Thin Wheat Crackers

Makes 18-24 crackers

You can make these crackers as soon as you make the dough, but the crackers will taste even better if you hold the dough overnight, like a soaker, allowing some enzyme activity
to occur before you bake the crackers the following day.

Dough

1 cup whole wheat flour (when I made the crackers for you, I used a mix of soft white wheat and hard red wheat. I kneaded in a couple of cups of all-purpose white flour when I was rolling them out)

½ teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons milk, buttermilk, yogurt, or rice milk
1 ½ tablespoons honey or agave nectar
or 2 Tablespoons sugar or brown sugar
4 tablespoons light olive oil or butter (I didn’t like how they turned out with oil)

Combine the 1 cup flour and the salt, milk, honey, and oil in a bowl and mix until the ingredients come together to form a ball of dough. Add extra flour or milk as needed to make a firm but tacky dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, adjusting the flour or liquid as needed; the dough should feel like modeling clay and have a satiny surface. It should not be soft and sticky or crumbly.

If baking the crackers immediately, preheat the oven to 350º. Cover the dough with a cloth towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes, then move on to next step if holding the dough overnight, form into a bowl, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with a damp cloth, and leave at room temperature overnight.

When you are ready to bake the crackers, prepare the sheet pan by greasing it with butter. Cover your work surface lightly with a touch of oil, this will make it easier to lift the dough later. Transfer the dough to the work surface and, working from the center of the dough out to the four corners, roll it out into a rectangle, dusting the top of the dough with flour only if needed to prevent sticking. Roll the dough out as thinly as it will allow, about ¼ inch. If the dough begins to spring back, let it rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling until the rectangle it about 1/8 inch think.

Use a pizza roller or a pastry scraper to cut the dough into dough into whatever sizes and shapes you desire (small rectangles are suggested). Use the pastry scraper or a metal spatula to transfer the individual crackers to the prepared sheet pan. They should not touch, but they can be close together. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crackers begin to turn a rich brown on both the top and the underside.

Let the crackers cool on the pan before serving. They will crisp up as they cool.

World’s Best Braised Cabbage

Here's the recipe at this link

Dilly Onion Bread

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg. (1/4 oz) 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 ½ - 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon dill seed ( I didn’t have any so I just added more dill weed)
1 to 2 teaspoons dill weed
1 egg yoke
2 teaspoons cold water

Let sour cream stand at room temperature for 1 hour. In a mixer bowl add the water, sour cream,egg , butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour. Lightly mix together. Add the onion, dill seed and dill weed; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (may need to add a bit more) Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5minutesTurn out onto a floured surface; divide into thirds. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape each into an 18-in rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid;pinch seems down to seal and tuck ends under. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 30 minutes. Beat egg yoke and cold water; brush over braid. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Yield 1 loaf.

George's Light Rye Bread

click on the photo for a wonderful Rye Bread recipe. I've made it several times and my family loves it. It's good even without butter!

Grandma’s Cowboy cookies

1 ½ cups butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup oats
1 cup flaked coconut
½ cups walnuts (optional)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.

In a large bowl cream together the but and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the peanut butter and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the oats, walnuts (if desired) and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

Carob Mountain Balls

Carob Mountain Balls

Mix in Bowl:

3 cups Oats
6 Tablespoons Carob Powder (or cocoa powder)
½ cup peanut or Almond Butter
2 teaspoons Vanilla
½ cup coconut

Mix and Boil for one minute:

½ cup Honey
¼ cup Butter
¼ cup oil

Mix above together, roll into balls. Let harden in the refrigerator.

Calico Beans

Best served over rice

3- 15 oz cans of baked beans (or almost 6 cups homemade)
15 oz can kidney beans (or 2 cups cooked)
15 oz can white beans (or 2 cups cooked)
15 oz can black beans (or 2 cups cooked)
½ lb bacon fried and crumbled
1 lb ground beef cooked and drained
1 large onion chopped
4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup

In a large bowl add all the beans. Fry the bacon and cook the ground beef with a chopped onion. Add the meat the beans and stir. Pour the bean mixture into a 9x13” pan. Stir together the liquid ingredients and pour over the beans. Bake at 350° for a 1 ½ or cook at 375º for a little less time.

Cahill Family Pinto Beans

This is a family favorite!

taken from No Guesswork Cooking cookbook

Yield: 8 servings
Cook time: 4 ½ hours

2 ¼ cups dry, Pinto beans

Soak beans overnight or bring beans to boil and soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

In a sauce pan cook to beans along with 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and decrease heat to very low. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours.

Add ½ an onion diced, ½ cup green bell pepper, ½ tomato,1 teaspoon garlic (2 cloves) minced, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons hot sauce, 2 teaspoons cold water, 2 teaspoons flour (or 1 teaspoon corn starch).

