Sinfully Good Angel Food Cake

Sorry, I couldn't resist. You should shoot me. Really.

This Angel Food cake was so good that I have no picture (photo added at a subsequent baking). I never dreamed my family would eat the entire cake in one evening. It was gone by 9 p.m. It was gone so fast, the oldest didn't even get a piece -- he moved just a tad too slow.

I found this recipe here. I have to say that it did not fulfill all my baking guidelines -- it took longer than the oven preheat time to put together. But, it was worth it. It was very, very soft, as a good angel cake is. And the chocolate flavor was just right. Peach and I decided it was like eating chocolate cotton candy, only better. That's pretty good stuff.

I followed the recipe to a T and had no trouble. It was a bit of a hassle sifting the ingredients so many times, but I got over it after the first taste. I may not have beaten the eggs quite as long as directed; I pretty much watched for the desired result instead of the time.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

2/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
12 large egg whites, at room temp.
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa,
and 3/4 cup sugar together 3 times; set aside.

In a separate large bowl,
beat the egg whites at low speed until foamy,
about 5 minutes.
Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt.
Gradually increase speed to medium
while slowly adding in remaining 3/4 cup of sugar --
1 tbsp at a time, until sugar is incorporated
and stiff peaks form (about 2 minutes).

Sift 1/3 of dry ingredients over egg whites;
gently fold in with rubber spatula.
Repeat this process 2 more times
until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Pour batter into ungreased 10 inch tube pan.
Cut through batter to remove air pockets.
Bake 40-45 minutes, until top springs back when lightly pressed.

Invert and place center hole of pan on the neck of a soda bottle to cool
(or just invert if your pan looks like this).
Cool completely.
To unmold, run sharp knife around edge of pan
and flip onto serving plate.
To serve, cut with a bread knife using a sawing motion.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream if desired,
and sweetened strawberries for a real treat.

Printer version.

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Oatmeal Raisin Scones

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These scones are great in the morning or at tea time, although they are so close to an oatmeal cookie you almost feel guilty eating them for breakfast. But, the oatmeal and raisins make them fairly healthy and if you use a whole wheat pastry flour you can knock the healthy up a few notches. Just a smidge of butter while they're hot is all you need to enjoy these.

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ t. cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
¾ cup buttermilk, chilled
½ cup raisins
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 T. water


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Grease large cookie sheet.
Combine oats and flour in large mixing bowl.
Add brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Mix thoroughly.
Add butter and cut in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add buttermilk and mix briefly to form dough.
Add raisins and mix to disperse.
Divide dough in half and place one half onto a floured surface and sprinkle with flour.
Pat into a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick round.
Cut round into 6 triangles.
Repeat with other half.
Transfer scones to baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

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Weekly Menu

Next week we're back to school and work and sliding back into "normal." I'm trying quite a few new recipes this week -- using the meat the I have found to be on sale this week. Giant Eagle has whole chickens on sale for $1.09 a pound in my region, so I'll buy two and put them both in the crock pot on Monday. Then on Thursday I'll use the leftovers for Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. GE also has round steak on sale (Baked Steak on Wednesday) and turkey sausage (pasta on Tuesday) -- hopefully I'll get all my meat for the week for under $20.

This week we will celebrate the feast day of two of our Catholic saints, St. Francis de Paola and St. Isidore with Italian and Spanish meals respectively.



Saturday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: Pepperoni Pizza and Cuban Chicken Pizza

Sunday
Brunch: Breakfast Pizza, Fruit and yogurt parfaits
Dinner: Baked Ziti (sans sausage), bread, CPK Balsamic salad, Carrot Cake

Monday -- Feast of the Annunciation
Lunch: leftover ziti
Dinner: Baked Slow Cooker Chicken, roasted potatoes, Sesame Green beans, Chocolate Angel food cake

Tuesday
Lunch: fast food
Dinner: Baked Steak with Tangy Tomato Sauce, mashed potatoes, buttered corn, Applesauce Cake

Wednesday-- Feast of St. Francis de Paola
Lunch: cheese quesadilla, veggies
Dinner: Pasta with Sausage, bread, salad, Pizzelles

Thursday
Lunch: Birds Nests
Dinner: Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Friday -- Feast of St. Isidore of Seville
Lunch: Mac and Cheese
Dinner: Spanish Potato Omelet, fruit salad

* Tried and True
* New to me


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Melt-In-Your-Mouth Braised and Barbequed Chicken

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Well, that's quite a title, but I can't say it's mine. In fact, as much as I wish this recipe were mine, it's not.

It's not often that I say that. I am usually very content to use another's work. My family knows most of the recipes I use are not mine, but they don't appreciate them any less. This recipe, however, won a few bucks, so I can honestly say I wish I had created it.

