resolution numero uno: cook, bake, blog.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you (any of you that may still be there, occasionally checking this sedentary blog) how much I've been cooking/baking/in the kitchen.  I could, but I won't.  Why?  Mostly because I haven't been doing much of any of that lately. Two resolutions on my very short list of resolutions are going to get me back in the kitch:

1. Overcome my fear of baking with yeast, and master the art.

2. Cook.  And blog about what I cook.  It's not that hard!

  Proof is in the pudding, right?  So, here's some pudding.  In the form of a very, very tardy TWD rewind post.

These corniest corn muffins are great on their own, or on the side of a meal.  My personal favorite way to eat them is crumbled up on top of a salad.  They're actually the star of my favorite salad:  Corn Bread Salad.  Click here for that recipe, and see below for the muffin recipe.

Corniest Corn Muffins

From Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

6 Tbsp. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional

1 c. buttermilk

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 Tbsp. corn oil

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 c. corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if you like) - fresh, frozen or canned (in which case, they should be drained and patted dry)

Directions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.  Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular size muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and other yolk together until well blended.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend.  Don't worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy, and that's just the way it should be.  Stir in the corn kernels.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

What are your cooking resolutions for 2011?

The best part of waking up is...Oatmeal Breakfast Bread! {TWD}

Its time again for my post with the cooking club Tuesdays With Dorie, but I'm kinda breaking the rules a bit, so I hope you can keep a secret.  I was out of town with my Momma last week and missed this recipe that I'd really been looking forward to, so I'm making it this week (and that's where the rule-breaking comes in).  I'm out of order, but you're gonna be thankful for my rebellious ways the instant you taste this bread!  The thing that really got me swooning and wanting to try the recipe is in the book when Dorie describes the bread as "pudding-soft."  How could I resist?  Clearly, I could not.  I changed things up as follows with scrumptious results:  skim milk instead of buttermilk; 1/2 c. wheat flour & 3/4 c. all purpose flour; Craisins for the dried fruit; and no cloves. 

I can't wait to go to sleep tonight so I can wake up and have it for breakfast!  Don't worry about the fact that I just got done having a slice for dessert.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Click HERE to find the complete recipe at Oven Love

TWD: unto the "yeast" of these...Raisin Swirl Bread

I'm not gonna lie to you, although I made the decision to bake this bread for Tuesdays With Dorie, I was NOT looking forward to it. I love cinnamon & raisins, so being picky had nothing to do with it. It was the fact that until today I'd never succeeded in making one single recipe that called for yeast. But did you catch that? Until today! This amazing bread is the one and only yeasty beast I've been able to conquer thus far in my culinary journey. So a big thanks to Dorie Greenspan, and her groupies of which I am proud to be a part.

Due to this little bout of luck, Dick and I will be having a fantastic French Toast breakfast very soon. Let's face it, it may actually end up being a French Toast dinner, but either way, your mouth is watering just thinking about it. Am I right, or am I right? If you'd like to join us, please visit my TWD buddy, Susan, at Food.Baby for the complete recipe.

Raisin Swirl Bread

Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

The perfect beginning and ending to the day...

Does the first picture look a little familiar? Like you maybe saw it on the cover of Food Network Magazine last month? Ok, theirs was much more professional looking, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they invented this egg-cellent dish. Oh, no they sure didn't. I'm not claiming that I invented it, either...not even close. We call it the egg baskets (I don't remember what they called it), and Dick first introduced them to me while we were dating. It's definitely not the fanciest breakfast, but one of champions nevertheless. Ever seen the movie Moonstruck with Cher & Nicolas Cage (before his terrible hair/awful movie lifestyle choice - don't argue...you know you can't with Ghost Rider in your back pocket!)? Well, if you haven't you should Netflix it this weekend. You'll love it! Cher's mother in the movie makes egg baskets! So, I have yet to learn who the founder of the Egg Basket is, but let's all take a moment to give thanks anyway.

Egg Baskets

Ingredients

1 egg

1 piece of whole wheat toast

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Using a cookie cutter or small drinking cup, cut a hole out of the middle of your bread.

2. butter both sides of your bread.

3. place your bread in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

4. crack your egg into the hole in the bread, season w/ salt & pepper, & cook it to just under your liking.

5. use a spatula to turn the bread/egg over for 45-60 seconds.

