Real Whole Wheat Bread

I LOVE homemade whole wheat bread. I can eat it all day long with butter of course, have to make it a little bad don't I?? This bread takes a little work but is so worth it. It will give your Kitchen Aid a workout or your hands if you go that route. You will be so happy smelling this bread bake and eating it fresh from the oven though. The lady that gave me this recipe is a great vegetarian chef! I just love her meals. Her son use to have his lunch sandwiches made with this bread when we were young and I was always so jealous. Now I can make it and eat all I want. My MIL is making dinner tonight and she asked me to make the bread. She thinks I am making these hot rolls, bet she will be surprised! Take some time and make some GREAT homemade bread today and surprise your family! Well, that is What's Cookin tonight on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

12 cups whole wheat flour
6 cups water
2 T yeast
1 cup of dates blended in food processor with 2 cups of the 6(above) cups of water
2 T Lecithin(available at most health food stores)
1/2 cup high gluten flour
2 t salt sifted in with flour

May need more or less flour depending on moisture of flour and humidity in your area. Mix date mixture, water, yeast, Lecithin, and salt in your Kitchen Aid, add flour cup by cup until all is added. I add the gluten a little at a time but you can add it all at once if you wish. Now, grease 3 loaf pans and break flour into 3 even pieces and form into loaves and place in loaf pans. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350' for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I know you probably have a million recipes for meatballs but here is one more. We have been using ground turkey for low fat cooking and NO ONE can tell the difference. Give turkey a try and you will see with a little TLC it is just as good as beef. I like to have pasta and sauce only when I eat spaghetti but everyone else wants meatballs so of course I make them. What else do I have to do? hee hee

Needed:
2 pounds ground turkey
2 eggs-beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs(use Panko, they do make a difference)
1/2 cup milk
1 T Italian Seasoning of your choice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 T garlic powder
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Spaghetti-cooked
Paul Newman's Sockarooni Pasta Sauce

Place panko in a large bowl with milk, let the panko soak up the milk, once this happens add the rest of your ingredients and mix by HAND until mixed well. Form into balls, the size is up to you. We like ours about a 2 inch diameter, now place meatballs on a parchment lined baking pan with sides and bake at 450' for 30 minutes or until completely done and no longer appear pink in the middle. I always cut one and check when the 30 minutes are up. Serve with Paul Newman's Sockarooni Pasta Sauce and spaghetti. That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek tonight.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

My MIL loves sheet cake, she says she can eat an entire cake by herself with some good coffee. This is something I think everyone likes, at least around here they do. I like to make this for potlucks because it is easy to transport. Give it a try and it will be one of your go to recipes.

Needed:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup warm water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs-beaten(I use free range)
1/2 cup milk
1 t vanilla


Place one of your oven racks in the middle of your oven and preheat oven to 350'. Place parchment paper on a 18x13 inch pan.

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat melt butter, shortening, and cocoa. Add the water, remove from heat and beat in the sugar.

In a large bowl or your Kitchen Aid mixing bowl beat your eggs until thick and light colored, now add the milk, and vanilla. Now add the cocoa mixture and stir gently. Now is the time to add the flour mixture(you will have sifted the flour, salt, and soda together). Mix until well incorporated and pour into your prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely. Now you will ice your sheet cake.

Icing

Needed:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla
1 box powder sugar

In a large saucepan over medium heat bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil, remove from heat add powder sugar and vanilla beat, in your Kitchen Aid until light and fluffy. Ice your sheet cake and EAT!!!

Creamy New England Clam Chowder Stacey's Way

It is a cold and snowy day on Beaty's Creek and I want some Clam Chowder. This is a recipe that I made up after making some that I did not care for. I top this with crispy bacon, I think it is a good addition to the chowder.

Needed:

5 pounds of golden Yukon potatoes-peeled and cut into 1 inch squares
3 carrots-peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
2 stalks of celery-stripped and chopped into 1/8 in slices
2 cans baby clams with juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 quart Milk
2 T Cornstarch
1 quart Water
2 sticks of butter

In a large soup pot melt butter and add celery and carrots, saute until slightly tender, now add about 1 quart of water. Add potatoes to water with salt and pepper, cook until potatoes are fork tender. Now add your clams with juice and milk, next add cornstarch to 1 cup of water and stir very well. We like ours a little thick so you may want to start with less cornstarch if you like a thinner chowder. Bring to a low boil to thicken a little. Serve with crackers and bacon. Yummy!! Well that is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Snickerdoodle Cookie

This is one our favorite cookies, of course we throw no stones at any homemade cookie fresh out of the oven. Know what I mean?? Ransome has a recital tomorrow and the mothers always bring something to nosh on so this is what Sean is bringing. Raine is not so into music as her brother so we stay behind so all can enjoy.

Needed:
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs(I use free range)
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3 cups unbleached all purpose four
1 cup sugar mixed with 4 T cinnamon-this is to roll the cookie balls in before baking

Cream in your Kitchen Aid or with your mixer in a bowl the following, shortening, sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy, now add your flour and baking powder(I sift these two together first) and mix until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls and then drop into sugar and cinnamon mixture and roll around until well coated. Place on a parchemnt lined cookie sheet and bake at 350' for 10 minutes. You want golden cookies, they will still be soft but the bottoms will be crispy. These are so good with milk or coffee.

The 2nd Best Brownies You Will Ever Eat

This recipe is so moist and chewy you will be amazed that it is so simple to make. That is if you don't mind using a double boiler. I like to double this and make half with nuts and half without. It really doubles easily, so make a bunch, they will not last long.

Needed:
1 stick butter(no substitutes)
9 ounces chocolate of your choice(I love semi sweet and Raven loves dark)
1 cup white sugar
1 t salt
3 eggs(I use free range)
3/4 cup of flour
1 cup nuts-chopped(optional)

Melt butter, chocolate, and sugar together in a double boiler. Once chocolate and butter melt and sugar is mixed well remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Don't over mix, pour into a 8 inch baking pan and bake a t 350' for 45 minutes. These are really good with vanilla ice-cream, note to self buy more vanilla ice-cream. That is What's Cookin today on Beaty's Creek.

Stacey's Shrimp Scampi

Yesterday was our 17th wedding anniversary and I would rather cook a special meal than go out. I know I'm a freak, but that is what I enjoy, cooking. Last night was an easy meal, shrimp scampi, rib eye steaks, spring green salad and a rich chocolate dessert. Raven is busy at an acting workshop so we are having a busy weekend to beat. This scampi recipe may not be like ones you have had before but it is good! I am so glad you can buy deveined shrimp at Sam's! It saves a lot of time and trouble. We had this as an appetizer last night but we've had it over angel hair pasta and it is great also.

Needed:
4 pounds of deveined and shelled shrimp, I use the 15-20 per pound count size
1 pound of butter
10 garlic cloves-minced
1 pound Parmesan cheese-shredded


Melt butter in a large skillet, add garlic and shrimp. Cook over medium heat until shrimp turn pink, now add your cheese. This is so easy to make and so good! Make sure you make this bread to have along with it. The sauce, aka butter in this recipe is worth the calories!