Recipe Report - April 25

We are leaving on vacation tonight and I have scheduled posts for the rest of the week. Fingers crossed that Blogger will be my friend this week and the scheduled posts will actually post since most of the time we are gone I won't have internet access. Here's to hoping.

Blackening Seasoning
As I was preparing to make the Chicken & Broccoli Macaroni listed below, I realized I didn't have any blackening seasoning. Sure I could have probably used some other seasoning combination but I chose to find a recipe for the seasoning instead.
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Chicken & Broccoli Macaroni
This was a pretty delicious meal and as stated on the blog where I got it, it was pretty quick and easy. We used egg noodles instead of macaroni noodles and it was great.

Homemade Maple Syrup
This syrup is our new favorite. I love that it uses honey and not corn syrup. More for the fact that I always have honey and rarely have corn syrup. It is the perfect consistency.

Sugar Cookie Bars
This is one of the recipes I made to send for Operation Baking GALS. I wanted something easy and this fit the bill perfectly. I used this Powdered Sugar Glaze in the hopes that the glaze would be solid enough to make it to Afghanistan in an edible state.

Blonde Brookie (aka Chocolate Chip Blondies)
This was another recipe for Operation Baking GALS. Another easy recipe. Bars are the way to go when wanting quick and easy. These were not very good fresh out of the oven but spectacular the day after. I hope these arrived in an edible state too.

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Click links below for printable recipes.

Blackening Seasoning
Chicken & Broccoli Macaroni
Homemade Maple Syrup
Sugar Cookie Bars
Blonde Brookie (aka Chocolate Chip Blondies)

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Recipe Report - April 18 (plus one day)

Healthy & Hearty Chicken Quinoa Stew
I am constantly on the lookout for recipes that include quinoa. I have a difficult time finding recipes that my family will enjoy. When I saw this one I knew it was worth a try. It smelled divine while it was simmering. It tasted as good as it smelled. While I am sure russet potatoes would work, the texture of the Yukon Gold potatoes is wonderful in this stew. The soup made quite a bit and after three of us eating we were able to freeze enough for another meal for all of us--I like that.

The Breadsticks of Life
Moo brought this recipe home from a church activity and I am sure it was tied to a lesson of one sort or another. . . even without knowing that I have to say these breadsticks *could* be the breadsticks of life. They are spectacular. We ask Moo to make them whenever we have soup. They are light and fluffy but can hold up to being dunked in soup. You might want to make a double batch if you have breadstick lovers in your house. . . our family of five can eat one batch without trying too hard.

French Breakfast Puffs
Every so often I like to make something a little different for breakfast. You know. . . get away from the traditional eggs and toast, pancakes, waffles, etc. These were great. Everyone enjoyed them. They had a great combination of sweet, but not too sweet (or PE wouldn't have enjoyed them), crispy, buttery flavor. The leftovers reheated beautifully as well.

Refried Beans
I have tried my hand at refried beans before and they were okay. I wanted them to be better. Not only was I not getting the flavor I wanted but I wasn't getting the texture either. This recipe helped me accomplish the texture and with a little added seasoning I accomplished a flavor we really liked.

I now interrupt this recipe report for a little side story: In PE's family cookbook there is a recipe for refried beans. I was reminded of this as perusing the cookbook. I was also reminded of my opinion of the recipe when I saw it four or so years ago. "Who would want to make refried beans?!? You can purchase them at the store for less than $1 (usually). That is a silly recipe." Boy how times have changed. There are *so* many things I make now that I would have never thought to make two or three years ago.

Copycat Lawry's Taco Seasoning
I really enjoy the flavor of the Tone's Taco Seasoning we purchase in bulk. The price is great too. I don't enjoy all the ingredients I can't name. Since we are nearing the bottom of the container, I figured I would try finding a delicious substitute. This was okay. Good in a pinch as in when I don't have something else. But not good enough to quit purchasing the stuff from the store. I couldn't place my finger on what wasn't there so I am just going to have to keep trying. . . good thing I don't mind.

Italian Cream Cake

This lovely *cough cough* was Jabba's birthday cake. She LOVED it. I thought it was pretty good. It has coconut and coconut is not my favorite. That said, it doesn't have an overpowering coconut taste but enough that it wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed making it. It was pretty easy and the cake did what it was supposed to. When I made the frosting, I thought I would have a ton left over. Nope. It was just enough. The frosting had a great flavor. Even though it wasn't my favorite, I will probably make this again.

Creamy Hot White Chocolate
I know. I know. It is spring. Why am I posting this? Because it is delicious and if your spring is like my spring then a warm beverage isn't too far off the mark right now. It is a delightful change from the regular ol' cocoa based hot chocolate.

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Click links below for printable recipes.

Healthy & Hearty Chicken Quinoa Stew
French Breakfast Puffs
Refried Beans
Copycat Lawry's Taco Seasoning
The Breadsticks of Life
Italian Cream Cake
Creamy Hot White Chocolate

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Recipe Report - March 7

While I have been keeping up with the Weekly Menu, I have not posted many of the recipes. To help resolve this I am going to start another feature. Each Monday I will post a Recipe Report. In the post I will post the recipes from Weekly Menus. I will post five or so recipes each week. To cut down on the length of the post I will only post my review (I use that term very loosely) of the recipes and a link to the Google Doc for the recipe.

