I love homemade bread!  Actually, I love all carbs, but that’s another story.

We used to make  bread in the bread machine all the time.  Philip was actually quite good at it and made a yummy cinnamon bread that the two of us could finish off in a day or two.  That was before we had children.  Now we’d have to share was those little vultures.

Alas, our homemade bread-making days came to an end when I was pregnant with Pumpkin Girl and the very smell of baking bread made me ill.  I get a Super Sensor Nose when I’m pregnant - I once walked by a store display of Easter chocolate and could smell the chocolate right through the boxes.  So that was the end of the bread making.

We never really got back into it after my nose returned to normal.  With 2 little kids I just never found the time.  The bread machine was given away at some point and we made due with store bought.

I keep wanting to get back to it, but just never did.  Then after a vague conversation with my mom about a starter dough in the fridge that isn’t really sourdough and a chance blog post - I realized I’d stumbled on my answer.

Why didn’t anyone tell me about Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day! Apparently the book has been around for a while and I just totally missed the boat.  It really is as easy as it sounds, with no fancy equipment or hard to find ingredients. Not even any kneading!  I even mixed the dough by hand with ease.

Here’s my first loaf:

Kind of small, but I attribute that to living at high altitude. Sort of funny shaped, too, but that was my fault. As small as it looks, the whole loaf easily fed our family of five. (We had it with spaghetti, not as sandwiches.)  We had 2 slices left over, which didn’t last the night. (I won’t mention the little piggy who at the last slices as dessert. ahem)  I went to the authors’ blog and found a couple of very easy adjustments to make for the higher altitude.

I made another loaf a couple of days later from the same batch of dough.  I shaped it better, but I can’t show you because we scarfed it down before I could take a picture.  But it was just as yummy as the first loaf.

I can’t believe it - I’m back in homemade bread heaven!

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Sorry I’ve been away for awhile.  There is a bit of a situation developing here and it’s gotten me down.  Don’t worry, it’s nothing all that bad, especially in the grand scheme of life, but it’s frustrating and sad and permanent and there was nothing we could do about it.  I’ll blog about it over the weekend, when I can get some pictures.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share the recipe for our favorite Halloween snack mix.  It’s so easy and so yummy!

The whole recipe is this: equal parts (like 1 or 2 cups each) of M &Ms, peanuts and candy corn.  Mix together and enjoy!

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With our packers coming on Monday, we have so much to do, but my friends Kat and Sheril wanted my recipe for crockpot granola, so here it is:

Crockpot Granola

5 c. oats
½ c. oil
½ c. honey
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. coconut

Mix all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours or until brown, stirring occasionally. **Important: Make sure you keep the cover cracked on the crockpot. The more frequently you stir, the finer the consistency. If you prefer clumpier granola stir less.

Add raisins, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips when finished cooking….whatever you desire. This is delicious as a hot or cold cereal, as a snack, a topping for yogurt or made into granolabars.

This is very yummy, and my children love it.  Plus it makes the house smell so good while it’s cooking.

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April on the East Coast is a cold and damp affair.  It has rained here 4 of the last 6 days and today the temperature peaked at 50 degrees.  That was sometime around noon and it has been getting colder ever since.  If any day called for a nice, warm soup, it is today.  I made Lemony Chicken Noodle soup which I got from Taste of Home.  The original only makes 2 servings, so I’ve modified it to serve a family.

Lemony Chicken Noodle Soup

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 garlic clove, minced
enough water to fill your pot plus 2 1/2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon or
2 cans chicken broth
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 bag uncooked medium egg noodles
6 Tablespoons lemon juice

In a large pot, saute onion in oil until tender.  Add the chicken and garlic.  Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned.  Stir in the water and bouillon (or broth), carrots, peas and basil.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the noodles.  Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are tender.  Stir in lemon juice.

Like most soup recipes, this one isn’t an exact science.  Adjust the ingredients to suit your family size and tastes.

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Whew.  I think I’m recovered enough from a flurry of Halloween, birthday and baby shower activities.  I’ve had a couple of requests, both in real life and on my blog for my Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe, so here it is:

Pumpkin Spice Latte
2 heaping Tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
1 c strong coffee
2 c milk
whipped cream
Combine all into a pot and heat.  Serve into cups, garnish with whipped cream and nutmeg.  Makes 3 cups.

After I tried the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, I thought theirs was sweeter than mine, so next time I make it I’ll probably add more brown sugar.

*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can make your own with spices you probably already have.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground allspice

Combine all and store in an airtight container.

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The hot, miserable DC summer is here. But no, I am not going to bore with you how much I dislike it. Today I am going to share with you one of the things that I do like about summer: basil.

I started growing basil when we moved to DC. I’m not a very successful gardener, but basil is one thing I can grow. It’s quite easy - give it full sun, keep it moderately moist and let it grow. Pinch off the flowers so it won’t go to seed and you’ll have a bountiful harvest until the first frost.

