Homemade Pizza

As most of my readers know, I am the mom of seven amazing children.  I will admit that I haven't always been the naturally homemade mom you see today.   16 1/2 years ago I was a macaroni and cheese and chicken nugget kind of mom!  I'm not saying that's horrible,  I'm just saying deep down I always wanted to feed my kids healthy foods without being dependent on the box aisle or freezer section at the grocery store.  Add six more children and a decade (plus) of experience and I have slowly become the kind of 'from scratch mama' I hoped to become!  Tonight I was making homemade pizza with the kids and I overheard my five-year-old ask my seven-year-old why we couldn't just order pizza.  He told her that everything homemade is always better than anything store bought.  I did a little jig in my brain :). 

As soon as they noticed I was kneading dough, the twins came over to the kitchen island yelling "zi-za!!!!" After making two homemade pizzas I had the third lump of dough left, so I let the 2 year old twins make their own pizza.  They beat the heck out of that dough...it was as flat as it could get!  There was flour all over the kitchen, sauce all over the counter, and smiles everywhere I could see. 

" Yes," I thought, "this is the kind of mom I want to be."Enjoy!

Homemade pizza dough (makes 4 large so half it if you don't need to feed an army!) 

6 cups warm water

1 stick butter,melted

2 tbsp yeast

1/2 tsp salt

10-12 cups flour

2 tsp olive oil

Melt butter and add warm water into a bowl.  Sprinkle in yeast and stir.  Let sit until dissolved and bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Dump in the salt, add flour several cups at a time, stir well.  When the dough is starting to stick together dump a cup of the flour onto a clean counter or surface.  Knead the dough into a smooth ball adding flour a Tbsp at a time if too sticky.  Split into 4 equal sized lumps.  Let rest 10 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Put each lump of dough onto pizza pan and press flat with your hands (or let your kids go to town :)  Top with pizza sauce, your favorite toppings and cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  

Now, before you discount this blog as too much work and 'that family is so perfect'.....I'm adding this final picture of my son who got into the lipstick in my purse while I was blogging this post.  Yeah, I'm that kind of mom :)

 

Homemade yogurt: update and tips

We have made about 7-8 batches of yogurt now and had only one to throw out. I was trying the crock pot method and accidentally put it on high instead of warm and left the house for several hours. By the time I returned it was burnt, ewe!!!! But, besides that, it has turned out perfectly every time and we LOVE it!

Here is the original recipe:
http://www.naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-make-homemade-yogurt.html?m=1

I have tried keeping it warm several ways, like in the microwave (off) with just the light on, in the crockpot on low for 10 minutes and then off for an hour, in mason jars in the oven (off). My favorite and easiest way has been to heat the milk to 190-200 degrees, cool it to 115, pour it all into the crockpot dish, mix in the starter, and set it in the oven with my dehydrator motor. It turns itself off and on and keeps the oven the perfect temp. I make the yogurt at bedtime, stick it in with the dehydrator motor and wake up to perfect yogurt. Can't get any easier than that!

Roasted and Candied Pumpkin Seeds

One of the advantages of carving a pumpkin is having the seeds as a treat too! Pumpkin pie pumpkins have sweeter seeds, but you can do this with any seeds.

 

Ingredients:

seeds from a pumpkin

1 Tbsp of butter or coconut oil

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. white sugar

dash of salt

 

Remove the seeds from a pumpkin or two, rinse off the pulp and boil in a sauce pan of water for 10 minutes; drain.  Dry off the seeds with a paper towel and place back into sauce pan.  Add the butter or coconut oil, brown sugar and spices.  Cook and stir, coating well for a few minutes.  Spread into a cookie or baking pan.  Roast at 425 for 15 minutes, watch carefully and turn down heat if it starts to burn.  (The burnt ones taste like popcorn :)  Remove from oven and let cool for 3 minutes. 

 

They are VERY HOT, so be careful. 

 

Do not let them completely cool or you will not be able to remove them from the pan after hardening.  Sprinkle them with salt and white sugar.  Remove them onto a glass plate or tray and enjoy! 