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This week I am posting more than five recipes because I have a lot of recipes to catch up on.

Lazy Chicken
This was an very easy main dish to make and by lining the pan with aluminum foil, clean up was equally easy. The spices made for very flavorful chicken. It did have a kick to it which meant Bob didn't eat it so next time I will cut down on the chili powder and the pepper.

Bacon & Green Onion Frittata with Smoky Gouda
Oh my goodness. This frittata had a wonderful flavor. First we have smoked gouda. . . delicious! Then there is bacon. Need I say more? My only problem with this was I am not good at making frittatas. I brown the egg a little too much. Other than that it was pretty easy to put together and it had such a great flavor. If you have never tried smoked gouda, I highly recommend you try it ASAP!

Peppery Lemon Brown Sugar Salmon
As with the Lazy Chicken the ease of preparation and clean up of this dish was a big plus. PE also made this so that made it even easier for me. The taste was pretty good. We prefer to cook our fish on the grill but seeing as it isn't grilling season and we don't have a covered deck that wasn't an option. No grill is the main reason I chose a recipe that cooked the fish in the oven. When cooking any fish in the oven I highly recommend using aluminum foil to make the clean up that much easier. I would also recommend tossing it in the outside garbage as soon as you are finished with dinner to help cut down on the fishy smell.

Slow Cooker Chicken in Wine
We have cooked whole chicken in the slow cooker before and it always turns out great. We have found it to be the best method for cooking skinned chickens (what we end up with most often because that is much easier than plucking a chicken). Since the chicken is skinned it loses/doesn't retain the moisture like a chicken with skin so the slow cooking with a little liquid helps it stay moist. I haven't cooked with tarragon before and I have to say it is quite delicious and I will try to find more ways to use it. Next time I will add more salt prior to slow cooking as the addition of it afterward really amped up the flavor.

Poor Man's Lobster
We discovered this recipe several years ago after PE went fishing in Alaska. We had a freezer full of halibut to eat and wanted a little variety. We loved using Spade L Ranch Fish and Seafood Seasoning and grilling the fish but for a little bit of a change we tried this recipe. Moo loved it and had been asking for it ever since. We ate all of that halibut but this past year my brother-in-law and nephew went fishing in Alaska and shared some of their fish with us (Thank you!). Since we had some halibut and again it is not grilling season, I put this on the menu. Moo was thrilled. Even Bob enjoyed it. Of course I think he mainly like dunking it in the butter.

Glazed Peanut Butter, Banana, and Blackberry Muffins
I received some blackberries from the co-op and decided to find a new recipe for using them. (Our favorite has been Quick Blackberry Cobbler served with whipped cream or ice cream.) I also had bananas, some homemade granola, and PE loves peanut butter so it was a no brainer when I found this in my bookmarked recipes. (Have you ever visited Jenny over at Picky Pallet? If not you should. Her recipes are amazing and very creative.) My muffins did not turn out as cute as her muffins but boy were they delicious. The combination of everything was quite fabulous.

Lemon Bars with White Chocolate Chips
I love lemon bars. I love white chocolate. I had a fresh batch of lemons from the co-op and some white chocolate chips in the freezer. It was just meant to be delicious. Boy was it ever. I did add extra lemon juice and zest after tasting the filling and I think that made all the difference. With out the extra tartness I think they would have been too sweet (especially for PE).

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Click the links below to get the printable recipes.
Lazy Chicken
Bacon & Green Onion Frittata with Smoky Gouda
Peppery Lemon Brown Sugar Salmon
Slow Cooker Chicken in Wine
Poor Man's Lobster
Glazed Peanut Butter, Banana, and Blackberry Muffins
Lemon Bars with White Chocolate Chips

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Granola and Cookies with Moo

Moo is such a great girl. . . errr teenager. She has spent most of the summer taking care of Bob. She does a wonderful job. She takes him to story hour at the library on Thursdays, takes him to our local elementary school for the free lunch program some days, and tries to make things fun for him by putting the sprinkler under the trampoline, helping him get movies from the library, and many other things. Thanks Moo!!!

In addition to taking care of Bob she is always willing to help out around the house and to try new recipes (that's my girl). Recently she has made Granola (V), Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (II) along with several other recipes that we make regularly. She did a wonderful job with the granola. It is delicious. The cookie bars while delicious were a little (just a little) too done. Cookie bars are difficult to get right sometimes (at least in my world). There seems to be a fine line between jiggly not doneness and brown over doneness. It is difficult for me to choose which is better. Anyway. . . the best thing about Moo and recipes is she will try again. One mishap does not dissuade her from trying a recipe again--I can't always say the same for myself. The ice cream is delicious! The only thing I helped with was scraping the vanilla bean. She did everything else. This was not as thick and rich as The Pioneer Woman's version we made for the Fourth of July. I think this version would go better with stir ins. While delicious, adding the stir ins to the Pioneer Woman's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream was almost too much.

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Granola V
adapted from 24 Hour Menu
Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups rolled 9 grain flakes
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup almonds, sliced
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup coconut
1 stick plus 2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add oats, flakes, wheat bran, brown sugar, cinnamon, almonds, pecans, and coconut together in a large bowl and mix well. Melt butter over medium heat, add in salt, honey, and vanilla extract. mix until all heated and add to oat mixture in large bowl. Stir until evenly coated. Pour onto lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool and break into pieces. Store in air tight container.

