Recipe Reviews! Week 3

Something I have noticed with the recipes from my childhood is that they are meant for people that are outside throwing haybales, or some other such physical labour. We definitely need to eat our salads, fruits, and veggies with this recipe project!!!

Now, on to our recipes from this week....

Bread

We had 2 slices of bread left in the freezer, so I decided it was time to replenish. I have used other recipes for bread in the past,

but decided to try this recipe off the back of the King Arthur Bread Flour bag one time when I was out of eggs. I double the recipe for the large loaf to get 2 loaves, and since I don't have a bread machine, I use the Kitchen Aid and knead by hand. Some of my sisters have perfected the art, and science, of making bread, and prefer their special recipe and method. So....my bread probably doesn't measure up to their standards

The Honest Review: It tastes good to us, especially fresh out of the oven, and is relatively quick to make, so it works for us. Someday I may take the time to make, and compare, all the bread recipes I have, and keep only the one that works the best. But, for now: This recipe will stay in our collection at this time.

Alterations I make: I've never used all bread flour. I tend to use 1/3 bread flour, 1/3 white whole wheat, and 1/3 all-purpose flour. Not sure why, except that is what my mom's recipe basically does. Whenever I do the "compare all the bread recipes," I'll follow the instructions exactly and see what happens.

Baked Oatmeal

I actually found this recipe on the Taste of Home website several months ago when looking for a new way to fix oatmeal for Pumpkin. My sister, Miriam, has been looking for a baked oatmeal recipe, and I've been trying to convince her to try this one. My other sister, Sally, and her kids, were absolutely sure they were not going to like it when I made it for them over New Years.

The Honest Review: It is soooo delicious! Jason doesn't like cooked oatmeal, but he enjoys this baked oatmeal recipe! Sally, and her kids, loved it, too! Pumpkin and I eat this for breakfast almost every day. It is good plain, or with a little milk. I typically bake it in muffin tins, and freeze them. It is not a blah, dense, soggy consistency, but fluffy and light. We like it best with apples or peaches (home-canned peaches are best), but have used cherries or blackberries, too. It is really good. I highly recommend you try this recipe! If you can't read it on the picture, let me know and I can get it to you. This recipe is staying in our collection.

My alterations: use half the sugar, add 1/2-2 cups of fruit (dried, fresh, frozen), and add a dash of any additional spices that go along with chosen fruit (nutmeg for peaches, etc.). I also bake it in a little bit bigger of a pan than it calls for.

Breakfast Casserole

Last year, Jason got a crockpot breakfast casserole recipe from somewhere, tried it, and didn't really like it. Since then, I have tried concocting a breakfast casserole a few times, but he hasn't liked them. When I saw this recipe, I decided to try it and see what he thought. I used bacon for this time.

The Honest Review: Jason said it was "ok," but he wouldn't make it again. (I'm beginning to think that he has a texture issue with breakfast casseroles.) Pumpkin and I liked it, and it's the first egg thing she has eaten willingly. This recipe actually turns out pretty light and fluffy, which I liked. It may be a little salty, but it could be the type of bacon I used. It is better than that crockpot version, so wherever that recipe is- it will be tossed. This recipe will stay in our collection at this time.

Red Beans and Rice

(This recipe has a front and back.)

Red Beans and Rice cont.

I have looked at this recipe a few times, but never made it. I always thought it looked too involved, and too big of a batch. I didn't take a photo of it, as I didn't know how to make it look appealing. Think "brown beans and rice" that you get as sides with a Mexican dish for the looks.

The Honest Review: Jason wasn't sure he liked it enough to make it again. At first, I wasn't too excited about it, either. Then I had it the next day, and the flavors seemed to become more pronounced, and I liked it. Little Pumpkin ate it just fine. I felt that cooking it all together for so long took all the flavor out of the meat, so the bites of meat were kind of pointless then. I think it would go well as a side with tacos, or the like. This recipe will stay in our collection at this time.

Alterations: If I make it again, I will pre-soak, or cook the beans separately, then add the spices and browned meat at the end to finish. Personally, I wouldn't serve it with rice, but as a side-dish.

Robin's Chicken Casserole

I know it isn't titled "Robin's" on the paper, but that is what we called it at home. This is another recipe that I remember being super good at home. I actually made this dish to take to Jason's grandparents for supper this week.

Not the prettiest picture; sorry!

The Honest Review: We really like it! Jason says it tastes like Thanksgiving in a casserole. It is what I would consider a rich casserole dish, and is fairly easy to make. This recipe is staying in our collection.

Baked Corn

I made this dish as a side for the Chicken Casserole, along with basic, canned, green beans. I have had trouble in the past with it taking way longer than an hour to bake. This time, it was done in an hour. I'm not sure what made the difference. I did forget to take a picture of the finished product, so you'll just have to make it to see what it looks like!

The Honest Review: This is one of my favorite recipes! Maybe not the healthiest way to eat corn, but we really like it a lot. Whenever I make this for company, they usually request the recipe. And, as with any food, it tastes even better with home-grown, quality corn. (Not all home-grown corn is equal; I grew some not-quality corn last summer, and was quite disappointed!) This recipe will be staying in our collection.

Chocolate Streusel Bars

I just saw this recipe a few weeks ago, and don't remember ever having it, or even seeing the recipe before. Apparently it was one of my Grandma's recipes. Just from looking at the recipe, I was afraid it would be way too sweet. But, I wanted to try it.

The Honest Review: Jason thought it was too chocolatey, and "enh." I, however, found them to be addictive! They were not too sweet at all! Jason said that maybe the bars would be ok if there was less crumb topping. They do need to be chilled before eating- they don't taste as amazing warm. This recipe will be staying in our collection.

Alterations: Make less of the chocolate crumb part, and use only 1 cup of the crumbs for the topping; it was just too thick, and overwhelmed the cream cheese filling.