Monday, December 12, 2011

December Enrichment

Hello Ladies! Don't Forget...
Relief Society Service Auction 
this Tuesday 13th @ 6:30pm in the Relief Society room.  
This promises to be an enjoyable evening.

If you have not had a chance to offer a service to be auctioned off, 
you can still do so that night. 
We look forward to seeing all of you!

Relief Society Enrichment Committee

Friday, December 9, 2011

Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 tsp. salt
powdered sugar

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees
  • Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
  • Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Weekly Tips & Tricks

Every week our Relief Society Newsletter has some helpful tips & tricks. Find them here on the blog to refresh your memory!

Provident Living

 If you can slip a sheet of paper under your door frame or between the frame and the door itself, then the gap is too wide and you are losing precious warm air to the outside elements. You are essentially trying to heat the whole neighborhood like our parents always complained about when we were growing up. One way to solve this problem is by installing door sweeps and weather stripping that can block the draft and keep your warm air inside.
Gardening (Monthly Do's and Don'ts for December)

Prepare for frosts now. If you don't care for your sensitive trees, bushes, flowers and vegetables before the first frost, it's probably too late, since the first frost will permanently damage them. It is not uncommon to have up to 20 frosty mornings in December. Be prepared to cover those frost-tender plants throughout December.

  • Don't pick grapefruit yet. Grapefruit are the best in late spring or early summer.
  • Don't do any major tree pruning in December.
  • Don't fertilize trees or shrubs in December. Wait until Spring.
  • Don't over water.
  • Don't ignore pest problems

Cleaning
Shower Walls
To keep soap scum at bay, treat your fiberglass shower liner and glass shower door with car wax. Just apply the wax to the walls like you would on a car. This keeps buildup from getting into the porous surface of the shower walls. The wax will make it much easier to wipe clean. You can reapply the wax twice a year. Just make sure you don't use it on the floor, as it will become very slippery.

Dirty Shower Curtain
Is your shower curtain liner beginning to look a little dingy? Mildew can start to form at the bottom of the curtain when moisture gets trapped between the layers. Instead of throwing it out and buying a new one, try cleaning it. Just fill up your tub with some warm water and a small amount of laundry detergent. Put the shower curtain liner in and let it soak for a while. Remove any stubborn stains with a sponge and then rinse and dry.

RS Announcements 12/4/11

  •  Don't forget to sign up for Tithing Settlement! Sign-ups are located on the Ward Clerk's door.
  • December 13th - Relief Society Service Auction
  • December 16th - Ward Christmas Party (located at Coral Gables Building)
  • Next Week's Lesson: Gospel Principles #40 by Marianne Jensen

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Ward Christmas Party

The Cactus View Ward
invites you to the
Ward Christmas Party
December 16th, 6 p.m.  - 8 p.m. 
At the North Stake Center
325 W Coral Gables

Delicious food served, the Ward will showcase their talents 
and a special visitor will make
an appearance to take photos.
Please sign up to help and
be involved in the fun!

November Announcements

First and foremost we want to wish everyone a 
 Happy Thanksgiving! 
Every year on Thanksgiving day we have a Turkey Bowl.  Usually the young men and all those who still think they are young men get together and play football in the morning.  I believe is starts at 7am and is played in the field at the elementary school just south of the chapel.  They forgot to annouce it on Sunday from the pulpit.  This event is still happening.
We have the baptism of Olandis Martinez...soon to be 10 years old...this Saturday at 12pm, Stake Center. 
That's it for this week...remember to have joy in the journey!

Relief Society Presidency

Pizza Dip Recipe

Kim Maloney is passing on her recipe from the linger longer.

Hi! I had a few people request the pizza dip  recipe I brought to the linger longer today.
 
Ingredients:
8 oz package cream cheese
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese
8 oz pizza sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine cream cheese and seasoning.  Spread onto bottom of baking dish.  Combine cheeses sprinkling 1/2 over cream cheese.  Next, top with the pizza sauce spreading evenly.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture.  Bake 15-20 mins or until bubbly.  Serve dip with baquette slices or tortilla chips. 

