Honey Oat Wheat Bread

I've been experimenting with some bread recipes lately. Our family goes through SO much bread I thought maybe I'd contribute by making some of it.

I tried out this recipe from The Food Nanny and it's pretty good. So far, my other Light & Fluffy Wheat Bread recipe is winning, but this is still worth posting.

Honey Oat Wheat Bread
 2 1/4 c. warm water (105-115*)
1 T. active dry yeast
3 T. canola oil
3 T. honey
1 egg, room temperature
5 T. oats
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. salt
2 1/2-3 c. all-purpose white flour

1. Mix together warm water and yeast. Cover, and let proof for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oil, honey, egg, oats, wheat flour, and salt. Add yeast to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and let "sponge" for 20 minutes.
3. Stir dough, then add 2 c. white flour. Add 1/2 c. increments of more white flour if needed, until dough is "not sticky" to the touch.
4. Split dough for 2 loaves. "Tuck and roll" into a nice, even rectangular shaped loaves.
5. Placed loaves in buttered (glass) bread pans. Sprinkle with oats. Turn on oven to 350* and let bread rise near oven until double in size (40-60 minutes?).
6. Bake at 350* for 35 minutes. Then, take bread out of bread pans immediately (so they don't stick to the pans) and allow to cool.

If you REALLY want to impress your family, or yourself, mix up some HONEY BUTTER or MAPLE BUTTER to spread on your warm bread, fresh from the oven.

HONEY BUTTER
 1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
Mix to combine.

MAPLE BUTTER
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 t. maple syrup
 Mix to combine.

broccoli salad

This is a recipe that probably not many of you out there will even consider trying, but I'm mostly posting it so I can have it in this year's blog book (which I hope to finish soon). This is an interesting recipe discovered by my Aunt Melanie a long time ago. She brought it to our Christmas Eve get-together and it's been a staple ever since. I'm so glad I was brave enough to try it. Typically, this type of salad does NOT appeal to me, but this time I got lucky.

I mentioned this recipe a long time ago here but never actually posted it, until now.

BROCCOLI SALAD
Salad-
1-2 bunches of broccoli
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 c. raisins, soaked overnight**
10 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

Dressing-
1 c. mayo/miracle whip
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. vinegar

Toss all together in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

**I rarely remember this step, so instead I do this. I pour my 1/2 c. raisins into a liquid measuring cup, cover with water and zap them in the microwave for 1 minute. Then I let them sit while I preparing the rest of the salad. This works great and they plump up just fine.

christmas creations

In an effort of conserving space, and NOT keep every creation the kids bring home, I've elected to take pictures of them instead.

Here are Jackson's Christmas decorations he made at preschool.

• Indian corn (I think?)
• Poinsettia
• Cookies & Milk placemat
• mitten from his hand shape
• and an angel he put together

 

Here's what his placemat reads:

Dear Santa,

Here's some milk and cookies

That I have left for you

There's something for Rudolph

I hope he likes it too!

I hope you know I love you

I would tell you if I could

Please leave a little something

Because I've really been so good!

Love, Jackson

And here are Alivia's Christmas creations from Kindergarten.

• Santa's head, reading: Santa has a shiny red suit!
• Christmas tree she decorated with Mommy over Thanksgiving break

• stocking complete with a list of all the words from their "Word Wall" - I was helping at the school the day she made this, so its extra special. :)
• a gingerbread man, with a note that reads: My gingerbread man has a beautiful pretty buttons.
• a reindeer she named REAGAN (after her friend)
• lastly is the gift she made for Daddy and I for Christmas

It's complete with her little handprint and school picture, along with this note...

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm milk and cookies are good for you.

Live a balanced life-  learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

And this is the special present Jackson made for us. Its a cute ball ornament!

They painted their hand white then had them grasp the ornament ball...

Then they decorated each finger as a snowman! How clever and cute! We will cherish it always!

Good job kiddos! And thanks for your special Christmas creations!

penne rustica!!!!

HOLY COW! If you've been to Macaroni Grill and ordered their Penne Rustica and LOVED IT like everyone else I know who has too, then copy this one down! It's a keeper and it's PERFECT!!!

I can't believe I found this recipe! It's my favorite restaurant dish, probably of all time! I followed the recipe from Top Secret Recipes, but then swapped this and that for the recipe at The Restaurant Recipe Blog.

I made this special recipe for our 10th Wedding Anniversary! We made it a special night for the whole family. We all dressed nice for dinner, had some italian sodas, Caesar Salad, italian bread, followed by our main course of PENNE RUSTICA, and then ended the night with some Oreo Pie (store-bought - I had to take a shortcut SOMEWHERE with a main dish like this!).

**Warning: This recipe is VERY involved, but VERY delicious and worth every minute, if you have the minutes to make it happen!

INGREDIENTS:

Penne Rustica

1 lb. penne regata pasta, cooked and drained
1/2- 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (original recipe only calls for 12 shrimp but we love shrimp so I added more)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast filets
1/2 c. (approx. 2 oz.) thick-sliced smoked prosciutto, chopped I didn't think this would give the right flavor so I used pancetta instead, and glad I did. You could also use SMOKED bacon.
salt and pepper
skewers

Gratinata Sauce

3 T. butter

2 T. minced garlic

3 T. marsala wine I substituted the wine for more chicken broth, still was perfect

2 c. heavy cream

1 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 T. corn starch

1 T. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard I didn't have any so I used Spicy Brown Mustard, no problem

2 t. minced fresh rosemary (I think this is one of the secrets to the perfection of this recipe, don't skimp!)

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. minced fresh thyme (I did cheat here and used 1/4 t. dried thyme, forgot to get fresh at the store)

1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper

Topping

3 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 t. paprika

Garnish

12 sliced pimientos We don't care for these, so I saved myself the cost and time of picking them off

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente", which is usually 7-9 minutes in boiling water. Strain pasta and set it aside when its done.

2. Pound the thick end of your chicken breasts a bit to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Spear shrimp on skewers (6 per skewer should work fine), then rub them with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat grill to medium/high.
 
4. Saute pancetta until it begins to brown. Remove from pan and drain off fat. Set aside. Wipe out skillet and use it to make the Gratinata Sauce.


5. Prepare Gratinata Sauce by melting 3 T. butter in medium saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. (Be sure the garlic doesn't brown.) Add 3 T. marsala wine chicken broth and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk well until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep in there for 10 minutes, or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove from heat.

6.Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips.

7. In a large bowl, combine precooked pasta, chicken, shrimp, and pancetta. Pour Gratinata Sauce on top and stir to combine. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one 9x13casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

Note: This warms up well for leftovers, but if you don't want to eat it for the rest of the week (why would you NOT want to?!), split the recipe between 2 8x8 pans, and freeze one for another time.