From My Kitchen ~ Homemade Cloverleaf Rolls

I just love to make homemade bread. I love the way it fills our home with a delicious scent. I love kneading it by hand ~ it just plain ole' feels good! LOL And I really love the way my husband and boys make over me when I bake. I get lots of extra lovin' on bread baking day. :)



But most of all, I take great satisfaction in knowing that I am making something for my family that doesn't contain all the chemicals and preservatives that store bought breads contain.

It is one of my goals this year to create a routine for myself to bake enough bread each week to eliminate our reliance on store bought. And a secondary goal would be to replace some of my store bought ingredients with freshly, ground whole wheat.

Some time back, I purchased a very nice hand powered grain mill from Lehman's Non-Electric. Little did I realize that you must have an extremely solid surface in order to use it. I still giggle a little thinking of the first time I set it up and began to grind. Wheat nuts were flying all over the room and the table was slowly vibrating across the floor. Colton thought it was hilarious while I wanted to cry.



I've debated purchasing an electric mill, but I think I would prefer to keep my non-electric and invest in a solid oak table instead. Still thinking about that ....

Well I'm telling you that whole, long story just to tell you this ... I made some wonderful homemade cloverleaf rolls tonight!

I used a recipe from my dear friend, Mary of And Even If ... And they were wonderful! Mine don't look nearly as good as Mary's but they were so tasty. My family just raved about them. So I wanted to share Mary's recipe with you.



Mary's Homemade Texas Ranch Rolls
(Mary is a Texas girl and I couldn't resist embellishing the name just a bit.)

First, dissolve 2 packages of yeast in 2 cups of warm water.

Then in a large mixing bowl, place the following:
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Mix egg mixture into the yeast water and stir well.

One cup at a time, add 5-6 cups of flour to the mixture. Knead by hand or use your mixer if you have a kneading attachment until the flour takes on a nice elastic feel.

Place large roll into a greased bowl - I prefer to use butter. Then cover and allow to rise in a warm place until it almost doubles in bulk. Depending on the temperature this may take about 30 minutes or more.

Get your muffin tin already by rubbing the cups with ... you guessed it ... more butter! (You can see why these rolls are so very tasty, can't you?)

Then pinch off walnut-sized pieces and roll them into balls. Place three dough balls into each cupcake cup. Allow these to rise in a nice warm spot until they rise just above the cup. Then they're ready to bake.



Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and .... brush with more butter!

This recipe makes about 30 absolutely beautiful rolls. I split the dough and made 18 rolls and one small loaf of bread for sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch.



Hope you enjoy Mary's recipe as much as we have!

Blessings,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Mini Cheesecakes

Sitting down here to write a post today, I feel like I'm visiting an old friend. Life has been bustling around our homeplace leaving little time for so many other pleasures. It's so nice to be back.

Today our family has enjoyed a day of quiet rest at home. After morning worship, I took a leisurely walk to check on all the new life that seems to be sprouting everywhere.

Colton enjoying an afternoon nap.

So many little things that I planted last year (and have forgotten about) are surprising me ~ lemon balm, lillies and the wild roses that I transplanted from the forest which have grown from one plant to three! Just moments ago I picked a small handful of lavendar that has the most wondrous fragrance. If you sleep with a little sachet of lavendar under your pillow, the fragrance of this herb helps to relax your body and promotes a peaceful sleep. I'm going to tie these up and use them tonight under my pillow.

Lavendar springing to life

Luke requested that I bake some cheesecakes for him today. I always make them at Christmas time, but never seem to make them during the remaining 264 days of the year. Why is that, I wonder? Well, Luke (or quite possibly Luke's stomach) reminded me that every day is special and that I need to make them more often. So today I did just that especially for him.

Here's my simple recipe:



Mini Cheesecakes
3 pkg 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C sugar
1 can fruit filling or fresh berries
1 box vanilla wafers
muffin liners (24)



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the softened cream cheese and eggs. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla beating until smooth.



