Friday, March 11, 2011

you wanna "pizza me"

cheesy bread
i made calzones last night for supper. i had left over dough after making 3 huge calzones,so i rolled the dough out,like i did the calzones. i grated some parm on it(the whole piece surface of the dough. then i sprinkled mozz on it and added a few crushed black olives. i rolled it up like u do cinnamon rolls or my pizza rolls. instead of cutting into rolls,i folded it in half  and put it  into a dish and let it rise. it was awesome. im including my pizza dough recipe,and how 2 make my "pizza rolls" that i spread cheese whiz on.
my daughter found this recipe,a few years back.
it came from a Regal Ware bread maker book,which we dont even own a Regal Ware,lol.
i'm a recipe book person. i needed more recipes,so i picked it up @ a yard sale or something. any ways,i make pizzas,calzones and my "pizza rolls" which are the savory cousin of cinnamon rolls,with cheese whiz as it's icing.
raw pizza rolls,btw dont mind my stove,its old!
my pizza rolls i make like the cheese bread, adding different pizza ingredients. i use 1/2 the dough for each long roll. i roll it out should be about 13-14 inches long and @ least a foot in width. add ur ingredients 1 @ a time,covering all but 1/2 inch or so around the edge. after i roll it up,i seal the end of the sheet of dough with water. i also seal the ends of the roll,but u shouldn't need water. i cut it into 1 inch rolls. i spray some oil on the cookie sheet and put twelve on each sheet. separated like cookies,let rise 30 minutes in a warm spot. bake @ 425 20 - 30 minutes. they will look a little light brown.
pizza rolls,1 w/cheese whiz,1 plain

PIZZA DOUGH
 9-11 ozs  water
 3/4 tsp     salt
3 tbsp       olive oil
4 cups      flour
2 tsp        yeast

combine all ingredients into bread pan by your bread maker instructions. OR sprinkle yeast on warm(not hot) water then add the rest of the ingredients. turn out onto floured board or just the shelf. knead for about 10 minutes. put into greased bowl and let it rest @ least 10 minutes. then you can use it.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

snow,snow and more snow!


can u see my mailbox,across the street.

this was monday morning 
march 7,2011
i got a call from my son's
 stupid school
 @ 5:30 am. i was
 thinking"who the hell
 would call me that early?
my front door,taken from the window
" usually i'm
the only 1 who
 gets u early,lol.
 anyways




the automated call was
saying school
closed for the day.
then i looked out my
back window and
there was @ least
two feet on my fuel
u can't even see the bottom level of my cart!
my son's kitty looking out,Zippy said BRRRR!
tank,where there
was no snow there
 @ all the night before.
 we had a 2 day warm
 up. thank god or
 place would have 
been buried! lol





our camper

wait,there's the bottom! lol








my side yard,can u find my son's van?










all mine to the fence,i have a 1/3 of an acre.













Monday, March 7, 2011

double trouble

i love cookies. they are pretty easy 2 make and they bake up really fast. i got a recipe @ least 2o years ago from my friend Robin Nyland. she had gotten it from someone else. it's my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
i also have a recipe from "parkay margarine" from years ago that i use sometimes for peanut butter,choc chip cookies. im giving you both recipes today. if someone has a tried & true peanut butter cookie recipe,that you could part with,please post it in a comment on this post. that's a cookie that i dont have a regular recipe for.

ROBIN'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
robin's cookies w/mint extact & mint chips also w/added baking
cocoa
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 ozs chocolate chips
preheat oven 375f

cream sugars,shortening and butter. add egg & vanilla. stir in all dry ingredients,add chips blend well. scoop cookies onto cookie sheet, bake 11-13 minutes. cool on rack.
MINT CHIP COOKIES add 1 tsp mint extract and mint chocolate chips or CHOCOLATE,CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
add 1 tsp mint extract,1/4 cup cocoa powder & mint chocolate chips.

peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
3/4 cup butter or margarine(1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg(12oz) chocolate chips
preheat oven 350f
cream butter,sugars & peanut butter.blend in eggs & vanilla.mix in the rest of the dry ingredients. blend well. add chips, stir well. scoop onto cookie sheet.bake 10-12 minutes. cool on rack. i left the chips out of some for a variety.

when i bake cookies i usually make a double batch. sometimes i make them all but most of the time i bake 1 batch & leave the other batch in dough form. i put it in a gallon zip top bag & roll like commercial cookie dough log. i drop in freezer. u can get quite a variety this way & bake a bunch with out having 2 mix it up,but still yummy homemade!

