Einkorn Made Easy Course Introduction

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the beta version of my Einkorn Made Easy video course. 

I hope to release one new video each week, for a total of 10 videos. 

Buy the first video here. 

Even after the videos can no longer be purchased individually, you will still have access to them if you purchase them now. Those who buy all 10 individual videos will also get a coupon for free access to the final course. 

Please provide feedback on how to improve the beta version, to make the final course the best possible. Once all individual videos have been re-edited and finalized, they will be packaged in one complete course, and priced higher. This beta version allows you to get the videos individually, at a significant discount. 

Busy Family Menu Planning now available to order!

EEEK!!! I am ***so*** excited!!

I just received the preview copy of my new cookbook, Busy Family Menu Planning. I love it!! It turned out perfect!

If you preorder your copy now, you're guaranteed to receive it by Christmas if you live in the US. For international customers, delivery in time for Christmas is not guaranteed, but chances are good you will get it in time. Pre-order now at https://store.framingtheworld.com/products/cookbook

PREORDER BONUS: Everyone who pre-orders their copy between now and December 12th will it get a printable PDF file of the 10 shopping lists to go with the 10 menus. The shopping lists are also included in the book, but having a printable version will make it easier to take to the store, add other items to the list, etc.

The book contains 10 weeks of menus, covering 5 breakfasts, 5 dinners, and 1 dessert each week. The weekly menus and shopping lists are followed by the recipes for that week. Every recipe contains a full-color picture. There is also a section in the back of the book that covers basics and staples that can be homemade or bought ready. I have only included recipes that I can guarantee every member of the family, from a picky toddler to adults with more sophisticate palates, is sure to love. 

In all, there are 138 recipes included. All of them can be interchangeably prepared with regular all-purpose flour, or einkorn flour. Many of the recipes are designed for use with a slow cooker or pressure cooker, but contain alternative instructions if you don't have those appliances. 

More than anything, I am excited to have this cookbook for myself, and to pass down to my own daughters. It combines decades of my recipes into one easy, user-friendly volume. Many of my recipes were scribbled down here and there, not written down at all, or had metric units. Now, they are all easily accessible, and all scaled to 6-8 servings each. 

Planning menus and shopping with a list not only saves time and prevents frustration, it also helps save money as it reduces waste, and improves nutrition since you won't have to fall back on frozen or takeout meals at the last minute. 

Husbands, this is a gift your wife is sure to love, AND you will enjoy yourself all year long as she cooks from it.

Order now at: https://store.framingtheworld.com/products/cookbook

Recipe for chocolate-chip orange scones (using einkorn)

This recipe is a sweet adaptation of my biscuit recipe. It is for chocolate-chip orange scones, but you can change your mix-ins for different flavors.

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

 

yields: 8 large scones
prep time: 10 mins
bake time: 12-15 mins

 Ingredients:

for the scones:
3 cups all-purpose einkorn flour (works with regular flour, too)
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 tbsp (58 g) palm shortening, or cold butter cut into small pieces
3 tbsp (45 g) sour cream
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/8 tsp orange extract - optional
approx. 1 1/4 cup whole milk


for the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a large baking sheet.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, orange zest, salt, shortening/butter, and sour cream until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the chocolate chips and orange extract and stir briefly to incorporate evenly.

3. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly start pouring milk into the mixing bowl until the dough comes together and sticks to the paddle in a large clump. The dough should be damp and tacky to the touch, but not runny. Tip: Allow the dough to rest in the bowl for a minute, then check again to make sure it's not too dry. Einkorn is slow to absorb liquids and fats, and you may find that you need to add more milk to get the right consistency after the dough has had a chance to 'rest.' It is impossible to give an exact amount of milk as that will depend on several factors, such as how tightly you packed the flour, how soft your butter/shortening is, the humidity, etc.

4. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a large surface generously covered in flour. Gently roll or pat the dough into a large circle of about 1" thickness. The top of the dough should be sprinkled with enough flour to no longer be tacky when worked with.

5. At this point, to get fluffy, moist scones, it is critical to layer the dough by 'folding and turning.' Simply fold the circle of dough in half, and pat into a circle of 1" thickness a second time. You may need to add more flour under and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking, but be careful not to add more flour than necessary or the scones will become too dry.

