Strawberry Jam & Strawberry Syrup

Strawberries!

Despairing over my strawberry patch full of still-green strawberries I finally bit the bullet last week and ordered a flat of strawberries from Bountiful Basket. Of course by the time Saturday rolled around, my stubborn berries began to turn red. (I guess all they needed was some competition!) No worries, of course. Between my girls and I, we can easily eat a pound of strawberries every day.. which is what we did. By the following Friday, between the purchased flat and my garden, I still had about a half a flat of berries left. Cue the telephone.. My sweet husband calls and tells me while going to a job site, he found some boy scouts selling strawberries for $5 a flat, should he get some? ... YES of course! 5 flats please! I was so excited! It's been a very long time since I've had enough berries to actually do anything with except eat. I love strawberry jam and sauces, but I'm normally never willing to sacrifice my fresh gems to the stove. Much as I like jam, I'd much rather eat a strawberry fresh and whole. MMmmmm But with my husband's purchase I needed to process at least some of the berries so they didn't go bad. 

We washed, hulled and froze about 2 1/2 flats for smoothies. The rest I turned into strawberry jam (and lots of it!) and strawberry syrup. Both are super easy and keep for about 2 years on the shelf when processed. (As if they'd last that long around here anyway!)

For Jam:

1. First, wash and hull 2lbs of strawberries 

 

 2. Now crush, mash or finely chop the berries. Of course I just pulsed them in my Vita-mix, making sure to still leave some chunks. 

3. Pour the berries into a large pot (5 qt. should do it)

 4. Stir in 1 box of regular pectin.

 5. Also add about 1/2 tsp butter to help reduce the foaming. Seriously, you'll be much happier if you don't skip this!

 6. Bring mixture to a boil. Have your 7 cups of pre-measured sugar ready to dump into the pot.

 7. Dump sugar in all at once and stir well. Bring mixture to a full boil once more and boil for one minute. Remove from heat.

 8. In the meantime, I've been keeping my clean jars in the oven at 200 degrees F so they'd be hot and ready when I need them.

 9. Pour hot jam directly into jars (use a funnel if necessary) and wipe the rims of the jars clean.

 10. Attach two-piece lids to each jar. Tighten gently; I usually tighten as much as I can then turn the ring back about a quarter turn. Also, before I started the jam, I poured boiling water over the lids in a bowl to help soften the rubber seal. Then I kept them in the bowl to keep them hot.

 11. Load the canning rack into a pot of hot, simmering water. It's best to start this pot at the same time you start the jam so you don't have to wait for it to heat up. 

For small batches of jam (or the last few jars of a big batch) I love using this small rack from Ball in one of my large stock-pots. It's so much nicer than my huge canner when I don't have a lot to do!

 12. Bring canner (or stock-pot) to a gentle boil and then process jars for 20 minutes. (Or 10 minutes at sea-level.) Remove from heat and then, using a jar lifter, move the jars to a draft-free area. Do not disturb for at least 12 hours.

 For Syrup:

Syrup is very similar in process with just a few changes to the ingredients.

Strawberry Syrup

4 lbs strawberries
1 cup Lemonade (not from concentrate)
you could also use 4 Tbsp lemon juice and 3/4 c. water

6 cups sugar

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp. almond extract

Wash and hull strawberries. Mash (or puree if you choose) berries into a large pot. A 5 qt. pot will work, but it will be close. If you have a bigger one, use it. Add lemonade. Bring to a boil. Add butter and sugar. Return to a full boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Pour into hot, clean jars and attach two-piece lids to each jar. Process 20 minutes in a water bath canner.

On The GO "meals"

 

What do you think of when you think of dinner? Here are the things that come to my mind:

A properly set table complete with a fork spoon, knife and napkin.
A main course with at least two sides.
At least an hour of “slaving” in a hot kitchen…

Okay- so you got me. I like to cook so it’s never “slaving” for me, but I admit that I often spend an hour or more on a single meal. So what if I don’t have that kind of time? I anticipate this month being super busy for me. It’s the last month of school and there are plenty of class parties and activities to organize. Add that to beautiful Spring weather and a large garden to tend this year, not to mention home-schooling my oldest; and I don’t know if we will have even one slaved-over meal this month… 
I plan on using the crock-pot a lot and utilizing some of my pre-made meals from the freezer, but if those options fail me then I will just try to keep things simple. Dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, or traditional for that matter. As long as I’m covering the basics then I’m feeling pretty good.
So what are the basics?  Protein + starch + fruits and/or vegetables = dinner!
And really… if I’m being completely honest than if I cover even 2 of the 3 basics with each meal then I’m not beating myself up about it! Here are some things that I’ve found make some very quick “meals” when I’ve neglected to plan ahead with the crock-pot. These can also be very portable so you can easily grab and go if needed.

