Labels

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Mom's pancakes

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp oil

blend and cook

Monday, May 30, 2011

Brazilian Lemonade

2 limes--cut off ends and then cut into quarters
3 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups water
ice

blend all ingredients. strain out rinds.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Chad's New York Cheesecake

This is really Chad, but I can't post to the blog, so I'm signed in under Mel's account.



Crust:
  • 1lb graham crackers, crushed
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling:
  • 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 inch springform pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, vanilla, and sugar. Press onto bottom and up the sides of springform pan.
  3. Line the entire outside of the pan with at least two layers of aluminum foil.
  4. Pre-bake crust in oven for 10 minutes.
  5. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
  6. Boil water for water bath.
  7. Place cheesecake onto baking sheet with at least one inch lip that the springform pan will fit into. After cheesecake is in pan, pour water to create the water bath.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.
This fills up the entire 12 inch springform pan. If you are using a smaller pan, make sure to adjust the recipe accordingly!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Main Street Grill Cheesecake

Ingredients:

     2 C whipping cream, whipped
     2 C sugar
     2 tsp vanilla
     2 lbs (4 pkgs) cream cheese, softened

Whip the cream until light and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely soft and smooth.  Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Pour onto graham cracker crust and freeze until firm.  Thaw in refrigerator before serving.

Makes 3 round cheesecakes

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Classic White Bread

Ingredients:
     6 cups flour
     3 TBSP sugar
     1 TBSP salt
     2 TBSP shortening
     4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
     2 1/4 cups very warm water
     2 TBSP melted butter

1. Mix yeast into warm water and allow to get foamy. Mix 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and shortening in stand mixer using dough hook. Add yeast and water and mix until somewhat combined.

2. Gradually add in remaining flour, one cup at a time, and allow mixer to knead for several minutes.

3. Allow dough to rise for one hour or until double in size. Punch down and cut in half. Roll out dough and then roll up to fit into bread pans.

4. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove to wire rack and brush tops with melted butter.

The Ultimate Sugar Cookie

Ingredients:
     1 stick (1 cup) butter flavored shortening
     1 1/4 cup sugar
     1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
     2 TBSP milk
     1/4 cup corn syrup
     1 tsp vanilla
     3 cups flour
     3/4 tsp baking powder
     1/2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar in stand mixer for about five minutes. While continuing to mix, add eggs, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla. Mix until combined thoroughly.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture slowly to wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Add more flour as needed.

3. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4" thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Bake for 7-9 minutes depending on size.

4. Cool cookies on pan for 2 minutes and then transfer directly to counter to finish cooling. Decorate as desired. Makes around 2 dozen medium cookies.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Skillet Lasagna


Ingredients:
  • 1lb sausage
  • 1 small chopped onion
  • 1 medium zucchini, minced
  • 1 large carrot, minced
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 can tomato sauce, seasoned with oregano and garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
  • 2/3 cups cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • salt and pepper
  • occasionally I'll throw in some diced peppers as well, if Chad is in the mood

Directions:

In skillet, cook sausage and onion until sausage is almost cooked through and onion is about the desired consistency. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 4 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce with seasonings. Return to a boil, and stir in pasta. Once it is fully boiling again, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 14 minutes. Stir once after 10 minutes.
Stir in zucchini, carrot, and mushrooms. (Peppers, if desired.) Return to a boil. Cook, covered, for 5-6 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Remove from heat.
Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, and pepper in a bowl. Drop in spoonfuls into lasagna. Don't stir! Sprinkle mozzarella liberally over the top. Let stand covered for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Enjoy!

Oyako Donburi

Oyako Donburi (also known as Oyakodon) is a Japanese dish that means "mother and child", because the two main ingredients are chicken and eggs. It's a delicious comfort food.


