Sausage topping

 A great neighbor and family friend introduced my family to this gem. Robyn Longhurst... dont know her? Sucks to be you, she's flippin awesome! 

As you know, i'm from idaho which means I love to eat potatoes in any form! However, my least favorite is the baked way. yucky plain suckers.  But, this sausage gravy/dip/topping can make anything taste great! 

While its crock-potting away bake up your potatoes. My favorite way is to slather them in butter and sea salt, then toss them in the oven for an hour or so at 325. 

Best dang spud I ever did have! 

weird-o brownies

I love brownies! But i HATE cake, so if the brownies resembles cake.. Ain't touchin' it!

These are the weirdest brownies ever. But I love them. They are super gooey and are amazing with homemade ice cream!

Here's the complicated er...highly detailed recipe. follow it EXACTLY, or they wont possibly achieve their full potential!

Best-Ever Brownies
from Baking with Julia

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate does not scorch.  Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into the bowl of a mixer and whisk by hand just to combine.  LIttle by little, pour half the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.  Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are pale, thick, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.  Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.  When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour and scrape the batter into an unbuttered 9-inch square glass or ceramic pan.  Bake the brownies for 25-28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.  Cut into the center at about the 23-minutews mark to see how they are progressing.  They will be perfect if they are just barely set and still gooey.  Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.  Cut into bars and serve.

The brownies will keep, covered, for 2-3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month!

Country Dinner Rolls

A sunday dinner staple with this Allred couple. If i dont make these, Shauns eyes start to water, and the pouting begins. Just Kidding... kinda

So random fact, well two of them.
A) Its almost impossible to ruins these beautiful things! Last night we ran out of flour so we substituted what was missing with Wheat Germ. I was a bit skeptical but they turned out perfectly. Next time though, i'd add a bit of honey when we do that. Honey Wheat Roll... HECK YA!

B) DONT skimp the raising time! Bad Bad idea... tried it once. Also, dont let them raise all day while your at church either... thats not so much a good thing either. oops.

1 cup water
1 tablespoon HOT water (70-85 F)
1 Egg
4 1/2 teaspoons oil
3 1/4 cups of flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:
1- Place all ingredients in bread maker and set on "dough" setting. Let it run its course
++My bread maker takes 1 hr 40 mins and lets them rise during it. if yours doesn't let them rise till the       dough is 2-3 times its original size.
        ++Also check about 5 minutes in to see if you need to add a few more tablespoons of flour.
        ++It should be moist to the touch but not sticky to where it sticks to your finger.
2-  spray a casserole dish with cooking spay (I like glass, but it doesn't matter)
3- pull dough out and make uniform balls
4 Cover with plastic wrap and let sit  till they have raised to be double in size... or a bit bigger.
5- Cook at 350 for about 12-15 minutes.
6- I like to baste them with  salted butter ever 5 minutes  it adds a great salty, buttery, flavor and they brown perfectly!

YUMMMYYYYY