Recipe Post

homemade corn dogs

The recipe listed below 

http://damndelicious.net/2014/08/11/easy-homemade-mini-corn-dogs/

Toad in the Hole

Made these tonight saw them on Pinterest thought sausage and bread sounded like something the kids would eat too...I made onion gravy for me and Hubs .. I enjoyed them and the kids asked for seconds 

Here's the recipe if you want to give them a try 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/nov/04/toad-in-the-hole-recipe

Or look at prettier photos then mine 

Valentine's Day Recap

For some reason holidays to me become about the food and Valentine's Day is no different. With one big exception instead of asking myself what do I want? I think what does he want?... Then goes back to  what new recipe can I try what have I not made him before? well, what is his favorite foods?... Okay so I thought about it and came up with two things I've never made and he loves ....
Before I share just given everyone my husbands two cents.....
My love hates  holidays in general hates that the focus on everything is what did you get me 'what did you buy me, he hates that all holidays are so commercialized and I understand his point he thinks you should not need a special day to show the loved ones in your life how much you care you show them all through out the year and he's pretty good at showing me he cares he has flaws but so do I lots of them and I'll be the first to point them all out loud and clear doesn't mean I'm changing....its me its just who I am..as I say to my kids "I'm the mama gotta love me," stold that from baby dinosaur from the TV sitcom Dinosaurs
Okay before I go on and on I am going to admit one of my flaws that goes with everything I just said ....aheem!! My first thought for Valentine's Day was not what does he want? it was...what do I want? ha I'm guilty so guilty ... Chocolate lots of chocolate that was the answer!!!! So breakfast was Triple Chocolate Muffins oh yay and they where definitely for me here's the recipe link I would of took a picture but between me and my three goblins all 12 were gone before I could say snap
http://grandmotherskitchen.org/recipes/chocolate-cupcakes.html
These chocolate muffins ..( I know it say cupcakes but if it doesn't have frosting I dont call it a cupcake).... were so easy and soooo sooo good!

And for My Love
She Crab Soup ...Yes soup no big huge 7 course dinner... my love is very easy to please when it comes to food he is a picky eater but he knows what he likes and he loves She Crab Soup
Now I kind of did a combination of recipes but I'll share the link with y'all and you can tinker with them too
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/south-carolina-she-crab-soup/

http://www.charminginns.com/blog/she-crab-soup-recipe/

This was a huge success with the youngins too

Saved the best for last
Homemade Cannoli
Recipe and instructions came from
http://parsleysagesweet.com/2009/11/27/leave-the-gun-take-the-cannoli/

They were the best Cannoli we've ever had the only problem with taking the time to make them is ..

He has already asked for me to make more

POPCORN

Not just any popcorn, CARAMEL popcorn YUM!!!

I used a recipe from allrecipes again

 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/my-amish-friends-caramel-corn/

CARAMEL POPCORN

My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn  

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour  Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Servings: 28

"This easy caramel corn can be tossed with peanuts or mixed nuts, if desired."

Ingredients:

7 quarts plain popped popcorn

2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon salt

1 cup margarine

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

3. Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.

4. Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 6/3/2013

***The only changes I made was butter instead of margarine

Delicious!!



Chinese Chicken ...Monday Recipe

So tonight I was going to make chicken stir fry all the kids opposed that idea so I searched till I found this http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/captbunzo/recipes/flawless-sesame-chicken-american-restaurant-style  I will tell you now this was amazing My Ox even said,"You made this ?" With a surprised look on his face ...Stitch said,"It was the best food I've ever made!!," I won't go that far but it was the best Chinese food I've ever made...I didn't have sesame oil so I can't call it sesame chicken I did put sesame seeds in the slurry though also used red wine vinegar instead of cooking wine... I always wing it when it comes to recipes but this one turned out fantastic

Monday Recipes " Cheese Blintz"

 Cheese Blintz's

This is my first time making these at home I've had them at restaurants before and fell in love with them so I thought I'd give it a try they where exactly what I wanted..I did not have any cream cheese so I used all cottage cheese I will make sure I have cream cheese next time

http://www.food.com/recipe/cheese-blintz-125170

Crepes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• additional butter (for pan)