Kim Maloney

Friday, October 21, 2011

Swap 'n' Shop

Drop off  Friday, November 18 
between 5:00pm and 8:00pm.  
Everyone is welcome to bring gently used items/clothing/toys etc. to the church. If you need someone to come pick up large furniture, contact Rachel Devore or Kassie Taylor and they will assist you.

Shop Saturday, November 19 
from 8:00am to 12:00pm 
Everyone is welcome to come and shop!
Anything left will be taken to DI after 12pm.

We would appreciate help from the priesthood with any large items, 
as well as taking the left overs to the Deseret Industries (DI) to donate. 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Enrichment Holiday Dinner

Cactus View Ward Relief Society Presents
Enrichment
Holiday Dinner
November 8, 2011 6:30 pm

All Sisters are invited
Come enjoy a lovely evening
Nursery will be provided

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

"Souper" Saturday

Cactus View Ward Relief Society Presents
“Souper” Saturday
October 8th, 2011  8am-1pm
Soup & Salad will be served
Sign up for something on the Menu:
·  Earrings
·  Halloween Craft
·  Christmas Card Holder
·  Hooded Animal Towels
·  Natural Wood Nativity
·  Prophet & Apostle Books
·   Custom Family Soap Bottles
Knitting/Crocheting from 10am-12pm


We’ll See You There!

Economic Household Enrichment

We had a fun night, learning about creative ways to save money! We would like to pass on some of the info that was shared. There were so many great tips we learned, so if you missed it, ask your Visiting Teacher or other Sisters and they will fill you in!


We learned some resourceful tips about unique ways to use household items. Our tips came out of a book by Real Simple. Visit the Real Simple website and find out more amazing tips.

We learned how to make our own Homemade Laundry Soap. She even brought free samples. So ask around if you missed it and find out how it is working. Here is the recipe:

2 Cups of water
1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap (97 cents)
1 Cup Super Washing Soda ($3.24)
1 Cup Borax ($2.98)
1 Gallon Water (16 Cups)
(prices at Wal-Mart)

Add finely grated bar soap to 2 Cups of boiling water. Turn water to low until soap in melted.

Pour melted soap water into a large clean pail with a lid; add borax and washing soda. Stir until dissolved. Add 1 gallon of water; stir until well mixed. Let it sit until it gels (about an hour)

Cover pail. Use 1/4 cup per load 
(2 tablespoons in a front loading machine). 
*Stir soap before each use.

We also discussed freezer meals, buying food in bulk, couponing, keeping your house organized and clutter free, and gardening.

Here are the couponing links you should all visit!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

If Ye Are Prepared (May 10, 2011)

We began our monthly meeting with Liz Whipple sharing some ideas on 72-hour kits (here is the link to her handout: http://lds.about.com/library/bl/preparation/72_hour_kit.pdf). She explained that we should have food, emergency supplies, and food for about 72 hours for each member of the family, stored in something that is easy to carry, like backbacks.  Other sisters brought their kits for display and discussion.  We had, however, only talked briefly when the lights began to flicker and then went out.  The Bishop came in with a flash bulletin:

We have been informed that a violent electrical storm is rapidly approaching our area.  It has very high winds and large hail stones.  The storm’s length and intensity far surpass the storm we had here last summer.  I am advising you to stay here in this building for the next 3 to 5 hours until the storm has passed.  There isn’t time for you to return to your home safely.

Because the storm has the potential of breaking out windows, knocking down trees and electrical lines, some families in the ward are being quickly evacuated here, even as we speak.  The cultural hall will be a secure area.  Would you please go to the cultural hall and begin preparing for the others who will arrive shortly.

Of course, we did go into the cultural and began preparing for the arrival of others fleeing the storm.  Some helped plan for food and water supplies; some planned activities for nervous, restless children; some helped care for the injured - at least in theory.  It was a good mock exercise to get us thinking about preparedness.

