Best Homemade Bread

This is another one of those oh-so-fabulous recipes given to me by Melissa Coombs (modified a little by me). I use this for everything from rolls to loaves to Sunday morning cinnamon rolls. I will list the recipe here in 2 quantities: the full recipe which makes the equivalent of 3 loaves of bread, and 1/3 recipe that is good for when you've got to make just one thing and don't want to have to bake the leftover dough. I'm sure you could adapt it to a bread maker, but I've just never gotten technology-savvy enough with one of those to make it work right. What I like best about this recipe is that it requires very little kneading. Instead, you use a mixer early on in the recipe for about 4-5 minutes.

Best Homemade Bread (full recipe)

3 c. warm water
1/3 c. honey
1 Tbsp yeast (to decrease rising time, increase to 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. applesauce
8-9 c. whole wheat flour, white flour, or combination (I usually use about 6 c. wheat flour and 2-3 c. white)

In a large bowl, combine warm water, honey, and yeast. Stir slightly to dissolve honey and yeast, then let sit for 5-10 minutes while yeast "foams". Add salt, oil, applesauce, and 4 cups flour. With an electric mixer, beat 4-5 minutes. Add 2 more cups flour and mix well with a spoon. Add 2 more cups of flour (if adding white flour, this is when I do it) and mix well. On a lightly floured surface, knead in another 1/2 to 1 cup of flour (or less) until dough no longer sticks to your hands. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat both sides. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down and divide into thirds. Shape into loaves or rolls, and let rise until double in the pans. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees for loaves, or 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees for rolls.


Best Homemade Bread (1/3 recipe)

1 c. warm water
2 Tbsp honey
1-2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
4 tsp oil
3 Tbsp applesauce
2-3 c. flour

Follow same directions as above.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

This is another one of those recipes that really isn't low-fat or low-calorie, but sometimes you just need to make it as a side dish with an otherwise healthy meal. Sometimes I'll toss in some cooked peas or chopped broccoli with it just to make me feel better about serving it, but Horse Lover and The Monkey love it best veggie-free.


Stovetop Mac & Cheese

12-14 oz. small pasta noodles (my favorite is rotini or shells)
1 Tbsp butter or margerine
1/2 c. milk
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar
1/3 c. light sour cream
Salt/pepper to taste
1 tsp dried dill weed (optional)

Cook pasta on stovetop according to directions on box.











Drain and immediately return to hot pot. Over medium heat, add butter and milk and stir until butter is melted.










Add shredded cheese and stir until cheese is starting to melt.










Mixture will look slightly clumpy at this point, but don't worry - the sour cream will smooth it all out!











Add sour cream and still until well combined.










Season with salt/pepper and dill weed if desired. If too thick, add a little more milk or sour cream until the consistency is as you like it. Serve and enjoy!










Tip: If adding peas or broccoli, you may want to add a little more cheese to make sure there's enough cheesiness for both noodles and veggies.

Kathleen's Meatballs

This recipe was given to me by a friend years ago, and I'm ashamed to say that I just now finally tried it. We like to put meatballs in our spaghetti sauce instead of using ground meat because Horse Lover and The Monkey don't like the meat. This way, The Honey and I can enjoy the meatballs and the kids just get the pasta and sauce without wasting so much food. They were super easy to make and very yummy!

Kathleens Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 c. oatmeal
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 c. dried minced onion or 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with your hands. Roll into meatballs and place on a large cookie sheet covered with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until center is no longer pink. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from foil carefully. Makes about 24 1-inch meatballs.