Bagels

My sister Callie loves making these bagels for her family. She is the bread making queen in the family. She tells me these are even easier to make than bread, because they take less time and they taste great too! I have always wanted to try my hand at making bagels but assumed it was so hard. Well now I know better and can't wait to try these out! They look so good and they beat a supermarket's any day when you compare the taste and cost! You could really add your own flare to these by adding blueberries, using whole wheat, dried onion, etc! This recipe is from a guy who owned his own bagel restaurant, so it is sure to be delicious!

Bagels
recipe from John D. Lee

4 cups bread flour

1 Tbls sugar

1 1/2 tsps salt

1 Tbls vegetable oil

2 tsps instant yeast

1-1/4- 1-1/2 cups of warm water


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. You don't have to worry about soaking the yeast when you use instant yeast (most yeast sold these days is instant yeast). The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff, or you can't get all the dry flour incorporated. Plop the dough down onto the counter, and knead for about ten minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth. Cut the dough into 8 equal sized balls, and let rest for 10-20 minutes. Pre heat your oven to 425.

Now, take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll it into a little snake on the counter. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant roiling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be! This is the only part of the process that can take a little practice before your bagels will look really professional. Don't get discouraged if they don't look perfect, it just takes practice!

Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes, and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and grease a large baking tray lightly. You can just rub a splash of vegetable oil and rub it around.

After the 20 minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling! Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil for another minute. Take them out a let dry for a minute and then place them on your oiled baking tray. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.

Add the tray to the oven, and after 10 minutes, flip the bagels over, bake for another ten minutes; and they're done!

Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, get the cream cheese ready, and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!

You can add any toppings you like to these. To make sesame, onions, poppy seed, caraway etc. etc. bagels just have a dry plate ready with the seed or spice topping spread out on it. After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, and then place the seed side up onto the baking tray. Bake and flip as for plain bagels.

Orange Glazed Bundt Cake

My sister Aimee found this recipe on Deals To Meals website. Doesn't it look delicious? The good news is, is that it was scrumptious as it looks! A moist and flavorful cake, full of orangey goodness. She took it to a dinner with friends and it was a big hit. It reminded her of my mom's carrot cookies, which are similar because of the orange glaze that goes on top, and if that's the case, I'm definitely trying these soon! Thanks for the submission Aimee!

She made hers with a yellow cake mix, but you can use white. The cake is full of orange flavor, it calls for OJ, OJ concentrate and orange zest! It is not over bearing at all, just perfect!

Make sure to flour your bundt pan well!

The original recipe called for cooking the cake for 25-30 minutes, but it wasn't near enough time. Cook it  for at least 45 minutes!

Voila!

Looks perfect!

Mmmmm, my mouth is watering!

Orange Glazed Bundt Cake

adapted from Deals to Meals

Cake:

1 white or yellow cake mix
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 c. orange juice (fresh or made from concentrate)
2 T. orange juice concentrate
1 T. orange zest (I didn't use that much.I probably zested 1/4 of the orange in the cake and 3/4 of the orange in the glaze. The glaze was plenty zesty in my opinion)

4 eggs
1/2 c. oil

2 T. dry orange gelatin powder (only need a small jell-o box to get 2 T and you'll have plenty leftover)

Combine ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (MORE LIKE 45-50 min!), or until cake is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes to cool. Pour bundt cake out onto a plate. Make glaze.

Glaze:

2 T. butter, softened
2 T. orange juice concentrate
1 t. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
3 c. powdered sugar
Dash of salt
Zest & juice from one orange

Combine glaze ingredients together and whisk until completely smooth (can do this with an electric beater). (I'd recommend using an electric beater.  I tried to mix by hand but it wasn't working to well.) Drizzle glaze all over bundt cake once it has been turned out onto a plate and allowed to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Maybe it was just my glaze but it wouldn't "stick" and kept running off (as you can see in the pictures and that wasn't even all the glaze.  I still had a lot leftover.)  Next time I make this I'd pour enough glaze over the cake just to cover and give it that yummy look and then leave the rest of the glaze to add as you cut a piece.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta

I love roasted vegetables and I have always wanted to roast tomatoes. I saw this recipe on Cassie Craves and she ranked it as her favorite pasta dish of the whole YEAR! That was enough for me to want to try it out. I have to say, it was really good, like something you would order from Olive Garden. It is a very filling, and a heavy pasta dish, but I thought it was worth it.  Just load up on those veggies, you'll be fine. :)

Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta
adapted from Cassie Craves and the Hungry Housewife


1 pound penne or rigatoni
2 pints grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pesto *drain excess oil off top if any
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened and cubed
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock
*2 cups cooked cubed chicken, if desired
*toasted pine nuts optional, to add some texture to dish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring pasta water to boil, salt liberally, and cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium bowl toss the tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with foil and pour the tomatoes onto it. Place in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes (You’ll know the tomatoes are ready when they begin to burst. They should be done just as you’re finishing everything else if you time it right.) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the garlic to the butter and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour pesto into skillet and mix well. Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Stir in parmesan cheese and chicken stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and and toss with the pasta, juices and all. Pour into a serving dish.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

I saw these on allrecipes.com and I was sold just on the picture and title. (Such a fan of orange glazed anything.) I'm sure you have all had a cranberry orange muffin, but a cookie?! It just doesn't do these cookies justice when I tell you they're so good, because they are more than that. They kinda blew me away in how good they were. The hubby, who doesn't get too excited about many dessert items, couldn't stop eating these! I think he might have just eaten more than me, and I have never been able to say that about anything when it comes to dessert! So trust me, that these are REALLY good. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite cookies. 

