Secret Code Buns

At Amy's request, here is the Boxcar Children's Secret Code Buns recipe. I'll spare you all having to translate the "secret code." :)

Tools needed: measuring cups, measuring spoons, plastic wrap, knife, 9x13 cake pan, large plastic bag and cookie sheet.

Ingredients

1 T flour
2 loaves frozen sweet roll dough (or make it easy on yourself and just buy the rolls)
1/2 cup raisins

"Secret Ingredients"

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
2 t cinnamon
2 T sugar

Thaw roll dough. Sprinkle flour on the counter and put the dough and raisins on top of it. Work as many raisins and you can into the dough (I don't remember doing this part). Work the dough with your hands for 2-3 minutes.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest during the next step--about 20 minutes. The dough will rise.

Use the "secret" ingredients to prepare the baking pan. Melt margarine in the cake pan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add brown sugar and stir until well mixed. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the mixture. Set the pan aside until needed.

Remove plastic wrap and cut the dough into 30 small balls (unless they're already in balls).
Put cinnamon and sugar into the large plastic bag. Shake the balls (3 at a time) in the bag and put them into the prepared pan.

Let the buns rise in a warm place until doubled in size. About one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the buns for 15 minutes.

Now this is IMPORTANT, use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven. Let the buns cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Also IMPORTANT, ask an adult to do this step. Place a cookie sheet over the buns. Using oven mitts, carefully flip the pan so that the cake pan is upside down and the buns are on the cookie sheet covered with the topping. Serve the buns warm.

Super Easy Soup Bowls

SUPER EASY SOUP BOWLS
From the American Girl Magazine

Cheesy Pizza Soup

1 can refrigerated pizza dough

Butter or margarine

Parmesan Cheese

Italian seasoning

Mozzarella cheese, sliced

1 can condensed tomato soup

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease baking sheet with butter or margarine.  Grease the outsides of 2 Pyrex bowls upside down on baking sheet.

Unroll pizza dough on cutting board.  Stretch until its 14” long.  Lift each circle and lay it over a bowl.  Press the dough down to make it even. 

Sprinkle leftover dough with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.  Cut dough into small pizza shaped wedges for croutons and strips for breadsticks.  Place dough on baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown.  Using a hot pad holder and a spatula, gently remove bread bowls from Pyrex bowls. 

Remove croutons & breadsticks from baking sheet and let cool.  Place 1 slice of mozzarella cheese inside each bread bowl.  Bake 5 minutes.    Pour in soup and serve.

American Girl Magazine, page. 24, no idea what month or year???

Borscht (Beet Soup)

BORSCHT

I had always wanted to taste this soup and it was really good.

Cook a couple of large beets with 1 large onion (cut up) until really soft.
Add 14 oz. chicken broth
1 - 2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Puree all the above together.  Add in 3/4 cup of light sour cream.  Swirl the sour cream into the beet broth.  This should be smooth.  The sour cream can be completely mixed into the beet puree or left swirled.

This has to be really healthy, right?