This is probably the easiest and most delicious peasant style bread I've ever mande:
Crusty Bread

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  DO NOT REFRIGERATE.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating. 

Remove hot pot from the oven put dough on piece of parchment and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.

 Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.

This recipe is easily doubled, and you can add cheese or nuts or dried fruit when you whisk the dry ingredients together.

How to make a cute summer parasol centerpiece: Supplies 1 package mini paper parasols (144 pieces) You can get these at party stores 1 14 inch foam wreath 1 8 inch foam wreath 1 10 inch foam cone 1 base of your choice...choose anything...an old plate, a lazy Susan Hot glue gun and glue sticks or tacky glue if you don't have a glue gun Remove parasols from package and open them Trim picks/stems of parasols as desired Stick in random color pattern on large wreath Place cone in small wreath and fill both with parasols Save a few parasols to with full picks so you can add some random heights Hot glue large wreath to base of your choice ( I used a lazy Susan that I got at a garage sale for $1.00) Hot glue small wreath/cone combo in center of large wreath Let dry, then enjoy!! Check out the picture on my Pinterst page!

Here's a tasty "spring-like" recipe to try:

• Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe ( I adapted a recipe from Giada DeLaurentis to my taste)
• Olive oil
• 2-3cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 4 (5-ounce) boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I use pinot grigio)

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper. Cook until combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese and the cream cheese. Stir to combine the stuffing and set aside.

Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the chicken breast (long ways). Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture and close the chicken around the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.

 Heat more olive oil  in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the  stuffed chicken breasts. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a side dish and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the chicken broth and white wine mixture to the skillet to loosen any delicious brown bits from the pan.  Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Spoon some sauce over  each chicken breast and serve!.

Got in a baking mood today after church today....made mini apple gallettes
Filling:
3 apples (I prefer Jonathan or Cortland, but your fave apple will do)
6 Tbs sugar
3-4 Tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
Core peel and dice the apples
Toss with the sugar, flour and cinnamon

Crust:
3 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shortening (I use Crisco)
1/2 cup very cold water
Place all ingredients except water into your food processor and pulse until the ingredients start to clump together
Start adding the water a little at a time while continuing to pulse the food processor
When the dough has pulled together, the dough is ready...do not overwork it!
Remove from the food processor onto a floured board
The dough will be very soft!
Form a smooth disk from the dough
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour

Unwrap the dough and place on a floured board
Roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 14 x 10)
Take a sharp knife and cut dough into 6 equal squares
Place about a cup of the apple filling on each square, then hand-wrap the dough around the apples into a rustic round shape
Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Refrigerate the gallettes for about 1/2 hour before baking
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Bake gallettes for 15 min at 425, then turn down the oven to 350 degrees and bake 15-20 more minutes, until crusts are a light golden brown
Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream

Enjoy!!!

I made homemade baked ziti today.....day off from work for President's Day.
This is a little time consuming but well worth the effort because it makes 3, 13x9 pans, and it freezes beautifully.
I made homemade Bolognese sauce with tomatoes I put up this past summer with my friend Casey.
Super simple:
1 large onion, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic crushed
2 lbs ground beef
1 quart jar home-canned tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can tomato puree
1 can water (fill the puree can)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs Italian Seasoning
3 Tbs fresh chopped (or dried) parsley
Cook onions and garlic in olive oil until softened
Add the ground beef and brown thoroughly
Drain fat if desired
Add tomatoes, puree, and paste and stir well to combine
Add seasonings
Add water and stir well
Let sauce simmer for about 30 minutes while you cook the pasta and make the cheese filling and bechamel sauce

Cook 2 lbs ziti or cavatappi shaped pasta in boiling water per package directions
Drain and set aside

Cheese filling:

1 large container ricotta cheese
1 pound (at least) grated mozzarella, reserving some to sprinkle on finished casserole
4 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine well until you have a creamy, but still thick filling (You can add more milk if it's too thick)

Bechamel:
1 stick butter
8 Tbs flour
6 cups milk
1 tsp salt

Melt butter and add flour, whisking to make a roux
Add milk slowly, whisking to keep the mixture smooth
Add salt
Whisking continually, bring mixture to a simmer and let it thicken
The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but still pourable
If it gets too thick, add a little more milk

Mix cooked pasta, bechamel sauce and cheese filling together in a large bowl
Spoon equal amounts into each 13 x 9 pan
Add about 4 ladles of Bolognese sauce to each pan and combine with pasta-cheese mixture
Top each pan with reserved mozzarella
Sprinkle on some pecorino romano grated cheese for even more flavor (about 1/4 cup for each pan)
Bake casseroles 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees, until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

If you are going to freeze the remaining pans, you can freeze before or after the baking process....your choice.

Buon Appetito!

Welcome to my blog!

This blog started with an apron my friend Jacque gave me for Christmas this year....it's a cute cherry print with the words "life is just a bowl of cherries"on the apron body.

My mother used to say that whenever I was blah...."cheer up hon...life is just a bowl of cherries!"

So you're invited to the "cherries" of my life (dirty minds...all of you...don't even go there) when you read this blog.

Eventually I'll have stories, ideas, crafts, decor, recipes....all the stuff I love, when I can find the time for it. And when I do the stuff I love, my life really is a bowl of cherries...sweet, a little tart, juicy and full of promise....