Back in the Relief Society room, we had a de-briefing about the activity and then Brother Steve Knight from our stake talked about the need for preparedness.  His major handout, the Emergency Preparedness Resource Guide assembled by the Phoenix North Stake in 2006 is attached.

For dessert, we had Apple Crisp and Granola, both of which could be made from home storage staples.  The recipes follow:

Oatmeal Apple Crisp

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 376 | Total Fat: 12.4g | Cholesterol: 31mg

contributed by Jacque Maldonado 

-----------------------------

Granola

Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup honey (I use 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
4 Tbsp. butter or margine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
salt (pinch)
1 cup natural almonds, chopped
1 cup sweetned flake coconut
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup gried cranberries
3/4 cup rasins

In a large bowl, stir honey, butter, vanilla and salt.  Stir in oats, almonds, coconut, and wheat germ.  (I put the fruit in before baking; it doesn't seem to dry the fruit.  Others prefer to put in in after baking.)

Prepare pans for cooking.  You will need two 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly roll pans or one 13 x 9 x 2 pan.  Spray the pans with non-stick spray.  Spread the oat mixture evenly in the pans(s). 

Preheat oven to 350 degress F.  Place in oven and bake oates 18 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes and making sure the oats are lightly toastes.  If using two pans, rotate the pans.  Cool the granola in the pan(s) on wire racks for about 15 minutes. 

Store at room temperature in a tightly sealed container.  It keeps up to 4 weeks.  Great as a snack or as a breakfast cereal.

contributed by DeOnne Anderson

Sunday, April 24, 2011

The Breads of Life (April 12, 2011)

Bread Making Night was a lot of fun. Janis Raje demonstrated a part whole wheat / part white flour recipe for bread and even showed a wheat grinder in action!  Rachel Devore made quick-and-easy rolls with her quick-and-easy smile.  Liz Whipple demonstrated making crescent rolls. ("Roll them up tightly, like you would a sleeping bag," she told us.)  Lisa Hamel talked about gluten-free breads and brought samples.  (You need to try those peanut butter cookies.)  Goya Calvert showed us how to make flour tortillas and later helped sisters make their own.  (She has that rolling technique down to a science.)  Linda Laforge demonstrated a cleaver alternate to rolling to tortillas by pressing them with a bowl.  Janis showed how to make Indian chapattis.  A number of sisters brought breads, rolls, and jams to sample and some offered breadmaking ideas.  The breads were great, and the company even better. Recipes for the evening are included below.

Homemade Flour Tortillas
by Goya Calvert

3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup vegetable shortening or lard
1 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add vegetable shortening or lard.  Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening.  Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky.  You do not need very hot water.  Knead the dough for a few minutes.  Let it rest in a bowl covered with plastic or a damp towel, or you can put it in a plastic bag.  Leave covered for at least 10 minutes – 20 minutes is better.  No you will pull off pieces of dough to form golf-ball-size dough balls.

This is a good time to heat up the pan.  You will want to set it at medium to high heat or 375 degrees.  Fit it is too hot, the tortillas will cook too fast.  Now you can roll out the dough.  It is a good idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out.  It is good to lift the dough and turn it.  Again, rolling pin in the center and roll.  Roll them out fairly thin.

You want a hot, dry pan (over med-high heat). Non-stick, regular pan, or even a cast iron pan. Throw it in the preheated pan for one minute on the first side. You'll see little bubbles form. Flip it over and cook another minute - you'll see it puff up a little bit probably. Flip it over one last time for about another minute - you're going to see those little brown blisters, which are the signature of homemade tortillas.

There's where you can adjust the pan, if those are getting too dark, turn down the heat a little, and if they are too light, turn it up. There's where is can really start to inflate, which is very cool. So after about a minute on the last side they are done, and throw it on a plate. 
Continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.


