Homemade Donuts

So, what do you get when you get guilt-tripped by your children for not buying donuts at the grocery store? You get in even bigger trouble, because you might never buy donuts from the grocery store again. :)

These donuts were not any harder than a regular bread dough, other than the fact that you fry them instead of baking in the oven. The texture of the dough is just like a true bakery donut, except for the fact that you KNOW how fresh these things are! I have never even attempted to make donuts before, but when I saw this recipe on the show Worst Cooks in America I knew that I could make them. For heavens sake, people who CAN NOT COOK made yummy and great looking donuts, so why couldn't I do it? I did do it, and I would make these again. They definitely are not a treat to make all the time, but a good change once in a while.

To say these were yummy would be an understatement! Enjoy them as a treat anytime you want, because you don't have to spend INSANE AMOUNTS OF MONEY on bakery donuts!

Homemade Donuts:

1 cup whole milk (I used skim milk and it turned out great!)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling and frying
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling and flouring

Bring the milk to a simmer in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt. Pour into a large bowl and let cool slightly.

While the milk is cooling, dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water in a small bowl, stirring. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Stir the yeast mixture into the milk mixture along with the oil, lemon zest and eggs. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the flour with a wooden spoon to make a very soft dough. Spread 1 cup of the flour on a work surface and put the dough on top, scraping it from the bowl with a rubber spatula. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, incorporating all of the flour from the work surface and adding just enough additional flour (if necessary); the dough should be slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled large bowl and sprinkle lightly with additional flour. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out with a floured rolling pin until 1 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2-inch cutter. To make ring shapes, cut out doughnut holes with a 1-inch cutter. Place on a baking sheet, cover the doughnuts with another kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

While the doughnuts rise, heat about 10 cups vegetable oil in a deep 4-quart pot until it registers 365 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. (I used a deep skillet with about 3-4 cups vegetable oil to fry up the donuts and it worked GREAT!) Fry the doughnuts, turning once or twice, until puffed and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (I used a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet to let the donuts cool. It made it easy because all the excess grease just feel under the cooling rack, and the donuts didn't stick to the paper towel).

*For the frosting, I just used a container of Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge frosting, because I didn't have the energy to make a frosting this time.

Homemade Salsa

Admittedly, I had never made salsa, EVER, before my husband and I got married. It seemed SO intimidating!! You always see those delicious salsas in the grocery store that make your mouth water, but then you look at the price. It happens to all of us. We then settle with the processed stuff in the jar and it ends up sitting in the fridge until it expires.

I must say, the first time I made this 5 years ago, it was total trial and error, but now I have it pretty close to exactly how we like it EVERY TIME!! Did I mention it literally takes me only 5 minutes from start to finish? Awesome, right?

Go ahead and give this gem a try, I don't think you will regret it!!

Homemade Salsa:
7 roma tomatoes, cut in half and seeded
1-2 jalapeno peppers, with or without seeds, depending on the desired heat
¼ of medium onion
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Dried cilantro, or 1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt, begin with 1/2 T. but add as much as needed to create desired taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Turn on and let the machine do its job. Add salt rather slowly so the salsa does not become too salty, taste as you go. When the desired taste is reached, transfer salsa to a tupperware. Makes anywhere from 1 ½ to 3 cups salsa. Serve with tortilla chips, or with Mexican food.

Cinnamon Chip Bread-Great Harvest Copycat

SO SORRY ABOUT THE ABSENCE!!

I'd like to give you every excuse in the book, but probably the most relevant was having had a baby a few weeks ago. We are completely in love with #3, and I'm now ready to really start cooking again.

I can't tell you how grateful my husband is for me to not be pregnant anymore! It always means I start cooking those things I couldn't stand the smell of for how many months now. It also means I have a little more energy to cook those things. :)

This recipe is a GREAT copycat, thanks to the blog Eat Cake for Dinner. The down-side is you really do HAVE to follow the recipe exactly! Not always so easy when you have kid #1 and #2 trying their best to make the bread by themselves. It still turned out better than I was hoping.

I ended up serving this bread when we had breakfast for dinner a few nights back; paired with some fruit, eggs and bacon made for a super easy dinner. Not going to lie though, this bread would be AWESOME to use for French Toast.

No matter what you decide to have with it, this bread will make your home smell like Cinnamon Rolls and making you wish it didn't take "so long" to bake. :)

Copycat Great Harvest Cinnamon Chip Bread:
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast                1 large egg
1/3 c. sugar                                      1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water                               4 1/2-5 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. warm milk                                1 c. cinnamon chips, no more
1/3 c. vegetable oil
In a bowl of a stand mixer combine yeast, sugar and warm water and allow to sit for 5 minutes. It should be bubbly and frothy. If it does not get frothy, start over. Add the warm milk, oil and egg. Mix to combine. Slowly add 2 cups of flour, mix and then add the salt. Begin adding the remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. The dough will be very sticky, but the softer the dough, the lighter the bread will be. So, use the least amount of flour you can handle.
Add the cinnamon chips and mix just until incorporated. Since the dough is warm, the chips will melt everywhere if you mix it too long. Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size. Punch down dough and divide in half. Form each half into a loaf and place into two greased loaf pans. Allow to rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Corn Chowder

Can I tell you how much I LOVE soup weather! I love when fall comes around and there starts to be a little chill in the air. I love the smells, wearing jackets, the rain (and snow in the mountains), wearing sweaters and snuggling into a blanket to get comfortable and reading a good book next to the fire....Not that I love this time of year or anything! :)

This has become my family's favorite soup. It really is such good comfort food without all the calories that can come with creamy soups. There are so many good nutrients in this soup, so good to have when you are trying to keep those obnoxious colds away.

