Glorious Saturday, How I Love you!!! (Italian Herb Bread, Fig Bars, Raspberry Oatmeal Bars, Peach Cobbler)

What a glorious Saturday that I woke up to..  I love my weekends off..  love the time I get to spend with the Munchkin.. aka My Buttercup, SammyLooHoo, Monster, Sam and when G'ma is not happy with her, Samantha Riley..  She is a sweet girl most of the time,  but she does get a little grumpy..
We also have a house guest this weekend..  Mr David G Moore.. and he is getting spoiled with food..  We had Beef and Black Bean Sloppy Joes with Fries Wednesday night, Sun Dried Tomato Chicken, French Onion Soup with Toasted Italian Bread with Melted Swiss and Waldorf Salad Thursday night,  Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Stir Fry Vegetables last night,  Lasagna, Salad and Italian Herb Bread tonight, Burgers, Hot Wings and Chips tomorrow, Parmesan Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta, Caesar Salad, Bread Monday night and eating Chinese out for lunch Tuesday..  wow..  lots of cooking but going to love it..
Sam has kept me on my toes today..  she is a ball of energy and she wears me out,  but I love it.. 

Multipurpose Bread

2 c. warm water
8 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp yeast

put in large mixing bowl and let proof

2 c warm water
4 tbsp olive oil or butter, melted
4 tsp salt
7 to 9 c flour( I use a combination of all purpose and whole wheat..  about equal parts)

Add the warm water, vegetable oil/melted butter, salt and flour 2 c at a time.  Keep adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch..  turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes..  cut into 4 equal parts form into balls and cover with a clean towel and let rest for 15 minutes..    punch each down and form into the bread shape you want..   place on greased baking sheet and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours..  bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes..  or depending on the size loaf you make..


Italian herb bread

1 stick butter, softened
Dried Italian Seasoning,  could use fresh basil, oregano if wanted
Garlic powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
handful of fresh parsley, chopped finely
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

Mix all together and set aside..   I made this while the dough is resting.  It is enough for 2 loaves of the bread.. so if you only want to make one half it.. 
Take one ball of dough and shape it into a rectangle,  using a rolling pin roll out into about a 8 x 14 to 15 inch rectangle..  spread with half of the mixture to about 1/2 inch from the edges..  roll up long way and ten pinch the end seam with the dough it meets..  pinch ends together and tuck under..  place on greased baking sheet, seem down and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.. bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes..   

Fig Bars

Crust

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 c all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar, add the vanilla and flour and mix well until a dough forms, press into the bottom of a greased 8 or 10 inch square pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.. while that is baking prepare the filling..

Filling

1/4 c sugar

1 c boiling water

1 c dried Mission figs, chopped (1 c)

Place the figs in a saucepan and add the sugar,  pour the boiling water over and place on stove over medium heat and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed..  about 10 to 15 minutes..  spread over the crust..

Topping 

1/4 c all purpose flour

1/4 c packed brown sugar

3 tbsp butter, cubed

1/4 c oats

1/4 c chopped nuts

Mix well and spread on top of the fig mixture.. press down a little and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  cool and cut into squares

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

One 10 to 12-ounce jar raspberry preserves

Mix the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt together,  press half the oat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread with the raspberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 to 40 minutes or until light brown. Let cool completely,  cut into squares.

Peach  Cobbler


4 15 oz can peaches with juice
1 c sugar
cinnamon and cloves
1/2 c flour
2 1/2 c bisquick
1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 to 2 1/2 c milk


In a large saucepan mix the sugar and flour,  add the peaches with juice, cinnamon, cloves  and stir well..  heat over medium heat stirring often until thickened
In a bowl mix the bisquick and sugar.. add the melted butter and milk, sprinkle some cinnamon and cloves and mix well...  pour into greased 9x13 pan..  top withe the peach mixture , spreading evenly over the crust.. bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on top.. 

