Bread Diary - Whitney's Sourdough

My mom makes amazing sourdough bread. I think she's famous for it in our little town. I, on the other hand, can't quite figure it out. She's passed the starter on to me for the second time now. The first time was about 4 years ago. It's quite a tricky process - you have to keep the starter alive (forever) by feeding it at least once a week, then with the fed starter you can make a dough, and from the dough you make rolls or loaves, let them rise, and finally bake for bread-y goodness. I hear it just takes practice but I think you can see why I didn't keep it up from 4 years ago!

I'm not the most patient person when it comes to figuring things out but I'm still sticking with this starter for the next little bit. Patrick and I are hoping at some point to get good at this bread stuff. My goal is to get a whole wheat bread loaf recipe for sandwiches that we like a lot and stop buying loaves of bread from the grocery store. So with this goal we are creating a "bread diary" on the blog! I'm not sure how many entries it will have but we'll be chronicling our trials and tribulations of bread making here for the next little bit.

We're kicking off the inaugural bread diary post with this little love-hate rant about my mom's Sourdough Bread that I'm still trying to figure out.

Here's the starter:

We have to keep the starter in the refrigerator. Then we take it out and feed it at least once a week. Once we're ready to make bread we must make sure to feed it and before we return it to the refrigerator we take some of the starter out to put into the dough. We make the dough, let it rise for 12 hours, make the rolls/loaves and let them rise for 12 hours, and then bake them. As you can see it's a time consuming process.

If I'm lucky I get something that actually resembles a loaf! There are a lot of deflated rolls and loaves. Right now my biggest problem is getting it to rise properly (or at least I think that's what the problem is).

Here's my most successful loaf:

Next week Patrick will be sharing a post in the bread diary!

Any bread thoughts and/tips to share with us?!

Preacher Cookies

I love the simplicity of these cookies. They are my kind of baking! You can whip them up in no time and you may have everything in your pantry. These may come in handy during the holidays when everyone is pressed for time. They're not Patrick's favorite but I can't remember why. Sometimes he has silly reasons for not liking things! Enjoy!

Preacher Cookies

5 tbs cocoa

1/2 c milk

2 c sugar

1 stick margarine

1/2 c crunchy peanut butter

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 c oats

1 tsp vanilla

Boil cocoa, milk, sugar, and margarine for one minute, stirring constantly. Take off heat and add peanut butter, pecans, oats, and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. 

Makes about 3 dozen

Mom's Pot Roast

I've put this recipe on the blog before; it was included in a fall pot luck post. And I've found since then when I want to make this I have a hard time finding it on the blog because I forget it's with the pot luck! So this is to make it more convenient for me to find this recipe when I need something super easy to make. It's one of my mom's recipe. The first time I made it I emailed her for the recipe and this is what she told me:

"I don't really have a recipe. I get a chuck roast, potato, onion, carrots, can of cream of mushroom soup, and Lipton's powdered onion packet soup and dip mix.  I put about 1/3 of can of soup on the bottom of the crock pot, then add meat, and coarsely chopped veggies.  Mix the rest of the soup and 1/2 of one onion packet and pour over everything. Cook on medium for about 4-5 hrs. 

Use maybe 2-3 potatoes and 2 onions.  Most of the time I use a bag of small carrots and add about half way through.  You could use regular carrots and I would probably put those in at the same time as other veggies."

Everything is in the crockpot here. A small layer of cream of mushroom soup on the bottom (1/3 can) followed by the vegetables, the meat, and then the mixed soup and onion dip packet.

Since I put this on before I leave for work I cook the roast on low all day (6-8 hours).

Then once you come home from work take a fork and break up the roast into small pieces and then mix together with the veggies. Then I just serve it like this with a salad or some fruit.

Zucchini Bread

Here's a great recipe for surplus zucchini... but the bread is worth making on its own too! My mom originally tried this recipe from a Southern Living magazine. It's really easy too. 

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups peeled, coarsely grated zucchini

Here's my grated zucchini!

