Honey Garlic Drumsticks

Honey Garlic Drumsticks

 Honey Garlic Drumsticks

 Hi everybody :)

I know I'm getting off to a late start on blogging today, but better late than never :) Drumsticks are what's for dinner tonight. Today I took out of the freezer one of my favorite part of the chicken, drumsticks. I spotted the simple and easy recipe from one of Mr.Food ebooks, and had to give it a try. The drumsticks are roasted in a 400 degrees oven for 30 minutes, pasted with a sweet spicy garlic sauce and finish off for about 25 more minutes. Let's get it started...

Honey Garlic Drumsticks
Makes: 24 Drumsticks
Ingredients
24 chicken drumsticks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place drumsticks on 2 rimmed baking sheets and season with salt and pepper;
bake 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium microwaveable bowl, combine honey, garlic, 2 tablespoons chili sauce and hot pepper sauce; microwave 30 seconds and mix well. 
Remove drumsticks from oven and carefully brush with sauce (sauce may be hot).
Bake 20 to 25 additional minutes, or until no pink remains and juices run clear.  NOTE: You may want to make an extra batch of the honey-garlic sauce for dipping.

Source: Mr. Food's Piece-by-Piece: 20 Easy Chicken Recipes for Drumsticks, Thighs & More

What I Did and/or Think:
The only change I made to the recipe is in Bold, Italic, & Purple, and that was to add 2 tablespoons chili sauce.

The Taste: I love the slightly sweet, spicy, garlic taste of the drumsticks. The sauce was very good, I made extra to serve along side. This is definitely a A.G.R. (Another Great REPEAT!)

ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to: 
The Better Baker Weekend Potluck
Strut Your Stuff Saturday @ Six Sister's Stuff
Foodie Fridays @ Designs By Gollum  
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living  
It's a Hodgepodge Friday  
Miss Information: I Freakin' Did It Friday   

Garden Ranch-Styled Cheese-Its

Garden Ranch-Styled Cheese-Its  

Hi everybody :)

Have you ever tried making your own crackers before? Don't worry, I'm sorta new to the idea too, in fact the two crackers recipes I ever made were the Wheat Germ Crackers and Cheddar Pepper & Herb Crisps. They were fairly easy to make. 

Now I want to upped my game, if you know what I mean and try something a little more difficult but still fun to make.  When I saw the homemade Cheese-Its, I knew I found the one I will be making next. I chose Katrina's recipe because she uses shortening along with the  butter to help make it more crispy. A crispy cracker is always a better cracker in my opinion :)

Although, I did change up the recipe a little bit, I used a White Garden Jack Cheese in the place of the cheddar and here's what else I did...

Garden Ranch-Styled Cheese-Its

8 oz Garden Jack, grated
3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature(I used cold butter & grated it)
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning
2 Tablespoons ice water (I used about 1tablespoon)
Coarse salt for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon ranch dressing mix (dry)  for sprinkling

Combine cheese, butter, shortening, and salt in the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. The mixture will be crumbly. Mix flour and seasoning. Slowly add flour mixture and then the ice water being careful not to add too much, just enough for dough to come together.  

 Pat the dough into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (or longer).

Preheat oven to 375⁰F.

Using parchment paper or a silicone mat roll each disc to 1/8 inch or less and cut into 1 inch squares (a pastry wheel or pizza wheel is easiest). Use a toothpick to punch a hole into the center of each square.

Refrigerate for about 10 minutes, if you have difficulty separating and transferring the crackers onto the baking sheet (while you roll out the 2^nd dough disc).

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until puffed and browning around the edges.  Watch carefully you  want nice crispy crackers, not burnt. (Baking these on a Silpat for Bread also helps with the crispiness too.)

Source: In Katrina's Kitchen

What I Think:
The recipe wasn't as difficult as I first thought, the only timely part was cutting out the shapes. Preparing the dough is basically the same way you would make a pie crust dough. 

I love the possibilities of the recipe, by changing out the cheeses and/or adding a different seasoning will get you a whole new taste! I can't wait to try it with White Cheddar Cheese!

