Cannoli's

Every once in a while I watch a netflix show called "Cake Boss". On one of the shows, the bakery made cannolis for a customer appreciation day. They looked so yummy, and since then I have always wanted to make and try them.

I am the proud new owner of a pizzelle (Italian waffle cookie) iron. Last night my brother and I made some cannolis shells. We had a little left over whip cream in the fridge, so we modified it, and filled a few shells. I must say, all my dreams came true! I changed the recipe I had, so below are some pictures of a gingerbread type of cannoli.
The batter:
The Press:
The finished pizzlles and cannoli shells:
Today I am going make some filling. :) You don't have to have a pizzelle iron to make these cookies. You can use a nonstick skillet, they just don't have the pretty design. . . .

If anyone wants the recipe, eave a comment, and I will try and post it in a few days.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Blender Giveaway

I have a Vita Mix Blender and I love it! I have been using it a lot whilst making and consuming raw foods. On Fab Frugal Foods, they are giving away a Blend Tech Blender, which is a competitor to the Vita Mix. Check it out here if you are interested.

Bell Pepper Recipes?!

Does any one have a fabulous bell pepper recipe?

I love to make kabobs and fajitas. I have made an occasional stuffed bell pepper. In the pepper department I mostly have green bell peppers, but I also have some banana peppers, tomatoes, fresh rosemary, basil, parsley, and oregano. If anyone has an amazing recipe involving bell peppers PLEASE SHARE!

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog and shares information. :)

Bottling Tomatoes

I harvested these from my garden! This is more tomatoes than I have ever picked in a whole season from any plant I have ever grown. (yes, I am very excited!) My dear sweet neighbor gave me a bunch of tomatoes too, so I decided to try and bottle some of the beautiful tomatoes. It was not very hard. You basically clean them and cut any bad parts off. Then, you slip the skins, cut them to the desired size, cook them or pack them straight in the bottle, and then process them. This many tomatoes makes almost 5 quarts.
I decided to do diced/crushed tomatoes. I cooked them for a little while, then added 1/2 tsp. of Citric Acid to each quart. Then I boiling water bathed them for 55 minutes.
Oops! I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. I must have forgotten while processing them. Anyway, they turned out great! Hooray, another bottling experience under my belt. :)

I love Granola Bars!

Granola bars are one of my favorite snacks! They are a yummy breakfast or an anytime/on the go snack. My only problem is that they are so darn expensive, and they are not always the most healthy. I love the ones that taste more like a candy bar, but I should not be eating them for breakfast. So, several months ago I found this recipe and it is now my favorite granola bar recipe. Click here for the recipe.
The recipe calls for raisins, but I rarely actually put raisins in. The above pictured granola bars have Craisins (left) and Chocolate Chips (right) in them. I have also omitted them completely and used peanuts instead or something else, depending on who will be eating them and what I have in my kitchen. Well, if you try this recipe, I hope you enjoy it!

Bok Choy Chicken Soup

I ordered an "Asian Pack" of food last time I ordered a Bountiful Basket. It came with a huge head of Bok Choy. I have never had Bok Choy in my life, neither had my husband, so I searched out a recipe. The recipe below is what I found at chinesefood.about.com. (I made modifications and they are in italics).

Bok Choy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken broth --I did four, I like to have extra broth.
  
• 10 leaves bok choy, thinly sliced --I only added about 7, the stalks I had were HUGE!
  
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil --I didn't have any of this, so I just left it out. I think it would be even yummier with this!
  
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cubed
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
  
• 1 cup carrots, bias sliced.
  

Preparation:

Place oil in medium sauce pan, when hot, add garlic. Cook garlic for about 1 minute, then add the chicken. Cook chicken until brown and almost cooked through. Add chicken broth and Bring the chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the seasonings (the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, Asian sesame oil), and the chopped garlic(we already added the garlic).

Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, then

Add the bok choy. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, until the bok choy leaves turn dark green and are wilted and tender. Serves 4 to 5.

If you try it, hope you enjoy it!

Artisan Bread Recipe

I posted a picture of some Artisan Bread that I made a while ago. I was asked for the recipe, so here it is. . . I got the recipe from my sister, who has a book called something like; "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes a Day". If you want a more detailed recipe, purchase the book. :)

Okay, so here is my basic version:

3C. Water, luke warm

1 ½ T. yeast

1 ½ T. Kosher or lg. grain salt (table salt, use 1 T.)