Combine eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to oil mixture, mixing well. Stir in grated zucchini. Pour batter into a large greased loaf pan (or two small ones). Bake at 350F for 55 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.
*Be aware that it will not rise a whole lot in the pan.

Swedish Meatballs

This is one of Granny's delicious meals and was the inspiration for the dish. Unfortunately I did not have her recipe so I had to improv a little. This is how it went down.

  Patrick and I were trying to figure out what we wanted for dinner... having no luck.
  I called Home just to say "hi." And Mom mentions they had Granny's meatballs for dinner and says "you know how she mixes up the meatballs and makes a gravy with onions and cream of mushroom soup" or something like that. So that's really all I was working with. At the time I didn't realize that would also be my supper or I would've asked for more details.
  Later I attempted to call Granny and Poppa for the real recipe but no answer! And guess who knows everything... google! I searched "swedish meatballs" and put a few things together. Here's what I came up with.

Swedish Meatballs inspired by Granny

For the meatballs
Combine 1 lb lean ground beef with 2-3 cloves minced garlic, some Italian breadcrumbs, 1 egg, and some fresh thyme. The main thing with the ingredients is to make sure your meatball sticks together! Then form meatballs (mine were ~1inch). Heat 1/4 vegetable oil in large skillet. Once warm place in meatballs. Brown on all sides until not pink in the middle.

For the gravy
Saute one sliced onion in another skillet in a little evoo. Once softened add 1 can of reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk to the gravy as well. (I just filled the empty cream of mushroom soup with 1/2 water and 1/2 milk. Bring to a simmer and then add the meatballs!

Serve with brown rice! I think it was good enough Patrick would eat again.

Meatloaf

I love meatloaf. Mom might tell you something to the contrary because I think I groaned a little each time she put it on the table. Then I grew up and realized how tasty it was! Particularly the sauce that Mom always puts on it! Meatloaf without this sauce is just a little bland in my opinion. The meatloaf recipe is from Good Housekeeping but the sauce comes from the family. In the past I've made the meatloaf with the leanest ground beef but this time I decided to try (duh!) meatloaf mix! Very, very tasty.

Meatloaf

1lb ground beef can substitute pork, veal, or meatloaf mix which I did

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs- about 4 slices I used prepared Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

1 medium onion, minced At times I also put in other veggies such as mushrooms or bell peppers

2 eggs

2 teaspoon salt can be omitted

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Further substitutions include: for milk - cottage cheese, sour cream, or beer; for bread - rice or macaroni.

 

For the sauce

1 can tomato sauce

1-2 tbsp worcestshire sauce

1-2 tsp brown sugar

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl mix well all ingredients.  Put in greased casserole dish. Mound meatloaf and create a little crater for the sauce. Mix together sauce ingredients and adjust ingredients and seasonings to taste. Place in the center of the meatloaf crater.

Bake 1 &1/2 hrs or until not pink in middle.

Let stand at room temp for 5 min before serving.

This week I served the meatloaf with sauteed green beans and rosemary mushrooms. For the mushrooms: heat evoo in a medium pan, add rosemary and garlic and let infuse the oil for a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste then saute for around 10 minutes or until soft.

Granny's Homemade Chocolate Sauce

It's the perfect time for sweet stuff! Valentine's Day is just around the corner and this just might be the thing you need to make for your honey or just yourself! However my memories of this homemade chocolate sauce come from delicious family dinners at Granny's house. No matter what dessert she fixed she always seemed to have this homemade chocolate sauce on hand. I have found that this chocolate sauce is perfect for making hot fudge brownies! Top a brownie with chocolate, ice cream, and if you're feeling extra sweet whipped cream!

And remember our fabulous Lasagna meal last month when Christine came home? Well here's the fabulous dessert. The syrup is good for everyday desserts and special desserts.

Granny's Homemade Chocolate Syrup

1 stick butter

1 c sugar

Almost 1/2 c flour

3 tbsp cocoa

5 oz carnation milk

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan; add sugar, flour, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, continue stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in carnation milk. Return to neat boil. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla.

A couple of thoughts

--The first time I made this there was a trial and error period. I made this last month for our Lasagna Meal and didn't have any trouble.