This chicken recipe is a family favorite. My kids love it even before it hits the table. They spend the 30 minutes before it's served oohing and aahing about how great it smells. It's quite funny. I can understand why, though. It's a really yummy recipe and earned the creator a couple thousand dollars (10 thousand, I think) in the Southern Living annual cooking contest. If I recall correctly (although I usually don't) it won First Place five years ago. And we've been making it with rave reviews ever since.

This chicken is a pleasant cross between southern barbecued chicken and a sweet and tangy Asian chicken. The brown sugar, cider vinegar, and ketchup taste of deep south barbecue, but the soy sauce, ginger, and fruit juice really bring out the Asian flavors. It's a great combination, and my husband and kids make sure every last drop of sauce is gone.

I use chicken thighs per the recipe, but you could use boneless breasts (I wouldn't cook it quite as long) or bone-in breasts (cook a little longer) if you prefer white meat. I skin the thighs and remove any outer fat, so they are nice and lean. The meat falls of the bones and is fairly well soaked with sauce.

Melt-in-your-mouth Braised and Barbecued Chicken

2 T. oil
8 - 12 chicken thighs
½ cup orange juice
½ cup pineapple juice
1 T. cornstarch
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 T. minced ginger
3 T. cider vinegar
3 T. ketchup
½ t. crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 - 8 servings cooked rice
¼ cup chopped green onions

Heat oil in a large skillet.
Braise chicken for 6 minutes, turning once.
Combine fruit juice in a large bowl.
Stir together cornstarch and 1 T juice; reserve.
Stir soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, vinegar, ketchup,
garlic and red pepper into juice.
Pour over chicken.
Bring mixture to a boil; cover; reduce heat and simmer 35 minutes,
turning after 20 minutes.
Uncover chicken and stir in cornstarch mix.
Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens.
Spoon rice onto platter and top with chicken and sauce.
Sprinkle with green onions.

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Sesame Roasted Asparagus

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For Easter dinner we had roasted asparagus and it was so yummy -- I was reminded that it's one of my favorite vegetables. I don't buy it most of the year because it's so pricey. But, this time of year, you can often find it for a good price. If you've never had asparagus roasted, try it -- it's a winner. And asparagus is a nutrition winner too. According to the Michigan Asparagus Board, asparagus is:

• Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.
• Contains no fat or cholesterol.
• Very low in sodium.
• A good source of potassium.
• An excellent source of folacin.
• A significant source of thiamin.
• A significant source of vitamin B6.
• One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls.

Sesame Roasted Asparagus

1½ lbs. asparagus
2 T. olive oil
salt
1½ t. sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Trim ends from asparagus and cut into 2-inch lengths.
Place asparagus in roasting pan; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Toss. Spread evenly in pan.
Roast 10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.
Add sesame seeds and continue roasting five minutes.

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Weekly Menu

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This coming week we are all on Spring Break. Our meals will be more casual, as hopefully we'll find some fun activities to keep us busy and to celebrate the festive Easter Week. I'll certainly be making a few dishes with hard boiled eggs -- to use up those that we cooked to dye.


Saturday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: BBQ Burgers with Swiss and sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes, salad

Sunday
Brunch: Ham and Potato Omelet, Cinnamon Bun Bread, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Fresh Fruit Salad
Dinner: at the in-law's

Monday
Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwiches
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken, Chinese noodles, stir-fried vegetables

Tuesday
Lunch: grilled hot dogs and chili sauce, deviled eggs
Dinner:Loosemeat Sandwiches, oven fries, buttered corn

Wednesday
Lunch: Turkey Stack sandwiches, chips and veggies
Dinner: Gyro Burger (something like this, but with a gyro sauce), deviled eggs, Greek salad

Thursday
Lunch: Cuban sandwiches
Dinner: Melt-in-your-mouth Braised and Barbecued Chicken, white rice, steamed vegetables

Friday
Lunch: Tomato Soup, grilled cheese
Dinner: Pasta and marinara, salad

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Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

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I boiled eggs today to color tomorrow and I thought I'd share some tips for boiling a perfect egg.

1. Make certain your eggs are uncracked. Even a tiny crack will leak egg into your water. Not that that's the end of the world, but it's no good to color, so save it for something else.

2. Use your oldest eggs. The older eggs have more air between the shell and the membrane that surrounds the white, making it easier to peel. I try to buy my coloring eggs a few weeks ahead of time, so they have time to age before I cook them.

3. Add 1 T. of salt to your water -- it will also make your eggs easier to peel.

4. I use the Martha Stewart method for boiling a perfect egg:
Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.
Transfer eggs to a colander; place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately. Remaining eggs, with shells on, may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Hot Milk Cake

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This cake is one of my favorite cakes holding some of my favorite memories. This cake is the cake that my grandma (my mother's mother) made when I was a little girl. Every year without fail. It always had tinted green coconut with jelly beans tucked in all around the top.

It's a good cake; it's from scratch. But, the real reason it's one of my very favorite cakes is because when I mix the batter, I think about my grandma. And when I whip the frosting, I think about my grandma. And with each and every sweet, tender bite, I think about my grandma. To me that is a perfect food. Not only does it taste good, but it evokes emotion.

