Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Evil Shenanigans - Baking & Cooking Blog

I had some left over dark bananas and found this recipe. very good.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Evil Shenanigans - Baking & Cooking Blog

Montana Harvest Bread

There is a certain whole grain bread I love, and since I do not live in a town, but on the ranch, I rarely get in on the right day to get it. So being a bread maker and baker I decided to make my own version of it. I think it tastes pretty close to the one I like. I use mostly local products, with the exception of the oil, sea salt, and molasses. Sometimes I use honey and it is from a local source. Any way with a bread maker and some patience most people should be able to make this bread. It is very dense,very whole grain, and very good for you.

Montana Harvest Bread

In a small bowel combine the following ingredients:

1/4 C whole grain cereal (I like Cream of the West or Red River)

1/4 C millet seed

1/4 C cracked wheat 

1/4 C of cracked rye 

Combine and wet with just enough water to moisten. Set aside for about 10 min and prepare the rest of the bread.

 In a bread maker pan:

11/3 C warm water

1/4 C +1tsp canola oil

1/4 C of either honey or molasses

1 C unbleached white flour
3 C whole wheat flour

1/3 C powdered milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 slightly heaping Tb yeast

1/4 C sunflower seeds

Make a little well in the flour for the yeast, and then add the sunflower seeds. Just before mixing add the cracked grain mixture to pan. 

On dough cycle mix until a firm smooth dough forms. About 10 mins. If the dough is not forming into a nice ball add 1 Tbs of warm water at a time until it firm up and is nice and smooth.  I like my bread in a traditional shape, and find that the bread maker over-kneads whole wheat breads until they are dried out. I raise the loaf in a oil coated bowl in the microwave where it is free from drafts, and is a little warmer space. Once it is raised double once, knead and shape into a loaf pan.  Let raise again until it is still firm to the touch, but indents a little when you touch it. Over raising will cause air pockets in the loaf.  Bake at 365^ for about 30 minutes. Make sure the bottom is done before you remove it from the oven. It usually browns up last. My grandmother said that if you can wet your finger, and quickly touch it to the bottom of the pan; it should make a sizzling sound. If it does not it is not done on the bottom. I know it sounds crazy, but I have never burnt my finger doing this, and it is always done on the bottom with this test.

Mary Beth's Italian Nachos made from the recipe.

Italian Nachos

I had a request for these. They are similar to the ones you get at Old Chicago or Carino's Italian Grill. They are great appetizers for any get together and if you drain the chips well after frying they hold up surprisingly well.

1-2 pkg wonton skins
2qts of canola or peanut oil for frying

In a deep electric skillet or deep fat fryer bring the oil to about 350^ temp. Make sure your oil is good and hot before you start frying the chips. Cut the wonton skins diagonally. Add about 10-12 at at a time to the hot oil. Fry to a golden brown turning over until both sides are browned.  Remove from oil and shake off any excess oil over fryer.  If you are going to serve immediately blot on a large cookie sheet lined with paper towel.  If you are going to serve later, after all chips are fried, stick pan in oven heated to 375^ for about 5 minutes.

1 pkg of Turkey Sweet Italian sausage crumbed and browned in fry pan.  To remove excess oil run under hot water in colander for about 30 seconds. Draining well to remove excess water.
1 pkg of Italian 5 Cheese shreds
1 jar of Peperoncini sliced
Black olives
Italian spice blend
Jar of Alfredo sauce
Red Pepper flakes
On a baking stone or pizza pan, layer 1/2 the chips and top with 1/2 of the sausage. If you like the Alfredo sauce on the nachos you can mix the sausage with about a cup or more of the Alfredo sauce before adding the sausage. Top with a generous sprinkle of the spices. If you don't like it too hot omit the pepper flakes. Add 1/3 of the cheese, a layer of Peperoncini, and black olives. 
Add another layer of chips, the other half of the sausage, and repeat the layering process. Top off with the remaining cheese. Heat in 375^ oven for about 8-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted.  
If you are using 2 pkgs of Wonton's, double the meat and cheese amounts and make two pans of nacho's. You can use regular Italian sausage or Jimmy Deans hot Italian sausage works well too. I like the sweet flavor of the turkey sausage in contrast to the hot spices, but you can use the pork sausage in these as well.

Trail Mix Scones

This is a great recipe for scones. basically you can add your favorite dried fruits and nuts to it in the amounts given for this recipe. I love lots of varied fruits in mine. I especially like the Tidbits dried fruit mix that you can get. The blueberry Cranraisins are great too.

