Pumpkin Scones

We tried these this morning for breakfast and they are really good, and really easy:

Pumpkin Scones

Some Yummy Food That We Tried For Valentine's Day!

We had some tasty new food today, thought I'd share the recipes:

Baked Oatmeal for breakfast. A great recipe that you can make the night before and then bake in the morning. I added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla and about 1/2 cup chopped granny smith apple to this recipe. It was pretty good!

Barbeque Chicken Pizza Very good and different from other bbq chix pizza recipes we've tried. I used the bread machine pizza dough that we like instead of the pre-baked pizza shells and we sub'd cheddar for the jack cheese.

Shortcakes with mixed berries and ice cream These shortcakes are really good and really easy, they're a drop biscuit, no rolling or cutting! Just beware, the recipe is printed slightly wrong on the website. If you try them, make these changes: increase sugar to 1/4 cup and bake them at 400-degrees for 15 minutes. We had 'em with a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries AND vanilla ice cream... yum!

Awesome Brownie Recipe

Had to share this brownie recipe. Miss E and I made these a couple of days ago and they are the best brownies ever - I mean it!!! We didn't add the nuts or the espresso powder, just so ya know!

On-the-Fence Brownies (King Arthur Flour)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (used Hershey's Cocoa)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the
butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth; then add the flour, chips, espresso powder, and nuts, again stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan.

Bake the brownies in a preheated 350°F oven for 28 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center (barely). Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving. Yield: Two dozen 2-inch
brownies.

An Interesting & Somewhat Healthful Cookie

We gave this cookie a try today:

Total Chocolate Chunk Cookies

And, they are good! I didn't have any Total cereal, so I used a combo of Corn Flakes and Smart Start and I used toasted almonds instead of walnuts; otherwise, I made them as written. I love how thick and chewy they are and Miss E and Pest enjoyed them too!!

Oops, Forgot One

Forgot this one... I wrote it on a small piece of paper that snuck away from me!

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies (a combo of this recipe and this one)

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
7 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 TBSP molasses (If you use dark brown sugar, omit)
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup chopped dates (be smart and buy the pitted ones - I didn't!)
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Mix flour through cinnamon. Mix butter with sugars; add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add flour mix and stir just until combined. Stir in oats, dates and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonful 2 1/2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten tops slightly. Bake 12-14 minutes - let sit on sheet 2 minutes - move to rack to cool completely. Makes about 18-20 cookies.

***These are really good right out of the freezer too!

Recipes To Share With Ya

Here are a few tasty recipes for you to try and enjoy, because I told you to!

California Burgers from Cooking Light: These are very yummy with avocado, tomatoes, red onion and a tasty & easy sauce! Pest liked 'em even though they are turkey burgers and I thought they were a great alternative to beef burgers.

Blueberry or Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Muffins: I made this recipe using blueberries for half and chocolate & cinnamon chips for the other half. The blueberry version was my favorite; Pest and E loved 'em too. The chocolate chip version is good, but definetely as a dessert - I love chocolate, but not for breakfast! I didn't add the cinnamon to the batter, and I melted the butter and mixed it with the eggs, vanilla and yogurt, then I mixed the sugar into the flour mix and mixed the wet and dry just until combined.

Last, I have a variation on this version of IHOP pancakes that I improvised:

Preheat a skillet over medium heat and coat it with some non-stick spray.

Mix the following until smooth in a blender:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 egg
8 oz carton of plain yogurt with 1 TBSP lemon juice and enough milk to make 1 1/4 cups
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 canola oil
pinch of salt

Scoop about 1/4 - 1/3 cup batter onto the hot skillet and form it into circles (or whatever shape you want!). The batter is very thick, so it won't pour! When the edges start to harden and you get a few bubbles on top, flip 'em. These aren't going to bubble like regular pancakes - AND - I found that they cooked up a lot faster than regular cakes. Cook on flip side until golden. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup. YUMMY! I got about 12 regular sized pancakes.

**These pancakes are so light and fluffy and they taste good! Miss E ate 2 and Pest ate quite a few! They held overnight in the fridg pretty well too!

