Banana Bread

I have always loved banana bread. However I find it very hard to find a banana bread that I like. Moist loaves seem to be too dry, to "burnt" tasting, too browned on the outside, to bland, too sweet or just lacking in banana flavor. I have tried several recipes over the years. I do enjoy my recipe for Easy Banana Bread when time is short, but this recipe here is my absolute favorite. It is so moist, flavorful and so pretty too. The flavor and color of the bananas really shine through. I adapted this from The Joy Of Cooking.

Banana Bread

Makes 1 Loaf

3/4 stick (6 Tbsp.) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/4 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs, banana, yogurt and sugar. Mix well. In a small bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined well. Spoon into a well greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan about 20 minutes before removing. Cool completely then slice.

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

While blog hopping last night, I read on my buddy Paz's blog that today is World Bread Day. I had no idea such a day existed! :0) I decided right away that I must try a new bread recipe in honor of this special day ;0). This is one I have been wanting to try for some time now. I found the original recipe in Southern Living Magazine and modified it to fit what I had on hand and to work with a bread machine. These turned out fabulous!

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

2 c. water
2 c. quick cooking oats
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. bread flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. quick rise yeast

Combine all ingredients in your bread maker in the order suggested in the manual. Select the DOUGH cycle. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Put into two greased 9-inch round cake pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes or into double in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Soft Fluffy White Bread

** See Updated Below Recipe!**

I have been looking for a good recipe for white bread since I got my bread machine back around Christmas time. All the recipes I have found are tasty but don't have that store bought fluffiness that my husband loves. Although I know white bread is not really healthy, my hubby loves it so I have been on a quest to find the perfect recipe. After much trial and error I have finally succeeded. This bread is nice and soft and so much better than store bought. I usually make a second batch of dough while the first is rising so we have enough for about 2 days.

Soft Fluffy White Bread

1 2/3 c. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. light olive oil (NOT extra virgin, it is too strong of a flavor for this bread)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. bread flour (don't try to use all-purpose, it won't work... not enough protein in the flour)
1 heaping Tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten (I buy this at Wal Mart right near the yeast and flour)
2 tsp. quick rise yeast

Put the ingredients into your bread maker in the order suggested in the manual. Select the DOUGH cycle. When the dough is done, punch it down, divide it in half, form it into loaves and put it into buttered loaf pans. Cover it and let it rise about 45 - 60 minutes. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread for 45 minutes. Remove loaves from oven and cover with a kitchen towel for about 10 minutes or until you can easily shake the loaves out of the pans onto a cooling rack. When bread is cool enough to handle, put into plastic bags and tie shut, or you can slice the bread with an electric carving knife at this point and then put it in bags.

* NOTE: For added nutrition, you can substitute 1 c. of whole wheat flour for one cup of the white flour. You will still get a nice soft loaf, but it will not be completely white.

** Update**

Some people seem to have had problems with this recipe. I'm not sure why because it always works great for me. However, to offer all of you readers an alternative recipe. If you purchase a bag of Bob's Red Mill Brand All Purpose Flour there is a GREAT recipe on there for white bread that is just as soft and fluffy as this one, maybe more! I use it all the time and love it. Just a note, it is intended for a bread machine. However, I make it in my Kitchen Aid mixer and use 1 pkg. of yeast per loaf. Works GREAT! I make 4 loaves at time with no problems. Happy Bread Baking!

Skillet Bread

With our new baby due so soon I have been really tired and my back has been aching so I haven't felt much like cooking. This morning was no exception. Then I remembered a quick recipe I knew my girls would enjoy. My grandmother used to make this bread for me when I was growing up. These are kind of like fried biscuits. They are really soft inside and go wonderfully with butter and jam or honey. They were such a hit today and I didn't even get an opportunity to take a picture :0)

Skillet Bread

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 c. water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil or butter in a skillet over medium - medium high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls into the skillet. As soon as bread begins to set enough that you are able, turn them with a spatula and press down on them to flatten a bit. Lower the heat and cover the skillet and allow them to steam to cook the inside. Keep a close eye on these, the outsides will burn easily!

Bolillos

We have been sick for a couple of days now so I thought a nice crock pot full of soup would be just the thing to hit the spot. I made Posole yesterday and found a great recipe for the bolillos to go along with it. They turned out great! Sorry I don't have a photo to share but here is what they look like and here's the recipe.

