Pumpkin Spice Syrup

I saved the liquid that drained from the pumpkin puree!!! 

2 cups liquid

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

If I had cloves in the house, I'd sprinkle in a bit of that too.

I boiled this mixture, on medium heat, until it reduced to half the amount, making it syrupy and sticky. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

This may have originated in the Mennonite Treasury, and adapted as I learned how to make it. This version is in the White Recipe Book, page 67.

Drop the chicken parts into a stock pot. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, skim off all the scum that comes to the top. After the scum stops rising, throw in a small onion (or large one) and simmer slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Add salt to taste. It takes a lot of salt to make it taste good! I don't know how much water I use but it's a lot, and I start with 1 Tbsp salt.

Add the following spices to the soup 1/2 hour before serving:

1 bunch parsley, cut fine (2 Tbsp dried)
12 whole peppercorns, at least (20+ or 1/2 tsp)
1 bay leaf (1 large, 1 small)
1 whole star aniseed (1/2 Tbsp pieces)
1 2" piece of cinnamon stick

Processing Pumpkins

This is from allrecipes.com and is a great guide to help you figure out how to stock your freezer with rich pumpkin puree for your fall and winter recipes! I am looking forward to a Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Smaller is Better

Choose sugar pie pumpkins or other flavorful varieties. Small and sweet, with dark orange-colored flesh, they're perfect for pies, soups, muffins and breads.

A medium-sized (4-pound) sugar pumpkin should yield around 1½ cups of mashed pumpkin. This puree can be used in all your recipes calling for canned pumpkin.

Field pumpkins, which are bred for perfect jack-o'-lanterns, tend to be too large and stringy for baking.

Choose Your Method

There are three ways to transform an uncooked pumpkin into the puree used in baking: 

Baking Method

• Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast
• In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil
• Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender
• Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it
• For silky smooth custards or soups, press the pumpkin puree through a sieve

Boiling Method

• Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides
• Peel the pumpkin and cut it into chunks
• Place in a saucepan and cover with water
• Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender
• Let the chunks cool, and then puree the flesh in a food processor or mash it with a potato masher or food mill

Microwave Method

• Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides
• Microwave on high power for seven minutes per pound, turning pieces every few minutes to promote even cooking. Process as above
• You can refrigerate your fresh pumpkin puree for up to three days, or store it in the freezer up to six months, enabling you to enjoy fall pumpkins for months to come

Thicker is Better

Once you've got a rich, smooth batch of pumpkin puree ready, you may notice that it's much more runny than the kind you get out of a can. We suggest that you allow your homemade puree to drain overnight before baking with it, especially if you're using a recipe that originally called for canned puree. The more water you can get out of the puree, the better.

To drain puree, line a large strainer with a double thickness of cheesecloth, a few flattened coffee filters, or a thin, clean dishtowel you don't mind getting stained orange. Place the strainer in a bowl, and then pour the puree into the lined strainer. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the puree and place the whole setup in the fridge overnight. You can use this puree in any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree.

To freeze it: Measure it into recipe-sized quantities (usually 2 cups) and store in resealable freezer bags. It will keep wonderfully for at least 6 months.
 

 Notes:

Here's a comment someone shared on this article on allrecipes: "An even better way to cook the pumpkin for a pie is to cut the pumpkin in half like two bowls and bake them with cream, spices and sugar in them. This makes a nice moist, mellow mixture once the flesh is scooped out that only needs eggs to be turned into pie (and you don't have to use yucky canned milk products!)"

This one's fascinating for a variety of reasons! "If you need to 'cook down' the pumpkin puree you've made, let it slowly simmer on the stove until it gets thick enough that the spoon makes a path through it. There is an excellent recipe for Stewed Pumpkin in Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ignalls Wilder. It's also reprinted in the Little House Cookbook. The cookbook says the stewed pumpkin should take about FIVE HOURS of cooking to get to the proper consistency. I happen to have a sugar pumpkin in the oven right now, baking is much easier."

Draining: I put the puree in a steamer-type pot with a coffee filter covering the holes, covered it with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge over night. Then, I took it out and put it in a warm place, assuming it would drain even more as it came to room temperature. We'll see how it goes!

Tomato Soup

This recipe comes from Mennonite Girls Can Cook and I made a few small (I thought insignificant) changes but this just ended up bland for me...

Soup Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped very fine
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1 tsp basil
1 tsp dill weed
28 oz canned whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
2 cups chicken stock (1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube + 2 cups water)

White Sauce:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk

Blend tomatoes in blender until just blended. (Do not substitute whole tomatoes for pre-blended) Heat first 6 ingredients in large pot until onion softens. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken stock; simmer 20 min.
In a small pot, melt butter, using whisk, blend in flour and milk to make a white sauce. Stir sauce into tomato soup. Serves 4 – 6

Notes:

I didn't have a green pepper so I used a whole red one.

