the BEST wheat bread...& I'm not joking or exagerating!

I have a bread maker and I bring it out every now and then but after little spurts of use and a few exclamations like "I'm going to make bread everyday! ", it sits on the counter not getting used and eventually makes it back to it's spot in the back corner of the counter.

I've found a new love for my bread machine lately, if you haven't noticed, along with everything else around us, the price of bread is rising... Have you SEEN how much bread is at the grocery store! $2.50 a loaf for the "cheap" stuff. Give me a break, around here I can go through a loaf a day. So I bought some fresh yeast and vital wheat gluten and brought the bread maker back, front and center on the counter, next to the stove. Like I said, I've made plenty of loafs over years, (with and without a bread machine) but, I always loose interest after the loafs just don't have that "store bought' feel to them. (could it be all the ingredients that I can't pronounce making them so "delightful"?)

Short story long, after I don't know how many years and countless trials I have FINALLY come up with a wheat bread that is worth eating! It has a super soft texture (like a store bought loaf), rises high, slices perfect and stores well. Everything I need.

Give it a try, I've made it a few times now and it is fool proof. I would know :)

My Honey Wheat Bread Machine Bread
-recipe yields a 2 pound loaf.

• 1 1/4 cups warm milk
• 2 tablespoons honey (stir spoon around in warm milk to get all the honey)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter flavor shortening
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast (or amount specified by yeast for 3 cups flour)

Measure out the milk then add the shortening (I've used butter when I'm out of shortening). Microwave it for about... 1:40 (I've got a 1000 watt oven) and then add the honey to the measuring cup, using the warm milk/shortening mixture to help ease the honey off the measuring spoon.

Add the ingredients to machine in order specified by your bread machine. Mine goes Liquids, flour, vital wheat gluten, salt, then make a little well out of the flour and add the yeast.

Set the machine for wheat bread.

Oh a little FYI you can make and all white loaf by subbing the wheat flour for white flour and omitting the vital wheat gluten.

AMAZING Frozen Yogurt

Short and sweet this is yummy! Not to mention soooo easy to make! When I was searching the net for a frozen yogurt recipes variations of this one kept popping up. "They" say it rivals Pinkberry's version. I've never been to a Pinkberry so I couldn't say. What I can say is, I made it tonight and it's REALLY yummy and a whole lot better for you than finishing off a container of Hagen Daz :)

Here's the recipe.

6 Servings @ 158.8 calories each. and ZERO FAT
*info from http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

3 cups FAGE 0% Yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Teriyaki BBQ Beef and Broccoli with Noodles

It may seem like a ton of work, but it goes together really fast, and hey, if in the middle of preparing dinner, one of your sons gives your other son a one inch gash in his head by throwing a re-useable water bottle at his younger brother's head from the top bunk, your one month old screaming at you because the poor thing is getting neglected (at least in his little world he is), and your daughter needing help with homework.... anyone can make this :)

*Adapted from (I hate to admit it) Rachael Ray.

Ingredients

For the Teriyaki BBQ Sauce:

• 1/2 cup beef STOCK (not broth)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce (I used a low sodium version)
  
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic grated over one of those gratey things
  
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 inch ginger root, peeled

For the rest:

• 16 oz package shelled edamame (I found a package in the produce dept)
  
• 3/4 pound flank steak
• 1 14 oz bag of steam in the bag broccoli (fresh in the produce dept)
• 1 pound whole grain spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons vegetable

Place ingredients for BBQ sauce in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes to thicken and concentrate flavor a little. Remove ginger root.

Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.

If your edamame needs prepared (ie it was frozen) do that and set aside.

Microwave your broccoli and set aside.

Remove meat from freezer and very thinly slice against the grain if you're using beef.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. When its good and hot, add meat and stir-fry to brown.

Add edamame, broccoli, and sauce.

Serve over noodles.

Pumpkin Muffins!

