On A Roll...

Made rolls again today. I was planning on making homemade french bread or bolios, but I forgot that in order to make these things one would need this gross ingredient called shortening. Bleh! I have never cooked with shortening, but I guess now I must (I really want to make homemade bolios).

I guess I should give these rolls a name since I kinda just winged it. lol
Well, lets just call them Honey-Flax Rolls (in my cook book it was called Whole Grain Pan Rolls, but I didn't exactly have some of the ingredients it called for so I improvised) HAHA

Anyways, I was hungry while making them so I had to have a snack. At first I was just thirsty so I grabbed what was left of my wine... but after a few sips I decided that I rather have the last Brownie Cookie. YUM! Those things are irresistible!!! So I dumped out my wine and drank some milk and had my chocolate fix. ;)  (Needless to say it did not help my headache)
Tonight we ate chicken fettuccine Alfredo with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. It was good, but the rolls made it great!


So, my recipe for these new Rolls, which are chillin, rising, in the oven while I type:

Recipe:

1/4 cup Organic Flaxseed Meal

3 1/4-3 3/4 Cup Organic flour

1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats (uncooked)

1 Cup water

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey (mmmm honey)

2 packages yeast

1 Organic, cage free egg

1tsp salt

Directions:

Melt butter with water and honey in small pan

Cool to 120 degrees

Whisk 1/2 flour, oats, yeast, and salt in a Large mixing bowl

Slowly add warm honey/butter mixture (I spilt mine here, EGD!)

Beat with mixer

Add Egg

Beat for about a minute or so

Add rest of flour slowly till dough forms. (I did this step with a spoon, my mixer WHOMPS!)

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter (this step was super messy for me, taking picts and all)

Kneed till dough forms elastic ball, about 5 minutes.

Divide dough in two and stretch about 18 inches (this would be better if it was left to rise for about 20 minutes but whatever this is what I did today)

Cut dough with back of chef knife, into 24 pieces

Roll into balls, Place on cookie sheets to rise for about an hour or until the rolls have doubled in size. (I placed mine in the oven today, I am out of plastic wrap and didn't want to use up my last two dish towels today. Don't worry the oven is off)

Bake at 375degrees for about 15-20 minutes or so. (DON'T BURN THE BOTTOMS)

Yields:2 dozen

First batch, buttered b4 baked.                      Second batch, not buttered. WAY better!

Times I spilled or dropped something: 3, I dropped two rolls and spilt the butter mixture when pouring it into the flour. Don't worry, I didn't use those rolls, I just cut up two larger ones to keep it at 24. :)

Will I make this again? Oh My Goodness YES! These rolls were sooo FLUFFY, I thought the ones I'd been making for the longest were the best, but I was wrong. Today's recipe out did my long time favorite!

Rating: 5/5

Skill level: Beginner, these rolls were easy. (probably because I didn't follow the books recipe, well na it would have been just as easy)

monkey boy thinks he's so strong haha can you tell he dressed himself today lol

My apron I made for Spanish class last semester
It says Besa A La Cocinera
(I had the best teacher last semester, Love it when teachers are there to help you and not just get a pay check)

OH, the kids have been getting into the fridge more since its summer and its gotten quite annoying so we fixed that little problem with a little help from Lowes.



Fridge LOCK! (lets see how long this lasts...)

Gotta love it!

God is soooo good to me!



Best Rolls YET!

     So I have this "game" for the Nintendo DS... It's called Americas Test Kitchen: Lets Get Cooking
I love it! I've had it for a few years but only started "playing it" this past year or so. It is amazing! OK, at first I thought it was like every other goofy game out there, but it's not. In the "game" it gives you actually recipes to make, with step by step by step directions of what to do and how to do it. There are even little helpful videos for people who aren't really kitchen smart. lol

     Well, in the game I found a recipe for homemade rolls. Awesome! I know. These rolls are the best rolls I have ever made to date. I LOVE ROLLS! Gotta give props to the makers of Americas Test Kitchen. It was a great idea and I love most of the recipes that I have tried. I will try to post on the things that I keep making from there, when I make them. I wish I would have started this blog back when I got the game. I've cooked over 100 times. Oh, that's another thing. The game keeps count on how many times you've cooked, what you've cooked and such. It is AMAZING!