Place one wafter into each muffin liner in cupcake tin. Pour the mixture into each cup until 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Cool completely and top with fruit. Refrigerate.

Of course, I had to enjoy one myself along with my favorite little snowman mug that I use even in July!



I can hardly wait to share all that's been happening around our place.

Blessings,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~Old Fashioned Apple Cake

I just have to share a wonderful recipe that I discovered at Mandy's Mayberry State of Mind. It is a very old recipe and turned out so good that both Jase & Luke declared it "Awesome"! That, my friends, is an excellent review especially since Luke doesn't even enjoy cake. So thank you, Mandy, for adding another recipe to our Family Favorites!

Aren't these just the prettiest little apples? And their taste was amazing. I bought them for juicing but they were perfect for this cake. Every apple should taste so good!

This cake is heavy and dense but the fresh apples add just the right burst of juiciness ~ is that a word? Well, that's what they do anyway.

Miss Earline's Old-Fashioned Apple Cake

3 apples peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups flour (use self rising, or plain flour plus 4 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp salt)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Need help peeling those apples? Just get one of these apple peelers and they'll be begging to peel "just one more"! LOL My boys declare it the most effective ingenius invention of the 20th century.

Just dump all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and hand mix. The mixture will be very thick and heavy.

Then spoon the mix into a well greased and flour bundt or tube pan. I used an old angel food pan and it worked great!

I wish I could remember where I got this old, heavy pan. It has more writing on it than a short novel! Even the Department of Agriculture has to get their little statement engraved on the pan too! It says that it is a Re-Kul Pan O Cake ~ Propety of Luker Cakes of Urbana, Illnois. Apparently, they made their Angel Food cake and sold them in the pan which could be returned for a refund within 10 days! It has an address on the bottom where you can send for the free recipe as well. Wonder if the company still exists? I might just give it a try.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until done.

The finished cake without the glaze drizzle. It was soooo good!

Mandy suggests that if you'd like a little extra sweetness, you can make a sweet glaze from powdered sugar and just a bit of milk to drizzle over the cooled cake. I didn't use the glaze but I'm sure it makes it extra pretty as well.

Next time I make this recipe, I'm going to try to replace a portion of the oil with applesauce and then try replacing the entire cup of oil with applesauce. Applesauce is a great oil replacement in most baked goods. Just replace an equal amount of oil with an equivalent amount of applesauce. It cuts calories and tastes great. After 40, it seems every little calorie counts! LOL

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! If you give it a try, be sure to stop by and thank Mandy for sharing her old family recipe with us.

Blessings,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Banana Bread

This recipe for Banana Bread was shared with me by my neighbor, Jeanne. It makes one loaf of moist bread and fills the entire house with the most wonderful fragrance. It never lasts more than a day around here.

In fact, I didn't tell a soul I was baking bread because I wanted to take a photo before the vultures began circling. But it is not easy to keep this fragrant bread a secret.

And sure enough after it got really baking there was someone marching through my kitchen every 5 minutes. I even got "volunteers" to help me loosen it from the pan and put it into the basket! Such generous men I live with ~ LOL! No one ever volunteers to help with the broccoli. Luke even convinced me that the photo would look better with one piece taken out. And I think it really does!

Funny, no one offered to wash the pan!

Banana Bread
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 1/2 c ripe bananas, mashed
1 T lemon juice
2 C plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c nuts, chopped
1 t vanilla

Cream the sugar and butter together. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
Then stir in bananas and lemon juice.

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture mixing quickly.

Add vanilla and stir in chopped nuts.

Bake in greased 9x5x3 loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Cool on rack.


You can use whatever nuts you have on hand. Jeanne used walnuts which was really delicious, but I chose pecans because I have those in abundance. It did change the taste slightly but was really good nonetheless.

Mary at And Even If ... told me that you can freeze overripe bananas in their peeling until you're ready to make bread. I didn't know that. I can't tell you how many bananas have been tossed in the compost heap. It will be nice to have some on hand just when I want a fresh loaf of bread, and to be less wasteful as well.

