Easy Bread

If you like a crusty bread such as French, Foccacia, or sourdough, you will love this bread. I am not a great bread maker, but this is unbelievably easy. My uncle sent me this recipe, along with the link to You Tube, where he found it. You must watch the video & do exactly as he shows. There is an added bonus with the video, Jim Mortenson is very entertaining!

I have made it about 4 times this past week & it turns out every time. I will confess that I don't let it set overnight. That takes too long, so when I get it stirred up in my bowl, I just set it over a pan of warm water, like I would do with any yeast bread to let it rise. It turns out exactly the same. I let it rise 4-6 hours, depending on what I am doing. The beauty of this bread is that it's not fussy. It just hangs out until you are ready to deal with it...my kind of breadmaking!

I bake it in the pie tin, like he shows & when it comes out of the oven, I brush the top with butter, but you wouldn't have to.

I am only listing the ingredients because you need to watch the video for the details of shaping it. You need to give this a try, it is so good & so easy. It's great for panini's, garlic toast, or grilled cheese.

3 C. flour
1 1/2 C. water
1/4 t. yeast
2 t. salt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E68iNfRHBpI

Kettle Corn

One of the best reasons I know of for going to Silver Dollar City is to pick up some of their fresh Kettle Corn. I do not have a big kettle to make mine in, but I have experimented with my popcorn popper & have come up with an acceptable alternative. I have the old fashioned kind that has a handle attached to the lid. When you turn the handle it stirs the popcorn continually to keep it from burning. I highly recommend it. I have experimented with the amounts & have found that equal amounts of oil, popcorn & sugar work the best. It will burn easily, so once it starts popping, you have to turn the handle continually until popcorn is all popped.

For a 6 quart popper, I use:

1/3 C. popcorn, 1/3 C. oil, & 1/3 C. of sugar.

http://www.popcornpopper.com/24000.html

Oven Beef Stew

This is the only recipe that I ever use for beef stew. It is so quick & easy to put together & it smells wonderful, simmering in the oven. I usually serve it with cornbread. I also cook it on low in my slow cooker if I am going to be gone all day. It's just as good!

Layer the following ingredients in a dutch oven

Beef Stew meat - cubed
Onions
Celery
Carrots
Potatoes
Tomato Soup - 1 family size can
1 C. of water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bake covered in the oven, at 250 for about 3 hours - no peeking

Homemade Caramels

Homemade Caramels

1/2 cup butter (not margarine)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup white corn syrup

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Using large microwave-safe dish, melt butter. Add corn syrup, sugars and milk. Stir well and microwave for 6-8 minutes, stirring half way through time. Pour into greased 8x8 pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into pieces. Wrap in wax paper (twist the ends).

I microwaved it for 8 minutes & they turned out perfect.

I found this recipe on the web at: http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/rec0622.html

Carrot Cake

This recipe was given to me by Evelyn Mayab about 36 years ago. I had just got married & at the time she was married to my husband's cousin. Although her marriage didn't last, our friendship did. This is the only recipe that I have ever used for Carrot Cake, as you cannot improve on perfection. I have had tons of compliments on it over the years & since it was well received again at Thanksgiving, I decided to share it. Enjoy!

CARROT CAKE

CREAM: 4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 ½ c. vegetable oil

ADD: 2 c. sifted flour
2 t. baking soda
3 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt

ADD LAST: 3 c. grated carrots (1 lb. of carrots)

Bake in 350 degree oven until done. Can bake in layer pans or 9 x 13 pan.


CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

½ stick butter or margarine
8 oz. Cream cheese
1 lb. Powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts

Mix all together until creamed well. Stir in nuts.

Basic Bird Suet Mixture

This recipe from:
http://www.birdnature.com/index.html


1 C. Crisco or suet
1 C. peanut butter
3 C. yellow corn meal
1/2 C. white flower

Melt suet & stir in rest of ingredients. Pour or pack mixture in molds or shape in balls & hang from trees in mesh bags such as onions come in.

Note: I line a plastic mold that a commercial suet cake came in. I use plenty of plastic wrap to line it. I pack the mixture in the mold, then lift it out with the plastic wrap & finish wrapping it up. Store your suet cakes in the freezer. The birds love this!

Birder's Delight - special treat for feathered friends!

This recipe from:

http://www.birdnature.com/index.html

1 lb. of suet or 2 1/3 C. crisco

1 C. yellow cornmeal

1 C. oatmeal

1 C. chunky peanut butter

1 C mixed wildbird seed

1 C. shelled sunflower seeds

Melt suet & stir in rest of ingredients. Pour or pack mixture in molds or shape in balls & hang from trees in mesh bags such as onions come in.

Note: I line a plastic mold that a commercial suet cake came in. I use plenty of plastic wrap to line it. I pack the mixture in the mold, then lift it out with the plastic wrap & finish wrapping it up. Store your suet cakes in the freezer. The birds love this!

Beulah Fern's Meatballs

This is a manly man's meatball! * Note: Jim's aunt, Beulah Fern Mayab gave me this recipe. They are fabulous! The next day if you want a meatball sub, they are even better.

Meatballs

3 lbs. Hamburger
1 c. chopped onion
2 eggs
1 can milnot, (I use milk sometimes)
2 c. old-fashioned oats
1 t. garlic powder
2 T. chili powder
1 t. salt

Shape hamburger mixture into meatballs then pour the following sauce over them. I use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop mine out. This makes 24 meatballs.

Sauce:

2 c. ketchup
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. diced onions
2 T liquid smoke
1/2 t. garlic powder

Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Gingerbread Recipe

My son brought this recipe home from school when he was in 2nd grade. His teacher had included it in a cookbook that the school had sold as a fundraiser. I always wanted to see if I could authenticate it, so a year ago I searched the internet & found this letter along with the recipe. It was exactly the same recipe that was in my son's cookbook. This letter was written to author Jennie Lindquist at The Horn Book, a publisher of children's stories. The date was October 19th, 1953. I just thought it was great to have one of her recipes in my collection, as I was raised about 30 miles from her Rocky Ridge Homestead where she & Almanzo lived for over 60 years & where she wrote the "Little House" books. I am happy to share it with you.

"1 cup brown sugar blended with 1/2 cup lard or other shortening. 1 cup molasses mixed well with this. 2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 cup boiling water (Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture). Mix all well. To 3 cups of flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices:ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift all into cake mixture and mix well. Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs. The mixture should be quite thin. Bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes. Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added and a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness."

LAURA'S GINGERBREAD

(Recopied it in recipe form, for your convenience)

Mix all together:

1 C. brown sugar
½ C. shortening
1 C. molasses

Add:
2 t. baking soda in
1 C. boiling water

Sift together & stir in:
3 C. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. cloves
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
½ t. salt

Add last:

2 eggs, well beaten

Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Note: I have made this many times & it is very good. One hint, you do have to dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, per her instructions or it doesn't turn out right.

Dalene's Crockpot Corn

A lot of my favorite recipes that I have gathered over the years have come from one of my favorite cousins. She brought this to a family dinner a few years ago & it is now our corn of choice. This is one of those recipes that you can adjust the amount of ingredients to suit your taste. It is always served for the holidays at my house.

64 oz. frozen corn
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
4 T. butter

Combine all & cook on low in crockpot all day. Can be cooked in microwave or stovetop. Just be sure to stir frequently.