Pros of the game:
It has 300 different recipes
It will keep a shopping list for you if you check the things you need. It will keep up to 20 recipes shopping items.
You can rate each item once you make it.
You can search using key words or specific ingredients
LOVE THIS: you can mark recipes to try on a certain date, so you can plan your meals and you can even click try soon and it will keep it organized for you under the person who wants to cook it. I love that it has a calendar.
Oh ya, it has a timer in the game. I love that, its always set for the time it says on whatever step its on.

Cons of the game:
Sometimes the directions tell you to do steps in a goofy order, I try to go through the steps before cooking to make sure I don't have the oven preheating for an hour or anything else goofy going on.
I think that's the only complaint I have about the game. It was just frustrating learning that it give directions in goofy orders sometime.

OK, so the rolls...
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup milk
10 tablespoons butter (divided 8 & 2)
1 Organic egg
 4 cups organic flour
2 tablespoons organic sugar or honey
1 envelope yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1) Heat milk to 110 degrees
2) Melt 8 tbsp butter in pan
3) Beat the egg in a bowl
4)Whisk the 8 tbsp butter and egg with the milk
5) Whisk the 4 cups flour, 2 tbsp sugar, yeast and salt together
6) Mix in the milk mixture till dough is formed
7) Turn out on a lightly floured counter and kneed till dough is smooth
8) Place in a lightly grease bowl and cover. Let rise for 30 min to 1 hr or till its size has doubled
9) Divide the dough into two
10) Stretch each dough piece into about 16 in length11) Using the back side of a knife or a bench scraper (I use my Cutco chef knife) ;) divide into about twelve pieces each, totalling 24 pieces more or less
12) Roll each piece of dough into small balls
13) Place on cookie sheets and let rise again for 30 min to 1 hour (it says to cover with plastic wrap in the game but I usually just leave them oven or cover with a clean dish towel).
14) Heat oven to 375
15) Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in pan
16) Brush rolls with remaining 2 tbsp butter and bake about 20 minutes. Now, usually my rolls are done in about 18 minutes, so check the bottoms of the rolls. While they still taste good burned on bottom, no one wants a burnt roll. lol 

17) Get your grub on! These rolls are delicious! 

cutting the dough, step 11 for me

letting the rolls rise

rolls risen w/out butter

rolls risen with butter

Will I try it again? Yes! I love making these rolls for family gathering or whenever I really want bread. I love it because they are so simple to make and it makes a ton, so I always have some to give away. Who doesn't like free fresh baked bread??!!!??
Rating: 5 out of 5
Lesson learned: always check them before the timer goes off, I prefer my rolls without their bottoms burned.
SIDE NOTE: If you already own a Nintendo DS go to your local Game Stop and purchase this game, you will not regret it. I payed $5 for mine and love love love it! Best $5 I have probably ever spent. Oh, I bough one for my baby sister. I don't know if she will ever use it, but maybe she will come spend the night and we can cook together. Making memories!!!

Gotta love it!

God made such yummy bread!

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes!

OK, so do you know about Omega-3's and all their wonderful benefits? Well, I have been doing research on them, reading books, scouring the web and all sorts of stuff and have come across an amazing recipe for pancakes that have Omega-3's! YAY! I know, your jumping for joy. HAHA
Well, its a few simple ingredients and you have some scrumptious homemade pancakes that you know exactly what is in them... no Bisquick necessary. (I must admit I do have Bisquick in my pantry, in case of emergencies.)
First of all, you will have to purchase some flaxseed mill. I buy mine at Kroger or Walmart, but the other day I saw it at H.E.B. for only $4! Scoooooore! That's a dollar cheaper than I usually pay for it. Anyhow, this recipe also take buttermilk, surprise, I know. Did I give that away in the title>?

