Becky's Famous French Bread

This French bread has amazing memories for my bunco group and Becky was so generous to share the recipe with us.  I wasn't so sure it would turn out as good, but it turned out wonderful!

3c. Warm water
1/3 c. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Yeast
*let bubble for 10 min., then add:
1 1/2Tbs. Salt
4 Tbsp. Oil (can use olive)
(Variations on the bread could be:  use Italian seasonings, garlic, or 2 Tbsp. Rosemary and add 2 Tbsp. Minced garlic, can add seeds like sunflower seeds or pine nuts, or add feta cheese to it.  More options are: sugar and cinnamon, then substitute water with orange juice and orange zest.  

Next add:  6 to 7 1/2 c. Flour, one cup at a time.  Let set 1 hour.  Divide dough in half, may have to add flour, so your hands aren't too sticky.  Shape into 2 French loaves.  Slash diagonally 7 times.  Sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds or leave plain for the top.  

Cover with cloth.  Preheat oven to 375 F.   When oven is ready, put loaves in and bake 25-30 min. Mine took about 23 min.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pasta/ Turkey Noodle Soup

I just love this time of year!  We cook a turkey breast on the Barbeque and have a nice turkey dinner for our Sunday conference meal.  Today I cooked the turkey carcass in my crockpot along with about 1/3 of a yellow onion sliced, two carrots cut into big pieces, and two stalks of celery cut into large pieces.  I let it cook on med/high for about 3 hours.  I then removed the carcass and let it cool and remove what meat I can from the bone.  I then discarded the vegetables, and skimmed the top of the broth for the fat and discard that( you can let it cool and it's easier to get the fat off from the top).  I added about 3 Tbsp. Of chicken base or to taste, and about 5 carrots chopped in bite size pieces,  1/3 chopped onion.  Let cook for about 2 hours on high, then about 1 1/2 hour before eating add, 3 to 4 stalks celery chopped into bit size pieces, and about 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped turkey, salt to taste.  At about an hour before eating, add noodles and cook until soft, I usually turn the crockpot down just before they are soft. Mi sure don't like them soggy!  Add celery salt, and regular salt to your liking :)
   Homemade Noodles:  my sister and I bought our mom a pasta machine for Christmas one year, we loved her homemade pasta!  I have had her machine for many years and just now have figured out how to use it, but you can use a rolling pin for the same results just more work.  For the noodles you need:  3 eggs, 2 3/4 c. Flour, 1 tsp salt--make a mound with the flour, and a large deep well for the eggs, crack the eggs into the well, then add the salt.  With a table knife or fork combine the eggs and salt, then gradually start incorporating the flour from the sides of the well, try not to break the sides of the well, or the eggs will run out, as soon as it's no longer liquid, dip fingers in the flour and use them to work the ingredients together until it forms a rough and sticky dough, work the dough, if it is too sticky, use a little more flour or if too dry use a little cold water .  Give the dough a 1/4 turn counterclockwise then continue kneading and folding for 5 min. For machine, 10 for hand. Knead as you would bread, should be smooth.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let set 15-20 min. At room temp.  Cut ball in half or 1/4's sprinkle a little flour and knead until 5" circle now use a rolling pin, always rolling outward should be about 1/8 inch thick, then roll it up and slice.  Can use your machine instead of rolling pin.  Make sure you wrap the dough you aren't using in the plastic wrap until you use.  I set my noodles out to dry until the soup was ready for them.  Refrigerate and use the leftover dough in the next 3 days or freeze up to a month.  I think I may try fettuccine Alfredo with my leftover noodles!
 These were soooo good in the soup!

Sunburst Lemon Bars

I am finally getting around to posting this wonderfully lemony bar, if you love lemons, you will love this! I promise!  This comes from Pillbury, and one that gets rave reviews :)
                             Sunburst Lemon Bars
Crust
2c. Flour
1/2c. Powder sugar
1c. Butter, softened

Filling:
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2c. Sugar
1/4 c. Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. Lemon juice

Glaze:  1 c. Powder sugar, 2 to 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
Heat oven to 350 F.  In large bowl, combine 2c. Flour, 1/2c powder sugar and butter on low speed until crumbly.  Press mixture evenly on bottom of un greased 13x9 pan.  Bake for 20 -30 min. Or until golden brown.  In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, 1/4 c. Flour, and baking powder; blend well.  Stir in lemon juice.  Pour mixture over warm crust.  Return to oven and bake 25 to 30 min. or until top is light golden brown.  Cool completely.
In small bowl, combine powder sugar and enough lemon juice for desired glaze consistency; blend until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled bars.  Cut into bars.  Makes 36 bars

