Pizza Crust (thin)

*updated April 21, 2014: I've found I can get a great thin, crispy crust on a pizza pan with holes in it.

I'm a thin-crust kind of person, well, more accurately, a Niakwa Pizza kind of person. This is from www.recipezaar.com. It's #95048. If I really work this dough and stretch it, I can make it (almost) fit an 11x15 baking sheet. I just copied and pasted from the site:

makes 8 slices

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce

your choice of pizza toppings

* pepperoni
* precooked bacon
* tomato, sliced
* green pepper
* mozzarella cheese, shredded
* chopped garlic

Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water.

Let sit for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile mix flour and salt.

Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.

Turn onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.

Spread into a 12-14" circle.

(I do this directly onto a pizza stone with a marble rolling pin).

If you roll it out on a counter top, transfer to a greased pizza pan, stretching to edges.

Cover with sauce and desired topping.

Bake at 500 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until edges are golden.

Pizza Crust (thick)

I'm glad the white recipe book isn't copyrighted because the entire thing might be typed out here over the next number of months! But, I can't say it enough, it's the best recipe book ever. This is one of my recipes and it probably has the most variations of anything I make (other than buns maybe). I found it on allrecipes.com (of course) and it's called "Jay's Signature Pizza Crust" and it's currently rated at four-and-a-half stars with 2000+ reviews. Check it out because I'm sure people have posted many interesting ideas and variations there as well.

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.

Turn dough out onto a clean, well-floured surface, and knead more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form into a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza on a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 to 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes:
I find the crust turns out best if I bake the crust for 15 minutes before topping it. This prevents a soggy crust.

This is enough dough for a thick-crusted pizza in an 11x15 baking sheet. (ha ha, that reminds me of my friend LaDawn, who never experienced a rectangular pizza before she saw my Mom make it that way!)

This is also enough for approximately 4 individual sized pizzas, made in foil or glass pie plates. Or you could put them on a baking sheet or stone a well, I guess.

A while back I was on a huge multi-grain flour kick, and I've noted in my book that it's good with multi-grain flour.

My favorite variation is to add (real) Parmesan cheese into the crust, as well as basil and garlic powder. I have no idea about quantities though, so let's say maybe 1/2 cup Parm, maybe 1 tsp (dried) basil, and 1 tsp garlic powder?? That's totally a guess. I incorporate them while I'm kneading the dough.

September 10, 2012: rolled out one batch of this dough till it was thin, spread it with pizza toppings (sauce, pepperoni, cheese), rolled it up and cut it like cinnamon buns. I put them into a greased baking dish, let them rise for another 30 minutes, baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. The plan is to freeze them individually and have them ready to reheat for weekday lunches when Tava and Ella come home from school!

Baby Cereal Cookies

I don't have a baby in my household anymore, but if I put this recipe here, I can toss my paper copy! This is from the Healthy Baby program I attended in the Fort Rouge neighbourhood when Tava was born. Here it is:

This recipe was originally produced by Heinz but has been modified.

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (you can substitute 1/2 cup brown or white sugar for the molasses)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 egg (after 12 months only -- before 12 months, substitute 1 ripe banana or 1 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups dry baby cereal (any flavor)
3 Tbsp breast milk, formula, or whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Lightly cream margarine (or butter) and molasses together. Mix in egg (or banana) and vanilla.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cereal together. Blend into creamed mixture.

Mix in milk. Combine thoroughly. Drop onto greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. These cookies may spread flat during baking. If you would like a less flat cookie, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more flour or baby cereal.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Substitutions allow you to make the recipe according to ingredients you have at home and also according to the needs of your baby.

Iron content: 1.4 to 1.6 mg per cookie

Rice Krispie Caramel Squares

This recipe is from my step-sister, Trish Klippenstein.

8 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup butter
2 x 250g mini marshmallows

14 oz caramels (Kraft), about 50
1/4 cup butter
1 can condensed milk

Start caramel mixture first, melting the three ingredients together in the microwave.

Make Rice Krispie squares by melting butter and marshmallows together. Keep 100 g marshmallows aside to be added on top of caramel layer.