Friday, March 4, 2011

spicy day

i was checking out "come dine with me", its a british show. i ran across this recipe Spicy Thai Peanut Soup w/Shreaded Chicken it sounded so good, i'm going to make it for supper!
this was so good that i forgot 2 take pics. i had 2 subsitute 1/2 - 1 tsp ginger powder 4 the ginger paste and 1 tsp sracha and 2 tbsp green tabasco 4 the hot sauce.but it came out awesome. if u love it hot then add whatever hot sauce or chilli sauce u use. i look @ most recipes as a "method" i just switch up the ingredients 2 my liking.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

A Souper Cake

well,its been quite the week. my son was cyber bullied and thank god the school took care of it. the kid is suspended and he will be going 2 juvi jail if he even says boo 2 anyone. this same kid pulled a knife on my son this past summer and the dickhead cop said"oh ur boy is lying" well id like 2 show that dickheaded cop the threat from the boy. he admits 2 the incedent in the summer! anyways,even in a small town some losers move in,thank god they moved 2 the next town over,but our town shares jr high/high school. parents should spend more time with their kids. that kid and his 2 brothers were always roaming around town. i think their mom was even @ home. my son is 15 and i feel i've done a great job of raising him 2 respect others & not 2 fight. he is really smart and very funny. anyways i just had 2 get that out. i promised one of my followers i would make my mom's tomato soup cake (it's a spice cake). so i made it last night and im frosting it with cream cheese frosting today. i will add pics of the cake and the cake with the frosting on it.  but first,here's the recipe...

TOMATO SOUP CAKE
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup tomato soup
1 cup any kind of nuts(i used walnuts)
1 cup raisins

preheat oven @ 350f    cream shortening and sugar. add tomato soup blend well. in seperate bowl  mix dry ingredients,including raisins and nuts. add the soup mixture,mix until well blended, u might have 2 add a little water(1 tbsp @ a time) so it is not too thick. pour/plop the thick batter  into a  13x9 inch baking pan. bake for 50 - 60 minutes.

the pics are...
tomato soup cake
tomato soup cake w/frosting
 this CREAM CHEESE FROSTING recipe
is good because it shows u 3 different flavor
options.
MY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
i personally just added about 2 cups powdered sugar,
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 tbsp all purpose cream
beat together until smooth and spreadable.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Cabot Cheddar Soda Bread from King Arthur

i got this on my facebook this morning,through CABOT  and just had 2 share it with u all. 1 of the recipes i got 1 day led me to blogspot.com. thats how Lynn's Small Town Life was born! i love cheese almost any kind,even the stinky 1s and the moldy 1s. but my all time favorite cheese is cheddar and my all time favorite brand is CABOT and NO, cabot is not paying me to say that,lol. it's just a fact. my friend moved from VT to NC to FLA. she begged me 2 send her cabot cheddar. i mailed her 2 pounds. she savored it for 2 months! anyways here's the recipe,i think im gonna make it this week,enjoy!
cabot cheddar soda bread
btw CABOT and KING ARTHUR are both VERMONT companies.
 this bread is very delishous. especially fresh from the oven with butter on it! mmmmm
this is a pic of what it looked like when i made it.
btw this bread makes a great little snack. it fills that hole till dinner time. and it doesn't take much 2 fill full.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

stuck inside making yummy treats

i am including a recipe for "corn starch pudding".  i did'nt have any cook and serve vanilla pudding on hand,so i made it homemade. the recipe wasn't on the box so i googled 1. here's the link...
homemade vanilla pudding  calculate it @ 5 servings. make this pudding to the point where you remove it from heat and add the butter and vanilla also add 1/2 cup peanut butter. if u made it this way,your filling is done. pour into a pre-baked pie shell.(recipe below) then go on to next step for the topping.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE
(FILLING)
1 box pudding(2 cups milk to make 1 box)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla(optional)
1 single crust pie dough(recipe below)

make baked pie crust 1st (recipe below)
mix milk and pudding in saucepan follow pkg directions. remove from heat when done. add the peanut butter and the vanilla,mix until well blended. i use a whisk. i add the vanilla to make it taste more homemade.         (topping made w/milk,below)

(TOPPING)                                                                    
6 ounces chocolate chips
2 tbsp cream (you can use milk,it's just not as creamy)

put cream and chips in a microwave safe bowl.
heat 30 seconds,stir. depending how soft they are you might have to heat them longer. 15 seconds @ a time. you want them melted and  mixed smooth.
spread on cooled pie. you can decorate the pie if
you wish. i just threw some peanuts on top.

