Basil and Grain Pizza Stone ~~ Review

I received this pizza stone to review.  I love stoneware pans to bake in and used to use them often.  But while we were in the military they seemed to always get lost, or broke that I stopped replacing them until Basil and Grain.

I jumped at the chance to review this stone, because I am now in a home where I feel the love to cook again.  Our last place I just hate the kitchen and didn't like to cook like I did when we lived in Texas.  Now I can't wait to bake and cook more.

If you read me when I posted before you know that I love to make bread and my family loves to eat it.  I have two favorite methods of baking bread, one is in or on stoneware like this Basil and Grain stone, and two in a cast iron pan.

When you get this stone one thing you are going to notice that is different from the stones you get at walmart and that is the weight.  This stone is heavy.  But solid now, know that with shipping breaks can happen.  I didn't have any as my stone was well packaged with padding on all sides.  They also included an instruction sheet that let you know how to condition your stone.

You wipe it down with a damp rag, don't soak it as you pain will take forever to dry.  Once you wipe it down to get the dust from transit and manufacturing off you put in your oven.  A cold oven and then you crank your temp as high as it will go and leave it there for about 2 hours.

Now when I did mine, I forgot that the oven was on until about 4 hours later and my husband turned it off.  My pan is fine.   There were no cracks, I did have a little discoloring but that is normal with stone.

Then I heated rolls on it for dinner,  It crisped up the bottoms so nicely and heated them so evenly they were yummy and perfect for our dinner.

Then I cooked a frozen pizza on it.  I am going to tell you something I was lazy and didn't wait for the oven to preheat.  The stone worked well and I had minimal sticking.  Now we put a second pizza in the oven on the stone after it was up to temp and it stuck a little more but it didn't shock the stone and the stone worked perfectly as it was suppose too.  But the pizzas those cheap little ones came out perfect.

This is the second pizza cooked on the stone.  Might be cheap pizza but it was good.

The stone is well made to allow the heat to get all around it and it heats everything beautifully.  And clean up is a breeze.  For me personally I haven't had to use more than a warm rag, I always place it back in the oven between use and normally I leave it in there when making other items for me it works.  I don't see my oven cycle to keep hot as much as normal.  And my stone is always ready when I need it.

I love Basil and Grain, I really can't wait to see what other kitchen products and hopefully stone pans they have.  As I feel they really support me as a cook.

You can get your own Pizza Stone Here

I did receive the pizza stone for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.  

Family fun ideas and activites for the long winter break.

Winter break starts at the end of the week for me and I thought it's time to come up with fun things to do.  Winter break is different than summer break for me.  Winter break is more fun than summer break but it's so short.  So I sat and came up with some fun ideas of things to do.  Some can't be done everywhere because where you live but I am sure there is enough here to keep you busy or inspire you as well.  Please share your ideas.   Some of these ideas are meant to reduce the time if front of the screen too.

• Up first is one of our favorite things, we do this year round it's family game night.  Now we don't have many board games and it's hard to find one that everyone can play but we have fun.  We also play a lot of card games my 6 yo is learn rummy.  It's such fun.  Lately we put on Christmas Carols and find we can play for hours before we know how much time has passed.  We are going to do this on new years with finger foods to snack on during the day!

• Next is one that involves screen time but is something we enjoy.  We are a large family of six and we don't get to movies much so we do them at home.  My popcorn is better anyways LOL.  So have a family movie night.  If you watch out you can find a code for a free red box movie rental but this time of the year there are many on tv.  We tend to get new dvds for Christmas too so if that's the case we watch one of them or even an old one.

• Before Christmas, go caroling I know no one seems to do it much anymore but you can get a few neighbors and print out songs from here and go and have some fun make some peoples days. 

• I know with the cost of gas these days this is one some people might cut back on.  But take a drive take some or get some hot chocolate and look at Christmas lights.  Nothing I have found gets a child in the mood more than Christmas lights.  Play some carols in the back ground and you have a family fun night without a tv.  Your area might even have a special display.  I know that my area does.  We have nature in lights.

• I don't know about your children but mine love to cook you can have a pizza party and depending on your skills depends on how much you do.  You can use can biscuits and have your children flatten them and top them as they like with their favorite toppings and bake.  Or you can make the dough together  and then make your pizzas.  You can also buy pre made dough as well.  The options are endless.  And if you want to add reading and writing to the mix, have your child make the shopping list before you go shopping and have them read it to you while in the store.   Don't forget to add a salad and help round out your meal.

