Coming Soon

My other blog, I Heart Salt Lake is taking a lot of my time lately.  Check it out.  We have a giveaway every Monday.  But keep checking back here too.  I've got a few good treats to post soon,  Chocolate Parfait Cookies and easy Microwave Fudge.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

I love just about anything with caramel in it.  So years ago when I picked up a Pillsbury Bakeoff Cookie cookbook at the checkout at the grocery store,  I was hoping there would be something caramel in it.  Sure enough there was, Oatmeal Carmelitas.  I was hooked from the first time I made them.  I have a cousin who loves them too.  She usually asks me to bring them to family get-togethers.  So here they are...

Oatmeal Carmelitas

crust

2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

filling

1 12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping

3 T flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine crust ingredients in a large bowl and mix with electric mixer on low until crumbly.  Reserve half of crumb mixture(about 3 cups) for topping.  Press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine caramel topping and 3T flour.  Remove partially baked crust from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture.  I also use chocolate from a bar.  I just chop it into bitesize pieces.

Return to oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.  Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set.  Cut into bars.

Too bad these are gone already.  I better go make some more.

French Bread-- Food Nanny Recipe

French Bread

This is a really easy bread recipe from Liz Edmunds, The Food Nanny.  I was able to go to a class that she taught and I was so impressed by her.  She has an amazing plan for planning meals.  Each night of the week is a different type of food, for example, Monday-comfort food, Tuesday-Italian, Friday-pizza, and so on.  Liz is also so sweet and very personable.  I bought her cookbook and I would recommend it to anyone.  She was a wealth of information and I've loved every recipe I've made from her cookbook.

This recipe is actually called French Baguettes, but we're kind of simple around here so it's just french bread to us.

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 T. active dry yeast, (2 packets)
2 tsp sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
melted butter

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the warm water, the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar.  Stir to combine and let mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.

In a large mixing bowl blend the flour, salt, the remaining teaspoon of sugar and the yeast mixture.  Gradually add remaining water and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball that is not too sticky to handle (if it is too sticky add a little more flour)  Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cut the dough in half and shape the halves into baguettes. Grease a baguette pan and place the loaves in the pan. Score the loaves down the middle, cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Here's the scored loaves in the baguette pan.  The pans are inexpensive and I love them!  Don't judge these sad shaped loaves, they get better.

Here they are after raising for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes. If desired brush the tops with melted butter halfway through the baking. For a softer crust, brush with butter when they have finished baking.

Here they are after baking but before brushing with butter.

And here's how my husband likes it, slathered with butter and jam. 

But that's another post.

Seriously, this is an easy recipe that takes one hour start to finish.  If you are afraid of bread and yeast, this is the perfect recipe to start with.  And if you are an experienced bread maker, this is a great addition to any meal.

Caramel Popcorn

This caramel popcorn is quick and easy to make.  It also stays soft and chewy.  My friend LeeAnn gave me the recipe and it works perfectly every time.

LeeAnn's Easy Caramel Popcorn
2-3 bags microwave popcorn, popped
2 cubes butter
1 cup brown sugar
14 large marshmallows or 2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Place popped corn in large bowl and set aside. Put butter, brown sugar and marshmallows in a pan on the stove.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes over medium heat.  Pour caramel mixture over popcorn.  Stir to coat.  Place on cookie sheet to cool. 

Now go and make some.  Your family will thank you.  Mine usually does!

Breadsticks from Pizza dough

 

Previously I posted about making homemade pizza.  Sometimes I double the recipe and use some of the dough for breadsticks.  I also make it just for breadsticks.

I just make the pizza dough.  Then I roll it out about as thin as I would for a pizza crust.  Using a pizza cutter, I cut the dough into 1 inch strips.  Then twist the strips and place on a greased cookie sheet.  I always use parchment paper.  It makes for quicker cleanup and saves your pans.  Then brush with melted butter and garlic salt.  Let them raise for 30-45 minutes.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and brush with butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Yum!  I think I'll make some for dinner tonight!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pizza

Pizza.  Who doesn't love pizza?  I'm sure there are some.  But they don't live at my house.  We usually take the easy way out and order it.  But then we'll get in a groove and make it at home.  Once in that groove, we usually make it once a week.  No one complains about that around my house.  Plus, pizza is the one meal my kids will eat the leftovers.

I've tried several crust recipes.  But I like The Food Nanny, Liz Edmunds' recipe.  It is easy and tasty. 

Basic Pizza Dough
makes one 16-inch medium-crust pizza or two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or four 8-inch thin-crust pizzas
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.  Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.  I just use my Bosch.

Lightly grease pizza pans with oil. If you are making two or more thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured surface. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pans.

For the sauce, I use half pesto and half alfredo sauce.  I make my own pesto in the summer and freeze it.  You can use purchased pesto and alfredo sauce or make your own.  Just mix equal parts and then spread it on the dough.

Add precooked chicken, cheese and whatever else you like.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Obviously, this doesn't look as professional as pizza you get in a box.  But the smell in your home and the taste is divine! Make some for yourself soon!

Sweet Giveaway over at Leap into Art

My friend Keertsen, over at Leap into Art posted about some old time suckers and candy.  She found Melville Candy Company online and order some of their sweet treats.  I about died when I saw the suckers they make.  When I was little I got on e these suckers in my stocking each Christmas.  I loved them.  I savored them.  My sister and I would see whose sucker could last the longest.  We never bit them. Oh no.  We enjoyed them for weeks.

Keersten is having a giveaway for these cute suckers.  Click on over and enter.  You and your kids would love these little sweets!