Happy first day of 2011!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2011 is a blessed year for all.

We had a delightful time with friends last night. Our pastor and his wife had an open house and we enjoyed good company and yummy snacks.

My pastor enjoys cooking and baking besides wine making. We were talking about bread. He is currently baking artisan bread. We discussed some ways to add herbs. I told him I had a fabulous recipe for white bread I had just tried last week and my husband loved it.

Last week I had time to look through cook books and I was looking at Ina Garten's cookbook, "Barefoot Contessa at Home." The recipe is simple, but delicious.

Honey White Bread
Makes 2 loaves
½ c warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages of dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups warm milk (110 degrees)
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled (3/4 stick)
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 extra large egg yolks
5 to 6 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 egg white, lightly beaten

Place water in bowl and add the yeast and sugar – allow to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix until blended. Add the egg yolks and 3 cups of flour and salt. Gradually add 2 more cups of flour. Add more flour if necessary. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter or oil and the put the dough in the bowl, then turn over so the top is lightly buttered or oiled. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rise for 1 hour – it should double in volume.
Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place in a prepared pan. Cover again with a damp towel and allow to rise again for an hour until doubled in volume.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the tops with the egg white and bake the breads for 40-45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

I could see adding some different things to zip it up like rosemary or oregano or even garlic. I checked on-line with some sites and discovered I can probably freeze the dough after the first rise and have loaves ready to be baked. Now, wouldn't that be cool?

I remember in the 70s when quiche was all the rage. There was that saying that "real men don't eat quiche." I found it humorous then and even funnier now considering most men's love affair with breakfast, especially eggs. Brinner anyone?

I'm not for sure, but I think American's love affair with quiche was squelched when it was thought that eating eggs was bad for you. Now eating eggs is OK.

So, I'm hoping to bring back quiche. We visited my husband's aunt and uncle yesterday and we normally go out for a big lunch. We usually have dessert and sit and visit and then make the over two hour drive home, the last thing I want to do is fix a big meal for two reasons: I'm tired and we aren't very hungry.

Since I'm on vacation from school, I have had time to peruse some recipes. I was going through and saw a recipe for quiche. That proverbial light bulb went on! Sometime I can fix ahead and put in the fridge and bake when we want it after we arrive home!

The original recipe calls for Cajun stuff. No offense to those of you who like Cajun cooking, but it is too spicy for us. But the basic recipe was simple and I just added what I had. I will admit I did not make my own crust. We had bought some frozen pie crusts made by the Amish and I pulled one of those out and thawed it and blind baked it for a few minutes.

Here's the simple recipe:

1/2 cup of shredded cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup of half and half

Pour into a pie shell.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and let sit a few minutes out of the oven.

I added leftover ham. I had some Colby cheese that I shredded. I covered it with foil and slipped it in the fridge. When hubby decided he was hungry, I pulled the pie pan out of the fridge, put a little foil around the edges of the pie crust so it didn't burn, put it on a baking sheet, and baked it. I served it with a fruit salad.

It was yummy. I was thinking I could have added vegetables and other types of cheeses to change it out.

So, do you think quiche will become popular again?

For dessert on Christmas, I baked a cake. I'm always trying different cake recipes because I find good and bad things about each. This time I tried a recipe by Ian Garten. One bite and my husband informed me this was the best chocolate cake I've baked so far.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.


I'm including her recipe for the frosting, but I'm going to admit I didn't use it exactly. The raw egg yolk kind of worried me. I added a little milk instead.

Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.


Other than the buttermilk, I had everything else on hand. Since I was going to make cornbread, the buttermilk came in handy and since I'm baking another cake this week to take to my husband's aunt and uncle's for a belated birthday, I will use the buttermilk.

The cake is moist and yummy -- far better than a storebought cake. And, no preservatives either!

If you try it, let me know what you think.

Yesterday was a horrible day outside. We had blowing snow and frigid temperatures. After church, it was a blessing to get inside and be warm and safe.

It was also a good day to bake. I baked breads and cookies and some brownies. I've already shared my banana bread recipe a few months back, but here's a recipe for peanut butter bread and you are to serve it with jam. I saw Paula Deen make it a few years ago and had to try it. It's easy and fairly tasty.

