Garlic Shrimp Linguine

Oh, yum.  This is one of my very favorite pasta dishes.  It tastes surprisingly light for a dish with cream sauce.  Then again, you are only using 1/3 cup of cream in the whole recipe.  If you are not a shrimp person you can substitute cooked chicken strips/pieces.  This recipe cannot be doubled but it comes together so quickly that if you ever want to serve it for a large group you could make the recipe twice in about a half hour.  I did that for a dinner party and made one recipe with shrimp and one recipe with chicken while everyone was having appetizers.

1 lb. Linguine
3 T. Butter
2 T. Olive Oil
6 T. Chicken Broth
1/3 C. Heaving Whipping Cream
4 tsp. Grated Parmesan
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 tsp. Dried Parsley (or 3T. fresh)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb. Cooked Shrimp, peeled and deveined ( I buy frozen and just thaw them out really good before I use them)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium low heat and add broth, cheese, oil, garlic and parsley.  Cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes until shrimp are heated through. Add whipping cream and stir to combine.  Leave sauce over low heat until pasta is drained then pour sauce and shrimp over top of linguine.  Toss to coat and grate additional parmesan over top before serving.  Serves 8.

Carrot Cake

I was browsing on allrecipes.com the other day and found this recipe.  It had been reviewed by over 2,000 people who all rated it with 5 stars.  That is pretty impressive so I had to try it myself to see what all the fuss was about.  I thought the cake was delicious.  It was moist and with the cream cheese frosting I put on top it was the most perfect treat! 

4 Eggs
1 1/4 C. Oil
2 C. Sugar
2 C. Flour
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Cinnamon
3 C. Grated Carrots
1 C. Chopped Pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs with sugar, oil and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.  Mix in carrots then fold in nuts.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Real French Toast

I call this "real" french toast because you use french bread for this recipe.  The result is a chewy, hearty breakfast dish you and your kids will love.  It seems to stick with you a little longer than french toast made with sandwich bread.  There are 5 people in my family and a whole loaf is more than we can eat so I usually reserve 5 pieces for dinner and cook up the rest.  A whole loaf makes about 16 pieces. 

4 Eggs
1/4 C. Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Milk
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 T. Butter
French Bread, cut into 1" slices

Begin heating  your skillet.  Beat the eggs with an electric hand held mixer until frothy.  Add flour, salt, milk and vanilla and beat with mixer for 2 minutes.  Pour into a pie plate.  Melt 1/2 T. butter in skillet then quickly coat slices of bread and transfer to skillet.  (You have to do this quickly so the butter doesn't burn.)  Brown on each side then transfer to a plate.  Melt another 1/2 T. of butter in skillet before doing the next batch of french toast.  Serve warm with regular syrup or for a special treat try it with coconut syrup, it is so delicious! 

Coconut Chicken Curry

This was the best dinner we've had in weeks, and we've had some really good meals but this...outrageously good, that's what I'd call it.  I am already thinking about the leftovers and it's not even time for breakfast yet.  My mom doesn't care for curry so I always assumed I didn't either but oh, how wrong I was!  I thought it was odd to pair potatoes with rice and milk with tomatoes but no, it's perfect.  The flavors were subtle, not strong so don't worry about being overpowered by spice in this dish.  I am pretty sure I sounded like Bill Murry on "What About Bob" during dinner going "mmmm. mmmmmmmm.  mmmmmmmmmmmm."  every few minutes.  You must try this dish!

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I just used some shredded chicken I had in my fridge)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 T. oil
2 T. curry powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp. for less heat)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
4 red potatoes, cut into 1 " chunks
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 T. sugar
Cooked Rice

Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add curry powder and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes on medium low until fragrant.  Add onion and garlic and cook on medium heat until onion is translucent. Add chicken pieces and sprinkle with the salt and pepper then saute until completely cooked through.  Add potatoes and mix around with a spoon to coat with the curry.  Add all other ingredients and stir until well combined.  Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally.  Cook rice while chicken mixture is simmering.  Ladle sauce over top of rice and enjoy!

