Thursday, March 31, 2011

Robot Birthday Cupcakes

IMG_2160

I have a SUPER creative friend! These are the cupcakes she made for her sons fun Robot Birthday Party, and I just had to share because I thought it was such a cute idea. She just printed off cute little robots and rockets for the colorful cupcakes- it was so fun! The kids made those cute little paper bag robots with foam stickers- it was really cute!

IMG_2159

IMG_2161

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Daring Baker’s Challenge: BLUEBERRY-BANANA FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

IMG_2239

IMG_2240

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

WHAT A TREAT! This ended up being a DELICIOUS challenge- I’m a bit late on posting it, because I wanted to use it for my son’s birthday cake. (We have three birthdays right in a row, so a variety in cakes is most appealing. :) Plus he is little enough that he didn’t care.) I had fun trying a filling version of my own that ended up working pretty well- even though it was a little bit of a hot, sticky mess. :) It was quite a bit more runny (because of the mashed bananas) than I think it was supposed to be, but it has such a moist, sweet flavor in the end! It reminded me of the Over-the-Top Blueberry Bread Pudding or the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding I made a while back. (Both of which I liked very much, I might add.) I will say that the texture did not fit what I conjure up to be “coffee cake” at all. It was more like a cinnamon roll. I picture coffee cake to be more like a… well, cake. :) I am certainly not complaining though. Hope you give this one a try- just for fun. It was a lot of work, but a whole lot of delicious, too!

IMG_2241

IMG_2273

BLUEBERRY-BANANA FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE
Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter
The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.

(*Might I add that, as you can see, I didn’t make “rounds of coffee cake.” My filling was just too messy, so I ended up emprovising with cinnamon rolls and little rolled loaves. With a drying middle mixture, I think the “rounds” would be great.)

Ingredients
For the yeast coffee cake dough:

4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature

(I also added a bit of nutmeg to the dough- it gave it a good flavor.)

For the meringue: (I loved the meringue! It was so hard for me not to snitch- I’m pregnant and I’m not supposed to do the “raw egg” thing, but it was too hard! Good stuff!)

3 large egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar

For the filling:

Lyd’s version:

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate
  • 3 very ripe mashed bananas

Directions:

Prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.

Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:

Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).

Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.

Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.

Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.

Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

IMG_2228

(See- check out this oozing mess of sweetness- it just didn’t want to roll up pretty… and it wasn’t. But it made up for it in flavor. :)

IMG_2231

IMG_2232

He liked his birthday cake, but he really had trouble blowing out the candles. :)

IMG_2270

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

IMG_2118

My friend Bekah shared these AMAZING cookies at a girls night. HEAVENLY! She found the recipe from picky-palate.com, a really cute site full of some yummy, incredible, and seemingly a-bit-unhealthy recipes. :) (I just want to know who could possibly be picky using ingredients like that!) Watch out, because these are DANGEROUS! They are just such a perfect mix of gooey chocolate and peanut butter, that it is hard to muster up enough self control to stop at just one. Good luck, hope you’re a better man/woman than me! :)

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix

10 oz bag peanut butter chips

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or line with a silpat liner.

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate pudding mix, peanut butter chips and marshmallows. Mix until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, place onto baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Friday, March 25, 2011

Balsamic Pork Cutlets

IMG_2109

Doug went nuts over this recipe, which kind of surprised me.  I know he likes mushrooms, but he’s not big on vinegar-anything.  I think of all the vinegars, balsamic is the most “noble.”  It isn’t over powering, but it definitely kicks it up a notch.  This recipe sounds more technical than it really is.  Just “shalax”… I think recipes that say “and cook for 1 minute” are silly- like you are going to set a timer or something.  I probably didn’t do everything completely perfect, but it tasted great and I think I got the “gist” of what they were going for… and BONUS—I didn’t stress myself out. :)

Balsamic Pork Cutlets (Family Circle, March 2011)

  • 4 boneless pork chops, about 5 oz each, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 small red sweet pepper, seeds removed and chopped (I didn’t have these, but I bet they would have been good.)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) broth
  • 1 can (6.5 oz) mushroom pieces, drained
  • 3 T balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Coat pork chops with flour.  Reserve unused flour.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook 2 minutes per side.  Remove to plate.

