Graced with Grace

Working at a Lebanese owned market and deli has provided me with some interesting experiences, given me the chance to try some unique salads and foods, and made me laugh more than once or stand in complete confusion, as one of the stories I am about to narrate will reveal. But first unique foods... Stuffed Grape Leaves. How many of you know what that is? Ok, so maybe some of you actually know, but I personally had never heard or seen it until I began this job over the summer. And being the sort of girl who is timid in trying new things if it looks at all unusual, I hesitated to try this curious delicacy. Well, a co-worker convinced me to give it a try in my first month or so at the job, but I have refrained from tasting it since, not that it was completely awful, but you get what I mean. Well, today I have been won. The chef had just made a fresh batch yesterday and we pulled them out of the refrigerator today to set out, but she first had to try one because, of cour...

Sometimes life is crazy and hard and full of adult stuff. But sometimes its nice to just enjoy life ( not that you can't enjoy life while doing adult stuff, but maybe instead being an adult while using the eyes and heart of a child). Tonight was one of those nights. Today, after getting off from work and turning my paper in on time and taking a shower because work is gross and running to the store to get groceries, after all of that, I decided it was high time I made Sugar Cookies. When it comes to Christmas activities and Christmas music and Christmas baking, things just don't stay in their place for me. For example, I sing Christmas music all year long, I will make Sugar Cookies with Christmas themed Cookie cutters anytime I wish to, if I want eggnog in the middle of summer I will just make it (that hasn't actually ever happened, but it will one day....). December is far too busy a month to squeeze all the best activities and songs and best everything into, so ther...

I am thankful for vegetables! They are delicious and very nutritious! So children, eat your vegetables! ;)

The dinner I made turned out phenomenal! I made lasagna... without using a recipe. (who uses recipes any more, anyway? Isn't that kind of old-fashioned? ) As I cut up some onions with tears streaming down my face, I wondered how in the world the chef at the restaurant I work at can possibly cut so many onions and never get a tear in his eyes. ;) He actually told me the trick how to do it, but I personally don't think it works, at least not for me. ;) The bread I decided on was orange Bread. Yes, I did use a recipe for it. It turned out very delicious, but extremely sweet.  What did you have for dinner today? Did you make it or help make it?

Yay! I am making dinner tonight! Mom said so! I am so thrilled! I am going to go into the kitchen real soon and start cooking up a storm! Mom just doesn't know what she got herself into. lol ;) I guess we'll be having something awesome for dinner today! I  am going to have lots of fun! To bad you can't join me! Have I made you jealous yet? ;) Any who...I really do like to cook for my family! I just hope they like it as much as I do. ;)

Recently I wanted to make some healthy bread, but we didn't have any whole wheat flour, so I thought maybe I could make oat bread with ground oats as my flour. My mom found a recipe for me in our cook book called “Jane Brody’s Good Food Book”. The recipe is found on page 572 and is called Richard’s Best Bread. I used that recipe as my guide, but added several things and altered the recipe a bit. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it was delicious and my mom wanted me to write out what I did, so we could try it again some time. So here it is. ;).  Hannah’s Everything Bread 2 cups milk, scalded 1/3 cups vegetable oil 1/3 cup honey 2 teaspoon salt ½ cup water 2 tablespoons yeast ½ teaspoon sugar 2 beaten eggs 2 ½ cups oats, ground in blender to a floury consistency (+ ½ cup oats not ground) ½ cup bran flakes crushed lightly ½ cup unprocessed wheat bran ¾-1 cup cornmeal pancake mix (optional, use only if you have some that yo...

Thankful for eggnog! Even though I sometimes wish they sold it all year round, I am glad they don't because it wouldn't be such a treat if they did.

Here is the long awaited bread recipe that I told you about awhile ago. I hope you get a chance to try it out and like it as much as we do. God bless! Whole Wheat Bread In Bosch mixer bowl with dough hook place the following: 5 ½ cups water (130 degrees) ½ cup oil 1 cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp. Dough enhancer (optional) 1 cup gluten (optional) 2 Tbsp. Salt 8 cups flour Using spring switch on machine, fold flour into liquids gently until all flour is moistened. Turn to speed 1 and blend for about 1 minute. Add: 3 Tbls. Dry active yeast (or 2 ½ Tbls. Instant yeast) 3 cups more flour (milled above) and fold in. (At this point I usually let dough sit for 7 minutes) Turn to speed 1 and while machine is running, add enough more flour to form a soft dough that is beginning to pull away from sides of bowl slightly (about 4 more cups for a total of about 15 cups of flour). When dough is as described above, time for 10 minutes, and knead on speed 1. Dough will ...

This may not be the healthiest soup you've ever eaten, but it sure is delicious. It is a family favorite, so I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we do. Cheeseburger Soup ½ pound ground beef ¾ cup chopped onions ¾ cup shredded carrots ¾ cup diced celery 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 4 tablespoons butter (or margarine), divided 3 cups chicken broth 4 cups diced, peeled potatoes ¼ cup all-purpose flour 8 ounces processed American cheese, cubed 1 ½ cups milk ¾ teaspoon salt  ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup sour cream In a 3-qt. sauce pan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same sauce pan, sauté onions, celery, basil, and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile in a small skillet melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or u...

Here is the recipe for our pie crust that we use for almost everything. It is so good! Easy Pie Crust  1 ½ cups flour ½ tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. sugar ½ cup oil 2 Tbsp milk Mix together dry ingredients, add milk then oil. Stir until mixed pretty well together. Press into pan. Cook crust at 350 degrees until lightly brown, cool and add filling. Makes 1 pie crust (this pie crust is great for everything, sweet pies or not sweet pies) 

Note: This is not really how we do the first day of fall, but simply a creative way of writing to combine some of my favorite things about fall. Also, this is concentrating on the indoor aspects of fall.   I awoke to the sound of the crackling fire down stairs with its light flickering across the wall. I hastily got dressed for the day and ran down the stairs to warm by the fire with a blanket, a hot cup of tea, and my Bible. Today is the first day of fall and I couldn’t wait to begin our traditional first-day-of-fall cooking. Coffee cake was to be our breakfast, as always, and then we would begin. You can’t have fall without pies, breads, and pastries. A bushel of apples sat in a basket ready to cut. A number of us would set to work cutting apples, while others would make our all time favorite pie crust, roll it out and put it in pie pans. With lots of members in my family, the work always goes smoothly and is sure to be lots of fun. I could just imagine the arom...

Smoothies! Healthy, but delish!

Homemade Bread! It's the best when it is straight out of the oven and the butter just melts on to the bread. So delicious! Maybe I should share my bread recipe with ya'll. Is anybody interested in it? It is really easy and makes 4 loaves.

Fruit! I love most kinds of fruit and they are so healthy, yet so sweet and delicious at the same time. My favorites are strawberries, peaches, blackberries, pineapple, and oranges/tangerines. What are your favorite fruits?