• This is one I plan on doing on Christmas eve and Yule as we watch holiday movies, have a hot chocolate bar.  Before had you can cover spoons  with chocolate and sprinkles or the end of candy canes with chocolate too.  Don't forget the marshmallows which you can buy or make the same with your hot chocolate too.  Get some fun mugs and just have fun.  Oh and don't forget whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

• You can also make Salt Dough ornaments for your tree and you can do hand prints and foot prints as well.

• Weather permitting you can talk a walk through nature, there is such beauty this time of year. 

• Make gifts for your neighbors.  This could be a great thing to get to know them as well.  It doesn't have to be pricey here are some great ideas for something simple.

• Bake or buy some treats and goodies and drop them off at fire house, police stations and er remember those that are working on Christmas and Christmas Eve.  Please call and check what the rules are before you do this in your area some may not allow this.  But some may and this is a great thing to do with your children.

• Check out your local library for story hour and maybe even your books stores.

• Take some toys and books and donate them to the children's ward or hospital.  Again this one may vary based on rules please call ahead of time but think of the children in the hospital for the holidays.

• This one may lead to a new member of the family but call up one of your local rescues and see what you can do to help from cleaning cages to just walking dogs I am sure they will have something you can do to help them out.  And it's a bonus if you fall in love with one and give them a forever home.  Just please make sure your ready to be that forever home.

• Make snowman soup, which hot chocolate, marshmallows and what other toppings you like.

• A good old standby favorite make cookies, (these make great neighbor gifts walmart has tins for about 2-3 bucks each and the dollar store too)

• Go visiting at a senior center, bring a book and have your child read to the members, bring cookies, sign have fun.  Call visit and see the what the rules are.  I believe you want the Rec. Director when you call.  They can also help you visit those that don't get very many visitors.  I know many seniors would love this and children too. 

• Puzzles, pick up a few for the holidays and then spend a day as a family putting them together.  It's funny how something so simple can be so much fun.

• Weather permitting, have a snowball fight or get the neighborhood in on and it and have a block wide snowball fight, then have a hot chocolate bar to warm everyone up afterwards.

• Weather permitting, have a block wide snowman building contest, or coloring contest something that is fun.  Make the prize something simple.  The stuff to make smores or a tray of cup cakes or cookies.  It's just for fun remember.

• Now if you can't go out.  It's time to build FORTS and TENTS.  I have yet to meet someone who didn't have fun doing this.

• You could turn your living room into a drive in make cars out of boxes and have some yummy food and watch a good movie together.  Just a different take on family movie night.

• Read with your child, have them read to you.  Reading is fun.

• Plan a trip to the library.

• Have your children make and then fill out thank you cards.  Or spend the day scrapbooking memories from the holiday or the year leading up to the holiday.

I know it's a long list and I missed some.  Please add yours. 

A wonderful Thankful meal

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday meal as we did.  Our day was spent watching movies, playing and just having fun spending time together.  I didn't go crazy over our meal this year but made some favorites and excluded some.  I can't believe the amount of food that is normal for our holiday meal blended from my husband's family and my own.  Thing we thought we had to have but this year we cut it back and I am glad the work was less but the meal still great.

We had bought a 20 pound turkey for the day and for the six of us.  Now I know that's a huge bird but we have plans to make it last.  We are already on day two of it and it's not even half way gone.  And I hot this turkey at a great deal.  I was .79 a pound but I had a coupon from this store for a free turkey up to 12 pounds or the credit for a 12 turkey off you bill so in the end my turkey cost me 6.92ish for the whole bird.  And honest I am sure I did the whole meal for about $20 with enough for two days of meals and more with the turkey.

But by far my favorite thing to make was my stuffing.  I make my own bread with all the spices and herbs in it so it tastes like stuffing.  I will be making more tomorrow for sandwiches with the left over turkey.  I am telling you this is a great way to have thanksgiving later in the year when you want that taste.  So I thought I would share my recipe with you.

Ingredients

4 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat, 3 cups ap is what I used)

2 packets of yeast

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tbsp sage (we love this flavor in our stuffing please add as much or as little as you like)

1 1/2 tsp rosemary

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups warm to hot water (start with 1 1/4 and add more should you need it depends on a lot of factors with your flour and who dry your home is if you need more than the 1 1/2 add it slowly with buy one tbsp at a time)

1 tsp sugar 

The herbs used are what I use in my stuffing so use what you like it doesn't have to be the same as  mine.  And please share if you change it up and what you used.  