6. Repeat the fold and turn, then pat the dough into a circle of 1" thickness a third time. With a large knife, cut the circle into 8 equal size wedges. Place wedges on the baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd them.

7. Bake about 12-15 mins, until the scones are just starting to turn golden. Move to a cooling rack.

8. While the scones are baking, make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar and orange juice concentrate. Drizzle the scones with the orange glaze. Enjoy!

Other flavor options: The possibilities are endless. Here are some suggestions:



Lemon Blueberry: Use 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries in place of the chocolate chips. Replace orange zest with lemon zest. Make glaze from powdered sugar plus lemon juice or lemon extract.



Strawberry: Use 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced, in place of the chocolate chips. Add 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract. Replace orange zest with lemon zest. No glaze necessary.


Maple Pecan: Use 1/2 cup chopped pecans in place of the chocolate chips. Omit orange zest. Add 1/2 tbsp maple or vanilla extract. Make glaze from powdered sugar and maple syrup.

 (To print this recipe, please click on the green "Print" button below. You can highlight sections of this post to delete from the page before printing. If you do not see the green "Print" button, click on the title of this blog post to bring it up in its own window.)

 Here is a video of me making these scones:

If you are new to baking with einkorn, or thinking of making the switch, I highly recommend the Jovial Foods Einkorn cookbook.

 

 available on Amazon

Recipe for Quick Einkorn Sandwich Loaves

This recipe is an adaptation of One Good Thing By Jillee's English Muffin Bread.

As written, the recipe does not work with einkorn flour. While einkorn contains gluten like modern wheat, it is structurally far weaker than the gluten in high-bred modern wheat. While it will allow the bread to rise, it will then quickly collapse either during the rise, or when baking. 

It is therefore critical to not use too much yeast, and to not allow the dough to rise as high as it theoretically could (before collapsing).

The good thing about this recipe is that the dough is very wet, more like thick batter, which is ideal for working with einkorn. 

Weighing einkorn flour (as opposed to measuring it) will yield far better results, as it is much more accurate. Kitchen scales are inexpensive and save a lot of time, so if you don't have one I highly recommend getting one. 

I use and love these loaf pans. I buy all my einkorn flour from Jovial Foods. I typically whip up one batch of the dough, then move the first four pans to the oven and start them rising while making up a second batch, and then bake 8 loaves at a time rather than just 4.

Recipe for German Lemonade Cake

This cake has been a family favorite for at least four generations. It was the traditional birthday cake we had growing up, and it is what I make for my own kids now.

When I say 'Lemonade Cake' it really should more accurately be called 'Orangeade Cake,' but that just doesn't have the same nice ring to it. 

You see, in German, 'Limonade' means any type of soda. Most sodas are made from fruit juice plus carbonated water, and orange juice is the most common choice among those. The closest thing I can compare it to is Pellegrino orange or blood orange soda. In fact, both are great choices for this cake. 

Then there is the chocolate frosting. There is no way to accurately describe this frosting without doing it injustice. It is, at its core, the most delectable frosting in the universe. Period. The magic in transforming its simple ingredients into perfection is to follow the directions exactly, or it will not whip up smooth and creamy but clumpy and flat. Easy directions, but they must be followed to a T. 

Also, to warn American sensibilities, the frosting contains an egg. A raw egg. You may think it is only by the grace of God and many miracles that after hundreds of instances of my grandma, her six kids and all their descendants, and now myself and my family eating this cake we have not ever fallen ill or died from eating it, but it's true. I lived to tell about it! Raw eggs are not inherently dangerous! Chickens that live in squalid unnatural conditions might fall sick with E. coli, which could end up on the outside of the egg, which could end up in your frosting and go downhill from there, but rather than rejecting the raw egg, just buy from a reputable source of pasture-fed chickens. Or choose a pasteurized egg (only in America, lol!). Or take your life into your own hands and use a regular ol' cheap egg. The chances of getting sick from it are near zero because all eggs in stores are washed, washed, and washed again. You could even give it one more rinse yourself before using it. 

Who knew a recipe could get this political just in the intro??!? Without further ado, here is the recipe:

German Lemonade Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup sunflower oil or melted butter

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp baking powder

3/4 cup (blood) orange soda or orange juice mixed 50:50 with carbonated water

For the frosting: 

2 sticks + 2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Directions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x13 baking dish.

