The Hinckley's Whole Wheat Bread

This bread is so good! Hearty, soft, and flavorful... Thank you mom and dad for perfecting this awesome recipe.

Hinckley Whole Wheat Bread

6 c. hot water

8 c. whole wheat flour

2/3 c. canola oil

2/3 c. honey, melted

2 T. salt

1 more c. whole wheat flour

2 1/2 T. instant yeast

2 T. dough enhancer

2 T. vital wheat gluten

6-8 more c. whole wheat flour (about)

*In a mixer (we use a Bosch mixer), mix together the hot water and the first 8 c. of flour. Pour in the oil and honey (for the honey-use the same 2/3 c. that you used for the oil so that honey comes out easily). Mix in the salt and 1 c. flour. Add in the instant yeast and vital wheat gluten. (Make sure the mixture isn't too hot for yeast). Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit there for about 15-20 minutes, until the mixture doubles in size. Keep adding flour by 1/2 c. increments until the dough is pliable, but not sticky. Note: you may or may not need all the 8 c. of the remaining flour-do not add too much or you will have dry bread. Machine knead the dough for about 10 minutes on medium speed (at the last minute add the dough enhancer). While the dough is kneading in the mixer, turn the oven on warm and place a glass pan of warm water in the bottom of the oven. Remove dough from mixer, set dough on a greased counter-top, and divide the dough evenly for your bread pans. After forming dough into pans, turn off the oven, put the pans in the oven and let the loaves double in size. Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Cook for 30-32 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 6 loaves (for medium-size pans).

Chicken Pot Pie

Once again, my room-mate has made a masterpiece. This Chicken Pot Pie is the bomb diggity! Seriously, try it out. It is delish.

Chicken Pot Pie

 

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup frozen green peas 1/2 cup sliced celery 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1 3/4 cups chicken broth 2/3 cup milk   2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crus

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2.	In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3.	In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4.	Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

My room-mate made this cake. It is one of the best cakes I have ever eaten! If you like chocolate and peanut butter together, you will love this cake. Warning: it is addicting!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Chocolate Cake:

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
	In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
	Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Fluffy peanut butter frosting Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup creamy peanut butter 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed 2 cups confectioners' sugar Directions: Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy. TO ASSEMBLE: place one cake on a plate. Cover with half of the frosting. Sprinkle on chopped peanut butter cups. Stack second cake on top. Cover with rest of frosting. Sprinkle on remaining peanut butter cups. Take a picture...send a copy to me :) Cut and consume. Delish!

The Mayan

The Mayan is a restaurant in Sandy, Utah. It is a fun place to eat that serves Mexican food and entertains the crowd through divers that jump off cliffs in a pool of water. The tables are situated on different levels covered with trees and stuffed birds. Forest sounds make the ambiance of the Mayan even more amusing. It is a great place to take your family. The food used to be pretty "sketchy" ,  but after hiring a new head chef, the restaurant has really turned around. The food is now very good. We took our room-mate here for her birthday. She had a good time. They even brought out the Chocolate Eruption Cake topped with a sparkler. Very cool place, come here for a good time!

Oven Baked French Fries

As if the title didn't contradict this delicious side dish enough, these potato wedges are full of flavor and, ironically, are really simple to make. One of my room-mates tasted one and couldn't get enough of them. Wahoo! It's hard not to be happy when people love your food :)

Oven Baked French Fries

5 large potatoes, washed

3 T. olive oil

herbs and spices: garlic salt, pepper, curry, cumin, basil, paprika (just a pinch) or just steak and hamburger seasoning (McCormick hamburger seasoning is one of my favorites to use).

*Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut up potatoes into wedges or just make them look like long french fries. Lay them out on a cookie dish. Sprinkle oil over the potatoes and mix using your hands. Sprinkle the seasonings over them, again-using your hands to mix the spices with the potatoes. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes (depending on how soft or crispy you like your fries). Note: you will need to bake your fries longer if they are cut into wedges in comparison to cutting them into long french fry-like pieces. Serve with ketchup, ranch or homemade fry sauce (my favorite). To make the fry sauce, mix equal amounts of mayonnaise and ketchup together. Delectable!