Yummy Marshmallow Brownies

I really wish I could remember where I found this recipe.  It is a keeper and makes a lot so great for potlucks or church gatherings and I will warn you, very addicting!  I will post the lemon bars another time, they also are amazing and addicting!  Happy Eating :) 
                       Yummy Marshmallow Brownies
1c. butter
2c. sugar
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
**Soften butter, and blend in sugar and cocoa.  Beat together and add the eggs, one at a time.  Add flour, salt and vanilla.  Spread on large greased cookie sheet (10x15x1inch), I use my jelly roll pan.  Bake 25 min. at 350F.  Remove from oven and cover entire top with 1 pkg. minature marshmallows.  Return to oven for 3 min., until soft and puffy.  Cool and frost with chocolate frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:  
1 stick butter (1/2c), softened
1/4c. milk (I sometimes use whipping cream or evaporated milk, it's richer, but really good!)
1  1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4c. unsweetened cocoa
2 to 3 c. powdered sugar
**Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add more powder sugar or milk until you reach frosting consistency.

Stuffed Zucchini

My friend Cori made this for Bunco and I loved it!  Plus a good way to use the extra zucchini this time of year :)
                  Stuffed Zucchini
1lb. ground beef or can use 1/2 sausage and 1/2 beef, cooked
1c. stuffing mix (stove top) or bread crumbs
1 small onion, chopped
32 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 chopped clove garlic
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese, fresh
1/2c. mozzarella cheese

**Mix all together, leaving some cheese for later, stuff in a hollowed out zucchini that is sliced sideways (hollow until about 1/2", save some of the soft flesh and chop and put in mixture),  tightly cover with foil and bake at 350 F.  for about 1 hour, take foil off add the rest of the cheese on top and put under broiler for 5 min or until cheese is bubbly.  
**Use a medium zucchini.  
**also I would sautee the onion and garlic with the flesh of the zucchini, then add the meat, stuffing, and sauce.  

Savory Barbequed Chicken w/ Luncheon Salad

So I was scouring the Internet for a good chicken marinade, my kids are getting tired of my usual chicken marinades.  I came across a site and looked at the comments, they were rave reviews, and then I realized I didn't have all the ingredients, so I just did my own creation, crossing my fingers it would turn out, after all, I had company coming over.  I held my breath, but this chicken honestly was amazing!

       Savory Chicken Marinade

 boneless skinless chicken, if the chicken breasts are thick, I pound them to about 1/2 inch thick(use wax paper and put chicken in between wax paper), about 1 1/2 c. Yoshida's gourmet sauce,  4 Tbsp. lemon juice,  2 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce, 1/4 c. Cooking oil, put ingredients in a ziplock bag and marinade overnight in refrigerator.  Next day put on barbeque, cook until chicken is done
                                                       Luncheon Salad
This was served at my mother-in-law's funeral by her relief society sisters it was the favorite food there!
             1-2 heads Romaine lettuce and equal amounts of spinach
             1 lb. sliced mushrooms
             1 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled
             1/2 red onion, sliced thin, plus 2 Tbsp. minced for dressing
             cut strips (or grated) Swiss cheese
             12 oz. cottage cheese
         
Dressing:
1 c. Oil (vegetable or canola)
1/3 c. Apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Dry mustard
2 Tbsp. minced red onion
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

---blend with immersion blender, or other blender. Serve on salad.   Optional: pour dressing over sliced mushrooms, and onions.  Put in quart mason jar to marinate, for 1-2 hours, take out before mixing with salad.  This has such a nice dressing and tastes fabulous!

Just Another Part of Life

I was looking at my posts, and realized I never told the rest of the story of my mother-in-law.  She passed away on February 5th.  She never recovered f rom her brain surgery.  She tried to will herself better so that she could at least go home.  We had to put her and my father in law in a assisted care facility.  This is where she further declined.  She broke her wrist and shoulder trying to get out of bed about 2 1/2 weeks before she died.  She died on a Tuesday around 12 noon.  My husband got the call at work.  It was the end of another chapter in our lives.  We were blessed to be able to go see her the Saturday before she passed away, and my husband thought to bring a voice recorder and asked her what she wanted for her funeral.  He asked her who she wanted to speak there, and she just shrugged her shoulders, then he said jokingly, "how about Margaret?"  she got a mischeivious grin on her face and shook her head yes.  I thought why me?  I don't even know if I could without falling apart.  She was like a mother to me since my mother passed away.  But as fate would have it, I did speak at her funeral.  I realized what an important role she played in all of our lives, and preparing for the talk, was healing for me.  I hope she was proud.  We miss her, we have been working on cleaning their home up and have put it up for sale.  Today we heard from the hospice nurse, that my father in law is not doing well.  We may be preparing for another funeral so soon.  After that more than half of my husband's family will have crossed over, what a joyful reunion it will be when our turn comes :)