Coconut Banana Muffins

Of all the muffins I have ever made I would have to say that these tie with the glazed lemon muffins for my very favorite. I think it is the coconut milk that makes these muffins so fantastic.  They are moist, light and delicious.  I can't even remember where I found this recipe but I have changed it so much I don't think I would recognize it even if I saw it.  The original recipe didn't use coconut milk and called for a high calorie topping that I eliminated to make these muffins less sweet and more healthy.  If you like banana bread and you are a fan of coconut you have got to try these! 

2 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
1 T. Baking Powder
3/4 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 C. Coconut Flakes
3/4 C. Coconut Milk
3 Very Ripe Bananas
2 Eggs
6 T. Butter or Margarine
1 T. Vanilla Extract (or Coconut Extract if you have it)

Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Combine all other ingredients and blend well in a mixer to mash up bananas.  Add dry ingredients and mix until just barely combined.  Grease or line muffin cups and fill each cup with 1/4 C. of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Makes 24 muffins.  (These muffins freeze very well.)

Yoshida Meatballs

It is time to introduce you to one of my favorite products- Yoshida Sauce. 

If you have never used this you are missing out.  It is super yummy and very, very convenient to have on hand.  I use it in lots of different ways.  Sometimes I put chicken thighs in a skillet, pour Yoshida over top and cook it on low heat for 45 minutes.  Then we have the chicken and sauce over rice.  I have also used several of the recipes on www.mryoshida.com.  I especially like the beef and broccoli recipe.  Last night I made meatballs and cooked them in a skillet with the yoshida sauce.  It was so, so good.  The only place I have found Yoshida is at Costco and it is cheap.  For a big bottle I think it costs about $5.00.  So worth it, trust me!

1 lb. ground beef
2 slices sandwich bread, crumbled into fine bits
1 egg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Yoshida Sauce

Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and mush together with your hands.  (If raw meat grosses you out then just try to do it with a spoon.)  Shape the meat mixture into meatballs and put them in a skillet.  (No need to grease the skillet.)  When you have used all of the meat, heat the skillet over medium heat and cover with a lid.  Cook 10-15 minutes until meatballs appear to be browned.  Remove lid and turn meatballs with a spatula.  Pour Yoshida Sauce over top.  I never measure, just be generous since you will be using the sauce over top of rice.  Cook uncovered (if you try to cover the pan the Yoshida sauce will boil out even on a very low heat) for 20 minutes or until rice is done.  Serve meatballs with sauce over top of the cooked rice.

Apple Cranberry Granola Bars

This morning I wanted to make my kids a healthy snack for after school.  I have never made homemade granola bars and have always wanted to.  After consulting several recipes I created my own version.  I wanted to imitate this apple cranberry granola bar that we can't find anymore at our local grocery store.  Most granola bars, homemade or otherwise, have corn syrup in them.  Disgusting.  I stay away from that stuff as much as possible so I used a combination of butter, applesauce, and honey and the result was so delicious.  If you want to give this a try and you don't have dried cranberries on hand try using raisins and omitting the almond extract. 

2 C. Quick Oats
1/2 C. Rice Crispies
1/4 C. Coconut
1/4 C. Dried Cranberries
1/4 C. Pecans, chopped pretty small but not into dust
1/4 C. Dried Apples, chopped into small bits (if you don't have dried apples just use fresh)
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Egg
1/4 C. Butter, softened
1/2 C. Applesauce
1/2 C. Honey
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients and mix together well.  Add egg, butter, applesauce, honey and extracts.  Spray a 9x13 (or a 8x12 pan if you want your bars to be a little thicker) with cooking spray and press granola mixture into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting into bars.  Allow to cool for another hour or until completely cool before serving.

Baked Ziti

Being the pasta lover that I am, I cannot believe that it took me until about a year ago to make Baked Ziti.  Now I can't stop making it!  I so love this recipe.  It is inexpensive to make and is the perfect comfort food.

2 14oz. Cans Tomatoes with Juice
2 Cans Tomato Sauce
2 T. Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 lb. Tube Pasta (Most of the time I use rigatoni)
2 C. Mozzerella Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions being very careful not to overcook.  While pasta is cooking, puree tomatoes in a food processor or blender and set aside.  Saute onion and garlic in oil until onions are translucent.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices.  Bring to a low boil and simmer for at least 30-40 minutes.  When pasta is done, drain and transfer to a large casserole dish.  Pour sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Applesauce Pancakes

I know, I know, another pancake recipe.  But you are going to love this one!  It tastes so different with the crunch of the toasted pecans.  I could really taste the applesauce in them and they added a mild sweetness which I really enjoyed.  This recipe makes about 20 pancakes. 

