Amish White Bread

So, my daughter was asking my husband if she was nicer than her sister. He wisely wouldn't answer. Since she didn't like his answer, she complained to me. So, I asked her if I was nicer than her sister. She said, yes. I asked her if I was nicer than her Dad. She said yes. Then I asked her if there was anyone nicer than me. She replied no. So I said what about my sister. My daughter replied yes that my sister was nicer. I started laughing. She realized her mistake and tried to tell me that no one was nicer than me. I told her it was to late. Well, my daughter thought I was nice when I made her some homemade bread. This bread is very good. It is soft with a little sweetness. I used mini loaf pans for a cute change and a little different than store bought bread.

Amish White Bread
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

Directions:

1. Oil either 2 bread pans, 8 mini bread pans, or a muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes.
3. Add the salt and oil to the water mixture.
4. Stir in one cup of flour at a time. 
5. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. 
6. Place the dough into an oiled bowl and turn to coat the dough.
7. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. 
8. Punch down the dough.
9. Knead for 2 minutes and then separate the dough into the desired prepared pans.
10. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
12. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. 

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.

One year ago......................................I made Russian Meatballs.
Two years ago....................................I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes.
Three years ago..................................I made Buttermilk Cornbread.

Did you already know............................
-One bushel of wheat can produce about 42 pounds of white flour.
-Bread has been found in Egyptian tombs.
-In 1928, sliced bread was first sold in stores.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice

Lately, my daughter has been on a reading kick. She reads all the time. I think it's great. My son, however, still needs to be persuaded to read. It is part of their homework. After my son reads, he is suppose to write a paragraph about what he wrote. I really think he hates the writing the most. He does like helping me in the kitchen and doesn't mind reading recipes to me. He helped with this dish. We really liked this dish a lot especially my husband. Any meal with rice is a winner according to my husband. Even with the broccoli, he still really liked it.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice
1 lb. broccoli florets, chopped into bite sized pieces
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and saute for a minute. 
3. Increase the heat to medium high and add the chicken.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Brown the chicken. 
6. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
7. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and add the other Tbsp of olive oil to the empty side.
8. Add the uncooked rice to the olive oil side and saute for a couple of minutes.
9. Stir in the chicken broth and white wine. Bring the mixture to a boil.
10. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover.
11. Allow the mixture to cook covered for 10 minutes.
12. Stir in the broccoli and cover. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes. 
13. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese. 
14. Sprinkle the other cup of cheese on top. Cover and allow to sit for 2 minutes for the cheese to melt.

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

One year ago..............................I made Oatmeal Batter Bread.
Two years ago............................I made Homemade White Loaf Bread.
Three years ago.........................I made Boston Baked Beans.

Did you already know........................
-Broccoli belongs to the cabbage family.
-The word broccoli is derived from the Italian word 'brocco' which means arm. 
-In 1990, President Bush banned broccoli on Air Force One.

White Chicken Chili

This weekend, I will be cheering for the New England Patriots. I do like the Patriots but it isn't like I even have a choice. My Uncles are ecstatic. My Maine friends are excited. It is the only professional football team I have watched in person. Are you going to watch the game? Or will you be watching the commercials? I think my daughter will only be watching the game for the Halftime show. Since chili is a great dish to make while watching football, I decided to make the dish our cousin made this past summer. It is a little spicy with tender chicken and beans. It is perfect for a cold day.

White Chicken Chili
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Northern beans (drained and rinsed)
5 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups salsa
8 oz. pepperjack cheese, grated

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock, beans, chicken, chili powder, and salsa.
4. Allow the dish to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago...............................I made Pepperoni Cheese Bread.
Three years ago...........................I made American Beauty Cake.

Did you already know..................
-The New England Patriots have won the most consecutive games in one season.
-The Carolina Panthers lost the most consecutive games in one season.
-The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost the most consecutive games.

Queso Blanco Cheese Dip

Here is the serious question: are you allowed to cheer for a different team then your favorite team? I'm just asking. Now, I always cheer for the Denver Broncos but they will not be heading to the Superbowl. Then I cheer for my husband's favorite team which is the Dallas Cowboys. Well, my husband's friends tell me I can't cheer for his team since they aren't my favorite. Then I made the mistake of posting Go Patriots! They told me I can't cheer for the Patriots either. Well, I disagree with their logic. Since we have four children, then I would only be allowed to cheer for one child. Right? Well, I will cheer for the team I want to take home that Superbowl ring this weekend even if it isn't my beloved Broncos. If you are heading to a Superbowl party, you really should make this dip. It is cheesy and easy. My kids couldn't get enough of this recipe.

Queso Blanco Dip
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup white onion, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
12 oz. white American cheese, shredded
6 oz. Pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/4 to 2/3 cup half and half

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium low heat.
2. Add the onion and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the American cheese, Pepper jack Cheese, and the 1/4 cup half and half. Stir until mostly melted.
4. Add additional milk until the desired consistency.

Recipe adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride. 

One year ago..................................I made Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Two years ago................................I made Hash Brown Potatoes.
Three years ago...............................I made Mushroom Burgers.

Did you already know..................
-The NFL team with the most revenue is the Dallas Cowboys.
 -In 1989, Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys franchise for $150 million.
-In 2014, the average NFL team is worth over $1.4 billion.

Buffalo Chicken with spicy blue cheese dip

After the Superbowl, I'm unsure what my husband will be doing with his weekends. He is always watching the NFL network. When he talks to his best friend, they are talking about which team will win. Since they have rival teams, it is a fun to listen to them talk smack to each other. I guess they will need this down time to recover from football season. I am hoping their jerseys can be put away for at least a couple of months. I don't even have a t-shirt with my favorite team but I do have a t-shirt of my husband's team. He even tells me how nice I look in the shirt. Since it is the end of football season, I wanted to make some buffalo chicken. This chicken isn't dipped in the traditional butter but I couldn't tell. It is so tender and I really liked it. My son made the dip for me. I must be influencing him since he asked where the cayenne pepper was since the recipe called for it. I told him it is with the spices and he said forget about that and he added hot sauce instead. I really liked the dip. If you are hosting a party, definitely make this recipe.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken
 3 Tbsp butter milk
3 Tbsp Frank's Redhot Original cayenne pepper hot sauce, divided
3 Tbsp distilled white vinegar, divided
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, chopped into bit size pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided 
2 cups carrot and celery sticks

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, 2 Tbsp hot sauce, and 2 Tbsp vinegar.
2. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture and toss to coat. 
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
4. On a plate, combine the flour with the cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 Tbsp hot sauce and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Set aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. 
7. Remove the chicken from the marinade and evenly coat in the flour mixture. 
8. In the skillet, cook the chicken in batches until golden brown about 4 minutes per a side. Add additional vegetable oil if need. 
9. Once cooked through, remove the chicken and place onto a paper lined plate.
10. Drizzle the chicken with the hot sauce and vinegar mixture. 
11. Serve with the Spicy Blue Cheese Dip (recipe below), carrots, and celery.

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup blue cheese, chopped
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp Frank's Redhot Original hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar, and the hot sauce.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Note: I buy the solid blue cheese block and then I chopped it. I notice the quality of taste for the blue cheese is so much better. 

Recipe adapted from Eatingwell.com.

One year ago.....................................I made Fried Rice.
Two years ago...................................I made Cheddar Biscuits.
Three years ago.................................I made Fluffy Dinner Rolls.

Did you already know..........................
-In 1948, the Los Angeles Rams were the first NFL team to put logos on their helmet.
-The only NFL team to have their logo on one side of their helmet is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
-The NFL team Cleaveland Brown do not have any primary logos on their helmets.