Enjoy,
Lea

Ginger & Spice Muffins

I found a new recipe in my 2008 Gooseberry Patch Daybook. They turned out so good and the house smells delightful! You can also mix only the dry ingredients of the recipe to give as a gift in a pretty jar or decorative bag.



Ginger & Spice Muffin Mix
1 & 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Place in an airtight container; attach gift tag with instructions.

To make these yummy muffins, add:
1/4 C melted butter
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
1 C milk

Combine muffin mix, 1/4 c melted butter, 1 egg, 1 t vanilla extract, 1 c milk. Do not overmix; batter should be really thick. Fill lightly greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes about 14 muffins.

Both Jase & Luke gave them a raving review this morning!

And for you Gooseberry Patch lovers, they are having a tremendous sale right now. They have a bunch of lovely items ~ some up to 85% off. Usually this sale is reserved for July but now they're running it until January 4th. It's a nice time to shop for birthdays and mother's day!

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~Three Cheese Baked Pasta

I had planned to make cheese stuffed shells for our supper, but when I went to the pantry there were no pasta shells to be found. So I cooked up this Three Cheese Baked Pasta, and it was so delicious that I thought I'd share it.



THREE CHEESE BAKED PASTA

1 15 oz. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (a little extra to sprinkle on top if you desire)
1 box (16 oz) pasta, cooked and drained
1 jar (26 to 28 oz) pasta sauce of your choice (we use 2 jars because Jeffrey likes it extra saucy)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs and Parmesan cheese; set aside.

3. In another bowl, thoroughly combine cooked pasta and pasta sauce.

NOTE: We prefer Radiatore shaped pasta because the little grooves hold the sauce so well, and they're bite size so Colton doesn't need assistance to cut them. Of course, you may use any noodle you prefer like ziti, bow ties, piccolini ... you name it, it works!

4. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spoon 1/2 of the pasta mixture; evenly top with cheese mixture and then sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Spoon remaining pasta mixture on top of cheeses. Sprinkle final cup of mozzarella on top. You can even sprinkle a little more parmesan on top if you would like.

NOTE: I had just a bit of shredded cheddar left so I sprinkled that on top, too. Like I really needed those extra calories ... BUT it did add such a nice color to the dish. I like things to look pretty as well as taste good.

5. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

YET ANOTHER INCONSEQUENTIAL NOTE: I mixed the extra jar of pasta sauce right in before preparing the recipe. Instead, you can just warm the extra jar up separately and let everyone spoon extra sauce on their serving to their own taste. I might do that next time because Colton was very unhappy with amount of sauce in his serving. He has some texture issues and messy is not a good thing for him.

Of course, we served it with bread and butter, and a nice side of steamed broccoli ~ our standard green veggie at most every meal.

Enjoy,
Lea

Homemade Chicken & Rice Soup ... and some Giveaways!

There is nothing like hot soup and home baked bread when the days get chilly. I enjoy them all ~ creamy split pea, potato soup and chicken soup with rice! Since I cooked up a pot of soup today, I thought I'd share the recipe with you.



Chicken Soup with Rice

1 3 lb. broiler-fryer chicken (discard giblets)
6 1/2 cups of water
1 medium onion, cut into large pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into pieces
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 rib celery, sliced into pieces
2/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Chopped green onions to garnish

Traditional stove top method for chicken & stock:
Place your chicken, water, large onion pieces, celery, garlic, and bay leaf in a stockpot over high heat; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from stock. Strain chicken stock and chill; discard vegetables. Skin and bone chicken. Pull meat into bite-size pieces; chill.

Crock pot method:
Place same ingredients as above into your crock pot. Cook for 6 hours on high or until chicken is really tender. And then follow the remainder of above instructions. I prefer to use my crock pot since I put the chicken on in the morning before school. By the time Jeffrey comes home, it is ready to be made into a fresh soup.

