Yep, another bread recipe.  But this one actually rises enough to be an actual sandwich type bread.  Many of them are too short to make a really decent sandwich.  This one fixes that.  It's good, and we ate it all up right away.  I'm actually considering making another batch today.  This recipe was found via Pinterest  at Annie's Eats.

I didn't get a picture of it cut, and for that I apologize.  Maybe if I do wind up making more today, I'll get an updated picture of that part.  I may even make myself a sandwich!







Ingredients

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp. honey

2 ¼ tsp instant yeast

Directions:

Put the rack in your oven at the lowest position, and preheat your oven to 200*F.  Once it's reached 200*, let it stay there for ten minutes, then turn it off.  Don't open the door.

Meanwhile, mix 3&1/2 cups of the flour with the salt in a large bowl of a mixer.  In another bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients (minus the remaining flour).  Start your mixer and slowly add in the wet ingredients.  Increase the speed to medium and let mix for about 10 minutes, adding a tablespoon of flour at a time as needed after five minutes to keep the mixture doughy and not sticky. 

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball.  Place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and put in the warmed oven.  Let double in size; about 40-50 minutes. 

On a floured surface, work the dough into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick and no longer than the size of your bread pan.  With long side facing you, roll into a cylinder, pressing the edges together. Turn seam up and pinch closed.  Place seam side down into a bread pan and press gently to touch all sides.   Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to double in size; about 30 minutes. 

Keep one rack in the lowest position, and another in the middle, and preheat to 350*F.   Place a pan of boiling water on the lowest rack (at least 2 cups worth).  Uncover bread and place on middle rack and bake for about 45-50 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  



My younger brother has an obsession with Tootsie Rolls.  Well, I'm not sure if it's still as huge now as it was when we were younger, but every time I see one I think of him.  So, when I found This Recipe at Taste of Home a couple years ago, I had to try it.  It was Christmastime when I found it, while scouring for yummy treats I could take and give as little gifts.  It was delicious!  When my brother's birthday came around this year, I decided to make it again, sans the M&M candies, and was just as pleased as last time.  It is very sweet, so a little goes a long way! 

I highly recommend you gather all of your ingredients, and have them measured and beside you as you do this.  You don't want to stop stirring to measure out 3&3/4 cups of powdered sugar!  It's a pain!  

Ingredients: 

• 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 cups Tootsie Rolls (about one bag's worth)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 3&3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and grease with 1 teaspoon of butter.  Set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter, Tootsie Rolls and peanut butter over low heat, stirring constantly.  
3. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Mixture will be very thick.
4. Spread into prepared pan.  Let cool for a minute, then score with a knife into squares.  If desired, top with an M&M candy (this is particularly festive for holidays).  Cool.
5. Using foil, remove from pan and break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container.

While I am a fan of lasagna, I rarely ever make it.  I know that my kids aren't too keen on the red sauced varieties, so I came up with this one.  None of the recipes I could find online matched the ingredients I had in my cupboards, so this one I just winged.  It's really the first recipe I've done all on my own.  I think it turned out pretty dang good.  I loved the crispy cheese on top.  My kids aren't too hip on spinach, though they liked the rest of it.  It made for wonderful leftovers for lunch the next day, too!

Ingredients:

• 8-10 ounces spinach, quickly cooked and wilted (I used frozen.  Fresh would be awesome.)
• 1 15-oz package of low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• about 3 cups alfredo sauce (The link is to my homemade sauce.  Jarred would be fine, too.)
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 2 cooked skinless chicken breasts (I broiled mine with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder.)
• extra shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. 
Mix together spinach, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses in a medium bowl.
In a 9x9 pan, pour a very thin layer of Alfredo sauce.  Lay 4 noodles side by side on top, to cover pan.
Spread half of the spinach and cheese mix evenly over the noodles.
Pour about a third of the Alfredo sauce over top.
Lay another layer of noodles, then spinach/cheese mix, then sauce again.
Top with one more layer of noodles.  Pour the remainder of the sauce over top.  Sprinkle with extra mozzarella.
Bake for 45-60 minutes.

(left half are peanut butter cookies, right half has chocolate chip minis thrown in!)

I've had this recipe for years and years.  I must say, it is probably one of my favorite cookies to make.  Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies that I almost always have the ingredients for.  I mean, who doesn't usually have peanut butter, sugar, an egg and some vanilla laying around?   This time, I decided to mix it up and make another batch with some mini chocolate chips thrown in. So I guess those would be 5-ingredient cookies.    Super yum! 