I'm lucky that my grandma is still here -- she's 91 years old. She doesn't make this cake anymore, because she has a difficult time getting around. But, I'm happy to carry on the tradition. I make it every year, without fail, and hopefully someday someone will think about me when they make this cake.

About the cake -- it's not a moist, dense cake, but light in crumb and tasty. You can frost it with any buttercream frosting, and sprinkle the tinted coconut just after you frost it so it will stick. You can also skip the coconut if that's your preference. You can tell by the way the recipe is written that it's very old. You don't really have to add the sugar and flour one spoon at a time, just pour it in slowly.

Hot Milk Cake
Printer version


2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 t. baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
pinch salt
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour round pans or oblong pan,
depending on your preference.
Sift flour and baking powder four times.
Scald milk, then turn off and add butter; cool.
Beat eggs and salt until foamy.
Add sugar one spoonful at a time; beat.
Then add flour one spoonful at a time.
Add milk and butter and vanilla
and beat until very creamy.
Bake at 350 degrees, 25 minutes for 2 round pans;
40 minutes for 13 x 9 pan.
Cake tests done with a toothpick.
Do not overbake.
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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I discovered this recipe for muffins about 15 years ago. They are my all-time favorite banana muffin, partly because they are so tasty, but also because they are so good for you. If you weren't mixing up the batter yourself, you'd never know that these are low in fat and packed full of nourishing ingredients. But knowing that makes them taste a little better. My guys can scarf down several of these with a glass of milk and think nothing of it.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
makes 18

2 cups whole wheat flour
(or mixed white and wheat or all white)
¾ cup wheat bran
½ cup wheat germ
pinch salt
1½ t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 cup plain yogurt
2 lrg. ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup honey
2 T. vegetable oil
½ cup mini semi-sweet choc. chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease 18 muffin tins or line with papers.
In large bowl, combine first six (dry) ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, bananas, egg, honey and oil.
Mix with dry ingredients.
Add chocolate chips and walnuts, if desired.
Spoon into tins.
Bake for 15-20 minutes (check them after 15)
until toothpick inserted comes out clean.


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Easter Brunch Menu

I'm winding up and getting into Easter gear: cleaning the house, getting Easter outfits ready to wear and polishing shoes, dusting off the Easter baskets, getting out the Easter decorations, clearing off the dining room table and making up the grocery list.

I thought, however, I'd take a quick minute to post my brunch menu. I'm only hosting brunch this year -- we've been invited to dinner at my parents-in-law's home. And our brunch will be fairly small with just my mom and my brother's family (and mine, of course). I'm keeping it fairly simple since we'll arrive home from Easter Mass at brunch time and everyone will be hungry. I'm planning some dishes that can either be made ahead or at the last minute -- you've seen several of them here, also, so you know they're tried and true.

Easter Brunch
Ham and Potato Omelet
Cinnamon Bun Bread
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Fresh fruit salad
Milk, Juice and Coffee

See, I told you it was simple. But the kids will want to get into their Easter candy anyway, so it's plenty of food. Maybe the Cinnamon Bun Bread and Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (I'll post the recipe later -- they're yummy and nutritious) will satisfy their sweet teeth for a while.

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Recipe Review -- Crunchy, Chewy, Delicious Bread

Highly unusual -- two recipes in a row that I just can't touch, no way to improve.

I read about this bread at Cheryl's, who read about it at Kimberly's, who read about it... apparently this bread makes an impression wherever it goes. I was so impressed by Cheryl's post that I bought a pot in which to cook this bread. Yes, a pot I said. This bread cooks in a pot with a lid, in a 450 degree oven, which disqualified every lidded pot I have. So, I broke down and bought a Lodge Cast Iron Dutch oven. It only put me back $29.99 -- not bad for a new pot that doesn't leach nickel into our food. And a good cast iron pot will last forever, if it makes it one piece from the retailer (that's another story though).

Anyway, back to the bread. This bread was touted by the baker in this video as being a bread that a six-year-old could make. Trust me, if my six-year-old could handle a 450-degree pot, she could make this bread. The recipe is simple -- found here -- but, again, you do have to have the pot and you have to start the day before.

I started yesterday evening after the dinner dishes were done and it took me less than two minutes -- honestly. I put the bowl in the microwave -- not to cook, just to rest -- and left it there for 15 hours. At about noon today I started step two and by 2:45 I had a great loaf of bread. Top five -- maybe best ever. It's crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. And it has a great taste -- it went wonderfully with our soup for dinner, but would be a great bread for a sandwich, too. It is really exactly like a bread you would buy at a pricey baker -- for the cost of 3 cups of flour, a teaspoon and a half of salt and a quarter teaspoon of salt (and a pot --wink--). Incredible.

