Cinnamon Twist Recipe

Ok, now these, these are good. They are not to hard to make and and they are the perfect dessert. You'll know what I mean once you tried them. Recipe is from Taste of Home

Cinnamon Twists

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°), divided
• 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
•  
• FILLING:
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt, milk, butter, egg and remaining water; beat on medium speed for minutes. Stir in enough remaining 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 down dough. Roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. 

 

Brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Let dough rest for 6 minutes. Cut lengthwise into three 16-in. x 4-in. strips. Cut each strip into sixteen 4-in. x 1-in. pieces.

 Twist and place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. 

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 Serve with your favorite glaze dipping sauce and enjoy!

Breakfast Day Four: Granola

Ok, I would have never guessed how simple it is to make granola. When I decided to make granola I thought that it was going to be tough. But really it's not at all. And the cool thing is you can literally put in any nut, any seed, any sweetener and it will turn out great. And it is so much better for you then most store brands! So let's get started!

Peanut Butter Granola
6 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of any kind of seeds or nuts (I used 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 1/2 cup almonds and 1 cup peanuts)
1 cup of dried fruit (I used raisins, but you can use any dried fruit)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of peanut butter
Pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

First pour the oats in a large bowl. Chop the nuts and add the nuts and seeds to the oats. Next add cinnamon and salt. Stir together.

Next stir together your peanut butter and honey in a separate bowl.

Add them to your mixture. Stir until everything is evening coated with the peanut butter and honey mixture.

The spread out mixture on to two baking sheets.

This is the only tricky part about this. You need to bake this for 30 minutes, but here is the catch: You need to stir this every 5 minutes. If you don't your peanut butter will burn. Believe me, I learned this the hard way.

Once out of the oven, let it cool and store in a ziploc bag in your refrigerator. This will keep well for a week or two. Eat it like cereal in milk, add it to a yogurt parfait, the ideas are endless. As long as you enjoy it.

Come back tomorrow and check out how to make this granola into peanut butter granola bars, because that my friends, is the breakfast of the day tomorrow.

Breakfast Day Three: Breakfast Sandwiches

These are a favorite around my home so I hope you enjoy them as well. They are really really easy to make and easy to freeze if you want a quick breakfast!

Breakfast Sandwiches
(Per Person)
Whole Wheat English Muffins
A Slice of Ham, Bacon or Sausage
1 Egg
1 slice of cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 (176 C) degrees. Take a Muffin tin and lightly butter or oil each spot. Crack an egg in each tin for the number of people you are cooking for. (Idea: Fill it up and freeze the extra sandwiches!)  Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes. While these are cooking place your English muffins (open them up) and place them on a cookie sheet. When the eggs have been in for 10 minutes add the cookie sheet of muffins in the oven. Cook bacon, ham or sausage on the stove while you are waiting. When your done with these steps take the english muffin add one egg, one piece of meat and then your sliced cheese. Then stick them back in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and enjoy!

To freeze them put them on a cookie sheet in your freezer for one hour uncovered. The take them out and wrap them in foil individually and then place them in a freezer safe gallon Ziploc bag. Then take them out when your ready to eat them and put them in the over for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Breakfast Day Two: Blueberry Ginger Smoothies

pesIf you are looking for a quick breakfast that is on the lighter side for you or the kiddos this might be the one for you! This recipe sounds like a very strange combination to you I am sure. But believe me, it is delicious and refreshing!

Blueberry Ginger Smoothies
1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your favorite cup and enjoy! Makes enough for 2-3 people.


Recipe from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine.

Breakfast Day One: Baked Oatmeal

This stuff is amazing. It's like eating oatmeal cookies for breakfast but better. You get to make this recipe the night before as well (please don't skip this step, it will not turn out heavenly if you do) so it's a quick pop in the oven in the morning and you are done! This is perfect for a big family or for a breakfast or brunch party.


Baked Oatmeal
3/4 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup of melted butter
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 cup + 2 tablespoons of milk
3 cups of rolled oats
Pinch of salt

I'm going to say this one more time. You HAVE to plan for this. It HAS to sit overnight in the fridge. Trust me, it isn't so good if you rush this. Just think about the positive side. No work in the morning. Yay!

Grease or butter your pan. Add eggs and brown sugar. Mix well.

 

Melt the butter on low and add it to the brown sugar and egg mixture. Then add all other ingredients except the oats. Mix very, very well.

Then let the oats join in on the fun. Add the oats and mix it all really well.

 

Then cover it and put it in the fridge overnight. And then go dream about your delicious breakfast you will be eating in just a few short hours.