Glorious Wednesday, how I love you!!! (Red Velvet Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting)

I love my Wednesday's off..  they are like a wonderful salve for my soul.. I slept in this morning after taking some Aleve last night and am in my normal amount of pain,  a plus.. I can deal with this.. I am used to it..  :)  The girls and I have been doing some spring cleaning.. I cleaned out the coat closet in the living room and found a bag with newspapers in it from the fire.. I was reading them until the girls took them away..  I did get my Target dogs out of the closet and put them on the bookcase.. where they will stay until SammyLooHoo comes on Friday and insists on playing with them all..  :) 
Last week we did a remodel of my Cosmetic dept and to show my appreciation of all that the Planogram team did and continue to do daily for our store I am baking them a Red Velvet Cake..  It is in the oven happily baking right now..  :)  I love Red Velvet Cake..  Will of course make a cream cheese frosting for it..  love Cream Cheese Frosting..

Red Velvet Cake

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz red food coloring
2 heaping tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c buttermilk

In a large mixing bowl beat cream the butter and sugar together until smooth,  add the eggs one at a time,  add in the vanilla and mix well, add the cocoa and blend, carefully add the food coloring and slowly mix in until incorporated,  add the baking soda and 1 c flour,  pour in about 1/3 c buttermilk and pulse the mixer to not splash out of the bowl until partly mixed and then mix well,  repeat until the flour and buttermilk are gone..
Pour into 2-9 inch prepared cake pans(buttered and floured or cocoa) bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until tests done with a toothpick.. let cool in pans for about 15 minutes,  then turn out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely..   frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract or zest of orange
4 c powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined..  add the extract or zest and powdered sugar,  1 c at a time until desired consistency adding a little milk if needed..  Frost cooled cake.. 

Dinner was wonderful tonight..  BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Butter Honey Carrots, Creamed Spinach Gratin

Oh Kitchen, How I have missed you!! and I have missed you too Blog!!! (Chicken, Black Bean Tortilla Stack, Spanish Rice)

Life has gotten in the way lately of my time spent in the kitchen,  but no more..  not going to let anything steal my passion..  there are times of course where I can't stand the thought of walking into the kitchen and cooking..  but most of the time I am itching to get in here and create..  :)   It relaxes me like nothing else.. 
The past month has been busy with Samantha, work and a new relationship,  actually the relationship has been developing for the past few months..  wanted to take it slow,  and still taking it slow.. :)
We completely redid my cosmetic dept at work and I still have the soreness and bruises to prove it..  bruises all over my body and my neck and shoulders killing me.. not sure what I did to re-injure it,  but it is painful..  lose the feeling in my arms and hands often throughout the day.. not fun.. praying that it gets better soon..  it is hard to function normally sometimes with it like this.. 
So, I came home and showered and headed to the kitchen.. my place of peace.. 

Chicken, Black Bean Tortilla Stack

Olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 lb ground chicken
1 lb black beans, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 pkt taco seasoning
1 pkg frozen corn
salsa
colby jack cheese, shredded
mozzarella cheese, shredded
flour tortillas, medium to large

In a large saute pan heat olive oil,  add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes,  add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes,  add the chicken and cook until done.. add the black beans and the taco seasoning.  add a little water and stir..  add the corn and some salsa and stir well..  let simmer for about 10 minutes..
In a pie place pour a little salsa on the bottom,  top with a tortilla,  put 1/3 of the chicken and black bean mixture on top,  top with some colby jack cheese,  keep layering and end with a tortilla, salsa and the mozzarella cheese.  put in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes..  can be prepared up to baking and wrapped in foil and frozen,  just thaw overnight in the fridge and bake for about 30 minutes..

Spanish Rice

Olive Oil
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 c rice
1 c salsa
1 c water

In a medium saucepan heat oil,  add the onion and cook about 4 minutes,  add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.. add the rice and cook until a light brown, stirring often.. add the water and salsa, cover and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat.. stirring often.. fluff with a fork before serving