Variations on a Theme of Saturday

We had roast beef hot-shots with green beans Saturday evening, by request.   Today I found myself with a fairly decent amount of roast beef and gravy left over, and some mashed potatoes.  There was enough for a meal...for some other, smaller family.  So here's the leftovers meal, resurrected with some fresh dinner rolls.   I used some frozen veggies and some fresh, but use what you've got.  That's why they're called leftovers!

Rerun Stoup
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
2 bay leaves
Place these in crock pot with a little water...just enough to cover.  
Add leftover gravy, meat, mashed potatoes, etc.
Stir to combine.  Add enough liquid (water, broth, stock) to bring to desired thickness.  Turn on low and ignore until about an hour before dinnertime.  Add 1/2 c. each frozen peas and corn, stir, and continue to ignore.  Serve.


Sneaky Dinner Rolls (makes 2 dozen)
In bowl of electric mixer, combine:
2 pkgs. yeast (5 tsp)
1/2 c. warm water  (110-115 deg.)
1 tsp sugar
Let stand 5-10 min. until foamy.
**If using instant yeast, skip this step.  Just put the yeast with the flour and add the water with other liquids
Add to yeast mixture:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. sugar
1-1/4 c. warm milk (110-115 deg.)
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs
Mix well, with dough hook, until fully combined and smooth.
Then add gradually:
2-3 c. all-purpose flour (just until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl)
1/3 c. flax seeds
When dough is fairly smooth, remove hook and cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let rise until double - 30-60 min., depending on temperature and how happy the yeast are.  With silicone spatula, scrape dough out onto a floured board or countertop.  Knead a few seconds to form a soft ball.  Divide dough in half.  Form 12 even rolls from each half and place in 2 9x13 pans, 1 13x18 cake pan, or 24 muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 min, until golden brown.

Sweet (and Spicy) Scents of Fall

Have I mentioned that I love fall cooking?   Today's celebration is apple butter!  There's a batch bubbling in my crock pot now, just waiting to be spread thickly on some soft home-made bread.  My house smells so good!

Apple Butter
10-12 medium(ish) apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. sucanat

Combine all ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low 8-12 hours, (depending on apple variety and desired texture), stirring occasionally.  Whisk smooth.

**This recipe is simple and infinitely adaptable.  You can use different varieties of apples - firmer ones (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) take longer, and you'll have chunkier apple butter.  Softer varieties (like Gala or McIntosh) cook more quickly and make smoother apple butter.  You can mix and match them with whatever you have.  You can adjust the sweetness, use all white sugar, all brown, or a combination.  You can use more or less spice.  You can cook it in a slow cooker and ignore it, or on the stove top and keep an eye on it.  It's entirely up to you...bon apetit!

The New Breakfast of Champions

"Mom, you're awesome.  That's the bomb.  You're going to do that again, right?  Please?"  Music to my ears!  Needless to say, that one's a keeper; it's warm, yummy, and nutritious.  The magical concoction in question was groats from the crockpot, warm and waiting when the little darlings ventured downstairs this morning.  Added bonus:  I threw it all in last night before I went up to bed.  No hassle for me this morning!  I'm all for ANYTHING that reduces morning hassle.

The Breakfast of Champions 
     (I made 6 cups...you can adjust the amount to fit your needs.  Just keep a 4-1 ratio of water to grain)

1-1/2 c.  steel cut oat groats
6 c. water
1/2 c. sucanat
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped


Stir all ingredients together in crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.


*We ate ours with a generous dollop of plain homemade yogurt.  Enjoy!