Cinnamon Swirl Bread

As I have mentioned a time or two on this blog, I LOVE bread.   In the past, I have made all kinds of recipes from delicious orange rolls, to satisfying bread sticks and bread bowls for hearty soups.  But, my all time favorite way to eat homemade bread is in the form of toast.

Now, I am not a toast snob.  I really love any kind of bread as toast.  Whenever I make a loaf of Oatmeal bread, or no knead bread I save a slice for a snack or breakfast.  Then I toast it up and cover it with butter...oh, it is so good!  A few days ago, as I was sprinkling said toast with some cinnamon and sugar, and I realized that I had never made cinnamon swirl bread.  That was about to change!

I went on a quest to find a recipe.  Luckily,  I had one already pinned on my Breads page on Pinterest.   It comes originally from Babble.com.  The author, Jaime, originally posted the white bread recipe on her blog, Sohpistamom, and the Cinnamon Swirl Bread on Babble.com.

 As bread recipes go, this one is basic and produces the most wonderful bread. But, it can also be combined with cinnamon and sugar to make a loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Bread. That is what I did and I am so happy that I did.  There was just enough cinnamon, sugar, butter mixture swirled between layers of the bread dough.

 There are two ways to create the cinnamon swirliness (new word!).  The first is to mix an egg white with sugar and cinnamon, spread it on the dough, roll up and bake.  The second method is to spread butter on the dough, cover it with the cinnamon and sugar, roll up and bake.  I tried both versions, and discovered the egg white method just didn't turn out for me.  I ended up with a soggy, collapsing loaf of bread.  So I tried the second method and loved the results.

Which ever method you like, I urge you to try it soon. You will love it and so will your family, ENJOY!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Recipe Source: Jaime at Babble.com

1 tablespoon instant or rapid rise yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour (divided)
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
extra oil for the bowl during rising

*Cinnamon Filling:
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons of cinnamon (this depends on how cinnamony you want your bread)

*Alternative Filling Option:
1 egg white
1 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons of cinnamon

*I tried both fillings and prefer the one with butter.  This is something you will have to try out on your own.


In a small bowl combine the water, oil, and honey.  Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the yeast, 3 cups of the flour, and salt.  Mix for a few seconds to make sure everything is well combined.  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.  If needed, add some of the reserved 1/2 cup of flour.

When the dough cleans off the side of the mixer bowl, you are ready to knead.  I let my mixer do this for me, but you can do it by hand as well.  Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.  Remove from mixer, roll into a large ball and then place in a greased bowl.

Cover the dough, and allow it to rise until almost double in size in a warm place in your kitchen, about 30-40 minutes.  I use my oven with the light on for the first rise.

When the dough has risen, gently deflate it.  Roll it out into a rectangle that is roughly 5 inches by 14 inches.  Spread the dough with softened butter and cinnamon sugar.

Roll up tightly from the narrow end.

Place the dough into a grease bread pan.

Again, cover and let it rise in a warm place. While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Once the dough has risen, place it in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool, if you can!

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

Today's recipe isn't technically a recipe, but it has become one of my favorite food treats.  I love that it gives me protein, but also tastes like dessert at the same time.  It is cheap, it is easy to make, is portable, and it can be changed to suit your tastes.

I discovered this recipe on Pinterest, and have not changed it very much.  This version is my favorite, but I have made other additions such as white chocolate chips, strawberries  blueberries, and different flavors of yogurt.  You can really do anything you want with it.  ENJOY!

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

Recipe Source: The Suburban Girl Gone Country

1 small container Greek yogurt (I prefer vanilla flavor, but you can do use any flavor/brand you like)

1 healthy teaspoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

a splash of vanilla (I really like vanilla)

a dash of salt (because I like the sweet and salty combination)

Combine and enjoy!  

I take this in my lunch and mix it all together right before I eat it.

Other flavor combinations include:

Vanilla Yogurt, white chocolate chips and strawberries or blueberries

Strawberry Yogurt, chocolate chips, vanilla, granola

Lemon Lime Yogurt, white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts

Lasagna Soup

Fall is here and I'm ready for soup.  Warm, steamy, comforting, soup that warms you from the inside out.  I can't think of a better meal on a crisp fall day than a bowl of delicious soup and warm bread.  When I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew it was a recipe I would make right away...as in that VERY day.  The clencher was a little something called "Cheesy Yum," a mixture of ricotta and parmesan cheese that rests in the bottom of the bowl as you ladle up the soup. It creates a cheesy, gooey delight to enjoy with each bite.  I highly doubt that anything topped with a concoction of "cheesy yum," could be bad.

