Mom's Famous Cinnamon Bread

For those of you who don't know, my Mom is practically famous for her cinnamon bread. Last year, she showed me her trade secrets and for this first time, I made some of my own. I've made it a few times since then, and have had some great success as well as- I'll be honest- some pretty disastrous failures. I haven't been making bread for that long, so I still have a lot to learn, but I made it again this morning for our neighbors, and it turned out wonderfully. I used a different white (gasp!) bread recipe than she uses, and- don't tell Mom- but I actually liked it better than her recipe. We don't usually eat white bread, but I consider this stuff dessert, and we all know that I eat plenty of that!

PS- I just halved this recipe and got three mini loaves and one big loaf.

Grandma's White Bread

submitted by Brittany ~ sisterscafe.blogspot.com

2/3 cup powdered milk *see note

3 heaping Tbsp of instant yeast

6 tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar

6 Tbsp shortening (I'm sure you could use butter if you don't want to use shortening)

6 cups warm water

Flour (approx. 15 cups total)

*I have made this bread with fresh milk too and it works great. Just omit powdered milk and use 3 cups warm milk and 3 cups warm water in the place of the 6 cups warm water.

Mix powdered milk, yeast, salt, sugar, and shortening in large mixer like a Bosch. (*your Kitchen Aid is not big enough! It will handle a half recipe though.) Add warm water. Add about 4 to 5 cups flour and beat until well mixed. Add flour slowly until dough comes away clean from the edge of the mixing bowl. Allow to knead for 5 more minutes. Do not add too much flour. Cover with greased plastic and allow dough to rise. Once it has doubled in size, roll it out to about a 17x11 rectangle. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar to 1/2 Tbl cinnamon (more or less depending on your taste) in a small bowl. Spray (I used a spray bottle) the dough with a little water. Scoop cinnamon sugar mixture on to bread dough, distributing evenly, leaving about 1/2 in on all sides like this:


Roll dough, starting at long end until it forms a long log. Press ends together to seal cinnamon in.

Measure the approximate size of your dough pans and cut the dough accordingly, being sure to pinch and "seal" the edges each time. Place in dough pans and allow to rise until the loaves reach loaf size.

Heat oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes and then invert loaves on to a cooling rack (if you leave the loaves in the pans too long, they will stick and you won't be able to get them out in one piece).

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Pic courtesy of McConnor Blog

Out with the cold and in with the...chicken salad sandwiches! Oh, how I adore chicken salad in the spring! I was first introduced to chicken salad sandwiches not even 2 years ago and I became an instant fan. I've tried many different recipes, but have finally found one that, in my opinion, is the best. I made this for a friend's birthday party last week and everyone raved.

Chicken Salad Sandwich
adapted from allrecipes.com

• 2 1/2 cups diced and chilled, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups sliced, seedless grapes
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
  
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• dash of cayenne pepper

Toast almonds at 375 for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold in remaining ingredients and chill. Serve on bread (croissants are the best), crackers, romaine lettuce leaves, or eat it straight out of the bowl!

Waffles

I love waffles, but I really don't love dragging the waffle iron out on a regular basis. Fortunately, I can get away with getting my waffle iron out once every couple of months and still enjoy waffles on a regular basis. Waffles are the perfect candidate for convenience freezing. Making your own freezer waffles allows you to have the convenience of the store-bought version without the nasty taste (sorry if you actually like them; I personally think they are a travesty).

When I do get around to making waffles, I simply make a big batch and then freeze all the left overs. Whenever I want a quick and easy breakfast (or snack, for that matter), I just pull out the toaster. Three minutes later, I am enjoying delicious, homemade waffles.

Just as a heads up... I don't know if you were aware, but traditional waffles are not waistline friendly, to put it mildly. The first time I looked at the nutritional profile of the waffle recipe I use (from Better Homes and Gardens), I was shocked. No, I was aghast. A single serving of waffles claimed over 700 calories!! I couldn't believe it. I was so disappointed and sad thinking that I might have to relegate waffles to the "only for special occasions" category.

I decided to fight back, though. After realizing that the majority of the calories must come from the cup of cooking oil, I wondered if all that oil was really necessary. Good news! It's not. I cut the oil down by half and still enjoy the results immensely and I'm sure that you will, too. Because there is so much milk in this recipe, it also makes a difference what type of milk you use. If you are watching your calories, you can use lowfat or even skim milk.

One of my biggest pet peeves with waffles is when they don't make complete waffles. Who wants three-quarters of a waffle? And then the syrup or honey always falls through the cracks. That's just no good at all.

