At Home With Haley: January 2011

It's a Blog Party: Delicious Dishes

Giggles, Glitz, & Glam: Glam Party

A Moderate Life: Hearth and Soul Hop

Creations by Kara: Look What I Made Day

Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom: Commercial Break Thursday

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking: Friday's Favorites

ceo a's draiocht: Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent
Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for Saturday

Friday, January 28, 2011

Friday's Random Thoughts / Confessions

On At Home With Haley, I typically don't do any posts about my thoughts unless it's about what I'm baking. But I figured, why not? Maybe it will help those of you that don't know me in real life get to know me a little better. So here are my random thoughts and confessions of the day.

I have been hand washing my dishes this whole week because I don't want to go to the store to buy dish washing detergent.
I {heart} scuba diving...a lot. Since I got pregnant with Hannah, I haven't been able to go. =( It is imperative that I blow some bubbles this year.
My husband and I are using Dave Ramsey's debt snowball plan to pay down our debts. 10 more months to go!
My house looks like a pig's sty because I have spent too much time playing with my kiddos and playing on the internet this week. (I know, sad but true...not the playing with kids part...the internet part.)
I'm itching to bake today, but am not going to have enough time. (Um hello...too much internet)

So knowing these things both good & bad...Do you still love me? =)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Our family has tried really hard to rid hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrups out of our diet. Every now and then, we still have something with it in it...but I'm still not happy about it when it happens. ;-) Unfortunately, they put that junk in so many items that you would never think of. One of those items is bread. If your family is anything like ours, you go through a lot of bread. My 4 year old asks for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 3 meals a day. He doesn't get it, but he asks. My 6 year old takes a sandwich almost every day to school. My husband eats sandwiches at lunch while he's at work. I think you get the picture. There's a lot of bread being eaten at my house. With all of that bread, that's a lot of high fructose corn syrup. *Bleck!* I know that you can buy preservative & corn syrup free bread at the store, but it's not cheap! So, being that I'm kind of a cheap person (the truth hurts) I decided to make my own!

I'm afraid I can't really credit this recipe to anyone. I have adapted it from multiple sources. There's probably 100 other recipes just like it...but I don't know what they are. The fun thing about it is that you can do anything to it to make it your own. =) Feel free to take out ingredients, add to it if you like, or even adjust the flour ratios.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread - Yields 2 loaves

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp yeast

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted (if using salted butter, omit 1 tsp salt)

1/4 cup honey

1 1/4 cups warm milk or water (105°F)

Optional:

1/4 cup ground wheat germ

1/4 cup flax seeds

In large bowl or mixer bowl, stir warm milk (or water), melted butter, honey, and yeast. Allow to sit about 5 minutes or until mixture is foamy. Add flours, salt, and optional ingredients. Knead mixture by hand on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes or in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until dough is soft and pliable. If it is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. If it is too dry, add a teaspoon of milk or water at a time. The proportions may vary depending on your climate.

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl then flip the dough bottom side up to lightly coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size. If your home is too cold, you can turn your oven on for 1 minute then turn it off and place the bowl in the oven.

Remove dough from bowl and divide it in half. Roll each half into a rectangle about 10" x 14". Starting with the 10" side, roll the dough up, pinching together as you go to make a log. Pinch all seams together with moist fingers. Fold ends under and place dough seams down in a well greased bread pan. Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Bake in preheated 400°F oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from pans and place on a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!!!

Linking up at these fun parties:

Making the World Cuter: Making the World Cuter Monday

It's a Blog Party: Delicious Dishes

Giggles, Glitz, & Glam: Glam Party

A Moderate Life: Hearth and Soul Hop

My Sweet & Savory: Let's Do Brunch

Creations by Kara: Look What I Made Day

Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom: Commercial Break Thursday

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking: Friday's Favorites

ceo a's draiocht: Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try! #14

There were 19 yummy recipes linked up last week! They all look soooo delicious. I am so excited about all the new recipes to try. *insert big goofy grin here* It's no secret to my regular readers that I have a bit of a sweet tooth. So for this weeks featured recipe I can't wait to try is from Amy at uTry.it. It is a orange angel food cake with chocolate drizzled over the top. It not only sounds wonderful, but her photos are beautiful! I have serious photography envy right now. Thanks for linking up everyone!