2. Mix together eggs and sugar. While the mixer is running, add the oil/melted butter and vanilla. Turn the mixer off, dump the flour and baking powder into the bowl, and slowly start mixing again while pouring the soda into the cake batter. Turn mixer off as soon as the batter is well combined. 

3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are turning golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4. Completely cool cake in the pan before frosting.

For the frosting: 

1. Melt the butter completely and pour into a small bowl. Allow to cool down to room temperature or a little warmer. This is critical! The recipe will not work with just softened butter - the butter has to be melted and warm, but not hot (that would make the egg curdle).

2. Add powdered sugar and cocoa to the bowl, and beat with electric egg beaters or an immersion (stick) blender until well combined. 

3. Add eggs to frosting and continue to beat. You will see the frosting become smooth and creamy immediately. 

To finish:

1. Frost the cooled cake while the frosting is still soft. 

2. Add colored sprinkles (we love these).

3. Enjoy! The cake tastes best at room temperature. If you have to store it for an extended period of time, do so tightly covered in the fridge, but allow the cake to come to room temperature again before serving.

Favorite Fall Recipes, Part 3 - Corn Muffins and Honey Butter

This is the final part in my "Favorite Fall Recipes" mini series. These corn muffins make a great accompaniment to chili. They are good on their own, but they become truly phenomenal when served freshly baked, split open and slathered in lots of honey butter.

Corn Muffins

Yields: 24-30 muffins

1/2 lb (2 sticks) salted butter, softened or melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs or 3 medium
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal (fine grind)
2 tbsp baking powder
2 to 2 1/2 cups whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and continue beating until incorporated. Turn the mixer off, add flour, cornmeal, and baking powder to the bowl and turn the mixer on the lowest speed while slowly pouring milk into the bowl to incorporate the dry ingredients. Mix until just well combined. (If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more milk to get a batter that is neither dry, nor runny - it should be very moist but hold its shape). 

Scoop approx. 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin liner - an ice cream scoop works great for this. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops are turning golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

These corn muffins do make a nice breakfast side dish, too. Simply whip up the batter the night before, refrigerate overnight, and scoop out and bake fresh in the morning. 

Honey butter

4 oz (1 stick) salted, grass-fed butter at room temperature (Kerrigold is perfect for this)

 1/2 cup raw, unfiltered honey

Combine the honey and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer or a stick blender. Serve at room temperature along with corn muffins.

Favorite Fall Recipes, Part 1 - Spiced Cider (and a Giveaway!)

Each year on October 31st, our church hosts a Chili Cook-off as an alternative event for people to attend who do not celebrate Halloween. This avoids having to answer the door to trick-or-treaters, or hiding out at home with the lights off. 

When we first began this tradition 11 years ago, only two chilis were entered. By now, we have to limit entries to the first 20 chilis, and the competition is pretty stiff. Since my husband as the pastor is an all-time judge (the other four are randomly drawn), I never enter a chili myself, but every year I do provide the three main sides. Funny side note: my husband's mom was in town for our cook-off this year, so she took his place as a judge.

 Here's a picture of the judges' table because I didn't have one of the spiced cider - though you can see me in the background pouring another gallon of it into the dispenser.

This year, I made 15 gallons of spiced cider, 3 gallons of bean dip, and 180 corn muffins. All three ran out halfway through the evening, so I'll have to up my game next year. Like every year, I got asked for the recipes of these foods, and I promised to share them on my blog. So I bring you this mini-series of my favorite fall recipes. 

Spiced Cider:

8 cups apple juice (organic, unfiltered gives the best flavor)

2 cups water

3 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate  

6 Tbsp mulling spices

6 Tbsp sugar (Demerara or Turbinado is best, otherwise use brown sugar)

In a large pot, combine all ingredients, stir to dissolve sugar, and heat over medium heat just until very hot but not boiling. Immediately strain the mulling spices out and serve hot or cold.

Caution: If the mulling spices are left in longer than it takes to heat the spiced cider, they will make it turn bitter.

Mulling spices:

You can buy it ready, or make your own by combining 

4 parts dried orange peel, 

4 parts cinnamon chips, 

1 part whole allspice, and 

1 part whole cloves. 

