Homemade Fluffy Potato Cream Birthday Doughnuts

When my son announced he wanted doughnuts instead of cake for his birthday, I was almost insulted. I mean, what kind of pastry chef mom would I be if I didn't make my son a fantastically amazing awe inspiring birthday cake that would be the envy of every kid in school?! Then...he said the magic words, "Your doughnuts are a little piece of heaven." Awe crap! Sweet talking dimple cheeked boy! I'm a freaky pushover. So, doughnuts it is. I get a lot of requests for a fluffy creamy doughnut recipe, so I thought I'd share the ol' perfect potato doughnuts of love and joy. Ohm... 7th heaven. Truth be known, I developed this recipe so I didn't have to buy daggum doughnuts at a local doughnut chain called KK...(you do the word association). 

The fact that my son wants to make doughnuts with me for his birthday, is pure heaven to me. I doubt I'll be the center of his universe forever...and I can feel his childhood slipping away every day. Sniff sniff. Dang. I need a Kleenex. I don't even want to think about him growing up. I don't.
I learned something today. I didn't know before, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Tues the 16th of February is traditionally the day to make "Fastnachts" AKA potato raised doughnuts and eat until you're stuffed. Heather, my science teacher friend who's been to Space Camp, was kind enough to share this article with me. (here ) I had no idea I was joining the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition by doing potato doughnuts today. So, there you go. Somewhere in the "Great Beyond", one of my German ancestors is smiling down on me...and I am most joyfully smiling back. My recipe is slightly different, but still very similar. So...we may be on to something!

Tess' Yeast Raised Potato Doughnuts

•2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
•1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt, milk, or butter added)
•1/3 cup sugar
•1 packet active dry yeast ( 2 1/2 tsp)
•6-1/2 cups flour
•1-1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

•6-8 cups vegetable oil for frying

Chocolate Birthday Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

4-5 T hot water

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Equipment:

Large 2 gallon bowl, Mixing spoons, measuring cups, Deep (3-4 inch) 12 inch Dutch oven or Heavy skillet for frying, 2 inch biscuit cutter, extra flour for counter top, rolling pin

Directions:

Combine the water, potatoes, sugar and yeast and allow yeast to start to bubble, about 5 minutes. Add 3-4 cups flour, salt and nutmeg. Stir well. Add remaining flour until dough is soft, but not sticky. Knead 3-5 minutes by hand until smooth. Do not knead as long as you normally would for bread, it will be a nice loose dough. Form into a ball. Place in clean large two gallon bowl. Cover and allow to raise until double in size, about 2 hours. Expel air from dough and transfer to a well floured counter top, like so...

Gently roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick, checking frequently that the dough is not sticking to the counter top.

Firmly press cutter into the dough.

A little secret, in between each cutting, if you lightly dip the cutter in flour, it won't stick.

Place doughnuts on a lightly oiled sheet pan. The traditional way to make these, I've been told, is to do so without a doughnut hole! So there...I'm not breaking tradition. Allow them to raise 40-50 minutes, until very fluffy.

Leave the doughnuts uncovered and allow them to raise while you prepare the whole frying area. We don't do this very often...so it's kind of a big deal. First, make sure you have a pan lined with clean paper towels.

Now, place your oil in the Dutch oven or large heavy deep frying pan (mine is 4 inched deep). This is where you tell the kids to just leave the kitchen or they will die. Okay...that may be pushing it...just tell them it's safer if they don't stay in the kitchen for this part. Heat your oil to 365 degrees. Very gently transfer the doughnuts to the oil one by one. I use slotted metal spatula for this. Brown on one side about 3 minutes...

Very gently turn over. I use a slotted spoon and always turn the doughnut over so if it splashed it would splash away from me. I've been married to a safety specialist too long huh? Cook 2-3 more minutes. By the way, my 12 inch frying pan can fry 12-15 of the two inch doughnuts at a time.

Place the cooked doughnuts on the clean paper towels to cool.

To make the frosting, combine the frosting ingredients in a medium size bowl until smooth.

Smooth and shiny.

Now, mercilessly plunge the head of the doughnut into the mud bog and scream, "die you evil demon..." Or you can just put the doughnut in there like a nice person. You will however have to press it down slightly into the frosting and twist it around in a circle like a Jr. High bully in the boys lavatory giving a swirly. Best to get it out of your system on the doughnuts and not on your cat. Oh for heck sake, I'm kidding. No way I'd waste the frosting on a cat.

Tenderly raise the doughnut out of the frosting, allowing the extra frosting to drizzle from the fluffy chunk of fried heaven in a oozing steady stream of sable goodness.

Place on a tray. Repeat. Oh, if you want sprinkles...and I know you want them...it is best to sprinkle right away. Not 10 seconds, after you frost, but right away. The frosting will get a thin candy shell on it. Oh yes. Like an M&M candy. Face wanted green and blue sugar sprinkles. At first I was a little weirded out by the color choice. However, now I'm thinking they are way too cha-cha for words. Totally retro.

They tasted incredible. They always do.

Happy Birthday Face. Seven years have never been more sweet.

There you go.

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Homemade Horchata (Mexican rice drink) mix

Happy Birthday Face! This is one of my son's favorite drinks. It seems like a perfect post for his birthday and for Mix Monday.
Sometimes, as a kid, we had to drink re-hydrated milk. I don't know if it was the fact that my brother the Professor went through a good two gallons a day as a teenage boy and threw off the family food budget with his baby cow-like ability to suck down the moo-juice, or what. I just know that usually by the end of the week, we had a couple of days of the dry stuff...until pay day. It is what it is, right folks? You do what you have to do to make it work. That is why, I thought I would bring you something kind of cool that I have learned down here in Arizona. It's a delightful drink that helps us stretch the food budget a little.

