My new Cookbook!

Okay, so I just got my new Artisan Bread book from Amazon yesterday!

Quite possibly the most fantastic bread book ever!

Today I will be spending all day making different doughs.

Then storing them in my backyard fridge for up to 2 weeks!

Yep, fresh homemade bread every day of the week if I choose! From one batch!

The best part?

No kneading!

***

I make bread probably about once a week. No, not with a bread machine, with my hands.

I do not enjoy bread machines.

There is something spiritual about kneading dough and watching it rise and knowing you did that. I don't like baking cookies and sweets, but bread?

I could make it my lifes work and be happy forever.

One of my dreams is to open a bread bakery of artisan breads. You know, those hard crusted, big boules of bread that you can slice up and do anything with? Yeah, like that.

***

My men are bread snobs now too. I make focaccia for them and it is gone in minutes.

I have to make 2 batches just so we can have leftovers for the next day's sandwiches at school.

I don't love to eat bread as much as I enjoy making it.

And my newly acquired cookbook has just made having homemade bread on a daily basis a real thing! Who knew you don't have to knead dough, or wait for it to rise, as long as you let it rest for a day in the fridge!

One day, I want to have everyone over to make this kind of bread

The book is called

Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day

and there are over 100 recipes in it.

Letti, Angela, you will be my official guinea pigs when I make different kinds.

Yum!

Marshmallows

I didn't know we could make homemade Marshmallows until I saw an episode of

The Barefoot Contessa and bought her book.

These are AWESOME! They taste SO much better than the store bought variety!

You REALLY need a Kitchenaid mixer for this one.

It can stand the 15 minutes of mixing. Enjoy!

***

MARSHMALLOWS

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

*** Instructions

Combine the gelatin and

1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment

and allow to sit while you make the syrup. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan

and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches

240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from the heat. With the mixer on low speed slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin.

Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick,

about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly. With a sieve, generously dust an 8 x 12-inch non-metal baking dish with confectioners' sugar. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan,

smooth the top and dust with more confectioners' sugar.

Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out. Turn the marshmallows onto a board and cut them in squares.

Dust them with more confectioners' sugar. Yield: 20 to 40 marshmallows, depending on cut size

Bread in 5 minutes!

I do not enjoy baking.

All the measuring, precision, balance etc...

Nope, don't enjoy it.

BUT! BUT! BUT!

***

I do love, love, love baking bread. That is something I could do for a living... easy!

Almost for free! Almost! Gas is stupid high!

***

I was rummaging around Google on Monday night, and came upon a way to make bread without kneading. Needless to say, I was skeptical, but tried it anyway, because I happened to have all the ingredients! Water...check, yeast...check, Kosher salt...check... All Purpose Flour (King Arthur is my personal choice)...check.

I was in business!

***

I was so surprised to find out you just dump all these ingredients into a bowl... stir with a wooden spoon and let it sit for 2 hours on the counter, then refrigrate it for up to 5 days. During those 5 days, you can take a piece out of the bowl make a loaf of bread by just forming it and baking it!

***

I tried it! AND IT WORKED! I.... me!... I... was actually speechless!

As you can see, it didn't last long.

Last night after Bill came home from practice, I put a small ball into the oven and gave it to him with a little butter and honey. He swooned!

I still have a bunch of dough in the fridge! If I want more dough... I just have to mix the 4 ingredients again!

***

So... of course there was a book attached to this whole process.

So, of course, I bought it.

It's called Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day!

There are lots of videos on Youtube showing the authors in action!

***

I can't wait to get it!

When I do, I want to have a bread making party, where everyone comes over with the flour and yeast and a big bowl or bucket to store it in, and we mix the dough,

while we bake all kinds of dough that I had already prepared ahead of time!

This all fits in SO WELL with my prep ahead methodology!

***

I'll take pictures of my next boules!

Until we eat again!

tes a day

!

King Arthur Flour

Wow! A person from King Arthur Flour company commented on my Staples post. Needless to say, I was very excited.

Since they were so generous to take time out of their day to post a comment on this blog,

I thought I would post about them.

***

When I wrote King Arthur Flour on my Staples list, I mentioned them by brand name for a reason. It really matters what kind of flour you use when baking, especially baking bread.

There's the white stuff at the store, and then there is King Arthur.

***

It tastes better, it smells better, it isn't bleached or super mass produced

like every other flour.

Sure, it costs a little more, but your family is worth it! No?

It sure lasts a lot longer than a tank of gas!

***

They are committed to giving us the best quality wheat available, no matter what.

The proof is in the taste.

My bread rises higher, tastes better and is better for us since I started using King Arthur.