I think I did about 3 cups of stock, so I increased the basil and dill to 2 tsp each.

I didn't use canned tomatoes or tomato paste. I blanched a whack of tomatoes (Roma maybe?) threw them in the pot. Maybe this is where I went wrong... too much juice from the tomatoes and I diluted the rest of it???

I did one fairly small onion, I could have done a large one for the amount of soup I have. 

I didn't do the final steps with the white sauce because there's no point in continuing if the first part isn't tasty. I'll work on what I have and then do the final step.

Recipes using pork and beans

Okay, this is pretty brilliant. It combines my favorite things; frugal and delicious food, using up items already in my pantry, and finding out-of-the-box uses for things! This is from www.thriftyfun.com

To each 14 oz can try adding two cups of shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix will work) small slice celery, one small shredded carrot and one small very thin sliced onion. Allow to "steep" in the fridge overnight, stirring once or twice. For a little kick you might want to add powdered mustard.

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Campfire Bean Stew
Uses about a # of ground beef, equal cans of pork and beans and canned tomatoes.

Brown the ground beef in the skillet with onions, bell peppers, garlic seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the cans.

I like to add some worcestershire, BBQ sauce, ketchup, Bacos and some finely chopped onions to a can of pork n beans. Mix it all together in a casserole dish and bake til warm!

Also add a can of your pork n beans to chili for added flavor to your favorite recipe!

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Bean Dip
Place the Pork and Beans in blender. Add 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (or 1 teaspoon of minced onion), dash of mustard (any kind), 1 teaspoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Blend. This
makes a very tasty dip for corn chips (Doritos, etc).

Sandwich Spread
This also makes a nice spread for a vegetarian sandwich with sliced tomatoes, cheese and lettuce. Hope you like this as much as we do!

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Speedy Baked Beans
6 slices bacon, diced
2 medium onions, minced (about 1 cup)
3 large cans (approx. 1 pound 3 oz. each can) pork and beans
1/3 cup chili sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons mustard

In large skillet, cook and stir bacon and onion until bacon is crisp. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat until bubbly. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed OR pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole; bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

I buy these beans when they are on sale -- 6 for $1 and the other beans are usually a $1 a can....so I use them in bean soup, chili, taco meat, and any place else that calls for beans.

For example, when we make chili and say it calls for 4 cans of beans - we use two pork and beans and two of another kind.

You can also rinse them off to ease off on the pork/bean flavor. 

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This may sound disgusting but it is really good and moist. Top it with cream cheese frosting and you will think you are eating a spice or carrot cake.

Pork and Bean Cake

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can baked beans with pork
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins or 18 oz can crushed pineapple well drained(optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour five 16 ounce cans OR two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and beans until smooth.
In a separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and soda. Add to bean mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Fill cans 2/3 full with batter, or divide batter into prepared loaf pans.
Place cans or pans on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before removing bread from cans or pans.

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I like to put the beans in a pan bring to a simmer and then add two eggs to poach in the beans.. Pan needs a tight lid.

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put in a baking dish and add catsup, mustard, brown sugar, onion and bacon. bake slow for a couple of hours. yummy!!!

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I call it goulash. Brown 1Lb. ground beef. Drain oil. Add 1 can pork and beans, or i use ranch style texas beans for a little more spice. 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can vegetable ABC soup. Reheat to warm and serve. My kids loved this when they were growing up. 

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I put them all in a casserole with bacon, green peppers and green onions, chopped onions, bbq sauce, brown sugar, and cooked ground beef. Put in a 350 oven for about an hour or until it reaches your desired taste.

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EL CHEAPO

1 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp tabasco sauce
1 can of pork and beans

Brown ground chuck with onion; drain. Add spices, ketchup, brown sugar, worcestershire, tabasco and then beans. Mix well and place in a casserole dish.

Bake 25 mins at 300 degrees

Note: We eat this as a main dish but you could certainly have as a side dish

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I know this is going to sound strange but growing up my family put pork and beans on top of scrambled eggs. It is really tasty. I had to convince my husband to try it and he now likes it too! He thought we were crazy.

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i use them in chili. also do baked beans by chopping onion and green peppers and sauteing them in a little bacon drippings. add a can of beans a little molasses or brown sugar, a little mustard and if needed a shot of catsup or b-b-q sauce. you can then bake them or cook on top of the stove.

