A most versatile and easy roll dough

These rolls are very simple to make but mostly because I have a Bosch Kitchen Machine. This is actually my third Bosch and we bought our first the week after our honeymoon 31 years ago. No kitchen should be without one. It's worth the almost $400 and will pay for itself over and over and over. That said, if you do not have a heavy duty kitchen mixer, the rolls may not turn out as well, but I wouldn't know because I've never done them without the Bosch. I searched and searched through 20,000 photos and can not believe that I don't have a photo of the rolls. But, here's the Cinnamon roll version of them, also listed below. As always, enjoy!

In a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl, heat 2 cups of milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Not even until it makes that little layer of skin. Just hot. (How's this for a real recipe?) Remove from the microwave and add 1/2 cup butter. You'll know if the milk is hot enough because it should melt the butter.

Place in mixing bowl:

3 Tbsp. yeast

1/2 cup warm, but not hot, water

1/2 cup sugar, sprinkled evenly around the yeast and water.

Let this sit for 20 minute until the yeast has risen.

Add to the mixing bowl:

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. salt

4 cups of flour

Pour the now warm milk over the flour, eggs, yeast mixture. Mix, adding more flour and kneading until the dough is light and moist. I add flour until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl as it is mixed. Honestly, depending on the weather, some days it's 7 cups total and some days it's 9. Mix until a light fluffy dough. (In my Bosch, I let it mix for ten to fifteen minutes on low.) Then let it sit for 30 minutes. (If you are in a hurry, you can rush the first rising by placing the dough into a well greased bowl and covering it with a damp cloth completely. Place it in the microwave on the lowest setting for ten minutes.) Then, form the rolls into balls or ropes or three little mini-balls placed together in well-buttered muffin tins. Make sure that the pan is lathered in butter. Let raise for 30 more minutes. Bake at 400° until the rolls are golden brown. (about 17 minutes.)

This is the dough that I use for almost everything.

• Add an extra half cup of sugar to the dough for cinnamon rolls. Roll out into a rectangle. Smother in melted butter. Cover in brown sugar and/or cinnamon sugar. Add raisins or nuts if desired to the dough or sprinkle on at this point. Roll into a long roll. Then, the best trick I ever learned... take a 24" piece of dental floss. Wrap it around your fingers as though you were going to floss. Then, slide the floss under the dough roll, bring it up over the top and around the dough. Pull the floss through the dough, slicing it as thick as you desire. It's so much more simple than any knife or tool I've ever tried!


• Roll the dough out into breadsticks and cover with butter, garlic salt, basil and fresh Parmesan cheese for the best garlic rolls ever.


• Roll the dough into breadsticks and generously brush melted butter over them in the pan. Then sprinkle with brown sugar and/or cinnamon sugar. Bake then serve with cream cheese frosting on the side to dip them in. *the favorite*


• Roll the dough out very thin onto pizza pans that have been covered in butter for "Pan Pizza".


• Roll the dough out into 3/8" thickness and deep-fry them for scones. Serve with honey-butter or cinnamon sugar or peanut butter or jam or any topping that flips your trigger!


• Roll the dough out into a large rectangle on your baking pan (a jelly roll pan works best). Fill the center third length-wise with meat (bbq beef, sliced turkey, ham, roast beef, ground beef, you name it) and then top with shredded cheese and the dressing of your choice. Either braid the top of the bread or simply fold over the sides to the top and blanket the filling. Bake until the bread is golden brown. You can brush egg white on it before baking, if desired. This is dinner! NUM!


• Roll the dough into a rectangle and simply fill it with cheese on one half. Wrap the other half over the cheese and then seal the edges. Giant Calzone style. Dip the bread into ranch dressing, jelly, you name it! Great snack and great way to use left-over dough.

Garden Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This has been a favorite for years. The recipe came from one of the best cooks and most wonderful women that I've ever met, Joanne Hoth. She was the owner of Juniper Inn Restaurant and is one of my heroes! Every summer, I watch our cucumbers and tomatoes growing and ripening with great anticipation of the first bowl of this tasty treat! The most interesting thing about this recipe is that it doesn't taste nearly as delish when the cukes and tomatoes come from the store! This salad and a hearty homemade whole wheat bread make a meal on it's own! Try it! Enjoy!

cucumbers and tomatoes, chopped (I use at least 3 or 4 of each)

1 sliced and slightly chopped onion

1 cup sugar (I add an extra 1/4 cup)

1 cup cider vinegar

4 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbs. salt

pepper to taste (I use lots!)

Mix the dressing and pour over the chopped veggies. Chill and serve!

Pizzelles

My friend, Natalie, gave me a pizelle iron last year during the holidays. I've enjoyed keeping it busy! A pizelle iron, if you aren't familiar, is like a waffle iron, only it makes a very thin cookie. I've tried several recipes and this is the one that works best for me.

6 eggs

1 cup butter

2 Tbsp. vanilla or lemon extract or pure anise extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat eggs till smooth. Melt and then Add cooled butter. Add 2 Tbsp. Vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder. Add the sugar and blend vigorously all of these dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth. The mixture will be sticky and stiff. Make 60 pizzelles.

You can remove the pizelle from the iron and, very gently and immediately, roll it into a tube or into the shape of a cone and stuff it with a cream cheese and strawberry jam or any other filling you can think of! They've been a huge hit at showers and parties!

Summer Chicken & Pasta Salad

This is, literally, my most favorite dish in the world since I first tried it two years ago at Bunco. I know that I say that everything is the best but this is the best summer salad ever! Even the babes love it! Enjoy!

Combine in a large bowl:

6 cups cooked chicken (I shred mine with a fork)

24 oz. shell or bow-tie pasta (I prefer the shells because bowtie pasta never cooks evenly for me)

1 small bunch green onions (chopped)

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 cups mayonnaise

1 16. oz. bottle Hidden Valley Coleslaw Dressing (I always buy two bottles and add another cup or so just before serving the salad)

Mix and chill. Then, add before serving:

1 20 oz. can of pineapple tidbits (with the juice)

1/2 pound of green and red grapes (I slice them in half)

2 large Fuji apples (chopped well)

1 cup slivered almonds (I've also used chopped cashews!!)

Fresh Fruit Salsa

This is an absolutely wonderful summer treat! The more fruit, the better!

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

Juice from 1 orange

2 Fuji Apples, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. Any Berry Jam

(I add pineapple tidbits and banana slices, too!)

Blend together in food processor or salsa maker. Serve with cinnamon chips. Brush flour torillas with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar. Cut into wedges and bake at 475 for 4 - 6 minutes.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

No food photo today but I wanted to share what my friend, Charith, brought to me during my recovery from the surgery. She called it "comfort food" and I can completely agree. (I'm sharing a photo of something else that brings me comfort instead!) I asked for the recipe and she kindly shared. I'll be making this one again for sure!

1 6.2 oz package Fried Rice flavored Rice-a-Roni, cooked. (Cook the Rice-A-Roni using 1 Tbsp. oil)

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 10.75 oz. can reduced fat cream of chicken soup

36 crushed Ritz crackers

6 Tbsp. (3/4 of stick) butter, melted

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon the rice in an even layer over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Combine the chicken, sour cream and chicken soup in a medium bowl. Mix well. Spoon this over the rice. In the same bowl, combine the crackers and melted butter. Scatter this over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the poppy seeds evenly over the top. Bake until it is bubbly and the crackers have lightly browned. Serve immediately.

The nummiest cheesecake ever!

My good friend, Charith, brought me this cheesecake for my birthday last year. Honestly, it is the best homemade cheesecake that I've ever tasted! While recovering from this surprise tonsillectomy, Charith arrived with another cheesecake! I've not been in my kitchen for almost three weeks. I'd been sad that I'd not thought to take a photo when she brought it by to share here on the blog. So, when Doug walked in with a plate bearing the coveted "last piece", I was thrilled! Even if I didn't get to photograph it until there was only a bite left. This is THE cheesecake to make! Enjoy!

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

3 squares white bakers chocolate (melted)

1 chocolate flavored graham crust

3 tablespoons raspberry preserves

Melt chocolate on low. In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, mix until blended. Stir in chocolate, mix. Pour into crust. Microwave preserves until melted (15 sec.) Dot mix with preserves and cut through with knife to marbleize. Bake at 350° for 35 - 40 min or until center is almost set. Let cool. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

update on Mom, from Liza

This is Sophia's daughter, Liza. Mom asked me to post and let anyone who's new to her blogging here, or who visits her other blog, know that she just had emergency surgery. She's got lots cooking but not till she is back in the kitchen. Right now, she can't eat anything besides popcicles and her friends are bringing in lots of good meals. She'll be back to blogging soon! Thanks for reading!

Lemonade Pie

4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate

thawed 1 9" graham cracker crust

Mix softened icecream and lemonade concentrate until blended. Immediately spoon into graham cracker crust. Freeze about four hours until firm. Garnish with strawberry slices (I sprinkle with sugar on top of berries.) Let stand at room temp (long enough to add the strawberry slices) before serving. (Any other fruit juice concentrate will work as well. LOVE Strawberry-Banana-Orange juice!)

Bean Salsa

This has to be one of our favorite dishes and it's perfect for a party or company! This huge batch of salsa needs to be served to a large group. (At our home, we, also, serve this as a main dish summer salad!) If you take it to a party, make sure to print out a few copies of the recipe because you'll, for sure, be asked for it! Try it, you'll love it!

1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 cans diced tomatoes (try it with the spicy ones, if you dare!)
1 8 oz. bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 avacados, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small bag frozen corn

Mix and chill. Serve with chips!
Enjoy!

Sophia

Fresh!

Frequently, I have people suggest that I create a cookbook with all of the recipes that I share on my "other" blog. I mentioned to a friend that I was going to share them on a separate blog that would make it easier to find them again in the future and her response was "Well, it's about time!" First, I must thank the many wonderful friends that I've been blessed with... friends who are great cooks and willing to generously share their recipes. While my great friends and I love to cook, we go from one extreme to the other...keep things simple or go that extra mile to make things special or just plain fun!

The recipes that I create on my own usually come while I'm standing at the baking center in my kitchen covered to my nose in a flour shower or splattered butter or cocoa dust... not the best time to write things down. But, I'm going to try to write them down more often, photograph the pretty stuff and share all that I can!

My "secret brownie" recipe is my most requested. It's the only recipe that I don't share. Years ago, when I was a newlywed, a friend's mother had a secret recipe that was to die for, that she never shared with anyone. Tasting the coveted recipe was always a special treat, something to look forward to! I decided way back then that one day, if I ever came up with a "perfect" recipe of my own, I'd keep it as my secret until the day I died. Then, once I died, it would be printed on the back of the program of my funeral services. I created my secret brownies in about 1982 and to this day, they are still my secret. Want the recipe? Come to my funeral! Until that day, I'm happy to bake the brownies for anyone or any occasion upon request!

You won't get my secret brownie recipe here on the blog, but I promise to share lots and lots of other great ones, plus some fun kitchen tips and ideas to make your own "sentiments from the kitchen"! Enjoy!

Sophia