Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

In this house we love all things pumpkin! And we will stretch out the pumpkin "season" for as long as possible. I know that it is considered a Fall taste but I simply cannot bear to put the pumpkin away as soon as Thanksgiving is over.

So I made these pumpkin muffins one last time. Kind of like a final farewell to Thanksgiving and all things Autumn before we put up the tree, turned on the twinkle lights, and hung the mistletoe.

Pumpkin Muffins

Source: eatathomecooks.com

Course: Breakfast

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins heaping
• 1 stick unsalted butter melted
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

 

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Mix in the remaining ingredients just until blended. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

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Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

The Verdict:
These were amazing! I doubled the recipe (recipe shown is doubled) so that they would last longer than a day. The next time I make them I'm going to freeze one and see how they hold up in the freezer and then I may triple the recipe! 

Banana Bread

I had some bananas that had gone bad on the top of the frig and so I decided to make some banana bread.

Bad bananas (you know the ones that are black and yucky) make the very best banana bread! I don't know why (and I probably don't want to know either) but they do. So if you have bad bananas don't despair. You can whip them into moist, delicious banana bread and be the "Best Mom Ever!"

Homemade Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Source: eatathomecooks.com

Course: Breads

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• ¹⁄₂ cup butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 3 bananas mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• nuts or chocolate chips optional

 

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream the sugar and shortening with a mixer. 

Add the eggs and mashed bananas; mix well. 

Add the dry ingredients and mix until well blended. 

If adding chocolate chips or chopped nuts fold them into the batter. 

Pour into loaf pans that have been greased. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees. 

Take the loaves out of the pan while they are still hot. Cool on a cooling rack.

Makes 2 loaves.

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So very good!

The Verdict:
This banana bread was very good. I added chopped up walnuts to it and we really liked the added flavor that they gave the bread.
The next time I am planning on adding some mini-chocolate chips to one of the loaves and seeing if we like that also.
I would also like to try these as muffins. But I will wait on that until I decide if I will be adding chocolate chips. 

Homemade French Bread

Andrew asked for homemade French bread to go along with his Fettuccine Alfredo and so homemade French bread we had!

I make this recipe in my bread machine so it is super simple and super easy. It ALWAYS tastes great and makes such a pretty loaf of bread. It is not a quick recipe (it has to rise 3 times) so you will need to start it in the afternoon if you are wanting it for dinner.

Homemade French Bread

French Bread

Source: Taste of Home Cookbook page 452

Course: Breads

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
• 3 ¹⁄₄ cups bread flour
• 2 ¹⁄₄ teaspoons yeast
• 3 tablespoons sugar heaping
• 3 teaspoons wheat gluten optional
• Cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon cold water

Directions

Add water, vegetable oil, salt, flour, sugar, yeast, and wheat gluten to the pan of the bread machine. Set machine on homemade cycle: 15 minutes preheat, 10 minutes knead, Rise 1: 60 minutes, Rise 2: 30 minutes.

Punch down dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf 16-inch x 2 1/2-inch with tapered ends. Sprinkle baking stone with cornmeal; place loaf on stone. Place in microwave and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. I ALWAYS LET MY BREAD RISE IN THE MICROWAVE!

Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2-inches apart across top of loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

 

Can be used to make breadsticks, that are brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with garlic powder.

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Verdict:

This is my go to French Bread recipe for when I'm making just plain French bread. The bread is quick and easy and tastes amazing!
Because this is homemade without a lot of preservatives added in the bread will not stay fresh for long so keep that in mind. I usually store the leftovers in the refrigerator. If it does go stale before you eat it all use it to make French toast! 
I have not made the breadsticks yet but I am planning on making them soon.

Big Batch Cinnamon Rolls

We have a special family tradition for birthdays. The birthday boy/girl picks all of the meals for the day. They can have almost anything they want (I say almost because this year my son asked for Lobster which is definitely not in the grocery budget). But other than that I don't think I have ever said No to a request before.

Sometimes their choices are simple, like coffee for breakfast (since I do NOT let the children drink coffee). Of course this was my sweet-tooth child so it was not just coffee but dessert coffee. You know with chocolate and caramel and whipped cream. And sometimes their choices are a little tough - like Krispy Kreme Doughnut Hamburgers with Bacon and Cheese Fries.

But my prayer is that these special meals that they pick will allow them to realize how important the day of their birth is to us and how special they are to our family. I spend almost the entire day in the kitchen cooking and cleaning so we don't usually do it on their actual birthday but within a few days of the actual day.

My middle son turned 17 this month (he is my sweet-aholic) and so Tuesday was the day I made his meals. For breakfast he wanted homemade cinnamon rolls. And so homemade cinnamon rolls he got!

Yummy! Cinnamon Rolls!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls!

