Cherry-Cheese Bread

This is an Ottley family Christmas time tradition. Be sure to look for my alterations using a bread machine at the bottom.

Bread:

2 Pkg Yeast (2 TBS)

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup scalded milk (try using 1 1/2 tsp dry milk and 1/2 cup warm water instead)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted margarine/butter
1 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
4 1/2-5 cups flour

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 can cherry pie filling
(cream together cheese and sugar

Frosting:
1 cup butter (or you can do 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup Crisco)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 TBS milk
(all creamed together, add milk slowly, if too thick add more milk a little at a time)

Traditional method:
Soften yeast with warm water. Combine milk (not scalded yet), butter, sugar in small saucepan on low heat cook together, when butter is melted remove from heat and let cool. Once milk mixture is cooled to a warm not hot temperature stir in eggs and combine all in a mixer with 2 1/2 cups of flour until smooth. Then add the yeast an remaining flour a little at a time until all combined and smooth. Knead for 5 min. Place in a greased bowl and let rise for 30 min. or until doubled. Punch down, let rise 10 min. Divide dough in half; roll each into a rectangle (16 x 7 inch)

Cut 2 inch cuts along each side 1 inch apart

Place 1/2 cheese mixture and 1/2 cherry filling down center about 3-4 inches wide. Criss-cross strips over tops, let rise 30 min.

Bake at 375 degree for 20 minutes. When cooled frost with butter cream frosting.

Bread Machine Method:
I use my machine as a mixer. Set the machine on the dough setting and 2lb loaf. Add all the wet ingredients in the pan, I used the dry milk from the recipe above. Add the salt and 2 1/2 cup flour. Once that is all mixed well add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it is all added and is smooth. Then let the machine take over. Start back up with the original recipe by punching the dough down after it has risen....

White Bread

Finally! After years of searching and trying out recipes I found a recipe that I like for White Bread from my bread machine.

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3 1/4 cups bread flour

2 TBS dry milk powder

2 tsp salt

2 TBS white sugar

2 TBS vegetable oil (or softened butter)

1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

1 3/8 cup warm water (If you have a measuring cup with oz 3/8 cup=3 oz)

Directions:

Place ingredients in the pan of bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select White bread. Select 1 lb loaf size, press start!

* You can always use your bread machine as a mixer and select the dough setting. When the machine is done you can then pull the dough out and bake it in a traditional greased, bread pan. Let it rise to double size. You'll be on your own to figure out how hot to bake it and for how long. If you figure it out be sure to comment on this post with your tips!

Peanut Butter Bars

1cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
**mix and cream above-then add remaining ingredients
2 cups quick oats
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour

Press into large cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 mins.
DO NOT OVER BAKE

Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine - melted
Beat until creamy and slightly thin. Put on brownies when warm.

Eat and Enjoy!

Chicken-Crescent Bake

2 cans of Chicken (or 2 Chicken breasts cooked and cut into small pieces)

2 cups finely chopped celery

8 oz plain cream cheese

4 green onions finely chopped

5 tbsp butter melted (divided)

salt and pepper to taste

2 pkg Pillsbury or store brand croissant rolls

parsley

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Mix Chicken, celery, softened cream cheese, green onions, salt and pepper and 2 tbsp melted butter. Put heaping spoonful of mixture in each croissant. Tuck in side corners and roll to point. Roll in remaining melted butter. Put on baking sheet and sprinkle top with parsley. Bake for 20 - 30 mins or until the tops are browning.

Serve with chicken/turkey gravy or a can of cream of chicken soup with 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water heated.

Fresh Salsa

6 - 7 Roma tomatoes
1/2 yellow or white onion
1/3 green pepper
1/2 jalapenos pepper (add some seeds to spice things up)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (before chopping)
1 clove of fresh garlic

Coarsely chop tomatoes and onion. Finely Chop green pepper and jalapenos pepper. Mince cilantro and garlic.

*Tip, to easily remove skin from garlic clove, use large knife, put flat edge on garlic and smash garlic clove with hand. Skin should easily be pulled off.

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars

I found two versions of this recipe so I combined them here to make one super Delicious treat.

11/2 cups flour

11/2 cups oats (use old fashion or quick)

11/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter melted or softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 12 oz bag milk chocolate chips

1 14oz bag of caramels, unwrapped

1/2 cup whipping cream

OR

1/3-1/2 jar of Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Ice Cream Topping

In a large bowl mix together first 7 ingredients to form a crumbly mixture. After mixing together spread half of mixture in a greased 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Melt caramels and whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat(if using ice cream topping skip this step). Top the baked cookie crust with caramel, then chocolate chips. Sprinkle remaining cookie mixture on top and bake for 8-10 minutes. Let bars cool completely before cutting.
Yield 2 dozen bars.

