Challah Bread

This bread was ever so delicious!!! It was fun to make too. When we went to have it with our dinner, I just set it on the table as is, and the kids all had fun just pulling the pieces off!! I LOVE fresh homemade bread...and it makes your house smell sooo good too!!!!!!


Challah Bread

submitted by Camille

(from Your Homebased Mom)

2 packages dry active yeast (about 4 1/2 tsp)

2 1/2 C warm water

6 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/3 C vegetable or canola oil

3 eggs plus white of one additional egg for glaze

6 1/2 to 8 1/2 C flour (add until dough is slightly sticky)

Glaze: 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp cold water.

Dissolve yeast in warm water and allow yeast to proof (bubble) Add sugar, salt, oil eggs and flour in with yeast mixture and mix until slightly sticky. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Divide dough in half. Take each half and divide into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and brain 3 ropes together on a greased cookie sheet. Place both braids on cookie sheet and allow to rise a second time for 30-60 minutes. Brush loaves with glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until bread is golden brown.

Smore's Cookies

I have mentioned before (on this post) how much I LOVE smore's!!!!! We will go out in our backyard and roast marshmallows over the BBQ, just so I can get my smore's fix!!! These cookies were so yummy, and very moist!!!!


Smore's Cookies
submitted by Camille
(from Sweet Tooth)

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups mini chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows, or large ones cut up
2 Hershey bars, chopped

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
- Mix in eggs and vanilla to butter mixture until combined
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, graham crackers, salt, and baking soda
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Use 2 tablespoons or a medium-sized ice cream scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets
- Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven. Push a few marshmallows and pieces of chocolate into each cookie and return to the oven to bake an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Cool cookies on a wire rack (or just hand them over steaming hot to your hungry friends)

Recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies

Smoked Turkey Club Panini

I am a lover of Panini sandwiches. Have you ever been to the Corner Bakery Cafe...or Panera Bread? LOVE both of those places!!!!! Here is a FANTASTIC panini sandwich recipe. We had it for dinner, and then lunch again the next day : ) I told you I was a lover of the panini.

Smoked Turkey Club Panini

submitted by Camille

(from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

*Makes 4 sandwiches

8-12 slices bacon
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, rinsed, patted dry and minced
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli Swiss cheese
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli smoked turkey
3 cups baby spinach or arugula

Cook bacon until crisp. You can use a skillet or use the microwave, placing the bacon in a single layer on a paper-towel lined plate, cover with paper towels and microwave for about 5 minutes (repeating the process if all the bacon doesn’t fit the first round). In a small bowl, combine the sun-dried tomatoes and mayonnaise.

Lightly spread butter over one side of each bread. Lay the butter-sides down on a cutting board or work area. Spread each slice with the sun-dried tomato mayonnaise. Layer half of the cheese on 4 slices of bread then top with turkey, bacon, spinach (or arugula) and remaining cheese. Top with remaining bread, butter side up.

Cook the sandwiches on a panini press, skillet or grill pan heated on medium heat for one minute prior to cooking (I used my skillet, since I don't have a panini press, and it was just fine!!). Cook the sandwiches for about 4-5 minutes per side, until they are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.