Now skim any fat from the chicken stock. Combine stock, carrots, celery, rice, chopped onion, bouillon (if desired), salt and pepper in a large soup pot on the stove over medium-high heat; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes, adding chicken pieces during last 10 minutes.

Frugal tip: I only add about 1/2 the chicken back into the soup. I save the other 1/2 for making chicken tacos the next day for lunch.

If you wish, garnish with green onions and serve warm with fresh bread & butter. Of course, always get creative and use what you have. I always add lots & lots of carrots if I have them available. Sometimes I don't use buillon at all. Sometimes I don't even add the chicken ... I just save it for another meal and use lots of carrots & celery. It is delicious that way too!

This recipes makes about 9 cups of soup. Hope you enjoy it!


Now for some fun giveaways!
Dalyn at Muckbooks N Aprons is hosting a giveaway for one of her homemade goat milk soaps and a lotion bar. She is also beginning her journey with raw foods which I find fascinating. Can't wait to read more.

Another giveaway is going on at Living Off The Grid. Ang is giving away a delightful farm basket of homemade goodies. She has just moved to a 40 acre farm and has gone completely off grid. That has always been a dream of mine and I look so forward to reading about her adventures.

Pumpkin Spice Everything!A Recipe & A Giveaway

I don't know about you, but Spice Pumpkin is my favorite fragrance of all. It doesn't have to be autumn either ~ though it is especially nice this time of year. Whether its a candle, a soap or a freshly baked prim (you prim artists know this well), I just can't get enough Pumpkin Spice all year round!

The only drawback is that all those spicy fragrances leave us Blakneys craving fresh baked bread ... and I usually feed the craving by baking Pumpkin Bars. This recipe was the very first baked item that I ever learned to make from scratch and I always enjoy making it again and again. I posted it last year but it just seems a perfect time to share it again.

It is sooo good ~ especially for cool mornings now that we can warm up our ovens and make our kitchens nice & cozy.

Photo credit goes to Colton Blakney ~ Photographer in the making

PUMPKIN BARS

What you'll need:
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup canned pumpkin

What you'll do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in sugar & oil and mix well. Sift all dry ingredients and add them to the egg/sugar/oil mixture. Mix well. Add pumpkin to the mixture and stir well again. Pour into a greased 12x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Then you can cut them into squares. They hold their shape nicely and look great on a nice serving plate.

All done! My boys & husband just love these so much that I have to make two batches if I intend to have one.


Well Kay at The Rustic Cottage is hosting a giveaway for two bars of her delightful handmade soap in her new fall scents of Pumpkin Spice and Chia Tea. They are just so nice and I believe she sells them in her Etsy shop too. So stop by her blog for a visit and be sure to sign up for this fun contest!

Smiles,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Lemon Cookies

I am such a chocolate lover! I tend to make lots of chocolate cakes, brownies, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate creme pies. But for my son Luke, who doesn't eat chocolate, I always have to be certain to make treats that bring a smile to his face too.

Here is a simple but scrumptious treat that is a favorite of my son, Luke, and uses only 4 simple ingredients.

The beautiful pottery star hanging in the background is a lovely gift from my friend, Linda of Parker's General. It was baked with Queen's Anne Lace pressed into the pottery. When it was fired, the flower burned away but the imprint was left. Isn't it beautiful?

LEMON COOKIES
1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix lemon cake mix, eggs and oil in a bowl. Pinch off quarter sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dip into confectioners sugar and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or when tops begin to crack. Remove from oven and cool completely.



You can also experiment with other flavored cake mixes like strawberry or chocolate as well. I haven't tried them yet but have been told that they're delicious too.

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Blackberry Cobbler!

It's that time of year here in West Tennessee when wild blackberry bushes are loaded with plump fruit. Every morning, new berries are ready to be picked for jam, cobblers and canning.

So on 4th of July morning, I went out early and picked some nice fresh berries to make a cobbler. It was so good and thought you might enjoy the simple recipe as well.