6. sprinkle with cheese and place on a plate.

What is the perfect ending to the perfect day? Or even the worst day? My answer to that question will probably always include chocolate, and on most days it will specifically be a chocolate eclair. I've always loved them, but only if they're filled with custard. You can just forget it if it's filled with that whipped cream garbage. No thanks. Tell me, what is the point of that? It's just a tease, and totally unsatisfying. When we got home from NYC, I was craving pastries...which makes complete sense when I remember that we had some every single day we were there! I'd try to defend myself, but really there's not a lot I can say. So, of course I turned to FoodNetwork.com and found exactly what I was looking for. Shout out to Paula Deen - because of her you're all getting this sensational chocolate eclair recipe! And might I also add that this was so much easier than I'd imagined it would be?! I made my sister some for her birthday, and then I made more the very next day. We took some to friends, but we saved two big ones for ourselves. Like I would make and then not partake...come on, you know me better than that by now. There was icing that went with the pastry itself, but I didn't like it very much, so I ended up going with a can of chocolate frosting. If you have a great chocolate icing recipe use it, if not, just swing by the grocery store. Have fun indulging, my friends. I know I did!

Chocolate Eclairs

Paula Deen of the Food Network

Ingredients

Pastry:

1 c. water

1 stick margarine or butter

1 c. sifted all-purpose flour

4 eggs

Filling:

3 c. milk

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. heat water & margarine to boiling point. add flour & stir constantly until mixture is smooth & forms a ball when tested in cold water. remove from heat & let cool.

3. beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. for small eclairs, drop dough from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. for larger eclairs, spoon dough into a pastry bag and pipe onto the cookie sheet. bake for ~30 minutes or until light brown. set aside to cool.

4. prepare filling by combining milk, sugar, salt & flour; cook slowly until thickens.

5. add 3 beaten eggs & continue to cook until mixture is even thicker. remove from heat, cool & add vanilla.

6. with a serrated knife, slice pastry puffs lengthwise, but not all the way through.

7. pipe custard mixture into the center.

8. frost the eclairs & serve.

On time! TWD: Cocoa-Nana Bread...Ahhhhhhh

When you think of a fruit dessert, what usually comes to mind? My first thought is usually chocolate covered strawberries. And the next would be pretty much any other fruit covered in chocolate - you know how at those chocolate fountains (that I won't even let myself really think about when I'm loading my plate full of heavenly chocolate-drenched finger foods because of all the oil they have to put in it to make it that runny and smooth) there is every fruit under the sun, because fruit is already fabulous, but then you bathe it in chocolate and you could just die it's so good?! Anyway, this bread is just like dipping bananas in that delicious chocolate fountain. Ok, so it's not exactly like that, but it's pretty dang good! It's really rich, so it's perfect with a glass of milk for that weekend junk-breakfast splurge, or the late night snack you've been craving all day when you're catching up on the episode of Lost you missed because your husband has a freaking night class on Tuesdays. Oh, the life of a student's wife - so glad I'm graduated! Like I'm going to understand anything they throw at me this season, anyway...hmmmm... But really, like every other recipe of Dorie's I've tried, this one was a huge hit. Dick took the second loaf to work, and didn't bring even a crumb home to me. Head on over to Obsessed With Baking for the complete recipe. You won't be sorry you did. Love you guys!

Cocoa-Nana Bread

Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

cOrN bReAd SaLaD

You know when someone tells you to try something, and you think, "Now that's just crazy! It sounds stupid, and I don't do stupid things." I thought that exact thing when I first saw Dick put ketchup in his mac & cheese. But then when I tried it, I realized that it tasted just like dipping a grilled cheese sandwich in ketchup, which I love to do! Well, that thought might go through your head when you think of putting corn bread in your salad instead of just having it on the side, but once you try it you'll be thinking, "Mmmmmmm...ok, ok, now I get it!" This salad is perfect, or at least I think so. And I'm pretty sure my sis-in-law thinks so, too, because she wasn't going to eat with us tonight - she was going to go on a date with her BF - but then she had a bite of Dick's salad and she called her boytoy to tell him they were eating dinner here. Told ya. Yup, that's what I thought. And the great thing about this salad, just like pretty much any other salad, is that you can add or take out any ingredient you want. I love that about salads! It's also an awesome option if you're wanting something filling, but not super heavy. I've seen chicken put in it, and you can do that if you absolutely love chicken, or if you just need to stretch it to feed a lot of people, but it's totally not necessary. The beans and bread fill ya right up. So, go ahead and think I'm crazy. But then make the salad so we can be food-friends again, ok?!

