Lion House Rolls

It took a few tries, and about 4 different "Real" Lion House Roll recipes, but I think I nailed it.  I have been making these every Sunday since the beginning of the year.  I read several different recipes, tried some different things, and added my own tips and tricks.  The last 3 times I have made these, they have turned out perfect!  Light, flaky, and delicious.  Here's how I "roll" (hahaha)...

Lion House Rolls

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 Tbsp. yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup powdered milk
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-2 1/2 cups bread flour

In large mixer, let yeast dissolve in water.  I add a little bit (about 1 tbsp.) of the sugar to help it along.  Once it has foamed, add the rest of the sugar, dry milk, butter, egg, and salt.  Mix until smooth.  Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, and 1 cup bread flour.  Mix until smooth.  Add another cup of each flour.  Mix until smooth.  At this point, you have added 4 cups of flour.  Depending on where you live/time of year, the next part can get tricky.  I only add 1/2 cup of each flour next, so that's a total of 5 cups.  You may have to add up to 1-1 1/2 cups more.  You want the dough to be sticky, but slightly pull away from the bowl when mixing.  This part takes practice.  Next, with a rubber spatula, scrape dough off of sides of bowl.  Cover with damp towel and place in a warm part of the house.  Let rise double, about 1 hour.

Cover counter with flour, and roll dough out into large rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Brush dough with melted butter, about 1/4 cup. Cut dough into 2x4 rectangles with pizza cutter.  I watched THIS video of how the Lion House really rolls their rolls.  And that is exactly how I do it now.  If you skip the video, you can just lightly roll them up, and place seam side down on pan.  In my large sheet pan, I did about 3 rolls across, and 5 rolls down.  They need to be kind of close together to help each other raise.  Rise?  Whatever.  Again, cover with damp towel, and let them rise in a warm place for another hour.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until golden.  When done, brush tops with melted butter.  

Enjoy!

P.S.  I hope that wasn't too complicated.  It really isn't hard, and it is SOOO worth it.  They are amazing!  Please let me know if you have ANY questions!

Serious Brownies

I call these Serious Brownies, because I take them very seriously.  I know.  I am very creative with names.  But seriously- they are perfect.

I was arguing with myself all week about making these.  I have made plenty of delicious brownies, but they have never been my idea of perfect.  But lately, I have been craving the perfect brownie that I have never yet tasted.  Well, I adapted a few recipes and guess what?  They turned out just how I wanted them to!  I hesitate in building them up too much, because I know everyone has their own tastes.  And if you're a food snob, or even worse- a dessert snob -it could get ugly.

So, if you are like me, and want a rich, chocolatey-fudgey-but not too fudgey-brownie with the perfect frosting...well, these might just be for you!  Give them a try, and please let me know how you like them.

Serious Brownies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 oz. unsweetened, or semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

In large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate until smooth.  Take off heat.  With wooden spoon, gently stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Then add cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mix just until combined.  Spread batter in greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 28 minutes.  (Mine came out perfect at 28 minutes, but I know everyone's ovens bake differently, so bake until toothpick comes out mostly clean-but a little tiny bit fudgey.)

Frosting

• 6 tbsp. butter, softened
• 6 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

Beat until combined to the consistency you like.  You can add milk to thin it.  Frost while brownies are still warm.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 5 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 bag frozen cauliflower
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup pepper-jack cheese, shredded *
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

In large saucepan, saute onion in butter until golden.  Whisk in flour and salt.  Slowly pour in milk and water. Add bouillon cubes and cauliflower and simmer for 15 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.  Transfer soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Make sure to ventilate so steam can escape.  Return to pan or heated crock pot**.  Add cheeses and mustard and mix until melted and smooth.

* If you want the soup with a little less kick, you can do 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup pepper-jack.  I made it the original way and my husband and I LOVED it, but the kids thought it was a little too spicy.