As it cooks this soup fills your home with the lovely smells of Italian food.  It will make your children run to wash their hands in anticipation.  If you are lucky, you will have a dinner table filled with the sounds of clinking spoons and comments like, "wow," "this is amazing," and my all time favorite "you are the BEST mom ever!"  Serve with some warm French bread, bread sticks, a bread bowl or any carb of your choice.  ENJOY!

Lasagna Soup
Recipe Source: Adapted very slightly from A Farm Girl's Dabbles via Pinterest

2 tsp. olive oil

1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage or burger
2 large onions chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cheesy yum:
15 oz. ricotta
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
large pinch of freshly ground pepper
(The original recipe called for 8 oz of ricotta and 1/2 c. of parmesan cheese but because my family LOVES cheesy lasagna I double the amounts)

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage or buger, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in a soup bowl, ladle the hot soup over the cheese and top it all off with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

A good burger starts with a GREAT BUN!

I am a bit hesitant to say what I am about to say out loud for fear that it might jinx everything but, here goes anyway....I think the warm weather is almost (not finally) here! Yep, after the longest Spring with more rain and wind than I care to talk about, I feel safe saying Summer is close...very, very, close to arriving. 

Of course with warm weather comes the season of grilling.  The traditional menu around these parts are hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings and side dishes galore.  But, a good burger deserves a great bun.  The bun is what holds all those lovely flavors of meat, cheese, condiments and veggies together.  It is vital, I tell you, to the burger experience.

Now, I know you can buy a bun at any grocery store and many gas stations but I wanted something more than the standard sesame bun.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and with almost five stars how could I not try it? I am so glad I did!  The buns were light and full of flavor, I would go so far as to say they are the best buns I have had in a long time! Enjoy!

Burger/Hot Dog Buns
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from All Recipes.com

**Cook's Note-When I first made these I was afraid of making them too thin.  Wrong thing to worry about!  They get nice and fluffy so if you make them too thick you will end up with bread bowls and not buns.  Still tasty but, a bit bulky for burgers!**

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg

Directions
In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Let rest for about 45 minutes to an hour (longer if you have used regular yeast instead of instant).  Punch down.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 15 to 30 minutes. Remember you don't want tall dinner rolls so this is just a rest!

Just before the rolls going into the oven you can brush them with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

**For Hot Dog Buns: Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake as above. These buns are pretty big. I usually make 16 instead of 12.

Mexican Lasanga

We like pasta in my house.  We also like Mexican food.  So when pasta and the flavors of Mexican food can be combined we are happy campers!  I thought I had hit the jackpot with Taco Pasta, but this gem of a recipe might, be a smidge better. It comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and like everything I have tried from Mel this lasagna is everything she promises it to be.  (Please go look at her beautiful photos of this dish!  They do it much more justice than mine!)

This recipe has everything a good lasagna needs; layers of noodles nestled between a delicious rich sauce and topped with cheese galore oh, and I can't forget to mention that throughout are rich creamy pockets of cream cheese and sour cream.  There is a hint of spice but nothing over powering and the black beans and sweet corn are wonderful additions.  And, the best part, it is fast, thrifty, and EASY to prepare.  I made two small lasagnas instead of one large one and now we have dinner for another night waiting in the freezer.  Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna
Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

**Because I changed nothing about this recipe I'm including a note from Melanie's recipe: this lasagna isn’t super heavy on the sauce, just enough to plump up the pasta noodles perfectly and help everything hold their shape (not dry…just not overly saucy). I split all the ingredients (sauce, cheese, noodles) into three layers but feel free to simplify and just halve everything and do two layers only. Less noodles, more sauce. It’s up to you. Also, the ingredient list looks long, but it comes together quickly, especially with the no-boil lasagna noodles.


*Serves 6-8


1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cup frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
1 (6 ounce) can olives, chopped
9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand), or boil and drain regular lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine well and cook for about a minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the black beans, corn and olives. Mix well and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer three (or four, depending on the brand of noodles you use) noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles. Dollop 1/3 of the sour cream and 1/3 of the cream cheese (just pinch off chunks and toss them on top) across the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat the layers two more times until all the ingredients are used.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.

The Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

Last week a co-worker's husband called work and when I answered the phone he started raving about the muffins his wife had made the night before.  He told me they were the best muffins she had ever made, which is saying a lot because she is a fabulous cook.  Later in the day I asked her for the recipe and she quickly printed it for me.

Let's me just say, that these are definitely the best muffins I have ever made.  They have a light, cake like texture that isn't too sweet.  The best part about them is the wonderful blueberry swirl that combines with the whole berries.  And let's not forget the lemon sugar topping or the streusel topping, I made both because I couldn't decide which would be better--both are equally wonderful on top of these muffins.  Inadvertently, bought the wrong size container of blueberries at my store, so I didn't have as many as the recipe calls for, but it didn't matter they were still FABULOUS!  I plan on making more of them very soon with the variety of fresh and frozen fruits I have on had.  Enjoy!

**I'm linking this recipe!  Go check out some of the great recipes other bloggers are putting out there!**

  

 

Blueberry Muffins

Recipe Source: Modified slightly from my friend Anisha who got it originally from Cook's Illustrated


Click Here for a printable recipe

**Cook's note-These muffins can be flavored with any variety of fruits and toppings.  Using the muffin recipe as a base for any flavor you like!**

Edited 12/24/11--Add your butter gradually if you decide to do the streusel topping.  More or less may be needed depending on the humidity in your area to create a nice crumbly topping.  If you find it is too soft add more flour to achieve the consistency you need.

Sugar Topping

1/3 cup (21/3 ounces) sugar
1½ teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Streusel Topping
3 T white sugar
3 T brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
5 T melted butter

Muffins
2 cups (or less if you are me!) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups  plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups  unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

If topping with lemon sugar, stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

  If topping the muffins with streusel, combine ingredients until it is the size of peas and set aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. If your oven cooks on the hot side normally, reduce the heat.  Some people have commented that 425 was too hot.  I would recommend getting a thermometer for your oven if you aren't sure.  

Prepare standard muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or liners. Bring 1 cup blueberries, water,  and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing the berries with your potato masher or fork several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced by about half.  This will take about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and well combined. Slowly mix in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar or streusel evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Play Dough

I don't know about where you live, but in my area of the country Spring hasn't decided to fully arrive. Sure we get teased with beautiful sunshiny days hours, but it doesn't take long for gloomy rain clouds and cold wind to come back. So what should a mom do when the end of Spring Break has to be enjoyed inside? Well, make play dough of course!

I have always made regular old salt dough for my kiddos to play with, but I wanted something that was less sticky to work with and feels more like the stuff that comes out of the little tubs you buy at the store. The recipe I made is smooth, not sticky and the color is vibrant thanks to my gel food colors that we used. It was a lifesaver at my house yesterday. I was in awe that such simple ingredients could bring all three of the kids together for quiet play time and even better....they got along! Had I known the magic powers of home made play dough I would have made it a long long LONG time ago! There are recipes all over the internet that are similar to mine, but I took this recipe from my work cookbook that was hiding in my cupboard. I hope you and your family ENJOY!

Play Dough
Recipe Source: Tree of Hope Cookbook

**This recipe is easily doubled or tripled!
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 T oil
food color (If you want bright color I recommend food gel color)

Combine the dry ingredients in a pan. Combine water, oil, and food color. Stir colored water into dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Place on stove and stir constantly over medium heat. When the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and come together, removed from pot and let cool a few minutes. It should be sort of rubbery in texture. Once cool enough to handle, knead until the consistency of play dough. If it is still sticky, knead some flour into it. When not in use, wrap well in plastic and store in the refrigerator.
**Cook's note-Though made with all natural ingredients this isn't a dough that should be eaten. There is a very high salt content. Keep an eye on kids and pets when in use.**

Pretzel Rolls

If you are looking at these rolls thinking they are just another roll, look again my dear readers. These rolls are the new love of my family.  They posess a soft and flavorful exterior that is dotted with crunchy bites of salt, combined with a light yet chewy center which creates the most most perfet roll. A roll that tastes like a pretzel, and so delicious that it is easy to eat a bunch few without even realizing it.  I was amazed that the simple step of poaching the rolls in water and baking soda would yield a flavor that is exactly the same as a soft pretzel.  My next plan is to make them in pretzel form, covered in cinnamon and sugar.  Until then, pairing these up with a warm winter soup is ideal.  Enjoy!

