Happy Valentine's Day!

These little wonders are AMAZING!!! SOOO good! I put them together on Friday night and threw them in the fridge. Then the next morning i pulled them out and put them in the oven and WOW! Chris and I were eating these all weekend long! Yummm! I can't remember whose blog i got these from so if they're yours let me know because i REALLY want to thank you!!!
Cinnamon Rolls
For dough:
1/2 cup warm water (105–115°F)
2 (1/4-oz) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm milk
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

For filling:
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze (is my own combination):
2 cups powdered sugar
Approximately 8 teaspoons milk (add more if glaze is too thick)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
-In bowl of large stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
-Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, combine 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar and whisk to combine; set aside
-In small bowl, combine milk and eggs.
-With mixer and dough hook on low speed, add milk and egg mixture then slowly add flour mixture, stirring to combine.
-Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.
-Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic (adding more milk or flour to achieve good consistency if needed), about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
-Add dough to large oiled bowl and tightly with plastic wrap.
-Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
-Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
-Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and 2/3 c. granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough.
-Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal.
-Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
-Arrange slices, cut sides up, into prepared 9x13 pan, spacing evenly as they will bulk up.
-Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight to rise (you can also just let rise at room temp until doubled in bulk about 1 -1 1/2 hours).
-In morning, remove rolls from fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees while they comes to room temperature.
-Bake rolls in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a fork until smooth.
-Drizzle over buns while still relatively hot.
-Serve buns warm or at room temperature.

Amish Friendship Bread

Chris was given a bag of batter by a fellow at work (yes Chris Works on a constructions site) and brought it home to me with a page of instructions of what to do for the next 10 days and I thought what the HAY!
I would give you the recipe but I don't know it! BASICLY I think it contains a cup of flour, a cup of milk, and then a cup of sugar. You do this whole squish the bag a few days (I guess thinking of the friends you're going to give it to) then you add more stuff... squish a little more... and add more...
Then you put a cup of the batter in a gallon size bag and send it to your friends for the 10 day process.
With your left over cup you add more stuff and something of your choosing (i picked raisins) and then you bake. I baked mine in a bunt pan because i only have one loaf pan.

This bread was so yummy! It's a GREAT dessert or breakfast bread! My family came for Christmas as a surprise and LUCKILY i had already made this and they loved it!

Pizza Rolls

Want something GREAT to eat on Sunday, after church, while watching football?? This is SO good! Chris thought it was the best idea and was happy that I was making something for my Blog that was just for him and not for others! Now even though I did make some of this "my own" I don't know if I would have ever thought of it if it weren't for Elizabeth's Edibles.
Really there's not much to this recipe
Ingredients
Pizza Dough (I made my own)
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease pie pan.

roll dough out into a large rectangle and cut into pieces. Try to make them as square as possible. Mine were about four inches long.
In each dough put a spoon full of pizza sauce, a couple pieces of chopped pepperoni and a tablespoonish of cheese. Seal dough around meat and cheese and place seam side down in pie pan.

Repeat, placing balls into plate until full!

Once assembled, combine oil and spices and brush over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Now you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze or you can bake right away.

When ready to bake: bake at 400°F for 16-20 min. Serve with warm pizza or marinara sauce.

Garlic Knots

So I had a work party that was a potluck and I had to bring a dish. Well I work with a very diverse group from all different countries... and who would want something I would make when you can have Sushi! Sweet! So I figured that everyone would bring great sides, etc so I would bring the bread. I've been dying to start trying to make my own bread, rolls, etc rather then always buying it frozen so here was my shot! And thanks to my trusty Katie, they were a hit! Honestly, I'm not sure why I have a blog since I'm always sending ya'll back to hers! But hey, I'm just so proud that I can copy with some similarity!
Ingredients:
1 recipe basic pizza dough (previous post)
1/2 c. butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
salt

Directions:
-After you let pizza dough recipe complete it's rise, roll out into large rectangle, 1/2 inch thick.
-Using pizza cutter, cut into measured out 1-inch wide strips.
-Take each strip and tie into a basic knot.
-Take end that is underneath and fold it over and into the middle.
-Take end that is over top and fold it under.
-Place knot onto parchment lined baking sheet.
-Repeat with all knots.
-Sprinkle generously with salt, cover with wax paper and kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-In small saucepan over medium low heat, combine butter and garlic.
-Stir until butter mixture is completely melted.
-Using pastry brush, generously brush the tops of the dough with the butter mixture.
-Place in oven to bake until turning golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
-Remove from oven, brush with remaining butter mixture and serve.

These were a hit and I should have made more, Chris was upset he only got one!

Pizza dough!

What do both of these dishes have in common? They are both made from Katie's Pizza dough! It's such an easy recipe, the hardest part is the waiting to let it rise... seriously it's soo easy! I tripled the recipe so that I could make the garlic knots, the Pizza Rolls AND still be able to throw some into the freezer for future use! Sweet!
So here's what you do:
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp lukewarm water
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
-Combine yeast and water in small bowl and let stand until slightly foamy (about 10 minutes).
-Combine 2 3/4 cups flour and salt in large bowl and form into a mound.
-Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture.
-Using a fork and stirring in a circular motion, gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until a dough forms.
-Lightly flour a work surface with some additional flour and transfer the dough to it.
-Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
-Brush a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
-Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with the remaining flour. Punch down the dough and, using your hand, begin to press it out gently into the desired shape.

So Good and EASY! I'll never buy pre-made dough again!

Pumpkin Bars!

Again something GREAT to make ahead and take! I waited to make the frosting until I got to my parents for Thanksgiving, since I didn't think Cream Cheese Icing would keep very well on a Nine Hour car Ride... but the rest I did on Tuesday night before the drive!
Thanks to Elizabeth's Edible Experience for posting this yummy treat!

