No Knead Bread

Have you tried No Knead Bread? I've been eyeing the No Knead Bread recipes for a year or more. Finally, for Christmas Day, I gave one a try. It's so easy, too easy really! You mix the flour, yeast and water and let it sit for 12 - 18 hours. Mine was on the counter for closer to 20 hours. When I first checked the dough, after about 10 hours, it didn't appear to have done anything. I used a pretty large bowl, so I think I just couldn't tell. Also, it was a little chilly in my kitchen so I think that may have had something to do with it as well.

This makes a delicious, crusty bread.  I can't wait to try making it and adding rosemary!!  Wonder if my rosemary is still good under the snow cover?  Have you tried No Knead bread?

No Knead Crusty Bread

Recipe Courtesy of Simply So Good

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.  

I am linking this to On the Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.

Wildlife At It's Finest

Tim took this picture of these beautiful creatures above the river, just across from our house. I love living in the country!

Happy New Year!!!

As we say goodbye to 2012 and welcome in 2013, I am reminded of what a great year 2012 was.  With the exception of the passing of my step mother, 2012 was full of happy times!!

As far as my corner of the blogging world, Little Bit of Everything, this year I posted less than any year since I began my blog in 2009.  Interestingly enough, though, my readership was the largest it's ever been.  Thanks to all of you who read my blog, leave me comments and have become my blogging friends, you all make blogging fun!

I've never done a post on the top recipes of the year before.  Curious to see what my top five recipes were, I am sharing them with you today.

Happy New Year everyone!  Here's to health, happiness and good food in 2013.  Cheers!!!

5.  Hotel Cookies - These are the best cookies!

4.  Candy Cane Kiss Cookies - A fun take on the traditional holiday thumbprints!

3.  Baked Chicken with Herbs - A beautiful and delicious dinner party dish!!!

2.  Cake Batter Muddy Buddies - Cake batter flavor, need I say more?  Addictive!!!

1.  Pastisio - A hearty and savory pasta dish!!

I am linking this post to Finding Joy in My Kitchen's favorites of 2012 and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Whenever we have roast chicken, I freeze the leftover chicken.  It's perfect for soup, enchiladas or other casseroles.  I find chicken cooked in the crockpot tends to dry out but using already cooked chicken in a soup or casserole works perfectly.  This recipe would also be great made with leftover turkey!

Crock  Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package frozen corn (about 14 oz)
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• corn tortillas
• cooking spray

Directions:

1.     Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, black beans, onion, green chiles, corn and garlic into your crock pot. Pour in chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2.     When fully cooked, pull chicken out and shred. Place back inside crock pot. 

3.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray. Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter, then spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle some Lawry's seasoning salt or just plain salt and pepper if desired.

4.     Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve soup, top with cheese, avocado, green onions or any other add-in you like and then sprinkle tortilla strips on top.

 I am linking this to On the Menu Monday,  Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.

The Best Roast and Gravy EVER!!!

 Check out my giveaway for a digital magazine subscription here!

I love my Crock Pot, especially this time of year.  Dinner is ready when I come home from work, leaving plenty of time for baking or present wrapping!  Pinterest has become my new vehicle for storing the recipes I want to try!  Sometimes the challenge with Pinterest is to find the link to the original post, which makes it hard for a blogger to credit that source.  I am going to link to my original pin which was from a site called Repinly!

Crock Pot's were made for cuts of meat like roasts.  I almost always cook mine in the slow cooker.  Traditionally, I use an envelope of onion soup and some beef broth or water.  After cooking all day, the roasts are always tender and delicious.  Curious about this recipe, I decided to give it a try.  I am not a Dr. Pepper fan but have made other recipes using soda.  The original poster said this was the best roast and gravy ever and they were so right.  Usually I can take or leave beef gravy.  With this recipe, however, I could have just eaten the gravy by the spoonful. 

Dr Pepper Roast

1 beef chuck roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of potato soup
1 package onion soup mix
2 cups Dr. Pepper

Cook on low in a slow cooker 6 - 8 hours and you'll have the best roast and gravy you have ever had. 

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday!

Zinio Digital Magazine Subscription Giveaway

Are you a magazine reader?  I am!  I find a lot of my recipes and ideas in magazines.  I clip the page and then what do I do?  Go on line and find a digital link to the recipe or idea and save it.  With digital magazine subscriptions becoming more and more mainstream,  if my magazine subscriptions were digital ones, this would be so much easier and less paper!

Have you heard of Zinio?  They offer digital subscriptions to thousands of top magazines from around the world.  You can browse and purchase subscriptions or even single issues instantly from your computer or mobile device wherever or whenever you like.  Zinio's explore section lets you read, even without a subscription, thousands of articles from your favorite magazines and share them with friends.

Zinio has 300 magazine titles available at up to 50% off their already-discounted prices.  Here are just a few sample titles: LA CUCINA ITALIANA, VEGETARIAN TIMES, FOOD ARTS, CLEAN EATING.  

Check our Zinio's titles and deals here !   Also, you can enter Zinio's sweepstakes for a chance to win an iPad Mini here !!!

Want to try reading a digital magazine?  Zinio offered me 10 free magazine subscriptions.  I am going to try one myself, so I will be sharing 9 of them with my readers!  To enter, leave me a comment letting me know which magazine you would choose.  Also, make sure I have a way to contact you, if you're a winner!  Contest ends at midnight on 12/30!

I was compensated for this post but all opinions are my own!

Bloggers Day of Silence - Newtown