Baking Part Deux

Today at the Shostak household more baking, mess-making, taste-testing, and cleaning took place. Wonder what we made? I will tell you along with a few hints I have learned...

SOUR CREAM SUGAR COOKIES

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream

1) In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until blended.

2) In a separate bowl mix butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Next add sour cream and beat until blended.

3) Gradually add flour mixture to sour cream mixture until well combined

4) Divide dough in half and then shape dough into 4 balls, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, until dough is firm enough to roll

5) On floured surface, roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters, saving trimmings to roll out again until all dough is used.

6) Bake at 325 for about 8 minutes. Cool completely and frost/decorate as desired.

*NOTE* 

I made a half batch of these, and I don't know if I measured something wrong (but I am pretty certain I did it right) but the dough ended up VERY sticky and hard to work with. I couldn't roll it out or use the cookie cutters at all, so I ended up shaping them into balls and made round cookies. They tasted good and were very moist, but I was a little disappointed I couldn't make the cute cookie cutter shapes.

FROSTING

16oz powdered sugar

1/3 cup warm water

3 tablespoons meringue powder

Food coloring as needed

1) Blend ingredients together until it is stiff enough to draw a knife through it and leave a clean-cut path

2) May need to add a little water to make it the right consistency for piping or spreading

*NOTE*
I LOVE THIS FROSTING! Not only does it taste good, but the meringue powder makes it stiffer and easy to use. I piped an outline and let it dry then added a little water, and frosted the middle to make it smoother.

*TIP*

Red is a hard color to make if you have liquid food coloring. (I got a darker pink) Try using gel or powder food coloring to get a deeper red.

ROSETTES

Let me say right off the bat, these take some time and are very delicate. You need a little patience and a few practice ones before you get the hang of it. You also need a deep fryer and a Rosette iron. Mine is a double headed iron, but I was only talented enough to use one at a time. This made 60 Rosettes, not including the ones I broke, burnt, or otherwise discarded.

2 eggs

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon lemon extract (can also use vanilla, almond, rum, or other favoring)

1) Add sugar to eggs, then add milk. 

2) Sift in flour with salt. Stir into egg mixture and beat until smooth and about the consistency of heavy cream.

3) Heat oil to 375

4) Dip iron into hot oil to heat the iron, shake off excess oil and dip iron into batter just to depth of the iron (not over top) 

5) Place back in oil and fry until bubbling stops or Rosette is a golden brown.

6) Carefully remove cooked Rosette from iron using fork.

7) Reheat iron as needed (must be hot!)

8) Repeat with remaining batter, cool, and dust with powdered sugar to finish

dip iron into batter, careful not to cover the top

frying...

finished product

Brandon also helped me with a few almond bark creations, dipping pretzels, nut clusters, and various other things. I didn't take a picture, but they are yummy! He also helped frost some cookies.

Christmas Baking

Today was a wonderful day for a few reasons...

1) I didn't have to work, and got to sleep in.

2) A plumber came to fix the kitchen sink, and he was very nice, plus sink is fixed!

3) Brandon only had to be at school for a half day, and is now of Christmas break. Now I will actually get to spend some time with him, yay!

4) Out friend Sandra came over for a quick visit and had lunch with us.

5) I got some baking done.. more to go but it was a good start.

These are just some of the groceries I picked up to make all the things I want to in the next couple days... and yes, that is 5 pounds of butter...

PARTY MIX

Mix 20 cups various dry ingredients (Chex cereal, peanuts, Cheetos, bagel chips, pretzles, ect)

Combine: 

18 tablespoons melted butter

14 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 teaspoons seasoning salt

Pour half of liquid over dry ingredients, mix together, pour on remaining liquid, and mix again.

Bake for one hour at 250, stirring every 15 minutes.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY DROPS

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

4 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

16 oz white chocolate chips

2 cups dried cherries

1) In medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa until blended.

2) In a mixer at medium speed cream together butter and sugar. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, and eggs until well mixed. 

3) Gradually add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and cherries.

4) Drop cookies by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets

5) Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until tops are just set. Cool on wire racks.

*This made 97 cookies when I made it today*

BANANA BREAD

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp baking soda

6 ripe mashed bananas

4 eggs

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling (optional)

1) Add bananas, sugar, eggs, oil, and applesauce to mixer and beat well

2) Add dry ingredients gradually and mix well.

3) Bake in  loaf pans at 350 for about a hour or until middle tests done with a toothpick.

4) Optional, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top before baking to make a crispy topping. (I forgot to do this and waited until the bread was done, so it didn't stick very well and that is why the pictures look a little strange)

More baking tomorrow!

Pinterest Party!!

Yep... that's right... I just had a Pinterest Party at my house!!

A few girlfriends came over to my place to make food and crafts that were inspired by the Pinterest website.

We started off by going to Hobby Lobby to pick up a few items, then went to a thrift store where a few treasures were found (along with some stellar Christmas sweaters that will be worn for parties this season)

Once we had out supplies we came back to the house, ate some lunch and got to work

PROJECT #1 Christmas Ball Bundle

      My friend Emily had this idea and all you do is take Christmas balls of various sizes (and jingle bells optional) and tie them on a decorative cord. Tie the biggest ones at the top and work your way down to smaller ones. Super cute!!

