Monday, September 24, 2012

Homemade Baking Mix

I used to make this all the time when we lived in Avon. I think I lost the recipe when we moved, and didn't think of it for a long time. I was happy to find this one today. So I'm putting it on my blog where I won't lose it. I use baking mix for biscuits, short cake, and dumplings. I usually add herbs and Parmesan cheese to the biscuits and dumplings. My family loves chicken and dumplings.

Frugal Tip: Homemade Baking Mix

http://homefront.prudentliving.com/frugal-tip-homemade-baking-mix/

September 24, 2012

Published August 21, 2012 | By Nancy

Did you know you can make your own “better than Bisquick” recipe at home? It’s very easy and you can store it in your freezer or refrigerator and it will be good for 2-3 months. A friend of mine gave me this recipe years ago, you can use it in any recipe calling for Bisquick such as biscuits, muffins, pancakes, waffles or any other type of dish.
Ingredients:
In a large bowl, stir the dry ingredients together. Mix thoroughly.

Combine all dry ingredients.

Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mix is the consistency of corn meal.

Cut shortening into dry ingredients.putting it on my

Place the mix in a covered container and keep it in a cool, dark place. In warm weather it should be refrigerated. I keep my container in the refrigerator. Makes about 13 cups. Remember to label your container with the date!

Store in a covered container.

LearningTheFrugalLife, RaisingHomemakers, FrugallySustainable, TheThriftyHome,WeAreThatFamily, JugglingActMama, Thrifty101

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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Homemade Hot Sauce

I'm harvesting hot peppers now. I have cherry peppers, jalapenos, and chili peppers. Wonderful! I'm drying some in the oven, since I don't have a dehydrator (are you listening, Santa?), stringing some up to hang over my kitchen sink in the window, and freezing some minced in olive oil (I freeze them in ice cube trays - I wonder if my ice cubes will taste spicy now?). I'm also using up several in making V-8 juice with my cherry and roma tomatoes.

Mollie and Eli love hot sauce. Maybe I'll give them each some for Christmas.
I'm also pondering what to give Don Wenner, as I have his name in the Putzig family drawing. Maybe something for his grill, like spices or scented woods? Do they grill in New Mexico in the winter?
I'll keep thinking about this.

Hot Sauce Made from Dried Peppers
Ingredients:
5 large or about 12 small dried peppers
apple cider vinegar
sea salt
water

Instructions

- 1
  
  Open the pepper, and discard the stem and seeds. Heat your peppers in a hot cast iron skillet or other heavy metal frying pan over a high flame. You don't want to roast the pepper, just warm it a little. The heat will soften the pepper's tissue.
- 2
  
  Toss the hot dried peppers into your blender, and add 1 cup of hot water. You can use any combination of dried peppers, depending on your taste. Plan on using about five large or 12 small dried peppers per cup of water. Add 1 tsp. of sea salt and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.
- 3
  
  Cover and turn on the blender. Keep it at a medium speed for three to four minutes or until the the peppers are well-blended. The liquid should be a smooth red consistency that will coat the back of a spoon. It should have a strong pepper smell along with a trace of vinegar.
- 4
  
  Pour the hot sauce into a bottle sterilized with boiling water. Cap and place in the refrigerator. Don't use it while the flavor develops during the following week. It will continue to ripen as it ages. Use it on tacos, enchiladas, fried eggs or any other food.

V-8 Juice

http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2012/08/24/wow-i-could-have-made-my-own-v-8-can-your-own-hot-and-spicy-tomato-juice/ This is where I got this recipe.

Wow – I Could Have Made My Own V-8!” Can Your Own Hot and Spicy Tomato Juice

Aug24by oldworldgarden

An easy way to make some hot and spicy tomato juice to can!

So as the garden season nears the end – are you are left with still more tomatoes and peppers? Here is a quick and easy recipe to turn those extras into a great tasting hot and spicy tomato juice.
Although regular canned tomato juice is fantastic to use throughout the year – how about turning a few of those canned jars into a hot and spicy tomato juice drink. Not only is it a great tasting and refreshing drink – but you can use it to liven up homemade chili, make a spicy spaghetti sauce, or use as a great base for a bloody mary.
Here’s How:
( This recipe will make enough to can about 6 quarts of juice )
Start with the following garden fresh ingredients:

Tomato juice is a great way to use up those ripening tomatoes on the vine

40 to 50 medium tomatoes (Use them all up here – Roma, Celebrity, Big Boy and any others you have)
2 onions (sweet yellow or vidalia work best)
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
4 jalapeno peppers
4 cayenne peppers
2 seranno peppers
4 Cajun Belles (optional)
4 cloves of garlic
If you have a food processor – chop up all the above ingredients (seeds and all) into a liquidy pulp and place on low to medium heat and cook down for an hour or so, stirring often to avoid scorching the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have a food processor – no worries – just chop up into small pieces and throw in a large pot and cook down..it may take a little longer – but it works just as well. The important thing is to get the tomato and vegetable mixture soft and cooked down to run it easily through a strainer or food mill.
When the mixture has heated and cooked down – strain it through a food mill into a clean pot to remove all of the skins and seeds.