Vegetarian Sausage and Sauerkraut

Tonight I made one of my family's classic German dishes of Sausage and Sauerkraut...vegetarian style. I know, I know, vegetarian sausage? Is that even legal? You're probably thinking "gross!!" But it turned out pretty yummy. So if you're looking for a healthier version of sausage, you should definitely check this out.

Vegetarian Sausage and Sauerkraut

1/4 onion, chopped

1/4 green pepper, chopped

1/2 package firm tofu, mashed

1 can black beans (15 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (9 oz)

1 c. oats

1/4-1/2 c. whole wheat flour

herbs/spices: garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, curry, cinnamon, nutmeg (just a pinch), oregano, basil, rosemary, coriander

1 can sauerkraut

*In a saucepan, saute the onion and pepper until soft. Add the tofu, black beans, tomato sauce, and oats. Cook on medium heat for about one minute. Add the herbs and spices to your liking. (You can add any spices you like to give flavor to your sausage). Continue to cook mixture until most of the moisture is gone (about 5-10 minutes). Take off the burner. Stir in the flour. (Sausage mixture should be thick). Put in a bowl and stick in the fridge or freezer to cool. To cook sausage: Take a handful of sausage mixture, form into a hotdog-shape. Fry on stovetop or cook in the oven. (You can also use this sausage mixture to make veggie burgers too...it tastes great!) After sausage is cooked, cover with heated sauerkraut.

Strawberry Banana Crepes and Herbed Potatoes

After church today, me and my roomies decided that we wanted to make a delicious meal, and what's better than crepes and potatoes? Ha. Well the food was fun to make and it was super yummy (and I usually hate crepes). My roomdawg, Rebekah, made the crepes. And I made the herbed potatoes and creamy strawberry syrup. It turned out delish.

Rebekah's Crepes
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
1 T. vegetable oil
1/4 t. salt
*Beat the ingredients together. Heat a lightly greased skillet; remove from heat. Spoon in 2 T. batter; lift skillet to spread batter. Return to heat; brown on one side only. Invert over paper towels. Remove crepe. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally.  When ready to eat, fill crepe with sliced strawberries and bananas and top with creamy strawberry syrup (see below) and whipped cream.

Sarah's Herbed Potatoes
1/2 bag or about 10 potatoes, washed and cubed
1 onion, chopped
blend of herbs and spices:
oregano, basil, rosemary, garlic salt, pepper, cumin, curry, cinnamon, chili powder (just a tad)
*Boil the cubed potatoes until they are in between tender and hard (because you will be frying them later). Drain and cool the potatoes in the fridge (covered). In a frying pan (I used a wok), saute the onion in olive or vegetable oil for only about one min, add the potatoes. Add the herbs and spices to your liking. I like to add the cinnamon (only about 2 pinches) and chili powder (only one pinch) toward the end of frying. The combination of these spices may sound weird, but they taste delicious together.

 Creamy Strawberry Syrup
1 1/2 c. smashed strawberries
1 c. water
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla
*Heat the sugar and water over medium heat. Add the strawberries and stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil; boil for a few minutes. Whisk in cream. Take off burner and stir in the vanilla. For thicker syrup, mix about 1/2 c. water with a spoonful of cornstarch or flour in a cup, whisk this into syrup while it is still boiling. Take off burner. Serve over crepes, pancakes, waffles, etc. YUM! (I love this stuff).

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are my ultimate favorite! They are scrumptious. Please try them, I am sure you won't regret it!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. milk
2 3/4 c. oats
1 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. crushed walnuts (optional)
*Cream together the sugars and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the milk. Mix well. Stir in the oats, cranberries, and walnuts. Bake for 11-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Eat with cold milk. YUM!

Sammy's

 

Last night, my room-mates and I went to a little place called Sammy's. It was so much fun! I got the "The Something About Mary" Veggie Burger (made with black beans), sweet potato fries, and a coconut cream pie shake. They were delicious! I highly recommend this cafe to anyone and everyone! I posted the menus so you can look at them. The food is super yummy and the atmosphere is really fun. Check it out at 27 N 100 W, Provo, UT. Their blog is at: http://sammyscafe.blogspot.com/

Muddy Buddies, Puppy Chow, Choco-Chex, Peanut Butter Chex...

