Sticky Buns

Dear Friends,
Ah the joys of summer. I love the fresh red tomatoes, the farmer’s markets, and the gorgeous flowers in everyone’s yard. I even, at times, love mowing grass and working outside. There is a distinct feeling of ownership that you get when you work outside in your own yard. I do not love the heat. Down in the south, the heat has almost been unbareable. This summer we put a fan in our kitchen because the house would not cool down quick enough in the afternoons and evenings. So I try to do all of my cooking in the morning, which includes breakfasts!!! Recently, I cooked for a friend’s baby shower. Tip: When I am cooking for a large meal or party, I try to type up ever recipe I will be using. Then print it out, and reference the menu. I make changes, and tips, but also mark off everything I have made. This way, I will know every ingredient I need before I am ready to cook, I will have read through every recipe at least once (extremely important), and my counter space will not be cluttered with various cookbooks. I highly suggest this! Plus I have started placing all of these menus in a binder and have them to reference for later parties and events.
Anyways, the baby shower was wonderful! The little one has not been born yet, but we are greatly anticipating his arrival!!! His mommy’s webiste is featured here. She is a talented photographer!

Sticky Buns
Adapted slightly from Ina Garten

This are extremely easy!!! I highly recommend making them when you want something elegant but easy. Plus everyone loves them.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 package of puff pastry, defrosted
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a 12 cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Mix together the butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar together. Place about 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture in each muffin tin. Distribute the pecans evenly throughout the muffin tin on top of the brown sugar/ butter mixture.
Lightly flour a flat surface. Unfold one of the puff pastry sheets with the folds going from left to right. Leaving 1/2 inch border
sprinkle the sheet with 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly-roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Slice the roll into 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/4 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sticky buns are golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only! Invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon). Serve at room temperature to warm.

For mini sticky buns: Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of the brown sugar and butter mixture into a 24 muffin tin. Sprinkle the pecans evenly. Roll out the puff pastry sheet to about twice the original size. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon according to previous instructions, and roll the pastry into a jelly roll. Slice each roll into 12 slices. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Watch them carefully!) Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and invert the buns onto the parchment paper (spooning the filling out onto the buns.) These are great for gathers, showers, or parties.

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Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

It is a chilly day in the South. A day in which a pot of soup holds much comfort and warmth. Nothing else compares, except maybe hot chocolate with lots of marshmellows. My blue pot is heating Crawfish Bisque on the stove as I type. What to accompany this spicy bowl of deliciousness? Garlic cheddar biscuits!!! Full yumminess.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

1 1/4 cup Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Mix the bisquick, garlic powder, cheese, and garlic. Cut the butter into the mixture. Gradually add the milk and stir until moderately moistened. Spoon onto a pregreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (It would be great with melted butter brushed on top.)

Makes 6-8 biscuits.

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Mexican Cornbread

This recipe always put my husband in a good mood. It is fabulous with chili, stew, and mexican food. A wonderful recipe for chili is here. I pretty much throw all of my ingredients for chili in a pot, stir and simmer for several hours. This recipe is also a throw everything together in a bowl and bake. The recipe was originally from my father-in-law. I have used it many, many times. Hope you enjoy. It keeps for a long while in the fridge.

Mexican Cornbread

3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1/2 can corn, drained
1 egg
1 cup cheese
1/2 cup milk
Jalpenos (chopped, however much you want)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a pre-greased pan. (I use a 9 inch cake pan.) And bake for 45 minutes. Serve with your favorite meal.

Serves 6-8.

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Fall Food

Ladies and Gentlemen, have I been cooking up a storm.  This past weekend I only had three days off instead of my usual five; however, for some reason I bake and cooked more than I usually do.  The weather is finally cooling down, and the rain has been falling.  Therefore, there is little more to do than stay on the couch and watch TV or read.  Also for those of us who love to bake, we stay in our kitchens preparing for the days ahead that will be extremely busy.  Thankfully I cooked enough to have enough posts get us through the next week and a half of me working and not being in my kitchen.

