With sunnier days just around the corner, I thought I would share the yummiest sandwich recipe loved by all my Olsen's (big and small).  Take them hot to your next party, or cover overnight in your fridge and take them cold to your picnic at the deep forbidden lake the next day.  The best thing about them, you can ditch the mayo or mustard so there's no risk for soggy leftovers.  Ready?  Here we go:

This Easter Weekend we made Resurrection Rolls with the kids.   With young and curious kids, I find myself walking a fine line between creative visual lesson about the resurrection and a morbid presentation on cannibalism.  I have faith in all faithful parents that they can walk the line and keep it as an awesome (and reverent) tradition for your kids.  If you are fretting that this recipe comes a day late, no worries there's always Family Home Evening to catch up on.  Here's a peek into our Easter Fun.























Read from accompanying scripture, such as John 19:38-42 and John 20.

VARIATION: If you want to represent the quiet awakening of the resurrection (and build more excitement and tension for your kids) then start your recipe in the evening:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 degrees
PREPARE ROLLS AND PLACE IN OVEN
IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF OVEN

In the morning they will be cooked and ready to go with your Easter Brunch.

We're still mourning the loss of our chickens, and today to top it all off...snow! After our recent flirtations with the sun, we are trying to not take it personal that the sun hasn't bothered: calling, returning our affection, or coming by to heat up those daffodils he left behind...now frozen. So today I made this soup.

But there's soooo many other reasons you should start making this soup on a regular basis:

A) It's a great food storage soup
B) tons of fiber and vegetables
C) Indian soup means it's full of flavor and deliciousness
















Spicy Chickpea Tomato Soup
2 - 19oz cans chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained
1 - 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
2 - 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 bunch of roughly de-stemmed cilantro
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt

Throw in blender everything but spices, chicken stock, and 1 can of tomatoes. Puree to desired consistency. Transfer to pan and heat through while adding the rest of ingredients.

Garnish: 1/2 cup plain yogurt and chopped scallions (green part only)

I was 13 years old during eighth grade, just two years into my bra stage, never been kissed and bright-eyed for the future. That's when me and Paula became buds. I had long chemically treated hair, and I would wake up early every school day to do something different. Crimp! Hot Roller Curl. Straighten. Braid. As the years went by, I eventually cut out the annoying primping routine in honor of the Grunge Movement, Plaid Lumberjack Shirts, and good old-fashioned sleeping in. And Paula saw me through my big hair days to my grungy plaid and boots phase as well. She had her own hair phases similar to mine. This is us somewhere in the middle:

So it's been a good 10 + years (and 30 + pounds) since I've seen Paula. I was excited and nervous, evident by the fact that I reenacted my 8th grade habits by actually spending forty minutes doing my hair and make-up before she came.


I was finally able to meet Paula's husband and son. Since they drove all the way to my house, we fixed them our favorite food which you must fix this week for somebody you love if you truly love them with more than just words.





One thing I never knew back in "the day" was that Paula had her own chickens when she was a little girl. So we sent her off with Rainbow Girl to collect the eggs...for old time's sake.


In conclusion, women need women. It gives them focus for the future when someone knows (and can laugh about) their past. Thanks for coming to play Paula.

You've heard this old wives tale right? A woman cooks a ham and instinctively slices both ends off before putting it in the oven. At the table, her kids begin wondering: "Why do you do that?" and she says something like Well I don't know, my mom always did it. Let's call my mom!

Since we're a good 8 weeks since New Year's and all those fruitless resolutions, I thought it would be safe to post a delightful, gooey, sweet, crunchy treat that are a favorite of The Mister of the House.

The reluctant poser introduces famous home cooking by Grandma B...beloved Granny to The Mister of the House who passed away in 2002.

• stick of butter
  
• sweetened condensed milk
  
• caramel squares (80)
  
• marshmallows, big ones
  
• Rice Krispies
  
  
  

Insider tip:

You want those marshmallows to be soft, each one still holding their individual dusting. See how they naturally separate when I open up the bag. Use marshmallows like these, not the leftover bag from canyon s'mores.

Snip those suckers in half.










Melt the butter, milk, and caramels in a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler (like me) no big deal! Boil water and put a pie plate or casserole dish above the water (but not immersed at all in the water).

sugar + fat = cure for all your emotional pains

I heard that once from Marlon Brando, or maybe it was Rikki Lake. Anyway, sound advice that works!

