Author: Debbie

Sunday Link-Up {March 19, 2017}

Julie Kohl – Easy Artisan Bread in Under an Hour

I love fresh, warm, just out of the oven bread. I always lamented the fact that we didn’t have a local bakery and for years went without fresh bread mostly, because I thought it was really hard to make. Turns out that it doesn’t have to be. I came across this recipe for delicious artisan bread a few years ago. It is EASY to prepare and tastes so good. I still wish we had a local bakery but this will do when I am craving warm bread. And the best part is, you can make this in UNDER an hour!

Easy Artisan Bread in Under an Hour

2017-03-08 12:17:39

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Ingredients

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two packets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vinegar (I used red wine vinegar but balsamic works great too!)

Instructions

You will need a heavy duty, oven-safe dish with a lid. I used my cast iron dutch oven. An enameled dutch oven or a covered casserole dish will also work.
Place the baking dish of your choice into the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees allowing the dish to come to temperature with the oven.
In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the yeast, sugar and water with the paddle attachment and then allow to rest about 5 minutes.
Now add 3 cups of flour, the salt and the vinegar and beat for several minutes. Switch to the dough hook, add the last 1/2 cup of flour and beat for eight minutes. The dough will be sticky.
Oil a large microwave bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl rolling it into a ball shape. Cover the bowl with a wet towel and cover that with a dry towel.
Microwave on high for 25 seconds. Let the bowl rest in the microwave for about 5 minutes.
Microwave on high for 25 more seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and let it rest on the counter for at least 15 minutes.
Remove your heated dish from the oven. Shape the dough into a ball and place into the hot dish. Make several slits in the top of the loaf. Cover and return to the oven immediately. Bake for 30 minutes. Internal temperature of the bread should reach at least 120 and should sound hollow when tapped. If the bread needs more time remove the lid and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

By Julie Kohl

Adapted from Somewhere but I don't remember!

Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

Sunday Link-Up {March 12, 2017}

Sunday Link-Up {Mar 5, 2017)

Keisha McKinney: Mr. McKinney’s Biscuits

One of the first gifts I gave my husband was a Tervis with candy in it. Yes, I felt like I was in middle school. I mean, what gift do you give a boy who you know you really, really like, but you don’t have an official “status” with? I love giving gifts and I couldn’t image his 30th birthday in a new town with new friends coming and going without some kind of birthday present. I knew he had a 2 hour commute each day, so I thought it was an easy option without being too invasive. And, even better, it had the mascot logo of our alma mater on it.

Then, came Christmas. As if buying for a birthday wasn’t hard enough, what do you do get for a 30 year old man for Christmas that won’t make him run away? I went with the milk frothier and biscuit cutter. Both were related to inside jokes and I thought it would remind him that I was listening. Plus, on my limited budget at the time, I could get each with a 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Little did I know that both of those gifts would eventually sit in my kitchen cabinets and work to my advantage on a Saturday morning!

Our favorite thing around our house is a lazy, unplanned Saturday. And, if I’m smart enough to notice one is coming early in the week, I’ll grab a few extra ingredients for a lazy Saturday morning breakfast. But, my favorite is when that impromptu moment happens and Mr. McKinney decides it is his turn to cook breakfast. Sometimes that involves some cheesy scrambled eggs. Sometimes an opened can of cinnamon rolls. And then there is the Saturday mornings I get to sit at the counter with a fresh cup of coffee and frothed creamer and watch him make biscuits. (yes, I finally used one of those BBB coupons and bought him a pastry cutter for the cold butter)

Now, I can’t thank his previous roommate for all the habits he taught him. But I am oh so grateful that this biscuit recipe was on the list of things he picked up in bachelorhood!

Keisha McKinney: Mr. McKinney’s Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons shortening, chilled
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/2 stick butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a glass bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Cut butter and shortening in to tiny cubes.
Drop in bowl around the edge of the dry ingredients.
Using your fingers, incorporate the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients.
Continue to mix with your fingers until the mixture is the texture of breadcrumbs.
Pour milk and honey on top of dry ingredients.
Stir together all ingredients until fully incorporated.
Dust counter top with flour.
Turn dough out on to floured counter.
Sprinkle top of dough with flour.
Knead dough by turning edges into middle and pressing into center.
Sprinkle with more flour and continue kneading until mixture no longer sticks to your fingers.
Once dough is no longer “super sticky,” press out, on counter with your hand to a ½-inch thickness.
Spray baking sheet with cooking spray or use a cooking stone to bake biscuits.
Dip biscuit cutter in flour and cut out biscuits.
Combine and re-knead together scraps until they are all used to cut out biscuits.
Melt ½ stick of butter and brush tops of biscuits before placing in the oven. Bake at 350 for 12-15 min or until golden brown on top.