Big Batch Cinnamon Rolls

Source: amysfinerthings.com

Course: Breakfast

Ingredients

• 3 cups water warm
• 3 tablespoons yeast
• ³⁄₄ cup sugar
• 2 cups Bread Flour
• ³⁄₄ cup oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 7 cups bread flour
• 2 sticks butter melted
• brown sugar
• white sugar
• cinnamon
• ICING:
• ¹⁄₂ cup butter melted
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• 6 cups powdered sugar sifted

Directions

Mix water with yeast and sugar. Let sit about 5 minutes to activate yeast.
Add 2 cups flour. Mix.
Add oil, salt, and eggs. Mix.
Add 7 cups flour, a couple at a time. Mix and then knead until all flour is incorporated and dough isn’t sticky.
Set dough in a LARGE greased bowl. Let rise until double. It took about an hour for my dough to double. I ALWAYS LET MY DOUGH RISE IN THE MICROWAVE.
Divide dough in 1/2. Roll out one 1/2 into a long rectangle.
Spread rectangle with 1 stick melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon. Roll up.
Cut the roll into 18 pieces.
Let the rolls rise again, for about 30 minutes!
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Icing:
Mix ingredients together until easily spreadable. Adding more milk if needed to get to a spreadable consistency.

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The Verdict:
These were very good! A little time consuming but I think all cinnamon roll recipes are! I will be making them again but not before I try the Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls.
The recipe makes a TON! Two pie plates and my biggest glass baking dish stuffed full! The icing was okay (I like the cream cheese kind better). But it did not make anywhere near enough for the entire batch. I guess we like more icing on our cinnamon rolls than the recommended amount. So next time I'm going to double the icing recipe (already changed).
Also, next time I'm going to buy some disposable pie plates (at the dollar store) so that I can freeze some of these rolls before baking.

Too many for just us

And because I had cinnamon rolls everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I loaded up a tray of them and took them down to the guys working on the house.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these muffins on Saturday as a special treat for the kids. This was the first time I had made them and they were very good! I do have a few things that I will be doing different next time (don't I always). But overall this is a great recipe and fine as is.

The recipe says that these can be frozen and so the next time I make them I will be freezing a few to see how the flavor and texture hold up after being frozen. I would have tried that this time but I made BIG muffins instead of regular sized (my regular muffin tin was dirty - keeping it real) and the recipe only made 6 so there were none left to freeze. 6 muffins + 5 people = Only Crumbs

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Source: moneysavingmom.com

Course: Breakfast

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
• 3 ripe bananas mashed
• Chocolate chips and/or nuts (I used mini chocolate chips)

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat egg in a small bowl. Stir in the mayo. Add to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Stir in bananas.
Spoon batter into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and/or nuts.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes 12 muffins. Freezer-friendly.

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The Verdict: I will be making these again. Next time I will be adding both nuts and mini chocolate chips. I also will be making "normal" size muffins instead of Jumbo size. And I will be freezing a few of them to see how they hold up to being frozen.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins (AKA The BEST Blueberry Muffins EVER)

Blueberry Struesel Muffins

 We had our Pre-Construction meeting on Wednesday and I made some muffins to share with our PM (project manager). I made Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Nut Muffins (recipe coming soon), and these AMAZING Blueberry Muffins.
 

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Course: Breakfast

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• whole milk
• 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
•  
• TOPPING
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter very cold
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and either grease muffin tins or use liners.

Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Place vegetable oil in measuring cup, add egg and vanilla. Now add milk until you have one cup of liquid. Mix with the flour mixture. Fold in the blueberries. I use frozen blueberries so that they maintain their shape during stirring and baking.

Fill muffin cups and sprinkle with topping

TOPPING:
Mix together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter, either using a fork, two knives, or a pastry blender. Sprinkle the topping onto the muffins. If I am making normal muffins (Not the large muffins) I slightly press the topping mixture into the muffin batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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These really are the very best blueberry muffins I have ever eaten or made. They are fairly simple but they have great flavor.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made Chocolate Chip Muffins on Saturday, as a special breakfast for the kids. I like to make them something special on Saturdays because during the week things are so hectic (I’m still asleep) in the mornings I barely get the cereal in the bowl.

These muffins were very good and I will be making them again. I think next time I will double the recipe and make some BIG muffins and some normal size muffins.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I USED MINI-CHOCOLATE CHIPS)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Grease pan or use 12 cupcake liners.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Combine egg, milk, and oil add to dry mixture and stir until moistened.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake muffins for 15 minutes.

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Easy Homemade Pizza Crust (You Will Never Need Take-Out Again)

Our family spends wastes a lot of money on eating out!

After a LONG day of school, Bible quizzing, cooking, cleaning, and on and on and on, that phone number to the local pizza place is so TEMPTING! I know that with just the push of a few buttons dinner will arrive fast and hot. However, my bank account will take a hit that it was not expecting and I will have to figure out where that money is going to come from.

ENTER Easy Homemade Pizza Crust! With a just a few ingredients and a little bit of time, I can save some DOUGH (you saw that one coming right?) by making DOUGH!

Easy Homemade Pizza Crust (original recipe)

1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 heaping tablespoon sugar

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.

 Add water, salt and vegetable oil to a large bowl.