Proteins:
Hard boiled eggs. I usually even peel a few of them and keep them in an airtight container for ultimate convenience.
Thin-sliced lunch meats and pre-cooked bacon. I’m talking about real meat, not that ultra-processed kinda-resembles-sorta-tastes-like meat that you buy in those little plastic packages. eew!
Peanut/almond butter
Nuts
Lowfat cheese like mozzarella and cottage cheese.
Sliced and shredded cheese
Pre-cooked various beans (we use black beans, refried and kidney the most)
Yogurt, plain
Canned (or pouched) chicken and/or tuna
Protein  powder

Starches:
Whole wheat tortillas
Whole grain bread
Cooked brown rice (I usually throw some in my rice cooker at least once a week and keep it in the refrigerator for those crazy days)
Cooked pasta (Whenever we have a pasta dish I try to cook an extra couple cups of plain pasta to use as needed throughout the week.)
Whole grain crackers
Rolls, pita bread, muffins, biscuits, pizza crusts (All of these can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer until needed.)
Granola, high fiber cereal
Whole grain chips

Produce:
Washed and peeled vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces such as: Carrots (or even buy the pre-washed baby carrots for more convenience), Celery, Peppers, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Snow peas, asparagus
Also keep lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and sprouts if desired
Cut-up fruit chunks such as: Pineapple, Melons, apples, oranges (mix the cut apples and oranges together to keep the apples from going brown)
Also keep on hand whole fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, berries and grapes

Extras:
Hummus, Ranch and Italian dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, tomato sauce, seasonings, barbecue sauce, salsa, milk

At the end of the week mix all your pre-cut fruit together that didn’t get eaten yet and make a nice fruit salad. You can also mix the pre-cut veggies and cook them into a soup- or just blanch them and put them into the freezer for an easy soup, stew or crock-pot addition later.

Now what to do with all of this? Here are some ideas using the above ingredients for easy “meals” on the go.  Remember, just because you don’t have to sit down with a fork and plate to eat these, doesn’t mean it won’t fill you up.

Less than a minute:

    * Bag of carrots, tub of hummus, crackers
    * Brown rice and cheese (like string cheese) with asparagus and snow peas (raw)
    * Whole grain crackers and sliced lunch meat, your choice veggie
    * cottage cheese and berries with a muffin
    * Almonds and an apple and/or orange
    * Sliced apples with peanut butter
    * Tuna pouch and pita bread
    * Hard boiled eggs, veggies

A minute or so:

    * Cereal or granola and milk
    * Cooked rice, berries, honey and milk
    * Spread natural peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla.  Place a banana in the middle.  Roll it it all up together.
    * Wash a handful of grapes and berries. Put them in a container. Pour yogurt on top with a teaspoon of honey and some granola (or keep it separate).
    * Make a sandwich with whole grain bread and whatever lean meat, low-fat cheese you have. Squirt some mustard on the bread, and add lettuce and a sliced tomato in there too if you can.
    * Put whole grain tortilla chips in a microwave-save container; sprinkle low-fat cheese on top; microwave for 30 seconds; top with salsa. Don't forget a napkin!
    * Blend together 1 ½ cup milk, a scoop of whey or soy protein powder, a dash of cinnamon, and a banana or handful of blueberries in a blender; pour in a portable mug.
    *Spread refried beans over  pizza crust. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato chunks and salsa. Add cheese if desired.
    *Combine cooked noodles or rice with a can of chicken and some barbecue sauce
    *Combine cooked noodles with chopped vegetables, Italian dressing and chopped mozzarella for a pasta salad. Add  some canned tuna or chicken if desired.
    *Combine lettuce, spinach, berries, and nuts with some Rasberry vinaigrette if you have some or just drizzle some lemon juice or add nothing but extra berries (that’s what I do!)
    * Egg, Tuna or Chicken Salad sandwiches- combine boiled eggs or meat with some mayonnaise (or substitute with plain yogurt) and mustard and serve on rolls or whole grain bread with lettuce and cheese
   * Combine brown rice, salsa and black beans with some taco seasoning and cheese. Serve on tortillas or just eat with a spoon.
   
