Buttermilk cornbread

My weakness in life is bread. No matter what form it comes in. I can go months without sweets but as soon as I sit down to bread I am a goner. This cornbread is so good with or without honey. Just typing this recipe has got me craving it again. Guess I know what I will be making tonight. My kids love this for an after school snack or with a meal. Guess they take after their mama.




1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Croissants

The baker upstairs

Just hearing the word croissants makes me hungry. Especially knowing you can make your own and eat them fresh out of the oven. These are so good that I have made them twice this last week. They go perfect with everything... turkey dinner, soup, salad, etc.




1/3 c warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups milk, warmed (I used skim, but I'm sure it would be great with whole)
3/4 cup butter, room temperature, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups flour, more or less as needed

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until yeast is foamy. Add sugar, milk, 5 tablespoons of butter, egg, and salt, and mix until well combined. Mix in two cups of flour. Slowly add remaining flour and mix until dough is smooth and elastic, and slightly sticky to the touch. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two equal sized balls. Roll each ball out into a circle and spread each with two tablespoons of butter. Cut each circle into twelve wedges (I usually use a pizza cutter to make it easier). Roll each wedge up, starting at the wider side, and place point side down on a lightly greased baking sheet (I can fit 24 rolls on a single large baking sheet.) Cover and let rise about one hour, or until doubled in size.

While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375. When the rolls have risen, bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush lightly with remaining butter

Homemade bread

iheartnaptime.net


There is nothing better to come home too then the smell of bread baking in the oven. When I make bread I like to make them in huge batches. That way I can freeze the loaves and give them to my neighbors or have them to pull out on days when I don't have time to bake. This recipe freezes wonderfully then you just pull it out in the morning and allow it to rise and then bake it. You can even run errands while its rising. This recipe can also be white or wheat. I like to mix mine half and half.



2 cups warm water
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
5-7 cups of bread flour, white or wheat will work too (can use more if needed)
1 Tbsp. shortening
1 Tbsp. butter (to top bread)


Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Pour the warm water (not too hot) over the yeast mixture and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.

Combine melted butter, sugar, evaporated milk and salt into a large mixing bowl. When your yeast mixture is ready add them together and mix.

If you are using a stand mixer put on your bread hook and then pour in 3 cups of flour. If not you can stir/kneed it as well. Then add in 1 cup of flour at a time and mix. When you get to 5 cups of flour in the bowl, add in 1/2 cup more of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides. You'll know it's ready when your fingers no longer stick to the dough.

Cover the ball of dough and sides of the bowl with shortening and cover the bowl with a warm towel. Set by the window and allow it to rise (approx 1.5 hours). When it has risen over the bowl punch it down and place on a floured service. Kneed the dough for 2-3 minutes.

Cut dough into two pieces and roll them out into a rectangle. Roll the dough up and place into 2 greased bread pans.
Let the bread rise again, and when it looks like a good loaf of bread place them in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. When the bread is done, coat the top with butter and remove onto a cooling rack.

AND HOW GOOD WOULD THIS LOOK IN THESE CUTE BOXES FROM PICK YOUR PLUM?



http://www.pickyourplum.com/cooking-up-a-storm-striped-baking-box-8-pack-group-box-baking-stripes-christmas.html

USE REFERAL NUMBER 9532215 SO THEY KNOW I SENT YOU WHEN ORDERING :)

Baking Powder Biscuits

allrecipe.com

The other day I had company and I didn't have a clue what to make for breakfast. I had some sausage and eggs so I thought breakfast sandwiches would be great. BUT I didn't have any biscuits.... so I looked for a recipe. I actually made two different ones and this was the better one. However be advised these don't rise much so cut them the size you want them and roll them out thick.



2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and mix until in little pieces. Add milk a little at a time and mix until it forms a ball.
Roll out on floured board to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick (or thicker if you like thick like I do.) Cut out in desired size and dip in melted shortening. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes.
Variation: For shortcakes add 2 tablespoons for sugar to the dough and roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick.