Pretzel Rolls
Recipe Source: Sweet Peas Kitchen

**Cook's note-Add the baking soda slowly to prevent your water from boiling over.  Make sure to drain your rolls very well before returning to the baking sheet.**

1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)

1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup baking soda
large saucepan of water
1 egg, lightly beaten
pretzel salt (sea salt works too)

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the water and the yeast and let rest 5 minutes until foamy.  Add the sugar, flour, salt, and butter; mix with the dough hook until thoroughly combined. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

Cut the dough into 18 pieces (2 ounces each) or less if you want a larger roll, and shape into balls. Place on baking sheet seam side down at least 1” between each roll. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled.

Preheat oven to 425°F and place oven racks on the lowest and middle positions.

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a low boil. Add the baking soda and lower heat to a simmer. Put the rolls into the poaching liquid, seam side down. Poach for 30 seconds then carefully turn the roll over in the liquid. Poach other side for 30 seconds then remove with a slotted spoon to the same prepared sheet pans, seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining rolls.

With a pastry brush, glaze each roll with the lightly beaten egg making sure to coat all sides completely. Top each roll with a sprinkle of pretzel salt. With a sharp straight edged knife or kitchen shears, cut a slash or “X” in the top of each roll.

Bake the rolls in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I truly don't know of a better meal on a cold day other than soup and bread.  Warm, filling, easy to prepare and budget friendly, soups and stews are a mainstay in my kitchen.  We eat them at least once a week, sometimes twice a week in cold weather.  I love pairing them with bread bowls, a simple dinner roll, or a slice of oatmeal bread. 

This broccoli cheese soup came from Mel at My Kitchen Cafe, and like always happens with her recipes, I was thrilled with the outcome.  The true beauty of this soup is it can be made to your specific tastes.  I used all cheddar cheese because it was what I had on hand, added more onion because I like a lot of onion, and loaded it down with a ton of broccoli because my kids LOVE broccoli, (I know it sounds strange but they truly love green veggies).

For other great savings ideas go check out the Real Food Deals over at Premeditated Leftovers!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Recipe Source: Modified from My Kitchen Cafe

3 c chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
Pepper to taste
4 c. milk
4 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better for flavor)
steamed chopped broccoli (the amount of broccoli really boils down to preference)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses one handful at a time allowing the cheese to melt in between additions.  Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Taco Pasta

This recipe is fast, simple and E. A. S. Y.!  My kids loved it and said, "this tastes like tacos!"  I, too, was surprised at the flavor.  The sauce is creamy, with a hint of spice (depending on what kind of salsa you use), and the pasta gets coated with all the yummy deliciousness creating a simple main dish. 

I doubled everything in this recipe except for the ground beef, to make sure we had enough for dinner and lunches for me and the hubby.

Taco Pasta
Recipe Source: Plain Chicken

printable version

1 pound ground beef
8 ounce small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup salsa
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (or one packet)
3 ounce cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded Cheese for topping

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground meat and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Once the meat is cooked through, drain off the excess fat and mix in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the salsa and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese and more sour cream and salsa if desired

Total Cost-$4.12 (Dinner and 4 lunches came from this!)
Ground Beef-Free (purchased with catalinas when beef was on sale for $1.99 per pound)
Pasta $1.00
Onion-$.25
Garlic-$.02
Salsa-Free (Garden Salsa)
Taco Seasoning-$.10
cream cheese $1.25 (marked down)
sour cream $1.00
Salt and pepper
Shredded Cheese for topping $.50 (Tilamook on sale)

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

In this house peanut butter rules, add chocolate and everyone is in dessert heaven.  We will pass on anything sugar related if it means we will get some form of peanut chocolate decadence.  These Peanut Butter Bars were no exception.  Every single person stopped to comment on what I was preparing as I prepared it, and my husband literally did a little dance in the kitchen as he took his first bite.  Oh, and did I mention they were NO BAKE?  So we have, peanut butter, chocolate and no need for the oven, this cook is one happy lady!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Squares
Recipe source: Modified every so slightly from What Megan's Making

printable recipe

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 36 squares)
1 cup chopped peanuts (optional, Megan's version called for them but we don't like them in our house)
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
2 T  peanut butter

**you can use chunky peanut butter if you want, but we are strictly creamy people here so I didn't try it
**If you want a thicker chocolate topping, use the whole package of chocolate chips and up the peanut butter to 1/4 cup

Line square pan, 9x9x2 inches, with aluminum foil, leaving 1 inch of foil overhanging on opposite sides.