Press 3/4 of the Rice Krispie mixture into a 9x13 pan.

Spread melted caramel, add remaining marshmallows.

Top with remaining Rice Krispies, keeping hands quite damp to prevent it from sticking to hands.

Cool in the fridge to allow ingredients to set.

Notes:
I prefer the original brand Rice Krispies cereal and not store brand.

I melted the 3/4 cup of butter that is required for this recipe, which I don't think I've done before. I tossed the mini marshmallows in the 1/2 cup of melted butter before microwaving it. This really helped with preventing the marshmallows from sticking all over the inside of my bowl.

I only needed to microwave the marshmallows for 2 minutes before they were ready to mix with the cereal. You're going to want a huge bowl to mix this. I used my biggest Tupperware bowl. I don't know what it's called, but it's giant; one of the biggest bowls they sell.

Brunch Enchiladas

This is another allrecipes.com find. I've made it a number of times, but not recently. Reading the recipe I'm wondering why I haven't had it in a while! Sounds delicious.

1 pound cooked ham, chopped
3/4 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
10 (7 inch) flour tortillas
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash hot pepper sauce

1. Place ham in food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Mix together ham, green onions, and green peppers. Spoon 1/3 cup of the ham mixture and 3 tablespoons shredded cheese onto each tortilla, then roll up. Carefully place filled tortillas, seam side down, in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, cream, and milk, flour, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce. Pour egg mixture over tortillas. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake about 3 minutes more, or until cheese melts. Let stand a least 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Satay for Barbecuing

This is again from The White Recipe Book and was submitted by Daphne Thiessen. She added the comment that this is also a great sauce for chicken.

4 - 6 pork loin chops or chicken breasts, visible fat trimmed
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tsp sweet chili sauce or a few dashes of hot pepper sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Cut pork into cubes or thin slices. Thread onto skewers. Set aside. Mix all sauce ingredients. Set aside 1/3 of sauce to brush on meat during BBQing. Heat remaining 2/3 sauce in microwave for several minutes until thick and hot. Stir in additional water if needed until sauce is a good dripping consistency. BBQ meat skewers until done, basting with sauce during last several minutes. Serve skewers with remaining sauce on the side. Jasmine rice (sometimes called scented rice) makes a great, authentic Indonesian accompaniment to this.

Our Grandma Schmidt

I don't know how to capture the fullness in my heart from this incredible woman and put it into words. In my inadequate but sincere attempt, I'd have to first express my deepest gratitude to her generous and gracious family who shared her with us and as much as she was "adopted" as our Grandma, her family has been like family to us as well.

My earliest recollection of Mrs. Mary Schmidt is seeing her sitting at our kitchen table in our house in Rosenfeld. I probably had just turned seven years old. She was a tall woman with white, her signature coiffed hair with its waves and rolls, and her ever-present dress. (I'm not sure if I've ever seen her wear pants other than the snow pants she wore for walking in winter and clearing the snow from her driveway.) From what I understand, she had heard about our family situation (my Mom being hospitalized with a serious but undiagnosed illness) and she came to offer her assistance to our household. She had spent several years with another family in Altona who had been in a similar situation, where a mother with young children had battled cancer.

She wasn't "Grandma" at first. She spent a lot of time at our home, caring for us kids, taking care of household responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and laundry. She spent the most time with my sister Londa who was a toddler at the time. One day Londa accidentally called her "Grandma" and we all went with it. We had another "adopted Grandma" in Mrs. Susan Dyck (who then married Mr. Jake Penner) who we had known all our lives, so it wasn't too unusual for us.