Photo is property of uTry.it

Orange Angel Food Cake at uTry.it

Now let's see some Recipes I Can't Wait to Try! Link up your yummy recipes & fun crafts! My request is that you please link back to me in some way and say, "Hi!" to another party goer! Everyone loves getting a new comment, so show some love! =) Also, this week I've made it a blog hop, so feel free to add it to your own blog. Enjoy!

If you were featured, feel free (but not pressured) [=)] to grab my button!

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try! #13

Wooohooo! Recipes I Can't Wait to Try!!! I swear, every week the recipes keep getting better! At my house we are really into breakfast foods. So when I saw the Buerge Breakfast Ring, I knew that I had found a recipe I couldn't wait to try! It's like a casserole, but prettier!

Photo is property of Life's Sweeter with Chocolate

Buerge Breakfast Ring at Life's Sweeter with Chocolate

Now let's see some Recipes I Can't Wait to Try! Link up your yummy recipes & fun crafts! My request is that you please link back to me in some way and say, "Hi!" to another party goer! Everyone loves getting a new comment, so show some love! =) Also, this week I've made it a blog hop, so feel free to add it to your own blog. Enjoy!

If you were featured, feel free (but not pressured) [=)] to grab my button!

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Klobasnek (Sausage in a Roll)

A while back, I posted a recipe for Kolaches. Kolaches are a Czech sweet roll with a fruit or cream cheese filling. I don't know if there are enough ways to say that these are DELICIOUS! In that post, I went on a crazy rant (I do that sometimes) about how sometimes people will give you a "kolache" with a sausage. (Donut shops are the worst offender of this heinous crime.) This is NOT a kolache. The correct term would be a klobasnek. In English, we usually say "pig in a blanket". The difference is that a "pig in a blanket" is typically more of a flaky biscuit dough wrapped around a cocktail sausage whereas a klobasnek is a typical yeasted roll around bigger sausage. The key to making a good klobasnek is the sausage you use. People put a variety of different sausages in their klobasnek, like stuffed cheese, stuffed cheese & jalapeño, or just a typical sausage. Most Czechs would probably scoff at the ones I made because I used a Hillshire Farm sausage. I'm afraid the type I used is escaping my memory and they don't have them listed on their website. Seriously?! (I knew I should have written it down.) Anyway, they are found near the smoked sausage links. They are bigger than cocktail sausages, but smaller than their bun sized sausages and come in packages of 12. I'm thinking they are about 3-4" in length. They are the perfect size for this recipe and you will need 2 packages. For the bread, I used the same recipe as the Perfect Dinner Rolls. These can be used as breakfast or snacks. I'm considering taking them to a Super Bowl party. Trust me on this...you will NOT be disappointed!

*Edit* I discovered why Hillshire Farm doesn't have the sausages I used on their website. Um...it's because the sausages I used are Eckrich brand. *insert sheepish smile here* They are called Eckrich Smok-Y-links.

Klobasnek
2 - 12 count packages of Hillshire Farm sausages (see above for a better description)

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour - on low speed with the paddle attachment incorporate the flour to create a wet, sticky mixture. Still on low speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and incorporate. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour. On low speed, mix the dough to incorporate the final addition of flour until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl - turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 -30 minutes. These steps can also be done by hand. You do not have to have a mixer for this recipe.

