Quick French Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2Cups Warm Water
2T. Yeast
2T. Sugar
1t. Salt
3T. Oil
5 1/2 to 6Cups Flour

INSTRUCTIONS
1.First: Add yeast and then sprinkle the sugar over the 2 1/2 cups of water. Let it sit for about five minutes until you see the yeast get all bubbly on top.
2.Next: Stir in the salt, oil, and flour.
3.Then: Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and pulls away from the bowl.
4.Then cover your bowl with a warm wet towel and let the dough sit for about 15 minutes.
5.**Update: Tip - turn your microwave on for two minutes and set your bowl of bread dough in the warm microwave for the 15 minutes. This warm envirmonment makes the bread rise a lot faster.
6.Next, divide the dough into two long loaves (rolling like a jelly roll and tucking in the ends). Place both loaves side by side on a greased cookie sheet. Then take a knife and slash the tops of each loaf diagonally. Allow the loaves to sit for a few minutes while you preheat your oven to 375. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

*Can make with half wheat flour with no craziness!

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

INGREDIENTS
1tablespoons extra virgin oil
4tablespoons butter
4tablespoons flour
1quart half and half
1/2cup celery, finely diced
1cup onion, finely diced
2minced garlic cloves
214 ounce cans of chicken broth
1cup carrots, finely shredded
1cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
1package gnocchi, cooked (you can find these in gourmet/pasta section of the grocery store - you may want to cut the gnocchi in half if it is large, or purchase the mini size if available)
1cup of fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon thyme
1/2teaspoon parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
1.Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
2.Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
3.Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning; simmer until soup is heated through. Before serving season to taste by adding additional salt.

Green Slime Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
2cups spinach
2cups frozen strawberries
1banana
2tablespoons honey
1/2cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS
1.Place the spinach in the freezer until frozen, at least 1 hour.
2.Combine the spinach, strawberries, banana, honey, and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

The key is the banana. I sometimes use three bananas in one smoothy. It makes them oh so smooth.

Breakfast Burritos

INGREDIENTS
2lbs. bacon, diced
2lbs. breakfast sausage
1large onion, diced small
1cup diced bell pepper (frozen diced bell pepper)
20eggs
36fajita sized flour tortillas
1(8 oz.) bag shredded cheddar cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
1.In a large skillet, cook the bacon until browned. Drain grease from bacon and set aside on a plate with a few paper towels to absorb the grease.
2.In the same skillet brown and crumble the sausage until cooked through. Drain grease from sausage and set it aside on another plate with a few paper towels to absorb the excess grease.
3.Using the same skillet saute the onion and bell pepper till the onion is translucent and the peppers are soft yet a little crisp.
4.While the onion and bell pepper are cooking, crack and scramble the eggs. For large quantities of eggs like this, scramble them in blender.
5.Once the bell peppers and onion are cooked add the eggs and cook just as you would for scrambled eggs, stirring the egg mixture while cooking until they are cooked through, being careful not to over cook the eggs. Then add the cooked bacon and sausage to the eggs.
6.Turn off the heat to the pan and sprinkle egg mixture with cheese. Cover pan and let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the cheese melt.
7.In a frying pan (or Comal if you have one) warm your tortillas one at a time and proceed to make your breakfast burritos. Always warm tortillas first to prevent them from cracking while folding your burritos. Use about 1/4 cup of filling for each burrito.
8.Continue making burritos until you run out of either filling or tortillas (or if you do it right…both at the same time)
9.Once all of your burritos are made, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place into labeled freezer bags and seal, removing as much air as possible. Frozen burritos will store for 2-3 months in regular freezer bags. For longer freezer storage you can seal them with your Foodsaver and they will last 5-6 months easily.
10.To eat, unwrap a burrito and place on microwave safe plate. Cover loosly with the plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute, flip over and cook one more minute. Serve with Tabasco or salsa if desired.
11.*Note – you can stretch this recipe even further by cooking up some shredded potatoes or frozen hash browns after cooking the bacon and sausage (set aside and add back in at the end). Potatoes are a inexpensive filler to make even more breakfast burritos. You can also add ham, tomatoes, change up the type of cheese you use (pepper jack?), add some spinach or other veggi

Stef's Parfaits

In a clear cup, layer
2 c vanilla yogurt
1 c granola
8 blueberries
1/2 c strawberries
(Really, I just get a big carton of yogurt, some granola and berries. Just throw it together. Eyeball it.)

Kelli's Sticky Buns

20 Frozen Rhodes Rolls
1 Small package Vanilla or Butterscotch pudding (instant)
1 C Brown sugar
1 Stick Butter
Cinnamon to taste

Grease bundt pan.  Layer rolls, sprinkle dry pudding mix, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Melt butter and pour over rolls.  Cover with damp towel and raise overnight.  Bake 350 for 30 mins.

John Hood's Secret Proprietary Blend for Sausage and Bean Soup

1 LB Sausage (Jimmy Dean Style)
1 Small Onion
1 TBSP Garlic
1/4 C Flour
1 Can Chicken Broth
2 C Water
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Roasted Red Peppers, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Parsley
1/2 tsp Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Cans Pinto Beans

Cook sausage until no longer pink on medium heat.  Add onions & Garlic, cook until onion starts turning transparent.  Add flour and stir will for one minute.  Add chicken broth, water, cayenne and red pepper.  Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add parsley, basil and beans, return to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Optional:  add 1/2 cup heavy cream at the end of cooking.

Chocolate Chip Muffins or Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

! cube margarine

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c sour cream

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 c sugar 

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup choc chips, divided

1. Cream together butter, 1 c sugar, eggs and sour cream.

2. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder.

3. Add vanilla.

4. Pour half of the batter in a greased pan or muffin tin.

5. Mix 1c sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half on top of the batter.

6. Sprinkle 1/3 cup choc chips on top with batter, then 1/3 cup choc chips and the rest of the cinnamon.

7. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min for a bundt or 9X 13 pan. (Less time for muffins.)

I don't use that much cinnamon sugar, I have about half to a third left over.

Directions:

Jenny's Maple Breakfast Souffle

Ingredients:
1 16oz loaf of Hawaiian or egg bread, chopped
1 8oz pkg reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c Crisco butter shortening
3/4 c syrup, divided
10 large eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs powdered sugar
syrup and softened butter for serving

Directions:
1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking pan. Sprinkle bread evenly over bottom.
2. Combine cream cheese, shortening and 1/4 c syrup on bowl of electric mixer. Beat until smooth. Spread mixture over bread.
3. Beat eggs, remaining syrup and milk in medium bowl. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
4.Cover and refridgerate over night.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered 50-55 minutes or until puffed and golden.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with butter and syrup.
Serves 6-8.