I harvest my basil all season as I need it for cooking or when the plants get a little too big. I use fresh basil instead of dried or I freeze any extra. I just put washed leaves in a plastic container and stick it in the freezer. No big deal. In winter I have lots of “fresh” frozen leaves to cook with. They often turn black, but still taste and smell wonderful.

I like to cook salmon with basil. I got this recipe from my mom - she originally used tarragon and lemon pepper, but I switched it to basil and garlic powder and it tastes just as good. This is another very easy recipe, of course.

Salmon in the Oven

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place aluminum foil shiny side up and layer whole, fresh basil then salmon. Brush on melted butter or olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder and more basil. Wrap and seal the foil. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Cook for half of total time needed, flip and continue cooking. Salmon is ready when it flakes easily with a fork.

Sorry the directions are a little vague. How much salmon you cook depends on how many people are eating. We usually make about 2 pounds of salmon for 5 people and it takes about 50 minutes to cook. Hopefully that will give you a guideline for your family.

Of course, the best thing to make with fresh basil is pesto sauce! We eat pesto with pasta 2 or 3 times a week during the summer. Here’s the recipe I use:

Pesto Sauce

Add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor:

2/3 c packed basil (about 2 4 inch high stalks)
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 c olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 ounces whole Parmesan cheese

Cover and process until blended.

This is the perfect amount of sauce for 1/2 pound of cooked penne. Also, I don’t go crazy measuring the basil or the cheese. If the sauce looks runny, add some more basil. If you think it needs more flavor, add more parmesan. You can also freeze this sauce. I like to use little Ziplock bowls, the kind that hold about 8 oz. They are just the right size and stack well in your freezer.

Enjoy!

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This recipe is Pumpkin Girl’s specialty. It’s best eaten the same day, so make it for a crowd or only make half. Though it is still tasty when reheated a day or two later.

Apple Dumpling Bake

2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup Mountain Dew
ground cinnamon
vanilla ice cream

Unroll crescent rolls and separate dough into 16 triangles. Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Wrap a crescent dough triangle around each apple wedge. Place in a greased 13″x9″ baking dish.

In a bowl, combine sugar and butter; sprinkle over rolls. Slowly pour soda around rolls. Do not stir. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake, uncovvered at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Serves 16

Here’s Pumpkin putting the sugar mixture over the rolls:

And pouring the soda:

The finished product:

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Another quick and easy recipe (it’s all I ever make) that can be doubled without a lot of math. Adobo is traditional Filipino dish, though I’m not sure if this is my family’s recipe or not.  You can make it with either chicken or pork.

Chicken or Pork Adobo

2 lbs chicken or pork, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 Tablespoon peppercorns
1 bay leaf

At all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, 45 minutes.

See, I told you it was easy!

Mix 2 Tablespoons cornstarch with small amount of water and add to sauce to thicken. Serve over hot rice.

I usually fish out the garlic cloves and bay leaf before serving. You’ll probably want to pick out the peppercorns while you’re eating. It’s ok to eat them if you like, but they are pepper after all. My children call them “hotcorns”.

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This month’s recipe is brought to you by Boo. It’s a baked ravioli and meatball extravaganza, resplendid in its use of pre-packaged food. It may not be good for you, but it’s good. And quick and easy. If you have a big enough freezer, you could even keep the ingredients on hand (even the cheese) for last minute dinners.

Bake Ravioli and Meatballs

1 25 oz pkg frozen cheese filled ravioli
1 20 oz pkg frozen cooked meatballs, thawed
1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13×9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Cook ravioli to desired doneness as directed on package.

Drain ravioli; place in sprayed dish. Top with meatballs and sauce; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at for 30-35 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

See how easy that is? Don’t go crazy trying to find the exact right sizes of the ingredients. Just use what you can find. Better yet, have your 9 year old son make dinner for once. Maybe you should help him drain the ravioli, though.

Boo dumps the cooked ravioli into the baking dish…

…and pours on the sauce. (Please note that where he is working is my entire kitchen workspace.)

Dinner is ready!

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These pumpkin bars are quite yummy and as an added benefit, they are made with Fiber One cereal.  They are perfect for getting things moving post-partum, if you know what I mean.  I also like to make them when someone gets stuck and needs a little help in that area.

Pumpkin Bars

1 1/2 cups Fiber One Ceral
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz)  pumpkin (2 cups)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup raisins or chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour jelly roll pan (I just use a 13×9 pan).  Crush cereal. Stir together ceral, sugar, oil and pumpkin in large bowl; let stand 10 minutes.   Stir in eggs until well blended.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spread in pan.  Back 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly.  Cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.  Cut into 7 by 7 rows.  Refrigerate any remaining bars.

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