First I would like to start with my all time favorite thing to make.  Pumpkin bread!!!! I love it.  When I was in college, this would send me home in my mind particularly when I was extremely homesick.  My roommate, one time, ate the majority of my pumpkin bread from home, and that was a major fight.  From then on my mother made two loafs.  One for each of us.  Haha.  There was rarely any left over. Pumpkin bread seems to be the equivalent of fall to me.  One uses the spices that will fill the entire holiday baking season.  I do love pumpkin on its own; however, as I was making these, I noticed the pumpkin by itself has a fresh smell about it.  Add it to cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; and viola, the pumpkin is a beautiful warm and inviting scent that fills the kitchen.

This recipe is adapted from Cookinglight.com.  I used applesauce instead of the oil to cut down on the fat.  I also did not use raisins, but added chopped, toasted hazelnuts to half of the batch.  I think it is definately delcisious.  I have another recipe I will probaby post later on this fall season, but I wanted something slightly healthy for my lunches this week.  If anyone has an idea or suggest on how to cut down the amount of sugar, please let me know. I hope you enjoy these with a cup of coffee (or tea 😉 and a friend.

Pumpkin Muffins (or bread)
Adapted from CookingLight.com

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup applesauce
1 egg beaten lightly
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1/2 can (15 ounce) pumpkin
1/4 cup dried currents or raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine with a wire whisk, the flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl.  Combine the applesauce, eggs, and pumpkin in a separate bowl.  Stir with a whisk until smooth.  Add to the dry ingredients.  Stir until just moist.  Fold in the optional ingredients.

Spoon the batter into a loaf pan or muffin tin coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees.  Bake the muffins for 20 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Bake the loaf for 1 hour.  Cool in the pans for 5 minutes; remove from pans.  Serve with your favorite coffee or tea.

Yields: 1 loaf or 12 muffins.

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Once again…

It is Sunday.  The day I seem to want to relax and make muffins.  I do like making different muffins to try to find the best I can of recipes.  The husband loved the Morning Glory Muffins so much, I am making him a batch tonight to take tomorrow morning for his co-workers.  However, one hint, he wants the apples chopped and blended not grated.  He did not like the muffins with out the apple chunks, saying there were not as textureally pleasing.

So today I researched what I could and found this recipe with ingredients I contained in my pantry.  For some reason I think freezing almost too ripe bananas is a good thing.  Not wasting and such.  I guess in the back of my mind, I am thinking that I will need them when unexpected guests arrive.  Not having enough time to get ingredients from the grocery store, the guests would have inviting banana bread baked that morning.  This has never occurred! Ever!  But today was the first day I used a too ripe banana from my freezer.  I did change the recipe a bit from the original, but be honest people, when have you used a recipe exactly as is forever and ever?   The actual muffin is a pleasing texture with the smooth banana and the crunch oatmeal.  Let me know what you think.  (I divided the recipe to make the serving size only six.  There are only two of us, and we can not constantly be eating muffins.  My husband would go on strike!)

Banana Oat Muffins
Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 and 1/8 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/6 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 12 cup muffin pan.
In a large bowl, combine egg, banana, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Gently stir flour mixture and oatmeal into banana mixture.  Fold in the optional walnuts.  Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle the tops with the chocolate chips.
Bake in preheated oven or 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Remove muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to let cool before serving.

Makes 6 muffins.

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“Oh What A Beautiful Morning…”

I love muffins.  And for some reason, I always find baking muffins on Sunday most special.  Probably because they are a perfect little bite (the ones homemade not the huge store bought ones.  Those are pretty good too.)  One can eat them in the car or dashing out the door to church, or they will keep one full until brunch time.  Either way, if I had to chose a food that describes baking for family, muffins would be the most common, most delicious, and easiest to make.  After a hard day at work, I wanted to come home and bake something for the hubby when he woke up.  I even got the funnies out for him to read while eating his muffins.  The atmosphere as I drove home was quiet and peaceful.  The storm had already passed, and the quiet was all around. For some reason, quietly baking in my kitchen for one hour, was just the ticket to unwind from work.  These were the muffins I experimented with.  They remind me of bran muffins without the bran.  Also of granola.  They were pretty good and will keep me full until another meal time.  Try them for yourself.  I did not alter but two things, and I am thinking of ways to make them even more delcious.  We will see.