--It stores easily in a container in the refrigerator. For the Lasagna meal I had it a day ahead and warmed it up in the microwave to serve that evening.

Crockpot Mac-n-Cheese

This recipe comes via our family friend Glenda! I immediately fell in love with this the first time I tried it. Mom made it a few times over the years and I knew as soon I received my crockpot for Christmas it wouldn't take long for me to try it! For our first Wipeout viewing night we had a potluck dinner, and I made this recipe for everyone.


Crockpot Mac & Cheese
8 oz macaroni (I used whole-wheat shells)
1 large can fat free evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
12 oz cheddar cheese
1 beaten egg
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
paprika, optional (I substituted red pepper flakes)

Cook macaroni for 5 minutes. Drain very well!!! (The noodles were a little too soft for Patrick so next I might only cook the macaroni 4 minutes.)
Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except 1/2 the cheese. Pour into crockpot and top with cheese.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Cook on low for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.

All the ingredients mixed minus half the cheese.

The rest of the cheese and sprinkled with a few red pepper flakes.

Cubed Steak & Scalloped Potatoes

Patrick was out of town for Thanksgiving weekend so I went to the grocery store and bought cubed steak and potatoes for a wonderful, yummy meal that I would love! Cubed steak with mashed potatoes and gravy is truly a Southern comfort dish and I was excited to make it and have it all to myself. Well friends visited and fun was had by all over Thanksgiving weekend but my cubed steak stayed in the fridge. So Patrick had the pleasure of trying it after his inquiring questions of "where do the cubes come from??" I knew I would need to switch up my mashed potatoes for something else because he doesn't like mashed potatoes! So I thought I'd try my hand at scalloped potatoes - a first for me. The cubed steak is really, really easy and the potatoes turned out okay. The recipe needs just a little more refining which was to be expected because I experimented!

Scalloped Potatoes
I read a whole bunch of scalloped potatoes recipes online and merged them all together. I figured out the main preparation and then just went with it. Overall everything turned out great just too much creamy sauce for the amount of potatoes I had. The dish I prepped had about 4 servings.

Ingredients
Potatoes, washed and thinly-sliced (I saw recipes for peeled and unpeeled so I left half the peel!)   > I used about 4 medium potatoes
Milk  > I used about 1/3 cup, maybe?
Butter  > I used about 2-3 tbsp
Flour  > I used about 3-5 tbsp
Parmesan cheese > I used about 1/4 cup
Garlic  > I used 2 garlic cloves, zested

1. Begin by boiling potatoes for 8-10 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling make the sauce. Melt butter in saucepan. Slowly add flour and whisk together. Then add milk a little at a time until smooth. At this point I wasn't sure how much I needed so I added a little more flour and milk but didn't need this extra. Once you have enough sauce add zested garlic and parmesan cheese. Also any seasonings, I added salt and pepper.

Right after I added the cheese.

2. Drain potatoes and put them back in the pan. Toss and coat the potatoes with the sauce. Pout into small, greased casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Could place extra cheese on top and broil at the end but I chose not to do this.

A little soupy but otherwise a great dish.

Cubed Steaks and Milk Gravy
While the potatoes are in the oven you have the right amount of time to prepare your cubed steaks! Everything will be nice and hot all together at the end and ready to eat! Also at this time I put Patrick in charge of the frozen mixed vegetables.

Ingredients
Cubed Steak
Flour
Seasonings
Oil

Rub steaks with a little salt and pepper. Mix Mrs. Dash or any other seasonings into 1/2 cup of flour in a separate dish. Bread steaks in the flour and place into a medium pan with warm oil. Fry on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove steaks to a plate and commence milk gravy making.


My milk gravy making is done differently every time and I'm still working on my technique. So here's a professionals recipe courtesy of Paula Deen! (Who else's milk gravy recipe would you want?!)

Paula Deen's Milk Gravy
1/4 cup bacon grease (the drippings from the cubed steak will substitute)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk warm
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter

Heat grease in a cast iron skillet. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly about 1 minute. Add the warm milk slowly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and stir, until thickened, about 5 minutes, adding milk as necessary to control the thickness. Season the gravy with salt and pepper. Serve hot over biscuits.