Filling

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup farmer cheese, soft or 1 cup softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Garnishes

• sour cream

strawberry jam or preserves

powdered sugar

1. Use an electric mixer to blend together all the crêpe ingredients (except the butter for the pan) in a large bowl. Blend just until smooth. The batter will be very thin.
2. Combine the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix by hand. Keep the filling nearby.
3. Preheat a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. (This size pan tapers to about 8 inches at the bottom.) When the pan is hot, add about ½ teaspoon butter.
4. When the butter has melted, pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan. Swirl the batter so that it entirely coats the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1½ to 2 minutes or until golden brown on one side.
5. Use a spatula to lift an edge of the crêpe. Grab it with your finger, slip the spatula underneath, and quickly flip it over. Cook for another 1½ minutes or until a bit lighter shade of brown than the first side, and then slide it out of the pan. Repeat with the rest of the batter and stack the finished crepes on top of each other to keep them warm.
6. Heat the cheese filling in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. When ready to fill the crêpes, place each crepe, dark side down, on a plate. Pour 2 to 3 Tablespoons of cheese filling across the center of the crêpe. Fold the sides in and turn the entire blintz over (to hide the seam) onto a serving plate.
7. serve 2 to 3 blintzes on each plate with one dollop of sour cream and two of strawberry preserves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Monday Recipe "Chipotle Chicken Salad"

Chipotle Chicken Salad

This salad tops the charts as one of my all time favorite salads I first had it at a local restaurant and told myself I have to figure out how to make this at home when I found this recipe on Nutmeg Notebook I became quite pleased now the salad at the restaurant had pickled onions which is on my to do list and really is a must have ingredient in this salad but I didn't make any the other night just tried to get the salad down pat it turned out great but still wanted the pickled onion http://nutmegnotebook.com/2011/06/chipotle-chicken-taco-salad-2/

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
Dressing:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.
Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.
Yield: 4 Servings   Servings Size: Approx 2 1/2 cups
Nutritional Information
Calories: 249, Fat: 8.2g, Saturated fat: 2.8g, Monounsaturated fat: 2.9g, Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g, Protein: 23.3g, Carbohydrate: 25.1g, Fiber: 7g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Iron: 2.2mg, Sodium: 650mg, Calcium: 106mg WWPP 6
Adapted from Cooking Light AUGUST 2006

Side Notes:

I added orange and yellow peppers and cheddar cheese to my salad served it with tortilla chips

my dressing was made with buttermilk and mayo instead of the sour cream

Monday Recipe "Quiche"

Goat Cheese and Ham Quiche

Goat Cheese and Ham Quiche                                                 

6 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 cup goat cheese (my Goat cheese had chives)

2 slices deli ham

dash of salt and pepper

blend in blender till combined

pour into cooked pie shell

cook on 375 for 45 min

cover with foil if getting to browned

I Love Quiche.. really any kind.. I am pretty easy going when it comes to quiches I just throw what I have in the blender.. then in the crust it goes ....and of course I pop it in the oven and I'm set...I think the hardest part is the pie crust and I just spread that out in the pie plate with my paws cause I'm lazy :)

Quiche run down stick to 

1 to 2 cups of milk or half and half... or.. (hmm like sour cream or mayo..but only half of these like half mayo half milk)

to 4-6 egg ratio

than decide seasonings and ingredients

that's what I like about quiches you can put in what you like

whatever you do... don't forget the cheese only saying ..because to me cheese makes everything better

These are some options for recipes

(WELL I MAY HAVE GIVEN YOU TO MANY  :)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/light-and-fluffy-spinach-quiche/detail.aspx

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Italian-Quiches

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramelized_onion_quiche/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/quiche/

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/04/over-the-top-mushroom-quiche/

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/asparagus-spinach-feta-quiche/

http://guiltykitchen.com/2009/11/06/fully-loaded-quiche/

Monday Recipe "Snickerdoodle"

SNICKER DOODLE MUFFINS

recipe found at http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2012/02/snickerdoodle-muffins/

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Yield: 16 muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
For the Topping:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line muffin cups with muffin liners. (Do not use cooking spray.)
In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in half of the dry ingredients. Beat in the sour cream and buttermilk. Beat in remaining dry ingredients until just incorporated (batter will be soft).
To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Using an ice cream or large cookie scooper, drop the scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the dough with the mixture and roll it around until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar. Place the ball into the muffin liner. Repeat with remaining batter. Sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops the muffins.
Bake until muffin tops are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.