Cheesy Onion Beer Bread

ShugarySweets.com

I usually use a substitute when it comes to using alcohol in my cooking. You can use 7-up but it makes your bread more dense. I think the yeast in the beer makes the bread better. The alcohol does cook out(you can check it out for yourself) but its just a personal preference. This bread is awesome just the way it is but if you want a little more BANG to it try adding sharp cheddar instead of just cheddar and add some jalapenos YUUUUUM!!!!



Ingredients for 1 loaf
3 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onions, sliced thin
12 oz beer
1/4 cup butter, melted



Instructions
In large mixing bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cheese and green onions. Using as few strokes as possible, mix in the beer until moistened.
Pour thick batter into a greased loaf pan. Drizzle melted butter over the top.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove and cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy

Banana Bread with Sour Cream

Marthastewart.com

Is there anything better to make with black bananas than banana bread?? I truly believe the first person to ever make banana bread should be on the list of smartest people or best inventions or something. I mean how many foods are out there that spoil and they make such an awesome treat? I don't know about you but we LOVE banana bread at our house. Ok to be honest we love most breads but the sweeter ones are my kids favorite. I was looking for a recipe that called for less bananas because I only had a few. I stumbled across this one and the sour cream intrigued me. Sour cream makes things so moist and to be honest the first batch of this I made I didn't have enough sour cream so I used a little bit of plain yogurt to fill my 1/2 cup. This is now the new favorite!! It is sooo moist and even days later it is still moist.



Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.




*****Variations

To make the cream cheese frosting-filled banana bread as featured on "The Martha Stewart Show," in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 6 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until smooth. Once bread is baked and cooled, halve horizontally. Using an offset spatula, spread cream cheese frosting evenly over bottom half. Top with remaining half; slice and serve.

Homemade Hamburger Buns (or hotdog buns)

allrecipe.com

I really get tired of having to run to town for one thing really it SuCkS!!!! Lets be honest you go in for one thing and you come out with 12 and most of it isn't things you need!!! Ok maybe its just me but it never fails I swear! Anyways we try and do burger night once a week because my family loves burgers and it also helps because we don't need to go out for a good burger!

So I pulled a package of ground beef out and realized I didn't have buns and that's when I decided I was going to find a good recipe and make my own.

I made this recipe early in the am so that if it wasn't good I could make something else but I really liked the taste the problem was they weren't big enough. I made another batch and paid attention to the size more and they turned out perfect!! The burgers tasted soo much better to me with these than the store boughten buns!! This recipe says it makes 12 but I found it actually only made about 6/8 for the right size. I DOUBLED my batch and made some into rolls just to eat because any time I pull fresh bread out the hubs has to eat one hot!!

The results were amazing!!! I don't think I have had a better burger seriously!!! I cut the buns in half and toasted both sides. You could butter/egg the tops and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you wanted too.




1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg


Directions:

In a small bowl add milk, water, and butter. Cook in microwave until butter is melted. (the original recipe said to cook on the the stove but this is quicker) DO NOT LET MILK BOIL

In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (I let mine rise for about an hour before rolling out into balls)

Divide dough into 6-12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

For Hot Dog Buns: Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above.


Yields about 6-8 regular sized hamburger buns

Taco Loaf by Jen (AND a recipe for WHITE BREAD)

Yeah I finally got my cousin Jennifer Lopez to blog for us!!! No I am not related to the singer Jennifer Lopez but I am related to the amazing cook Jennifer Lopez. She is an awesome cook that can make anything I swear!!! She posted this on her fb and I asked her to share it with us so thank you Jen we love you!!!

Hi I just Wanted to share my new creation :)



TACO LOAF

First you must prepare a half batch of my bread recipe so that'll come first followed by the Taco Loaf recipe. Lucky you, you get 2 recipes in 1 ;)

Grandma's Country White Bread

*Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS
3 cups luke-warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast
1/3 cup oil
1 Tbsp. salt
6 - 7 cups unbleached ground white wheat flour (You can use regular all-purpose flour with success as well. You will need more flour... closer to 8 cups, and it will make a softer, less-coarse bread.)

