Deviled Eggs

This is my parents' recipe for deviled eggs that I am bringing to Easter lunch tomorrow.

Deviled Eggs

8 eggs
2 T mayo
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp onion salt
dash pepper
1-2 T sugar
dash paprika

Place the eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover by about 1". Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat as fast as possible. Then remove from heat. Let the eggs stand in the pan, still covered, for 15 minutes for large eggs, 18 minutes for jumbo, and 12 minutes for medium. Drain the eggs and run cold water over them until completely cooled. To peel eggs, rub on the counter to crack shell, peel under cold water starting from the large end.  Cut each egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash with a fork. Add mayo, vinegar, mustard, onion salt, pepper, and sugar.  Mix together until smooth. Refill eggs whites with yolk mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Strawberry Pie

I forgot to take a picture of the pie before we devoured it.  It is so delicious!!  I had to make it again so that I could take a picture.  It was just as good as the first time.

Strawberry Pie

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup strawberry jello (1/2 small package)
1 quart strawberries - sliced
1 pie crust

Bake pie crust at 425° for 12-14 minutes.  Dissolve cornstarch in water, stir in sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until it looks clear.  Stir in strawberry jello.  Place pie filling in fridge to thicken.  Stir in strawberries and refrigerate until mostly thickened.  Pour into pie crust and refrigerate to set.  Top with cool whip or whipped cream and serve.

Whipped Cream

1 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Freeze a metal bowl for 1 hour, then pour cold whipping cream into it.  Beat and mix in vanilla and powdered sugar (or more to taste).  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Challah

Every time I look at this all I can think is "Hollah!!"  Anyway, our church was doing communion with challah bread during Lent this year and asked people to bake it, so I volunteered.  The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen and was given to me as a modified version from church.  I went with the round shape and I think they turned out great!

Challah

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours rising
Yield: 4 loaves

3 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1 3/4 cup water - lukewarm
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
5 eggs
1 T salt
4 cup bread flour
4 cup flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 T sugar in water, set aside for 5 minutes until a bit foamy.  Add remaining sugar and whisk to combine.  Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs one at a time.  Whisk in salt.  Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, alternating bread flour and regular flour.  Use the whisk to incorporate the first 3 cups, then switch to a wooden spoon.  When it holds together, turn it out onto a floured surface to knead it.  Clean the bowl, then coat with a little bit of olive oil.  Return dough to bowl and roll in oil to coat.  Preheat oven for 1 minute, then turn off.  Place covered dough in the oven to rise for 1 hour.  Punch down dough, preheat oven for 1 minute again and turn off.  Return dough to oven to rise for 30 more minutes.  Divide into 4 equal parts, these are the 4 loaves.  Take the first ball of dough and divide into 4 again.  Take each quarter and mold it into a long rope.  Weave the ropes like a basket - lay 2 ropes up and down and 2 ropes side to side, each rope should be over 1 rope and under 1 rope.  Then move every strand that is under over the rope to the right, then do it again to the left, then the right, until you run out of rope.  Then tuck the ends under.  See her illustrations if this is confusing.  Place each woven loaf on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper making sure to leave at least 2" in between loaves.  Preheat oven for 1 minute and turn off.  Beat final egg and use a pastry brush to brush over the loaves.  Place in oven to rise for 1 hour.  Optional: beat another egg and coat the loaves a second time with egg wash.  Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes until golden.  Cool loaves on a wire rack.

Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you’re ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.

Chicken Rice Soup

Jeremy's mom made this soup and I had to have the recipe.  It is great when you are feeling sick or need something warm!  I decided to make it today because dad is sick.  I didn't have the celery in the house or bouillon granules (they contain wheat, so I have switched to stocking chicken broth).  So today I just omitted the celery and added the end of the box of chicken broth.  It was pretty thick, but I kind of like it that way.  I also cooked a bag of chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken because I decided around noon that I wanted to make it for supper.

Chicken Rice Soup

1 chicken - cooked & cubed
1 T onion - chopped
2 carrots - chopped
1 cup celery - chopped
5 oz mrs. grass noodle soup mix
1 1/2 T chicken bouillon granules
1 cup rice - uncooked
dash salt & pepper

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add water to desired consistency. Simmer for 1 hour.

Allergy Free Banana Oatmeal Cookie Bites

I have been meaning to make these for Henry for a while now.  I have found and lost the recipe many times.  Today when I looked I didn't find the one I thought I wanted, but it is close enough :)  I altered it quite a bit, but I will still link to it!  Yum, I just paused typing to go try one, and they turned out great!!  I was not going for these to make something super healthy, rather to make something yummy for my son who can't have most cookie ingredients (butter, egg, flour).  I did not flatten them on the cookie sheet and they ended up as balls, so we will call them cookie bites.  The next day they are no longer very crisp on the outside, so they are more like banana bread bites, but still delicious.

Banana Oatmeal Cookie Bites

2 bananas
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup oat flour (process oats until they are the consistency of flour)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mash bananas with a fork.  Add oatmeal, oat flour, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir until dough forms.  Lightly grease cookie sheet (since there is no fat in the cookie to keep it from sticking) and scoop dough onto sheet.  Bake at 350° for 12 minutes and place on a rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container.  Mine made 21 bites.

Ramen Noodle Salad

I got this recipe from my sister Lindsey.  I will have to trust everyone else that it is good - I just can't eat it - I never learned how to like a salad.  I made it the other day without the almonds and green onions and no one complained, but maybe they were being nice!  I didn't get a picture though, so it must have been ok.

Ramen Noodle Salad

1 package ramen (chicken flavor)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
14 oz bag coleslaw mix
5 oz slivered almonds - toasted
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
4 green onions - chopped


Crush ramen noodles inside the package, then open and remove seasoning packet.  In a small bowl, whisk together seasoning packet, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, and sugar.  Just before serving, mix together coleslaw mix, almonds, sunflower seeds, and onions.  Toss with dressing and serve.

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

I wanted to make some type of popcorn treat, and scoured pinterest for the most interesting looking one.  I love oreos, so I had to try this one from Chef in Training.  It is a nice salty & sweet snack.  I added a little bit more popcorn to it so that it made more and also so that there wasn't quite so much white chocolate per bite.  Jer wasn't a huge fan, so we brought it to work to finish it off.

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

24 oz white almond bark
20 oreos - crushed
1 bag popcorn - I used boom chicka pop prepopped corn, and actually used a bit more from a partial bag

Melt almond bark in the microwave on 40% power, stirring frequently.  Stir in oreo crumbs.  Using a very large bowl, mix in the popcorn and chocolate mixture until well coated.  Place in airtight container to set.  Break into bite sized pieces when the chocolate has hardened.

Pizza Rice

I got this recipe from the Holland Christian cookbook.  I modified it to have more rice, otherwise I felt that there was too much sauce.

Pizza Rice

2 package rice-a-roni - beef
1 LB hamburger
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz cheddar cheese - shredded
8 oz mozzarella cheese - shredded

Make rice according to directions, place in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Brown hamburger, mix in sauce, layer over rice. Top with cheeses and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.