Now add your spices (add to taste – some like a little more – some a little less)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of celery salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
Heat on a low simmering boil for another 30 to 45 minutes.
Simply can up into quart jars, put on your lids and then water bath for 30 minutes. (You can also pressure can it for 12 minutes instead of the water bath) You are left with some great tasting hot and spicy tomato juice around to enjoy through the winter months! – Jim and Mary
Shared on Little House In The Suburbs DIY, Funky JunkSaturday Night Special,Homestead Revival Barn Hop and Frugally Sustainable

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Dough1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 package yeast (1/4 ounce)

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Filling
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened

Spread for Cinnamon Roll Dough1/4 cup butter, softened

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Icing
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe Instructions

Microwave the milk for 45 to 60 seconds. Then, dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Dust your hands lightly with flour and then hand knead the cinnamon roll dough into a large ball.

Put the ball of dough into a bowl that is sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for roughly 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. We turned the oven on and then put the cinnamon roll dough on top of the stove. The heat generated caused the dough to rise.

Once your dough has risen, it’s time to move on to the next step. In a new, small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix them well. Spray a flat surface with cooking spray or sprinkled flour. Roll out your dough ball into a 16″ x 21″ rectangle roughly 1/4 inches thick then spread a 1/4 cup of softened butter on the dough. Next, sprinkle the rolled, buttered dough evenly with the sugar/cinnamon/butter mixture you prepared in your small bowl.

Roll up the dough starting with the longer side and cut into fourteen (14) cinnamon rolls (or more smaller rolls, if you prefer). Place the cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 11″ x 15″ glass baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and let the cinnamon rolls rise until nearly doubled, which should take around 30 minutes. Note that in our Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe, we had made two (2) of the fourteen (14) cinnamon rolls consist of the “end” pieces that weren’t as developed or good as the other twelve (12).

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes (we used a professional General Electric gas-range oven at 20 minutes exactly). The dough should still be soft, though fully cooked, especially toward the center of the rolls.

As your cinnamon rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt for the Cinnabon cinnamon roll icing. The icing should be spread on your cinnamon rolls when they are still warm, shortly after being taken out of the oven so that the frosting melts into the cinnamon rolls. This is reportedly part of the official Cinnabon process according to some of the employees.

Recipe copied from Joshuakennon.com

Fried potatoes

I make these for breakfast, along with turkey bacon, scrambled eggs and toast or tortillas.
When I make mashed potatoes, I leave tha skin on some, and make enough that I have extras for this. If you want to start from scratch, scrub, quarter, and boil at least 4 thin-skinned potatoes.. Then put them on a ziplock bag in the fridge, where they will be good for 3-4 days.

1/4 onion, chopped into pieces a little smaller than a fingernail.
1 lb or so boiled potatoes, cut into bite- size pieces. Don't make them too small or they won't stay moist in the middle while crisp on the surface when done.
Olive oil for frying
Adobo seasoning
Black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Fry all together in frying pan over medium high heat until lightly brown and crunchy on the surface.
These can also be mixed with chopped bacon, green peppers, mushrooms, Colby jack or cheddar cheese, and scrambled eggs for a "Breakfast Dinner."
Serve with fresh fruit or homemade applesauce, and homemade bread toasted or fried, for a great meal.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Chicken Marinade for Gyros, Etc.

4 cloves garlic, minced
Lemon, juiced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1Tbl minced oregano (fresh is best. I put it into an ice cube tray with the olive oil and freeze it)
2 whole chicken breasts, skinless, cut into slices
Put all into ziplock bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour

Chocolate Chip Chunk Cookies

1 cup butter, softened (room temperature: soft but not melted)
1cup white sugar
1cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Beat well and add dry ingredients already mixed:
3 cups flour
1 Tbp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Mix well and add:
1c milk chocolate morsels
1 1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Cream together the butter and both sugars in a hand mixer or stand mixer, for 2-4 minutes on medium. It should be light and fluffy. This helps the sugar melt into the butter and adds air. For more on creaming butter and sugar, go here: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2015/04/27/creaming-butter-sugar
Then add the 2 eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined and smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients into a sifter and sift into the bowl to mix.
Add half of this at a time to the wet ingredients and mix until you can't see any more flour and the mixture looks consistent (no dry/crumbly spots). Once it looks consistent, stop mixing. Otherwise they'll turn out flatter/crisper.
Then stir in chocolate chips and chunks.

Refrigerate dough until chilled. If necessary, you might need to cook up 6 right away just to keep the vultures at bay. Then cook as needed at 375 for about 9 minutes, depending on how big you make them. Don't use a darkened pan. No need to grease pan. Cook just until the cookies look dry and let cool on pan for a few minutes before removing to rack or plate. Step back for safety from voracious hordes.