Peanut Butter Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients. Add milk and peanut butter. Pour into a greased 8 by 4 by 3-inch loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. Serve with your favorite jam.


I actually had 3 smaller loaves because I wanted to put them with banana bread and cookies and dipped pretzels for some gift trays. Some of us are at a point that we don't need to give gifts of objects -- we appreciate the time and effort of something home made!

It's December and after above normal temps, we are getting our cold weather. We were supposed to get snow last night and felt fortunate that we didn't any. I guess a town 45 minutes north received 4 inches. Ick.

With winter comes the desire for hot food. We attended our church's bazaar and luncheon and boy, that cheesy vegetable soup hit the spot. Nothing like a good soup to warm someone up, eh?

I lucked into a chicken stew recipe a couple of years ago and after making it a few times, tweaked it with my own additions. It makes a good meal and with all the vegetables, it's probably very healthy as well:

Chicken Stew

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 celery stalks, cut into bite-size pieces
3 medium size carrots, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 14 oz can of chicken broth (or more if you like the sauce thinner)
1 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up
1 can of red beans
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
pasta rings (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 ½ quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken breast pieces and season with salt and pepper. When chicken is cooked, add chicken broth, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Add the basil and oregano and beans. Cook about 45 minutes or until vegetables are cooked the way you like them. Twenty minutes before you are ready to serve, add the pasta rings (add as few or as many as you want, depending on the amount of broth you added). Serve with bread.


If I don't have the red beans, I'll take some dry lentils, pour boiling water for them for a few minutes, pick out the not so good ones, drain, and cook with the stew. It makes it very hearty and rich and my husband who never would try a lentil, eat them.

I just hate it when I try a new recipe and it's awful. I mean, the ingredients were good, but the taste was...well, it left a lot to be desired.

I had a recipe I had found in a magazine for an onion bread casserole. Easy enough...saute 3 onions, tear up a loaf of French bread, add 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese, 2 eggs, teaspoon of nutmeg, and 3 cups of milk. Mix together and put in fridge overnight. Bake for 45 minutes at 350. Sounds decent, right?

Wrong! It was soupy and I had put it in the fridge overnight to "soak" so the bread would have the egg and milk mixture throughout. The bread did rise like it was supposed to in the oven. But, it was soupy and pretty bland. I guess I'm used to more flavorful stuff. I was disappointed. We ate it, because it wasn't dreadful, but I doubt if I try it again as it is written.

Guess it's live and learn. I didn't buy anything I didn't already have. Just wonder what I could add to make it better. Any ideas?

My beautiful new stove arrived this afternoon. The front is stainless and it has a black smooth cook top. It's so clean and sleek that I could hardly wait to fire it up!

Last weekend I saw an ad for THE stove I wanted and it was marked down. They even threw in an above the stove microwave, something I never would have gotten otherwise. We went to the store and looked at the beauty, opened the door, measured, did anything and everything one would do including kick the proverbial tires! After saving for over a year, I wnated to make sure this was the one.

I guess lots of folks buy new appliances and want them delivered before Thanksgiving. I chose today because I am off from school. The sales lady seemed relieved that I didn't need it before Wednesday.

The microwave was delivered, but the installer called and wanted to wait until tomorrow to put it in. I returned his call and thought I was being kind in saying OK, although he was supposed to come today. He then wanted to move it to Monday. I let my husband call him back because I was afraid I would get emotional on the phone. I have been so excited all week anticipating this lovely new stove and microwave. Hopefully he will show tomorrow, but I have my doubts.

I have cookies baking in the convection oven. I've never had a convection oven before so it is pretty cool. The oven window is so clear it's like watching television as I keep an eye on the cookies baking.

So, for those of you who have cheered me on, thank you for your words of encouragement. I'm very happy with my new stove.

My husband says he's happy too. I think he's pretty elated because he got a cookie from the first batch. But I think he's also secretly relieved that I prefer a big shiny stove instead of a big shiny diamond because that boy likes to eat!

Today I am thankful for bread.

