Recipes - Our Family Favorites
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Hamburger Helper From Scratch
Here's a great recipe for a hamburger helper-type meal! We used to buy the hamburger helpers for those last-minute meals, but now that we have this recipe, I use it instead! So easy and good!
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 1/2 cup elbow macaroni noodles (before cooking)
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 t garlic powder
1 T chili powder
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 t salt
6 cups water
Brown the meat in a skillet. Add remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered about 15 minutes or until mixture is as thick as you would like. Enjoy!
100% Whole Wheat Bread
I had a request for info on how I make bread so here's my recipe and instructions. My bread is VERY soft and is 100% whole wheat! BTW, it took several batches before I got good at it so if you don't succeed with bread the first few times, don't give up!!!!
When I make bread, I'm fortunate to have a Bosch mixer that does the kneading and all. It makes it very quick and easy for me. If you don't have a Bosch, you would just have to alter the instructions for kneading and all. Here's what I do with my Bosch for 4 loaves of bread in the normal larger size bread pan (is that 8x5?).
Take 2 1/2 cups milk and put it in a pan to heat on the stove to scalding. Try to get it so it's close to boiling - usually it has a sweet smell to it at this point.
While this is on the stove heating, I take 2 1/2 cups of cold tap water and put it in the mixer. Also add 2/3 cups of oil and 2/3 cup honey.
When the milk is scalded, pour it into the mixer and add 3 T of yeast sprinkled on and stirred in. Wait 5 minutes for the yeast to become activated and frothy.
Add 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Turn on mixer to 1 with bread dough attachment in it. Add 2 eggs and mix. Add 2 cups flour then slowly add 2 T salt.
Continue adding whole wheat flour adding less at a time as it gets more dough-like. When the sides of the mixer come clean you have enough flour in the bread dough. (I never really measure how much flour I use - I think it's around 12 cups maybe more or less) Put the lid on and let it knead for about 10 minutes.
Turn the mixer off, unhook the lid so it can easily be pushed up and let it rise. I let it rise until the dough pushes the lid up about an inch (or spills over the sides to the counter if I forget about it!). Turn the mixer on 1 to punch it down and let it rise a 2nd time. (I heard it's better nutritionally to let it rise 2x) Punch it down again.
Pour a little oil on the counter and spread it around. Take dough out of mixer and pinch off 4 equal sections. Take first section and slam it down on the counter a few times to get bubbles out. Then flatten a little into a rectangle (maybe 8" x 6" or so). Fold the sides into the middle, then fold the ends in a little and pinch it together to hold the loaf shape. More pinching towards the middle gets a better loaf shape. Plop it into a greased loaf pan. Do this with all loaves. I think the oil helps the crust to stay softer as well (which my kids prefer).
Let loaves raise until double or so. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 30-35 min. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Cool completely.
Later that night I usually cut the loaves into their slices. I know how many slices of bread we typically use a day for lunches, so I then bag the bread in freezer bags with the correct # of slices of bread we'll use for the day. That way it stays fresh and is always soft. Each day we get the bread out in the morning frozen. Pull apart the pieces after breakfast. Make our sandwiches while the bread is frozen (much easier for kids to spread PB on frozen bread!), and let them thaw out during the morning and they're ready to go for lunch!
Banana Bread With Whole Wheat Flour / No Sugar
This comes from the "Whole Foods For The Whole Family" cookbook put out by La Leche League. Very moist, soft and delicious!
1 3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/3 C oil
1/2 C honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 C mashed bananas (3 medium)
1/4 C hot water
1/2 C chopped pecans or other nuts
Sift dry ingredients together. Cream oil and honey in large bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bananas. Add dry ingredients alternately with hot water, mixing well after each addition. Fold in pecans. Pour into greased 5x9" loaf pan. Bake at 325 for 55-60 min. (check sooner to make sure not done early) Invert onto wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Freezes well. Yield: 12 servings!
Yogurt Making the Easy Way!
1. Heat up one gallon of milk to almost boiling - if it boils, it's ok
2. Let it cool down until you can put your finger in it and swish it around without it being uncomfortable (or around 110 degrees for those who have a thermometer)
3. Add 3T or so of yogurt to a little bit of milk (to make it mix easier) and then add that to the rest of the milk. Measurement don't need to be precise - different yogurts (even flavored) may be used as long as there are active cultures in it.
4. Turn on your oven light and leave the mixture in the oven for 8 hours (more or less). Check it and it will be done.
You can add sugar if you want after you heat the milk. I found that I really like this yogurt with lemon juice and sugar added (once done). Can also be eaten with fresh fruit or jam.
Homemade Healthy Crackers
We have an easy cracker recipe that the kids like quite well. This comes from my MOMYS cookbook, submitted by Angie. These turn out fairly crisp if you roll them out pretty thin. I add a little cinnamon / brown sugar mix on top and roll it into the cracker to add a yummy, kid-friendly flavor. Here's the recipe and pics.
Mix together:
3 c rolled oats
3 c whole wheat flour
3 T honey
1 t salt
3/4 c oil
1 c water
Roll dough out thinly onto 3 big cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or salt if desired, lightly rolling again to press toppings in. Cut into squares or rectangles by rolling a pizza cutter through the dough. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min (or more if the dough is thicker). The outer ones are usually done first. Remove crackers as they turn golden brown and hard.
(we did a double recipe today so used our big wok for mixing!)
Rhubarb Recipes
Rhubarb Crisp
2 C diced rhubarb
6 T flour
1/2 C rolled oats
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C butter.
Arrange rhubarb in greased 8" square baking dish. Mix other ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture over the rhubarb. Bake 40 Min. at 325 or mircowave about 12-14 minutes.
Simple Rhubarb Jam
5 c rhubarb diced
1 sm packet of jello powder, or you can use a flavored jello packet
3 c (or less) sugar
Cook rhubarb with a little water about 5 min. Drain off the water then add sugar and mix well. Add jello and stir until dissolved. Seal in jars. I just put it in a jar in the refrigerator and it's fine if you eat it in a week or two. Otherwise you can also freeze it in containers if you want to save it longer.
Rhubarb Dish
Here's a very simple but still very good way to eat it up. Just put it in a pan with a very small amount of water and some sugar and cook it for a few minutes until it's soft. Then just eat it plain like that or add some strawberries to make it even better!