Grandma Schmidt was only in our home for five years. Londa was old enough to go to school. Randy and I were old enough to take care of things while Dad was at work. But those five years were filled with her love, compassion, her sense of humor, her faith in God, and her dedication to our family. I can't call her our nanny or housekeeper because she was so much more than that. Yes, she was paid to be with us, but I'm sure there must have been many things she didn't get paid for. She would take us to Steinbach, Winkler, MacGregor, (and even Blumenfeld waaaay back in the early years) to visit her family there. We'd have sleepovers at her place with her grandkids. We would watch her undo her hair for night and put it into two long braids and put it up again in the morning. She'd read us story after story from the Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories books (okay, I had to Google the name but I can see the books in my head). She taught me some of the basics of cooking and that pizza is cut up with a scissor. I think of her when I see portzelky (Mennonite deep fried dumpling-type things with raisins that are traditionally only made for New Years). Every time I pick up my crochet hook I remember the summer we were in MacGregor and she sat me and her granddaughter Jenny down to teach us how to crochet. Many times after school she'd ask me to spend some time crocheting and she'd help me fix my mistakes.

Even though she "retired" after those five years with our family, we still kept in close contact with her. It was quite a number of years where I don't think I saw any of her family, and then, sadly, we were all together again when Grandma died in a car accident in July of 2001 and again when my Mom died in September of 2001. (And then our other "adopted" Grandma Penner died in March of 2002.) It was great to see them, but the circumstances were tragic. I remember feeling so blessed that she had been in our lives and so grateful to her family for allowing us to share in her life and their lives and to include us as part of their family even at such a personal and difficult time.

I often think of her and miss her. I'm so glad that I told her I loved her the last time I saw her. I'm not sure how often I had said it to her, but I felt compelled to do so that day. I treasure the picture I have of she and I together at the bridal shower my Dad threw for me at the hospital with my Mom. I had asked Grandma to sit beside me that evening. I know she nurtured a rich Christian heritage in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. One of the biggest lessons I've learned from her is that people don't have to be related by genetics to be family.

Here's a YouTube link to the song, "Angels Among Us" by Alabama, which always reminds me of her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPgtSVXi63I

I believe there are angels among us
sent down to us from somewhere up above
they come to you and me in our darkest hours
to show us how to live, to teach us how to give
to guide us with the light of love

Popsicles

Okay, this is going to be a heap o' spaghetti (for those familiar with the Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti book). Last summer, my friend Christal (Giesbrecht) Barkman emailed me this recipe. It was one of those recipes that I've made many times (lots of years ago) but I don't have on file anywhere and I had completely forgotten about it. Christal and I were neighbours when we were kids and we made and ate these all the time! She says the recipe was from my Grandma Schmidt, someone who wasn't related to us but she was our nanny the first five years after my Mom got sick. Now she is someone I need to write a blog entry about! Anyway. Not an ounce of healthy in here, unless you count the water.

1 pkg kool-aid
1 pkg Jell-O
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water

Mix Kool-Aid, Jell-O and sugar in boiling water until dissolved. Add cold water. Pour into popsicle holders and freeze.

Notes:

The trick to getting the popsicles out of the mold is to run hot water over the outside of the container. You'll see when the popsicle releases from the container if you grab the popsicle handle and give it a gentle twist.

Made a batch of cherry popsicles this week with 3/4 cup of sugar and it's SO sweet! I'll try 1/2 cup next time.

Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

Having left my women's Bible study potluck contribution to the last minute, I only wanted to use ingredients I had in the house. I just halved my cinnamon/raisin bun dough recipe, so that's why some of the conversions are weird (like "1/4 Tbsp"). This is what it ended up as:

1 1/4 cups warm water
1/2 Tbsp yeast

1/6 cup oil
1/4 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

4 cups flour

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Glaze for topping:
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup milk (probably a bit less)
2 Tbsp butter

I didn't let the yeast rise when I initially added it to the water. I mixed everything together, kneaded it by hand, and added about another 1/2 cup of flour while kneading.

Mix together the second amount of sugar and cinnamon.

In a 9x13 pan, I added a few tablespoons of melted butter, a sprinkling of the chopped pecans, and a sprinkling of the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. I used a clean scissor to snip little pieces of the dough and dropped them into the pan. The pieces were the size of a loonie. When there was an even layer of dough on the bottom of the pan, I sprinkled in a bit more of the butter, pecans, and cinnamon/sugar. I kept layering it until the dough was done; three layers.