Since I know that the biggest hurdle to making this spiced cider is finding the mulling spices, and since I made 2 1/2 lbs of it for the cook-off and have some left over, and since this blog post really needs another photo (ahem), I am hosting a little giveaway of packets of mulling spices. Leave a comment below and be entered into a random drawing of FIVE readers that I will mail one of these single-serve packets to (free, of course). US only, ends this Sunday night.

Happy Fall, y'all!


(P.S. You can print this recipe by clicking the green button below.)

Recipe for Enchilada Sauce

Considering the fact that I had only once eaten Mexican food in my first 21 years of life, I like to flatter myself and think I have become quite the Tex-Mex chef since getting married and moving half-way across the world. 

This is a recipe I created by combining my favorite elements from various other recipes, when I needed some enchilada sauce and didn't have any in the house. It is all I have used in years now - I just can't go back to the store-bought kind.

It makes a large batch, but I typically freeze portions of it in quart size freezer bags, to pull out and use as necessary. 

The basic idea is that you start with a roux that is thickened with equal parts of flour and chili powder. Then, equal parts of chicken broth and tomato sauce are added for the liquid to make the sauce. Add seasonings, and presto - it's done. 

(If you don't know what the heck a roux is, just follow the instructions and pretend to know. Your sauce will be none the wiser, and will still turn out perfect.)

You don't have to use home-canned tomato sauce and homemade broth. That's just what I had in the house, but it works equally well with ready ingredients

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup mild chili powder

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth/stock

4 cups tomato sauce

1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp cumin

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. 

2. Add the chili powder and the flour, stir to combine. Allow this "roux" to cook for just a minute, until fragrant. 

3. Gradually stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth while whisking continuously. The sauce will start out very thick as the dry flour and chili powder absorb all moisture, but you turn the perfect consistency by the time all the fluids are stirred in.

4. Add the seasonings, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Done! Enjoy :)

Click on image, then select "Print"

By the way, the sauce tastes wonderful in THIS recipe, for which I also use my easy biscuits.

Freezer meals for after Baby comes

Today marks 33 weeks of pregnancy for me. Yay! Only three more weeks and I will be considered "full term." I cannot begin to tell you how weird it is to have made it this far, and have no complications whatsoever at this point, after all we went through in November and December. TWO fetal surgeries, first to fix twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and to separate the fates of the boys should one die (as he, sadly, did three weeks later), and then a second surgery to patch my ruptured membranes.

I have held off getting ready for the baby's birth for a  number of reasons. First, I was worried he was going to pass away like his brother, not an unlikely scenario. I still worry about that - for no known reason, absent of any medical or scientific explanations, even perfectly healthy surviving twins have a much greater chance of suddenly and inexplicably passing away in the womb. Personally, I think losing their other half is just too much for their little hearts to handle. 

Secondly, I figured that if I held off preparing for birth until it was actually safe to go into labor, it would mentally help keep me from going into premature labor. This was a very real concern when my water broke at 18 weeks, and didn't stop leaking for almost a month, even after surgery to patch the membrane. At this point, this really is no longer a concern, and less and less so as time goes on. In fact, I have a feeling I may go overdue with this little one, something I certainly want even less than any other time. Once he is full term, I'd rather he came as soon as possible, so I can stop worrying, and we can just close this chapter and move on.

This past week, with the temperatures rising, my fatigue increasing, and time running out on the remainder of this pregnancy, I started preparing for the inevitable arrival of this little one. Part of that is planning, and then precooking and freezing meals for after the birth. I absolutely LOVE having about 4-6 weeks worth of meals fully cooked and ready to go, which will not only cut down on time spent in the kitchen, but also on trips to the grocery store. 

In fact, my "Spend Zero in March" challenge was largely motivated by the fact that my freezers are bursting, and I realized I did not have enough room to spare to freeze hardly any ready meals.