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brown a pound of ground beef (season to taste), add a can of beans and ketchup to taste (about 1/8 cup)... serve on bread or burger buns for easy sloppy joes - add onions to the beef if desired

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Chili Macaroni

brown one pound of ground beef with one chopped onion and a bit of oil

stir in one can of tomato soup and one can of beans

In a pot of boiling water, cook up a cup of dried macaroni, drain and add to the beef/bean mixture.

season to taste with garlic powder, onion salt and chili powder.

Can also be served over spaghetti instead of stirring in the macaroni.

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Some additions I use with Pork & Beans are:

Turkey sausage, Beef sausage, Keilbasa (all the "rope" kind"), turkey ham, cut into chunks and of course cut up hot dogs.

Fry up 1 lb hamburger, add a couple cans of P&B, serve with fried potatoes. Not too bad mixed all together either, VERY filling meal!

Simple additions: chopped onion, brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, garlic powder, onion powder. 

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One easy way to use them is to throw a can or two of these in a crock pot with 2 or 3 other types of heartier beans like black beans, chick peas, ect. You may want to drain some of the liquid from the beans. Add some barbecue sauce and mustard and let them cook slowly in the pot, you can even add cut up meat like polish sausage if you want. Good with corn bread.

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First I just "doctor" it up by adding a little catsup, some bacon fat, brown sugar and a very small amount of prepared mustard, and some instant onion. I just taste test until I get it right.

Next is a casserole. Place beans in a casserole, top with slices of spam then slices of cheese. You may cook this on top the stove in a corning ware pan or bake it in the over until hot and bubbling and the cheese melted. I usually doctor the beans before putting them in the casserole.

Artisan Bread

All credit goes to The Italian Dish blog for this recipe. You'll definitely want to head over there for additional instructions and pictures! I've copied this word for word from the blog.

*before you start, I must note, this is SO salty that I'm sure the 1 1/2 Tbsp of salt MUST be a mistake, I'm guessing it should read teaspoons*

No Knead Artisan Bread

 

adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

for a printable recipe, click here
makes four 1 pound loaves.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated fast acting (instant) yeast (2 packets) 
• 1-1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
• 6-1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose white flour

(My favorite way to make this bread now is to use half bread flour, half all-purpose flour and throw in 3/4 cup wheat bran into the dough.)

After baking, if your bread is gummy on the inside, try either increasing the amount of flour by 1/4 cup and/or increasing the baking time by 5-10 minutes. 

Also, If the dough is just too sticky for you to work with comfortably, increase the flour in your next batch.  

Instructions:

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1.  Warm the water slightly.  It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 100 degrees F. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours.  

2.  Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5 quart bowl or a plastic container with a lid. 

3.  Mix in the flour - kneading is unnecessary.  (Note: I dump all this in my KitchenAid mixer, let it mix it for just about 10 seconds and then put it in the plastic container.  I just find it easier to let the mixer do this part). Add all of the flour at once, measuring the flour by scooping it and leveling it off with a knife.  Mix with a wooden spoon - do not knead.  You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches.  This step is done in a matter of minutes.  The dough should be wet and loose.

4.  Allow to rise. Cover with a lid (not airtight).  Lidded plastic buckets designed for dough storage can be purchased many places.  (I used a plastic square food storage container at my local grocery store.  I just make sure that the lid is not snapped on completely).  You want the gases to be able to escape a little.  Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on top), about two hours. Longer rising times will not hurt your dough. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temperature.  So, the first time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours) before shaping a loaf.

Baking

5.  Shape your loaf.  Place a piece of baking parchment paper on a pizza peel (don't have a pizza peel - use an unrimmed baking sheet or turn a rimmed baking sheet upside down).  Sprinkle the surface of your dough in the container with flour.  Pull up and cut off about a 1-pound piece of dough (about the size of a grapefruit), using scissors or a serrated knife.  Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball as you go.  Dust your hands with flour if you need to.  This is just to prevent sticking - you don't want to incorporate the flour into the dough.  The top of the dough should be smooth - the object here is to create a "gluten cloak" or "surface tension".  It doesn't matter what the bottom looks like, but you need to have a smooth, tight top.  This whole step should take about 30 seconds!  Place the dough onto your parchment paper.

6. Let the loaf rise for about 30 - 40 minutes (it does not need to be covered).  If it doesn't look like it has risen much, don't worry - it will in the oven.  This is called "oven spring".

7.  Preheat a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven for at least 20 minutes at 450 degrees F.  Place an empty rimmed baking pan or broiler pan on a rack below the baking stone.  This pan is for holding water for steam in the baking step.  (If you don't have a baking stone, you can use a baking sheet, but you will not get the crisp crust on the bottom.  You will still have a great loaf of bread. Baking stones are cheap and easy to find - Target carries them - and are a must for making pizzas, so go out and get one as soon as you can.)

