Blueberry Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups sugar
2 cups blueberries
4 eggs well beaten
1/4 cup oil
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a deep well in the center. Combine remaining ingredients and pour into well. Stir just enough to dampen all ingredients. Pour into 2 loaf pan (sprayed with pam). Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour (or recipe makes 24 muffins. Cook 30 minutes.)

Calzones

Ashton should be so proud that I am contributing. Tried this one for the first time last night and EVERYONE really liked it, which is unusual around our house.

DOUGH:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 - 2 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

FILLING:
1 cup part skim Ricotta cheese
4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz. cooked ham
2 tsp. oregano leaves
salt and pepper to taste

For dough, combine yeast and 1 cup flour in a small mixer bowl. Combine water, olive oil, sugar and salt. Add to yeast mixture; beat at low speed of electric mixer until just combined. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed; scrape bowl occasionally.

Stir in as much remaining flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Place in a greased bowl. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double, 45 - 60 minutes. Punch down.

Combine the filling ingredients.

Divide dough into sixths. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion to an 8" round. Divide filling among the six rounds; place filling on half of each circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over to form a half circle. Seal and crimp edges. Prick tops.

Place calzones on sheets and brush tops with milk.

Bake in 400 - 450 degree oven 10 -12 minutes or until calzones are golden brown. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Since this was my first time making this and because I was in a hurry (as always) I just threw all of the dough ingredients in my kitchen aid, mixed it till it was a stiff but elastic like dough and then left if alone for about an hour. I didn't read the directions well and when I make bread I'm use to letting it rise again so I rolled out the rounds and left them alone until I was ready to fill and cook them (probably another hour) We added pineapple to the ingredients and served them with spaghetti sauce on top. I made some with salami as the meat also. You could add anything that sounds good to you. I also doubled the recipe but only made 8 rounds so they were HUGE, but it worked for our family. Good luck, let me know if anyone tries this recipe and if you liked it. Brenda

Spinach in my Lasagna!

Spinach has really become one of my favorite ingredients. It really adds a significant amount of fiber and folic acid and tastes great. I typically buy it fresh at a farmers market near by, but frozen always works too. I don't have a measured amount that I use in these recipes, but I usually fill up one of the bags they keep in the produce section at the grocery and use half a bag per recipe.

-ready to bake lasagna noodles

-ground italian turkey sausage 

-1 can diced tomatoes

-20 oz tomato sauce

-ricotta cheese

-1 egg

-16 oz spinach (more or less)

-2 cups mozzarella cheese

-1 cup cheddar cheese

1. Cook sausage. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Let simmer on medium heat while you prepare other ingredients.

2. Sautee spinach in chicken broth. Let simmer on medium heat.

3. Mix egg and ricotta cheese. Mix in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. I also like to add either oregano, pizza seasoning, or italian seasoning.

4. When spinach has been cooked down, drain any remaining broth and mix the spinach into the ricotta cheese mixture.

5. Layer the sauce mixture, pasta, ricotta cheese mixture, and cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes at 375.

Mac and Cheese

-1 package of elbow macaroni (I think most packages are 18-24 oz.)

-1/2 cup mozerella cheese

-2 cups cheddar cheese

-1 cup milk

-1/2 medium red onion (optional)

-1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)

-minced garlic (optional)

-cooking spray (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain.

2. Add milk and cheeses. Mix until cheese has melted.

3. (optional) Heat bread crumbs, chopped red onion, and a few sprays of non-stick cooking spray over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Once the bread crumbs have browned, mix the mixture into the pasta.

Serve and enjoy!

Weight Watcher Friendly Mousse :)

This is delicious, SERIOUSLY, and super fast to make. Anytime that I find out Chris has volunteered us to bring a dessert over to some activity or to a friend's for dinner, I just make a batch of this.... An added perk: only 82 calories, and 1.3 g fat per serving! (2 WW points)

-2 1.5 oz. packages of your favorite flavored fat free pudding mix (or, if you aren't counting calories, any kind of pudding mix you'd like)

-1 Cup of Cool Whip Lite

-1 Cup Fat Free Milk

1. Whisk together the pudding mix and 1 cup of milk.

2. Fold in Cool Whip until completely blended.

**Depending on the flavor, sometimes I'll add crushed graham crackers (really good with banana, lemon, or cheesecake flavors), or chocolate chips, etc... Flavors like cheesecake and white chocolate are also really good with crushed berries mixed in.

Broccoli Soup and Bread Bowls

I think the soup is plenty good enough and filling enough to eat without the bread bowls, but I included the bread bowl recipe too, just for fun!

Soup:

-3 16 oz. packages of frozen, chopped broccoli (you can, of course, use fresh broccoli also)

-2  14.5 cans of chicken broth

-2 cups of either half and half, cream, or milk (or any combination. I used 1 cup of half and half and 1 cup of milk)

-Grated Parmesan cheese (if desired)

1. Boil the broccoli in the broth until soft. 

2. Puree broth and broccoli 1 cup at a time. (I poured pureed mixture into large bowl until I had emptied the pot. Then I returned the puree to the pot so it would stay warm during the next step)

3. Stir in the 2 cups of milk/cream/half and half.

4. Salt and Pepper to taste (I also added some onion and garlic powder).

5. Top with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese before serving! 

Bread Bowl (approx. 2 hours total)

-2 envelopes active dry yeast

-2 1/2 cups warm water

-2 tsp salt

-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

-7 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast in water.

2. Add salt and oil.

3. Mix (on low speed) in 2 cups of flour.

5. Add remaining flour one cup at a time, mixing in between cups.

6. Knead dough on floured surface for about 5 minutes.

7. Place in greased bowl, cover, and allow time to double in size.

8. Divide dough into 6 balls. Cover on a cookie sheet and allow to double in size.

9. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.