came out of the oven.)  I made 2 9" rounds, and squeezed 8-9 rolls in each one, and then I baked one pan, and stuck the other one in the freezer for another time. ...

This is our favorite way to use up deli drawer leftovers. You can use frozen bread dough, pizza dough from the deli or make your own.  I made some dough the day before and stuck it in the fridge, and then quick threw the stromboli together and baked it.  It took about 40 minutes to prep and bake. I've approximated the quantities below - you can use what you have on hand, or buy what you need using the quantities below for a guide. Stromboli 1 recipe pizza Bread Machine Pizza Dough (below) 6-12 slices Genoa salami, thinly sliced 6-12 slices deli pepperoni, thinly sliced 6 slices deli ham, thinly sliced 6 slices picante provolone, thinly sliced 1 c. or so of shredded mozzarella cheese a healthy sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese garlic powder Italian seasoning freshly ground black pepper thinly sliced onions, green peppers, etc. optional (my kids don't do veggies in theirs) 1 egg marinara sauce for dipping Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. ...

Yes!  A dinner everyone LIKED! We all love Chinese food, and any take on it, so tonight we tried a recipe for beef and broccoli, and everyone ATE IT.  And LIKED IT.  Whoo-hoo!  Sorry for the less than attractive photo - the family was ready to pounce and I hurried it.  Beef & Broccoli with Rice Add the following ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag, and then "knead" to coat (or mix it up in a bowl).  Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (I cheated, and only did it for about 30 minutes, and it worked out fine, but longer is better).  You could also toss in the freezer at this point for a freezer meal, so why not make 2 meals - one for tonight, and one for another night or to share? 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. granulated sugar (I've also used honey instead) 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1 1/2 lb. round steak (or flank steak, strip steak, ...

I love soup when it's cold! I've made Chicken Tortilla Soup many times, but for some reason, never in the slow cooker.  I came across a recipe for a slow cooker version the other day, so I decided to make my own version and see how it stacks up next to the traditional method.  I LOVE the idea of using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to shred the chicken - genius!  Usually I'm all about old school fork shredded and doing work and all that, but this way is easy, fast, and awesome.  I'm a convert.  Here's the recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup 1 49 oz. can of chicken broth (Swanson Natural Goodness) or the equivalent of homemade stock, etc. 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or use a rotisserie chicken, or a whole chicken you've cooked, etc.) 1 medium onion (white, yellow, sweet - whatever you have on hand), diced 1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced (you can also use a fresh jalapeno, or leave them out, b...

So lately, the posts are just quickies - but whatever works, right?   I was making kind of a bland chicken/rice/veg dinner for the recovering sickie.  I needed something different for the veg side, and I needed it quick.  Here's what I came up with (and believe it or not, the kids ATE it): Quick Roasted Veggies 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin 1/2 any kind of onion, sliced thin 1-2 crowns of broccoli, sliced thin (leave the stems on) a handful of asparagus stalks, trimmed a handful of carrots, sliced thin lengthwise EVOO salt & pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Throw all of your veggies in a bowl (or skip it and just mix it up on the baking sheet), drizzle with a little EVOO, sprinkle with some salt & pepper, and toss to coat.  Spread the veggies on a baking sheet. Roast the veggies, turning every 10 minutes or so, until they start to take on some nice color and soften, maybe about 30-40 minutes, or if you need to fast forward thin...

These. were. so. good. For Christmas Day this year, we were HOME.  TOGETHER.  WITH NO PLANS.  It was great!  We had spent time with one side of the family at Thanksgiving, a few days before Christmas we had 2 days of fun with the other side, and on Christmas Day, it was just us.  We slept in, stayed in our jammies for too long, went sledding, watched Christmas movies (and NBA basketball, of course), and enjoyed a couple of apps.  We did meatball sliders , pizza dip , and these amazing flatbreads.   We grabbed some Cybros sprouted pizza dough (check out their awesome products - we're huge fans!), and I stretched it out into some "rustic" shapes, and baked them for a few minutes - maybe 5 or so -  at 425 degrees.  Before they were totally done, I pulled them out, rubbed a little garlic on the tops of each flatbread, spread on some caramelized onions, some thinly sliced NY strip steak and of course a liberal sprinkling of blue ...

These are too easy! You can make these great little sliders for dinner, appetizers, or even just a hearty snack.   I made a big batch of meatballs a few weeks ago, and froze half.  This week, I took out a few, tossed them in some sauce, and simmered them until they were heated through.  Try them on Hawaiian bread dinner rolls (you can find them in the deli) - we love the soft, sweet rolls with the hearty meatballs, with a little extra dab of sauce and some mozzarella cheese.  Good stuff!