I should add here that my husband and mother-in-law are both incredibly helpful whenever I have a baby, and would gladly cook for the family. But it's just easier for everyone involved when we can simply shelve that chore for a few weeks. I have a hard time sitting back and doing nothing while everyone around me is doing my work for me. And let's be honest - they just don't cook the way I do! ;) Likewise, the ladies in our church are wonderful about bringing meals to families that just added a new baby, or are going through a hardship such as illness, etc. With this pregnancy alone, they have already brought meals to our family for at least 3 weeks. I don't want to take advantage of their generosity and time any more if I can help it by pre-freezing meals. Plus, our family eats as much at one meal as others eat in several days, making it quite expensive to take dinner to us. 

Here is a list of the items I am hoping to cook ahead of time. The list is not complete, yet - I would like to find a few new recipes that my family will love, and that are freezer-friendly. But there is enough here to keep me busy until I come up with more meal ideas.

Breakfasts

quiche

cinnamon raisin bread

chocolate chip orange scones

waffles

ready-to-bake biscuits

French toast

Breakfast burritos

Oatmeal cake

Lemon poppy seed muffins

pancakes

cinnamon crumb coffee cake

topping for fruit crumble (use canned peaches or cherries)

German apple cake w/ yogurt glaze

croissants (ham & cheese, plain, chocolate)

cream cheese danishes

not frozen:

oatmeal mixes

muesli

granola

not premade, but easy to throw together:

eggs

toast (w/ butter, honey, or PB)

yogurt parfaits w/ fruit and granola

Easy lunches (if there are no dinner leftovers):

PB&J sandwiches

ready-to-grill cheese sandwiches

meat, bean & cheese burritos

shredded cheeses (for omelettes, quesadillas, pizza)

ham and cheese pinwheels

not premade, but easy to throw together:

wraps, sandwiches

salad (w/ ham, eggs, cheese)

omelets

tuna salad

Dinners

spaghetti sauce (make spaghetti fresh)

sloppy Joes

chili

meatballs in sauce (make ziti fresh)

taco meat

salmon burgers

meatloaf, gravy, mixed veggies (make potatoes fresh)

chicken and dumplings (ready to cook in crock pot)

taco pasta bake

orange chicken (ready to cook in crock pot)

mandarin chicken

Desserts

cookie dough balls (ready to bake)

pecan tassies

cheesecake

Other

oatmeal cookies for lactation

pizza dough and sauce (for pizza, bread sticks, calzones, mozzarella sticks)

hamburger buns

corn muffins

bread

tortillas (corn & flour)

breaded mozzarella sticks

chow mein

garlic bread

Yesterday, I was able to bake French bread and turn it into garlic bread, pre-make and freeze the dough for about 6 dozen cookies, bake a double batch of pecan tassies and freeze most of those, and assemble 5 quiches, four of which went into the freezer.

Note on changes I made to the recipes: Cookies: cut the sugar and chocolate chips in half, use white and dark chocolate chips, and use whole wheat pastry flour in place of white. Quiche: use smoked mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and creamy jack for the cheeses, add smoked turkey breast and broccoli to the filling; make my own pie crust. French Bread: use 3 cups all-purpose white flour plus 1/4 cup gluten in place of bread flour, and also omitted the whole wheat flour since my starter is 100% whole wheat and I wanted the crispy crust and fluffy crumb that only white flour can provide. My sourdough starter is very active, and some of the kids don't like the sourdough taste to be too strong, so I only let my dough rise for 6 hours.

Today so far, I have made a huge batch of spaghetti sauce, most of which will be frozen, as well as several family-size servings of chow mein. In my big crockpot, about 5 lbs of chicken breasts and thighs are simmering away, covered in salsa and cilantro pesto. Tonight, when it is cooked, I will shred the meat to use in a couple of different dinners such as tacos, enchiladas, etc.

By making double batches of meals we are currently eating, and combining recipes that use similar ingredients so I can chop and dice everything at once, cooking extra really does not take much longer than my daily cooking.

What are your favorite meals to precook and freeze? Please share in the comments below! I am still looking to bulk up my meal list, and welcome any good suggestions. 

Recipe for Doughnuts like Krispy Kreme

We made these a couple of weeks ago, and they turned out simply perfect. My recipe is a slight adaptation of the one found on Instructables.