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Recipe Review -- Chicken Philly Sandwiches

You may have noticed, from looking at my menus, that I try quite a few new recipes each week. I can't decide if I pursue new recipes to keep my hungry eaters happy, or to keep things hoppin' in the kitchen. Maybe it's a little of both.

Most often when I make a new recipe, I make it "my way." In other words, I alter ingredients or method to suit my family's taste, or budgetary or dietary needs. But, occasionally I make the recipe just as it's been published (or at least almost).

I've decided to add a new feature on my blog -- Recipe Review. I will use this title when I find a recipe that I have made as published and found it to be a six-thumbs-up recipe. In addition to posting the link to the recipe here, I will label it as I label the posts in which I post a recipe (that was confusing). So, if you are looking for a specific recipe, say a chicken recipe, you can click on chicken in the sidebar and you will find the posts with links to good recipes, as well as posted recipes.

This first Recipe Review is for a recipe I used last week. It was a huge hit -- each of the children raved about it and said they all requested it be put on the menu again. Partly it was hit, in my opinion, because we rarely have sandwiches for dinner. Sandwiches are sort of a party food and inspire a party atmosphere at our dinner table. But, the flavor of these sandwiches was really good. I think it must be the combination of the peppers, onion, vinegar and hot pepper sauce.

I did alter this recipe just a tad. I used leftover chicken (from my Sunday roasted chicken), which to me is even further proof that it's a good recipe -- if leftover chicken tasted good, it must be great with fresh chicken. I would not hesitate to use leftover chicken again -- it did not taste at all leftover and I'm sensitive to that flavor. But, I will try it again with fresh chicken, too -- sometime very soon.

The recipe can be found here. It's low in fat -- a Cooking Light recipe -- and wouldn't be very pricey if you used leftover chicken like I did. Just buy a chicken bigger than you really need for one meal (or buy two when you can get buy-one-get-one like I did) and use the leftovers. And to be really budget-conscious, be sure to boil the chicken carcass after you've taken all the chicken off (like this).

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Salmon Patties

We were supposed to go the K of C Fish Fry last night. The K of C at our parish has a pretty good one -- with real fish. But Doug bugged out for a state b-ball tournament and with a new cold, I didn't have it in me to take the kids alone. So I resorted to our default Friday meatless meal, Salmon Patties, Baked Macaroni and Cheese and green peas.

I know, I know. You ate them once and they were terrible. Or you heard that someone ate them once and they were terrible. But have you eaten them with your adult taste buds? Have you eaten them since you started buying the groceries?


Salmon patties have a bad reputation, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. They beat the pants off frozen fish fillets, in my opinion. And canned salmon is an American product -- canned in Alaska. All canned salmon is wild salmon, which I definitely prefer. I recently saw a news program about farm-raised Chinese fish and I am definitely thinking twice about buying fresh or frozen fish (at least the kind you can buy in Ohio). And canned salmon is cheap food. I can buy two cans of canned pink salmon --enough for six patties -- for $3.

So, if you think you don't like salmon patties, or you didn't like them as a kid, try them again. And by the way, my kids don't have their adult taste buds yet, so they don't eat them. But I loved them as a kid, and my brothers loved them, and Doug and I still do. Just think "crab cake" without the big price tag.

Salmon Patties

2 (14.75 oz.) cans pink or red salmon*
2 eggs
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs, divided
3 T. finely diced onion
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. vegetable or corn oil

Remove salmon from cans and separate "meat" from skin and bones
(You can leave in some tiny bones - that's where the calcium in salmon comes from).**
Add eggs, 6 T. bread crumbs, onion, and salt and pepper.
Mix with your hands, breaking up salmon
and small bones with your fingers.
Form into patties
(I usually get 6 medium patties from 2 cans).
Dip patties into remaining breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in pan.
Place patties in pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes,
until golden browned on bottom.
Flip and brown the other side.
Serve with ketchup if it tastes good to you --
that's how we eat them.

*pink is less expensive than red, but I've heard it's stronger in flavor;
honestly I can't tell the difference
(by the way -- the above link to Bumblebee is not a plug;
I buy several different brands)

** If dealing with the skin and bones makes you squeamish
(I'll refrain from telling you to get a grip)
you can buy skinless, boneless salmon, but it's pricier.

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Weekly Menu

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On this week's menu we have the celebration of two of our great Catholic saints.

St. Joseph's Feast Day is being celebrated on March 15 this year, so we will celebrate with our usual Saturday fare -- pizza. I am planning a special dessert, though. St. Joseph is revered by many Italian-Americans for his great miracle of the famine, so I am planning an Italian dessert. Well, it's a dessert from Giada de Laurentiis, so I think it's Italian.

St. Patrick's Day is being celebrated early as well, and we will celebrate the night before, on Sunday. I'm using my Beef Stew recipe and we'll call it Irish Stew for the day. I'm trying a new Irish bread recipe and a new Irish dessert. Both look promising. Whether or not they are really Irish, who knows?