Ingredients
Bars:
* 4 eggs
* 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 15-ounce can pumpkin
* 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* enough shopped pecans to sprinkle on top (my addition)

Icing:
* 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer (I had to use my handheld... but not for long! Can't wait for Christmas) at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

Spread on cooled pumpkin bars (I piped them for a cleaner presentation).

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl

with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined.

Stir in the vanilla and mix again.

Apple Bread

Thanks to Katie I had something that I could make ahead and bring to my parents house for Thanksgiving! This was such a tasty treat! As you can see by the picture below it was very much enjoyed! We arrived on Wednesday night around midnight or so and this is what was left by 8am the next morning!

Here's what you need to do:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 smidgen fresh ground nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. apples (about 2 medium), diced
1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans).
-In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk to combine thoroughly, set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, combine oil and sugar and beat to combine thoroughly.
-Add egg and yolk and beat to combine thoroughly.
-Beat in vanilla.
-Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture, a little at a time, beating until just combined.
-Stir in apples and pecans.
-Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan (batter will be quite thick) and spread evenly.
-Place loaf pan into oven and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 80-90 minutes (45 minutes for mini loaves).
-Let cool before serving.

Biscuits and eggs!

Yes I am southern, and No I do not make biscuits... why you may ask??? Because my dad always did! Why should I when he makes perfectly heavenly ones???
So on Sunday morning I was up nice and early and decided to give it a go... now they weren't like my dad's but they were Very tasty!
For the biscuits i just used a basic recipe I found in my Betty Crocker cookbook.
For the Eggs, I sauteed onions and bell pepper in butter then added the following mixture:
some egg whites (from egg beaters) then a few regular eggs, cheese, milk, pepper, and pepperoni, chopped into small pieces. Cook until scrambled... and YUM!

Lets Drink Pork and Have a Beer Bread!

NO! I'm not an alcoholic I just saw this bread and thought WOW Chris would love it and his friend was coming into town and he would love it! YES, you use beer to make it but that's so you don't have to use yeast... and man it was tasty! AND the story behind the "Lets Drink Pork" is I had a pork tenderloin and I didn't want to just bake it or something equally boring so I baked it with seasonings and then topped it with a white wine mushroom sauce, Why YES my house was very gourmet last night!

Soo since I have an ACTUAL recipe for the bread we'll begin with that!
Here is the cheesy beer bread... thank you Elizabeth's Edible Experience for the idea!

Ingredients
3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can/bottle beer (I used Sam Adam's Octoberfest)
1/4 cup jalapenos ( I didn't use)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (I used more like a cup total I think)
1/4 cup melted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients and beer.
Add to mixture, 1/4 cup of jalapenos and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar (OR Only a LOT of cheese).
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over mixture.
Add 1/4 cup shredded cheddar to the top of the loaf
Bake 1 hour
remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes!


Gezzz ook OKAY! Now on to the pork. HMMM
So I'm just going to type what I did and I'll try to tell you general amounts but I really just dabbled this and that until it tasted like something I would eat.

So i Baked my pork loins in the oven on 350 for lets say around an hour?? (Just check it) Before I placed it in the oven i sprinkled with salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, and lets say basil.
For the sauce
I began but sauteing chives and diced onion (only like half a small onion and 1/3 a bunch of chives) in olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. Then I added some garlic salt. Later when the onions were becoming transparent I added oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. I cooked that for a minute then add around a cup or so of a Chardonnay that I had in my fridge and about a cup and a half, maybe more, of chicken broth. Got that nice and warm and added sliced mushrooms (I would have LOVE cremimi BUT my grocer does not sell these so I used the standard white ones) and just kind broke them into smaller pieces as a cooked it. Then I was thinking "Self this needs something else to deepen the flavor", so I called up my trusty mom and she had the trick in mind Parmesan cheese! YEA! Threw that in, lets say 1/4 cup? Then i just let it cook... when chris got home I add a few table spoons of flour to thicken it and whisked that until it was smooth!
BASICALLY this is what I did... threw stuff in, tasted and threw more in of what I thought it needed. Some may not want as much wine, but I really enjoyed the flavor it added, etc.

When everything was ready, I sliced the pork, placed it on the plates and covered with the sauce. Chris LOVED this, I hope I'll be able to recreate it! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!

I LOVE these! So good on a cold morning with a cup of coffee, if they aren't just out of the oven throw it in the microwave and warm is up... so good! I found this recipe on Annie's Eats and knew I had to star to it make later and I found the PERFECT time. One of Chris's best friends from college is coming into town tonight! I didn't want him to have to make his own breakfast on Friday, while Chris and I were at work, so I figured, Lets Make Muffins! YUMMM! Sadly I am not one to read the directions (only ingredients) all the way through before I begin, so I didnt' read the "freeze the cream cheese mixture" part until I was ready to start... so while I TRIED to freeze it, I didn't let it FULLY freeze, but they were STILL awesome! YEA! So here's what you do!
Ingredients

For the muffins:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour
4 tbsp. butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

And Enjoy!!!

Bread Machine Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread
From: All Recipes

Ingredients
1/2 c margarine, softened
2/3 c milk
2 eggs
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c white sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 c mashed banana
1/2 c chopped walnuts.

Directions
-spray bread machine pan with veg. oil spray
-premix ingredients in order listed. Place mixture in breach machine pan.
-select the quick bread/cake cycle (on my bread machine it was the hour cycle) Press Start. Check after one minute to see if mixture is well blended.
-cook until cycle stops. Remove pan, and cool completely before removing bread from pan.