Source: adapted from Very Culinary originally adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody


I also made homemade spaghetti O's this week ..I was pretty pleased with these recipes I just mixed and matched recipes from different sites and prayed it turned out all right the kiddos had seconds on them so I consider that a success most importantly I pureed those carrots and added them to the sauce and they didn't even know there was a veggie in it  
http://www.seededatthetable.com/2012/07/09/diy-homemade-spaghettios/
http://too-much-time.com/2012/10/healthy-homemade-spaghettios.html

Not the best pic but hey Im not perfect

Monday Recipe "Let's Talk Biscuits"

Well, Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit!


The  Lowly Biscuits was not a pebble in my heel it was a boulder on my chest ..I married a southern man who loves his biscuits more than gravy and the first biscuits I ever made were not even edible (hockey pucks that's what they were if we had ice we could of played a round) how can such an easy thing like biscuits kick this girl in the hiney so hard ..now I had a lot of living up to do I had tasted Ox's Granny's biscuits and to this day there is no comparing she had somethings special in those biscuits that I haven't even come close to and no other biscuit has either but I have taught myself a thing or two about these golden round pieces of goodness and out of everything it was finding the right recipe for me ... the only recipe I have stuck with for 5 years (remember I've been married 17 so that's 12 years of biscuits chaos)  now is from Southern Living Cookbook from 2007

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

3 1/2 cups self rising flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 to 1 cup flour for rolling out the biscuits
1 Tbsp butter melted to brush on biscuit tops

mix, roll, brush, bake
Key points dry ingredients mixed together first... than butter and shortening cut in till crumbs, follow with the buttermilk DO NOT OVER MIX BATTER
bake at 500F for 9 to 11

I usually put the bacon or sausage in the oven on a cookie sheet well the oven is warming up when the oven reaches 500 the bacon or sausage is usually done than I pop the biscuits in

Baking is big in the South—whether it’s a biscuit or a roll, we love something in our hand to put some butter on, or to sop up pot liquor. - Paula Deen

Monday Recipes Taco Tuesday

Why a Taco Night well Friday is Pizza Night at our house ...pizza is a favorite among my family no matter what type... take out, frozen, eating out, or homemade we enjoy pizza night .. My Stitch again got involved in the meal planning and said "Why cant we have Taco Night?" Well I said set a day we'll make it happen... Taco Tuesday begun my Ox is not a big taco eater but the kids love them so for the recipe today I want to share my favorite Tortilla Recipe now Ox may not like tacos but he can devour some homemade tortillas this recipe is from Homesick Texan
 http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/03/and-end-to-my-quest-flour-tortillas.html




Flour Tortillas
Ingredients:
Two cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

Monday Recipe

BRAN MUFFIN

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/classic-bran-muffins/

This is the recipe I started with yes it's an allrecipe again why switch when every recipe Ive tried that has had good ratings with more than 100 reviews has been good.. just know that just because a recipe from there might have a five star rating if it only has one review that review is probably the person that wrote the recipe :)... so look at the amount of reviews and star ratings you'll be safe that way ..this bran muffin recipe called for 1  1/2 cups of wheat bran I switched it out for bran flake cereal instead that is what I had in the pantry and added a half cup of honey I like mine on the sweet side... they are really good but my kiddos heard bran and wouldn't touch them I had two bananas sitting around and since we were gone last week they needed to be used up so they had banana muffins thank goodness I made those or the bran muffins would of got me in a world of trouble

Recipe makes 1 dozen

 1 1/2 cups wheat bran

 1 cup buttermilk

 1/3 cup vegetable oil

 1 egg

 2/3 cup brown sugar

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 cup all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

 The recipe I used for the banana muffins I just found at this blog last night

http://simpledailyrecipes.com/ and it looks pretty good

(she seems to have a lot of unprocessed natural food recipes)

now I was out of buttermilk ( I used it all up in the bran muffins) so my substitutions for buttermilk was vanilla yogurt and sour cream the youngins ate two without sitting down... I would have to say they were a hit

http://simpledailyrecipes.com/14259/banana-cake-like-muffins/

Makes 15 yummy muffins.

