Happy Holidays!

Erik the Oompah Loompah

1990

The holidays are just around the corner! In fact, along with Dinner in a Pumpkin and Caramel Apples, we always have to make Mom's Caramel Popcorn in October. It's the baked kind—our favorite. I'm including the recipe in this post. I also wanted to point you to my holiday treat for you. I've included all the recipes in both cookbooks previously 'published' for the family. If you look under the Katmai Roost banner, you can click on Mom's or Grandmother's cookbook. So far—in this 2.0 version—the recipes are just 'dumped' on the page, but I hope to do some better formatting later. It would be great if the recipes in the index would be clickable, and take you exactly to the recipe. I need to brush up on my html first. If anyone would like to do that for me, that would be great! In the meantime, if you want a recipe, you can check the table of contents, then scroll down to find the recipe.

Caramel Corn

2 sticks margarine or 1 margarine & 1 butter 2 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. white Karo syrup

1/2 t. salt 1 t. soda 7-1/2 qt. popcorn

Cook butter, brown sugar, syrup and salt for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda. Pour over popped corn, mix and put in flat pans. Bake at 200° for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Can be stored in sealed containers.

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott


p.s. to Cheryl: 
Didn't Parker use this costume after Erik? Do you still have it? 
Maybe Ian could use it next year : )

Multi-Grain Bread

Here is a wonderful bread recipe I got recently from my dad.  Even my kids like it.  :)  Since it is marching band and soccer and cross-country season, those are the photos I have recently. 

Dad's Multi-Grain Bread


Preparation:  Boil these for ten minutes - until the water is in the softened seeds.


1/3 cup millet
1/3 cup quinoa 
1-1/3 cup water
(You, of course, noticed the ratio of seeds to water is 1:2)


Sometimes I put in 1/3 cup wheat and another 2/3 cup of water.  Wheat takes twice as long to cook as the other seeds, so I put in all 2 cups of water and boil the wheat for ten minutes and then just add the other seeds.  (I do not remember if I used the wheat in the bread I gave you.)


Set these aside and cool—you do not want to kill the yeast.


The bread itself:


6 cups water
4 Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons salt ~ this is what gives the bread it's flavor, not enough means no flavor, too much is not good either.  I kind of heap the spoons, but it is way less than three spoons.
1 cup oil.  This seems to be one of the places where there is room for variation.  I have used margarine, olive oil and canola oil and can't taste the difference.  The stuff I gave you was canola.
1/3 cup honey.  I have some old five gallon (plastic) buckets of honey I bought from a friend dirt cheap it is wild flower honey and dark with almost molasses taste. (He was a bee keeper and could not sell the wild stuff for nearly as much, but that is what is available in the Texas winter time and the bees keep busy.)  The Pepperidge farm bread has molasses.  I have made it without the honey and I think the biggest difference is the time it takes to rise, it also makes you use a little more flour because honey is a moist ingredient.  I have used molasses instead of honey and it is good.


1/3 to 1/2 cup flax seed.  When you go to Winco to get the seeds, get the cheapest flax seeds.  Some are about twice the cost of the others, the nutrition is the same and with the bread you will not be able to tell the difference.  The benefit is the Omega 3 oils in the seeds.
13 to 14 cups of whole wheat flour.
I put the yeast, salt, oil and water in the bowl with the seeds first.  


Add all but the last cup or two of flour.  It is easy to add more as you need it.  This is something you will learn with the first batch or two.  But you want to add enough flour to be able to knead the dough and not have it stick to your hands.  That comes as you work the gluten molecules - kneading makes them stick together to become a much larger elastic-like polymer.  Not enough flour and the bread falls like a cake when you pull it out of the oven.  Too much flour makes the dough stiff, hard to work and it comes out dry.  It is hard to tell exactly how much flour in a recipe because it varies with the moisture content of the flour itself.  We have more moisture in the air than you do, so I would need a little more than you need.  (I hope that makes sense.)  


After you have kneaded the dough with not enough flour, add more until you can knead it and it comes away from the bowl and your hands easily.  Whole wheat flour does absorb a little moisture as it rises.  (Basic white flour without the wheat germ and husks does not do this.)


All told, I knead it for about 10 or 15 minutes.  (It is easy, I think of Obama, and work out all of my frustrations with a vigorous thumping.)  The total time commitment is about 20 - 25 minutes from start to letting it rise.  (Not counting the seed preparation, but that can be done a day or two in advance.)  


