Freeze Ahead Tuna Sandwiches

All the goodness of tuna, minus the food borne illnesses

Tip: You can also form and make these sandwiches to eat immediately!

INGREDIENTS:

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons whipped salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
1 (6 ounce) can chunk tuna, drained
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 slices whole wheat bread

PREPARATION:

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and whipped salad dressing and beat until smooth. Stir in tuna, onions, carrot, and lemon juice and blend well to combine.
Spread softened butter thinly on each slice of bread and spread tuna filling to make sandwiches.
Wrap in freezer wrap and place in gallon freezer bag. Label sandwiches and freeze.
To thaw, let thaw overnight in refrigerator, or add to brown bag lunches in the morning and let thaw until lunchtime. Make sure sandwiches are eaten within 2 hours of being completely thawed.

PS--I served these to Ethan's 3 year old parenting class and both parents and kids raved. Hope you enjoy!

Cream Cheese Apple Dip

Ingredients:

• One 8oz pkg softened cream cheese (Or Neufchatel)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup of either Heath bar or Skor crumbled up

Directions:

Cream together all but candy bar. Then fold in candy bar crumbles.

This recipe was served by Kelly Rex at a New Years party.

No-Knead Bread

The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work
To get hyped up about this recipe, click on this link.
Published: November 8, 2006
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1¼ teaspoons salt, Cornmeal, or wheat bran as needed.
  

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.