Here are some other things that help:
   
    * Freeze serving-sized meals for use on hectic days.  Just microwave the meal in its container and go!
    * Have a portable cooler or decent-sized lunch bag on call at all times.
    * Keep a stash of napkins and plastic ware in your car, backpack, briefcase, or purse.
    * Pack your grab and go meal the day before when you know you'll be busy the next day.
    * Have transportable yet healthy foods handy, like some of the options mentioned in the above lists.

Sometimes our on-the-go destination is only our back yard.. Or even our kitchen table! But even then it’s SO nice to be able to have something quick, easy, and nutritious at our fingertips. The boys in my house would go completely bonkers if we ate this way all the time but when it’s necessary at least I can go to bed guilt-free that night.

Strawberry Baked French Toast

Last week I bought an entire flat of strawberries from our Bountiful Basket site here. I came home with all these delicious ideas of what to do with them- By Sunday more than half of them had already been eaten! So I panicked! I hid them all ... and (I'm so embarrassed to even admit this..) I forgot about them.. yes I know. Shameful! So now I have slightly less than a half a flat of strawberries that need to be eaten or frozen today. Oh, no worries. Easy! To help, I actually served this for lunch today. The kiddos were thrilled at having French Toast for lunch!
For the bread, I used a bunch of leftover dinner rolls from last week as well as the heels of several loaves of bread cut into bite-sized pieces.

Strawberry Baked French Toast





For the toast:

• 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
• 8 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup FF sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:

• 2 cups diced fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup agave*
• 8oz. Fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the strawberries and agave in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese and egg until well blended. Spread the strawberry cream cheese mixture onto egged bread pieces.
3. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 40 minutes.

This is not overly sweet, which I love, but if you need to sweeten this up a bit, try serving it with some strawberry or real maple syrup. Also try serving with fresh strawberries and freshly whipped cream.

*You can use 1/4 cup sugar or honey instead of agave. I like to use agave on fruit because it adds sweetness, without a lot of extra calories or without altering the flavor very much. If you use sugar, let the strawberries sit for about 15 minutes before adding cream cheese and egg. 

Apple German Pancakes

For the past several weeks Bountiful Baskets has been giving us 4-5 Granny Smith apples in our basket. I do love Granny Smiths- they're one of my favorites to just snack on. (I love slightly sour fruit!) The problem that I've run into though is that last month I bought an entire case of Honeycrisp apples and we've still been working on those. I feel like it's my duty to eat the older apples before the newer ones... So now we have an entire shelf in my refrigerator full of Granny Smith. I was browsing my friend's blog earlier today and
voilà Problem solved! Thanks Becca :)
It drives my dear hubby nuts, but I always mess with recipes. I can't help myself- so this is a modified version of the original from Cooking Light. I made two different versions: Healthy ... and not so much. To be completely honest- yes- the non-vegan version tasted better BUT the Vegan pancakes were still polished off by my very picky girls. So while I probably won't make the Vegan version on a regular basis, it's definitely going in my food storage recipe folder.

Vegan Apple German Pancake
Batter:
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp hot water
1 cup rice or almond milk
1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
3 Tbsp olive oil
Apple Mixture:
1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
*2 cup peeled and thinly sliced granny smith apple (about 2 apples)
Remaining Ingredient:
powdered sugar to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 425. Coat bottom and sides of two 10" pie plates with cooking spray. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg; sprinkle evenly over bottom and sides of each pan. Arrange apple in an even spokelike layer in pans. Sprinkle with remaining sugar (1/4 cup sugar per pie dish). Cook apples for 8 minutes in pre-heated oven.
2.  While apples are cooking, prepare batter. Combine flour, baking powder, 1 T sugar, salt, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a seperate small bowl or (2 c.) liquid measuring cup dissolve gelatin into 3/4 cup cold water. When dissolved, stir in hot water and mix well. Add gelatin mixture, milk, oil, and extract to flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour batter over the partially baked apples. Return to oven.
3.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 (do not remove pancake from oven) and bake an additional 13 minutes or until center is set. Sift powdered sugar over the top, serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.
**If using food storage to make this recipe, use re-hydrated dried apple slices in place of the Granny Smith.

