Basic Bread

Freshly baked bread was quite common growing up Westra. Mom had a Kitchenetics mixer ... she could double this recipe (that's 14+ cups of flour!). Jen loved the mixer so much she got one when she married and it's still all she uses. Bread is pretty basic - there are websites out there that will give you lots of hints and step-by-step instructions. If you want the bread Mom made, the recipe is below.

Ingredients

2 ½  cups warm water

1  Tbls Yeast

¼  cup sugar

⅓  cup oil

1  Tbls salt

7 ½  cups flour

Combine water and yeast. Add sugar, oil, salt and flour. Mix for a couple minutes, then let the machine knead for seven or so more. Form into loaves and place in bread pans (non-stick spray recommended). Rise until double. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

A couple "bread" memories ...

• When Mom and Dad went to Germany, Grandma Norman was at the house to watch the kids. Grandma baked some bread. When she took the hot bread out of the oven, Scott told her that Mom always put butter on the top of the hot bread to make it taste better and to soften the crust and make it shiny. Grandma told him that wasn't really necessary. Then she turned around and there was Scott, putting butter on top of the loaves!
• Derek wrote: Mom would make homemade bread often (before Dad's celiac diagnosis brought that to a wheat-grinding halt). :) I remember coming home from school during High School (and often having a few friends with me), and Mom would bring out 2 loaves of homemade bread hot out of the oven. I recall that we wouldn't use a knife, but my buddies and I would just use our hands to break off big chunks (juggling them because they were hot and burning our hands) and we'd go through a whole loaf and a half and a stick of butter. My friends loved coming over to eat Mom's homemade bread!
• Wendy wrote: I remember the aroma of yummy homemade bread and eating big slices of it right out of the oven with melting butter and home-made strawberry jam! Now I am in the habit and make home-made bread for our family every other week!

Gingersnaps!

I'm not sure where we originally picked up our gingersnap recipe. It's been the standard for all the siblings growing up Westra. They are nice and soft ... not rock hard like the packaged ones you buy in the stores. These gingersnaps always seem to be a hit whenever shared and people often ask for the recipe, which we are happy to share. They are so delicious, warm and soft, right out of the oven. Of course the kids love the cookie dough as well, and I like to freeze the cookies then dunk them in milk.


Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt

Cream the shortening and sugar together. Add molasses and eggs and mix until blended. Combine the dry ingredients, then add them to the bowl and mix. Form dough into small balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes.

Of course ... it's best to DOUBLE the batch. Eat them as soon as possible, or freeze them. You can keep the dough in the fridge for about a week and pull it out for fresh out of the oven cookies over the next few days too.

If you need a little extra help ... here's a video!

Gingersnaps 101 from Gray Wren on Vimeo.

...I'm sure there are many more rave reviews, but here's an email cousin Emily sent Mom.

Aunt Margie— 
I meant to tell you on Sunday but your gingersnap recipe is one of my most requested recipes ever! Dave’s boss absolutely loves those cookies and has requested that I make 200 for a launch party tomorrow! That is one well loved cookies! It was great to see everyone on Sunday! Have a terrific day!

Love, 
Emily

A funny gingersnap related story. This would have been back in 1991 or early 1992. I think it was Shane who had made gingersnaps. He rolled them into balls and stuck them in the oven and ... they didn't cook. They just stayed in ball form. Well, the obvious conclusion was that the oven was broken. Mom and Dad replaced the oven. The dough had been refridgerated, and so the cookies were put in the oven again. Guess what. It wasn't the oven! It must have been an error in the dough! But the old (working) oven inspired Jen&Gray to finish the basement in Gray's mom's house, putting in that mustard yellow oven. They even talked Mom and Dad into replacing their fridge to match the new stove, and Gray and Jen got a refridgerator for their little apartment as well! All because of some gingersnaps!

Any gingersnap snapshots or stories to share?

Breadsticks and Rolls

Okay - this was not a classic Westra recipe during the early years. Jen discovered it after she was married. There has been many a Christmas dinner with breadsticks, which everyone seems to enjoy (sans the Celiac folks, sorry!), so they are part of the Westra experience now. Jen picked up this recipe at a Homemaking meeting. A neighbor's mother taught home economics at the high school and after years of students making this recipe, she said that it rarely goes wrong. It's great for dinner rolls, breadsticks, sweet rolls (cinnamon rolls and orange rolls) and even scones. It's flexible, you can use it the day you make it, or you can make it ahead and refrigerate it (which can be a timesaver for rushed mornings or a great way to spread out your "right out of the oven" rolls without having to make it all from scratch each day).

2 Tbls. Yeast

1 Cup Warm Water

2 Cups  Milk

1 Cup Shortening

2 Cups Reconstituted Instant Potatoes

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tsp. Salt

4 Beaten Eggs

10-12 Cups Flour

Dissolve yeast in water and set aside.  Combine milk and shortening in pan and scald. Mix up the potatoes ... let the milk and potatoes cool to lukewarm. Add milk, potatoes, sugar, salt and eggs to the yeast mixture and mix.  Add flour until the dough pulls away from the sides. Knead. Cover and let the dough double in size (or place in refrigerator until ready for use, up to a week). Shape into rolls and let rise until double.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes... ovens to vary, so I always keep an eye on them, leave them in until they are golden brown on top. Spread melted butter over the tops as soon as you pull them out of the oven.

