Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Balloon Boy Bread

They always say it's good to be able to laugh at yourself. It's okay, I know you're laughing, too. I'd made this bread before and it turned out great. I love the flavor of rosemary in bread. The taste is amazing and the smell in the kichen is heavenly. The second time I made it, I made the mistake of leaving it in the bowl for the second rise. Not sure what I was thinking. As I tried to take it out of the bowl and put it on the baking sheet, it fell and became a blob of dough. Because we liked the flavor so well, I decided to bake in anyway. As it was baking, I looked in the oven and laughed. It was balloon boy bread. The texture was a little more glutenous than it should have been but the flavor was still delicious.




Romano's Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
Courtesy of Hunter at Recipezaar

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.
Mix in 1 T butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour.
Add one tablespoon of the fresh chopped rosemary.
Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.
Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.
Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled.
Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.
Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove from oven, brush with remaining butter (and salt if desired.).

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday's at the Table.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Happy Labor Day!!

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our So Long Summer BlogBBQ.



Sunday, September 5, 2010

Pancakes - Sweet Melissa Sunday's

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our So Long Summer BlogBBQ.

Do you have houseguests this holiday weekend? If so, this recipe would be an awesome treat for your guests. Years ago there was a restaurant in Kansas City called the Magic Pan. They served crepes. I loved eating there. You could have savory crepes for dinner and sweet crepes for dessert. I was inspired to learn how to make crepes. I found the right pan and used a recipe for blintzes. It's all in the swirl and I had it down!! I haven't made crepes in years and I mean years. I bet it's been 30 years. Do I still have what it takes for the swirl?

I made one fourth of this recipe, figuring I would get 5 pancakes. My skillet must have been larger, I only ended up with enough for two pancakes. Swirling was a breeze...flipping, not so much. One of the pancakes ripped when I removed it from the skillet. I filled my one pancake with homemade chunky applesauce. These pancakes are light and delicious. I can't wait to make them again. There's so many possibilities for fillings, sweet and savory!



This week's recipe was chosen by Jaime of Good Eats and Sweet Treats. You can find the recipe on her blog! Jaime, thanks for choosing one that brought back great memories for me! Check out the creations of the other SMS bakers here!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Cherry Crisp

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our End of Summer BlogBBQ!

I've never baked much with cherries. Last summer I purchased a few cherries from the Farmer's Market and made this. I used an opened up paper clip as my cherry pitter. While it worked okay, I wanted a real cherry pitter. I bought this one. If you have a lot of cherries to pit, get this one, it's awesome!

I was looking forward to making a cold soup with those cherries. When Tim heard that, in a very disappointed voice he said he was hoping I would make a dessert. Since I am challenged, when it comes to pie crusts, I decided to make a crisp.


Cherry Crisp

4 cups pitted sour cherries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, combine cherries, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, and 4 tablespoons flour. Pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, oats, and brown sugar. Cut in butter and shortening until crumbly. Sprinkle over cherries.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Cucumber Salad

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our So Long Summer BlogBBQ!!

Can you believe it’s September? For many people September means summer is coming to an end and the kids are back in school. I can’t help but be reminded that the Farmer’s Market ends in a few weeks. We’ve so enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden and the Farmer’s Market.

I’ve never done much with cucumbers except slice them or use them in a green salad. When I saw this recipe on Always Order Dessert, I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The only changes I made were to use basil instead of cilantro and to add some leftover quinoa. This is a delicious fresh summer salad. The colors are beautiful and the flavors are so clean, a pefect salad for an end of summer BBQ!




Cucumber Chickpea Salad

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 large cucumbers, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, leaves chopped finely
1/2 small red onion, diced
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon Apple Cider or Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the rinsed chickpeas, diced cucumber, cilantro, and red onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the chickpea mixture and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (depending on how much juice your lemon had, you may need a bit more vinegar or oil. This can be eaten right away or made up to 24 hours ahead.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Join Us For the So Long Summer BlogBBQ

Today is the first day of Gnee of Singing With Birds and my So Long Summer BlogBBQ. Please join us and share your recipes, tablescapes or invites. What do you have planned for this weekend?


Party Games and Rules:
Link to a post and not your general blog
(so others can find your recipe after the party's over)
It doesn't have to be a new post, just share a favorite from this summer!

Post all you'd like between September 2nd and 6th.

No Party Crashers: Etsy shops, giveaways or linky parties, please!

Please link back to the party on your post!

OK, it's your turn!
What did you bring? Thanks for coming and have fun!

From The Good Life

This summer on Thursday's I've been posting "In My Garden". As we near the end of gardening season in Nebraska, I've decided to change Thursday's feature to "From The Good Life". I will be sharing things happening in and around my life.

Tim's son Michael left two weeks ago to spend his senior year of high school in Osaka, Japan. After two years of high school Japanese, Michael decided he wanted to further pursue his Japanese studies. The school Michael is attending has one of the best soccer teams in the area. A perfect match for Michael, the soccer fanatic. Today is Michael's 18th birthday!

We miss you and wish you a Happy Birthday!!