The rest of the week I'm keeping it simple to focus on Holy Week. The first three days of Holy Week are dedicated to cleaning the house. So, my meals are fairly simple to allow more time to activities other than cooking.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: Pepperoni Pizza and Three Cheese Pizza Bianca, salad, Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

Sunday
Lunch: Blueberry Pancakes, turkey sausage
Dinner:Hearty Beef Stew, Irish Oatmeal Bread, Irish Creme Espresso Caramel

Monday
Lunch: Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Tortellini Soup, bread

Tuesday
Lunch: Bird's Nest
Dinner: White Bean Enchiladas, Mexican rice

Wednesday
Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup
Dinner: Fried egg, cheese and ham on English Muffins, Fried potatoes, fruit

Thursday
Lunch: Cheese Soup
Dinner: Chicken and Dumplings with carrots

Friday
Lunch: Biscuits (and jam for the kids)
Dinner: Tuna Noodle Casserole, vegetable

*Tried and true
*New to me
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Nutritious, Delicious and Cheap Lunch

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I linked to a recipe on my menu this week for Tuna and White Bean Wraps. I made the salad yesterday and it was so good I have to share.

I'm a bean girl. I love beans -- all kinds. I also love tuna. I was not sure I would love them together, but I do. This salad was so fresh and welcoming on a cold winter-almost-spring day. And it was a snap to throw together and very budget friendly. I put it in the tortilla and "wrapped it," which was good, but messy. I think next time I'll skip the wrap and just eat the salad. But if you decide to do the wrap, just eat it like a taco -- get your face right down by the plate and shove it in (dainty, eh?). Just don't eat it in front of strangers or the the Queen (in the event that she's not a stranger to you).

I altered the recipe a tad from the original, so I'm posting my version. This salad would feed two hungry people. The priciest ingredient, in my estimation, would be the fresh parsley, if you were buying it just for this recipe. At my grocer, I buy parsley in a bag -- similar to a fresh flower bag. I stand the parsley in a large cup with water and put it in my fridge.


It easily lasts two weeks. By the time it's not fresh any longer, I've usually used it. So, the parsley was not a big expense for me. I used bottled lemon juice, and it was great. I also used scallions because that's what I had.

Tuna and White Bean Wraps

1 T. lemon juice
1-1/2 T. minced red onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil
1 can (19 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and lightly mashed
1 can (6 ounces) tuna packed in water, drained
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 T. minced fresh parsley
4 tortillas, warmed for a few seconds in the microwave
4 leaves Romaine lettuce


In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, onion, salt and black pepper.
Whisk in olive oil.
Add beans, tuna, tomatoes and parsley; stir gently.
Place one lettuce leaf on the center of each tortilla.
Place 1 quarter of the bean mixture on each lettuce leaf and tightly roll the wrap.
Cut in half on the diagonal.
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Overnight Monkey Bread

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I was thinking about finding a new breakfast bread recipe the other day and wondered if I could make Monkey Bread the night before. I don't like fussing with bread dough on Sunday morning, and would rather not use refrigerated or frozen dough. I did a quick Google search and found quite a few recipes. Using one from Alton Brown as a sort of foundation, I created my own recipe and it was knockout. Not only was it a breeze to make on Sunday for brunch, but it was completely gone after brunch.

I made a milk bread dough on Saturday evening after I cleaned up the dinner dishes; it really only took about five minutes. I let the dough rise for about 60 minutes and then I put it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning (about an hour before I needed to put the bread together) I took the dough out and let it warm up a bit.

Then I put the bread together, let it rise for 30 to 45 minutes, and baked it when we were about ready for brunch. It was sticky and gooey and sweet, and with a homemade dough it tasted like pure goodness to me. If you want it to be ready to bake in the morning, just let the dough rise and assemble the bread in the Bundt pan the night before. Then in the morning, just let it warm up a tad and then proceed to the baking stage.

Overnight Monkey Bread

2 T. butter, softened
1 c. warm milk
2 t. yeast
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. salt
2-1/2 to 3 c. flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. raisins (optional)

Place warm milk and yeast in mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add 2 T. butter, 1/4 c. white sugar, egg, salt and 2 c. flour.
Stir with the mixer until dough pulls together.
Knead dough (with a dough hook or by hand)
and add flour, a few tablespoons at a time,
until you get a soft dough, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Put dough in a greased bowl, cover with greased wrap
and let rest for about an hour,
or until almost doubled in size.
Refrigerate overnight.

