Easy White Bread

 2 C. warm water

1/4 C. white sugar

5 C. white flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dry yeast

3 Tbl.  softened butter

Combine warm water and white sugar, stir until sugar has dissolved. 

Sprinkle yeast on top of sugar water. Let sit until foamy, about 5 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix butter, salt, and flour; until it forms a crumbly texture. 

Add the yeast water to the flour/butter mixture and knead the dough for 8 - 10 minutes by hand, or 5 - 7 in a stand mixer with the dough hook until it forms a ball.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in warmish place for 1 - 2 hours, until double in size.

Punch down dough and divide into 2 portions and shape into loaf shapes and place into greased bread pans.

Cover the loafs and let rise again for 30 - 45 minutes.

Place into 375 oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown on the top.

Remove bread from pans and let cool slightly before cutting.   - Tricia

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breasts
6 Tablespoon Honey
5 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 14-oz Can Green Enchilada Sauce 
1 Cup Heavy Cream or Half and Half 
Flour Tortillas
Shredded Mexican Cheese 

 

Directions:

1. Cook and shred chicken.

2. Combine chicken with: honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Mix together enchilada sauce and heavy cream. Pour a little of the mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

4. Divide the chicken into the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Then roll and set into the pan.

5. Cover the rolled tortillas with the remaining enchilada sauce mix and sprinkle with cheese.

6. Cook at 350° for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top

Notes:

- I like to marinate the chicken several hours ahead of time—the longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes.

- This recipe freezes well. I often double it and save a meal in the freezer for my future self.

- When I double this recipe, I combine a jar of salsa verde sauce with a can of green enchilada sauce. 

Raspberry Peach Jam

3 C. chopped fresh peaches

2 C. raspberries

2 T. lemon juice

2 oz. pkg. powdered pectin

5 1/2 C. sugar

Cook fruit, lemon juice, and pectin over med. heat until it comes to a rolling boil, stirring often.

Add sugar and bring to boil again.  Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. 

Use immersion blender to break up the peaches and raspberry chunks.

Fill pint or half-pint jars with hot jam and process in water bath canner for 10 min.

Dill Pickles

makes 6 quart jars

Ingredients:

     6 bay leaves (1 per jar)

     1/2 Tbsp pettercorn, (5 per jar)

     6 dill stems with flowers, cut into 3" pieces ( 1 full stem per jar)

     12 garlic cloves, halved (2 cloves per jar)

     6 lbs small cucumbers, well rinsed with ends trimmed

Ingredients for pickling brine:

     8 C. water

    1/3 C. granulated sugar

     6 Tbsp pickling salt (or 1/3 C.)

     6 C. white vinegar

Divide bay leaves, peppercorns, dill stems, and garlic into the bottoms of the jars.  Pack cucumbers tightly into jars.

In a medium pot, combine pickling brine.  Bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers, leaving 1/2" of space at the top.  Screw lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place, but don't over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.  Process/boil for 15 minutes.

Spaghetti Sauce

 Blanch and skin enough tomatoes to make:

     18 c. tomatoes, diced

continuously drain off the liquid while making this recipe.

Add:

     10 garlic cloves, minced

     2 med. onions, chopped

     1 green pepper, chopped

     1 red pepper, chopped

     five 6 oz. cans tomato paste

     3 Tbsp. parsley

     2 Tbsp. basil

     1 Tbsp. sage

     1 Tbsp. oregano

     3 Tbsp. salt

     2 Tbsp. chili powder

     1/4 c. sugar

     2 tsp. rosemary

     3/4 tsp. allspice

     1 tsp. cumin

     1 tsp. garlic powder

     1/2 tsp. black pepper

     1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional

     1 jalapeno with seeds, diced

simmer 90 min.  Bottle in pints.

Hot water bath 30 min.

Salsa

 Blanch and skin enough tomatoes to make:

3 qt. chopped tomatoes, continuously drain off the liquid while making this recipe.

Add:

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

5 jalapenos, finely chopped

1/4 c. sugar

12 oz. tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 Tbsp. cumin

1/4 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. lime juice

3 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

Hot water bath 30 min.

Creamy Crockpot Hot Chocolate

 4 C. milk

1 C. heavy cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients, except vanilla, in crockpot. Cook on low, stirring occasionally for 2 hours. 

Turn off crockpot and stir in vanilla.  Serve with whipped cream.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

 1 8 oz. cream cheese (at room temp.)

2/3 C. powdered sugar

1 C. Heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Serve with fresh fruit