Add onion to skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring so onion doesn’t burn.  Add red pepper and garlic and cook one minute.  Stir 1 T of the reserved flour into broth and add to skillet; stir in mushrooms, vinegar, parsley, basil, black pepper, and salt.  Bring to a simmer.

Add pork; cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. (I cooked the pork chops a little longer the first time around and then served them plain with the topping to put on as desired, because my girls recently developed an aversion to mushrooms.)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Let’s Go Banana Muffins!

IMG_1730

Sometimes I struggle with consistency. I get really good ideas, but they fizzle overtime. You might recall my “Muffin Monday” idea… that lasted one post. However, my love for muffins is unchanging! I have a thing for muffins! If they didn’t take so darn long to make in the mornings, I would have them every day! I like them healthy and I love them not. I like them here. I like them there… I like muffins anywhere! :) These muffins in particular where a complete success! I’m glad I came across such a good recipe. I added chocolate chips, because who, in their right mind, wouldn’t? They were just the perfect consistency, and my husband said they were the best muffins he had ever tasted… I can’t help but love that response. :) I doubled the recipe, but I don’t think they lasted more than a day… yes, we have a problem. (One that I don’t intend to fix any time soon. :)

Makes 12 regular sized muffins.

Banana Muffins Recipe (Joyofbaking.com)

  • 1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans (Didn’t do the nuts, just for my hubby.)
  • 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour (I made them half whole wheat and half white.)
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • I added about 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 12 - 1/2 cup muffin pan with paper liners or butter or spray with a non stick spray.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

IMG_1731

IMG_1733

Monday, March 21, 2011

Guess I’ll Go Eat Worms... In Dirt Cups

IMG_2124

HAPPY SPRING!!! It was a rainy Monday today, and as I walked my daughter to school, I noticed all the little earthworms scattered here and there on the pavement- a sure fire sign of spring… hooray! Getting to school took an extra ten minutes, because I had to wait while my daughter hopelessly tried to rescue as many earthworms as possible. This may not be typical “kindergarten behavior,” but in her class it is. They just completed an exploration on earthworms and finished it off by compiling everything they learned into a darling little picture book full of all the earthworm facts they learned along the way. (The book is called E is for Earthworm, An A-z Guide, and proceeds go to future explorations.) They recently had a book signing and reading at a local bookstore, and I made these dirt cups for the crowd. It was a lot of fun and we’re pretty proud of our little “worm” expert. :) This isn’t any kind of gourmet recipe, but great for a spring treat that kids (and might I add adults as far as I’m concerned) are sure to love!

Worm Dirt Cups

  • chocolate pudding mix, prepared
  • package of Oreos, crushed and crumbled
  • gummy worms

In a cup or small bowl, layer prepared pudding with crushed Oreos over it. Top with gummy worm.

IMG_2120

IMG_2121

It was crunch time and I called in the troops to help me get it all together. Doug came through in a big way! He always seems to do that for me when I bite off more then I can chew… literally in this case. :)

IMG_2122

IMG_2125

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Chicken Cacciatore

IMG_2117

I came across this recipe a while back, and it looked pretty tasty, so I thought I would give it a try, however, I turned it into a crockpot meal, so I definitely took some shortcuts. It was really easy going that route, and it turned out well. It’s also a healthy meal- always a plus!

