Tangy Buttermilk Cheese Bread

1 1/8 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 cup room temperature sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced and then diced into small pieces (divided into 3/4 c. and 1/4 c.)

Heat the buttermilk to 110-115*F. This won’t take long in the microwave, maybe 60-90 seconds, depending on your microwave.

Add the yeast, sugar, salt and flour and mix well. Knead by hand or with a mixer and a bread hook for four minutes. Add the 3/4 c. cheese and knead for two more minutes. If the cheese is at room temperature, it will be smoothly kneaded into the dough.

Allow to rise for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size.

Punch down and knead in the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Knead just enough to incorporate all the cheese. This will leave some nice chunks of cheese in the dough. Cut the dough into twelve equal pieces.

Shape into twelve flattened rolls and place on a greased cookie sheet (or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper).

Allow to rise 45 minutes, until doubled in size. Bake at 350*F for 35-45 minutes, until browned.

~~Rhonda

Heat Free Chili

1 pound ground beef [I used ground round]
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
1 15-oz. can pinto beans
1 15-oz. can refried beans
1 T. dry onion flakes [DH is allergic to fresh onions]
4 tsps. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sugar
red pepper flakes [Optional. Add to taste. I used less than 1/4 tsp...I may leave them out next time.]
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a stock pot, brown the ground beef. Drain excess grease and add minced garlic to the beef, cooking for a minute or so.

Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Stir well.

Add the pinto beans and the refried beans. Stir to combine well. If your children won’t eat beans, add only refried beans. They’ll never know.

Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or longer to meld flavors.

Serve with crackers, a dollop of creamy peanut butter and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Makes a thick and creamy chili. Delicious!

~~Rhonda

Fake Baked Ziti

olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
pinch of sugar
basil and oregano, dried or fresh
1 lb penne rigate [Penne or Ziti pasta works fine.]
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
whole nutmeg, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Asiago cheese
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
8 oz block of mozzarella cheese

The recipe doesn’t call for mushrooms, but I had these lovely portobellos and decided to add them to the ziti. The recipe does call for shallots, but I left those out as DH is allergic to fresh onions.

I like to grate my own cheese, so I used 8 oz. of Mozzarella, about 3 oz. of Parmigiana, and 4 oz. of Asiago. I cubed them, then ran them through the food processor. Grated cheese in less than 30 seconds. Wonderful! I grated them together, so they were all mixed.

You can use three pans: 1 large for the red sauce, 1 large for the pasta, and 1 small for the white sauce, though I actually used two pans for cooking…a pot for cooking the pasta, and a pan for sauteing the mushrooms and garlic. After they were cooked, I added the crushed tomatoes and the seasonings, heated them through and then poured the sauce over the cooked pasta. After I scraped the pan clean with a spatula, I used it for the white sauce also (didn’t bother washing it).

You also need a 9×13 casserole dish on hand on top of some hot pads. I greased it with cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta in boiling water. [I added a teaspoon of salt to the water. Optional.] Cook until al dente and drain. Return the pasta to the cooking pot.
As the pasta cooks, grate the cheeses and set aside.

Red Sauce
Mince garlic and shallot and saute in saucepan in olive oil until the shallot is transparent. Don’t let the garlic burn. [I used mushrooms and didn't use shallots.]

Three cloves of minced garlic.

I sauteed the mushrooms until they were almost done, then added the garlic, so it wouldn’t cook too long.

Add the crushed tomatoes. Add a palm full each of dried oregano and basil [I used about 2 teaspoons of each]. If using fresh basil, tear and add it right before pouring the sauce over the pasta. Also add a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity [I added more like a teaspoon of sugar]. Heat until bubbling, then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally.

Pour the red sauce over the pasta in the cooking pot and stir to evenly coat the pasta. Pour the pasta into the greased casserole dish. Top with half the grated cheese.

White Sauce
Melt 2 T. of butter in a pan and make a roux with 2 T. of flour, whisking to combine. Let cook for a few minutes. Pour in 2 cups of milk and grate in some nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk continuously while sauce thickens. Pour the white sauce over the first layer of grated cheese.

Add the second layer of grated cheese.

Place in the oven and monitor until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 15-20 minutes. Don’t let it get too brown. Take out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes before cutting into it.

This pasta goes well with some crusty ciabatta or peasant bread to dip into olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

It also makes delicious leftovers. Just warm in the microwave and enjoy!

I hope my DDIL doesn’t mind the minor changes I made to her recipe. I can’t seem to cook without doing that…The changes made the process easier for me.

