Panera Country White Bread

Well seems that the last three months I have been in "slacker mode" and didn't realize it had been such a long time since my last post. It probably has been just as long since we tried something new for dinner but with just a week to go until I try for a "month long meal plan", my goal is going to be to try one new recipe a week!

I had been expermenting with my bread maker and have been happy with the results, however when I found a Panera recipe book, I knew I wanted to try one of their homemade recipes that does not require a bread maker. It's their basix country white bread recipe and makes two good sized loaves. As you can see, we almost have almost finished one, and it was made less than 24 hours ago!

Ingredients:

New Cupcake Adventure

Well, I am now obsessed with a new hobby; decorating cupcakes and I am super excited about it. There I was chasing Ahnnie thru Lowes while Tim was looking at garage organizers (super fun), when I saw this book called "Hello, Cupcake" and thought it looked easy enough to do and decided to order it and another book by the same author called "What's New Cupcake?" from Amazon, where they were five bucks cheaper and I had a gift card so....back to the cupcakes.

Flower Cupcake: This one is simply made by cutting mini marshmallows on a diagonal and then dipping the sticky side into colored sugars. Then you put them in rows around the top of the cupcake once it's been frosted. They were very easy to make, but time consuming and each one takes 22 marshmallows each. You can imagine how gross my cooking scissors were after, but they are so pretty.

Mermaid Cupcake: (Don't know why this pic is turned) I have convinced two mothers to let me do cupcakes for their kids' birthday parties so that I can practice and one requested a Little Mermaid theme. I used blue and white frosting for the water, crushed graham crackers for the sand and the mermaid is a teddy graham stuck in the cake with a green Airhead for a tail. The sun is a candy fruit slice and her bikini top is flower shaped candy confetti.

Pirate Cupcake: For the other mother's pirate themed party, I made this cake with a red Airhead bandanna (did you know you can microwave these to make them more pliable), a jelly bean nose, Cheerio ears, and an eye patch made from a Tootsie Roll Midge. His stubble is chocolate sprinkles. and his eye is a chocolate chip turned upside down.

I hope to try even more recipes from these two books, as well as ideas from online. There is a baby shower coming up in one group, I wonder who I talk to...

Strawberry Shortcake French Toast

For our Valentine's Day dinner this year, we decided to try a new recipe instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, and we both love breakfast, so I found this great french toast recipe in the April 2010 edition of Food Network magazine. It is very easy to make and uses a different type of bread that makes it extra special. I served it with bacon, and hash browns.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. sugar plus 3 Tbsp.
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 3 English muffins

1. Ahead of time, combine 3 Tbsp. sugar and lemon zest in bowl. Sprinkle 3/4 of it over strawberries and mix, then allow to set for a few hours. (This helps release the juice and creates a nice syrup and the strawberries get softer which was good b/c they were not too ripe to begin with)

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, 1 tsp. sugar, and salt in shallow bowl. Working in batches, dip english muffing halves and allow to soak for 5 mins.

3. Heat 1/2 Tbsp. of butter in large non-stick skillet. Fry english muffins for 2-3mins on each side, then transfer to a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 mins, until they begin to puff up.

4. Remove from oven and plate. Layer bottom of english muffin, strawberries, a sprinkling of leftover lemon-sugar mixture, top of english muffin, and whipped cream. Drizzle with honey or syrup if desired.

REALITY: I would RECOMMEND this great breakfast recipe for any meal. It was a big hit and the english muffins made it different in a good way. I may even try using lemon-sugar in other recipes, b/c the taste of those two ingredients together is subtle, yet satisfying. Now to use the leftover zested lemon in something...

Copy Cat Chick-fil-a Sandwiches

We love Chick-fil-a, so when I found this recipe in the July/Aug edition of Food Network Magazine, I knew I wanted to test it out. I had never "fried" anything at home before for fear of having a house smell like grease afterwards, or worse, burning the house down! But this recipe gave me a new found love for frying and was pretty simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (makes 4 servings)
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 tsp. paprika
• peanut oil for frying 9 (I used veggie)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. malted milk powder
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1. Cut the breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Lay piece between plastic wrap and pound to 1/8 inch think with mallet or heavy skillet. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

2. Heat about 2 inches of oil in skillet until reaches 325 degrees. (You can use a candy thermo. or toss some flour into the oil and if it sizzles, it's ready) Meanwhile, whisk egg, milk, and 2 Tbsp. water in a baking dish. Whisk both flours, malted milk powder, confect. sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, 1/2 tsp. paprika and a tsp. each of salt and pepper in another dish.

3. Working in batches of two, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, and coat both sides. Dredge in flour mixture and shake off any excess. Fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown, about 4 mins. Drain on paper towels. Serve on hamburger buns with pickles and any other toppings you like.

REALITY: I would RECOMMEND giving this recipe a try and was happy that the house didn't smell like grease until...the husband decided to try making onion rings with the leftover batter. Then the house reeked for awhile. Our sandwiches weren't too crispy, so if you like a thicker crust, I would suggest coating them thickly.

Valentine's Day Cake Pops

This very unique idea came to me via my mom, who sent me this book she found at Target called "Cake Pops" by Bakerella. I had just recently heard of "cake balls" and this book uses the same technique, but puts them on sticks to add to that cuteness factor. They are very easy to make and the possibilities are endless. I kept this batch small and simple since it was my first one and for Ahnika's class of 4 kids.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of cake mix, any flavor
• 1 tub of frosting, any flavor
• 32 oz. candy coating

"Accessories":

• 48 lollipop sticks
• wax paper
• Styrofoam blocks
• candy bags
• edible markers

The supplies listed above are for a full size cake that makes approx. 48 pops. I made eleven pops from 1/4 of a cake and then froze the other 3/4 for later.