• 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 small ripe bananas, mashed (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs

HEAT OVEN TO 350ºF. Grease muffin pan with oil.
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Whisk all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture.  Fold together with a rubber spatula until all the dry ingredients are absorbed.  Try not to over mix the batter.  Using a 2-inch scooper, scoop out enough batter to fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.
Bake 17 to 20 minutes, until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  The tops should be light golden with darker golden edges.

Monday Recipes ...Granny's Chocolate Pie




http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkaway/475923677/

 
This recipe is near and dear to our hearts my Ox loved his Granny's cooking she was a down home southern cookin lady and nothing came out of her kitchen that wasn't the epitome of the south.. Now I had never heard of chocolate pie?? chocolate silk pie, yes, but my Ox said," You haven't had nothing like Granny's Chocolate Pie its the best thing you'll ever taste," and he was gall darn right I was smitten my first bite..I could eat the whole pie if my family would let me, but they always say I have to share,( I always have the sneaky notion to say Why I made it) I always make two though because between the 5 of us just one pie will not do and most of the time two doesn't suffice... This Chocolate Pie is on the table at every family gathering in this house first in foremost to celebrate Granny's Memory ... but have to say for everyone eating it, its the joy of devouring this delicious pie

Granny's Chocolate Pie

1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
4 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups Half and Half
3 egg yolks

-Have one prepared pie crust ready *** remember homemade is always best, take the extra time you will be a lot happier :)**
-add every things except yolks to a high sided sauce pan
-(please have whisk in hand stirring this mixture at all times it might be a good pie but a tasking pie to make)
-cook over medium heat until thick
-(this will take a while)
-remove from heat and temper in those egg yolks remember to temper you don't want chocolate scrambled eggs
-return pan to burner over medium heat return mixture to boil for one minute
-remove from heat
+++mix in 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract to chocolate
-and pour into pie crust
-best to chill over night but at least 3 hours
those three extra egg whites can be turned into meringue and baked on top... my family does not like meringue so I don't make it ....also cool whip is an alternative topping...  my family is easy they just want the chocolate all of it

Monday Recipes

Something has hit me like a mack truck and I am sick not just a tiny sick a whole hornets nest sick yesterday I didn't want to do anything but still accomplished 6 loads of laundry, dusting of the ceiling fans, a general scrubbing of the bathrooms, and cleaning out of the fridge and ...a terrible rant text to my husband but I'm not very happy about that one, also cooked a pretty good dinner of Salisbury steak that I tried to eat but couldn't the sickness was making me queasy even though I was starving the food smelled so good...the steak was supposed to have cream of mushroom soup as the base of the gravy..but...I wasn't running to the store I knew I couldn't be less than five minutes from the bathroom all day so the steak didn't have the cream of mushroom soup in the gravy... Ox said it didn't need the can of cream of mushroom my homemade gravy was way better ..don't know if that was true or if he was just being nice due to me being drop dead sick.... once I feel better I'll remake it and see if its any good before I post the recipe...


So I have figured out in my house its easier to assign things to cook on certain days so I don't have to think about it I have all ready shared how Sunday Pancakes had started going back to my childhood than ...Waffle Wednesday started because I was dieing for a waffle maker and my husband said if I buy this for you it better be used and not shoved in a cabinet never to be seen again so I kept my word by using it once a week ...well than came Muffin Monday it has been my way to incorporate fruits dried and fresh and bran and also flax seed to try to have my kids get some extra things in there diet if its in muffin form I found out they'll eat it .. and just recently French Toast Friday was started... Stitch asked for french toast a little while ago and said I love these you need to make these every week that sounded good to me so French Toast Friday began..Tuesday and Thursday we do eggs and something could be toast or grits but you get the picture I have breakfast covered and don't have to go what are we having today ...Saturdays usually are homemade biscuits but not every sometimes I'm lazy

Sunday a Kid Favorite
Chocolate Chip Pancakes

From http://joythebaker.com/2008/12/milk-chocolate-chip-buttermilk-pancakes/

Milk Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes

adapted from BlogChef

makes lots, enough for four people.