Bolillos

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups water
1 tablespoon honey (I use Agave nectar)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/4 - 4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir and let stand 5 minutes.
2. When the yeast is working a bit stir the honey, lard and salt into the yeast mixture.
3. Add 2 1/2 cups flour.
4. Mix at low speed and then beat at medium speed until the dough is very elastic, about 5 minutes.
5. Gradually stir in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough.
6. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth in texture and very elastic, 15-20 minutes (use a dough hook on your mixer and knead for about 10-15 minutes).
7. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough so all surfaces have a sheen of oil.
8. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour (I turn on the light in the oven and place the dough in there to rise, do NOT heat the oven!).
9. Punch the dough down and knead briefly on a floured surface.
10. Divide dough into 10 pieces and roll into balls.
11. Work with the palms of your hands and start at the center of each ball to roll out into ovals.
12. Each piece should be about 5 1/2" long and 2" in the middle, tapering to each end.
13. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 minutes.
14. Meanwhile heat oven to 375F degrees.
15. Mix cornstarch and cold water, heat stirring constantly to boiling, boil until thickened and clear about 2 minutes.
16. Brush each roll with the cornstarch mixture.
17. Slash each roll down the middle stopping about 1/2" from each end and cutting about 1/2" deep.
18. Bake until the rolls are brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.
19. Serve warm & fresh from the oven.

Our little container garden that I spoke about a couple posts ago has died out on us. The unexpected cold snap did not give the plants a good start at all. We are planning to replant them directly outdoors at the end of this month when the weather is a little warmer. Stop back by and I will continue to post our progress.

My oldest daughter's birthday was last week and she put in a special order for a cheesecake :) She created this cheesecake herself, "Mama" was just the chef. Here's a picture of her special birthday creation.

It is an orange flavored cheesecake with dulce de leche swirled in... chocolate chips and strawberries on top and whipped cream of course! I can hardly believe my baby is 7 years old!

Potato Rolls and Classic Country Bread

I have been spending a lot of time this past week baking bread since I got the new bread machine. So far I have been very happy with the results. I've only baked one loaf in the machine. I prefer to use the "dough" setting and bake the loaves in the oven to get a more authentic shape and crust. So far, aside from the Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread, pizza crust and a sourdough loaf. I have also made a couple of Classic Country Bread loaves from a recipe found on a package of Red Star Yeast.

All the recipes have turned out very well expect I think I will reduce the olive oil for the pizza dough next time when I make it in the bread machine. The dough was very sticky and hard to work with. The recipe I used (I doubled it for the machine) would have made 4 pizzas but we ended up with three because I botched the first one due to the extra sticky dough. I'm not quite sure why it works fine when done by hand but not in the machine. I'm sure I will figure it out sooner or later :)

Today I found a couple lonely baked potatoes in the fridge, just begging to be used for something. So of course, I had to try a recipe I saw in one of my cookbooks for Potato Rolls. They turned out great!

Here are the recipes for the Classic Country Bread and Potato Rolls. Sorry for the lack of a photo for the Country Bread, but the kids ate it too quickly!

Potato Buns
(Originally from Old World Breads - modified for ingredients I had on hand)

1 c. milk
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 small potatoes, baked then mashed (boiled would work well too I'm sure)
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. bread flour
1 c. whole wheat flour

Add ingredients to bread machine in the order suggested by manufacturer. Set on "dough" cycle. When dough is ready, remove from machine and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place balls into a greased muffin pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. For a golden crust, brush with butter or margarine before baking. Makes one dozen rolls.

Classic Country Bread

1 1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/3 c. molasses
2 1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c. oatmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Cereal)
1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour
2 1/2 c. bread flour
2 tsp. quick rise or bread machine yeast

Put all ingredients in bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set on "dough" cycle. When dough is ready, split into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Please each loaf into a greased bread pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks and allow to cool before slicing. Makes 2 loaves.

Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread

Although I have a multitude of small appliances, one I have been wanting for a long time is a bread machine. My wish finally came true this Christmas. I was able to order a breadmaker on-line a couple days after Christmas and it finally arrived yesterday.

I did a lot of research before I chose this breadmaker. I needed to find one in my price range but that had good ratings among consumers so I wouldn't have to replace it after a few months like some of the appliances I have had in the past. I finally settled on the Sunbeam Bread Maker. It makes 1.5 and 2 lb loaves and had 12 different settings. It can dely baking up to 13 hours. It can even be used to make jam! A word of caution... if you ever purchase this model, the manual has many recipes but from all I have read on-line the proportions are incorrect and the loaves turn out awful. So be sure to find a good bread machine cookbook or find recipes on-line from reputable websites if you buy this model.

I made my first loaf today and I must say I am in love with this machine. It is so easy to use, easy to clean and quiet. I found this recipe on-line and tweaked it a bit to fit what I had on hand. Here's the recipe. I'm sure it would turn out very well made by hand as well. It is moist and delicious.


Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread

1 1/3 c. warm water (I microwave room temp. water for 20 seconds)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. bread machine yeast (fast acting or quick rise yeast will work fine as well)

Add ingredients to bread machine in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic setting and light crust. Makes one 1.5 lb. loaf.

Sourdough Bread

Well my starter was finally ready for use a couple days ago so I decided to make a simple sourdough bread recipe I found in The Complete Tightwad Gazette. I have made this bread in the past and was always happy with the results. This recipe is very easy although it does take quite a long time. It's well worth the wait though.

A note: Homemade sourdough bread does not taste quite as sour as store bought. If you want that extremely tangy taste you can add 1 Tb of vinegar or 1 tsp. of citric acid (sour salt) to the water for added "tang".

Sourdough Bread
(from The Complete Tightwad Gazette)

5 1/2 c. bread flour
2 c. sourdough starter
1 Tbsp. salt
1 c. water

Dissolve the salt in the water. Add the starter then stir in the flour. Knead until the dough is smooth and form into a ball. Put in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise overnight (it should be doubled in bulk when done). (Note: I let mine rise 4 hours and it was way past doubled in bulk so it will depend on the temp. in your house as to how long it will need to rise. I started my dough in the morning). Punch dough down and divide into two pieces. Form into balls and cut an "X" shape on top if desired. Place on a greased baking sheet and allow to rise about 4 hours or until double in bulk. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven and heat to 400 degrees. Bake loaves for 35 minutes. If they begin to brown too quickly then cover with a sheet of foil . If you like a soft crust, open the oven a couple times during cooking and spritz the oven walls with water, then cover the loaves when they cool. Allow them to cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Sourdough Starter

I have been in love with sourdough bread ever since I was a little girl. My dad used to work next door to a bakery called "La Boulangerie" (French for "The Baker") and he would bring home fresh bread almost every day. I could (and still can) easily eat an entire loaf by myself!

When my husband and I got married I found a recipe for sourdough starter and sourdough bread in The Complete Tightwad Gazette and then began my journey as a sourdough bread baker. Making sourdough starter is not only frugal but it is very easy. And by putting in a few minutes you will yield a delicious base for bread, waffles, pancakes, pizza crust and so much more.

My last starter was thrown out when we moved to our current residence. I thought it was about time for me to begin a new batch. This recipe was modified from the Tightwad version with a slight variation from the King Arthur Flour website.

Sourdough Starter

2 c. all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
2 c. water
1 pkg. yeast
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large (6 or more cup capacity) glass or stoneware jar or crock. Stir well with a non-metal spoon. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to sit on the counter top for about 5 days. The mixture will begin to bubble right away but for it to properly ferment and get the nice sour taste you need to allow the 5 days. Stir well and store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.

When you use some of this mixture for a recipe you will then need to "feed it" so you will always have some on hand. Do this by adding 1 1/2 c. water and 1 1/2 c. flour to the container and stirring well. Then return it to the refrigerator. You should use your starter at least once or twice a week or it may not work as well after at time. If it gets a layer or clearish-yellowish liquid on top that is ok, just stir it well and proceed with your baking. If it turns a funny color, like pink, black or orange, throw it out!

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

I adapted this recipe from The Complete Tightwad Gazette. These scones are very heavy and dense and are great for breakfast with honey on top.

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

1 1/2 c flour
1 c uncooked oatmeal
1/4 c. flax seed meal (optional)
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c softened margarine
1/2 c rasins
3/4 c sour milk (milk with 2 tsp vinegar)
1 egg, beaten



Instructions

1. Preaheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients; cut in margarine and rasins.
2. Stir in enough sour milk just to moisten. Divide dough in half.
3. Flour hands and pat dough into 2 circles on a greased cookie sheet about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut into quarters . Bake for 10 minutes. Brush on egg and then bake until golden brown.
5. Serve with honey, margarine, or jam.

Cuban Bread

I've been wanting to try this recipe from The Tightwad Gazette for a while now and I finally made it today. I made two loaves (for my mom and sister) but I'm going to make more tomorrow for us... it smelled so good coming out of the oven! I can't wait to try it!



Cuban Bread

5-6 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
2 c. hot water (not boiling)
1 T. sesame or poppy seeds or oats

Mix 4 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Let rise 15 minutes. Punch down. Divide into 2 pieces, shape into 2 round loaves and place on baking sheet. Cut an X 1/2 inch deep on top with sharp knife. Brush with water and sprinkle with seeds or oats. Place on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown.