Homemade Flour Tortillas – no lard recipe
by Goya Calvert

2 cups white flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powered
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
¾ cup warm water

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  In another bowl, combine the warm water and oil.

Add the water/oil mixture to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time and mix the dough with a fork.  Once the water is mixed in, add another tablespoon of water and repeat the process until all the water is mixed into the dough.  The dough will be sticky. 

Kneading the Dough – Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and knead the dough.  Kneading is done by pushing the dough with the heals and palms of both hands down onto the board.  Fold the dough back onto itself, give a quarter turn and push again with the palms and heals of your hands.  Just repeat the process of pressing, folding and turning for about 4 or 5 minutes.  Add a dusting of flour when the dough gets sticky.  If the dough sticks to the cutting board while kneading, scrape the dough and dust the board with a little flour and continue kneading.  Eventually the stickiness will go away and you will have a nice smooth dough.

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp towel or damp paper towel.  Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.  Divide the dough into golf-ball-size balls.  Form each ball into a nice ball shape.  Place the balls on a flat dish, making sure they don’t touch each other and cover with the damp cloth.  Let dough rest again for 10 minutes.  Then cook as described above.


Chapattis
by Janis Raje

Traditional bread of India.  Served with curry, vegetable dishes, etc.

Chapatti flour – you can get this at an Indian grocery store -- or use finely ground hard white wheat from your food storage
     (use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup for each chapatti you will make)
Salt (not too much)
Water (enough to make a soft dough)
Oil (a small amount)

Pour Chapatti flour into a wide mixing bowl and add salt (abt ¼  t. per cup of flour).  Gradually mix in enough water to make a soft dough.  Pour in a small amount of oil (abt 2 t. per cup of flour).  Knead briefly (1 or two minutes).  Roll into smooth balls about the size of a small to medium egg.  Cover with and refrigerate until chilled. 

Preheat a flat skillet to a hot temperature (as you would for pancakes or a little hotter).  On a floured surface, roll out dough ball into a round, thin disk.  Place the chapatti on the skillet and cook for about a minute. Turn over the chapatti on the skillet, cook for another minute.  Little bubbles will start to rise in the chapatti.  Turn over once more. If all goes well, the chapatti should puff up (if not, parts of it will). Remove from heat when lightly browned.  While one chapatti is cooking, I usually roll out the next.



30 Minute Rolls
by Rachel Devore

1 ½ cup water
1/3 cup oil
½ cup sugar
3 Tbs. Yeast

Mix together and let rest for 15 minutes.

Add:
½ Tbs. salt
2 eggs
5-4 cups flour

Mix and knead until smooth.  Form rolls.  Let rise for 5-10 minutes.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.


Refrigerator Rolls
by Liz Whipple

1 C shortening                                
1 C sugar                              
4 tsp salt                               
2 ½ cups hot water
4 Tbsp yeast
8 cups bread flour
6 eggs

In large bowl stir together shortening, sugar and salt.  Add hot water over the mixture and stir briefly.  Then sprinkle yeast over the wet ingredients.  Add half of the flour, mix and stir in slightly beaten eggs.  Mix in remaining flour, dough will be sticky (do not knead the delicate dough).  Cover and let raise in bowl at room temperature until doubled about 1 to 1 ½ hours.  Stir the mixture down, cover and put in refrigerator for at least 3 hours (can leave in refrigerator overnight).   Roll out 1/3 or 1/4 of the dough to ¼ inch thickness into desired shape (circle or rectangle) on a lightly floured surface.  Brush melted butter on dough and roll into crescent shapes or if you prefer you can cut out into circles and fold over into half circles.  Put on lightly sprayed /greased pans or on parchment paper.  Let raise 45 minutes to an hour and bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned on top.   Rolls will raise more as they bake.  Makes 4 dozen rolls.