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Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
adapted from Nestle® Toll House® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels package
Print Recipe

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
from Annie’s Eats
Print Recipe

3 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups cream (or cream and milk) and the vanilla extract. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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Ol' Reliable Recipes

While I wish I could constantly bake/cook new things, sometimes it is necessary to stick with the familiar; however, with so many recipe variations out there I sometimes struggle with my desire to try new recipes versus the simple fact that a current recipe I use is a family favorite/familiar.

Barbecue Sauce is a great example. There are two that I make that PE loves (Honey Barbecue Sauce and Barbecue Sauce I) and another he really likes (Barbecue Sauce II) but I have six more recipes currently bookmarked. Do I stick with the favorites? Do I try the new recipes? Maybe one of the new recipes will become a new favorite. Maybe one of the new recipes will replace an old favorite. Maybe I waste the ingredients on a complete ick fest of grossness. See the dilemma? If not multiply that one item (barbecue sauce) by 30 or so other items (pancakes, pancake syrup, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies, shrimp scampi, etc.) all of which there is a current favorite in our home but I have multiple recipe variations bookmarked for them as well. Is the dilemma clearer now? What is a person to do? More importantly what am I to do?

Knowledge of the familiar assists at times with this dilemma. I know how quickly I can make the Honey Barbecue Sauce. I know how long I can let the ketchup simmer. I also know that if I forget about the ketchup and let it simmer a little too long it will still be delicious. I know a batch of our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe bakes in eight minutes. I know our favorite oatmeal cookie recipe doesn't end up flat, hard, and more resembling lace than a cookie.

What I don't know is how a new recipe will turn out until I cook/bake it. I am not smart enough to know by reading the recipe alone. In 99 cases out of 100 I am unable to guess what the complete end result will be. I may have an inkling and get one part or another right but that part often times is not preparation time. I cannot tell you how many times I make plans to "whip up" a new recipe and HOURS later I am finally finishing. Some of those times I can't even determine what exactly went wrong or why it took me so long. The recipe said "50 minutes including prep and baking" why the hell am I still in the kitchen after 100 minutes? Do I get sidetracked? Not usually. Or maybe I do and I don't realize. At any rate. . .unless I have a extra time on my hands I prefer to stick to the ol' reliable recipes.

Here are some of the recipes that I make regularly.

Ketchup
Simple Syrup
Homemade Pancake Syrup
Copycat Bisquick Mix
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Homemade Frozen Hashbrowns
Meatloaf a la PE

The Word Brunch

just makes me feel more adult. More sophisticated. (Lame, I know.) A couple months ago (gee a lot of these posts have that phrase in them) we went over to a friends for brunch. She and her husband made delicious omelets and I made Cinnamon Biscuits, Almond Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Glaze, and Blueberry Muffins (from box) with Crumb Topping. The almond poppy seed muffins were the biggest hit with the kids. Each of the teenage girls had three or four in addition to a blueberry muffin, a biscuit, and an omelet. The younger boys (ages 11, 5, 4, 3, and 2) all ate two in addition to some of the other stuff. I was amazed. I personally enjoyed the crumb topping the most. The Cinnamon Biscuits were GREAT after 10 seconds in the microwave.

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Cinnamon Biscuits
from Beantown Baker
Print Recipe

Biscuits:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
Filling:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Icing:
1/8 cup butter
1/2 package of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 lb. confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven at 425. Mix together all the biscuits ingredients except the shortening and milk. Cut the shortening into the mix till it looks like bread crumbs. Stir the milk into the mix and then roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Spread butter across dough and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut into 2" strips. Stack the strips one on top of another. (The smaller edge pieces may make up one layer to even out the thickness at the ends.) Cut into six even stacks. Stuff stacks into greased cup cake pan and bake for 11-14 minutes. While biscuits are baking, mix together all the icing ingredients with a hand mixer. Remove biscuits from pan and let cool. Spread icing on biscuits. Serve.

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Almond Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Glaze
from Grumpy's Honeybunch
Print Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2/3 cup sugar
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the all the dry ingredients, set aside. Stir milk and yogurt, eggs, vanilla, butter and lemon juice to combine. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Do not overstir and with muffin batter it is always ok to have lumps! Spoon into the muffin cups and bake for 12 -15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Drizzle with icing made from lemon juice and powdered sugar. I used juice of 1/2 lemon with enough sugar to make a thick glaze.

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Muffin Crumb Topping
from Sparky
Print Recipe

1/3 cup butter, chilled
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter and combine until it resembles crumbs. Sprinkle on prepared muffin batter and bake as directed in muffin recipe.

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Some More Freezer Swap Meals

Here are a couple more freezer swap meals that we have enjoyed. The Porcupines had a lot of sauce with them so I added some corn and green beans and we ate it over cheddar mashed potatoes. Cooking W. mentioned that more liquid and some more vegetables could be added to leftovers to make a soup. I was not at home to enjoy the Hash Brown Quiche; however, Moo put it together and she, PE, and Bob enjoyed it.

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Porcupines
from Freezer Meal Swap
Print Recipe

1 lb hamburger
1 cup minute rice
2 eggs
seasonings
bbq sauce (whatever amount you want)

1 qt stewed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato soup
2 cups water
seasonings

Mix hamburger, minute rice, eggs, seasonings, and bbq sauce. Make into balls and brown on all sides. Mix stewed tomatoes, tomato soup, water, and seasonings. Pour over porcupines and simmer until rice is cooked and heated through. Serve over mashed potatoes.