Simple Blackberry Cobbler
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 stick butter
1 cup blackberries (or just whatever you have ~ sometimes I even throw in 2 cups!)
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the butter and place in a 2 quart baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Then pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Toss your fruit right on top. Again do not stir.

Bake at 350 degrees until crust rises and browns.

You can substitue your fruit too. I've used peaches and heard others say they have used apples or plums and of course all the other wonderful berry varieties.

This is especially yummy served with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

This batch is all gone. I think I'll go bake another!

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Plum Jam!

Remember all those lovely plums? Well I was was so blessed when my friend, Tami, called this weekend to say I could have the remaining plums on her tree. And then my father in law also offered the plums from his trees as well. So what else could I do but make plum jam!



Now I'm not the least bit experienced in canning. I set my heart at attempting blackberry jam two years ago armed with only my Ball Canning book and the little insert that comes in the pectin package. And it was actually edible! The plum turned out quite well this year and I couldn't be more excited!



I won't try explain the entire canning process but want to encourage you if you've never given it a try and have access to fruit, jump in and have fun! It is such a great experience to line your pantry shelves with all those jewel colored jars of fruit to enjoy for the year and know it came from your own hands.

Right after I set the last jar of plum, I ran out to pick blackberries. Here is how we pick blackberries. (You never know what you're going to run into out there!)



It is not nearly as pleasant as plum picking thats for certain. My poor fingers still hurt from all the briars. But they taste so good and they're worth feeling like a pincushion for a couple of days.



I need a lot more berries so I'll be going out each morning to gather berries that have ripened the previous day. Hopefully enough to make a few jars of jam as well as one or two fresh cobblers! Yummy!



Today I am thankful for:
26. the generosity of friends
27. God's provision
28. colorful fabric scraps
29. my front porch swing (thanks mom & dad)
30. a full pantry

Have a blessed day!
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Applesauce vs. Oil

I'm probably the last person on the planet who hasn't heard about this little secret BUT just in case there is someone out there who is just as in the dark as me ... I wanted to share this little fat reducing baking tip.



All you do is replace the oil in your baked goods recipes with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. You can do this in quickbreads, muffins, cakes and even brownies. The applesauce actually makes your cakes a little fluffier. Of course, if you want really fudgy brownies you can use 1/2 oil & 1/2 applesauce as well. Just experiment with the substitution amounts to achieve the results that you like.

It is really good and a nice way to cut calories without giving up all those goodies we love!



Today I am thankful for:
11. Finding a long lost friend
12. A testimony of faith & healing
13. Time to sew aprons
14. Happy children
15. More rain

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Spreadable Butter

I am so excited to be back and posting again. Just have to say thank you again for your support and prayers. Colton is happy, well and playing with his brothers right now! Praise God!

I'm looking forward to visiting with you all to see what is happening in your kitchens and gardens and sewing rooms and farms. I'm always so inspired by each friend I visit.

Well my recipe for today is something that I have wanted to try for some time. I've read about it on various sites but most recently at Heather's Choosing A Simple Life blog.

Some years ago, my family and I chose to no longer use margarine and return to real butter. However, my boys have never gotten over the "shock" (poor dears~LOL) of having to wait 30 minutes for it to soften! Well now they won't have to. This great recipe both stretches your butter and makes it easier to use for those of us who just can't wait.

Spreadable Butter



Equal parts real butter and oil
(I prefer canola though I am going to try olive oil for my next batch.)

1. Allow butter to come to room temp.
2. Place the butter and oil in a blender and blend away till smooth and creamy. You may use a mixer as I did. It worked great!
3. Pour into containers and refrigerate.

The butter is easy to spread straight from the fridge and tastes so good and creamy!



Today, I also made a small batch to which I added cinnamon. My boys just love cinnamon toast for a snack, and they are going to be tickled about this new creation. I've already tasted it, and its simply wonderful.

You can get really creative and make different variations. Add honey, pureed fresh strawberries or brown sugar.