Corn Bread Salad

From lots of places - seen it done here and there.

Ingredients

1 10 oz. bag Salad greens (I used spinach, but like it with Romaine, too)

Corn Bread (recipe follows)

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 1/2 c. baby carrots, thinly sliced

1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Ranch dressing

Directions

1. pile a 1-2 cups greens in your bowl.

2. Cut a square of corn bread into smaller pieces and top your greens with them.

3. spoon some kidney beans and carrots on top.

4. Sprinkle with cheese and top with dressing, if desired.

5. dig in!

Corn Bread

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Bridal Edition Cookbook

Ingredients

1 c. milk (I used skim)

1/4 c. margarine, melted

1 large egg

1 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal

1 c. all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/2 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. corn kernels (I used canned, drained)

Directions

1. heat oven to 400; grease bottom and sides of 9x1.5 inch square pan.

2. beat milk, margarine, & egg in a large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Then add corn kernels. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 20-25 min. or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Holly Jolly Pumpkin Bread w/ pecans, cranberries & white chocolate...HEAVEN

Well, my foodie friends, 'tis the season...finally! I have to say that although I've lived in the state with the "greatest snow on earth" my entire life, I've never been a fan of it outside of the week before Christmas until New Year's Day. But I have always and will always be a fan of the Christmas season! That being said, I have to post one last pumpkin recipe, and then I'll get going on my Christmas treats. But to be 500% honest with you, I'll definitely be making this all throug December to give as holiday goodies to friends & neighbors, cuz they're gonna LOOOOOVE it, just like you are! It's so good, in fact, that the loaf I gave to my Mom & sisters was half eaten before they even got home - that means they were breaking off pieces and eating with their hands in the car because they just couldn't wait until they got home to use a knife and plates. hahaha TRUE STORY!

Pumpkin Bread w/ Pecans, Cranberries & White Chocolate

From The Closet Cook

Ingredients

1 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c. oil

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. pecans, chopped & toasted

Directions

Mix flours, baking soda, salt & spices in a bowl.

Mix the pumpkin puree, sugars, eggs, oil & yogurt in another bowl.

Combine the wet & dry ingredients.

Stir in the chocolate chips, cranberries & pecans.

Pour the batter into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. (I used two 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 pans)

Bake in a 350 degree oven until toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes.

I'm THANKFUL for Sweet Potato Biscuits!!!

I was just thinking about how I'd only ever eaten sweet potatoes/yams one way my whole life until this year, and that way was always in the form of candied yams on Thanksgiving. My aunt makes awesome candied yams with these cinnamon apples every year, and they are always a big hit. But I have to be honest, my favorite part of that dish has always been the apples, so I'd always just scoop some off the top and leave the yams for everyone else to enjoy. I've only been married 3 years, but in that amount of time, Dick has transformed me into a much more daring eater and cook! Seriously. I will now cook with and eat any color of bell pepper, I'm getting braver when it comes to tomatoes (baby steps, sweetie), and I'm making foods with sweet potatoes and actually eating them! And this one is awesome, so I wanted to share it with all of my favorite peeps just in time for all of our Thanksgiving feasts. If you're looking for something new to spice up your usual dinner, this one would be an awesome tradition to start! Hope you like it. And Happy Thanksgiving, for heaven's sake!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

2 c. all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat flour)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

pinch of ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar

3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

2 15-ounce cans sweet potatoes in light syrup, drained & mashed

Directions

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt & spice together in a bowl. add brown sugar & stir; make sure there are no lumps. drip in the butter, and, using your fingers, toss to coat it w/ flour. quickly cut rub the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is pebbly.

Add sweet potatoes to the bowl, grab a fork, and toss & turn until you've got a nice soft dough. with your hands, gently knead 3-4 times, just enough to bring everything together.

Lightly dust a work surface w/ flour, and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly w/ flour & pat the dough out w/ your hands until it is about 1/2 inch high.

Use a 2- to 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter to cut as many biscuits as you can. Transfer biscuits to a greased baking sheet & cook in a 425 degree oven for 14-18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Cool them on a rack about 10 minutes before serving.

