Homemade Yogurt

4 C fresh, organic 2% milk
1/3 C powdered milk
1/2 C organic yogurt (starter)
thermometer

Slowly heat milk on stove over low-med heat. Add powdered milk. Pay VERY CLOSE attention to the milk. It must reach a temp of 170F without boiling. Once you've hit 170F, remove from heat and wait for milk to cool to 108-112 degrees. Once it gets to this temp, mix a small amount in with the yogurt. This will break up the yogurt and make blending it with the rest of the milk easier. Once you have blended the yogurt fully in with the milk, place in a preheated yogurt maker for 4-8 hours. Refigerate before eating. Makes 1 quart.

Stonyfield Farm starter: 6 active cultures, making faster fermentation (4-5 hrs), resulting in more whey (watery substance); also has a thinner texture; tangier flavor, more like a green apple

Fage starter: 2 active cultures, slower fermentation (6-8 hrs), less or no whey; texture is thicker, smoother, creamier; softer flavor, more like a pear

Add fruit, berries, cereal, sweetener (honey, summersweet, maple syrup, etc.), or jam to flavor.

PW's Chex Mix

250F

3 C each corn, wheat, and rice chex
2 C pretzel sticks
2 C mixed nuts
1-1 1/2 sticks butter
3 T worstershire sauce
6-12 dashes tobasco sauce
3 cloves mashed garlic
1 t seasoning salt
1/4 t onion powder

Dump cereal, pretzels, and nuts in a large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix remaining ingredients and microwave until butter is melted. Stir in together and toss in to cereal mixture, stirring as you go. Transfer mix onto 1 or 2 baking sheets. Bake for 1 hr, 15 mins, stirring every 15 mins. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Spaghetti Sauce

4 lbs hamburger
garlic salt
4 lge onions or onion flakes

Brown and mix together. Add:

2 cans tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans tomato soup
1 small can tomato paste
1 t salt
1 bay leaf
2 t oregano
2 t thyme
1 t tobasco sauce
2 T brown sugar

Cook for 1 hr. Remove bay leaf. Serve immediately, freeze, or can.

Meat Pies

400F

Filling:

3 t butter
3 T chopped onions
3 T chopped celery
1/2 C mushrooms
1/2 t salt
1/4 t oregano
dash of pepper
1 1/2 C cooked hamburger (can be substituted for chicken)
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup (sub. cream of chicken if using chicken)

Saute first 7 ingredients until onions are clear. Add last 3 ingredients and mix.

Dough:

2 C flour
1 T sugar
1/2 C shortening
1 t salt
1 beaten egg yolk
1 C sour cream

Combine first 4 ingredients. Mix yolk and s. cream, and blend into flour mixture. Let stand 10 mins. Roll out and cut. Spoon filling onto each crust, fold over, and seal. Bake ~1 hr, until crust is golden brown.

Chile Burger

2 lbs hamburger, browned
2 med. onions or onion flakes
1/2 can tomato soup
1/2 C ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t worstershire sauce
1 t salt
1 1/2 t dry mustard

Combine all ingredients and simmer 1 hr. Stir often. You can also add shredded potatoes and carrots to stretch for a crowd.

Dream Squares

350F

Bottom Crust:

2 C flour
1 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C cornstarch

Mix and press into cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 mins. Cool.

Filling:

4 eggs
4 T flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 cup coconut
2 C brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 C chopped pecans

Mix and pour over cooled crust. Bake 20 mins. Cool.

Icing:

1/2 C butter
4 oz cream cheese
2 C icing sugar
1 t vanilla

Mix until smooth and spread on squares.

Grandma Tolman's Brown Bread

350F

6 C warm water
2/3 C melted honey
2 T salt
2 T tofu drink mix
2 T lecithin granules (NOT extra strength)
3 T dough enhancer
2/3 C oil
2 T cider vinegar
2 T wheat gluten
2 T instant yeast
2 C wheat flour
a pinch of vitamin C crystals
1 C mixed raw sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients well, minus seeds. Slowly add seeds and approx. 12-14 C wheat flour, until dough begins to leave the side of the mixer. Mix 8 mins. Let rise til double in bulk. Form loaves and let rise. Bake 30-35 mins.

2 C of white flour can be used in place of some of the wheat flour. To get this, grind about 10 C of hard white wheat.

Roasted Potatoes

450F

cubed potatoes
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C melted butter
1 t marjoram
1 t thyme

Combine oil and butter with spices. Toss with potatoes in a 9x13 pan. Bake 45 mins to 1 hr, flipping halfway.

Raspberry Pretzel Delight

350F

Crust:

1/2 C crushed pretzels
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C marg or butter, melted

Mix all together and spread evenly in 9x13 pan. Bake 8 mins, cool.

Filling:

1 can eagle brand
1/2 C water
3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding
4 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 can raspberry pie filling (or any other kind)

Combine milk and water, blend well. Add pudding mix, beat 2 mins. Refrigerate 5 mins. Fold in cool whip. Spread on cooled crust. Refrigerate 1 hr. Spoon topping over filling, refrigerate overnight.

Kenny's Chicken Soup

1/2 chicken (with bones)
5 C water
1 onion finely chopped (or onion flakes)
3 stocks celery chopped
broccoli
cauliflower
1 C chicken stock
potatoes, cubed
2 T poultry spice
2 t sage
salt
pepper

Boil chicken in water for 1 hr. Add veggies, simmer for 1/2 hr. Add poultry spice and sage. Cook 1 1/2 hrs. Add chicken stock, s&p. Continue to simmer 1 hr.

