Watkins Easy and Delicious White Bread

4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. yeast
1/4 cup oil
3 cups hot tap water ( as hot as the tap will get; it should be too hot for you to keep your finger under)
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt

1.  In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together with spoon.
2.  Add the hot water and oil to the dry ingredients.  Mix until thoroughly blended.
3.  Add more flour (handfuls at a time) just until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  It will still be quite sticky, so flour up your hands.
4.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead the dough, adding flour (this time by handfuls) until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.  The key is kneading the dough as little as possible, to keep it from becoming too tough.
5.  Add about 1 tsp. of oil (or use cooking spray) to a clean bowl, and make sure it spreads over the bottom of the bowl.  Tuck the dough into a ball and set in the bowl.  Allow dough to rise to double in size.
6.  Cut in half and form each half into loaves.  Set in greased pans and let rise until loaves reach the tops of the pans.
7.  Bake in 375-400 degree oven for 1/2 hour
8.  While cooling, grease tops of bread with butter.

Makes 2 loaves

Variation:  If you prefer wheat bread, you can use wheat flour, or you can do half wheat and half white flour.

Recipe from Karen Watkins

Meat Loaf

1 1/2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup egg substitute (equal to 1 egg)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup catsup
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix all ingredients.  Shape into a loaf and bake for 1 hour.
This recipe is quick and healthy!
Serves 8

Chicken a la Soda

Chicken prepared this way is very moist.  The addition of vegetables adds to the flavor.

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can sugar-free orange soda pop

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange chicken in a 3-quart casserole and top with remaining ingredients.  Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is tender.  Uncover an bake 10 minutes.
Recipe is quick and healthy!
Serves 6

Chicken Picadillo

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 cup salsa, thick and chunky
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced

Cut chicken into 1-inch strips.  Sprinkle with cumin.  Spray skillet with non-stick coating and stir-fry chicken until tender and no longer pink.  Add salsa, garlic, onion, and green pepper.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Serve this in a tortilla or with rice.
Quick and Healthy recipe!

Chili Con Carne

3 cans (15 oz. each) kidney beans, drained
2 large onions, chopped
2 green pepper, chopped
2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
2 cans (16 oz. each) tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. chili powder

Spray a large kettle with non-stick cooking spray and brown the meat.  Add remaining ingredients Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  This recipe is quick and healthy.
12 servings

Poppy Seed Chicken

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cellophane sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, mix together soup and sour cream until well blended.  Stir in diced chicken.  Spread creamy chicken mixture into a 9 x 9 baking dish.  In a large resealable bag, cruch crackers.  Then add poppy seeds and butter to bag and seal.  Toss to coat.  Sprinkle cracker mixture over chicken.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve over cooked rice.
Serves 4-6

*  I usually double the recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13 pan.