Coming up:

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

SaLmOn BuRgErS & SWEET pOtAtOe FrIeS

I saw this salmon burger recipe on Ezra Pound Cake blog awhile ago, and finally tried it! I seriously went all out on this one, too, because I even made the buns and fries to go along with them! The buns came from Prudence Pennywise (my cooking hero)! I'd never cooked with capers before - ok, I didn't even know what capers were until I grabbed them off the shelf for this recipe - and they were delightful. I have to admit, though, that I halved the burger recipe for Dick & I, and I definitely should have quartered it because these patties were truly ginormous!!! So, keep that one in your back pocket for future reference. And, may I say that these buns were my favorite ever?! I usually have pretty crappy luck with anything involving yeast, but these turned out with perfection! I was worried about them all day, but turns out I really didn't need to be haha. And, just a warning, if you love sweet potatoes then you are going to devour these fries in no time flat!

Sweet Potato Fries

From the Food Network Magazine, October 2009

Ingredients

2 lbs sweet potatoes, cut into wedges

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. chili powder

pinch of cayenne

Directions

Toss potato wedges in olive oil and spices until well-coated. Roast cut-side down on a baking sheet in 425 degree oven until crisp, about 30 minutes, turning once.

disappearing chocolate zucchini bread

Okay, so I've made this bread twice now, and both times I've managed to get pictures of it in the pan, but have had zero luck snapping a shot of a slice. You may wonder why, but after you taste it you'll completely understand. Is this the best bread I've ever had? Why, yes, I think it is! Seriously, if you like chocolate at all you are going to just be on cloud 9 the instant it touches your taste buds. And then, when you close your mouth and start to chew, your eyes are going to get really big and then kind of roll into the back of your head as that delicious yummy noise (you know the one, its kind of a moan/sigh) just escapes your mouth, past all the chocolaty goodness that is this bread. The term "eat your heart out" was made for foods like this! My suggestion: only let it cool a few minutes; and have a big glass of milk on hand. Your life just got a whole loaf of chocolate zucchini HEAVEN better. Don't thank me, just enjoy.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

From the Closet Cook

What is it w/ my breads sticking to my pan?!

Ingredients

1 c. zucchini, grated

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. oil

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1 egg

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. choc chips

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Directions

Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt, & egg.

Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa, cinnamon in another bowl.

Mix wet & dry ingredients.

Mix in nuts & chocolate chips.

Pour batter in greased 5 x 9 loaf pan.

bake in preheated 350 degree oven until toothpick comes out of center clean, ~50 minutes.

*BbQ mEaTlOaF & cOrNbReAd*

My mom has a great meatloaf recipe, but I saw this one online & just had to try it! And I'm soooooooo glad I did! Whenever my mom made meatloaf, it was on a Sunday, so I stuck with tradition - for some reason its just one of those perfect Sunday dinners, you know?! It went perfect with Dick's mom Liz's cornbread recipe, too. When we got married, Liz gave me an entire binder full of her recipes (LOVE IT!), and this is one that I always go back to. Its super sweet! This was the first time that I made it with whole wheat pancake mix, and it was better than ever! So yeah, this meatloaf is jam-packed full of flavor & is incredibly moist - just the way a meatloaf should be (nothing is worse than a dry one!). I've got a bunch of leftover Neely's bbq sauce, which we love, so that's just another perk of this dinner. Try it next Sunday - you know you want to!

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

from the Neely's on the Food Network

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Neelys' BBQ Seasoning, recipe follows
1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning, (recommended: Old Bay)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Neelys BBQ Sauce, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, recipe follows
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix BBQ seasoning, crab boil seasoning, soy sauce, beaten egg, 1 cup of the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and add to wet mix.
Pour mixture into bowl with the ground turkey. Add bread crumbs and mix all together with your hands.
Transfer the meat mixture to a cookie sheet or baking pan. Using your hands, shape the meat into an oblong or rectangular shape. *Cook's Note: Alternately, you can pat the meat into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and pour 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the loaf.
Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and add the reserved 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the top and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.

Neelys BBQ Seasoning:
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder
Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Neelys BBQ Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Cornbread

From Liz Smith

Ingredients

1 c. sugar

3 c. bisquick (I used whole wheat Krusteaz)

1/4 c. cornmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. margarine

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

Directions

1. Mix together sugar, pancake mix, cornmeal, and baking powder.

2. Cut in margarine.

3. Add 2 eggs & milk and mix well.

4. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan & bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes.

