Oatmeal Rolls

Here's an EASY recipe for homemade bread rolls- they melt in you mouth! This recipe came from my husbands grandmother in Colorado- she served it with some great homemade white grape jelly!

1 cup oatmeal
2 cups boiling water
3 Tbsp. butter
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp. White sugare
1 ½ tsp. Salt
2 pkg. Yeast
½ cup warm water
5 cups flour

Mix first three ingredients and let cool. Add sugar, salt and yeast and warm water. Add and knead in flour. Let rise. Punch down and form into dinner rolls. Let rise again. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350. Brush with butter when they come out.

From Esther's Kitchen

Homemade Granola

For my first post on this excellent site I thought that I would pass on a recipe I received from my mother'n'law. I thought it would make a fun Wednesday Wildcard recipe. Unlike most granola recipes out there, this one is made without any fat (besides natural fat existing in nuts). This recipe yields a lot of granola (about 2 gallons). It delicious and even a hit with the kids.

Granola

Ingredients:
2 Tbls Vanilla
1/4 Cup Cinnamon
1 Cup Wheat Germ
2 Cups Maple Syrup
2 Cups Honey
2 Cups Walnuts (unsalted)
2 Cups Pecans (unsalted)
2 Cups Almonds (unsalted)
1-1 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1 Bag Quaker Oats from Costco (Costco: Box of Quaker Oatmeal with two bags, use one)
2 Large Roasting Pans (I just buy aluminum pans and re-wash them)

Mix Together all of the above ingredients in a super large bowl or in two large bowls. Make sure that it is thoroughly mixed together. Put an even amount in the two roasting pans (spray with pam first to keep from sticking). Bake for 45-60 minutes. Stir the mixture every 10-15 minutes. Rotate the pans on the racks each time you stir (move the top pan to the bottom shelf). This allows the granola to cook evenly. If you don't want as crunchy of granola, just cook for 30-35 minutes.

Mix all the dried fruit you'd like in another mixing bowl and add to the warm nut mixture when you remove it from the oven. This allows the fruit to blend into the granola flavor. Use one cup or more of each dried fruit you want for a total of 4-5 cups of fruit. You can add more or less to your liking. Some fruits I use are: Raisins, cranberries, blueberries. You can also use (depending on the season) raspberries, dates, apricots (make sure you cut them up), cherries, etc.

I place the cooled granola into gallon ziplock bags. This keeps good for quite awhile. If you don't eat it fast enough, you can also store it in the freezer.

Orange Chicken with a Twist

It always feels good to try a new recipe and have it turn out right the first time. Especially when you decide you don't like the way it sounds and change it. Although cooking, unlike baking, is much more forgiving when it comes to improvising. If you leave the yeast out of your bread you'll wind up with something more like a pita. But if you forget the salt in your soup you can just add it afterwards. That being said, I found a recipe in my new Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2007 that I got for Christmas. Orange Chicken. Boring name really yummy. Since I've tweeked it slightly I feel I have the right to change the name so...



Mothers Old Fashion Country Fried Chicken
with a Delightfully Tangy Orange Wine Sauce:
(my variation my name)

For Country Fried Chicken:

4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Flour
Montreal Chicken Seasoning
Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil
Butter

For Tangy Orange Wine Sauce:

1/2 cup White Cooking Wine
1/2 cup Orange Juice (no pulp)

and some White Rice

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Mix equal parts flour and montreal seasoning along with a small amount of bread crumbs. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Heat oil and butter (cover just the bottom of deep pan) over medium-high heat; about 1 minute, stirring occasionally to mix butter and oil. Add chicken to pan; cook about 4-5 minutes on each side or until crispy and done. Slice chicken into strips place on oven safe dish and place in warm oven while you make the sauce.
Add wine and juice to pan; cook until slightly reduce (about 4 minutes).

Serve chicken over white rice with plenty of sauce.

From the Kitchen of Taffata Tadpoles