It is finally available at Stater Bros and not just at Trader Joes.

Pick up a bag, and revel in the taste. It looks a little different.

It actually has color because they haven't bleached all the goodness away.

I love supporting small, quality loving, employee owned companies that are always

striving to be the best and not resting on their laurels.

No, I am not being paid for this post.

I really do love this flour, and have used it for about 2 years now,

and will never go back to the

"white stuff".

Thank you PJH for commenting and Thank you King Arthur Flour!

This blog is growing!

I am very happy to report that this blog has become

a popular place for my readers and newbies alike.

That being said, I feel an even greater responsibility to share the stuff in my brain

with you, and will do my best to provide concise, up to the minute product and recipe information.

Please comment and ask questions. I don't know what you need unless you tell me.

Also, PLEASE, share my blog address with everyone you know!

Here it is:

www.cookeveryday.blogspot.com

I am trying to make it not just another recipe blog. Lord knows there are plenty of those.

I like sharing tips, treasures and time saving ideas too.

I used to say I hate cooking... well, I must not hate it if I blog about it.

What I do hate, is having to come up with dinner solutions at the last minute.

Over the last 15 or so years, I have developed a sense to just look in my pantry and come up with a meal. I want you to be able to do that too, but not take as long as me doing it!

I can't stress enough how important pre planning (prep) is.

Picture your household like a restaurant.

All those chefs and cooks pre prep EVERYTHING... absolutely everything!

I am reading a book right now called The Soul of a Chef, and it is mind blowing how much real work is involved in prep. Where they do 20 lbs of onions, you may only have to do 2!

See! Perspective!

Brown that meat up!

Pre cook that chicken!

You are cooking on Sunday or Wed or whatever day you choose anyway!

Cook once and eat for days!

Okay...

Yesterday I chopped onions, made a huge vat of Macaroni Salad for the week for the boys lunches, filled all containers with various necessities, and cleaned out the fridge to make room for my containers of chopped and prepped food.

EVEN IF YOU PRE CHOP JUST ONE ONION THIS WEEK, IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW QUICKLY YOUR NEXT MEAL WITH THAT ONION WILL GO!

I PROMISE!

Don't use onions? So what! Chop ANYTHING that needs chopping for your meals you know you will eating at home. Report how much time it saved!

Did you know that most people say they hate cooking because of the prep involved? It takes about 20 minutes to prep a meal before we even cook it, cut out what you hate in one hour session once a week, and relax when you cook!

Once I get you properly brain washed and doing your prep,

we can move on to bigger and better things.

So, knives, food choppers, utensils up and at the ready...

PREP!

Onward cooking soldiers! Onward!

Oh and Mama's with kids over 6?

Let them do the dishes!

Every night!

I promise... it won't stunt their growth or hurt them in any way!

:)

Staples

Todays prep consisted of cooking up a bunch of pasta and bagging it up,

chopping up the onion, celery and various veggies for the week,

and refilling all my containers of olive oil, flour, sugar, pepper, salt etc...

I wanted to bake some fresh bread this weekend, and every trip to the store, I forgot to pick some flour up.

I hate running out of things in my kitchen.

So I am devising a new plan to always keep my personal staples on hand.

Not really a plan, just a list.

It will keep changing with the seasons, but these are my staples for right now...

King Arthur Flour

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oils

Krusteaz Cornbread Mix

Slivered Almonds

Butter

Watermelon

Onions

Various Pastas

Frozen Corn and Peas

Cans of Crushed and Whole tomatoes

Pesto

Salsa

Beans

Chicken Stock

Canned Salmon

Tuna

So there you have it! My list Du Jour!

2 BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Oh! This weather has me wanting to

cook, cook, cook, cook!

Heck! I might even bake, AND I HATE BAKING!

Tonight, my whole family will be complete again,

because Bill and William are coming home from the 3 day long field trip,

so I am making

Mexican 2 bean Chicken Chili

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1 chopped onion

2 cloves garlic chopped

32 oz chicken stock

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or whole ones squished

1 cup salsa

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can white beans rinsed

handful of chopped broccoli (added last 5 minutes to retain color and crunch)

2 Tbs taco seasoning

1 tsp cumin

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas (added last 5 minutes)

Cook it all together in one large pot for 20 minutes. I often forget to add the chicken and it still tastes great! Very good vegetarian dish (if you switch out the chicken stock for veggie stock)

Crush some tortillas chips,

cut up some green onion

shredd some cheddar cheese

For sprinkles after you dish it up.

Also ridiculously good over a nice hot piece of cornbread

Some more add ins if you want:

ortega chiles

fresh frozen green beans

garbanzo beans

zucchini (last 5 mintutes)

cabbage

CAN YOU SAY YUM???