I really think the flavored butters would make such a nice gift with a fresh baked loaf of bread. I can just hear everyone now ... "Oh no! She is off on another tangent and we're all going to get bread and butter next week." Don't worry though ... I'm not baking bread until this heat wave subsides. But cooler temperatures will be around before you know it ... then watch out! LOL



Today I am thankful for:
1. Laughter of my children
2. Hummingbirds outside my dining room window~a miracle of creation
3. Finding my long lost friend, Diane
4. My husband who said I was pretty even though I know I was a mess
5. Inspiration from on-line friends

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen - Gooseberry Patch Books

My FREE Gooseberry Patch recipe books arrived this weekend. And they are so neat! The two books, Family Favorite Recipes and Fall Favorites, contain recipes like Apple-Raisin Cobbler Pie, Pumpkin-Raisin Snack Cake, Mediterranean Spaghetti and Fall Butternut Stew.



And you can still get yours for FREE! Just click on one of the books above to go to the page. Fill out the form. Hit send. And before you know it, these wonderful little recipe books will arrive in your mailbox.

One more thing before you go ~ Tomorrow I'm having a fun giveaway right here at Farmhouse Blessings and another giveaway with my primitives group, Glad Tidings Primitives & Folkart! So be sure to come back and join the fun!

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Amish Friendship Bread

Here is Mrs. Smith's recipe for Amish Friendship Bread that so many asked about.

In order to make this recipe, you need some starter from a friend or you can begin your own. I found a good recipe for making your very own starter.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly.

Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.



Amish Friendship Bread
With starter that you have made above OR starter from a friend ~ follow this schedule for 2 delicious loafs of bread.

HINT: Mrs. Smith gave me the starter in a heavy duty 1 gallon zip lock bag. It really made preparing this bread so simple. It was easy to mix. She wrote the dates on the bag which made remembering when to add ingredients much easier as well.

Day 1: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 2: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 3: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 4: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 5: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
Day 7: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 8: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 9: Stir or squeeze bag.
Day 10: Pour all the starter in a large bowl. Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Mix.

Pour 3 - 1 cup starters into separate containers or ziploc bags. Keep 1 bag for yourself to begin the process again and give 2 starters to friends so they can enjoy some bread too!

Use the remaining starter to bake your bread using the following recipe:

Important notes to remember:
Do not refrigerate
Do not use metal spoons or bowl
If using a plastic bag, release air when necessary
It is normal for starter to thicken, bubble & ferment

Okay ~ let's get started!

Add to the remaining starter:
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
2 tsps cinnamon
Fruit, veggies or nuts of your choice

Mix ingredients well and pour into 2 greased and sugared loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool.

It is sooooo good! I really enjoy the versatility of this bread. You can use whatever fruits or vegetables that are in season or on sale at the market. The loaves I made were just stuffed with plump blueberries that I got from a local farmer last year.

My "vultures" would hardly let me get a photo before they were holding out their plates. They were so ashamed that the covered their faces when I turned the camera toward them! LOL



Thanks Mrs. Smith! You've made my boys very happy.

Happy Eating,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Blueberry Pecan Quick Bread

Such a delicious fruit-filled quick bread that can be easily doubled and frozen! The serving dish in the photo is a "thrifty" find that my mom picked up for only $2. It is so pretty, and I just "love" serving bread to my family in this lovely piece.

1/4 c shortening
1/4 c margarine/butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c bananas, mashed
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 c quick oats
1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c nuts, chopped

In a large bowl, cream shortening, margarine and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; stir in bananas.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir oats, blueberries and nuts into dry ingredients. Carefully blend the dry mixture into the creamed mixture, stirring only to moisten.

Pour batter into a well greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Allow bread to cool completely on a wire rack.


This is a very versatile recipe. I added 1/2 cup more blueberries and left out the oats because I didn't have the quick oats. You can use walnuts or pecans or just leave the nuts out altogether. Just use what you have in your pantry!

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Cappuccino Brownies

Well okay, its not REALLY Monday but somehow that day just got away with me. Spring time is beckoning me to the outdoors and I simply cannot resist the call!