Ingredients:
  • 2-3 cups cooked Japanese rice
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced for stir fry
  • 1 small onion, julienned
  • 2 carrots, julienned
  • 1 zucchini, julienned
  • 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced into strips
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 1 cup dashi stock (you can substitute with chicken broth)
  • 2 tablespoons mirin (you can substitute with rice wine vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 4 beaten eggs

Directions:

Sautee chicken, onion, carrot, and zucchini in a little bit of oil, until the chicken is cooked through (about 5-7 minutes).
Stir in broth, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and salt. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer for a few more minutes. Sprinkle in about half of the green onion and stir gently.
Pour beaten egg over the top, cover, and simmer until egg is cooked through (about 7-10 minutes). Serve over sticky rice. Garnish with the remaining green onion.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

White Chocolate Blackberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:
     2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese
     1/2 cup sugar
     1 tsp. vanilla
     2 eggs
     3 oz. white chocolate chips, melted
     1 ready-made pie crust (shortbread recommended)
     1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen blackberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until just blended. Stir in the white chocolate. Pour into the crust.

2. Heat the blackberries in a small saucepan just until the berries burst. Drop by spoonfuls onto the top of the cheesecake, then cut through the batter with a knife for a marble effect.

3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Let it cool, and then refrigerate for at least three hours.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Taitum's Pizza Dough

Ingredients
  • 1-1/4 cups hot water
  • 2 Tbsp sugar (or 1 Tbsp honey)
  • 1 Tbsp of fast acting yeast
  • 3-1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 tsp salt
Directions
Mix water, sugar, and yeast. Make sure yeast is bubbling. Stir in salt and flour. Knead until smooth and elastic, add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if necessary. Let rise until double. Roll onto skookie pans. Add Jared's sauce and desired toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. There is no need to pre-bake the crust.

Jared's Pizza Sauce

Ingredients
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 cup warm water
Directions

Stir all ingredients except water until well mixed. Stir in water. Refrigerate. Best if made a day before use. Warning to those that use cayenne, we used to use 1 Tbsp until we bought a new package of it. Either the new brand was stronger or the old stuff had lost some strength, you may have to adjust it.

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

1 cup butter

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

1 pkg. Jell-O instant chocolate pudding

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 ½ cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

12 oz. white chocolate chips

Mix butter and sugars. Add eggs. Add remaining ingredients. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Dad's Baked Beans with a kick!

Dad's Baked Beans with a kick.

4 cans of pork and beans.
1 pkg of bacon.
1 medium sized onion.
1 large bell pepper.
2-3 cups of brown sugar.
Ketchup.
Mustard.
Worcestershire sauce.
Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce.

Cut the bacon into small bits. This is best down with very cold bacon. Place this in a 8-10 quart oven safe pot. (Dutch oven) over medium heat on the stove top burner. Dice the onion and the pepper and add them to the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and the bacon is no longer raw. Add the pork and beans and two cups of brown sugar. Add around 1 cup of ketchup, a couple of table spoons of mustard, and acouple of table spoons of Worcestershire Sauce. Stir until well blended. Taste. Add ketchup or sugar to achieve the desired balance of sweet versus tangy. (This is somewhat a personal preference, but that is how I cook-to taste).
Depending on who you are cooking for, add 0-4 drops of Insanity Sauce to the pot and mix it in. Place the pot in the oven at low heat, (200 to 250 deg), for 4-6 hours. Stir every hour to minimize scorching the beans on the bottom of the pot.
White Chocolate Habanero Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Margarine or Butter, Softened
1 Egg
2 1/4 Coups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Package (6 ounces) White Chocolate Chips
4 - 6 Diced Habanero Chile Peppers (Fresh or Dried)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, margarine and egg. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt; once done, the dough will be stiff and somewhat granulated in consistency. Stir in chocolate chips and habanero bits until well blended. Then Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about two inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Cookie centers will be soft. Cool for 10 minutes, and then carefully remove from cookie sheet. Serve with cold milk and enjoy!

Requests??????

I know we all have some specific recipes we want, so if you have a request, leave a comment here and I'll try to track them down.