Admittedly, before I lived in the Arizona surrounded by wonderful Hispanic friends and neighbors, I had never heard of this drink. If today is the first time you've ever seen it...don't feel badly. It's a wonderfully fresh and light tasting drink that reminds me of all the comforting cinnamon-vanilla flavors of joy in rice pudding...except not thick, and not lumpy. It also doesn't take 3 hours to bake in a slow oven. In fact...it's pretty much instant. I like to keep a good supply of the mix in my food storage area. Why? Well, my kids love it. Ace, my husband, drinks it by the gallon (and it saves my food budget since he'll drink it instead of gallons of milk). The perk...I can also make it without milk by using soy milk in place of the milk powder, so it's a nice all around family pleaser. Now I can't drink milk...it makes my eyes puff up like I stuffed marshmallows under my eyelids. We've talked about that lovely picture before. The nice hot Arizona thing about this drink is that it is served chilled over ice...and it's fantastic.

Here's the deal...if you don't live in the Southwest, it may be hard to find the pre-made mix. If that is the case, you can still make the mix and try it out. If you have a grain mill, you will first need to make some rice flour. Instant rice flour can be made using uncooked still dry "minute rice". The rice starch is pretty much cooked so it will be nicer to your grain mill. If you don't have a grain mill or access to the instant rice flour, I have included a link that you can purchase it online. It's about two bucks. Two. Not bad. That makes a boat load of mix dude. If you want to get gourmet lookin' you can put 1/2 of a vanilla bean and a stick of cinnamon in the mix instead of using the vanilla/ground cinnamon. You'll need to remove the bean and stick when you mix up the drink to serve it. The advantage to that is that you will have a nicer flavor and be able to use that vanilla bean to flavor sugar later on. My only advice is to store the mix about 3 weeks before you use it in order to give the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick a chance to work their magic. If you use the ground cinnamon and regular vanilla, it's ready right away.

The Horchata mix:

For a 1/2 pint jar (one cup plus 1T) that will store and be yummy for about 2 years

yield 2 quarts of prepared drink:

3T dry nonfat milk powder (or dry soy milk powder)

2T rice flour

3/4 cup sugar (or spoonable natural xylitol/ or not natural...splenda)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine well in a bowl and put in a pint size mason jar. Seal with directions for long time storage, or just put in sandwich size bags for more "everyday" use. It will depend on your family needs.
Pint size mix (yield 1 gallon drink)

6T dry non-fat milk

1/4 cup instant rice flour

1 1/2 cup sugar (or "spoon able" natural calorie free xylitol/or not natural"spoon able" Splenda)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

To prepare 2 quarts:

Combine mix with 1-2 cups warm (not hot)water and a whisk in a 2 quart pitcher. When combined well, add cold water, enough to equal 2 quarts. You need to chill for about an hour, or serve over ice.

Rice Flour - Harina de Arroz Tres Estrellas 17.6 oz.
HORCHATA DRINK OR AGUA DE HORCHATA

The company recipe reads:

Blend a cup of milk mixed with 2 tbsp of Tres Estrellas Rice Flour, a cinnamon stick and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Straining all thru a fine colander, mix everything together in a 2 QTS pitcher with water; add ice and sugar to taste. Serve and enjoy! (You may substitute condensed milk instead of regular milk and sugar).

There is also this Certified Organic Horchata Mix by Maria Elena's Aguas Frescas that's about 4$ for a mix that makes 1 1/2 quarts of drink. I think if you make your own mix from organic ingredients...I'm just saying. It could probably be made much cheaper. You can use fructose instead of sugar. You can sweeten it with stevia or xylitol for a 100% natural alternative that is low in calorie. What do you think? I'm giving you some ammo here.
There you go.

Answered Prayers

"I feel my Saviour's Love...the Love He freely gives me."
Well, I guess I can tell the rest of the world what we've been dealing with around here the last few weeks...now that the scariest part is over. After several weeks of headaches, I had some tests...a brain scan came back that was rather disturbing. We didn't tell the kids until we had something to tell them, if that makes sense. All that Face knew was that mom had a bad headache. I'd find him asleep with his little hands clasped together like this, knowing that the last thing I had heard him say before he dozed off was "Heavenly Father, mom needs to have her headaches go away." How many times did he say that prayer? How many others joined him? I'm not really sure of the exact number, but I want to say thank you. I've had countless emails of love and support from family and friends. Our prayers have been answered in a wonderful way. We do know that something is there, but it is benign. We don't have a definite time frame for when the headaches will go away...but we do know it isn't life threatening. I will be fine. We don't know how long it will take to get there, but we do know it will happen. How do we know, because Jesus Christ is the Great Physician. If anything can be made whole, it can happen through Him. Thank the Lord this day for a prayer that was answered in a way that we wanted...but if not, we would have gone forward. Or in those famous words..."come what may, and love it." God bless this day as a day of Love. The love of God and of all man. I'll wipe the tears out of my eyes and look at this picture of my son praying for me. God's own Son was praying for me too in that Garden long ago...and that has made all the difference.

Double Chocolate Baguettes for Evil Tara

The winner of the EatSmart Scale is...Shae Check! Congratulations!! Please send me your mailing address and I will get that out to you as soon as possible. Anyone who didn't win, don't worry, we'll be having another great giveaway next week!

Now...on to today's Saturday challenge. Coming up on Valentines Day. I am without speech for the first time in several years. Really. The Evil Think Tank is under seige and only we can save it. The ETT being the place where Evil Tara and Evil Tess come together with our mega brains and create. Only this time, I was alone in the bat cave. Yesterday Evil Tara posted a challenge to me. How do you make chocolate bread baguettes studded with chocolate chips? My first thought was, " well, I don't want any burning chocolate chips". I'm officially weird. I don't think those little chips should stick out enough to ever be a black nub on the chocolate baguette of love. Am I right? Anyone with me? If I have chocolate in my bread, I want it protected. It should be enveloped in an ion shield. So, that's what I did. I strapped on my super-cape, protective wrist bands and electronic super-spy belt buckle. Gold and shiny as they are, I was still able to bake. Mission complete. The only little chocolate chips to escape at all are the ones that peeked through the slashes on the top. So...how do we get this bread. Come to my bakery of course! Wait...I don't have one right now, so that won't work. I guess you'll just have to make your own.