Morning Glory Muffins
Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 apple – peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil 18 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples and raisins. Stir in apple butter mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ; sprinkle over the muffin tops. I sprinkles almonds on top of a couple.  The rest just wheat germ.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

Makes 12.

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Nothing Like It

I have rediscovered the love for butter.  If you have noticed,  I have tried to bake out of Julia’s book for sometime.  It has reintroduced me to butter.  The other day I was sauteing mushrooms in butter to put in a maxed out hash-browns for my hubby.  Actually he makes the hash-browns, I do not have the patience for them.  While I was eating the omelet that also included the mushrooms as well as the hash-browns, I noticed a velvety-ness and sweetness to the mushrooms.  I also noticed it to the onions.  Wow, now I know exactly what Paula Deen, Julia, and Julie were talking about.  This is fabulous!  I will definitely have to start going to the gym for this kind of meal.  It is so good.  If you do not believe me and want to somewhat watch your waistline, please go by the 50/50 Smart Balance , saute those mushrooms in about 2 tablespoons.  The key to sauting mushrooms is not to crowd the pan.  Melt the butter in a saute pan.  Place about five or six in the pan (depending on the size), the saute until browned and softened.  The mushrooms will soak up as much butter as they need, then use a slotted spoon to scoop them out.  Place more mushrooms in the butter.  Repeat.  They are so delicious.  Make a simple omelet and put them in it.

I have to admit.  I am somewhat in a cooking rut.  Partly because I am tired, and partly because the food budget is limited.  This seems to be a problem with everyone.  There are already two shows on

the Food Network dealing with small budgets.  I have watched a few of them.  I am defiantly wanting to make the sausage and mushroom bread puddings.  I have tons of cubed bread, and want some more sautéed mushrooms. 😉

I am currently making my Bread, white with Italian seasoning.  Something happened that never has happened when I make bread before.  I used less flour.  This time around I wanted to mix it by hand because I had the time, and wanted to play with food.  But I  used less flour.  Oh well, bread is not mainly measurements, but how the dough feels.  I had already mixed the two flours together with the seasonings, so I just used the extra to keep the dough from sticking to my hands and the counter.

A recipe I can give you is for Hummingbird Food.  We recently got a feeder to put outside my kitchen window.  My mother LOVES hummingbirds and constantly was refilling her feeders when I was young.  I asked her for the recipe and this is it.   The little birds were at my feeder, though it had nothing in it, trying to get the last drop of food.  They have been at the feeder ever since I have put some more food out there.  I love watching their little wings beat.

Hummingbird Food

1 part sugar (1/2 cup)
4 parts hot water (2 cups)
Couple drops of red food coloring

Dissolve the sugar in the hot water, and add the food coloring.  Pour into a feeder and watch the hummingbirds come and eat.  🙂

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Bread for the Soul

For some reason I feel that homemade bread is something one must achieve in ther own kitchen. This is possibly because I always imagined my children having sandwiches that all the other children were jealous of, due to the fact that I spent three to four hours on their sandwich as apposed to one. I should say though that I do not have children; therefore, I do not know the amount of time, effort, and exhaustion one takes to raise the children in the right way. This being said, I do love making my own bread, experimenting to find the right mixture of ingredients to give it the authentic taste. Just today i tried a Italian wheat bread. I added 1/4 cup Italian seasonings and had 2 cups of white flour, wheat flour, and bread flour each. The result was pretty good, but I not going to mix wheat and Italian seasonings again. The flavors are too different. Next I will try honey wheat bread, increase the honey amount and have 3 cups wheat flour and bread flour each. But that is another day and another time. Here is my best experimentation.

Homemade White Bread

2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/6 (Half of 1/3 cup) cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoon active yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
3 cups bread flour
3 cups white flour
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 cup Italian seasonings (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and honey in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Meanwhile measure and mix together the two flours and the Italian seasoning if using; set aside.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9×5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Brush with the beaten egg plus 1 tablespoon of water.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes.
Makes 2 loaves.