2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
11/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp COLD butter
1/2 C buttermilk
1 egg beaten
1/2 C dried fruit bits
1/2 C nuts or mix of nuts and coconut

Cut the butter into flour, salt, and sugar.  Add soda to buttermilk and mix with beaten egg. Add fruit bits and nuts to flour mix. Slowly add buttermilk to flour mix, until you have a nice smooth dough. Do not over mix, it makes the dough tough. Roll dough out to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with round cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to375^. Bake for about 10 min. Brush with milk mixed with a little sugar. Bake for about 5 min more until golden brown.

Smoking in a gas oven

I wanted to smoke some pork shoulders for the Family camp I cooked at last week, but didn't have time to try and do it in the BQ pit that is out side the dinning room. So I decided to try to smoke them in the large gas ovens they have at the camp. I made a foil bed for the coals, and then found some great assorted hard woods left over from a craft in the storage area. I think there was cedar, redwood, and maybe some mahogany. 
I got them started with fire on top of the grill. (For a safe place to let them burn, the grill was not on.) Then I put out the flame and left them smoldering. 
I put the foil bed with the coals on the bottom of the oven and then turned the oven on to 275^. I used a Cowboy rub on one of the pork shoulders, and a Sweet and Sassy rub, (both from Grillmates), on the other. I slow cooked them for about 7 hours.  I think if I was to do it again I would cook them just a bit longer, they pulled apart, but were just at the edge of being able to pull and not. 
Anyway, on the whole I was happy with the whole experience. I am not sure how it would work in an electric oven, but I think I want to try to build a smoker and try to get that good smoked flavor more permeated in the meat.

Harvest Grain Waffle Mix

Well it has been awhile since I posted a new recipe. I thought since I get a lot of requests for this one I would post it. It makes a large batch of mix, it is low sugar, low fat, and low sodium. And even though it tastes good, it is really a good whole grain mix that is good for you too. I have never had complaints about how it tastes.

7 3/4 C of unbleached flour
1 1/2 C quick cooking oats (blend 3/4 C of them to flour in blender)
1 1/2 C of whole wheat flour
2 C of corn meal
1 C of wheat or oat bran
3/4 C of sugar
1/2 C of ground flax seed
1 1/2 C of chopped pecans
5 3/4 Tbs of baking powder
2 1/2 tsp of baking soda
2 1/3 Tbs of dry malt
1 3/4 tsp salt


Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. Store in tupperware type container that seals tight. When you are ready to make waffles or pancakes use the following recipe.


2 C of the Harvest Grain Mix
1 3/4 C of buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tsp of vanilla
6 Tbs of melted butter or oil
 1/4 C of water
 Mix well, if the mixture appears too thick, add a little more water. Makes about 6-8 pancakes or waffles.

No Sugar Added Raspberry Dessert

This is something I love when I want something sweet.
2 2/3 C crushed pretzels, 3/4 C butter melted

Bake 10 minutes in 9x13 pan at 350.

8 oz cream cheese, 10 oz sugar-free Cool Whip

Whip together and spread over crust. Chill.

2 small pkgs sugar-free raspberry jello, 2 C boiling water,
2 pkgs unsweetened frozen raspberries or fresh

Stir together. Let set a short while, then pour over cheese layer and refrigerate.

Chinese Almond Cookies Sugar Free

By request! Another good sugar free Cookie recipe.

1/2 C butter
1/2 C shorting
1 egg
1/4 tsp Splenda or Stevia
2 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 lb of blanched almonds
1 lightly beaten egg


Cream butter, shorting, egg, sugar substitute, and almond flavoring together. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to flour mixture. Divide dough into two equal parts. Roll out in log shape until desired circumference. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2-4 hours. Slice off in 1/2 inch circles, and place on cookie sheet. Place an almond on top of each cookie.  Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 325^ for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sugar Free Jello Spritz Cookies

This is a  good sugar free cookie recipe that is colorful and tasty!

3/4 C butter
1 4 oz pkg of any flavor sugar free gelatin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and add gelatin; cream smooth and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder into flour and gradually add to creamed mixture. You can roll out the dough and cut into shapes or use cookie press. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. 

Ham and Potatoe Casserole

2 cups cut up ham

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can evaporated milk(2/3 cup)

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups thinly sliced, peeled, raw potatoes

1 cup raw sliced carrots

Mix together in baking dish, cover and cook for at least an hour at 350. I usually double the recipe and cook it for 2-3 hours.