Chef Tess Bakeresse's Double Chocolate Baguettes yield 2
12 oz luke warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees) 1 1/2 cups
1 T. active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 lb 12 oz bread flour ( 5 1/2- 6 cups)
4 (1 oz each) unsweetened bakers chocolate squares
1 T espresso powder (or Pero for the Mormon ladies)
2 tsp salt
4 oz unsalted butter, (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs (1/2 cup)
1 T double strength vanilla
8 oz, high quality chocolate chips


Combine the butter and bakers unsweetened chocolate and melt slowly over a double boiler or in the microwave 15 seconds at a time. Stir often as to not burn the chocolate.

Stir and stir. Try not to imagine yourself as a one inch version of yourself floating away in a chocolate jacuzzi with Edward Cullin...he is fictional character. He will never love you.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, brown sugar and about 1 cup of the flour. When the chocolate mixture is completely melted, allow to cool so that it doesn't feel warm to the touch. Mix into the water flour and yeast mixture. Add the salt, vanilla, eggs and remaining flour, reserving about 1/2 cup of flour. Knead by hand 5-7 minutes until a soft supple dough is formed. It should look like this.
Very little if any flour is needed to keep this dough from sticking to the work surface if you have followed the recipe correctly. Place in a 2 gallon covered bowl and allow to raise about 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Punch down dough. Divide the dough in half.

Roll out into a 14 inch by 10 inch rectangle and spread half the chocolate chips onto the dough, leaving an inch around the outside edge. It helps to lightly roll a rolling pin over the chocolate chips to ease them into the dough. Be careful not to push them through, just nestle them in the dough...

Tightly roll the dough into a long log, encasing the chocolate chips. Don't make them longer than your sheet pans. I don't have a huge oven like I did in the bakery...so I had to make them short baguettes...like 16 inches or so.

I had a dream about an alien planet that was all cratered with chocolate chips like this. I think it was after I had eaten too many brownies.

When it is all rolled, be sure not to let any of those little cuties escape. Hey...an escaped nibblet. Ooop. I had to do a mercy eating...just so it wouldn't get burned in the oven. See how benevolent I am.

Place loaves seam side down on a lightly oiled sheet pan or pan lined with parchment paper. You can cover each loaf lightly with plastic wrap or place in an Unheated oven, lightly spraying it with a mist of water. Raise 1 1/2-2 hours, until very fluffy. Remove wrapping or take out of cool oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take one egg white and 2T water and whisk together in a bowl. Lightly coat the top of the bread with the egg mixture using a pastry brush.

Slash with a sharp knife lightly three times across the top of the bread.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until over 170 degrees with a meat thermometer.

When baked, the outside will be smooth and shiny. The inside will be studded with chocolate chips. Well, unless a few peek out through the slash marks.

There you go.

Green Chile Bacon Baked Macaroni with Significant Cheese

I bet a lot of you never thought you'd see the day when I made macaroni on my blog. I'm supposed to all "gourmet" and junk. La-teee-dah. Well, I wouldn't be an all American Gal if I didn't somewhere on my blog and in my freezer meal collection actually have some form of macaroni and cheese? Am I right? Yankee-doodle-doo! It's Freezer Friday and I am actually a little under the weather today. I want something comforting. Oh and, my ding-a-dang kiddos wanted macaroni and I just so happened to have this little frozen casserole pop in my freezer. Problem...most of my freezer meals call for "defrosting 24 hours"...well what do I do when that is the case? Pop. I just pop it out of the foil container and into my trusty stoneware microwave safe thingy-ma-Bob.

Hello Bob. See the ice in it's hair? Looks like New York City right now with all those blizzards. Yikes. Or a dramatic movie poster for Titanic...with Leonardo DiCaprio about to plunge into the icy depths of the Atlantic much to the sorrowful stunning red head holding his frozen fingers. I bet she wished she could've just "Popped this bad boy in the microwave on defrost for 10 minutes..." I'm just saying...

Then follow the directions for baking.

But wait, I guess I should give you the recipe for the luscious saucy macaroni with significant cheese and chunks of bacon nestled between tender noodles and caressed with roasted green chile, all topped with a light crunchy tortilla topping. Note to self...this may not fit into my normal "light and healthy" mold. My humble apologies well in advance. For the rest of you who sometimes delve into a hearty macaroni casserole...giving you the recipe now would be good, because then I can bake it. See it's still frozen a bit. I break it up once it's defrosted so it reaches the sides of the new pan.

Recipe. Here we go.

Tess'Chile Bacon Baked Macaroni with Significant Cheese
1lb elbow macaroni, cooked 7 minutes (yes, that's way undercooked...but you'll be glad)

1/2 medium onion

1 clove fresh pressed garlic

4 oz. bacon, uncooked, chopped

1 1/2 tsp Pampered Chef chipotle chile rub (or 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder, 1 tsp dry cilantro)

1/4 tsp cumin

6 T all purpose flour

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 cups milk

8 oz. shredded jack cheese

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 small can roasted diced green chile

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (restaurant style works best)

Directions:

In a large one gallon pot, saute the onion in with the bacon until both are cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for one or two minutes. There should be bacon fat in the pan. Add the flour and stir and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Add the seasoning, chicken stock, and milk. Stir well and simmer about 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy. Do not add the cheese yet!! Cooking cheese in the sauce will make the cheese sauce really grainy. You want it to be creamy and smooth. Right?