Remove dough in the morning.
When ready to assemble bread,
grease a Bundt pan or ring pan.
Heat 1 c. butter and brown sugar in a saucepan
until butter and sugar are melted and bubbly.
Mix 3 T. white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Pour half of melted brown sugar/butter mixture into Bundt pan
(keep remaining brown sugar and butter warm).
Break pieces of dough off (about a small golf ball size)
roll into a ball, roll balls in cinnamon sugar
and place in bottom of Bundt pan.
If using raisins, scatter half the raisins after placing
half the dough balls in.
After all the dough balls are in the pan,
sprinkle remaining raisins and
any remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
Cover with greased plasic wrap and allow to sit for 30 to 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place bread in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove bread from oven,
pour remaining brown sugar/butter mixture evenly over the top
and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes,
until bread is golden browned and sugar is bubbly.

Remove bread, allow to cool for 10 minutes
and then invert on serving plate.
Slice bread or pull dough balls apart with your fingers.
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Pork Scaloppine

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As promised, I'm posting my Pork Scaloppine recipe from this past week. Scaloppine is from the French word escalope, meaning thin slices of meat. In this recipe you take a small amount of meat that you pound thin, batter it with an egg and cheese batter and quick-fry it. This recipe is a much like the popular Veal Scaloppine, but I don't eat veal.

There is no sauce for this particular dish. We eat the pork with a squeeze of lemon and with buttered spaghetti or mashed potatoes on the side, which tastes great to me. I like simpler tastes. The kids love this dish too, again because it's simple. Doug complains because he likes "gravy" but he has no trouble eating loads of it. I'm sure you could serve with with a marinara sauce or a piccata sauce, if you like gravy too.

The great thing about this recipe is that it seems like a lot of meat, but it isn't. You can use pork chops (buy boneless or cut the bone away yourself), a small piece of pork loin roast, pork cutlets (which you wouldn't have to pound), or as I did, pork sirloin chops. The pounding tenderizes the meat, and you don't cook it long so it doesn't toughen. While I didn't label this a budget dish, it could definitely be an inexpensive meal if you buy pork on sale. I bought sirloin chops for $1.79 a pound. That's a pretty cheap meal for me.

You'll find this meal comes together really fast. I serve some broccoli on the side; after I steam it, I drain it and then I cook it quickly with some hot olive oil, crushed garlic and a little (1/2 t.) hot pepper flakes -- then a squeeze of lemon when it's done. Sort of a Broccoli Arrabiata -- yum.

Pork Scaloppine
Printer version

1½ lb. pork loin roast 4 lrg. eggs
¼ cup milk
½ cup grated Romano cheese
1½ t. garlic powder
½ t. salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup butter
¼ cup olive oil
lemon slices


Cut pork loin into 1/2-inch slices.
Pound to 1/4-inch thickness, using meat mallet.
Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, garlic powder and salt.
Dredge pork in flour and then dip in egg mixture.
Melt butter in large skillet and add olive oil.
Cook pork, in batches, 1 minute on each side, or until browned.
Serve with lemon.

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Weekly Menu

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Saturday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: Spicy Shredded Chicken Pizza, lettuce and tomato toppings

Sunday
Lunch: Ham and Potato Omelet, Overnight Monkey Bread
Dinner: Asian Roasted Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Sesame Green Beans
(use leftover chicken for Wednesday's sandwiches and leftover beans for Tuesday's soup)

Monday
Lunch: leftover pizza
Dinner: Rigatoni and spaghetti sauce, salad

Tuesday
Lunch: Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
Dinner: Beef Soup (something like this, but with just beef bones), bread

Wednesday
Lunch: Tuna and Bean Wraps
Dinner: Chicken Philly Sandwiches, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Scallions, cole slaw

Thursday
Lunch: Egg salad sandwiches
Dinner: Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, applesauce

Friday
Lunch: Peanut butter or jelly sandwiches
Dinner: Light and Spicy Fish, Garlic Mashed potatoes, sauteed green and yellow squash

*Tried and true
* New to me

The Grocery Bill

I've had some grocery thoughts rolling around in my head for a couple of weeks, and now my thoughts are just going to spill all over this post. Pardon me if I don't make sense; I get fairly passionate about groceries.

I've seen several articles on the cost of groceries recently -- yes, they are going up, it's not your imagination -- and I've seen my own bill go up just since the first of the year. When I first noticed the upward flux, I thought that our bill was going up because we were eating healthier, due to recent diagnosis of reflux in one of the children. And that might be a little bit of it. But, just in the past several weeks, milk has gone up at least $.50 a gallon and eggs went up almost a dollar a dozen. Eggs used to be my cheap meal option, but now I can almost get a pound of ground chuck for the price of a dozen eggs. And if I watch the sales, I can sometimes do better with good cuts of meat. The boneless pork sirloin chops I bought this week were under $2 -- for five big chops.

The reason I've been thinking about this issue is because it doesn't seem to matter what I do to cut costs, I just cannot get our grocery bill lower than it is. And maybe I just have to learn to live with that. But, I just keep thinking that I'm going to find a magic method to eating cheaper. The grocery budget is the one expense that flexes -- a little. I can't pay less than the billed amount for my phone services or the natural gas. But, if need be, and it seems like we have the need more and more these days, I can squeak a few more days out of the pantry.