Yummier Apple German Pancake

Batter:
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup milk
1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
3 Tbsp melted butter
Apple Mixture:
1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cup peeled and thinly sliced granny smith apple (about 2 apples)
Remaining Ingredient:
powdered sugar to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425. Coat bottom and sides of two 10" pie plates with cooking spray. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg; sprinkle evenly over bottom and sides of each pan. Arrange apple in an even spokelike layer in pans. Sprinkle with remaining sugar (1/4 cup sugar per pie dish). Cook apples for 8 minutes in pre-heated oven.

2. While apples are cooking, prepare batter. Combine flour, baking powder, 2 T sugar, salt, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs into flour mixture- it will be lumpy and thick. Add milk, butter and extract to flour mixture and whisk vigorously until smooth. Slowly pour batter over the partially baked apples. Return to oven.

3. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 (do not remove pancake from oven) and bake an additional 13 minutes or until center is set. Sift powdered sugar over the top, serve immediately.

Eggs in a Basket

This is a fun thing that my dad used to make a lot when I was a kid. He would cut a hole out of a piece of bread with a biscuit cutter and crack an egg into the center while the bread was toasting on a griddle. My brother-in-law uses this method:

Eggs in a Basket

Pancakes:
   2 cups All-Purpose Baking Mix
   1 egg
   1 1/4 cup milk or water

12 eggs
Pam Cooking Spray

Heat griddle to medium-hot (about 350). Combine all ingredients for pancakes; stirring just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Spray griddle with non-stick cooking spray and crack egg onto griddle. Ladel pancake mix all around outside of egg. Turn when bubbles appear on the surface of the cakes, taking care when flipping not to break the egg. Cook until well-browned. Makes 12-16 "baskets". Serve with warm maple syrup. (The real stuff, not the maple flavored sugar...)

Egg Sandwiches

This is the only way my family will accept "Breakfast for Dinner" around my house. It is a super-simple idea and cooks up in a hurry when we've had a busy day. These are the BEST on home-made bread!

Toasted Egg Sandwiches

2 thick slices bread
1 egg
1 slice cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup fresh spinach (optional)
1 tsp hot sauce

Butter the backsides of each slice of bread as you would for a grilled cheese sandwich. Place cheese between slices (make sure buttered side of bread is out) and cook on a medium-hot, pre-heated griddle for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Meanwhile, fry egg. Open cheese sandwich and add cooked egg and spinach. Drizzle egg with hot sauce, replace bread and eat!

Spinach and Feta Omelet

A few weeks ago eggs went on sale for $.50 per dozen around here. I bought 10 dozen eggs. We don't normally go through that many eggs, but I figured I could cook some things for the freezer. It is that time of year, afterall, when I hardly have any time to spare during the week.

Here is a quick and simple omelet recipe. The key to this way of cooking an omelet is the small cast-iron griddle. If you don't have one, you are missing out! It's a necessary "ingredient" for all the best tortillas, grilled sandwiches, pancakes and omelets. By the way, omelets freeze great! Just re-heat on high in the microwave for about 60 seconds and you've got a tasty and filling breakfast when you need something quick.

Spinach and Feta Omelet

3 eggs

1 Tbsp water

1 small tomato, diced

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

2 Tbsp feta cheese

1/2 small zucchini, chopped

Non-stick cooking spray

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup whip eggs, water, and a dash of salt and pepper. (The water helps the eggs to be fluffy.) Pour onto a pre-heated cast-iron griddle (about 350 F) sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Allow eggs to cook about 30 seconds or until slightly set. Sprinkle vegetables and feta all over eggs. Set oven to broil on High. Move griddle to oven about two inches from heat and cook 1-2 minutes more or until eggs are firm. Loosen from griddle, roll omelet and serve with fresh salsa if desired.

Zucchini Bread

It really is getting close to the end of gardening season. Usually this time of year people are trying to ditch their surplus garden produce left and right especially zucchini. I'm usually a taker though. I love, love, love the stuff. I eat it raw in salads, steamed with some basil for a quick and easy side dish, grilled, grated, diced, stuffed. MMmm! So for you who are a little less enthusiastic about your mounds of zucchini, I put together a few zucchini recipes- check the labels on the right, scroll down and enjoy!