Cheeseburgers From The Oven

We had some yummy Cheeseburger Meat Loaf Hoagies tonight for dinner. This recipe is pretty darn easy and was pretty darn tasty. My only complaint was that the 'patties' didn't hold together very well. I think next time I might use a small can of drained diced tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce - may be that'll tighten 'em up a bit? Otherwise a very easy and quick meal. I used a home baked onion roll recipe from this book instead of the hoagie rolls... just because I was itchin' to bake! By the way, if you like warm from the oven fresh baked bread, give that cookbook a try. There is a new and improved version now, but the recipes I've made from my edition have all worked and have all been VERY easy, plus the bread machine does most of the work for you!

Pizza's By Miss E

Well, add pizza maker to Miss E's list of accomplishments! We (and I mean we) threw together this pizza dough recipe with the help of our handy dandy bread machine. When it beeped that the dough cycle was complete we got to work. Little Miss was as patient as could be, but she was ready to get to cookin'... she kept hearing beeps all over the place! Dough, sauce, pepperoni and cheese... we're off! E loved patting out the dough and adding the toppings, BUT, I think her favorite part was sampling the ingredients as she went! This was a fun meal to prepare together, plus we had a rather tasty final product.

Gotta Try These, Part Deux

Here's another must try recipe... If you like brownies that is, with yummy carmel-y oatmeal cookie base!! Check out the recipe and photo at this here blog.

You Gotta Try These...

Yummy! That's all, just yum! My new FAV chocolate chip cookie!! Miss E wanted to steal one right off the cooling rack - so we all shared one, warm from the oven! Pest and E thought they were pretty 'nummy' too.

The recipe for these awesome chocolate chip cookies may still be printed incorrectly on Food Network's website. If you decide to give these cookies a try (and I don't know why you wouldn't) please note that the measurement for the baker's sugar should be 1/2 cup, NOT 2 cups.

PS. If you don't have baker's sugar, and don't want to buy any, just wizz some regular white sugar in the blender or food processor for a few pulses.

PS #2. I used pecans instead of walnuts.

PS #3. If you use a stronger vanilla (like Nielsen-Massey) use 1/2 the amount called for.

Dare I Say It

...the best french dip sandwich recipe can be found by clicking here. This recipe is very tasty, very easy and pretty budget friendly.

Since you'll be there anyway (checking out that beefy goodness mentioned above), check out some of this blogger's other recipes/posts. Here recipe index link can be found along the top of the page. It's a huge archive of mostly baked goods and desserts, but, there are quite a few yummy looking meals too. She also posts book, appliance and cookware reviews in addition to her recipes. Have fun lookin' around!

Yummy Yummy Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had to share this recipe from one of my favortie blogs. I made these today to try out some of my new King Aurthur Flour Goodies. I got some of this vanilla, this flour and these chocolate chips. A good excuse to make some very, very, very tasty cookies:

Super Small Batch Extra Large Chunk Cookies

The recipe makes 4 Giant cookies. I doubled it, mostly because I wasn't going to measure 2 TBSP of eggs. Here is the doubled recipe and the changes I made (only a couple):

1 stick (8 TBSP) melted butter (I used Imperial Margarine)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp water (if needed)
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup total of buttersweet and semisweet chips
5-6 cookies (I used Maria cookies from Cost Plus - like a sugar cookie and graham cracker mixed)

Stir together melted butter and sugars. When cool enough stir in egg and vanilla. Next stir in soda, salt and flour. Add water if the dough is still crumbly. Stir in chips and cookies. Now, shape the dough into a 10-12 inch long log and wrap in plastic or parchment. Stick it in the freezer for 1/2 hour. Slice into 12 pieces and place about 3-4 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I was able to get 6 on each sheet). Bake at 325-degrees for about 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, move to racks to cool completely.

Yummy Muffins!