If you mention bread, what pictures pops up in your mind? Do you think of the soft white bread of your youth? Homemade bread with a great crush and rough texture? Soft rolls smothered in butter? The sweet flavor of banana bread?

A few years ago I had asked for donations of bread machines because our students thought bread came from the store. I know it does, but they didn't realize it was baked and that people often do bake it. It was a good exercise in measuring as well as some cooking. We ate our "homework" and the kids loved it.

Funny thing is the adults loved it too. Many would stop by my room and eat the crusts because the kids wouldn't eat the end pieces. They liked the aroma in the halls. A few would sit down at lunch and talk about what a wonderful experience they had because someone had baked bread with or for them. All of this because of something so simple as bread. Maybe it's not so simple after all.

I try to experiment with different breads and different flours. We found a small Amish store in a nearby town that sells flour in smaller packages so I can purchase enough for a couple of loaves and not worry about using 5 pounds or wasting 5 pounds if we don't like it.

There's something glorious about the smell of bread baking. And magical too. Putting together flour and yeast and liquid and then whatever else and seeing it rise is pretty cool too.

I found this recipe for biscuits I want to try. It sounded easy enough to do, but tasty enough to want:

Cheddar Sage Biscuits

2 cup(s) flours
1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) salt
2 tablespoon(s) dried sage
4 tablespoon(s) cold unsalted butter
1 cup(s) (shredded) white Cheddar cheese
1 cup(s) buttermilk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 475ºF and grease 2 cookie sheets with butter. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sage and butter in food processor, and pulse until well combined; transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives and use your fingers to combine.) Stir in cheese and buttermilk.
2.Place dough on a floured surface and knead a little (4 or 5 times). Roll out dough to 1?2-inch thickness and cut out 24 biscuits using a 2-inch round cutter. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheets an inch apart and bake until tops are browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Today I'm thankful for...drum roll please...leftovers!

I know some would think that was a weird thing, but first of all, if we have leftovers, it means we have more than enough to begin with.

Today we had another meal from that Crockpot ham we had earlier this week. Easy recipe for ham and mac and cheese:

Boil some elbow macaroni until done

Make a cheese sauce with a tablespoon of butter, tablepoon of flour heated through, then add cut up cheese and milk until desired consistency.

Cut up ham in small pieces.

Mix together and put in a greased pan and add bread crumbs to the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered for 25 minutes and take the cover off for the last five minutes! A hot, filling meal. Add a vegetable and a bread and a good Friday night meal. Easy, quick, and cheap!

I am grateful for Crockpots. I can't imagine not having the use of one. I put a ham in one for supper tonight and boy was it yummy. I made a glaze with Dr. Pepper and honey and some cinnamon and boy was it yummy!

I am grateful for Crockpots. I can't imagine not having the use of one. I put a ham in one for supper tonight and boy was it yummy. I made a glaze with Dr. Pepper and honey and some cinnamon and boy was it yummy!

Today I am thankful for all the delicious food I get to enjoy! Monday night we had turkey and mashed potatoes and vegetables and it was yummy. I've had turkey sandwiches the past few days for lunches and tonight we finished up the turkey and broth with turkey and noodles. We also had some of the last homegrown tomatoes. I'm already missing them because we are starting winter soon.

We are very fortunate to have so many food choices. When I think about some people who have two choices: take it or go without, it makes me humble to think I have the choice of having different foods whenever I want. And although I often grouse about the expense, we can eat reasonably and healthily.

I just left the kitchen. Not permanently, but I have been fixing things. On the stove are homegrown grape tomatoes that are cooking down for marinara sauce. I have dough rising for two loaves of bread to be baked a little later. I have a turkey breast defrosting that I plan on putting in the Crockpot. So,I would have to say that today I'm deeply grateful that I have plenty to eat.

I work in a district that has many schools that are considered low income. I know that many of these children depend on the free lunch and free breakfast they receive at school. Although I grew up poor, we always had plenty to eat. It might not have been the greatest or what I wanted, but we had food. I know a local food pantry says they give out over 1,200 food boxes a month and they aren't the only pantry in the city. I think in many areas folks are hungry.

So, I'm blessed!

I admit it...I'm a worrier. I know I shouldn't worry and I know it's a sin. Perhaps even a vice.