PIE CRUST
how lucky am i, i usually use my betty crocker
cook book for pie crust. i have found that recipe online @ betty crocker. so heres the link...
pastry for pies and tarts


please enjoy this pie. it's really easy to make. if u are afraid of rolling out pie dough,ect. then buy a ready made,they even have them already in a pie plate in the freezer section. i've done it. or u can use a graham cracker crust .btw, i made 2 of these pies yesterday. 1 is for the friend that plows my drive way and 1 for us. i wanted to show you that the food i make rarely comes out perfect,my crust is "rustic" lol. as long as it taste good and calling it "rustic" or "peasent" food helps to explain your screw ups in a nice light,lol. i need to make a potluck thing for church tomorrow. oh and i made a coffee flavored cake yesterday and put on my "fudge" attemp that ended up like frosting. it was good. look for it in the future on here. possible a coffee fudge im currently working on.

Friday, February 25, 2011

meatloaf by Amber

       although my kids love my cooking/baking, my daughter wins in the meatloaf catagory!  i asked her to write down 1 of her many recipes. this recipe is 1 of my favorites!

 AMBER'S CONFETTI MEATLOAF

1 each of carrot,onion (or 1/2 a leek),stalk of celery
and a clove of garlic(or 2 tbsp jarred garlic)
dice or mince all these vegtables.
saute until softened. when cool add a beaten egg and 2/3 cup ketchup.
make crumb mix,grind in food chopper,1/3 cup wheat germ,2 slices
of bread and 1/2 a sleeve of ritz crckers. add to liquid mixture,then add
1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef  85% lean.
pack lightly into a bread pan,cover with a thin layer of ketchup.
bake @ 375f  for 45-60 minutes

i sprinkle 1 tbsp of brown sugar on the ketchup,but amber does not!
she says this is her recipe so dont tell ppl 2 put brown sugar on it! lol

if u r trying 2 hide vegtables from ur kids,mince them finely or run them
 through the food chopper,after they r COOKED.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

amber,my daughter,read my blog yesterday & made supper last night,adding asparagus,yum!! although she did forget the potatoes,lol,but it was awesome and filling. with chocolate mayo cake 4 dessert and a piece of pb fudge. u know writting this blog is gonna make my family fat.lol
              there is a pot luck after church sunday. im gonna make the kids go with me and im gonna try a cpl recipes on the guinia pigs oh i mean my fellow followers,hehe. i hope they like whatever i make. im working on a coffee fudge,it's not as easy as i thought it would be. lol

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

chocolate mayonaise cake

        so i'm thinking about chicken breast w/ cr of mushroom soup as gravy,w/diced potatoes and carrots and minced onion and celery. all cooked in the same pan in the oven.
        right now i can smell my chocolate mayonaise cake baking. when it comes out and cools,i will make some boiled frosting(like fudge). yum. i will include the recipe for the cake and the frosting. im also using the same kind of recipe used for the frosting,to make a peanut butter fudge! nick is gonna love his mom tonight! lol i'll also give u the fudge recipe.
        this is my mom's chocolate mayo cake recipe,as well as the frosting and the fudge recipe. mom always made beans,rolls and this cake with this frosting,for special occations and family events. thank you mom,for leaving me all your recipes and pyrex!

CHOCOLATE MAYONAISE CAKE
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup mayonaise
1 tsp vanilla
preheat oven 350f        
            
               Mix all ingredients together. beat until well blended,no lumps. pour into a greased & floured 8x8 baking pan. bake 25-30 minutes.

BOILED CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2  tsp vanilla

           mix all in a saucepan. bring to a boil; stirring occationally. bring to a full rolling boil. boil 3 minutes,stirring frequently. cool slightly,pour over cooled cake,spread evenly.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter

              set peanut butter and vanilla to one side. mix butter,sugar,milk and salt in a saucepan. bring to a full rolling boil, boil,stirring frequently. boil 5 minutes. remove from heat,add peanut butter and vanilla to the boiled mixture. i whisk it in, myself. pour into an 8x8 baking pan. cool. i cool it in the fridge so we can eat it sooner. lol

PICS: chocolate mayo cake(straight from the oven),what a ROLLING BOIL looks like( btw this is the "fudge base") and my son stealing PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE,before i was done taking my pic!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

my mom's doughnuts

while digging through my recipe box i ran across my mom's donut recipe. i just had to make them. i took a picture of them. and i'm also sharing my mom's secret recipe,with you.