From frozen: Thaw completely. Put porcupines in a skillet and heat through. Add water to tomato mixture and pour over porcupines and heat through until rice is completely cooked. Serve over mashed potatoes.

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Kim's Hash Brown Quiche
from Freezer Meal Swap
Print Recipe

5 blended eggs plus enough milk to equal 16 oz
1/2 to 3/4 pkg. of frozen hash browns
1 cup shredded cheese
1 1/2 cups cubed ham
salt and pepper to taste

Spread hash browns in bottom and sides of 13x9 inch pan. Coat hash browns with cooking spray. You can also mix the hash browns in their bag with a bit of butter to coat them. This will help give it a crunchier crust. Bake hash browns in oven at 450 for 20-35 minutes. Remove. Spread ham and cheese evenly across hash browns. Pour egg mixture over ham and cheese. Sprinkle w/salt and pepper. Return pan to oven and bake at 350 for 30-35 minuter or until eggs are done and no longer runny.

From frozen: Remove egg mixture, ham, and cheese. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. return hash browns to freezer until ready to cook. Then follow directions above.

*Try substituting bacon or sausage for the ham.
*Try using cubed potatoes rather than hash browns.
*For a spicier dish, mix some salsa in with the egg mixture.

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Moo Can Make It Too

Moo had a multi-day field trip with school this past week and she wanted some snacks to take with her. The day that I was going to make granola for her I ended up having a headache so I was not in the best shape to make it. What I did do was find her an easy and simple granola to make. The recipe included chopped nuts and her knife skills aren't the best so PE helped her with that. The granola turned out great! Nice simple flavor. Good with milk or on yogurt or plain. I had K1 and JBonG (if I haven't mentioned, JBonG is K2's replacement) taste it. K1 even asked for the recipe. Good Job Moo!!

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Granola IV (Crunchy Granola)
adapted from Everyday Food Storage
Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
dried fruits, if desired (tropical fruit, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc.)

Heat oven to 280. Combine brown sugar and water in a 4 cup microwave proof cup. Microwave on high 5 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and salt. In a large mixing bowl, mix oats and nuts. Add the brown sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for a total of 45 minutes or until golden brown. After 25 minutes, stir and put back in the oven for the rest of the time. When granola has cooled completely, add dried fruits.

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A Baking Good Time with KLB

We had a baking good time at KLB's house a couple weeks ago. We made four kinds of muffins to freeze for breakfast. We made Bacon & Cheese Muffins (previously posted here), Banana Berry Muffins, Banana Bran Muffins, and Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins. For the Bacon & Cheese Muffins I tried a new way of cooking the bacon to see if I could alleviate some of the splatter. I made Crunch Coated Bacon. It was easy and not very messy. I will definitely be using this method again as it doesn't require standing by the hot, greasy, splattering bacon.

All of the muffins went together easily. I do have to say that dealing with frozen bananas was slightly disgusting. I really do like being able to put the overripe bananas in the freezer to keep them for use later but the off-putting part of dealing with the cold, slimy things makes them a little less appealing. I had peeled mine and placed them all in a gallon size freezer bag that I added to as I had more bananas. KLB had put hers in the freezer in the peels. Both ways produced a cold, slimy mess. I am going to have to revisit how I deal with them next time I have more to freeze.

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Crunchy Coated Bacon
from Real Mom Kitchen
Print Recipe

thick sliced bacon
flour

Use a broiler pan or line a large cookie sheet with edge with parchment paper or tin foil. Preheat oven to 350. Coat thick sliced bacon in flour. Lay on cookie sheet (do not overlap)
bake for 30 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes to see if it’s done so it doesn't burn. Be very careful removing the pan from the oven.

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Banana Berry Muffins
from Annie's Eats
Print Recipe

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 large bananas
1 egg white
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup fresh raspberries


Preheat the oven to 375. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, salt, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir together with a fork; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash together the banana and egg white until the mixture is well blended and slightly frothy. Stir in the honey, butter and orange juice, and mix to blend. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the fresh berries with a spatula until evenly incorporated. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 10-12 muffins

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Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
from My Food Storage Deals
Print Recipe

1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
4 bananas
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Mix above ingredients together.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flax
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix together the wet ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Put muffins in a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes (until they are browned on top and have a cake-like texture). All dried cranberries, all chocolate chips, or any combination thereof can be used.

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Banana Bran Muffins
from Netts Nook
Print Recipe

cooking spray
3 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil
1/4 cup dark honey
2 large egg whites
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 Tbsp stone-ground cornmeal
2 Tbsp freshly ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped walnuts toasted
1 tsp grated orange or lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly coast 16 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, egg whites, bananas, and vanilla. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the bran, flours, cornmeal, flaxseed, baking soda, and salt. Stir to mix well. Add the banana mixture and stir just to combine. Place about 2 Tbsp batter in each muffin cup. Bake until the muffins are puffed, golden, and firm to the touch 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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Petite Vanilla Scones

A few months ago we (K1, K2, and I) were introduced to these delectable treats by a coworker. They are so delicious they deserve photo placement on the blog (see below).


