Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

so, you have your basic white bread now... what to use it for? how about some bread pudding! if i have some bread left over after a day or two, this is what i use it for. delicious and a lot healthier than traditional bread pudding. if you dont like apples, try this recipe with some raisins instead. this recipe serves 4.


APPLE CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING

6 slices basic white bread, cubed
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 an apple, diced
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. placed diced bread in a lightly sprayed casserole dish

3. add milk and mix well. allow to soak for 10-15 minutes

4. add sugar, diced apple, and cinnamon, mix thoroughly

5. bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees


you can view the nutritional content HERE. to make it a bit healthier, try doing 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup splenda.

EDIT: wow, i completely forgot to add vanilla to it! try adding 1/2-1tsp of vanilla extract, depending on how strong you want it to be

Basic White Bread

i've been making tons and tons of my own bread lately, a loaf every day or two, so decided that it is time to share my basic bread recipe! this is a VERY basic bread, but it still tastes great! i love having homemade bread around. for me, it is cheaper to make the bread than to buy it, since i buy my flour and yeast in bulk. if you buy your flour in 5 or 10lb bags, and buy single packages of yeast, it comes to around $1 a loaf. it is only about 20 cents a loaf for me, since i buy my flour in 25lb bags and yeast in 2lbs for $4. yes, that really is bulk! but i use it. my last lb of yeast lasted me about 8 months, now that im making bread daily it will be about 2 months a lb of yeast, and about a month and a half for a bag of flour. anyway, on to the recipe!


BASIC WHITE BREAD

2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (one package)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp applesauce

1. if using regular yeast, soak it in warm water for 10 minutes.

2. mix the dry instant yeast, flour, and salt in a large bowl.

3. mix the applesauce and warm water together in a small bowl (or yeast water)

4. slowly add the water mixture to the flour mixture. only add a little bit at a time, stirring well after each addition.

5. when all of the water mixture is mixed in, form the dough into a ball and knead for 5-10 minutes.

6. grease a bowl with cooking spray and place the ball of dough into the bowl, spraying the top of the dough lightly.

7. cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

8. punch down dough, form into a log, and press gently into a greased loaf pan. allow to rise another 30-45 minutes.

9. bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

10. using potholders, tip the loaf pan upside down until the bread slides out. cool completely on a wire rack.


and as normal, HERE is the nutritional info! makes about 12 slices of yummy bread. much tastier and a lot healthier than the store bought breads that never seem to go bad. this recipe also makes delicious bread sticks. just form into small thin logs, brush with butter, and bake for 12-15 minutes, brushing with more butter when baking is complete.

i prefer to use this recipe instead of a sweeter or saltier one because this bread is VERY versatile. i can use it for just about anything at all, and it is delicious on its own as well.

Vegetable Curry Casserole

last night i bought a ton of vegetables (carrying 20lbs of vegetables uphill home was a great workout), and made a DELICIOUS casserole! the idea for this came from divan, love chicken-less divan. i wanted to use a variety of vegetables, though, and make it a bit healthier (canned cream of mushroom soup and mayonnaise are so insanely unhealthy!). here is what i came up with! i like mine with a strong curry flavor. you can use less if you aren't a fan of curry.


VEGETABLE CURRY CASSEROLE

5 medium potatoes
1 turnip
1 medium onion
3 carrots
1 stalk broccoli
4 cups cabby's cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup cabby's ranch dressing II
2 tbsp curry powder

1. dice all of the vegetables into 1/2 - 1 in cubes.

2. boil the potatoes, turnip, and carrots for about 15 minutes.

3. drain the boiled vegetables and place in a casserole dish along with the broccoli and onion.

4. mix together the cream of mushroom soup, curry, and ranch dressing. pour over vegetables and mix well.

5. bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


and HERE is the nutritional for it. it got a great score for optimal health! it is even better if you use a low sodium homemade broth for the soup, as i do. this is absolutely fantastic spooned over some homemade bread! hope you all enjoy this recipe, it is my new favorite. thought i was making a special treat, and found out that it is perfect for my diet! can eat it all i want!

and if you are interested, it costs about 60 cents a serving, if you use homemade broth (made from veggie scraps) for the soup, and buy the vegetables in bulk bags as i do. that is taking in the amount of ingredients used, it isn't counting the price of leftover ingredients if you have to buy all the stuff in larger amounts than what is used. if you buy all the vegetables separately, and buy the broth, it will probably come to about $1.50 a serving. still a pretty cheap meal!