After all the stuff in the news about plastic and certain types leeching into our food and drinks, I went on a campaign to start replacing the plastic lidded bowls with glass ones. I hit a bonanza at a couple of "antique" shops...the old Pyrex dishes as well as the refrigerator dishes with lids were in abundance if you knew where to look. I have, the in the past few months, bought an assortment in different sizes. None of them match, but that's OK.

So, that's where I safely store the leftovers because I'm too cheap to throw them away. They make great lunches. I admit, I've become the laughingstock at school, though.

A drawback of using glass is they don't fit tightly and the lids come off. My solution...rubber bands to secure them. One of my friends said she should have me come in and teach problem solving to her class after she laughed at my "solution." Hey, it works. The rubber bands are the ones that came on the paper that the paper person doesn't seem to want back. Yeah, I called and left a message when I had a ton of them and said I'd leave them on the front step. They were there after the delivery. Guess they forgot they could save money by reusing them. So, I reuse them.

While I'm in the problem solving mode I can also say teh glass dish certainly adds to the weight of my lunch bag. Maybe I'm getting a workout with "weights".

I would say I'm hitting two birds with one glass container -- no BPA and getting a weight workout too.

Both my husband and I are history fans. My husband more so than I -- he loves those shows on the History Channel when they talk about tanks and go down to what kind of nuts and bolts were used to fasten things. Me, not so much.

However, we have a standing joke around our house. We talk about having a "Hoover dinner." Most Friday nights I get a whole frozen chicken and put it in the Crockpot to cook over night with some vegetables and herbs. Saturday morning we are awakened to the savory smell of chicken and broth. We figure Mr. Hoover would be proud of our chicken in the Crockpot and making two to three meals out of it.

Those folks who remember some historical phrases, when Herbert Hoover was running for president, he promised a chicken in every pot. Well, I have a chicken in my Crockpot so maybe Herbert would be proud!

To digress,I would have to say with the mudslinging and hate ads going on, I would like to go back to some of Herbert and FDR's phrases while running for election; our local telelvision station admitted that 80% of their advertisement is made up of political ads. And they are downright nasty -- only one person has actually ran an ad stating what he plans to do. The rest are ripping into their competition. When this is all said and done, how can these folks try to work with each other to truly represent us?

OK, now that I'm back to the original subject, I do a lot of things with that chicken and broth. I usually make two to three meals from that chicken. I'm planning on chicken stew, chicken and noodles and a new recipe I'm itching to try: chicken and artichoke casserole. I found it in the magazine Simple and Delicious.It was shared by a gal named Amy Nutoni from Minnesota.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (14 oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, rined, drained, and chopped
1 can (10 3/4 ounces of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup 2% milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup onion and garlic salad courtons, coursely crushed

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combined the chicken, artichokes, soup, cheese, mayonnaise, milk, garlic, onion powder and pepper. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture. Transfer to a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with croutons. Baked, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

I'm not sure if Mr. Hoover would like this dish, but he'd like the chicken in the Crockpot. And he would probably appreciate my goal of saving money -- he was around during the depression -- he may not have been poor, but he saw what it did. That's why he promised a chicken in every pot. So, as we lift our forks we'll say, "This one's for you, Herbie!"

Every so often folks sit down and starting remembering the "Good Ole' Days". And, often, these days of memory weren't so good when they were being lived, but a hard scrabble way of life.

But for many, there were life lessons learned that proved useful later in life.

I've mentioned before my folks grew up during the depression. The struggles they lived through -- going hungry, patched clothes, and doing without shaped their lives and then shaped mine. I fear for having an empty pantry in case something bad might happen -- this fear was learned through their hard lives and passed down to me.

But, I also think this fear also has made me frugal in life as well as appreciative to what I have.

I admit I spend money. Sometimes I go wild and I feel guilty when I do it. But, fortunately I have the means to do this without having to do without things.

But, looking back, some of those things that were in place years ago really did save money and make sense. Old fashioned? Perhaps.

There a quote I often think about:

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
— Boyd K. Packer

If more people did this, perhaps we wouldn't have the money troubles in the economy.