Virginia Light Rolls
 
by Jacque Maldonado

Ingredients to use in a 1 ½ or 2 lb. bread machine

1 cup plus 1 Tbs. milk
3 Tbs. honey
2 large eggs
6 Tbs. butter or margarine, cut into pieces (I use butter)
4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. SAF yeast or 2 ½ tsp. bread machine yeast

4 Tsp. melted butter for brushing

Place ingredients in bread machine in order listed.  Program the dough cycle and press start.  The dough ball will be soft.  Take the dough out and divide into 16 equal pieces.  Then I roll it out into about an inch cylinder and wrap them like a snail and place them in a 9 by 13 inch pan.  Brush melted butter on top and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°.  When the oven is heated and the rolls are ready, place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove the rolls from the pan and cool on a rack.


Flourless Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
by Lisa Hamel

2 cups peanut butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
Small bag of chocolate chips (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter and sugar.  Add each egg, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  The batter will start out runny.  Continue mixing until it turns thick, like typical cookie dough.  If you’re using chocolate chips, add them now.  Roll tablespoons full into balls.  Place about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and press on each cookie slightly to flatten, or use a fork for a more decorative touch.

Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until tops are cracked.  Remove to wire cooking racks.  Cool.  Yields about 2 dozen cookies.


Gluten-Free Cornbread
By Lisa Hamel

2 cups cornmeal
1 Tbs. baking powder
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
¼ cup corn oil or vegetable oil

Combine cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Beat the egg in a large bowl, add in milk and oil, and beat well.  Gradually beat in the dry ingredients.  Pour into a greased 9x9x2 inch ban.  Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 25 minutes.  Let cool before serving.

Note: Because this cornbread is gluten-free, it tends to be drier and crumblier than regular cornbreads, but it tastes delicious!


Irish Soda Bread
by Beth Topper

1 ½ C buttermilk* or you can use plain yogurt
4 C flour (white or ½ white and half wheat)
2 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder

Combine all ingredients and stir by hand.  Knead about 3 minutes.  Dough should be smooth and elastic.  Let it rest for a few minutes.  Shape into a round loaf.  Place on baking sheet (or in a Dutch oven).  Slash the top with a knife. 

 Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees until brown.  It should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.  Cool completely.  This bread should be eaten within a day or two as it does not keep well.  Wrap it well.    (This recipe makes one loaf.)

*If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own by using:  1 ½ C milk with 1 ½ Tbsp. white vinegar, warm the milk slightly then add vinegar.  Let it rest while mixing dry ingredients.  You can also buy powdered buttermilk which will have directions on mixing into liquid buttermilk. 



BUTTERMILK BISCUITS – no shortening recipe                  
by Veda Woods

3 ½ cups flour                      
4 tsp. baking powder          
1 tsp. baking soda               
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk  (add more if dough is too dry)
¼ cup oil
2  Tbs. sour cream

Mix dry ingredients, then make a center well in the flour.  Then, mix together the wet ingredients and pour into the well of flour. Stir with a fork until flour mixture is moistened.  Pat or roll out to approximately 1 ½ in thickness.  Cut into rounds.  Brush tops with butter or spray with butter flavor spray.  Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.


WHOLE WHEAT &WHITE BREAD
by Janis Raje

1 1/4 c. hot water
1 can evaporated milk
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 T. yeast
3 c. whole wheat flour
3 T. vegetable oil
1/4 c. honey or packed brown sugar
3 c. white flour (added gradually)

In a large bowl, combine hot water, evaporated milk, and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the mixture is luke warm, stir in the yeast and then the whole wheat flour, one cup at a time. Cover mixture and let stand for 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the vegetable oil and honey or brown sugar. Then stir most of the white flour, one cup at a time, but reserving a little. Knead the dough, adding the remaining flour as needed. Knead for about 15 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.

Punch down and divide dough in two. Shape each piece into a loaf and place in a greased bread pan. Let rise until doubled in size. Cook in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove when the loaves are nicely browned and have a hollow sound when tapped with the knuckles. Brush tops of loaves with butter and let cool on racks. Makes 2 loaves.

(Variation -- when shaping loaves, knead in sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and uncooked oatmeal to add texture and nutrition.)