I covered it with plastic wrap and left it on the counter over night.

In the morning I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and baked it for 20 minutes. My oven is very hot, so you may want to increase the temperature to 425 and bake for a few minutes longer.

While it was baking, I made the glaze by mixing the icing sugar and milk with a fork, then I mixed in the softened butter. I microwaved it for half a minute to melt it all together. It's quite runny. As soon I pulled it out of the oven, I poured the glaze over it.

Notes:

If I had enough raisins in the house, I would have added 3/4 cup raisins (rinsed, soaked in hot water, drained before adding to the dough).

September 23, 2011: Made these again tonight. Delicious! I stirred the brown sugar into the melted butter and then heated it again so the mixture is smooth, and the sugar is dissolved. It makes it more caramel-y. I dropped each piece of dough into the butter/sugar/cinnamon topping, so each was coated. Don't know if much is gained by doing it that way instead of pouring it over the dough pieces in the pan. I made it in a Bundt pan today, so I turned down the heat to about 300 or 350 degrees and baked it for about 40 minutes. It was thoroughly baked through the center. Yum!!!

Raspberry Summer Sensation (Frozen Dessert)

Update: August 21, 2013. I love when a recipe has a heart-warming story to go with it. Below is my original post. Of course, I love playing with recipes and making yummy things. We had our dear friends, the Bowmans over for dinner tonight before they move to BC. We've been friends for nine years and we'll miss them as they follow this amazing journry God has laid out before them.

I used this basic recipe but made one chocolate and one lemon. I'll post them below. 

This is from Kraft Cooking magazine (summer 2005).

2 cups (1/2 of 1-L container) raspberry sorbet or sherbet

1 cup cold skim milk

1 pkg (4-serving size) vanilla fat-free instant pudding

3 cups thawed Cool Whip light topping

1 cup raspberries

Line 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil. Spoon sorbet into pan; freeze 10 minutes.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread pudding mixture over sorbet in pan.

Freeze 3 hours or overnight. To unmould, invert pan onto plate; remove foil. Top with raspberries just before serving. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to soften before cutting into 12 slices.

Notes:

I made this with mango sherbet and topped it with chopped mango.

I used real whipped cream (with sugar and vanilla) instead of Cool Whip.

I didn't go fat-free or light or anything. And it was good.

I think it would need more than 15 minutes to thaw and be soft enough to slice.

Endless possible variations on this one!

Chocolate:
Crushed Oreo cookies layered in loaf pan
Chocolate fudge thickly poured over them
1 box, 4 serving size, chocolate pudding mixed with
1 cup milk
3 cups Cool Whip ( I should have just used the full 1L of it)
Freeze as per instructions above

Lemon:
1 pkg lemon Jello mixed with
1 cup hot water until dissolved
Let chill until slightly thickened

Mix into 4 cups Cool Whip
Add zest of 3 lemons to get it really lemony
Dump the whole thing into a loaf pan
Top with graham crust

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp softened butter
Mix until crumbly, cover "top" of lemon dessert
Freeze as per instructions above 

Pancake Fruit Syrup

I can only handle pancakes once in a while, even though Johan and the kids eat them every single Saturday. Part of my dislike is because I can't stand the idea of pouring sugar sauce over something, much less a food that's already almost entirely unhealthy. Of course my kids could hardly stand it, but I think that's mostly because it's a change in routine, not because it tastes so bad. Besides, if they love fruit smoothies, they would also like this.

1 cup of frozen fruit (I used 4-Berry Blend by President's Choice)
1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch

I cooked the fruit until it was thawed and softened. I used my hand blender to get rid of the chunks and to mix in the corn starch. Then I added the sugar. I let it cook a little longer until it started to thicken a bit.

Johan and I ate it on pancakes with banana. No syrup. So delicious!

The kids had a little bit on their pancakes, but with lots of syrup, and no bananas.

Pizza Bun Topping

This stuff is wonderful. I got the recipe from Gloria (my step-mother).

1 lb bacon, fried and chopped up
2 cans tomato soup
1 block of cheese (I think it's 900g), shredded

Fry the bacon.