Had to share this recipe with you:

Morning Glory Muffins (King Aurthur Flour)

1/2 cup raisins
2 cups whole wheat flour or white flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda (I also added 1 tsp baking powder)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and grated
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and grated (I didn't peel mine)
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sunflower seeds or wheat germ, optional (I used rolled oats about 1/2 cup)
3 large eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/3 cup oil & 1/3 cup applesauce)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup (2 ounces) orange juice

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line it with papers and spray the insides of the papers. To make the muffins: In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and sunflower seeds or wheat germ, if using. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Drain the raisins and stir them in. Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan (they'll be full almost to the top; that's OK). To bake the muffins: Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until nicely domed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling.

Let the Holiday Baking Begin!

I've been trying a couple of new recipes (what a shock!) to see if I want to use 'em for my holiday goodies. These two recipes are quite good, so I say, give them a try!

The first is called Coal Cookies and it's from King Arthur Flour. They are so good, you'll want to be naughty just to get a package of this 'coal' in your stocking. The cookies get 'shaped' after you bake them. I did half shaped, and half un-shaped. For the sake of speed I won't be shaping my gift cookies - it takes to0 much time, and isn't really necessary (unless of course you are going for the coal look). I used a mixture of macadamia nuts, semi-sweet chips and vanilla chips for the 2 cups of chocolate chips - and again I say, they are good!! You make the call... here's the recipe.

The second recipe is for Sweet Potato Muffins. I found this one on recipezaar.com and gave it a try with some extra sweet potatoes. Surprisingly, they are rather good. Ellie loved them fresh from the oven, even came back and asked for more please! It always makes me happy when she likes something I make from scratch! The muffin isn't very sweet potato-ey tasting... they are dense and lightly spiced, plus they have a pretty orange color to them. I've made them twice (the second time I doubled the recipe and made a couple of loaves for gifting). I really like to freeze muffins so that I can have one whenever I get a craving. Just pop it into the microwave for a few seconds, then slice it open and toast it... add a little butter and yummy, yummy for my tummy! If you care to give them a try, here is the recipe.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend..! We'll be trying yet again to get a picture of the three of us for our christmas card. We've already tried once, with unsatisfactory results! Tomorrow will be the final try - if we don't get one of our trio, the cards will go out with a photo of only our cutie pie... Probably better that way, who wants to see our mugs!!! Bye for now!

Happy Mom's Day!

Well, it's been a busy weekend around these parts! Yesterday Mom, Ellie and I went garage-saling. We actually found a couple of sales that had some decent stuff! My $16 total investment yielded me a nice full size wooden bed frame (admitted, Wes has to repair it, BUT, it is cute and was FREE - yes FREE), a drawing/painting/chalkboard easel for Ellie, a pyrex pie plate (we all need one of these!) and about 5 yards of decorator/upholstry fabric (a really nice neutral pattern). It was fun to be out wheelin' and dealin'! While we were out and about, Wes was fishing in a charity tournament at Lake Hodges in Escondido. He and the guy he was fishing with came in 2nd out of about 60 teams! Quite an accomplishment, plus they won about $600!! Yeah Wes!

Today was Mother's Day AND my Mom's birthday (it falls on mother's day about every 2-3 years!). Wes, Ellie and I hung out together this morning - Ellie was very thoughtful and got me a nice card and a nice little food processor... I think Daddy may have helped a little! Then, this afternoon Mom, Scott, Kass and Ginger Dog came by. We hung out, snacked on yummy dips & chips, ate pizza & salad for dinner and cupcakes for dessert. Ellie had fun helping Granny (Ellie calls her Annie) open her birthday loot. She also had a BLAST following Ginger around the back yard... I'm not sure who was more tired, Ellie or Ginger.

Hope all the mothers out there enjoyed their day! If not, better luck next year!



Oh, by the way, here is the recipe I promised for the BEST CORN MUFFINS ever:



2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (I used 8oz + 1/3 cup soy milk)
1/3 cup corn oil (I used canola)
3 TBSP maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (I used XL)
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries



Preheat oven for 375-degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Mix flour thru salt. Mix yogurt thru eggs. Fold wet ingredients into dry JUST until combined. Fold in berries. Fill the cups to the top and bake 10-15 minutes. Rotate tins and bake 10-12 minutes more or until pick done. Cool 5 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.



