Granola Bars

These make a great healthy snack and are my go-to recipe for a perfect little early morning "wake-me-up" before heading off to do my morning milking and animal chores.  Combined with a strong cup of tea or coffee they are almost always effective.  The recipe was born of a hodge-podge of similar but not quite perfect recipes found on the internet a couple years ago, plus a few of my own modifications. :-)  So, rather unfortunately, I have no credit to give unto the proper sources! 

2 C. Oatmeal
3/4C. Flour (I love using oat flour for the flavor and texture, but whole wheat also works.)
1/3 C Brown Sugar (can omit if prefered)
1/3 C Flax Seeds
1/3 C Chopped Almonds (or other nuts)
3/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 C. Rasisns
 1/2 C. Dried Apples...yum!

1/2 C. Honey
1 Beaten Egg
1/2 C. Coconut or other oil
2tsp Vanilla

Mix first 8 ingredeients and last 4 ingredients seperately.  Then mix both together.  Spread  in a well-greased 13x9 and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Don't let them get too brown, they will harden more as they sit.  I like to cut them as soon as I remove them from the oven.

Sweet Potato Bread ~ by Victoria

We found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine years ago,

and have loved it ever since. 

It is easy, delicious, and a little more nutritious with the sweet potatoes in it!

Ingredients

• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1-3/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (without added milk and butter)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened, divided
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, honey, egg, salt and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown (cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly). Remove from pans to wire racks.

Source:  Taste of Home magazine clipping

Barbeque Glazed Chicken ~ By Victoria

Dinner's main dish doesn't get much easier to make than this! ;-)

And it always turn out very flavorful!

 



12 chicken wings (about 2 1/2 pounds ~ we use chicken breasts)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce

Put chicken in a greased 13 X 9 baking dish. Mix next 3 ingredients together. Pour sauce over chicken.  Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
Yield: 4 servings.

Source:  Unknown ~ But maybe Lydia knows! (hint, hint ;-)  She was the first to find it and make it!! 

Peachy Pancakes (Modified to Strawberry Pancakes ;-) ~ by Valerie

I found this recipe recently in a really neat cookbook called Bounteous Blessings.

The book is a compilation of recipes from a family in Yacolt, WA.

 

Timothy requested strawberry pancakes one morning,

so I modified this recipe using strawberry yogurt. I also added fresh strawberries!

 

1 cup unsifted flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 (8 oz.) container low-fat peach yogurt

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.  Set aside.  Beat together add, yogurt, water, oil, and vanilla with a wire whisk until blended.  Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture; gently stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Mixture will be thick and lumpy.  Lightly oil a griddle or skillet and heat over medium heat.  Spread 1/4 cup batter on griddle to make 4-inch pancake.  Cook until bubbles form and begin to break on top.  Flip pancake and cook until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining batter.

 

Source:  Bounteous Blessings, Published by Frances A. Gillette in 2001

 



Corn Dogs ~ by Lydia

So...we went to Costco.  Costco always samples the most tempting foods.  They happened to be giving out corn dog samples that day.  You can probably imagine the rest of the story.

These were quite good!  As you can see, some turned out much better than others. (Cosmetically speaking, that is!  They all tasted pretty darn good.)  Looking forward to making these again sometime for my little bros :-)

This recipe makes 16 corn dogs.

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 2 (16 ounce) packages beef frankfurters (We like Hebrew National brand)
• 16 wooden skewers (since I didn't have any, I shaved down my own from alder branches.  They worked great!)

1. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk. (I did all of the mixing in a quart mason jar, which made dipping the dogs really easy!)
2. Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden skewers into frankfurters. Roll frankfurters in batter until well coated.

Fry 2 or 3 corn dogs at a time until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.


Source: Allrecipes.com   http://allrecipes.com/recipe/corn-dogs/

Stuffed French Toast ~ by Victoria

Our family has enjoyed a similar recipe (Overnight Stuffed French Toast) for years. We recently found this new recipe on a sweet family's blog that made it for the mom for Mother's Day! This recipe suggests adding fresh fruit to the filling, and they are grilled in the morning instead of soaked overnight and then baked in the morning. Everything else is just about the same. So, we tried making the new version today.  Though we enjoyed the addition of the fresh fruit in the filling, we couldn't decide if there was much of a difference in the way it tasted otherwise. Except that Daddy did say he LOVED the strong cinnamon taste in this new recipe! The overnight version is definitely a lot easier to just stick in the oven in the morning! Although, we weren't sure if we added fresh fruit in the overnight recipe if it would get soggy with soaking overnight and then getting baked? And most often, we enjoy making a fresh fruit topping to use instead of maple syrup.