Add bread flour, sugar and yeast, mix with a spoon until a soft dough forms.

Put dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Then roll out dough, on floured surface, until a little larger than your pizza pan (I use a stone from Pampered Chef). Place the dough onto your pan and roll up the edges to create a lip that will keep your sauce on the pizza while it bakes. Using a fork prick holes in the dough.

Pre-bake your crust in your pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Take out and top however you like.

Return pizza to the oven and bake another 10 minutes. ENJOY!

Melt In Your Mouth Buttermilk Biscuits

I have finally found a biscuit recipe that I can make (EVERY TIME) and they always turn out GREAT! I have also learned a few "secrets" to making fluffy, soft, EDIBLE biscuits that I will share in the recipe!

I am not sure if it's the recipe that is "fool" proof or if the "tricks" are what make this recipe work but either way it has taken me 17 years of marriage to be able to make a Homemade Biscuit that is worth eating.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits (original recipe) 

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups bread flour
8 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 heaping tablespoons sugar
1 stick COLD butter, cut into pieces
1 - 2 cups buttermilk (may need more or less, depending on flour)


Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in bowl of Kitchen-Aid Mixer. (If you do not have a Kitchen-Aid, or some other type of stand mixer, you can try this recipe using a hand held mixer).

Using your Kitchen-Aid mixer cut the butter into the flour mixture. Mix just until the butter becomes "pea" size.

Add just enough buttermilk to make a heavy, workable dough. I have found the drier the dough the more stable the biscuit.

Knead the dough lightly (still using your Kitchen-Aid), only enough for everything to stick together. DO NOT OVERKNEAD!

Dough Folded Over

Pat dough out onto a well floured surface to around 3/4-inches thick. Fold dough over so that it makes a "double" biscuit.

Use a floured glass or mason jar ring to cut dough into circles.

Place on an un-greased baking sheet (I use one of my Pampered Chef Stones). If you leave the edges touching it will make for a softer biscuit. If you want your biscuits to have a crunch, space them out a bit more.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for between 10 and 12 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack (we actually eat them straight from the oven)!

Buttery, Flaky, Goodness

MAKE SURE YOUR BUTTER IS COLD!
HANDLE THE DOUGH AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, LET YOUR MIXER DO THE WORK!
DO NOT OVER-BAKE, SET YOUR OVEN TIMER AND KEEP CHECKING THEM!

Amish White Bread

Amish White Bread

This is our favorite homemade sandwich bread. I try and make all of our bread myself and this recipe (along with my bread machine) make it very easy for me to do that.

Amish White Bread (original recipe from 50's Housewife)

1 cup warm water
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour (I only use bread flour when making any type of bread)
1/3 cup sugar, heaping
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon dough enhancer (I buy this in Amish Country in Ohio)
4 teaspoons wheat gluten (this can be found at Wal-Mart by the flour)

Flour used as a barrier between wet and dry ingredients

 Add water, salt, and vegetable oil to bread pan.

Then use your bread flour to create a barrier between the yeast and the liquid ingredients.

Add sugar, yeast, dough enhancer and wheat gluten.

I use the basic dough setting on my bread machine and walk away. I DO NOT BAKE MY DOUGH IN MY BREAD MACHINE!

After the dough cycle is complete I take the dough from the bread machine, knead it a few times on the counter (to remove some of the bigger air pockets)  and place it in the baking pan.


I then place the bread in the microwave for its second rise (I have found the microwave to be the best place to let bread rise). I let the bread rise about 30 minutes and then preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the bread continues to rise.

Risen dough ready for the oven

Once the oven is heated and the bread has risen to about 1 to 2-inches above the pan. I then bake the bread for 30 minutes.

Baked bread cooling off before slicing

Take the bread out of the oven and remove it from the pan. Let it cool ALL THE WAY! And then I use an electric knife to slice the bread. Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Garlic Herb Bread

Pretty Garlic Herb Braid

This is one of our favorite garlic breads. I love that, thanks to my bread machine, this recipe is quick and easy. I also love that it makes a big enough loaf that we have leftovers (that are just as good the next day), which does not happen very often around here with any kind of food but especially not bread.I also love that it is pretty! I'm a girlie girl and pretty things make me happy!

My husband and my children love the taste! That's it just the taste. But since it's food I guess that is all that really matters (at least to them).

Homemade Garlic Herb Braid (adapted from Taste of Home)

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon minced onion, I use the kind you find in the spice isle
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, again I use the kind found in the spice isle
4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour
3 heaping tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted


In a bread machine add water, 1/4 cup butter (melted), egg, milk, all the spices. Then add your flour to create a barrier between your wet ingredientes and your dry ingredients. Then add your sugar and yeast.

You are going to want the bread machine to knead the dough for about 10 minutes and then you are going to want it to rest for about 10 minutes.




Then you will divide the dough into thirds. Shape each piece into a 15-inch rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet (I use an ungreased baking stone) and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with 1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter. Move to a wire rack to cool.