Biscuit Fun

I made biscuits to go with beef stew for dinner tonight. Since I mixed up a double batch there was dough left so I let my girls have some fun with it. These are the "Biscuit People" they made. Too cute :)

Homemade Pita Bread

Thanks to Nic over at The Baking Sheet, I just completed the most well received baking project in a long time. Although I find lots of great recipes that I can't wait to try, my little ones often complain about the texture, taste or appearance of many things. So when I set out to make Nic's Homemade Pita Breadad today I expected that there would be at least one complaint when it was served. I was pleasantly surprised when my 6 year old declared these "50 times better than tortillas" and my 4 and 1 year olds both sighed a satisfied "Mmmmmm!" with their first bite. We ate them simply with thin slices of Colby-Jack cheese but there are plenty left for a bowl of hummus that I plan to make tonight and the "taco fillings" my 6 year old requested for tomorrow.

Homamade pitas are nothing like the store bought variety. They are delicate yet chewy and they are not at all brittle nor do they fall apart when you attempt to stuff them full of your favorite filling. Some of them will puff up and have a ready made pocket when you cut them open and some will need you to slit them with a knife before stuffing. Either way they are amazing!


Homemade Pita Bread
(from The Baking Sheet)

1 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm (105-115F) water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Combine sugar, water and yeast. Let stand for 15 minutes, until foaming. Stir in salt and flour until fully incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Allow to rise in a lightly oiled bowl until doubled in size, 1 1/2 hours. Turn on your broiler and lightly oil a baking sheet. Punch the dough down, divide it into 10 pieces, and gather each piece into a ball; keeping all of them lightly floured and covered while you work. Allow the balls of dough to rest, covered, for 15 minutes so they will be easier to roll out. Roll out until balls form circles about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick. (I used my Tortilla Baker to flatten them). Place on baking sheet and broil for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Flip over and broil again for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. You just have to keep an eye on these guys depending on how hot your broiler gets.
Remove from oven and cool between kitchen towels to keep the pitas moist. Store in an airtight container.

Mexican Corn Bread

Tonight for dinner I made Arroz Con Pollo and decided to try a recipe I found for Mexican corn bread. My mom used to make it a lot when we were growing up. This recipe was "almost" as good as my mom's. ;)

Mexican Corn Bread

2 eggs
1/4 c. canola oil
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. shredded Cloby-Jack cheese
1 (8 oz). can creamed corn
1 small can green chilis, drained
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 in. square baking dish. Combine dry ingredients then add wet ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan and if desired sprinkle with more shredded cheese. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until center is set and top is golden brown.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

I absolutly love the tortilla baker I posted the other, it is amazing! I made a dozen whole wheat tortillas in about 10 minutes. How cool is that! It did take some practice on how to get them the proper thickness but I think I have the hang of it now and plan to make more soon. And the cool thing about this recipe is you don't need a tortilla baker to make them, you can make them on a griddle or even a nice heavy skillet would work as well. Here's the recipe.

Pipin' Hot Bakery Whole Wheat Tortillas

(From Recipe*zaar.com)

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons canola oil
2/3 cup water

1. Combine flours, baking powder, and salt.
2. Stir in the water all at once, using mixer or a fork, and toss quickly.
3. When dough can be gathered into a soft mass, turn onto floured surface and knead a few times.
4. Form 8 balls of dough, dredge in flour, and store in a plastic bag to prevent drying until ready to be used.
5. Flatten first ball of dough into a disk.
6. Roll out dough on floured surface until 7 inches or larger with even strokes that do not reach to the edge, turning over frequently.
7. Place tortilla in ungreased, frying pan that has been preheated to medium-high heat.
8. Cook 30-40 seconds on one side, turn over with spatula and cook 30-40 seconds on other side., First side should be pale and sprinkled with brown spots and the other side will be blotched.
9. Repeat process with other balls of dough.
10. Stack tortillas on a plate as they are cooked and cover them with a dish towel, which will keep them soft.

Egg Nog Bread

My girls got a "Real Meal" (Easy Bake) oven for Christmas and made their first cake today. Isn't it cute :)

It's been a busy, non-cooking day around our house today so thought I'd share an old favorite recipe with you.

Egg Nog Bread

3 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 c. egg nog
1/4 c. sour cream or vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. raisins

Glaze
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 - 3 tbsp. egg nog

Mix dry ingredients with a whisk until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine egg nog, eggs and oil. Stir flour mixture, 1/3 at a time, into liquid mixture. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans about 10 minutes. Remove from pans and poke many holes in the top of each loaf with toothpick then drizzle with glaze.

