I'm still here. I just can't seem to get life to slow down enough to allow for blogging! Well, at least that's the story I'm sticking to. Between work, viruses, personal issues, and all my other projects, blogging, sad to say, is low on the totem pole. Yes, I know you have noticed this! Of course, don't infer that by "slow down" I mean that my life is exciting! There is definitely nothing to be envious about here! lol Just lack of energy on my part, mostly! Sometimes I think it is a curse to have so many interests. There is just not time (or energy) to do them all properly! =) People have asked me what would I do with myself if I didn't have to work a job. Ha! Do you have all day? I have a list as long as Santa Claus's of things I would love to accomplish or participate in. But that's beside the point. The point is, I'm still here. Lurking in the shadows most of the time, true, but still here. And, I have been cooking while I lurk! Yes, indeed. I may not have gotten very far on my goal of more blogging, but I have been keeping up with my recipe adventure. So far. It may falter at any point, don'tcha know, but then that's my prerogative. It is, after all, my project. Anyway......here are the recipes and my take on them:
Recipe #3 was Breakfast Sausage Roll. Very easy to make. I thought it was good, but nothing spectacular. My co-workers, on the other hand, tore it up (as they say here)! Not even crumbs left! Raving about it for days. Some of them even said they were going to try making it. That tells you how much they liked it---that they wanted to attempt to make it. So I think it would rate 5 stars in their book. Go ahead! Give it a whirl! I would say it's easy as pie, but really it's easier than that! =)
Breakfast Sausage Roll
2 loaves frozen bread dough
1 T vegetable oil
1 lb ground pork sausage
1 lb ground spicy pork sausage
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 (6oz) can mushrooms
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
2 T water
Rub frozen bread dough with vegetable oil, sover and allow to thaw overnight at room temperature (very important! If your dough is cold it will not roll out well! Don't ask me how I know this....). Cook sausage until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside. Roll out one loag of bread and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Layer cooked sausage, green pepper, mushrooms and cheese on top of bread. Leave 1 inch border at the edges bare. Roll out second loaf of bread and place over bread and filling. Enclose filling by pinching edges of both loaves together. Beat together egg and water. Brush surface of roll with egg wash. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min, or until golden brown.
* I made a roll with each loaf (so 2 instead of just 1). It seemed WAY easier to me to roll out one loaf, top one side with filling and fold the other side over and pinch to seal than to try to lift a slab of bread dough over another and try to get it on just right, without tearing.
* I used the entire pepper, so half on each roll. Same for the mushrooms---2 cans. I also sprinkled on some dry minced onion.
* I only used one kind of sausage. Used the 2 lbs, just not any spicy.
This is really quite versatile. The ingredients could be changed around multiple ways to make your own custom rolls.
The other recipe I've tried since I last blogged was a dessert. This recipe had not officially made it into The Box yet, but it was one I had pulled out of a magazine, so I guess it counts. =) It's Pineapple Pretzel Salad. Now usually I am not a fan of pineapple in things, but I know a lot of people are, so I pulled it. It seemed easy and a good thing to take to a potluck---recipes I am in need of these days. In reality, it did not disappoint. Very good! I even liked it, pineapple and all! And by my empty dish after our church dinner the other day, I would say my guinea pigs agree. My church family is so good about trying my new recipes! So here's the recipe (or receipt, as they used to say). Definitely a keeper!
Pineapple Pretzel Salad
1 c crushed pretzels
1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter, melted
8oz cream cheese
8 oz Cool Whip
1/2 c sugar
1 larg can crushed pineapple
2 T cornstarch
Mix crushed pretzels, 1/2c sugar and butter; press into 9x13 dish. Bake at 325 for 5 minutes, then cool. Mix cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar and cool Whip until blended. Spread on top of pretzel crust. Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Heat the juice with the cornstarch until thick. Add pineapple to thickened juice and spread on top of cream mixture. Refrigerate until firm.
* I baked my pretzel crust for 10-12 min instead of just 5. I like my crust to be crunchy! Besides, it seems such a shame to heat the oven all the way up for just 5 minutes! lol
* Note that the pineapple mixture will not seem very sweet if you taste it by itself. Don't worry! The rest of the layers have enough sugar in them to make up for it.
This one really is a winner in my book. My most winning one to date! In my opinion anyway.
So happy cooking! I hope maybe you will also find a recipe or two to add to your "heritage collection" from my adventure. That's what I'm looking for after all. Recipes that are good enough to go into the well-used recipe box---the kind that get handed down from one generation to another. =)
