French Bread

2 ½ c. warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
¼ c oil
2 tsp salt
6 c. flour

Disolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Add oil and salt. Add half the flour; mix and add rest of flour. Knead dough; let rise until double, then shape into 2 loaves on large greased cookie sheet. Slit top of loaf and let rise. Bake at 375 for 30 min. On the pan before placing the dough, I like to spread olive oil and sprinkle it with corn meal and sugar.

Homemade Refried Beans

1 bag pinto beans (16 oz)
Soak overnight and rinse well.
Put in crockpot with:
5 cups water
3 chicken bullion cubes
½ small chopped onion
3 diced garlic bulbs
The last 2 hours add: (You can experiment here)
1 tsp chili powder
1 T oregano
2 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
Set on low 8-10 hours or hight 4-5 hours. Then mash with a potato masher or mixer and let stand until it thickens. You may have to take out some water before you mix, but not too much.

Hamburger Stew

32oz. Huntz tomatoe sauce
1 large yellow onion
1 beef bouillon cube
Blend all together in blender. Then pour in big pot and add:
1 can green beans
3-4 carrots diced
3 potatoes diced
Simmer until soft. Add 1 pound of hamburger after browning it and 2 T basil.

Caramel Syrup

½ C butter
¾ C buttermilk (regular milk works as well)
1 ½ C sugar
1 t baking soda
2 T Karo syrup

Mix all ingredients. Bring to slow boil for 7-15 min. Should be clear brown. Let cool. Add 1 t vanilla. This is great on pancakes!

Orange Sugar Cookies

2/3 C shortening (or butter or ½ of each)
¾ C sugar
1 t vanilla
½ t grated orange peal (or the whole orange)
1 egg
4 t milk
2 C flour
1 ½ t baking powder
¼ t salt

Mix all together and chill for one hour before rolling out. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes.

Lazy-Daisy Cake

3 eggs cream with 1 ¼ C sugar
Dry ingredients:
1 ½ C flour
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t salt
Mix this with egg mixture. Then add:
¾ C milk
1 ½ T butter
1 ½ t vanilla

Bake at 365 for 25 min.

Icing (doubled):
10 T butter melted
8 T cream
1 ½ C brown sugar
½ C coconut shredded
Put on cake a few minutes after out of oven. Bake at 365 for 17 more minutes.

Maine Cream Pie

5 C milk
5 egg yolks
5 heaping T cornstarch (not too big)
1 C sugar

Whisk together then put on medium heat until it bubbles (not hard boil). Cook 1 min, while bubbling then take off heat and add a dash of salt and 1-1 ½ t vanilla. Bake at 350 for 10 min. One recipe makes 2 pies.

For a chocolate cream pie, add ½ cup coco while cooking on the stove.
For coconut pie, add coconut after pie has cooked on stove

Gram Cracker Crust:
1 ½ C cracker crumbs
3 T sugar
1/3 C melted butter

Frosting

1 cube softened butter to 3-4 C powdered sugar
cream of hot milk
1 t vanilla
½-1 t cream bouquet (if you can find at a speciality store)

Fresh Apple Pie

3 ½ blanched, fresh apples in 1/2” slices
¾ c sugar
½ t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
3 T. cornstarch OR 3 T. Ultra Gel OR 6 T. flour
½ c cold water
½ c apple juice
2 T. bottled lemon juice
dough for one double crust pie

Peel, core and slice apples into medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 min. Shake bowl to stir apple slices and microwave until apples are tender. Combine dry ingredients in medium saucepan. Add water, apple juice, and lemon juice and cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly. Fold in drained apple slices. Turn into unbaked pie crust. Cover with top crust and seal edges well. Prick and decorate as desired. Brush lightly with milk, avoiding crimped edges, and sprinkle lightly with coarse sugar. Bake at 400 F for 20 min, reduce heat to 350 F and bake 30-40 min. until crust is golden brown. Yield: 1 double crust pie.

Blueberry Pie

Preheat oven to 450. Cook on lower third of the oven.
Combine in a bowl and let stand for 15 min.
5 cups blueberries
¾ to 1 cup sugar
3 ½ to 4 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca or cornstarch (or 6 Tablespoons Ultra Gel)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
Pour the mixture into the bottom crust and dot with 1 to 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces. Cover with vented top or a lattice. Bake the pie for about 55-65 minutes total (10 min at 450 then reduce heat to 350 and cook about 40 min).

Basic Pie Crust

2 c. all-purpose OR pastry flour
½ t. salt
1 c. shortening
Ice water to make soft dough

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening to the size of peas. Gradually add ice water to form a soft dough. Divide into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 min. Shape as desired. Bake single crust pie at 400 F for about 13-15 min. Bake double crust pie according to filling instructions. Yield: 2 single-crust pie shells or 1 double-crust pie.