This recipe is so easy and is definitely one of our family favorites! It is so easy and quick to prepare. You can also double, triple or quadruple it!
Sweet Potato Souffle
3c. mashed sweet potatoes 2 eggs
1 c. sugar 1/3 stick margarine
1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased baking dish. Top with the following:
1 c. brown sugar 1 c. chopped nuts
1/3 c. flour 1/3 stick melted margarine
Mix thoroughly and sprinkle over souffle. The mixture will be crumbly.
Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.
I received an email from Jim, a reader who had purchased a Bosch Universal Plus. He had questions about my Whole Wheat Bread Recipe. He asked what type of yeast I use and where I purchase dough enhancer. I thought these questions might be of interest to others.
The most economical place in our area to purchase yeast is Sam’s Club. It is the Fleischmann’s Instant Yeast and costs $4.68 for 2 – 16oz bags. Once opened, I transfer the yeast from the bag to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It lasts for a long time!
While you may purchase dough enhancer, the most economical is the following homemade recipe:
Dough Enhancer
3/4c. lecithin powder or granules (available from health food stores)
3 Tbsp. pure vitamin C powder
2 Tbsp. ground ginger
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Use 3 Tbsp. of dough enhancer for a 4 loaf recipe. Adjust the amount when making more or less loaves.
If you are like me and love your coffee, be it morning, afternoon or night, you also enjoy biscotti. But also like me, you might not enjoy it as often as you would like because of the price. Besides that, most recipes are too involved and do not turn out quite right. Here is a wonderfully easy and good recipe. I will first give the basic recipe and then some variations.
Pecan Biscotti
1/4 c. butter 1 whole egg white
3/4 c. sugar 2 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla 3/4 c. chopped pecans
1 whole egg 1 egg white beaten (to brush on top)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix butter, sugar, salt and vanilla.
Add egg and egg white – mix well.
Add flour, baking powder and nuts. Stir well adding a bit more flour if needed to make a sticky but workable dough.
Form dough into a long log about 3/4 inches high and 2 1/2 – 3 inches wide and 15 inches long. Brush top with beaten egg white.
Bake in preheated oven 350F for 30-35 min.
Remove from oven and after a couple of minutes, lift log off pan to cutting board. Cut into bars about 1/2 inch thick.
Place bars cut side up on cookie sheet and return to oven. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes longer.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Variations: I have used all white flour and also used half whole wheat and half white flour.
Substitute maple flavoring for vanilla.
Add 1/2 c. dry fruit such as dried apricots to batter.
Any nut may be used such as hazelnuts or almonds.
There is nothing like fresh, homemade bread right out of the oven. Spread a slice with butter and honey – Mmm! you can not stop with just one slice!
We have been making our own bread for years. I use the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine which does an excellent job kneading the dough. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I start with wheat berries and grind my flour fresh, but this recipe works well with store bought, whole wheat flour.
Whole Wheat Bread – 4 loaves
Place in Bosch (or mixer of choice with dough hooks) and mix:
4 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp dough enhancer (Dough Enhancer Recipe)
5 c. warm water
1/2 c wheat gluten *
After mixed add:
3/4 c. oil
3/4 c. honey
Mix well and add:
3 Tbsp yeast
Add more flour (about 7 cups) to make a semisoft dough. Add slowly allowing to mix thoroughly after each addition. I add flour until the dough just begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. Then, knead 3 minutes. This gives the gluten a chance to develop.
After 3 minutes, turn mixer off and let dough sit for 20 minutes.
Knead 5 minutes.
Pour a little oil on the counter and place dough on the oil to rest for 10 minutes. I spread the oil around a bit with my hand. This not only keeps the dough from sticking to your counter, but also your hands as you remove it from the mixing bowl.
It is at this point that I must remember to make sure the dough is far enough on the counter and out of reach of little hands.
Shape the dough into loaves. I divide the dough into 4 equal parts, form each into a loaf and place in pans prepared with a nonstick spray. From the first picture you can tell that I do not spend a lot of time making sure each loaf is uniform in size and shape! Other bread makers in the family are better at this. I have never claimed to be a perfectionist, actually, I am more of an instant gratification personality. It really does not matter though – each tastes very good!
Cover the pans with a towel and let rise for 40 minutes.
Bake at 350F for 30 – 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from the pans and allow to cool, unless of course, you want to indulge in fresh, hot, honey-butter and bread!
*Gluten flour – I purchase mine using amazon gift cards I receive through Swagbucks. I found the best price to be had by setting up an automatic shipment – you can cancel at any time.