Chicken Cacciatore (Ellie Kriegor)

  • 4 skinless chicken breast halves on the bone, about 2 pounds
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, chopped and juice reserved
  • 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste

*Lyd's Tips: I didn’t exactly follow these directions- I turned mine into a crockpot meal and pretty much threw it all into the crockpot for a few hours. But I bet that if done properly like this, it would be even better. You know me… I like taking shortcuts.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a saute pan over moderately high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Warm White Bean and Tuna Quesadillas

IMG_2071

I was about to make the “typical” tuna fish sandwich for lunch, but I found this recipe stuck to the top of a tuna can, and was quite inspired. I thought I would “make my own dang quesadillas.” I’m glad I shifted my thinking, because this ended up being surprisingly delicious. It was really easy, and all the family loved it. I also thought it was a great way to sneak in some beans and spinach, which, unfortunate I didn’t have much of. This makes a tasty fast lunch, and I think you’ll like the depth of flavor the lemon juice adds!

    Warm White Bean and Tuna Quesadillas (from Bumblebee.com)

    • 1 can (16 oz.) cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
    • 2 cans (6 oz. ea.) tuna in spring water, drained and flaked
    • 1/4 cup Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 2 tsp. lemon juice
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 4 (8-in.) fajita size flour tortillas
    • 4 slices Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese
    • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
    1. Lightly mash beans in medium bowl. Stir in tuna, Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice and salt. Evenly spread tuna salad onto 2 tortillas, then top with cheese, spinach and remaining tortillas.
    2. Cook in 10-inch nonstick skillet lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat, turning once, 5 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

If life gives you lemons, make Lemon Loaf…

IMG_2060

Here is ANOTHER winner from Megan! She brought this one to some activity a while back (most likely a baby shower :), and I thought it was fabulous! I really love the addition of the cranberries (I think I would add even more- I bet blueberries would be really good too), and I think a little citrus zest can make a world of difference in shortbread and muffins! I recently added some Lemon Extract to my collection, so I did add just a drop of that as well, just to intensify the yummy lemon flavor. It was a good thing I did, because I totally forgot to add the juice over the top. Still fabulous though! Thanks again Megan!

*This recipe made 4 mini loaves.

Lemon Loaf (from Megan Naess)

1/3 c. margarine or butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon, and the juice, separated
1-1/2 c. flour
½ c. milk
1/3 c. cherries or cranberries (can use chopped or whole according to preference)

Cream margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs until combined and then add rest. Pour batter into 1 large loaf pan, or 2-3 small pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. When fully baked, remove loaf from pan and pour 1/8-1/4 c. sugar (again, to suit personal preference) dissolved in the juice of 1 lemon over the top of the loaf. Let cool completely.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Split Pea Soup

IMG_2032

I thought this was a simple, yummy soup.  It had a nice flavor.  I added a couple vegetables like carrots and celery to make it go just a bit further.  Then I pureed them for a smoother texture.  I also added just a bit of chopped ham that I had.  The cornmeal muffins went well with this soup! :)

 

Split Pea Soup (By Emeril Lagasse)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pound dried green split peas, picked over and rinsed
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • Hot Sauce

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions. Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and split peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes, until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the milk and, using a hand-held immersion blender, process until smooth. Add the hot sauce and serve hot.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cornmeal Muffins

IMG_2027

1 Mix, 100 Muffins”… doesn’t that just sounds awesome! I recently won this great cookbook by Susanna Tee, at Bunco night. This book is full of muffin ideas! From sweet to savory. The beauty of this book is that every single recipe is based on the Basic Muffin Mix. I have had fun getting new muffin ideas! This was the first one I tried out, just because it sounded like it would go well with some soup I made… and because I was reading a “Pioneer… Westward Ho” kind of book, and whenever that happens, I feel like making homemade bread or Jonny Cake, cornmeal mush, or beans and salted pork. At least that was what happened when I read Little House on the Prairie. :) I am looking forward to finding some good new muffins to try out! These turned out great- it was fun to have the whole corn in there. I wouldn’t have thought of doing that. I do like a little bit more sweetness to my cornbread from some reason, so if I made them again, I might add a tablespoon of sugar, but all in all, a great place to start.

