I'm a BIG soup fan, but the rest of the family isn't... gosh durn them. Maybe I just need to stop doing the same ones over and over again. I'll check out Alton's recipe, I just love that guy. ;)

Hubby does like a good potato soup. With me, it's veggie beef all the way. But use generic V8 as the broth and have plenty of green peppers in it.

Now I'm hungry.

Beth

Barbara,

It is that time of year and I just love it. Rick Bayless' recipe is surprisingly similar to mine, although I don't measure and do things precisely.....I just throw in some of this and some of that. Lately I've been using dried guajillos simply because that's the kind of peppers I have. Well, I still have oodles of jalapenos and habaneros, but think the endless supply is slowly ending.

Beth,

Same here. I could make soup or stew every day in the cooler months and be happy, but everyone else doesn't share my feelings. Sometimes I just make soup or stew anyway and tell them that if they want something else they can cook their own dinner. (Sometimes they do, and sometimes they just eat the soup or stew.)

I do like cooking in fall/winter more than cooking in summer, but it is a tradeoff. In spring and summer you can use fresh ingredients from the garden, but the later into fall you go, the more you're relying on canned or frozen or dried ingredients....or stuff from the store. In the late fall and winter, though, you don't have to 'worry' about the kitchen getting too hot and heating up the whole house. Or, if you do heat up the whole house, that's desirable!

Dawn

I LOOOVE cooking right now. Course right now we're going thru a tight time with birthdays and Christmas coming up, but simple ingredients don't cost alot. Today I'm working up my nerve to try another loaf of bread... just can't make one that isn't hard as a rock. :)

I'm not able to say "cook it yourself" yet, but someday! Right now my youngest is going thru his basic flavors stage, once he gets passed that cooking for us all will be much easier. My oldest says he wants to be a chef now, so I'm making him cook basic things once or twice a week. Interesting meals... LOL!

To me it's either soup or chicken pot pie... those two things are the perfect foods imo!

Barbara,
Could you link the Alton squash soup recipe? I'm not finding it. Thanks!

Beth

Beth - If your bread is hard then these are the things I would consider.

(1) Just spoon the flour into the cup when you measure to make sure you are not adding too much flour.

(2) Check the date on your yeast. I don't find that this makes much difference with mine, but I use SAF and keep it in the refrigerator. Mine is not new but still works fine.

(3) Let the dough rise until double in the bowl, then stir it down and let it rise until double again. The second rise will not take long.

(4) Shape it into a loaf, but only use enough flour to be able to handle the dough, not enough that it is adding a lot of new flour to the dough. I knead very little and basicly just work it enough to get the big bubbles out and shape into a smooth loaf. Let rise to double again in the pan.

(5) I have had people tell me that it rises faster in a plastic bowl. I don't know if that is true but I always use Tupperware with a lid.

(6)Optional - I sometimes use a spoonful of Vital Wheat Gluten because the bread seems to stay fresh longer. I didn't need to worry about that when I had children at home, but with just the two of us, I do. It seems to me that this also increases the rise a bit.

Just keep trying....you CAN do it. Once you master it you will think it is very simple. It seems like it takes a long time but it only takes a few minutes several times a day. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

I have a friend that wanted to be able to make a loaf of bread with 100 per cent whole wheat flour, but told me it was impossible. I told him that it would be a little heavier, but that I could do it. This is a smart man (a PHD in fact) that likes to cook. After hearing him say that several times, I made a couple of loaves and took them to him. When he opened the door, he said, "Oh my, mine don't look like that." It seems the recipe didn't say to let it rise until double after you put it in the pan, so he just kneaded it too death then put it in the pan and cooked it. They have moved so I don't know if he ever learned or not.

I worked with a guy in Alaska when I lived there the first time which was long ago. He loved homemade bread and was always critical of his wife because she wouldn't try to learn to make it. I said, "Well, if you like it that much, make it yourself". He was just sure he couldn't do it, but after I explained a few things to him and gave him a recipe, he found he could do it just fine. It really is easy.

My DH and I went to Ponca City to the National Dutch Oven Gathering yesterday. I cook in a dutch oven some, but I don't enter competition, but they were having classes on Friday so I went over for the classes. They taught DO 101, which was good information, then they taught biscuit making and the guy did a good job. I did it with them and my husband ate a few, but came over and said, "You make better biscuits than these".

During the next class, we made pecan pie. I didn't have any trouble but it was the most complicated pecan pie that I have ever made in my life. The lady that taught it had won 5th at World competition with the recipe, but I thought it would have worked much better to have used a simple recipe for teaching the concepts then just sharing the winning recipe with the students so they could try it at home if they wanted to. Just my humble opinion. I don't know what it tasted like because they were going to eat them last night and we didn't stay for that part. I didn't take my ovens out of the car and was cooking in someone elses that was camped there, so I didn't wait to see it cooked.

