The original recipe from Allrecipes has good directions for making this by hand. I'm using the stand mixer which does the muscle work and cuts down on a lot of the flour mess.

Focaccia

Mix in mixing bowl:
3 c. flour + 2 t. salt
Make a well in the center and add:
1 T. sugar + 2 1/4 t. yeast + 1 1/3 c. warm water
Let stand for 5 minutes. Add:
2 T. oil
Mix at low speed.
Switch to dough hook and begin gradually adding flour. I think I knead in another 1/2 - 1 cup of flour. Until the dough is smooth but still soft.

If the bowl is pretty clean you can use it, or get a clean one. Oil it, and put the dough in, turning once to coat with oil. Cover and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled (30-45 min).

Punch dough down. Oil a cookie sheet. Gently press out the dough to 1/2" thick. Drizzle 1 1/2 t. oil over dough. Press the end of a wooden spoon into the dough at 1 1/2" intervals. Sprinkle with Rosemary and Parmesan cheese.

Set dough into cold oven with a pan of hot water underneath. Close oven and let rise until doubled (20-25 min.).

Remove from oven, and preheat to 350°. Bake 20-25 min. until top browns. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

This is tasty, easy, and inexpensive. It takes about 8 hours in the crockpot. I usually put rice in the rice cooker at the same time I set this up and set that on timer so I don't forget to do it later. Makes it a good out-all-day supper. This is half the recipe found on p. 155 of Fix It and Forget It, and I could probably make half of this amount and have enough.

Smothered Lentils

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. carrot, chopped
1/4 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. ham, chopped
1 c. dry lentils
1/2 c. diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. dried marjoram
1 1/2 c. water

Drop the onion, carrot, celery, and ham into the food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer to small crockpot, add other ingredients, cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours. Serve over rice.

The recipe says to check after 5 hours and if all the water's been absorbed, add another 1/2 c. But I don't think I ever have to add water. The original recipe also calls for salt and pepper to taste, if your tastes run to that.

I haven't been really good about adding recipes here, but I tried this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! It did take about 45 minutes and I used a large, flat-bottomed cooking pan (Calphlon's "Everyday Pan"), a stockpot with pasta insert, and a casserole dish to serve from. Also the food processor to mince the carrots. There were a number of dishes, so I wouldn't call it quick and easy, but it was well worth the effort and they were dishes that were easy to wash.

Adapted with only very slight changes from the recipe here.

1 T. oil
1/2 c. minced carrots
1 - 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, sliced 1" thick
2 t. flour
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried parsley
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. beef bouillon
1/4 c. milk
6 T. heavy cream
1/4 c. apple juice
2 1/2 c. dry penne pasta
2 c. frozen broccoli florettes

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Mince carrots, add to pan, and cook 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice pork. Add to pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides.
3. Start large pot of water for pasta.
4. Remove pork from pan and add flour, basil, parsley, pepper, and beef bouillon. Whisk in milk, cream, and juice.
5. Return pork to pan, turning to coat, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add penne to boiling water and boil 6 minutes.
7. Add frozen broccoli to the pasta and cook both together for an additional 6 minutes. Drain.
8. Serve pork and sauce over pasta and broccoli.

ETA: quantities for pasta and broccoli are estimates, as I think I dropped in three double-handfuls of each. And it was too much. I had a tenderloin that was 1.13 lbs. and I think it made for 8 slices. There was a serving for me, one and a half for Mr. Les, a good-sized lunch portion, a small lunch portion, and a handful of plain pasta for someone who doesn't like her food to touch. So less pasta would probably be good, and I would say it serves 4. The amount of pasta I used probably would have been good for a 1.5 lb. cut and served 6.

Another mix I like for adding to stuff. It's like Lipton.

Onion Soup Mix

¾ c. dried onion
4 t. onion powder
½ c. beef bouillon powder
¼ t. celery seed
¼ t. sugar

Mix all ingredients and store in airtight container

2 T. = one envelope. Mix with 1 c. water and simmer 15 min for soup.

I just made this for supper. It's really, really easy, quick to put together, and inexpensive. It does take a while to cook, though.

Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin
Serves 2-4
Oven at 350 or crockpot on low.