Since the introduction we have had the pleasure of consuming more of them on two more occasions (of course I keep count--they are THAT good). Since this could become an addiction and being the frugal person I am I figured I best find a recipe to duplicate the delicious little darlings. I bookmarked two recipes a couple months ago that seemed similar. One of the sites even mentions Starbucks and her want/need to duplicate the recipe (I am not that ambitious or comfortable in my baking ability). Then at the beginning of April the heavens opened up and angels started singing again (the first time is here). Ree has done it again. She also has delighted in the deliciousness that is Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean Scones and then tasked herself with replicating their fabulousness. (Have I mentioned how much I adore her?)

Even with the addition of Ree's recipe I was in no hurry to make the scones; however, once I realized K2's departure was rapidly arriving I decided I should get them made. So, the Tuesday before her departure I was not working so I made some. For whatever reason (I have a few theories) my scones were NOT petite. They were delicious. Not quite the same but still fabulous. PE ate three or four that night (that isn't a common occurrence for non chocolate and peanut butter treats). I carefully placed some in a container to take some to work for K1, K2, and the coworker who introduced us to the delights. I placed the container on the counter where I would remember it. After I went to bed Moo so kindly was straightening up and moved the container. The next morning I went to work and remembered five minutes from work (I live 20ish minutes from work) that I forgot them. I was tempted to go get them but getting to work on time outweighed that temptation. They did make it to work on Thursday and everyone stated that they were delicious. I want to make them again with a couple preparation modifications. I will let you know if that changes things.

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Petite Vanilla Bean Scones
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Print Recipe

Scones
3 cups all-purpose Flour
2/3 cups sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
1 whole large egg
3/4 cup heavy cream (more if needed)
2 whole vanilla beans

Glaze
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup whole milk
1 whole vanilla bean
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla “caviar” inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes. Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs. Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together. Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.

Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles. Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze
To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth. One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

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Just Because You Eat It Doesn't Mean You Are One

Granola that is. You can read the various definitions of granola at Urban Dictionary. I work with some individuals who would proudly wear the label of granola (in varying degrees of definition 1 and some more closely tied to definition 5 ). For this post I am speaking of the granola you eat. I LOVE granola. I have since I was little and my mom would make it. I have purchased it a few times here and there because I enjoy mixing it with my yogurt; however, I do not enjoy paying for the stuff.

I have been working up to making granola for a few months. The main reason being I had to build up my stash of grains and nuts. I purchase many of the items from Azure Standard. On most items I get a better price than I would from a warehouse club store. I have also really enjoyed the spices I have purchased from there. They are so bright in color and smell amazing compared to the spices I was replacing. Sometimes I am willing to pay a little extra for items because I believe the quality is better from Azure. I also like the availability of organic items.

Recently I have been trying out different recipes with varying ingredients and I have found that it is pretty hard to mess up making granola. I have three recipes to share with you and you will see they are similar.

Granola I was delicious with yogurt or with milk. I really liked the addition of the peanut butter chips. Granola II Moo took to school and I take it as a good sign that her teacher wanted the recipe. I tasted a bit and I think next time I will cook it longer. I like crispy granola and Granola II was closer to a soft bar texture. Granola III was excellent with milk or eaten plain. PE liked it for a snack while he was out hunting turkeys. In my cooking that is they highest compliment. . . when PE tells me something is delicious without my prompting.

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Granola I
from Sparky
Print Recipe

12 cups oats (any mixture of quick cooking and regular)
4 cups of dry ingredients (chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, almonds, craisins, coconut, etc.)
(I used 1/2 cup oat bran, 1/2 cup wheat bran, 1/2 cup chai seeds, 1 cup slivered/chopped/whole almonds, 1/2 cup flax meal, 1 cup peanut butter chips)
1 cup canola oil
1 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients. Combine honey and oil and heat in a small pan or in the microwave until hot. Pour over dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spread onto three baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Enjoy!

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Granola II
adapted from Mommy's Kitchen
Print Recipe

3 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
1 stick + 1 Tbsp real butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon sugar
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup oat bran
2 Tbsp flax seed
1 Tbsp chia seeds
3/4 cup almond pieces (optional)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

First melt the butter in a 3 - quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the honey and salt and briefly heat with the butter. In a separate bowl mix together the oatmeal, wheat germ, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon sugar, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and nuts add them as well. Turn off the heat and add the oatmeal mixture. Stir until everything is coated. Pour the mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Spread the mixture out evenly and bake it at 375 for 10 minutes (watch carefully) It will be a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let cool. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

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Granola III
adapted from Tammy's Recipes
Print Recipe

6 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup any combination chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, golden flax seeds, or raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, Craisins, and nonfat dry milk. Combine honey, oil, water, and vanilla. Add to oat mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn into two large shallow greased baking pans or cookie sheets. Heat in 300 oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir twice during heating. Let cool for 15 minutes after removing from the oven and then stir again. Store in tightly sealed container.

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Meals from the Holiday Break

For Christmas Day or New Year's Day (sad I don't remember which) I made a Mushroom Bacon Breakfast Strata. I wanted a recipe I could prepare the day before and keep in the refrigerator overnight. This strata I found on the PW's site was perfect.

The Mushroom Bacon Breakfast Strata had excellent flavor. It was a little dry for my liking and PE didn't like it because of the mushrooms. (It is hit and miss as to whether he will like something with mushrooms or not.) I will make this again; however, I will make some minor modifications.