Crush graham crackers.  I used my food processor, but a sealed plastic baggie works well too!

Mix powdered sugar, margarine, 1 cup of peanut butter and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in cracker crumbs and peanuts (mixture will be a little stiff). Press in pan

Heat chocolate chip and 1/4 cup peanut butter over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Spread over crumb mixture. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

Remove from pan, using foil to lift. Fold back foil; cut peanut butter mixture into squares. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until firm. Cover and refrigerate any remaining squares.

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon Garlic Sauce

OK, first things first.  Ignore the amount of butter in this recipe and don't judge me too harshly when I tell you I actually doubled the butter when I made it. After you have agreed to ignore those key points proceed to making this recipe, devouring eating it, and hiding the leftovers in the refrigerator so your family doesn't get to them before you do!

Another recipe from Mel at My Kitchen Cafe that I don't have to say much about.  It is light and delicious.  The sauce is great with pasta or rice and pairs wonderfully with any vegetable you want.  I served our chicken over pasta noodles cooked in chicken broth and enjoyed every last bite.  My family can't wait to have it again!

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon-Butter Sauce

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe who got it from one of her readers

*Mel's Note: if you prefer more sauce, since this makes a lighter, smaller amount of sauce, consider doubling the sauce ingredients.

**Cook's Note-I used chicken tenders instead and reduced the cooking times

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup seasoned flour (Flour, salt and pepper)

5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons butter

Combine flour, salt and pepper.  In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Let it begin to heat and sizzle while you prepare the chicken but be careful not to let the butter burn and turn brown.

Put the chicken pieces in  the seasoned flour, and coat both sides of the chicken in the flour. One by one, dip the chicken into the egg/Parmesan mixture. Place the chicken carefully in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Repeat with the other chicken pieces. Let the chicken cook on the first side, without moving or flipping the chicken, for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Turn the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown. The chicken will flip easiest if it has had time to sizzle and cook to form a nice crust.

Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining four tablespoons butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over noodles or rice.

Total Cost $8.32 (with plenty of leftovers for hubby's lunch and mine too!)
Chicken Tenders $3.50
Flour $.08
Garlic $.20
Parsley $.09
Lemon $.50
Eggs $.57
Parmesan Cheese $1.00
Butter $1.50
Noodles $.88

Stuffed Divine Bread Sticks

The divine bread sticks I posted originally really are divine.  Light, chewy pieces of bread coated lightly with butter and topped with herbs and cheese, or anything else that your heart desires.  The recipe is fast, and dare I say...fail proof?  The dough is so easy to work with that I decided to play with it a few weeks ago in an attempt to recreate some stuffed bread sticks we order from a local pizza restaurant.  Once again, the dough was divine and the few extra steps I took to make a cheesy centers made the final sticks even better than the originals.  So follow along with me below to find out how easy it is to make something divine even better!

Stuffed Divine Bread sticks
Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest (Bread stick recipe Mel)

1  batch of Divine Bread stick Dough
1/2 stick  butter
Ranch Dressing Mix (I use my homemade variety) or your favorite herbs/seasonings
Cheeses of your choice

After allowing the dough to rest, roll out into a rectangle approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Drizzle dough with melted butter and spread with a pastry brush evenly.

Top 1/2 of the dough with a sprinkling of ranch mix, and your choice of cheeses.

Fold the plain buttered half over the seasoned half and gently press down to eliminate large air pockets between the layers. 

I have found that  pizza cutter works best to slice the dough into bread sticks. 

This part is a matter of preference. You can make them long and skinny. short and fat, or somewhere int he middle.  Just try to make then approximately the same size so that the baking time will be even for all of them.

Twist each piece of dough. Place on a cookie sheet and brush with more melted butter. This is a great job if you have little helpers like I often do!

