Another reason I HEART Freecycle™

It's practically BRAND NEW. I had to clean it up a bit. The fellow Freecycler™ who passed it on said it took up too much counter space and she rarely used it. It has DOUGH HOOKS, people. This means NO kneading of bread dough...which is why my few attempts at making bread have failed miserably. Of course, my last GREAT find from Freecycle™ was a bread maker so I didn't really have to knead anything anymore. BUT...I found this great recipe for easy French bread...and I really wanted to make it. The whole kneading thing was preventing me from trying (I have some really bad shoulder pain and kneading exacerbates it).

So...I decided to clean up my new-to-me Sunbeam Stand Mixer. (I'd had it for about a month, but as my fellow freecycler™ said, it takes up too much counter, and if you've BEEN in my house, you know I have very little counter!) Took me about 15 minutes to clean it all up. Wasn't really too bad, except for the garage dirt (which is where I'd been storing it....).

Then I made the French bread. And it made 2 huge loaves...and they're GONE. (I DID, however, have company for dinner, so the bread fed 5 adults). What? You want me to SHARE my recipe? Sure...I got it from Life Lessons of A Military Wife. So if you use it, go over there, search "French Bread" and tell her you tried it! I don't, unfortunately, have a picture of my lovely bread to share with my readers....sorry!

Here it is:

Crusty French Bread

Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients

* 2 cups warm water
* 1 tablespoon yeast
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 5-5 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water (110 degrees) and sugar in large bowl; allow yeast to proof or foam (about 10 minutes). (I used quick acting yeast in a jar...made for Bread Makers, because that's what I had on hand)

2. Add salt, oil, and 3 cups flour; beat for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in 2 cups flour to make a stiff dough.

4. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

5. Place in oiled bowl, turn dough to coat all sides, cover and let rise until doubled.

6. Punch down and divide in half.

7. Shape dough into two long slender loaves.

8. Grease and sprinkle with cornmeal either a French bread pan or large cookie sheet. (don't over-grease or over-sprinkle...the remaining grease and cornmeal will burn off when you cook it and fill your house with smoke....)

9. Place loaves in pan and cut diagonal gashes on top of each loaf (I use scissors).

10. Cover and let rise until doubled.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

12. Note: You can sprinkle or spray water on the loaves during baking if you want a really crunchy crust.

The Great Cookie Swap

Over at Trying Our Best, there's a "cookie swap going on...and it just so happens that even though I have lost 9 lbs in two weeks (2.4 lbs gone this week, woot!), I still had a chance to bake one of my favorite and most requested recipes around here. We had a neighborhood picnic and I decided to make them. Head on over to the Great Cookie Swap and check out "Mr. Linky" and the links, photos and great recipes so far...and do share one of yours! If you go and share, let me know that you did!!!

This is what I made:


Oatmeal Jam Squares

oven 375°
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned, not quick cooking)
1 3/4 cups flour (either all purpose, or 1/2 each all purpose and wheat)
1 cup melted butter or margarine (don't use light, it just doesn't work well)
1 cup packed brown sugar (dark works great!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 jar (15 oz) jam

Mix everything but jam in a large bowl, being sure to add butter last. Make sure everything is mixed thoroughly...it will be crumbly

separate 1 1/2 to 2 cups of this mixture and set aside; press remaining mixture into 9 x 13 pan (I line the pan with parchment paper for ease of removal)

Spread jam over the oat mixture as evenly as possible. You can microwave it for 20-30 seconds to help it thin out a bit.

Sprinkle the reserved mixture over the jam, coating evenly. You will still see some jam peeking through.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the bar is golden brown. Cool for at least 1/2 hour to one hour before cutting.

Try making this with different jams (the above is made with raspberry, but I've made apricot, strawberry, blackberry, marmalade and a mixture of those jams as well!) for variety.

This will make approximately 2 dozen small squares.

On the agenda for today...

******* Edited to add recipe at the end *******

Scott went back to work. Early. Because the general in charge of the 1st Infantry Division is leaving (after 1 year). And because he (the general) LOVES his band and wants HIS band to be at the change of command ceremony. So Scott went back to work early, and most of the folks in the band lost a day of leave so they could be there for this guy. It's going to be different, since the general will be doing something that most division commanders don't do. Can't give it up right yet, as Scott would shoot me - not that anyone from the 1ID reads my blog, but hey...can't let the cat out of the bag, you know?

So - on the agenda:

Swim lessons for Hannah, and toddler pool play for Scotty.
Trip to the grocery store to get ingredients for some things I wan to make today (for Women's Night Out at church tonight)
Order this and this from Amazon - because, c'mon...they are GREAT deals!!! But only for today!!!!
Bake and prepare my stuff for WNO
Go to WNO (ah, 2 blessed hours of NO kids and good Christian company!)