It takes some figuring since you don't want the opposite problem of too much overflowing, but eventually you can figure out just the right amount of batter needed for your waffle iron. I also find it helps to not simply pour the batter into a big puddle in the middle of the iron. I pour mine in an "X" pattern and slightly smooth it before closing the lid. I still get a little overflow, but I prefer that to the incomplete waffle. You may not have this pet peeve, and - in that case - ignore this last paragraph of silliness.

After cooking the waffles, I let them cool on a rack. On the left in this picture, you can see the most recent, still intact waffle cooling. On the right of the rack are the stacks of already cooled waffles. After they are fully cooled (important if you don't want a bunch of condensation in your packaging), I place them in a bread bag. I can fit 12 to 13 per bag. I suck the excess air out and close them with a twist-tie.

This recipe makes about three bags worth. That's including the eating of 2-3 waffles on the day they're made. I just can't help myself! If you're going to go to the trouble of making waffles, you might as well enjoy some fresh.

A word of caution, place the bags into the freezer right away. If you leave them on the counter too long, they start to soften and smoosh, leaving you with an unsightly leaning tower of waffles.

When you are ready to use the frozen waffles, simply place them into the toaster still frozen. Just keep an eye on them! They reheat and crisp up very quickly.

Waffles
Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Yield: about 3 dozen single waffles

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Do not over mix or your waffles will be tough. The batter will still be slightly lumpy.

Heat a waffle iron. Spray the surface with a little cooking spray. Cook the waffles in batches, cooling on a rack as they are finished. When the waffles are completely cooled, place in bread bags by the dozen. Suck out the excess air and close with twist-ties. Freeze immediately.

When ready to use, place frozen waffles directly into the toaster until they are lightly golden.

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joe's

Wow!  These were so mouth-watering-ly good!  Even Mom ranted and raved 

about them.  If you don't want to make it on the Texas Toast, then put it on a salad

 or a bun.  The meat flavoring is so good!

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joe's 

from Southern Living magazine

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  lean ground beef
• 1  (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1  cup  ketchup
• 1/2  cup  bottled barbecue sauce
• 1  tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce
• 2  tablespoons  chopped pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)
• 1  tablespoon  liquid from pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)
• 1  (11.25-oz.) package frozen garlic Texas toast
• 1/2  cup  (2 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, jalapeño peppers and liquid. Cover and cook 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare Texas toast according to package directions. Serve beef mixture over Texas toast; sprinkle with cheese.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Julianna Jewkes' college roommate




2 bruised and ripe bananas
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Blend bananas, add sugar, softened butter, egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and finally add chocolate chips. Cook around 10 min. at 350'---don't overcook as these are best underdone. Yum!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis

Pic courtesy of Annie's Eats

It's strawberry season! I first baked this little piece of work a couple months back for a friend's birthday. I just topped with a sugar glaze and it was divine. However, this last week, I was in Utah for a Demarle party I was giving, and I decided to go all the way and make the strawberry coulis (don't worry- it's just a fancy word, not fancy making) and wow, wow, wow- I was in heaven. Do yourself a favor- bookmark this, make it, and never look back.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis
adapted from Annie's Eats

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Neufchatel cheese)
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract (You can use more if you like almond flavor, but I want to taste the cream cheese!)
3 cups all-purpose flour (can use half and half cake flour)
1 tsp. salt

For the strawberry coulis:
2 cups quartered, hulled strawberries (about 12 oz.)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a bundt pan or tube pan (line the bottom with parchment if using a tube pan). Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add in the flour and salt and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 65-75 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

To make the strawberry coulis, combine the strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Puree until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. You'll probably have to use a scraper or spoon to "push" the strawberry juice through the sieve and there'll be quite a bit of seeds mixed with a little juice in the sieve that'll kind of stop it up so you'll have to dump out the seeds and do 2-3 rounds of this. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve with slices of pound cake.

Cafe Rio Salad

I know these recipes are "a dime a dozen" but this is the best imitation I've had yet. AMAZING--especially the dressing! I got his recipe from a ward friend, Megan Johnson.

Chili Beans
4-6 cans of black or pinto beans
1 can diced chilies
1 1/2 c. green enchilada sauce
Place all ingredients in a crock-pot, electric skillet or saucepan. Cook 2 hours on low until flavors are mixed.

Cilantro-Lime Rice
1 c. rice
1 tbs. oil
1/3 bunch of cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 chopped onion
2 c. water (or chicken broth - leave out bouillon cubes)
2 bullion cubes
zest of 1 lime
Brown onion & rice in oil in skillet. In blender, place water/stock, bouillon, cilantro, lime zest and salt..blend thoroughly. Add mixture to rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When rice is cooked, fluff with fork and add the juice of 1 lime.