They can come out a bit crumbly if you try to take them off the pan too soon.  But, that just means they are broken and must be eaten, right?!  That's my viewpoint, anyway.  =)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter (can use creamy or chunky, based on your preference)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
handful or two of mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.   Lightly spray a cookie pan with cooking spray.  
Mix all the ingredients together.  If using chocolate chips, mix the first 4 ingredients together, then stir in chocolate chips until you think you have enough (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup). 
Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared pan and lightly press down.
Bake for 5-7 minutes.  They will be super soft and puffy.  Let them sit for a few minutes and cool on the pan before trying to move.  I usually use 2 pans for these, and let one batch cool while the other cooks.

  Since the Rosemary Olive Oil Bread turned out so well, I was inspired to take a shot at another type of bread.  My boyfriend requested a Honey Oat bread, so I found a recipe at Epicurious that looked promising and decided to make a go of it. 

 Once again, it came out superb.  I'm so glad I finally got over my fear of bread!  It's my new found toy.  This one came out light, and delicious.  It's another one that the kids really enjoyed, as did my boyfriend and myself.  It makes great sandwich bread.  Or, it's delicious warm with melted butter and jam.  Or honey!  

I will definitely be making this bread again. 

Ingredients:

1&3/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cups quick cooking oats
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2&1/2 teaspoons salt
about 5 cups flour

1 large egg, beaten
additional oats


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.  Let stand for 10 minutes.
2.  Mix in remaining water, oats, honey, oil and salt. 
3.  Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough.  I used probably 4 cups, maybe a bit more. 
4.  Coat a large bowl with cooking spray.  Transfer dough to bowl, and turn to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap, then a towel, and let stand until doubled in size.  About 1 hour.
5.  Oil 2 bread pans.  Punch risen dough down, and, using remaining flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, form into 2 small loaves. 
6.  Place 1 loaf in each pan.  Cover again and let rise until doubled- about 20 minutes.
7.  Preheat oven to 350*F.   Brush the tops of risen loaves with the beaten egg, and then sprinkle additional oats over top. 
8.  Bake for about 40 minutes, or until tops are golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.

I finally broke my bread-making cherry.   Not just fiddled around with it a little, but actually broke it.   We're talking yeast, kneading, punching, and everything!  

 If you've read my blog before, you probably know that I am a big fan of the Artisan Bread that I've worked with in the past.  It's a yeast bread, but requires no kneading or punching- the two aspects of bread making that have daunted me the most.   It is a very tasty bread, and makes a superb pizza crust.  However, I had made it enough times that I was starting to get bored, and all of these recipes for all of these super tasty breads kept popping up everywhere- making my mouth water and my hands itch to make them! 

 I found this recipe for Rosemary Olive Oil Bread and, being the huge rosemary fan that I am, I had to try it.  I had everything right there in my kitchen, just begging to be used.  I read through the recipe a few times and thought, "It really doesn't sound that difficult."

 I was so right.  *high five*

It was absolutely delicious.  Even my kids ate it up!  It seriously didn't last more than a couple of days.  It has a very strong flavor- I will warn you.  Of course, I probably put in a tad bit more rosemary than the recipe called for.  But, if you are a fan of rosemary, you will adore this bread. 
Make sure to wrap it when not in use though.  It did get a little tough when left out overnight (once cut open).  But, not enough to keep us from munching it right to the crumbs!  It would be absolutely divine with some soup.  I'm thinking some Zuppa Toscana.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

So, seriously-  If you've wanted to try your hand at baking bread, but have been put off by all the kneading and punching and stuff, (and you like rosemary) try this bread.  Super easy.  Super tasty!

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat flour, + more for kneading
1 egg, whisked
1 tablespoon water
extra rosemary


Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine the water, sugar, and yeast.  Let sit for 10 minutes.
2.  Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, pepper, and olive oil.  Add the flour and stir until the dough forms a ball.  Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes.
3.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 
4.  Punch down the dough and form into a round loaf.  Cover and let rise until doubled; about 45 minutes.
5.  Preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400*F.  When dough has risen, combine whisked egg with the water, and brush overtop the dough.  Sprinkle with extra rosemary.  
6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until top is golden and it sounds hollow when tapped.