Remove sauce pan from the heat. Mix in the noodles, jack cheese and green chile. Taste it and add salt or pepper if needed. Yea, I know...the cheese will not be melted all the way, but when you bake it, it will melt. I swear.
Now, this makes 2 casseroles that serve 6 each. If you have a smaller family it can easily make 4 loaf size macaroni and cheese dinners. YES! 4 dinners! If you have teenage boys, one 12 serving casserole should do...for the next hour or so. Better double the recipe. I spread out the noodle mixture between the two casseroles and then divide the shredded sharp cheddar over the top then sprinkle with a little more chipotle rub or seasoning of choice.

At this point you can bake one for dinner tonight and freeze the second...or just freeze the whole wad. Whatever you want. I top mine with crushed tortilla chips. They get soggy in the freezer but will re-crisp when baked. To freeze, cover tightly with foil. Cool in the fridge and then freeze up to 2 months.

To serve: Defrost 24 hours (or ya-da-ya-da what we talked about at the beginning of this post).

Bake covered 375 degrees 35 minutes, then uncover and bake 10-15 more minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.

12 serving pan: Once defrosted, bake 400 degrees, covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes more.

loaf size pan: Once defrosted, bake covered 375 degrees 25 minutes, uncover and bake 10 minutes more.

Now I will slip into my beet-nick poetry reading:

What of the chile mac? (with reverence)

Silence...silence.

What of the chile mac?
Silence.

Silence evermore.

Swoon dramatically. Collapse.

There you go.

Started Potato Bread Ooo Laa Laa

Papas! Potatoes. Spud-nifticent creation. All hail the zee pommes de terre. Yup. We're making potato bread. I'm really excited about that. Can you tell? Well, look at this fluffy cloud of bread. What's not to love about a light luscious spud cake? Spud muffins are hot. My auntie Dorothea is the queen of puns. She used to do a whole spiel about potatoes. Or was it a potato peel? Participa'taters...anticipa'tators...pontifipa'taters. "The eyes have it"...

This bread is raised without the use of regular yeast...just potato starter. Once you have a potato starter you can bake forever and a day using just it in place of commercial yeast. So, my cousin String Cheese came over yesterday and I had to make sure she had an ample sample (see my rhyming skills...yeah, be impressed). This onion poppy seed potato bread is out of this universe bursting with homemade matronly goodness and glory. Praise be.

You will need to make some of the basic potato starter from Tuesday's post (Potato Starter "Everlasting Yeast"). From that point, let us proceed. The starter will smell nice and "yeasty". It will not smell sour unless you've let it sit for more than a few days. The beauty of this potato starter is in fact that it doesn't get too sour if you use it frequently enough, which for me means I get a nice long fermented dough that doesn't taste sour. Sometimes I just want a deeply intense earthy bread with a nice flavor, but not have it be a sourdough. I also happen to be to my core one of the most frugal people you will ever meet, at least when it matters most. I also know when to just blow the wad and get a quality product. Seriously, I have such a split personality in that sense sometimes. Buy a quality solar oven and grain mill (coming soon, I might add)...scrimp and save on ingredients by grinding my own flour and making my own starters, cottage cheese... I'm nuts. I also buy really good quality spices and extracts. I got a pedicure once. Like I say, I'm such a split personality.

Here's what the potato starter looks like. Cousin String Cheese got a jar full of it from me today. I'm cool that way. You know, giving away fermented potato goop is such an act of love. Really. Like valentines day for really quirky people. Oh hey speaking of Valentines...remember to leave a comment on the potato starter entry from Tuesday to enter the drawing for the EatSmart kitchen scale! You have until midnight Friday.

Chef Tess' Basic Started Potato Bread Ooo Laa Laa

yield 2 loaves

8 oz potato starter (scant 1 cup)

16 oz water (2 cups)

3.3 oz oil or melted butter (about 6 T)

1 lb 11 oz. bread flour (about 7 cups)

1 oz "everything bagel topping" (about 3T) (Remember the frozen dinner roll post?)

.2 oz salt (about 2 tsp)

Combine all ingredients in a 2 gallon bowl and knead by hand about 5 minutes, until smooth. You may need a little more liquid if your flour is really dry. Notice the weights on the recipe? That's a new feature. I'll be doing a lot more of that in the future for the pro-bakers out there who want to use my recipes. Notice the other regular measurements? Those are for the beginners who don't have a scale. Honestly, I love you all wherever you are in your baking. Smoooches.

Okay, form the dough into a ball and place in an ungreased bowl and cover with plastic or a lid. My dough was 90 degrees and my room was 75 degrees. At that temperature the dough took 8-12 hours to raise. Before you panic, realize that you can mix this dough at night before you go to bed, and whenever you wake up...it's ready to form into loaves. Easy stuff right? It can be done as early as 7 hours and as late as 12 hours, so there isn't a rush. Or, if you make the dough in the morning before you leave for work, you can form it into loaves when you get home. It takes 2-4 hours for it to raise into loaves to go in the oven...again it's very flexible for life "happening". I love that. If I want it for dinner, it's golden. If I want to bake it in the morning after running all my errands, I'll form it into loaves first thing in the morning and it's ready when I'm done with my 3 hours of running around. Nice...and it's flexible either way.

i love mom so much

Little man hopped on the computer while I was away for a second. Totally leaving that in my post. Oh, I also wanted to say that this Watkins bacon and onion dip seasoning is really wicked. It should never ever ever be put in your bread if you want the bread to remain uneaten. It's so good. 1 oz in place of the everything bagel topping is insane. Don't do it. It's too good. Shameless plug for the awesome folks at Watkins. Outstanding...outstanding. I love your stuff! http://www.wayneatwatkins.com/ Wayne's wife Laura is the best darn Watkins salesman I've met. Wait...she's also the only one I've met, but I loved her right away. Thanks Laura!

When the bread has raised and is ready to bake, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake 35-40 minutes until internal temperature of 165 degrees. Oh...I also really love replacing one cup of the bread flour with fresh ground cornmeal...this one was made with fresh ground popcorn.

With the everything bagel topping, you end up with this seeded wonderfully onion and garlic loaf.

