I Love Bread too Oprah! ...

... it's all about the bread, bout the bread, bout the bread!
A few of my recent creations...

 

Look at my JJ!

He loves my "Piggies"!

I saw them on Pinterest but made them my own- they taste like bbq! Sorry not sharing that recipe yet! ;)

Can you believe he is 8 already?!!  Happy Birthday JJ!

I made his crazy birthday cake but cake is another post!

 

Easy Bread Recipe

 In mixing bowl combine:

2 C flour

1 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

approx. 1 C warm water

( adding more water if necessary to make thick batter)

Stir until well mixed. Cover with plastic and let rise for about 1/2 hour in

warm place.  My tip if it's winter I will put the bowl in a larger bowl of warm water to help  

rise the dough and keep it warm, replacing the water when it's cold.

Scrape dough down with a fork and put on floured board, divide in half.  

Flour gently and work into a shape or put into

greased pan or glass bowl to rise again and then bake.  

Bake at 350 for approx. 30 minutes.

This is a basic recipe - I have added herbs, cheese, lots & lots of garlic...more sugar...

For a softer sweeter dough use milk & add a few more tablespoons of sugar!

As you can see I've tried a few things I've seen on my beloved Pinterest.  I've

got a great Board called "Rollin' In Dough". 

Easy to make it in the morning and bake it for dinner!

Make it a great day!

 

 

Chop Chop Chop...

... I love chopping it's the best thing about cooking. Oh I love to slice & dice too. That's why I was so excited to see the huge bag of garlic my hubby brought home. I chopped & chopped & peeled & peeled! I keep a little bowl of water to dip my fingers in when they become too sticky.  I decided to make him some potato salad which he loves with lots of garlic & black olives, a little reward.  

I chopped until my heart was content!

 

Garlic Olive Potato Salad

6 boiled potatoes cubed

3 large cloves of garlic

1/2 Fresh Parsley - I used curly type

3/4 C Mayo

2 small red Bell Peppers

1 small White Onion

2 Stalks of Celery

I can of Jumbo Black Olives sliced

1 tbsp. dried basil

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Hubby was happy! He loves garlic.  The whole house smelled like a wonderful garlic garden. 

I input the recipe into SparkPeople's Recipe Calculator and for 1/2 Cup Serving it has 152 calories. 

I put some whole cloves into olive oil & placed in the frig to use later and I will be using that oil when all the cloves are gone.

I decided to keep some unpeeled cloves in my cute garlic holder. It's so full when you lift the top they tumble out.  Doesn't it look like it's smiling? :)

 

So inspired by this gift of delicious stinky garlic; & my love of  chopping, slicing & dicing; I had to go paint this little ACEO...

"Love Stinks"

(To purchase this piece just click on the painting)

 

It may even smell like garlic! hahaha 

 

Why Didn't I Think of It?...

... Nom Nom Nom! I feel silly!

My son invited me over for dinner a few weeks ago

 and served "Sushi Bake". (Did you just hear Angels singing? If it wasn't them it was me. haha)

He had told me about this recipe after a trip to San Diego where it was served at a party. I really didn't get it until I saw & tasted it!  Then I really did feel a little foolish that I had never thought of making something so simple! Especially as much as me & my family love sushi! It's hot outside today & we went to Hop Sing Palace (best Egg Fu Yung ever) for lunch in Old Folsom so Sushi Bake is perfect for a light & easy dinner.  The recipe calls for baking it; hence the name; but I actually popped it into the microwave for 10 minutes and it's just as good.  The recipe can be tweeked with anything that you like on top.  Tonight I substituted the recipe for 1 can of crab & 1/2 package of imitation crab and on one side of dish I used canned salmon.  Here is the recipe I normally use:

***

2 C uncooked short grain white Rice

approx. 1/2 jar Furikake Rice Seasoning

1 C Sour Cream

1 C Mayo

2 Tbsp Sirracha (can use more of less depending on how hot you like it)

Roasted Nori - individual pieces - **

2 cans of crab meat or 1 pkg of imitation crab shredded 

1 C cooked Shrimp chopped or baby shrimp

Tobiko ( orange tiny fish roe) approx. 1/4 c  aka Masago

2 Green onions sliced thinly

1 tbsp Sugar

approx. 1-2 tbsp Rice Vinegar to sprinkle over hot rice

9 x 13 baking dish 

 Cook rice.  Mix mayo, sour cream & srirracha. Reserve 1/2 c to use as topping sauce.  Add crab & shrimp to remaining sauce. When rice is cooked, fluff with 1/4 container of Furikake, sprinkle with sugar & vinegar.  Mix well. When cool enough press evenly into bottom of baking dish. Evenly spread crab & shrimp mixture over rice. Sprinkle again with even layer of Furikake. Then evenly spread or sprinkle on Tobiko. Top green onions. 

Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Serve warm or at room temp (it's good cold out of the frig the next day too)  

Spoon mixture into pieces of Nori & top w/ sauces if you like.

"Just Roll With It"
Click HERE to purchase my sushi art!

 

Dim Sum vs Sushi

"I Dreamed I was in Fresno Last Night"

There is a quaint little place on the way to L.A. that I insist on stopping at every time go. It has the best produce, cheeses, nuts & a gift shop that has really cool & crafty things. I have to drag myself out to get back on the road. Maybe it's time for another road trip!