8. Dust the loaf with a little flour and slash the top with a knife.  This slashing is necessary to release some of the trapped gas, which can deform your bread.  It also makes the top of your bread look pretty - you can slash the bread in a tic tac toe pattern, a cross, or just parallel slashes.  You need a very sharp knife or a razor blade - you don't want the blade to drag across the dough and pull it.  As the bread bakes, this area opens and is known as "the bloom".  Remember to score the loaves right before baking.  

9.  Bake.  Set a cup of water next to your oven.  Slide the bread (including the parchment paper) right onto the hot baking stone.  Quickly pour the water right into the pan underneath the baking stone and close the oven door.  This creates the necessary steam  to make a nice crisp crust on the bread.  Bake at 450 F for about 30 - 35 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf.  Make sure the crust is a deep golden brown.  When you remove the loaf from the oven, you will hear it crackle for a while.  In baking terms, this is called "sing" and it is exactly what you want.  

10.  Cool.  Allow the bread to cool for the best flavor and texture.  It's tempting to eat it when it's warm, and that's fine, but the texture is better after the bread has cooled.

11.  Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (with a hole punched in the top)  container and use for up to 14 days. Every day your bread will improve in flavor. Cut off and shape more loaves as you need them.  When your dough is gone, don't clean the container.  Go ahead and mix another batch - the remaining bits of dough will contribute flavor to the next batch, much like a sourdough starter does!

Bread is best eaten the day it is baked. Leftover baked bread is best stored at room temperature, unwrapped. Simply place the cut side of the bread on plate or counter.  If your bread is gummy on the inside, try either increasing the amount of flour by 1/4 cup and/or increasing the baking time by 5-10 minutes.

Notes:
used 4 1/2 cups of white flour, 2 cups whole wheat, and 1 Tbsp sugar

VERY salty!

I didn't preheat the baking stone, and I can understand why that would be in the instructions. The bottom crust stayed soft.

Chocolate Milk Syrup (Brown Cow)

Is there still a product called Brown Cow? Or is it just the Nesquik bunny now? Regardless. You can use this for chocolate milk, hot chocolate, or drizzle it on your ice cream or cheese cake or....

This is from the Valley Mennonite Academy recipe book, submitted by Mary Klassen.

1/4 cup cocoa

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Combine first four ingredients; cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Use 2 Tbsp syrup for 1 cup milk.

Notes:

Wouldn't it be lovely to use strong coffee in place of the water? MMM!

I only used 1/2 cup sugar and I found it plenty sweet!

I had a great idea... I cleaned out an empty barbecue sauce bottle, got the smell out and everything, then poured the hot chocolate syrup in. Oops! The bottle wasn't made to withstand heat. Would have worked great if I had let the syrup cool first!

Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

 A very simple and yummy recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook. It's gluten-free, no sugar added and still tasty! This is copied directly from their site:

1-19 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 eggs
1/3 cup of coconut oil*
1/2 cup honey 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup, sifted cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Grease a 9 " inch pan.  Line with parchment paper. 
2. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until it is all liquid with no lumps.  
3. Pour into the cake pan.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30  minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (In my oven it took a full 35 minutes, so make sure to test your brownie).
5. Cool for 10 minutes. 
6. Remove from pan, and cool completely. 
7. Cover and refrigerate over night.  In my opinion this tastes best cold straight out of the fridge.
8. Serve with whip cream or ice cream if desired.
9. This cake is suitable for gluten free, lactose intolerant diets. 

*vegetable oil can used in place of the coconut oil, but I like the hint of coconut flavor it gives the brownie. 

Notes:

I  used vegetable oil so I didn't have any coconut flavor, and I'm okay with that. 

The kids couldn't keep their hands off these brownies!

May 12, 2015: I made 12 muffin sized brownies and they worked great! LET COOL IN PAN!

Bread maker bread

I've made so many loaves in my bread maker in the last few weeks that it needs its own post. This is based on the Flax Buns recipe, which I adapted for loaves, and then adapted again for bread maker.

3/4 cup warm water

1 egg

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup ground flax

2 cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 Tbsp yeast

I've had a few loaves that didn't rise very well, and I'm pretty sure it was because it was too dry. I added a few extra teaspoons of water this time, as well as making sure my cups of flour were not extra full at all. 

This makes a 2 lb loaf, and I use setting 3.

