Homemade Rootbeer

1 bottle McCormick rootbeer extract
5 pounds sugar
5 gallons water
5 pounds dry ice

Mix water, sugar, and extract
Add dry ice--do not cover! Let brew for about 20 min.

Party Slush

Blend:

1 cup sugar

4 cups hot water

3 oz. lime jello pkg.

Dissolve.

Add 1 can pineapple juice and juice from 3 lemons.

Freeze, then chop up and serve with Sprite.

Tip: When I make this, I freeze it in gallon size plastic bags. This makes it easy to break up. I also double the recipe and can take out only as many gallon bags as I need, so I will always have a nice drink mix on hand in the freezer.

Ham and Cheese Dinner Braid

From my class at Pantry Secrets

Using basic bread recipe, use one of the bread loaf doughs (1/4 of recipe).

Roll the dough out into a rectangle the size of a cookie sheet, place in pan and roll to edges. Cut 1 inch strips all down both sides of the pan. Put filling along center (ham and swiss). I've also made this with turkey. Fold strips over, alternating sides, press ends closed so it is sealed. Spray with Pam or brush with melted butter to keep the lines in the bread. Allow to rise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

I like to serve it with a cream sauce over the top made of 1/2 cream of chicken soup, 1/2 sour cream.

Cinnamon Twists

From my class at Pantry Secrets

Using 1 of the loaves of dough from basic bread recipe, roll it out into a large rectangle on counter, and brush half of it with melted butter. Cover butter with brown sugar and cinnamon, then fold over and seal edges. Using pizza cutter, cut 1 inch strips, twist, lay on cookie pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Let raise 25 minutes, then bake about 20 minutes.

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 c. softened butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbs. water

Basic Bread Recipe

From my class at Pantry Secrets

This recipe makes 4 loaves of bread in 1 hour. Amazing. You can use this same recipe for pizza, rolls, braids, breadsticks, etc.

10 1/2 c. white bread flour or wheat flour (do not use all-purpose flour)
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbs. salt
3 heaping tablespoons saf-instant yeast (can buy this cheapest at Maceys)
3 Tbs. liquid lecithin (squeeze 3 quarter sized circles directly into bowl--do not measure)
4 cups hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. Let raise 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

For whole wheat bread, use the same recipe, but add one cup of applesauce as part of the hot tap water. Mix for ten minutes.