I volunteered to make a salad and dessert for tonight. But I couldn't decide what I wanted to make, so I'm making a salad and THREE desserts, lol! I'm making a Strawberry-Spinach salad, Yvonne's Done-to-Death Apple Bread, Apple Betty, and Trash.

And yes, I WILL share the recipes:

Yvonne's Done-to-death Apple Bread

oven 325, bakes in about 1 hour and 10 minutes

3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups chopped, pared, cored apples (about 3-4) (this puts to
good use that darned apple/peeler/corer slicer thing you got
at a Pampered Chef party years ago and never used!)
1 cup chopped pecans

topping:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to slow 325. Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 5 1/2
x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans (or I use those mini loaf pans)

2. Stir together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in medium
sized bowl until well mixed.

3. Combine the flour, soda and cinnamon on piece of waxed
paper, and then then stir into liquid ingredients until just
evenly mixed. Stir in the apples and pecans. The mixture will
be very thick and gloppy.

Divide between the loaf pans.

4: Prepare the topping: combine the sugar and cinnamon in a
small cup, and sprinkle over the loaves.

5: Bake in preheated slow overn at 325 for 1 hour and
10 minutes, approximately. Check it carefully with a tester
inserted in center comes out CLEAN. Make sure it's done.
Sometimes in my oven they take longer than the time specified.
Make sure they are done. Nothing worse than raw middle.

Let the breads cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edges of the pans. Remove the
breads from the pans to wire racks to cool.

The breads are better the second day. Wrap them tightly
in plastic wrap or foil and store at room temperature.

Mom's Apple Betty (from Suzanne)

4 cups tart apples (peeled, pared and sliced)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar ( use brown sugar, but white can be used)
3/4 cup all purpose flower
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

Butter 9" pie plate, mound apples inside and sprinkle with orange juice.

In separate bowl, combine sugar, flower, spices; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples and bake at 375° for 45 minutes, till apples are tender and topping is crisp.

Substitutions: you may use peaches (fresh, not canned) instead of apples. If you don't have orange juice, sprinkle some lemon jusice over the apples, just enough to dot the apples.

Can be served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2 bunches of fresh spinach (or one bag washed baby spinach)
1 pint fresh strawberries (halved or sliced)

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar (try red raspberry for something different!)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon minced onion (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Mix dressing together, let stand before pouring on spinach. Immediately before serving, mix spinach and strawberries, then add dressing.

Trash

1 cup peanut butter (can be any kind, and reduced fat does work well)
1 bag chocolate chips (about 12 oz)
1 stick margarine
1 box powdered sugar
1 box Rice Chex Cereal
1 large trash bag, unscented (or you can use a very large (2-3 gallon) zip loc bag)
1 very large bowl.

On medium heat, melt the peanut butter, chocolate chips and margarine. Do not bring to boil, just heat till all melted and mixed.

Pour half of the cereal into large bowl, add melted mixture and top with remaining cereal. Mix well until thoroughly coated.

Pour half the box of powdered sugar into the bag, add the cereal mixture, then remaining powdered sugar. Close bag tightly, shake and turn the bag, working cereal around to get totally coated in sugar. This will also break apart any clumps.

Place "trash" into a large dry bowl and cover tightly.

Triple Cuppa
(so named because it's "cuppa this, a cuppa that)

1 cup Bisquick
1 cup sugar (Splenda works well too)
1 cup milk

fresh berries

Mix Bisquick, sugar and milk in a bowl. Grease or spray an 8 x 8 pan; pour batter in. Sprinkle with fresh berries. You can use any kind of berries; blueberries and raspberries work especially well. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, checking for doneness. This is a very "watery" batter so you must check it often.

You can double the batch, but reduce the milk and sugar by 1/4 cup each.

You can also add 1 tsp vanilla or other flavored extract. Try lemon with blueberries! If you double the batch, use a 9 x 13 pan.

Inspired

I've been meaning to work on something for several weeks now. I am participating in my first ever "Circle Journal" swap. There are five of us doing this. I get lucky...the person who follows me is a good friend from Bamberg who managed to come to Ft. Riley too!

Anyway - I have never done this before and picking a theme was a HARD thing to do. I finally decided on "Comfort Foods". So....then I had to decide the album size. I want something cute but not too bulky. I had a Basic Grey Lunch Box kit and decided to use that.

I really enjoyed making the outside. Now I need to work on getting my first pages in. I'll do that tomorrow; I'm on a roll here!!!

Here's my "Fabulous Comfort Recipes 4 Life" box.



What do you think? And if you're a scrapbooker and would be interested in participating in my circle journal, let me know. Once I make the rounds with my group, I'd be glad to pass it on. All you have to do is create a 2 page spread (to fit the box, of course) of a favorite comfort food in your life. Something you turn to again and again...something that reminds you of home, childhood and happiness. And in return, once I get the entire thing back, I will scan all the pages and email them to everyone who participated. That way you can print it out if you want!!!