Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2) Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 8

Notes: This crust had more substance than what I usually make. It was fluffy, and I like that.

Estimated Price: $2.00

Source: allrecipes.com
Nutrition Facts per serving: 189 cal., 4.1 g total fat (0.6 g sat. fat), 293 mg sodium, 31.9 g carbo., 5.5 g pro. Daily Values: 1% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 1% calcium, 21% iron, 37% thiamin, 36% niacin, 2% vit. B6, 4% magnesium, 48% folate

Banana Banana Bread

Start to Finish: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3) Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Servings: 12

Notes: Good and moist.

Variations: You can add some spices (vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg). You can also add walnuts if you desire. To make muffins, just put the batter into a muffin tin sprayed lightly. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 25 minutes.

Estimated Price: $4.00

Source: AllRecipes.com
Nutrition Facts per serving: 229 cal., 8.8 g total fat, 56 mg chol., 223 mg sodium, 34.8 g carbo., 1.7 g fiber, 3.8 g pro. Daily Values: 6% vit. A, 6% vit. C, 2% calcium, 13% iron, 19% thiamin, 18% niacin, 12% vit. B6, 7% magnesium, 28% folate

Pizza Rolls

Start to Finish: 3-1/2 hours

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen Rhodes rolls
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese
Pizza toppings

Directions:
Follow the instructions on the package to make the rolls up to the part where you cook them. Take each rolls and shape it into a mini pizza. Spread spaghetti sauce over the top of the roll, cover with cheese, and add your toppings. Bake at the temperature marked on the bag of rolls for 10-14 minutes.

Servings: 36 (Yeah right, each roll is supposed to be a serving, but I can easily eat 6 of these in a sitting)

Notes: This is a fan favorite. We make it for dinner, snacks, and get togethers. Everyone loves and devours them, especially the kids! I think Rhodes rolls are the best, but you can really use any frozen rolls you want. You can easily put the rolls out after lunch and let them rise until it's time to make dinner. Also great to make on Sundays and to have the dough rise while you're at church.

Estimated Price: $10.00

Cookbook: High Family Cookbook (My sister Michelle put it together for Christmas one year)
Nutrition Facts per serving: 621 cal., 32.45 g total fat (16.08 g sat. fat), 88 mg chol., 2,034.5 mg sodium, 49.17 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 31.88 g pro. Daily Values: 42% vit. A, 13% vit. C, 64% calcium, 21% iron, 8% folic acid

Croissants

Prep. Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Start to finish: 8 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F)

1 teaspoon white sugar

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons white sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1) Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy.

2) Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well; knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over triple in volume. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.
3) Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14 x 8 inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4 inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14 x 6 inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14 x 6 inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
4) To shape, roll dough out to a 20 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
5) Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Servings: 12

Notes: Very time consuming, but when 4 croissants cost $3.49 at the supermarket if you have the time it is worth it. They turned out flaky, but I didn't get them quite as big as they should be. This was my first time making croissants though; I'm sure next time it will be better. I had all of these ingredients in my kitchen.