Here's to a wednesday filled with love, family and baking. :)

What a busy busy weekend we have had!!  Friday night we went out for ice cream and spent the next couple hours looking for cars.  Saturday we hosted the Razorbacks football party for our sunday school class and spent the rest of the day cleaning the garage, house and being pooped!!  Sunday was filled with church, Bible study and tornado sirens and warnings.  Monday was my sheets/towels washing day, cleaning the house from the weekend and purchasing our new Suburban!!  Tuesday H and I went out to Panera for lunch with 2 friends and that day Chad worked 21 hours at the plant.  Oh My Goodness.  How he survived that I will never know!! 
Today I woke up with lots to do but no motivation to do it and a headache to match it!  Thank goodness a long phone call to my sister gave me motivation and I baked these cupcakes for my blog and then met V at Taco Bell with other 5th and 6th graders for lunch!  That was such a blessing so see her in the middle of the day and spend some time with her.  :)  

This recipe is from the Whole Foods website.  While visiting my family this past summer in MN, I was blessed to be able to spend a week and a half at my parents house and my mom and I sure went through the recipes!!  We both love to collect recipes and this is one she found.  I made these I think 4 times in a couple days while staying there- I made some gluten free and also made some for my brother to take up to the cabin with friends!!  You are supposed to put frosting on these but this time I didn't because frosting and I have a love/hate relationship right now.  I love frosting but hate the way I wear it on my hips!!  :)

Carrot Zucchini Cupcakes
(This makes 12 cupcakes)  310 calories, 17 g. fat and 1 g. fiber.  I am assuming most of the fat comes from the frosting and I don't know what the calorie content is without it.  (Sorry Amanda, my WW partner)



First mix together your dry ingredients (I added some nutmeg and allspice to it) for some more spice flavor

Mix together your wet ingredients

Shred your carrots and zucchini. As a tip- I like to shred these before I start mixing my dry and wet ingred.  It's nice to have it all done and ready to go right when you need it.

Now mix them all together ( wet and dry first) and then add your shredded carrots and zucchini.  Put the batter in a greased muffin pan and I like to sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top of my muffins for a little added sweetness and crunch.  Especially nice if you are not frosting them.

Mmm, don't these look good!  The applesauce and zucchini make these such a moist cupcake.

I thought about frosting them so they were prettier for pictures but a couple of weeks ago I finished a rather large bag of leftover frosting and have gained about 3 lbs.  I am NOT doing that again!!!  I ate it on pretty much everything (incl. squirting it in my mouth) and every day, sometimes multiple times a day, I told myself I was going to throw it away.  Think I did it???  NOPE!  It was too delicious.  Bad bad Sheri!  So, these are only getting sprinkled sugar on top!  That is not so tempting.  :)

I just had to add this.  Isn't this just so precious!!!

Carrot Zucchini Cupcakes

1/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. applesauce

2 large eggs

1-1/2 c. flour

3/4 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

2 med. carrots, grated

1/2 med. zucchini, grated

Frosting:

1/2 c. cream cheese, softened

1-2/3 c. powdered sugar

2 t. freshly squeezed lime juice

Preheat oven to 400.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil with the sugar and applesauce.  Add eggs.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  ( I added nutmeg and allspice)   Add the liquid ingredients and fold in carrots and zucchini.  Spoon into muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick.  Cool on a wire rack. For frosting, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar.  Add lime juice.  Frost them.  Enjoy!

I tried to move this recipe to the left so it looks nicer and is easier to read but after 20 minutes, I'm giving up!  It is just NOT WORKING.  Frustrating!!!!  Sorry  :(





Chocolate chip cookies in honor of my dear husband home from his work trip!

Today as H was napping, I looked through a couple of cookbooks wondering what I should make.  I thought muffins, scones, carrot cake, coffee cake but nothing "hit me" as the right thing!  Then I thought of how happy I was that Chad was home and one of his favorite things I make is my chocolate chip cookies.  I have been making this recipes for years and it has been a favorite among family, friends, neighbors and Chad's coworkers!!  I have also made them for his work trips and he has brought a tupperware full of them all the down to Alabama from MN! I love blessing others with my baking, no matter where they are.  :)

First, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy and then add vanilla and an egg.