No Knead No Fault 100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread
from Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

7-1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
2 Tb yeast, active dry 
3-1/2 to 4 cups warm water (110°)
1/4 cup vegetable oil 
2 Tb honey 
4 Tb molasses 
2 tsp sea salt 

Place the whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl and set it in the oven at the lowest temperature for 20 minutes.  While the flour is warming, dissolve the yeast in one cup of warm water. Add the honey to the mixture and set it aside.  Then dissolve the molasses in a cup of water, set aside. (About 10 minutes). This short time period will give the yeast mixture time to work before you combine it with the flour.

When the flour has been warmed, combine the yeast and molasses mixtures and oil and then add it to the flour along with the salt. Stir, do not knead the mixture vigorously, slowly adding enough of the remaining water to produce a very sticky dough.  Oil 2 bread pans. Place the sticky mixture into the pans filling them between 1/3 and 1/2 full. Let dough rise for 1 hour. 
Optional: garnish loaves with quick rolled oats or seeds, such as poppy seeds, or sesame seeds using an egg wash (1 beaten egg, 1 tablespoon water).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaves between 35-40 minutes; the crusts will turn a dark golden brown. Remove from oven, but allow loaves to cool in pans for about 20 minutes. Loosen the loaves by running a knife around their edges. Turn pans upside down and remove the loaves. Allow to cool on a wire rack.  Yields 2 loaves.


Lion House Dinner Rolls
From the Lion House Cookbook

2 Tbs. dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5 to 6 cups flour
1 egg

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, 2 cups of flour and eggs.  Beat together until smooth.  Add 2 more cups flour, one at a time, mixing well by hand (or machine).  Knead until smooth and satiny.  Gather dough in a ball and place in a greased bowl.  Let rise away from drafts until about triple in size.  Punch down.  Cut or mold into desired shapes.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Brush surface with melted butter.  Let rise about 1 ½ hours.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned to your liking.  Makes 16 rolls.

Note:  Judy Goodsell says she uses this recipe for her loaves of white bread.


Cinnamon Rolls                                                                  
by Janis Raje

½ cup shortening                                        
¾ cup sugar                                                 
1 cup mashed potatoes                             
1 pint milk, scalded and cooled until just warm             
1 tsp. salt                                                      
3 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. yeast in ¾ cup warm water
2 quarts flour
1 tsp. mace (or cardamom)
           
Cream together shortening and sugar; add in mashed potatoes.  Add salt to tepid milk and combine with shortening mixture.  Add in eggs, yeast/water mixture, and one cup of the flour, and the mace.  Mix well.  Add in remaining flour one cup at a time and knead.  Cover and let raised until doubled.  Knead down and let rise again.

Divide dough into two balls.  For each ball of dough, roll into a rectangle. 
Spread with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, top with raisins.  Roll up across the width of the rectangle.  Cut into 1½ inch rolls and place on greased baking sheet or in rectangular baking pans, leaving room for rolls to rise.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.  Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Note:  This dough also makes good raised donuts.


Pizza Dough
by Janis Raje

Crust:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 1/2 cup flour  (I use 1/2  cup whole wheat flour)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil

Sauce:
1 can tomato paste
1 tsp. vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
Any or all of the following: oregano, basil,   
   garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seeds

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand.  (You can sprinkle the mixture with sugar for a better yeast reaction.)

Combine flour & salt.  Gradually mix in water/yeast mixture to form a dough.  Add more water if necessary.  When dough has started to form, mix in (by hand) the oil and begin kneading.  Knead for 5 or 10 minutes.  Let rest for at least 20 minutes and then press into pizza pan.  (Or you can let the dough rise until double, punch down, and then press into pans.)  Hint:  Press the dough partially into the pizza pan, then let rest a minute, then continue until the pan is covered.  Cover with sauce and your favorite toppings.  Let stand to raise awhile.  Pre-heat oven to 375°.  Bake on lower rack (not lowest) until browned.