Donuts
3 packages yeast (2 Tbsp plus 3/4 tsp) 

1/2 cup (120ml) water  (105-115F / 40-46C)
2 1/4 cups (530ml) milk, scalded, then cooled
3/4 cup (169g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup (113g) palm oil (solid white at room temperature and performs much like shortening, but much healthier, without the overwhelming flavor of coconut oil), coconut oil, or butter
7 1/2 cups (940g) all-purpose flour
lard or palm oil for frying

Glaze
1/2 cup (113g) butter
3 cups (375g) powdered sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
6-9 tablespoons (90-135ml) whole milk 

Directions

Scald the milk on top of your stove, and let cool. 

Proof your yeast by adding it to the warm water.  Mix it up and let it rest.

Combine yeast, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, palm oil/butter and 3 cups (375g) flour.

Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.

Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

Carefully stir in remaining flour until smooth.

Cover and let rise until double, 30-60 minutes. 

After the dough has risen, turn dough onto floured surface; roll around lightly to coat with flour.

Gently roll dough 1/2-inch thick with floured rolling pin.

Cut with floured doughnut cutter.  

Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes.

**If you want to make these donuts for breakfast, let the donuts rise in the refrigerator overnight!***

Make up the glaze at this point because it can sit at room temp until the donuts are fried and ready to be dipped.

Melt the butter and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Add milk until desired consistency is reached.

*** to make chocolate glaze, melt 6 ounces of chocolate along with the butter!***

Use a deep pan to heat the oil. Be safe!

Heat your oil to 275F.  A thermometer makes this part fool-proof, and you can monitor the heat to make sure it stays in this prime frying range.

Use a scrap of donut first to test different frying times.

Even after you take the donut out of the oil, the remaining oil on it is hot enough to continue cooking it, so err on the side of pulling them out too soon rather than too dark.

Carefully place the donuts in the oil.  Cook on each side until just blonde.  Use tongs to flip the donuts and remove them from the oil.

Place donuts on paper towels to drain.

Dip them in the glaze and set them on a rack to dry.  

Enjoy! 

Variation: Instead of using a donut cutter, you could use a round biscuit cutter without a hole in the middle. When the donuts are done, you can fill them with jam or cooked, cooled pudding. 

These donuts were a huge hit at our house, though I will say they are anything but healthy fare, intended for regular consumption. I am thinking once a year on these babies is enough.

Applesauce Doughnuts

It's rare that I make doughnuts, but when I do, these are a family favorite. The fact that they are quick to make is an added bonus for me.

 

 

I discovered these years ago in a little Gold Medal "Bake Sale Favorites" cooking magazine. The recipe can be found online on the Betty Crocker website.

 

There are only a couple of changes I make: I use palm oil in place of the shortening (butter or coconut oil would also work well), and fry the doughnuts in palm oil or homemade lard. All of these are healthy, non-hydrogenated fats, as opposed to shortening or heated vegetable oils (which will create trans-fatty acids). Of course I am not trying to say that doughnuts, with all their simple carbs in the form of white flour and sugar, will ever be a health food - I'm just reducing the negative impact on these occasional treats.

It is also not necessary to allow the dough to chill for a full hour - I usually just stick it in the fridge for about 15 minutes while I clean up the kitchen and heat the fat for frying.

 

 

 

With fall just around the corner, you may find these as delicious as we do. Click here for the recipe.

Recipe for Pudding

Cooked pudding is one of those things that can seem daunting and complicated at first, and you may give up before even trying and just buy a boxed mix. Give this recipe a try just once, and you will be hooked. It is incredibly easy, delicious, and nourishing. Cooled, it also makes a mean filling for banana cream pie or fruit tarts. Whipped with butter, it can be used as creamy cake filling.

Vanilla Pudding 

(serves 2-4, variations below)

(Yes, I know this is a picture of chocolate pudding - LOL! The process is the same.)

2 3/4 cups milk (any type will work, we use whole)

1/3 cup sugar*
1/4 cup organic, unmodified corn, wheat, potato, or tapioca starch
1/8 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
2  tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

* You may be tempted to use honey in place of sugar - don't. If you add the honey to the pudding before cooking, you will lose any benefits from raw honey, and if you add the honey once the pudding is cooled, the enzymes in it will make the pudding become runny. Sugar such as sucanat, rapadura, or coconut sugar works best in this recipe.
 

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, starch, and salt. Add the egg yolks, and whisk thoroughly. Heat over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When the mixture starts bubbling, add sugar and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter, whisking until smooth.

