Paula's Bread

Chicken Taco Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:12:00 +0000

3 large boneless chicken breast (precook and shred*)
1 medium onion chopped
2 16 oz. can black beans
2 16 oz. can kidney beans
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 15 oz. can tomato w/ chilies
2 10 oz. packages frozen cut corn
2 Tbs. taco seasoning
1 Tbs. cumin
1 Tbs. chili powder

Combine beans, onion, shredded cooked chicken, tomato sauces, and spices. You can cook it in a crock pot for 6 hours OR simply heat in stock pot, which is what I did.

This is such an easy meal and taste oh so good! It really doesn't taste like chili though that is the name of the recipe given to me by a friend. It is more like a taco filling that just begs for you to get a second helping...third helping.

I did use the canned beans but you could use dry beans and cook them slow cook them in a crock with this recipe. You could put the dried beans with 3 cups of water per cup of beans in the crock put and let all these great ingredients slow cook together. I haven't tried this idea but I am sure it would work. Maybe one of you brave souls will try this method and let us all know! :)

For the fast and easy...the cans work and dinner is ready in a flash! Enjoy!

Green Country Home and Garden Show

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:12:00 +0000

If you are local to the Tulsa, OK vicinity, this will be a great opportunity to see all the 'wares' of Paula's Bread displayed! We will be at the Green Country Home and Garden show at the Fair Grounds. We not only have the 'goods' displayed but will even be making bread in the booth. You will be able smell and taste great fresh bread right there at our booth.

Will love to visit with you and answer 'live' any of your questions. Even if you don't have questions, come by and sit a spell! I really consider you all friends not customers. :)

Hope to see you there.

Biscuit Variations!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

This is another simple technique to completely change your basic biscuit recipe and add pizazz to the meal. Since I have featured different soups this month, it was only natural to change the breads with the soup without a lot of fuss!

Here is the Basic Biscuit Recipe:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used the L'Equip flour sifter to make great flour!)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. butter
1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into flour mixture. Slowly add milk till dough forms.

Simply roll out into rectangle about 1/2" thick. Cut with biscuit cutter. Bake 375 degrees for 10 min. or until golden brown.

Now for the variations:

Cheese Onion Biscuits
Fold into the biscuit dough:
1 small onion chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bake as directed above.

Apple Cinnamon Biscuits

Add 1 Tbls honey to biscuit dough.

Knead in:
1/2 fresh apple chopped finely
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Follow baking instructions above.

Note from Paula: Apple/cinnamon biscuits are a great sweet treat for morning breakfasts or a tea time biscuit! Yum!

Chicken n' Dumplins with Whole wheat flour!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

This was another recipe shared with my by one of my daughters of love. It is so nice to have other cooks with creative ideas.

In fact, let me digress for a moment. We are Dave Ramsey fans/followers. In one session with the seminar, it was mentioned that the average person has 24 basic recipes that they fix over and over and over. I thought to myself at the time, that couldn't be true and I must be above average!! lol Well, I did an inventory of my normal main meals and I came up with 15! Yikes! Did I eat humble pie?!

This blog has been a meal stretcher for me to discover how many fun things there are to fix out there and get out of my rut in meal planning. Having extra cooks with other meal plan ideas has certainly helped expand my horizons. I hope these recipe/blog ideas I share with you have helped you to break out of your meal plan rut.

Really it just having someone go before you that helps to break ruts in all parts of our life...

Okay, back to Chicken and Dumplings! :)

Boil
4-5 large boneless chicken breast in 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken broth
2 cups finely sliced carrots *(easily done with the Bosch Slicer/Shredder)
2 cups finely diced celery
1 medium finely diced onion

Once chicken is cooked, remove from pan and shred in Bosch Mixer with the gourmet whips (Click here.) Add shredded chicken back to chicken broth and vegetables.

Meanwhile mix dry ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. butter
1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into flour mixture. Slowly add milk till dough forms.

A strong pastry blender is a great kitchen tool to include amongst your 'kitchen gadgets.' (click here!)

Drop by teaspoonful into boiling broth. Cook 15 minutes.

So here is how your Bosch Universal Mixer becomes your universal kitchen tool. Add the accessories and you can do all kinds of kitchen work! Let your bosch mixer do the work!!

I sliced the carrots in seconds!