*opt. 1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten (if using whole white wheat flour)

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar. Let sit 10 minutes. Add the oil. Add the dry ingredients starting with 6 cups of flour. Mix all together. Knead the dough thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated, and dough is smooth, elastic, very slightly sticky, and pulls away from the bowl (6-10 minutes). As you knead the dough, you may add more flour as needed, and repeat the process until dough reaches the desired consistency.

Cover the bowl of dough with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (an hour or more depending on how warm your kitchen is.) You may speed up this process by placing the covered bowl inside the oven with the oven light on, and another bowl of warm water sitting on the lower rack.

Punch the dough down, divide and form into 2 loaves. Place the dough in 2 greased bread pans. (I use 9" pans.) Cover and let rise till the top of the dough is an inch or two above the bread pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the baked loaves from their pans immediately, and place on a cooling rack. Slice, and serve warm with butter and honey.

Store in an air-tight bag. Baked loaves AND bread dough freeze well.

Taco Loaf
To make this you must first prepare half the batch of the “grandma’s bread” recipe. Instead of placing loaf in pan to double the second time, you will roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you are working on a well-floured surface. Once rolled out, rollup with plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t stick together. Last place plastic wrap over roll to allow to rise. Now proceed to preparing the filling.

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 yellow onion chopped and divided
3 cloves garlic mined and divided
1 4.5oz can of diced green chilies, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
3 roma tomatoes chopped
1/2 lime
2-3cups mixed grated cheese, Monterey jack and cheddar

Prepare all veggies.
Place tomatoes, half the onion, 1 clove of garlic, juice of half of a lime and salt to taste in a glass bowl. Stir, cover and place in fridge.

Preheat oven to 375.

Next mix the turkey, onion, garlic, drained chilies, salt and pepper together. Fry over medium high heat until the juices evaporate and the turkey begins to get just a little crispy.

Now prepare a cookie sheet with oil (cooking spray) and a very thin layer of flour. Roll dough back out and fill with a thin layer of cheese mix. Next apply meat mix to half of the rolled out dough. Begin rolling the dough back up, similar to rolling cinnamon rolls, tucking the ends inside as you roll. You may add more cheese if you wish to create cheese layers in the bread. Once rolled completely, pinch off seams and lay seam side down. Cut slits in the top just enough to see the meat. Do this every 1 ½ inches or so.

Bake for about 20 minutes and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake an addition 5 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with just a bit of butter anywhere there is no cheese. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut and serve with tomato salsa.

BAKED Maple Bars

food.com

MMMMMM maple bars are one of my favorite donuts ever!!!!!!!! But we all know right where they go (hmmmm maybe it has something to do with the title of my blog lol) SO when I started hearing about baked maple bars I thought well they have to be somewhat better for you right :) I know I totally justify eating whatever I want for the most part but that's why I am not a size 2. It you justify like I do u have to try this recipe!!!



Maple Bar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup shortening
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
2 (1/4 ounce) package yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
4 3/4 cups flour
Maple Icing

Icing:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp mapleine
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
For Maple Bars: In saucepan scald milk.
Add shortening, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
Dissolve and let cool to lukewarm.
In large bowl dissolve 2 packages of yeast in water.
Add beaten eggs and stir.
Stir saucepan mix into yeast mixture.
Gradually add flour. Knead.
Let rise in bowl for an hour. Punch down and roll out to 1" thickness.
Cut into squares and let rise again on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 425°F for 7-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Watch carefully.

For Icing: In saucepan mix butter, brown sugar and milk.
Bring to boil and simmer 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.
Add mapleine and then powdered sugar and blend well.
Add more powdered sugar if needed.
Spread on maple bars and enjoy!!


These are good the next day after being zapped in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds :)

Orange Rolls

Getoffyourbuttandbake.com

I could probably eat a pan of rhodes orange rolls by myself (no self control) so I decided to find a orange roll recipe to save a little dough :)

12 Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed but still cold
zest from 1 large orange
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Directions:

Cut each Texas roll into 5 equal pieces. Flatten each piece slightly. In a small bowl, combine orange zest and sugar. Dip both sides of each roll piece into butter and then orange sugar mixture. Stack five pieces together and place, on their sides, in a well sprayed muffin cup. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and place on cooling rack. Combine icing ingredients and mix well. Brush over rolls while still warm.

