Crescent Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 cups of milk

3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 egg

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons yeast

2 cups of warm water

about 9-10 cups of all purpose flour

at least 1 cup of butter

Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster.

We are going to add yeast to this hot mixture, but it will be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in (it would kill it!). To cool it down stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.

**Keep track of how much flour you are adding!!!

Make sure your milk mixture is just warm, not boiling and add the yeast mixture!

Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier). I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.

At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it raise.

Let the dough raise until it has doubled in size.  When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside.

Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.

Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.

Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter.  Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. You should end up with 12 triangles from each circle of dough.

Roll the dough starting with the wide end of the triangle.  Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will get a total of 48 rolls!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes, It may take longer depending on how hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second.

While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.

(http://www.howdoesshe.com/delicious-dinner-rolls/)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

(http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/02/24/peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/)

Blueberry Sauce/Syrup

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups blueberries

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened. Add the blueberries and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. You can either mash or blend the berries (like for syrup) or leave them whole (to use as a topping). Serve warm and refrigerate the leftover.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Monster Cookies

1 c. margarine
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
3 c. peanut butter

Cream until smooth.

Add 6 eggs, beating in 2 at a time.

Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. corn syrup

Mix in:
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
9 c. oats

Stir in 1/2 lb M&Ms and 1/2 lb chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet and flatten with fork.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

California Rice

4 c. cooked rice

2 c. sour cream

1 c. cottage cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 c. shredded sharp cheese

7 oz diced green chilies

1/2 c. diced onion

Saute onion.  Mix other ingredients and put in 9x13 pan.  Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

From Alaney

Cranberry Spinach Pasta

1 box penne pasta

Craisins

Handful fresh spinach

2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (we grilled ours and then cut it into strips)

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2-2 cups heavy whipping cream or milk

1/2 of a regular container of parmesan cheese

pepper, garlic powder and salt to taste

Boil penne pasta till aldente.  Heat whipping cream or milk, butter and cheese in a saucepan until cheese and butter are melted.  In a large bowl mix pasta, crasins, chicken, and sauce. When about ready to serve mix in spinach or serve with spinach on top of pasta.

From Julie

Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.  In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.  Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.  Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)  When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end. 

(From http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/baked-lemon-pasta/)