Whatever you call it, this sweet treat is yummy! My room-mate is in love with this stuff and so we made some today. (She even packed herself a bag to take to class with her). Here is the recipe :)


Muddy Buddies
1 c. chocolate chips (I prefer the milk chocolate kind)
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. margarine or butter
1 box Chex cereal
3 c. powdered sugar
*Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a bowl. Melt in microwave. Stir. Pour over Chex in a large bowl and stir until well coated. Pour into a large back (gallon size or bigger). Pour in powdered sugar. Shake until coated.

Mexican Potato and Tomatillo Soup

Today my room-mate told me that she was hungry, so I made dinner for her...I am so nice, I know. Haha--wink :) I gathered a bunch of stuff from the fridge and concocted this easy soup full of veggies and spices...mmmm. Enjoy!

Mexican Potato and Tomatillo Soup
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
1-2 tomatillos, chopped
1 tomato, chopped (or 1 can of stewed tomatoes, chopped)
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of broth, veggie or chicken
2 c. water
2 T. fresh cilantro
2 pinches of basil
2 pinches of oregano
1 pinch of rosemary
1 T. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
*Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic together until semi-soft. Add the potatoes and carrots with 1 c. of the water and 1/2 of the can of broth. Stir in the spices. Cover with a lid. Boil this until the potatoes are semi-soft (or however you like them). Add the tomatillos, tomato, corn, cilantro, and the remaining broth and water. (Note: you may need more water to make it "soupy"). Continue cooking until the potatoes are the texture that you like them at. Serve the soup with sliced avocado and tortilla chips.

Apple Strudel

This morning I made an apple strudel. It was a big hit...yay :) I was very happy that people liked it. The key to this recipe is the phyllo dough. You can usually get this at any grocery store. I found mine at a health food store, and it was 100% whole wheat (shhh...don't tell anyone that it was somewhat healthy).

Apple Strudel
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
a splash of apple juice
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. crushed graham crackers
2 T. butter, cut into pieces
6-7 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 c. butter, melted for brushing the phyllo sheets
1 T. granulated sugar 
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the apples, apple juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, and butter in a large bowl. Remove the phyllo dough from the box, unfold, and cover with a damp towel. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets, brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered. Place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. For the frosting, I added milk to cream cheese frosting and drizzled it over the strudel. You can make any frosting you like.

Sushi

I love sushi...we made some yesterday. I was really excited to make it, but only a few people wanted to make some. I was happy that Jenny and Amber made sushi with me :)


All you need is a bamboo mat to roll the sushi, seaweed wraps, sticky rice, fresh fish, cucumber, avocado, and anything else you want. You lay the seaweed on the bamboo mat, push the rice down on the seaweed (leave about 1-2 inches on the top to seal it later). Put the fish and veggies on top of the rice and tightly roll the sushi using the bamboo mat. Use your finger to put water on the 1-2 inches of seaweed that you left earlier. Seal the roll using the wet seaweed. Slice using a serrated knife.

Mississippi Mud Pie

Our family had lots of fun on New Year's Eve. Nate made potato soup for dinner. Jenny made delicious artichoke and clam chip dips. I made a chocolate pie. It has a rich chocolate filling and a crumbly chocolate crust, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls. I had extra dough and filling, so I let Kamri make her own little pie. She is quite the cook as she helped me crack the eggs and was my taste-tester.  :-)


Mississippi Mud Pie
For the pie dough:
scant  1 5/8 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c. + 2 T. butter (cold and sliced)
2 T. sugar
1-2 T. cold water
For the filling:
3/4 c. butter, softened
scant 1 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 T. unsweetened cocoa
5 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. chocolate extract (optional)
To garnish:
scant 2 c. heavy cream, whipped with a touch of vanilla and powdered sugar
chocolate flakes and curls
*To make the pie dough, sift the flour and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and enough cold water to mix to a soft dough. Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured counter and use to line a 9-inch loose bottom tart pan or ceramic pie dish. line with parchment paper and fill with dried beans. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take out the paper and beans. Let cool. To make the filling, beat the butter and sugar in a bowl and gradually beat in the eggs with the cocoa. Melt the chocolate and beat it into the mixture with the cream and chocolate extract. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the filling has set. Let the mud pie cool completely. Cover with the whipped cream. Garnish the pie with chocolate flakes and curls and then let chill until ready to serve.