Red Beans and Rice

I first had these from Popeye's Chicken. I loved them so much I had to learn how to make them at home. These can be made from scratch or canned beans so they are very economical side dish. Works especially good with southern dishes, such as Gumbo, or Fried Chicken. If you make them from scratch (raw beans) you can mitigate some of the gas effect by the treatment of the beans. It works for me, but some people still have a little trouble even when they are prepared this way. I will give you the raw bean treatment, and the can variation. In any  case they are worth the time and preparation if you like this southern treat!

Red Beans and Rice
1 lb small red beans OR 3 15oz cans red beans
2-3 meaty ham hocks or a meaty ham bone
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
1/4 tsp of red pepper (you can use more if you like it spicy)
4-5 C cooked rice

If you are making raw beans, rinse the beans and soak overnight in water.  When you are ready to prepare the beans bring to boil in fresh water, add water after the beans; just enough to cover them. Bring to rolling boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add a Tbs of baking soda; turn off heat and cover with lid. Let sit for about an hour. Stir and bring heat back to a boil. Boiling until beans are soft and tender. 
Place ham bone or ham hocks in a sauce pan with 1-2 cups of water. Cover with a lid and boil over low heat until meat comes off or is loose enough to pull off. Remove the meat from the bone and place in food processor with the seasonings and 2 cans OR 2/3 of the cooked beans with the liquid of the canned beans or some of the liquid from the cooked beans. This will be hot, so let cool before you put in blender.  Process on pulse for 4-5 pulses. Add meat/bean mixture back to sauce pan and add the last can of whole beans if making with the canned beans. Stir in well and heat through.  Serve over rice or stir the rice into the mixture if you prefer it the southern way. This is best with a long grain cooked rice, not the quick cooking kind.  

Greek Yogurt or Your Favorite Yogurt

I just discovered how easy yogurt is to make! Considering that Greek yogurt is about $1 for 8 oz or less this is really quick and easy to do! You get slightly less than the 2 quarts of yogurt, but the whey that you strain off is good for Sour dough tasting bread or pancakes. The slightly thicker stuff that is strained off can be used as a Keifer type dressing base. 

2 qts of milk
2 Tbs of your favorite yogurt ( unsweetened and unflavored)

You can use any kind of milk from whole to nonfat. I suggest letting the lower fat content milks ferment for a longer period of time. 

Heat the milk over very low heat. The temp should not be over 110^. Its best to use a candy or digital thermometer to make sure its not too hot. Remove from heat stir in the yogurt.  Whisk in in well. Cover with a good tight lid. You need to place it in a warm place. The source I got the recipe from said that you could wrap it tight in a towel, and place on a heating pad set to low. I preheated my oven to 150^ while I was heating the milk, and then turned it off so it was cooling when I placed the yogurt mixture in the oven. The recipe source said that you could place it on top of your refrigerator, or if you have a gas stove just place it in the oven the pilot light keeps it warm enough.  Keep it covered and leave in warm place for 8-12 hours. 

Now the yogurt. You want to read the label. Make sure that the yogurt you are using as a culture has no additives or preservatives in it. Use your favorite store brand, but just make sure its a pure product. 

Once you have let the mixture "culture", you can strain it through a double layer of cheese cloth, or they make yogurt strainers you can buy.  The longer you let it culture, the more of the base mixture will thicken. 

Once you have strained it, you can add fruit, honey, natural sugars, vanilla, herbs, or what ever you like to the yogurt. I like leaving it plain and mixing the fruits in as I eat it. It was yummy!

MOM'S CHOW MEIN

When  I was growing up, my mom made this with left over meats when there wasn't enough for a meal for everyone. Later I had something very similar to it over brown rice with no meat, it was just as good. So this one is a good clean up the meats dish or we need more veggies night.

3-4 Carrots in thin diagonal slices

1/4 Head of Cauliflower diagonally sliced

1/3 Head of broccoli diagonally sliced 

1/2 Head cabbage sliced thin

1/2 C slivered onion

1-1 1/2 C diced meat (chicken, pork, roast even kielbasa works!)