 

In any case, either version is absolutely delicious! We decided to add both recipes since we couldn't decide which one we liked better. (Maybe the Overnight Stuffed French Toast does has an extra advantage with being more convenient in the morning.  ;-) 

 

(For our large family, we used three French loaves, and quadrupled the filling! ;-)

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French Bread
• 3 Tablespoons Any Flavor Fruit Spread (you can also use jelly, jam, and/or fresh fruit)
• ½ packages Cream Cheese (4 oz), at room temperature
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• ½ cups Skim Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation Instructions

Heat skillet or electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees.

Cut french bread into 2-3 inch wide slices. Then, with a paring knife, go back and cut halfway into each slice, in the center, creating a ‘pocket’ that your fruit mixture can be stuffed into.

In a bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and three tablespoons of fruit spread of your choice. Combine well. (Once these two things were combined, we also added our fruit here.) 

In a separate bowl, break 2 eggs; add cinnamon and milk and combine well.
Now, take fruit mixture and stuff into the ‘pockets’ of your french bread slices. Place on a baking sheet.

When done stuffing each piece of bread, completely coat each piece in egg mixture. Make sure all sides are covered. Do all pieces before starting to fry.

Put 2 tbsp of butter into a hot skillet and melt completely. Add all of the bread to the skillet and cook roughly about 3-6 minutes on each side, until it reaches a nice golden brown. You want to make sure the cream cheese mixture heats through.

When done cooking, serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Source:  http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/05/a-tasty-recipe-stuffed-french-toast/


OVERNIGHT STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons orange marmalade or apricot preserves (we use whatever jam we have on hand ;-)
1 teaspoon finely chopped crystallized ginger (hmmm . . . sounds nice, but we don't have this on hand, therefore don't use ;-)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (We would now add lots of cinnamon too, to satisfy Daddy's liking!)
1/4 cup chopped almonds (we omit these, too, as we aren't big nut fans ;-)
6 1 1/2 inch slices French bread
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Generously grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.  In a small bowl beat together cream cheese, marmalade, ginger, and nutmeg.  Stir in the almonds.   Cut a pocket in the top crust of each bread slice.  Divide cream cheese mixture evenly among pockets.  Place bread slices in prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl beat together the eggs, milk, and vanilla;  slowly pour the egg mixture over bread slices, covering all the tops.  Cover and chill overnight.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. 

Source:  12th Edition New Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, 2002.

Chunky Pumpkin Apple Bread ~ by Victoria

This is probably our family's all-time favorite sweet bread!
It is soooooo moist and delicious . . .

and fairly nutritious with pumpkin and apples in it!
We also enjoy making it to share with others,

and have often been asked for the recipe!

So, here it is!  Enjoy!

 

 

12 ServingsPrep: 15 min. Bake: 1-1/2 hours + cooling

Ingredients

• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (we like things extra flavorful, so we usually add more of these spices!)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup chopped peeled tart apples (most often we add more!)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (we usually omit these)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and cloves. In another large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, water, eggs and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.

 

Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

 

Source:  Taste of Home magazine

Sweet and Sour Meatballs ~ By Caroline

This is another favorite family recipe! 

I like that it is really easy and quick to make, on those busy days!  :) 

Meatballs:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 medium onion, diced

Sauce:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 TB. flour
1/12 cups water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3 TB. soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup

Combine meatball ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Shape into golf ball size balls.  Place in a greased 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. 

In a sauce pan, combine sauce ingredients, and cook until thick and boiling.  Serve over rice.

Cheeseburger Buns ~ by Valerie



 

This is a pretty simple main meal, but delicious!  The homemade buns are really soft, and the meat is juicy and flavorful.  (We do add some extras to the onion/beef/tomato sauce mixture . . . . like a bit of ketchup, McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, and/or any other appropriate spices! ;-)   These also make for an easy meal to take to a family in need, or for fellowship gatherings, etc.


2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
3/4 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
8 slices American Cheese, quartered

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
3. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce. Remove from the heat; set aside.
4. Punch dough down; divide into 16 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out and stretch each piece into a 5-in. circle. Top each circle with two pieces of cheese and about 3 tablespoons beef mixture. Bring dough over filling to center; pinch edges to seal.
5. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 400° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 sandwiches.

Source: Taste of Home's Mom's Best Meals cookbook, 2005.

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes ~ by Victoria

Thanks goes to Lydia for finding this delicious recipe a few years ago, 

and making it regularly for our family.