Hungry Jack Casserole

It's finally here! The recipe I've cooked the most, know now by heart, and is enjoyed by all... is finally making it to the blog. This has been my favorite dish ever since I can remember (thanks Mom!) so it has definitely earned the "family recipe" label. This is actually one of the first recipes I cooked for Patrick and it turns out the way to his heart was with this recipe!

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (make it healthier: lean beef)
1 - 16 oz can pork and beans (make it healthier: vegetarian beans)
3/4 cup barbeque sauce (make it healthier: light bbq sauce)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbs brown sugar
1 can biscuits
1 cup shredded cheese (make it healthier: 2% milk cheese)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375F. Saute onions and brown beef, drain. In separate bowl mix beans, bbq sauce, brown sugar, and some cheese. Add drained beef and onions. Place into a 2-qt casserole dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Cook in oven for 15 minutes (or until bubbly). Then remove and add biscuits. Cook until biscuits are golden unless you're Patrick and want them pale.

top left: Bean mixture waiting for the beef and onions! 

top right: In the casserole dish with sprinkled cheese before the oven. 

bottom left: Half-way through baking, just added the biscuits. 

bottom right: All done! Nice & golden!

Angel Food Cake with Mom's Butter Brickle Glaze

Angel food cake was one of my dad's favorite desserts, along with this glaze my mom invented by accident. We just use a box recipe for the cake, with the only trick being to own an angel food cake pan. The glaze is quite a challenge due to the imprecise recipe that I haven't taken the time to refine. This is what's on mom's recipe card:


Butter Brickle Glaze  (6/18/85)

Melt 1/4 cup butter/margarine on high until it browns
Add brown sugar (about 1/4 cup?)
Stir over heat (should bubble)
Add 1 tsp vanilla (sizzles)
Cool slightly (?)
Add about 1 cup powdered sugar (brown sugar will form lumps)
Add several tsp milk until of glaze consistency
Add powdered sugar or additional milk as necessary
Drizzle over angel food cake


It's that first step that is supposed to give the glaze its unique flavor, I think. From this most recent attempt, I would guess that heating the butter on high is not a wise choice. For this cake, I had to toss the first batch of glaze because the butter was burnt too badly, and I don't think it browned at all on the second one. Whitney vetoed my wish to try one more time, so that's what we ended up using. It was still quite good, but I think it could have been better. After consulting some other recipes that use burnt butter, I think step 1 should be to stir the butter constantly over medium heat until it reaches an amber color and has a nice caramel aroma.


This cake is delicious when served with strawberries, raspberries, or as we discovered later in the week, chocolate fondue!

Cooling the cake!

Attempt #1. Should have known it was done for by the second photo.

Attempt #2. Didn't get any browning, but at least it developed more of a glaze consistency instead of a charcoal mush. 

Served with fresh raspberries this time!

Quick Italian Beef & Vegetable Soup

This recipe is one my mom found in Southern Living from back in the day... well not too far back in the day. I remember when she first tried it (middle school, maybe?) and didn't think much of it back then but as I have grown and matured so has my taste palette! For the past two years I have served this soup at my pumpkin carving party! This year was no different. Even though we were painting pumpkins instead of carving them, I still planned the same menu. I like a little consistency. Each year I triple the recipe. I have about 10-12 friends over and the recipe serves 3-4. There's always a little extra but this soup freezes well. I also serve grilled cheese sandwiches with the soup!

Quick Italian Beef & Vegetable Soup
Serves 3-4

1 medium zucchini
1 - 14 oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 lb lean ground beef
1 c. sliced carrots
1 - 15 oz can Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 - 14 oz can ready-to-serve beef broth
2 c. loosely packed torn fresh spinach

Part One: Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut each half crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Set aside. Brown ground beef and garlic; drain. Stir in pepper, salt, broth, Italian-style stewed tomatoes, and sliced carrots; bring to a boil. 

Part One before boiling.