So what do I do with the starter stuff now?

Your brilliant question has merit. It shows you are reading well...and I am in need of editing for beginner starter bakers. I've been at this so long sometimes I forget. OK.

Answer...add same amount as first recipe and mix it up. Allow to sit a couple more day. In this way, the portion that was left in your container is fed starch to keep being effective yeast, and the portion you put in your dough is raising your bread. You can make a double recipe of the bread and have just a little bit of starter left...mix this with a new recipe...same as the first, and there you go. It just continues.

Another bright question from a reader named Barb:
Do you keep the yeast in the refrigerator after it is made? If you do, how long in between feedings?
Good question! I usually keep it at room temperature if I'm using it often, but in the case of storage in the fridge, I would take it out about twice a month and refresh it. Meaning, use a portion for dough and the remaining refresh with more potato and water and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours. Then you can return it to the fridge until you're ready to use it again.
Any more questions? Keep them coming...I'm happy to answer.

There you go.
Be a participa'tater. Go make some.

Dude...That's Ace-ism

Random thoughts. My husband Ace says the wildest stuff. I've started calling them "Ace-isms" when he rattles off a "one liner" that makes so much simple sense it's almost scary. Here's a few. In random order, as random thoughts should be. Sometimes, I have to think about the word use and then...it's even more funny. Here goes.

1. "Perhaps you've never heard of me?"
2. "Nobody should pinch dad's nipples! I can't afford the swelling!"
3. "In my fourteen years of marriage to you, I have learned one very important thing about myself...I am an @#$%*&@!!"
4. "Things you will never see...Nessy, Big Foot, Elvis...and Ace passing up lunch."
5. " I recently learned that tomatoes are made of ketchup."
6. "If they're laying on the hoods of cars...they're not ladies."
7. Proudly... "Son, why did you poop on the toy Ford car?" (Ace worked at a GM facility for years).
8. Or his ever famous Random Email, "Because I'm so busy today, I only have time for the punch lines on these last jokes.
.....Oh, I thought you said beer nuts!
....Chickens don't drive!
....Heck if I know, she's a midget!"
9. "Ben Franklin didn't laugh at his own jokes?...He must not have been very funny."
10. "Gum I swallowed in junior high came out!"
11. "When a goat walks through your yard, it's over."
12. "You treat cars like you treat women...just do whatever they say."
13. "Ladies, I'm not a piece of meat."
14. "In my humble, yet accurate opinion..."
15. "I could've used a baby wipe!"
16. " Uh...officer...my weight is no longer accurate."
17. "If German rocket scientists are so smart, how come they've never been to the moon?"
18. " I look thinner on TV."
19. "...then her colostomy bag broke...they scrapped that car."
20. "No, it's not candy son, it's a suppository."
21. "...but you're not in the Ukraine Ron."
22. " I can't act like a grown up for long."
23. "They're from Macadamia."
24. "You named your kid after a weather man?"
25. "It's not going to make that noise much longer."
26. "Did you notice it's up-side-down?"
27. "This is what you've come up with?!"
28. "He had a Tweety Bird tattoo the size of my hand."
29. "After that zipper thing in Kindergarten, I take my time in the bathroom."
30. "He had a forehead like a drive in theater."
31. "Hitler wanted to take over the world because they needed the parking?"
32. " Why do I have to be the dumb one?"
33." Just keep going left until I say right."
34. "It's only hard 'til it gets easy."
35. "It's a dry heat... so is flame."
36. "He threw up with an accent."
37. "Vomit is very warm."
38. "They're chimpanzee strong!"
39. "That feeling you're having...it's called respect."
40. "Offering the chubby guy a cookie is profiling."
41. "I haven't had a hunger pain since 1982."
42. "That shouldn't be funny..."
43. "That yam scared the #@!! out of me."
44. "I'm not really a fighter either..."
45. "There's a joke in there somewhere."
46. "That's not for mixed company."
46. "It's only inappropriate if your mom hears."
47. It's not a secret, just don't tell anyone."
48. "I've never been this smart."
49. "There's nothing like sneezing."
50. " "Someone explain this to Jim."

That's all I have to say about that.

Handwashing saves lives.

I've recently been made extremely aware of a very important issue when visiting a hospital or care facility...or providing care at home. I think everyone should be aware of some simple things you can do to prevent illness. We have the resources. For more information on Health care Associated Infection, take a few minutes to watch this helpful video. It could save your life, or the life of someone you love. We all hear it, but how often do we really do it? I've been in the hospital several times this week. Once while visiting my newborn niece. A son with strep throat had me in a couple places. I'm always looking for those hand sanitizing pumps. Almost every chance I get, I'm sanitizing. I may seem like a germ freak to some, but on the other hand...you can never be too careful in these situations. Ha! Now I feel totally vindicated!
http://haiwatchnews.com/

Potato Starter "Everlasting Yeast"

Tutorial Tuesday we are also doing a giveaway. Did you get that? Okay. Just checking to see how close folks are reading. This is an EatSmart kitchen scale. In the past I've been all about making things easy for people who don't have kitchen scales for weighing and measuring stuff on my blog. Usually I just use measuring cups, but today for this particular starter I think we should be a bit more accurate. As a general rule, weight is the most accurate way to measure. In this case Potato starter around here is basically a yeast replacement that means, quite literally, you never have to purchase yeast again. Did that hit. What is the main expense usually when you make bread? That dang yeast packet right? What if that expense went away forever? Not that it's a huge amount of money, but if you only spend 50$ a year on yeast packets...I'm just saying. Potatoes are way cheaper.

The folks who make this scale where kind enough to have a give away on my blog. Isn't that cool? Here's how it will work.

1. Leave a comment to enter.

2. Tell your friends via your blog or face book about this giveaway and potato starter.
The price on the scale is so budget friendly, and they are just sleek and swanky looking. I'm so glad I got a red one!

http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precison-Digital-Kitchen-Scale/dp/B001N07KUE

Now...on to the yeast.