(And I think it is one of Richie's favorites now, too! ;-)

(I'll post the recipe for the yummy Barbeque Glazed Chicken in a separate post.)

Ingredients:

4 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch cubes 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 tablespoons butter, cubed 1 (8 ounce) package shredded colby -Monterey Jack cheese blend 1 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch dressing

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2.	Place the potatoes in the baking dish. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Evenly distribute the butter over the potatoes.
3.	Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven, and mix in the cheese and Ranch dressing. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Source:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cheesy-ranch-potato-bake/

Best-Ever Carrot Cake ~ by Valerie

We have found this recipe in the

12th edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook,

to be a keeper!

It is very moist and delicious! 

It also doesn't seem super sweet,

which is perfect for when we add the rich cream cheese frosting!

Our family and everyone we have ever made it for agree  . . .

it really is the best-ever carrot cake! ;-)

 

4 beaten eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups finely shredded carrots (Lightly packed. We use our little food processor to chop them finely.)

3/4 cup cooking oil

 

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (posted below)

 

1.  Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9 X 1 1/2 inch round cake pans; set pans aside.  In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon (If desired.  We also add a little nutmeg and cloves, as we like it to taste almost like a spice cake ;-)

2.  In a medium bowl combine eggs, carrots and oil.  (Sometimes if we have it on hand, we add a 1/2 cup or so of applesauce to make it even more moist.) Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined.  Pour batter into the prepared pans.

3.  Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 30 -35 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool thoroughly on racks.

4.  Frost tops and sides with Cream Cheese Frosting.   Store cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Ha! . . . 3 days!  That's funny!  Ours doesn't last a day! ;-)

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons of vanilla

5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar (Don't worry, we don't sift ours either! ;-)

 

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well.  Gradually beat in additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. 

 



 







Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie ~ by Caroline

Pre-baked and before the biscuits are added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This seems like one of the best all-in-one-home-cooked-comfort foods to me!  It's great to take to a friend's house that is in need of a hot meal. 

We often get asked for the recipe!

 

 

6-8 ServingsPrep: 1 hour

Bake: 15 min. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced fresh carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• (We omit the mushrooms and pimientos.  Then, we add a little seasoned salt and pepper to give it a bit more flavor.)
• BISCUIT TOPPING:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms, carrots and onion in butter until tender; sprinkle with flour. Gradually stir in broth and milk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, pimientos and salt ; heat through. Pour into a greased shallow 2 1/2 quart dish; set aside.

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in milk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter.  Place biscuits over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Yield: 6-8 servings.

 

Source: Old clipping from a Taste of Home magazine

Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie (With Added Strawberries ;-) ~ by Valerie

Another great springtime dessert!!!

 

Lydia's dear mom-in-love and our precious friend, Janet,

first introduced our family to the wonders of home-grown rhubarb! 

She served us a rhubarb coffee cake one day that was oh-so-delicious!!!!

And she made scrumptious rhubarb muffins for Richie and Lydia's reception treats.

So we are very excited about finding this amazing recipe recently

to use our little harvest of rhubarb on!

We just discovered too, that if we add some strawberries to it,

it is a great way to stretch the rhubarb when we don't have quite enough,

and it becomes even more flavorful and beautiful! 

And the sour cream makes it especially different from most fruit pies, and well . . . .

wonderfully creamy! ;-)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust 4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 1 egg 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup sour cream   (The last couple times we made this pie, we used 2 cups of rhubarb and 2 or more cups of strawberries.  We also added a little extra flour to help with the extra moisture from the strawberries.)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour   1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.	Press the pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan. Spread rhubarb in an even layer in the bottom of the crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, white sugar, sour cream and 1/3 cup of flour until smooth. Pour over the rhubarb.
3.	In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of flour and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the pie.
4.	Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue to bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges have puffed, and the topping is golden. The center may still be slightly jiggly. Cool completely before slicing and serving. Source:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rhubarb-sour-cream-pie/

General Tso Chicken ~ By Caroline

Chinese food is definitely one of my favorites to make . . .and eat! 
 I just tried this new recipe, and though I didn't have any rice wine, it was very good!

I only wish I could figure out how to keep the chicken crispy after adding the sauce to it!
Any ideas anyone?

 

1 lb chicken thigh, boned and cubed

3 egg, beaten

1⁄2 cup corn starch,

2 tsp corn starch,

5 dried chili, pods

1 1⁄2 tbsp rice vinegar,

2 tbsp mirin, (rice wine)

3 tbsp sugar,

3 tbsp soy sauce   Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the 1/2 cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat.