The pudding will thicken as it cools. If you would like to pour it into molds or a pie, do so while it is still hot.

For chocolate pudding: Omit the butter, and stir in a handful of unsweetened baking chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips until melted.

For coconut pudding: Omit the butter, and stir in about 2 Tbsp of raw creamed coconut (also called coconut butter).

 (This chocolate and coconut swirl tasted heavenly)

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

Only 2 more days until Christmas! Which to moms of many means one thing: only 3 more days until it's time to get started on gifts for Christmas 2013! Yay! :)

If you were relying on the world ending this past Friday to get you out of gift shopping/making, and now find yourself short a present or two, here are some simple, quick, but super impressive gifts to whip up at the last minute. 

Peppermint Bark

I used this Wilton cookie pan, a gift from my mother-in-law

Gourmet Coffee Creamers

I'm not a coffee drinker myself, but these tasted simply fabulous.

Oreo Truffles

Who know that just three ingredients could combine into the most tempting treat ever? Here, packaged in little gift bags with peppermint bark, are the white and dark chocolate varieties. 

Aromatherapy Shower Disks

These are scented with just eucalyptus, but of course the sky is the limit with essential oils. The boys tested some with lavender and eucalyptus and were instantly hooked. 

Three of my four suggestions are food based... hmm... but who's counting, right? :)

One-year menu plan

Wow, this has been some project! 

Here is the menu for the month of July. Click on the picture to see it large enough to read. (This is a screen shot of the document I made in MS Word)

Enchilada casserole

Having grown up in Europe, I never learned how to cook Southwestern foods in spite of helping in the kitchen from a young age. When my husband, who is from California, and I got married, I soon came to love this particular type of cuisine.

This recipe is one of the first I ever tried making on my own, and over the years I have tweaked it here and added ingredients there to perfect it. I have also gone from making it in a deep pie pan to using a large casserole dish to accommodate our growing family... :)

Last week, I made this casserole with fresh homemade whole wheat tortillas and enchilada sauce made from scratch. For the meat, I used some leftover slow-cooked beef roast. My husband declared it to be the best meal he had ever had in his entire life. And you better know he eats like a king every day, so that was saying a lot.



12 Servings

Prep: 30 min. Cook: 50 min.

Ingredients

• about 12 8-inch flour tortillas
• 3 10-oz cans of red enchilada sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked beef or chicken
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice or 1 cup uncooked instant rice
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese
  
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup prepared salsa

Directions

• 1. Defrost corn by rinsing under water in a colander. Mix corn and salsa in a small bowl, set aside.
• 2. In a large bowl, mix meat, beans, rice, 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce, and 1 cup of cheese.
• 3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 4. In a 13x9 inch casserole, assemble ingredients as follows: pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce in dish, then add a layer of tortillas (I cut 2 tortillas in half and put the cut sides of the halves against the four edges of the dish. Then I add cut strips to fill any gaps). Next, add half of the meat and bean mixture. Add another layer of tortillas. Next, add all the corn and salsa mixture in one single layer. Top with a layer of tortillas. Add the second half of the meat and bean mixture. Add a final layer of tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, and top with remaining cheese.
• 5. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
• 6. Turn heat up to 400 degrees, and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling.
• 7. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving (if you can resist!).
• 8. Enjoy!!

12 Servings

Prep: 30 min. Cook: 50 min.

Chocolate-Drizzled Cherry Bars

Tonight, I got a hankering for a dessert that contained chocolate and cherries. I was thinking along the lines of Black Forest Cake, but that would have been much too complicated and time-consuming to whip up. Plus, I wanted to make something that could stand in for a special breakfast tomorrow morning.

I found the following recipe in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks, and thankfully, it's also on their website. It was very fast and easy to make on the side while doing the evening dishes and chores.

Chocolate-Drizzled Cherry Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
  
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 cups butter, softened
• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling*
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla)
  
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoon shortening (I used coconut oil)

* Instead, I used a big jar of canned cherries with juice, which I cooked up with some sugar and corn starch to make it thick and sweet like pie filling.

Directions

• In a bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1-1/2 cups for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
• In a bowl, combine pie filling and extract; carefully spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until edges and topping are lightly browned. In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm bars. Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 3 dozen.

