Alik's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup soft margarine
3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon H2O
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (12 oz) chocolate chips (i usually use milk chocolate)
Beat butter, sugars, vanilla, water and eggs together until fluffy
add dry ingredints, mix thoroughly
add chocolate chips, mix gently
spoon out on to a greased cookie sheet
bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown

How to make breadcrumbs

posted in Pantry by Kathy Maister

Bread Crumbs are just that - crumbled bread which, when added to even the healthiest of foods, makes them a bit more sinful! Bread crumbs are also used as a filler in things like meatloaf, as a coating for fried food like pork chops, eggplant Parmesan or chicken cutlets, or as a topping to a baked casserole.

Crumb toppings or coatings can actually be made from a variety of foods. Does anyone remember (from their childhood days) tuna-noodle casserole with crunched up cornflakes on the top? Then, of course, along came “Shake and Bake” and the pork chop never looked or tasted better!

Ritz crackers also make a great topping for vegetable casseroles! (See what I mean about turning healthy into sinful?)

If you’re reading a recipe, watch out for whether it calls for “dry” or “fresh” breadcrumbs; the two are not interchangeable! You can buy dry bread crumbs at the grocery store but you have to make your own fresh bread crumbs.

I always have a box of dry breadcrumbs in the cupboard. I particularly like the seasoned variety.

I never bother to make my own dry bread crumbs. (That falls into the category of “life’s too short”.)

On the other hand, fresh bread crumbs are a snap to make! You can use any bread you have in the house.

There are basically three ways to make bread crumbs; with a knife, a food processor, or a blender. As you would expect, the food processor and the blender make really fine, uniform crumbs that are just perfect. But if you don’t own either of these pieces of equipment, a knife will work just fine.

Fresh bread crumbs made from slices of white bread need the crusts trimmed off first. (By the way, Pepperidge Farms bread makes really tasty fresh bread crumbs.)

Then with a bread knife, cut the bread up into crumbs. If the bread is really soft just let it sit on the counter to dry out for a bit, and it should then be easy to cut into crumbs. Try to cut the bread as fine as possible.

Approximately 4 slices of bread will make one cup of crumbs.

Onion rolls make great, already seasoned, fresh bread crumbs! One big roll will make about 2 cups of fresh crumbs. A food processor makes perfect fresh bread crumbs in about 30 seconds.

You can also use a blender to make fresh breadcrumbs. While the motor is running add small chunks of the bread through the hole in the cover of the blender. Don’t over-fill the blender!

“Panko” bread crumbs are a Japanese version of dry bread crumbs that were once only available in Asian markets but you can now get them at the grocery store.

These (trendy) dry bread crumbs are very light and SUPER crunchy. The Whole Foods grocery store in my neighborhood sells spinach flavored ones as well.

You can flavor your own dry or fresh unseasoned bread crumbs with different spices and herbs as well as cheese. The recipe below is one of my favorites that I have used for a topping over baked fish. (But that’s another day!) Cheers!

Seasoned panko bread crumbs:
Makes 1 1/3 cups

• 1 cup plain panko crumbs
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil

Taken from: http://startcooking.com/blog/185/How-To-Make-Bread-Crumbs

Simple Meatloaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 to 1 cup cup milk
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestshire sauce or steak sauce
• Seasonings, to taste
• 1 chopped onion or 1 package onion soup mix
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbs (bread, cracker, oatmeal or cornflakes)
• 1/2 cup tomato soup or sauce or ketchup

Preparation:

I crumble my ground beef in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl I combine my liquid ingredients; i.e. eggs, milk, and ketchup, worcestershire sauce, and/or steak sauce (whatever I happen to have on hand.) I beat well; if I use any seasonings I add now (oregano, basil, parsley, paprika).

I pour over the meat and mix well. If I am using chopped veggies (onions, peppers) and/or onion soup mix I add now and mix again. I then add my crumbs, (bread, cracker, oatmeal, and/or cornflakes) and mix again. I then put in a loaf pan, and top with tomato soup, or sauce, or ketchup. I then bake it for 1/2 an hour at 400 degrees, then lower to 350 and continue baking for an hour.

Mixing the meatloaf in steps ensures a more evenly seasoned and textured loaf. - SCJL

Taken from: http://homeparents.about.com/od/meatloafrecipes/r/simple_meatloaf.htm