I cheated and didnt cut mine like she did cause I was in a hurry but I think it is a good idea!!!

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

If you know my family you know WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE ROLLS :) however I am also a HUGE fan of rhodes rolls. They are so easy to use and there is soooo many things you can do with them. I decided I was going to try and post some great recipes using Rhodes Rolls throughout the summer because they rise faster in the summer ;)

I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman. I am a HUGE fan of her blog and havent found a recipe on there I didnt like yet. So I threw these together one night and had them with spaghetti (have you tried that recipe yet) it was perfect together!!!

7 Frozen, Unbaked Dinner Rolls (Rhodes Rolls)
Melted Butter

Fresh Rosemary (I didnt have fresh so I used my dried bottled store bought stuff, Im sure it tastes lots better fresh but Im all about using whats on hand)

Coarse Sea Salt

Spray a small pie pan with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Place frozen rolls in the pan, leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover and allow to rise for several hours.

After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.

Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. Brush with additional butter. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake according to roll package directions (usually 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes), until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.

*She used a skillet but I did them in a pie tin and they were perfect!!!

Buttermilk Banana Bread (Two peas & their Pod)

AHhh summer is in the air and it is sooo nice! I love it when the weather is nice enough that we can go outside and have picnics, enjoy the daylight a little longer, and most importantly PLAY BALL :) But on the days when it is still a little cold I totally get my bake on! I have to tell you though with all the stuff that spring has brought us I have been running like crazy and that sucks lol. So I have to tell you I totally screwed this recipe up when I first made it soooo instead of 2 loaves of banana bread like I planned on. I ended up with 8 :) Oh well more for me to share I guess right:)

My hubs LOVED this recipe!!! He likes that it is moist but not over the top moist. He likes that the top is somewhat crusty and that after 5 days its still really good. I hope you are all enjoying your spring and the warmer weather!!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1- 1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (3-5 medium sized bananas)
4 Tbsp. buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Grease and flour 1 large loaf pan (9 1/4 X 5 1/4-inch) or whatever combination of pans you’d like. I used a mini loaf pan and a 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 loaf pan. You can also make banana muffins with this recipe, if you wish. Set pans aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla until the batter is well mixed.

Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Mix until well combined. Divide batter into greased and floured pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let bread cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the bread with a knife and carefully remove from pan. Finish cooling on rack. Slice and serve once cooled

Pumpkin Scones (Recipe Girl)

When I seen this recipe I knew I would be in love!!! I made a double batch and fixed them for breakfast on Sunday. OMGSH I have made this about 3x since and love it everytime! So great for breakfast or dessert.

SCONES:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pure (unsweetened) pumpkin
3 Tbsp. half and half cream
1 large egg
6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into cubes

PLAIN GLAZE:
1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1 Tbsp milk (any kind)

SPICED ICING:
3/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk (any kind) 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Give it a light dusting of flour on top of that.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (through ginger)

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half and egg.

4. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut butter into the dry ingredients. Continue cutting until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. (You may also use a food processor for this step. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs).

5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. The dough will be wet, but if it seems super sticky... just go ahead and sprinkle a little more flour into the dough until it's easier to handle. Remember, you want it to be somewhat sticky, and that's okay- but you also don't want it to stick to the baking sheet. Pat out dough onto the lightly floured baking sheet and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9-inches long and 3-inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal squares. Cut through the three squares diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Gently pull the triangles apart, leaving about 1/2-inch space between each one.

6. Bake 14 to 16 minutes on prepared baking sheet. Scones should begin to turn light brown.

7. While scones are cooling, prepare plain glaze by whisking ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth.

8. When scones are cool, use a knife to cut them apart and then pull them apart so that they are ready for glazing. Use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone.

9. As the white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing by whisking the ingredients in another medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone (or brush it on) and allow the icing to dry before serving.