This recipe was in our local paper and was included as part of a review of the book Cowgirl Cuisine. Now that I've typed this info out for you, I'm going over to Amazon to check out this Cowgirls book!



Will post again soon! Have a great one!

Hello! Long Time No Blog...

Hi Guys! Just a quick post to say hi and share a photo and recipe (of course).

Last weekend was so nice and warm that Ellie and Wes went for a swim; the water was a bit too cool for me, plus, I had to take pictures! Ellie had a blast!! Being the water baby that she is, she had a fit when we made her get out - BUT, we had to, she was shivering! Doesn't she look cute in her suit? It's a hold over from last year, actually fits her this year!

Have to share this recipe with you... Cake Mix Cookies Have you ever heard of such a thing? I had not - I know, I don't get out much! I found it on RecipeZaar (my favorite recipe site) and had to give it a try. I figured they would taste yucky and cake-mixy (great use of the english language huh?)... Surprise, Surprise, they were very tasty. I used chocolate cake mix, semi-sweet chocolate chips, pecans and added about 1 cup of oatmeal. They were fudgey and yummy! They tasted like a cookie, not a cake. Plus, and this is the best part, they only take about 5 minutes to mix together and dish onto baking pans! So cool!! I also found the best, and yes it is the BEST, corn muffin recipe - they have blackberries in 'em! I will post it next time; have to leave you wanting more!! Hope you have a fun weekend!

Ellie Tales, The Graham Cracker That Wasn’t and Cake Balls… What Balls???

I figured I would share my failed attempt at making graham crackers from scratch. It sounded like a good idea and the recipe seemed easy… What a mess! The dough never set up properly and as you can see the crackers came out all misshapen. Plus, after all the sticky, messy work, they didn’t taste anything like a graham cracker – AND – what they did taste like (couldn’t tell ya), didn’t taste good! A cracker better left to the pros.

I did have a few successes this past week. We were baking up goodies to give on Valentine’s Day – yes, we… Ellie was a big helper, she sat in her high chair and colored while I baked, occasionally offering her opinion or asking for a cookie!

I tried a Cake Ball recipe that I had read about on somebody’s blog. This ‘cake ball’ sounded interesting to me (have you ever heard of ‘em???), so I found this recipe and gave it a try. Who knew a yellow cake mix, a tub of chocolate fudge frosting and some bittersweet chocolate from Trader Joes could taste so good. And, they are good, as goofy as they sound. Also found the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever… click here to find it for yourself . I made these changes: 2 tsp of vanilla, ½ cup shortening w/ ½ cup butter, I left out the cinnamon and used walnuts instead of pecans. They are my new favorite cookie, and if you put them in the freezer, they taste great frozen! And finally, I made ciabatta bread from scratch. I used this recipe and it turned out great. You just have to think a day ahead of when you want to bake because you have to make a sponge that needs to ferment for 12-24 hours. The bread did come out pretty, and was soft and chewy. I didn’t get a photo, I froze one loaf right away and then we ate the second before I could snap a picture. Isn’t it crazy that I photograph the food I make? I think so, but it’s sure fun to share with you!

Ellie has been as cute as ever this past week, even though she’s getting her molars. She had a bad day (didn’t sleep the night before) but for the most part she’s been happy. Poor girl has a non stop runny nose and these teeth are hurting her. She keeps pushing on her checks or leaning on her hand. We’ve been giving her ice to chew on and her frozen teething rings during the day; at night she gets a nice dose of Motrin to get rid of that pain and let her sleep – that Tylenol just wasn’t cuttin’ it! We have been hunting ladybugs in the backyard daily; they are quite plentiful in the grass right now, we must have some good bugs for them to eat! She likes letting the ladybugs crawl on her fingers and hands and then she waves and says bye when they fly away. She’s also been waving and saying Hi to the airplanes and birds that fly over our yard… such the hostess!! She got her first box of Sees chocolates from Granny on Valentine ’s Day! And, boy did she like ‘em. We let her choose one piece, which she did, and she ate it slowly and deliberately – actually enjoyed her candy. Usually she just shoves stuff in her face and swallows, so this was a sight to behold!