Enjoy!

You can add anything to this recipe except raisins!

:) Hi Max!

Ciao!

Sweet N Tangy Popcorn

SWEET AND SALTY POPCORN

2 tablespoons oil

· 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

· 1 cup salted peanuts

· 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

· 1 cup sugar

· 1/4 cup light corn syrup

· 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

*~*~*~*~*

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add 3 popcorn kernels and cover until they pop. Add remaining popcorn kernels, cover, and shake pot continuously over burner until popcorn is completely popped, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer popcorn to large bowl; add peanuts and set aside. Combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, without stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, swirling pot occasionally. Remove mixture from heat and quickly stir in salt with a heatproof spatula or spoon. Immediately pour over popcorn mixture and stir to incorporate. Divide popcorn mixture evenly between baking sheets. Transfer to oven and bake, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool on sheet pans before breaking apart into clusters. Store popcorn in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Note to Maxine- THIS WILL NOT WORK WITH RAISINS! :) ·

Saundra's Cucumber Salad

We camp a lot, and I like to pre cook or make everything ahead of time so all I have to do is reheat when we are there.

Making marinated, non Mayo salads is one of my favorite ways to get veggies while camping, and my recipe for Cucumber Salad hits the spot every time, winter or summer.

We use this salad on sandwiches, as a snack, and of course, as a side dish.

You can alter the dressing ingredients if you want, but I will say that Balsamic Vinegar is the best choice, and substituting it will bring about a sour taste.

Cuke Salad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 Hothouse Cucumbers very thinly sliced

(I use a mandoline)

1 thinly sliced red onion

2 large carrots julienned

(I use the Pampered Chef Julienne Peeler)

Dressing

********

2/3 cup Olive Oil

1 cup Balbamic Vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp All Purpose Dill Mix (PC)

1/4 tsp pepper

Mix Well and pour over sliced veggies. Cover tightly and let it sit in the refrigerator for hours or overnight, shaking it around a bit every once in a while.

Enjoy!!!

Easy Sauce

Quick Easy Pasta Sauce ... Revisited.

I heard Joy Behar from the View say "I don't get why everyone buys jarred Pasta Sauce, when it's so easy to make at home!"

I completely concur!

I am SUCH Sauce Snob it is unbelievable. Here's how far it goes. I won't even eat Pasta at other people's house unless I know it's homemade. I will just pass on the Pasta or only eat the pasta plain. It's true. It's a curse my family bestowed on all of us, (my cousins and my bro and me) many years ago.

You wanna know something funny? My HUSBAND is now a sauce snob... and a cheese snob, and a bread snob and a pizza snob.

Before you start commenting to me how it's okay to buy the jarred junk, and how good it tastes, and how convenient it is and all, let me just say... Fine! Eat what you want! No skin off my nose.

BUT... IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS FREEZABLE, DELICIOUS, AND YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE THING THAT GOES INTO IT, AND HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN SITTING IN YOUR FRIDGE...

Make you own sauce.

Please...

Just try it.

Okay another rant... NO ADDING SUGAR! What IS that?

Makes NO sense to me.

Buy good quality canned, roma tomatoes or do your own from the vine, and sugar is not needed.

Don't over think cooking.

Keep it simple, fresh as possible, and in season, and everything else will fall into place.

***************************

Quick Sauce

*********

2 large cans tomatoes

(no seasonings added, NOT sauce, just whole or crushed tomatoes, no salt, nothing!)

1 small onion chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped

olive oil

If you bought whole tomatoes, crush them with your hands or whiz them in a blender for 2 seconds or put a hand held stick blender on them for a second.

Put some Olive Oil into a pot and let it get hot... add onions and saute them until translucent

lower heat and add garlic and toss it around for one minute

add the tomatoes

stir

add salt to taste

add pepper to taste

Only add herbs at the very end, whether fresh or dried.

Cook for 1/2 hour on low heat, covered.

THAT'S IT!

If you want meat sauce, just brown it up and add it at the beginning.

Put meatballs in with the sauce at the beginning.

It is very easy, tasty and fresh!

Also economical!

I buy the canned tomatoes with Italian names or the words POMODORO on it.

Pomodoro is Tomato in Italian.

Product of Italy best too.

If you have fresh grown tomatoes at home, just peel them, and squish them and do the same.

Enjoy...

and don't get mad because I dissed jarred sauce.

My friends of Latino descent are mad that I used to buy pre done taco shells,

and buy beans in a can. Every nationality has it's "ick" factor.

Jarred Sauce is mine.

Ciao, Ciao!