2.  If the mixture is too thick, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces.

3.  In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 tsp cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.

4.  First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400).

5.  Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through.

6.  Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand (this step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated).

7.  Second-Stage Frying: Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok.

8.  Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them.

9.  Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.

10. The General's Favorite Sauce: Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes).

11. Serve immediately.

Source:  Chinese.Food.com  (Mean Guy's General Tso Chicken)
http://chinese.food.com/recipe/mean-guys-general-tsos-chicken-52488
(There is a really nice feature on this website that changes the amount of ingredients based on the number of servings you wish to end up with!)

 

Beau's Blueberry Bundt Cake

We usually like to make things from scratch as much as possible,

but sometimes when we need to make a quick and easy dessert, 

this recipe comes in handy!  And our Daddy LOVES blueberries,

so this makes a perfect dessert for our family to enjoy and share with others. 

(The blueberries make it somewhat healthy, right?)

 

 

1 box yellow cake mix

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup corn oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1  1/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (NOT ENOUGH in our opinion!  We add 3 cups!)

 

Glaze: 

 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

(We just use 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 TB. milk and 1/2 tsp. vanilla, but usually double or triple this amount!)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, stir cake mix and sugar.  Add eggs, cream cheese, corn oil and vanilla; beat on low until blended, then beat on medium speed 4 minutes.  Stir in blueberries by hand.  (We coat in flour first, in hopes of them not sinking to bottom.)  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan.  Bake 45-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven; cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Mix all glaze ingredients; drizzle over cooled cake.

 

Makes 16 servings. 

 

Source:  The Joy of Blueberries, by Theresa Millang, 2003





Fluffy Biscuits ~ By Victoria

Indeed, we think these biscuits live up to their name!

They are very light and fluffy.

Nothin' like hot-out-of-the-oven biscuits and homemade jam!

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

 

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In a small bowl, beat egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 

 

Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times.  Roll to 3/4 inch thickness; cut with a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.  Yield:  1 dozen

 

Source:  Clipping from Taste of Home magazine



Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake ~ by Valerie

 

This is a perfect dessert for strawberry season!

Although, frozen strawberries work well, too!

It is very moist and delicious!  

 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 TB. fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vanilla yogurt (you can use greek yogurt if desired)

2 cups fresh strawberries, diced

 

For glaze:

 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1  cup powdered sugar

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease and flour 10 inch bundt pan.

Mix together 2 1/4 cups of the flour with baking soda, salt and lemon zest.  Set aside.

In your mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Alternate beating the flour mixture and the yogurt into butter mixture.  Beat just until combined. Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.  (This helps prevent the strawberries from all sinking to the bottom of the pan while baking.)  Gently fold the strawberries into the batter.  Pour batter into your greased bundt pan.  Place the bundt pan into the preheated oven.  As soon as it's in the oven, turn the temperature of the oven down to 325 degrees.  Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let sit in pan for 25 minutes to cool.  Turn cake out onto wire rack to cool completely. 

 

Once cake is completely cooled, transfer to your serving plate.  Make your glaze by mixing the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth.  Use your spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cake.   Just keep drizzling and drizzling until all your glaze is used up. 

 

Source:  DoubletheDeliciousness.blogspot.com



Spicy Chicken and Rice Bake ~ By Victoria

This is a very easy, flavorful and nutritious dinner to make!

(And it is also very colorful ;-)

 

Makes 6 servings

Oven:  375 degrees

 

2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks)

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup tomato juice

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Paprika

 

1.  Skin chicken; set aside.

2.  In a large saucepan cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until vegetables are tender.  Stir in black beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, uncooked rice, chili powder, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Bring to boiling.  Transfer rice mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.  Arrange chicken pieces on top of rice mixture.  Sprinkle chicken with paprika.

3.  Bake, uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is tender. 

 

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, 12th Edition



Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

We found this recipe a day or two before Christmas,

and decided to bake it as part of our Christmas morning brunch!

The cinnamon aroma was delightful,

and the bread was delicious in every way!

We decided then and there it should be a keeper,
and have already had several requests for the recipe!
So, here it is!
 

 

3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up

1/3 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

I tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

dash of salt

1 1/2 cups of flour

 

For the swirl:

1/3 cup sugar

1 TB. cinnamon

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9 X 5 loaf pan

2.  Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together.  Sprinkle baking soda and salt around top of the banana mixture.  Then gently stir in flour.  Be careful not to over-mix!

3.  In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 TB. cinnamon.

4.  Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan.  Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.

5.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Source: From the internet:  lovintheoven.com