Another one of the days I was on vacation I made Eggnog Pancakes. I made sure to make them while PE was at work (especially after the mushroom incident) as he doesn't like eggnog. The kids and I really enjoyed them.

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Mushroom Bacon Breakfast Strata
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Print Recipe

10 slices bacon, cut Into 1/2" pieces
12 whole white mushrooms, sliced
8 eggs beaten
1/2 cups half-and-half
salt and pepper, to taste
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
10 oz Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips

Fry bacon pieces in a large skillet until done but not overly crispy. Drain on a paper towel, pour grease from skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet (don’t clean skillet first) and cook until done.Mix eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Arrange pita chips in an 8 x 11-inch baking dish. Slightly press to flatten. Tear pieces of cream cheese and evenly distribute over the top of chips. Distribute mushrooms and bacon over the top of this, followed by the cheddar cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over all ingredients. Place into the fridge for several hours of overnight (makes a handy breakfast casserole!), then bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

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Eggnog Pancakes
from Sparky
Print Recipe

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and using a fork cut in until crumbly. Add eggnog and eggs to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Cook on griddle until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup.

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Bacon & Cheese Muffins

I received this recipe in my reader last week and knew it would be a hit with my family (even Bob). Luckily I was correct. Everyone gobbled them up. I even had some extra muffins that I froze for PE and I to take to work for breakfast.

They were easy to make. The most time consuming part was cooking the bacon. (If I had just cooked up a bunch of bacon ends and had them in the freezer. Maybe next time.)

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Bacon & Cheese Muffins
from Cooking During Stolen Moments
Print Recipe

4 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 lb bacon, diced, cooked and degreased
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the milk, melted butter or margarine and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fold in the bacon and cheese just until combined. Scoop into greased or lined muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Yields between 20-24 muffins depending on the size of muffin tins.

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Could Pancakes Get Any Easier?

Now that I have this recipe the answer is, "No". Mix up the ingredients, pour it in a pan, bake, cut, and serve. Easy. No standing around and only feeding one or two people at a time. Lovely. I still prefer the taste of the Copycat Bisquick Pancakes but these are definitely something I will be making next time I need a quick breakfast for the family.

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Pancake Squares
from My Tasty Treasures
Print Recipe

3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 large egg
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20–25 minutes. Serves 4–6

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Gotta Love the P-Dub

I haven't made cinnamon rolls for awhile and while they are usually good I am always a little disappointed with the outcome. We have a bakery that serves the BEST cinnamon rolls ever. They are huge, gooey, and delicious. These cinnamon rolls were two out of three. They were not huge. One time I might try that just to see if I can get all three covered.

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Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Print Recipe

1 qt whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 pkgs (4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
8 cups (plus 1 cup extra, separated) all-purpose Flour
1 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1 tsp (scant) baking soda
1 Tbsp (heaping) salt
3 cups (to 4 Cups) melted butter
2 cups sugar
generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour. After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1 ½ to 2 cups melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it. Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Glaze*
3 Tbsp butter, melted
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp half and half

Combine melted butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Add half and half and stir until smooth. Add more or less half and half depending on desired consistency.

*Ree uses a maple frosting for the topping. It sounds delicious and I will probably try it in the future.

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Just Another Day

For breakfast I made Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal (recipe below). The kids and I enjoyed it (oatmeal is not PE's favorite unless it is included in the making of cookies). We had a bit of a lazy day and it was nice. I worked on the cards for awhile today and probably got 1/4 of the whole process completed. Then I made dinner. We had Chicken Tetrazzini (one of the freezer meals), Cheddar Biscuits (recipe below) and steamed broccoli. Everything was delicious--I want the Chicken Tetrazzini recipe if I get it I will be sure to share.

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Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal
from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures
Print Recipe

3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
extra milk for serving

Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. If you like it a little crunchy on top cook for a few minutes longer. Serve with warm milk poured over top.

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Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits
from ABC News
Print Recipe

2 1/2 cups Copycat Bisquick Mix
3/4 cup cold milk
4 Tbsp cold butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Bush on Top:
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix. Drop approximately 1/4-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

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Birthday Meals

The morning started with Aebleskivers (recipe below) for the birthday girl. Then we picked up KLB and went to get Moo's hair cut. It turned out so cute! We got the idea and pictures from here. She now looks older than her 14 years and her dad has grounded her until she is 30. (We aren't looking forward to beating off the boys. I see a father sitting on the couch cleaning his guns in Moo's future.)

After stopping by PE's work for the birthday girl to show off the new do and for KLB to sell some jewelry (you can see some of her creations here.) Then we went home where I started baking and Moo watched movies and played around on Facebook. All was going well until Nana canceled because she has a cold and was not feeling well and then KLB canceled because she was not feeling well. (I wish the best to both of them and hope they are feeling better soon.) Moo decided that since KLB wouldn't be around to watch SYTYCD and Glee with us that she would reconsider Cooking W.'s invitation to attend the football game (I guess the boys and I aren't good enough company). Not a big deal, but she did leave in the middle of dinner and now I have an uncut cake in my refrigerator. There is always tonight.

Let us get on with the recipes.