Grandma Elias' bun recipe

I don't know if the VMA (Valley Mennonite Academy, one of the private Christian schools in the Winkler area) does a recipe book every year or if they just have the one, but the copy I have (March, 1995) is great! I got it as a wedding gift from my Taunte Anne Friesen (and Joanne and Laura). It was my first favorite recipe book, my standard and go-to for anything I wanted to make; and for good reason, half the recipes in the book are submitted by my relatives! There's a bun recipe that I tried February 4, 2006 that was my Taunte Anne's recipe. I talked to my Grandma today and when I asked her for her bun recipe, she told me it's the same one my aunt uses. So here it is!

4 1/2 cups warm water

3/4 cup melted lard

1 egg, beaten

3 Tbsp sugar (Grandma said she does 2 Tbsp, but Taunte Anne's buns are always better so maybe she should try 3 Tbsp too)

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp instant yeast

5 cups of flour

6 1/2 to 7 cups flour

Beat the first 7 ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Put the dough hook onto the machine. Add 6 1/2 to 7 cups more flour; knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Put on pans; let rise for about 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for about 17 to 18 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen buns.

Notes:

I also had a conversation with her about lard. I asked if she always used lard. (short answer = yes) She said she sometimes used chicken fat that was rendered after chicken slaughtering. I've never heard of people keeping it and using it in baking or cooking! She said my great-grandma used to like that very much, and used it instead of butter. Isn't that interesting?!

She said she would store the pail of lard in the freezer and just keep a smaller portion in the fridge for easier access.

Used 8 cups white flour, 4 cups whole wheat.

Made 2 full pans of buns with 2 dozen on each pan, plus a large handful of dough leftover which I made into bite-sized pieces, deep-fried them, and rolled them in (2Tbsp) sifted icing sugar and (1 tsp) sifted cinnamon.

Put the buns in the oven to rise and set a small pot of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to aid in the rising. Worked well!

Baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (My oven would probably have been closer to 400 degrees because it's hotter than what the dial is set at.)

The buns are a great texture, even though I haven't eaten one yet.

Asian noodle dish

I knew I had this somewhere! It was on my FB. This is from the Kraft magazine.

For this recipe, I increased everything except the chicken. Hey, meat's expensive, so I use more vegetables. The recipe suggests using snow peas, sliced peppers, sliced carrots, or chopped red onions instead of broccoli (or in addition to... mmm). This would be a GREAT meal to buy a box of spring rolls and plum sauce to have on the side. mmmm YUM!

300g angel hair pasta
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup Kraft Signature Asian Sesame dressing (our local Superstore has it)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp EACH: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time.

Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture, mix lightly. Spoon evenly into four serving bowls; sprinkle with the peanuts.

Banana-only ice cream

http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2012/05/banana-ice-cream-made-from-bananas-only.html

This is too good to keep to myself! It's ice cream and the only ingredient: bananas. Seriously.

More detailed info on the link, complete with photos.

Take your banana collection that's just a bit more ripe than you'd want to eat as is or grab some that you have already in the freezer. Cut the not-frozen banana into 1 inch chunks, lay them out in a single layer on wax paper on a baking sheet, freeze. Or if you're using an already-frozen banana, leave it on the counter just long enough so you can peel it. 

Grab a food processor or blender, throw in the frozen pieces, blend, scrape down if you need to, blend more until it's a smooth, creamy-looking texture. It's like soft-serve ice cream!

But, let's get creative! And if you've tried a variation on this theme, give me a holler and I can list if here if you like, to inspire others :)

I added fresh strawberries to mine. It tastes like a smoothie. Would be AMAZING on waffles.

Other additions:

peanut butter

coconut

pineapple
Nutella

Multigrain Buns

I've made this recipe a number of times, but not for a few years. It's from the white recipe book (I still have some if you want a copy and the money goes to our church missions projects.) This is Rachael Penner's recipe.

4 cups warm water

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp vinegar

2 egg whites, well beaten (or 1 whole egg)

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup bran

1 cup flax seed, freshly ground

1 cup rolled oats, ground in blender

4 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp Fermipan yeast

6 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup crushed sunflower seeds, opional

Put water, honey, oil, salt, vinegar, eggs, powdered milk, bran, flax seed, oats, and whole wheat flour. Mix well.

As you continue to mix, sprinkle with yeast. Knead in the all purpose flour for 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Shape into buns or loaves, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minute for buns, 35-40 minutes for loaves.

Notes:

Makes a huge batch! 2 large and 2 small loaves, 6 large buns and 6 muffin cup buns.

A coffee grinder works well to grind the flax.

Multigrain flour is fantastic in place of whole wheat.

I used 2 whole eggs instead of 2 egg whites.