Cornmeal Muffins (From 1 Mix, 100 Muffins cookbook)

  • Oil or melted butter for greasing
  • 1 1/4 c flour
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 c yellow cornmeal
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 c milk
  • 6 T sunflower oil or melted, cooled butter
  • 1 c frozen corn kernels (I just used 1 can, drained.)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper to taste into a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then Beat in milk and oil. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the corn. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mix.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Baked Lemon-Pepper Salmon with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

IMG_1992

This is one of my favorite things to do with fish! My husband loves it. It makes a delicious healthy meal that is so easy to throw together, and ends up seeming quite gourmet! :) This fish is moist and tender and roasted red potatoes always make a great side dish! A very little prep goes a long way with this one!

Baked Lemon-Pepper Salmon with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

For the Fish:

Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and lemon-pepper seasoning. You can also pour a little lemon juice over the top. Place the fish on tin foil and wrap it around, creating a tent, pretty much covering the top. Bake at 400 for about 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear and fish flakes apart.

For the Potatoes:

Just toss small or halved red potatoes in a bowl with olive oil. Sprinkle and toss in kosher salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. Spread foil over a baking sheet and spread potatoes evenly across. Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes, or until tender and cooked through.

*You can also add other veggies to the mix, like cut carrots, cauliflower, squash, sweet potatoes, or broccoli.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Apple Pancakes

IMG_1984

Here comes yet another pancake recipe!  I love pancakes and they just keep coming… hot off the griddle, as my mom would say.  I liked the apple in these.
Veronica’s Apple Pancakes (allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup shredded tart apple
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat.)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, milk and apple. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Stir flour mixture into apple mixture, just until combined.
  2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Garden Bread

 

IMG_1974

“And why not throw the veggies straight into the bread?”  That is what you will ask yourself after trying this one out.  This loaf is perfect for toasted cheese sandwiches!  This was fresh and healthy, a great way to sneak the veggies in.  Be sure to refrigerate what you don’t eat the first day.  I found this in a great cookbook all about Homemade Food Gifts.  I love some of the ideas, and I thought this was a good one.  They suggested folding it in a cloth napkin and securing it with a napkin ring.

(This recipe made 4 mini loaves.)

GARDEN BREAD (Simply Homemade Food Gifts)

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup tomato juice

2/3 cup coarsely shredded carrots

3 T coarsely chopped green bell peppers

3 T sliced green onions

4 T butter or cooking oil

4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed

1 tsp active dry yeast.

Grease loaf pans. 

With Bread Machine: Add the ingredients to a bread machine according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Select the basic white bread cycle.

Without Bread Machine:  Add warm water and sugar to mixer.  Sprinkle yeast over the top and let it bubble and sit for about 10 minutes.  Add flour, oil, and salt.  Mix until dough forms.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated.  With so many loose ingredients, you might have do some of the needing by hand.  Form rounded loaves, and let rise 30 minutes-1 hour. (I like to turn my oven to warm and let it sit in there for about 15-30 minutes.  It rises much faster.)  Bake at 350 for about 30 minute.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Blueberry Oat Bars (or Blackberry if you happen to live around here :)

IMG_1944

Perhaps you might recall Megan’s Sweet Potato Casserole… or you might not, but
Heavens to Betsy, I DO!!! Megan has never failed me yet, and the record still holds. (Just wait until I post her Lemon Loaf I just made!) I tried out this AMAZING dessert, and LOVED IT. I actually used some frozen blackberries I had put up after picking this fall. SO yummy! Thanks for the recipe, Megan… by all means, keep them coming!!!

Blueberry Oat Bars (From Megan Naess)

1-1/2 cups flour (I try to use whole wheat)
1-1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup cold butter
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, 1 cup sugar and baking soda. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 2 cups for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. Baking pan; set aside.
In a saucepan, combine blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and remaining sugar. Bring to a boil;
boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.
Note: The last time I made this, I thought it needed more filling so I doubled the amount of blueberries and cornstarch, used the juice from one lemon, and I thought it was better that way. (I didn't add any more sugar to the blueberries.)