However, I did want to post this yummy recipe for Cappuccino Brownies. My son, Jase, made this and entered it into the County Fair. He took home a 1st Place Blue Ribbon so you know it has to be good! So if you love the blend of coffee & chocolate, give these a try!

CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES



4 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
3/4 c butter, melted
2 c sugar
5 eggs, divided
1 t vanilla extract
3 T instant coffee granules
1-1/4 c plus 2 T all-purpose flour, divided

8 oz. pkg, cream cheese, softened
1/3 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Place chocolate and butter into a large bowl; stir in 2 cups sugar until well blended. Mix in 4 eggs, vanilla and coffee. Stir in 1-1/4 cups flour until combined.

Spread in a greased, foil-lined 13x9 baking pan.

Now beat the cream cheese, sugar, remaining egg, 2 T flour and cinnamon in same bowl until well blended. Spoon this mixture over brownie batter and swirl with a butter knife to marble the top.



Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Eat the crumbs because you want want to waste one little bit of these delicious brownies! LOL

Cool in pan. Cut into squares. Makes 24 brownies.

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Amish Style Oven Fried Chicken

This yummy recipes comes from Patty at Morning Ramble. It was sooo good. And I loved the fact that I didn't have to stand over it and wait for it to get done. I just put it in the oven and went outside until my timer told me it was time to open the oven!



My family loved it too! Do you see the little white spot on one of the chicken pieces on the right? That is where my husband simply could not wait until I took the photo. I had to make him put that piece back on the serving plate until I could snap this shot. Now that's a testimonial! LOL Thanks Patty!

Amish Style Oven Fried Chicken
serves 4-5

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried marjoram (optional)
8-9 chicken pieces - legs, thighs, breasts

Place the oil and butter in a shallow cooking pan (a jelly roll pan is perfect) and put in a preheated 375 oven to melt. Set aside.

In a large paper sack, combine the flour and seasonings. Roll the chicken pieces, 3 at a time, in the melted oil-butter mixture, then drop them in the sack and shake to cover.

Place on a dish or wax paper until you have them all done.

Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Bake for 45 minutes.

With a spatula, turn over and bake 5-10 minutes longer, or until the top crust begins to bubble. Serve hot or cold, but the crust texture is better if the chicken is not refrigerated before eating.

I did not have a paper bag on hand when I made this chicken. I used a 1 gallon zipper bag. However, I do believe the coating would have been much better had I followed the instructions. So try to get that paper bag before you give this a try. I know I will.

The pan drippings make a tasty gravy. We had mashed potaotes & corn on the cob as our sides. It was like an old-fashioned country picnic ... without the ants!

Smiles,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Free Recipe Book!

Today I want to tell you about a whole book full of recipes that you can get free from Gooseberry Patch & Sun Maid Raisins ~ no strings attached. You can choose either FALL FAVORITES or FAMILY FAVORITE RECIPES or choose by putting an "x" in the first box!



Just click on one of the books above to go to the page. Fill out the form. Hit send. And before you know it, a wonderful recipe book will arrive in your mailbox.

Enjoy,
Lea

From My Kitchen ~ Morning Glory Muffins

We just love muffins for breakfast. This is a wonderfully delicious recipe that includes fruits, nuts & vegetables. And they freeze well so make a double batch and you can have that fresh baked taste next week with little effort!



2 c all purpose flour
1 1/4 c sugar
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 c carrots, grated
1/2 c flaked coconut
1/2 c raisins
1 apple, peeled, cored & diced
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
3 eggs
1 c oil
2 t vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine flour,sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in carrots, coconut, raisins, apple and nuts.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into flour mixtures.

Spoon into greased muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes. Makes 16 large muffins.


So simple! This is also a great recipe to "mix it up" a bit. I usually make mine without the coconut but add more apple. Even try some different spices. But believe me, they are perfect just the way they are as well!

Enjoy!
Lea