1 1/2 C water

1 Tbs corn starch

1-2 Tbs Brown sugar

2 Tbsp olive or peanut oil

2 Bouillon cubes in a flavor complementary to the meat

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs vinegar

1 tsp fresh minced or ground ginger

1 Can crisp Chinese noodles or 

2 C cooked brown rice

Heat oil in large fry pan or wok.  Stir in veggies and meat when pan is well heated. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes, until veggies are tender crisp but not soft. Mix water, bullion cubes,  and soy sauce; heat in microwave for about 30 seconds and stir to  dissolve bullion cubes. Add corn starch to about a Tbsp. of the water mixture and stir until thin. Add brown sugar to water mix; pour over vegetable mix stirring quickly to disperse over all the mix. Add corn starch mixture, and stir again until it slightly thickens to make a nice sauce over mix. Serve over rice or Chinese noodles. Be creative and add your favorite vegetables! Snow peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, baby corn, what ever you like, or what you have on hand.

Cabbage Casserole

I made this today and it was wonderful!

1 head of cabbage

1 pound lean ground beef

1 onion

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 jar spicy spaghetti sauce

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups of cooked brown rice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Get three pots going, one to cook the rice, one to boil the cabbage after you cut it into six wedges,and one to brown the ground beef and onions. After the beef and onions are brown and drained, add the seasoning, spaghetti sauce, and diced tomatoes. Turn down the temperature and let the mixture simmer. The cabbage should be ready after 30 minutes. Drain and chop. Spray a cooking dish and put in the first third of the cabbage. When the rice is done, add it to the meat sauce. Put one third of the meat sauce on top of the cabbage in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan. Repeat the layers two more times, and top with mozzarella. Bake at 350 for thirty minutes. (It is worth all the dishes.)

Something to keep in the cupboard

We had this often when I was a kid. I don't have it often, but it is great to keep the cans on hand. When we were first married, I invited some people over for dinner and I had cooked all day, as I was taking it out of the oven my hand touched the inside of the oven and I dropped the dinner all over the floor. I pulled the cans out and we had dinner in thirty minutes.

Dandy Dinner

2 1/2 pound can ravioli

15 oz can chili without beans

6 oz can pitted olives (drained)

1 can vacuum packed mexi-corn

Put in a baking dish, top with grated cheese, and bake at 350 for thirty minutes.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Even if you have never made bread much before, this recipe is great! The dough raises quickly, and makes just a dozen roll. You can use the dough for cinnamon rolls or hamburger buns. I love the versatility of this recipe, and they are almost always light as a feather with a nice crusty outside. You can brush them with water for a harder crust, or butter for a nice dinner roll, and if you want it to be fancy, mix 1Tbs honey into melted butter and brush the rolls about 5 min before they finish baking for a shiny buttery glaze. Mix the dough in your bread maker, and then let raise in warm place until double before shaping into desired shape. (Rolls, cinnamon rolls, hamburger buns, etc.)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 (0.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar 1

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1 1/4 cups warm water (105° - 115°)

1 large egg, slightly beaten

8 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons butter-flavored vegetable shortening

Place 2 cups flour in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast, salt, sugar, and dry milk. Mix well, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine water and egg; stir to blend. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour water mixture into the well. Mix by hand, beating 150 strokes, frequently scraping bottom and sides of bowl. Add 1/2 of the melted butter, and beat to incorporated. Add remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating to incorporate each addition. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set dough in a warm, draft-free place, such as oven with a pan of the hottest tap water on the rack below. Allow batter to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

BREADMAKER INSTRUCTIONS:

In bread maker pan add water, beaten egg, and melted butter. Add flour, salt, and dry milk.  Make a little well in flour, add sugar and yeast in flour well. Mix on dough cycle. Dough will be very soft. You can add 1/2 c more flour for ease of handling. After dough is smooth and well mixed transfer to to med bowl prepared with pan spray. Let rise double. Follow the directions below, or shape as desired letting rise until almost doubled in size. Bake at 350^ if you are making cinnamon rolls.

Coat bottom and sides of 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with shortening. Punch dough down (batter will be extremely soft and sticky). Drop by hand or spoonful into prepared pans, with sides touching. Brush dough with 1/2 remaining melted butter. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm, draft-free place, until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Bake in preheated 400° oven, on middle rack for 16-18 minutes. Brush tops of baked rolls with remaining melted butter.

Cinnamon Butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 ounces granulated sugar

2 ounces brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My favorite meal, and so easy. There are different ways to make corned beef and cabbage, but I like the boiled meal. Put the corned beef and seasoning in the pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer and cover. Simmer an hour per pound. Add the vegetables an hour before done. I like potatoes cut in half, cabbage in wedges, and carrots. This year I served it with a salad of leaf lettuce, can of beets (drained), and a cut up apple dressed with blue cheese vinegarette. Tomorrow, I can't wait to have a reuben from the leftovers.