2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips (depending on how chippy you feel)

oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

Step 1: In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and let batter set for a few minutes.
Step 2: Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, ifor when the drops start to dance its hot enough.
Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Waffle Wednesday

This is my favorite basic waffle recipe

Recipe Fromhttp://allrecipes.com/recipe/waffles-i/

WAFFLES

2 eggs

 2 cups all-purpose flour

 1 3/4 cups milk

 1/2 cup vegetable oil

 1 tablespoon white sugar

 4 teaspoons baking powder

 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

FRENCH TOAST FRIDAY

My Recipe for French Toast which is as basic as it comes

One Loaf of the Cheap White Bread**

** I hate White Bread but this is the only kind of bread I use for French Toast I've tried others white is what I like

I use a shallow glass Pie Plate to mix in it works best because the bread isn't floating in the egg mixture

Lots of butter for frying  in our frying pan on med low

Egg Mixture

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons of sugar

dash on cinnamon or nutmeg I've also used all spice in a pinch

1 teas Vanilla extract

give the mixture a whirl with a whisk

take a piece of bread dunk one side and flip dunk the other side in egg mixture pull up and hold over bowl for a sec I do this just so I don't have a trail of drippings from the bowl to the pan  lay the bread in the pan cook till golden brown flip and turn to the other side and do the same that's it quick and easy

So there ya have it ..a little peak into my routine...of course Just Like the Pancakes The Waffles and The Muffins are never the same each week because what fun is THAT??

Monday Recipes "BTS cookies"

BTS Cookies

So I was on a quest last year for soft moist fluffy sugar cookies to bring to a family gathering  it was a success when I found this blog
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/lofthouse-style-soft-sugar-cookies/
and this one
http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/05/soft-lofthouse-style-frosted-cookies/
and this one
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/12/07/lofthouse-cookies-easy-buttercream-frosting/
so as you can see no matter what LOFT HOUSE COOKIE recipe you use these are darn good cookies
So I call them BTS cookies when my sister-in-law first tried them she said these are BTS so she hooked me into asking what does BTS mean

BTS (Better Than Sex) Cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups sour cream

Monday Recipes -Homemade Granola

Granola is so easy to make and homemade is so much better than store bought ...My favorite thing about homemade is you can make it with the things you love and omit the pick out items of a store bought box you don't like ...I love a bowl of vanilla Greek yogurt with granola on top of course its great plain too and very versatile you can make it simple or complex the three main ingredients for mine is oats, honey, and olive oil
There are so many recipes out there and varieties google homemade granola recipes add a little this and a little that and fall in love with it too
I chose Barefoot Contessa "Ina Garten" she has quite a few different recipes to give y'all some ideas of what you could make http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-hazelnut-granola-recipe/index.html

The Granola above in the picture is

Almond Granola

2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of broken up almonds
1/3 cup olive oil ---I use olive oil because I feel its healthier you can use regular veg oil to Ive also used coconut oil which is really good
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ---I would of used 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract if I had some in the pantry

Throw everything in a bowl toss all ingredients till evenly distributed than put on a baking sheet with parchment paper in a even layer bake at 300 degrees about 15 min stir every now and then you want to make sure it doesn't burn around the edges just cook till golden brown

Monday-Monday Recipes ba-da-ba-da-da-da

Monday AHHHH!!

No, I did not know that today"MONDAY" that one of the Sky Rim add ons are coming out but why do we have to have a two hour conversation about it instead of doing school???? The boys are driving me bonkers,"no, I'm not taking you to Game Stop" "well how about Best Buy?" " no, I am not going to Best Buy!" I am not buying any games I don't want to know what is in the add ons or how many add ons there are or what would be cool if they did this or that PLEASE just be quiet open your books and do your work...