 

When you wake up in the morning preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or 176 celcius). Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is set and the oats are nice and brown.  

 

Then let it cool for a few minutes. While it is cooling warm up some milk on the stove. Poor the warm milk over the slice of oatmeal and add your favorite toppings. We added a tiny bit more brown sugar and some bananas.

 

Well, that's it! Enjoy your breakfast:) 

Oh, and this reheats perfectly for a week so you can eat it for several breakfasts if you are single or have a small family like ours.

Toddler Recipe: Peanut Butter Muffins

These are so easy and such a great snack for toddlers (and moms can sneak one too!) There is lots of great things in these muffins that you will smile as your little one gobbles them up! 

Peanut Butter Muffins

Preset oven to 350 degrees.

Mix in this order:
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup apple juice
1 cup milk
1/2 of melted butter (or oil)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
(optional) 1 cup of finely chopped peanuts

Pour into greased or lined muffin tins and bake 15 mins. Let cool and then let your toddler enjoy a healthy snack!!


Recipe from Super Baby Foods

Make It At Home: Powdered Sugar

So, I was making a dessert this afternoon and it turned out pretty good. But it would be amazing if I had some kid of dipping frosting to go with it.

I checked the cabinets. No powdered sugar.

In Japan, powdered sugar is a ridiculous price and I was dreading going to the store to buy it. I looked up different frosting you could make without powdered sugar and there wasn't a recipe to make what I was looking for. Then I had an idea. What is powdered sugar? It is just really fine regular sugar. So, I decided to put some sugar in a blender. And it worked! Beautiful fluffy powdered sugar. Just what I needed! So if you're ever in a situation when you need powdered sugar and you don't have it, or you just don't want to pay for it here is how you make it:

Powdered Sugar
1 cup of regular white sugar*
A Blender or Food Processor

1. Add the sugar to the blender
2. Blend until it turns into powder
3. Smile, because you just saved yourself a trip to the store

*You could do this with brown sugar as well!!

Does anyone else have shortcuts to baking/cooking products? I would love to hear about them!

Lunch Ideas When You're Out of Bread.

It was around Noon on a Tuesday. I went to make myself the usual sandwich and we were out of bread. Completely out. This is why this post was born. To give moms (including me) new ideas for lunch besides sandwiches. So this is what I came up with:

 Photo Credit

DIY Lunchables: Keep crackers, cheese and deli meat around the house so you can make yourself and your kiddos one of the most loved grocery store lunches!

Photo Credit

Salads: There is a lot you can do with this. I know a lot of kiddos wouldn't eat a salad for their life so this is a great mom thing. I actually make a big salad with all my favorite veggies all cut up and ready to go and then whenever I need a quick lunch or snack I have a healthy option instead of the can of Pringles screaming for me in the pantry.

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Tortilla or English Muffin Pizzas: These are so much better for the kids in replace of the frozen Bagel Bites in the freezer section. Just get a tortilla or english muffin, spread some pizza sauce on it, add some cheese and your favorite toppings and bake in the oven on 350 for about 15 minutes.

 Photo Credit

 Pasta Salad: This is a great lunch idea when you have a lot of veggies lying around that need to be eaten. Some pasta, lemon juice, mayo, veggies and salt and pepper should do the trick, but if you want to get fancy check out more ideas here.

What about you? What great ideas do you have for lunch when you're out of bread?

Broccoli and Cheese Bites

So, I don't know about other moms out there but I can't get my son to eat anything green. No green vegetables will go into his mouth. And if he ever comes across one in his mouth it is the end of the world for him. I made these tonight to try and see if I could get him to eat broccoli. He didn't. But my husband and I sure did. And we loved every bite. As far as my son, we'll try again tomorrow, this battle is not over yet.

Broccoli and Cheese Bites

Ingredients:
1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli (cooked and chopped)
3 eggs
1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbs of olive oil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
*Preheat over to 375F (210C)
*Use olive oil to lightly coat a baking sheet
*Mix all ingredients together
*Place mixture in tablespoon sized balls on the baking sheet
*Bake for 25 minutes (turn bites over 15 minutes into baking)
*Enjoy with your whole family!

Do It Yourself- Homemade Pizza Dough

Making homemade pizza dough is actually pretty easy. I was surprised how easy it was when I tried it for the first time. It's also pretty cheap as well. Pizza is a big favorite at our house and so I had to give it a try. I think you should try it to.

You. Can. Do. This.

