Famous Whole Wheat Bread

I know that many of you already have this recipe...but this is for those of you who don't. It's my mother-in-law's famous whole wheat bread. I just made some today (first time since summer began). It's oh so yummy!!!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 T. yeast
1/4 c. honey
1 T. lecithin
3/4 T. dough enhancer
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten
5-6 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 T. salt

Directions:
1. Combine water, yeast, honey, lecithin, dough enhancer & wheat gluten in a stand mixer. Let sit for a couple minutes.
2. Add two cups of flour and beat with cookie dough attachment for 5 minutes.
3. Switch to dough hook and slowly add the rest of the flour. Let knead for 5 minutes. Add salt with a little more flour. Let knead for 5 additional minutes.
4. Turn out dough onto a greased surface. Cut in half and form into loaves.
5. Let rise in well greased bread pans for 30 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
7. Cool on a rack & spray bread with cooking spray.

**For a multi-grain bread, substitute 1 c. of flour for 1 c. of oatmeal or seven grain cereal**

Beef Stew

This is another recipe from America's Test Kitchen, but I have modified it for crock pot use.

Ingredients:
3-5 lb. chuck roast (1 inch cubes)
3 T. canola oil
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. tomato paste
3 T. flour
2 c. chicken stock
1 t. thyme
2 bay leaves
1 can tomatoes (15 oz.)
5 medium potatoes (1 inch cubes)
4 carrots, sliced
1 c. frozen peas

1. Season beef with salt & pepper and brown in oil for 10 minutes. Remove & set aside.
2. Cook onions for 5 minutes until tender. Add garlic & tomato paste. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add stock & herbs. Cook for 1 more minute.
5. Transfer everything to a crock pot. Add beef, tomatoes, potatoes & carrots. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.
6. Stir in peas after done cooking.

Apple Crumble

I made this tonight for my in-laws & everyone loved it! It reminds me of a cobbler mixed with a crisp. A super easy, quick dessert to whip up.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. oats
1 stick butter, melted
6 c. cooking apples

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel, core & dice the apples.
3. Combine cake mix, oats & butter in a gallon ziploc bag. Shake until incorporated. Add apples.
4. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 45 min.
5. Drizzle with caramel syrup & serve with vanilla ice cream.

Spaghetti for a Crowd

We eat a lot of Italian food. This is a staple in our household. I make one of these batches of sauce once or twice a month. It's good for a week, and you can use it for countless other things (lasagna, stuffed peppers, stew/soup, etc.) You can make it meatless for even more uses (pizza, eggplant or chicken parm, etc.) Basically, add it to any recipe that has a tomato base.

Ingredients:
1 large can (102 oz.) of diced tomatoes
1 small can (6 oz.) of tomato paste
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 head garlic, sliced
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 t. salt
1/4 c. dried basil
1/3 c. dried parsley
1 T. granulated garlic
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
6 oz. sweet potato puree (baby food)

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients together in a large crock pot. Cook on high for 6-7 hrs.

**If you want a sauce with deep, long-cooked taste, cook on low for 12 hrs.**

Giant Ginger Cookies

I love making these when autumn days come. My neighbor got the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens 1998 and passed it on to my mom before she died of cancer.

Cream:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar (I use some brown sugar)

Add and beat:
2 eggs
Add and cream:
1/2 cup molasses

Sift together and stir in:
4 1/2 cups flour ( I use 1-2 cups whole wheat)
4 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Scoop by Tablespoonfuls, roll in granulated sugar or sprinkle with sugar and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes at 350F, OR 10-12 minutes at 325F in convection oven. Makes 2-3 doz cookies.

This is a standard at our house. We love it! It doesn't hurt that we've had a huge rosemary bush in our backyard so it's fresh and there's plenty to spare (I'll miss my bush when we move next weekend!). The real trick is using a meat thermometer and following the temperature directions religiously. A good thermometer is worth the investment. Enjoy.

Rosemary Dijon Pork Loin

Recipe courtesy George Stella

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 20 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
• Equipment: roasting pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Trim any excess fat from the pork loin, leaving a thin-layer of fat over the top.

Evenly rub the entire pork loin with the Dijon mustard followed by the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Make sure to really rub in the spices, and then sprinkle the

rosemary evenly all over the top.

Place the pork in roasting pan lined with a rack and roast for 20 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F, and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and pork and arrange on a platter garnished with rosemary sprigs.