Potato Starter (basic everlasting yeast)

4 oz cooked potato, mashed smooth (about 3/4 cup packed) Cooled to room temperature.

1 cup water

1/8 tsp active dry yeast

Combine all in a one quart plastic container (or larger depending on how much you want to make) and keep at 75 degree room temperature for 2-3 days. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent boogie bugs from getting in there. Don't use metal. I don't reccomend it, in case you do take your sweet time using the start and it goes into the depths of sourdough. Eeek that would make a mess of a metal container.

I like to puree mine in a blender to start it really going. After the first puree you don't have to puree it every time, but I like to make the smooth stuff. It just morphs better into the dough. Morph...is that the right word? That's like what superheroes do when they go from their secret identity plain self into the Mega dudes, right?

In 2 days we'll check back with this so you can see how it should look, along with giving out some amazing recipes and ways to use that starter from here on out. Isn't that amazing? Now, if you're interested is joining along, get your potatoes cooked, mashed and started. Can you use instant mashed potatoes? Yes...just use 4 oz prepared...but don't use the butter or milk, just water.

Want in on the kitchen scale giveaway? Leave a comment and tell your friends. Winner will be announced Saturday morning. We'll be using the scale all week though, so it should be fun to show how accurate your baking can become by using a scale.

Potato starter will be used on Thursday in an amazing Onion potato bread with amazing depth and flavor. Don't miss it. Get that starter going. I dare you.

Curious about the EatSmart scale? Check them out at http://www.eatsmartproducts.com/

There you go.

Auntie Em's 5 Week Freezer Meal Menu and Shopping list

Just for fun I thought I'd shake things up by showing everyone how amazing my sister's list of freezer meal planning and shopping is. It's a longer post, but I think it's full of awesome information. Em is good for a home style meal that kids and adult will eat. She keeps me grounded sometimes when I rattle off a gourmet idea (and remind me that not every kid in America will eat roasted garlic like mine do). I don't know where she got some of the recipes or if they are all her own, but I know her family really loves them. Here's where I'm going to let everyone ask Em questions. She has a smaller family (3 people) so I know these recipes stretch pretty far for them. I get a lot of requests for smaller family recipes that everyone will eat. Wish granted my lovelies.

Here is an outline of a 5 week freezer menu with the recipes, labels for the freezer meals, and shopping list Em uses. I love how she does things in such an orderly way! Hopefully it helps. Print off this page and try it out. You can plug the menu into the days of the week as desired. She divides some of the recipes (note the duplicated "directions") and alternates throughout the month. She even allows for "surprise days" or "wild cards". They are listed in order:

Week 1

Chicken packets
Family Night Surprise
French Bread Pizza
Calzones
Chili Verde
Spaghetti
Wild Rice Chicken

Week 2

Mexican Stroganoff (recipe and shopping list not included)
Family Night Surprise
Balkan Meatballs
Marinated Flank Steak
Chicken Tetrazzini
Linguine a’ la Anne
Chili Hamburgers

Week 3

Baked Eggs
Family Night Surprise
Poulet de France
Chicken Packets
French Bread Pizza
Calzones
Wild card Night!

Week 4

Spaghetti
Family Night Surprise
Wild Rice Chicken
Mexican Stroganoff (recipe and shopping list not included)
Balkan Meatballs
Wild card Night!
Chicken Tetrazzini

Week 5

Linguine a’ la Anne
Family Night Surprise
Wild card Night!
Baked Eggs
Poulet de France
Surprise
Surprise

"Rough" Shopping List (Em based this on what she had on hand as well...)
Meat and cheeses:
lb bulk Italian sausage
1 c Parmesan cheese
4 c grated mozzarella
1/2 c grated Romano
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
3 oz pepperoni slices
12 c cooked chopped chicken breast
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 1/3 pounds flank steak
1 pound ground beef
1 c chopped ham
Refrigerated stuff:
2 pkg refrigerated crescent rolls
8 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
Veggies:
5 med onion
celery stalks
3 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
Canned goods:
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
3 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
3 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 (4 oz) can mushrooms stems and pieces
1 (12 oz) can evaporated skim milk
Dry goods:
1 (16 oz) package spaghetti
1 (12 oz) package linguine
1lb egg noodles( Balkan Meatballs)

loaf unsliced French Bread
1/ 1/4 c dry pinto beans
1 doz small tortillas
1 c long grain and wild rice mixture
1 1/2 c crushed seasoned croutons
6 c seasoned bread stuffing
6 slices bread (Italian, French or pizza)
4 hamburger buns
non stick spray
1/4 c red wine vinegar
ground ginger,ground allspice,
Containers
Gallon freezer Ziploc
1 quart freezer Ziploc
sandwich freezer bags

Recipes for creation
Spaghetti Sauce1 lb bulk Italian sausage 1 1/2 c finely chopped onions
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste 3 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes in pure 2 c water 4 T minced garlic 4 bay leaves 4 t dried basil leaves 2 t dried oregano leaves 2 t salt 1 (16 oz) package spaghetti
In a large pot, cook and stir the bulk Italian sausage with the onion until the meat is brown; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients, except the spaghetti. Bring sauce to a boil; reduce heat. Partly cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If desired, simmer in a crockpot instead of pot. Makes 12 c sauce.
After sauce has cooled, freeze 4 c (flat) for Spaghetti (makes 6 servings). Set aside 3 c for French Bread Pizza; set aside 5 c sauce for Calzones.