Next, combine the dry ingredients and beat in with the butter/sugar mixture.

Now add your chips.  I added chocolate chips and mint chips- I chose the mint because I know how much V loves mint.  But after I added them and smelled them, I remembered how much I  LOVE mint too!  Usually I don't have a problem not eating these but with the mint???  Not going to be so easy! 

Spoon onto ungreased baking sheets and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  When I lived in MN, I cooked them for 10 minutes exactly and they were perfectly browned.  When I moved to AR, in my new oven I have to cook them 13-14 minutes!  So just watch them after 10 and learn how long they take in yours.  Then take them out and let them sit for 1 minute. 

Now sit down, take a couple of cookies and pour yourself a big glass of milk.  Then grab a magazine, put your feet up and eat one.  It's a good thing you grabbed a couple before you sat down because you are going to want another and now you don't have to get up!!  :) 

Here are some pictures of someone who thinks these cookies are just the best!!  I bet you will have a smile just as big on your face after you taste one too.  :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

1 egg

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg; mix well. 

Mix together dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Gradually add to the butter mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips.  Spoon onto ungreased baking sheets and bake at 375 for 10 minutes (or until lightly browned).  Take them out and let sit for 1 minute before putting on cooling racks.  Enjoy!



Just a random wednesday

Today I decided to do my Bible study instead of baking something during Hannah's nap.  I am in the middle of Beth Moore's study "Paul" and it is sooo good!!!!  This past week I have been baking during her nap and that is usually when I did my study.  So, I decided to do every other day and I'll see how that goes.  I love my Bible study and I love baking.  How do I fit it in with my already very busy days??
Tonight Chad comes home after being gone since last Tuesday!  We are so very excited but it has been a good week.  Usually when he's gone, it's a little easier to slack on the cooking, cleaning and pretty much everything else!  It's so easy to just sit around and miss him!!  But this week, I planned ahead some fun things to do with the girls and it was a really fun week, aside from missing him. 
The first thing was a picnic dinner at a park where the girls could eat and then play.  That was really fun until right before we were to leave, V fell backwards off the teeter totter and really scraped up her back and that fun time was ended by a lot of crying!  I felt so bad but by the time we got home and put some ice on her back, she was pretty happy but sore!
The next thing I planned was a movie night.  She had school off friday and so thursday night we rented the movie 'Marmaduke', put H to bed and her and I stayed up to watch it.  And friday was our big donut making day!!  That deserved a whole post by itself.  :)
We made caramel apples the next day but the caramel got too hard, we put them on foil instead of wax paper and that whole thing pretty much turned out to be a big mess!  Oh well, it was a fun memory of trying to eat them with hard caramel and picking foil out of our teeth!  Painful but fun.  :)
On wednesday nights I usually make pancakes or crepes for dinner- Chad usually isn't home for dinner and I have to rush V off to church so that's a pretty quick easy thing to make.  She LOVES pancakes and crepes for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!  I try and add healthy things to them like blueberries, flaxseed (which she DOESN'T LIKE) or wheat germ.  She loves when I add mini chocolate chips because when she puts peanut butter on top with syrup, she thinks they taste like Reeses Peanut Butter cups. :)  For a side,  I like to sautee apples in cinnamon, a little bit of sugar and thicken them up with cornstarch and water- they are sooo good!
I thought I would share my recipes but I'm sure you have favorites of your own.

Buttermilk Pancakes
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
2 T. oil
1 c. flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Blend egg, milk and oil.  (Sometimes I substitute applesauce for the oil and they are really moist!) 
Blend dry ingredients together.
Add to liquids; beat together until well blended.  (batter will be slightly lumpy)
Pour on hot griddle and cook til bubbly, then flip.  Makes about 8 pancakes (1/4 cup of batter)  Enjoy!

Crepes
4 eggs
1 1/3 c. milk
2 T. oil or butter melted
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly.  Add all remaining ingredients and beat til smooth.
Heat 7-8" skillet over med-high heat until hot.  Grease pan lightly.
Pour scant 1/4 c. batter in hot pan and immediately tilt pan until batter covers bottom.  Cook til edges start to dry and get brown and center is set.  (about 1 min.)  Turn over to other side for about 15 seconds.  Enjoy!