Recipe:
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1Cup buttermilk (low fat preferably)
3/4 Cup Organic All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 Cup Flaxseed Meal
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp Organic Sugar
1 Omega-3 egg

Baggies of dry pancake mix!

Whenever I make these pancakes I make about 6 baggies and just toss them in the freezer to use whenever my babies want pancakes. This way, I'm not measuring everything out every time we want pancakes, that's a chore.

Directions:
Toss all the dry ingredients together in Ziploc baggies and freeze until use. Then take out and mix egg and vanilla. Add buttermilk and stir gently. Pour in dry ingredients and mix gently. If you over stir the buttermilk mixture then your pancakes will not be soooo fluffy. (they fluff up once flipped, usually ;)) Keep heat low enough that pancake bottoms brown within 2-4 minutes. I keep my stove just about medium or right under medium. They turn out great!!!

Pancake!

Hope you like these pancakes!
Taste: MMMM
Try again: YES, I make these like 2-4 times a week!
Healthy:hummm sure, without syrup. ;)
Lesson learned: I learned the first time I made these to make a bunch of mix and put in baggies!

Gotta love it!

God made me, and my love for cooking!

Freeze the brownies!

I've been feeling really lously lately. So not ok because I have a whole cookbook to get through and I just bought a new bag of flour the other day. I need to bake! I miss it!

Well, the other day I made those amazing brownie cookies but they turned out really flat. So... I stuck the rest of the batter in the freezer. Well, I made the freezered batter and those cookies turned out sooooooo magnificent that I did not wanna give any away. I did give two bags away though because lets face it, I don't wanna get HUGE! ;)  SOOOOO, When making brownie cookies, make them ahead of time and freeze the batter and take out later and bake! YUMMM

the frozen cookies, baked. they turned out fluffy!!!

I love PITAs! These were only $1 at walmart! I used to buy them at Kroger but they are usually $3... :(

I felt alright enough yesterday to straighten my hair!!! WOW! And I tried some new eye liner goop ;)

I guess this post was just saying I'll be back to baking in no time!
I have two posts I need to do today, one about some amazing pancakes and one about the best rolls, hand down! But, as for now, I need to go make some hot tea. My throat HuRtS! (All of the above is straight randomness) AHHHHH

Lesson learned: I look funny in LOTS of eye liner
Will I do it again: probably, who knows, I like eye liner, just maybe not that MUCH
Taste: those cookies were the bees knees after frozen!

Gotta love it!

God gave me freckles, Lots of freckles!!!

Brownie Cookies! YUM!

I made two new recipes today, not the smartest thing to make them at once, but hey I had laundry to do. ~yay~

I made such a mess making cookies today. The kids were asleep so it had nothing to do with them, although usually it does. Haha When I was mixing the melted butter/chocolate into the rest of the mix my mixer went crazy! It's one of those cheap ones thats only like $6. Ya, I need to invest in a new one, but I just don't use it enough to justify buying one now. I'd rather get my coveted rice cooker and steamer basket. I cannot wait to begin making bentos for A when school starts. And I'd dying to make tamales!!!<- my randomness hahaha
Well, The cookies turned out great. I took a plate to the apartment office and they loved them, or they said they did. LOL These cookies were soooo sweet. I had to put some of the batter in the freezer because no way could we eat all these cookies this week. It made a bunch I made 3 trays I believe. I'll save the rest of the batter for when my bro comes to visit. Yay for not having to make more of a mess when he comes!!! If anyone wants the recipe just leave a comment and I'll post it, I don't feel like getting up right now. Me=lazy. ;)

Ingredients HAHA

This is the stick of Butter, 4 (1 oz. unsweetened chocolate), and 1 cup Organic Chocolate Chips

I made a mess. My mixer is NO GOOD. :/ Good thing I wore a "play shirt"

The Cookie Brownies! I forgot to take a pict of them when they came out of the oven.