2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Applesauce
1 C. Milk
2 T. Sugar
1/4 C. Oil
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 T. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 eggs
Chopped Pecans (about 1 Cup)

Mix together all ingredients except the pecans.  Pour batter onto skillet or griddle then sprinkle pecans over top.  Watch pancakes carefully because they don't really get those air bubbles like most pancakes do when they are ready to turn.  Turn pancakes and cook until pancake is golden brown and nuts are toasted sufficiently.  Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

Spice Muffins

I love muffins! I am getting the idea that someone else may like them too. It could be the seven posts of muffins from one of our peaches! I am going to be trying all of those recipes! This is one of the easiest recipes. I love that it's almost a sure thing that I'll have these ingredients on hand. We eat them with applesauce.

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. flour

1 egg

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. milk

1/4 c. cooking oil.

1 T. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. ginger

1/4 t. ground cloves

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine wet ingredients separate from dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. Spoon into muffin cups and fill two-thirds full. Bake at 375 for 10-15 min.

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

These are the perfect cookies for Christmas with the bright red cranberries peaking through the white cookie dough.  I was reluctant to try these after reading the recipe and seeing that it used a white cake mix.  I have tried cake mix cookies before and have been less than impressed.  These, however, did not disappoint in the least.  They are pretty and taste great.  They have a strong vanilla flavor as you would expect with a white cake mix but I loved that.  I used white chocolate chips in mine but you can substitute macadamia nuts if you would prefer those.

1 White Cake Mix
1/4 C. Flour
1/4 C. Water
1/2 C. Oil
1 Egg
1/2 C. Craisins
1/2 C. White Chocolate Chips or Macadamia Nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together.  Fold in chocolate chips.  These cookies spread quite a bit so only put about a teaspoon of dough per cookie on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just barely browned. 

Snickers Cookies

I like to spread my Christmas baking out over several weeks so I don't feel pressure and stress about something that can be so much fun.  This year I am making only cookies.  I will be stacking the cookies and rolling them in Christmas cellophane to hand out to friends and neighbors.  We like to deliver our gifts during the first week of December before families start feeling grossed out by sweets so I am baking ahead and freezing the cookies to be ready to put everything together right after Thanksgiving.

Today I made two kinds of cookies.  This is the first one: Snickers Cookies and trust me when I tell you that you will love these.  It is a basic peanut butter cookie dough that is wrapped around a Snickers miniature.  Check out the picture at the bottom- I couldn't resist showing you the oozing caramel and chocolate inside the cracks of the cookies.  Yum...

1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 pkg. Snickers Miniatures (about 36)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine white sugar, brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Add egg and vanilla and mix.  Combine all dry ingredients and then mix into peanut butter mixture.  Using about a tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball then press a deep indentation into the dough with your thumb.  Place a snickers into the indentation and wrap the rest of the dough around the candy.  Roll around in your hands to get a good seal or the candy will melt and ooze out during baking.  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes.  (The cookies seemed very, very small to me so just before pulling them out of the oven I used my small spatula and pressed down on the tops of the cookies to spread them out a bit while they were still hot.)  Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes before removing to cooling rack or parchment paper. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I thought I didn't like Sweet and Sour until I tried this recipe.  I love that all the ingredients are in my refrigerator or pantry.  It is very good but be forewarned: this is a time consuming recipe.  You'll need to start at least 1 1/2 hours before you plan to eat. 

3 Chicken Breasts, thawed completely then cut into bite sized pieces
Salt and Pepper
1 C. Corn Starch
2 Eggs
1/4 C. Oil

Sauce:
3/4 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Vinegar
4 T. Ketchup
1 T. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

Measure cornstarch, salt and pepper into a gallon sized ziplock bag.  Crack the eggs into another gallon sized ziplock bag and mush them around to mix the yolks in.  Begin heating the oil in a large skillet.  Put the chicken pieces into the bag with the cornstarch in it.  Seal the bag and shake really well to completely coat the chicken.  Then dump the chicken pieces into the bag with the eggs and shake to coat.  Pour the contents of the bag into the hot skillet and cook stirring constantly until all pieces are separated and browned.  (They won't be cooked through.  Spray a cookie sheet or a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and transfer the chicken to prepared pan and spread out.  Mix together sauce ingredients and pour over top of chicken.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.  Serve over top of rice.  

