EASY HERBED BREAD for the bread machine

My dear husband bought me a bread machine for Christmas WAY back around 1997.  I used it at least 2-3 times a week for that first year...then we got orders overseas and our house was on a convertor and it didn't bake right...so I put it on the shelf.  When we got back state side in 2001 I brought it out again.....but it seemed like a LOT of work and so it has only come out on special occasions for the past 10 years.  I believe that this recipe will change that!!!  It's a recipe a friend recommended and I always have the necessary ingredients on hand.  I came into the house after it finished baking today and thought there was pizza in the oven!  Sooooo aromatic, full of flavor and oh so soft!!!  A nice thick slice slathered with butter...mmmmmmm.  It would be really good made into garlic bread!!  mmmmmm  the options seem endless!!   Try it out for yourself!

EASY HERBED BREAD for the bread machine

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (I used bread machine yeast)
3 TBSP white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 tsp crushed dried rosemary (I used a rosemary blend from Pampered Chef in place of the dried rosemary and thyme)
3 cups all purpose flour

Pour the water into the pan of a bread machine, then sprinkle in the yeast and sugar.  Let the mixture sit in the bread machine until a creamy foam forms on top of the water, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle in the salt, then add olive oil, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary and flour.  Set the machine for lighht crust setting, and start the machine. 

WINNIE'S BAKED BEANS

These are the most AMAZING baked beans you will EVER eat!!!  My good friend Winnie brought these to my husbands USAF Retirement dinner to go with the brisket I was making.  I immediately asked her for the recipe.  It was a HIT!  She learned to make these from her mom, but changed it up just a bit.  She added the A1 sauce and changed to the Bush baked beans (her mother used whatever was on sale...and so can YOU). 


WINNIE'S BAKED BEANS

1-55oz can Bush Original Baked Beans
1 onion, diced
1 pkg bacon, uncooked, cut into small pieces
2-3 TBSP mustard
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 TBSP A1 Steak Sauce

Fry bacon and onion in a pan until crispy. Pour baked beans, onions, bacon (with drippings), mustard, brown sugar and A1 sauce into a 2 qt casserole dish. Cover and bake at 250 degrees F for up to 3 hours OR 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

DUTCH APPLE TARTS

Don't you hate it when you make a BEAUTIFUL pie and then you have to cut it and it doesn't look so pretty anymore???  Me too!!  So for the last couple of years I've been making mini pies and tarts.  You can set up your dessert buffet and they only have to take one (or two) and you have no need for knives or forks for that matter.  They are mini finger pies!!  This week I find myself looking for a good dessert recipe that is finger food friendly.  I looked in my cupboard and found a can of apple pie filling, some oats, flour, spices, leftover pie dough and only one stick of butter.  Sooooo.....combining several of my favorite recipes I came up with this mini apple pie with a crumbly Dutch topping!!  It's so tasty and looks so cute!!  Perfect when you are at a potluck and everyone wants a taste of EVERYTHING....and because they are made in a mini muffin tin they don't fill you up!!!

DUTCH APPLE TARTS
makes 36 mini tarts

dough for 2 pie crusts (I use my Grandma Dodie's Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe)
1 can of apple pie filling

Topping: 
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour pie filling into a bowl, use a knife to cut the apples into pieces.  Set aside.
Mix all ingredients for topping in a medium bowl.  Set aside. 
Roll pie crust into 1" balls and place in each cup of mini muffin tins (you will need two 24 cup tins). Using fingers, press pie crust into cup.  Fill each pie crust cup 2/3 full of chopped apple pie filling.  Sprinkle each with topping.   Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly in pan.  Using a small sharp knife, loosen pies by slipping knife between crust and pan and lift out gently.  Place on rack to finish cooling.

WORLD'S EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Many, many years ago when my oldest son was just a year old, I left the United States Air Force to become a stay at home mother.  Money was tight, so we were really thankful for the WIC program that was (and still is) available.  Many days our snacks were dry cereal or peanut butter sandwiches or scrambled eggs (this was in the days before the fresh veggies that they now offer).  Sometimes we had so much extra peanut butter and eggs I didn't think we would EVER consume it all!!!  So when I came across this recipe I was so thankful.  We could make a special treat and not spend much extra.  It has a strong peanut butter flavor that is lost in most cookies filled with flour....and since there is NO flour....these cookies are GLUTEN FREE!!!!  I STILL choose to make these over traditional PB cookies. 

WORLDS EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix the 3 ingredients well.  Drop by teaspoonful (I use a small cookie scoop) onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with a fork, dipped in flour (or water or sugar, I don't dip in anything)  Bake at 325 F for 12 minutes or until just browned.  Cookies will not spread much during baking.  Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet and then transfer to wire cooling rack.
Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

PORK ROAST

Life is busy and some days I struggle getting dinner on the table....do you know how I feel???  Well last week I found a really good deal on a pork shoulder roast.  It was a 7.5 lb roast so I knew it would feed the 3 of us MANY meals.  But the question was "how do I cook it so I can change it up so we don't get bored with the same ole thing?"  I searched the internet and found a wonderful recipe for a pork roast rub that I changed up a bit.  So far the first night we had just the shredded roast on tortillas with lettuce, cheese, salsa and sour cream.  It made WONDERFUL burritos!!  Then two nights later I took a portion of it and covered it in BBQ sauce, heated it through and served it with yeast rolls....BBQ Pulled Pork Sammies!!!  The rest of it is divided into two containers in the freezer.  One I think I'll add to a stew and the other....I'm just not sure yet.  Any ideas???? 


PORK ROAST RUB

4-5 lb pork roast (I used a 7.5 lb roast and felt I had plenty of rub to cover it all)
2 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP black pepper
2 TBSP paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp cayenne

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Rub into roast.  Cook in slow cooker for 7-10 hours.  Shred pork and serve as desired.

SNICKERDOODLES

SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup soft shortening (may use butter or margarine, I use butter flavored crisco)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup sifted flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon mixed in a bowl for rolling cookies in before baking.

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Mix shortening (or margarine/butter), sugar and eggs thoroughly.  Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.  Add to egg mixture.  Roll into balls and roll into cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Bake until lightly browned and still soft, about 8 minutes.  These cookies puff up first and then flatten out.  Cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.