We break them apart like peanut brittle.

saving some plastic and $: baby pool fix

 Every year I seem to buy a plastic baby pool at the end of the season for about $5.  This one I bought last August.  We used it for a month or so on the deck, put it in the basement as a toy box and then brought it back out as soon as it got warm enough to take a bath outside.  It was starting to get holes in it from where we push the side down to let the water out, (now you know you've done it too :) and so the repairing challenge has begun.  I tried several different tapes and they all failed.  At this point I usually give up and toss it to the curb on trash day, but decided this year to try something new......BATHTUB CAULK!!!  It worked like a charm!  I am so happy to save some trash in a landfill and ultimately money in my pocket, even if it is only $5.  It is something I can feel good about and as you can tell from the picture, so do my babies.

Outdoor Chair Cushions- RE DO in 1 hour!

Our patio furniture has lasted us about 9 years so far and still looks great....except for the chair cushions of course.  I usually buy them on sale at the end of the season every other year, but this year we can't wait.  They looked that bad!  This time I wanted to save the landfill from my ripped cushions and try to recover them.  I LOVE THEM!!!  Here is what I did:

BEFORE

I bought 8 yds. of Outdoor Fabric from the clearance section at Hancock Fabrics.  (it was 56" wide)

It was $6 yd. and I had a 10% off coupon making my purchase around $44.00

My cushions were standard sized at 42" x 22"

I cut the fabric at 47" leaving me a rectangle 56" x 47".  (You may need to trim off the sides or take it in depending on your cushion size.)  Next, I folded it over and sewed the top and side seams, right sides together with my surger, but you could use a conventional machine.  Basically this left me with an inside out pillowcase.  Flip it right side out and put in the cushion. 

Then, I used my surger and closed off the bottom of the cushion.  If you have a regular sewing machine you may want to slip stitch it closed.  That is it! 

AFTER

You could sew it more fitted if you want or add the seperation lines in the middle of the top cushion, but I was pleased with them and was happy to be done in just a few minutes per pillow. I made 6 in less than 1 hour!

The babies were happy too!!!

Italian Sausage Casserole - freezer meal

Here is a super simple recipe for Italian Sausage Casserole.  I doubled it (so half it if you want just one). It is perfect to have one tonight and throw the other into the freezer for later.  Ciao!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

2 Pks. Italian Sausage

1 onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 zucchini

2 boxes Penne or Bowtie pasta

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 cup. mozzarella cheese

Saute the sausage (I split the sausages and squeeze them out of the casing).  Add the diced onion, zucchini and garlic, cook for 5 minutes.  Boil noodles and drain.  In a large mixing bowl or pot mix all the ingredients together.  Spoon half into a casserole dish and top with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. 

Put the remaining into freezer safe bags and store in the freezer until next time.  Thaw and bake the same way. 

Serve with salad and garlic bread or if you want to try focaccia bread try this recipe:http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-focaccia-bread.html

mini chocolate croissants: freezer recipe

I have been enjoying the benefits of preparing great food in advance and storing it in the freezer.  It is called 'freezer cooking' and has been saving me valuable time and money, as well as being able to pull amazing things out and in a flash wowing my guests.  Recently, I tried a chocolate croissant recipe that was well worth the effort.  My kids called them an awesome dessert, but I just had to have a few with my morning coffee, making them breakfast!  This recipe makes 64 mini rolls, but only about 50 made it to the freezer.  This is one of those recipes that I don't mind the kids polishing off quickly so I can try it again ;)

Mini Chocolate Croissants

2 TBSP. Yeast

1.5 cups milk

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

7 cups flour

1/2 bag chocolate chips

Melt the butter in the milk in a saucepan.  When it is warm, not hot, pour it into the yeast and sugar.  Let set for 5 minutes.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Add salt and then the flour 2 cups at a time until well blended. (I use a Kitchen Aide mixer)   Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.

Roll out one portion of the dough into a circle about 12" in diameter.

Here is where little hands can help (but be sure you have extra chips or you will run short).  Cut the circle of dough into  16 pieces like a pizza.  Add chocolate chips to each triangle and roll them up from the outside in, placing each crescent roll on a greased cookie sheet.  (Because these are mini sized I used 3 cookie sheets total.)

Set the cookie sheets in a warm place and let rise 2-5 hours or until doubled in size.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Place on a cooling rack to cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  After flash freezing them, I do it on the cooling rack, then put into a gallon sized plastic bag for storage in the freezer.  Take out of the freezer and let them defrost for 15 minutes before serving, or if you want you can heat them up for a few seconds in the microwave and serve warm.  I grabbed 3 on the way out the door this morning and ate them in the car with my latte...HEAVEN!!!!!

Banana Bread French Toast Sticks - freezer meals

Ever heard the saying, "Necessity is the Mother of invention?"  Well for me, Necessity is the Mother of new recipe!"  I was making our new standard Pumpkin Pie French toast sticks for the freezer last week and I made a planning error:  DO NOT MAKE THEM WITH THE KIDS AROUND!!! Take it from me!  I could hardly keep ahead of them as I pulled them off the griddle.  I finally sent them all away and started on a second batch, but was out of pumpkin puree.  I improvised and think these are just as great, if not better, than the original recipe.  Here it is:

BANANA BREAD FRENCH TOAST STICKS

Ingredients:
2 bananas
1 can of carrots
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk of your choice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla
2 loaves of bread
powdered sugar (optional)

Mix in a blender the can of carrots (drained), milk, banana and 6 eggs.  Pour into a large bowl.  Blend up the rest of ingredients and add to the first mix.  (The reason I do it separately is because my blender wouldn't hold all of the batter so I divide it into two batches.)

Dip individual slices of bread into the batter and cook them on a griddle or frying pan, turning once for each side. 

***In  my previous post on Pumpkin Pie french toast sticks I was baking them in the oven.  I have found that if just do them normally in slices on a griddle it is faster and easier to clean up saving you more time and effort.  I can fit 6 slices on the griddle and take them off laying them directly to a cutting board where I cut them into sticks with a pizza cutter. 

Place the strips onto a baking rack to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  (This is usually when they start disappearing one by one as the kids 'help' sprinkle powdered sugar on them). 

When my baking rack is full I place it in the freezer to flash freeze them (about 30 minutes).  Then you can store them in gallon freezer bags without them sticking together. 

Take out your desired amount of French Toast sticks and warm in the microwave, toaster or oven.

'Almost' Perfect Chocolate Waffles

We were driving home from a long day at the zoo and my mind started frantically trying to remember all the items in my freezer and pantry as we sat in Memorial Day weekend traffic.  I knew the frozen fruit smoothies and egg burritos we took to the park for lunch would soon wear off and I would have 7 hungry kidlets, probably just about the time we would pull into the driveway.   I was right.  I remembered my ace in my back pocket.......waffle mix.  The kids were starving and the only way I convinced them to put down the box of cereal and wait for me to make waffles was to add cocoa and promise whipped cream and chocolate syrup!  They were a fabulous and spontaneous creation, but were missing one ingredient...bananas on top would have made this recipe perfect!  Oh well, I guess I will just have to make them again!

Chocolate Waffles

4 cups baking mix

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

2-3 cups water

1 cup of milk (your choice, I used Almond)

3 eggs

1tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

Optional toppings: strawberries, chocolate syrup, bananas, nuts, choc chips, whipped cream, caramel, cherries, m & m's, peanut butter.....the list goes on and on!

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, add liquid until batter is the right consistency. 
Pour into your waffle iron (this one is mine:) http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/kitchen/electrics/wafflemakers/PRD~275565/Bella+Rotating+Belgian+Waffle+Maker.jsp)

Cook until done (about 4 minutes) and then top with toppings. ENJOY!

Tuesday is freezer meals day- French Toast sticks, smoothies, pizza pockets and egg sandwich patties!

Mondays are my 'catch up on the house' days, Tuesdays are my 'catch up on the freezer meals' days.  I have found that if I put some time preparing snacks and meals in advance I save time later.  This week I made 120 French toast sticks, 18 pizza pockets, 10 smoothie packs, 20 breakfast egg patties, and 14 carrot juice ice cube packs for smoothies.  Total in time it took 2 hours and has saved me tons of time later on in the week.  The best part is that the  kids (and my husband and I) have really good choices that take little time from freezer to table.