https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/keisha-mckinney-mr-mckinneys-biscuits/

Now, if you are really feeling crazy you can make these biscuits savory. On one particular Saturday, we found ourselves hosting the Posey women (Mr. McKinney’s mom and aunts). After he made these delightful treats for breakfast, I just insisted that he show off and he made a second batch for lunch. We folded in cheddar cheese and dried rosemary and used the smallest biscuit cutter in the set to have a basket full of fluffy delights for our luncheon. Let me tell you, they were more than impressed with his domestic skills.

I really should just thank @unashamedpanda <www.instagram.com/unashamedpanda> for his domestic skills and patience in helping us figure out the recipe with no instructions!

Keisha (Pittman) McKinney is settling in to her new married life in South AR after she #becamemrsmckinney. A Digital Media Director by day for a church in Northwest Arkansas, Keisha is remembering what its like to plan ahead for shopping trips to “the city,” getting resourceful at her small town Walmart and creating online shopping personas everywhere. She blogs @bigpittstop about daily adventures, cooking escapades, #bigsisterchats and the social justice cases on her heart.

Follow Keisha:
Blog –bigpittstop: new journey, new normal, new you – http://www.bigpittstop.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bigpittstop
Twitter – https://twitter.com/bigpittstop
Instagram – http://instagram.com/bigpittstop#
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/bigpittstop/
Periscope – @bigpittstop

Sunday Link-Up {Feb 26, 2017}

Keisha Pittman McKinney: Mama Sue’s Kitchen Cabinet Gumbo

Whether you are the Pioneer Woman, a contestant on the Worst Cooks in America, or just trying to get culinary in a small south Arkansas town, nothing makes dinner easier than a “cabinet creation.” Growing up, I always dreaded “clean out the fridge” buffet night. I would offer to help my mom get the meal ready because that left me first in line to pick out the remains of my favorite meal of the week. Thus leaving the mushy stuff that I didn’t like for the slow pokes who weren’t listening when the dinner bell rang!

On the contrary, I LOVED nights when my mom just winged it. She was (and still is) the queen of creativity in the kitchen. She taught me how to make incredible meals on a tight budget. She can always remake leftovers in to a new creation.She can take parts of two different meals and if you don’t pay attention, you think she has cooked a fresh dish 3 nights in the same week! It’s a not-so- secret talent and it’s been fun as we have added son-in- laws to the mix at our holiday table to watch their amazement at her dinner creations.

What she does best is always seek to be present with her people. Doing this takes lots of preparation. Mama will cook the week or weekend before we come and have meals ready in the fridge or freezer that we just have to bake and eat. (That leaves us more time for shopping, craft projects, window shopping, bargain hunting, cashing in coupons, and more shopping – all the essential things for time with your mama!)

She is also really great at her own “semi-homemade” treats. She will have the meat or cooked parts ready and just stir it all together at meal time. That’s exactly what happened with today’s dish. On their own, any of these ingredients are just fine. But, together, they are magic! And if a Cajun likes anything, it’s the magic that happens in a slow, stewed gumbo.

KEISHA MCKINNEY: Mama Sue's Kitchen Cabinet Gumbo

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts (fresh or thawed)
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
½ cup water
3 14.5-ounce Margaret Holmes Okra, Tomatoes, and Corn
1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1-2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 27-ounce cans Margaret Holmes Red Beans and Rice
“soppin” bread – frozen garlic bread recommended

Instructions

Place the chicken breasts in crockpot with 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning and 1/2 cup water.
Cook on low for 4 hours. Remove chicken to cutting board and dice in to cubes. Return chicken to crockpot and add canned veggies, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
Cook for 2 more hours on LOW. A few minutes before serving, add shrimp (chopped to desired size or left whole) and canned red beans and rice.
Stir together and serve hot with any sort of bread to sop up that goodness!

Notes

In case you are wondering, we are Texans, not Cajuns…therefore we let the people who know what to do, do it and we take full advantage of what comes our way!

https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/keisha-mckinney/

Sunday Link-Up {Feb. 19, 2017}

Lacie Ring: How Brian and I Cooked Crawfish Pie Together {Foodie Friday}

I had cut the first piece of the Crawfish Pie which is always the hardest. I set the slice aside to let it cool. Steam in a camera lens just doesn’t work. When I came back to start snapping pictures, someone had taken a huge bite out of the middle of the pie. I thought I would just die. All I could do was laugh and pull out two more slices. That’s the kind of fun that ensues when you are cooking and blogging at deer camp.