This is one of my "new" favorite recipes. If you have had the Gingerbread loaf at Starbucks you will like this one. It's very similar. Its like a banana bread coffee dessert.

Ginger Bread Loaf
 1/2 Cup butter softened
3/4 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Cup Applesauce
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardomen
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ground ginger
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
Beat the softened butter and sugar together; add applesauce, and beat well. Combine the flour, dry spices, and baking soda and slowly beat into the butter mixture. Add fresh ground ginger. If the batter is too thick add a Tbs or more of water. 
Pour into a large loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350^ for 40 to 50 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean.
Frosting:
Melt two squares of white chocolate for about a minute in the microwave. Add 4 oz of softened cream cheese and beat together until smooth. Beat in about 3 cups of powder sugar until the frosting is fluid, but still thick. Ice the gingerbread, and top with cut candied orange peel. 
Candied Orange Peel:
 With orange peeler or knife. Cut the orange rind in a circumference direction from top to bottom about 1/2 inch thick in width. Peel off in 3-4 inch strips. Place in small sauce pan and barely cover with water.  Boil for about 5 minutes.  Rinse off add fresh water, and boil again for about 5 minutes.  Drain off, add 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a slow simmer and simmer until the sugar is almost gone.  The rind should have a transparent glossy look.  Remove from heat. Place on wax or parchment paper to cool.  This makes enough rind for two recipes of the Gingerbread loaf so you can store the extra in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator until you need it.
 

Jay Wallace's Tuna Stew

1 cup rice (I use brown)
2 lg cans tuna
1 cup chopped celery
2 large green peppers chopped
1 small jar red pimento
1 can bean sprouts
1 can water chestnuts
1 tsp poppy seed, celery seed, and salt
2 tsp caraway seed, sesame seed, and soy sauce
Add the following to suit your taste: saffron, green beans, quick cooking barley,green onions, mushrooms, thyme, cumin, marjoram.

Bring 2 qts water to boil in large pan. Add rice. When half done, add the rest of the ingredients. Boil until done. Add water if needed.

Trail Mix Scones

I started making these scones a few years ago, I had them at a bakery in the Bitterroot and had to find a recipe to make them. This recipe is a adaptation of several recipes that made the closet version to the ones I had from the bakery.

Trail Mix Scones
2 C Flour
1/3 C Sugar
1 1/2 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Soda
1/4 t Salt
6 T Butter
1/2 C Buttermilk
1 Beaten egg
1 1/2 t Vanilla
1/2 C Dried Fruit bits (I like berries and dates)
1/2 C Chopped nuts (I like pecans the best)
Cut COLD butter into flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add fruit bits and nuts. Stir soda into buttermilk; beat egg; add vanilla, and stir into buttermilk mix. Mix into flour and fruit mixture until you have a slightly stiff dough. Knead smooth, but don't over work.  Roll out on lightly floured surface. Cut out to rounds or wedges. Bake at 375^ for about 15 minutes.  Brush scones with sugar water or milk. Bake for about 5 minutes more until golden brown.

Just got this video email, it is a cooking tip I thought we should share here. Since Karen shared her Potato recipe, I thought this was timely.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7375897927147969009#

Breakfast Pizza

Deb asked me if I had any Breakfast Pizza recipes. I have had this one for a long time, I think I got it originally from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  I will also post one that I made up from an idea  germinated from a recipe given to me by Mary Tolf's mother a some years ago.

Breakfast Pizza  12" Pizza

1 C cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/4 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Brown sausage until crumbled. Drain off fat, and pat with paper towel to remove any remaining fat. Prepare crust if using recipe, or separate crescent rolls onto pizza pan with points toward the center. Press over bottom so there are no gaps. Brush crust with olive oil.  Sprinkle thawed hash browns over crust; top with sausage and cheese. Mix eggs, milk, and seasonings with wire whip, and pour over the top of sausage layer. Sprinkle with the Parmesan or Romano cheese and bake at 375^ for 25 minutes.