The Pumpkin Pie french toast sticks were yummy. (I made them while I was making dinner Sunday night.) I took 1 can pumpkin, 1 can of sweet potatoes and mashed them thoroughly. I split the mash into two bowls. The first bowl got my waffle mix added to it and as I made the waffles for dinner I worked on the french toast, too. Add 1 dozen eggs, 1/2 cup milk (I used almond), 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 cup brown sugar to the mash. Mix well. Stir in 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg. Take 1.5 loaves of bread (about 42 pieces) and split the slices into thirds. Take each strip and dip it in the batter then place it on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, flip and bake 3 more minutes on the other side. I flash froze the batches in the freezer on a baking rack and then combined them into a gallon size zipper bag. Reheat the sticks in the toaster oven or microwave.

Tuesday I made pizza pockets for the first time, they were fabulous. Here is the link to that recipe:
http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/05/pizza-pockets.html

Then I made smoothie packs from 3 cartons of strawberries, 1 bag frozen blueberries, and 1 bunch bananas.  (I juice 5 lbs. of carrots once a week and freeze them in 1 cup portions.  I also save leftover watermelon juice and freeze it the same way to add in our smoothies instead of ice.)  Here is my favorite Green Monster smoothie recipe: http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/05/green-monster-smoothies.html


 

Next, I decided to use up the rest of the diced veggies by making breakfast sandwich egg patties.  Just take 10 eggs mix well, add 2 cups of spinach (sauteed with chopped turkey bacon and onions, and cooled) and sprinkle the veggies and bacon into eggs.  Bake in a greased rectangular cake pan at 375 for 20 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool.  Cut into squares and freeze in plastic bags in the freezer.  To eat, reheat the patty in the microwave and serve on a toasted English muffin with a slice of cheese....delicious!



When I was finished with the 'freezer' cooking the kids came in and showed me the toad they found in the sandbox....they were busy too!

Green Monster Smoothies

Okay, so the other day I was reading a blog and found a smoothie recipe for Green Monster smoothies.  I was VERY sceptical, but decided to give it a try.  The blogger promised me that my kids would suck down the mostly spinach and kale smoothies and beg for more.  I tried it and guess what?  She was right!  My kids literally beg me to make them and even our baby twins cry when the blender goes off and I start pouring cups.  I have to make 2 batches at a time so everyone will get their fair share and will even confess that when the kids were out in the sandbox the other day I snuck a whole one for myself!

So here is our version, I promise it just tastes like a banana smoothie!

Green Monster Smoothie~
4-5 cups fresh spinach
2 cups fresh kale leaves ( I pull them off the stem, the stem can be bitter)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup carrot juice
1 banana
ice cubes

Puree the greens in the juice.  (We juice a 5lb. bag of carrots once a week and have them frozen into 1 cup portions in the fridge.  You could leave it out, but I add it for an extra vitamin packed kick).  Be sure to blend the heck out of the greens, no one wants chunky spinach in their smoothie. Add banana and ice and mix until smooth.  Pour into glasses and ENJOY!

pizza pockets-freezer meals

These were crazy good!  Even the baby boy crawled up his high chair, grabbed one off a plate and proceeded to eat the entire thing!   Money Saving Mom.com is the page where I found the idea. (http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-homemade-pizza-pockets-day-8.html) I adapted the filling to my family and what was in my freezer.  We used a turkey polish sausage, cheese, spaghetti sauce and veggies to fill them.  I marked the 'no cheese' pockets with an X for my dairy free girl.

Dough:
2 Tbsp. dry active Yeast
2 cups warm water
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
5 cups flour

Filling:
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 turkey polish sausage link cut into slices like pepperoni
diced veggies
shredded cheese

Mix the first 3 ingredients in your kitchen aide or mixer.  Leave to sit and dissolve for 5 minutes.  Slowly add the flour, salt, and lastly oil.  The dough will pull together and be slightly sticky.  (I left mine to rise for an hour while I ran to the store to get shredded cheese ;)  Arrange your filling ingredients on the counter near your floured rolling surface.  Pinch off dough and shape into a ball in your hand, mine were about the size of a clementine orange.  Roll the ball into a flat circle with a rolling pin.