Mamas & The Papas Monday, Monday Lyrics

Songwriters: PHILLIPS, JOHN EDMUND ANDREW

Ba-da ba-da-da-da
Ba-da ba-da-da-da
Ba-daba-da-da-da

Monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
So good to me (ba-daba-da-da-da)
Monday mornin, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh monday mornin, monday mornin couldnt guarantee (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
That monday evenin you would still be here with me

Monday, monday, can't trust that day
Monday, monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh monday mornin you gave me no warnin of what was to be
Oh monday, monday, how could you leave and not take me

Every other day (every other day), every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever monday comes, but whenever monday comes
A-you can find me cryin all of the time

Monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
So good to me (ba-daba-da-da-da)
Monday mornin, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh monday mornin, monday mornin couldnt guarantee
That monday evenin you would still be here with me

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever monday comes, but whenever monday comes
You can find me cryin all of the time

Monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
So good to me (ba-daba-da-da-da)
Monday mornin, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh monday mornin, monday mornin couldnt guarantee
That monday evenin you would still be here with me

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever monday comes, but whenever monday comes
You can find me cryin all of the time

Monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
Cant trust that day (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
Monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
It just turns out that way (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
Whoa, monday, monday, wont go away (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
Monday, monday, it's here to stay (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
Oh monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)
Oh monday, monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)

Monday, Monday lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

I don't know what it is about Monday's of course Ox goes back to work and I don't ever know how long he'll be there and school has to start back and there is no guarantee of normalcy there ...When it says every other day of the week is fine ...I just have to remember that line

Do I have any recipes to post, yes I do, I'm sorry about my little rant

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Ingredients:

¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
2. Melt the butter and half the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not over mix the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold

**Things I changed because I didn't have all the correct ingredients I used salted butter so I omitted the salt



 recipe adapted from http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/01/14/chocolate-chocolate-chunk-muffins/

You will want to check her site out too she is having an awesome give away for her sixth anniversary... I am not participating for the reasons of I don't have facebook, don't have twitter, don't have pinterest, thinking I won't have much of a chance but that's okay I have big reasons why I don't have these things and have a much happier life without them granted pinterest would be fun but the last time I tried to join I found out I had to have facebook what's up with that?** UPDATE I can PIN through email that's a good thing**

Well I successfully made a crepe...One goal crossed off my list

I used a basic recipe from all recipes http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basic-crepes/

When I started making them and they were turning out I had that happy giddy moment of success and then there was the, now what?" crepes have to have a filling think, think what am I going to make then I remembered there were apples that needed to be used up so I made spiced apples

Here's my recipe for that

Spiced Apples

I used two apples sliced mediumish I like my apples a little chunky and not mushy when cooked

3 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon (you can use less I like cinnamon)

1 dash of all spice

Instructions:

put all ingredients in a frying pan over medium heat, give it a stir, cover for the first 10 minutes or so stir every now and then, turn the heat down if at any time the apples are sticking, the covering of the apples in the pan should steam the apples and keep all the yumminess inside, then uncover for about 5 minutes till the juices become syrupy

I filled the crepes with the spiced apples added a little syrup from the apples on top and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon and served with cream ...these were so good my husband gave them the name "Apple Pie Crepes" he said they reminded him of a slice of warm apple pie

Recipe Monday

Sour Cream Pancakes

were my choice for Sunday Pancakes

I always use this recipe from Smitten Kitchen I love her blog you should have a looker well your at the recipe

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/01/edna-maes-sour-cream-pancakes/

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks 

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup

I'm not much of an instruction person I just mix the dry and the wet ingredients and add together cook like any other pancake, On Sundays I'm in a laid back mood so I just go with it

MUFFIN MONDAY

We were doing Muffin Mondays before we moved the kiddos enjoyed it but the move kind of threw my schedule out of whack this morning I actually got up and made muffins I went with a carrot cake type muffin (just for every one to know carrot cake is my first choice when it comes to any dessert bar) I had some carrots that needed to be used up in the fridge so pulled those out ran them through the food processor and than started combining recipes

this is the one I started with

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-carrot-muffins-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

I did not use the cream cheese frosting even though it would of been really good I didn't want all the extra sugar (there is already a full cup in the batter I might try substituting it with honey and applesauce next time) and fat from the cheese in a breakfast muffin... I did not have any veggie oil so I used half butter and half olive oil instead I added cardamon because I LOVE it and added raisins... these muffins were really really good but I will try to make them healthier next time

