Cornbread

So, for years I've made the old standby Jiffy cornbread. The problem is I can never get it to turn out moist. Today I baked up some old fashioned, homemade cornbread. It was wonderful, if I do say so myself! The great thing is if you don't have time to do it all from scratch you can use the Jiffy mix too. I've done both and they are scrumptious. The secret is: just add some creamed corn! You gotta love it.

CORNBREAD (The made-from-scratch version)
2 C yellow cornmeal
1 t sea salt
1 T sugar
1 T honey
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 C buttermilk or milk
1 T sour cream
2 eggs
1 C creamed corn
2 T canola oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. In another large bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, creamed corn and oil, whisking together to combine thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. If the batter will not pour, add some milk to the batter. Pour the batter into an oiled ten inch cast iron skillet or an 8x8 sprayed baking dish. Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

CORNBREAD (easy Jiffy version)
2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix
1 T sour cream
1 T honey
1 can of creamed corn

Follow the directions on the Jiffy cornbread boxes. Add the sour cream, honey and the can of creamed corn. Mix well. Bake according to Jiffy cornbread box directions. Pour into an oiled 10 inch cast iron skillet or a sprayed 8x8 baking dish. Make sure a toothpick comes clean before you take it out of the oven. So easy, huh?

Extras: To make it extra yummy (and fattening) you can add a cup of cheddar cheese to the mix. Also, a can or two of green chiles can add some flavor if you want to spice things up.

Whole Wheat Bread

I've always wanted to be a great bread baker. Alas, my attempts over the years have never been quite earning of the "great bread baker" title. My loaves always turned out a little bit off. Well, I got a Bosch mixer a few weeks ago so I've been experimenting. The first batch was too heavy, the second batch was a bit lighter but still no dice, the third batch was just right. Hooray for me and the wonderful Bosch mixer! Here is the recipe that turned out just right for me.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
8+ C fresh ground whole wheat flour, to start with (10-11 C of wheat will mill enough flour for this recipe)
1/3 C vital wheat gluten
1/2 C potato flour
1/2 C powdered milk or buttermilk
4 T dough enhancer
5 T SAF instant yeast
2 T sea salt
1 C canola oil
2/3 C honey or xagave
6 C warm water (approximately 115 degrees)

In Bosch mixer with dough hook, sift dry ingredients together on speed 1 for 1 minute. Add warm water, oil, and honey. Mix on speed 1 and add wheat flour until the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. Be careful not to add too much flour. Dough should be sticky.
Knead on speed 2 for 8 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add some white flour to soak up the moisture. If it's too dry add a dew tablespoons of water. Mix for another 2 minutes. Check the dough again. If it feels right you need to check if the gluten has developed. Do this by grabbing a small ball of dough, flattening it in between your slightly oiled palms, and pulling the dough to see if it makes an elastic window. It should not tear holes but stretch. If dough is ready turn oven on to 200 degrees.
Place dough on a lightly oiled surface. Divide dough into 4-5 equal pieces, depending on how much you yielded. Roll and shape loaves. Place in sprayed, non-stick bread pans, 8.5" x 4.5" size. (I also like to divide one of the dough pieces and form 4 little loaves, the 5.5" x 3" size, they're the perfect size for little children). Turn the oven off and place the loaves into the oven to proof. Let them rise for 20-30 minutes of until each loaf has risen about 2 inches above the top of the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees. Serve warm or cool on a rack. If the bread is completely cooled you can place it in freezer bags and freeze it for up to 30 days. Enjoy!

Shar's Whole Wheat Bread

In my attempt to become a great bread baker I took a class at Shar's Kitchen Center. If you live in the Phoenix area, this is a great place to take FREE baking classes. Here is the wholesome, health conscience recipe that I got at the class. Oh, and it's delicious bread too!

SHAR'S WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
6 C warm water, 115 degrees
2 T sea salt
2/3 C canola oil
2/3 C of honey or xagave (xagave is better for diabetics)
3 T dough enhancer
1/3 C vital wheat gluten
3 T SAF instant yeast
6 to 8 C of fresh ground flour to begin with