Lesson learned: either use a bigger bowl next time or get a proper mixer. Oh and one more thing... The "cookie" dough was way too runny, I had to put the batter in the refrigerator and let it thicken up a bit before doing the second batches and on.
Taste: YUMMY, but very very sweet. I think next time I'll only use half the bag of chocolate chips... I dono how that with work with unsweetened chocolate. We shall see.
Health: HAHA I think these cookies were somewhere close to 300 calories per cookie... NOT good. EEEk
Will I make again? Yes, but will freeze half the dough, I don't need so many cookies.

Gotta love it.

God made cocoa, cocoa is yummy!

Orzo, Spinach and Chicken Casserole

I haven't made anything in two days cause I've been feeling a little more under the weather than usual. I hate feeling sick, especially if it affects my cooking habits.

Today I tried a new recipe called Orzo, spinach and chicken casserole.
I made lots of provisions though. It turned out really well.

Recipe:
1 package frozen Spinach, thawed and drained well.
1 chicken breast (I should have used two)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 package of mushrooms sliced (I used white mushrooms cause they were on sale at target)
2/3 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
fresh ground pepper
1/4-1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 ounces of monterey jack cheese (even though it called for 6 ounces, this turned out great with only 3 ounces)

Instructions:
I cut the chicken breast in half and boiled it in enough water to cover it for 12 minutes.
Next remove the ckn and dice it. Place the orzo in the boiling water and cook for 9 minutes (or whatever the orzo package says :)) Make sure to stir the orzo as soon as you put it in the water and every so often while it cooks. While the orzo is cooking, saute mushrooms in a skillet. You don't actually need any oil because they already contain their own. But, if you want spray the pan with some cooking spray (canola spray, preferably). I did without the oil. Less fat=good. :) Drain the orzo once done and combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the cheese and bread crumbs. Place in 13x9 glass baking dish and top with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake about 25 minutes at 350 (or until heated throughtly.
ABOVE is how I cooked mine more of less.
This turned out GREAT!
I'd say it could serve 4 adults or so.

Before I baked it

After I baked it! Yum!

Taste: I'd give this an 8 because I think I should have used more chicken. But flavor wise it was splendid!
Healthy factor: I'd say it was healthyish lol not so sure about the mayo and mushroom soup, I think there is a better way to make it, with less fat. (I think next time I'd omit the mayonnaise. I don't like mayo, at all)
Simplisity: It was pretty easy making this dinner, I wish I hadn't been making cookies at the same time but hey whatever. I'd give it a intermediate level because all your doing is boiling ckn, orzo, and sauteing shrooms. I wonder if next time I could do without cooking the mushrooms b4 hand to lessen the pans to wash. lol
Would I make this again? YES! With lots of improvisions, only because I love to experiment with recipes till I make them absolutly Magnificent!!! But this was great the way it was.
Lesson learned: Huummmmm Thats a hard one. OH no wait. Don't make cookies while making a new recipe. Focus on one new recipe at a time. (I tried a new cookie recipe today as well.)

love how the sun is peeking out from  behind the dard rain clouds today

Gotta love it!

God loves you!

Honey Pizza dough, for dad

I woke up on a mission to clean both bathrooms before I showered. Mission accomplished. Get in the shower and realize I'm out of soap. ~Sigh~ Well at least I had shampoo. :)

Todays blog is HOW to Make PIZZA DOUGH
Its easier than it sounds. Trust me.
My dad asked me last week how I make my pizza dough... No, I don't use bisquick. I actually have never tried to make pizza dough using bisquick yet. Seems to ez. haha

So, pizza dough...
Recipe:Honey Pizza Dough:
1 package active dry yeast
1tsp honey
1 cup warm water 100-110 degrees
2 1/2 -3 cups of all purpose flour (I used Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour)
1 TBSP (Tablespoon) EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tsp (teaspoon) salt

First of all, make sure you have all your ingredients. Set them all out on the counter. I can't tell you how many times I thought that I had yeast and didn't. Now, almost every time I stop by the supermarket I pick up a package of yeast, Just In CASE.