Southwest Chicken Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Okay, I feel a little guilty eating this soup as it is on the rich side but oh so good. It is not only really good but gives a bite if you double up the peppers! One of my sweet daughter in law's treated our family with with soup and now it is a family staple soup for us!

1 large onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove minced (fresh garlic sets this off!)
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup*
2 cups cubed or shredded chicken
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained
2 cans cream style corn (14 oz.)
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Step one: Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.

Step two: Stir in broth, soup, chicken, and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in corn, 1/2 n 1/2, chili powder and cumin. Heat through but don't boil.

Garnish with shredded cheese and chopped cilantro

*Anytime you have a can cream soup, you can adapt this with a white sauce and adding a natural flavoring. I have a natural powder chicken gravy mix I got at the health food store. I simply add 2 tbs. of the powder chicken gravy mix to the white sauce.

Note from Paula: I double this recipe as we eat it so fast. You can also garnish this soup with tortilla chips. It is a great Mexican soup!

Remember, you can make this recipe fast and easy with your Bosch Universal Mixer! Simply pull out your gourmet whips (Click here!) You can shred your hot chicken skinless breast in seconds! So easy and makes your Bosch Mixer your perfect kitchen tool!

Blueberry Cheescake!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Okay, I have eaten lots of nutritional soup and decided it was time to have some dessert. Enough of the putting aside the rich food. :) I adapted this recipe from Kraft Philadelphia Cookbook to make it on the healthier side!

This is a to die for cheesecake. I love cheesecake and I love blueberries so this cheesecake recipe hit the spot. It is rich but the fruit makes me not feel so bad when indulging. lol

First the crust:
Graham cracker crumbs (4 cups)
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbs melted butter
Note from Paula: I use the Bosch blender to turn graham crackers into fine crumbs. You can also use the Bosch Food processor to make the crackers into fine crumbs.

Now for the good stuff...the filling!
32 oz. cream cheese (yup, this is rich!)
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
4 fresh eggs
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, honey and butter. Press firmly in a 9x13 greased pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Beat cream cheese and sour cream together. The Bosch gourmet wire whips whip this up so fast! This is a good time to use the Bowl Scraper (click here) Add the raw sugar. When incorporated, add the eggs: one at a time. Pour over the crust.

Now for the fruit! Puree the blueberries in your Bosch blender. Spoonful the blueberries over the cheesecake then cut through the batter with a knife. This will give the marble affect.

Bake 45 minutes or until the center is set. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Unfortunately, we forgot to set the timer and the cheesecake was over done. However, it didn't thwart us from eating it all! If there is left over cheesecake, it will keep nicely. We devoured ours in minutes...it was almost a vacuum affect as we all devoured this delectable dessert. You are going to love it. :)

Cash in on the Coupon!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

As promised for my bloggers and face book followers, I have a coupon for you to use this month of January with a Stainless Steel purchase! With a $25 purchase, you save $5!

Simply use the code: Stainless Steel

The beauty of stainless steel bake ware is that it is a life time pan. This is my words and not a warranty from the company. Let me explain. My stainless steel bake ware though 22+ years old still looks like the day I bought them! They don't break like stoneware and glass and they don't rust like aluminum pans. Do I sound like I LOVE my stainless steel pans?! You are sooo right. They are wonderful.

I really like the stainless steel pizza pan as I use it not only for pizzas but as a beautiful serving tray. It makes a great presentation for cinnamon rolls, sweet bread wreaths, etc.

Here I made a sweet roll wreath using the pizza pan...wonderful presentation!

I think it is a no-brainer that I use the stainless steel bread pans. :) They stack so nicely and don't take up the shelf space as glass and stoneware bread pans do.

I guess I could go on and on about each stainless steel bake ware that I sell. As you follow my blog or face book, you will see the stainless steel pans used throughout all the pics. They are a great kitchen tool and accessory!

There are lots of great pans to choose from so check them out at my web site:
(CLICK HERE!)

Whole Wheat Popovers

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:10:00 +0000

from Soups & Muffins by Sue Gregg* (Click here)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients in your Bosch Blender. Pour batter into your greased stainless steel muffin pan (Click here). Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full.

Bake 450 degrees for 15 minutes THEN lower oven temp to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 12.

Note from Paula: These are great to eat with your soups and stews and fun because they puff up. They are light and fluffy! Serve them immediately for best results as they begin to fall with time.