Take a square of dough into the palm of your hand then wrap it around a sausage leaving the ends of the sausage exposed. Pinch the seams tightly and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover the klobasneks in the pan with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise to double while your oven is preheating to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) - about 20 minutes. If you want an even more golden color to the rolls, brush them with a little melted butter before baking. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

Linking up at these fun parties:
Making the World Cuter: Making the World Cuter Monday

It's a Blog Party: Delicious Dishes

Giggles, Glitz, & Glam: Glam Party

A Moderate Life: Hearth and Soul Hop

My Sweet & Savory: Let's Do Brunch
Creations by Kara: Look What I Made Day

Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom: Commercial Break Thursday

Whistlestop Cafe Cooking: Friday's Favorites

ceo a's draiocht: Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try! #12

Yay! It's that time of the week again! Last week y'all posted some of the most delicious looking recipes!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about all of them. I am very much a meat eater, but I do love a good vegetarian dish now and then. When I saw these tamales at Veggie Converter, I knew that I had found something that I can't wait to try!

Photo is property of Veggie Converter

Vegetarian Corn and Black Bean Tamales @ Veggie Converter

If you were featured, feel free (but not pressured) [=)] to grab my button!

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Perfect Dinner Rolls

Since I started making bread, I have searched for the perfect dinner roll recipe. I have made several that were good, but none that I was in love with. On Thanksgiving, I offered to bring the rolls to my in laws house and found a Golden Corral copycat. They smelled so good, we sat down, prayed for the good Lord to bless our food, we reached in and grabbed a few. The results? Well...not Golden Corral rolls. Boo! As a matter of fact, they had to have been the worst rolls I've ever made. I was so annoyed with myself for not trying them before we went. I just assumed that they would be good to go. From that day, I decided that I was going to find the best roll recipe. A girl's gotta redeem herself somehow. Anyway, I was playing on the internet the other day and found Holly at Phe.MOM.enon. As of this week, Holly is my new favorite person. She posted the most delicious recipe back in November of '09. To think that it's been there all this time and I never knew it. Well, my friends, you too can make some yummy rolls! Another great thing about them is that they are food allergy friendly, no eggs or milk. =) Holly has on her blog that they are 1 Bowl, 1 Hour, Perfect Dinner Rolls. For me, it was 1 bowl...but not quite 1 hour. It's not because it can't be done in 1 hour. It's because I'm slow. =) It took a little closer to 2 hours for me. Granted that the weather is so cold and it took a little longer for the rolls to rise than what Holly said it should. The following is the recipe word for word from Holly at Phe.MOM.enon. My tips will be posted below the recipe.

Perfect Dinner Rolls

Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour - on low speed with the paddle attachment incorporate the flour to create a wet, sticky mixture. Still on low speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and incorporate. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour. On low speed, mix the dough to incorporate the final addition of flour until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to medium and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl - turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 -30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate into a rectangle. Cut it in half vertically, then each half vertically again into thirds so you have 6 equal strips of dough. Cut each strip of dough into fourths by cutting horizontally to make 24 little squares of dough. Take each piece of dough and cup it lightly under the palm of your hand on a clean surface. Press lightly and start rotating and rolling the dough ball quickly so that it forms a nice little ball of dough. Once you get some practice, you can do this with both hands at the same time and really speed up the process.

Place each rolled piece of dough into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan in rows of 4 about 1/2-inch apart. Cover the rolls in the pan with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise to double while your oven is preheating to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) - about 20 minutes. If you want an even more golden color to the rolls, brush them with a little melted butter before baking. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

My tips for this recipe:

I doubled the amount of sugar in this recipe. I like my rolls sweet. =)

A honey butter glaze would be nice on these rolls too.

My KitchenAid stand mixer says to not use the dough hook past speed #2...so I never turned mine on to medium. I was nervous about doing that.

There's nothing else to tip...these are perfect!

Linking up at these fun parties:

It's a Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
Giggles, Glitz, & Glam: Glam Party
A Moderate Life: Hearth and Soul Hop
All Thingz Related: Anything Related Tuesday

Creations by Kara: Look What I Made Day