 Add a spoonful of filling/cheese to the center and fold over dough closing up the side and pinching seams.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool and store in a container or bag in freezer.  Reheat in toaster oven or microwave.  Makes 16-18 pizza pockets depending on your size.

Doughnuts..."Deceptive Doughnuts"...hmmm!

Deceptive Doughnuts.....look pretty good!

Mix the batter in a plastic bag, perfect job for little helpers.

Snip the corner off the bag and make your circles on a baking sheet.

If you sandwich them together with a little icing they look just like a real doughnut.

Chocolate doughnut sandwiched with peanut butter...mmmmm!

3 batches of deceptive doughnuts are all GONE!!!

     A close friend of mine challenged me to read Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld. It is a cookbook with recipes that hide pureed healthy foods into them, so your picky eaters will not realize they just ate them. I have tried (and tweaked) her doughnut recipe and am happy to share with you what we think so far:

1. Picky eaters that have the ability to read are automatically suspicious at the new 'Deceptive' cookbook.

2. You will be asked the entire time they are baking, "But what is in them???"

3. Picky eaters who are on to you will say they won't try them, but they will, probably when you are not looking.

4.You can use any type of milk, I used dairy free due to a child with allergies.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into your blender and the dry in a large plastic storage bag. Then knead the two together in the closed bag. Snip off the end of the bag and pipe circles of batter onto your baking sheet. The only dish to clean will be the mixer pitcher and you can toss the bag away after the batter is used up.

6. You can call anything a doughnut, therefore making children fight over them, even knowing mom put beets and carrots into them.

7.  If you do not have the purees on hand, canned vegetables work great.

8. I prefer to just tell them what I put in there rather than being deceptive, with all due respect to Mrs. Seinfeld. After all, how else will you be able to say, "Eat your carrots, you do like them remember,they are in our doughnuts!"
So here are the 3 versions I tried, along with the original recipe from Jessica Seinfeld. I will just list the ingredients for all 4 versions and then the directions after. You make them all the same way, anyway.

banana- sweet potato -carrot doughnut
1/2 banana
1 cup pureed swt. potato
1/2 cup pureed carrots
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
powdered sugar

apple- sweet potato -carrot doughnut
1/2 cup pureed swt. potato
1/2 cup pureed carrots
3 Tbsp. Apple Butter (click here for my crock pot recipe)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
1 cup flour
1 tsp. tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
powdered sugar

chocolate doughnut w/ beets and carrots (yes you read that right!)
1/3 cup pureed carrots
1/3 cup pureed beets
1/2 cup almond milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
2 cups flour
2 tsp. tsp.baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. Cocoa powder
powdered sugar
peanut butter (optional)

Jessica Seinfeld's doughnut recipe
1/2 cup pureed swt. potato
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
1 cup flour
1 tsp. tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
powdered sugar

Mix the wet ingredients into the blender.  Place the dry ingredients into a plastic bag.  Add the two together and then snip off the corner.  Draw circles with your batter on your baking sheet.  Bake at a 350 degree oven for 15-17 minutes.  Take out of oven to cool on rack.  Sandwiche donuts together making them more round.  We used icing and peanut butter.  Enjoy experimenting!  Let me know what you come up with!!!

Chicken Noodle, Cream of Chicken and Chicken Chili...3 soups...1 chicken!

This just might be my favorite blog yet!  I love to multi task, but I have found lately with our crazy schedules it helps to multi cook, too.  I started making 2 soups a few months ago, today I decided to try 3 and it worked brilliantly.  Now I shouldn't have to cook all week!  Here is what I did: 

 Begin by baking a whole chicken during breakfast.  (I baked mine for 2 hours on 350 degrees) 

Remove from oven and set out to cool. 

After I placed the chicken in the oven I set the vegetable steamer to steam my rice, it takes 50 minutes for 2 cups.  You can prepare your rice however you usually do it.

