Chicken Gyro

Last week we used one of them big juicy tomatoes and cucumbers to make some Chicken Gyros. Now each one of us likes ours a little different because we are different people. I tend to like my meat fried while my two oldest girls likes theirs the original way I learned to make them. Fro Baby likes hers without any tomatoes and Baby G like hers deconstructed so that she may dip all of hers into the the sauce.

Dinner Rolls

When I make these rolls for my family they just fall in love with me all over again. We like them fresh from the oven, with meat sandwiched between them, dipped in homemade garlic butter, you get the point. We like these rolls.

I started making these rolls last year while I was in search of a good technique for making croissants. *Yes, I make my own croissants. If your nice I might share them with you.* I usually start these around one so that right before dinner when that I want to eat feeling starts to kick in they are coming out the oven for the hungry monsters to devour.

You will need:

• ¾  to 1 cup lukewarm water

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 large egg

• 1 ½ cup bread flour

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon yeast

• 3 tablespoons melted butter for topping

Directions:

1) Mix and knead all ingredients to make a soft, smooth dough.

2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

3) Deflate the dough, and divide it into pieces. Shape each piece into the shape you prefer (I make knots). Place the rolls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour.

4) Brush the buns with half the melted butter.

5) Bake the buns in preheated oven (375)  for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter.

6) Cool the buns on a rack or eat them fresh from the oven like we do.

I hope that you enjoy these as much as we do

Farmer's Market

Last week we didn't get to go to the Farmer's Market and it was okay cause all the good stuff that we like don't start getting picked until later this month. We did get to go this week but it was because I needed a few items and instead of buying them at the grocery store I buy them at the Farmer's Market this time of year.

Taco Seasoning

This week we didn't eat anything special due to it still being kind of early in the year so we didn't go to the Farmers Market Saturday. Which also happened to had been Memorial Day. I wasn't going to do a post this week because of that but then I thought about it and was like “Hey, you made them tacos Tuesday, remember?” and then I told myself “ I sure did.”

Amish White Bread

You thought I was playing when I said I was back, HUH? Well I'm posting and I got a great bread recipe for you guys.

If you know us and your reading this then you know that my family goes threw lots and lots of bread. I mean what do you expect from a family of six. Last year I tried plenty of bread recipes and my family fell in love with this Amish White Bread that was hearty but sweet.

Welcome Back to My Kitchen

I know that I have been saying that I was coming back and had not come back. This time is different, that's because I think I have found more direction for this blog. When I first started I wanted to share the meals that I share with my family with you guys. Problem with that is that I only really do baking, great cooking during the warmer months and do the okay cooking during the colder months. So I don't have much to share with you guys at that time (unless you want chili, stoop, soup, roasts, in general hearty meals). Now with the warm months hot on our tail and the Farmers Markets are opening up and we can get local goodness I can do the cooking I enjoy. So .....

Farmer's Market

The Old Capital Farmers Market had a vary good selection this Saturday and I can't wait to go back next Saturday.

Growing up

A lot can happen in a months time. Afro Baby is now at the stage where she likes to tie her own shoes, a very long process. Oh, you don't know, Afro Baby can tie her shoes. She's learned to make her own oatmeal, jelly her own toast, wash her cups out, and she can make some mean chocolate chip muffins. Yes, people she makes muffins all on her own. Well, not all, I bring down all ingredients to her level and she does the rest including the "mixa mixa mixa" part with the help of our trusty not so dusty stand mixer. She's growing up pretty fast if you ask me.

The Transitioning!

 We have been having sleepless nights trying to transition Baby G from our room and bed into her room and bed. Now you would think that this would be easy seeing how we have four children. Nope, this is all brand new to us. My first child Big A was no problem cause she shared a room with me cause I wasn't so smart and decided (no thought) to become a teen mom. So she has always had her own bed but had never had her own room. This is the first time and by her being 13 there was no transition problems. Little A she never liked to sleep with anyone not even me, so no transition there. Afro Baby ( that's what we're calling her every time I fix her Afro) has big sisters and what younger sibling don't want to hang with the older siblings, so no transition there either. Baby G is completely new for us.

We have been dealing with the all night waking and the crying, oh the crying. Let me tell you we started the method of let her soothe herself back to sleep but that was not working at all for us. She would start crying a little and it worked the first two nights, she still woke up for her 3 a.m. feeding but that was no problem cause I know she nurses at that time every night. The real problems came when she just couldn't take it anymore. She needs her boobies in the middle of the night at real random times while she's sleeping. That's when the night waking started and the crazy amount of crying started and us taking turns going in to soothe her just enough for the other to get out the bed and give the dagger stare at the pass by of the pass off. ( I'm calling for a change of rules on this one. If she cry's before you make it in the bed and under the covers then Baby G's crying is still your problem) So from this point we had just given up on this method and moved her right back into our room but not in our bed. (we didn't even get to enjoy one night without her)

We have a plan and I'm hoping that this will work.