Ann's Noodles

I got this recipe from my good friend Ann, hence the name!  We lived next door to each other, then we decided to move back to MN and she had the guts to move to WA!  I'm really happy for her, but miss her terribly!  Back to the recipe.  This is a tomato and cream based sauce with penne tossed in.  If you are watching what you eat, well you may just want to skip it purely for the cream.  But, if you want to indulge keep on reading!

I may make this for a women's retreat at church.  What do you think, for about 150 people?

Mozzarella Bread

I've been wanting to try this recipe for months, so since I had nothing to do today (yeah, right!) I thought I'd give it a whirl.  The name really should be blue cheese bread with a little mozzarella & onion thrown in, just because I am a huge blue lover!  This bread has a lovely mixture of flavors and a nice crispy, crunchy, light bread to hold it all together.  I made this while the boys (aka; husband and son) were out doing man stuff.  The aroma alone is enough to make you want to take it out of the oven & eat it before it is done!  I couldn't stop eating it, really I had to say out loud I need to stop eating!

Going with the theme of the blog, this is homemade.  What?  I heard you say bread is too time consuming.  Yeah, it is but once you try it you'll be sold.  The bread & onion is the only two ingredients that were homemade this time around.  If  I could make my own cheese I would!  My hubby says I don't need to attempt that, there is plenty of good cheese at the store!  He meant that in a good way.

Here are the pics and recipe below.

Mozzarella Bread

1/2 C warm water (about 110 degrees)

1/4 oz yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 C + 1/8 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp evoo

1 med. onion sliced

7 oz. mozzarella cheese

4 oz. blue cheese

pinch white pepper

pinch sugar

pinch basil, oregano, parsley

1.  In a bowl combine, water, yeast & sugar.

2.  Stir until yeast is dissolved.

3.  Cover bowl & set in warm location for about 10 minutes.

4.  In medium bowl, four flour & make a well in the center.

5.  Pour yeast mixture into the well.

6.  Stir until mixed together (I use my hands), just about to the end of mixing add the salt.

7.  Put dough on a floured surface.

8.  Add evoo to dough

9.  Knead dough for about 5-8 minutes.  You will feel the dough changing, becoming more smooth.

10.  Cover dough with a bit of evoo all over, place in a large bowl.

11.  Cover dough with a towel and place in a warm location until doubled in volume.

12.  Roll out dough into a rectangle shape.

13.  Spread mozzarella over dough, onions, blue cheese

14.  Add the seasonings:  white pepper, sugar, basil, oregano, & parsley

15.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 400.  Take out when cheese is nicely melted, I like mine a bit on the brownish crunchy side, so mine was probably in for 15-18.  

Use What You Have

I stayed home from church yesterday with a sick child.  The others were at church, so I couldn't run to the store for our "Special Breakfast".  Every Sunday we have a "Special Breakfast",  it is just a brunch but we all love our meal after church.  The usual is biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict, pancakes, french toast, quiche, egg bake....all of which is as home made as I can make it.  Since I couldn't make it to the store yesterday I had to be creative & use what I had at home.  I ended up making a lot of bread products, scones, biscuits, and scrambled eggs.  I made craisin and blueberry scones.

I challenge all of you to use what you have on hand for your next meal instead of going to the store.  You'll be surprised!

Scones

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups AP flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup raisins/chocolate chips/craisins

Directions

1. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir the sour cream mixture and egg into the flour mixture until just moistened. Mix in the raisins/choc chips/craisins.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll or pat dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 12 wedges, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom.

Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Happy New Year!  We got the mother of all blizzards to we had to forgo all parties and stay in.  Some of the kids were disappointed, but we cooked & ate junk food & watched a movie. 

I found this grilled cheese recipe from another food blogger but now can't find it to give them credit.  I will if I can find it.  This is not your processed, horrible for your body, loaded with stuff you can't pronounce grilled cheese.  This actually was very simple, fabulous ingredients & few of them!  Look at the ooey, gooey cheese and perfectly toasted bread!  What could go wrong here?  Here is a little eye candy for you & look below for the recipe.  A reminder on the recipes, I sometimes don't give the measurements.  This is not a mistake.  Usually I am cooking, not baking.  Baking you need to be precise.  Cooking you do not need to be precise, maybe that's why I like cooking more than baking.  I'm sort of laid back, do what I want...wait I digress.  So, cooking=throwing more onions in this recipe if you want.

Grilled Onion and Cheese Sandwich

The Line Up
Bread slices (I used Italian, but beer bread, wheat would all work.  Use a nice heavy bread to hold up the ingredients, and toast well.  No, your regular white kids bread will not do the trick)
Dijon mustard
Oregano (about 1 tsp ish)
S & P  (salt and pepper)
EVOO
Worcestershire Sauce (a splash or two, more if you like that flavor)
Liquid Smoke (about 1/2 tsp, again more if you like that)
Sliver of butter (real stuff, not margarine--that stuff is not natural)
Onions sliced thin (how ever many & flavor you like.  I used red & yellow)
Cheddar Cheese
Fontina Cheese

Put some evoo & butter in a saute pan. 
Get the evoo & butter hot then throw in the onions. 
Saute them for about 5 minutes then add the S&P, oregano, Worcestershire, & liquid smoke and saute until until nicely golden brown.

Take your nice thick bread slice & spread mustard on one slice. 
Add cheddar, add onions, add fontina. 
Top with the other slice of bread.  You will have a sandwich that is untoasted at this point. 
Take another pan (that has a lid) and melt some butter.  Take that beautiful sandwich and set 'er on that melted butter on medium heat.   Put that lid on.  The lid is the trick for getting your bread all nice & golden brown.  
Watch your sandwich you don't want to burn it.  Turn it over to brown the other side.  Take it off & slice it & enjoy the delicious melted cheese with a nice bite of onion!