I enlisted a teenager to cut up my veggies and we organized them with their soup ingredients.

We sauteed the first two soups veggies side by side and added the rest of the ingredients as we cooked them, focusing on one soup then the other step by step.

I poured all of the Chicken Chili's ingredients into a large storage bowl with lid and placed it into the fridge.  This one will be ready to go when we are ready for a new soup option.  All I will have to do is dump it into a pot and cook for 1 hour.

#1 CREAM OF CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

1 cup sliced/chopped onion

1 cup of sliced/chopped carrot

1/4 baked chicken (mostly white meat due to the higher fat content of this soup)

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

3 TBSP butter

2 TBSP flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups steamed rice

Saute onions, carrots and chicken in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Add broth and water and bring to a boil.  In a separate small pan melt butter.  Add flour and stir for 3 minutes.  Slowly add milk and stir until thickened.  Add slowly to soup pot and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add rice and simmer additional 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow to thicken as it cools slightly.  It is ready to enjoy!

#2 CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

1/2 baked chicken- shredded

1 cup onion chopped

1 cup carrot chopped

1 cup celery chopped

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 bag noodles

Saute the veggies and chicken in a little oil and garlic salt.  Add broth and water, bring to a boil.  Continue to cook for 30 minutes.  I add the noodles right into the pot and cook an additional 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and serve!

#3 CHICKEN CHILI

1/4 baked chicken

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can mild chili beans

1 can black beans

1 can corn

I put all the ingredients into a storage container.  When we are ready for this soup in a few days I will pour into a pot and cook for 1 hour.  Remove from heat and enjoy!!!

So, there it is, 3 soups from one chicken.  Everyone's taste buds have been appeased and now I shouldn't have to cook dinner all week!

Chocolate covered Cherry Banana Bread (Dairy free)

Who doesn't love banana nut bread?  How about chocolate?  I added my favorite two foods together one day and now I wonder what took me so long to figure this out!!!  I just use my Grandma Seyer's recipe for banana bread, left out the nuts, added dried cherries and 2 Tbsp. of Cocoa and poof....chocolate covered cherry banana bread is the BOMB!  (This is what I like to make now when taking a meal to someone instead of brownies, because it is so much healthier.)

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY BANANA BREAD

1 stick of softened butter

 (or 1/2 cup shortening for dairy free version)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

4-5 ripe bananas

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 TBSP cocoa powder

handful of cherries, cranberries, or nuts (optional)

Mix butter (or shortening) and sugar until fluffy.  Add bananas one at a time, mixing well after each.  Add eggs  and vanilla, blend.  Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl, slowly add them to the banana batter.  Fold in your berries or nuts.  Spoon into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.  (Prepare honey butter while you wait.)

 Remove from oven to cool.  Cut and enjoy!

*HONEY BUTTER, I usually serve this with honey butter when I want to really WOW my guests.  Just soften some butter and mix in honey in a small dish.  Put back into fridge to firm up.  It tastes so good on banana bread, muffins, and cornbread :)

Breakfast Burritos: HOT Breakfast is back for less than $.20 per meal!

Being a mom and wife with seven children people ask me often, "How can you afford to feed them all?"  Have you ever heard time is money?  Never is that statement more true than in the kitchen.  If you want to instantly save money on your grocery bill.....start cooking from scratch.  Not only is it healthier for your family to eliminate processed foods from your pantry, it is also kinder to your wallet.

I can't live in the kitchen so I have found that if I cook in bulk and freeze or refrigerate leftovers I don't have to cook as often.  Everyone in our family loves these burritos, I customize them in three different types and even set aside some to go in my husband's lunchbox for a warm breakfast as he sits at his desk after a morning commute.  I only have to prepare them once every week to week and a half, so guess what?  On those other 6 days I don't have to make breakfast.....ahhhhhhh, sit back and enjoy your coffee!

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE BURRITOS:

1 lb. breakfast sausage

1 dozen eggs

1 package med. size tortillas (24 ct.)

sliced sweet peppers, grated cheese, ect.

