Sourdough Bread

I am not a patient person.

Delayed gratification is not for me.

I generally want things right now, or at least some kind of action towards what I want.

There are a few things that are worth the wait.  Pregnancy is definitely worth the wait.  It seems like it lasts forever and never will end, but the sweet little Beane is totally worth waiting for.  The longer my children are home for the summer, the more I am thinking that the first day of school is worth the wait. 

And....Sourdough bread is also worth the wait.

Sourdough bread is a tricky matter.  There is starter, starter feed, rising, kneading, baking etc.  It goes on forever and takes forever.  And the worst part is that you can't have it the very moment that you want it.  You have to wait...and wait.  But it is such a reward!

Most people don't really have the patience to make bread.  And some people are intimidated by yeast for some reason.  So when you make this bread and give some away, people will think you are super smart. 

Here are the steps.

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package dry yeast
3 level Tablespoons instant mashed potatoes.  (if you need this bread to be milk free, like me, check the ingredients on the box of mashed potatoes to make sure there is no milk ingredients in there.  Food Lion brand is milk free)

Mix the ingredients and let ferment on the counter for 2 days.

 

I normally just put all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake to mix it up.  Then I remove the lid and put a paper towel over the jar opening and secure it with a rubber band.  Then it sits on the counter for two days.

 

If you have fallen victim to Mommy Brain and can't remember your shiz anymore, then right on the paper towel the day that you make the starter and what day it will be ready.  

After two days, you need to make your starter feed.

In a bowl, mix up 

1 cup warm water 

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons instant potatoes.

 

Add  this to your starter.  Let stand on the counter for 8 hours and.  Screw on the jar lid and put in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.  

Now you are ready to make your bread.

You will need a large bowl.  

6 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

Mix together.  

Add 1 cup of starter.  1 1/2 cups of warm water and 1/2 cup of oil. 

 

Mix the dough and kneed it like biscuit dough until it comes together.

Put 2 Tablespoons of oil in the large bowl and add the dough.  Give it a flip around in the oil to coat the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 8 hours.

Then you will have a puffy cloud of dough.

Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray.  Divide the dough in half and put in the loaf pans.  Cover the loaf pans with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 8 hours. 

Now it is time to bake!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the plastic wrap and bake the bread for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Let cool in the pans for a few minutes and then turn out on to cooling racks and let cool. 

Use a bread knife and cut you a slice.  I love mine with butter and honey!

 

So does my Jelly Beane.

 

You will have some starter left over.  Just keep the starter in your refrigerator and you will be ready to make some more bread on a moments notice!  

I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday, Allergy free Wednesday and these other Awesome Parties!  

 

Menu Plan Monday August 13

We have a busy week at the Beane house.

String Beane will be going to music camp this week.  He also has his final T-ball game followed by an end of the season party.  On the topic of T-ball, String beane hit his first coach pitch last week!  He was so excited.  is smile was huge!! 

So this week we will be having some easy meals and some crock pot meals.

Here is the line up:

Monday

Crock pot Sticky Chicken
Boiled potatoes
Broccoli.
(I did not get around to this last week)

Tuesday
Baseball party - we are eating out!

Wednesday

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Corn Bread

Thursday

Slow Cooker Coke Chicken
Rice
Broccoli

Friday
Pizza using Beer Batter Pizza Crust
Corn
Cantaloupe

Weekend

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Corn Muffins

This is the plan.  What do you have on your menu this week?  I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday.

Friday Favorites

It is Friday Peeps! 

I am so happy to start the weekend.  My mom and I are going to see Hope Springs tonight.  There will be no little Beanes with us!  I can't remember the last movie I saw with no children and no one asking me for stuff all through the movie.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited.

We also have some excitement tomorrow.  My brother is turning 40!  My sister in law is having a party for him Saturday, so we will be going to visit them. 

I have been searching for a fun cake to bake for his birthday.  I think I have settled on the Cookie Dough Cake I featured last week.  My brother and I have similar tastes in desserts.  The more cake batter or cookie dough, the better!  

So here are my favorites from around the Internet this week.....


Cinnamon Roll Stuffed Cupcakes
Only a genius could come up with this idea!!!  This could be breakfast right?


Thai Pork Burritos
These will be making there way to our dinner table soon!


Pimento Cheese Crisps
I can't wait to try these....my mouth is watering.


Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad
This is a copycat from California Pizza Kitchen!


Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes
OMG!

These are my top 5 picks for this week.  What are your favorite finds?

I am linking up with Finding Joy in my Kitchen. 

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcake Tute

I know that baking cupcakes in ice cream cones is not new information.  I have seen different versions of it for a while now on the internet.