You can do this in a cooking pot or in a large bowl in the microwave. Combine the soup and the shredded cheese and bacon. Stir and heat until melted together.

Notes:
There are so many variations possible here.

I use pizza sauce instead of tomato soup.

Instead of bacon, or in addition to bacon (because why would we want to NOT have bacon?), you can use any type of meat: pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, chicken...

I also like to include veggies: onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc.

Get a bag of Kaiser buns from the Superstore when they have their bread clearance racks out, slice them in half, top them with pizza bun topping, put them on baking sheets and stick them in the freezer for an hour or couple. Then, put them into Tupperware or plastic bags and they're ready for a last-minute lunch or supper.

Put the topping into containers and put them into the freezer. When you need the topping, gently heat it in the microwave and use as needed.

I've used the topping in a "Chicken Parmigiana" type thing; putting it on top of breaded, deep fried chicken and then baking it. It was goooooood.

You can put it in a tortilla like a quesadilla.

You can use it in a grilled cheese, or it works well in a sandwich maker sandwich.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Obviously this will be unlike any pizza you've probably ever tried. Fantastic! It's a bit of work to pull it together, but so worth it! I don't remember where I got this recipe... but it's kinda Rachael Ray, isn't it?

1 pizza dough, any brand
1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese (2 cups)
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning) (eyeball it)
4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palmful cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15-17 minutes.

Pre-heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2-3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Corn Chowder with Black Beans

I've combined one of Johan's favorites (corn chowder) with one of my favorites (black bean and corn salad). It was delicious!

1 ham steak, cubed
8 cups water

1 small onion

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups corn (I used frozen, home-grown corn)

1 x 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 large cloves of garlic, minced

I tossed the meat into the pot with maybe a tablespoon of olive oil and I let it brown a bit. I added the water and let it simmer for an hour.

I took most of the meat out, and put the onion in, and let it simmer a while longer. Maybe half an hour?

I put the corn and potatoes in and cooked them till they were soft. I used my hand blender to mash it all up.

I put the meat back in, added the black beans and red pepper. I didn't blend these because I wanted the chunks of color in the soup and the texture. I added the seasonings and garlic, let it cook for another 15 minutes and it was ready to serve.

Notes:
The original recipe I use for corn chowder uses evaporated milk or cream, but I thought it didn't need the extra richness. I put cream on the table for the kids to cool their soup but I was fine without it.

I served the soup with toast. Biscuits would have been good, but I didn't have the time.

The black bean salad I make calls for cilantro. I'm not a huge fan, but if you'd want to take another step towards copying the salad, you could try adding it to the soup.

Ham Casserole

I don't know for sure, but I think this recipe is from my friend Melissa Cosens. I love a nice casserole for breakfast and this is what my family made for me for Mother's Day. It's also a good brunch potluck dish. It would be great with eggs on the side, and coffee of course.


4 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 sm. onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Mix hashbrowns, ham, cheese & onion in 1 L. casserole or 9X9 cake pan. Mix sour cream, milk & pepper lightly & pour over hashbrown mixture. Combine crumbs & butter, sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Notes:
Melissa's comments: I often don't bother with the ham & sometimes I add a can of corn. I don't either usually do the bread crumbs. Sometimes I find you need a little more of the sour cream/milk sauce & I usually add more cheese than it calls for.

My comments: I'm not a bread crumb topping kinda person either. I also wondered how it would taste with bacon instead of ham.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

I'll be including two versions -- one that I just whipped up for supper and the one I normally use when I want to make the effort. The second one is from The White Recipe Book (my name for the compilation of recipes my friends and I made) and contributed by Jen Wolfe.

3 medium sized potatoes

1 slice of fried bacon, finely chopped
1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp Miracle Whip
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

I cut long slits into the potatoes where I would be cutting them open when they're done. Easier than trying to stab a raw potato with a fork. I microwaved the potatoes on the "Baked Potato" setting, so I can't even tell you how long they were in there. I let them sit in the microwave for a while and when I could handle them, I cut them open.