Well, I’ve rambled enough. Had to close with this photo... I just LOVE the piggy tails!!

Hope you all are having a good week! Will post again soon!!!

Cheesy Grins, Block Building and Baking!

Only 12 days until Valentine’s Day! Can you believe it’s already February – where does the time go? Have to get to buying/making your Valentines!!! Well, enough contemplation, let’s get onto the good stuff…

Ellie has been learning new words and/or signs left and right! She has added bowl (with the sign), kitchen, cat (with the sign), and computer (just the sign) to her repertoire… there are a few others that I can’t think of just now – REALLY, there are!!! She’s also very happy to say Hi and Bye to anyone that might be walking or driving past, using her sweetest sing songy voice. She’s enjoying watching her Baby Einstein Around the House DVD and is absorbing everything she can from it. I guess she has decided it’s time to talk. Seems like a great idea to us – of course in a few months when she has endless questions and lots and lots of stories to tell us, we may be longing for the days of her limited speech. I’m looking forward to hearing more than goblity gook from Miss Ellie, she sounds so cute when she says her new words!! We’ve discovered that Ellie has quite a knack for building block towers… She is so careful when she’s building; really concentrates and takes her time. I think she’s got a steadier hand than I do!!!


Thought I would share a pretty tasty recipe from my recent baking experiences. This recipe was supposed to be for loaf bread, but after I mixed it up, it was so thick I thought it would work better as a drop biscuit/scone. And, it did!! Here is the recipe from “lip smackin’ Jams & Jellies”:

Orange-Marmalade Nut Bread (or Biscuits)

3 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
¾ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup orange marmalade (would probably work w/ any thick jam)
2 TBSP grated orange rind (I omitted this)
¼ cup shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and orange rind. Cut in shortening with fork or pastry blender (I used my fingers) – the mix should resemble fine cornmeal. Mix the egg and milk together and add the marmalade. Add this wet mix to the dry and stir just until combined. Do not overmix! Fold in nuts. Pour into a well-greased 10x5x3-inch loaf pan. Let stand for 20 minutes and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.

***Since the dough was so thick, I dropped the dough onto greased cookie sheets and got about 16 biscuits/scones. I baked them for about 22 minutes and they came out perfect. VERY tasty with butter melting on top!!!

I’ve been baking bread like crazy the past couple of weeks and also gave orange marmalade a try. The marmalade came out really well and looked so pretty, but we discovered that the flavor is a bit strong for us. Wes and I had never had marmalade, so, this recipe was great to use some of it up. I need something new to bake… Post a comment and give me and idea!! I can easily get obsessed with finding the perfect recipe, so don’t make it something too difficult, like croissants!!!

We have also been working around the house, trying to work on some of the projects that just need to get finished. Wes and Derrill ran speaker wire and coaxial cable last weekend. The cable is for our DVR installation next week, and the speaker wire is for our surround sound. Wes has been intent on getting the speakers up on the walls and in their proper surround sound spots since we moved in. Well, now he’s done it. Of course, they had to tear into the wall to do it, so now he’s got some drywall patchin’ to do!!! I’ve been trying to get our office/craft room/library organized. It has been a huge mess since before Ellie was born – it’s our dumping ground and hiding space! I have already filled 3 trash bags and have quite a bit for giveaway/garage sale. It’s getting there though. Found some cute boxes and a great easel with a chalkboard on one side and a dry erase board on the other. Lowe’s had ‘em on the clearance rack - $1.00 each and the boxes each came with two picture frames that matched! Score!! I will post pictures when I get the room cleaned up and cute-ified!!

Hope you all have a nice weekend!

Happy New Year… Hey, It’s Still Applicable!!