I like to make my own syrup because I can't stand giving my family syrup with a bunch of "unknown" ingredients!  I know I am giving them pure sugar in my syrup but I guess I'd rather do that then fill them up with something that has a shelf life of a year!!

Homemade Syrup
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/8 t. salt
1 c. water
1/2 t. maple flavor extract or butter extract
Combine sugars in small saucepan.  Add salt and water.  Bring to a boil for 1 min.  Remove from heat and add flavoring.  Cool and serve. I store mine in a glass jar in the refrigerator and just microwave it when they want it warm.    Enjoy!

The first time I made this, I ran out of store bought syrup so I found this recipe on the internet.  I made pancakes one morning and I made this but I didn't tell my family it was homemade.  Victoria asked me why the syrup was different and Chad said it was because it was warm!!  I fooled them!! I told them it was homemade and they said they really liked it!

Delicious lemon tea bread!

This morning I couldn't wait to bake something but I wasn't sure what!  So after Hannah and I dropped V off at school, we sat down on the floor to play and look through my cookbook.  I chose my new Southern Living cookbook- Classic Southern Desserts.  With a name like that, you know it's going to be good!!  And of course, I had to stop quite frequently to play with H, for she wasn't too thrilled that I was looking at a book and not at her!  But at last, I found something I had the ingredients for and sounded good.  Two things of food I love- frosting and orange/lemon flavored things.  Especially breads.  Mmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about it! My favorite thing to get at Starbucks is the Iced Lemon Loaf with a Caramel Macchiato.  Oooh, that sounds good!  Now go make this, grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up and take a moment for yourself!  You'll be so glad you did!

Lemon Tea Bread




First, beat your softened butter until creamy.  Doesn't that just look so purty!!

Next, add your sugar and eggs. 

Mix up your dry ingredients.

Now, you add to the creamed mixture flour and milk, alternating between both.

Doesn't this lemon look just divine!  I just love what a little lemon zest can do to your baked goods. 

Pop it in the oven and bake it for about an hour!  Let it cool for 10 min. in the pan and then take it out.  You always wonder when you bake breads whether you greased it good enough and will it come out in 1 piece.  This came out beautifully and looked and smelled delicious!!

Mix up your icing ingredients and pour it over the top.  I like the way it drips down the sides but I love the way it coats the top way more.  The more icing the better, I always say!  :)

Mmmm, I thought it was divine and V wholeheartedly agreed with me!

Lemon Tea Bread

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. milk

2 T. lemon zest, divided

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat softened butter at med. speed until creamy.  Gradually add 1 c. of sugar,

beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Stir in 1 T. lemon zest.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8x4 pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center  comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from pan to a wire rack, and cool completely.

Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth; spoon over top of bread, letting excess drip down sides.  Stir together remaining 1 T. lemon zest and 1 T. granulated  sugar; sprinkle on top of bread.

Enjoy!!



My first attempt at cinnamon rolls!

Last saturday I had the great idea to make cinnamon rolls- I had seen the recipe in my Southern Living magazine and I knew Chad was going to be at my mom's house and she makes the best cinnamon rolls!  So, I thought I better "get on the ball" and give him something tasty.  I think I tried making them maybe once before but I really don't remember how they turned out so I am calling this my first attempt!  :)

In my excitement I forgot to take pics of the first steps of making them!  And I have to something to confess-  I cheated and used the Pillsbury Hot Roll mix instead of starting from "scratch".  I have always been "scared" of using yeast but I do suppose there is nothing to be scared of!  I am afraid I am going to "kill" it but it was so easy using the yeast in this mix- I now think I can do it!!  Here I rolled out my dough, spread butter on it and sprinkled it (rather heavily) with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Looks so good!

Rolling it up was actually quite fun!  I was feeling quite "professional"!!

Here it is all rolled up!  I cut it in half and cut each half in 6 pieces. 

They tell you to place the cut side down which I never get!  Except for the end pieces, each side is a cut side!  Ok, all you knowledgeble bakers out there- why do they tell us that???  Doesn't this look so delicious?  I love raw bread dough so this looks really good to me.  Now I stuck them in the oven and covered them to let them rise.

Here they are- doubled in size!  I was feeling quite proud at this point- I didn't kill the yeast and it worked!!