I tried making them a few years ago and they didn't turn out so good.  They were sort of flat or ever so slightly domed.  They were always a disappointment.  They never looked good decorated.

Then I tweaked the baking technique.  I went upside down.

Here are the steps.

Mix up your cupcake batter.  I used Duncan Heins.

Spray your cupcake pan with cooking spray.

Fill your cupcake pan about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Easy peezy.  Now turn your cupcake cones upside down.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

One of the great advantages to this technique is that you don't have to worry about any of the batter filled cones toppling over on the way to the oven.  I hated that.

When they are finished baking, let the pan cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack.  Then you can lift them out and you will have this:

Doesn't that look pretty? .... and easier to decorate?

If you have any little nubs like in the picture above, just use a knife and slice it off.  Icing will cover all ills.

 

Ice the cupcake cones with butter cream.  Drizzle on some Magic Shell.  Add some sprinkles and a cherry on top!  Look what you got!  Put these in the fridge for just a few minutes so the Magic Shell will harden. 

When these are being made, I need to move fast!  All the little Beanes heard me getting out sprinkles and came running.

String Beane loves these.  It is nice to have an ice cream sundae looking option when you are allergic to milk.  (Notice little Jelly Beane's face?  She thought he was taking hers away.)  

 Butter Beane has inherited my sweet tooth.  It is one of the many things I love about him.

 My sweet Jelly Beane woke up from her nap and came running at the smell of cupcakes.  

These cupcakes freeze beautifully too!  Just freeze them in a zip lock bag.  When you are ready to eat them.  Just take them out of the freezer, ice them and decorate.  Then you have an impressive dessert on a moments notice. 

I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday, Allergy free Wednesday and these other Awesome Parties!

Menu Plan Monday August 6

It is the beginning of a new week.  Where are all the weeks going?  My little Beanes will be starting preschool and first grade 3 weeks!  Ugh.  I guess we will need to get in as much pool time as possible for the next few weeks.  Then reality hits.

On to the menu plan.

 I am going to try some new recipes this week.  They are both Asian, so we should like them.

I am also throwing in family favorites as a buffer in case the new recipes bomb.

Here is the line up:

Monday

Easy Egg Rolls


Simple Sesame Noodles
Edemamme

Tuesday  ~This will have to be a quickie... we have gymnastics and a baseball game!
Spaghetti with Meat sauce
Salad
Corn

Wednesday


Lettuce Wraps
left over Sesame Noodles

Thursday

Asian Dumplings
Fried Rice
Edemamme

Friday

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken
Boiled Potatoes
Broccoli

Weekend
Hot Dogs
French Fries
Slaw

That is our plan for this week.  I hope you have a great week.

I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday.  Go check out all of the recipes!

Friday Favorites

It is Friday Ya'll!

Well, I have started a new diet.  Boo.  It promises fast and good results if I stick to it - to the letter.  You see the problem here?  I have to stick to it....to the letter.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

In the meantime, I am pinning what I would be eating, if it were a part of this diet.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake


Funfetti Icebox Cake


Biscoff Peanut Butter Chip Cookies


Lava Flow


Almond Joy Frappe

I am linking up with Finding Joy in my Kitchen.  Go by and check out what everyone else has pinned.

BBQ Chicken Tostada

This was a happy accident the other night for supper.

I had some ingredients on hand, but no plan.  Typical, right?

I threw what I had on hand together and Viola`!  BBQ chicken Toastadas were born.  Actually, they weren't born.  A quick Google search proved that I am not the inventor of these.  But, I did not know about them before I made them.  So that should count for something.

Moving on.

These are supper easy and fast, so it has weeknight dinner written all over it.

Here is what you need.

Ingredients
6 Corn Tortillas
A few tablespoons of oil for frying
1 package of Butterball Oven Roasted Chicken Strips - found in the meat section of the grocery store.
1/3 cup BBQ sauce, or more or less to taste.
2 cups of cooked rice.
Toppings suggestions:  Shredded cheese, we used Mozzarella, but Monterrey Jack would be great.
Cilantro

Directions
Heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.  Fry the corn tortillas for a few minutes on each side.  Drain on a paper towel.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the chicken strips until they are heated up.  Add the BBQ sauce and heat and stir until the chicken is covered.

Put a Corn tortilla on a plate and top with a scoop of rice.  Top with some of the chicken strips.  Sprinkle some of the cheese on top and let the heat from the chicken/BBQ sauce melt it up.  Sprinkle with some Cilantro and serve!

This was a fast and delicious meal, even though I did not really invent it.

 

I am linking up at Metamorphosis Monday, Allergy Free Wednesday and these other Awesome Parties! 

Have a great week!