JUNE'S DOUGHNUTS
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp shortening
3/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1 cup sour milk
(1 cup milk+1tbsp vinegar= sour milk)

mix all ingredients together,mix well. roll or pat out dough and cut with donut cutter. reuse your dough until it's all gone. deep fry them at 380f. slide them in gently and flip when it floats to the top,fry about a minute,flip,fry about a minute. pull out and check for doneness. they turn a nice golden  brown as you can see.  drain on cookie racks on a cookie sheet. store in airtight container or zip top bag. you can dust powered sugar on top.

Sweet Potato Rolls

when my friend ED owned a bakery,he was telling me he was making sweet potato rolls for the holidays. i thought yum,so i found an old potato bread recipe and switched out the potatoes for sweet potatoes. i had a bunch of "yams" in a can,from the food shelf. since i think sweet potatoes are gross with sugar,ect on them,i mashed some of those up and used them,lol.  the other day was the 1st time i used a regular sweet potato that i baked in the oven with the beans,lol. they were even better! btw, when i serve sweet potatoes they are: mashed with milk & butter(like regular potatoes),baked wedges or french fried sweet potatoes! i have also home fried them,throw them in soups,ect. my son even likes them ,i started him off with sweet potato fries. anyways, i'm sure i missed a few other ways i use them,lol. now i'm done with my little salute to sweet potatoes and here is my recipe.
                 SWEET POTATO ROLLS
1/2 cup sweet potatoes (use any kind of potatoes to add ur own mark)
1 cup milk                 1 pkg or 2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 cup shortening     1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar            4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt                   1 egg(beaten)

put into bread maker in order with yeast on top and egg on the bottom. or according to your bread maker directions. put it on the DOUGH setting. when done punch down and take out. make into rolls,let rise until doubled. bake at 400 f for about 15 minutes. until lightly browned.
HAND STIRRED DOUGH
if u do not have a bread maker...sprinkle yeast on 1/4 cup warm water add WARMED milk,shortening,sugar salt and sweet potatoes(warm or cold)then add the beaten egg. add the flour,1 cup at a time. knead the dough,until it's elastic. make into a smooth ball and set in a bowl to rise until it's doubled. punch down and make into rolls. follow baking directions as above.

Monday, February 21, 2011

almost a disaster

               So i made my sweet potato rolls, i make my dough in my bread maker. i opened the bread maker & there sits my dough,not risen. i said to my daughter,why the hell did'nt they rise,amber asks "did u add the yeast?"
lol  no i did'nt. dont ask me where my head was. anyways the dough looked really good,so i dissolved the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water with a tsp of sugar. when the yeast was activated i slowly folded it into the dough,added a little more flour & set it out to rise. it rose,woo hoo!
                 my mom's beans were not as forgiving as i hoped. amber said "they taste good,mom,but thier texture is like other peoples beans" sadly she is right. we like when the beans get mushy,so only boiling a 1/2 hour b4 putting them into the oven does not allow them to soften as much.
                 we did how ever,all three of us sit here and enjoy the beans & rolls. my son had 2 huge helpings! im going 2 have beans for lunch and of course a couple more rolls.lol

Sunday, February 20, 2011

SUNDAY day of rest?

thank god my daughter sorted & soaked my beans last night,lol. ive already boiled them with baking soda & started them on the stove. i only able to boil them half an hour,instead of a whole hour,so when i get home from church im gonna boil them another half hour. my mom's beans r pretty forgiving.
       it is freezing outside,i opened the door to let my cat in and got a freezing gust of wind! brrr church starts at 9:30,but my neighbor prefers to be there early. so off ill go @ 8:30. BTW, the church is literly around the corner. i can see it from my place on the next street. i would walk,but as i mentioned it is maybe 15-20 f  degrees out today!! and 2 be honest with u the quiet time i have @ church,reading my book,is nice. omg, i can smell those yummy beans. the salt pork i got was like 5 inches thick,i had originally thought it was 2 smaller pieces,lol. but it had lots of lean on it. well im off to my methodist church for hymns & stories! oh,btw im going to take a picture of my beans and add it to the baked bean recipe blog.
   well im back from church. i realized that i never covered my beans when i tossed them in the oven! i have them boiling 4 the next half hour. they looked kinda brown but they "juice" taste like it supposed 2 so i think they will be ok. like i said my mom's beans r very forgiving.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

well, my son requested i make grammas beans, he asked in a comment on my moms bean recipe,lol. if "desorcie's" our very small grocery/meat store,has salt pork,i can. yes i am stuck here in my small town. we hav'nt had a car in a year and with no means of getting a car,well we are stuck. i would have called my blog "stuck in a small town" but it would sound like i hated here. no it's quite the opposite.  i will edit this later today after i walk in the freezing cold to the store! lol
  well they had the salt pork! but man is it freezing out there! yummy baked beans tomorrow after church! maybe i should make homemade rolls,maybe sweet potato rolls!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

swedish apple pie

i got this recipe from my friend robin,about 20 years ago. it's quick to make and delishous.

fill pie plate 2/3 full with peeled,sliced apples.. sprinkle with 1tbsp cinnamon and 1 tsp sugar.
mix together: 1 cup flour,1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 sticks butter,1 egg 1/2 cup nuts.
pour batter over apples. bake at 350 f  for 45 minutes.

my mom's baked beans

homemade baked beans are very simple to make. i double this recipe, everytime i make them.