6 ½ C. Unbleached white flour

corn meal (to set bread on to rise)

Mix yeast, salt, & water in large container (with lid). Add flour, and mix.

Let rise on counter for about 2 hours—till dough rises, then falls (or at least flattens). While dough is rising rest the lid on top of the container, do not snap lid on.

Place in fridge, let rest 5-6 hours (or over night).

The dough will last about two weeks in the fridge. When ready to bake a loaf, take about ¼ of the dough and form a loaf with a light dusting of flour on the outside. You do not need to knead this bread. You can if you feel you must, but you don't need to. (I am adding some dried tomatoes and fresh Rosemary to a couple of loaves--this is my favorite way to consume this bread).
Once your loaves are formed, place them on a mobile flat surface lined or covered with a generous layer of cornmeal. Let dough rest about 40 minutes. 20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a baking stone placed on center rack. Put an empty broiler tray on the bottom shelf while it preheats. Before placing bread in oven to bake, dust the top with flour then slice it with a knife. Slide bread onto stone then add 1 C. water to broiler pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
When the bread is done, it should look about like this. I made two loaves with tomatoes to show you the importance of keeping the dried tomatoes and herbs inside of the loaf. If you sprinkle them on the outside, they become ash-like. If some are exposed when you slice open the loaf, they are generally still okay and even yummy.
If you fold the tomato mixture into the loaf, instead of kneading it in, this is what your bread slices will look like. . . Yummy!
It took me a few days to find the time to sit down and finish this post, so I hope you enjoy this recipe! It is an easy and great way to add a fresh loaf of bread to any meal.

Cucumbers-->Pickles!

Two weeks ago I had the chance to get a 50 lb. case of pickling cucumbers from a produce co-op I am involved with. So...I made pickles! The cukes were cheap, so I decided to get a case and try out a few recipes. This way I know what I and/or my family like for future gardening endeavors.
The first recipe I made was a Sweet Relish recipe I got from one of my friends. I have never really eaten relish on, well, anything. This relish is really yummy! I am glad I now have ten pint jars of it, and my friend has her three year supply too! :)

The second recipe I tried was Cucumber Chips. They are another sweet pickle, and I thought they turned out nicely. I even julienne sliced them, so they are not only tasty, but pretty too! I am not sure if every chip is crispy...but they have a good flavor. In the future I am going to have to hunt down some Calcium Chloride to ensure that every slice is crispy.

The third recipe I am trying is a Deli Dill Pickle recipe from my sister's "Ball Complete Book of Home Canning" recipe book. I don't have a picture of them yet because they must sit for another week or two to brine on my counter top. So far they smell good! Hopefully they bottle well too when the time comes.
I had enough cucumbers to do one more batch of something, but I ended up giving them away so I could start on another project which I will have to post about soon. (Reupholstering some seats in a little toy hauler/trailer we bought).

Whole Wheat Rolls and Artisan Bread

Last summer my dad grew some Hard Red Wheat in Hurricane. I bought about 20 buckets worth from him. I think this wheat makes the yummiest bread I have ever eaten. (it's kind of like Great Harvest Bread...). I have made MANY loaves of bread, but a couple of weeks ago I attempted rolls. I thought they turned out really well. I made two pans. One pan for a Relief Society activity and the other pan I fed to my family and the sister missionaries.
I must also say, I absolutely LOVE my Vita Mix Blender! I bought it last September and I have enjoyed using it everyday since the day I bought it. It makes my life so much easier, now I can make freshly ground whole wheat bread anytime my family wants it.



This year I have been attempting to make more exciting things at home, rather than going out. I find it is much cheaper and more comfortable to have formal meals and fun meals in the comfort of our own home. This way, when my boys make huge messes, we don't have to apologize and make someone else clean it up. . .

Okay, so my sister shared this recipe with me called something like "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day". I love it! I have made Plain and Sourdough Artisan Bread as well as Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil/Rosemary/Oregano Bread. It has all turned out really yummy! Bread making is lots of fun. I want to make heart rolls for my sweetheart on Valentine's Day.