*I can adjust the shipping charges on the cookbook by mailing it media mail. Let me know if you are interested in this cookbook or others via email: paulasbread@gmail.com

More thoughts about the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Okay I won't be on this topic for all of 2012 but have too many thoughts rolling around my mind to not pass it on to hopefully bless you my friends like this has blessed me.

This was sent to me by a friend. Very profound way to think about this coming year! We have been blessed with life to live for Him. Embrace this year and run the race!

"We manage time; we waste time. We spend time; we save time. We wish the time would come; we wish the time would pass. We see time fly; we feel time drag. We watch clocks and carry calendars, creating the illusion that we somehow control time, yet all the while moments flow forward like a mighty river that cannot be stopped, harnessed, or re-routed.

Yet, God controls time. He created time and we, his creations, are fenced by his time, directed and guided by his holy and loving hand. The year 2012 is a gift of time from God.

How will you use it? What do you think God wants you to do with the 365 days of this next year?"

I promise my next posts will be more food related! :)

Barley Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Barley Biscuits
from Natural Nine Cookbook
3 cups barley flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
4 Tbs butter (softened)
1 cup buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients in your Bosch mixer. Add butter and mix till mixture has a cornmeal texture. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Roll out on barley floured counter to 1/2 " thickness.
Bake 375 degrees for 5 minutes or until lightly brown.
Makes 1 dozen

Note from Paula: These don't rise well but do meet the need to be completely gluten free. You can change the flour to 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup barley. Unfortunately, the biscuits will no longer be gluten-free. The whole wheat flour adds spring to the biscuits.

New Year Resolutions Stay intact?

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I have had some real soul searching for the year 2012. I was challenged with this question:

"Am I the same person that I ended 2010 as I am when I ended 2011? Do I want to be the same person I am right now when I end 2012? Do I have a game plan to make a change?"

Those are really weighty questions. Our Sunday school teacher posed three examples to consider for 2012.

First, an Asian New Year tradition for his Cambodian descendants was to sweep the house then casting the dirt in the dust pan out of the house. This was a symbolic action to rid your life of the 'dirt' of the old year as you look to the new year. We were challenged to evaluate the passing year and examine the 'dirt' we had accumulated in our heart. To purge those old habits and purpose to keep the old habits just that old, discards of the past.

Second, Moses had died as well as a complete generation before crossing the Jordan River to the promise land (Joshua 1:1). The point was not the physical death of someone but the death of our old life/old habits and to cross to the new year with a fresh walk with Jesus. To cross to the promise land there had to be laying aside of the old ways. So...I am challenged to review 2011 to purge myself of the baggage and cross over/move to a fresh new 2012.

Third, don't look through the binoculars of 2011 with all its baggage into 2012. You will find yourself bringing the junk into the new year.

I was challenged to not only get rid of the 'dirt' of 2011 but to wisely consider the good habits/character of 2011 and embrace those character traits to take with me into the new year.

If we don't learn from history, we will repeat it..the good and the bad. I am choosing to make a change for the better for 2012. We have 366 days this year (this is leap year) to make a difference. AW Tozer made a profound statement, "The devil loves it when we say we believe then prioritize everything in our lives ahead of God." So, I am wanting to make changes in priorities that will reflect this desire to make 2012 a delight to God.

I am up for the challenge to make this year to repeat history of the good. How about you? :)

Blender Potato Soup!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:31:00 +0000

So is your stomach reeling from all the rich food from this past two months? Mine is. We have a dessert bar station for the entire month of December. In fact, the last cookies are still there along with multiple crumbs. I feel sick even looking at the bar!

It is time for soothing soup which really hit the spot for our family who have had way too much rich food.

This soup is so easy...yes, there is that word again! This is my middle name when it comes to cooking, "easy!" I guess this is my mantra for life as I also have the standard for any dish that comes into our home, "if it doesn't go in the dishwasher, it doesn't stay in my home!" Okay, I have digressed from my post about yummy Potato Soup.

6 large baked potatoes (bake these ahead; peel)
3 medium onions chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped (about 10 green onions)
1 stick butter
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2

Bake the potatoes and cool/peel. Saute onion/green onions in butter. Add chicken broth and nutmeg. Add cut cooked potatoes. Blend liquid ingredients in your Bosch blender.

