There's a reason grilled cheese sandwiches are a classic. Crispy and buttery outside, rich and melted inside......how can this budget pleaser go wrong? Vegetarians everywhere who eat dairy are cheering!
I use homemade bread for these but a store bought loaf will do.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
8 slices bread
8 slices cheese, either American or Cheddar
1 TB butter.
Start heating up a fry pan or griddle over medium high heat.
Melt butter on pan.
Place 4 slices bread on pan.
Layer 2 slices of cheese on each slice of bread.
Top with second slice of bread.
Fry on one side until crisp and golden, then flip.
Fry second side until crisp and golden.
Serve with carrots sticks and sliced apples.
Variations
Add a slice of ham or turkey.
Spread Mustard on bread before cheese goes on.
Thin slices of apple sandwiched in with the cheese(my fave).
Thin slices of tomato added with the cheese on mayo.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies
I make peanut butter cookies for the kids on Thanksgiving. They don't like pies and can carry them around while they are playing. Who doesn't like cookies?
I've been on the healthy eating bandwagon lately. The argument I hear most is the 'I don't have the time or money' excuse. I usually come back with the fact that a lot of little changes will make a big difference. So I have been tweaking some of my traditional favorites. Here's a new version of my Thanksgiving peanut butter cookies. The kids loved them and I had to slap away a few adult hands as well.
Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup (non transfat please) margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch cinnamon
pinch salt
1 1/4 cup quick rolled oats ( not steel cut)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the sugar, peanut butter, and margarine until smooth.
Add egg, soda, salt and cinnamon.
Stir in the oats and the flour. The dough will be thick.
Drop by spoonsful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Let cool. Makes about 2 dozen depending on how big they are.
I've been on the healthy eating bandwagon lately. The argument I hear most is the 'I don't have the time or money' excuse. I usually come back with the fact that a lot of little changes will make a big difference. So I have been tweaking some of my traditional favorites. Here's a new version of my Thanksgiving peanut butter cookies. The kids loved them and I had to slap away a few adult hands as well.
Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup (non transfat please) margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch cinnamon
pinch salt
1 1/4 cup quick rolled oats ( not steel cut)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the sugar, peanut butter, and margarine until smooth.
Add egg, soda, salt and cinnamon.
Stir in the oats and the flour. The dough will be thick.
Drop by spoonsful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Let cool. Makes about 2 dozen depending on how big they are.
Basic Bread and French Toast Sticks
My local bakery thrift store closed on Wednesday. It saddens me for a few reasons and even makes me angry to see the employees I have known for many years lose their jobs a few weeks before Christmas and the day before Thanksgiving.
I'm digging out some bread recipes to try to keep my budget from being totally destroyed. Here's a couple basics that are tried and true in my house.
White Sandwich Bread
3 cups AP flour
2 Tsp active dry yeast
2 Tb sugar
pinch salt
2 Tb butter
1 1/4 hot water
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot water and let sit while you get the rest together.
Put flour and salt into large mixing bowl. Add butter, which you have cut into little pieces. Dump in the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms.
Sprinkle some flour on a counter or table top. Knead the bread dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. On humid days I find the dough a little sticky, just knead in a bit more flour until its workable.
Shape into your preferred loaf shape and place in a pan( I make a traditional egg shape and put on a flat 1/4 sheet pan).You can use a standard loaf pan if you prefer.
Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes for a nice crusty outside.
Let cool on a cooling rack before slicing or you will have a mess. I use an electric knife for easy even slices.
Makes 1 standard sandwich loaf, about 1 1/2 lb
Note: for electric breadmakers put your ingredients in your maker in the order specified by the manufacturer. For my maker its the water mixture followed by the flour and salt topped with the butter.
French Toast
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
6 slices slightly stale bread
optional: maple syrup, jelly, whipped cream and berries
Whisk together all ingredients but the bread and optional ingredients. I cut my bread pieces into thirds to make french toast sticks for the kids. Soak bread in the milk mixture for a few minutes while your griddle or frying pan heats up. I put the bread in a ziptop bag and pour the egg mixture over it. Close the bag and let it sit on the counter. Turn it over after a minute or two.
I use a pat of butter or a dollop of canola oil to grease my pan which I have heated to medium high. Fry your bread slices until nice and golden on both sides.
I heat up a bit of strawberry jam on the stove until its melted then use that for syrup usually. Maple syrup is awesome also, though very pricey here. Be creative!
I'm digging out some bread recipes to try to keep my budget from being totally destroyed. Here's a couple basics that are tried and true in my house.
White Sandwich Bread
3 cups AP flour
2 Tsp active dry yeast
2 Tb sugar
pinch salt
2 Tb butter
1 1/4 hot water
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot water and let sit while you get the rest together.
Put flour and salt into large mixing bowl. Add butter, which you have cut into little pieces. Dump in the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms.
Sprinkle some flour on a counter or table top. Knead the bread dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. On humid days I find the dough a little sticky, just knead in a bit more flour until its workable.
Shape into your preferred loaf shape and place in a pan( I make a traditional egg shape and put on a flat 1/4 sheet pan).You can use a standard loaf pan if you prefer.
Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes for a nice crusty outside.
Let cool on a cooling rack before slicing or you will have a mess. I use an electric knife for easy even slices.
Makes 1 standard sandwich loaf, about 1 1/2 lb
Note: for electric breadmakers put your ingredients in your maker in the order specified by the manufacturer. For my maker its the water mixture followed by the flour and salt topped with the butter.
French Toast
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
6 slices slightly stale bread
optional: maple syrup, jelly, whipped cream and berries
Whisk together all ingredients but the bread and optional ingredients. I cut my bread pieces into thirds to make french toast sticks for the kids. Soak bread in the milk mixture for a few minutes while your griddle or frying pan heats up. I put the bread in a ziptop bag and pour the egg mixture over it. Close the bag and let it sit on the counter. Turn it over after a minute or two.
I use a pat of butter or a dollop of canola oil to grease my pan which I have heated to medium high. Fry your bread slices until nice and golden on both sides.
I heat up a bit of strawberry jam on the stove until its melted then use that for syrup usually. Maple syrup is awesome also, though very pricey here. Be creative!
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