Sister Missionaries

In December I went on splits with Hermana Yost (Sister Yost, she is a Spanish speaking missionary) a couple of times. It was so fun. I always wanted to serve a mission, but I ended up gettin' hitched instead. :) A choice which I have been very well pleased with. (Yes, my hubby is fabulous) Anyway, it was really neat to get a glimpse of the life of a missionary. A little over a week ago Hermana Yost called me to make a dinner appointment. I was so excited. I had never had the privilege of feeding any missionaries before last week.
Sister Yost had a new companion from Mexico and I got to feed Hermana Tatelpa her very first meal in the United States.
We had homemade chicken noodle soup, build your own sandwiches with homemade whole wheat rolls, and fresh orange slices. The oranges were really sweet too.

We had a wonderful meal together and I think I will always remember these wonderful Sisters!

Maybe tomorrow I will post a picture of my rolls. It was my first time every making fresh ground whole wheat rolls. I thought they turned out really yummy!

Sprouting--Wheat grass

I have been making my own sprouts for a while. I started with wheat, which--in my opinion--is the easiest thing to sprout. From what I understand, sprouted wheat is the most nutritious and nutrient rich way to consume wheat. I eat wheat sprouts in salads or ground up in bread, muffins, or some other baked concoction. I have always just used a cookie sheet and some paper towels for sprouting.
Last summer I decided to bite the bullet and invest about 15 dollars in a "Master Sprouter". I have since taken on sprouting beans, seeds, and other grains. It is sometimes an adventure. I think broccoli sprouts are rather strong smelling and must be kept WELL DRAINED.
The picture below is some wheat grass I grew in a cookie sheet. I was inspired to try it when my family and I stopped at a Jamba Juice during our holiday travels and I saw that people charge almost three dollars for a small shot of wheat grass juice. I feel I had success growing it, but I don't have a juicer. I blended the wheat grass in a smoothie and it was a waste of a perfectly good blueberry banana smoothie. :( The smoothie was yummy, but the wheat grass...blah!

The process for growing is easy. You need a pan with shallow sides (this makes it easy for draining). Some paper towels, a couple cups of wheat and a vegetable sprayer or water bottle is a plus.
Line the pan with a layer of paper towels. Rinse wheat thoroughly, then spread wheat berries onto paper towel. Cover with another layer of paper towels. Moisten towels. Keep them moist for a couple of days.
After a couple of days you will have wheat sprouts. Once sprouts grow little green grass starts, remove the top paper towel. Now just rinse and thoroughly drain the little seedlings every morning and night. Once it grows fairly tall, you can trim it for use. If you keep it well drained and trimmed it will last for several clippings.

If anyone has a great way to consume wheat grass or its juice, please, do share!

Gingerbread

For Christmas last month I made two gingerbread houses. I now have a much greater appreciation for people who make gingerbread houses. It was a lot of work, but loads of fun too!

I have a few tips for myself to remember for next year; Don't be afraid to use plenty of flour when rolling out the dough, this way it will be easier to transfer the dough to a cookie sheet. I made my own template from the measurements given in the recipe. The best way to cut out the house is to roll out the dough, cut out the house panels, then transfer them to the cookie sheets. Bake. Right after pulling the gingerbread out of the oven place template back on gingerbread and re-cut panels. This is also the time to add windows and doors. Once all desired cuts are made, let gingerbread cool. If you want "glass windows", caramelize some sugar and carefully pour the liquid sugar into the window areas.

Here are a couple of pictures of one of the gingerbread houses I made. If you look closely, you can see the star windows...


The roof is made of an assortment of Chex.


The amazing fire was made by my talented little brother. He used orange Tootsie Rolls. Yes, he is rather brilliant!


The quickest way to assemble the house is through using caramelized sugar, but you have to work fast because the sugar will cool and harden quickly.



I had leftover dough when I was done making houses, so I made little gingerbread cookies and my little ones LOVED them!

Foodies

There is a fabulous giveaway for a gorgeous candy-apple red kitchen aid mixer at this website! Anyone who is interested in some fun recipes and creations for all year, check out this site! It is great, and like I said before, they are having a fabulous giveaway! Here is their web address:

http://www.fabfrugalfood.com/

Good luck to all you culinary geniuses out there! May the most lucky cook win!