Set the dough aside and let it double in size.  I put it in the oven and just turn the light on to bring the temperature up to a little over room temperature because I am impatient.  Experts will all tell you the bread is better if you let it rise in a cooler place, but I have tried it and can't tell the difference.  


After the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it into bread pans.  This gives five loaves.  Four of them will be the size I brought you, one a little smaller.  If you leave out the seeds, use less flour and you will get four loaves.  I spray the pans with generic oil spray.  When I get the dough in the pan, I turn it over, it leaves the stuff with a light coat of oil on the top and still enough to oil the pan.  That way it both comes out of the pan and does not dry as it raises to loaf shape.  One of the things I do is take the dough for a loaf and turn the edges down with my fingers until I have a surface that looks like it could be a smooth loaf, that is the stuff that goes into the bottom of the pan first.  When I have put it in the pan, I take it out, turn it over, and put the surface that has had the edges tucked into it on the bottom.  It gives a loaf that looks a little better.


Once the bread is in the pans, Let it rise again.  


Cook at 425 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.  Because I let the bread rise in the oven, I just turn the oven on and let the cooking start as the oven comes to temperature.  I leave it in for 38 minutes.  


When the bread is done, I cool it on a wire rack.  Jannet does not like a harder crust, so I take a stick of margarine and rub it on the top of the loaves so the crust softens.  I probably use about 2 tablespoons of a stick on my five loaves.  I take it out of the pans within a few minutes of pulling it out of the oven so it does not sweat and give soggy crust.  You will not be able to slice the bread as soon as it comes out.  Let it cool a little first.


Good Luck!     
Love, Dad Hatch

p.s. and this just in from Tyler via Facebook:

"hahaha, i took the buffalo Wild Wings challenge, 12 wings, 

6 minutes to eat them, and no food, drink, or finger licking

I did it in 5 minutes 8 seconds"

by Stephanie, wife of Barbara's son Brandon

Cottage Cheese Wheat Bread

Grandmother E. with Kyle — September 1990

One of the great treats when visiting Cache Valley was eating Grandmother's Homemade Wheat Bread. It was always the very best—so light and delicious. I tried since 1982 to made bread; even with using her recipe, my loaves were more like bricks. She would give me pointers when I asked, but was perplexed that mine didn't turn out. Hers always did. I know that Barbara also makes a cottage cheese bread, so we'll have to post her recipe also. Mom's bread is also always so wonderful. Now, I cheat and make a version in my bread machine. I've posted both the 'real' recipe, and the cheater version below.

Daily Whole Wheat Bread (Grandmother's favorite)

2 c. water

1/2 c. instant potato flakes

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. salt 

1/4 c. oil

3 T. yeast

2 c. cottage cheese

1 t. soda

2 eggs, beaten

8 c. whole wheat flour, freshly ground, or white flour

Heat water to boiling.  Add instant potato.  Mix well.  Add sugar, salt and oil.  Cool to warm.  Add yeast.  Heat cottage cheese to lukewarm.  Add soda to cottage cheese.  Add eggs.  Mix all liquids.  Add flour.  Knead.  Let raise until double.  Let raise again.  Shape into loaves and let raise.  Bake at 400° for 10 minutes and then at 350° for 25 minutes.

Grandmother did not like to have us take pictures, but we were able to get the one above as she was holding Kyle. He turned  20 this week. Five days after he was born, his great-grandfather E. passed away. I remember being so sad that Kyle wouldn't get to know this great ancestor. We gathered in Cache Valley. The picture above shows Dee with cousin Susan, Kyle, Erik and an aunt? (someone help me with identifying here.)  — September 1990

Dee's Cheater Bread Machine Version of Cottage Cheese Wheat Bread

1 c. warm water

1/4 c. cottage cheese

3 T. oil

3 T. sugar or honey

2 T. dry milk

2 T. ground flax

2 t. salt

2 c. wheat flour

2 c. white flour

2 t. instant quick rise yeast

Put all in bread machine in order. Turn on regular white bread program. Can add cooked cereal or cooked whole wheat or sunflower seeds, etc. when machine "beeps" to add items. I like to take out with 20 min. remaining in program, so the crust is not so hard. Haven't tried adding potato flakes, but will after reviewing Grandmother's recipe. Experiment! Makes 2 lb. loaf.

