Under the Sea Salad

3 parts Trader Joe’s European whole milk yogurt 

2 parts olive oil

1 part apple cider vinegar

Salt, pepper & garlic mixed

Fresh chives

Shell pasta (with garlic salt)

Avocado

Hard boiled egg

Pepitas

Garbanzo beans

Butter lettuce

Mixed greens

Broccoli sprouts 

Radish

Shredded unexpected cheddar cheese (Trader Joes - kind my new favorite)

And the kitchen sink 😜

Crumb Apple Pie

Got this from a friend recently and I've made 6 times since Football season started.  I'm making 5 tomorrow with Lisa.  I like her pie recipe with Mom's crust recipe.

Crumb Apple Pie

6 granny smith or pippen apples

1 - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. lemon juice

1 c. white sugar

1/4 c. flour

In a plastic bag, place sugar, cinnamon, and flour, mix well.  Peel apples and slice thinly.  Add apples to bag and mix thoroughly to coat all apples.  Spoon apples into 1-9 inch uncooked pie crust.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Add to plastic bag; mix together to make a crumbly mixture:

1. C. flour

1/2 C. softened butter

1/2 C. brown sugar

Place pie in a brown grocery bag.  Cut slits in bag to allow steam to escape.  Seal bag tightly.  Put pie on cookie sheet.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Do not peek!

OR:  Put pie in 9 inch uncooked crust.  Top with uncooked crust and bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional hour. 

Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups King Arthur Perfect Pantry Blend or All-purpose flour

heaping 1/4 Tsp salt

3 TBS vegetable shortening

1/4 cup (4 TBS) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

4-5 TBS ice water (or Vodka .. it doesn't freeze so it's even colder)

Becca's Bread

When we lived in New Jersey, we had a wonderful friend who taught her daughter to bake bread and sell it weekly.  It was a so good.

5 c. warm water
6 T. sugar or ¼ c. honey
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
1 ½ T. salt
2/3 c. shortening, melted
3 + c. flour

Dissolve yeast into warm water. Add remaining ingredients, knead, adding more flour as needed. Turn out into greased bowl to rise for an hour or until double in size. Put into prepared loaf pans or baking sheets (depending on what type of loaf you want). Let rise for 30-45 minutes or until double in size. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from pans onto cooling rack, brush tops with shortening or butter.

Carmelitos

Perfection!  That's all there is to say.

1 1/2 cups of butter melted
2 1/4 cups oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Mix together.  Press 2/3 of mixture into pan and reserve 1/3 for topping.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350.

Pour 1 package of chocolate chips on the crust.

1 jar of caramel topping
6 Tbs of flour

Pour over melting chocolate chips.  Bake for another 15-20 minutes.  Vanilla Ice Cream is always a tasty addition when they come fresh out of the oven.

Diane's Cinnamon Rolls

Famous.  She used to make these when I'd go over to her daughter's house and I thought they were perfection.  This dough makes cinnamon rolls or bread knots.

Diane’s Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups liquid – 1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup warm water (if doubling recipe, use 1 can of evaporated milk and the rest water to 4 cups)
4 Tbsp. fast rising yeast

- Water should be 100-110 degrees for yeast to activate
- Put these ingredients in kitchen aid and let sit for 5 minutes

ADD
¾ cup sugar
4 scant (less than) cups bread flour

- Quick stir to moisten

ADD
1 cup melted butter
4 more scant cups of bread flour

- Mix on high for 10 minutes (dough will be sticky)
- Let rise in bowl for 5 minutes, split dough in half
- Roll out on a floured surface about ¼ inch thick
- Spread melted butter, cinnamon, white sugar and roll up (cut with plain dental floss about 2 inches thick)...
- Place on greased (pam) jelly roll pan and let rise 45 minutes (about 12 rolls per pan)
- Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes – light brown on top
- Frost immediately for thinner frosting or let cool and frost for thicker frosting.
- Can make 12 cinnamon rolls and 12 knot rolls with dough, same cooking time.

Frosting
1 cube butter
4 oz cream cheese
1 lb box powdered sugar

Lemon Bars that Work!

We call these Lemon Bars that Work!  Because we've tried so many that are just soggy.  These are great!

¾ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners sugar + 1 Tbs for sifting on top
¼ cup corn starch
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Filling

4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

350 with rack in center. Coat a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper leaving a 2 inch overhang in all sides. Make crust in a food processor on a pulse. Then add cube butter and pulse until crumbly. Press into bottom and ¾ inch up the side. Fridge it for 15 minutes.

Bake crust until lightly brown – 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan.

Reduce oven to 325.

Make filling while it is cooling. Beat eggs with electric mixer until thick. Beat in sugar, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and salt. Pour over warm crust. Bake until set about 20 minutes. Cool to room temp. fridge for an hour.

Baguette

This is from my Visiting Teacher and Ainsley's former Activity Days Teacher.  Yum!

Baguette

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or silpat) with seam down.

Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look.  Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.