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Aebleskivers
from Sparky
Print Recipe

5 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half & half
6 eggs (separated)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate large mixing bowl add milk, half & half, egg yolks, and beat. Slowly add dry ingredients, keep beating until very smooth and glossy. Whip egg whites until stiff and fold into batter mixture. Preheat aebleskiver pan with 1/2 tsp oil in each cup. When pan is hot, fill cups just under full. Once all cups are filled start turning Aebleskivers (using a toothpick, bamboo skewer, or knitting needle). Each turn will be small, pour uncooked batter to bottom of pan and slowly form sphere. When light golden brown remove to plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with syrup or jam.

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Chocolate Cake
from Hershey's Kitchen
Print Recipe

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9” round baking pans. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking power, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water with a spatula or spoon. Evenly pour batter into both baking pans. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.

++I also made cupcakes. Make the batter as directed. Pour batter into paper lined muffin pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.

++The cupcakes are extremely moist and delicious. I won't know about the cake until tonight.

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Chocolate Mousse
from Real Mom Kitchen
Print Recipe

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 Tbsp cold water
2 Tbsp boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 cup cold whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small cup; let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool slightly. Stir together sugar and cocoa in medium bowl; add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of mixer, scraping bottom of bowl occasionally, until mixture is stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture; beat until well blended.

++The mousse I tasted from the spoon is delicious. How it pairs with the cake I will not know until tonight.

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Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
from MyRecipes.com
Print Recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 to 7 Tbsp milk

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa. Gradually add powdered sugar mixture alternately with 3 Tbsp milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 4 Tbsp additional milk for desired consistency.

++The frosting is delicious on cupcakes. I can't wait to see how it tastes with the cake and mousse.

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Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling
from ourbestbites.com
Print Recipe

3 Tbsp Flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup real butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, pour it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temperature or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If it isn't cooled completely, it will melt the butter and the frosting will be runny. In an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment(s), beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9--that's when the magic happens! Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes with BIG tops or it will frost 24 if spreading a little on top.

++DELICIOUS!! This is going to used a lot in my house from now on. It is so worth the work.

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Hasselback Potatoes
from Mmm...Cafe
Print Recipe

4 medium baking potatoes
4 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Put the potato on a cutting board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, making thin slices. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet. Melt butter and stir in minced garlic. Spread between the slits. Sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper over the potatoes Bake the potatoes for about one hour or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

++While delicious, next time I will make the slices thinner.

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Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin a la Hunting W.
from Sparky
Print Recipe

1 tenderloin, sliced into 1" thick slices
bacon
butter, melted
garlic, minced

Wrap each slice of tenderloin around its sides with a slice of bacon, securing with toothpicks. Combine garlic with melted butter. Grill as desired topping the steak with the garlic butter a minute or so before the steak has reach desired doneness (nope, not a word).

++Anyone not in the know would have never guessed they were eating elk.

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I also served Crescent Rolls frozen from earlier in the week. I actually forgot about the rolls until I started the potatoes, so I had to modify their defrosting and baking. They were supposed to defrost all day. Instead I placed them in the slightly warm oven (leftover warmness from baking the cake and cupcakes) while I started to prepare the potatoes. Midway through preparing the potatoes, I turned the oven on to preheat. After four minutes I removed the rolls from the oven and placed them on the stove top to finish defrosting/rising while the potatoes baked. Once the potatoes finished I baked the rolls as directed in the recipe and they turned out just as good as the fresh rolls.

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Gimp or Hobble Whatever You Call It I'm an Expert

Even with the gimping I was able to do some cooking/baking yesterday and today. Last night I made dinner since Hunting W. was not home and then I made the cobbler I had been craving since I received the peaches on Wednesday. Today, I made breakfast because my ankle was feeling pretty good and then I made some things using the Amish Friendship Bread Starter which made my ankle feel pretty NOT good. So, while I have more plans for the day, I don't know how far I will get with them because I am not sure how much I want to pay for it.

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Stroganoff Melts
from Cooking During Stolen Moments
Print Recipe

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (optional)
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup beef stock
1 tsp thyme
4 oz cream cheese
french bread, sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, brown ground beef , onion and optional mushrooms. Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in beef broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Place sliced french bread on a baking sheet. Cover each with some of the stroganoff mixture and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until french bread is toasty and cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.

++This was very tasty. I happened across it two times as I was reading the recipes in my blog reader and thought I would try it. The original recipe called for English muffins but I thought french bread sounded so much better.

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Peach Cobbler I
from eHow.com
Print Recipe

5 peaches, pealed, pitted, diced
1 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar dissolved
1 box of yellow or vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter, sugar, cake mix, and nutmeg. Mix with fingers or fork until mixture becomes crumbly. Grease bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Spread half of cake mixture on the bottom of the pan--don't pack. Spread peaches and pour juice over the cake mixture. Sprinkle remaining mixture over peaches and bake for 35 minutes or until browned. Serve warm with ice cream.

++ This was too sweet. It was delicious for the first couple bites then became too much. The additional sugar I am sure added to this--cake mix is sweet enough straight out of the box. Too bad I didn't think of that before everything was all said and done. I also didn't see where the cinnamon came into play in the recipe so I didn't add it, that may have decreased a bit of the sweetness had it been added, I am not sure though. I will not make this again but someone out there might like it. I think I will try another one tonight.

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Sour Cream Waffles
from The Sisters' Cafe
Print Recipe

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 cube) butter, melted
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream (can use light)
3 large eggs

Heat waffle iron. Lightly oil grids. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to combine and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter, milk and sour cream, and eggs in a medium bowl until well combined and pour into well. Whisk until smooth, do not over mix. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center of each quadrant of the waffle iron and close the iron. Cook until the waffle is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Serve the waffles hot, with the homemade syrup passed on the side.