Cafe Rio Chicken (makes a ton)(I've never made this one but I've tasted it and it's good)
5 lbs chicken (breasts)
2 Tbs. Cumin
2 small bottles of zesty Italian dressing
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbs. Chili powder
Combine all and cook on low all day in crock-pot. Then shred and serve.

Cafe Rio Pork(I've made this a bunch and it turns out great every time)
3 lbs Pork Roast
1 can Coca Cola, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper (I use coke)
Cook all day on low in crock-pot. Drain the juice and add:
1/4 c. BBQ Sauce
1/4-1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1 can mild green chillies
3/4 c. Ketchup
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
Mix into shredded pork.

Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
1 Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Packet
2 Tomatillos (peel off loose skin)
1 clove garlic
1/2-1 small jalapeno pepper (to your taste)
2 c. Mayo
1 1/2 - 2 c. Buttermilk
1/2 Bunch Cilantro (mostly leaves)
2 Tsp. Lime Juice (or more)
Blend all ingredients together in a high blender until it is mixed well. Refrigerate.

Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

Did you miss me? All I have to say is: 38 more wake-ups and I'm done with this school year. I am at least grateful to hear that I am not the only one at my school counting down already... and some of the others are teachers that have been at the same school with the same subject matter for multiple years. That makes me feel a little better. Doesn't stop me from counting, though.

Not only am I counting down to not working like a demon 10-14 hours a day, but I am counting down to being able justify spending hours a day thinking about and playing in the kitchen. It's siren song calling to me. I have a stack of recipes four inches high to try!

In the meantime, I make do preparing my old standbys and quick meals (most of which I have already posted) and only occasionally venture into new ground for quick meals or snacks. I recently broke down and purchased a popsicle mold set I've had my eye on for some time. I guess it was the 89 degree day two weeks ago that prompted me to think about frozen goodness on a stick. I bought the set through Amazon and couldn't be happier. While I have tried two types of popsicles so far, the one I am going to share with you today is the quickest. I can put a batch together in less than 5 minutes and they are so delicious!

You can mix any combination of fruit and yogurt that you would like for these. I think the main issue is keeping the proportions about the same for the best texture. You can also make them without the guar gum, but it doesn't affect the flavor at all while giving a much creamier, less ice crystalline product.

All I did was mix together 2 cups of vanilla yogurt and 1 cup of macerated, sweetened fruit - in this case, strawberries. To this, I added 1/4 teaspoon of guar gum, mixed it together and placed it into the molds. You can use any molds you like, but I am a big fan of the new molds I purchased. After they are completely frozen, I remove the top and run warm water over the back of the molds until the popsicles slide out easily.

I then wrap each one individually in wax paper and tape it closed. They are then ready to hang out in the freezer to be called up to duty. The wax paper comes off cleanly, so it's a great way to package them.


Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles
Yield: 9-10 popsicles

2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cup macerated, chopped and sweetened (to taste) strawberries
1/4 tsp guar gum

Mix the ingredients together and spoon evenly into molds. Do not fill the molds completely, as expansion will occur during the freezing process. Freeze at least five hours, or until hard. Remove the frozen popsicles from the molds by running the molds under warm water. Eat immediately or wrap each popsicle in a piece of wax paper and tape it shut. They keep for at least a couple of weeks.

NOTE: You can use any combination of fruit and yogurt you want for this recipe. If you use the mold set that I have, they recommend soaking the sticks before using to keep them from floating. I found that soaking them causes other issues because the water, which then freezes in the stick, causes it to swell enough that it becomes hard to slide the aluminum top off. I found clothes pins work much better. The picture below shows how I use them. I also find the clothespins help keep the depth of the stick constant, which is nice.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Can you say FANCY?  Yeah, I know.  Not only that, but really yummy!  Another must try!

 

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Submitted by Erin at The Sister's Cafe blog

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.

Tomato and Bean Soup

I've been a little more pressed for time this week than I anticipated. But I'm trying to eat better, too. A week of indulgent eating while out of town for spring break means I need to rein things back in. After having spinach salad for dinner the last two nights, I was ready for something a little more substantial. But what to make? I was in a hurry and hadn't thawed anything out.

Who knew such a delicious soup could result from such humble ingredients? I spied a can of cannellini beans and a can of diced tomatoes. About twenty minutes later, I was eating dinner! Hallelujah!