Yesterday we took the train to Chicago and on the way home, chose to buy a sandwich and a bottle of water for our supper instead of buying the pricey meal in the dining car. After finishing the water, I put the bottle in my bag to bring home to recycle. It made me think of growing up when soft drinks were served in glass bottles. When you bought the soda, you paid a deposit and when you returned the empty bottle, you received your deposit back. Talk about recycling! You didn't have to check the bottom to see if the recycling place would take it! And I maintain that a soda doesn't taste as good nowdays in plastic container or aluminum can as it did in an ice cold bottle!

Plus, we had the entertainment of looking at the bottom of the bottle. My dad worked for Coca Cola bottling company and at the bottom of the bottle would be stamped the name of the city the bottle had originally been bottled at the first time it was used. It became a contest to see who had a bottle from the furtherst place.

Today I made what I call "Clean out your kitchen lasagna." I can't give measurements for anything. I had half a pound of sausage that I had cooked with onions and bell peppers. I had bits and pieces of different cheeses. I had a partial container of cream, a partial container of sour cream, milk, leftover lasagna noodles, and a few grape tomatoes. So, I thought a casserole could be this lasagna. I did open a small can of tomato sauce since I didn't have enough tomatoes, but the white sauce was thickedn with some butter and flour and it looked pretty good. It's sitting the fridge with two other casseroles we will be enjoying this week after I get off work.

Maybe we can define the "good" in the "Good Ole Days" as the good learning that took place.

So, what are some ways you are using it up, wearing it out, making it do, or doing without?

It's Sunday and I've been in the kitchen most of the afternoon fixing stuff for the coming week. I also pack my lunch for the next day because it means I don't have to get up that much earlier in the morning. Plus, I hate worrying that I might forget.

I have read many posts and blogs about folks saying they save money taking their lunches. It was always a given with me because I don't have time to go out and I don't want to get up an earlier than I have to to stop someplace and pick something up.

Are you creative with your lunches? Often I take leftovers and that's pretty good. But there are times when I don't have leftovers. For awhile, I was eating turkey and to be quite honest, I was getting a bit tired of it. I guess that sounds whiny. Sorry!

A friend of mine was talking about her tuna salad and I'm thinking I need to try it. She puts sliced boiled eggs (3 eggs, but only uses one yolk), and relish in it. That sounds pretty good.

I had some potatoes that were starting to get a bit soft and since I had fixed a chicken in the Crockpot, I had chicken broth left over. I normally freeze it so I have it on hand, but I figured it's mine and I can use it. So, I made potato soup this afternoon and put it in a microwavable mug with a lid for lunch tomorrow. It's supposed to be rainy so that sounds pretty good. DH bought a bag of apples on sale and we usually have grapes so I cleaned them and packaged the grapes in a plastic container and washed the apple and have it ready for my lunch. With a Thermos of water, it should be a decent lunch.

So, do you have the lunch packing blues?

If you read my blogs you might think I have a preoccupation with kitchen appliances and you might be correct!

It's Thursday and my fridge is looking kind of lonely. I fixed a few meals ahead this week and had them stashed in the fridge. I opened the door tonight after supper and showed my husband how bare it was starting to look. He just laughed at me.

But it does look bare. There's a little milk, some ice tea in a pitcher, and a few odds and ends here and there to eat, but last Sunday the shelves were jam packed with things that were fixed and could be heated up, or defrosting so they could be cooked.

It means the cycle starts over where I write up a grocery list for Aldi and one for the other grocery we frequent so we can begin again.

On the bright side, better a lonely looking fridge than an empty tummy, right?

I like fall. I like it for a variety of reasons -- partially because it gets cooler. I'd like summer a whole lot more if it didn't get so stinking hot because I don't handle heat well. But, I think fall is a special time because the leaves change color and it just makes it enjoyable to watch as trees get more colorful each day.

I also think I like fall because it is a season of harvest. Believe it or not, I'm a food lover and some of the things harvested in the fall are simply delicious.

I like the aspect of baking more and using fall flavors. I try to bake things seasonally just to keep it in my mind what the season is like. The idea of a bubbling stew and a hearty bread on a cool fall day just makes me smile.