Breakfast Pizza Two

1 pkg Cresent rolls
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 C sour cream
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp seasoning salt (your favorite I use Johnnys)
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 C thin sliced fresh broccoli
1/2 C think sliced sweet onion
1/2 /c thin sliced zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
6 eggs
1/4 C milk
1/2 C your favorite shredded cheese blend

Sperate the Cresent rolls and press into pan points first until the pizza can is covered. Press together any seams to make sure its one solid crust.  Bake at 350^ for about 10 minutes. Until cooked through and slightly browned. Keep oven hot.
When crust has slightly cooled, beat cream cheese, seasonings, and sour cream together and spread over crust.
Slice all the veggies in one microwave pan and toss with the olive oil.  Microwave on high covered so that veggies are still crisp, but slightly cooked; about 1 minute.  Spread veggies over the crust and topping.
Beat the eggs and milk with wire whisk until frothy. Pour into a hot skillet and cook like scrambled eggs with a pinch of salt until they are not quite cooked through. Make sure to keep them loose textured. Pour the egg mix over the veggies on crust. Spread them out until they are evenly distributed. Top with cheese and put back in oven for 5-10 minutes; just until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted.  This is like a wonderful veggie omelet  in pizza form.

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole Recipe | Taste of Home

Easy and tasty way to use left over baked potatoes.. Twice-Baked Potato Casserole Recipe Taste of Home

I was reflecting on the name of our blog, and the laughter part. Through the years the laughter of family has been shared on many occasions family picnics, birthdays, holidays, reunions, weddings, and even funerals. Good food is a intricate part of life. It is icing on the cake if its good, you don't notice it as much, but if its bad, it can ruin an otherwise wonderful gathering. One of the foods I associate most with our family is pizza. I have vacillated from thick to thin crust over the years, but pizza has become a central food for some great family gatherings. Here is my basic thick and thin crust recipe for pizza.

Thick Crust Recipe

11/3 C warm water
3 T olive oil
3 C unbleached white flour
1/2 t salt
1 T sugar
1 T yeast
I mix this in the order given in a bread machine on dough setting. Allow the mix to blend until kind of stiff smooth dough forms. You can add flour in 1/8 cup measure until the dough is solid and not sticky.  Put in a room temperature bowl sprayed with olive oil non-stick spray and let raise slightly. The nice thing about this dough is that it does not require much time to raise before you can roll out. This makes a thick crust 16" crust.

Thin Crust Recipe

1 C warm water

2 T olive oil

21/2 C unbleached white flour

1 T sugar

1 T yeast

1/2 t salt

This crust is also mixed in the bread machine in the order given. Again it should be firm and smooth. It also does not need much time to raise, and can be used in 5 minutes after letting rest. This makes a 16" thin crust pizza.  

Roll out the dough in a circular shape working from center. When it is the size to fit the pan, lay on pan prepared with non stick olive oil spray,  Brush top of crust with olive oil before adding sauce and toppings. The oil creates a barrier so that the crust does not become soggy. 

I just found a new way to fix my oatmeal. One of my preschool students said she puts peanut butter in her oatmeal. This morning I tried raisins,peanut butter, and sugar free syrup added to my bowl of oatmeal. I like to cook apples in my oatmeal and that would have been good but I didn't have any on hand. I liked the peanut butter, but next time I will use apples also. Someone else suggested adding the peanut butter to chocolate chip oatmeal. Have fun and experiment.

If we are starting with breakfast this is one of my favorites:

Berry Good French Toast Bake
1/2 C flour
1 1/2C milk
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
6 eggs
10 slices french bread cut into 1 inch squares
1 pkg cream cheese cut into 1/2 squares
1 cup blueberries
1/2 C nuts

Generously spray a 9x13 baking dish. Beat flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in bread. Pour mixture into pan. Top evenly with cream cheese, blueberries, and nuts. Cover and refrigerate over night. Heat oven to 400 and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve with syrup or powdered sugar. Enjoy! I leave out the sugar and and serve with sugar free syrup.

Mexican Eggs

This is a breakfast that my family and friends all love. It was given to me by a friend who is Mexican American.  It can be embellished or simple. Hearty or light.

Two thin corn Tortillas for every person you are serving.
2 Eggs per person
1/3 to 1/2 C shredded cheese

Heat appropriate size fry pan over medium temp.  Melt 2-3 Tbs butter and equal amount of olive oil in pan.  When the oil is hot and well melted shred the corn tortillas to bite size pieces in the oil.  Heat through until the tortillas are soft.  If you like crunch, heat until tortilla pieces begin to turn brown.  Scramble the eggs with a whisk in a bowl. They should be well beaten and frothy.  Pour over the tortilla mix, and stir to cook until the texture of scrambled eggs.  Reduce heat and spread cheese over the top lightly mixing into the eggs. Turn off heat and let sit a minute.  Serve with salsa, hot sauce or guacamole. You can saute meat such as bacon in with the tortillas if desired.  Add mushrooms or onions if you like. This recipe is so flexible and sure to please and impress your family and friends.