**This soup cools quickly, so to keep it at the right temperature, I like to pour mine into a pre-heated crock pot after I blend it.  Just keep it on low.  It's a good way to serve it for a party or just to keep it warm for dinner.

Salted Caramel Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

So, I have never been on a diet. I just love food too much. But, I am getting older and the years and years of horrible eating are catching up to me. So, this week I started working out every day, and counting my calories. It's not my cup of tea, but I have been feeling a little better physically. But not eating any treats has been killing me!! And I think I did a pretty good job this week, so I made myself a little reward. (If I'm counting calories, might as well see how high I can count, right?) :)

Here is a delicious combo of 2 of my favorite things: Salted Caramel, and Cheesecake.

This was really easy to make, and tastes amazing. The sweetness of the cheesecake with the saltiness of the topping is perfect. Not too much, just right.

First, start off by making my simple plain Cheesecake. Then, you just make this easy topping, pour it on, and there you have it.

Dulce de Leche Topping

10 Caramel Chews

2/3 cup Dulce de Leche

3 Tbsp. whipping cream

Place caramels and whipping cream in small saucepan. Turn on medium heat and whisk until melted and combined. Take off heat, and add dulce de leche and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate. Right before serving, add a sprinkle of sea salt. Enjoy!

Recipe from the Archives: Yucatan Chicken

This is a favorite at our house. I got the recipe from an old recipe book given to me by my mother-in-law. I don't know where this originates from, but I do know that it is gooooooooood! It's super easy to make too. Try it, you will love it!

Yucatan Chicken

Monterey Chicken Sandwiches

Here is yet another sandwich-on-a-croissant recipe. Like I have said before, and will say again, sandwiches are ALWAYS better on a croissant! I'm sure there are some exceptions, but for the most part...

Monterey Chicken Sandwiches

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle "homemade" ranch dressing (I use the Hidden Valley mix)

2 cups bread crumbs

4 slices Monterey Jack Cheese

1 tomato, sliced

Lettuce

Avocado

4 large Croissants, sliced in half

Dip the chicken breasts in ranch dressing, then in bread crumbs. Cook in skillet on medium-high heat, turning once until cooked through. Place a slice of cheese on the chicken right after you are done cooking it, but so that it still melts. Place chicken breast on bottom half of croissant, and top with lettuce, tomato and avocado. Smear a little Ranch dressing on top half of croissant, and place on top of sandwich. Enjoy!

Recipe from the archives: Guacamole

I started this blog 5 years ago, back in 2007. For the next few years, I posted maybe 10-12 times per year, and hardly ever included any pictures. It was mostly for the sake of keeping my recipes somewhere I wouldn't lose them, and to make it easier for my friends and family to get to them. There are quite a few gems I posted back in the day that I feel might get forgotten. So once a week or so, I will be posting one of them so they get the delicious credit they deserve.

Today's forgotten gem is one of my favorite foods of all time...Guacamole! I always make this recipe to taste, but a few years ago, I guess I wrote down how I made it. Honestly, I don't think I ever make it the same way twice. Just don't over do it on the seasonings. Taste as you go, and try to save some for the reason you are making it!

http://beckysrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/07/guacamole.html

Chipotle Chicken Skewers

Chipotle Chicken Skewers

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up into large bite-size pieces
• 10 bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 4 hours
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp. adobo sauce (+ 1 minced chipotle chile, for more spice-optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a large ziploc bag, combine brown sugar, adobo sauce, salt, chili and garlic powder, and black pepper. Add chicken pieces, then seal bag and toss to coat. Let marinade for at least 4 hours. Take about 5 pieces of chicken and pierce with skewer. Repeat until all the chicken is on the skewers. Grill on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
My kids loved to dip theirs in ranch, but honestly, the flavor is amazing by itself. WILL be making this again soon!

TGIF!!

~Last weekend, my husband and I went out with some friends. We went to see Avenger's. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it tonight. It's one of the best movies ever.