Part Two: Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir zucchini slices and beans into mixture; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in torn spinach.

For some reason Mom never put the spinach in so I don't either.

Part Two after the zucchini has just been added. Isn't it colorful -- a perfect fall soup!

Stuffed Squash!

I love squash! The easiest way for me to cook it is sauteed in a little extra virgin olive oil with some onion! yummy! However when I have a bit more time I'll make stuffed squash. This side dish is a beautiful and fun dish to serve with a whole cooked chicken! ... or some other equally delicious meat. This recipe is from my mom. I originally fixed this after an email from her asking for the recipe. This is her email...

Mom's Stuffed Squash
"I do not really have a recipe, but what I did was to get little, tender
yellow squash. Wash them.  Boil them in water until mostly done (probably at
least 10-15 min).  Then let them cool so you can handle them.  Slice long
ways and scoop out the inside.

While they are boiling you can make the filling.  I usually saute some
onions (now I would do it in evoo) and whatever you wanted in there (like
green or red pepper, mushrooms, garlic,etc); mix with Pepperidge Farm
Stuffing mix and some of the insides of the cooked squash.  You can do
whatever proportions you want more of, but may try to do equal parts of
onion mix, squash, and stuffing mix.

Put in center of scooped out squash.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Put on cookie
sheet and bake (or broil.  Broil is quicker because is hotter, but you have
to watch more closely so won't burn) until warmed through.  Probably about
10-15 min.  Sometimes I would sprinkle cheese on at the last (or I guess you
could mix some in the mixture and bake).

Have fun experimenting!"

My notes: I pretty much followed this. I did not use paprika but did sprinkle with cheese!

Patrick sprinkling with cheese... then these little squash boats are heading to the oven!

Nice and bubbly... Right out of the oven!

Granny's Tomatoes and Cucumbers

This quick throw together side dish is a good way to use summer vegetables. It is one of my favorite things that Granny fixes! Love it, love it, love it!! As with all Granny recipes nothing is precise. So it's always a gamble how it will turn out.

ingredients
any combination of tomatoes* and
cucumbers
green peppers
onions

*tomatoes are essential in this recipe because of their juice. Otherwise feel free to throw in whatever veggies you think will complement the flavors. And when you only have tomatoes and just cucumbers then go for it!

To your mixture of diced veggies, add:
a couple tbsp apple cider vinegar (other vinegars could be used as well)
dash of sugar
dash of salt and pepper

Stir together and chill before serving.

This is great on a hot summer night!!

Chopped Suey

This is a very basic casserole but still delicious. It's an old family recipe -- my grandfather's mother! So this recipe is tried and true. :)

Chopped Suey
serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb hamburger
1 can tomato soup (get the Healthy Request one!)
1 cup cooked rice
1 onion, chopped
pinch of salt

Directions
1. Brown hamburger and saute onion. Drain off grease.
2. Mix together hamburger mixture and remaining ingredients. Place in a 9x9 casserole dish.
3. If desired topped with crushed Ritz crackers and butter.
4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Potato Soup

Potato Soup is a great complement to any cloudy, winter day. What I enjoy most about this recipe is it's very flexible. Sometimes I'll use ham or bacon, green onions or white onions, cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup. I love mixing and matching -- enjoy!

Ingredients
6-7 large potatoes
5-6 slices country ham (or bacon)
1 medium onion
1 can cream of __ soup (I used cream of chicken this time!)
1 pint whole milk
seasonings

Directions
-- Peel and cut potatoes in 1/4" sections. Boil potatoes.
-- While boiling potatoes, saute onions in butter then add ham.
-- Combine potatoes and onion mixture in a large soup pot. Add pint of milk and soup. Bring to a slow boil (careful not to scorch milk). Add seasonings to taste; I used oregano in the last pot.

You can add potato flakes to thicken the soup or more milk to thin it out. Add either to suit your preference. Skim milk may also be used.

Menu Ideas
I serve Jiffy corn muffins with my potato soup! The past few times I've made corn muffins I've baked them in the mini muffin pans so cute!

Would I eat/make this again? Yes. I love making potato soup.