Pickled Okra is a wonderful addition to many meals. Our family especially enjoys it as a side to Cheese Fondue. Our daughter-in-law has made it for the past 2 years and shares it with us. Thursday, I made my first batch and it was amazingly easy. The following recipe calls for pints but I use quarts (2 pints = 1 quart) so you may adjust the recipe accordingly.
Pickled Okra
2 pints small okra
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp dill seed
2 whole jalapeño peppers (more or less as desired)
1 c vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1/4 c water
2 Tbsp salt (I forgot to add the salt!)
Boil jars and lids for 15 minutes to sterilize.
In a separate pot, bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil.
Pack okra as tightly as possible into jars. Depending on the degree of spiciness desired, cut out membrane and seeds from the jalapeño peppers. Leaving the seeds increases the zing! (That means it is too hot for me!) Add garlic, dill seed and a jalapeño pepper to each jar. 
Once the okra is packed in the jars, pour boiling vinegar mixture into each jar covering okra, dill seeds, garlic and jalapeño peppers. Leave 1/4 inch head space in each jar.
Place the lids and rings on each jar and place them in a water canner. Water bath (place in boiling water to cover and boil) for 10 min. Carefully remove from heat and allow to cool undisturbed. Store for several weeks before indulging. Serve chilled.
In the height of the summer garden produce, this is a family favorite. I usually use a combination of zucchini and yellow squash. I will give the vegetable recipe and then the chicken variation.
I usually quadruple plus this recipe – I really like having leftovers!
Vegetable Enchiladas (Serves 5)
4 c. zucchini/yellow squash combo
2 c. sour cream/yogurt (I use homemade kefir but the total amount equals 2 cups)
1 (10 3/4oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
3 c. shredded cheese (1 1/2 c. Monterey Jack and 1 1/2 c. Colby works well)
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
10 (10 inch) tortillas
1 c. shredded cheese – to sprinkle on top of enchiladas
Preheat oven o 350F.
Chop onion. Slice zucchini and yellow squash.
Saute onion and when translucent add squash. Cook until limp.
In a large bowl, mix sour cream/yogurt, soup, cheese, green chilies and pepper. I set aside a couple of cups to spread on top of the enchiladas before baking.
Mix cooked vegetable with the sour cream mixture.
Place 1/2 cup of mixture on each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 3 quart oblong baking dish. If desired, spread remaining sauce on top. 
Bake at 350F for 20 – 25 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and continue baking until cheese is melted.
Chicken Enchiladas
4 c. shredded chicken
2 c. sour cream/yogurt
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
3 c. shredded cheese
1 (4oz) can chopped greeen chilies
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
10 (10 inch) tortillas
1 c. shredded cheese – to sprinkle on top
In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, soup, 3 c. cheese, green chilies, onion and pepper. Mix well. (May reserve a couple of cups to spread on top of enchiladas).
Place 1/2 cup of mixture on each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in oblong baking dish. If desired, top with reserved sauce.
Bake at 350F for 20 – 25 min. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese and continue baking for 5 min until cheese is melted.
One of our family favorite delicacies is homemade doughnuts. You can not go wrong with them. Whether you glaze them, fill them with creme, use an icing, or eat them plain, they please everyone.
They are:
- fun to mix up
- fun to roll out
- fun to cut out
- fun to cook
- fun to eat
They are just a FUN food! They are a must for everyone to try! The following recipe reportedly makes about 2 dozen doughnuts. I am not sure about that because we triple and sometimes even quadruple it! And now, for the recipe …
Homemade Doughnuts
1 qt milk warmed
10 Tbs sugar
8 Tbs oil
1 Tbs salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg (opt. more or less to taste)
7 Tbs dry yeast
4 c all purpose flour
4 c whole wheat flour
Preheat deep fryer.
Pour milk into the bowl of your mixer. Add sugar, oil, salt and nutmeg. Add yeast last (the other ingredients help cool the milk so it does not kill your yeast). 
Add the whole wheat and all purpose flour and knead until well blended and dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
Place on oiled surface and prepare to roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. You do not need much oil, just keep the dough from sticking. We place oil on our stone dining table. This makes easy access for all the little helpers.
Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out. See what I mean about the little helpers!
We use a plastic glass for the large round and a smaller container for the holes. Just use whatever works!
Deep fry in oil at 375F. We use a deep fryer so I don’t have to worry about the temperature – the fryer does that for me. The doughnuts will float, so, after a couple of minutes, turn them to cook the other side. You want a nice golden brown.
We use a utensil such as a plastic cooking fork – not the small white plastic ones!
