Happy Halloween!

Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween! 

Sallee Shares: Easy, Last Minute Halloween Treats

       

Wow! Halloween is tomorrow! You have lost track of time and do not have any treats ready for your children's Halloween parties at school. Here are three websites/blogs that have amazing, budget-friendly treats for you to make for your children.

• Smart School House       Quick and Easy Halloween Party Treats 
• Look Me Pretty                Easiest Halloween Treats
• Princess Pinky Girl          EASY Classroom Party Treats

Stars and Swirls Cupcakes

No, it isn't July in October. These cupcakes were made for an after school family night activity. The activity theme was the Statue of Liberty. I volunteered to bring patriotic, red, white, and blue cupcakes to accompany the Liberty Punch that was being served.

The Cupcakes
Ingredients

• 3 boxes of vanilla cake mix - yield 6 dozen cupcakes
• Red, blue, and yellow Wilton cupcake liners
• Canola oil
• Eggs
• Water

Directions

• Substitute unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil.
• Follow box directions to bake the cupcakes.
• Cool the cupcakes completely

Stars

• Use the recipe below and make rolled butter cream fondant. 
• Using gel food coloring, tint half of the fondant blue and the other half red.
• Roll out the fondant and cut out stars.

rolled butter cream fondant

Silky Smooth Ivory Butter Cream Frosting
Yield: frosting to decorate 5 dozen cupcakes.

Ingredients
2 sticks of salted butter
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tsp. lemon juice, bottled
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water
2 lb. bag of confectioners sugar

Directions

• Place butter and vegetable shortening into a mixing bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on low speed, cream the butter and vegetable shortening together for 2-3 minutes until light colored and creamy.
• Add about 1/4 of the confectioners sugar.
• Beat with the mixer on low speed until well blended.
• Add another 1/3 of the remaining confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Continue to mix at low speed until the frosting is well blended. 
• Add 1/4 cup water and half of the remaining confectioners sugar.
• Beat until well blended.
• Add remaining confectioners sugar. 
• Continue to mix with the electric mixer on low speed. Add remaining water 1 Tbsp at a time until the frosting is the desired consistency for decorating. 
• If coloring the frosting, add food coloring now.
• Blend food coloring into the frosting until the desired color is achieved.
• Icing may be thinned slightly, but this is decorating icing and it should pipe easily from the bag and hold its shape well.
• Put a 1M tip into a pastry bag, fill with frosting, and pipe onto cupcakes. Begin on the outside edge of the cupcake and circle inward. End with the pastry bag perpendicular to the center of the cupcake and end with a star.

This is my favorite butter cream frosting to use for piping through a bag.

Small Batch Variation

 Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of vegetable shortening
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup of water
1 lb. of confectioners sugar

Follow the same directions as the large batch recipe. 

Busy Night Yogurt Flatbread

Hectic days and busy evenings have me searching for quick and simple recipes. 

Yogurt flatbread is made with five basics from my pantry.

1. AP flour (all purpose)

2. baking soda

3. salt

4. plain yogurt

5. canola oil 

This recipe is an official, pantry style recipe that makes eight rounds of flatbread. The flatbread rounds are then divided into thirds. Three times eight is.... twenty-four! That's right, twenty-four pieces of golden brown, crisp edged, homemade happiness on a plate!

Serve with hummus dip, marinara sauce, butter, jam, or use a whole round for pizza!

Better yet, in my opinion, is brushing the dough with melted garlic butter, sprinkle with mozzarella,or provel cheese, and bake until the cheese is bubbly.

Okay, I have to stop writing now because I am about to have a cheesy bread craving.

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt Use a dry measuring cup
• warm water
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place 1/3 cup of plain yogurt into a one cup liquid measuring cup. 
• Add warm water to measure 3/4 of a cup. 
• Stir until well blended.
• Pour vegetable oil on top of the yogurt water until the cup level is at 1 cup. Set aside.
• Place all of the dry ingredients into a one quart bowl.
• Add the yogurt water and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients.
• Stir with large spoon until the ingredients begin to form a ball a dough.
• Knead the dough for about 30 to 60 seconds. 

• The dough should feel slightly elastic and smooth.
• Divide dough into eight equal balls and place back into bowl. 
• Cover the bowl with a towel.

• Place a ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface.
• Flatten by hand into a round or oval shape.
• Roll with a roller to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. 
• Place the round on an ungreased baking sheet.