 Add Salt to the bowl

 Add your spices, herbs, and seasonings to the salt

 Add your flour and make a well

 Add your sugar and cover with yeast

 Add water next

 Cover with plastic wrap and let the yeast do it's happy dance.

 About five minutes later it's happy time to mix

 Knead until it's smooth

 Place in an oiled bowl and oil the dough ball.

 Recover with the plastic wrap you used earlier and let rise until doubled in size.  Punch down and form into your loaf (what ever style you like) bake about 20 minutes at 425 until golden brown on top.  I top it with melted butter when it comes out.

 Mmm....yummy bread.  I don't think you can see the herbs and everything but it's there and it smells like stuffing.

 To use in stuffing I just cut it up into cubes and then make your stuffing as normal. I made mine with apples, sage, my bread, sage sausage (we like sage this time of year LOL) carrots, celery, onions and turkey stock.  Salt and pepper as needed.  It's about one third bread, one third veggies and apple, and one third meat (this is really under about one third)

 Apples, celery, carrots, onion Cook them in evoo and butter with salt and pepper and other seasonings.  I like a bite to our carrots so I don't cook them down like the celery and the onion, the apples I leave with a bit of bite too.

 Sage sausage browning in the same pan I cooked me veggies in.

 Once the sausage is cooked I add back the veggies and apple.

 Then I add them to the bread crumbs which after cubing I baked at 325 for about 20 minutes. or until dry.

 Add turkey stock that I made last month

 Mix add more stock if needed.

 Added to your turkey (if you stuff) or to a baking pan and cover bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes for a crunchy top.  (the pic above was taken before I added more stock but we like our stuffing not as wet as many out there so add what you need and want to get it how you like it)

 My plate of food it was too much but worth it. LOL

So who was your Thanksgiving?  Did you try anything new?  And if you try my stuffing bread please let me know and give me feedback and don't be afraid to ask any questions should you need them I am not in the habit of writing recipes so if I made a mistake please point it out.  And now the last questions....Did you go shopping today?  What is the deal you were seeking out?

Tonights dinner was Goulash and Garlic bread under $5

Tonight's meal was a simple family favorite and it was pretty cheap here is the break down.

Ground beef from butcher 2.28 one pound
1 box past .19 (had $1 off coupon)
1 Large can organic diced tomatoes 1.79
1 half onion .15 (this is a high guess but it was a big onion)

Total for the Goulash $4.41

And the garlic bread was made with staples of yeast flour and water and salt, and of course butter and garlic powder the recipe I used can be found here it's the first one on the page.  I didn't make them into a loaf though I made some into knots.  And others I made into pull apart rolls.  To make them use your muffin pan and place three balls of dough into each cup and let it rise and then back at 375 till done. brush with melted butter with garlic powder and enjoy.

Sorry for the lack of post the last week I have been enjoying family but I am back on my cooking and posting thing.  tomorrow is pork tenderloin again with roasted veggies unless i figure out a different way to cook it have any ideas?

Wheat 5 minute a day bread

Ok so I took the popular 5 minute a day bread recipe and changed it for my family. And what worked for me.  I find it easy and tasty.  I have tried to get pics of most of the steps to help you out.

Ok a few things first before we get to baking.  Bread seems to be that thing that people are scared to try out and scared to do and think is really hard.  I disagree I think it's fun once you get the basics down.  And it's crazy to see how flour, water, yeast and salt can make so many different breads in and of themselves.  So let me give you some tips I have learned along the way.

• Always test your yeast there are many recipes that say to mix the yeast in with the flour. Especially if you are using instant yeast but I find you can save yourself lots of head if you make testing your yeast first.  It's simple just add your yeast to what ever your warm liquid that your recipe calls for.  In this one it's water.  Don't make it to hot but not too cool when starting out aim for 105 to 110 once you learn this temp you might just be able to know by touch.
• Next I always find that a tsp to a tbsp of sugar to feed your yeast is a great thing.  just add it to your water and let the yeast get happy.
• Never put your salt in your water with the yeast or your yeast on your salt always mix the salt into the flour before adding the yeast or add the salt while kneading if you can.  The salt will kill you yeast.  And that sucks.