The holidays are over… Didn’t think I would ever be happy to say that!!! We entertained a lot, which was a lot of work, BUT fun. We survived the icky flu, which was NOT fun – especially since Wes and Ellie were both sick days before Xmas!! We are happy to be getting back into our routine – Well almost… Ellie just had the stomach flu again yesterday!!!! We are pretty sure she picked it up at the pediatrician’s office on Tuesday when we were there for her 18 month check up. DARN Dr.’s office, it’s a hotbed for germs!!! But, more about Ellie:

Her check up went great (except for contracting those nasty germs!). She is 34.5 inches tall and 33 pounds, off the charts for both! The Dr. said she is beautiful (of course) and perfect AND that she will probably be about 5’9” to 5’10” tall – Wow!! It’ll be interesting to see how that prediction pans out..! Ellie has been talking a lot. She’s still saying pitty (her pronunciation of pretty), and has added a few new words. Now she’ll make cow and Lola Kitty sounds when we ask and we’re working on oink and quacks (the Dr. says those count!)!! She says peas (please) when she would like something, usually ice, and has started saying Hi and Bye. We’ve discovered that she says me, and means mommy/momma, and Wes is still dada-y. She has a lot to tell us and now some of it is making sense!!

The last couple of weeks I’ve been testing out some of my new cookbooks! I’ve been baking a LOT of bread and love this bread machine recipe:

Dennis’s Blarney-Stone Bread (Bread Machine Magic – Thanks Sheri & Jeff)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ¼ cups milk
1 egg
3 cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoons butter or marg.
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons active dry or instant yeast

Place all ingredients in bread pan (in order specified by your bread machines instructions). Select the Light Crust setting and press Start.

** I don’t like to bake my bread in the machine, SO, I use the dough cycle, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a minute or two. Then shape it into a loaf and put it into a greased 9X4-inch pan and let it rise again for about 45-60 minutes. Brush some melted butter or beaten egg white over the top and bake at 375 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Then slice and eat!! This bread is really yummy toasted with butter and jam… mmmm!!!

My mom and I also used a couple of recipes from my new Giada De Laurentiis cookbook (thanks Kass & Scotty) for a wedding shower my mom hosted for my cousin this past weekend. We tried the Pizza Rustica and the Raspberry Tiramisu. Both were fairly easy to put together and looked great!! The pizza got rave reviews and the tiramisu was so pretty and so yummy! I would definitely make ‘em again! My next obsessive baking session will be cupcakes or some kind of chocolately gooey cookie… I’ve been jones-in’ for a cupcake and can’t find any good ones around here..! Evidently Temecula/Murrieta doesn’t have any bakeries – we’ve looked all over… and, I mean a real bakery NOT a Von’s or Ralph’s in-store bakery. It’s like we’re in the twilight zone – every town should have at least one independent bakery, don’t you think?? The search continues!

Wednesday my Mom and I made a giant batch of applesauce. We had a whole box of apples that my Uncle Pat graciously provided for the shower – a few too many for the shower, BUT, great for us!!! The applesauce turned out GREAT, and didn’t even need sugar. May be applesauce cake will be next on the baking list – never know with the way my mind changes!! It was fun learning how to can/preserve and we only had one bad jar (it broke during the boiling water bath)! Ellie had fun stealing apple cores to eat and play with – Quite our little helper!!!

Wanna Slice??

I had to share this tasty recipe with you. It’s another new one for me – I’m really into baking and trying new recipes right now! I love that the weather is changing as I’m not much of a warm weather fanatic… My lunacies run more towards the cold!! This recipe screams fall and winter for me with pumpkin and cranberries!

Harvest Quick Bread

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar (1 used 1 cup sugar & 1 cup brown sugar)
½ cup veggie oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla. Next mix in flour, pie spice, baking soda, salt and nuts; stir well. Fold in cranberries and spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8x4-inch loaf pans (I used on 8x4-inch pan and two of the smaller ‘gift’ loaf size pans). Bake at 350 degrees for one hour (the smaller loaves with be done in about 45 minutes); cool in pans for 30-45 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool for storage or slice and eat!

*** This bread was yummy with butter, but would also be nice with cream cheese. Haven’t tried yet, but the loaves would probably freeze well if properly wrapped.