A delicious meal and one I would not hesitate to serve to guests. As a matter of fact, DH’s sister and her husband were visiting and they enjoyed it a great deal!

~~Rhonda

~~Rhonda

I basically followed the recipe, but added some basil and celery seed and changed the amounts a bit. Here’s my version.

Tomato, Bacon, and Bean Soup

1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. dry onion (or 1 onion, diced)
2 c. potatoes, peeled and diced
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2 15-oz. cans white beans, undrained
32 oz. chicken broth
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry basil
1 tsp. celery seed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

I like to dice the bacon before cooking so I don’t have to crumble it later. I eye-balled the pound of bacon, cut off 1/4 of it, and diced that.

I like a one pan method, so I started with the stock pot.

Brown the diced bacon (and the onion, if using fresh) in the stock pot until the bacon is crisp. Drain off the grease. I remove the pot from the heat, tip it to pool the grease, scrape the bacon to one side, and use a wad of three or four paper towels to soak up the grease. If I had four arms, I’d have taken a picture for you, but I was cooking alone. So no picture of grease sopping.

Add the minced garlic and stir well. Don’t cook the garlic too long or it will leave a bitter flavor.

While the bacon cooked, I peeled and diced the potatoes.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Salt and pepper to taste. I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Next time, I think I’ll add a little less.

The original recipe called for blending a portion of the soup and returning that to the pot. I skipped that step. I like chunky soup. And it’s just one more thing to wash…

Delicious with crunchy toasted homemade bread. DD practically inhaled her bowl of soup.

~~Rhonda

Cheeseburger Soup

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced (use more if you like) [I used Yukon Gold.]
3/4 c. carrots, sliced
3/4 c. celery, diced
2 T. dry onion flakes (or 3/4 c. chopped onion)
1 tsp. dry basil
1 tsp. dry parsley
2 pounds ground round, browned [I don't like fattier beef, but use what you prefer.]
32 oz. chicken broth
2 c. cubed American cheese
1-2 c. milk or a combo of milk, half ‘n half, and/or cream
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 T. flour + water [I put the flour in a mug, added water, and stirred with a fork till well blended / no lumps.]
8 oz. sour cream (light sour cream is fine)

To begin, heat about 2″ of water in the stock pot. While the water is heating, prepare the veggies.

Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, basil and parsley to the water and bring back to a boil. Check pot to be sure there is enough water to just cover the veggies. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, till veggies are soft. Do not drain the veggies.

While the veggies cook, brown the ground beef. If needed, drain well to remove grease.

Add the remaining ingredients to the simmering veggies, except the sour cream. Stir well, bring back to a simmer and cook until cheese is melted.

Stir the flour and water together until well blended. Add to the soup, stirring well and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until soup has thickened.

Remove from heat, add sour cream, stir well and serve.

If you want to, you can first saute the veggies in a skillet, using a tablespoon of butter or oil, then add them to the stock pot after the potatoes are cooked through. I didn’t bother with that step. Takes more time, which I didn’t want to invest.

Soup recipes like this one can be totally revised to your liking. More meat, less meat. More veggies, fewer veggies. Other spices/herbs. More salt. Whatever. Another delicious additive would be 8 oz. of French onion dip instead of the sour cream. Prairie Farms is my preferred brand. You can also add chopped lettuce and tomatoes to the soup, if you like. Depends on what you like on your cheeseburger.

My recipe made a lot, which is good for us, because it makes plenty of leftovers for a quick supper or a nice lunch. The soup was delicious. DD loved it and we’ll be making it again soon.

~~Rhonda

The bread requires an overnight soaking of the cornmeal which I’ve never done for a bread recipe before. It also asks for 4 oz. light molasses. All I had on hand was dark molasses, so I used 2 oz. molasses and 2 oz. light corn syrup. There was no molasses taste in the bread, at all.

You can find the recipe at Apple Pie, Patis, & Pate .

Great texture to this bread and it does make wonderful toast.

~~Rhonda

PS, have I ever told you homemade bread is better than store bought?

Yesterday I wanted to make chicken and dumpling soup. Instead of following the recipe I found online, I put together my own combo. Near as I can remember, the following is what I used.

Chicken Soup

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts [Whole chicken, chicken pieces, or turkey can be used.]
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 T. dry onion [May use fresh onion, diced, if you have it.]
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dry basil
1/4 tsp. dry thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced [Fresh garlic is better than powdered garlic, but use that if it's all you have on hand. If you use garlic SALT, reduce the amount of salt added.]
2 tsp. celery seed [Or use 2/3 c. fresh celery...I didn't have any on hand, but celery seed imparts celery flavor.]
2 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. carrots, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dumplings
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. mik

If you don’t want to make dumplings, you can add noodles or cooked rice to the soup.