Cinnamon Bread (Pioneer Woman)

My hubby and my son are totally addicted to Cinnamon Bread! I can not make it fast enough!!

1 cup Milk
6 Tablespoons Butter
2-1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 whole Eggs
1/3 cup Sugar
3-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
Softened Butter, For Smearing And greasing

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don't boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it's warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you're going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon french toast.

Homemade Tortillas (homesicktexan.blogspot.com)

I have been looking for a tortilla recipe that was good, but also uses the stuff I have on hand. Most of the recipes use lard (which I don't have on hand). But after lots of searching I found one!!!!

Check out http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/
Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)
Ingredients:
Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white 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 skillet heated on high, 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.

Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.

While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight tortillas.

I made these for a family taco night with some of my sisters and there families. I made some plain ones and some I flavored with a little bit of garlic powder about 1/4 tsp. My hubs ate at least 4 taco shells before dinner and then had tacos at dinner. They are thicker than most shells but sooooo good!!!!

Homemade Croutons (allrecipe.com) adapted by me

Ok so this has been a CRAAAAAAZY week!!! I have had to do A LOT of quick and easy meals but I don't feel right without making SOMETHING! So I was trying to figure out what to make last night and looking in my fridge I seen....lettuce, some shredded chicken, some hard broiled eggs, cheese, etc. etc. etc. so yes I made another salad. I have been eager to try to make my own croutons so this would work out great right!?!?

My oldest son and I made these together and they were so quick and easy and it was fun to do this with him!!

These turned out soooo good and I will definitely be making these all the time now!!!! Yada and her kids were here last night and her little 1 1/2 year old little girl would not stay out of them she loved them lol!!!!

4 tablespoons butter

2 clove garlic, minced

3 (3/4 inch thick) slices French bread, cut into cubes ( I used 1/3 a loaf of  french bread but I hear you can use bread bread too but I haven't tried it)

Now are you ready for this its so easy ...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add bread cubes, and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and dry. Check frequently to prevent burning. Cool then store in a plastic baggie.

I made this recipe 3 times and just did the whole loaf of french bread. I love to munch on croutons for a snack, I know its not very healthy but you know what I say you cant trust a skinny cook!!

Chewy Pretzel Bites (MelsKitchenCafe.com)

OK I have to admit I was a little intimidated by these at first...could I really make pretzels??? So I thought I would give it a try and see how they turned out... Well I was VERY pleased with them! I had lots of company coming through my house yesterday when I made these and not one person complained! EVERYONE loved these and they were a great after school snack! The kids actually said it was the best after school snack they had had.

These were pretty dang easy I don't know what intimidated me but glad that I decided to get over my lil issue. I made 3 batches of these babies and each batch I made a different flavor it was very good! I made a batch of plain-salted, a batch of cinnamon & sugar, a batch with Parmesan cheese that we dipped in pizza sauce. The recipe makes about 2 dozen bites.

Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine.
Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. *Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. * PLEASE DON'T PUT SALT ON THEM IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO THE SWEET VERSION!!! Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. This is where you put your flavor if you want something else like Parmesan, cinnamon & sugar, etc. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

French Bread Rolls (PheMOMenon.blogspot.com)

Ok so this recipe takes A LOT of time to make BUT when its all done its very good!! I made mine into french bread too and then split it in half and spread garlic butter over it and toasted it for a minute then put mozzarella cheese on it and cooked it until the cheese was melted and WOW I have never had better cheesy french bread!!! This takes about 4 1/2 hours to make but a lot of the time is just waiting for it to rise over and over again!!! This rolls are heavy!

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. water + up to 1/3 c more, as needed
3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Put the 1 1/4 c. water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set aside and let dissolve for 5 minutes, then stir. Meanwhile, mix the flour, and salt, in a large bowl, make a well in the center. Pour in the dissolved yeast, then stir enough of the flour in from the sides to make a thick paste. Cover the bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. ( when covering spray some wax paper or saran wrap with cooking spray then lay it over your bowl then put a towel over that)

Mix the remaining flour into the wet mixture and add a little of the extra water at a time to make a soft sticky dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it is soft, smooth, and slightly elastic. Try not to add to much flour into this when kneading or it will be tougher. You will knead this about 10 minutes by hand or 6 minutes in a mixer that has a kneading attachment.

Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover again. Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled, then deflate the dough by punching it down, cover and let rise again for 45 minutes more then punch down again, cover and rise 45 minutes again. This process seems long but it lets the dough develop a really good flavor and helps get the right crust.

Deflate the dough gently one last time and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, you could do 12 smaller rolls if you want and its still enough for 1 per person. Roll the dough pieces out into tight balls and place them on a lines baking sheet, or sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the baking sheet. The rolls shouldn't be touching, so leave a couple inches between the dough.
Using the handle of a clean wooden spoon, push a 'split' down the center of each dough ball, going all the way down to the bottom, but not hard enough to cut the dough in half, just to leave a huge indentation. It will soring up anyways on the last rise. Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees f and bake the rolls 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Breadsticks (Our Best Bites)

I know you have all been waiting for this one after I face booked how good they were!!!  Lets just say they were so good I had some of the leftover ones for breakfast and my kids came home from school and fought over what was left of them!!!

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour


In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. 

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

 Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes(VERY IMPORTANT TO DO THIS!!). When there's 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning (recipe below) or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. I sprinkled the garlic bread seasoning then more Parmesan cheese and a little garlic salt. Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. I actually put mozzarella inside mine before I twisted them up and it was sooo good!!!

Garlic bread seasoning:
1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. parsley

Combine ingredients in a jar (preferably one with a sprinkle top) and shake.  Sprinkle on top of breadsticks or combine 1 1/2 Tbsp. seasoning with 1/2 c. of softened real butter and spread on a loaf of French bread (cut in 1/2 lengthwise). Wrap in foil and bake at 375 until butter's melted. If you want, you could also pop it open-faced under the broiler for a few minutes so it gets brownish and crispy.

Calzones (favfamilyrecipes.com) adapted by me

So last night I made these and then separated the dough into balls. I had all the toppings set on the table and floured a section for each of the kids. They all rolled out there own dough and then they got to make there own calzone. IT WAS SOOOO MUCH FUN AND SOO GOOD!!! You can either follow the recipe below for the sausage filling or just use whatever you like.

Dough:   (yields 8 medium sized calzones the original recipe was half this but it wasn't enough for my family, this can also be used as a pizza crust)

2 pkg. yeast (.25oz)

2 cups water (warm)

2 Tbsp. white sugar

4 Tbsp. oil

2  tsp. salt

5 1/2c. flour
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
melted butter (for brushing on top)

Calzone toppings:
sausage recipe at bottom (from favfamilyrecipes.com)
-OR-
pizza sauce

sausage cooked

pepperoni

Canadian bacon

bacon

ham

pineapple
green pepper cooked until tender                

(I cooked my onions, peppers, and mushrooms together in evoo)

onion cooked until tender

mushrooms cooked

olives
jalapenos
mozzerella cheese, shredded (or whatever cheese you prefer)


Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl mix sugar,oil,salt and flour. Add water/yeast mix together until smooth. Knead well and cover allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Split the dough out in sections depending on how big you want your calzones. I did about a golf ball size for the younger kids and about a handful for the older ones. Roll out on a floured surface. Place pizza sauce in the middle of the dough leaving enough room around the edges to seal the calzone. place toppings on the sauce then top with mozzarella cheese. Place calzone on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375* for 20 minutes. Then brush lightly with butter and bake another 5 minutes. They are done when they are a golden brown. (If you don't use the sausage recipe below you could sprinkle the top of the calzone with a little oregano and parmesan after you put the butter on it then finish baking.)

Sausage filling:

2 lb. Italian sausage

1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (I used a pkg. of fresh mushrooms)

1 green pepper diced

2 slices onion, diced ( I used one small onion)

1 jar pizza sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 small pkg. sliced pepperoni
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

Here is another recipe I found that you can make as a spread for the inside of the calzone or the outside is just gives it more flavor:

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all together and brush over dough. Then continue filling with pizza stuff! So yummy and it just gives it a different flavor!!!