German Apple Puffs

This is such a yummy breakfast recipe.  I got this from Beth almost a year ago and I had forgotten about it until yesterday.  My kids gobbled these up this morning.  I think it might be a Martha Stewart recipe but I can't remember for sure.  In any case, if you like German Pancakes you will love these.

4 T. Butter, plus more for greasing muffin tin
2-3 Apples, sliced very thin
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
2/3 C. Flour
5 T. Sugar, plus more for dusting
3/4 C. Milk
3 Eggs
Powdered Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease the muffin tin with butter then put a little bit of sugar in each cup.  Over the sink, move the pan around to coat the inside of each cup with sugar just like you would if you were flouring a cake pan.  In a small sauce pan, melt 2 T. of butter and add brown sugar, cinnamon and apples.  Cook apples 10 minutes.  Spoon apples evenly into muffin tin.  Melt the remaining butter in a mixing bowl and add flour, sugar, milk, and eggs.  Whisk well until smooth.  Use a measuring cup to fill each muffin cup just shy of the top.  Bake 15 minutes (They won't puff until the last 4-5 minutes of baking.  Remove from pan to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.  Serve right away.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Truthfully, casseroles are not my favorite.  They usually have creamed soup in them which I try to stay away from in my cooking and it just seems less interesting than other dinner possibilities.  That said, my family really, really loves this casserole and it is nice to have a simple, quick dinner once in a while so I continue to make this one.  I serve it with rice even though there is already a carb in the casserole.  You can also use this recipe for a thanksgiving left over recipe by putting turkey pieces on the bottom, spreading left over gravy over the turkey and topping it with left over stuffing.

2-3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded (I just put these in my crock pot frozen at about noon and cook on low for 5 hours)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 C. Milk
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning Salt
1 pkg. Chicken or Turkey flavored Stuffing
1/4 C. Butter
1/4 C. Water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread chicken over bottom of pan.  Sprinkle a little bit of seasoning salt over top.  Melt butter with 1/4 C. water in a small bowl.  Mix stuffing (bread crumbs and seasonings) into butter mixture until slightly moistened and set aside.  In a separate bowl mix soup, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  (I never measure these spices.  Just put a little bit of each in according to your family's tastes.) Pour soup mixture over top of chicken and spread evenly.  Sprinkle stuffing over the top and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes depending on how crunchy you want your topping to be.  

Pumpkin Pancakes

I had some pumpkin left over in my refrigerator so I went online to find a recipe to use it in.  I found this on allrecipes.com.  They were quite good and a nice change from usual pancakes.   

2 C. Flour
3 T. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. All Spice
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 C. Milk
1 C. Pumpkin
1 Egg
2 T. Oil
2 T. Vinegar

In a mixing bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, vinegar, oil and egg.  (I'm sure the vinegar is added to sour the milk.  Sour milk, buttermilk and sour cream make pancakes really moist.  If you have buttermilk in your fridge you can just substitute that for the vinegar and milk.)  Mix well then add all dry ingredients.  Mix until smooth.  Use a 1/4 C. measuring cup to drop batter onto hot skillet and then spread around into a wider circle using the measuring cup or the back of a spoon.  If you don't spread it a little thinner there will be uncooked batter in the middle when you cut into your pancakes.  Cook for a few minutes on each side until well browned.  Serve with maple syrup.  These would also be good with the apple syrup I posted yesterday.  This recipe said it makes 12 pancakes but it made 18 for me.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Our 50th post and it's only been a month and a half!  That is a lot of great recipes.  This waffle recipe is from my Great Aunt Jean.  I love that it has whole wheat and oatmeal in it.  We usually serve this with apple syrup (which is SO good) but I didn't have any apple juice on hand today so we used regular maple. 

1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1 C. Quick Oats
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 C. Milk
6 T. Butter or Margarine, melted
2 T. Brown Sugar

Mix all ingredients together and make your waffles. (Complex directions, I know.)

