Doughnuts - egg free

This orginal recipe calls for two eggs, but I make them using Ener-G Egg replacer, and they turn out FABULOUS!!!  Silver ate two doughnut holes the first time I made them, and 5 the second time.  This is a hit my whole family loves.

2 Envelops of active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 Cups luke warm milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs  (or equivelent if using a replacer)
1/3 Cup shortning
5 Cups all purpose flour

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let proof for about 5 minutes.  Mix together the Yeast, Water, Milk, Sugar, Salt, Eggs*, Shortning, and 2 cups of the flour.  Mix until creamy and add the reast of the flour.  Kneed dough until a smooth texture apprars. 
2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, until about 1/2 inch thick.  Using a round doughnut cutter (I use a small bowl because I do not have a round cutter)  cut out the doughnuts , (then I also cut out holes using a medicine cup that came with a bottle of cough syrup) place on a baking sheet to rise.  Cover with a kitchen towl and let them rise for about 30-40 minutes, until puffy.
3. Preheat a pan of oil on a medium heat.  (about 350 degrees if you have a therometer, which I do not)  Doughnts float so they need to be turned to cook evenly.  Cook on each side about 30 seconds.  Dip them in a pan of glaze, or simply a bowl of sugar to coat them, and place them back on the sheet to cool.

Chicken pot pie from Scratch

I always start off making the crust first because it needs to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then make the creamy soup.  while the soup is simmering, cook the chicken and peel/chop your vegetables,  Then throw them all into the soup and continue to simmer it while you roll the crust out and place it in a 9 inch pie pan.  Pour in the soup mixture and apply your top crust.  I roll the edges of the crust up to prevent a spillover.

Crust

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup cold water

Using a pastry cutter (a fork works if you dont have one) combine the flour, sugar, and butter.  Then add the cold water and kneed the dough until smooth.  divide into two parts (I like the botton crust slightly bigger to roll up and prevent the filling from spilling out.  Cover the two parts in a bowl and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the butter to firm back up.

Creamy soup

3 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons Oil (I use canola)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic powder

in a medium saucepan, pour ALL ingredients, and stir with a wisk.  Once smooth, using a low heat, let simmer for 20 minutes.  (stirring occasionally)

Cook your chicken

I cook my chicken using a stirfry method. 
Cut up 2 whole boneless/skinless chicken breast into small bite size pieces.  Place in a skillet with 1/8 cup of canola oil,  Using a medium heat, stiring frequently unil no pink remains. When chicken is cooked, add to the simmering soup.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Peel and chop any veggies you want to add.  I use 1 cup of potatos, and 1/2 cup of carrots.  Add to the soup.

Get your pie crust out of the fridge and roll out to line the pie pan.  Make bottom crust over hang sides by at least one inch to roll up over the top crust.  Once the bottom crust is in place, fill it up with the creamy soup/veggie mixture.  Apply  the top crust and roll up the edges.  using a knife cut small vent holes in your top crust. 

Place your pie into a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 275 degrees and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before cutting!

Yummy Pretzels!!

Since Silver likes to eat bread so much I have been searching for different bread recipes.  One time we were shopping in Target and the kids were hungry.  My first thought was to hit the snack bar to get them something to munch on.  That would keep them quiet while I shopped.  Of course I could tell just by looking at the menu that there wasn't much that Silver could eat, but just by chance I asked the snack bar worker if there was a list of ingredients for their soft pretzels I could read, just to see if I could buy one for Silver.  The employee was VERY nice and helpful, and she went to the freezer and brought out a whole box of frozen pretzels and the box had a list of ingredients on them.  I was SHOCKED!!!  There was nothing in it Silver was allergic to.  So I thanked them employee and bought a pretzel for my kids to share.  They were fighting over it and had it all ate up in no time.  So a light bulb went off in my head.  I had to learn to make my own pretzels!

Dough

1 Package Active Dry Yeast
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 1/8 Teaspoon Table Salt
1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
4 Cups All Purpose Flour

Toppings
1/2 Cup of Warm Water
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Butter or Margarine, Coarse sea salt, or Brown Sugar Cinnamon (depending on your preference)

1. In a Large mixing bowl Dissolve yeast, Brown Sugar, and salt in 1 1/2 Cups of warm water.  Stir in Flour and Knead until smooth.  
2. Cut Dough into 12 pieces and roll into 3 foot rope (I use just a little canola oil on my hands to make rolling easier but not too much or they will become slippery.)  Shape into a pretzel and place on a well greased baking sheet.
3. Let the pretzels rise about 20-30 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  After the pretzels have raised, mix 1/2 Teaspoon of Baking soda in 1/2 Cup of hot water.  
4. Using a pastry brush, Brush on the water/soda mixture.  This makes the pretzels brown in the oven.  If you skip this step the pretzels will become dry, and crunchy in the oven, and will NOT brown.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes using the TOP RACK ONLY! 
6. After they have baked while still hot, rub them with butter and sprinkle on the course salt, or brown sugar/cinnamon. 
7. Enjoy!

The Basics... I started with Bread

I have only been baking at home for the past few weeks.  The last time we added a food back to Silver's diet we added Wheat.  So I started buying Bread, pastas, cookies, and crackers from the store.  To be honest with you I didn't know how to add wheat to his diet without also giving him a little bit of corn and eggs with it. It was just a little bit so I didn't think it would be a big deal.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  His next test showed that the E.E. was back, and I had to do something different.  So I learned to make my own bread.  I got this recipe from Allrecipies.com.  It's called Amish White Bread.  Silver LOVES it and I make it once a week now to keep bread on hand that is safe for him to eat.  We use this bread for Toast, Grilled cheese, lunch meat sandwiches, and sometimes he likes to eat it plain.

 2 Cups Warm Water
2/3 Cup White Sugar
2 Packets Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
6 Cups Flour


In a large bowl Dissolve the Sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast.  Allow to proof about 5 minutes.

Mix in Salt, oil, and flour and Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth.  Divide dough in half and Place in  well oiled Pans and shape them to the pans.  Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about one hour, or until the dough had reached the top of the pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until Golden on top.