Ingredients:
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoons butter
1 (5.5 ounce) package au gratin instant potato mix
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon each, black pepper and white pepper
How to do it:
Melt the butter in a large stock pot. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the potatoes, instant potato mix, chicken broth, water and peppers. Adjust the amount of water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
Before serving, add the half and half and bring to serving temperature.
Yield:
6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup nonfat dry milk
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
How To Do It:
Whip until smooth.
Yield:
12 ounces
Ingredients:
- 3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1/3 cup honey
- 5 cups bread flour
- 5 tablespoons melted butter, in all
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons flax seed (see note)
- 3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
How To Do It:
1. Proof the yeast, by mixing the warm water, sugar and yeast.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the bread flour. Let set for 30 minutes until it has begun to rise.
3. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey and the salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until the dough is beginning to pull away from the counter, but still sticky. You may need to add an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole what flour.
4. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the entire surface of the dough with grease. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Punch down the dough and divide into 2 loaves. Place in greased 9×4 inch loaf pans and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter when done to keep the crust from getting hard. Remove from the loaf pans and allow to cool completely.
Note: If desired, crush the flax seeds in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to allow your body to digest the seeds.
Yield: 2 loaves of bread
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons quick acting yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water between 110 and 120 degrees F as measured with a candy thermometer
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup lard or shortening
- 1/4 cup sugar or honey
How To Do It:
Proof the yeast and salt in warm water for 15 minutes.
Proof the yeast in ¼ cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Mix and set aside. Mix shortening, honey or sugar and salt in large bowl.
Add 1 cup very warm water, and stir well. When mixture cools to room temperature, mix well with the yeast mixture.
Add 4 cups of flour, stirring well after each cup. Knead dough on a floured surface until it is smoothed or softened (about 15 minutes). Place dough in large bowl; cover with cloth; and put in warm place until dough doubles in size. Knead again. Divide dough into two equal parts. Shape each into loaves or rounds. Place the loaves on a well-greased cookie sheet, cover with cloth and allow to rise in a warm place. Place loaves in a preheated 400-degree oven and bake until lightly browned (about 1 hour). Use oven’s middle rack and place a shallow pan of water on the bottom of the oven.
The baked loaves should sound hollow when tapped.
Yield: Two loaves
Many recipes call for yeast. Here are a few tips that will hopefully lead you to success.
- Buy yeast in bulk. If you use enough of it, please consider buying a jar instead of individual packets. A 1/4 ounce packet is roughly the equivalent to 2 1/4 teaspoons.
- Store the yeast in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (such as a pantry of refrigerator.) After the jar has been opened, close it tightly and store at the back of your refrigerator away from drafts.
- Use before it expires. Yeast loses its potency as it ages.
- Proof yeast. To check the yeast’s potency, combine 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast and the warm water (100-110 degrees) the recipe calls for in a measuring cup and let stand for 10 minutes. If the yeast begins to foam, then it’s fine.
Ingredients:
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Cup Applesauce
- 2 Cups White Sugar
- 2 1/2 Cups Grated Zucchini
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 3 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
How To Do It:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans.
2. After the zucchini has been grated, squeeze out the excess liquid.
3. Beat eggs until light and frothy in a large bowl. Add the oil, white sugar and applesauce. Stir in the zucchini and vanilla.
4. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into the egg mixture. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans.
5. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until done.
Optional:
Before baking, you can add a strudel-like topping if you wish.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
How To Do It:
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a fork. When crumbly in texture, sprinkle the mixture over the tops of the loaves. Bake as normal.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Shortening
2 Eggs
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Chopped Fresh Figs
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
How to do it:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. Cream sugar and shortening and add beaten eggs and vanilla extract
3. Sift dry ingredients and blend with creamed mixture.
4. Fold in chopped figs and walnuts.
5. Drop tablespoons of batter on greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Note: The dough will appear quite dry and crumbly until you add the figs. This is normal.
Dissolve one package of dry yeast in a half cup of warm water. When the yeast and water begin to bubble, add 2 teaspoons of sugar or honey, 2-1/2 cups flour and 2 cups of water. Store in a sterilized large glass jar (crock or plastic jar are also acceptable.) Cover with clear plastic wrap. Do not use a metal container or utensils!
Keep at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours. The mixture will bubble up and should be stirred down and then placed in the refrigerator. Stir daily with a wooden or plastic spoon. On the fifth day, you will need to feed the sourdough starter. Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of sugar and stir well. On the tenth day, take out 2 cups of the starter for baking , then feed same ingredients as on the fifth day to keep starter going.
The sourdough starter can be used to make bread, pancakes, etc.
How to hard boil an egg.
1. Put the eggs in one layer on the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the sink. Run water into the pan until the water is 1 inch over the eggs. Put the pan on a burner. Turn it to medium-high heat.
2. Let the water come to a boil. Put the lid on the pan when the water is boiling. Move the pan onto a cold burner. Set the timer for 15 minutes for Large-sized eggs (or for 12 minutes for Medium-sized eggs or for 18 minutes for Extra Large-sized eggs).
3. Put the pan in the sink when the time is over. Run cold water into the pan until the eggs are cool. Put the eggs into the refrigerator if you’re going to use them later or peel them if you’re going to use them right away. Be sure to use all the cooked eggs up before a week is over.
4. Gently tap a cooled egg on the countertop or table until it has cracks in it. Roll the egg between your hands until the cracks turn into small crackles all over the egg.
5. Use your fingers to start peeling off the shell at the large end of the egg. If you need to, you can hold the egg under running cold water or dip it in a bowl of water to make peeling easier. Throw out the pieces of eggshell when the egg is all peeled (or put them in the compost pile.) You can eat the egg or use it in a recipe when it’s peeled.
Do yourself a favor and make your own seasoning. Don’t buy the salty stuff at the store. I mix it and store it in a large mason jar. It should keep for a while, but I wouldn’t know because I use it pretty quickly. 
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried sweet basil
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 5 tablespoons sweet paprika
How to do it:
Mix the ingredients and use it. I use it on meat, poultry, pork and in various gumbos, stews and jambalaya