TheKitchenCookie

The snow has been refreshing and lovely the last few days! The kids had a snow day today. The boys helped Lin at work then came home mid afternoon to skin the deer (4) they brought home from the hunt in the mountains over the weekend and to shovel snow from the driveway. Serena spent most of the day sledding with the neighbor kids which made it feel like a normal day here because all was quiet.   I baked some breads, regular and banana and did some other odds and ends around here.   I took a walk through the snow this afternoon, who could resist such a lovely thing?!     Wishing you a warm and cozy evening! ♥  

Happy 1st Day of Spring!!    Is anyone else ready for Spring?! The sun is shining today. It's bright and beautiful and puts a spring in my step and gives me energy! The gray skies and the 4 walls were beginning to make me feel desperate. So I did what any desperate woman would do in these circumstances. I went to the kitchen and started reading through my recipe collection. ha ha, okay so some women would go shopping and others, well anyway... I've had a recipe for Herb Bread from my sister for a while but it never quite performs for me like it does for her, and I had in my stash another recipe sort of like it but with a few different ingredients. So in looking over them both for a while and thinking about how and why certain things may be added I decided to rewrite it combining the two and came up with this one. I wanted to use fresh herbs and green onions (because those seemed more Spring-like :) and freshly milled wheat flour...

  These breadsticks are perfect with soups like Chili or the Italian Meatball Soup (previous post). They are chewy and flavorful and perfect for dipping. I don't make them very often but when I do they disappear quickly.   Ingredients: Courtesy of The Food Network 1 package (approx. 1¼ TBSP.) active dry yeast ¼ cup warm water   4¼ cups all purpose flour, more for dusting 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1&1/3 cups water 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 Tablespoon fine salt Oregano Garlic Powder   Topping: 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted very fine garlic salt   Combine the yeast and ¼ cup of warm water and set aside to soak for about 5 minutes. Pour into a mixer bowl and add the the flour, butter, sugar, fine, salt, and the rest of the water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, about 3-5 minutes.   Turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and sof...

For years I used the same pizza crust recipe , and while it is a good recipe, I became dissatisfied with it because it wasn't chewy. I wasn't sure how to fix this until one day I was watching a movie about two chefs. The one was an Italian chef and he made some pizza crust that used eggs as an ingredient. The lights went on in my head and I decided to try it. I found one with eggs and made some adjustments to the rest of the ingredients, adding some and substituting others, and it worked and I was pleased with the results of a chewier crust that seemed a bit more like what a pizza crust was meant to be. I've been using this one now for a while and really like it. I like it very thin- - and I always make extra ones and pre-bake and freeze them for a quick, easy meal when I'm feeling lazy or rushed. Most times I also have prepped sausage and homemade bacon bits  in the freezer along with some shredded pizza cheese, too. And most of the time I have deli ham and...

  This is the Banana Bread recipe I've been using for the last 18 years and it always turns out delicious but I recently began adding  a few things that I think kick it up just a notch. I have a mixture of finely chopped dates, unsweetened coconut, and chopped almonds on hand that I was experimenting with for another recipe. Adding some of that to this banana bread batter adds a little bit of crunch and a lot of yummy. I also began baking the batter in muffin form because it's easier to grab and go, handier for lunches, bakes in less time, and there are less crumbs from cutting a slice.     And I bake most of them plain, without the yummy add ins because that's what most of them prefer.☺ The add ins are for Anthony and I. He is my most willing taste tester. ☺   The mixture is as follows: 1 lb. pitted dates 1 cup sliced almonds 1 cup unsweetened medium coconut   A food processor does a wonder...

These rolls are a bit tricky and sticky to handle but the flavor is totally worth the stress. The dough itself isn't hard to handle, it's the creamy chive filling you spread on that makes it difficult to form them nicely. I definitely need more practice with the rolling and shaping but there is nothing wrong with the flavor of these soft, tender rolls. I won't tell you how many I ate :) I'll just tell you I won't be needing any tomorrow! ha  Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon Yeast (I used Instant) ¼ cup warm water Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside. In a small saucepan combine- 1 cup milk 5½ Tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup instant potato flakes 1/3 cup sugar 1¼ teaspoon salt Heat to 110°-115°. remove from heat and allow to cool a bit the add yeast mixture and 1 beaten egg Pour into mixer bowl and add flour, approximately 3¾-4 cups flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place into a greased bowl turning once to grease the...

I know I made some rolls similar to these a few weeks ago but I decided to try these for the hot lunch I was to help serve at the school where 3 of our children attend. My Mom makes these rolls for special occasions and I've come to learn that if she makes something you're pretty safe making the same thing and it will always be good. ☺ If I sound prejudiced, I probably am, but she works miracles in her kitchen!  They really do melt in your mouth and they are just as soft this morning as they were yesterday when I baked them. I know this because I had one for breakfast with honey. Mmm,yummy! They spend some time in the fridge so plan ahead if you make them. I prepared the dough and put it in the fridge for a day. 2 pkgs. yeast (I used .25 oz. bulk instant yeast) 1 cup warm water 2 Tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups milk 2/3 cup butter 2/3 cup white sugar ½ teaspoon salt 8 eggs, beaten 9 cups flour (mine was a mixture of Gold Medal AP and King ...