Baguette

My sister gave me this recipe the other day and told me how easy it was. If she hadn't already made it and liked it, I would have been skeptical. She told me you make it in 5 minutes, let it raise for 30 and then bake it for 15 minutes. It just seemed to easy and good to be true. I was really excited to try it!

My baguette turned out so yummy! In fact, my children were HUGE fans of it. One of them even told me it was "The best bread I have ever had." Maybe a little bit dramatic, but I will take it! We had it for dinner and then I made the kids their sandwiches on it for lunch the next day. I will for sure be making this more & I think I will be teaching my 10 year old to make it. It really is that easy!

Baguette

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast

2 tsp. sugar

3 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp. salt

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of the water with the yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar. Mix it well and cover with a cloth.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and 1 tsp. sugar. When it is mixed well, add the yeast mixture. Gradually add the rest of the water. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball.

Remove from the bowl and knead the dough, cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. Take a knife and core down the middle - that makes it authentic! You can see, mine aren't too fancy.

Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Put water in a cookie sheet and put it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with butter.

I really like the recipe for its low sugar content! You could try it with wheat flour also. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

I love these cookies. I could (& do) eat them all day long! These were the first cookies I made by myself. I was in the 4th grade and was so proud of myself. They are super easy to make and you will love them too!

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbs. sugar

2 tbs. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the sugar and eggs. When you are done add the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt and mix well.

In another bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Form the cookie dough into little balls and then roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake them for 8-10 minutes - don't overbake! They will stiffen up on the cookie sheet - I always bake them for the least amount of time possible. And I always double the recipe! You will be proud of yourself after you make them too!

Burger Cake

I would LOVE to take the credit for this cake...but I can't. My husband made it. Seriously, he did. One thing a lot of people don't know about him is how good he is in the kitchen. He can make anything I can and sometimes he can even do it better.

My son had a scout dinner the other night & they had to make a cake with their dads. I found instructions for this one on the Betty Crocker website with complete instructions. He modified it a little after reading some of the reviews and it turned out amazing!

Big Burger Cake

1 box white cake mix

1 box brownie mix

Strawberry jam

sesame seeds (or poppy seeds)

Piped green frosting

licorice strips

Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup milk

2 Tbs. unsweetened baking cocoa

Make the white cake according to the box directions and bake in two 9 inch rounds. Make the brownie according to the box directions and bake it also in a 9 inch round.

Cut the top off of one of the cakes to resemble the bottom "bun". Pipe green frosting around the edge to look like lettuce and then set the brownie on top of the frosting. Spoon strawberry jam around the top edge of the brownie all the way around. Don't skimp, you want the jam to spill over the edges and look like ketchup! Fold a licorice strip in a U shape and press into the top of the brownie to look like a tomato. Then you can put the other white cake on top!

In a medium bowl mix the powdered sugar and peanut butter, then stir in the milk until smooth and spreadable. You may need to add a little more, just do it a tsp. at a time. Frost the outside edges of the bottom "bun" and then frost the entire top cake. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds!

My son was looking at the cake when it was done and said it needed some french fries. He decided to cut up the discarded cake from the bottom bun into little fries and it looked great! What a smart guy! He and his dad just added some more jam for "ketchup" and it was complete. So, next time you need a fun cake give this one a try!

turkey meatballs & spaghetti

We have been trying to eat well and exercise everyday in this house. Last year Pete and I followed the Body for Life program and felt great. It was easy to do and we both felt like we weren't giving up anything. We loved how much we could eat and how we were still reaching our goals. So, for Christmas this year one of Pete's presents was the "Eating for Life" cookbook. It is fantastic!

This book comes with amazing tips, recipes and beautiful pictures. And the best part - all of the recipes are made with NORMAL ingredients you would find in your home! Ok, there might be an occasional new spice, but it is not anything you wouldn't like to add to your spice rack. It is exciting for me to find a book I can cook from and know I am feeding my family healthy meals!

Last night I made the recipe titled "Spaghetti and meatballs." I had to really read into the ingredients because I am not a meatball fan. I decided to try this one anyway...I had all the ingredients. Oh my gosh! This was so good! All of my kids had seconds and I liked it so much I ate two of the meatballs for breakfast...cold! YUM!

Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti (from Eating for Life)

1 lb. lean ground turkey

2 egg whites

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup water

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. ground black pepper

3 cups low-fat marinara pasta sauce

12 oz. spaghetti

1/4 cup reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Preheat oven broiler.

In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg whites, breadcrumbs, water, onion, garlice, parsley, basil and black pepper. Mix ingredients thoroughly and the shape into 1 1/2 inch diameter meatballs.

Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 10-12 minutes (I did a little longer - phobia about under-cooked meat!), turning occasionally until they are browned on all sides.

While the meatballs are in the broiler, prepare spaghetti according to its package directions.

Place a portion of spaghetti on each plate, cover with a portion of meatballs and pasta sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Rotisserie Chicken Taco Soup

I bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco for dinner the other night and had a lot leftover. So, I came up with this soup to use up all the good chicken I had left! It was a big hit with my family!

Chicken Taco Soup

Rotisserie chicken - shredded (as much as you like!)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 package taco seasoning (or 1/4 cup)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tbsp. red taco sauce

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1/5 cups frozen corn

cheese

avocado slices

cilantro

tortilla chips

Take the shredded chicken and heat it up in a skillet. Add the taco seasoning to the chicken and stir until it is well coated. Allow the chicken to heat all the way through and then set aside.

