Spudnuts!

Wow... I haven't posted since before Baby #3 was born...  and she's 14 months old already!   We've moved, and now settled in (mostly)... and it's time to share some new recipes.

Today I'll be sharing the spudnut recipe I tried a few weeks ago. We joked that I should only make them on Thursdays (it's a Lethbridge joke). These are tasty!

 

This recipe was given to me by the sweet lady down the street.  Really the only neighbour I've gotten to know.   It makes a huge batch, so be sure to share with everyone you know!

Spudnuts 

makes 5-7 dozen

 

2 pkg yeast

4 cups scalded milk, cooled

1.5 tsp salt

1 cup margarine

5 eggs, well beaten

1 cup sugar

2 cups mashed potatoes

2 tsp nutmeg

lots of flour

 

Add risen yeast (mix yeast with 1/4 c warm water) to cooled milk, then add sugar, eggs, margarine, salt mashed potatoes and nutmeg.  Stir well, and add enough flour to make a soft dough.

 

Let rise until double in size.   Then knead and roll out to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with a donut cutter (I used a round cookie cutter, and my apple corer), and lay out on sheets to rise again. 

 

Cook in fat/lard until golden brown.   Then dip while hot in glaze.

 

Glaze:

1 lb icing sugar

2 Tbsp butter

 

Add enough hot water for it to be faintly thick.

 

Tips passed on to me before beginning:

 

-use electric frying pan.  3-4 Crisco cubes will be perfect to cook the donuts.  Temp at 375-400

-use whatever you have to shape donuts...   drinking glass, and spout to empty soy sauce, is what my neighbour uses

-use the remnants after cutting donuts to make various shaped donuts....    twists, donut hole clusters, etc (see pic below).

-neighbour uses instant mashed potatoes.  I would have made potatoes from scratch, so this was a good little time saver.

 -when donut is golden on one side, use a fork to turn over

-line a bowl, or lid of electric fry pan with paper town, and when removing donuts from oil, place in there to cool a smidge, and to drain fat off before glazing.

-they can be frozen

-extra hands are very handy!

 

Some twists made from remnants:

A donut holes bunch:

 

Mmm:

 

Nicely golden:

Next time I may dip the tops in Chocolate icing.   But I think this is a once to twice a year recipe.  They're too hard to resist when they're in the house.

 

Enjoy! :)

Almond Milk Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

This may have been an experiment, but it was pretty tasty!!

We were a little eager to have dessert, so we didn't let it set up the full time in the freezer (plus it was hot out), so please excuse the photo.



Almond Milk Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

1.5 cups of Almond Milk
2 ripe bananas
2-3 Tbsp of cocoa
2 Tbsp of sugar (this probably could be omitted, it was plenty sweet from the bananas and almond milk)

Heat up the almond milk with cocoa and sugar to get it all mixed together nicely (either microwave or stovetop). Don't make it hot, but just warm enough for the ingredients to blend nicely. Once it's mixed evenly, pour into a blender with the bananas, and blend til smooth.

Pour into your ice cream maker and run it for about 20 minutes. Pour in freezer safe bowl to set up for about an hour (or if you're like us, you'll pull it out after about 20 minutes, cause you just can't wait).

*in thinking now... if you cooled the whole thing after blending, in the fridge... it might set up enough to be ready to eat right from the ice cream maker.

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This is super tasty. I will probably omit the sugar next time, but best way to test is to take a little spoonful taste test before pouring it in the ice cream maker.

You can tell from the picture it is quite soft, but if you leave it the full hour in the freezer, it should set up nicely.

I might also experiment with different flavours.. I love the nutty taste of the almond milk, plus it gives more dairy-free options.

I see a host of experiments coming from this one.... using both the ice cream maker (mine is an attachment for my KitchenAid Mixer), and using the Vitamix.

If you experiment with this recipe, let me know!! :) We started with chocolate.. since we're chocolate fiends... but I think I may give strawberry a go very soon!

Auntie Sharon's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are a staple in our house. The go to cookie recipe! We call it Auntie Sharon's, because it was my aunt who gave us this recipe, once upon a time, and it's always been called that in our house. I'm not even sure she realizes that this recipe is such a favourite.

(sorry to use the same photo twice, but I thought I had posted this recipe before)

Auntie Sharon's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup shortening (I substitute margarine usually)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Combine shortening, sugars until smooth. Add egg and water, mix well.
Add all dry ingredients, except oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix well.

