Homemade Bread

So you may have seen this picture in my last post, it's the bread I've been making quite a bit lately.  My family loves it and my mom can't get enough of it.

 

 

Now when it comes to homemade bread, you usually think there's lots of kneading & rising, not so with this bread, plus you make enough dough for at least three meals.  And plus, I promise there's no kneading involved. 

So let's get started,  and I know it looks like a really long recipe but it's quite easy once you've done it a few times. (the recipe actually comes from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day)

To make the dough you will need:
4 quart container with lid
6 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 TBSP salt
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
3 cups warm water

MAKING THE DOUGH
(I suggest doing steps 1-3 the night before you want to make the actually bread)
1.  Combine flour, salt and yeast until well mix in your 4 quart container. 
2. Add water and mix until the flour is all moist.  Remember you do not have to knead!!!  The dough should moist with no dry flour in the bottom of the bowl.  It may seem sticky but it's okay.
3. Lay the lid on the container but DO NOT seal.  Set in a warm place to rise.  Let it rise until double in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.  Pop the lid on and put in fridge.  (I suggest doing this the night before you want to make the actually bread)

LET'S MAKE THE BREAD, Now that you have a batch of dough
4. Take your dough out of fridge and generously sprinkle one corner with flour.  Pul the corner of dough out of the container, using the flour to keep it from stickly to your hands.  Use your hands to cut off a piece of dough about the size of a grapefruit.  Gently smooth the top of the dough over and tuck it underneath, forming a smooth ball of dough.
5.  Set dough on a piece of parchment paper to rise.  Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes.  Once the dough has rised about 25 minutes, place a pizza stone in the middle of your oven with a metal broiler pan underneath.  (If you don't have a pizza stone, a cookie sheet can be used.  It won't be quite the same, but it will work.)  Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and finish rising your dough (20 minutes)
6. Once your dough is ready, dust the top lightly with flour and slash it with a knife a couple of times to allow it to expand when you put it in the oven.
7.  Place the dough (and the parchment paper) on the preheated stone and add 1 cup of water to pan underneath and quickly close the door.  Bake for 15 minutes, remove the parchment paper and continue baking for 10 more minutes.

Cool, slice and EnJOY!!!!

Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin

It's Valentine's Day,

 A Day  of Love,

& one of the best way to show love to your family is to cook for them. 

 

A couple years ago, I started a little tradition of making a special meal for all my boys on Valentines Day, except with a yummy dessert.  This year I decided to try a new pork tenderloin recipe I found on Pinterest.  It was so good, even the kids ate it without smothering in ketchup.

Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin

4 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an ovenproof pot, heat butter and honey over medium heat until melted. Sprinkle pork tenderloin with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Brown each side for 5 minutes in the honey butter. Lower heat if honey begins to burn.

Place pot in oven and roast uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes*. Remove pot from oven and transfer the pork to a plate. Cover with foil. Add water to the pot and stir over medium heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until sauce is reduced slightly. Slice pork on the diagonal and drizzle sauce over top to serve.

*NOTE: May need to cook longer depending on the size and thickness of the pork tenderloin.

  

(and yes mine did take longer, but then again I did use a 4.5 lb tenderloin.  I am a sucker when it comes to cooking two meals at once so  I will throw half of the tenderloin in the freezer and pull it out in a couple weeks for the boys to eat when I'm in Guatemala.)

 

Along with the pork tenderloin we also had heart shaped potatoes

 

 

homemade bread

 

and Red Velvet Cupcake push pops. 

 

I loved spent time with all my Valentine's tonight!!!

A Favorite Breakfast

Breakfast has come a HUGE part of my days since joining Weight Watchers. 

This is one of my favorites - french toast with fresh blueberries & banana,

Sara Lee Delightful 100% whole Wheat Bread  2slices (2PP+)  

1/3 cup egg beaters with cinnamon sprinkled in it  (1PP+)

fresh blueberries (0PP+)

1 banana (0PP+)

1/4 cup Hungry Jack sugar free syrup (1PP+)

Total points plus = 4

Oreo Fluff

Oreos are a family favorite at our house, so is just about everything that I make that has oreos in it.  So when my MIL introduced the recipe to us some time ago, it didn't take long for it to be a "go to" recipe.

Oreo Fluff

1 large instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cup cold milk
12 oz cool whip, thawed
15-20 oreos, crushed

Mix together pudding and milk until well blended; stir in crushed oreos.  Fold in cool whip.  Store in Fridge.

Whiskey Slush: a family tradition

When Mike and I were dating I was introduced to this Whiskey Slush recipe.   Every Christmas Eve, the Schipper family (Mike's mom's family) gets together for Christmas, and there has never been a party in the past 14 years that there hasn't been whiskey slush....and I'm pretty sure it's been going on a lot longer than that.


(Imagine a picture of Mike with drink in hand)

Whiskey Slush

Ingredients
9 cups of water
3 tea bags
2 cups sugar
1 can frozen OJ
1 can frozen Lemonade
1 pint Whiskey

Directions
Boil 2 cups of water; put tea bags in boiling water and let set until well dissolved.  Add rest of the ingredients and frozen.

Serve with 7-up

Bran Muffins

What is it about a warm bran muffin.  

You put butter on it and the butter melts into the muffin...so good!!!!    

Bran Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup Crisco
2 cups boiling water
3 cups sugar
3 tsp salt
4 eggs
5 cups flour
5 tsp baking soda (mix in a little buttermilk)
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups Kellogg's All Bran
4 cups Kellogg's Bran Buds


Directions
In a small bowl mix together crisco and boiling water until the crisco has dissolved.  In an extra large bowl cream eggs and sugar; add crisco mixture.  Add salt, flour, soda; mix well.  Slowly stir in Buttermilk.  Add bran cereals.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Note:  taste better if batter is in the fridge overnight

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since we moved to our house in Freeport, I have had a hard time making a good chocolate chip cookie.  Every recipe I try the cookies end up being flat as a pancake and just look horrible to serve others.  I have finally find a cookie that works in my oven...that's who what I blame the problem on.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 box instant vanilla pudding
2 1/4 cup flour
12oz chocolate chips


Directions
1.  Cream together butter, sugars, baking soda, vanilla and eggs.
2.  add in flour and pudding
3.  add chocolate chips
4.  Drop by teaspoon on un-greased cookie sheet.
5.  Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes.