I absolutely love our Zojirushi Bread Machine and this is one of our favorite recipes. Adding cottage cheese, pickle juice and fresh herbs makes for a delicious and tender (2 lb) sandwich loaf. Yummmm!
Dilly Pickle Juice Bread
1 1/3 cup cream-style cottage cheese
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1 egg. beaten
4 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped or 2 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons active bread yeast
Fill bread machine baking pan in the order listed. Use Basic setting use medium crust.
Lately, our family game nights have been focused on tile games like Mah Jongg and Dominoes. This is a great way to gather family for a mid-winter night of food and fun. I usually serve a no-fuss crock pot meal for dinner. Making this incredibly simple dessert adds to the carefree atmosphere. I simply mix up a few convenience ingredients for this delicious after dinner treat! …Always a hit!
Dominoes
Best Chocolate Chip Bars 1 (15.25oz) package yellow cake mix ⅓ cup oil or melted butter 2 large eggs, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 1½ cups chocolate chips 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix eggs with oil or melted butter and vanilla. Add the cake mix; mix until combined. Fold the chocolate chips and nuts into the stiff dough. Press dough into the to the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before cutting. Store cooled bars in an airtight container.
Nothing beats the bright, bold flavor of fresh herbs. When the Midwest winter rolls into our Indiana town, I’m quick to bring my herbs indoors to extend their growing season. My trick is to use the halo-shaped growing lights to keep the plants healthy. These lights attach to my pots or are staked into the soil to provide just enough light to support growth and longevity. The result is phenomenal! On the RARE occasion we have unseasonable temps (40’s-50’s), I take the opportunity to pop my plants outdoors for a few hours in the afternoon when the sun is brightest. Otherwise, the plants are tucked inside my warm home with artificial lighting to help them stay strong. Once the fear of frost is beyond us, I pop the plants back outdoors for the Midwest spring and summer growing season.
We cut fresh herbs daily and enjoy sprinkling them over salad, meat, vegetables, nuts, etc… This a great way to use less sodium without losing out on big flavor.
When I don’t have time to make a traditional focaccia, this Italian herbed biscuit wedge is my “go-to” recipe. A quick dough is carefully pressed into a 9” baking dish and baked until golden. Served warm with tomato-based soups or pasta, it’s simply delicious!
Fresh Herb Biscuit Wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing pan
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading dough
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or chives, plus more for topping
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
Additional topping for after baking:
1 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking pan generously with olive oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Add the milk and 2 tablespoons olive oil and using a spatula, mix until combined.
Flour your work surface then turn out the dough.
Knead the dough for 1 minute, adding more flour as needed if it’s too sticky. (The dough should still be tacky and slightly sticky.)
Grease your hands with olive oil then transfer the dough to the greased baking pan. Using your fingers, press the dough into an even layer, then use your fingertips to make indentations across the dough. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with additional herbs.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes until pale golden.
Remove from the oven. Brush an additional 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the crust and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of Parmesan cheese. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.
Tip: If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use dried Italian seasoning or bruschetta seasoning.
Do you have scrap yarn that you need to use up in your stash? If so, this is a great beginner project for you. Depending on the size of your book, you can finish a project like this one in a few hours.
Scrappy Crocheted Book Cover
Measuring the length of my book, I used the half-double crochet stitch after chaining 40 stitches. The number of rows stitched depends on the size of the book. I used a 4.5 mm hook with 4 weight yarn.
CH 40 + 2, turn
HDC in to second stitch from the hook, continue across the row. Continue this pattern until you’ve reached your desired length to cover your book.
I ran out of the multiple-colored yarn before reaching my desired length so I just found a coordinating red yarn and continued stitching. For the scalloped edge, I used the following pattern- In the same stitch, put 1 single crochet, 1 double crochet, and 1 single crochet. Slip stitch in the next stitch. Continue across the row. To close up the envelope-style cover I used the half-double crochet stitch around the edges. I made a simple closure by chaining 12, tying off and stitching this into the center edge of the flap. I stitched on a button with a tapestry needle and added a “handmade” label. This cute cover will hold all of my cozy mysteries throughout the holiday season. Great gift idea!l
I bought several lemon cake mixes at the beginning of the summer as I like to make a lemon jello cake every once in a while. This week, while going through my recipe box, I remembered a quick cake mix bar that I used to make for my kids lunch box meals. It’s a moist and dense bar with a lemony glaze that packs a punch! My family likes to top this bar with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for a summer evening treat.
Lemon Cake Mix Bars
Ingredients
For the bars:
1 box lemon cake mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white baking chips
2 eggs
For the glaze:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest, optional
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare a 7×11” or 9×9” baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs.
Stir until blended.
Stir in baking chips. Pat into baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-22 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool completely.
Mix powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to make a glaze.
-SUPER EASY cheesy snack. For those watching your carbs, give this recipe a try!
1 package of sliced cheddar cheese
1 Tbs. everything bagel seasoning mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cheese slices lengthwise and widthwise to make four smaller squares. Sprinkle with bagel seasoning mix and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes.Remove rounds from cookie sheet and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Cool completely.You can use whatever flavor cheese you like. Sprinkle with any seasoning you like. Enjoy as a flavorful cracker, crisp, or dipper. Serve on top of a salad instead of croutons. Enjoy as a crisp chip… These disappear fast!
If you’re looking for a quick and delicious recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth, this is it! These tasty bars are packed with flavor and are great for a quick, on-the-go breakfast, a packable lunch box treat, or an after dinner dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If desired, switch up the filling with whatever flavors you have on hand… I’ve used strawberry- rhubarb jam, strawberry preserves, and blueberry spice spread.
Easy Cherry Oat Bars
18 1⁄2ounce box white cake mix
2 cups quick cooking oats
3⁄4cup butter, melted
1 cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon water
1⁄2cup pecans, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray with cooking spray a 9×13” pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, oats and butter until butter has been evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly.
Press two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. (I use the bottom of a square plastic bowl to firmly pack the mixture in place.)
In a separate bowl, mix the preserves with water and carefully spread over the crust.
Add pecans to the remaining one-third of the oat mixture and crumble this over the top of the cherry layer.
Bake 375 for 28-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the center doesn’t collapse when you press lightly.
This tasty goulash comes together quickly… Perfect for a mid-week meal or to inexpensively feed a crowd. Serve over corkscrew pasta with a crispy side salad and some crusty garlic bread for a winning family meal with plenty of leftovers.
Midwest Goulash
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 pound ground chicken
1 pound mild Italian Sausage
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 jar Bertolli 5 Cheese Pasta Sauce
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves, (remove after cooking)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( to taste)
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Small bouquet of fresh type, oregano, basil, rosemary tied in kitchen twine.
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven, sauté ground beef, chicken, and sausage over medium-high heat until browned. (Breaking up the meat into large chunks.)
Add garlic and onions and cook until tender.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Remove fresh herb bouquet and bay leaves. Serve over pasta or rice with garlic bread on the side. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
I found a cookbook at a local resale shop last week. The book looked like it had never been opened. As I thumbed through the recipes, I noticed lots of delicious looking treats. There were pages and pages of biscotti recipes, all of which were made from a foundation of cake mix and other pantry items. The Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti recipe caught my eye so I quickly purchased the book for 78 cents.
Bargain Buy – Second Hand CookbookForm dough into rectangular bars before baking
This weekend I made a batch. I had to use dried cherries because I had run out of dried cranberries.
Baked and Cooled BiscottiSlice and Return to Oven to Make Crisp
This turned out to be a great recipe. My family loved the sweet, crunchy exterior with mugs of piping hot coffee and tea. I’ll be making this one again!
See the recipe in the cookbook image below…
Cake Mix Biscotti
1 box white cake mix
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup white chocolate chips
Mix everything into a stiff dough. Place two logs on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Carefully slice into 3/4” slices on diagonal. Place cut side down on cookie sheets. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave biscotti to bake until dark golden and crisp.
Original Recipe but Made with Dried Cherries instead of Cranberries
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 