++I served diced peaches on the side and they were a delicious addition. PE even liked these waffles which I consider a plus because waffles aren't his favorite and I have a difficult time finding any from scratch recipes he likes.

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Amish Friendship Bread
from Allrecipes
Print Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, set aside In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Amish Friendship Starter, eggs, oil and vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Finally stir in the chopped nuts and apples. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.

**I made two batches of this. One with the apples and one with grated zucchini. For both batches I divided the dough into two pans (four total) and stirred the walnuts into one pan of each type.

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Amish Cornbread
from Armchair World
Print Recipe

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal

Combine in large bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add:
1/4 cup oil
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Mix well. Pour in well-greased 9" pan. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes.

++This came out a bit darker than other cornbread I have made but had an okay taste to it. The consistency is not as smooth as the cornbread I posted previously but still pretty good.

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From August until February Hunting W. hunts. It starts in August with elk and deer archery then moves onto various birds and small game until February. We do not eat everything he shoots. Thankfully he is pickier about the game he eats than some other hunters I know. In addition he knows pretty tasty ways to cook the game we do eat and he totally understands when I don't like something. Oft times it is a texture thing with me. A lot of game is too slimy or grainy. One of my favorites is pheasant. It tastes a lot like chicken. I will share our favorite recipe for pheasant when we make it later in the season. Yesterday Hunting W. shot three blue grouse--one of the grouse he will eat (he will also eat ruffed grouse but he will not eat sharp-tailed or sage grouse). I just follow his lead with most of the game because I haven't eaten it before. So, below I give you a recipe concocted in Hunting W.'s head.

Blue Grouse a la Hunting W.
6 Blue Grouse breasts
6 slices of bacon
1 can diced green chiles
8 oz cream cheese
6 slices of swiss or provolone cheese

Soak breasts in salt water* overnight (this helps get rid of the blood). Combine green chiles and cream cheese. Slit breasts. Place some of the cream cheese mixture in the breast with a piece of cheese. Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Grill until cooked through.

*1 tsp to 6 cups water

++These were better than anticipated. They were a little tougher than chicken because the birds use their breasts when flying unlike chickens who just walk around and don't do much flying. I bet this would be a delicious way to cook any bird--I am going to have him try it with some chicken breasts.

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That is all for now but one way or another I will be making another peach cobbler tonight . . . I have to fulfill the craving.

Day at Home

When I am home I really enjoy making breakfast. We could all easily eat cereal and save some work, but we can all eat cereal any other day of the week when we are not home for the day. Today I chose to make Baked Oatmeal. It gives you the benefits of oatmeal with a different texture than a regular bowl of oatmeal.

Baked Oatmeal
from My Kitchen Cafe
Print Recipe

3 cups oatmeal (quick or rolled)
1 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 cups milk
2 beaten eggs
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with milk if desired. Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13.

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We (Bob, Moo, and I) have a big day planned. . . I received a Redbox code today so the kids and I rented two movies. Bob chose Bolt and Moo chose Coraline. We have some treats and microwave popcorn so ti should be a good time.

Hope everyone has a fun and save Labor Day.

Recipe Wrap Up

We made chicken soup using the leftovers from the Crock-Pot Rotisserie Chicken. Mmm, mmm, good.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings
from Sparky
Print Recipe

Place leftover chicken pieces (bones and juices) from a rotisserie chicken in a large pot. (Reserve the leftover meat to add later.) Add celery (including leaves). Cut an onion into quarters and add to pot. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil then simmer for an hour or so. Remove bones, onion, and celery pieces. Add the leftover meat to the broth. (At this point we put the broth in the fridge and cook the soup another day.) Add sliced carrots, chopped onions, chopped celery, and any other desired vegetables. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer. Add desired spices (chicken bouillon, onion/garlic powder, etc.). Cornstarch can be added to thicken broth if desired. Once the soup is ready prepare dumplings.

Dumplings
2 1/2 cups Copycat Bisquick Mix
2/3 cup milk

Combine mix and milk. Batter/dough will be very lumpy. Drop by spoonfuls onto top of soup. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Then cover and cook 10 additional minutes. Serve and enjoy.

++A pot like this works great with the pasta cooker insert used to hold the chicken pieces and vegetables. Then you only have to remove that piece and discard the items instead of having to strain the broth.

++I am not 100% on all of the seasonings as PE is the seasonings guru in our house. He would make my dad (Chef Al) so proud. I try and try to make the spaghetti sauce and chicken soup taste as good as when PE makes them; however, I always fail. I am a seasonings failure. Oh well, I am comfortable with that. So long as someone in my house can make me delicious spaghetti sauce and chicken soup then I am happy.

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Moo made German pancakes on Sunday too. She enjoys making those any time we will let her. I try not to let it be too often as our recipes is NOT low fat and that is the way we prefer it.

German Pancakes
from Sparky
Print Recipe

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 3/4 cube butter

Melt butter in pan while preheating oven to 350. Combine eggs and milk in blender. Blend until bubbly. Add sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt. Pour into pan and bake 15 – 25 minutes. Serve plain or with syrup.

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I think that is all of the recipes I mentioned making. If I missed one let me know.