Okay, whether you’re routing for the Packers or the Giants-this weekend is a great excuse to use some food storage!  If you know me, I love chili dogs-it’s one of those guilty pleasures I have. The only problem with chili dogs is that they are SO messy!  (And anyone who knows me, also knows I have a problem with messy foods…in that I tend to make them messier!)  So I thought, how perfect to encase the chili like a pig in a blanket type idea….and it worked out wonderfully!  I think this is a PERFECT dish for any football parties you may be having this weekend…or any basketball games you may be watching  plus it uses food storage!

It would be easily served with Tator Tots or potato chips and then a vegetable tray where they can pick their own veggies.  (Notice I filled half my plate with them to try and make up for my chili dog creation!

Chili Dogs in a Blanket
1 can Chili (or homemade chili)
2 T. dehydrated onion
1/2 C. Shredded Cheese (optional)
2 oz. Cream Cheese (optional)
4-6 Hot Dogs (cut into thirds-lenth wise)
EZ Bread Dough (Click HERE for the recipe)

Mix bread dough according to directions and let rise until doubled.  In the mean time, combine chili, dehydrated onion, and cream cheese and heat until the cream cheese is melted.  Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and using something circular (about 5 inches in diameter), cut out circles from dough.  Keep rolling dough out and cutting until dough is gone (like you would for biscuits).  Put a thin layer of chili mixture on dough circles, followed by cheese, and a hot dog piece.  Fold side pieces together and pinch all edges together.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

© 2012, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Okay, if you’ve been following my blog for more than a year (or two or three…) you know that every year around Halloween I open it up for debate on what I should eat Halloween night because my husband and I have never been able to agree on what we should eat. He grew up eating chili, I grew up eating spaghetti and over the years we’ve done a myriad of “compromises” We’ve done chili bake, chili spaghetti, plain spaghetti, etc. And last year, I think we finally settled on our tradition! I didn’t make it in time to post it last year (obviously, since I made in on Halloween) but I’ve been saving it to share with you. It’s actually quite simple and rotates around our preschooler who L-O-V-E-S olives and even more loves olive pizza. Leave it to the kids to help get things done!

FOOD STORAGE HALLOWEEN BUG PIZZA

Do you see them? All of those tarantulas crawling around on the pizza?  I also added green peppers (you know, grasshoppers), mushrooms (worms), and onions (okay, I couldn’t think of one for the onions-I just like onions on my pizza).  I, of course, used my famous 30 minute pizza dough recipe for the pizza dough and a can of tomato paste with some seasonings.  To turn your olives into spiders simply cut a whole, pitted olive lengthwise (hole to hole) use one half for the body and then cut the other half (and actually one more to get all 8 legs) into legs.  Place on your pizza and then bake!

BUG JUICE

We also drank Bug Juice.  A tradition from my family.  See, we wouldn’t drink rootbeer with our pizza we drank Bug Juice, titled by my dad.  It’s very simple to make.  You just need 2 liters of your favorite lemon lime soda and a bottle of Cran Raspberry drink.  Make sure you add the soda TO the cranraspberry (it mixes better that way).

HAPPY (FOOD STORAGE) HALLOWEEN!

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Since my post with Bob from the Bosch Kitchen Center in Sandy, UT where he showed making his recipe for wheat bread in a Bosch, I have had  a lot of you wondering about MY EZ Wheat bread and how it would work in a Bosch.  Well, in one word it’s AWESOME!  You can easily make 6 loaves of my EZ wheat bread in a Bosch (I actually accidentally did 8, but I wouldn’t recommend it.  It just shows the power of the Bosch!) So why would you want to make 6 loaves at a time?  Well, it saves money (since it makes your oven more effective), saves a lot of time, and gives you a couple to freeze for later use. And, let’s be honest, you’ve probably noticed your family goes through this bread faster since it tastes a million times better than any store bought bread (especially warm out of the oven).

The only daunting part is the math-which I’ve already done for you!  So enjoy the extra loaves of bread for little extra effort.