It's too late to try this tonight, but it looks and smells absolutely delicious.

Caesar Salad Dressing

This is the recipe for my favorite homemade creamy Caesar salad dressing. This recipe makes a lot, so you may want to only make half or even quarter of it, as it tastes best fresh.

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp milk or half and half

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

For younger kids, you can "turn down the heat" by using less garlic. Personally, we prefer more of it.

Recipe for Sunflower Seed & Honey Wheat Bread

I know I have shared several bread recipes here recently, but this particular one is our family's current favorite. It was featured in the Taste of Home magazine a couple of issues back, and I have baked about 40 loaves of it since then.

Ingredients

• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast (that's 4 1/2 teaspoons)
  
• 3-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1/4 cup bread flour (I use vital wheat gluten instead)
  
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups whole wheat flour - you can substitute with part white flour if that's what you prefer
  
• 1/2 cup sunflower kernels
• butter for brushing
  

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine water, oil, honey, salt, and yeast. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Knead until smooth. Add sunflower kernels, and continue kneading for about 5 more minutes. If you have a stand mixer (like KitchenAid), use the kneading hook and speed 2.

• Place mixing bowl in a warm, draft-flee place. Cover and let dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

• Punch dough down; divide into three portions. Shape into loaves; place in three greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans.
  
  
• Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

• Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately brush tops of loaves with a stick of butter. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

I like to slice all three loaves as soon as they have cooled down. We usually eat one loaf right then, with butter and honey or fresh, raw cheese on top. The other loaves get bagged and frozen.

I have been very good about sticking to my plan of not purchasing any commercial bread products, including organic and all-natural varieties. In the last 6 months or so, I could count on one had the times that we ate store-bought bread, although I have to admit that I did buy English muffins, bagels, and such a few times more often.

My next goal is to modify the recipe to make 5 loaves, which is how many pans my oven will hold at one time. Then if I made two back-to-back batches (as I now do with this recipe), I would be able to make 10 loaves in one day with not much more time or effort than it takes to make just one batch of three. Ten loaves is about how much our family goes through in one week, accounting for the fact that I like to give away a loaf of bread here and there to friends at church.

Please let me know how you like the recipe if you give it a try.

Kitchen Tip

Do you make your own pie crusts, biscuits, and anything else that requires you to "cut" butter into your flour/salt/baking powder mixture?

I used to have a nifty little tool that supposedly helped cut the butter into the dry ingredients, but it never worked well for me. Nor did using two criss-crossing knives. I got to where I would cut the cold butter into very small cubes, and I would then use my hands to rub the butter into the flour. This is messy and time-consuming, and the butter gets too soft, which makes the dough not bake up as fluffy.

I learned a new trick this week. It may be old hat to you, but somebody else might like it as much as I did. Simply grate the cold butter into your dry ingredients with a cheese grater. It's that simple. Makes your baked goods turn out perfectly fluffy.

My favorite biscuit recipe:

2 cups flour - I use 100% whole wheat pastry flour, and they don't come out dry at all
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
yogurt, buttermilk, cream, or milk

Mix together dry ingredients. Grate butter into mixture, and stir with wooden spoon until evenly distributed. Add enough yogurt (or other liquid) to make a smooth dough, and knead by hand about 15 times. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut out biscuits, and bake at 425 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Great recipe for granola

My sister-in-law sent me the following recipe, and I love it! The recipe is very easy and quick, it's much cheaper and fresher than store-bought granola, and it tastes DELICIOUS!

Put in a pretty container, this would also make a nice gift for a new mom, a busy friend, or anyone else that you would like to show some kindness.

1 box (6 cups) rolled oats - I used quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped nuts - I used sliced almonds
1 cup ground wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey (or honey mixed with maple syrup)
1/3 cup oil, any kind - I used coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried fruit, optional


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the first 5 ingredients. Warm the honey, add the oil and vanilla. Drizzle the honey-oil over the dry ingredients and toss to coat. Spread the mixture onto 2 cookie sheets. Bake about 30 minutes until golden, stirring every 10 minutes.

When done, remove from oven and stir in dried fruit if used. As the granola cools, it will lose its stickiness and become crunchy.

Makes about 9 cups.