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. The recipe is designed to be used with a Bosch mixer using the dough hook. Combine the ingredients in order starting with the water going down until you add the flour. Turn the machine to speed 2 after you've added all the ingredients. Watch the dough and add flour until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. When you can see the sides pull clean as well as the dough coming clean from the bottom you know you've added enough flour. Do not add too much flour, but if you do add a bit of water to fix the consistency. The dough should be very sticky and should not come together at this point but the bowl should be "clean".
Knead the dough on speed 2 for 8-10 minutes or until the gluten is developed. Again, if the dough seems dry add a few tablespoons of water making sure the sides of the bowl stay clean. If the dough starts sticking add a tablespoon of white flour to fix it. Take a small ball of dough, roll it, flatten it between your oiled palms into a pancake type shape, then take the edges of the dough and slowly pull it apart. You should be able to make it quite thin and elastic like without getting a big hole in the dough.
Oil your hands and counter. Remove dough from mixer and divide it into 4-5 large loaves (8.5"x4.5"), weighing 1 lb. 14 oz. each, or 9-11 small loaves (5.5"x3"), weighing 12 oz. each. Shape the loaves and place in well sprayed pans. Turn off your oven. Place pans in the oven to proof and rise. This usually takes 25-30 minutes. When the dough has risen about 2 inches above the pan it is ready to bake.
Remove dough from oven then preheat to 350 degrees. Bake bread for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees. To do this remove a bread pan, take the loaf out of the pan, insert an instant read thermometer in the bottom center of the loaf. If it is not 200 degrees place back in pan and bake an additional 2-5 minutes and check again.
Cool bread on cooling racks. Place bread into freezer bags and place in freezer. The bread can be frozen for up to 30 days and keep all the nutritional value.

Carol's Mac 'n Cheese

If I'm gonna have mac n cheese make it Carol's please! My friend Carol makes the best macaroni and cheese there is. Her awesomely simple recipe is sure to put cheesy mustaches on your children's smiling faces.

CAROL'S MACARONI & CHEESE

16 oz. bag of large elbow macaroni or similar pasta
4 cans of cheddar cheese soup
2 cans of evaporated milk
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook pasta al dente, drain then place in a non-stick sprayed casserole dish. In a bowl whisk the soup and milk until blended. Pour that mixture over the pasta, then stir, coating the noodles well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Pull dish out of the oven and stir in desired amount of cheddar cheese. Place back in oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the top of the dish gets a nice bit of golden color. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Serve while still warm.

Cheese Enchiladas

Above is the flat, stacked enchilada.

Above is the rolled enchilada.

Gramma MAS grew up as a rancher's daughter in south-eastern Arizona. One of the many things she grew up with was great Mexican food. This recipe is modeled after the one Gramma MAS grew up eating, just a bit easier than the real thing!

CHEESE ENCHILADAS
1 large can of Rosarita red enchilada sauce
1 can of Ro-tel diced tomatoes and chiles
12 corn tortillas
shortening
salt
grated cheddar or Mexican style cheese
lettuce, shredded
tomatoes, diced
green onions, diced
olives
sour cream

Pour the enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes with chiles in a pot. Stir and let simmer on medium-low heat. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, on high heat, melt a spoonful of shortening. When it's hot add a corn tortilla. Fry it, turning it over after about 30 seconds, to get each side of the tortilla. The tortilla should still be somewhat pliable, not too crisped. Remove the tortilla from the pan and place on paper towels to cool. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat until the tortillas are all fried.
For a flat, stacked style enchilada: Place a tortilla on a plate. Cover with cheese. Spoon sauce over the cheese. Repeat until you have 3 layers. On the very top add more cheese. Place in microwave for a minute to melt the cheese, if desired. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, and an olive. Serve.
For the rolled style enchilada: Place a tortilla on a plate. In the center of the tortilla sprinkle a row of cheese. Roll the tortilla around the cheese. Repeat to form a second roll. Smother the rolls with sauce and cheese. Place in microwave to melt cheese, if desired. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, and an olive. Serve.

Scrambled Eggs

I know I'm not the only mom in the whole world that knows how to make scrambled eggs. That being said, scrambled eggs are one of my kids' favorite foods. Here is how I make 'em up!

SCRAMBLED EGGS
6 eggs
1/2 C of grated cheese
1/4 C milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch of garlic salt

Crack the eggs open and pour contents into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients. Mix with a whisk or fork until well blended. Coat a skillet with non-stick spray and set on stove at medium-high heat. Pour egg mix into the warmed skillet. Let sit for a moment then scrape and turn the eggs in the skillet. Keep doing this until the eggs are fully cooked. Serve with toast.

Dad's Mashed Potatoes

Making mashed potatoes is a serious business to my dad. If you add or alter them in anyway he accuses you of destroying them! The funny thing is, my Grandpa takes mashed potato making serious too. Must be a Smith man thing. Here is Dad's simple yet yummy recipe for flawless potatoes.

DAD'S MASHED POTATOES
Potatoes, peeled and cut into equal pieces
water, to boil potatoes in
1/4 C of milk
1/4 C of butter
1/4 C of sour cream
1 t salt

Place the potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Bring back to a boil then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 35-45 minutes or until the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork. Drain the water off the potatoes. Mash the potatoes. Add milk, butter, sour cream and salt. Mash a bit more then blend with a mixer until smooth. If needed, add more milk, butter, and/or salt to taste.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A few years ago my mom asked me to find a new side dish for Thanksgiving. That very day I decided to watch an episode of America's Test Kitchen. They demonstrated this recipe for mashed sweet potatoes and I decided it needed to be a dish at Thanksgiving. We've served these sweet, creamy taters ever since.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES
4 T butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 T heavy cream
1/2 t salt
1 t sugar
2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into equal pieces
1/4 t black pepper

Combine butter, cream, salt, sugar and potatoes in a large pot. Stir together then cook, covered, on low heat. Stir occasionally. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork, 35-45 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash potatoes then beat until smooth. Stir in pepper and serve.