The Taste: I love the crispiness of the cracker, so much like the Cheese Its. GREAT! It's a A.G.R. (Another Great REPEAT!) 

Thanks so much to Katrina for sharing her recipe. If you want a Crispy Homemade Cheddar Cheese-Its, check out hers.

ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to:
Show Case Your Talent  @What's Cooking Love
Somewhat Simple Link Party Thursday 
Think Tank Thursday: Saving 4 Six    
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage 

Fantastic Thursday @ Three Little Chiefs

BYOB @ Roxana's Home Baking : Baking Your Own Bread  

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Hi everybody :)

I'm using the Super Pot again, this time I'm making Beef Stew. Sunday, while shopping at Walmart, I spotted a big family-sized package of beef stew meat.  Stew meat is made for slow-cooking because it's a tougher cut of meat, it cooks up tender and juicy in the slow-cooker.  

Beef Stew is definitely one of my favorite comfort foods and a great REPEAT for the Winter months. It would also be a great pairing for the Oatmeal Dinner Rolls. Since I'm preparing this in the Super Pot, dinner will be ready in less then 4 hours. Here's how it's done....

 Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
1.5 - 2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 - 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 package Lipton Beef Onion Soup Mix
1 - 2 cups water
3 cups diced potatoes (I used frozen)
2 cups slice carrots
2 stalk celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups green beans (I used frozen)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

Heat oil in the Super Pot to 375°.  Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add to pot in small amounts, browning it until all is completely browned. 

Mix the soup mix with the water.  Add the soup mixture and half of the onions to the meat. 

Turn pot down to 300° (this is the slow-cooking temperature for the pot). Cook until meat is tender (this took 2 1/2 hours in the Super Pot); adding more water if necessary. 

Add your vegetables and cook until tender; about 25 minutes. Thicken it with 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour, if needed. Cook an additional 5 minutes to thicken.

 ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to:
Recipe Sharing Monday @ Jam Hands
The Winthrop Chronicles Link Party 
Tuesday-Talent-Show:  Chef In Training  
Kathe With an E You're Gonna Love It  
Show Me What You Got Tuesday's at ODH
Titus 2 Tuesday  
Show and Share Wednesday Semi-Homemade Mom 
The Mandatory Mooch Tasty Thursday

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls: From Breakfast to Dinner

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls: From Breakfast to Dinner

Hi everybody :)

Well, I'm back with the second half of the Oatmeal Yeast Dough  to make the dinner rolls. I just love recipes with variations, don't you? This recipe have 3 variations of one yeast dough. 
The dough is also a great make-ahead recipe because it can be prepared ahead and frozen for later uses. 
 
I'm doing the plain dinner rolls today, the other one, Herb Swirled Rolls, is similar to the Herbed Oatmeal Pan Bread. If you're a bread lover like me, this one recipe can carry you from breakfast to dinner with minor changes to the base recipe. Now that I had my taste of delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast, on to the dinner version. Let's get it started...

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
Prep; 15 minutes
Rise: 1 hour: 30 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes

Oatmeal Yeast Dough  see pictures at Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls
2 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Bring 2 cups water to a boil; stir in oats and butter. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool to 110°. Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 2-cup measuring cup, let stand 5 minutes.
 
Beat oat mixture, yeast mixture, flour, salt, and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. (The dough will be very sticky, add more flour, if needed)
 
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface: knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts. 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk. (Can be frozen after this point; see 2nd. Note below)
 
Punch dough down, and divide in half; shape each portion into 16 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place evenly into 2 lightly greased 9- X 1 3/4-inch round cake pans. (I did 1 pan and got 8 balls making 8 Big Rolls.)

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
 
Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 32 rolls.
Note: Reserve 1 portion of dough for Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls recipe, if desired

Note: Rolls may be chilled overnight after second rising let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking as directed. Or, freeze up to 1 month after second rising, thaw overnight in refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature minutes before baking as directed

What I did and/or Think:

The change I made is in Bold, Italic, & Purple

The Taste: Just like the Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls, the dinner rolls have a soft fluffy texture. They taste their BEST warm fresh out of the oven, but can be reheated with great result! IT'S AN A.G.R. Ladies!  Another Great REPEAT!