Tomato and Bean Soup
Yield: 4 servings

1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 rib of celery (with greens, if possible), diced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
1 - 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
2 - 1" slices of lemon rind
1 TBS minced fresh basil
rind of Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)
salt to taste

Saute the onion, garlic, and celery in the oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the herbs, pepper, and broth and cook at a simmer until the celery is tender, about 10 minutes. If you have a rind of cheese that you plan to add, add it when you add the herbs.

Drain and rinse the beans and tomatoes (this can be done together). Fish out the garlic cloves, herbs, lemon rind, and - if used - the cheese rind and discard. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 2-4 minutes. Add the minced basil. Lastly, add salt to taste. Because every broth is different, the amount of salt needed with vary. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: When a recipe calls for vegetable broth, I reach for Knorr's broth cubes. Out of all the bouillon out there, it is the only one I've found that consistently has a great broth flavor for a reasonable price and can-free convenience.

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

These cookies have been a labor of love. I originally got the idea when I first started making my cornmeal crust. I started thinking to myself... boy, wouldn't this be a great combo for a cookie. And, thus, the task was born. I made my first variation the week before Christmas and was encouraged but a little disappointed in the result, so I made a second batch. I then packed the cookies up in separate bags to take with me to Christmas in Illinois. Strangely, I found that I ended up liking the first batch better once they had a few days to sit in a bag. They were crisp and had an interesting texture... almost like a cross between a cookie and a cracker. My inital attempts saw the dough being prepared like a pie crust.

Then, I thought I would go back and try that first recipe I used again. They were fine, but they didn't inspire me. I thought they might be better in a few days again, but unfortunately, the idea of having to wait a few days to fully enjoy any cookie I might make just ain't right. So, off I went back to the drawing board. (By the way, a few days later they were really good... I think I'll post that recipe in the future, too, as I can't make up my mind which I like best).

Anyhow, I kept thinking about how the cookie I was imagining in my mind was a lot like a sugar cookie, crisp and delicate, but with a nice hint of lemon and an interesting textural addition from the cornmeal. I figured if I wanted it to be like a sugar cookie, I should just try modifying my favorite sugar cookie recipe. The end result is fabulous! What do you know, trial and error are effective!

I used the large grained sanding sugar because it was all I had on hand, but I think they'd be much better with finer grained sanding sugar, although there was something nice about that added cruch.

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
Yield: 80-100 - 2 1/2" by 1 1/2" cookies

1 cup softened butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp real lemon extract
zest of one lemon
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, extract, and zest and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined. Dump out onto the counter and pat into a 1 1/2 to 2 inch in diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly flour a board and, using a covered rolling pin, roll out about 1/8 inch thick. You can use cookie cutters or cut using a pizza or rotary ravioli cutter (for prettier edges) into rectangles. Transfer to a parchement lined baking sheet. Leave 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch between cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (or table sugar).

Bake at 375 until raised and slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container up to 10 days. Dough may be refrigerated up to a week before baking or frozen up to six months.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini

Pic courtesy of The Sister's Cafe

I remember the first time I had a panini sandwich, I seriously thought it was as close to perfection in a sandwich as you can get. I still feel that way, but let's be honest, how often are you going to break out the sandwich maker (i.e., George Foreman grill) for lunch when your kids are hungry and whiny before naps and all you want to do is slap a little PB&J on some bread and tuck them in for a few hours of peace and quiet? (How's that for a run-on sentence??) So, my solution? Sandwiches for dinner! Yeah! These are so yummy and so easy and can be pretty healthy (as long as you don't slather on the pesto and butter). I just made mine on regular ol' whole wheat sandwich bread and it was delizioso.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini
from The Sister's Cafe

Ingredients:

bread (artisan is traditional, but use whatever you have on hand will work)
butter (optional)
pesto
grilled chicken
mozzarella cheese (fresh is best)
tomatoes
avocado
roasted red peppers

Lightly butter outsides of bread. Lightly spread pesto on insides of both pieces of bread. Layer chicken, cheese, tomatoes, avocado slices, and peppers, cover with top slice of bread. Lay flat on sandwich grill (George Foreman) and cook for about 5 minutes, til outsides of bread are nice and toasty. Serve immediately.

To make roasted red peppers, half the bell pepper and remove seeds and stem. Place face down on a sheet of tinfoil and place under the broiler. Broil until the skin is black all over, about 8 or so minutes. I cover the tops of the pepper with some tin foil when it gets black and continue to broil it so the remaining sides will blacken. Once the skin is black, fold the tinfoil around it to seal in the heat (or place in a bowl and cover with Saran wrap) and let sit for 20 minutes (I've scrimped on the time before, and I think it still tastes good). Then peel off the black skin and cut into slices