I became a little frustrated during the pie making because we were there early (plus had a reservation) and selected us a cooking table and put all of our things on it. The man that shared it with us for biscuits, didn't make a pie since he was "running" for the next class to assist the teacher. That left half a table for someone else to use. While I was watching my food cook, someone came and took my recipe sheet out from under my bowl and took it. These women came in and moved my husband's chair about five feet back from the table and moved their chairs in. By the time they finished moving in, there were 5 or 6 women there but only one was cooking. She spread her things out on the table until she had two thirds of the table covered and I didn't have room for all of my things since it took a lot for this recipe.

The people at the table on the other side of me could see what was happening and offered to let me move everything down to their table, but I was "torked" by this time and I wouldn't move. They did move down some and let me put a few things on the end of their table though so I had room to cook.

My husband came back and put his chair as close behind me as he could now get it because one women was in a walker and had it so close to my chair they I could hardly get out to go get ingredients and such. One of the women said to my husband, "Oh, did we take your place?" He said, "Yes". They said, "Oh!" Of course they didn't move. They talked non-stop until I could hardly hear what was being taught. Made me just want to ask them what happened to their manners.

Anyway, the reason I am telling the story is this. I was so frustrated by this time, that I started packing up to go home. My husband asked me if I didn't plan to stay for the other class, although it was obvious why I was getting irritated. I said "No, I'm ready to go home". He asked me what the next class was and I told him it was baking yeast bread. He said, "Well, we might as well go home, because they aren't going to teach you anything about bread baking." LOL

Once in southern Oklahoma he came home because he had heard that all of the power was off on our street. I hadn't lost power but knew it could happen any minute so I didn't take a chance with my dinner. He hit the door and could smell the food. I had a big pot of stew and a loaf of bread cooking in a dutch oven and both were in the fireplace. Where ther's a will, there's a way.

Even with all of the frustration we still enjoyed being at the Dutch Oven gathering and it looked like they were having a lot of fun camping out. Someday I might compete.

Soonermom, you're trip sounds very interesting to say the least. I'm sure you don't need any lessons in cooking or baking. You sound as if you are a very seasoned cook and could give a few lessons yourself. I hope next go round will be more pleasant. Maybe if you take along a little cardboard poster that says, "BACK OFF"? No, I guess that wouldn't be very friendly and they'd probably think you were talking to your DH, lol!

By the way, for who's ever interested. I found ONE and only ONE recipe on the King Arthur recipe site that actually made a decent, light whole wheat flour bread. I'm not saying it was going to float away if you didn't attach a weight to it, but it was more than acceptable.
I mix,knead and raise in my bread machine and then shape into a loaf, raise again and bake.

Beth, if you are interested, I can try and find that recipe. Other than that, Rhodes frozen bread dough makes a really good loaf without preservatives. Smells good in the oven, and tastes great.

Here is the Alton Brown recipe you asked for. My 'gourmet' DS likes to "kick things up a notch" but this one doesn't need a thing extra. Sometimes instead of attempting to add "another layer of complexity", we can just muddy things up by adding too many things that fight each other.

Barbara

Here is a link that might be useful: Alton Brown's Squash Soup recipe

Ok, ladies of the gardens, (and kitchens), let's let it ALL hang out now and go for it! We've worked all spring, summer and fall, and now it's time to talk cooking! And enjoying the fruits, (or veggies) of our labors.

Like the rest of you, fall is the time when I love to get in the kitchen and cook, filling the house with wonderful smells.

That's one of the reason I love Oklahoma, the change of seasons. Fall just brings with it, a change in the feeling of things as we change from one mode to another.

It's time for soups, and stews, and baking breads, pies, muffins and biscuits,( slathered with butter and jam or jelly of choice).

Tonight, I'm making, more for DS than me, chicken and biscuits. Only I make the biscuits separate, so they don't get soggy baking in the oven with the liquid part of the concoction.

Then, he splits them once done and ladles the chicken "gravy" over all.

Of course there are a hundred variations on the theme, and I've tried most all of them at one time or another, but that's what's on the menu tonight.

I came across this blog and started reading. Great stuff, you can tell these ladies, (and guy) know their way around a biscuit. The one moniker cracked me up, "Old ladies in Fist Fights".

Anyway, they were discussing the pros and cons of biscuit making. I am making mine ala Carol's, by the BIG BATCH, with the exception that I use butter. I keep my batch in the fridge or even freezer to keep the butter cold and fresh.

I do mine a little different that those discussed in this blog. I melt a large batch of butter in the microwave, and then cool and put it in the freezer til it's ice cold and solid.

Then, I work in the cold butter bits, one half at a time, to coat the self-rising flour mixture, to prevent as much gluten from forming as possible. Everythings done with the lightest touch possible and the least mixing.