Oh How I LOVE Pumpkin! I love fall FOR the pumpkin flavored foods. A good friend of mine up in Washington State made pumpkin bread the other day. I was so jealous, Washington gets fall weather, rainy, cold, BAKING weather. San Diego on the other hand has been in the TRIPLE digits the past week. Well... today, I woke up to the sound of thunder and a definite change in the weather. Currently we are sitting at a down right chilly 73 degrees.

SO I took the opportunity to make up my pumpkin bread, but made into, easy to eat too many muffins & mini muffins :) They are JUST pumpkin-y enough without too much spice to over power the muffin. This is NOT a spice cake, they are Pumpkin Muffins with just enough spice to compliment the pumpkin.

Top these with Cream Cheese.... TRUST ME it is Absolutely Divine!


Here is the recipe...

Yields - 24 Standard Sized Cupcakes AND 32 Mini Cupcakes

1 Can of Pumpkin -15oz (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING)
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Veggie Oil
1/2 Cup Apple Sauce
2/3 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups White Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Golden Brown Sugar

3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Preheat oven to 350.
Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

In a big bowl mix together Pumpkin, Eggs, Oil, Applesauce, Water, & Sugar until well blended.

In a separate bowl sift (or whisk) together Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, & Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Mix dry bowl into wet bowl JUST UNTIL BLENDED. Taking care not to over mix.

Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full and bake for 20 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The mini cupcakes also took 20 minute in my oven.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream & Mississippi Mud Pie Ice Cream

First there is the Mint Oreo Ice Cream.... Make This! Trust me it tastes JUST LIKE Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie, but better because you get like three times as much for a lot less $$

Then there is the Mississippi Mud Pie Ice Cream. My husband absolutely LOVES these ice cream sandwiches (by Blue Bunny) with a beer. I personally think its a bit odd to eat ice cream and drink beer, but perhaps that is just me. I love him so much :-) so, for a special treat, I made this. It is essentially the same thing but instead of the ice cream sandwiched between chocolate wafers, the wafers are IN the ice cream. Finding a cookie worthy of the ice cream was a slight challenge, but now that I've found it....

Oh and on a side note, there are recipes out there that call for similar ingredients, but they use raw eggs. This (IMO) is just not practical for our family as I am pregnant and have small children that would all like to enjoy homemade ice cream without taking the risk (although small) of getting salmonella. My youngest son got salmonella a couple years ago and was hospitalized for almost a week. I, personally, would not like to go through that again, or wish that on anyone. So BOTH of these recipes are cooked versions.

Enough about all that here are the recipes and directions:

MINT OREO ICE CREAM
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream1 1/2 Cups Half & Half
Green Food Coloring (5-8 drops, it optional but completely necessary in my book)

2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon PURE Vanilla Extract (none of that imitation crap)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Mint Extract
1 Cup Coarsely Chopped Oreo Cookies (I used a bag of the mini's and its just about one bag, with a handful eaten on the side)

Poor milks in heavy bottomed pot and bring to ALMOST a boil, whisking to keep a film or if you have a thermometer you can get it up to right around 180 degrees.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then add Vanilla and Mint Extracts, continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.
Temper the hot milk A LITTLE AT A TIME with the egg/sugar/vanilla/mint mixture. Add everything back to the heavy bottomed pot and heat to 180, or just before boiling.

Remove from heat, poor in heat/fridge/freezer proof covered container and chill for AT LEAST 4 hours, overnight is best.

After its chilled, process in your ice cream maker. Right before its done you can add your Oreos, OR you can fold them in yourself after it's transferred back to your heat/fridge/freezer proof covered container.

At this point it will be soft serve consistency, TRY NOT TO EAT IT, it will be DIVINE and hard not to. Freeze for a couple hours to harden.


MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE ICE CREAM
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 1/2 Cups Half & Half
1/2 Bag of Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips

2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar1 Teaspoon PURE Vanilla Extract (none of that imitation crap)

1 Cup Coarsely Chopped Annie's Chocolate Bunny Grahams
3/4 Cup Slivered Almonds

Poor milks in heavy bottomed pot warm it up a bit and add the chocolate chips. Using a whisk keep the mixture moving so that the chocolate melts into the milks and doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture ALMOST a boil, whisking to keep a film or if you have a thermometer you can get it up to right around 180 degrees.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then add Vanilla Extract, continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.

Temper the hot chocolate milk A LITTLE AT A TIME with the egg/sugar/vanilla. Add everything back to the heavy bottomed pot and heat to 180, or just before boiling.

Remove from heat, poor in heat/fridge/freezer proof covered container and chill for AT LEAST 4 hours, overnight is best.

After its chilled, process in your ice cream maker. Right before its done you can add your Chocolate Bunnies and almonds, OR you can fold them in yourself after it's transferred back to your heat/fridge/freezer proof covered container.

TRY NOT TO EAT IT, it will be hard not to. Freeze for a couple hours to harden.

Peanut Butter Gelato!!

I am on a gelato roll! After the other night's success with my first ever gelato using my ice cream maker for the first time. I thought what would be fun for the kids AND what do I have on hand? After much surfing the web a little research I made this tonight.

Served right out of the ice cream maker it was a little soft, but the kids didn't seem to mind. It was a BIG hit! I topped it with a bit of grape jelly. The kids were jazzed to get such a treat :-) I had mine after the kids were in bed and it had a chance to freeze up a bit. It scooped perfectly right out of the freezer, just like good gelato should.

Next time I make a double batch.


PEANUT BUTTER GELATO

1 cup 2% milk

2 cups 1/2 & 1/2

4 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

2-4 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter. I used a large kitchen spoon with two heaping scoops.

In a big saucepan, combine the milk and 1/2 & 1/2. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper egg yolks by very slowly pouring in hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return custard to saucepan and place over low heat.

Add the peanut butter whisking thoroughly until completely incorporated.

Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185 degrees F. Do not bring to a boil.

Let cool a bit uncovered until just about room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so to keep a skin from forming. Once cooled a bit, cover and refrigerate until very cold. I chilled it for 3 hours. Follow directions on your ice cream maker and in about 40 minutes you are in Peanut Butter Heaven!

Makes enough for about 1 quart of gelato.

Decaf Mexican Mocha Gellato

So I am pregnant and have cut out all coffee. Seriously ALL coffee except what I call my "practical joke coffee" ie decaf. It's tough, but for a good cause :-). One thing that I have been CRAVING... Coffee Ice Cream. For the record I don't even really eat it when I'm NOT pregnant, it winds me up to much to enjoy it after dinner. But it's what I've REALLY wanted it lately. So..... I made Decaf Mexican Mocha Gelato!!! And let me just say..... It is to die for!

Ingredients:
2 cups 2% milk.
3/4 of a bag of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate chips
2 Tbsp instant decaf coffee granules
1 Tbsp cinnamon sugar. Its what I had, lol. All the cinnamon I had in the house was already mixed for cinnamon sugar toast :-)
2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
2 tsps REAL vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
Put a large bowl in the freezer to chill.

Place the milk, chocolate, and coffee in a large pot (5 qt maybe) over medium heat. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture reaches a boil. Add the 1/2 & 1/2 and vanilla and mix well.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and creamy.

Pour a little bit of the milk and chocolate mixture into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture to temper, beating constantly. Slowly add the rest of the mixture from the pot to the egg yolk mixture.

Return to the pot and simmer over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture just coats the back of a metal spoon. This was tricky, just take it off the heat right before it boils and you should be fine. Do not let the mixture boil.

Pour into the chilled bowl. Let cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30minutes (I chilled our for about 1 hour).

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker. In about an hour you should have yummy gelato! It will be soft, take some out, enjoy and put the rest in an airtight container to enjoy tomorrow :-)