A few years ago in one of those coupon inserts a flour company had this harvest bread recipe and I clipped it and make it from time to time. It sort of tastes like stuffing which goes into the seasonal part. Hope you enjoy it.

Harvest Stuffing Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 envelope quick rise yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of minced onion (divided)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon celery sead.

Combine 1 cup all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons onions, parlsey, poultry seasoning and salt in a large bowl. Heat water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 F). Stir into flour mixture.

Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stire in remaining all purpose flour to make stiff batter.

Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Turn batter into greased bread pan (about 1 1/2 quart). Smooth top of dough in casserole with floured hands. Cover.

Rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Brush beaten egg on loaf. Sprinkle with remining onion and celery seed.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack. If you use a glass pan, bake at 350.

I have changed this a bit using sage because I like sage in my stuff and it does give it little more depth of flavor. Can you imagine how much a loaf of this would cost at a bakery? Once you get the basic ingredients to make bread, it makes store bought bread seem outrageous, especially at speciality bakeries!

OK, what kind of soup should I fix with this?

Many of us grew up on casseroles because they were a cheap way to stretch a meal whether it was with pasta or rice or bread crumbs. For some it brings back good memories of eating with family.

So, as I am in a quest for some new casserole recipes, I am wondering, why do we still like them?

Is it to save money -- I can stretch a chicken pretty far in a couple of casseroles.

Is it because it tastes good -- I sure plan on keeping the recipes we liked and forgetting those we didn't.

Is it for ease -- making them ahead of time and keeping them in the fridge or freezer sure makes it easy to feed those you love and adore.

Or is it a memory we like to relive?

So, what is our love affair with casseroles about?

I was at a meeting yesterday and one of the gals said that a mutual friend had told her about me. I looked at her and she said that this friend had told her that I make out a grocery list and then spend some time during the weekend cooking stuff for the week. I wasn't sure if she thought this was a positive or negative thing. My perception was it was I was crazy, but that's a whole different story.

I do fix things on weekends and store in the fridge during the school year for a variety of reasons. Most nights I come in the door and have very little time to fix stuff from scratch. Although I know there are things out there you can heat and eat, I am trying to eat stuff that doesn't have a lot of salt or preservatives in them. And, they are pricey.

Plus, the temptation to go out is there when I come home tired. So, if I have something already ready to heat up, chances are I can reason it out that I need to use it for two reasons -- if it's basically fixed and just needs to be heated, it won't take long and by the time I clean up and go out, it would take longer to eat (not to mention the expense), plus that would mean I would waste what I had already fixed. It basically boils down to money.

I can afford to go out and we do eat out, just not every night.

I always feel a twinge of regret on Friday night when the fridge looks bare since we've used the casseroles, stews, etc. that I fixed for the week and the pantry has empty spots. There's a security when my fridge is full of meals ready to eat (sorry, armed forces, I borrowed your phrase).

So, after this discussion and getting a few odd looks from the people at the meeting, I now query, am I anal because I take the time to cook stuff and control what goes into it and have meals ready to eat?
Or am I just cheap?

Today actually feels like fall in Central Illinois. We had upper 80s and 90 degree temps last week, but suddenly some of the leaves are starting to turn and it is a comfortable 65 today.

One thing I've been looking forward to is finding some soups and stews that I can fix ahead of time and then heat up when I get home from work. I was reading "Country Living" and they had a turkey chili that looked hearty as well as "lighter" because it is made with turkey. I haven't tried it yet -- I just found it this weekend, but I'm putting it in my file of "need to try soon".

Turkey Chili

2 T olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 t salt
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/3 c tomato sauce
2 medium green bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 T sugar
2 1/2 t ground chili powder
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 1/4 t ground cumin
1 15 ounce can each of these types of beans: pinto, kidney, and black beans, drained and rinsed

In a large pot over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Brown turkey, breaking up with a wooden spoon as meat cooks. Season with salt. Using a slotted spoon, remove turkey and reserve; discard any liquid.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers, sugar, and spices using wooden spoon to break up tomatoes. Add reserved turkey and bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Add beans, stirring gently, and simmer 15 more minutes.