When the biscuits are patted out and cut, in this case, "Cat Head" biscuits, I dip them in melted butter, and pop them in a preheated 450 degree oven til nice and golden.

I always make buttermilk biscuits, buttermilk pancakes, buttermilk cornbread, and as often as possible.

Carol's method makes this painless. I suppose we could make many of our standard quick bread mixes this way.

Salute Carol!
Ladies, start your engines, (I mean ovens)!

Barbara

Here is a link that might be useful: Joes's Biscuit Blog

Oops! I forgot a step! To explain why I microwave and then freeze the butter. It's to clarify the butter. To separate the fats from the milk solids.

The reason for that is that the liguid in the butter would tend to activate the gluten in the biscuit mix, and make the biscuits less tender.

After freezing the microwaved butter, I scrape off the top solids, and then the solid mass of butter pretty much comes out in one piece, and the remaining liquid can just be poured off.

By the way, clarified butter can be used to fry at high temperatures without burning. Makes the best fried potatos on the planet, imo.

I know all the seasoned cooks know all this stuff already but some of the new mom and bride cooks here, may not.

Again, happy fall cooking!

Barbara Biscuit maker

This is one of our favorites served with cornbread or corn muffins:

Bean Soup

l lb. stew meat
1/2 lb white soup beans
1 small bunch celery - chopped (I use 1 cup)
1 large onion, chopped
3 large potatoes chopped
salt and pepper
Water to cover; add water as needed during cooking.

Simmer 5 hours. Add l stick butter at end of cooking (I used 1/2 stick).

I made this using the crock pot by soaking the beans overnight in water to cover 2-3
inches.
Next morning dump all in large pot with enough water to make maybe 6 cups total (or
less). Bring to boil. Dump in crock pot and cook on high 4 hours or low until thick and
mushy. Add butter.

Glenda

Soonergrandmom,
THANK YOU for the tips! The loaf I made on Sat. was PITIFUL... just pitiful. :) I do remember you telling me before to get that Vital Wheat Gluten, but my Wal Mart doesn't carry it! Honestly, you have to hunt for the yeast, even... gosh durn them. But I went today and bought some fresh yeast and a fresh bag of flour, will try it again tomorow. I'm not giving up! We go thru so much bread around here, it's just good sense for me to try to make it myself.

AND, OH MY GOSH! I just LOOOOVE the thought of a Dutch Oven cooking class/competition! My husband used to competition shoot, and we've toyed with the idea of doing the Cowboy Shooting... but I'd REALLY like to get into the Chuckwagon cooking events. Either one would be fun! Ya see... for some reason I feel the need to have the knowledge to cook on an open fire, shoot a gun, ride a horse, grow my own food... all that jazz. :) You sound like someone I would just bug to death to learn from... LOL! :)

Barbara,
If that wheat bread recipe can be done by hand instead of machine, lay it on me if you can find it! We do like a wheat bread other than white, but I'm trying to make white to begin with. Wheat has more body to it, and my bread is rock hard anyway... LOL!
And THANK YOU for the Alton link! I bought a butternut squash today to go with my last garden one just for that soup, will make it tomorow! :) (Butternut squash here is only fifty cents a pound! Rather good, for my area. Really!)

Glenda,
I just love white soup beans. Do you use beef or pork in that? I never thought of adding potatoes to a bean soup, I'll probly be trying that one soon too. :)

Beth

Beth, I use beef stew meat. By the time you cook it that long, most things aren't really very distinguishable. It makes a nice thick soup. I have had this recipe since around 1965 given to me by a friend.

Barbara,

My mother taught me to make bread. She says the most important thing to do ahead of making any bread is have a warm kitchen.

I have to agree with her because the recipes she has always given me have never failed when baked in fall/winter weather when I heat up the kitchen.

Also, I place my rising bread on the top of a heated stovetop with oven set to about 300 degrees. Set the bowl close to the front of the stovetop, if you place it near the back where heat comes out of the oven you might melt the plastic.

I've been looking for a recipe called Ezekiel Bread. I was told it is very nutrish and would love to have recipe if anyone has one they would like to share.

We all love soups and stews but my favorite is chicken gumbo. I love the aroma that fills the house. You can use just about any meat, beef, sausage and shrimp or chicken. Through in a diced jalapeno or two and you will really warm up. LOL

Teresa

Teresa,

There a recipe for Ezekiel bread on the FAQ from another GW forum that I've linked below. It is further down on the page....just keep reading and you'll get to the recipe eventually.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Ezekiel Bread

Beth, I've linked below to an ultra-simple, fool-proof white bread recipe. Even my kids can make it. :-) We make all of our breads and could never go back to store-bought.

I loooove soups! You guys have me drooling all through this thread!

Here is a link that might be useful: Amish White Bread

Thank you Owiebrain! I'll be trying that recipe today!

Gosh, why didn't I pay attention better in Home Ec. class? :)

Beth