Next, put the yeast in a small bowl and add 1/4 cup warm water and honey.
Third, mix the other ingredients in a seprate bowl.
After the yeast has set for five minutes you combine it with the flour mixture.
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter and kneed till the dough is no longer sticky, adding flour if needed. Make into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let sit till dough doubles in size. (If your dough does not rise... you probably killed the yeast by putting too hot of water in, I have done this before, more than once I might add. You can still roll it out and make one pizza.)
Once risen you can divide the dough into two balls and shape into pizza or use one for pizza and one for bread sticks.
Hint: when your playing with the flour make sure your phone isn't right next to the flour container... I spilt flour all over my phone. haha

My amazing pizza pans I purchased a few years ago from Anns Linens. I love these! I think I payed less than $5 for each.

Ok so here is the before rising and after rising pizza dough

Crazy hair! I needed something to eat, I was starving making this pizza. I didn't wanna ruin my appetite so I drank a V8

A made the bread sticks

bread sticks b4  being cooked

Someone didn't want the pesto on their side... then when It came to eat the pizza they did want it. haha

veggie toppings!

cheese goes on AFTER the spinach

Pizza before cooked, you can add cheese on top of the toppings as well if you really love cheese

Bread Sticks that A made, I put some butter and garlic on them. Next time Im going to make them dessert sticks

and here we have PIZZA!

Here's the Living Basil I was talking about in one of the older posts. They sell it at KROGER if you don't grow your own. (side note... Basil is the easiest herb to grow, seriously. I believe that and I read that in my cookbook the other day when I was parusing it. haha

Oh ya, props to Wolfgang Puck... Thats where I found this awesome recipe! I think there is even a how to video on his website.

Lesson learned: People change their minds, they tell you they don't want one thing but in the end they do what it. haha Pesto pizza is YUM! AND, don't have anything in the kitchen you don't wanna get dirty, Taking pictures with my phone was fun, but maybe I should place it someplace else while not in use.

Gotta love it!

God is amazing!

Easy Chewy Chocolate Cupcakes

These were more like muffins to me...

I found an easy recipe I could make with my kids yesterday. I had been looking for a recipe for angel food cake but they all took 6 eggs and I had only bought 1 dozen (I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket lol).

So, we made chocolate muffins. They turned out scrumptious. I don't even like chocolate. I don't like chocolate cookies, cake, ice cream or even most chocolate brownies, but these cupcakes were great.

The only thing I did not like about making them is I had to heat the butter and chocolate in a pan till melted, then combine it into the other mixed ingredients (more things to wash). Clean up was easy though. I soaked the pan in water for a few minutes while the cupcakes were in the oven and voila, my kitchen was clean. (Above is step one to and three. Step One melt butter and chocolate in pan, step two was it melting lol, and step three was combine the other ingredients.)<-thats just me and A being camera happy.

Here we have our finished product. These turned out picture perfect. I wish I had a decorative platter to put things on when I'm taking photos, my chipped plate is not good enough haha

I was trying to take a picture of the sunset yesterday on top of the bridge but my goofy phone was being defiant. This is what I ended up with.

Taste: Scroumptious, didn't you read the part about how I loved these, and I don't even like chocolate? :)

Lesson learned: Go thrift store shopping for a platter to take pictures of my creations and such. (today this wasn't my creation, it was my cookbooks)

Will I make this again: YES, my kids loved them. I took the plate of Cupcakes above to my apartment office and only came back with two. (I still had some at home, I was saving my mom one and this batch made 18!)

Health benefits: haha, um they were only 333 calories because I refused to make frosting. They did have 4g or protein and 1.3g of fiber. hahah Not really heathly, but they were good without icing.

Gotta love it!

God made such a beautiful sunset!