Another one of those recipes that I've been working on to get the best tasting bread possible. Unfortunately this one was made when my camera was on the charger and it didn't last until the battery was full. Whoops! This bread is great for an afterschool snack, for breakfast or for dessert. Sometimes I add a thin sugar glaze on top when I really have a sweet tooth (which is often). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Zucchini Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed banana or applesauce
1 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, applesauce/banana, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. (If you try to slice this before it's completely cool it will fall apart. I know this from experience- I don't think I've ever been able to let it cool completely before diving in!)
 

Vegan Crepes (or food storage), Food Storage Pancakes

I haven't had to have as many "food storage" meals this month as I'd thought would be necessary. Part of that is because I've been "cleaning" my freezers by using up all the meals that I've had stashed away in there. I like to make a fresh batch of freezer meals before school starts so I need the extra room. This has also given me more time to work on things like the quilt I'm making for my bed and all my other projects without having to worry too much about dinner. I have had some food storage-type meals though.. mostly breakfasts. Here are some of the recipes:

Vegan Crepes

1 1/4 c. rice milk *

3/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp sugar

Combine sugar, flour cornstarch and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add rice milk and mix until smooth.  Add oil and extract. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Drop by 1/4 cup into pre-heated hot pans. With the back of your spoon, spread batter around until very thin in the pan.

Cook each crepe about 10 seconds. Flip and cook an additional 5-10 seconds. Repeat. Serve warm with fresh fruit or syrup rolled into the center of each crepe.

*A note about milk in your food storage:

I like to keep rice milk in my food storage since it is shelf stable and good tasting (to me at least!). But you can use UHT milk (ultra high temperature) or evaporated milk as well. Or of course you can reconstitute some powdered milk and use that. My family can't stand the thought of drinking powdered milk so we buy a combination of UHT and rice milk for our food storage. The rice milk is for myself and my 3-year-old who has milk allergies and the UHT is for the rest of the family. The best price I've found for rice milk is at Costco where we buy it by the case for around $15/case. It's still about $5 per gallon though so it really comes in handy knowing how to make rice milk yourself.. which is ridiculously cheap. The UHT we usually get at Gossner's Dairy in Logan. It is usually about $3 per gallon and it actually tastes like milk so it's a great alternative to powdered.

 I do keep plenty of powdered milk in my food storage as well, though. It's great for baking and for my make-ahead mixes that I use so often. Not to mention it lasts a long time when kept correctly.

Food Storage Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp dry powdered milk*

3/4 cup water

2 Tbsp oil

for the egg:

 1 tsp unflavored gelatin (like knox)

 3 Tbsp cold water

 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp hot water

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a seperate smaller bowl make your "egg" by combining gelatin with cold water until dissolved. Add hot water, stir. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add oil, water and "egg". Stir until dry ingredients are moistened (about 30 seconds). Drop 1/4 cup at a time onto pre-heated griddle (med-high or about 375 F). Allow to cook until batter is bubbly and edges dry out. Flip and cook an additional 15-30 seconds until golden brown.

*to make this recipe vegan, omit the powdered milk and water and replace with 3/4 cup rice milk.

Crepes, Breakfast

I actually made these last month but never got around to adding the post.. so here it is!

I grew up with crepes. Every birthday, mine or my siblings, was almost always kicked off with a humongous crepe breakfast cooked up by my dad. Also whenever we had friends sleep over he'd make crepes as a special treat... which between 8 kids was just about every Saturday! So of course I had to master the crepe art myself. These little babies are so versatile. You can make them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, etc.. and they are always delicious. If made right anyway. Which I've come to find out that a LOT of people are skeptical about how easy they are to make. You can even buy pre-made crepes which I giggle at but I'm not surprised. I mean, there's even pre-made Peanut Butter & Jelly these days, right? The most difficult thing about crepes is the pour and the timing so I've included a video to demonstrate the proper way to make a crepe. Enjoy!