 Top with more cheese if desired and allow the bread stick to raise for 30-40 minutes.  Bake in a 375 F oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

**This recipe makes double what I typically need for my family.  Instead of raising the second time, I place the cookie sheet in the freezer and allow the sticks to freeze solid.  Then place in a plastic bag.  When you are ready for breadsticks later, remove the breadsticks from the bag, place on a cookie sheet and allow to unthaw and raise (approximately 1hour.)  Top with butter and bake as normal.

Total Cost $1.54 much less than an order from our local pizza place!
Bread stick Dough $.35
Butter $.25
Ranch Mix $.19 (I used about 2 T)
Cheese $.75

Cinnabon Clone Cinnamon Rolls

In honor of my friend Nikki, who had a terrible craving for cinnamon rolls while she was pregnant, I am posting this cinnamon roll recipe.  It is supposed to be a clone of the famous Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls and while I can't say they taste the same to me, I can say that these are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made, ever, without a doubt, seriously delicious!  I dare you to eat only one because I don't think it is possible. 

The cream cheese frosting is rich and buttery, there is a perfect cinnamon to sugar ratio going on and the dough itself, well it is wonderfully delicate and light while being full of rich flavor.  I would highly suggest making a double batch to ensure everyone can have seconds!

Cinnabon Clones

Recipe Source: All Recipes.com

Dough

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted and cooled
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place the dough ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. Or you can mix everything in your mixer or by hand.  After ingredients come together, knead for 3-5 minutes and allow to rise, covered in a warm place.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls (or more if you want smaller rolls.  I cut mine into 16). Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

 Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes (Mine took 18 minutes, I like them a little more well done). While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Total Cost-Does it really matter?  I know the whole pan cost less than buying store made cinnamon rolls and that makes me feel good.

Homestyle Ranch Dressing Mix

Since I was a young girl I have always loved salad.  I grew up on the standard iceberg dinner salad and never experienced a different type of green until I was an adult.  Nowadays my husband and I much prefer a mix of baby greens with any variety of toppings which include fruit, nuts, cheeses and grilled meat. But, there is still an occasion that I go back to my roots and want just a simple green salad made of iceberg lettuce and carrots.  To top the salad off I want ranch dressing, the good kind from a "valley" that makes every vegetable in its presence bow down for the ceremonious dipping before consumption.  It is creamy and delicious and exactly what I would describe as food from my childhood, only now I know how expensive it is and how not so good it really is for you.

Quite by accident I stumbled onto this recipe and was intrigued by how simple it was.  There was nothing in it that I couldn't pronounce and even better nothing that I wouldn't normally have in my kitchen.  I quickly mixed up a batch and then proceeded to mix up the dressing.  It is full of flavor from the onion and garlic, with a nice tang from the buttermilk and a fresh herbyness (sorry that's my word) from the parsley.  I plan on using it in many forms, all of which I will share with you, but for now it is salad dressing on my crisp cool iceberg lettuce.  Enjoy!

Ranch Dressing Mix
Recipe Source: Modified slightly from Heavenly Homemakers

**Cook's note-this recipe is easily modified!  I love to add salsa to it for taco salads and roasted garlic for a delicious dip**

**edited 12/29/11--I have found that the flavor of the dressing is best with 1/2 cup of mayo and 1/2 of sour cream and 1 cup of buttermilk.  I have changed the directions below to include this information**

4 Tablespoons dried minced onions
8 teaspoon parsley flakes
3 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika

Mix together and store in an air tight container. I used a baggie, but next time will use a large mason jar.  You can also place all the ingredients into a food processor to make a finer powder if you wish.  Mine isn't completely smooth because of the onion but we don't mind it like that.

For dressing: Mix 2 Tablespoons dry mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1 cup of buttermilk (the second is my favorite).

For dip: Mix 2 Tablespoons dry mix with 2 cups sour cream
Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend nicely.

Total Cost: $.89 (approximately $.19 per batch using 2 tablespoons of mix)
onions $.65
parsley $.21
salt $.01
garlic powder $.02

**Dressing Total Cost: $1.52 
2 T Ranch Mix $.19
Mayo $.45
Buttermilk $.88

**I know that some of you  (my couponing/thrifty friends) will ask why I bother when I can just get the dressings when they are free.  Well my family just really doesn't care for the brands that normally go on sale.We are opting instead for this version knowing that we will use it not look at it on a shelf in the pantry.