Wheat Bread

Wheat Bread

Ingredients

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1/3 cup honey

5 cups bread flour

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 143 | Total Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol: 4mg

Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth or stock

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 -2 green onions, minced

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Salt to taste

A few drops of sesame oil (optional)

Preparation:

In a wok or saucepan, bring the 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add the white pepper and salt, and the sesame oil if using. Cook for about another minute.
Very slowly pour in the eggs in a steady stream. To make shreds, stir the egg rapidly in a clockwise direction for one minute. To make thin streams or ribbons, gently stir the eggs in a clockwise direction until they form.
Garnish with green onion and serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Bits:

2 pounds skinned, de-boned chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup all-purpose flour

A little fresh ground black pepper, ground ginger and garlic powder to season flour (not a lot)

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Vegetable oil

Vegetables:

1 green bell pepper, washed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch square bits

1 red bell pepper, washed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch square bits

1 large yellow onion, skinned, root end removed, cut into 1/2-inch bits

2 medium carrots, peeled and trimed, slice thinly on the diagonal

1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice (no added sweeteners)

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

1 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 - 6 drops red food coloring

2 rounded tablespoons corn starch mixed in enough cold water to make a slurry

Preparation:

Directions for Making Chicken Bits
When cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces, remove any fat, gristle or connective tissue. If the chicken is soft-frozen or almost thawed it is easier to cut.
In small frying pan, add 1/2-inch vegetable oil. Heat to deep-frying temperature.
In a bowl mix eggs and milk. Beat until well combined.
Place flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl and mix.
Dunk pieces of chicken in the egg and milk mixture. Allow excess to drain.
Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour coating thoroughly. Here is your chance to practice with your chop sticks and keep the flour off from your fingers.
Drop pieces into the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown. Turn as necessary to cook evenly on all sides. When golden brown, remove to paper towel covered plate to drain.
Repeat until all chicken pieces are cooked. Set aside until assembly.

Directions for Making Sweet and Sour Sauce
Place pineapple and water in sauce pan. Heat over low flame. Slowly add sugar while stirring.
When sugar has dissolved, slowly add the vinegar and the lemon juice while stirring.
Add corn starch slurry and stir while heating. Bring to a boil.
Stir constantly until thickened. Add food coloring (a couple drops at first and then adjust until you have the red color you like) and stir well to mix. Continue to heat and stir until almost a syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.
Note: You will be judging the thickness of the sauce while it is hot. It will thicken considerably when it is set aside and cools. Later, when added to the vegetables, the moisture from the vegetables will thin the sauce quite a bit.

Directions for Assembling Completed Dish
Add a little vegetable oil to a large frying pan or wok. Bring to frying temperature over medium heat. Add vegetables (but not the pineapple) and cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to caramelize.
Add sweet and sour sauce and continue cooking and stirring until vegetable are bite tender and sauce has re-thickened and clings to the vegetables.
Add pineapple and chicken bits and fold into the vegetables and sauce. Simmer until heated through. Serve.
Most home-made sweet and sour sauces are made with brown sugar and the sauce has the distinctive coffee color of the molasses in the brown sugar. This recipe produces a red sweet and sour sauce that looks just like the Chinese restaurant take-out food but we think that it tastes a lot better. Try it and see how easy it is to make tasty oriental-style food at home.

Garlic Breaded Sea Bass

Garlic Breaded Sea Bass

Ingredients

5-ounce sourdough bread or other leftover bread

1 tablespoon butter, plus 1/2 stick unsalted butter

4 (6-ounce) sea bass fillets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbs lemon juice or 2 fresh lemons to squeeze

3 cloves garlic Fresh

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pulse the bread in a food processor to get slightly coarse bread crumbs.

Coat a casserole dish just large enough to hold the fillets with 1 tablespoon butter. Place the fillets in the dish and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Then add the smashed garlic. The butter should start to bubble reduced heat let the garlic infuse with the warm butter. Then remove any chunks of garlic if desired.

Add the bread crumbs mix slowly until all the butter has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley add salt and pepper if desired for taste.

Spread a layer of bread crumb mixture over the top of each fillet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until bread crumbs are golden brown and fish is cooked through.

Food Dehydrator

So thanks to my mom she helped me buy my food dehydrator. It is great. I love it! I make fruit Leathers with it. My 1st time using it. They were wonderful. Tasted just like candy. The great thing is that all that I used was watermelon. No additive, No preservatives. Kids loved it. Gone in less than 12 hours. Next trick is beef jerky. Gotta love being able to do things on my own.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

1 cups fresh blueberries

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease muffins tins, or line cups with paper liners.

Start with 1/4 cup flour to cover your blueberries, and stir to coat berries thoroughly.

In another bowl add 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt mix well.

In a large bowl, add margarine, and slowly mix in sugar.

Add eggs

and then vanilla

Make sure to stir well.

Then add milk and flour. Trade off between the two until all has been added.

Gently Fold in berries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy

Homemade pizza

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

· 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

· 1/2 tablespoon white sugar

· 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

· 2 2 1/2 cups flour

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Sauce

· PIZZA SAUCE:

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1/3 cup chopped onion

· 1 Garlic Clove

· 1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes, with juice

· 1 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

· 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

· 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

To make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Crush tomatoes into saucepan. Add tomato paste, basil, parsley and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add to Pizza and topping cook and enjoy!

Granola Bars

Granola Bars

Gather your ingredients:

§ 2 cups oats

§ 1/4 cup wheat germ

§ 3/4 cup sunflower seeds

§ 1 cup peanuts, crushed

§ 2/3 cup brown sugar

§ 1/2 cup honey

§ 4 Tbsp butter

§ 2 tsp vanilla extract

§ 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

§ approximately 8 oz. dried fruit

Crush your peanuts, a great way to get out your frustrations for the day.

Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned. You can turn off your oven now.

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

By now, your grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.

Then, open the waxed paper …

And carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.

Food Processor

Today I bought a food processor. I was so excited. I got a GE 14 cup food processor. It is great I love it. I made homemade pizza's today for dinner. Very simple to do. A little time consuming. It took about a hour to get both pizzas done. But the sauce was great. I had debated on getting on the scales and weighing myself. It hasn't been a pretty site. Although I am glad to say almost 2 weeks into my food fight I have lost almost 7 lbs. Which is great. Not too much weight but it is coming off slowly. So I am going to share some of my favorite recipes with you all. They are great. Make sure to make them our own. If you need to change something feel free. I am really impressed that I can still eat great food without having to gaining weight. I am only putting the recipes that we loved. So enjoy and check back for more updates and recipes so we all can live a long and healthy life.

Why I started this?

There was a time were I was not over weight. I never thought that I would become over weight. I have always paid attention to what I was eating. Now with the inspiration of Jamie Oliver I have decided that I am going to make a difference. This time I am going to follow through with it. It seems that in someway I lost myself over the last 10 years while I was busy being married and raising kids I lost focus on other things. My weight issues happened after my first knee surgery and then got worse after my second serious knee surgery. The pain in my knee kept me from doing a lot. I love to swim although, even this hurts my knee. The weight I am sure needs to come off in order to help manage some of the pain. I have a cholesterol issue. So I have cut out most of the over proceeded food in our house to now making most of our foods from scratch. So join me as I work my way through the best food fight ever. I will post pictures and recipe of the food that we have tried.