For Herb Swirled Rolls:
Substitute 1/2 teaspoon each of freeze-dried chives, dried basil and dried rosemary for brown sugar and cinnamon or use 1 teaspoon each of fresh herbs. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, if desired Omit glaze. (I might make this one later)

ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to:
Melt In Your Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms 
Jaime @ Mom's Test Kitchen
Flour Me With Love: Mix it up Monday!
Keeping It Simple - Motivate Me Monday Link Party
Manic Monday 
Watch Out Martha 

BYOB @ Roxana's Home Baking : Baking Your Own Bread   

Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls: Breakfast Is Served

Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls: Breakfast Is Served

Hi everybody :)

I've been missing from posting these past few days because I have been sick with this sinus/allergy thing. I had a very bad sinus headache, but I'm feeling much better now. The weather changes brought it on, we're still having weird weather here, first it sunny and bright then it's cloudy, rainy, and cold... go figure. 

On to the post...

"Welcome to another Breakfast Is Served Sunday!" If you're just tuning  in to my post, every Sunday I try to post a Breakfast Is Served. The last Breakfast Is Served post was Pancake from a Homemade Bisquick Mix.

Today recipe is from an Oatmeal Yeast Dough, that can be used for plain or savory dinner rolls or sweet cinnamon rolls. I chose to make the latter for the Breakfast Is Served post. The other one I will share with you at a later time. 

The dough is prepared basically the same as all yeast doughs, the only difference is that the oatmeal is cooked and cooled down to 110° first, as with the Herbed Oatmeal Pan Bread. Here's how it's done...

Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls

Oatmeal Yeast Dough
Prep; 15 minutes
Rise: 1 hour: 30 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes

2 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
 
Bring 2 cups water to a boil; stir in oats and butter.  Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool to 110°. (This took about 25 minutes for me)
Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 2-cup measuring cup, let stand 5 minutes. (Mixture should have risen and bubbles and foam would appear at the top)
Beat oat mixture, yeast mixture, flour, salt, and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. (The dough will still be very sticky after mixing in flour, add a little more if needed )
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface: knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts. 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down, and divide in half; reserve 1 portion of dough for dinner rolls. (I will be sharing the details later)

Oatmeal Cinnamon Rolls

Prep: 20 minutes
Rise: 30 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes

Oatmeal Yeast Dough (recipe above)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
 
Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14- x 12-inch rectangle; brush with butter.Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. 

Top with pecans. (I added the pecans to some of the rolls after cutting) Roll up. jellyroll fashion, starting at a long edge: cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan. (They can be refrigerated and bake the next day at this point)

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

 Whisk together powdered sugar and milk; drizzle over warm rolls. Yield: 14 rolls. (I made 11 Big rolls)

Source: Southern Living 2001: Annual Recipes

What I Did and/or Think:
The changes I made are in Bold, Italic and Purple were adding the pecans to the top of some of the rolls after  slicing and adding 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to the glaze. 

The Taste: I love the soft fluffy texture the oatmeal provided in these rolls. They were absolutely DELICIOUS! A definitely REPEAT!

To Make-ahead: Prepare the rolls up to the 2nd rise, refrigerate overnight, the next day bake as directed. 

Stay tune! I'm using the second half of the oatmeal dough to make dinner rolls, which would be great served alongside a bowl of hot steamy soup :)

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to 
YeastSpotting! @ wildyeast 
BYOB @ Roxana's Home Baking : Baking Your Own Bread  
Sweet 2 Eat Baking: Sugar & Slice Sunday 
Scrumptious Sunday Recipe Link Party  @ Addicted Recipes
Think Pink Sunday @ Flamingo Toes Get Your Party On 
Everyday Moms Meals   
Nifty Thrifty Sunday  
Mop Up Mondays - I Should be Mopping the Floor 
Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks 
Weekend Kitchen Creations