All baked and ready to frost!  Mmmmm, frosting.  For those who know me well, that is one of my greatest food weaknesses.  I LOVE cake with buttercream frosting and I love to eat as much frosting as possible.  So not good for me but SO good to eat!!

Ok, I am so ready to dig in.  If my memory serves me correct (which it does)- I did!!  :)  And so did Chad and Victoria.  It was actually a really fun family night- we were watching the new Karate Kid movie and eating fresh, just out of the oven cinnamon rolls.  What a happy memory :)  

Cinnamon Rolls

1 (16 oz) pkg. hot roll mix

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

1 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

2 T. milk

  Prepare hot roll mix as directed on back of pkg, let dough stand 5 minutes.  Roll dough into a 15x10 rectangle, spread with softened butter.  Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter.  Roll up tightly, starting at one long end; cut into 12 slices.  Place rolls, cut sides down, in a lightly greased 12" cast-iron skillet or 9x13 pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel; let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 30 min. or until doubled in bulk. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Uncover rolls, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until center rolls are golden brown and done. 

Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Stir together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla; drizzle over rolls.

   Enjoy!!

My first cooking blog!

When I knew V had a day off of school this week I wanted to come up with something really fun for us to do so I came up with the idea of making donuts together.  I was so excited and I have to say my excitement eventually rubbed off on her but not until we were in the process! We had an unexpected blessing when our neighbor came over and wanted to play with V.  She saw we were making donuts and she jumped right in!  When we were done, she couldn't believe you could make donuts, she thought you could only buy them!!  :)  I have to say, I was pretty amazed too!

Here are the girls ready to make donuts (they had fun putting the flour all over their faces too!)
And we decided to make apple cider donuts because of the fall season.

This is the recipe we used.  Magazines are one of my favorite places to find recipes second to cookbooks.

First, you boil 1 1/2 c. apple cider down to 1/2 c. to bring out that delicious apple flavor!

While you are reducing the apple cider, mix together your dry ingredients.  It's pretty amazing the difference in the amount of ingredients between store bought donuts and homemade.  Oh, maybe about 20 ingred or so!  :)

When your apple cider is reduced and cooled to room temp, stir together the dry and wet ingred. together just enough to combine it.  Then refrigerate it so you can handle the dough a little easier.  It's pretty sticky!!

While the dough was getting cold, I started my pot of oil.  I was a little nervous about frying, hot oil has always scared me but it worked just fine!  It was a little tricky keeping the temp at 375 degrees though. 

Now we got to make the actual donuts.   It was pretty exciting!!   We used a glass for the donut and a bottle for the donut holes.  It's amazing what you can find in your cupboards to use insteaad of a "donut cutter".  Do they even have such a thing???  The girls found out it was important to keep the glasses well floured- too sticky otherwise!

Don't these look professional?  I was pretty proud and I admit I jumped around excitedly.  V made some comment about how her mom was so wierd but I didn't care :)   I made donuts and also made a fun memory for them to remember!

Well, they stopped looking so good.  We learned the hard way that if you don't have gobs of flour on your countertop, they don't come off so easily or pretty.  Oh well!  These were our first ones and the next ones turned out much better!!

My first little floater!  I was such a proud mom of my first donut hole.  Wierd, I know but what pride I felt!

Here it is done.  Fried and rolled in cinnamonn and sugar.  Looks yummy!  And just do you know, it was.

You put the sugar and cinnamon in a bag and shake them around to coat them.  It was kind of messy because the sugar kept coming out of the bottom of the bag.  Oh well, the whole kitchen was a mess but oh, what fun we had!!

Of course, we had to sample them.  Ok, maybe half of them!  But they were sooo good- I bet you'd do the same thing!  Katie said she didn't know you could make donuts at home, she thought you could only buy them at the store.  What a blessing to be able to share that experience with two 10 year old girls!!  Oh, and the baby on my back too!  :)

The girls were having so much fun, they put together a tea party and got dressed up!  We had chocolate milk in wine glasses, chocolate covered bananas and freshly made donuts all on my "china".  What fun we had!

Now I get to have even more fun.  Photography!!!  Another love of mine.  V again thought I was nuts, all she wanted to do was eat them but I kept taking picture after picture of the donut and  rearranging them countless times.  I was having so much fun!!!

Now doesn't that just make you want to make some homemade donuts yourself??