Sherrie Goff's Salsa Bean Dip

This was the yummy bean dip that Sherrie served at Jennifer's bridal shower.

2 Cans Black Beans
2 Cans Kidney Beans
2 Cans Corn
3-4 Tomatoes
3 Avocados
1 Small Bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing, or a bottle of Zesty Italian made from the packet (I make mine with Raspberry Vinegar), or my variation of this recipe, I use Kraft's Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette.

Drain cans, cube tomatoes and avocados, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with chips, on a salad, or in a tortilla wrap.

Donna's Notes:

When using the Zesty Italian in recipies on this blog, I usually do not buy the bottled Zesty Italian. I but the dry Zesty Italian packets and mix it up using raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar. For those concerned about "wine" in red wine vinegar, you need to understand that all vinegars are a result of the next stage in the fermentation process of wines, cider, beers, fermented fruit, etc. and are no longer alcoholic.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

This was the bread I made by hand, before I was married and until I bought a Bosch. I still like this recipe because it is full of flavor. I always made this with hard red winter wheat.

Ingredients:
3 cups milk or water*
3 Tablespoons oil
½ cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
6-7 ½ cups whole wheat flour

*water brings out the flavor, milk adds protein and calcium.

Directions:
Combine milk, oil, honey and molasses in a saucepan. Heat and stir until blended; remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water (if you use the cup you measured the honey and molasses in it will bubble faster. Pour liquids from the sauce pan into a large bowl and add yeast. Stir in 3 cups of flour, beating well to develop the gluten. Stir in remaining flour and turn on to a well floured board. Knead thoroughly, until dough is smooth and elastic. Turn into well oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 1 hour. Punch down, form two loaves, place in two well greased bread tins; let rise covered, 45 minutes. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Remove from pan, brush with butter or oil, cover with a cloth until cool.

This will keep for a week in the fridge if stored in a plastic bag. If it gets crumbly, just toast it.

If using for sandwiches, do not let over rise or it will have holes!

Baker's Yeast

1 cake compressed yeast= 1 package active dry yeast
1 package dry yeast= 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
active dry yeast and instant/rapid rise yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes.

What is the difference?
Instant/Rapid rise is:
* finer, so it absorbs liquid faster
* does not need to be dissolved before using, but can be added into the dry ingredients
* takes half the time to rise
* only requires one rising.

Ginger Snaps

This is the same recipe as another one on this site referred to as Molasses Sugar Cookies. The difference is that this one is made with butter instead of shortening. Jennifer Robertson made these cookies and brought them to Princess Academy December 2007. I must say I prefer the flavor of the butter over shortening. Butter is better for you too.

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger

Cream butter and sugar together. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add egg and molasses to creamed butter and beat well. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill one hour. Roll into 1" balls; roll balls in granulated sugar. Place balls 2" apart on un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Donna's Apple Stuffing

I do not like to cook my stuffing in the turkey. So, I created this dish that I can bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of dry stuffing
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 stick of butter
1 cup celery, sliced into moons
1 diced onion
1 cored and sliced apple

Directions:

Saute' onions and celery in melted butter until celery turns bright green. bring stock to a boil. Toss all ingredients together and mix with a fork until all is moist and mixed. Pour into a 4 quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

3 egg whites, room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
A drop of peppermint extract if desired

Directions:

Beat thoroughly in mixing bowl until icing holds stiff peaks, then keep bowl covered at all times with damp cloth. (It will dry out if you don’t.) This will dry hard.

Gingerbread House

I never had gingerbread houses as a child. However, when I married I gained a sweet sister-in-law, Beatrice Jackson, that taught me how to make them. I lost her recipe and I requested it from her this morning. She sent it and I am posting it here so I can find it easily.

Ingredients:

2-3/4 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup oil

Directions:

Mix thoroughly and chill several hours (overnight or longer). Roll dough on an oiled piece of foil. (It helps to place the foil on cookie sheet with sides, and then roll the dough while in pan.) Bake on foil-covered cookie sheet with sides at 300° for 20-30 minutes. Place pattern on hot bread and cut IMMEDIATELY. Lift out pieces carefully and cool on cake racks. The gingerbread should be very hard when cool. (If necessary, the pieces may be laid back on the cookie sheet and placed in the oven for 5-10 minutes longer.) The roof sections will break off if the dough is not thoroughly baked.

Make Royal Icing to use in the assembly and decorating of the gingerbread house. Royal Icing is can be located under the label of "Frosting," in this blog.

If decorator tips and parchment bags are used in applying icing to gingerbread, use a #4 writing tip to draw windows, and a #30 tip to cover cut edges along sides and seams and roof.

CANDIES may be a multitude of various colors and shapes: gumdrops, candy canes, mints, hard candies, chocolate chips, silver balls, colored sugar and sprinkles, etc. Be sure to place candies in icing right away before it hardens.

ASSEMBLY:

Draw windows and roof lines with icing. Add candies.
Use icing to fasten one side of house to foil-covered slab.
Put icing on seam of this piece, then add other sides of house, fastening in place with icing.
Very carefully, put icing along roof edges on ends of house pieces. Attach one roof piece at a time, holding until hardened. Repeat with other roof piece. Hold, and PRAY that it doesn’t fall in!
Attach door with icing and decorate its seams with icing.
Decorate outer seams of house sides with icing. Candy canes look nice in the corner edges.
Put icing along rooftop edge. Fasten chimney pieces together with icing. Attach chimney to roof. Decorate with candies.
May add icicles with writing tip. Decorate yard with icing and candies.