Breakfast Crepes

2 cups flour

6 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I always use almond)

1/3 cup melted butter or oil (I usually use olive)

1. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, flour and salt and mix until smooth. Mixture will be fairly thick at this point. Add milk and extract. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Add oil. Mix again. Drop by 1/4 cup into pre-heated hot pans. Cook each crepe about 10 seconds. Flip and cook an additional 5-10 seconds. Repeat. Serve warm with fresh fruit or syrup rolled into the center of each crepe. My favorite toppings include: fresh berries with vanilla yogurt, applesauce, mandarin oranges. Feel free to use whatever is your favorite!

Honey Granola

Honey Granola

10 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup dry milk*

1/2 cup flax seed or wheat germ

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup honey

2 cup raisins, Craisins, or other dried fruit

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, honey, and vanilla and mix with beaters or your fingers until moist ingredients are incorporated.

Divide 1/2 the mixture into 2 9x13 in. pans. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, stir and bake 5 minutes more.

Granola will crisp as it cools. Allow to cool completely and add dried fruit.

*I like to add dry milk for extra protein. It gives the granola a creamy-type flavor. If you are trying to avoid dairy, simply leave this ingredient out or substitute with oat, rice or soy flour. I love this granola served with Rice Milk!

Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Muffins, Stuffed Hot Dogs

Here are just a few recipes that I've made over the past week that I've not included in other posts. Starting with the cinnamon rolls... YUM!

Cinnamon Rolls

1/4 recipe One Hour Bread

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, softened

Icing:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness in a large rectangle. (For an example, see Cinnamon-Rhubarb Bread recipe.) Spread 1/4 cup softened butter all over rolled out dough. Combine cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle over butter. Starting from the small side of the rectangle, roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Pinch ends and seams together to seal. Use a sharp knife, long peice of thread or dental floss to cut into individual rolls. Place about 1 inch apart in a 13x9 inch greased pan. Cover with a cloth. Allow to rise until double in size- about thirty minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350 F aBake 15 minutes in preheated oven. While rolls are baking, combine cream cheese and remaining butter in a large mixing bowl. Add milk and vanilla and 2 cups powdered sugar. Cream. Add remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Frost rolls while they are still warm from the oven. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers (if there are any). Re-heat 15-30 seconds in the microwave. Makes 12 rolls.

Blueberry Breakfast Muffins

This is simply a variation of the Breakfast Puffs I made a while back. Make puff recipe, filling greased mini-muffin tin 1/3 full. Then add to it:

1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

1/4 cup blueberry preserves (or any that you like- I used cherry)

and top with Rolled Oats.

Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

This is a lunch I made last week for the kiddos. It's a great way to dress up leftover hotdogs... even I will eat them this way! This is something my dad used to make a lot when I was a kid, so I must admit there's some childhood nastalgia involved here when I say that they really are good!

Stuffed Hot Dogs

1 package hot dogs

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Slice hotdogs in half lengthwise without completely cutting through. Fold them out flat and fill each dog with a couple heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheese. Bake in 400 F oven for 10-12 minutes.

1 Hour Bread, Calzones, Cinnamon Rhubarb Breakfast Bread

This is a simple, tasty recipe that I love to use when I'm pressed for time. I made this last night while my dinner was baking and had it risen and ready to go by the time my oven was free. I put together one large calzone, 2 loaves for sandwiches and a loaf of Cinnamon Rhubarb Bread all within 30 minutes. Now my dinner for tonight is taken care of and we ate the Rhubarb bread (most of it) with breakfast this morning. Yum!

1 Hour Basic Bread

11 cups bread flour
1/4 cup Nonfat, plain yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp Instant Yeast
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup oil (olive or vegetable)
3 3/4 cup hot water

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil, yogurt, water. Mix until blended. Knead about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Shape into loaves and place into greased loaf pans. Let rise about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. Makes 4 medium sized loaves.

Chicken Artichoke Calzones

3 cups chunky marinara sauce
1 can diced artichoke hearts, drained
1 lb cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 prepared bread dough recipe (or 1/4 of the previous recipe)

On a clean and floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. You can then cut the dough into small-medium rectangles for individual calzones or leave it uncut to make one large calzone. In a medium mixing bowl combine marinara sauce, artichoke hearts and chicken. Spread all over 1/2 of the rolled dough making sure to leave 1 inch space from the edges of the dough. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Fold dough in 1/2 over the top of filling. Roll  sides of the dough up and pinch the edges to seal. Carefully move to a large greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, poke small holes in the top dough layer only for steam to vent as it cooks. Allow to rise for 20-30 minutes. Cook at 400 F for 25 minutes. Serve with additional marinara sauce for dipping if desired. 