Add oatmeal, and mix.

Add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.

Drop onto greased cookie sheet by the tablespoonful.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

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Enjoy with a cup of milk or hot cocoa, or alone. Watch out though.. it's hard to eat just one or two.

Hot Cocoa

It was a snowy day, in the middle of May, when I made this hot cocoa. I had just received my new Vitamix, and wanted to try a new recipe. Here is the recipe I used:

Hot Cocoa
3 ounces baking cocoa (approx. 3/4 cup)
1.5 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
4.5 cups milk

I put the ingredient in order in my Vitamix (you could just heat these ingredients in a pot on the stovetop, I just wanted to try the heating feature on my Vitamix). I turned it on, and let it go on high until it was steaming and hot.

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This cocoa was delicious!! Not too sweet (but sweet enough for the 3 year old), rich chocolate flavour, and nice and frothy! It could easily be adapted to different flavourings too!

Paired in the photo with some of Auntie Sharon's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Matzo Ball Soup

This is a soup my mom always made after a turkey. She learned it from a friend of hers, once upon a time. We loved it in our house... and now my family loves it as well.



Matzo Ball Soup

3L Chicken or Turkey Broth (approximate)
4 Carrots, cut in thin sticks
2 Parsnips, cut in thin sticks
2 Celery Stalks, sliced cross-grain
2-3 cups chicken or turkey

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup Matzo Meal
1 tsp salt (or less.. if you want)
2 Tbsp soup stock or water


In a bowl blend the oil, eggs, Matzo meal and salt together. And soup stock/water and mix until uniform. Cover and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Throw the broth (homemade or store-bought) in the big pot with the carrots, parsnips, celery and chicken/turkey. Allow veggies to cook.

Bring soup to a boil, reduce to simmer, and form 1 inch balls of the matzo ball mixture and drop into the pot. Cover and let cook for 30-40 minutes.

Serve.. generally it works out to 1 matzo ball per bowl. In this house we tend to do 2, so I double the matzo ball part of the recipe.

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We really enjoy this soup.. it's super easy to make with leftovers after a turkey dinner. This last time baby even got to enjoy the softened veggies and matzo balls and really enjoyed it (she was eating around the carrots to get the chunks of matzo ball though).

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

I had some pumpkin to use up, and didn't have enough supplies for my pumpkin apple muffins, so I searched for a new recipe.

I found this one on Tasty Kitchen... called Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins



1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1 Egg
1 cup canned Pumpkin
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Milk

Topping:
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Butter, Melted

In a bowl mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, spice, salt).

In another bowl, cream together sugar, egg and butter. Add in pumpkin and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients and milk to the other ingredients and beat well.

Spoon into GREASED muffin cups (2/3 full), and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).

In a small bowl mix up sugar and spices. Melt butter in a separate bowl. When muffins have cooled enough to handle, dip in melted butter, then roll in sugar mixture.

The original recipe coated the entire muffin in sugar and butter, but I opted to just do the tops.. and it's plenty sweet enough.

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These muffins were delicious. We all enjoyed them, but definitely a more dessert type muffin rather than a breakfast muffin. They are moist and light, and just the perfect amount of spices in there. Enjoy!

Make-Ahead Unstuffed Shells

Recipe was found in Kraft's What's Cooking Magazine (Festive 2011).

Not as pretty on my plate as in the magazine:


Make-Ahead Unstuffed Shells

4 cups medium pasta shells, uncooked
1 lb (450g) extra lean ground beef
1 jar pasta sauce
1/4 cup cup Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan Shredded Cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups Park Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package (no salt).

Brown beef in a skillet. Stir in the pasta sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring.

Drain pasta. Wish cream cheese, milk and parmesan in large bowl, add pasta and basil and stir until evenly coated.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan, spread half the meat sauce o the bottom, cover with pasta mixture, then top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil.

Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees... bake casserole covered for 40-45 minutes (uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes)

You can also bake immediately after making for 30 minutes (uncovering for 20 minutes)

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This was pretty good... nice creamy cheese, good flavour. It was super easy to make, and everyone ate their plate fulls. Probably not 5 stars, but definitely 4. Will be on the meal plan again, most likely. I don't even have any suggestions on this one for improvement. It was good... just not spectacular!