Crawfish Pie is on the menu tonight but first a little back story on how this recipe came about.

So, when Debbie said she needed volunteers for the Foodie Friday posts, I knew I wanted to help. I loved her idea of theming each month to a song. I noticed February was themed towards the song…Jambalaya on the Bayou. Lightbulb moment, I have a friend who lives in New Orleans and he could help me out with an easy Cajun dish. I emailed this idea to Debbie and she responded back with…”Is your idea to cook together with your friend?” I figured, that was something that could be arranged. The only problem, he lives in NOLA and I live in Arkansas. Oh the logistics. I called up my buddy Brian and we put together a plan.

Our only chance to meet up was at Brian’s family deer camp. This worked perfect for me being that it was only a couple hours from my house and the hubby and kiddo could get in a little hunting too. Did I mention, I know Brian because he’s my best friend’s brother-in-law? Yep, that’s right! This was also a chance to hang out with my bestie too. Y’all…she calls me Betty Crocker and I call Brian Guy Fieri. I’m sure you can see why…lol.

With our plan in place, we were ready to meet up back in January. Low and behold, the only snow we’ve had all winter decided to hit that very weekend. I thought, well, how are we going to get this Crawfish Pie recipe done together if the snow stops us from meeting up? I guess I should tell you that our big hurdle was the fact that we were taking our camper. Pulling a camper through snow and ice did not sound appealing. It was either leave a day early to beat the snow or Brian and I were going to have to skype to make the recipe together. Brian had already made his 6 hour drive so I was thankful my hubby had the fore sight to leave a day early. We had easy driving and Brian and I could still cook together. Yay!

Without further ado…Brian’s Crawfish Pie! If you love Pot Pie and Cajun food then this recipe is for you!

Lacie Ring: How Brian and I Cooked Crawfish Pie Together {Foodie Friday}

Ingredients

1 large onion, ground
¼ cup green onion, ground
½ bell pepper, ground
½ red bell pepper, ground
2 celery stalks, ground
½ cup butter
1 can cream of celery soup
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 pound crawfish tails
¼ cup minced garlic
½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
egg, beaten
1 package refrigerated pie crust

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onions, garlic, bell peppers and celery with butter in a large pot or dutch oven until soft.
Mix in soup, tomato sauce, crawfish, and parsley.
Cook for 10 minutes on low.
Add the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and egg to the pot.
Continue to cook on low for an additional 10 minutes.
Place one pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate.
Pour filling over pie crust.
Cover filling with additional pie crust.
Seal and crimp the edges.Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown.
Tips….Use a food processor to grind up vegetables. Let pie rest and cool to pull out perfect slices

https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/lacie-ring-brian-cooked-crawfish-pie-together-foodie-friday/

This recipe couldn’t have been possible without my person Guy Fieri. Big thank you goes out to my buddy Brian for the effort put forth to make his Crawfish Pie with me for ARWBal. We had so much fun cooking together or should I say me watching Brian cook…I did wash the dishes though.

Y’all can find tons of other easy and delicious recipes at www.easypeasypleasy.com. If you love social media then you can find Easy Peasy Pleasy on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Author: Debbie

Sunday Link-Up {March 19, 2017}

Julie Kohl – Easy Artisan Bread in Under an Hour

Sunday Link-Up {March 12, 2017}

Top 10 All-Time Favorite Foodie Friday Posts

Chicken Fried Rice Spring Rolls – Mel Lockcuff

2. Dutch Oven Breakfast Casserole – Ashley Ederington

3. Mom’s Favorite Sides for Thanksgiving – Connie Kay Ash

4. Local is the Flavor of Your Town – Keisha Pittman McKinney

5. Tuscan Garlic Sauce – Amy Bradley-Hole

6. Spicy Vegetable Soup – Talya Boerner

7. Tamales Panamanian Style – Michelle Shellabarger

8. Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll – Peggy Cox Bayer

9. Dot Cookies – Ricci Ellis

10. Top Five Photography Tips for Food Bloggers – Jenny Marrs

Sunday Link-Up {Mar 5, 2017)

Keisha McKinney: Mr. McKinney’s Biscuits

Sunday Link-Up {Feb 26, 2017}

Keisha Pittman McKinney: Mama Sue’s Kitchen Cabinet Gumbo

Sunday Link-Up {Feb. 19, 2017}

Lacie Ring: How Brian and I Cooked Crawfish Pie Together {Foodie Friday}