No Knead-Dutch Oven Crusty Bread

Bread, it's the one thing I love more than Chocolate, I know, hard to believe huh? I love it with real butter too.
So simple even a six year old could do it. Try it. It's soup and stew season, you gotta have bread and butter.

I found a new Joe, Java, a new bean worth writing home about.

Ok folks you know me if I love I share it...If I dislike a product,  unfortunately sometimes you hear that too. But nobody pays me to say nice things about their products so you know I honestly feel this way.

I love good coffee, I'm Norwegian, it comes with the breeding. I think the love affair started in my first or second year. I was old enough to steal the coffee cup and guzzle or wear what I could before getting caught.
I'm sure I had a many coffee stained T-shirts and dresses if you get my drift.
I found a good blend, excellent flavor and NO heartburn...I can't say enough about that isssue, some coffees just give me really bad heartburn.

(You know the brand starting with an F with all the heartwarming commercials Funny it never used to but something changed in the roast or the blend and I was forced quit them after that. Too Acidic even the low acid blend, which was better, But was only available for about a nano second in my area.)


I'm anxious to try Odolla's other blends too. MmmMmm, it's good!
They're on my list...you know the good one :) to the right the Favorite Proprietors list and you can order online YAY!

Caliente Corn

Ok, folks this looks like a plain Jane dish but it packs a
"Wow is there enough for second’s response"
Six ingredients, and it's really good.

3-4 Lg. ears of fresh sweet corn on the cob( I use both white and yellow together)
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green Bell pepper (3-5 points on bottom are sweetest)
1/2 of a Walla Walla or Vidalia sweet onion
1/4 C half and half and it can be fat free
1/4 C butter

*red pepper flakes to your taste (I just lightly sprinkle)
*sea salt optional
...oops I guess that's 8.

This can be prepared ahead of time and cooked just prior to eating. Start by taking the husks and silks off the corn off the cob and rinse, then on a plate with a sharp knife remove the corn in long swipes. Set aside, then wash and prepare the peppers but cutting in to small strips and then cross cut in small dices. Do the same with the sweet onion (Small Dices)

Now when your ready to cook you throw a goodly amount of butter in the pan, preferably a non stick pan. Let butter melt, then toss in pepper and onions, Cook and toss until onions look slightly transparent, then add the corn, if it looks like you may need a little more butter add it.

Now is when I sprinkle a few small pepper flakes...If you have kids take some out and put in a pan for them before the pepper flakes but add the half and half.

Now while the corn is still crisp and the dish is piping hot add you half and half and reduce it down just a bit. and serve hot!


***This is also good cooked this same way and added to 2 boxes of jiffy corn bread mixture (prepared as package recommends) and baked into a casserole type dish 13"x9" with added sour cream in teaspoon sized dollops (12) on top and cheddar cheese over the top of that, and bake to doneness.

You will not have one complaint and probably no leftovers either.

Good Old Fashioned Banana Bread

Banana Bread (Preheat oven to 375)

1 C. crisco shortening (not oil)
2 C. Sugar
4 Eggs
2 C. (ripe) mashed Banana
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
4 C. sifted Flour
6 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 C. nuts (chopped) Walnuts or Pecans are best.

Cream shortening and sugar together, Beat eggs until light and add to sugar mixture, mash Bananas until almost all lumps are gone but not completely. Smallish lumps are fine. Add lemon to Bananas stir gently. Set aside.
Now the dry.
Sift Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt and add to sugar and egg mixture. Mix quickly, and add bananas now. Next stir in chopped nuts.
Now you have the choice of small little loaf pans or regular 1lb bread pans...your choice.

I don't usually time mine, But for your benefit I estimate it to be 45 mins for small mini loaves at 360 degrees and at least an hour to 1-1/4 hrs for large at 375. I use a wooden toothpick or wooden skewer to test for doneness at the time when the loaves are nicely browned and starting to split on top. The toothpick should not be gooey when you test in the middle and it's withdrawn.

Enjoy warm with butter or cold all by itself.

Special hint*
I like to freeze mine and I wrap it still warm in Glad press and seal wrap and freeze then wrap in foil to prevent freezer burn.
Thawing*
Allow to thaw in the wrap, the crust softens and makes it yummier! I make my breads well in advance of holidays and it has always been the BEST!

Cardamom Krumkake

Cardamom Krumkake
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 scant cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. cardamom


Beat eggs well; add sugar, butter and crushed cardamom seed and vanilla. Beat.
Add flour and milk alternately. I like it not too runny, about the consistency of a pancake batter.
Krumkake iron is hot enough when a drop of water sizzles on heated iron, do not grease the iron except for one that's brand new to season.
Bake with krumkake iron and roll on to cone shape or on dowel.


Tip: Whole cardamom seed that has been rolled with pin in a baggie to break shell then shelled, then when separated from shell its seed is crushed with a rolling pin makes for more flavorful Krumkake.

Very pretty sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar. They can be filled with things like Ice cream, bavarian cream, whipped cream and berries, traditionally eaten just simply plain.