Homemade Pancakes

For years I've made pancakes using boxed mix.

I thought the pancakes tasted good,

and they were so easy to make

so I didn't see anything wrong with the mix.

On Shrove Tuesday I wanted to make pancakes,

but when I checked my pantry I was all out of mix!

It's very unlike me not to have a back up, 

especially if something is low.

Since I had my mind (and stomach) set on pancakes,

I looked online for an easy recipe because it was a work night.

Trusty Google came in handy once again

and led me to this recipe that sounded pretty good.

After making half a batch of them that Tuesday,

I knew I'd never want to use boxed mix again.

And since they turned out so tasty,
I just had to share the recipe on my blog!

The Goods:

Flour

Milk

Baking Powder

Sugar

Salt

Butter

Eggs

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Combine the milk, melted butter and eggs in another dish.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients

and mix until there are no longer any lumps.

Let your mixture sit for at least 10 minutes.

This will make your pancakes extra fluffy!

After 10 minutes, start heating up your pan.

I use a double burner cast iron griddle, 

but use whatever you have on hand. 

Once your pan is nice and hot, it's time to spray it with some kind of oil.

I recently found the above spray coconut oil and was so happy!

Using a measuring cup, pour the mixture onto your pan.

Make sure to leave enough space for flipping!

Once little bubbles appear on your pancakes and start popping,

that's when you know your pancakes are ready to be flipped!

Flip all your pancakes and cook the other side.

Now get ready to make even more!

You can make them all the same size...

Or you can make smaller ones with the next round!

Yeah - a few of those got a little too done, but they still tasted great!

Once you're done cooking all your pancakes it's time to dig in!!!

And if you're like me and make WAY too many,

freeze them in zipper baggies to enjoy in the near future.

These pancakes are so easy to make and incredibly tasty,

 so I'm guessing you may never us mix again either!

Homemade Pretzel Rolls

When I was in Kansas City a few months ago,

I got the idea to make some homemade pretzel rolls.

Shortly after I got home, I decided to make them.

But the holidays - all of them - kinda took over,

and it's taken me months to blog about their deliciousness!

I've made Soft Pretzels countless times,

but I didn't think that recipe would make the best rolls.

So I did some digging online and found this recipe!

And after gathering all the necessary ingredients,

I got busy in the kitchen making them!

The Goods:

Milk

Butter

Brown Sugar

Yeast

Salt

Flour

Baking Soda

Egg

Water

Heat butter and milk until warm.

While heating the butter and milk,

put brown sugar in your mixing bowl.

The butter and milk is ready 

when it's between 100 and 110 degrees.

Combine the warmed butter and milk,

with brown sugar and yeast in mixing bowl.

Stir in salt and 2 cups of flour, then beat for 3 minutes.

Gradually add more flour until you have a soft dough.

Attach dough hook and kneed until dough is smooth and elastic.

This will take anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes.

Form dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl.

Cover and let rise for at least an hour - until doubled in size.

At this time, you'll want to Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

The originally recipe says to divide dough in half,

but I wanted smallish rolls so I divided mine into six.

Then formed each into a tight, smooth ball.

Combine 3 quarts of water with 3/4 cup baking soda and bring to a boil.

Boil in batches - I did two at a time - for two minutes, turning after one.

Remove with a slotted spoon and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Cut an "X" in each roll with a sharp knife.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Put rolls in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Then bake rolls for 10 to 12 minutes longer...

Until they're evenly browned!

Cool on wire rack and then enjoy!!!

Everything Cookies

A few weeks ago, I got a hankering to make some homemade cookies.

While I love making simple chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies, 

I knew I wanted to do something just a little different!

So what exactly did I do different?

I decided to use oatmeal, raisins, chocolate chips and 

pretty much everything else but the kitchen sink!

Hence me deciding they needed to be called:

EVERYTHING COOKIES!

These cookies are so simple to make.