Homemade English Muffins

(updated info)

Since I first posted this recipe I have made theese muffins, taken photos of the muffins, and also tweaked the recipe a bit. I edited the recipe with my updated version.




I was just surfing through some of my favorite food related blogs and found the most delicious looking picture of homemade English Muffins on Nosheteria. That picture sent me in search of a recipe. I can't wait to make these! I think today I will do a cooking project with my girls and we can make them together. The only problem is I ruied out toaster (don't laugh but I dropped butter inside one of the slots while it was still hot). Oh well... we'll just have to improvise and toast them in a hot skillet! :)

I found this recipe on About.com.

Homemade English Muffins

(my version of the recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cup milk, warm
3 tbsp butter or margarine (I melt it in the milk.)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten ( optional, I beat in the warmed milk and melted butter.)
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

PREPARATION: This dough can be done in a bread maker... otherwise... Place ingredients in bowl and mix together. Knead in the extra flour until it's not very sticky. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Roll dough out onto cornmeal covered surface. Cut out dough into circles (whatever size you want). Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.

Heat frying pan (or griddle) to medium heat. Place muffing cornmeal side down. Cook about 10 minutes on each side. Split with a fork and use your choice of toppings. Enjoy!

EASY Banana Bread

I found this in an issue of Real Simple Magazine and modified it a bit. It is really good! Very moist and delicious.

Banana Bread

1 box cake mix (yellow, banana and pineapple work best and chocolate fudge is AWESOME!)
1 pkg. Jell-O instant pudding mix (I like to use vanilla or banana)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients well. Pout into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.

Soul Food

Tonight we're having pinto beans, collard greens and corn bread. This is one of my husband's favorite meals.

Pinto Beans

2 lbs dry pinto beans
4 slices turkey bacon

Sort and rinse beans. You can soak them overnight and then drain them. Put beans in a large pot. Cover with water to about 2 inches above the beans. (If you don't have time to soak them just rinse them well and put them directly in the pot, add water and bring to a boil and allow to boil for 10 minutes then turn down to a simmer.) Allow to cook on medium with cover on for about two hours. Check every so often to make sure there's enough water in the pot and give a quick stir. When the beans are soft enough to mash with a spoon add about 2 Tbsp. salt. Stir well and taste to make sure they are salted to your liking, if not add more salt. Allow to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes to allow the juices to thicken.

Collard Greens

3-4 bunches collard greens
3 slices turkey bacon or a smoked turkey wing
2 c. water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
vinegar (for serving)

Wash greens well in cold water. Drain water and one at a time, cut the stem from each leaf. Also cut off any discolored or shriveled areas of the leaf itself. roll a few leaves together and cut into about 2 inch pieces. Press greens down into a cooking pot and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook about 1 hour. You will need to check them often and stir because the greens will wilt. Drizzle with a little vinegar before serving.

Corn Bread

1 c. flour
1 c. corn meal (yellow or white)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 c. buttermilk (or regular milk)

whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 8 x 8 in. pan. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

There are lots more great soul food recipes on one of my favorite websites from the movie Soul Food.

Deals and Dinner

The Safeway experience went well! Everything was delivered in a timely manner and there were even a couple freebies thrown in for the kids. I will be watching for coupons and ordering from them again as soon as I find a coupon for a free delivery. I did have to pick up a few things at our local market as well. There were several great deals there this weekend. I got three packages of margarine (the soft kind with two little tubs in a pack) for 50 cents each. Oscar Meyer hot dogs are normally around $4.25 per package and those were on sale for $2. I also got a family package of boneless skinless chicken breasts that was normally $14.50 for $5. That was a great deal!

Tonight for dinner we had spaghetti. I had planned to use a sauce I found on sale but my hubby insisted in Ragu so now I have an extra jar of sauce. I might just make a pizza for the kids next week. This is my recipe for pizza crust, it's really easy and good and you don't have to let it rise forever!

Pizza Crust

1 cup warm water
pinch sugar
1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Stir hot water, sugar and dry yeast until blended. Add oil, salt and flour. (I use a food processor). Stir until mixture forms a soft ball. Let rest 5 minutes. Roll out on a pizza stone or cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Top with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings. Bake 450* 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

I've really been trying to find a good source for organic foods. I know that the processed things we eat are not that good for us, but the prices of organic are just too high for our budget. I found a great website, Wellness Grocer which looks like it has some good prices. I plan to order some things in the near future. I also found a great source for imported foods with prices lower than many grocery stores - Parthenon.com. Lots of great sites out there, it just takes time to find them :)