Father's day Menu and recipes

As you may have read our fathers day was a great day.  I love cooking and did a lot that day and really it didn't cost much or take much time.  I haven't done the math but I know we had everything for 10 bucks or less.  The key is to have your stables and pantry stocked up like.  I always have eggs, milk, flour, butter and other supplies in the house I count these as my pantry items so they are never in the cost break down as I always buy them and keep them in stock.

MENU

Shepherds pie
Irish soda bread
Brownies with starwberries

Now I don't have a recipe for the shepherds pie as it was a kind of toss together meal.  But I do have recipes for the Irish soda bread.  This is a great bread to make when you don't have yeast or you don't have a ton of time to wait for bread to raise.  It's a good bread for with stews I think it's dense but yummy here is the recipe.

Preheat oven to 450Makes 1 2 pound round loaf  Ingredients4 cups flour ( I used AP and it was fine)1 tbsp sugar1/2 tbsp baking soda 1/2 tbsp baking powder1 1/2 cups water2 tsp vinegar (cider or white, I used cider)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside,  mix water and vinegar together.  Add the wet mix to the dry and mix.  Turn out on to floured surface and knead for 2 to 4 minutes don't over do it.  shape into a round loaf and cut an "x" in the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 40 minutes and remove while still hot pour 1 tsp melted butter over the top.  And enjoy.

Now we can move on to brownies.  These were yummy and so easy to put together like supper easy.  As easy as a box and I bet most of you have everything in you kitchen to make them tonight

Oh and they are super moist too

Homemade Brownies

1 cup melted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 Cup flour or add 1/2 cup for cake like brownies
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix in the order given and bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes until tooth pick inserted into middle comes out clean.

You can tons of stuff to these nuts, chocolate chips or caramel (I did this)

These are prefect with berries have a bite of chocolate and then berry it is the best.  Enjoy!

Mmmm Bread

I love making homemade bread and today I made some my goal is to never buy bread again.  I am slowly there to be honest it's just some days I don't want to make it.

This is the bread I made today for dinner it's my own recipe.  it has a nice crunchy crust and a chewy texture.  I am still perfecting making bread but I think I am getting there.

So we had this yummy bread with pasta tonight for dinner not the healthiest think to eat and making bread on a 100 degree day isn't the smartest thing but it was yummy.  And still under ten bucks for the meal.

A big thank you!

I have to say thank you to all the readers from Fort Hood Savers.  And thank you to Fort Hood Savers for sharing my under five dollar blueberry muffin recipe which you can find here.  Fort Hood Savers is a blog for those wanting to save money and while she focuses on my area you can use her tips in your own area as she has nation chains on her blog to with coupon and sales match up and links to printable coupons.  And she is also feature cheap recipes so make sure you hope on over to Fort Hood Savers and follower her.  She also has a Facebook page as well.  And please don't forget to click follow for my blog as well as will keep posting cheap dinner ideas and recipes and so much more.  Thanks Again!

Baking at 1 Am Blueberry Muffins

Some times I do silly things that seem like a great idea at the time like make muffins at 1 am.  I couldn't sleep and I thought it sounded like a nice idea and it was.  There were no children or a dog to trip over in the kitchen.  And the best part is I got to surprise my husband and children.  That's the best.

My husband was surprised with is morning breakfast as he found these.  And they are not very sweet either even even though there is one cup sugar in a double batch.

This the butter and sugar chilling getting ready to be turned into yumminess.  except some how I doubled the butter I should have had one stick not two per the recipe but that's ok I like how they came out, I even cut the flour too.

I find with baking it's not like people tell you that you have to follow a recipe to the T.  I find I have to know my ingredients and know what the batter should look like.  I have learned when using flour it depends on it's age, the humidity and so much more as to how much you truly need.

LOL at 1 am this pic was cut I saw a smiling face and a monster all at once.  Anyways this is after I creamed the butter and added the eggs and vanilla.  Can you see the smilie face or the monster?

Now we jump to adding the blue berries I didn't get pics of me adding the flour or milk but I did cut the flour by one come and I was very happy with how they turned out.

I did it!!

I am so proud I did it. I have made bread five days straight this week. monday thru friday and it's great my goal is to make all our bread like items by the end of the year and this week I have learned how to make hot dog rolls and tortillas. It's nice to know you can do something you where sure you could do.