Return to the stock pot. Add 1/2 and 1/2 gradually and re-heat. It can easily burn so you are only needing to heat the soup.

Garnish with shredded cheese and a dab of sour cream.

Cranberry Rugalach Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:18:00 +0000

Okay, one more fling for desserts before I start my diet!! This was a wonderful cookie we made for our holiday occasions but it is a beautiful tea time cookie that you might want to keep in your back mind for the unusual cookie style that will go great with a Coffee Social or Tea Party.

Cranberry Rugalach Cookies
adapted from Taste of Homes magazine

1 cup butter softened
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 3/4 cup soft wheat flour (sifted with Bosch sifter: click here!)
1 tsp salt

Filling:
3/4 cup raw sugar
2/3 cup dried cranberries (finely chopped)
1/2 cup walnuts (finely chopped and roasted)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 egg beaten

In Bosch mixer: cream butter, cream cheese and sugar till fluffy. Will only take seconds! Combine flour and salt and gradually add to creamed mixture. The Bosch bowl scrapers (click here!) come in very handy with this small amount of dough.

Switch to the dough hooks and knead for 3 minutes. Divide dough into eight portions. Roll each portion into a flat 4" circle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After refrigeration, roll the dough circles into 8" circles. Add 3 Tbls of filling within 1/2" of edges. Cut into eight wedges.

Roll up wedges from the wide end and place point side down 2" apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Curve the ends down to form a crescent shape. Brush with egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake 350 degrees fro 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Happy New Year!!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Hoping this New Year finds you seeking the Lord and seeing Him throughout your year! Looking forward to sharing and hearing from you my friends. We will have new adventures together in the cooking realm. Get ready here we come 2012!

Quick Spinach/Aritchok dip for New Years Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Here is a quick dip to make in 30 minutes that will be a great crowd pleaser. I am always looking for a new recipe for our party occasions but so bummed when it takes so long to prepare.

This dip was whipped up in my Bosch mixer in seconds! I put the creamed mixture in my stainless steel square pan (click here!) which gave it a beautiful presentation; baked it for 20 minutes and had great dip for our crackers.

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 can artichoke hearts chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese grated (fresh is best!)
1 cup drained spinach (I used frozen)

Mix in your Bosch mixer with the gourmet whisks. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated.

Serve with crackers....YUM!

Note from Paula: Remember to pull out your Bosch mixer to do all your mixing chores. I could have mixed this by hand, but why? My bosch did the work and it mixed so well that it enhanced the dip by having the flavors so evenly distributed. Did I tell you that I love my Bosch mixer?! :)

End of the Year Sale Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Just a heads up with the Christmas Sale ending December 31st. I have just gotten notice there will be price increases the first of the year.

Catch the Year End SALE!!

You can get the Bosch Universal for only $399.99!!
Get the bowl scraper ($29.99; click here!), a choice between the batter whisks OR Sensible Cooking Cookbook, and a Bread Making DVD ALL FREE!!!

You also have the option to purchase the Bosch Universal Food Processor for only $49.99 (regularly $104.99!) This is a $55 savings!

Check my web site: www.paulasbread.com to make your kitchen the perfect working machine for you as a cook.

Family Toffee

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:18:00 +0000

This is my mother's family recipe that has been a tradition for over 50 years! We love it and get to enjoy it only at Christmas and New Year's. It has sugar but we decided we only do it once a year so we close our eyes and eat away! :)

2 sticks margarine (You can use butter but it will bubble and cause the toffee to have air bubbles, which will make the presentation not as pretty.
1 cup sugar
3 T cold water
8 oz. blanched raw almonds

Topping:
2/3 cup German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Boil and stir constantly till it reaches an amber color. As soon as it boils, add the raw/blanched almonds. When almonds pop like popcorn would, it is done!

Pour onto wax paper or parchment paper. While it is still hot, pour heated German sweet chocolate over the toffee and top with chopped walnuts.

When cooled, break into bite size pieces.

Merry Christmas!!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Wishing you a wonderful CHRISTmas!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11 KJV

Sweet Corn Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Here is a new vegetable to add to your Christmas dinner. My sister-in-law is always trying new recipes at Thanksgiving and this year was no exception. We always have a variety of vegetables to make the complete holiday feast.