Rolled flatbread ready to have lines traced into each round, dividing them into thirds

• 
  Continue this procedure with each ball of dough.
• Lightly mark each flatbread into thirds with a knife. Do not cut through the dough, just trace light lines so the bread can be easily divided after baking. 

Baked flatbread showing the lightly marked dividing lines.

• 
  Place baking sheet(s) into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the flatbreads are golden brown. See picture. 

Yield: 8 flatbread rounds or 24 pieces of flatbread

SalleeShares: Hectic Week

My week has been hectic and filled with job activities, family activities, and a trip to the doctor. Yes, I have been on medicine for a week. Still not recovered, but hopeful that will be soon.

I will be posting next week. Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Hope all of you are healthy and feeling well. May God bless you and yours.

SalleeB

Cinnamon Glazed Pantry Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler Ingredients

½ c. butter or margarine                        

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar                                            

2 tsp. baking powder                                           

1 c. all purpose flour

¾ c. milk or water

2-29 oz. cans of sliced peaches, drained (4 cups of peaches)

Topping Ingredients

½ c. all-purpose flour                 

½ c. quick oats

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon            

⅓ c. margarine or butter, softened

Peach Cobbler Directions 

• Combine topping ingredients and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place 1/2 cup of butter or margarine into the 13 inch by 9 inch baking dish.
• Put pan in oven until the butter is melted.
• Remove from oven. 

1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine

• Sift sugar, baking powder, four, and salt.
• Mix sifted mixture with milk or water and pour over melted butter in baking pan. 
• Layer 3-4 cups of sliced peaches over the batter. I only use 3 cups of peaches. The remaining cup of peaches is usually packed in my lunch the next day. 

Melted butter, batter, and layered peaches ready to bake.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.
• Remove cobbler from the oven and evenly sprinkle topping over the top.

After 30 minutes of baking

Topping applied and ready to bake another 30 minutes

• Return the cobbler to the oven and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.
• Cool.
• Drizzle with Cinnamon Glaze
• Serve

Baked, cooled, and ready for the cinnamon glaze. 

Cinnamon Glaze Ingredients

1/3 cup butter, or margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 - 2 Tbsp. hot water

Cinnamon Glaze Directions

• Heat margarine in a saucepan over low heat until it is melted.
• Stir in powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
• Stir in water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until glaze is smooth and the consistency of honey.
• Drizzle over cooled cobbler. I like to put the glaze into a piping bag, snip the tip, and drizzle in a zigzag pattern across the cobbler.

Faye's Angel Biscuits - Updated 11/16/2014

I had never heard of Angel Biscuits until I was at a carry in dinner at church. One of the older ladies had brought chicken pot pie with a biscuit crust to the dinner. After sampling a spoonful of the potpie, I knew I had to know what type of biscuit she had used for her crust. The tender biscuit crust had a slightly sweet tang that perfectly complimented the chicken and pea filling. Ruth smiled when I asked her about the crust. "Angel biscuit dough is what I used."she said. Angel biscuits? Ruth explained that they were a buttermilk biscuit, but you added yeast and let the dough rise like a dinner roll.

I had forgotten about Angel Biscuits until I was browsing through my cookbook collection a couple of weeks ago. The title, "Angel Biscuits", caught my eye and caused my forgotten memory to emerge. Hmmm....there was no doubt that I wanted to make these biscuits.

The hubby is a yeast roll man. Bill likes my favorite biscuit recipe, but he isn't really crazy about biscuits. Tonight, I made a batch of Angel Biscuits thinking that this just might be the biscuit that Bill will love. Why? It is the perfect yeast biscuit to eat with sausage gravy, honey, or butter.

Faye's Angel Biscuits 

    

Yield: about 1 dozen

This recipe may be doubled. Use 1/3 cup of sugar. Do not double the 1/4 cup of water. All other ingredients are doubled. and will yield about 2 1/2 dozen biscuits.

Ingredients

• 1  .25 oz. package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup very warm water, 110 degrees to 115 degrees Fahrenheit
• 4 slightly rounded Tbsp. plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup of warm water
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening

Directions

• In a small bowl, Pour packet of yeast into 1/4 cup of very warm water.
• Let stand five minutes.
• Using a one cup measuring cup, measure 3/4 cup of very warm water.
• Add four Tbsp. of plain yogurt to the warm water in the measuring cup.
• Stir. Add more water if necessary to measure one cup of liquid. 
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Mixture should be at 110 - 115 degrees Fahreheit.
• Combine yogurt mixture with the yeast. Stir briefly. Set aside.