Barbara, holding William's hand, with Cheryl, Doug, Aunt Tana, Michelle, Jan and Kyle — September 1990

Applesauce Cake (Cheryl's Wedding Cake)

I'm going back to the first recipe collection we did for Scott's Grandmother E. I am so grateful I was able to get to know this wonderful woman, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and cook. She was a gracious hostess each time we'd come to visit. I learned so many things from her, some I follow and some I just think about. For example, we loved her beautifully set table and delicious meals. I loved her blue 'Asian' china. We are not as good as she was about keeping containers off the table. When I put a milk jug, jar of jam, etc. on the table, I know Grandmother would have served it in a dish. This recipe was used for Cheryl's wedding cake. Thanks to Sarah A. (and Facebook), I was able to get a picture of the Cheryl & John. Next time, I'll scan one of Grandmother. This cake was make by Grandmother and served at their open house at her home in Logan. I was expecting Erik, and he just got married!

If anyone has favorite recipes—or memories of visiting the grandparents—they've used out of the cookbook we did way back in the 80s, let me know and I'll post them!

Applesauce Cake

1-1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs

1-1/2 c. applesauce

2 t. soda

1/4 c. warm water

2 c. flour

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. nuts

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

by Zelda, mother-in-law to Barbara

Cafe Rio Salad, Blackberry Cobbler

Erik and Carissa chose Cafe Rio for their wedding lunch. I had been to the restaurant once before in Utah, but unfortunately they don't have them in Oregon. After the festivities, I decided to go online and see if I could round up some of the recipes. There were SO many variations! We were having the missionaries over for dinner, so I decided to try. We all really enjoyed how the salads turned out. Last night we even used leftovers like wraps, and took them on the road as we headed to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge for a hike. 

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Serve your copy cat Cafe Rio Salad in the following order:
tortillas*
shredded cheese, mexican mix
shredded chicken* or pork*
black* or pinto beans
cilantro lime rice*
shredded red and green leaf lettuce [Cafe Rio said they used romaine, after trying both I liked it better]
fresh Parmesan cheese [use crumbled Mexican cheese, like Cotija]
pico de gallo*
guacamole
fresh cilantro
fresh lime slice
tomatillo dressing*
tortilla strips*

Sweet Pork

1-2 lb. pork tenderloin or inexpensive pork carnitas [we used tenderloin]
1 c. brown sugar [I added an extra 1/4 c. later as it wasn't sweet enough]
2 c. fresh salsa [I used peach salsa brought to us from Georgia...Yum! Thanks Morgan and Jason!]
1 T. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
Mix sugar and salsa, pour over pork. Cook in crock pot for 8 hrs. on low. When done shred with two forks and return to juice in crock pot and allow liquid to absorb. Serve with tortillas and all the fixins! [I had to add a little more liquid to this at the end.]



Black Beans
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1-1/3 c. tomato juice
1-1/2 t. salt [I used less]
2 T. fresh chopped cilantro
In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

[this was way too juicy, i had to drain it. I'd use less juice next time]

Shredded Chicken
5 lbs. chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1 sm. bottle zesty italian dressing
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
Mix all ingred together in a large crock pot. Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken. Keep warm.

Cilantro Lime Rice
In a saucepan, saute:
2 T. butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
In a large pot, bring to a boil the following:
6 2/3 c. water
8 t chicken bouillon
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
2 t. cumin
2 sm cans diced green chilies [I used one can]
1 T. lime juice
1/2 t. pepper
3 c. rice [use long grain, not sticky rice]
In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15–20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Pico de Gallo
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. lime juice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
Mix and serve.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 pkg Ranch Dressing mix
1 c. buttermilk [I soured milk with lemon juice]
1 c. mayonnaise [can you believe i put this in Mom?!]
1 to 2 tomatillos
1/2 to 1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 to 1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 t. lime juice
1/2 to 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed
Combine in blender.

Flour Tortillas

• 3 c. flour

• 1-1/2 t. salt

• 
  

  2 t. baking powder

  3/4 c. shortening
  3/4 c. very hot water
  
  

• In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or pastry cutter until the flour is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl, cover with a slightly damp dishtowel and let sit for an hour. Divide the dough into 5-6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (if you are making soft taco sized tortillas, divide it into 10-12 pieces).
Preheat a large skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla (if you want it perfectly round, get a large round plate or serving platter, flip it upside down over the dough and cut out the circle). Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly, golden, and no appearance of doughy-ness, about 1 minute (DON'T OVERCOOK.. remember these are supposed to be soft flour tortillas, you don't want them to be crispy); flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer or on a large plate, covering with a slightly damp towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Tortilla Strips
10-12 corn tortillas

oil for frying

Kosher salt


Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2–3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.



Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette [I have not tried this yet, but want to]
2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 T. diced jalepeno (canned )(use less if you don't like it spicy at all)
Juice of 2 limes
1 T. sugar
1 c. balsamic vinaigrette (we used Kraft)
In a food processor or blender, combine tamatillos, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, and sugar. After it is all blended up well combine with balsamic vinaigrette in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

(comments in parenthesis are from the original recipe)
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I haven't posted any pictures of the Oregon reception yet on our family blog, but here is the recipe we used to serve with vanilla ice cream at the party. It's more like a buttery cake with berries on top. We used half blueberries and half blackberries, all picked fresh locally by us or friends. And here's a darling picture of Carissa for a treat too!


9.28.2010 update: You can click here to see Oregon reception pictures. And there are links to the rest of the [posted!] wedding pictures at the bottom of that post.

Blackberry Cobbler
1 stick butter
1-1/4 c. sugar
1 c. self-rising flour

(or substitute 1 c. flour,1-1/4 t. baking powder, 1/8 t. salt)
1 c. milk
2 generous cups blackberries (frozen or fresh)

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish. Rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. (one of my wedding bakers said 1 hr. 14 min. was the perfect time for her oven for the double—9x13" pan). If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done. 8 servings. (makes approximately 8x8" pan or round tart pan/casserole; double for 9x13" pan)

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott,

for Carissa, wife of Barbara's grandson Erik

Quick Sweet & Sour Pork, Orange Dreamsicle Mousse

Mom and Dad in Island Park

Here are a couple recipes & hope someone will like to try.

Orange Dreamsicle Mousse

1 lg. pkg. vanilla (cook & serve) pudding

1 lg. pkg orange Jello

3 ck water

1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip

1 or 2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

Combine pudding, jello & water. Bring to a boil. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Beat in Cool Whip & fold in oranges and cool 'til set.

I tried this as a sample in the store and it reminded me of dreamsicles that I used to like,

so I have tried it and it is easy and good. I guess I am into quick and easy!

Dad and Mom at Erik's wedding lunch in American Fork.

They worked so hard setting up and cleaning up,

Scott and Dee were very grateful.

Quick Sweet & Sour Pork

2 T. oil

1 lb. boneless pork, cut in 1-inch cubes

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks in own juice

1/2 c. dark corn syrup

1/4 c. cider vinegar

2 T. catsup

2 T. soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c green pepper pieces

2 T. corn starch

In skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.Add pork 1/3 at a time, brown. Add next 6 ingredients. Bring to boil; simmer 10 minutes or until pork is tender. Add green pepper. Mix corn starch and 2 T. water; add to skillet. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 min. Serve over cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.

by Barbara!

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Enchiladas

Jared and Sarah in Island Park, 2010

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Enchiladas

2 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, halved and thinly sliced
1 t. kosher salt
2 ears of corn, kernels sliced off (or 1-1/2 c. canned or frozen corn)
2 c. shredded zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini
1 Anaheim chili, seeded and minced
1 chipotle chili, seeded and minced
1/2 t. cumin

1 large tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 corn tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 (14 oz.) can enchilada sauce

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the onions, the bell peppers and salt. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the corn, zucchini, chiles and cumin. Stir until combined and cook until zucchini is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and garlic. Cook for 3 more minutes and remove from heat.

Set oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Microwave one tortilla for 15 seconds. Spoon a small amount of zucchini mixture onto the tortilla, about 1/4 cup. Sprinkle on a little cheese. Roll up and place inside prepared pan, seam side down. Repeat with all the rest of the tortillas. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with chopped avocados or guacamole.

by Sarah, wife of Barbara's son Jared

Grandma grew a HUGE zucchini in her garden and brought it up to the cabin. She and Dee had fun making it into boats for Lucas and Caleb, while Sarah took a turn fishing with the guys. Interestingly enough, each of the boys went right to the boat they wanted. Grandma's (held by Caleb) was a motorboat—complete with bench seats—and was totally "sea worthy." Dee's, on the other hand, was creative (had to take Captain Crunch off the box and relocate him to the ship, add shade, oars and oarsmen). Lucas held it up to showed Uncle Scott. The first thing Scott said was: "It will sink." Dee then got to take a trip down the river in Jared's boat with Scott. The report back on the boats: as soon as Lucas' ship was put in the water, it immediately sank! I hate it when engineers bring artists back to the real world : )