Cranberry Orange Cookies
adapted from allrecipes.com submitted by Mordavia

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour**
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped mac nuts (optional)
•  
• Glaze**
• 1/2-1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar *more if needed for desired consistency
• 
  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and if using, walnuts, until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. (watch them closely and adjust time as needed) Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

In a small bowl, mix together orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the tops of cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

**I like to read the reviews on allrecipes before I make the recipe and some of the reviewers felt they needed to add more flour to their dough. Their cookies spread out thin and flat. It could be an altitude thing, because mine were okay as the recipe is. Just FYI. Also, many did not use the glaze and felt they were just as good. I would agree they would be delicious without too, but the glaze is one of my favorite things about them. So whatever floats your boat!

Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

 

The cute gal at Cookies and Cups came up with this brilliant idea. I adore Rice Krispie treats and now I love them even more thanks to these hot chocolate ones! They are so yummy, sweet and chewy! Try 'em out!

Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Adapted from Cookies and Cups

6 cups cocoa krispies

1/4 cup butter

1 (10.5 oz) bag of mini marshmallows, plus 4 cups divided.  (About a bag and a half total)

6 T. hot chocolate mix

cooking spray

Spray 9x9 square pan with cooking spray. (I didn't have a 9X9, so I used a 9x13. It worked great, they just weren't as fat/tall). Set dish aside. Melt butter in large saucepan over LOW heat. When butter is melted add your bag of mini marshmallows and then hot chocolate powder. Stir while continuing to cook over low heat until marshmallows are melted and chocolate is mixed in. Remove from heat. Add in your 6 cups Cocoa Krispies. Stir until mixed well. Now add in 2 cups mini marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are evenly distributed throughout the krispie mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Press evenly into pan with the back of a spoon sprayed with cooking spray. Immediately spread remaining 2 cups mini marshmallows onto the krispies and press into the mix. Let cool for 1 hr and cut into squares. Store air tight for up to 2 days.


Click here for printable recipe!

Easy Corn Chowder

Photo taken by Laura from Real Mom Kitchen

When I saw this soup, I knew I had to make it. When I looked at the ingredients, I knew I REALLY had to make it. I can't pass up a corn chowder, especially one that is this simple. And guess what? It was really good too, delicious even! Definitely will be using this recipe again!

Easy Corn Chowder

adapted from Laura from Real Mom Kitchen 

2 (14.75 oz) cans creamed corn

1 (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup

3 cups milk

1 cup diced ham (thicker cut preferably)

2 cups frozen southern style hash browns (the cubed typed)

½ an onion

2 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Place creamed corn, cream of mushroom soup, and milk in a crock pot.  Whisk until soup is well blended into the mixture. Add remaining ingredients to crock pot and stir well. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.  

Mexican Pizza

I have always enjoyed Mexican Pizza at the restaurants in town back home, but I never thought of actually making one myself. It was so easy and just as good! I actually had a lot of fun making them. The whole family really enjoyed them and we will most definitely be having them again. 

Mexican Pizza

Adapted from An 'A' for Effort

1 lb hamburger

1 package taco seasoning

12 flour tortillas

1 16 oz. can refried beans

Diced tomato

Picante salsa, or your favorite salsa

Shredded mexican cheese, or any kind of cheese you like

Chopped green onion

Sliced black olives

Cooking spray

*Lettuce, avocados, & sour cream optional additional topping after baking 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook the hamburger and drain. Then add the taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. While the hamburger is cooking, spray both sides of tortilla shells with cooking spray.  Place sprayed shells on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until golden and crispy. Watch them closely. They will puff and bubbles will form, you will want to make sure you pop them so the tortilla stays flat. You should be able to fit 4 tortillas on a cookie sheet and even place 2 sheets in the oven, if you are cooking for a larger group. I would say it takes just a few minutes for them to cook till crisp, or however you want your crust.

After the tortillas are baked, first spread the beans on one tortilla. (I added a little water to my refried beans to thin them out just a titch, to make it easier to spread). Then add the taco meat on top of the bean layer. Now add the second tortilla on top of the meat layer. Top the second tortilla with 2-3 T of salsa, spread it around evenly. Add your cheese, then tomatoes, green onions, and olives! You can then bake them again for 8-12 minutes, or do what I did, and just broil those babies til the cheese is melted. Much quicker than 8 minutes, but you do have to watch closely so it doesn't burn. Mine did get a little dark along the edges, but it was yummy!

Enjoy!