Christmas is a time for a traditional dinner as well. Here is a fix ahead wonderful corn vegetable side dish. Wow! That was a mouthful...or sentence full! It was really good and real hit. The best part of this side dish was the prep was done the day before which saves TIME...that is what we are all trying to redeem!

So here's to ease on Christmas dinner. I hope you enjoy.

1 stick butter
1 medium onion chopped (Bosch food processor very handy for this!
2 large garlic cloves minced
36 oz frozen corn kernels (about 9 cups)
1/4 cup whole white wheat flour
1 qt heavy cream
6 Tb uncooked grits
3 Tbs minced chile peppers
9 eggs (beaten)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Step one: Melt butter. Add onion, garlic and cook 3 min. Add corn and cook; stirring for 3-5 min. Add whole wheat flour and stir for 1 minute. Stir in cream.

Note from Paula:Use a wire whip to blend the flour and 1/2 cream. Then pour remaining cream & beaten eggs till all smoothly blended. Then add corn.

Step Two: Continue to stir until mixture comes to a boil about 15 min. Add grits and remove from heat. Stir in chili peppers and salt.

Step Three: Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 425 degrees until center puffs and top turns golden brown. 25-30 min.

Perfect Cranberry Punch for your Christmas/New Year's

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Okay...the word is EASY!! That is my middle name. This is a fun and EASY punch to make for your festive parties. It has such a great presentation and looks so festive and fun for your party.

Cranberry Punch
1 gallon cranberry juice
1 2-liter Sprite*
1 orange (sliced)
1/2 cup xagave** (click here)
24 oz. whole cranberries(this is only for looks, so you can do more or less!)

Simply pour all the ingredients together! I would suggest preparing this early so that the oranges have a time to soak into the juice to enhance the flavor. You can wait the Sprite till the end so that you still have the fizz.

*For a more healthy punch, don't use Sprite but use apple juice.

**You an substitute the Xagave for honey but realize you will taste the honey in the punch. This isn't a bad thing but sometimes people don't want the honey taste.

Christmas Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:06:00 +0000

Christmas Pie made simple!
You can spruce up any occasion simply by making a fancy pie topper. If you are like me, you have seen the beautiful pies and count yourself out because you don't have the know-how or patience to create those beautiful masterpieces. Well...help is here! I have 4 types of pie toppers (apple, hearts, lattice, and Christmas trees) that can make those blue ribbon pies!

The new pie topper I have is perfect for Christmas! So how do they work?

Roll your pie dough between wax paper. Peel off the top wax paper.

2. Put the pie top cutter with the flat side down. Place the pie dough on top of the cutter.

3. Roll over the dough/pie cutter three to four times.

4. Place over pie and flute the edges.

Voila! you have a blue ribbon pie.

Note from Paula: I can adjust the shipping cost on the kitchen gadgets, so let me know if you want to add this pie topper to your kitchen accessories!

And the winner is.....

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:17:00 +0000

We have a winner of the Nutri Mill give away!
Brandy
Sneads Ferry, NC

Thank you all for participating. Don't despair in not winning this round. My New Year's resolution is to periodically do give-aways on my blog/face book! There will also be different coupons and other extras throughout the year. Stay connected and don't miss out on the surprises in the coming new year.

If you didn't win the Nutri Mill, you can still win by buying/owning a Nutri Mill. The mill will enhance all your baked goods because the nutrients will be in the fresh flour!

In 1985,a year after I had been making bread with my new fangled bosch mixer, my hubby suggested we should start milling our own flour. I replied, "Why would I want to mill my own flour?" I thought it very odd thing to do. Now, 26 years later, I am still milling away and couldn't imagine using store bought flour!

You will love the Nutri Grain Mill as our family does. Happy baking, especially during this holiday season!

Christmas Peppermint Biscotti!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:53:00 +0000

This is the perfect Christmas season biscotti. Well actually, it would be good anytime but it fits for the Christmas season! I know I am sort of stuck on biscotti but we have had lots of company; its cold; and coffee is the perfect warm drink. Having a festive biscotti with your coffee is fun. However, this biscotti is so good that many will enjoy it as a shortbread type cookie. With the crushed peppermints on the top, it makes a great Christmas type dessert.

