Bread Sticks

     Over the last four years I have been developing my skills as a bread maker.  I started out making bread that was edible, but not any better than store bought bread.  Bread making is a craft and the only way to get good at it is to practice often.  If you have a bread machine you are ahead of the game and can make really nice bread in a short time.  If you do not,  you are in for some work, but it is well worth it.

Bread Sticks for Breaking

1 1/4 cups Milk
1/4 cup butter (olive oil, grape seed oil what ever your taste)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
4 cups flour
5 tbsp vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 tsp yeast

1.     Warm the milk and butter in the microwave or on the stove.  The milk should be hot, but not so hot that you can't leave your finger in it without great pain.  The butter should be totally melted.

 2.    If you have a bread machine add the ingredients in the order that they are listed. Set the machine to dough cycle, press start and let the machine do the magic.

     If you are kneading by hand spend about 5 minutes mixing and kneading the dough. You'll need to find a warm humid place to set your dough while it proofs.  proof until it doubles in size, this could take four or more hours. The longer the proof time the better the bread. Punch the dough down or flatten it and then knead for another five minutes.

3.    Roll the dough out with a rolling pen. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into eight strips. Let the bread sticks sit out on the pan for 3-4 hours.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes
                                          
      

When Life Gives You Pumpkin. Make Pasta Sauce!

     Often I walk to the refrigerator and am faced with a random selection of ingredients.  Today is no exception.  I have frozen cubes of pumpkin from last October that need to be cooked.  I once thought that the only thing pumpkins were good for was jack-o-lanterns and pie, but today they are going to be base for a pasta sauce.
      My philosophy of cooking involves a lot of substitutions.  I often make a recipe with pumpkin and then the next time I will substitute squash, zucchini, or any other pumpkin like decoration that usually serves as a fall decoration. If it has flesh like a pumpkin cook it like a pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

3 cups pumpkin ( fresh or from a can)
3 tbs butter
1 tbs Italian seasoning (fresh herb substitute- basil, thyme, oregano, chives- 4 tbs)
2 tbs plain yogurt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup cream of mushroom soup ( from a can or homemade)
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup green onion (chopped)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

Place all of the ingredients except the yogurt in a sauce pan and simmer until the pumpkin is tender and falls apart. When it is done cooking stir in the yogurt.  Serve over pasta.