• In a one quart bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Add shortening and blend it with a pastry blender, two butter knives, a small wire whisk, or by hand until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Stir in yeast/yogurt mixture, mix well. A soft dough should form.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface
• Sprinkle flour onto sticky areas of dough.
• Knead dough lightly three or four times.
• Pat or roll dough to a half inch thickness.
• Cut into round biscuits with a floured, two and a half inch round biscuit cutter or sharp cookie cutter.
• Place biscuits on a lightly greased, twelve inch pizza pan, with biscuits barely touching.
• Cover with one layer of paper towels and let rise in a warm place for about one and a half hours.
• Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. Mine take 10 minutes in a preheated oven. 

Homemade happiness on a plate!

Update 11/16/2014 

An Alternate Way to Shape the Biscuits.

• Instead of rolling out the biscuit dough, divide your ball of dough into three equal pieces using your fingers to pinch off each piece of dough.
• Next, divide each ball in half  which results in six dough balls.
• Then, divide each of the six dough balls in half which results in twelve dough balls.

Ready to be sprayed with pan coat.

• Spray the cups in a cupcake pan with pan coat spray.
• Put a dough ball into each sprayed cup and turn it over once.
• Cover the cupcake pan and let the biscuits rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
• Follow the above baking directions.

Adapted from a recipe found in Recipes We Grew Up With. Recipe submitted by Faye Hintz, Springfield, MO.  Publisher: Reiman Publications. 

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Bill is not a fan of casseroles. However, this casserole won him over because the top layer is a hamburger, pepperoni, mushroom, and onion pizza. The bottom layer is a tender, angel hair pasta "crust".

My perfect bite contained an even amount of pizza layer and angel hair pasta. Wow, was my mouth happy!

Customize this recipe to make your favorite pizza in a casserole! Simply substitute a pound of your favorite meat, or a combination of meats. Make a supreme pizza by adding green peppers and black olives to your seasoned meat and onion mixture. The possibilities are endless.


Ingredients
8 oz. angel hair pasta, broken into thirds and cooked
1 pound ground chuck or sirloin
3-4 oz. pepperoni slices
1/3 cup diced onion
1 24 oz. can pasta sauce
6.5 oz can mushrooms, drained
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
8 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup
Directions

• Grease a 9"x13" casserole pan. Set aside.

• Break 8 oz. of angel hair pasta into thirds. Place in boiling water. Turn heat down to simmer and cook pasta for five minutes. Drain the pasta and place it in the greased casserole pan. Spread the pasta into a layer.

• Layer the can of pasta sauce over the pasta. 

• Place the ground chuck and onion in a skillet. Begin to brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

• When the beef is about half way done, sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper over the meat and onions. Work the seasoning into the meat and onions with a spatula. Work = stirring in with a spatula
• When the beef is almost done, add the mushrooms and pepperoni slices to the skillet. Stir briefly with a spatula until the mixture is well blended. Drain excess grease from the skillet.
• Layer the meat mixture over the sauce in the casserole dish.

• Put cheeses on top of meat mixture. 

• Cover with foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Your deep dish pizza casserole is ready to serve!
Edited 12/30/2016

SalleeShares: Work, Write, Time to Eat Out

Working full time and writing a blog is a difficult task. My goal has been to post biweekly. However, my goal has been reached sporadically since August 13, 2014;when I returned to work. Thanks for being patient.

Payday Dinner
Woohoo! Payday! Upon reaching home, I surprised my hubby by telling him I would like to buy his supper at JJ's, a local diner/drive in. Seriously, I didn't even feel like cooking, the pantry is bare, and going out was the best solution. Bill was surprised, but happy to go with me.

The Food
After looking over the menu and the posted specials, I decided on a fried shrimp dinner with fried okra and applesauce. Fried is rarely on the Bonham menu, but I decided to indulge myself.

Our food was amazing! 
The fried items were crisp, tasty, and not a drop of grease was to be seen. The okra and shrimp was perfection. The breading was golden brown and not the least bit oily. The okra tasted as if it had come straight from the garden. Kudos to the cook at JJ's in Belle, Missouri.