Don't get me wrong. My husband makes a good wage, and we're not using food stamps. We eat well. Not as well as some, but well. I can always manage to get a dessert in here and there, and for that we are fortunate. No one is getting fat, but if St. Francis were to visit, he would probably think we are gluttonous.

But, stretching the grocery money gets to me. I'm always thinking I should not buy this, or I should put another budget meal in the weekly menu. Maybe it's because we do eat better than many. I often think we should be suffering a little more. Yea, that's the Catholic in me.

Which brings me to the cue for this post. Doug's father sent me an email last week. Maybe you've seen it; I'm sure it's made the rounds. It's a photo essay of families around the world and what they eat (and spend) in a week. You can see the photo essay here, and be sure to check out the dollar amount for each family. It's pretty eye opening. There are people in this world, in this country for that matter, that get by on very few dollars per week. And that, of course, gets me feeling guilty. We are so fortunate; how can I be complaining about scrimping a little?

But, I was also surprised to see how much some families spend. While I'm not familiar with costs in other countries, I do know that $340 is a lot of grocery money in North Carolina. That's double what we spend for a family of six. And that brings me to this photo:



This is our "groceries for a week" photo. Because I received the above-mentioned email just after I came home from the grocery store on Friday, I decided to put all my groceries on the center island and see what it looked like. Doug came home while I was doing it and took a picture (sans smiling family). This is $150 in groceries. Admittedly I had already put a carton of beer and two gallons of milk away, so they are not pictured. And I am running to the store today for two more gallons of milk and two more loaves of bread. But, for the most part, this is what we eat in a week. I know you can't really see everything -- I didn't really do it for the photo op. But, seeing the picture and knowing that I am spending less, by and large than most families in America, I feel a little better about my quandary.

I know that we are spending less than most Americans because I recently checked out the USDA's food cost web page. You can find it here (click on January 2008 and it will download). Prompted recently by a post on a homeschooling forum, I checked to see how we are doing. I was shocked (really shocked) to find that we are spending less than the "thrifty plan." According to this chart, a family of our size and age, using the thrifty plan -- the lowest amount calculated by the USDA -- is spending $200 a week. Those in the liberal plan -- spending the most -- are spending $386. I know that we are a wealthy nation, but someone tell me who can spend that kind of money on groceries? That's more than a house payment each month.

Some people would say that we shouldn't have had four children if we were worried about feeding them. Like I said, we're not on food stamps -- my husband makes more than enough to feed us. And I'd have as many children as God would give me, and still find a way to feed them. But, it's such a vicious cycle, spending hundreds of dollars a month on groceries and then it's gone. It's disheartening sometimes. Last night, after a big dinner, my oldest teen ate 2 pieces of peanut butter toast (he eats almost a jar of peanut butter a week all by himself), a bowl of cereal, a piece of cake, a half a bag of BBQ rice cakes and then I went to bed. I have no idea what he ate after that. It's endless and I can't stop it.

I suppose I just wanted to talk about it and see if you have the same struggles. I try to plan some budget meals each week, but I run out of good recipes. It's not a budget meal if you use cheap ground chuck and then add $10 worth of other ingredients. And it's not a budget meal if most of it goes in the garbage disposal.

So I search and I try. And I'll keep searching and keep trying.

Do you struggle with your grocery bill? Or are you loaded and all you worry about is where you'll put it all? I know, you're laughing, aren't you?

Do you have any great tips to share? Any staple of your family's diet that costs pennies? Leave a comment or email me if you want to share. I'd be happy to post your suggestions.

I've added "budget" to my labels, and I'm going to try to post more budget meals. They may not always be gorgeous, or even terribly exciting. But, if my family eats it and it's a budget minded recipe, I'll certainly share with you. I guess we're all in this boat, or should I say shopping cart, together.

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You ARE Out There

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I am quite relieved. I was beginning to feel like just another Google hit.

Thanks for popping in and saying "Hi." I now know that old friends are still visiting, as well as a few new friends. I love that the Internet has brought me some new friends -- even a few from across the wide ocean.

I've got some recipes to post yet this week (tonight's Pork Scaloppine), and a grocery post brewing. How 'bout those grocery prices?

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Anybody out there?

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I feel like I lost you. Except for the hundred people who find this everyday through Google, looking for frosted sugar cookies and caramel puffcorn, I'm feeling fairly alone. Leave me a comment, darlin'.

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Crunchy Granola

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Well, we're on a healthier jag this week. Instead of dessert, yesterday I baked granola. I'm a granola girl. I love to have a jar of the crunchy, munchy stuff around. It's great with a bowl of yogurt in the afternoon and milk in the morning -- and a handful before bed with a glass of milk. Yum. You can see it helps me get my dairy in.