French Bread Pizza
1 loaf unsliced French bread (not sour dough)
3 c Spaghetti Sauce 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 c grated mozzarella cheese 3 ounces pepperoni slices
Slice loaf in half lengthwise. Spread Spaghetti sauce on (you decide how much), top with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan Cheese and pepperoni. Freeze on cooling rack for 4 hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bag. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Chili Verde
1 15 oz can cooked pinto beans, diced chicken breasts 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies 1 t cumin 3/4 t dried oregano 1/8 t ground cloves 1/8 t cayenne pepper 3 c water 3 chicken bouillon cubes 1 t minced garlic 1 t salt 2/3 c finely chopped onion 1 c grated cheese 1 dozen corn tortillas 1 (11 1/2 oz) jar salsa
Combine beans, chicken, chilies and seasonings, bouillon cubes, garlic, salt and onion in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Cool and freeze. Grate cheese, put in a 1 quart bag and attach it to the freezer container with the chili. Makes 5 servings (serve with corn tortillas and salsa)
Wild Rice Chicken
1 c long grain and wild rice 1 c cooked, chopped chicken 1 c finely chopped celery 1 1/4 c finely chopped onion 1 c light mayonnaise 1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Cook rice according to package directions. Combine rice with chopped chicken, celery and onion (which have spent 2 minutes in the microwave); put mixture in 2 1/2 gallon freezer bags and freeze flat. Makes 6 servings

Chicken Packets
2 c cooked, chopped chicken 1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 T chopped chives 2 T milk salt to taste 1/2 c crushed, seasoned crouton crumbs 1 recipe

Steph’s raised crust frozen pizza dough 1/4 c melted margarine

Mix chicken, cream cheese, chives, milk and salt in a medium bowl (mixing with hands works best) to make filling. Separate dough into 10 equal portions. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick, fill with chicken mixture and crimp edges. Flash freeze for 4 hours, wrap individually and place in freezer bag. Put crouton crumbs in another 1 quart bag, attach it to bag of chicken filling, and freeze them. Makes 10 packets.


Poulet de France
6 c seasoned bread stuffing 2 T melted margarine 2 c chicken broth 3 c diced, cooked chicken 1/2 c finely chopped onion 1/4 c minced chives 1/2 c finely chopped celery 1/2 c light mayonnaise 3/4 t salt 2 eggs 1 1/2 c milk 1 (10 e/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

In a medium bowl, mix stuffing, melted margarine and 1 1/4 c broth. Blanch onion, celery and chives in microwave for 2 minutes and Mix with chicken, 3/4 c broth, mayonnaise and salt in another bowl. Spread chicken mixture in bottom of 2 8x8 pans. Top with stuffing mixture. Whisk eggs, milk and soup in a large bowl. Pour sauce evenly over stuffing. Top with cheese. Freeze, pop out, wrap in foil and store in freezer bag. Makes 8 servings.

Chicken Tetrazzini
8 oz spaghetti noodles 1 1/4 c finely chopped onion…3 T margarine 1 c chopped green pepper 5 1/2 c cooked diced chicken 2c grated cheese 2 cans cream o mushroom soup 1 can milk salt and pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti 3 minutes less than directed on package. Saute onions and green peppers in margarine. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread in 2 8x8 pans and freeze. Pop out, wrap in foil and store in freezer bag.
Baked Eggs
6 slices bread, cut in cubes 2 c grated mild cheddar cheese 1 c cooked, cubed ham 1/4 c chopped green bell pepper 1/2 c finely chopped onion 6 eggs 3 c milk

Mix bread, cheese, ham, bell pepper and onion(which have spent 2 minutes in the microwave); spread in 2 8x8 baking dishes treated with nonstick spray. Whisk eggs and milk, and pour over top. Freeze. Pop out, wrap in foil and store in freezer bag. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Linguine A’ La Anne
1 (12 oz) package linguine 2 T margarine 2 T all-purpose flour 1/2 t salt 1 (12 oz) can evaporated skim milk 1 (4 oz) can mushroom stems and pieces, save liquid 1 1/3 c water 1 chicken bouillon cube 4 c cooked, cubed ham 1/2 c grated Romano cheese 1 sliced red bell pepper 1 sliced green bell pepper 1 T vegetable oil 1 c seasoned croutons

Cook linguine in a large pot 3 minutes less than package directions say to, drain, and return to pot. While linguine cooks, melt margarine in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and salt, adding evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add liquid from mushrooms, water and bullion cube. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly and slightly thickened. Add 2 c sauce and drained mushrooms to linguine, and toss until well mixed. Spoon linguine mixture into 2 8x8 inch baking dishes, pressing it up the sides to leave a slight hollow in center of dish. Toss ham, bell peppers (which have spent 2 minutes in the microwave) in remaining sauce; spread it in the center of the linguine. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Freeze. Pop out, wrap in foil and store in freezer bag. Makes 8 servings.
Calzones
1 recipe Steph’s frozen rise pizza dough 6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese 5 c Spaghetti Sauce

Divide dough into 10 equal parts One at a time, roll each dough square until 1/4 inch thick; place one cheese slice, 1/4 c sauce and pinch edges to seal. Freeze on cooling rack for 4 hours. Place each turnover in a small sandwich bag. Put 5 turnovers in a 1 gallon freezer bag. . Makes 10 servings

Marinated Flank Steak
1/2 c vegetable oil 1/4 c soy sauce 1/4 c red wine vinegar 2 t Worcestershire sauce 1/2 t ground ginger 1 t minced garlic 1 1/3 pounds flank steak

Mix first six ingredients for marinade. Put flank steak in a freezer bag, pour marinade over it, seal bag, and freeze. Makes 4 servings
Chili Hamburgers
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey 2 T finely chopped green bell pepper 1 T minced onion 1 T chili powder 1 T chili sauce 1/4 t black pepper 1/2 t salt 4 hamburger buns

