My FAVORITE Cinnamon Rolls -

This is from my good friend Natalia.  When she was 12 her grandma had her over for a week and they made these cinnamon rolls every day so that Natalia could perfect them. 

2 1/2 C Warm Water

1 Tbs Yeast

1/2 C sugar-in parts

1/3 C oil

1 Tbs salt

5 1/2 C Flour

Filling

1/2 C softened butter

1 C Brown sugar or enough to generously coat all of butter

at least 3 T of cinnamon

In a bowl or mixer, add the yeast, 2 T of sugar, and the warm water. Gently stir and allow the yeast to activate~3 minutes before you start adding other ingredients.

Add all the other ingredients. Mix to combine. The dough may be very wet, add additional flour if needed. (dough will be manageable to knead, or in a mixer it will pull all of the other dough from the sides of the bowl)

Knead until the bread looks smooth. In a machine knead as little as possible 1-2 min.

 

Allow the dough to rest (30 min). During this time grease your bread or cinnamon roll pans. 

After dough has rested, punch down and roll out into a rectangle- dough should be pretty thin. Maybe 1/4 of an inch?

Use your hands to spread butter out to the edges on the dough.  Cover generously with brown sugar and then cinnamon. Roll dough tightly up starting on the long side of rectangle. Pinch roll closed on edges. Use floss to cut about 1 to 1/2 inch rolls. Place in a sheet cake pan, not touching. After they are all in the pan, flatten them down with your hands so that they are all the same height and touching. Cover and let rise until doubled.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. I like to cover with a thinner cream cheese frosting.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is my favorite chicken pot pie recipe- given to me by my friend Alisa, and altered a little by me.  I like to make it with my own homemade crust, but it is also good and faster with store-bought crusts.  The greatest thing is that you can add in veggies you like, or take out ones you don't.  Or add rosemary or whatever.... Here goes:
6 tablespoons of butter
salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups cooked, then cubed or torn chicken or turkey
2 carrots
1/2-1 cup peas
6 new potatoes or 4 large ones
1 double crust pastry shell

Melt butter, thyme, salt, pepper in pan.  Add flour and stir.  Slowly add broth and milk and bring to a boil- cooking and stirring until it is thickened.  Fold in cooked chicken and veggies. Pour into uncooked pastry shell and mound it high.  I do this in a deep dish pie pan.  Put pastry on top and crimp together edges, cut slits in top.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.  ( I'd put a cookie sheet or foil under it to catch drips)

Allyson's Double Chocolate Cookies

I have a very good friend named Allyson.  She used to live here in Oklahoma and they moved to Missouri.  Anyway, these are WONDERFUL cookies.  I just had to keep the recipe where I can always find it- and where my sister can enjoy it too! 

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups (10 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chunks. Bake 8-10 minutes or just until set. Cool slightly on cookie sheet.

Granola

I know it's been forever since I've posted- sorry about that.  I wanted to get a couple of my favorite granola recipes down, so we'll start with the Molasses one.  This one I got from mom.

 5 C old fashioned oats
5 C quick oats
1 C sunflower seeds
1 1/12 C chopped walnuts
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C honey
1/2 C molasses
1 1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
3 T vanilla

In a huge bowl, mix the oats, seeds and nuts.  In a saucepan combine the brown sugar, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Heat it until the sugars are dissolved, but do not boil.  Pour it over the oats mixture and stir.  Pour about half of the granola in to a big (sprayed with oil) sheet cake pan and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, stir, and then bake it for 8-10 more minutes.  Repeat with the rest of the wet granola.

The great thing about most granola recipes is that you can add your own preferred nuts, raisins, coconut, etc.  This is the mix that I like the best.


Vanilla Granola- from my Aunt Lynda

6 c quick oats
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c wheat germ
1/2 coconut ( I don't add this)
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c honey
1 1/2 t vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oats only for 10 minutes, and stir it once during heating.  Mix oil, honey, vanilla and brown sugar in a pan and heat until sugar dissolves.  Meanwhile, mix oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and nuts.  Pour wet into dry, and mix well.  Bake in a sheet cake pan for 20 minutes, storing occasionally.

This granola recipe is a nice mild flavor.  Not too sweet, and just plain good.  The recipe on top is a very bold flavor, and pretty sweet.  It is also good. They are very different, and very good!

Chicken Spaghetti

First, let me just say..."Ummm...so good!" This is the Pioneer Woman's recipe and it is delicous! I made it tonight for our family and for some guests and everyone loved it! I omitted the pimentos and added 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 can cream of mushroom soup (instead of the 2 cans cream of mushroom soup). This is a recipe I will definitely make again and freeze for hassle-free dinners!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Cream of Broccoli Soup with Italian Bread Bowls

Haley and I were talking about our love of soups and this soup weather- so I decided that I should post these very yummy recipies that I tried last week.  It actually got my broccoli-hating-Randy to like it! It is adapted from Taste of Home-

Cream of Broccoli Soup

• 8 Servings
• Prep: 35 min. Cook: 10 min.

Ingredients

• 9 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 2-3 potatoes peeled and cubed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• Pinch each dried basil, thyme and rubbed sage
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring broccoli, potatoes, onions and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf and remaining seasonings. simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.  After the broccoli and onions are cooked through, take out about 2/3 of the soup and puree it.  I only do 2/3 because we like some chunks, but do as much as you like.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into broccoli mixture; add buttermilk and cream. Heat through (do not boil). Discard bay leaf. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).

Italian Bread Bowls
From melskitchencafe.com

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Pear Pie

Super delicious! One bite of this refreshingly sweet and creamy pie will leave you wanting more!!!
(For my older sis! Love you Tara!)

4-5 Pears--sliced thin
1 C. whipping cream
2 T. flour
Pinch of salt
Scant C. of sugar
Pie crust (store bought or homemade works)

Mix dry ingredients with pears. Add cream. Pour into pie crust. Cover and brush with milk or egg white to brown. Bake for 15 min. at 400 and then for 30 min. at 325.