(This makes 24 servings and costs approximately $4.25 for the ingredients = $.17 per burrito)

Which coincidentally is 24 burritos for the price of ONE run through for breakfast at McDonalds! 

 

STEP #1:  Brown your sausage (or bacon or skip this if you don't eat meat :)

STEP #2: Crack your eggs into a large bowl.  Scramble them in a frying pan.

STEP #3:  slice your veggies and get out your cheese or other garnishes you prefer creating an assembly line of ingredients.

STEP #4:  Microwave 2-3 tortillas at a time for 30 sec. to making them softer and more elastic for rolling without cracking or breaking.

STEP #5:  scoop a spoonful of meat, then eggs into the center of your tortilla, garnish, then roll them. 

STEP #6:  I place 2 per ziplock bag for my husband's breakfast/lunchbox.  For the kids I use one gallon size ziplock bag for storage in the fridge. 

STEP #7:  repeat the process until you run out of ingredients.  Store burritos in the fridge or freezer. 

STEP #8: Just microwave for 30 sec. to reheat when ever you need a quick hot meal.

Homemade Italian beef (Chicago Style :)

I was brought a meal one time by a local friend of mine after a medical thing I was recovering from, and it was good old Chicago Style Italian Beef.  It was glorious and I thought only moms with a dozen kids living on a farm in the NWburbs could possibly know the secrets of making it.  I thought it must have been so second nature to her that she had enough for her brood and mine as well, being the supermom she is.  Well, over the past 3 years we have ordered our free range cow from our darling local cowman and I too have mastered the art of Chicago Style Italian beef.  Come to find out it isn't a secret after all, just smart and easy cooking by those who care to try it.  I will save you the trouble of figuring it out and share the recipe in the spirit of true Southern hospitality (since I am not originally from here, hehe :)........Here it is:

INGREDIENTS for Italian Beef:

(psssssst...just so you know, I always make 2 because I want leftovers)

1 Beef pot roast

 (Arm roast, round roast, bottom roast, etc.  I choose by size not name, it is the one that is round or triangular, not flat and uniform in size like a chuck roast.  Chuck roast are too fatty.)

6-cups of Beef broth

Garlic Salt & Onion Powder to season roast

1 Tbsp. Minced garlic

INGREDIENTS for Garnish:

1 sliced onion

2 sliced carrots

2 sliced jalapenos

1 sliced green pepper

1 tsp. minced garlic

(all sauteed in olive oil for 7 minutes)

How to prepare the roast:

Season your roast with onion powder and garlic salt.  Pour beef broth into roasting pan.  Add roast and cook covered at 400 degrees for 1.5 - 2 hours.  Remove pan from oven and let cool.  When cool enough for the fridge, put in the fridge to rest for 2 or more hours.  At dinner time, I place the roast to a carving board.  Pour your juices into a saucepan straining out the fat (there shouldn't be much :)  Slice the meat as thin as you possibly can.  I use an electric knife.  Put aside in a bowl.  After you have brought your beef juices to a boil add your beef slices to warm them.  Scoop them out onto a bun (recipe follows) drizzle the Au jus onto your bread and top with garnish as desired.  Wondering what to serve with it....how about another sandwich???  Just kidding, sort of, we serve raw veggies and home fries.

How to make the rolls?  Well you could go to your local grocery store, but why stop wow-ing your dinner guests, I say!  Here is my recipe for the rolls:

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/4 cups warm water

1 cup warm milk

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 tsp. salt

6 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, milk, butter and sugar in a large bowl.  (I use my Kitchen Aide.)

Mix in the salt and slowly add the flour 2 cups at a time, being careful not to over mix the dough.

Sprinkle flour on top of your ball of dough to help you divide it into 12 equal pieces. 

Using floured hands pull of the pieces and roll into your hands into a hot dog bun sized piece. 

Once you have shaped your dough on your greased cookie sheet or seasoned baking stone, cover with a clean and damp dish towel for 25 minutes to rise.  Then, bake at an 375 degree oven for 15-20, or until your rolls are golden brown.  Remove them from the oven, let cool and cut down the middle.  Now you are are ready to make a totally homemade Italian Beef Sang'wich that any Chicagoan could be proud of!