Place the chicken in a large stock pot and add enough water to cover the meat. Add the onion, bay leaves, basil, thyme, garlic and celery seed. Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for one hour.

Remove the meat and let stand in a bowl. Add the chicken broth, carrots and salt to the liquid in the pot, and bring to a boil.

Mix the dumpling dough. Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bow. Mix well. Add the milk and stir until well combined. Add the dumplings, one at a time, to the boiling liquid. I dropped them by teaspoonfuls. They will expand as they cook.

Simmer the dumplings for ten minutes, uncovered, then cover and simmer for 10 additional minutes.

While the dumplings are cooking, dice the chicken. Add to the soup pot when the dumplings are cooked. Stir and heat through. Remove bay leaves, add freshly ground pepper to taste and serve.

~~Rhonda

Not hard to make, at all. If your family and/or friends like tacos, burritos, Tex-Mex, etc., they will enjoy this. And I must say, as good as they were, they were even better the next day. Next time I make them, I will consider baking them ahead of time, then reheating in the oven or microwave to serve.

The original recipe, as far as I can tell, was a prize winning recipe at Taste of Home. I’m not a member of the site, so couldn’t access the recipe. I found it on the Noble Pig site, where it had been adapted a bit. I adapted it a little more, so here’s my version.

Tacoritos

3 T. butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
3 cups water
1 T. chili powder [Original recipe called for 3 T. chili powder...I used one tablespoon and added 2 T. cumin for a little less heat.]
2 T. ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. dry onion flakes (or you can use fresh onion, diced, 1/2 c. – 1 c.)
1 lb. ground beef [I used the leanest available.]
1 lb. bulk pork sausage [I used Jimmy Dean regular.]
1 16 oz. can refried beans
8 flour tortillas (8 inch)
3 c. (12 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese [I used sliced pepper-jack and sliced provolone, as that's what I had on hand.]

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. Allow to cook for a minute or two to cook the flour.

Whisk while gradually adding the water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in chili powder, cumin, minced garlic, and dry onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef and sausage [and onion, if using fresh] until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in refried beans; heat through. You can make the filling with beef only, if you like, but I must say that the addition of sausage to the filling is much better than beef alone.

Spread 1/4 cup sauce in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.

Spread a tablespoon of sauce on a tortilla; place 2/3 cup meat mixture down the center. Top with a 1/4 cup cheese.

Roll tortilla and place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat until eight tortillas are done. My pan isn’t quite 9×13, so they are rather crowded.

Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. I used slices, as that’s what I had. Worked just fine.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

After 20 minutes, I turned the oven off and left the tacoritos in the oven until DH came home from work…maybe 30 minutes. They were perfect.

~~Rhonda

Last night’s supper was quick and easy. The rice took the longest to cook at 20 minutes.

Check this link for the recipe for Pan Seared Shrimp I started with, from Gina’s site. She has a lot of recipes worth perusing.

I stir-fried our shrimp and used the following ingredients.

14 oz. bag frozen medium size shrimp, thawed and thoroughly dried
2 tsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. parsley flakes

Gina’s recipe called for more shrimp and a 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper. That was too much red pepper for my family, so I cut it way back. If you like heat and are used to using lots of red pepper, you’ll probably want to follow Gina’s recipe more closely than I did.

Stir frying is quick and easy. I started the rice, waited about ten minutes, then cooked the pea pods first as they take a bit more time than the shrimp. I used the same wok, without cleaning, for the shrimp after the veggies were done.

Heat the oil in a wok (or large skillet), add the shrimp and stir and toss until they begin to look done. Just takes a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a minute longer. That’s all it takes. The shrimp had the tiniest bite of heat. DD and I loved them. DH gave them a “passing grade” which means he is happy to see them on the menu again.

The pea pods are easy to make and delicious.

Add a teaspoon of olive zoil to the wok. Add the pea pods and stir and toss until they begin to turn bright green with fried bits down the sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the pea pods are almost done, add halved cherry tomatoes and cook for one more minute. Serve. Sometimes I add some tamari at the same time I add the tomatoes for a richer flavor. If you don’t have tamari, you can use regular or low-salt soy sauce, though the veggies are delicious with just a touch of salt and pepper.

~~Rhonda