Yum Yum in my Tum Tum

I have been on a cooking kick lately, and I am starting to really enjoy it, mostly because for one I am getting better at it and two I don't have a choice :)

A few weeks ago we had a family reunion in Great Falls Montana, and to raise money for the reunion we do an auction. Everyone is supposed to bring something to auction off. I brought two pies, one peach and one strawberry rhubarb (this is my fave, so I really didn't want to auction it off) :) I also made a few little pies for us to eat as well with the leftovers. So of course John, my dad and I dug into the small peach pie...it was gross! The peaches were still hard, and the crust was frozen (I put it in a mini fridge but it must have been too cold for pie). I was so sad, plus I had already put the big pie out for auction. Oops :) One of my great aunts bought it so hopefully she doesn't really remember who made it and hopefully she likes hard peach pie :)

My grandma bought the strawberry rhubarb. She shared it with some family that stayed after the reunion...they said it tasted great so I hope they weren't lying. My grandma is my biggest fan with the things I make, whether it be pie, bread or scrapboooking. She always tells me that I do a great job and she loves whatever it is I made (I think this may just be a part of being a grandma, but I don't care!). A few months ago my grandparents were in town visiting and my grandma taught me how to make her homemade bread (see all recipes below)...it is so yummy and if you do it right it tastes like heaven!

I have also made a very yummy banana bread,it's super moist yet crispy on the edges, just how I like it! I've made White Chili, I got this recipe from my cousin Emily. She made it for us once and we have been in love ever since. I also made pizza for us one night too. Personal Pan pizza's. They tasted just like Pizza Hut Pizza's.

Another really yummy recipe I made not too long ago is pulled pork sandwiches. I got the recipe out of a cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas (Refreshments Provided By 22nd Ward) and it's for Rio Pulled Pork. You know what the Rio is if you've visited me or have had Cafe Rio before. It's the best pork you have ever tasted! At the Rio they put it in tacos, burritos, salads, ect... but I put ours on a roll and it tasted amazing, especially with some provolone cheese, mmmmm!

Recipes:

Pie:
I got thisrecipe on the back of Bob's Red Mill Pastry Flour package for my crust, it's the best I've found.
2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Stoneground whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup chilled butter
5-8 tbl cold water

Mix flour, and salt into large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 12 pieces and rub into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a course meal with pea size pieces. Sprinkle water over mixture, 1 tbl at a time just until dough forms. Form dough into a ball. Cut in half and press into a thin disc shape. Wrap each disc in wax paper and put in fridge for 30 minutes before rolling. Makes 2 9" pie crusts.
Filling: Just use your favorite filling recipe!

Grandma Vance's Super Yummy Homemade Bread (that's my title for it anyway)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup powdered milk or 1 cup regular milk minus water (I always use powdered milk)
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water (minus this if you used regular milk)
2 tbl honey or 2 tbl sugar (I've used both, honey is way better)
1 egg
4 tsp shortening

Mix all ingredients together in a bread maker. Put shortening in each corner of breadmaker (so 1 tsp in each corner). Let rise in maker. Take out doughand put in a greased loaf pan. Let rise again until 1/2 inch from top of pan (about 1/2 hour). Put in oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
For Scones: Let rise in maker, take out and make flat pieces about fist size, thicker around edges. Drop in a deep fat fryer or pan with 2 inches of oil.
For Rolls: Let rise in maker. Make rolls. Use thumb to make good rolls (put the dough on your thumb and pull down around your thumb). Put in greased 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Moist Banana Bread

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/bread/banana-bread-V/detail.aspx

White Chili from Emily
(This recipe takes about 2 1/2- 3 hours to make)

2 lbs or white beans (2 cans of white beans)
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp chicken boullion
2 white onions (I don't like onions so I don't use this ingredient)
6-8 cloves of minced garlic
7 oz diced green chilis
4 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups cooked and diced chicken (I used canned)
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded monterey cheese (I usually use 4 or so cups)

Combine beans, broth, and boullion in a large pan. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Saute onion and garlic.
Add everything else except sour cream and cheese. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add sour cream and cheese. Cook until cheese melts.

Rio Pulled Pork

3 lbs Pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbl dried minced onion (I don't usually have this so I didn't use it)
1 cup dark brown sugar (I use regular brown sugar)
1 can enchilada sauce

Cook all ingredients, except brown sugar and enchilada sauce, in a crock pot on day on low. Once hour before serving, remove pork roast and shred it. Dump out cooking juices. Put shredded pork back into crock pot and add brown sugar and enchilada sauce.

Personal Pan Pizza Dough

1 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 dry milk
2-3 tsp garlic salt
3-4 cup flour
1 tbl sugar
1 pkg. dry yeast
3 tbl olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning (I didn't use this)
Olive oil
Pam

Stir yeast, sugar, salt and dry milk in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and stil until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into 3 balls. In three 9"cake pans put oil in each to make sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle. Place in cake pans. Spray the outer edge of dough with Pam. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1-1 1/2 hours. For each 9" pizza: Preheat oven to 475. Spoon pizza sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge. Put cheese and other toppings on top. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.
Note: If you have a pizza stone, place the 9" pans on top of that while cooking, it will help the crust brown on the bottom. Also dough can be made ahead of time just put saran wrap around it and put in fridge.

Alright I hope you all enjoy some new recipes!!!

Long time no see

I realize it's been awhile since my last post, sorry about that.
Here are some pictures (of Gretal mostly) to make it all better.