~We went to eat at Sonora Grill. It was El Yumm-o!

~I've never been much of a shoe person. Besides my fetish for boots, I own probably 4 or 5 pairs of shoes. BUT, when I saw these fun shoes for my little girlie, I knew she must have some. Or all.

~You know how some people fall asleep at random times? What are they called...narcoleptics? Well, if I put any one of my four kids on my back and tell them to climb all over me, I fall asleep. Every.Single.Time. Is that so weird? I find it very relaxing.

~My baby learned the cutest new trick. I could just eat him up.

~Last night, I made 4 dozen Salted Caramel Cupcakes. And I didn't even get one :(

~Last year I decided to take a picture of me and my kids on Mothers Day. Since, I love to change my hair every 5 minutes, this should be interesting a few years down the road. So, here we are last year (almost 8 months pregnant)...

...and here we are this year.

~I sure love my cute little kiddos, and my baby daddy even more!

~Have a great weekend!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

This is one of my favorite recipes to make. Just look at that flaky croissant. Sandwiches are always better on croissants. Always. These sandwiches follow my 3 magic rules: Fast & Easy. Cheap. Delicious. And they make great left-overs. If you are not a left-over person, like myself, then you will love these.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 2-3 Tbsp. white vinegar
• salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 cup grapes (red or green), halved
• 12 croissants

Place chicken breasts in crock pot and cover with 1/2 cup of water. Cook on low 8 hours. Place chicken in large bowl and shred. In separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, vinegar and seasonings. Add to chicken. Next, mix in green onions, celery, and grapes. You may want to add more sour cream/mayo mixture depending on how moist or dry you want your sandwiches. Refrigerate. Serve on croissants.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes {and Happy Mothers Day}

This past week, my sweet 5-year-old daughter came home from pre-school with a beautiful potted flower she had made herself, along with a painting that said "Mother, all flowers remind me of you." She showed them to me and since it was days before mothers day, I knew they were a gift for me. I told her, "Aww, this is so sweet. Thank you!" But she just looked at me funny and said, "Uh...these aren't for you. I decided I want to keep them." I gave her my best fake sad face and told her, "What about the card? It says all flowers remind you of me!" She simply said, "Yeah, flowers don't really remind me of you. Stoves and microwaves remind me of you."

SO, my mothers day gift was an afternoon of baking! Actually, this IS what I asked for. A quiet kitchen free of children running under my feet where I get to do one of my favorite things. And here is what I made...

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
{Truffle filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting}

• 1 box devil's food cake mix (plus ingredients for cake mix)
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 jar Caramel topping
• Sea Salt

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3+ tsp. caramel topping (leftover from cupcakes)

Pre-heat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine cake mix plus ingredients for cake mix, pudding, and sour cream. Set aside. In small saucepan, heat whipping cream until boiling. Take off heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour into cupcake liners about 1/2 full. Spoon about a teaspoon of truffle sauce on top of cupcake batter. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool completely. Top each cupcake with a smear of caramel. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add caramel until desired consistency. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with more sea salt.

P.S. My daughter ended up "surprising me" on Mothers Day morning with the flowers. I guess she was just holding out as a cover-up. I asked her if she would like to take care of the flowers for me, and she thought that was a great idea.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

If you are in the mood for some rich, fudgy chocolate goodness, these cookies are the perfect thing to satisfy your craving. I should really make myself some every day. I get that craving a lot. I found that these cookies are the best when eaten warm. Eat them a few minutes out of the oven, or simply place in the microwave for 8 seconds to get them warm and gooey again. Yum!

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
Recipe adapted from Divine Baking

• 8 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate squares
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt chocolate in bowl in microwive, stirring twice. Cool slightly. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar until smooth and shiny. In seperate bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch and salt. On low speed, add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until combined. Stir in melted chocolate and chocolate chips.

Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of dough into powdered sugar and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.