BLT Dip Recipe

Quick, Easy -N- Fast BLT Dip Recipe

1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. sour cream
2 tomatoes, diced and drained
1 lb. bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled
shredded lettuce
1 pound loaf sourdough bread, cut into bite-sized chunks

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, tomatoes and bacon. Spread on bottom of a pie plate or other small serving dish.

Top with shredded lettuce and serve with bread chunks.

Makes 3 cups.

Apple Cider Donuts

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Apple Cider
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Solid Vegetable Shortening
2 Large Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk
3½ Cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Vegetable Oil or Shortening for frying.

Before baking starts, set up donut making stations to streamline the process and keep everyone from stepping on each other’s toes.

Step 1: Mixing Station

At the first station, put a few of your Home Maven friends in charge of heating the cider and mixing the ingredients together in bowls to create the dough. If you’d like, you can reduce several cups of cider (one for each batch you plan to make) beforehand to speed up the process.

Friends stationed here will follow these instructions:

* Boil 1 cup of apple cider in a small saucepan for 8 to 10 minutes or until cider is reduced to 1/4 cup; let cool.
* In a large bowl, beat sugar with solid shortening until smooth. Add eggs and mix well, then add buttermilk and cooled cider.
* In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to liquid ingredients; mix ingredients just enough to combine.

Step 2: Donut-Cutting Station

At the second station, set up an area on a flat surface with a lightly floured board for cutting and shaping dough. Place baking pans covered in wax paper or parchment nearby for finished donut shapes.

Friends stationed here will follow these instructions:

* Transfer dough to the lightly floured board and pat to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch donut cutter; re-roll the excess donut holes and cut scraps back into the dough.
* Refrigerate formed donuts on baking sheets for about 20 minutes to help firm the dough prior to frying.

Step 3: Frying Station

If you want to work at a faster pace, you can provide two frying pans at this station so more donuts can be fried at once. Also provide plates with several layers of paper towels for draining the donuts after frying.

Friends stationed here will follow these instructions:

* Add enough oil or shortening to fill a deep (3-inch) pan; heat to approximately 375°F or until the oil is bubbling.
* Fry several donuts at a time, turning once or twice until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
* Remove and place on paper towels for draining and cooling.

Step 4: Cinnamon and Sugar Station

Have one or two helpers put the finishing touch on the donuts by supplying large plastic zip-top bags containing a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Once the donuts have drained and cooled a bit, they will shake up the donuts in the bag. Finished donuts can be placed on a wire rack to continue cooling.

For an added touch, have friends at this station pour the excess apple cider into a large saucepan and heat with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves and orange peel. Since they won’t have much to do right away they can keep an eye on the hot apple cider and stir occasionally. Not only will it add warm festive fragrances throughout your home, it makes a tasty complement to the donuts.

Pumpkin Buns

I found this one on Lisa's Craft & Food Blog. She has some great ideas and recipes you should look through.

I am always looking for new ways to use pumpkin so I HAD to post this one. Enjoy!

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 15 oz. solid packed pumpkin
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt

Filling: 1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze: 2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in karge bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar; let stand til foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the eggs, butter and pumpkin.

Gradually add 5 cups of the flour and the salt, scraping side of bowl, until soft dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface and knead remaining 1/2 cup flour onto dough. Dough will be soft.

Grease a bowl; add dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.

Coat 2 13x10 inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Make filling: Mix butter, sugar and brown sugars, cinnamon in a bowl.

Punch down dough. Roll out half onto lightly floured surface to form a 16x10 inch rectangle. Spread with half of filling. Starting on one long side, roll up jelly roll fashion. Pinch seam to close. Repeat with second half of dough and filling.

Cut each log crooswise into 12 generous 1 inch pieces. Arrange 12 pieces, cut side down, in each prepared pan. Cover with plastic; let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30-45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden brown and bubbly, 28-33 minutes. Tranfer to wire rack; let cool 10 minutes.

Glaze: Blend confectioners sugar and milk. Drizzle over buns. Serve warm.

Vidalia Onion Cornbread

Vidalia Onion Cornbread
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Prep Time: 5 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 33 min Level:
Easy Serves:
16 squares

Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package cornbread/muffin mix
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until tender, but not browned, for about 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the muffin mix, egg, milk, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the salt, and dill weed. Stir to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, until set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Cake Doughnuts

So Joe wanted to make doughnuts a while back. . .from scratch. I was exhausted that day so I just printed up a recipe real quick and told him to have at it. He made them and they turned out like fried rings of something unidentifiable.

But some of the rings that were fatter tasted like they should have. So I wanted to give it a go. I also quadrupled the recipe to accommodate our large family. As it is we can't order just one dozen of doughnuts and be satisfied. Now we need at least 2 dozen and 3 dozen if we want some to snack on later in the day. Since Joe used the original recipe and it BARELY made enough tiny squashed doughnut I knew I needed more.

8 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp Salt
¼ C. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 Stick Butter Melted
2 C. Milk
4 Eggs

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. With a mixer; mix in milk and egg until well incorporated. Divide dough into manageable section and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter, or use two round biscuit cutters of different sizes.

Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, a few at a time. Do not overcrowd pan or oil may overflow. Fry, turning once, for 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

GLAZE:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
6 Tbsp Milk
Some lemon or lime juice to taste.

POWDER:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
¼ Cup Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg

Recipe Yields apx 3 Dozen Doughnuts and 3 Dozen Doughnut Holes

Oopsie Bread

Since the New Year started and I decided I needed to get healthier I started Atkins again. Of course on Atkins you aren't allowed things like bread or sugar or even certain starchy vegetables. I've done really well so far too. Lost 17lbs since Jan 1st. But I ran across this recipe called Oopsie Bread and it is super easy to make and it really does help gatting through that induction phase a lot easier. I've been able to make my sandwiches again without wrapping it all in lettuce and I can do it without feeling guilty too! Gluten free too.



Oopsie Rolls (Gluten-Free Buns)


3 large eggs
pinch of cream of tartar (1/8 tsp)
3 ounces cream cheese (Do not soften)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Separate the eggs and add cream cheese to the yolks. Use a mixer to combine the ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff (if you're using the same mixer, mix the whites first and then the yolk mixture). Using a spatula, gradually fold the egg yolk mixture into the white mixture, being careful not to break down the whites. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and spoon the mixture onto the sheet, making 6 mounds. Flatten each mound slightly.

Bake about 30 minutes (You want them slightly softer, not crumbly). Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes, and then remove to a rack and allow them to cool. Store in a loosely open sack and allow to rest on the counter before use (otherwise they might be too moist). Can be frozen.

Notes: If you are making these to be savory (for burgers) you can add dry mustard and dill or other seasonings to the yolk mixture. If you want a more sweet roll, add a very small amount of stevia natural sweetener to the yolk mixture.


Makes 6 Induction Friendly, Gluten-Free rolls.

Nutritional information per roll: Calories:85 , Carbohydrates: .6 g, Fiber: 0g, Net Carbohydrates: .6g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7.5