Fried Soba

So it looks like I started typing this up several months ago and never finished and just saved it.  I better stop posting and get on with what I need to do, but here is another recipe for today!

This is seriously super easy, in a crunch, quick-fix meal-though not very healthy, but my husband and kids love it and I can add veggies to make it a more healthy meal.  Anyway, here it is:

2-4 packages of Ramen Noodles (depending on how many people you are cooking for-we eat 3-4).
2-4 eggs (as many eggs as you have packages of noodles)

Any pre-cooked veggies or meat that you want to throw in (left-over hotdogs are great-I know, so unhealthy).

Boil the noodles in water.  While they are boiling (they only take 3-4 minutes to cook in the boiling water) blend eggs and the seasoning packets from the noodles together.  Get a fry pan heating with a little butter or oil in the bottom.  Throw in cooked noodles and stir-fry them around a bit.  Add the eggs and anything else you want (cooked veggies or meat).  Mix is all together, trying to get the egg mixture to distribute evenly.  Continue cooking until egg is cooked.  Enjoy. 

No-Bake Energy Bites

Yikes, it has been exactly 3 months since I last posted!  Between moving to a new house, Christmas, awful January illnesses, adopting a dog, running a marathon with 5 other family members, a couple of birthday parties, lots of company (and more coming tomorrow), what can I say-life is busy and it's been a while.  This blog will work up slowly, but surely and eventually I will have all the recipes I like on it-though it may take a few years. 

Anyway, my little sister made these for us while she was visiting.  They are delicious and even healthy!  They come from this awesome blog: 

http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-bake-energy-bites-recipe.html

Enjoy!!

No-Bake Energy Bites

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.  (makes 18-20 bites)

***I have made these several times now and I always double the recipe, add another cup or 2 of oatmeal or so and about 1/4 cup of coconut oil. I also never chill the dough in the refrigerator-I just roll them out right away.  I find it dries out a little if you let it chill in the refrigerator and is much harder to roll into balls-but that could be from always adding extra oatmeal.

Post Workout Shake

There are many variations on this and I have tried many different kinds of post-run drinks.  For my first marathon I drank muscle milk only after my long runs, as it was pricey for me, but you for sure need some kind of a post-run/protein drink/food after intense workouts especially if you are doing them regularly.  When I trained for my second marathon I bought a chocolate protien powder mix from the store and just mixed it with milk, until my sister showed me how to turn it into a much better shake!  So here is the shake that she showed me:

Post-Workout Carb/Protein Shake:
Put a bunch of ice in your blender (like 1/4-1/2 full--depending on how much you want to make), add milk to just cover the ice, add 1/2 cup (more or less depending on amount you are making) of dry/uncooked oatmeal, a banana, and 1-2 scoops chocolate flavored whey protein, muscle milk, or whatever protein drink powder you have.  I sometimes throw in a chocolate powder breakfast drink as well.  It will help you feel GREAT after working out in the morning! 

But now I am training for my third marathon and I have my own little favorite drink that doesn't include the carbs (oatmeal) and has spinach and peanut butter instead.  I know it sounds gross to add spinach in there, but seriously, it is yummy (well maybe not the first time you have it, because I remember thinking it was weird the first time I had it, but now I LOVE it and I look forward to making my post-run shake)!  I also have a personal blender now (like a magic bullet, but it's call Bella and Jon got it for me for Christmas last year at Kohls on a great sale-and I would have to say that it has been the best and most used present ever!  I use it many, many, many times every week, sometimes even a couple times/day!  I use it to whip up a few eggs for certain recipes, to blend beans to smooth, chip dipping perfection, for personal smoothies, and of course mostly for my post-run shake-unfortunately I think the motor is getting tired and sometimes it is sounding not so good when I blend, but that little motor has given daily and done itself proud, sorry for the tangent).

Post-Workout Protein/Spinach Shake:
1 banana (1/2 of a banana if it is huge)-I add a frozen banana (I prefer them frozen as it adds to the creaminess of the shake-I always buy 2 or 3 bunches of bananas at Costco and then I just stick 1-2 bunches in the freezer when they are perfectly ripe.  Then I pull out the frozen banana, run it under water for a few seconds, set it on the counter while I get out my blender cup and add a handfull of spinach.  (I also often use frozen spinach, and by that I mean spinach that I froze straight out of the huge bag I buy at Costco-which when I buy, I freeze about 1/4-1/2 of it in small portions, ready for smoothies or shakes).  Then the banana has iced over and at that point I am able to cut it in half, then slice through the peel on both sides of each half and the skin is frozen enough that it pretty much pulls right off.  I cut it into 1/2 slices into my little blender cup.  Then I add milk pretty much to cover the banana and spinach.  I add 1/2-1 scoop of protein powder depending on how intense my workout was, a large spoonful or 2 of ground flax, a tsp of honey, a large spoonful of peanut butter (probably 1-2 TBLS), and because I like more than a hint of chocolate in my shakes, I also add about a tsp of cocoa powder.  Than I add a handfull of ice.  I blend it up and drink it-YUMMY YUM YUM! 