Doesn't this sound like a great fall-winter meal with some crusty bread?

I went to one of my favorite places yesterday -- the library -- and checked out a few magazines. Although I'm a month behind, the price is right, and I enjoy the fact that I don't have to deal with storing them or disposing of them (or recycling) when I'm done -- I just return them.

I have been on a tomato kick and was delighted when I found this recipe for tomato pie in the August Woman's Day. The recipe said this with a green salad makes it a great duo. I would agree.

Southern Tomato Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 15 oz box of 2)
1 cup light mayonnaise
8 oz Cheddar, shredded (2 cups)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4cup sliced scallions
1 1/3 ripe plum tomatoes (8-10 medium size), sliced

Place one oven rack in bottom position. Heat oven to 350.

Line a 9 in pie plate with crut. Crimp edges with a fork. Prick bottom and sides of dough in several places with a fork.

Bake 10-12 minutes until crust looks slightly puffed and dry.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, 1 1/4 cups of the cheese and the pepper
Sprinkle bottom of partially baked crust with 1/3 up of the remaining cheese. Top with 1/4 of the tomatoes (about 12 or 13 slices). Sprinkle with 1 T of scallions. Spoon 1/3 cup of the mayonnaise mixture on top in dollops. Continue to layer tomatoes, scallions and mayonnaise mixture to make e more layers. Sprink top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes until crust is golden and juices are bubbling. Remove to rack to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.


Sound good? I didn't have plum tomatoes, but believe in using what you have. I am just thinking how good this would be with different types of cheeses. And since plum tomatoes are available year round, this might be a great recipe for one of those days when you hunger for a tomato and don't have a good vine ripened one available.

It's not Thanksgiving, but turkey and mashed potatoes are pretty good anytime.

I put a turkey breast in the Crockpot with onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, and some pepper with some water. It was all white meat. Yum.

I fixed mashed potatoes with Yukon Gold potatoes and whipping cream. Double yum.

We bought fresh green beans at a farmer's market this weekend and I fixed them over the weekend. I heated them up ... made my husband very happy.

It might not be Thanksgiving, but it was a good time for turkey.

And it's never a bad time to count one's blessings, is it?

Currently I work at 4 schools. And every lunch period is different. This is not a judgment, but perception data.

The buildings where the majority of the staff tend to eat what tastes good to them, even if it isn't healthy tends to have more young people on staff.

Then the buildings where the majority of the staff is older are looking at sodium, carbs, and calories.

It's pretty interesting to see what people bring for lunch and then what they have to say about it.

My lunch fare is pretty boring at times...lately it's been a peanut butter and something sandwich. It can be jelly or honey and I even tried Nutella. On days when I can't refrigerate my lunch, I try to take things that won't spoil in an insulated lunch bag. Often times I bring leftovers, but now that hubby is retired, he often gets the leftovers for his lunch.

Some people bring the same thing every day. When I think of how many years my dad took the same thing in his lunch bucket...I don't know how he did it. Maybe he didn't think eating was a big thing...just something to keep going.

I like a little variety...maybe that's why I like studying what people bring to lunch.

What was my lunch you ask? Today it was slices of green bell pepper, a slice of tomato, cottage cheese, applesauce, grapes,and string cheese with a Thermos of water. You see, I'm trying to watch what I eat...I'm one of the oldsters!

There's something about the approach of fall that makes me want to fix stews and soups.

Today I fixed chicken stew. I put a chicken in the Crockpot overnight with a few vegetables and herbs to season it and the broth. When I got up, I turned it off, let is cool,and then used the meat to make a couple of dishes, one of which was my stew.

My chicken stew is basically using whatever vegetables I have on hand. We went to local farmers' market this morning so I had a good assortment: zucchini, yellow squash, and radishes. We had carrots, celery, and onions here at home. I roasted them at 400 for about 35 minutes to put in the stew. I used some of the broth as well as adding some of my marinara sauce and then I added some lentils that I had poured boiling water over to sort of cook and then drained them. At the end I added some pasta. I had bowtie pasta so that's what I added, and let it all simmer for about 30 minutes on low. It's safely tucked into the fridge for a meal this week.