Stir it together. When it look like this, you're ready to roll. Let's set up our assembly line. Right to left:

1) marshmallows 2) caramel 3) rice krispies 4) wax paper

Yum.

As an Idaho Girl by nature, I can appreciate the classic Sunday dinners I enjoyed every week of my young girl life: mashed potatoes, roast, glazed carrots, gravy, and green salad. Simple. Beautiful.

Since I decided to become the miserly matron of the arts, I decided I would save myself some grocery cash by baking my own bread. I have a Bosch thanks to Missus Mrs. Olsen (mom of The Mister of the House) and I also received a wheat grinder from this same wonderful source. Here is a candid shot when Vanilla Wafer stole the camera at his sissy's Christmas Program.

Thank you Missus Mrs. Olsen. You don't have to buy my love with all your pleasantries...but it sure helps solidify your status as patron saint of preparedness, traditions, families, babies, Christmas, and crazy shoes.

So I have hundreds of pounds of wheat and the recipe from the Bread Diva next door. Now all I need is a gullible and naive suspect....

Enter Sara.

Mrs. Olsen (on the phone): Hey Sara, let's have our kids play together and we can make some homemade bread! I have wheat and a grinder....come over!

Sara: Wow, sounds great! I'll be right over!

If Sara was the patron saint of anything, it would be the patron saint of chill. She is peaceful, accommodating, and thoughtful. She is also a fabulous cook. All that stuff makes her the perfect target for carb-inducing shenanigans. We take turns cranking ten cups of wheat kernels for over three hours, and she makes me lunch.

I'm a genius.

I am sooo very delighted to have a hand grinder for those emergencies that are sure to come at some time or the other. But I promise I had noo idea that it would take so long to turn this wheat into flour. No wonder the Little Red Hen asked for help...and no wonder she ate all the stinkin' bread herself when those ingrates blew her off! Thank you Sara.

Six hours later....

Yum.

p.s. my arm still hurts...

Here's the recipe...

Foolproof Wheat Bread

Regular Batch 5-6 loaves (small batch of 3 loaves in parentheses)

6 C. Warm Water (4 C)

1 1/2 TBL salt (1 TBL)

1/2 C. Oil (1/3 C)

1/2 C. Honey or Brown Sugar (1/3 C)

2 TBL dough enhancer (1 1/2 TBL)

3 TBL Saf Yeast (2 TBL)

10 C. Wheat Kernels (7 C.)

Freshly grind wheat into flour. Add water and several cups of freshly ground whole wheat flour to Bosch mixing bowl with dough hook in place. Mix using a few short bursts of the spring-loaded jogging switch (M'). Add the salt, honey, oild dough enhancer and instant yeast and jog briefly. (If the quality of your wheat is suspect try adding 3-4 TBL gluten also).

NOTE from Mrs. Olsen: My Bread Diva neighbor asked me where I got my wheat "Uh, some lady in the classifieds". Since I didn't buy it from the Bosch store like she does, she said to throw the gluten in. You probably should too.

While the Bosch is kneading at speed one, slowly add whole-wheat flour until dough pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl. This normally will take most of the whole-wheat flour you have ground. It is better to add too little flour than too much flour. Allow the Bosch to knead the dough until the gluten in the whole-wheat flour is properly developed. This takes 8 minutes on speed two, OR 12 minutes on speed one. Turn oven to preheat to 150 degrees (Mrs. Olsen again: mine only goes as low as 170 - that's okay so says the Diva because you turn it OFF when the bread goes in to rise).

Shape into loaves and place in pans already greased with an oil spray - Vegalene is recommended.

Sheesh these bread makers are picky. I've never even heard of this stuff. I just used PAM spray but will be on the lookout for this stuff. My last interjection...promise.

Turn the oven OFF. Put the loaves in the warm oven to rise until double in size (this takes approximately 25 minutes). When the loaves are double in size, set oven to 350 degrees and turn it on (leave the loaves in the oven). Bake f0r 25-30 minutes. When loaves are done, immediately remove from pans and let cool on wire rack. (Hint: So pans won't stick, wipe out while hot and don't wash them).