Bread

Photo for Nov 22nd 2009

My Homemade/Handmade Bread

Pre-Baked

Baking

Baked

Yum.
So good.
So easy.

Super Quick & Easy Bread for Lazy Bakers

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups warm water
8 TBSP white sugar
4 TBSP instant yeast
4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt
7-9 cups flour

DIRECTIONS:
Mix sugar in 1 cup of warm water until sugar is dissolved.
Stir in yeast.
Let sit until it doubles in size.

Put oil & salt in a large bowl.
Add yeast/sugar mix & remaining 3 cups of warm water.
Stir in flour 2/3 cups at a time - (until stirring is no longer possible)
Turn dough over on to a floured surface & knead in remaining flour (no more than 9 cups)

Cut dough into three equal pieces & let rise for 15 minutes.

Grease three loaf pans while you're waiting & preheat over to 350 degrees.

Place each piece of dough into a loaf pan & let rise again for 15/20 minutes.

NOTE: Make sure the dough is in a warm area while its rising. I'll place the loaf pans on the stove, while the oven in preheating to keep them warm.

Once doughs have rising, place in the oven for 30/40 minutes.

Let cool on baking rack for a few minutes & then pop them out of the loaf pans.



These loaves freeze well. Enjoy!

Oh & stay tuned for giveaway details!!

A recipe for ya'll.

{NOTE: Sorry that the picture quality of this post sucks. I was in a rush out the door & just need to snap it quickly.}

{What is with the underlining?!}

Test

Hmmm...I can't figure out how to get rid of the underlining....oh well.

Anyway - back to the post -

If you want a great recipe that doesn't require a lot of work & one that doesn't have you turning the oven on {very essential when there is a humidex of +45 degrees outside}

Try this: Reese Peanut Butter Squares

Can you SEE all that chocolate?!

{Okay, so those of me who know me best know I don't like chocolate...but I like the IDEA of it...yeah it may be strange to the rest of you folks, but what do you care?! it just means more chocolate for you!}

Anyway, if you can't read the recipe from the book you'll need:

2 1/2 cups Icing Sugar
2 3/4 cups Graham Crumbs
1 cup Melted Margarine or Butter
1 cup Peanut Butter (Chunky or Smooth)
12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
In a large bowl mix the icing sugar, graham crumbs, the melted margarine & the peanut butter. Once its mixed well, press it into a 9x13 inch dish.

In a microwave or double boiler melt the chocolate chips & pour over top of the graham crust.

Put it in the fridge for few hours....if you can wait that long.

Oh, & this recipe can be cut in half {although I don't know why you would do that!} Just use an 8x8 inch dish instead of a 9x13 inch dish.

Enjoy.

See ya'll later! Oh, & stay tuned for R&R wedding photos soon!!!

Yummy!

The hubby and I got oodles of rhubarb from his dad's backyard. I made rhubarb cake a few days ago, and last night attempted these for the first time:

And boy, are they ever good!
Since its rhubarb season, here is the recipe:

Rhubarb Muffins

2 1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 beaten egg
2 cup finely chopped rhubarb

Topping:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup margarine or butter

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
Add milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir just until blended
Fold in rhubarb

In a separate bowl mix topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle on top of unbaked muffins.

Fill in well greased/or lined muffin cups.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
Cool completely before removing.

Enjoy!

I cannot wait - strawberry season is less than a month away!! (I love 'pick your own')

Do you have any awesome recipes rhubarb or strawberries?

A few delicious days.

This muffin was made with love.

The muffin was made by the fabulous Jo James.

This muffin was my breakfast.

This muffin was the best muffin ever.

Joey's Applesauce Muffins

(now, keep in mind - they will never quite taste the same when you make them because they weren't made with the love of Jo James)

Ingredients

1/3 Cup oil

1/3 Cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2/3 applesauce

1/2 Cup brown sugar

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

In a medium bowl combine oil, water, vanilla, egg and applesauce.

In a large bowl mix sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.

Stir wet mix into dry mix just until blended, batter will be lumpy.

Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling them to the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

*drooling*

I could SO eat another one.

*** *** ***

Well, aside from Joey's incredible muffins, my two day trip back to Toronto was a lot of fun. I spent most of it with this lovely lady. (You can read all about her adventures in motherhood here)

We talked a lot about totoally varying topics. I love talking with her - she is just able to understand all those things that I find hard to explain. To be cliche, she "gets" me. A large majority of the time we were talking in the kitchen creating delicious meals for friends and family...thus, the kitchen got mighty crowded with bodies...including this beautiful one, sporting her NEW (and first!) tattoo!

It was a great two days. Toronto really has grown on me, and this visit was just a sort of confirmation that as long as our friends are here, it'll be one of our homes.

The rest of this weekend poses a whole new set of adventures though, tonight I'll be scrapbooking with some of the ladies I know here in Quinte. I'm looking forward to it, it'll be the first time I'll have scrapbooked in a long while. I can't wait to share my creations with you! Also, tomorrow we are viewing some homes with our real estate agent (who is awesome btw). There is one house in particular I am anxious to see *fingers crossed* I hope its the one! Moving into a new home would just be amazing!

I'll be posting along the way - hopefully I'll be able to post any layouts I do tonight in the morning for ya'll to see!

What are you up to this weekend?

"the cat came back..."

So I drove back to Toronto this morning - not out of like anxiety over moving or like some panic attack of living with my mother again. I just had to pick the hubby up, because he had one more exam and had to finish up working at the library.

However, we are taking the opportunity to visit with the people we already miss so much.

The girls.

The Guys

We're just about to eat a hard worked at dinner together. For some of the recipes we're eating tonight click here, and here.
And trust me - they are wicked super yummy!

Do you you have any online recipes that you've tried and loved?