Wheat Bread

Sorry for my lack of posts lately.  Don't be deceived, I have been doing plenty of baking/cooking (one thing in particular which has been baking for say a good 9 months now).  I just haven't been on the ball with taking pictures of said food.  That's where I fail :(

I didn't have enough wheat flour for the usual Wheat Bread recipe I use, so I googled a new one and found this one at Tammy's Recipes (which by the way, has some really neato recipes that I need to try!).  This was a great recipe.  Not as dense as the one I usually make, but still really good.  In fact I made it twice within 4 days!  It is one I will have to keep coming back to.  It is super easy and tasty! 

 (not actual picture of bread, but pretty close!)

Ingredients: 

*1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
*1 tablespoon milk
*2 tablespoons oil
*2 tablespoons honey
*2 tablespoons brown sugar
*1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast (I used one packet of active Dry Yeast-rapid rise)

Directions: 

1. *Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir.

2. Add flours and yeast, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes (I just mixed it in my Bosch using the dough mixer for 5-6 min-worked perfectly!). Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

3. Punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Lightly cover with foil if it looks like it is browning fast.

5. Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cover with a cloth. 

Strawberry, STRAWBERRY, Poke Cake

I found this recipe on the side of a Duncan Hines Strawberry cake mix box, and I knew right away I wanted to try it.  I love all things Strawberry right now (I blame it on the pregnancy), so I knew this would hit the spot.  We decided to have it as a conclusion to our Sunday dinner.  Oh my goodness this was good.  I don't know how many of you are familiar with Jello Cake (a family favorite at our house), but this is very similar except it uses mostly pureed sweetened strawberries.  This will definitely be made in our house again.  It would have been the perfect Valentine's Day dessert!

Ingredients:

Strawberry Cake Mix (and everything needed to make cake-eggs, water, oil...)

20 oz Sliced, sweetened, frozen strawberries*-thawed

2 cups Cool Whip

1 cup Milk

1 pkg. Vanilla Pudding (small package)

*I used 16 oz of strawberries, then added a mixture of 2 tbsp of jello dissolved in 1/2 cups of hot water (This turned out fantastically, I think it held the mixture together better, I will continue making it this way)

Directions:

1.  Make cake according to instructions on the box.  Let cool.

2.  Puree Strawberries (and jello water) in blender.

3.  Poke holes-1 inch apart in cake using end of a wooden spoon.

4.  Pour Strawberry mixture over cake, let soak into holes.

for the topping:

5.  Mix milk and pudding together until well mixed.

6.  Gently fold in Cool Whip until well combined.

7.  Spread over top of cake.

*Refrigerate for at least 4 hrs.*

Mmmmm I think I may have some more before bed......

Brownie Covered Oreos

I found this recipe on Picky Palate.  I love Picky Palate.  If you haven't visited her website yet, I highly recommend you take a peak, especially with Christmas coming up!  She has some yummy treat ideas!  We are huge Oreo fans here, especially my slave driving 17 month old.  So when I saw this recipe I was excited to try it.  It is easy, your fingers get messy, and it really does taste good.  Just make sure you have someone to share them with so you don't consume them all on your own!

Ingredients:1 Brownie mix

1 package Oreos
White chocolate, melted for drizzle (Picky Palate used a Wilton White frosting pen)
White nonpareils Sprinkles (or any kind of sprinkles)


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl.
3. Spray cupcake/muffin pan GENEROUSLY (you do not want the oreos to stick)
4. Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom cupcake/muffin pan. 
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes.  *I found that 12 minutes was long enough.
6. As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven run a plastic knife along the edges of the brownies.-This is so the cookies do NOT STICK TO THE PAN!  So it is a very important step :)
7. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove from pan.
8. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle sprinkles over the top

Cranberry Bran Muffins

This is a recipe my mom introduced me to.  It is Martha Stewart, and it sure is good.  I am the only one at our house that will eat Cranberries, so I just froze a bunch of the muffins so I can have a good wholesome bran muffin when I feel like it!

2 cups flour
1 ½ cups wheat bran
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
1 ¼ cups + 2 TBLS. buttermilk
1 TBLS. butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 TBLS.  orange zest
1/2 tsp. ginger (zest or powder)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups fresh/frozen cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

3. Place flour, wheat bran, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bow. Stir in sugar and set aside. 4. Whisk together buttermilk, butter, eggs, zest and vanilla in a bowl.

5. Add flour mixture, stir just until combined.

6. Stir in cranberries.

7. Divide batter between lined muffin cups.

8. Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly Turn out.

A Plump and Perky Turkey

A Plump and Perky Turkey

Written by: Teresa Bateman

Illustrated by: Jeff Shelly

This is such a great book.  Perfect for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  It is about a town that can't find any turkeys to eat for their Thanksgiving dinner, so they come up with an idea to lure a Turkey to their town-only to be outsmarted by this fine feathered friend.  What I love most about this is in the end, the town still finds something to be thankful for!  This book is perfect for Thanksgiving! (and it's funny too)

Dinner Rolls

These are the Hub's favorite Rolls.  This is a recipe from my Grandma that I grew up with.  And oddly enough, it is the same recipe we use to make homemade doughnuts (you would never guess it by the taste!).

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. dry yeast or 2 TBLS.

2 beaten eggs

½ cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
½ cup melted margarine or shortening
2 cups warm water
About 7-9 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water (small bowl).
2. Put the remaining water in large mixing bowl.
3. Add sugar and salt to water in large mixing bowl. Stir until dissolved.
4. Add yeast mixture, eggs, and melted margarine and enough flour to make a batter.
5. Beat well.
6. Add more flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and satiny, 6-8 minutes.
7. Let rise until double.
8. Punch down dough.  Grab dough in fist and squeez up through finger and thumb till you get a nicely formed ball (this is how I was taught.  If you have a different way, go for it). 
9. Place in greased baking dish.  Let rise again until doubled. 
10. Cook at 350 for 25 min.  Brush with melted butter and enjoy!

Hope everyone had a HAPPY and slightly SPOOKY Halloween!!!!  I know we did!