And if you have a stand mixer like I do, 

the mixer does all the work!

Take a look below at how to make these easy, yet delicious cookies!

The Goods:

8 oz (2 sticks) Butter, Softened

1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, Packed

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup Shredded Coconut

1/2 cup Toffee Bits

Before I go any further - I have to apologize.

I got really into making these cookies 

and FORGOT to take step by step pictures.

I'm sorry, I know I was a BAD blogger again. 

Since there aren't step by step pictures,

Follow the steps below to make these yummy cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy.

Mix in eggs until light and fluffy.

Add flour, baking soda and salt until blended.

Stir in your oats and all your goodies!

Form dough into balls (I used a 35 mm scooper)

and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are starting to brown.

Centers should be still quite soft - this will keep them super chewy!

Cool on cookie sheet about a minute, 

then remove to wire rack until completely cool.

I took these AMAZING cookies to work the day after making them.

There were about 60 or so cookies in my office kitchen in the morning 

and EVERY SINGLE ONE was devoured before lunch time!

These babies were just that good.

I will, without a doubt, be making them again.

But now it's YOUR turn to do so.

Go make them and see how good they really are!

Chicken Piccata and Homemade Pasta

I recently had a hankering for some for some homemade pasta, 

so I quickly started to think about what I wanted to enjoy with said pasta.

After a little thought, I couldn't get my mind off:

CHICKEN PICCATA & HOMEMADE PASTA!!!

I found this recipe and couldn't wait to get to work.

And sadly, was so into making it I don't have any step by step pictures.

I know - HUGE blog fail.

The meal was so good I couldn't not post about it.

And as the recipe states, it really is easy!!

Piccata Goods:

Chicken

Flour

Butter

Salt

Lemons

Olive Oil

Chicken Broth

Flat Leaf Parsley

Capers

For my step by step homemade pasta instructions,

see this blog post!!!

The finished product!!

So good and I can't wait to make it again.

Maybe the next time I'll be a better blogger, 

and remember to take more pics to update this post.

Elina and Robyn Make...Gnocchi

It's been quite awhile since I posted about something delicious Elina and I made.
I'm sorry it's been so long, but I hope this amazing food makes up for it!

A few weeks ago, Elina and I were watching a show on the Food Network and they were making homemade Gnocchi. As soon as we saw this, we both looked at each other and had the same thought -
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS SOON!

After doing a little research, we figured making gnocchi wouldn't be much more difficult than making homemade pasta and we've both done that numerous times before. The more difficult part was deciding what type of sauce to make with the gnocchi.

After each of us threw our a few ideas, we decided on ...

A Cheesy Garlic Cream Sauce!!!

Homemade Gnocchi with anything sounds great, but with a cheesy garlic cream sauce is sounds even better!
(Note: We didn't toss our broccoli with the gnocchi as this recipe indicates.)

The Goods - Part 1:

Flour

Eggs

Potatoes

Parmesan

Cream

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Lemon

The Goods - Part 2 (AKA Things we forgot in Part 1...):

Milk

Chicken Broth

Butter

Fresh Parsley

Peel, cut up, cook, drain, cool off and finally rice your potatoes.

Arrange your potatoes in a dome and create a well in the middle.
Add your egg mixture and start combining with your hands.
Gradually mix in cheese and flour until dough is slightly sticky.

Divide dough in sixths, roll out into 1/2 inch thick, then slice in 1/2 inch pieces.

Create indentations on each piece using fork tines.

We put our gnocchi on cookies sheets, then stored them in the fridge while we made the delicious sauce!

Now time, to make the sauce!!!

Melt butter and cook the garlic.

Stir in Chicken Broth and combine.

Whisk in Cream and Milk until incorporated. 

Add the parmesan right before combining with the gnocchi.

Bring water to a slow boil, add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface.

Drain the gnocchi and combine with the sauce.

Finish off with Fresh Parsley.

Plate, add more fresh parm and serve with a crisp green salad!

