SO MANY TESTS and Bread Baking!

I have been SO swamped with school. Two tests, a midterm, Three essays, one powerpoint, and one lab practical later I am fried. And not the tasty deep fried type of fried. ARGH!!!!!!!

Today was beyond annoying. I could not register for my classes since my immunization records were not at RIT.... but I faxed them over THREE TIMES since I started going there. Every quarter I get a message from them saying they do not have my records, and ever quarter I send them. I mean how can they loose them at the start of EVERY course selection period??? So 45 minutes later on hold at RIT I got their fax number, 36 minutes later I got ahold of my doctor only to find out they LOST my records some how in the transition from their new office!! WTFFFFF. So luckily I had a copy of the fax filed away that I did not know about that my Doctor sent RIT last year, so I faxed that over........ AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I need a stiff drink.

So in the past week or so that I have been MIA I have been cooking a lot. First up is my favorite bread recipe.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread That Actually Works!

Ingredients
3 teaspoons yeast
1 cup warm skim milk (or any other milks really)
5 tablespoons water, that is warm
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter
3 1/2-4 cups flour (or more or less as needed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
extra melted butter
cinnamon
sugar
nutmeg

Directions
1. Mix both yeast and water together and proof.
2. mix together sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and proofed yeast.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix well.
4. add the rest of the dough until a stiffish dough forms, cover and let rest for a few minutes then knead for about 5-10 minutes until soft.
5. Cover and let rise until doubled in a greased bowl, punch down and let rise again.
6. Then roll dough out into a rectangle then brush with a little bit of butter.
7. Sprinkle with sugar cinnamon and nutmeg to taste then roll up jelly roll style.
8. Place in a greased bread pan, or cookie tray and bake for 30-45 minutes at 375 F or until when tapped it sounds hollow.
9. Cover if the top is browning too fast, when you take it out of the oven you may brush the top with extra butter to make a softer crust. Also you may freeze the cooked loaf and re heat in oven covered in foil until thawed and it taste just as good.

Ease of execution: 7/10
Taste: 10/10
Health: 6/10

Next up was my Moms favorite seafood salad

Seafood Salad

Ingredients
4 cups cooked small shell pasta (or any other small noodle)
2 (6 ounce) cans shrimp
6 ounces crabmeat
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup peas
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1-1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Italian dressing
prepared mustard (optional)

Directions
1. Mix everything together and chill.

Ease of execution: 10/10

Taste: 10/10

Health: 6/10

Here is another oh my gosh easy recipe using random goodies you have around your house.

Bisquick Danish

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
5 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 cups Bisquick
1/3 cup vanilla coffee creamer
1/3 cup half-and-half (or 2/3 cup milk for healthier)
1/4 cup fruit preserves
Glaze
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla coffee creamer (or milk)
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup

Directions
1. Stir butter, sugar and bisquick together until crumbly.
2. Gently add in coffee creamer and half and half or milk until dough just starts to form.
3.Drop about a heaping tablespoonful dough onto a greased baking sheet.
4. Make an indent into each Danish.
5. Fill indent with a small amount of preserves.
6. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden.
7. While they are baking make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, coffee creamer or milk, and corn syrup.
8. Drizzle glaze over warm danishes.

Ease of execution: 9/10

Taste: 10/10

Health: 4/10

And finally a little something to get you in the mood for Halloween

Chocolate Cookie Cut Outs

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 dash salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Directions
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt until well blended .
2. cream butter and sugar until smooth in a separate bowl, then beat in the egg and yolk. mix the sifted ingredients into the creamed butter slowly
3. Divide dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
4. heat the oven to 375 degrees F and on a lightly floured surface roll out the chilled dough to about 1/6 inch thickness and cut dough into shapes. Be careful its sticky!
5. Bake cookies 8 to 10 then let cool on sheets for a few minutes before removing them to a rack.

Ease of execution: 8/10
Taste: 10/10
Health: 4/10