Cheese Crisp Crackers & Pork Party Snack

An easy recipe to go with the drinks for New Year's.

Cheese Crisp Crackers
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne to taste

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the cheese and cayenne and mix until well-combined. Stir in the flour and mix until it comes together in a ball. Chill for two hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use vegetable oil spray.

Form dough into approximately one-inch balls. A cookie scoop comes in handy here! Place on prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Pork Party Snacks
1 pound spicy/hot pork sausage
2 cups Bisquick or biscuit mix
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or use vegetable oil spray.

Mix all the ingredients together to thoroughly combine. Form into approximately one-inch balls and bake for about 30 minutes.

Beating the Budget with your own snacks . . .

My children like those boxed, cheese crackers that are more salt than cheese to me. I've found the best way to 'regulate' their eating habits is to let them have what they want . . . as long as I make them. Besides, most families would feel special if they got a better quality treat that Mom took the time to make for them. And, you control the sodium and the budget at the same time!

Cheese Crackers

4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small bits
4 tablespoons grated, sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (you can reduce this if you wish)
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water

Combine everything except the egg and water in a large mixing bowl. Mix them with a fork or your fingers until the ingredients look lilke coarse meal. Combine the egg yolk and cold water in a small bowl and mix well. Pour over the flour mixture and, using a fork, mix gently until it forms a dough. Form into a ball and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees.

Roll out the dough on a large, floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Now, you can cut the dough into strips for cheese straws or using small cutters to form cracker shapes. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes but keep a close eye as you want them lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool. No, go forth and impress!

Ideas . . .
Brush tops of unbaked crackers with some beaten egg white and sprinkle with either sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse sea salt. Pepper flakes would make them extra spicy and hot.

Homemade Granola

I remember when granola first made an appearance in my neck of the woods. These days, it shows up everywhere but is often a bit expensive. Although the ingredients for making your own might seem a tad pricy, remember that it goes a long way and you will know exactly what went into your creation. Your family can also have their input into the end result so you have some assurance that they will actually eat it.

Homemade Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, shelled
1/2 cup pumpkin seed, shelled
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup  toasted almonds
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I like olive oil)
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup corn syrup

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine the rest of the ingredient in a separate bowl and stir until well combined. Pour into the dry mixture and mix well to coat all the nuts and oats.

Spread the mixture in a shallow baking pan or rimmed cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Stir several times during the baking. Bake until the mixture is dry and has crunch.

Additions:

This is a very basic granola mix. You can make it your own with ingredients that appeal to your own family. Here are some ideas/suggestions:

After the granola has cooled, mix in some small, candy-coated chocolate candies.
Toss in a handful of tiny marshmallows. The colorful ones are fun!
Toast some coconut and mix in 1/4 cup for taste.
Some toffee bits couldn't hurt.
Raisins or dried fruit bits can be tasty.
Some sweetened cereal can be added for texture.

Adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to the granola before baking takes it to a whole, new level.
A teaspoon of vanilla extract before baking is good.

When you batch of designer granola is completely cooled, put servings into individual sandwich bags that seal. You now have something to hand your hungry family when you hear that familiar refrain, "Mom! There isn't anything to eat!"

Save yourself a trip to the store!

We never seem to have tortillas on hand when we want them. I just found an easy recipe to insure that we never want for our south of the border fix again!

Homemade Tortillas

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive oil to insure tenderness)

Combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. On a floured surface, knead five or six times. Divide the dough into eight, even pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 7-inch circle.

In a large, nonstick frying pan coated well with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for one minute on each side until lightly browned. Stack them between sheets of paper towel and keep covered with a clean kitchen towel. The 'steaming' will keep them soft enough to fold or roll depending on what you are
using them for.

Pay dirt between pay days . . .

There is food enough in the cupboards to last until payday but anything extra or special will have to wait . . . unless you happen to have six cups of flour, a packet of yeast, salt and water available. Although it seems an unlikely combination to evolve into something of any particular palate-pleasing result, there are possibilities.

First you have to mix up the basis of your future inspirations! Dissolve the yeast in a quarter cup of cool water. Put in the flour, salt and enough water to form into a pliable dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. The time you spend kneading give you moments to start creating possibilities! Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to double in bulk. Go on with your life as this can take a couple of hours depending on the weather.

You come back later to find a delightful, great batch of dough pushing against the plastic film. Pull back the wrap, take a deep breath of the smell of developing bread dough and. . .punch it down! I know! It hurts to seemingly destroy that beautiful puff of dough but this procedure helps develop the flavor of the final outcome and it will rise again.

Now you come to the creative part of your day. What do you need to round out your family's snack time or meal? Do you need sweet, savory or plain? The following are some suggestions but remember almost anything works and with a little thought you can come up with that secret, family recipe.

Rolls are always nice with a meal. They stretch the calories and everyone loves them. You can take half your dough and divide into roll size bits. Carefully curve them into smooth rolls, place them on a lightly-greased cookie sheet, let rise and bake at 425 degrees for about ten minutes. In fact, with a little forethought, the rolls can exit the oven as your family enters the kitchen for dinner. A brush with beaten egg before baking and a pinch of poppy seeds on the top, will make them even more spectacular.

The other half of your dough can be placed in a loaf pan and when it has risen, baked at 425 degrees until you have a golden loaf to be put aside for breakfast the next morning.
Now if bread is not what you sweet tooth wants, you can pinch off tablespoons of dough, roll them into pencil-thin lengths and deep-fry them until brown. Drain them on paper towel, pile them on a platter and dust with confectioners' sugar. This makes a good dessert during the hiatus between paydays. You can also shake them in cinnamon and sugar for a donut-like treat.
You aren't in the mood for sweet or plain? Take a portion of the dough, roll it out into a rectangular (or as near as possible!). Sprinkle a generous handful of grated cheese (your choice) over the dough. Fold the dough together, roll out again and repeat with the cheese. Do this three or four times, depending on how much you like cheese. With the final rolling, cut dough into narrow strips,, place about an inch apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees about ten to fifteen minutes.

If you take the time to figure out the price of flour, your investment in time will make the days between payday so easy, you may forget to watch for payday. . .but I doubt it!