The gnocchi and sauce were absolutely amazing!

After taking a few bites, we decided that the gnocchi were like little pillows of deliciousness.

And then we scarfed the rest down without saying another word to each other.

It was THAT good!

We were both very happy with the end result and knew we'd both be making this again.

In fact, we even had some uncooked gnocchi leftover that we were able to freeze for a later date.

Homemade Spaghetti and Turkey Bolognese!

I hadn't made homemade pasta in awhile, so a few weeks ago I busted out my trusty pasta maker and went to town! I made half a recipe of a simple egg dough, letting it rest for a few hours before rolling it out and cutting it into spaghetti.

 I usually serve my homemade pasta with a simple marinara or an olive oil based sauce, but this time I wanted to change things up and give turkey bolognese a try! I'd never made a bolognese  but I thought I could handle it! After looking at a few recipes, I decided on this yummy sounding one from Giada de Laurentiis.

Take a look below at the process of making both the pasta dough and the sauce.

The Pasta Goods:

Flour

Eggs

A lil Salt 

THAT'S IT!

Put flour in a big bowl and make a well. Crack the eggs and mix them in with a fork until dough is starting to come together. Continue to mix it a little longer by hand.

Then dump it onto a floured surface and go to town kneading. 

I kneaded the dough for about 5 minutes, give or take. 

The top shows what it should look like when you're done kneading.

Wrap it in plastic warp and let it rest for a few hours, or even a few days in the fridge!

Once you're ready to use the dough, cut into 4 pieces. Flour the top and form each piece into a flattened disk. Run the dough through the pasta machine and then cut into spaghetti.  

Now that the pasta is done, let me tell you all about the sauce!

The Bolognese Goods:

Ground Turkey
Crushed Tomatoes
Celery
Carrot
Onion
Garlic
Basil
Flat Leaf Parsley
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Prep all your goods!

Heat a little olive oil, sauté your onions and garlic. Once onions are translucent, add the carrots and celery and cook a few minutes. Then add the ground turkey and cook completely. Finally, add the crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs. Stir everything to combine and simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Since I made fresh pasta, it only needs to cook for a few minutes. While that was cooking, I added fresh parmesan to the sauce. Toss the sauce with the pasta and save a little sauce to add on top. I served mine with homemade garlic bread and some oven roasted corn on the cob. 

The Best Soft Pretzels Ever!

While visiting my brother and his family in Kansas City, I met an amazing woman named Heather. She is a foodie like me and we clicked almost instantly! I soon found out about her Soft Pretzel Bites and KNEW I would be making them when I got back to California. 

After telling a friend about them, I couldn't wait any longer and made them last night. I made the whole batch, and was able to freeze more than half. I got a craving for one today while editing these photos and I can tell you they are just as amazing microwaved right out of the freezer. I will be making these again soon, even if it's just to stock my freezer with these tasty little treats!

Take a look at how I made some of the best soft pretzels I've ever had! Oh and you should also make them yourself - you WON'T be sorry!!!

The Goods:

Vegetable Oil

Flour

Water

Baking Soda

Sugar

Kosher Salt

Sea Salt

Egg Yolk

Butter

Active Dry Yeast

Combine the warm water, kosher salt and sugar.

Add the yeast and let it do it's thing.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix in the flour and butter.

Kneed on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes - 

until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Oil bowl/dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour.

Until it looks like this!

Roll it out onto a lightly oiled surface.

Divide into eight equal portions and roll our until 24 inches long.

Form pretzels or cut into bite sized pieces. 

Place all pieces on lightly oiled, parchment lined baking sheets.

Bring water and baking soda to a rolling boil.

Boil each pretzel individually for 30 seconds and return to baking sheets.

(Or 10 bite sized pieces at a time) 

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Remove from baking sheet and brush a little extra butter on top.

And serve with some jalapeno cheese - my fave!

Thanks Heather. I already cannot wait to make more!!!