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except hamburger buns. Shape into 4 hamburger patties. Freeze in a large freezer bag, with waxed paper between each one. Makes 4 servings
BALKAN MEATBALLS
1 egg 1/4 c milk 1/3 c crushed seasoned croutons 3/4 t salt 3/4 t sugar
1/4 t ground ginger 1/4 t ground nutmeg 1/4 t ground allspice 1 1/2 pound lean ground beef 1 c finely chopped onion 1 recipe Steph's€™s Freezer White Sauce 16 ounces wide egg noodles.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat egg with milk. Mix in the crushed croutons, salt, sugar and spices. Add beef and onion; mix thoroughly. Shape meat mixture into 15 walnut sized meatballs and place on rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove from pan and freeze on cooling rack lined with wax paper. Prepare Steph's Freezer White Sauce and freeze flat in two 1 quart freezer bags. Remove meatballs from freezer and divide between two 1 quart freezer bags. Place one bag of white sauce and one bag of meatballs together in a 1 gallon freezer bag.
WHITE SAUCE (FREEZABLE, STEPH’S RECIPE)
4cups whole milk 6-8 T flour(do not use cornstarch--it will not hold thickness after being frozen) 6T butter 2 clove fresh pressed garlic 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper
In a most perfect and wonderfully heavy saucepan melt the butter and add the flour cook a few minutes stir and stir and stir add the garlic and stir about a minute. Add the milk and simmer, stirring every few minutes for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until it is all melted and thick and white and yummy like a good white sauce. Taste. see if it needs salt. Add pepper. You may also fold in Parmesan. Freeze flat in two 1 quart freezer bags.
To use: Thaw and whisk (mixture will be lumpy until whisked) over medium heat until warmed through and smooth. Remove from heat and pour over your intended dish.

Cooking Directions For Final Use

Spaghetti: to prepare for serving: thaw sauce, and heat in a medium saucepan. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, and pour sauce over them.
Spaghetti: to prepare for serving: thaw sauce, and heat in a medium saucepan. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, and pour sauce over them.

French Bread Pizza: Bake in preheated 450 oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through
French Bread Pizza: Bake in preheated 450 oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through

Chili Verde: Thaw chili and cheese. Simmer chili 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top chili with salsa and grated cheese; serve on warmed corn tortillas


Wild Rice Chicken: to prepare for serving, thaw rice and chicken mixture, remove from bag and place in a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Stir mayonnaise and condensed cream of mushroom soup together and spread over top of chicken. Bake covered in a preheated 325 oven for 1 hour.

Wild Rice Chicken: to prepare for serving, thaw rice and chicken mixture, remove from bag and place in a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Stir mayonnaise and condensed cream of mushroom soup together and spread over top of chicken. Bake covered in a preheated 325 oven for 1 hour.



Chicken Packets: . Dip each packet in melted margarine, and coat with crouton crumbs. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Packets are good either hot or cold.
Chicken Packets: Dip each packet in melted margarine, and coat with crouton crumbs. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Packets are good either hot or cold.

Poulet de France: To prepare for serving, thaw chicken dish. Bake covered in a preheated 325 oven for 40 minutes.
Poulet de France: To prepare for serving, thaw chicken dish. Bake covered in a preheated 325 oven for 40 minutes.

Chicken Tetrazzini: To prepare for serving, thaw dish, and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil, stir to bring colder food in center to the outside; bake 20 minutes more.
Chicken Tetrazzini: To prepare for serving, thaw dish, and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil, stir to bring colder food in center to the outside; bake 20 minutes more..

Baked Eggs: to prepare for serving, thaw dish, and bake uncovered in a preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes.
Baked Eggs: to prepare for serving, thaw dish, and bake uncovered in a preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes.

Linguine a’ la Anne:To prepare for serving, thaw dish,. Bake dish uncovered in a preheated 400 oven for 20 minutes.
Linguine a’ la Anne:To prepare for serving, thaw dish,. Bake dish uncovered in a preheated 400 oven for 20 minutes. .

Calzones: To prepare for serving, take frozen turnovers out of bags and place them about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet sprayed with a nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350 and then bake for 15 minutes. Turnovers will be golden brown when done.
Calzones: To prepare for serving, take frozen turnovers out of bags and place them about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet sprayed with a nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350 and then bake for 15 minutes. Turnovers will be golden brown when done. .

Marinated Flank Steak: To prepare for serving, thaw flank steak, remove from marinade and barbecue 8 to 10 minutes per side; or set oven control to broil and/or 550. Broil steak 6 inches from heat until brown, turning once, about 6 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other. Cut steak across grain at slanted angle into thin slices.


Chili Hamburgers: To prepare for serving, thaw patties and hamburger buns. Grill or fry patties to desired pinkness in center. Serve on warmed hamburger buns

Balkan Meatballs:
To use : Thaw sauce and meatballs in fridge or microwave. Whisk white sauce (mixture will be lumpy until whisked) over medium heat until warmed through and smooth. In the meantime, microwave meatballs until warm. Cook noodles and distribute between three plates. Top noodles with 5 meatballs each. Remove white sauce from heat and pour over all.

Millions of thanks to Auntie Em for this very useful post! Smooooches!

Bread of Life Section...Popcorn

It's been a few weeks since I did a Sunday post. I'm not perfect. There...I said it. Now you can go on with life knowing yet, another, imperfect human. I had a wake up call this week, so I remembered to write a Bread of Life post. I got a lot of popcorn. What? Are you confused? Me too. All I know is that sometimes in life, we are faced with opportunities that make us uncomfortable. If we where popcorn, it would probably be hot and down right painful to be exposed to that oil and heat needed to make us burst out and become our best selves. Something appealing to behold happens when the popcorn finally reaches it's fullest potential. My personal popcorn moments have resulting in a lot of soul searching, prayers, and down right humility hitting me right in the forehead. Can I be grateful that God has seen fit to add a little heat and oil to my life? Yea, I guess I can be. I can embrace the challenges ahead. As long as I know the One in charge of the heat will never give me more than I can withstand.

Never doubt the Lord is in charge. All things work together for your good...always. Even trials turn into blessings, though at the time, they may seem almost too difficult to bare. It is my testimony that God is aware of us. Always. Isa 49:10 " They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them, for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them."

All is well my friends. God Bless.