1 pound of dry  beans                  1/4 pound salt pork
1 tsp salt                              1/4 cup molasses
1 small onion(chopped fine)  1 cup white sugar
                         1 tsp dry mustard
sort through your dry beans,picking out any non bean stuff. rinse the beans. put into a pot,add water to cover beans. soak over night.
                 add salt and boil gently for 45 minutes or until skins break. about 15 minutes before done boiling,add 1/2 tsp baking soda(this helps the skins 2 break)mean while, make cuts through rind of salt pork,about 1/2 inch apart.  when done remove from stove,drain and rinse.
                 mix molasses,dry mustard,sugar,onion and enough water to cover the beans. cook on top of the stove for an hour. then bake for 4-5 hours with cover on. remove cover about 1/2 hour before done to brown them. check the beans once in awhile to make sure they have enough liquid,so they wont burn,add extra water if needed.

CROCK POT DIRECTIONS
                  follow the recipe,until you get to putting them in the oven. pour the bean mixture into crock pot. cook on low for 4 -5 hours. check once in awhile 2 make sure the beans dont go dry(add a little more water if needed)
              

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

im happy to help

if u have any questions,don't hesitate to ask. if i don't know the answer,i will try to find out. also feel free to add your own spin on any recipe i post. i do that all the time. if u try ur own twist,comment what u did to "make it yours" under that recipe. i'm always looking for new ideas myself! i hope i figure out how to make my page better for all of us in the future. thanks for stopping by my "small town".

Broccoli Salad

i got this recipe from a friend,about 20 years ago. i have twisted & tweaked it. you can use cauliflower instead of broccoli or both. lemon or lime juice or a different kind of vinegar can be subsituted for the white vinegar. i also use light mayo in mine & no one is the wiser. this salad goes really fast,and everyone will ask for the recipe!

1 bunch of broccoli
8 oz extra sharp cheddar
1/2 lb bacon
 DRESSING
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
 cut broccoli into bite size pieces. dice cheddar and crumble bacon. toss them together.
mix mayo,sugar and vinegar in a seperate container. stir until sugar disolves. mix mayo mixture and broccoli mixture until all coated.

NOTE: u can use the stem of the broccoli as well,u just have 2 cut into small pieces.
also u may add an onion,dices up.

Bacon Praline

you are saying bacon? in sweet stuff? well it's awesome. my daughter,amber thought that my praline topping could use some bacon,so i tryed it,yum! we practically inhale it,it is soooo good!

3 tbsp butter         2/3 cup pecans (actually any nut will work)                                 
6 tbsp light brown sugar      1/4 cup crumbled bacon                                                                    
                            pinch of salt
preheat oven to 325 f

 melt butter,sugar and salt in a saucepan. bring to a full rolling boil. boil without stirring 1 full minute. remove from heat,stir in nuts and bacon. pour into a greased  9x13 baking pan. bake in 325 f oven for 10-12 minutes;
stirring after 6 minutes.

NOTE: i chop the nuts "topping" size,but you may chop into bigger chunks.

"PLAY DOUGH"

1 cup flour                                     1/2 cup salt
1cup cold water                             2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vegtable or olive oil                food coloring  

heat oil in a sauce pan,stir in the rest of the ingredients, mix &
stir until a ball forms. cool slightly & knead a few times. play
with it or just cool it. store in airtight container or a zip top bag.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

my 1st post

this is my 1st post on my blog page. i am hoping u can all bear with me.
i love 2 cook & bake. i can't wait 2 share my recipes with everyone.
i also have alot of advice & opinions & needed 2 express them some where.
im a single mom. i have a daughter who is 27,28 next month in march. i also have a son who is 15,teenage boys r worst than teen age girls,believe me! i have dog,cats & a guinia pig. i go to a methodist church that treats us all like family. ive always wanted 2 live in a small town,now i do. i used 2 live 10 miles away in a small city. im so glad that life took me here. the city we used 2 live in has tripled in crime since we moved almost 10 years ago. i will write more later,since i have 2 finish making my blogspot page,lol.