Sorry I can't figure out how to rotate them the right direction!

PROJECT #2 Scrapbook Paper Bags

     This one was from my friend Michaela. Take 12x12 scrapbook paper, and by folding/cutting/taping in the right spots you come up with a cute gift bag. (I can't explain how to make them in writing, but it was pretty simple and fun!)

PROJECT #3 Clothes Pin Wreaths

      I forgot to take a picture of the ones we made, but my friend Tessa took a coat hanger and bent it into a circle. Then she spray painted clothes pins green and alternated the pins with beads around the wire hanger. In the end it looked like a Christmas wreath. She is going to put a bow at the top, then use the clothes pins to hold cards and different things. Genius!

Sample pic, (not ours)

FOOD:

     Chili

     Fruit Pizza

     Phyllo Dough Veggie/Cheese Wrap

     Cornbread Muffins with Honey-butter

All in all it was a fun crafty day and I really enjoyed seeing my gal pals and being crafty! I will make another post with recipes of the food, but for now this girl has to get to be so I can get up early for work tomorrow. Goodnight!

Things My Husband (And Men In General) Have Yet To Learn...

Dirty clothes will not grow legs and walk to the hamper

The dishwasher cannot start itself

The toilet seat will not put itself down

Playing computer games will not cook supper

Rinsing off dirty dishes will not cause the world to implode

The bathroom sink dropped out of high school and doesn’t know how to clean itself of all the shaved facial hair.

Saying that your wife is “butch”, “husky”, or “hefty” are not terms of endearment.

The floor outside the bathroom is not the washing machine

Toilets only flush themselves if you are in a mall or restaurant.

Sometimes chick flicks will put girls in a lovey-dovey-romantic mood… think of this as a win-win. Zombies on the other hand… usually not really a turn on.

Dirty dishes will not grow wings and fly into the dishwasher

Asking a woman if she is pregnant will have only one of two reactions. If you are asking, you better be damn sure you will get the good reaction.

Bills and student loans will not pay themselves or disappear no matter how long you leave them sit unopened.

Groceries do not grow in the fridge.

A “Dutch Oven” is something that should be in the kitchen or dining room only… never the bedroom.

All this being said, I love my hubby very much, and he helps me when I ask him to. It would be nice though to not HAVE to ask and just have him jump on in. Maybe this will just be a little "reminder list" that he can refer to. :)

Apple Pies

This fall I went to an apple orchard with Brandon's sister, Teresa, and her two girls, Morgan and Tessa. It was a LOT of fun and the apples were a really good deal. I ended up buying a whole bushel of apples (40lbs) and made a bunch of apple pies. I think over about 2 1/2 weeks I made 25 Dutch Apple Pies. I took a few to work, gave some to neighbors, and Brandon ended up taking some of them to school. We even took orders and sold some of the pies to the teachers at Brandon's school :) 
Soooo... here is the recipe!

 CRUST: (makes 2 crusts)
     2 cups flour
     1 tsp salt
     2/3 cups shortening or lard
     5-7 Tbs cold water

1) Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening 1/3 cup at a time using a pastry blender. Cut until crumbly.

2) Add 1 Tbs water at a time, use just enough water so dough will stick together.

3) Place 1/2 of dough between 2 pieces wax paper and roll out crust using rolling pin. Place rolled dough into greased pie dish/tin.

4) Peel and thinly slice apples until pie is full, slightly heaped in middle. I used a combination of Cortland and Johnathan apples.

5) Sprinkle apples with 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

TOPPING:
     1/2 cup sugar
     3/4 flour
     5 1/2 Tbs butter

1) cut sugar, flour, and butter together using a pastry blender. Cut until crumbly. Add a little cinnamon to taste. Sprinkle over apples.

2) Bake pie at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 30 minutes.

Recipes

Here are the recipes for the dishes I made this weekend...

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

This one is pretty easy. It's a classic with not much effort, but SO GOOD!

     4 cans green beans

     2 cans cream of mushroom soup

     6 oz cheese (shredded cheddar or cubed Velveeta, optional)

     Crispy onions to top

1) Mix first 3 ingredients and put in a 9x13 pan. 

2) Bake at 350 for about an hour. 

3) Put crispy onions on top last 15 minutes of baking.

CORN CASSEROLE

(sorry no pic)

     2 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, with liquid

     2 (14 oz) can cream style corn

     2 cup small uncooked seashell pasta

     1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

     16oz cubed Velveeta cheese

1) Mix the whole kernel corn, cream style corn, uncooked pasta, butter, and    Velveeta

2) Place in 9x13 greased pan 

3) Bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 350. Remove cover, stir, top with seasoned bread crumbs (optional) and continue baking 30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but firm.

HOMEMADE WHITE ROLLS

       2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

       1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)

       1/2 cup sugar

       1 teaspoon salt

       1 cup milk

       1/2 cup shortening

       3 eggs, beaten

       6 cups unbleached flour

1) Soften yeast in warm water. Place sugar and salt in large mixing bowl. Set aside. 