Sadly, the power went out while my calzone was cooking... that's why it is still ridiculously white in the center since it didn't fully cook. I'm hoping and praying that it got cooked enough at least that when I re-heat it tonight it will still taste ok. We'll see how it goes...

 **Edit** Lucky for us the calzone turned out terrific. The bottom was just a tiny bit soggy, but overall tasted great and nobody minded it.

Cinnamon Rhubarb Breakfast Bread

1 loaf bread dough (or 1/4 recipe 1 Hour Bread)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb

1/4 cup butter, softened

Roll bread dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Spread butter all over top of bread dough. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and then sprinkle all over butter. Evenly spread rhubarb over dough. From the small end of the dough, roll dough up like a jelly roll. Seal edges and place on a greased baking pan seam-side down. Allow to rise 30 minutes then bake 25 minutes in 350 F oven.

All-purpose Baking Mix, Breakfast Puffs, Horchata/Rice Milk

I have a dilemma- We're not even into week 3 yet and I've already spent all but $28 of my grocery budget. OK, so that's not too big of a deal since I've already bought most of everything that we'll need for this month, but there are a few things we'll still need to buy: 5 gallons of milk, 5 lb chicken, and at least 2 dozen eggs. Lucky for me chicken has finally gone on sale for $1.49/lb.. But unlucky for me? I want to buy more than 5 lbs at that price! I also found a really good price on canned tomatoes again and I'd like to buy more vegetables before the end of the month. $28 doesn't go that far... So I need to again get creative.

I've decided to cut down on the amount of milk that we're buying and make some rice milk instead. I love rice milk! and so do my girls AND it's easy to cook with- but I'll still have to buy enough cows milk to sate my husband and son (boys are so picky!).

Rice Milk/Horchata

1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice

5 cups water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

(For Horchata)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup white sugar

Directions

1.Pour the rice and water into the bowl of a blender; blend until the rice just begins to break up, about 1 minute. I used pre-ground rice flour (I borrowed my friend's grinder a few days ago) so I was able to skip the blender. Let rice and water stand at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours. The longer you let the rice soak, the better the flavor, in my opinion.
2.Strain the rice water into a pitcher through cheesecloth and save the rice bits to thicken rice pudding if you desire. At this point you've got your rice milk. If you want horchata:
3.Stir the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar into the rice water. Chill and stir before serving. Serve cold. 
 

The other thing that I did yesterday was to make some baking mix and some breakfast puffs. The baking mix is similar to Bisquick at a fraction of the cost and having some on hand makes it really easy for my 15-yr-old to throw together a batch of pancakes if I ask him to- which is NICE.

Baking Mix

9 cups flour

2/3 cup dry milk

1/4 baking powder

2 tsp salt

1 cup shortening, oil, or butter (or a combination)

Mix flour and other dry ingredients. Cut in oil or shortening with a mixer on low speed until the consistency of cornmeal. Store in an airtight container up to 6 months in the refrigerator and no longer than 3 months in the pantry. This recipe uses a 5lb sack of flour when doubled.

Breakfast Puffs

2 cups baking mix

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

For egg puffs: (Pick and choose all or a combination)

2 additional eggs

2 tsp milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/4 lb chopped sausage, bacon, ham

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 cup chopped sweet pepper

salt & pepper for sprinkling

For cinnamon Puffs:

1/2 cup melted butter or olive oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 F. Grease 24 mini muffin cups. Mix baking mix, sugar, butter, milk and egg. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds. For egg puffs, fill muffin cups about 1/3 full. Fill another 1/3 with your choice of vegetables, meat and/or cheese. Beat eggs into a measuring cup along with milk and pour over the top of each filled muffin cup. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

For Cinnamon Puffs: Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 10 minutes. Mix sugar & cinnamon in a bowl. Quickly roll puffs in butter/oil, then in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Makes 24 puffs. (I usually double this recipe and make a batch of each kind)

And easy way to pop the mini-muffins out of the tin is to use a small baby spoon. It doesnt scratch the teflon and it's small enough not to break the muffin.