1/3 c.Cream Soup Mix
1 1/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
about 1/2 lb. ham, cooked and diced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
crumbled cheese crackers and extra cheese for top, optional for oven baking

Whisk the cream soup mix into the water and microwave in 30 second intervals, whisking between, until it reaches desired consistency. Meanwhile, start peeling and slicing the potatoes. Stir the cheese into the soup mixture. 1 1/2 c. of cheese is just a guess on my part, as I don't measure it. Place the diced ham and sliced potatoes in crockpot or casserole dish and pour sauce over. Stir to coat. Add crackers and cheese to the top if you're into the crunchy top thing. Cook in crockpot on Low for 8 hours, or in the oven at 350 for about an hour and fifteen minutes.

I'll admit to liking it better from the oven, but if I'm going to be out all day or if I'm making it in warmer weather, the crockpot is good enough. Leftover type ham seems to give the dish a good deal more flavor than, say, deli ham or the stuff you'd buy already diced.

And obviously you can leave out the ham and this makes a good side dish too.

I have a bunch of stuff to post from my mom's birthday dinner. I'll post this one because it's important.

Dinner Rolls and Hamburger Buns

1 egg
7/8 c. milk
4 ½ T. butter, melted
3 T. sugar
¾ t. salt
3 c. flour
1 T. yeast

Add all ingredients to bread machine. Process on dough.

Preheat oven to 400.
For hamburger buns, divide into 8 pieces and flatten on greased cookie sheet.
For dinner rolls, divide into 24 pieces and place in greased 9x13 baking pan.
Cover and raise 20 minutes.
Bake about 10 minutes.
Note: for the hamburger buns, they might need a little more rising time, and if you don’t like them very brown, consider reducing the heat to 375 and cooking a little longer.

The theme for tonight's dinner seems to be Crappy School Cafeteria, and we're having one of those thrown together chicken "pies" with a biscuit top. May or may not be any good. But what I wanted to post was this staple of my kitchen, the Cream Soup Substitute Mix. This replaces condensed cream soups like mushroom, celery, and chicken. It's cheaper than generic canned and it's easily divided so that you can make half a can of soup when you only need half for a recipe.

Cream Soup Mix
Makes about 11 "cans"

2 c. dry milk (or 2 envelopes)
1 ¼ c. cornstarch
¼ c. chicken bouillon powder
2 t. dried onion flakes
½ t. pepper
1 t. thyme

Mix and store in airtight container. Combine 1/3 c. mix with 1 ¼ c. water. Microwave in 30 second intervals, whisking between, until proper consistency.

Adapted from the Great American Home Baking Cookie Collection. And honestly, if I could find it, I would link you.

Caramel Apple Cookies
Makes 2-3 dozen
These are delicious. The combination of the caramel and the taste and smell of the apple pie spices fools you into thinking these cookies taste like apples.

1 c. butter
½ c. packed brown sugar
½ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ t. vanilla
2 t. cinnamon
¼ t. cloves
Pinch nutmeg
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
3 c. flour
Red and green food color pastes
Apple-shaped cookie cutter
2-3 dozen wooden craft sticks
1 14oz. pkg. caramels
3 T. water
½ c. chopped cashews
Waxed paper

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients.

Remove 1/3 c. dough to color green. Color the rest red. Divide red dough in half, over all, chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out red dough to ¼” thickness and cut out apple shapes. Transfer to cookie sheets. Carefully slide a craft stick under the stem end of each cookie. Shape marble-sized balls of green dough into teardrops and press onto each apple.

Bake for 10 minutes, until crisp but not browned. Transfer to wire rack or towel to cool completely.

Unwrap caramels and place in bowl with water. (14oz. was way too much caramel for mine.) Microwave on high in one minute intervals, stirring between, until melted. (Maybe 3 minutes total.)

Lay out waxed paper. Dip the end of each cookie into melted caramel, then in cashews, and lay on waxed paper. Let cookies set at least an hour.

The cookies, at least the caramel part, should be wrapped individually in waxed paper, and should be handled before it has set.

Ate out last night after trick-or-treating.

I usually buy a lot of ground beef when it's on sale, brown it and freeze it. I do some with taco seasoning too so it's handy for quick tacos, taco salad, nachos, or other recipes. Though I generally do 2-3 lbs at a time, this recipe is for 1lb and is about 1 packet's worth.

Taco Seasoning

2T. flour
¾ t. salt
¼ t. dried onion
¼ t. paprika
1 ½ t. chili powder
Dash garlic powder
Dash onion powder
¼ c. water

Combine dry ingredients while meat is browning. Drain fat, stir in seasonings and water, and simmer for 10 minutes or so.