EZ Wheat Bread-Bosch Style (makes six 2 lb. loaves)

7 1/2 c. warm water
scant 1/3 c. active dry yeast (yes, this really is correct)
2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. gluten
2 T. salt
3/4 c. dry non-instant powdered milk (1 1/2 c. if you’re using instant)
scant 1/3 c. butter
1 1/2 c. potato flakes (not potato pearls)
scant 1/3 c. vinegar
16 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I use white wheat)

Add the ingredients (minus the flour) in the order listed into your Bosch with dough hook attachment and mix. Slowly add flour a couple cups at a time. Once all flour is incorporated, knead on low for 10-12 minutes. Place dough in a large greased bowl and allow to double in size. Punch dough down and divide dough into 6 sections (if you want to get high tech you can use your kitchen scale to make sure all sections are even). Roll out and shape into loaves and allow to rise until double. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

TIME SAVING TIP:
After dough is done kneading, section dough into 6 pieces and shape into loaves. Allow to rise and bake.

FOR A LIGHTER CRUST:
Cover bread with aluminum foil after 10 minutes of baking and allow to continue baking for 15 minutes longer. VIEW VIDEO HERE.

BREAD PANS:
Did you know that there are special pans for baking whole wheat bread?  They are smaller and will give you a better texture and more uniform bubble structure.  So make sure the pans you’re using are 8 inches x 4.5 inches.  You can see some awesome pans HERE (plus, they are eligible for free shipping)

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

You can also enter to win a new Bosch mixer HERE!

WHAT is a dough enhancer? A dough enhancer is a natural product used to make a better bread product. It will make your bread beautiful, light, fluffy, and delicious. Commercially, most breads use this product and you will see the biggest difference if you use a dough enhancer in your whole wheat bread because the whole wheat flour is heavy and course unlike all-purpose flour.

When you buy a dough enhancer from a store it has basically four key ingredients. Gluten, acid, starch, and sugar (of course they are called other things but that is what they are). Those four ingredients serve key roles in developing a better bread texture by developing and strengthening the bubbles that make your bread.

1. Gluten: is the natural protein found in wheat. You can think of it as the elastic in the balloon.
2. Acid: strengthens the balloon so that it doesn’t pop too early (if it pops too early your bread falls, very bad.)
3. Starch: adds an extra layer to your balloon so it won’t break or pop-think of it like the additive they add to helium balloons to last longer. And when you’re dealing with whole wheat the flour, remember, is course and can pop or weaken the gluten.
4. Sugar: this is what the yeast eats. When it eats the sugar it creates the air that fills the balloon or bubbles.
Now you don’t have to buy a commercial dough enhancer to get the same results. You can make your own natural dough enhancer out of things you probably have around your house. All you need is gluten, WHITE vinegar for your acid, and potato flakes or instant mashed potatoes (NOT GEMS) for the starch, and sugar which your bread recipe will already call for.

Tips for using your own everyday items as dough enhancers in WHEAT BREAD:

Gluten: use 1/2 T. – 1 T. per cup of flour (this means before you measure a cup of flour place the 1/2 T.-1 T. gluten in the bottom of your cup and then measure flour as usual)
WHITE Vinegar: use the same amount of vinegar that you are using for yeast (i.e. 1 t. yeast – 1 t. vinegar)
Potato Flakes: use 1/8 to 1/4 C. per loaf of bread you are making, experiment to see what works best in your recipe. (do not substitute in potato pearls, they don’t dissolve as easily and are artificially flavored which you will be able to taste in your bread)

EZ Wheat Bread recipe
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tblsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combination white/wheat you like..I use 100% hard white wheat. To learn more about the different types of wheat, download my wheat handout)
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat non instant dry milk
1 Tblsp butter/margarine/oil
1 Tblsp vinegar
1/4 cup potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)
Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

You can also enter to win a new Bosch mixer HERE!

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

I’m writing this as I have some very delicious Hawaiian Bread (let’s be honest it’s a knock off of King’s Hawaiian Bread) rising and waiting to be baked. Like other delicious sweet bread recipes, you’ve probably noticed some call for eggs (they’re usually the ones with a high butter and/or sugar content)-the big question is:

HOW DO YOU USE POWDERED EGGS IN YEAST DOUGH RECIPES?

First, it’s good to know the WHY there are eggs in the dough recipe. Here is the short story: sweet breads usually call for a lot of butter and/or sugar-the problem is both of those can weaken your gluten strands. Why is gluten so important? Without it, there would be nothing to hold the gas that makes bread rise. Think of gluten as the rubber of a balloon: The stronger it is, the more gas it can hold. Adding eggs to a sweet bread can help strengthen those gluten strands.
Second, if you’ve tried using powdered eggs in the traditional sense in these breads (1 T. dry egg powder + 2 T. water = 1 egg) you’ve probably noticed that the dough is definitely NOT the right consistency. It’s far too sticky which leads to putting in more flour which can ruin the flavor and consistency of the dough. After all if you think about it an extra 1/4 c. water can be A LOT of extra water when you’re talking doughs. So after A LOT of failed attempts and trying different ways of using the eggs (aren’t you glad I do this for you, so you can easily be successful the first time you try this?!) I have come up with THE SOLUTION!

THE SOLUTION:

Use the egg powder as we’ve talked before: 1 T. dry egg powder = 1 egg and LEAVE OUT the water. It’s always easy to add in a little (and I mean a little) water if your dough is truly too dry-however, I’ve never made a sweet bread recipe where I’ve had to add in water.
Now, I’m sure you want that delicious recipe for Hawaiian Bread, right?

Hawaiian Bread

7 cups all-purpose flour (you can use about 1 C. of whole wheat flour with out altering the taste)
3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
2/3 cup sugar
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 t. dry active yeast-if you buy in bulk)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup milk (3 T. dry non-instant milk powder + 1 c. water)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup pineapple juice (which just happens to be the pineapple juice in a tidbit can-a great way to use your leftovers!)
3 eggs (3 T. dry egg powder and NO WATER)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, potato flakes, sugar, yeast, salt and ginger.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water, butter and pineapple juice to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F. (If you’re using powdered milk and powdered eggs add the dry milk and egg powder to your dry ingredients and the 1 c. water for the milk to the wet ingredients)
3. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened.
4. Add eggs; beat until smooth.
5. Beat in vanilla.
6. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
7. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
8. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.
9. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours.
10. Punch dough down.
11. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds.
12. Shape each into a ball.
13. Place in three greased 9-in. round baking pans. Or shape into rolls I was able to get 20 rolls (each weighed about 3 oz. if you want to get precise)
14. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
15. Bake loaves at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Or Bake rolls at 375 for 18 minutes.
16. Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly.
17. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. and cover with plastic wrap to create just the right crust texture as the real stuff!

So now, that I’ve had a chance to eat these rolls. They are DIVINE! If only I had more stomachs to enjoy more! This WILL be your new favorite recipe, I can promise you that!

© 2010 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Some of you may wonder how this is even possible…but it is! I’ve heard some people are a little nervous that this bread comes out a little darker than they would like and so they pull it out of the oven too soon (resulting in a doughy center).  Well, there is even an EASIER trick to getting your whole wheat bread that perfect golden color, watch the video below to learn how!  (If you haven’t first watched my how-to video on how to make this bread that is moist, chewy, delicious and nothing like stereo-typical wheat bread, click HERE.)

With this slight change, my sister said I should re-name this bread to “Mary Poppins Bread” because it’s perfect in every way!  You can even make the crust darker by putting your aluminum foil (shiny side up) on later in the baking process, however, I wouldn’t recommend putting it on any earlier than the 10 minutes.

© 2010 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Well, it’s definitely time to talk Thanksgiving favorites and the best place to start is with rolls!  (So what that means is you should check back for more great Thanksgiving recipes and tips!)  If you’re anything like me, you can be a little intimidated by yeast breads. I’m going to give you a GREAT roll recipe, the exact roll recipe that my family has served for YEARS at our big Thanksgiving feast. My mom usually has all our family in the area down (40 or so people) over and these are the rolls that are served. My Aunt Naomi introduced this roll recipe to our family and since my mom as TONS of sisters (not exaggerating…okay…well..maybe I am a little…) this recipe I’m sure has spread the country since we all love it so much! I’ve also included a video to teach you how to easily and quickly shape perfect looking rolls. Enjoy!

**GETTING STARTED TIP** One of the greatest things about using powdered milk in recipes is that you don’t have to scald it! So use powdered milk in any recipe calling for scalded milk with out scalding it! See how food storage actually SAVES TIME and MESS! I love it!

Naomi’s Rolls

1/2 C. Sugar
1 Extra-Large Egg (2 T. Dry Egg Powder + 1/4 C. Water)
1 T. Shortening
1 C. Milk (3 T. Dry Powdered Milk + 1 C. Water)
1 t. Salt
4 1/2-5 C. Flour (enough to make a sticky dough) I usually do 1/4 to 1/2 Whole wheat flour
1 pkg yeast (2 1/2 t. yeast), softened in 1/2 C. lukewarm water

Beat sugar and egg. Scald milk; cool. Then add to sugar and egg. Stir in shortening, yeast, salt, flour. Let rise about 2-21/2 hours. Shape, cut, rise again about 1/2-1 hour. bak. (400, about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 good sized rolls. You may want to double the recipe, as these rolls disappear fast!

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

As my last “Fall Favorites” post for 2009 (seems almost sentimental…) I’m doing a double header.  Both stem from the EZ Bread recipe (so if you’re not familiar with it, you’ll want to check it out before you watch these videos).  The recipes are simple so sit back and relax while you watch the videos below to learn how to make these fabulous recipes!

Part one:

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Thank you so much for sending in your recipes for this month’s Fanatic Friday Recipe Contest! Here is the last contestant for this month’s Fanatic Friday’s contest. Mirien C. sent this to me and it looks fantastic doesn’t it?

Pumpkin Bread Bowls
Mirien C.
Makes 4 medium bread bowls—I double this recipe for our family
Ingredients
2 T. instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups warm water
4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup oil
6 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use white wheat)
Yellow, red, and green food coloring

Instructions: It seems like a lot of steps, but these are really pretty easy. They can be made the day before you use them. I use my Bosch mixer, knead for 10 minutes, and skip the first rise in #3. But for those who don’t have bread mixers, follow the steps below.
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Add the salt, oil, and flour and combine.
2. Knead the dough on a floured tabletop, adding more flour if needed, until it is smooth and elastic but not sticky or soft.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn it over once, then cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise just until it has doubled in bulk (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
4. Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into four portions, and remove a small piece of dough from each portion for the stems.
5. Shape each pumpkin by grasping the dough from the bottom, stretching it upward, and gathering it on the top. Repeat this process until you have a uniform ball. Then firmly pinch together the gathered dough in the center and turn over the ball. Now gently squeeze the middle of the pumpkin to make it stand as tall as possible.
6. Place the pumpkin on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan. Grease one end of a toothpick and insert it into the dough stem so that it protrudes an inch from the top. Stick the other end into the pumpkin top. Then cover each pumpkin with plastic wrap and let it rise to twice its size.
7. Uncover the risen dough. Holding the stem, slowly twist the toothpick to loosen it but don’t remove it.
8. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of water with 30 drops of yellow and 6 drops of red food coloring. Transfer a half teaspoon of the mixture to a small saucer and stir in a drop of green food coloring.
Use a small pastry brush to paint the stem green (the brush should not be too wet). Gently apply a coat of orange to the globe using a larger brush and long, soft strokes. Let the paint dry for about 2 minutes.
With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough to create the pumpkin’s vertical grooves (adults only).
9. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the bread until it sounds hollow when you tap the crust, about 35 to 40 minutes.
10. Set the pumpkin on a cooling rack and twist the toothpick to remove it. If the crust seems soft, cool the bread completely, then bake it for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Before serving, slice off the top of the pumpkin and pull out the bread from the inside, leaving the bowl about 1” thick on the sides and bottom. Fill with thick soup.

Note: I’ve tried coloring the dough orange with food coloring before baking, but I’ve found that painting it on before baking looks much better.

Witches’ Brew (Split Pea and Barley Soup)
Mirien C.
My kids love this soup—maybe because we’ve always called it witches’ brew. It’s warm and filling—perfect food to eat before trick or treating. It’s so easy, too. Just put everything in the crockpot and forget about it until it’s time to eat.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dried split peas
1/2 cup barley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
9 cups water or chicken broth
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 potatoes, diced (I don’t peel them!)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 T. dried
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in a large slow cooker and stir until well combined. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Add more water if soup is too thick. Serve in bread bowls.

TIME TO VOTE!

If you don’t remember the other three, you can check them out below…

Contestant #1: Pumpkin Sloppy Joes

Contestant #2: Jock-o-lantern Pot Pie

Contestant #3: Chili Getti

Remember, you’re deciding which dinner MY FAMILY should eat for Halloween and the winner gets “Deceptively Delicious” (one of my favorite cookbooks!).  It’s easy to vote, just leave a comment for which recipe my family should eat! (If you missed the story, my husband and I “debate” every year about what the “proper” Halloween Dinner is-either Spaghetti or Chili Bake…so this year, I’m brining it to the masses and letting you decide with a third party option!)

Want to enter the Fanatic Friday recipe contest? November will be all about Thanksgiving favorites. Did you know that even the Pilgrims were counseled to have a year supply of food? There’s no better way to celebrate them than to make things for Thanksgiving that use items from OUR one year supply. Have a food storage recipe that would be perfect to serve on Thanksgiving? Please share it with us at fanaticfridays@gmail.com! For more information on the contest click HERE.

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.