.Paula's chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Paula Deen...there's not much I can say about this lady except how much I ADORE her! Other than my love of food and budding interest in cooking, she is the reason I started watching the Food Network Channel so much (and when I say so much, I mean that every time I sit down to watch TV, its always the first channel I check - I even look at their website everyday!). She is a freaking hoot, and she'll without a doubt make you laugh while she makes you drool over her food. She cooks mostly southern food, and in almost every dish I've seen her make she uses an insane amount of butter...not the healthiest, but right up there with the tastiest! Anyway, I don't have many pictures of this bread 1) because I didn't grease the pan well enough, so it got ripped apart, and 2) because we ate it pretty dang fast! It's FANTASTIC - the orange zest gives it a little tang that I'm sure you'll love...we did!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

by Paula Deen of the Food Network Channel

Ingredients

3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. grated zucchini

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. pecans, chopped

1 Tbsp. orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease 2 9x5 loaf pans. sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices. in a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. add sugar and continue beating until well blended. stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, & orange zest. stir in sifted ingredients & pour into loaf pans. bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out of the middle clean. remove loaves from the pans and cool.

-banana bread & whole grain breakfast cookies-

Unless you really know me, you wouldn't know that I haven't always liked cooking, and I haven't had a real knack for cooking until lately. Its a long story with lots of sad cooking disasters that you don't really want to hear...trust me. But this banana bread recipe is one of the first things that I actually got right on my first attempt, so it is very close to my heart! I called Grandma Shirl looking for a recipe, and this is the one she gave me. It is from a Lion House cookbook, not sure which one. The more bananas you use, the better it tastes! And the riper, the better!

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. mashed bananas

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. milk

2 c. flour (I use half whole wheat)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (or both!)

Directions

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in bananas, lemon juice, & milk. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips, if using. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and pan and cool on rack.

I made these whole grain cookies for a health fair cook-off, and they were a big hit even though they didn't win. We liked them so much that I made my dad a plate for his Father's Day breakfast, and he loved them, too! Then, this past weekend we threw Momma a surprise 50th birthday bash, and I made them again...but this time my sister requested that I replace the raisins with white chocolate chips - they were AWESOME! The birthday girl, and all of her guests, ate every last one! So, if you're going for healthy, just do the dried fruit, but if you're looking for a white chocolate treat, make the substitution!

Whole Grain Breakfast Cookies

adapted from Prudence Pennywise

Ingredients

5 Tbsp softened butter

3 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 c. quick oats

1/4 c. wheat germ

1 c. combination of raisins & craisins (or white chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine butter and sugars in medium bowl, creaming until fluffy.

3. Add vanilla and eggs.

4. Stir in salt, cinnamon, powder, and soda. Stir in wheat flour, then oats, and then wheat germ. 5. Stir in cranberries and raisins (white chocolate chips).

6. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets with at least two inches of space between them.

7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

*Don't let them get too brown, unless you like them crunchy. Bake until barely brown on the edges. Cool a couple minutes on the tray before transferring to the rack.

!!! Strawberry Sour Cream Bread !!!

I had to put the exclamation marks on both sides of the name of this bread because I need you to know how much you will love it! When I found this on one of my newest fave cooking blogs, The Closet Cook, my brain started to FREAK OUT! I had never heard of such bread, but just the sound of it made my mouth immediately start to water ... as I'm sure yours is right now. As luck would have it I have a huge bag of strawberries in my freezer, so I hopped right to it and made this heavenly treat. It was a BIG hit with Rich, our pals the Purser's, and of course ME! The whole loaf had disappeared by the next day! Strawberries are on sale everywhere right now, so go get some and bake yourself the perfect summer bread. You'll be so glad you did!

Ingredients

1/2 c. unsalted butter

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

2 c. strawberries (fresh or frozen), diced

Directions

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in another bowl. Mix 1/3 of dry ingredients into wet. Mix 1/2 sour cream into wet. Mix another 1/3 dry ingredients into wet. Mix remaining sour cream into wet. Mix remaining dry into wet. Mix in strawberries. Pour batter into 9 x 5 greased loaf pan. Bake about 60 min. at 350 degrees, or until golden brown & toothpick poked into center comes out clean.