1. Bake the cake in a 9 X 13 inch pan as directed on box. Let cool completely

2. Crumble cake into large bowl until fine. You don't want large chunks and your hands or a fork work well. (Watch out for side and top pieces that sometimes get a little chewier than the middle of the cake)

3. Add 3/4 container of frosting and combine with a large spoon until you can't see the frosting anymore and cake is moist. (I would suggest adding half and then mixing in a little at a time. I only used 3T for 11 pops and they were a little wetter than I would've liked)

4. Roll mixture into 1 1/2" round balls and place on wax paper. Freeze for 15 mins. Remove from freezer and use 1 1/2" heart shaped cookie cutter to shape them. Place back in freezer for 15 mins.

5. Melt candy coating according to package directions. Working in small batches, dip 1/2" of lollipop stick into the chocolate and gently press it no more than 1/2 way into the bottom of the heart. Carefully dip heart, now on stick, and coat, taping excess off.

6. Insert stick into styrofoam to dry. (I used an old shoe box with holes in it)

7. Write messages on using edible marker. Store in bags, or air tight container at room temperature.

I think the kids, and teachers, will like them. I know I did. And yes, I did write something raunchy on one of them and gave it to my husband. Come on, it's Valentine's Day!

Greek Chicken Cakes with Dill Sauce

Sorry there is no photo to go along with this recipe. It seems lately we'll be in the middle of eating something and I yell, "Wait!' and go and grab the camera, but missed out on this one completely. I got this recipe from a magazine called All You which is fantastic for new food ideas and coupons. This was a special Weight Watchers recipe so I thought why not give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs. and 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh dill
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. parsley, dried or fresh
• 1 egg and 1 egg white
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1. Combine yogurt, 2 tsp. olive oil, dill, lemon juice, cumin, and garlic. Mix well. (This is be your dipping sauce as well as the wet part of your chicken cakes.)

2. Combine 1/4 cup of the sauce you just made, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, egg and egg whites. Then add chicken pieces and mix to coat. (I like to get a rotisserie chicken and use it for many different meals instead of cooking breasts all the time.)

3. Make 8 patties about palm sized and coat them in the remaining breadcrumbs. (You can use panko bread crumbs for extra crunch.)

4. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook 4-5 mins on each side until golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce.

REALITY: I would put this recipe in the category of "SO-SO" which is exactly what Tim said while he was eating it. The dipping sauce had good flavor but the cakes themselves weren't anything too special. It is a very filling dish though, but makes you feel like you are eating something healthy and the texture is comparable to crab cakes. I would make it again if we had some leftover chicken to use up.

Bread Machine Pretzels

Okay so I know these look totally bizarre, but the were so yummy it didn't matter what they looked like. I got a great deal on a bread machine before the holidays and have been testing recipes from it's instruction manual and it included these ugly babies. I am sure you can follow the recipe without the machine and just let it rise for the allotted time, first rise 20 mins then a punch down, second rise 50 mins. They turned out chewy and salty and went really well with yellow mustard to dip.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 7/8cup water
• 2 Tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
• 1 egg slightly beaten

1. Put ingredients into bread machine according to manufacture directions. Select "dough" setting. Press "Start".

2. When cycle ends, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into 8inch rope. Form pretzel shape, or leave in stick form. Place on greased cookie sheet.

4. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.

5. Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown.

REALITY: I would RECOMMEND giving this recipe a try, I may even try it again without the bread machine to see if I can get the dough to rise better. I have been experimenting with my yeast using and have found a few tricks to make the dough more smooth.

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Caramel Apple Pudding Treat

This recipe came to me completely by accident in the jello aisle of the grocery store. I spied a coupon book on top of a couple of boxes of jello that someone had left there and in it was this recipe among others for the holiday using other Kraft products. The following recipe is for a full 13 x 9 inch pan size. I halved it and used an 8 x 8 inch pan for the three of us and still didn't finish it all. This would be a great pot luck dessert however by the second day the apples may brown, I soaked them in lemon water first, and the peanuts get a little bit "soggy" from the caramel sauce so wait to put the toppings on until right before you leave.

Ingredients:

• 60 vanilla wafers
• 1/3 melted butter
• 1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 1/4 milk divided
• 1 tub Cool Whip
• 3 pkgs (3.4oz) vanilla instant pudding
• 1/2 cup caramel topping
• 1 granny smith and 1 red delicious apple, chopped
• 1/4 peanuts, chopped

1. Crush wafers inside plastic bag. Mix with melted butter in bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan and press to form crust.

2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 1/4 cup milk with mixer. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip and spread on crust.

3. Beat pudding with remaining milk for 2 mins until thickened. Stir in 1/4 cup Cool Whip and spoon over cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining Cool Whip and refrigerate 5 hours or overnight.

4. Top with chopped apples, peanuts, and drizzle with caramel topping.

REALITY: I would highly RECOMMEND this recipe if you are a caramel apple fan. The crunchy apples go so well with the creamy pudding and it was so hard to not eat the cream cheese filling by itself. I think it will be a crowd pleaser and of course the peanuts can be left out if you are worried about food allergies.