Drain on paper towel. That is what the recipe says anyway, but we use a clean towel on a cookie sheet (emphasis on clean!). Use the icing or glaze desired. We dip the hot doughnuts into a warm chocolate icing allowing it to drip and then place on a platter. Unless of course, a quality control test must be done and then it ends up in a mouth. It is definitely a family affair!
Then again, who needs a doughnut to dip – fingers work great!
Mmmm! There is nothing like a freshly dipped finger!
As you might imagine, with our size family and having pancakes almost every morning, we use a lot of syrup! Here is a recipe I found and use consistently with everyone’s approval. Unfortunately, I do not remember where the original recipe came from. I have saved two syrup containers (1 gallon each) and make enough to fill both at one time. It is easy, tasty and economical to make. The first recipe gives the amounts to make approximately one quart of syrup. The next amounts are my scaled-up recipe I use to fill two, one gallon containers.
Pancake Syrup
Small Batch (1 qt.):
- 2 c. warm tap water
- 4 c. sugar
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1-1/2 tsp maple flavoring
- 1/4 tsp butter flavoring (optional but very good!)
Large 2 gallon batch:
- 16 c. warm tap water
- 32 c. sugar
- 1 c. molasses
- 1 bottle maple flavoring
- 2 Tbsp butter flavoring
In a three-quart saucepan (for small batch) or a three gallon stock pot (for large batch) combine the water, sugar and molasses. Put the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir frequently until the syrup comes to a rolling boil. Watch the syrup carefully because it tends to foam and will boil over if your pan is too small. If this starts to happen, remove the pan from the heat and turn the heat down.
After the syrup boils, cover the pot and simmer it for ten minutes over low heat. Do not stir it for this ten minutes. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool. Stir in the maple flavoring (and butter flavoring). Store the syrup in a clean appropriately sized bottle or jar. I use a funnel when pouring to avoid a mess.
Whole wheat pancakes tend to be heavy but the following recipe is not! Making your own, rather than using a store bought mix, is both economical and healthier. Whether you use fresh ground or store bought flour, this is a great recipe!
We buy enough whole wheat berries in bulk to last for one year and store them in 5-gal buckets with oxygen absorbers. As needed, we grind the wheat berries to make flour and use it fresh. This way we have the nutritional benefits of fresh ground flour and the economical savings of buying at a reduced price of bulk purchasing direct from the grower.
We have whole wheat pancakes every morning during the week. No, we are not in a rut and we do have variety! Periodically, chopped nuts are included. On Fridays, we have raisins in our pancakes and on Saturdays we add chocolate chips! (On Sundays we have eggs and biscuits!)
This recipe works great with fresh ground or store bought flour and can also be used for waffles.
Whole Wheat Pancakes/Waffles 
2 eggs
3 c. whole wheat flour – heaping
2 oz oil
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 – 1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 – 3 c. milk (may substitute 8 oz powdered milk and 2 – 3 c. water)
***Optional ingredients: chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips
Preheat griddle.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Add eggs, oil and milk – stir until combined adding enough milk to make a thin batter. (If making waffles, add enough milk to make a thicker batter.)
Pour batter onto heated griddle and cook until browned turning once for a lighter pancake.
Serve hot with syrup, honey or jelly.
This is my favorite lasagna recipe. Please keep in mind, with a large family I multiply recipes for large crowds! The basic ingredient quantities are given along with variations that I have used successfully.
Spinach Filling
2 lbs Ricotta Cheese ( may substitute cottage cheese, I now use our homemade ricotta)
2 – 10 oz pkgs frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
Tomato Sauce
I use frozen tomato sauce from last years garden and add Italian spices. For a meat option, brown 1 lb ground beef or turkey meat and add to tomato sauce.
Assembly
In a 13 x 9 pan, starting with a bit of tomato sauce in the bottom to prevent sticking, layer: 
- Lasagna Noodles (Eggplant slices may be substituted and work great!)
- Spinach Filling
- Tomato Sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese (I now use our homemade cheese)
End with Mozzarella Cheese. Bake at 350F for 1 hour.
Variation: Since our eggplant did so well last year, I peeled it, sliced it and froze it. Now, I use eggplant slices instead of lasagna noodles.
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About Me 
God has amazingly blessed me, Dina-Marie, with a wonderful husband and 10 beautiful children. Moving from our "secure" life in Alabama to the "exciting" life of starting a vineyard in west Texas has been challenging to say the least. I have had the opportunity to take a crash course in frugal living and become a real farm girl - complete with milk cow and chickens. I have learned the importance of health from the inside out, "traditional" cooking and cod liver oil!
I hope to encourage you to make the most of where you are and what you have. |