I decided to look for another stew recipe and this one sounded promising; I found it on all recipes.com.

Meatball Oven Stew

1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups tomato juice
12 fresh pearl onions, peeled
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
Directions
1.In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 12 meatballs. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, brown meatballs in oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Whisk flour into drippings until smooth. Gradually whisk in tomato juice; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return meatballs to pan. Add vegetables; stir gently. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

When I was growing up I only knew about beef stew which I learned to make as a teenager because my dad loved it; hubby adores it now. I'm happy to learn about other stews.

The first part of this blog is going to be a rant...I'm sorry if it is tiresome!

I have been looking at Crockpot recipes. The true reason I do Crockpot is for the pleasure of putting something in it and then having it cook while I'm at work all day. However, some of the recipes that I'd like to try only cook for a few hours like 4 or 5. That's great if I were home, but doesn't help me much if I'm gone over 8 hours!

That being said, here's a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com that I might try this week:

Chicken and Fresh Tomato Stew

Ingredients
5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomato
1 cup sliced carrot
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
water, as needed

Directions
Combine the potatoes, tomato, carrot, onion, and bay leaves in a slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts atop the vegetables. Stir the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning in a bowl; pour over the chicken breasts. Add water as needed to assure the chicken is completely covered. Cook on Low for 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts and cut into bite sized chunks and return to slow cooker. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, another 1 to 2 hours.

On another note...hope you have a wonderful Labor Day!

After looking at the grocery ads, I wonder if I'm missing something. According to the ads, I should be buying lots of picnic/cookout foods for the weekend. I realize that many families do have a cookout so that is to be expected.

Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't go with the norm. On a holiday weekend, I often fix things that I have time to fix instead of a typical menu. I did pull out a couple of steaks to defrost in the fridge. I probably won't be fixing them on the grill. I think I may sear the sides, then put them in the oven to finish with a little butter on top. I hate to admit this, but doing the charcoal grill for two little steaks often seems hardly worth the effort. Maybe if we had a bunch of folks it would seem worth it, but running in and out of the house seems to be a lot of labor.

I think we will have baked potatoes (I'm already using the oven) and possibly a vegetable casserole as well as sliced tomatoes.

Not fancy, but a treat -- we don't do steaks very often.

What is on your Labor Day Menu?

You just can't beat a casserole with chicken, cheese, and rice. I made it up last weekend and stuck it in the fridge to heat up.

I wish I had the recipe because I just kind of made it up as I went along. I bought some whole grain rice and sauted it in a small bit of butter, then cooked it with the chicken broth I had from the chicken I fixed in the Crockpot. I let it cook for about 50 minutes...I guess simmer is the word...and the rice was done and had absorbed the broth.

I had roasted some vegetables for another meal so I threw those in with the shredded chicken. Then, I put the hot rice with all these in a greased casserole dish and cleaned out my fridge with the bits and pieces of different cheeses. All these melted into the rice. I then grated some cheese on top and stuck it in the fridge.

Tonight I came home, added about a tablespoon of milk to it so it wouldn't be dried out, and baked at 400 for about 40 minutes. It was amazing. Yum!

Hubby wanted to know where I got this recipe and I told him I just sort of combined stuff I had. He said it was good and to make it again sometime.

So, I guess you just can't beat chicken, cheese and rice.

Since we have a decent crop of tomatoes, I'm delighted when I find a recipe that is quick and easy and looks good.

I was reading Guideposts and found this recipe that is tagged as being healthy. I think you can make and little or as much as you like.

Burnt Tomatoe Halves

4 firm, ripe tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
black peppercorns
2 T fresh oregano leaves

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Meanwhile, cut tomatoes in half. Brush cut side of tomato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. Place tomatoes cut side down on hot surface. Don't move them for 8 - 10 minutes or they'll burst. The bottoms will show a black line of char all around when they're done. Using a spatula, life tomatoes off hot surface and invert onto a plate, burnt side up. Cut crosshatches into the surface of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with peppercorns and oregano, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Note: if whole peppercorns are a problem, they can be ground or coarsely cracked. Serves 4.

Looks easy enough, doesn't it? And it sounds like a cheap side while tomatoes are in season.