Homemade Pizza Dough
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup very warm water
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water until very foamy. Then mix in remaining ingredients in order listed. Transfer dough to an oiled glass or ceramic bowl, cover with a tea towel, and place in a warm, draft free area of your house for 20-30 minutes. Then give it a nice punch down, let it rest for just a few minutes, and spread on pizza pan or baking sheet. Continue as usual with your pizza making!

And it's as easy as that.

Here are some fun pizza topping ideas for those of you who just don't want the normal peperoni and cheese:

*Pesto, Cheese, Tomato and Chicken
*Strips of grilled flank steak, grilled onions and bell peppers and provolone cheese.
*Shredded, barbecued chicken, corn kernels, poblano chili's and Monterey or pepper Jack cheese.
*Ham, Bacon, Pineapple
*Ground Beef, Shredded Lettuce, Taco Sauce, Shredded Cheese, Tomatoes and Sour Cream
*Breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs and bacon

Or why not make a dessert pizza? Just spread the dough with butter and brown sugar and cinnamon.

What is your favorite pizza toppings?

Fried Rice? Yes, Please.

I LOVE fried rice.

I craved fried rice throughout my pregnancy and it has never left me since. But instead of spending TONS of money at Chinese restaurants I came up with this recipe. It has saved me money. And probably tons of MSG intake. Enjoy.

Fried Rice
Serves 4

1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1 Onion
1 Large Carrot
2 Eggs
1 lb Ground Chicken
Soy Sauce
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Pre-Cooked White Rice (Cooked the day before)

Cut all the veggies up and saute them in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Scramble the eggs in a pan. Set aside. Season ground chicken with garlic salt and pepper and saute in olive oil until cooked. Set aside. Add olive oil to a pan and add cold rice and saute about 10 minutes. Add the eggs, veggies and chicken to rice and add soy sauce to your liking. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Eat and enjoy!

Monkey Bread

Ok, so this is really good. I made it last night for the first time because I wanted something like cinnamon rolls for dessert. And this was one massive gooey, sweet cinnamon roll! Yum! I mean who wouldn't want little dough balls dipped in butter and then rolled into cinnamon sugar? Have I sold you on the idea yet? All in all this is definitely a keeper recipe in the baking department. I'm sure it will be a family favorite! Let's get started!

Monkey Bread
Recipe Source Here.

Dough:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted
1 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees F)
1/3 cup water, warm (about 110 degrees F)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 package instant yeast
3¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons salt

Brown Sugar Coating:
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk

1. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside. (As you will see I did not have a bundt pan and was not going out to buy one so I used a round glass backing dish and used a glass cup for the center while the dough was rising)

2. In a small bowl, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Then slowly add milk mixture while stirring. Mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm area of the house until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

3. For the sugar coating: While the dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Put melted butter in a bowl. Set aside.

4. To form the bread: Gently remove the dough from the bowl, and pat into a rough 8-inch square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.

5. Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip the balls into the melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into the bowl. Roll in the brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in the Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.

6. Cover the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in draft-free area until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the pan and bake until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

8. For the glaze: While the bread cools, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk in a small bowl until the lumps are gone. Using a whisk, drizzle the glaze over the monkey bread, letting it run over top and down the sides of the bread. Serve warm.

As you can see I got a little distracted while the pastry was baking. My son and I got into a reading marathon and it over baked. But it was still delicious. Well, now's the time to stop reading this blog and start baking:) Enjoy!

(Crockpot)Italian Chicken Meatloaf.

I really love a good meatloaf. There's nothing that tastes more like childhood than a good piece of meatloaf smothered in ketchup. We eat plenty of meatloaf at my house. I wanted to share with you a little twist on meatloaf that I put together on a day I wanted meatloaf, but not normal meatloaf. Something different. And this my friends, is very different but at the same time gives you that texture you love. Let's change it from ground beef to ground chicken and make it Italian style. And there you go! Italian Meatloaf. AND this is a crock pot dish so it's super easy as well! This has become a family favorite at my house very quickly. Even my one year old son will eat it and my husband says it's one of his favorite meals. So, here ya go!

Italian Style Chicken Meatloaf
1 lb of ground chicken
1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. fresh basil
1 tsp. fresh oregano
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1-1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
Garlic Salt and pepper to taste

Line crockpot with foil. Use a tsp of oil to grease the bottom of the crockpot.

In a large bowl, place the ground chicken, chopped tomatos, basil, oregano, thyme, panko bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and eggs. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Blend carefully with your hands, turning mixture. Form meatloaf and place in the crockpot. (Optional)Drizzle Tomato Sauce over the loaf. Cook in crockpot for 8 hours, or until internal temperature is 160°. That's it! Now serve it up with your favorite veggies and you've got a delicious, easy to make dinner!