Fruit Salad

Gramma MAS loved compiling fancy fruit salads. My mom took her fruity fun a step further and added whipped cream and pecans to the top of the salad to make it truly irresistible.

FRUIT SALAD
1 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into pieces
2-4 oranges, peeled and cut into pieces
2-4 apples, cored and sliced into pieces
1 pint of strawberries, stems removed and sliced
1 jar of maraschino cherries, juice included
1-2 cans of pineapple chunks, juice included
1/2 bunch of green grapes, removed from stem

optional:
blueberries
blackberries
pomegranate seeds
mini-watermelon
peaches
Basically any fruit you'd like to add. The more the better!
pecans (to top the salad)

Make sure all fruit is washed, prepared and cut into bite size pieces. Compile the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir. Let sit for 10 minutes to let juices combine. In the meantime...

WHIPPED CREAM
1 carton of heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/4 C powdered sugar (more if you like it sweeter)

Pour cream into a mixing bowl. Add vanilla. Start beating on high with a mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar. Continue to beat until peaks begin to form in the cream. Beat until you achieve desired texture.

Serve fruit salad in a bowl. Top with whipped cream and pecans, if desired.

Sauerkraut

Gramma MAS' family starting bottling their own sauerkraut years ago. My parents still carry on this tradition every year. This year we decided to help them so we could learn how to do it for ourselves. I know you have to do it at least a few months before Thanksgiving. Yes, sauerkraut is a staple at our Thanksgiving dinner. Home bottled sauerkraut tastes quite different from the stuff bought at the grocery store. Anyway, if you want to give bottling sauerkraut a try here is the how to!

SAUERKRAUT

Ingredients:
heads of fresh, green cabbage
water
salt

Supplies:
food processor
stock pot
home canning jars, lids, & rings

Fill a stock pot with water and set on the stove to boil. Cut the heads of cabbage in half, from the stem section to the top. Cut out the hard cores. Slice down to fit in the food processor. Chop and move into a large bowl. After the cabbage has been run through the processor once, put it through a second time to achieve the correct texture and size. The water should be boiling by now. Firmly pack the cabbage into the jars. Place a heaping teaspoon of salt on the top of the cabbage inside the jar. Pour boiling water into the jar, atop the salt. Place sealing lid and screw on the ring. Wipe off the jar and let sit until the jar lid "pops". Set in a cool, dark place for a few months to ripen.

Pour a bottle of ripe sauerkraut into a pot. Fill the sauerkraut jar you just emptied with water and pour in the pot. Bring the sauerkraut and water to a boil. Turn the heat down to a medium-low heat and let the sauerkraut simmer for 30 minutes. Add butter, to taste, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve.


This is what the cabbage looks like after the first round of food processing.
This is the texture after the second food processing round.


Pack the cabbage in firmly.

A newly jarred bottle of sauerkraut next to a ripe bottle of sauerkraut.

Gramma MAS Snack

We called her Gramma MAS. Why did we call her that? Other than her initials being MAS, Mary Alice Smith, I really haven't the slightest idea! She was an amazing cook and homemaker, one of the best I'd say. She loved having her grandkids over and she often whipped this simple snack together for us after long hours of running around her house and yard. I make this snack for my babies now and every time I lay it out on a dish I think of my witty, talented, smiling Gramma MAS.

GRAMMA MAS SNACK

2 apples, cored and sliced
Ritz or Wheat Thin crackers
Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced into cracker sized pieces

On a large serving plate arrange apple slices, crackers, and cheese. Serve.

Milano Salad

My great grandparents migrated from Italy to America at the turn of the century. They brought a vivid love of gardening and vegetables from their homeland. This simple green salad is refreshing and lite in a way that only true Italians would know.

MILANO SALAD

Core ingredients:
1 head of leaf lettuce (red or green)
tomatoes, cut up into desired size
cucumber, peeled and sliced
bell pepper, cored and chopped
celery, cleaned and chopped
2 T light olive oil
1-2 lemons, cut in half and ready to squeeze
1 t Lawry's seasoning salt
1/4 t garlic salt
1/4 t lemon pepper

Optional ingredients:
avocado, pitted and chopped
1 can of black olives, drained
mushrooms, sliced
carrots, sliced
any other type of lettuce
cheese, cubed
anything else you'd like to add to your salad

Cut lettuce into salad sized pieces. Add all other vegetables. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle salts and pepper over salad. Squeeze the lemons juice into a small strainer that is atop the salad. Toss the salad, coating all of the vegetables. Taste. Adjust seasonings according to your taste then serve immediately.