Add your onion and celery to a soup pot with a tiny bit of olive oil and heat on low for a couple of minutes. You want the onion to be soft and translucent. When it is done, add the chicken broth and water to the pot. Then you can add the rest of the ingredients.

Add the chicken to the pot and cook the soup on low for about 20 minutes. So easy! You could do this in the crock pot also & could add more flavors (beans, rice...). Next time, I will add some fresh lime... so many options. We topped ours off with cheese, avocado, tomato, cilantro & chips. Yum!

Caramel Corn

This is one of my mom's recipes and has always been a favorite of mine. I have a love of popcorn and have some almost every night. Sometimes it is fun to add a little sweet with the salt! This recipe is really fun because you can make it chewy or a little bit crunchier. I always opt for the chewy caramel corn!

Caramel Corn

Enough popcorn to fill two 9x13 pans when popped

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees. Heat the sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan until it is just bubbly around the edges. Cook over medium heat for five minutes, do not boil. It should look just like this...isn't the color amazing!

Remove it from the heat and stir in the baking soda. This is when the fun happens! While you stir the color will lighten and it will become foamy. Caramel magic.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir. If you want chewy popcorn then it is ready after you mix. At this point you can mold it into fun shapes also. If you want it a little bit crunchier, then bake it for about 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven.

You will love it! It makes a great treat - especially for Home Movie night!

My favorite Cornbread

I love a good piece of warm cornbread! Doesn't it sound so yummy on a cold night, with some soup or crock-pot meat. I like it best when it is almost cake-like in texture and feeling. I am not a big fan of cornbread with a real cornmeal texture. I want it to be blended in and taste moist and fluffy! This recipe is just what I like.

My favorite Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal

3 cups flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cup oil

6 Tbs. melted butter

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a big bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil, butter, eggs and milk. Stir until it is just mixed. Bake in a 9x13 pan for 35 minutes.

Eat with lots of butter and honey. Enjoy!!

Charlotte's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I should be in the mood for pumpkin & apple pie and all of the other yummy Fall foods, but lately I keep thinking about Christmas cookies. I have a weakness for cookies. I can resist the Halloween candy...we have loads of it in our pantry...it doesn't even entice me. But cookies, no chance.

I couldn't resist the urge and longer and decided to make my mom's chocolate chip cookies. Everyone has a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I promise it doesn't compare to this one. My mom used to have neighbors "pop" over to "borrow milk" so they could take a couple home. She has people taking to her about her cookies a decade after they ate them...it's true.

When I was in 5th grade I used to make these cookies and then go door to door in the neighborhood trying to sell them and make some money. Who could say no to a little girl with cookies?! It worked.

Charlotte's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb. softened butter

4 eggs

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups sugar

1 Tbs. vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups oats

6 cups flour

12. oz. chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, eggs, sugars and vanilla. I know it seems like a lot of each of the ingredients, but don't skimp! My mom used to laugh because people would ask for the recipe after tasting hers and then come back and tell her how different their cookies tasted. After prying, it would always come out that they were trying to skimp and cut-back on the ingredients. Don't do it.

Next, add the soda, oats, flour, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes depending on your oven. I like mine to be a little under-cooked, so I always bake for 12 minutes. If you let them sit on the sheet for a couple minutes they always stiffen up!

Doesn't the dough look good! That can be a problem too...

Enjoy and think of all the great cookies coming next month!!

Apple Bars

I love the fall time when you can start baking with all of the apples and pumpkins! It is not good though, because I love to eat just as much as I love to bake.

I found this recipe so I could make something new with all of the apples we got at "Apple Hill" here in Cali. And oh my... it is perfect. In fact, it is so yummy I think I polished off about 3/4 of it myself. No exaggeration.

Apple Bars

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup peeled and chopped apple

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2 Tbs. white sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

** Caramel ice-cream topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter, and sugars until smooth. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. It should look nice and smooth, like this...

Blend in the flour mixture into the eggs and butter until just combined. Stir in the apples and walnuts. This is the mixture right before I put in the apples - you can see how much thicker the batter is now.

Spread the mixture evenly into the greased pan. In a little bowl, stir together the remaining cinnamon and sugar & then sprinkle over the bars. Doesn't it already look delicious!

Bake for 30 minutes or until the bars spring back when touched. Cool in the pan and then cut into bars. For an extra little sweet I ran some caramel ice-cream topping over the top of mine! Wow, sooo good! I have been wanting to make them again, but am positive my will power will leave me again!

Hawaiian Haystacks

This dinner has been one of my favorites since I was a little girl. Now my children love it just as much! It is a great Sunday dinner- not too hard to prepare, but tastes great! I love it because there is no need for any side dishes, everything is mixed together. It is great for dinner parties also because every plate is custom made & everyone gets exactly what they want!

Hawaiian Haystacks

Layer the following ingredients as you choose...

Steamed rice

Shredded cooked chicken

Cheese, grated

Curry Gravy Sauce (recipe below)

Tomato, sliced

Celery, chopped

Green onion, chopped

Slivered almonds

Crushed pineapple, drained

Shredded coconut

Chinese noodles

Fresh ground pepper

The order of the ingredients is important. Make sure to put the gravy on after the chicken and cheese! It makes the cheese melt and it allows the rest of the ingredients to not get soggy.

Curry gravy sauce

3 cups of chicken broth (you can save this from the chicken you cooked & shredded!)

1 tsp. curry

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup flour

Combine all the ingredients. Wisk until well blended and heat through.

Enjoy!