2) Heat and stir milk and shortening until shortening melts (120 degrees F-130 degrees F). Add to mixing bowl along with eggs and yeast mixture. 

3) Stir in 1 cup of flour at a time to form a soft dough that can be kneaded. 

4) Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 

5) Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into rolls. 

6) Place on greased baking sheets or in bread pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake rolls at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden.  

7) Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

SMASHED RED POTATOES

      Red potatoes

      Milk

      Sour cream

      Seasonings to taste

1) Peel potatoes leaving about 1/3 skin on each potato, cut into quarters

2) Place cut potatoes in stock pot with water and boil until tender

3) Drain potatoes, place in electric mixer along with some sour cream and milk, beat until smooth. (amount of sour cream and milk will depend on how many potatoes you use)

4) Add any seasonings to taste. I used dill weed, garlic salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

 SAUSAGE AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

CORNBREAD: (make a couple days before to let it dry out)

     1 1/2 cups cornmeal

     2 Tbs sugar

     3/4 tsp salt

     3/4 tsp baking soda

     1 1/4 cups buttermilk

     1/2 cup sour cream

     2 large eggs

     1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1) In a large bowl whisk together cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

2) In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, butter, and eggs until well combined.

3) Make a hole in the center of dry ingredients, pour in buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined.

4) Pour batter into greased 10-inch round cake-pan and bake at 425 for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

5) once cooled, cut into 1-inch chunks and let cornbread dry at room temperature for 2 days until ready to use.

STUFFING:

     1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

     1 onion, chopped

     1 lb Italian sausage

     1 batch dried cornbread (recipe above), cut into chunks

     4 oz chopped pecans

     1/2 cup fresh parsley

     zest of 1 lemon

     1 1/2 cups chicken broth

     1 stick butter, melted

     1 1/4 tsp salt

     1/2 tsp ground pepper

1) In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender.

2) Add sausage to skillet and cook until browned. Once done, use slotted spoon to transfer sausage and onion into large bowl.

3) Add cornbread, pecans, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to bowl and toss to combine. 

4) Add chicken broth and melted butter. Toss until moist, and transfer to 9x13 pan.

5) Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until crusty on top.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ok, this one is REALLY complicated, do not feel bad if you don't get it right on the first try...
     1 can jellied cranberry sauce
     1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1) Open both cans, put in bowl, stir until mixed. ;)


TURKEY

Obviously this is part of the turkey after it was picked apart and put on the platter.
We had a 12 lbs turkey and put it in a roaster overnight (about 12-13 hours) on medium heat. For seasoning I just put a little Lawry's and Basil. Very tender and moist... yum!

Early Turkey Day

Family + Food + Dog Parks + Clue = HUGE SUCCESS! 

My parents, brother, and sister-in-law all came over to Brandon & I's house this weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. Everyone just left this afternoon, so I am just going to write about it to try to hold on the the fun a little longer.

Everybody showed up on Friday night, put the turkeys in the roasters overnight (yes we had 2, one small turkey and one turkey breast), played a few board games, and went to bed. Saturday I started cooking and baking up a storm and we had our Thanksgiving meal at noon. Dinner was followed by a food coma and then we watched some football and the old movie Clue. After getting in the detective mood, the 6 of us sat down to play Clue the board game. I won, but only after 4 other players died and I had seen all the cards but my Mom's (but hey it's a win right?). 

After that my dad decided to rest a little while the rest of us went outside and played Frisbee and threw around a football. It was such a nice day that we ended up going to a dog park for about 45 minutes. On our way back home we stopped to get supplies to play beer pong. Yes, that's right... beer pong. It was a lot of fun and Mom is a surprisingly good shot!

Sunday we got to sit around for a while and visit, followed by card games Hearts, Pig-it and Hog-it, and then going to the dog park again. After lunch we played one last round of Clue and everybody parted ways with bags of leftovers in their hands.

All in all, it was wonderful to see everybody, we ate way too much good food, and had some good bonding time. I love my family! :)

Blogging virgin no more...

So here I go world, my first time ever blogging. I guess we will see if my thoughts are interesting enough to make into a worthwhile read. I really enjoy reading my husband's, brother's, and sister-in-law's blogs, so I figured "why not!". It feels a little like having a diary like I had when I was in 3rd grade... of course without all the details about what boys I thought were cute :) Brandon is having a hay-day because I am trying something new, something with the computer, and participating in something he enjoys, so if anything at least I made him happy right? Well here goes nothin'!

I am getting SUPER excited for my family to come over to our house tomorrow. My parents, brother, and sister-in-law will all be staying at our place (aka: the Shostak Inn) for the weekend, and Saturday we are having a Salton Thanksgiving meal. I LOVE to bake, so I am trying to do the whole meal from scratch.

The menu includes:

Main Course: Turkey

Sides: Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing, Homemade Dinner Rolls, Snicker Salad, and Cranberry Sauce.

Desert: Dutch Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Large Pearl Tapioca Pudding.

If all turns out well, maybe I will post some recipes/pics of the finished products. Wish me luck!