 

Carrot Muffin Recipe

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup raisins

I just add the dry ingredients stir together than add the wet whisk together than fold in carrots and raisins  scoop into muffin pan bake at 350 for 20 min made 12 regular size muffins



Recipe Monday

Has it really been a whole week since my last recipe post the weeks of January definitely seem to be flying by, so this past week I've had some successes well cooking and some total disasters you remember me telling you about Sunday's being pancake day well I thought lets try something new Swedish Pancakes that sounds neat, well not so neat, it was a complete FLOP ...the pancakes were sort of supposed to be like a crepe ( I think that's enough said) "ME" I have never made a crepe before, GOAL TWO on my list this year will be trying to master a crepe, but for now we will just leave it at, it was a FLOP. Onto my good foodies...

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I have made a gazillion banana breads, banana cakes, banana muffins and NOTHING has compared to this it was pure decadence. This recipe came from all recipes http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-cake-vi/

Banana Cake 

                                                                                                                                       

3/4 cup butter                                                   

2 1/8 cups white sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.        Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2.        In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3.        Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.

4.        For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Why? oh Why? did I have to try this you know how somethings stick in your brain after you hear about it ...well that is what happened ... I had lived in Mississippi for 4 years and had heard people talk about Chocolate Gravy numerous times and had resisted the urge to make it ..don't get me wrong I adore chocolate but despise chocolate covered doughnut (I like chocolate cake doughnuts though) so needless to say after all the hype of how awesome this gravy was ...I did not like chocolate gravy covered biscuits the gravy was good the biscuits were good but it was a nix on the combination for me ...but for the rest of the family the only type of doughnut they order is chocolate covered doughnuts so surprise, surprise it was a winner I got the  "Why have you never made this before?", how could you be so mean?"

Mississippi Chocolate Gravy

This recipes also came from all recipeshttp://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Gravy-II/Detail.aspx

Chocolate Gravy

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 cups milk

Directions

1.        Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add cocoa and flour; stir until a thick paste is formed. Stir in sugar and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick.

If y'all try the Chocolate Gravy I just want you to know its a long process of stirring constantly and thinking "this is not working,this is not working, its chocolate soup I give up..." Don't!!! don't do it, don't give up!! Keep stirring and wait the magic of solidification will come over time it will become gravy I promise

Darn Good Brunswick Stew

 Its been down right cold here and when its cold,... stews, soups , and chowders are in my thoughts of things to cook it warms me up thinking about them now...Friday I threw a pork loin roast in the crop pot that night it was served with scalloped potatoes and salad than came the left overs Ox said, "pork sandwiches" so Saturday we cooked up some pork sandwiches for lunch, Now what?? there is still left overs, and you can't waste the pork, first thing that came to my mind was Brunswick Stew the pork was all ready flavored with a homemade mustard based BBQ sauce for the sandwiches it was a no brainer to me its cold I need stew..and Brunswick Stew is one of my favorite Stews..here's my recipe for the Stew

Brunswick Stew

1 1/2 pounds BBQ meat (you can use any leftover cooked,shredded BBQ chicken, pork, beef, or game or a combination there of )

1 can Lima beans

1 can butter beans

1 can corn

1 can green beans

1 big can stewed tomatoes

2 beef bullion cubes

1/2 cup of BBQ sauce

1 tbsp of mustard ( I did not add this,this time because the meat all ready had a mustard sauce) 

2 tbsp of bell pepper (I used jar red bell pepper )

1 tsp dried onion

dash of granulated garlic

add a little water as needed

salt and pepper to taste

you can always add a little heat with  Tabasco sauce

if you want a little different flavor liquid smoke is a nice addition and so is Worcestershire sauce

as you can see you can play with the recipe and make it you own change out veggies if you want I added lots of Lima beans and butter beans cause I love them

Directions:  I throw everything into a pot (draining the liquid from the cans and rinsing beans first) and let it simmer for 1 hr on low medium heat this is an easy recipe for the crock pot too

This Stew Is Truely a Satisfying, Hearty, Soul Warming FOOD