A sidetracked day...

I'm a huge list maker, I just love to make lists! Only problem is that I get sidetracked, easily! I tend to sway off course and not follow my lists. Not good most of the time, but some days it is good! Today I made Ciabatta bread to have with roast beef sandwiches for dinner. Then I thought my husband would like some type of sauce to go with it. Then I thought about mayonnaise, which made me think of roasted garlic mayo. So I roast the garlic and prepare the mayo, it calls for a Tbls of fresh lemon juice. So I get the lemon out and I can't just waste the zest, no way! So I zest the lemon and immediately think of lemon-sugar cookies. So add that on to my growing list of things to make! At least I did mop the kitchen as planned and got a few loads of laundry done. Oh, I made some soup too :-) I would like every sidetracked day to be filled with yummy foods, but we all know that doesn't happen, it's usually filled with tons of big messes to clean up, LOL!

Seasoned Potato Wedges

Here is my version of the little dry mix found in grocery stores. I love to eat seasoned potato wedges bursting with flavor! So much healthier than fried french fries.

Roasted Potato Seasoning Mix
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-1/4 tsp dried parsley
-1/4 tsp CAJUN seasoning
-1/2 tsp dried Thyme

Mix together in small bowl, add 2 Tbls Vegetable oil and then coat potatoes. If you loves a ton of seasoning and are doing a double batch of potatoes, then just double the recipe. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning potatoes over half way.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels Copycat Recipe...

When we go to the mall, sometimes the kids will talk us into buying one of those overpriced pretzels at Auntie Anne's. Yes, they're good, but on the expensive side! Here's a recipe that comes very close to the actual thing. Also if you notice that my pretzels don't look exactly like pretzels, all I can say is that they were made with love by my little helpers, ages 2, 5, and 8! When you see pictures of perfect looking foods, you can be certain that a kid wasn't involved, LOL!

Ingredients::

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 1/2 pkg.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups flour
2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda
coarse salt , to taste
2 -4 tablespoons butter (melted)(optional)

Directions:

1.Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour.

2.While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 4 cups warm water and 1/4 cup baking soda. Be certain to stir often. Bring to a boil.

3.After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet. Beat an egg yolk with 1 Tbls water and brush on pretzels, sprinkle with coarse salt. Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes or until golden.

Toppings:

After you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt. Or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another bowl, make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously. Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture.

*These are best served hot and fresh, not good at all as leftovers :-)

Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

I have a weird confession to make, I really don't like biscuits. Add that on to the weird fact that I don't like pie crust! Not sure what it is about them, just never cared for them, no matter the recipe. It's something I eat when I really, really want something that goes with it, like biscuits and gravy, bacon, egg & cheese biscuit. They are just the outer package! Anyway, my big kids just love them (for the bacon,egg & cheese)! Since I make 99.9% of everything from scratch, I make up a batch and just freeze the rest. Bake in the oven and by the time the eggs and bacon are done, so are the frozen biscuits!

RECIPE:
-4 cups self-rising flour
-1 Tbls baking powder
-1 Tbls sugar (I usually leave this out, so it's optional)
-3/4 cup Crisco
-2 1/4 cups buttermilk

- Mix all ingredients. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Roll out 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Be careful not to overwork the dough, or biscuits will be tough. Bake at 400 degrees around 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

Submarine roll recipe

I was trying to find a recipe close to Subway bread. This isn't close,but it's probably the best Sub bread I've ever made at home. I really think that it would be super hard to duplicate that at home without a commercial oven!
I found this recipe on thefreshloaf.com, I'm not really sure who posted it, but that is where I found it. I like to give the author credit whenever possible :-)

Subway Sub Roll Recipe:

1 TBLS dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
2 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp dough enhancer
1 cup plus 1 TBLS warm water

Knead, let rise, punch down, let rise again, punch down and shape into three foot long tubes. Place in unheated oven with pan of hot water on shelf below. You can make these on a cookie sheet but they will have flat bottoms. A baquette pan works good or a sub/hoagie pan if you can find one is best. Silicone pans are the best (like the ones at subway). Spray lightly on top with warm water at beginning of proofing. Wait 15 minutes and turn oven on to 300 for 20 seconds then off. Wait another 15 minuetes and repeat the oven on off thing again. Wait 1/2 hour then the oven thing again and allow to rise for another 1/2 hour. Then turn oven on and bake at 325 for 20 minutes, then leaving them in the oven bake another 20 minutes at 350 and then remove from oven and place on rack for cooling and yummy eating. Let them cool before cutting. Makes the subway type roll each and every time. Never fails and smells just like the inside of any subway restaurant. Enjoy.
Prep time before punching down is approximately 2 hours. Most of that is rising time. Proofing and baking are specified above.

*NOTE* This may look like a very time consuming recipe, but it's mainly just punching and rising, punching and rising and then playing with the oven :-)

Take the time...

Today as I was getting ready to fix muffins, my 5 yr old came up and asked if he could help me. I said not right now. I was rushed, I had been cooking all day, I just wanted to get the muffins fixed so I could get that out of the way and fix dinner (before getting my husband from work too!). Not to mention that I'm not feeling too well. You should've seen the look on his perfect little face! It was so sad! That look told me that I didn't have my priorities in the right place! His frown turned to a smile when I told him he could help me! Thankfully this is a rare thing for me. I usually always take the extra time it requires to bake with my little ones. It got me thinking about all the Moms out there that don't take the time, thinking they are too rushed, always saying not right now. We've all been guilty of saying that!

My post today is to urge you to think about how many times do you really say not right now, and never get around to spending time with your kids in the kitchen. Teaching your kids to cook is an essential part of life! Every human should be taught how to cook! It's not about the messes, the dirty dishes, or the flour spilled all over the floor! It's about creating memories, strengthening your bond, having fun and learning an important life tool!

Ciabatta Bread-bread machine recipe!!

I have to say that this was the most amazing sandwich that I've ever eaten at home, or anywhere else for that matter! I'm not a sandwich lover and boy did I love this sandwich! It was all in the bread! I've been meaning to make Ciabatta bread for a long time now. Today was my 15 year anniversary so I wanted to make my husband a special lunch. He loves panini sandwiches so my plan was to fix him one, but I needed "special" bread first and I looked up what kind of bread I should use. I got this recipe, like almost all my other ones, from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Directions:

1.Place ingredients into the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle, and Start.
2.Dough will be quite sticky and wet once cycle is completed, resist the temptation to add more flour. Place dough on a lightly floured board, cover with a large bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.
3.Lightly flour or use parchment lined baking sheets. Divide into 2 pieces, and form each into a 3x14 inch oval. Place loaves on prepared sheets, dimple surface, and lightly flour. Cover, and let rise in a draft free place for approximately 45 minutes.
4.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
5.Dimple dough for a second time, and then place loaves in the oven, positioned on the middle rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
**During the very first 10 minutes of baking, spritz the loaves with water every 3 minutes for a crispier crust.

It was just perfect on it's own and I didn't press it or do anything other than cut it into a square for his sandwich. I fixed Blackened Chicken with creamy parmesan ranch sauce. Amazing!!

The soup in the background is a copycat recipe for Minestrone soup from Olive Garden. If anyone wants it, I will gladly post it :-)

If you try only one bread this new year, please give this one a go! If you're not accustomed to bread making, it may scare you because it's the stickiest dough I've ever worked with and I've made a lot of dough in the past 10 years! But everybody has to start somewhere, so don't let that scare you! Just remember, do NOT add extra flour, you need the dough that sticky, trust me, if you make it you'll know why it's so odd to have it that sticky :-)

Vicky