In the meantime, I chopped and shredded the other ingredients and mixed everything together.

To scoop out the potatoes, I use a teaspoon and I try to leave a thin layer of potato in the skin to help it keep its shape. I was able to mash the potatoes into the other mixture with a spoon. Fill the skins with the mixture.

I put them on the grill to heat while the meat was barbecuing. They were nice and warm and had that grilled taste to them. I found them on the bland side, but it was nice because the store-bought skewers we had were super salty.

Here's Jen's version:
6 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup hot milk
1/4 cup powdered cheddar cheese product
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp pepper

For garnish:
chopped chives
chopped green onion
grated cheddar cheese

Pierce potatoes in several spots. Place on a rack in a 400 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes until tender. To test for doneness, insert sharp paring knife into center. Cool until able to handle. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp into medium bowl, leaving a thin coating on the skins to form a shell.

Add next 8 ingredients to potato pulp. Mash well. Stuff shells. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes to heat through.

Garnish with chives, green onion, and a light sprinkle of cheese just before serving.

Makes 12 stuffed potatoes.

Notes:
To make ahead: Prepare and stuff potatoes early in day or night before. Cover. Chill. To serve, bake as above.

To freeze: place stuffed potatoes on baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Wrap partially frozen potatoes individually in foil. (I'd suggest spraying the foil with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking.) Freeze for up to 4 months. To serve, thaw and heat wrapped potatoes in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through.

Mother's Day 2010

I've been trying to swallow the emotions. I have been able to avoid most thoughts, feelings, plans, and sentiments. But it caught up to me this morning. I saw my little five-year-old daughter standing in the doorway of her Kindergarten class with a blue tissue-wrapped treasure in her hands, complete with an envelope covered with hearts and the word 'MOM', her eyes bright with the joy of giving and the pride of creating this special gift just for her Mommy. My heart filled with a dozen emotions and memories.

I was able to keep it together until we got into the house. As she was bouncing up and down, chanting, "Open it, Mommy! Open it!" I was getting the Kleenex. I sat her down and explained to her that I loved the gift and I was so happy she had made it for me, but that Mommy was a little sad. I missed my own Mommy.

I think about a little girl who was six, with an older brother that had just turned eight, and their baby sister who was one. The kids who must have lit up when their Mom came in the door, who picked such beautiful dandelions for her, who felt so special when she spent time with them. And then my heart breaks for those three kids whose Mom didn't come home anymore, who wasn't able to participate in their lives, or even express her love for her three kids. Three kids with endless belief that Mommy would get better soon and come home. Three kids with enough faith to keep praying for all those years that she would be healed. Three kids who have spent so much time being so very, very sad. Three children who have tried to understand why God would take a Mom away from them and how to carry on with Him and without her.

It is often said that becoming a mom could fill that void or that perhaps my mother-in-law or step-mother could be a suitable substitute. I find those relationships are unique and individual and don't fit into the mom shaped hole I have in my heart. I also find they magnify the pain of loss I feel; not by anything they say or do, of course. I see my children loving their grandmas and I'm reminded they have never known their "Grandma in Heaven". I see my husband's siblings and my step-siblings loving their Mom, telling her how much they appreciate everything she's done for them and how she's stood by them all these years through every situation, and I'm reminded I haven't had that. I sit in church and hear mothers being honored, mothers who may already be grandmothers or even great-grandmothers, and I think of my Mom's life being nearly over at age 28, because what she did for the next 16 years can hardly be called living. She hardly had time to be a Mom, never mind watching the generations that would follow in her footsteps.

I haven't found a way to disengage my present from my past; I feel like it's still current, like it continues to define who I am, how I see the world, and how I participate in life. As for this weekend, I don't know if I should opt out of the Mother's Day activities (my first choice by far) or do what I do every year: grin and bear it and have people wonder why I'm so irritable.

Herb and Cheese Buns

I think this recipe is just a combination of my white bun dough recipe combined with an herb and cheese biscuit recipe. Hmm, I just used 'recipe' three times in one sentence...

2 1/2 cups warm water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
8 cups flour
3/4 tsp paprika
4 1/2 tsp oregano
2 1/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

I mixed it up with my Kitchen Aid, covered the bowl with plastic wrap, and put into the oven to rise. I turn the light on to warm up the dough just a little, which makes it rise better.

After an hour and a half, I formed the buns, and placed them on baking sheets.

I covered the buns with plastic (not tightly) and put them back into the oven to rise for another hour and a half.

I took the buns out of the oven, preheated the oven to 400 degrees and baked them, one pan at a time for 20 minutes. My oven heats unevenly, so after 10 minutes, I turn the pan around.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I enjoy this latte at Starbucks at Christmas time, but who can afford to get it more than a couple of times each winter? This is a very close recipe, in my opinion.

Pumpkin Spice Latte II (from http://www.bakingandbooks.com/2006/10/10/pumpkin-spice-latte-ii/)

Ingredients: Makes 2 servings

1 level tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup milk (whole if you dare!)
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed and leveled)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (+ a pinch for dusting later)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups strong coffee (brewed using 2 tbsp per 1 cup of water)
You can also use a shot or two of espresso instead of coffee.
4 tablespoons Coffeemate creamer
4 to 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar
Whipped cream

Begin brewing coffee.

In a blender puree the milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the milk is warm and begins to froth slightly. (About 4-5 minutes.) Remove from heat.

For each serving: Pour 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture into your coffee mug. Add 2 generous tablespoons of Coffeemate creamer. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your drink, I added 3 tsps.) Top off with a touch more ‘pumpkin milk’ then cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I'm not a huge fan of cloves, so I only used half of the 1/8 tsp and it's still a bit strong for me. I used whole milk (and no whipped cream) and it's very rich. Tasty!

Cinnamon Loaf

1 1/2 loaves of frozen bread dough
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup red or green cherries, chopped
1 x 4 serving instant butterscotch pudding
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Thaw loaf slightly until able to cut with a knife (at least half an hour). Cut loaf into at least 30 pieces. Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and pudding powder. Arrange half of the pecans and cherries in bundt pan. Add a few tablespoons of butter mixture. Layer pieces of dough in pan, adding butter mixture, pecans, and cherries throughout. Cover with tea towel and let rise in warm oven (100 degrees F) for about two hours or until dough reaches the top of the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes.

(Baking times will vary from oven to oven.)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake

I've made this so many times! It's great to eat warm, maybe with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Possibly the unhealthiest recipe I've ever seen!

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Boil water in the microwave; stir in oatmeal and baking soda; let cool.

Mix 1 cup brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon; then add oatmeal mixture. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar and chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350* for 35 to 45 minutes.

Breakfast Trifle

This is a recipe I created for our Women of Worth Bible study group at Church of the Rock. I wanted to bring something breakfasty, but not anything that needed to be baked. It's pretty rich, but so very delicious! By adding the word "breakfast" to "trifle" I can justify eating this first thing in the morning.

6 - 8 toaster waffles

500mL whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp icing sugar

500mL vanilla yogurt

1 lemon

2 bags frozen fruit

2 bananas

1 cup slivered almonds

Toast waffles, chop, and allow to cool completely.

Whip the cream until it's nice and thick, then add vanilla and icing sugar. Stir in vanilla yogurt.

Zest the lemon and set aside to use as a garnish.

Toast the almonds if they're raw.

Slice the bananas, and mix with juice from the lemon.

Layer half of the waffles in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half of the fruit, including the bananas. Next add half of the whipped cream and yogurt mixture. Sprinkle in a layer of almonds.

Repeat these layers and top with lemon zest.

Notes:
I wish I would have added more bananas.

Dill Dip III

Another keeper from Allrecipes.com. This is a HUGE batch!

2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons dried dill weed
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, onion, dill weed, and salt. Mix all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Notes:
If you go to allrecipes.com and look up this recipe, you'll find lots of suggestions from people who have tweaked the recipe. For example, one person said they sprinkled the top of the dip with chopped red onion and onion greens.