CHRISTEPHI

My first Christmas as a married woman I tried my hand at gingerbread men and have continued to make them every Christmas since. I prefer them plain because they're just that good, but of course there's a lot of fun to be had in decorating gingerbread men (and boys and girls)! Today we packed up our cookie cutters and went to a friend's house for a rollicking good time baking and decorating gingerbread men. Most of the decorating was done by the kids (who have not yet learned the wisdom of "less is more"), but here's one I made as a sample for the kids to see how to use the supplies. ----------------------- Gingerbread Men Cream together until smooth: 2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup sugar Stir in: 1 cup molasses 2 egg yolks In a separate bowl, mix together: 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg...

Do you ever discover a wrinkled old apple in the bottom of your produce drawer?  It's not moldy or rotten, just soft and wrinkly and old.  What do you do with it?  No one is going to eat it like that! Do you throw it away?  Or does the truism of our ancestors come to mind: Waste not, want not. Rescue that apple!  Don't throw it away, but transform it into something scrumptious and satisfying.  Once you rescue the apple and turn it into these delicious muffins, the muffins in turn might rescue you on a busy day as a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack.   Now doesn't that sound like a winner? Apple Rescue Muffins Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix thoroughly: 1 egg 3/4 c. milk 1/2 c. applesauce In a separate bowl, sift together: 2 c. flour 1/3 c. sugar 3 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt 1 t. cinnamon 1/2 c. peeled, finely chopped apples  1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional, I never do) Combine dr...

I love discovering new recipes online.  I hardly use cookbooks (but I pin plenty of recipes on Pinterest ). I'm always trying new recipes and I've decided to try to post more of our family's favorites on my blog this year! Tonight I made delicious fish nuggets and hush puppies!  Hubby said they taste exactly like Long John Silver's.  I'd like to think they taste even better.  They were a big hit!! I made both nuggets and hush puppies at the same time, frying them together in batches in the oil. Fish Nuggets Ingredients 3-4 fish fillets, I used swai fillets 3/4 cup flour 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. onion powder 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 3/4 cup water enough oil to fill a large skillet about 1 inch deep Instructions Cut fish into 2-inch pieces. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add water and stir until just combined. Heat oil to between...

I've been trying to introduce more whole grains to my family. The problem is they're quite picky when it comes to the bread they'll eat.  I've tried making my Country Buttermilk Bread with half whole wheat flour before, but unfortunately it was a no-go with Hubby and the munchkins. I've been making hot cereal for breakfasts since it's such a nice way to warm up on cold winter mornings, but I invariably have leftovers, so I've tried my hand at making oatmeal bread.  I've played with ratios and flours and sugars and have finally come up with what we consider to be a stellar loaf of bread!  For the past few weeks it has even replaced our staple Country Buttermilk! Leftover Oatmeal Bread (yield: 2 loaves) Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups leftover oatmeal* 1/2 cups warm water 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup whole wheat flour 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons vital wheat gluten 1/4 cup brown sugar 3-4 teaspoons yeast Directions ...

Ahh! I just realized I haven't blogged our Adventures in U.S. History since Week 26!!  What happened?!  We've just been plugging away contentedly at our work and are nearing the end of our school year.  So, while I go get myself sorted and whip up the rest of our weekly reviews for you, I thought you might like to see our latest project. A Cocoa Krispie Sod House Ingredients: 6 tablespoons butter 6 cups miniature marshmallows 9 cups cocoa krispies 3/4 cup fancy shredded coconut ("fancy" looks more like grass, but any shredded coconut will work) green food coloring extra butter or cooking spray Also needed: large sauce pan (or large microwave safe bowl) wooden spoon jelly roll pan or cookie sheet waxed paper small glass bowl fork knife clean scrap of cardboard popsicle sticks kitchen shears Directions: Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Don't let the butter brown!  When melted, add in the marshmallows and s...

Hubby and the kids are huge fans of King's Hawaiian rolls.  I was spoiled by homemade bread growing up, so I don't care for the processed taste/texture, but more than that, my pocketbook just can't take the hit on a regular basis! In order to make everyone happy, I embarked on a quest to find the perfect roll recipe.  It had to be sweet (very sweet, actually!) to please Hubby and soft to please the kids.  After quite a few tweaks and trial runs, I've settled on this as the perfect Hawaiian sweet roll recipe. Ingredients 1 cup milk 1 cup pineapple juice (can substitute pear or apple juice, or water for a less sweet roll) 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, slightly cooled 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons wheat gluten 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown, we liked it both ways!) 3 teaspoons yeast (3 1/2 if planning to freeze the rolls before baking) I made mine in the bread machine (as usual), but you ...

Crazy bread is one of my favorite breads to make.  It's versatile and forgiving.  It makes a great accompaniment to dinner or a perfect afternoon snack for the kids.  And it's hard to mess up! Add 1 cup warm water to a small mixing bowl.  I use water that is just slightly warmer than body temperature -- warm enough to wake up the yeast, but not so warm that it'll kill it. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar and stir to dissolve.  You can use white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, anything that'll "feed" the yeast. Sometimes I mix some parmesan cheese into the dough too! So yummy! Sprinkle one .25 ounce envelope of yeast over the water.  Or if you're like me and buy yeast in bulk, use two heaping teaspoons.  Stir the yeast into the sugar water and allow it to rest about 10 minutes until the surface is foamy. Meanwhile, measure out 2 cups of flour into a large bowl.  I use bread flour, but all-purpose will work.  Or try substituting wh...

When Hubby and I were first married, I had a bread machine, but I couldn’t keep up with our bread needs since I was a full time student and later had a full time job.  Add in California commute times and it just wasn’t feasible.  So we mostly bought our bread.  We favored a particular brand of Country Buttermilk bread.  At over $4 a loaf, it wasn’t cheap, but there were only two of us and it was convenient. Fast forward several years and the number of mouths to feed has doubled.  Not to mention my kids LOVE their carbs!  Buying that bread is no longer an option.  And since I stay home AND have the help of my trusty bread machine, I have no excuses either! I took the original “white bread” recipe that came with the bread machine and over the years I’ve tweaked it according to our tastes.  My machine can bake a 2 pound loaf.  I use it to mix the dough, but not to bake it.  And I add the ingredients in this order (even though that’s no...