Whisk flour into hot sauce and water until smooth. Add to beans while whisking. Simmer on very low for 1 hour or until tender.

Enjoy!

Iced Coffee

Sweeten a mug of strong coffee (I use honey) to your liking,. Let cool to room tempiture and pour over a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Allow enough room in your glass to add about 1/4 cup of milk or half and half. Enjoy!

Refreshing Snapple ice tea

Bring a few cups of water to a boil in a tea kettle. Steep 6 green or black lipton tea bags in a gallon pitcher for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup white sugar or 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Add a couple trays of ice and water to fill the pitcher to the top. Perfect for a cool summer drink! Enjoy!

Texas Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
a little salt

Mix in a bowl and set aside.

In a pan:
1 cup water
4 Tbls unsweetened Cocoa
1 cup butter or margarine

Bring to boil. Pour over flour and sugar mixture, and beat well. (This is the best stage for sampling the batter!)

Add 2 eggs
½ cup butter milk or ½ cup milk with a little vinegar
1 tsp. Soda

Mix well. Pour in a greased sided cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting

In a bowl:

1 sm. bag powdered sugar

In a sm. pan: 4 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
½ cup margarine
1/3 cup milk

Bring to boil and pour over powdered sugar.

Add 1 tsp. Vanilla and 1 cups walnuts (if you like).

Frost over cake right out of oven.


*This is a family favorite!

My Whole Wheat Bread recipe

The recipe I use came from a friend of my Mom’s. Then I found Sue Gregg’s Delicious Whole Wheat Dough recipe and liked how sweet the bread was so, I use a little more oil and honey now.

For 2 large or 3 medium loaves

Place in a electric mixer bowl:

2 ¾ cup very warm water

¾ Tablespoon sea salt

1/4-1/3 cup oil

2/3 cup honey

3 cups whole wheat flour

11/2 Tablespoons yeast

Mix till smooth. Add:

½ - ¾ cup Gluten flour or 3 cups all purpose flour.

Roughly 8-12 cups whole wheat flour

(I freshly grind wheat berries each time I make bread and I like hard white wheat)

While the mixer is going add a cup of flour at a time until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to add too much though, you still want the dough to be soft. Knead for 7 minutes. Shape into loaves or rolls, and place in greased loaf pans (don’t use oil as the bread will absorb it and the bread tends to stick) in a warm place (or leave them on the counter) to rinse 20- 30 minutes.

Bake in preheated oven at 350˚ for 25- 35 minutes or until golden brown on top

and loaf sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom.

Best cut and served right out of the oven with plenty of butter! :-)

For an extra special touch brush your loaves or rolls before rising with egg whites, a little water

and sprinkle with poppy seeds, flax seeds and sesame seeds.

Corn Bread

1 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 Table spoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup oil

1 egg

1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients together then add wet ingredients.

Mix together till just mixed. Pour in a 8” pan. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes

Chicken Waikiki Beach

Great recipe to use up left over chicken or turkey. A family favorite!

At least 2 cups cooked chicken pieces.

2-3 cups cooked rice

20 oz Pineapple chunks or tidbits (save liquid for sauce)

1 Green Bell Pepper

Sauce:

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks

1 cup sugar or ½ cup honey

2 tablespoons cornstarch or ¼ cup flour

¾ cup cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon ginger

1 chicken bouillon cube

Drain pineapple . Add water to pineapple juice to make 1 ½ cups.

In a sauce pan, combine sugar (or honey) cornstarch (or flour), pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bouillon cube. Bring to boiling- stir constantly and boil two minutes. Pour over rice and chicken. Top casserole with pineapple chunks and green pepper rings. Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Caesar salad dressing

1 Tablespoon Olive oil
8 drops Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2-3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Best served over chopped romaine lettuce and sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Hamburger Minestrone Soup

½- 1lb ground beef (we used ground turkey w/ some extra spices)
¼ cup chopped onions
1-cup raw cubed potatoes
1 cup sliced raw carrots
½ cup shredded cabbage
*celery, corn, and green beans
1 can kidney beans (I cook my own and use 3/4 cup cooked)
1 ½ quarts water
1 can tomatoes (I use Italian stewed)
¼ cup raw rice
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. Basil
2 tsp. Salt



In a kettle cook beef with onions until slightly brown, drain off fat. Add water and all vegetables. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle in rice and seasonings. Cover and simmer 1 hour (longer is better for flavor)

I add the kidney beans the last few minutes of cooking.

*I also like to add 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped celery, corn, and green beans.
With the extra veggies this soup can get quite thick, so you may need to add extra water.