For dinner roll shapes, I like 

• Crescents: Roll dough into a large circle and spread butter over the dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut into pie-shaped pieces and roll up, starting with the larger end. Place the rolls on a large, buttered cookie sheet (with sides), cover and let them rise.
• Butterflake: Roll dough into a large rectangle and spread butter over the dough. Cut the dough into strips about 1 1/2 inch wide. Stack four strips and then cut into individual rolls. Place in greased muffin tins to rise.
• Breadsticks:  Roll dough into a large rectangle and spread butter over the dough. Take a large cookie sheet (with sides) and spread butter all over the pan. sprinkle garlic salt and Parmesan cheese over the butter in the pan. Cut the dough into strips and lay them side by side in the pan. Sprinkle garlic salt and Parmesan cheese over the dough and let them rise.

For sweet rolls

• Orange Rolls:  Roll dough into a large rectangle and spread butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with sugar and orange rind. Roll the dough (jellyroll style) and then cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place them in buttered muffin tins to rise. Bake. Make icing from powdered sugar and orange juice. Spread over cooled rolls.
• Cinnamon Rolls:  Roll dough into a large rectangle and spread butter over the dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the dough. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the dough as well. If you like raisins, add them at this point. Roll the dough jelly roll style. Cut into individual rolls (about 2" thick) and position them on a buttered cookie sheet. Leave space between the rolls for them to rise. Bake. Make icing from powdered sugar and milk, or top with cream cheese frosting.

For scones ... simply roll out the dough, cut into strips or squares, and fry them in hot oil. There is also Aunt Lorrie's recipe specifically for scones (which calls for them to rise) but this "frybread" seems to be a hit too. Top with butter and sugar.

Brazilian Cheese Rolls (Pao De Queijo)

Who discovered this recipe first? Jen's family found it when one of the boys had to make a recipe for his Spanish class (I know, these are BRAZILIAN). Shane and Derek went to Brazil and got the authentic experience there. Several Westra households make these little rolls now. What's doubly nice about them, is that they are GLUTEN-FREE, which is a huge plus with Celiac persons around (although non-celiac people really like them too!)

They use Tapioca flour - it can be a little hard to find, but it's around. This recipe is so simple, it's really just a batter poured into mini-muffin tins.

Ingredients

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan* cheese

Extra salt/cheese to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°. Place egg, milk and oil in blender and pulse. Add flour and salt and blend until smooth. Add cheese and pulse two times (don't overmix). Pour into mini-muffin tins  (non-stick spray is recommended), about 3/4 full. Sprinkle a bit of cheese and salt on the tops. Bake for 15-ish minutes until puffy and golden. Serve warm. 

*As Grandpa would say "par-a-me-ceim cheese" --- ewwwwww

Any stories/photos featuring Brazilian Cheese Rolls?

Banana Bread

Bananas ... they are great to have on hand for a quick (and healthy) snack, but they go bad so quickly!  And you know Mom, she likes them on the "under ripe" ride. Yes, you can freeze them for smoothies, but even better? Banana bread!

It's another Westra classic!

These quick breads don't use as much flour as regular bread, so they are a little easier to sub in Gluten-Free flour for those Celiacs in the family!


INGREDIENTS~

1/3 Cup Milk

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine

1 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Cup Mashed Banana

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Raw Sugar (for topping)

Combine the milk and lemon juice and set them aside (the milk will curdle). Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, mashed banana and milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle raw sugar across the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes. Also makes great banana muffins (bake for about 15 minutes).

The raw sugar topping is a Blackham addition, but it really adds to both the appearance and the taste (and the calories of course, but if you're eating this, you're probably not TOO concerned with the extra calories, as this is NOT a low cal dish to start with). 

Lasagna - A Classic Westra Dinner

July 29th is National LASAGNA Day ... did you know that? 

Did you know there WAS a lasagna day?

Jen never ended up eating lasagna - but she still makes it for her family and they are happy when she does. It's a classic Westra recipe. Now, it's just as easy to make multiple lasagnas as it is to make one, so double (or even triple) the recipe. The completed lasagnas freeze well for future dinners, or make them in disposable pans to give away. 

1 lb hamburger

1 package lasagna noodles

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

1 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 lb mozzarella or jack cheese

1/2 lb cheddar cheese

2 8oz cans of tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese

Brown the hamburger and drain. Cook the noodles as directed and drain. Combine the soup, milk, onion, W.sauce, seasonings and salt. Add cooked meat. In a 8x11 baking pan, start with a layer of noodles. Spread meat sauce mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with a layer of both cheeses. Drizzle tomato sauce over the cheese and top with Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Westra Clan - Do you have pictures or memories of Mom's lasagna?