Apple Syrup
2 C. Apple Juice
1 C. Sugar
2 T. Corn Starch
2 T. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 T. Butter or Margarine

Combine the juice, pumpkin pie spice and sugar in a saucepan.  Heat to boiling.  Combine lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until smooth.  Add to juice mixture and boil while stirring for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add the butter.  Stir until butter is melted.

Authentic Bolognese Sauce

It's no secret by now, I LOVE Italian food.  Me and Pasta were made for each other and I have no shortage of pasta recipes I enjoy making for my family.  Of all that I have tried I have five favorite pasta recipes and this is one of them.  It is my favorite recipe for a traditional spaghetti meat sauce.  Amazingly, it has no spices in it.  That might seem odd to you, as it did to me the first time I made it.  But give it a try.  I don't think it is possible for anyone not to love this pasta.

1/2 lb. Ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 T. Dried Parsley
2 T. Olive Oil
1 14oz. Can Tomatoes, pureed in a blender
1 Can Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 lb. Box Pasta

Use a food processor to chop up all the vegetables.  Heat oil in a skillet and add onion, celery, and carrot.  Saute until onions are transparent.  Add garlic and meat. Cook until browned.  Pour in pureed tomatoes then add parsley, salt and pepper.  Simmer on medium low heat 1 hour uncovered, adding a little bit of chicken broth every 10-15 minutes until you have used the entire can.  If simmering your sauce is creating a mess you can put the lid on tilted so the moisture can still escape and allow your sauce to thicken.  Pour sauce over cooked pasta and grate fresh parmesan cheese over top.

Applesauce Muffins

I make these muffins all the time.  They are my kids all time favorite.  I think that is because of the cinnamon and sugar on top.  Easy and delicious, this is a recipe I can throw together in the morning really quick before getting kids out the door for school.  I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Julie.  I owe her big for this one.

2 C. Bisquick 
1/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 C. Applesauce
1/4 C. Cold Milk
2 T. Oil
1 Egg

Combine all ingredients and stir well.  Grease or line a 12 cup muffin tin and pour batter into cups.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.  When muffins are done remove from oven, melt 1/4 C. butter or margarine and mix together 1/2 C. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Dip tops of muffins in butter, then in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Homemade Chili

The last time I tried chili out on my kids they called it cruel and unusual punishment and asked me to promise to never subject them to that kind of torture again.  That was at least a year ago so I thought that I would give it another try and I am so glad I did.  I think one of the tricks to getting kids to eat chili is to make it ultra mild but I can't make chili without a little bit of a kick so I added red pepper flakes, just a few.  Everyone loved it, especially with the bread sticks.  This is hands down the best chili I have ever made. 

2 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. hamburger
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained

1 bottle of tomato juice (or 32 oz. canned)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 C. ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 T. brown sugar
1/8-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Brown the hamburger with the onion, celery and carrots in a medium sized pot.  Add beans, tomato juice, tomato sauce, ketchup and bay leaves.  Stir well.  Add all spices and sugar.  Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour on medium low heat.  If the chili is too thick for your taste, add 1/2 C. water.  Serve with cheese over top.  Makes 8 servings.

Bones and Broomsticks

For Halloween we had a spooky dinner of homemade Chili and these bread sticks.  Mom gave me the idea for the witches brooms and the kids LOVED them.  This is my very favorite white bread recipe.  I use it for everything- sweet rolls, french bread, loaves of bread, rolls, and bread sticks (obviously).  I have used 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat flour and it worked great.  I think the first time I tried this recipe I was in high school.  It is a recipe from a family friend, Lori Heathcote.  She says it is an award winning cook off recipe.  I believe it!

2 T. Yeast
1/2 C. Warm Water
2 C. Hot Water
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Salt
1/4 C. Oil
6 C. Flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Combine hot water, salt, oil and flour.  Add yeast mixture then knead aggressively or beat on medium speed in an upright mixer for at least one full minute to get the gluten working in the dough.  This will help the dough rise better.  Let dough rise, covered with a dry dish cloth for 1 hour.  Divide dough into two loaves or shape into rolls/bread sticks.  Let rise for an additional 30 minutes.  Bake loaves at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until light brown on top or, for rolls and bread sticks, bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown then brush tops with butter.