Teresa's Italian Rustic Bread

Some people are born to cook. That is my very dear friend Teresa! She is Italian. Cooking comes as easy to her as breathing. You should see the things she makes. I love her beyond measure and I love her cooking just as much! Perhaps it's because a little bit of her award winning personality is baked into every bite!

The other day she taught me how to make Rustic Bread. Now I just want to go to Italy and make it in some wonderful kitchen next to some beautiful wine vineyard. I made her promise me she would take me there some day. I can't wait! Until then I eat her bread and dream!

Ingredients:
3 cups of Bread Flour
1 1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 heaping tsp of Yeast (She likes Saf-Instant Yeast)
10 drops Do-Terra Rosemary Oil
1 1/2 cup warm water


Mix the yeast in the warm water and stir. Add all remaining ingredients and stir everything together. Once everything is mixed well, place plastic wrap over bowl and leave it over night. About 12 hrs.

Next Morning: Lightly flour your cutting board, take dough out of bowl. Need just a little and form into a nice round ball. Cover with a clean towel. Let sit about 1 hour. 30 min before the hour is up, turn your oven on 425 degrees. Place your stoneware pan and lid in oven for that 30 min. When the dough has sat and hour and the pan has heated in the oven the last 30 min of that hour, take the hot pan out, lightly flour the bottom of the pan, then add the dough. Place the lid on the pan and cook 1/2 hour. Take the lid off and cook another 3-5 min, until nice and brown. Cool and rest.

Blueberry Muffins

I haven't tried this yet! My niece posted it. She is a health nut and loves muffins. She created this yummy recipe to be more healthy in content. It looks Delish!

Whold Grain Banana Pecan Muffins

These are Yum!  If you have bananas that are getting older and older and need something to make other than banana bread then try these.  You won't be disappointed!  I got this recipe from my favorite site-Our Best Bites!  Enjoy!

3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey (you can substitute 1/4 c. sugar here if you prefer)
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas or 3 smaller ones)
1/3 c. low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. pecans, chopped
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with liners–you’ll need about 15-16.
Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, honey (if using), and butter. Add each egg in one at a time, combining completely after each addition but not over-mixing. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined (don’t over-mix).
Divide the batter evenly (so the cups are about 2/3 full) among 15-16 muffin tins. Combine the chopped pecans and brown sugar and sprinkle them on top of the batter. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to finish cooling. Serve with breakfast or as a snack.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. very hot water

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or pastry cutter until the flour is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl, cover with a slightly damp dishtowel and let sit for an hour. Divide the dough into 5-6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (if you are making soft taco sized tortillas, divide it into 10-12 pieces).

Preheat a large skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla (if you want it perfectly round, get a large round plate or serving platter, flip it upside down over the dough and cut out the circle). Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly, golden, and no appearance of doughy-ness, about 1 minute (DON'T OVERCOOK.. remember these are supposed to be soft flour tortillas, you don't want them to be crispy); flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer or on a large plate, covering with a slightly damp towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Why Is It Love and Food Are Synonymous?

What's not to love about this?



Happy Luv Day!

Freezer Brown and Serve Rolls

Are you like me? Sunday rolls around (hee hee no pun intended) and you'd like hot rolls fresh out of the oven for your lovely Sunday dinner but there just isn't enough time to make them. Here is a recipe you can make and freeze a head of time. They will last in your freezer about 2 months.


This recipe makes 24 rolls.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
• 3/4 cup warm milk (120 to 130 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup (butter flavored) shortening
• Butter, softened

Start by putting 2 cups of fluffed flour in a large bowl add sugar, salt, and active dry yeast package. Next add your water, milk, shortening, and mix well. Stir in your remaining flour one cup at a time while blending dough. In the end dough will be rather stiff. Place on well floured surface and kneed for five minutes. (I love this part. I can take out my frustrations for the day on the dough!) Shape round and place in a well greased bowl, cover with greased saran wrap, let raise for 1 and 1/2 hours. Now punch the dough down and get all the bubbles out. Now cut into small pieces for what ever type of roll you want. Round for muffin tins or folded in half for a nice flat cookie sheet. My sister loves to roll hers into small ropes and tie them in a knot. 

Now place on well greased pan, which ever one suits the type of roll you're making. Brush with a generous amount of real softened butter. Cover again with well greased saran wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 40 min.

To prepare for a later baking date:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until set,  but not browned. Remove rolls from pans and cool to room temperature. Then place rolls in freezer bags. They will keep in fridge for 8 days, or the freezer for 2 months. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and thaw to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and bake on greased cookie sheet for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

To Bake Immediately:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Here's to busy days with hot rolls fresh out of the oven!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These little goodies are divine! And you're going to want more than one!

2/3 cup granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, real butter, melted until browned and cooled.
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 Tbsp sugar

Now for the Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar whisked together with 2 or 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a 12 mold, regular sized muffin tray with paper muffin liners, place the muffin pan on a baking sheet and set aside.  

In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar is lightly colored and scented with lemon.  Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk (or sour cream) vanilla extract, melted butter and lemon juice.  

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together.  When almost thoroughly mixed, add the poppy seeds.  Divide batter between muffin cups.  Sprinkle each would be muffing with granulated sugar.  

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.  

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.  If you’re freezing the cupcakes for future eating, skip the glaze.  It doesn’t freeze well.