Artisan Bread in the Deep Covered Baker

 This is a fantastic bread recipe and very easy.  Prepare the dough in the evening and let it rise overnight.  Need it and let it rest another 2 hours and bake. 

I made this bread two days in a row it was so good!

YUM!

Artisan Bread in the Deep Covered Baker

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups tap water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ½ cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Liberally flour a Pastry Mat using the Flour/Sugar Shaker, and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself 3 or 4 times. Fold the 2 sides of the Pastry Mat over the bread and let it stand on the counter for 2 hours to rise.

3. 1 ½ hours into the 2 hour rising time, preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the empty Covered Baker with lid on in oven for 30 minutes. You want the Covered Baker blazing hot. Dump the dough into the Covered Baker, put the lid on and put back in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes then take the lid off. Bake for few minutes until the bread is golden brown on top. Cool on a rack. OK, go ahead and eat it. We don’t have the patience to let it cool in our house either.

If you buy the 50 lb bag of bread flour and the yeast in bulk at Costco ( Keep most of the yeast frozen until needed), this bread costs about 30 cents a loaf and takes about 4 minutes of your actual time!

***When letting the bowl set, you can put it in the microwave so that it is kept away from a draft.  I had mine on the counter and it didn’t fully rise until I put it in the microwave since it’s chilly out right now***

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

My son Nicholas has been asking me to make cinnamon rolls since this summer!  I am not a fan of cinnamon rolls.  I'd rather have a bagel, scone, muffin, anything else really.  I just have never been a fan.  BUT I decided to go ahead and give the boy the gift of cinnamon rolls.  He doesn't like to bake with me as much as he did when he was younger so I figured that it would be great for us to bake these.

Keep in mind that anytime you make bread, rolls, etc there is a LONG wait time for the dough to rise.  I usually make dough the night before and let it rise over night when I am going to bake bread.  For these rolls we got up early and didn't get to have breakfast till about 11:00am, which is extremely late in our household!  Especially since my boys are up at 6-7:00am!

The boys were happy, and they were delicious, just be prepared for waiting!  

They come out of the oven perfect!  You just need to drizzle all of your icing over the top and serve!

You can find the recipe we used at King Arthur's Flour.  Enjoy!

This is the best chili ever and it is good for you!  I love chili on a cold day.  I know everyone has their special recipe, but I found this a couple years ago when I did weight watchers.  For those of you watching your figure, this is a good one!  If you are doing weight watchers, it is only 6 points for the meal. 

I think everything is better with toppings, so I added grated cheddar cheese and sour cream.  Always grate your own cheese!  I know it comes in a bag, but many times people say that the cheese doesn't melt right.  Well, that is because the cheese in the packages already grated have stabilizers added to keep the pieces from clumping together.  It takes no time to grate the block cheese.  Just do it!  I also use fat free sour cream or plain greek yogurt to top it.  The boys like corn chips added to it! Take away or add what you like to it!  Here is the recipe: Hearty Turkey Chili WEIGHT WATCHERS RECIPE Ingredients 1 spray(s) cooking spray    1 tsp canola oil      1 large uncooked onion(s), chopped    2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced    1 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground turkey      2 medium uncooked carrot(s), thinly sliced into rounds    2 Tbsp chili powder    1 Tbsp paprika    1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes    1 tsp Durkee ground cumin, or other brand      2 medium fresh tomato(es), chopped      1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce    1 cup(s) canned chicken broth    1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar      1 1/2 cup(s) cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained      1 medium green pepper(s), chopped    1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste    1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste      1/4 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s), chopped    Instructions Coat a large pot with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add oil and onion; sauté onion until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and carrots; cook until garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add turkey; brown meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Stir to break up lumps. Add chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, beans and green pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; garnish with scallions. Yields about 1 cup per serving. Hope this warms you up!

Pork Shoulder Roast with Tomatoes

If you have time to cook this slow in the oven, you will not be disappointed.  I'm usually making pork tenderloin.  I've made it many ways, but I had yet to get a pork shoulder.  I saw this recipe in the December 2011 Everyday Food magazine and flagged the page immediately.  After we got back from our Christmas vacation it was on my shopping list!  

You can follow the recipe by going to http://www.marthastewart.com/868641/pork-shoulder-roast-tomatoes.  You will not be disappointed!  The leftovers make fantastic sandwiches.  We bought rolls and the kids loved making little mini pork sandwiches.  I served it with baked potatoes, but you can serve it with whatever you like.  I was just lazy and popped them in the microwave, so technically they aren't baked, but that's what that button is for on the microwave!

Here's my plate.

Enjoy!