And while I only eat the kind that I make (too many chemicals in store-bought), I haven't been making it lately. My regular recipe calls for quite a bit of honey, and with the quantity of granola that we can go through, that gets expensive. So I hunted for a new recipe and found one. It's much more economical and I think I actually like it better. It's much lower in fat, yet the texture is even crunchier -- usually more fat is needed, but not with this recipe. I think the egg white is the key. I found this recipe on a website which listed is as originating in The Times-Picayne. I only altered it to add the coconut, sunflower seeds and raisins; and I used quick oats, which worked out just fine.

Brown Sugar Granola

3 cups oats
1 c. coconut
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ t. vanilla
¼ cup canola oil
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine oats, coconut, cinnamon,
baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a separate bowl, whip vanilla, oil and egg whites with a fork.
Stir wet mixture into dry mixture and combine well.

Spread evenly on a jelly roll pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, or longer, until well browned,
stirring every ten minutes.

Let cool completely, then break up with a spatula.
Store in an airtight container.

Variation: I added sunflower seeds and raisins after baking,
while it was still hot.

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Molten Chocolate Cakes

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I've been on a bit of a baking binge lately. You may think using the word binge is a little harsh, but we've been pretty indulgent -- I think binge is the right word. We had a birthday one night during the week -- big dessert seen here; a birthday party on Saturday, with New York cheesecake and cherry sauce; and then another birthday dessert on Sunday, because the birthday boy had given up chocolate for Lent and thus didn't really have the dessert he wanted (I know... indulgent!).

The New York Cheesecake was great, but I didn't get any pics because it was gone before I knew it. I'd be happy to share the recipe if you want it though (leave a comment). It was light and creamy and the greatest thing about the recipe is you don't feel like you've eaten a lead ball afterward.

But, this post is about chocolate. The most decadent chocolate dessert ever. This is that dessert that you see on many a restaurant dessert menu, although since we don't eat out, I'm certain that's not where the birthday boy saw it. I think the Food Network is to blame. All the kids just knew that they would love this dessert, but they had no idea how rich it is. I made one for each of us, but only dad and the birthday boy finished their portion. I have no idea how they did it. This would be a perfect dessert to share.

The recipe is from my Aunt Ruth, but this recipe is all over the Internet, so you may already have one. If not, this is tried and true and delicious! This picture is not the greatest -- this was the last cake I served and the weight of the whipping cream collapsed the cake. But I can assure you it did not affect the taste -- at all.

Molten Chocolate Cakes
4 cakes

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 T. flour


Preheat oven to 425 F.
Butter 4 (3/4 c. size) custard cups or soufflé dishes.
Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and 1/2 c. butter in large microwavable bowl
on HIGH for 1 min.
Stir in sugar until well blended.
Whisk in eggs and egg yolks.
Stir in flour.
Divide batter between prepared custard cups.
Bake 14 - 17 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft.
Let stand 1 min.
Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen.
Invert cakes onto dessert dishes.
Top with whipping cream and serve immediately.

* Batter can be made up to a day ahead.
Pour into prepared custard cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Bake as directed.
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Sweet Potato Pie

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This week's birthday boy, like all my boys, prefers pie to cake, so Sweet Potato Pie is what he asked for on his birthday. This recipe came from "Cooking Light," and I was very pleased that I could not tell the difference between this recipe and the one I usually make, which is from a Paula Deen cookbook. Now, if you've seen Paula Deen cook, you know that her recipe likely had more butter and sugar, at the very least. And while the recipe from "Cooking Light" probably doesn't exactly qualify as low-fat (it still uses a standard pie crust), it was a much healthier version -- and delicious! This is also a very easy recipe -- if you can make mashed potatoes, you can make this pie. I modified the method a little bit, and the original recipe called for a Pillsbury pie dough, but I just used my standard pie dough recipe, which I posted below.

Sweet Potato Pie
6-8 pieces

 

Printer version

2 lb. sweet potatoes (about 5 medium)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ c. 2 % milk
2 T. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. pumpkin pie spice
¼ t. salt
¼ t. ground nutmeg
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 recipe pie dough placed in 9" pie plate*


Preheat oven to 375°.

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into equal sized pieces.
Place in a pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Drain. Place the potatoes in a medium bowl, and mash
(or you can rice them into the bowl).
Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and the next 8 ingredients
(through eggs) to potatoes.
Beat with a whisk until well blended.

Pour sweet potato mixture into prepared pie shell.
Bake at 375° for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool pie completely on a wire rack.
Top each piece with sweetened, fresh whipped cream.**



*Pie Crust
one single-crust pie shell

1 and ⅓ cup flour
½ t. salt
½ cup Crisco
3 T. cold water

Measure flour and salt into a medium bowl.
Add Crisco and blend with a pastry cutter
until Crisco is small crumbs.
Add water by the tablespoonful and blend with a fork.



**Sweetened Fresh Whipped Cream

1/2 pint whipping cream
2 T. powdered sugar

Whip cream until very thick.
Add sugar and beat until cream holds peaks.

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