For those who are wanting only natural ingredients...I did cheat using peppermint BUT it is made with whole wheat flour, raw sugar and butter. I can't encourage you enough to consider the Bosch flour sifter as an accessory for your Bosch Universal Mixer. The Flour Sifter takes all the bran out of the whole wheat flour which you can use in other recipes later. This finely sifted flour

Peppermint Biscotti
based from "Taste of Home". I did some tweaking! So here is my 'recipe.' :)

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup raw sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp peppermint extract
3 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup crushed peppermints candies

FROSTING (optional! The frosting makes it beautiful but this biscotti tastes much like a peppermint shortbread....so good and can stand alone!)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions
In a large Bosch Mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar. The Bosch scraper really came in handy with this stage! (Click Here!) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in peppermint candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff). It would be good to switch to the Bosch dough hook at this point since the dough is so stiff.

Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Frosting:
Melt chocolate chips. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with candy. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

Before I mixed my flour in, I sifted my flour with the Bosch flour sifter. I can't tell you how soft and cake flour like this whole wheat flour becomes when sifted. We saved the bran for another baking day. The Bosch flour sifter makes all your pastry goods wonderful!! (Click here!)

Nutri Mill Give Away...Last Day to Enter!!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Nutri Mill Christmas Give Away!

You can enter to win a FREE
L'Equip Nutri Grain Mill!

Entry Dates: November 28-December 12

There are 4 ways to enter to win:

1. Join Paula's Bread blog. Leave a comment here you are now a follower.

2. Like Paula's Bread FACEBOOK. Leave a comment that you now 'like' Like us on Facebook. Be sure to comment that you 'liked' Paula's Bread facebook! (Click Here)

3. Sign up for my newsletter and check back with the blog to post that you did! (Click Here!)

4. Enter a testimony on my service or the products. For those who are already blog followers, already like facebook, already get the newsletter. Simply post comment here on Paula's Bread Blog OR send the the testimony in an email to me: "Contact Me"

Thanks for being great customers....really my friends!

Be sure to stay connected as I will run other give-aways and coupons on my blog/facebook.

Results of Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Paula's Bread) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:15:00 +0000

So in my November newsletter, I mentioned the book, "365 Thank You" by John Dralik. Again, I have not read the book but only read an article about the book in a Guidepost magazine while sitting at the dentist office. The book was about an author who by his own admission was wallowing in self-pity by all the hard knocks life had thrown him. His New Year's resolution was to write a thank you note to a different person every day for the entire year!

With this inspiration, In keeping with the theme of November being thankful, I decided to write a different person a thank you note each day for the entire month. First, to my surprise, it is really hard to write EVERY day! I send huge kudos to the author for sticking it out for a full 365 days. It is not that I am not grateful for all who have invested in my life but I wanted to write meaningful thank yous to each and it takes mental energy and time. I seem to be lacking in both! :)

With that said, I charged on. Another hurdle I found was thinking about who I was to write too. I asked God who He knew that I needed to show my gratefulness too. Who were the people of my past that had helped to mold me? Who did I need to in my heart and pen acknowledge my gratefulness too? This ended up an exciting time in my life. God brought to mind several people to me who had been instrumental to my life from even 30 years ago! A former Sunday school teacher, a mentor, a pediatrician to my children...just to name a few. I was blessed just writing them.

I didn't hear back from all and that wasn't my purpose. In fact, a funny on one...she apologized for not getting me a thank you note for sending her a thank you note! I told her not to worry that she had no need to thank me as she had blessed my life and that was more than enough.

Two replies from those I wrote stick out in my mind. I ran into one of the gals I sent one of my first thank you notes too, and it was moving for both of us. She came with tears in her eyes and a hug. She thanked me for letting her know she had impacted my life and told me how encouraged she was that her life was counting! The next was a Sunday school teacher from 30 years ago. He wrote back, "Your note has been fuel in our spiritual tanks!"

I am encouraged to continue writing thank yous. Not with the goal of daily, as I think I would go bonkers with my little brain, but perhaps sending them more often. God's Word is so true, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (Proverbs 25:11 KJV) We need to press on in saying/writing more fitly spoken words because who would not need some gold or silver right now!

I know I am supposed to tell you, as a Bosch distributor, the best Christmas gift is a Bosch Universal Mixer or perhaps the Nutri Mill grain grinder, but you know really a great Christmas gift would be to wrap a letter stating your gratefulness to individuals. Just a thought to throw out there.

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones." Prov. 16:24 KJV

I hope you all see Jesus during this Christmas season and are blessed.