Fiesta Nachos (pizza)

6 (7-inch) flour tortillas
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
4 tbsp salsa
2 cups (8oz) shredded Mexican-style cheese, divided
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
sour cream (optional)
guacamole (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 6 wedges. Starting at outside of 15-inch round baking stone/pan, arrange tortilla wedges in circle with sides slightly overlapping and points toward center. Repeat with remaining tortilla wedges to for additional overlapping rows of wedges. (Entire surface of stone/pan will be covered with wedges.) Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until chips are lightly brown and crisp; remove from oven. In bowl, combine beans, green onions, and salsa; mix gently. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese evenly over tortilla chips on stone/pan; top with bean mixture and the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake 3 minutes or just until cheese is melted; remove from oven. Sprinkle tomato over nachos. Serve warm with sour cream, guacamole and additional salsa, if desired.

*Found in Pampered Chef - Stoneware Sensations

Fresh Tomato & Garlic Penne

1 1/4 cups uncooked penne pasta (4 oz)
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb Roma tomatoes (6 medium), coarsely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves (dry basil leaves work as well, but fresh is much better)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (fresh ground pepper if you have it)

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in oil 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes. Cook 5 - 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until tomatoes are soft and sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in basil, salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Serve sauce over over pasta.

Serves 2

*Add chicken to this pasta dish. After cooking the garlic, add about 1/2 lb. cubed boneless skinless chicken; cook until no longer pink in center.
**Found in Betty Crocker - Fresh & Delicious meals for 2

Mom's Brownies

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter - add sugar and cocoa, mix well then add eggs. Mix in final ingredients. Bake in greased 13 in x 9 in baking pan for 25 - 30 mins.

Mint Frosting

3-4 tbsp. soften butter

2 tbsp. milk

1 - 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp mint extract

green food coloring

Mix together ingredients until creamy. Melt 1/3 cup of milk chocolate chips at power level 5 for 1 1/2 minutes; stir midway. Drizzle on top of frosted brownies.

ENJOY!

Camp-Out Taco's

These where so easy and so fun for the kids while we where camping.



1 lb ground hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
8 snack size Dorito tortilla chips

Taco Toppings:
Salsa
shredded cheese
Guacamole
ketchup
lettuce
tomatoes
olives
refried beans

Brown hamburger and add taco seasoning as per package (I did this ahead of time them just reheated the meat on the camp stove). Crush the chips in the bag then add your desired toppings right in the bag! Grab a fork and enjoy.

I think it would be fun with snack size Frito's and chili too.

Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

Okay, I'm a sucker for recipe books with pictures, especially the ones that you can find at the check out lines, of course at least 70% of the recipes have to look good in order to buy the book. I found a book the other day by Taste of Home. I made this dinner tonight and it was great!

Serves about 6 adults

12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups (10 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 jar (26 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheeses, spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spread 1/3 cup cheese mixture over each noodle; carefully roll up.

Pour 1 cup spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish. Place roll-ups seam side down over sauce. Top with remaining sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until heated through.

ENJOY!!

Chimichurri Rojo

This is a really great marinade for steak. You are supposed to marinade the meat them put it on scwerers and grill. I just did the meat and grilled it. I think it would be great on chicken too!

Chimichurri Rojo

1-2 lbs steak (use your favorite cut)
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp garlic-minced
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cummin
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Combine ingredients and marinade steak 30 min-2 hours (not overnight the vinegar will make the meat mushy). Grill as desired.

Southwest Pork Loin

1 bonless pork loin
2 16 oz. jars salsa
1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine all in a crockpot on Hi to cook all day.
Serve over rice.

Easy Carmel Popcorn

1 bag popped microwave popcorn-remove unpopped kernels
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cube of butter
1/2 cup marshmallows

Place popcorn on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, place butter and sugar and microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir and add marshmallows microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave 1:25 minutes, stir until well blended and pour over popcorn.

Optional mix ins:
mini M&M's
crushed peppermint pieces
nuts

Easy Molten Chocolate Cakes

These are the best cakes ever!

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:30 min
Makes:8 servings, one half molten cake each
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups.
BAKE 13 to 14 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. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping.