Seven Grain Bread

3 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (18 2/3 oz)

2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp dry milk
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
3/8 cup 7-grain cereal
2 Tbsp molasses
1 11/16 cup water (13 1/2 fl oz)
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

Put all ingredients in bread machine.  Bake on multigrain setting (5 hours).

Source: Bread Bakery (recipes that came with my bread machine)

Try #1 - January 29, 2013
This came out amazingly soft and rose perfectly!  Other times that I've tried 100% whole wheat (with no bread flour) have produced low, dense loaves, but this one worked great!  I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I actually weighed the flour for the first time...  Also, my "7 grain cereal" was actually a 5 grain toasted mix of millet, quinoa, brown rice, wheat berries, and spelt.

Try #2 - February 4, 2013
I made this with the actually 7-grain cereal this time, and was surprised that it didn't rise as well and wasn't as  soft as my first try with the 5-grain mix.  Still about the same taste, though, and delicious when dipped in cauliflower soup.

Crockpot Pasta Fagioli

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups beef broth
1 jar (26-ounce) pasta sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 T Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time
10 oz chopped spinach, to add at end of cooking time (optional)

1. Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.
2. Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.
3. Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
4. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.
6. Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.
7. Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - April 22, 2013
This was a quick and easy meal, with ingredients I usually have on hand.  It was good, although fairly rich, and too salty for my taste.  Next time I would omit the 1/2 tsp extra salt. I added 1 cup of pasta instead of 1/2 cup because 1/2 cup just sounded ridiculously small.  I also just added a few drops of hot sauce instead of a full Tbsp because I didn't want to risk it being too spicy for the kids.  It was not spicy at all and they seemed to like it.  I also added about 10oz of frozen chopped spinach just before serving, because I wanted to give the meal some green.  The spinach made no difference in the taste or texture, since it was finely chopped, so I think it was a good addition.

Monster Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
3 eggs
3/4 tsp corn syrup
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 lb M&Ms
1/4 lb chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, brown, sugar, and peanut butter until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, then stir in the corn syrup and vanilla.  Mix in baking soda and oats until well blended.  Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
3. Roll dough into 2 inch balls, and place 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with a fork.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven.  Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Source:  Allrecipes

Try #1 - January 22, 2013
These were fun to make with the kids.  I used slightly less white and brown sugar than the recipe called for.  I also didn't roll the dough as that would have been quite messy, so I just used the normal two spoon scoop method.  I also didn't make them "monster" size, so my cookies only took about 10 minutes to bake.  Pretty yummy!

Cheddar Herb Bread

2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 cup all purpose, 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp dried parsley (I used 1/2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp dried dill (I used 3/4 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp dried rosemary (I used 3/4 Tbsp)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
4 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a loaf pan.
2. Mix flour, sugar, parsley, dill, rosemary, baking powder and salt.
3. With a pastry blender, cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in cheese.
4. In a bowl combine milk and egg.  Add to crumb mixture all at once.  Stir quickly with a fork to moisten.  Spread in prepared pan.  Bake 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn loaf out onto wire rack; cool completely.

Source: http://www.sweetandsavoryfood.com/2013/01/cheddar-herb-bread-mix-great-gift-idea.html

Steel-Cut Oats with Dates and Cinnamon

1 cup steel-cut oats
3 cups water
4 pitted dates, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp butter

Place all ingredients in a pan and stir briefly; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

For a quicker version, soak steel-cut oats in 2-quart pan with water for 8 to 12 hours or overnight.  In the morning add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite toppings.

Source: Feeding the Whole Family

Try #1 - January 18, 2013
I've struggled in the past to like steel-cut oats, but this recipe did it for me!  I left out the dates, but stirred raisins into the kids' oatmeal after it was cooked.  I also topped each bowl with homemade applesauce.  Delicious - I even went for seconds!  Amazing what a little cinnamon, salt, and butter can do to improve breakfast.

Split Pea Soup with Fresh Peas and Potatoes

1 cup green split peas
1 Tbsp butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 tsp sea salt
1 rib celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 small red potatoes, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground pepper
4 cups water or vegetable stock
1 large bay leaf
1 small ham bone (optional)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (if using ham bone)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 Tbsp snipped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried

1. Soak split peas 4 to 6 hours in 4 cups of water.  This will help digestibility, quicken cooking time, and improve the texture of the soup.  Discard soaking water.
2. Heat butter in a pressure cooker or 4-quart pot.  Add onion and salt and saute until onion begins to soften.  Add celery, carrot, potatoes, cumin, and pepper to taste; saute 3 to 4 minutes more.  Add split peas, water, and bay leaf.  Add ham bone, if using, and vinegar.
3. If pressure-cooking: Bring up to pressure on high heat, then lower heat and cook 40 minutes.
If using a soup pot: Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 60 to 90 minutes.
4. Once split peas have softened and the soup has become creamy, remove the ham bone.  Cut off any meat, discard skin and bone, dice meat into small pieces, and add to soup with peas and dill.  Check seasonings; add more salt and pepper if needed.  Continue cooking a few minutes more until peas are tender.

Source: Feeding the Whole Family

Try #1 - January 18, 2013
Yums!

Country Captain Chicken

1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup raisins (or 2 T currants)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup raw long-grain basmati white rice (to add later)
1 pound fully cooked shrimp (optional, to add later)

1. Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your stoneware. Add chopped apple, onion, and bell pepper. Add garlic and all spices. Toss in the raisins and the entire can of diced tomatoes. Stir in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until chicken is tender, but still intact.
2. Using tongs, remove chicken carefully from the slow cooker and place in a covered dish to keep warm.
3. Stir in raw white rice. Cover and cook again for about 30 minutes, or until rice is bite-tender. Stir in frozen shrimp, and recover cook for about 15 minutes, or until shrimp is heated through.
4. Serve rice and shrimp mixture on a plate with chicken pieces arranged on top.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - February 4, 2013
A hit with Nathan and Abby, not so much with William... but overall a good recipe.  The apples completely dissolved by the time I served it.  I used brown Jasmine rice, and had to increase the final cooking time to about 90 minutes (and had to add about 2 cups of additional water).  I omitted the shrimp, although that sounds yummy.

Ethiopian Chicken Stew (Doro Wat)

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
3 large onions, diced (or 3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and more to taste if you'd like (I used 1/4 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I used 1/4 tsp)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups water
I added 1/2 tsp salt
8 hard-boiled eggs (peeled, to add later)

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Empty the tomato can into your cooker. Put in the chicken thighs, and add the lemon juice. Now add butter, onion, and ALL of the spices. Pour in the water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 4 to 5. Your soup is done when the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through and begun to fall apart. Ladle into a wide-mouth bowl and place a whole hardboiled egg into each dish.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - January 15, 2012
The hardboiled egg on top is brilliant!  And, a little spice definitely goes a long way... even reducing the cayenne to 1/4 tsp still made it a little too spicy for the kids, and the spice intensified the day or two after.  It was, however, better tasting the next day (for my husband and I to enjoy, since it was too spicy for the kids!).

Cauliflower Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 whole onion, finely diced
2 whole carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 whole (to 2 whole) cauliflower heads, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp fresh or dried parsley, chopped
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock
4 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 cups whole milk
2 tsp salt

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.
2. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly, until thickened.
5. Add milk mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Try #1 - January 11, 2013
This was really good - everyone liked it.  I made several changes from the original recipe because I just couldn't imagine consuming a soup with a whole stick of butter plus a cup of half-in-half plus a cup of sour cream.  I think this would have made it way too rich - and it was rich enough as it was.  I blended it up for Lucy, and decided to serve it to the older kids that way too, which I think was a good move.  Nathan and I liked the chunks of cauliflower and other veggies.

Try #2 - February 5, 2013
Still yummy!  Two teaspoons of salt was just right.  I served it with Seven Grain Bread, and the bread was extra yummy when dipped in the soup.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2/3 cup Arborio rice
5 cups chicken stock, plus 1 cup water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish

1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent. While the onions are cooking, bring another pot of salted water to a boil and add the rice.
2. When the onions are ready, add the chicken stock and water and bring to a bare simmer.
3. When the rice is nearly done — firm, but mostly cooked — drain the boiling water and add the rice to the chicken broth. Add the diced chicken breast to the pot. Let this cook 5 to 8 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and lemon juice together. Pour 2 cups of broth slowly into the bowl of egg and lemon, whisking continuously. Once all the broth is incorporated, add the mixture into the pot of chicken soup and stir to blend well throughout. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. Serve hot.

Source: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcc/recipes/avgolemono-soup-greek-lemon-chicken-soup

Try #1 - January 14, 2013
This soup was a nice change, but a bit too lemony for me... I did use bottled lemon juice, and I wonder if that's more concentrated than fresh would have been.  Adding some frozen sweet corn balanced out the lemon a little bit.  Still, an interesting twist on a chicken/rice soup.

Crock Pot Black Beans

1 lb dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
Water to soak
1 to 2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar of prepared salsa (green or red), or 2 cups homemade salsa
Chicken or vegetable broth to cover soaked beans
Ham bone (optional)

1. Pick over the beans for small stones or any other foreign matter, rinse them and soak in about four times the volume of water to beans for about 8 hours.
2. Drain the beans and put them in the crock pot with the onions, garlic, salsa, and ham bone.
3. Cover with the broth.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
4. Serve over rice or in a bowl as a side dish.

Source: http://www.thefeastwithin.com/2009/01/28/crock-pot-black-beans/

Try #1 - January 2013
Pretty good, made a ton... I ended up freezing a bunch.  I added some of them to some chili, which gave the chili a nice twist.  Leftovers work well in Quinoa Chili.