Baking again...and St Baldrick's.

Yes, it's that time of year, when I bake almost constantly. Today I made this Apple Cider Pumpkin Bread.  The bread was moist and good, but the orange was a little overpowering, I would cut it back to 1 T.  I added extra cinnamon, and still did not find the flavor, so definitely would increase the amount of spices. However, my roomate really liked it just as is.

Have I mentioned recently that I'm shaving my head in March for St Baldrick's?  There's been a lot of reminders recently as to why it's so important, including this little girl, Hayley Kudro, a 7 year old losing her fight with neuroblastoma. And, my "honored kid" from the St Baldrick's site: Connor S., a sweet little boy with Down's Syndrome, now fighting leukemia.  Please click on the St. Baldrick's link above to donate to the cause.

Apple Cider Pancakes

I bought apple cider for this recipe for apple pancakes with apple cider syrup. They turned out amazing, and I liked them just as well without the syrup (tasted like an apple type bread). But, now I have a huge thing of apple cider in the fridge, and what to do with it? For Christmas Day at work, I'm trying a new recipe: Pumpkin Cider Bread. And a recipe that I've already made and fell absolutely head over heels in love with: Apple-Sausage Mac and Cheese. Wasn't too sure about it at first because I'm not a big fan of apples and apple juice and had no idea how chicken apple sausage would taste (ended up substituting chicken spinach mozzarella sausage), but can I just say YUMMMMMMY!  Except this time I'm using apple cider instead of the apple juice.

Recipes and life changes...yet again....

So, I have a LOT of recipes, and a LOT of cookbooks....Sometimes, I get lost in what to cook next, and then I start working my way through a recipe book.  Literally.  Page by page, recipe by recipe.  Within reason, of course.  There are recipes I know I will not like, and I don't make them. If I can change something in it, and make it workable, I do.  The cookbook I'm working through right now is "Blue Ribbon Recipes" which are recipes from State and County Fairs.  Doing breakfasts right now, and had 2 recently that I loved.  One was  French Apple Breakfast Casserole and the second was Bayou Breakfast Casserole. For the Bayou Casserole, I didn't have salami, so put in some chorizo instead, and only used mozzarella cheese where cheese was called for.
And as for life, I'm making some changes, again.....I'm trying not to get so bothered by things, starting with driving.  On the drive to the farm and back (now 5 days a week), it's all 2 lane country roads.  And there are people that like to drive the whole way going 45 mph.  Seriously.  And I would find myself talking to someone on the phone and all too often be yelling at the people in front of me (because that helps, you know!).  But, there was really no reason to be upset.  Let me rephrase that, it wasn't doing any good to be upset, and it was just stressing me out and ruining my morning/afternoon for no good reason.  So, I'm learning to step back, chill out, and just enjoy the drive.  Rarely do I really need to rush to get to work or home, so it's all ok.  By doing this, I have found it affecting other parts of my life, like shopping, and standing in lines, and waiting forever, and still being nice to my checkout person.  Which makes me more relaxed.
And, at home, I'm trying to simplify things.  And actually get things done when I come home from the farm/hospital (since I only have one day a week off now).  So, working through my life...simplifying, making it better, etc.  It's all good.
And, in other Pampered Chef type news, January's reward bonuses for hosting a party include $100 in additional free product for orders received over $500, so let me know when you want to host your party!

Lasagna

I tried this lasagna recipe the other day, and was somewhat skeptical about the cream cheese, but oh my goodness, from now on, I refuse to make lasagna without it.

Cream Cheese and Swiss Lasagna

1.5 lbs lean ground beef (I used turkey)                                             1 lb Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)

1 med finely chopped onion                                                               3 garlic cloves, minced

30 oz tomato sauce                                                                           14.5 oz Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

6 oz. tomato paste                                                                             2 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil                                                                                          1 tsp. italian seasoning

1/2 tsp sugar                                                                                      1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper                                                                                   9 no cook lasagna noodles

12 oz cream cheese, softened                                                             2 c. shredded mozzarella

2 c shredded cheddar                                                                         2 c shredded swiss

Over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 min.

Spread 1 c sauce in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Top with three noodles.  Drop a third of cream cheese by teaspoonfuls over the top.  Sprinkle with 1/2 c mozzarella and 2/3 c each of swiss and cheddar; spoon a third of the remaining sauce over the top.  Repeat layers of noodles, cheeses, and sauce twice (dish will be full).  Place dish on a baking sheet.

Cover and bake @ 350 for 45 min.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 min longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 15 min before cutting.

Monkey Bread

It's recipe time again! And oh, my goodness, do I have a great one for you! I received a trial issue of Taste of Home, and found a recipe for monkey bread, which I had never made before, but looked amazing. Well, I made it yesterday and took it to work, and EVERYONE loved it. With the crazy night we had, it provided a nice treat when we could take 2 seconds and grab a bite. On another note, I was not that impressed with the Taste of Home magazine. Too many "fluff" articles. If you are looking for a good recipe/tips & tricks magazine, I highly recommend the Food Network magazine. A couple of minor notes, if you are not used to working with yeast: Make sure your water/milk is 110. You really need a thermometer if you're making breads/products with yeast, it can be very finicky. Also, if the dough doesn't rise right away (and you're sure you've done everything else right), it may be that it's not in a warm enough place. I then try putting mine on top of the stove, with it turned on and the door slightly cracked.

Monkey Bread

1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast 1/4 cup water (110 - 115 degrees)

1 1/4 cups warm milk 2% milk (110 - 115 degrees) 1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 c sugar 2 eggs

1 tsp salt 5 c all purpose flour

Caramel:

2/3 c packed brown sugar 1/4 c butter, cubed

1/4 c heavy whipping cream

Assembly:

3/4 c chopped pecans (I left these out) 1 c sugar

1 t ground cinnamon (I added more of this) 1/2 c butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, and 3 c flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough (I ended up using more than the additional 2 cups). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hr.

For caramel, in a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 min. Pour half into a greased bundt pan; sprinkle with half the pecans (if you use them).

Punch down dough; shape into 40 balls (about 1 1/4 in diameter). In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Place melted butter in another bowl. Dip balls in butter, then roll in sugar mixture. Place 20 balls in pan; top with remaining caramel and pecans. Top with remaining balls. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 min.

Bake @ 350 for 30-35 min or until golden brown. Cool for 10 min before inverting onto a serving plate.

Recipes

So, occasionally I'll post some of my favorite recipes....This is one I tried over Thanksgiving and absolutely loved. In most of my recipes, I just say spices, because what I'll put in it depends on my mood. When I made these, I used chili powder and cajun seasonings, with a little habanero powder thrown in (I like things spicy!)....

Chili Cheese Cornbread Muffins

1 can cream style corn 2/3 c cooking oil

2 - 6oz pkgs white cornbread mix 4 eggs, lightly beaten

16 oz sour cream 2 c grated cheese

4 oz can diced green chilis Spices

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins. Bake 5-30 min. Makes 24 muffins.