I like to serve mine with homemade pesto or make a tomato topping, broil with that on top and mozerella. Yummy!

Italian Wheat Bread

Bread with Pesto

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To Frost or Not to Frost

No matter how often or not so often my sister comes down to visit, we always seem to find a way to make cinnamon rolls. Those could consist of opening a can and placing them in a baking dish because we can’t do much more with our brains, or baking for hours to form beautiful rolls of goey goodness. When I graduated from college, she made overnight cinnamon rolls. These were good, but they toke way too long. And usually I do not plan ahead. After a couple of times of wanting to hand make the confections, but not having all the time in the world. I looked on my end-all source for recipes: allrecipes.com. I found a recipe for 90 Minute Cinnamon Rolls. Now I only have to take about two hours of my time making our sisterly staple and the ability to have cinnamon rolls when I am craving them for breakfast. I was blessed with a kitchen that has bar stools. This past weekend she propped herself up on a stool with a cup of tea and her computer. I do not know what she was planning on doing on her computer. We talked the entire time, and she didn’t accomplish much. This is my favorite pastime. Me whipping up something delicious while someone sits watching me, making suggestions and discussing the latest news in their lives.

Ninety Minute Cinnamon Rolls

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup margarine, softened
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened margarine.
Roll out dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with margarine/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased muffin cups or in a casserole dish. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from pan to cool. Serve warm.

Makes 12 rolls.

Now comes to question of toppings.  The hubby prefers frosting.  The recipe did not originally come with frosting because the rolls are already so sweet.  I would have to agree with this; however, my husband does not believe the cinnamon roll is complete unless there is frosting.  I tried to make a Vanilla Glaze, but that was not what he had in mind.  I think what he wants is a Cream Cheese Frosting.  I do not have one that I prefer above others, so please find one you enjoy and serve.  And let me know what it is.  I have several rolls I need to have eaten and would like not to eat my weight in cinnamon rolls.  🙂

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Oregon Blueberry Muffins

I have been comtemplating on a new name. When I first started this blog, I wanted a way to vent out different aspects of life. However after looking at other blogs, I think I need to change the feel and subject matter. I’m thinking on (with names) Tea Time with SB, or something similar. Therefore the blog would have entries such as one would find in a conversation over tea. Very similar to what I would normaly talk about but less aggressive. I also want to talk about food. I have read several food blogs; they lift my mood
the majority of the time. I love to cook, though usually I do not have the time to cook elborate dishes or take pictures. However, I can at least share the mood I am in or the recipes I want to try or have tried. I hope my blog would become a sourse of inspiration like the other blogs I have enjoyed reading. Here is a recipe I have recently tried.

Oregon Blueberry Muffins

I love muffins. They seem like the perfect breakfast food because they can be paired with eggs and meat or eaten on their own. Ether way, they satisfy. They also are homey the majority of the time; giving a sweet relaxing treat to anyone who takes the time to eat and savor.
My family used to vacation in Oregon. Our cousins live there, and we had easy access to flights. The vacations were always taken during berry season; this completely planned. Our family would go to a berry farm right before heading out to the cabin and pick massive amounts of berries. One time the number was 33 pounds, not including raspberries, maronberries, and the occasional strawberries. The 33 pounds were blueberries. And we ate every last one of them. Here is one if the recipes my mother would make with a few variations of my own.

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour + 1 Tbsp separated

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups blueberries

Sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add one egg at a time.  Sift the dry ingredients together (minus 1 Tbsp of flour). Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternating with the milk.  Beat until well mixed.  Dust the blueberries with the flour, and fold the blueberries in by hand.  Fill muffin tins lined with paper cups until 2/3 full.  Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar. Bate at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Tips for muffins: If the muffin batter does not fill all the tins, fill the rest with half full with water.  Also leave the muffins in their tins for five minutes after coming out of the oven.  Then place on wire rack to cool, or  eat with a glass of milk or coffee.

P.S. I did not use paper linings for my muffins.  Bad idea!  The hubby likes just popping them in his mouth, but the real blueberries made the muffins slightly fall apart.

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