We love this soup in a soup bowl, a recipe I'll post next, but it is equally good just by itself! Enjoy another soup recipe in your recipe book, you'll be glad you tried this one!!!

Corn Chowder:

2 c. potatoes, peeled, chopped        ¼ c. butter

1 c. carrots, chopped                             ¼ c. flour

½ c. celery, diced                                    2 c. milk

¼ c. onions, chopped                            ½ c. cheese, grated

Salt to taste                                              1-15 oz. Can creamed corn 

Bacon pieces, for garnish

In a soup pot, combine potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and salt. Barely cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. When tender, mash with a potato masher. In a separate saucepan, make a white sauce from butter, flour, and milk. Add white sauce to mashed vegetables. Add creamed corn and stir into soup mixture. Liquify all ingredients into a thick soup. Add cheese just a few minutes before serving. You should have about 12 cups of soup. Heat through. Serve in soup bowls or bread bowls are even better! Enjoy!

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

My family loves Italian food. It could have something to do with my having lived there for a couple months in college, but you can't ever go wrong when pasta is involved, especially with the cooler weather knocking on our doors.

My father-in-law loves the sausage and red pepper pasta at Olive Garden, and I didn't think it would be hard AT ALL to recreate. All you need are a few simple ingredients, and you can recreate this dish for a fraction of the cost!

I think this would be better had I made it with penne, but I didn't have any in my pantry, sometimes you just go with what you've got. :) Enjoy having a simple, yet delicious dinner that will please even the pickiest eater.

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta:
1 lb. penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
1-28 oz. jar of pasta sauce, I love the Kirkland brand
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 pkg. kielbasa sausage, cut into bite-size slices
Cook pasta, according to package directions, in a pot of boiling water. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Add in sliced onion and sliced pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until just starting to change color. Add in sausage and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5- 10 minutes or until the sausage is heated through. Add in the sauce and continue to heat through. Drain the pasta when it has cooked to al dente, and combine all the ingredients together either in the skillet or the pot, whichever will fit all the ingredients. Serve while still hot, enjoy!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Let me first say how grateful I am for those that serve us and our country by fighting for our freedoms! 

I will NEVER forget where I was and what I was doing 12 years ago this morning and the feelings I felt as I watched the footage and the newscasts most of the day at school and then again when I got home. I am grateful for those who have and continue to sacrifice so much that we might live with the freedoms we enjoy each and every day!

Now let me say that I will be the first to admit how nervous I was the first time I made these pretzels, but honestly---they are fool-proof. These are SOOOOO easy. My daughter helps me at least 1-2 times a month make these because they have become our family's favorite treat! They really are easy enough to make for an after school snack, tailgate party, or just because.

These pretzels are delicious, so soft just like the pretzels you get at the mall or sporting events, but you didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for them. This recipe makes 8 pretzels, just think of the savings alone if you are craving pretzels. Plus, clean up is a breeze because of the Ziploc bag you use to let the pretzels rise. Perfect!!

Soft Pretzels:

Dough:
2 ½ c. flour                2 ¼ tsp. Instant yeast       
½ tsp. Salt                1 c. warm water
1 tsp. Sugar
Topping:
½ c. warm water            coarse salt
2 T. baking soda            3 T. melted butter
In a mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it is soft and smooth, not overly sticky. Lightly spray the inside of a gallon ziploc bag with cooking spray and place the dough inside the bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 8 equal parts. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the the ½ c. warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Roll each piece of dough into a long thin rope, about 18 inches, and twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash, and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse kosher salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered for 10 minutes. Bake the pretzels for 7-9 minutes or until they're golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time. Remove the pretzels from the oven and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave. DELICIOUS!!
 

Peach Cobbler

My family is certainly enjoying all the fresh fruits and veggies before winter comes, there is nothing better than eating and cooking with fresh ingredients to really enhance the flavor of ALL your recipes.

I'm so excited about this recipe. I have NEVER made cobbler before, eaten it some especially from the dutch oven while camping, but have not found a recipe I've really LOVED until now!!!!!!

You will not regret taking a few minutes to prepare this recipe. It is delicious, and honestly could not be easier. It tastes AMAZING, especially with all the fresh peaches right now. The topping is not too over-powering and the almond extract mixed in with the peaches really brings a whole new dimension to the idea of cobbler!

Peach Cobbler:
3 1/2 c. sliced fresh peaches (I'm sure you could use frozen as well)
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. almond extract
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 T. melted butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the peaches with lemon juice and almond extract. Arrange the peaches in a 8x8" baking dish. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add egg; toss with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the peaches. Drizzle butter over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.