Coconut Caramel Mango Dessert

350F

Wafer Baskets:

1/2 C sugar
3/4 C unsweetened coconut
2 T flour
1 t baking powder
2 egg whites
5 T unsalted butter, melted
1 t lemon juice

Blend first 4 ingredients until coconut is finely ground. Slowly add egg whites, then melted butter. Do not overmix. Blend in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate 1 hr, or until cold.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Form wafers by spooning 1 1/2 T of batter for each wafer onto baking sheet. Spread batter to about 5 1/2" rounds. Bake until golden, about 10-12 mins. Using metal spatula, gently lift wafer off paper (work quickly, while still warm). Place wafers over upturned glasses and mold gently around bottom of glass. Cool wafers completely.

Caramelized Mangoes:

1/2 C sugar
2 T water
1/3 C unsweetened coconut milk
2 mangoes, cut in cubes

Mix sugar and water over med heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until light golden color, about 5 mins. Add coconut milk and stir until smooth. Simmer about 1 min to thicken slightly. Add mangoes and toss gently to coat. Fill each wafer basket with coconut ice cream and cover with mangoes.

Spinach Ravioli

Dough:

2 C flour
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
1 T olive oil

Whish wet ingredients together. Slowly add flour until thick batter forms. Using hands, gradually mix in more flour until shaggy dough. Knead on counter until smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Filling:

1 t olive oil
142g fresh spinach
salt & pepper
1 C/235g ricotta

Drizzle oil into med-high saute pan. Add spinach, s&p. Saute 2 mins, transfer to strainer to cool. Coarsely chop. Once cool, mix with ricotta, s&p to taste.

Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll and fold dough 3 or 4 times, then flatten to 1-2 mm thick. Cut in half. Spoon 6 mounds of filling spaced evenly. Brush around filling with water (both sheets) and lay second sheet over top. Press edges to seal, squeezing out excess air. Cut into squares. Boil 3 mins to cook.

Sauce:

2 T olive oil
8 oz mushrooms
1/2 C soft butter
25 FRESH sage leaves
2 garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed

Cook mushrooms, oil, s&p over med heat about 10 mins. Remove from pan. Melt butter, add sage, and cook 1 min. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Place ravoili on plate, layer mushrooms, then sauce.

Funeral Potatoes

350F

1 kg hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
lge sour cream
1 can milk
dried onions
1 cup shredded cheese
salt & pepper
1 C crushed corn flakes
1/4 C melted margarine

Mix everything together except hash browns, cheese, corn flakes, and marg. Add cheese when everything is warm. Mix in with hash browns in a 9x13 pan or larger. Mix corn flakes and marg, and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake 45 mins, until bubbly.

Stuffing

350F

Fried sausage meat
2 bags bread crumbs
handful onion flakes
2 T poultry seasoning
2 C ish hot water

Sprinkle seasoning and onions over crumbs in a bowl. Mix in sausage. Drizzle in water and mix as you go until it clumps together, not too sticky. Double wrap it in foil, shiny side in. Bake 1 hr.

Rosemarie's Pumpkin Pie

425F

1 can pumpkin
1 C sugar
1 t salt
3 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
1 t ginger
1 t allspice
1 t nutmeg
2 cans of milk
4 eggs

Mix 1/2 can pumpkin, 1 can milk, all spices, sugar, and eggs in blender. Move to a bowl. Then mix the rest of the pumpkin with the other can of milk in blender. Mix all together. Place in unbaked shells (rolled VERY thin). Bake for 15 mins. Reduce heat to 325F and bake another ~35 mins, until knife comes out clean.

Cinnamon Rolls

350F

12 C flour
1/2 C dry milk
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C marg
2 t salt
4 eggs
4 C warm water
2 T yeast
1/2 C warm water

Sprinkle yeast in 1/2 C warm water. While that's rising, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of this mixture. Pour the rest of the ingredients into the well and slice into the flour mixture a little at a time until combined. Knead and let rise 2 hrs. Divide into 4 (freeze whatever you don't use). Roll out one section on floured surface. Spread with margarine, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up and slice into 16 rolls using thread (slide thread under roll, then slowly pull ends of thread past each other and pull tight). Spread pan with butter and brown sugar. Place rolls in prepared pan and let rise. Bake 17 mins. Let cool 2 mins, then tip out upside down so sauce is on top.

Mom's Roast

Rub roast all over with Montreal Steak Spice. Put a bit of water (~1") in the bottom of the roaster with 1-2 tsp beef boullion. Cook covered 2-4 hrs at 325F.

Gravy:
Add cold water to flour. Slowly add flour mix to beef water, stirring the whole time. Stir constantly until it thickens, then strain.

Caylee's Lasagne

350F

1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 lb cooked hamburger
1 T Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning
500 mls cottage cheese
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 1/2 t salt
2 T parsley flakes
2 eggs
Express lasagne noodles (red box)
mozza cheese slices

Mix together first 4 ingredients. In a separate container, mix together next 5 ingredients. In a 9x13 pan, layer noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese mix, mozza slices, and 1/2 of hamburger mix. Repeat. Cook 1 hr.

Monkey Bread

350F

1/2 C brown sugar
2 sticks butter (1 C)
2/3 t cinnamon
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (non-flaky)
1 C sugar

Cut each biscuit into quarters. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a large ziploc. Throw in biscuits and shake to coat. Place in a bundt pan. Melt butter with b. sugar in a saucepan or microwave, pour over biscuits. Bake 30-40 mins, until top is golden brown. Let cool 15-20 mins, place upside-down on a plate.

Round Steak Bake

300F

beef chunks
potatoes (cubed or small)
carrots
1 can tomato soup
1/2 can water
salt/pepper
1/2 t beef oxo

Mix all ingredients, place in a casserole dish. Bake uncovered 2 1/2 to 3 hrs, stirring occasionally.