Kid Option:  If I am making this for kids, I skip the protein powder, add more honey and cocoa powder and possibly peanut butter. My kids love it for a quick breakfast or lunch.

Honey Mustard Chicken Curry

1/4 Cup Melted Butter (can use oil or margarine as well)
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Mustard (any type--you will get a different flavor with different types of mustard-I use the regular bright yellow hotdog kind, my sister-in-law uses dijon)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
2 lbs raw chicken, cut into chunks (whatever size you want to have them in)

Mix all ingredients except chicken.  Put chicken in casserole dish and then pour ingredients over it. 
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken chunks--cook until chicken is cooked through).  Stir periodically while chicken cooks (I usually forget and only stir it once).

Serve over rice.

Refrigerator Rolls

This is adapted from the "Lion House Recipes" cookbook.  I grew up using a family recipe which is almost identical to this one, except a few measurements and one different ingredient.  I like this one better because I think it rises a little better and has a little better flavor, so I have now moved to using this recipe.  One thing I love about these is you can roll them out many hours in advance and they will rise so nicely.  They don't seem to fall as quickly as some others if you let them rise for too long.  I also love working with this dough because it is so easy to make rolls with cold dough and they are really light and fluffy because the dough is quite soft and a little gooey before you chill it.

The"double" batch, which makes around 4-6 dozen rolls depending on size, is what I make for family gatherings.  I often 1 1/2 times it for my own family and use it two different nights.  I honestly never make the single batch, because, hey, if you are going to the trouble to make homemade rolls, make enough to really enjoy!   I use this recipe for a TON of different things as well which I will eventually add to this blog (garlic herbed pull-aparts, chicken roll-ups, bread-sticks, etc.)

Single Batch (2 dozenish)                1 1/2 batch (3-4 dozen)                   Double batch (4-6 dozen)
1/4 cup butter                              6 TBLS butter*                        1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar                               6 TBLS sugar*                          1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk, scalded                     1 1/2 cups milk, scalded         2 cups milk, scalded
1 TBLS dry yeast                         1 1/2 TBLS dry yeast               2 TBLS dry yeast
1 TBLS sugar                               1 1/2 TBLS sugar                       2 TBLS sugar
1/4 cup warm water                  6 TBLS warm water*               1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp salt                                       1 TBLS salt                                1 TBLS + 1 tsp salt
4 cups flour                                 6 cups flour                               8 cups flour
3 eggs                                           4-5 eggs                                        6 eggs
                                                   *(1/3 cup + 2 tsp = 6 TBLS)
Add butter and 1/2 cup sugar to hot milk.  Set aside to cool.  
Combine yeast, 2 TBLS sugar, and warm water (not too hot, but pretty darn warm).  Let stand 5 minutes to soften yeast.

Add salt to flour.  Combine milk, yeast mixture, and 1 cup flour.  Add eggs and beat well.  Continue adding flour gradually, beating until smooth after each addition (I add about 2-3 cups at a time).  This is a soft dough and it will be sticky.  You can use an electric mixer to mix most of the flour (probably not the last cup or two-then just use a wooden spoon, unless you have a good electric mixer, but I just use my hand mixer for this).

Cover bowl and place out of draft until dough rises about triple in amount (I cheat and put hot water in my sink, just enough to set the bowl into to rise quickly--be sure others know there is food in the sink and that you have bread rising in a bowl in there-also be sure not to put too much water so that water doesn't get into your bowl of dough).  

Punch down.  Cover again and place in refrigerator overnight.  

When ready to use (good for about 5 days), remove from refrigerator and roll and shape while cold (it will be easy to handle this soft dough when it is cold).  I roll about 1/4-1/3 of the dough at a time into a large circle about 1/4" thick.  Then I butter the dough (looks like a thin pizza crust).  Then I cut it with a pizza cutter, like a pizza, usually in either 9, 12, or 16 pieces, depending how big I want the.  Then I roll them starting with the large end and ending with the point to make crescent rolls.

Place on greased pans.  Brush with melted butter if desired.  Let rise at least 1-1 1/2 hours, but can rise to even 5 or 6 hours.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown).

Then you get to ENJOY THESE SUPER YUMMY ROLLS!!

Homemade Syrup:

Mix together equal parts of brown sugar, granulated (white/regular) sugar, water.
Example:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water

Bring just to a boil, stirring periodically. 
Remove from heat and if desired, add maple flavoring, or vanilla, or some butter, or some butter flavoring.

I often make mine in the microwave, in 30 second intervals.  It will boil up high though if you don't watch it and will make a huge mess in your microwave.

Hootenanny

Melt 1/3 cup butter in 9x13 pan 

(can do in the oven as the oven is pre-heating)-pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix in blender:

6-7 eggs

1 cup milk

3/4 tsp salt

Add:

1 tsp vanilla 

1 cup flour

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes