GLUTEN FREE APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL BARS

This is another new recipe I tried that was a big hit during the birthday party weekend. I made these so my daughter with a wheat allergy could eat these while the rest of us had the Grands cinnamon rolls. Delicious! These are very handy to have in the freezer for a quick breakfast anytime, or for a snack, but I made double and there were none left to freeze.

I found this recipe on the blog 'Iowa Girl Eats' here . She also has other versions of this oatmeal bar on her blog.

This calls for oat flour or put some of the oatmeal in a blender or food processor and that is what I did and that worked out very well, so there is no need to buy the expensive oat flour, providing you can find it in the store. I did not. I also used quick oats rather than old fashioned and that worked well too. Again, no pictures due to the busy weekend so you can check those out on the Iowa Girl Eats blog.

Notice that there is no refined sugar in these bars.

APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL BARS (gluten free)

2-1/2 cups certified gluten-free old fashioned oats, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, any kind
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons no-sugar-added applesauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (I used regular vegetable oil rather than buy coconut oil)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray an 8x8" baking pan with
nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Add 1 cup oats to a food processor or blender then process until
oats have turned into flour (alternatively you could use a scant cup
oat flour.) Add flour to a large bowl with remaining 1-1/2 cups old
fashioned oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt then stir with a
fork to combine and set aside.
3. In another bowl, add milk, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil,
egg, and vanilla then whisk to combine. Pour into dry ingredients
then stir until just combined. Fold in grated apples then pour batter
into prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and
the center has set. Cool before slicing into bars then store in the
refrigerator, or individually wrap bars in saran wrap and freeze.

This is a keeper for me and I will certainly make them again. In fact, I think I better make some today.

Enjoy!

MMM.. . . MMM. . . .GOOD!!

Do you need something quick, easy and delicious to serve with coffee to your friends or family? Have I got a treat for you! Only 6 ingredients and 5 minutes needed to make it, and 40-45 minutes to bake, for a piece of heaven. Quick, easy and delicious. . . . my kind of recipe.

I just tried this recipe today and it is a keeper for sure. For my Dutch friends who love almond patties, this tastes a lot like them, without the flaky pastry. You gotta give this a try.

5-MINUTE ALMOND CAKE

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract (I use Watkins)
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
Powdered sugar (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Melt butter in glass bowl in microwave. Using a fork, beat the eggs into butter. Add the flour, sugar and almond extract and mix well. Pour into a small (8-inch) pie plate or an 8-inch cake pan and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using. Serves 8.

No mistake, there is no leavening in this recipe. And when it says 'pour' into pie plate, I think it should read 'spread' as the batter is thick. I did not add the powdered sugar on top as it is sweet enough and I think is only used for appearance, plus I didn't feel like going back out to the pantry to find the powdered sugar. I thought I had put plenty of sliced almonds on top but after baking I wish I had added more because I love nuts (all kinds, even human ones).

Naturally I had to have a piece right away to see if it was any good, so it was still warm, and I love it that way!

Come have a cup of coffee with me as I go have another slice. I will share.

GINGERBREAD CAKE MIX

Finally, here is the recipe for the gingerbread cake mix that I put in the Christmas gift bags.

The recipe says it yields 5 batches (10 cups total), but I got three quart jars filled, which should make 2 cakes each. I used wide mouth jars which makes it easier to fill.
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GINGERBREAD CAKE MIX

Mix:
6  2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup + 1 TBS. nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup baking powder
1 TBS salt
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 - 1 1/4 tsp ground cloves (use lesser amounts if your cloves are really strong)
1 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1 1/2 cups shortening

Cake:
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup molasses

In a large bowl, combine the dry Mix ingredients; mix well. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. Yield: 5 batches (10 cups total).

To prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg, water and molasses. Add 2 cups of the cake mix; beat until well blended. Spread into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 F. for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Prep. time: 10 minutes for the mix; 10 minutes for the cake.
Baking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 9 per cake.

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If you are giving this as a gift, make sure you put a tag on with the directions for making the cake. If using a quart jar like I did, be sure to put on the label that it makes 2 8-inch cakes, or someone might dump the whole jar in with only 1 egg, etc and end up with a flop. (I might be the one that does that without thinking!)

I found the label designs on Pinterest. There are several online sites that have free printables. I printed them on 2"x4" mailing labels. And the final touch, the red grosgrain ribbon tied around the lid. If you think far enough ahead, there are many cute ways to decorate the jars for whichever holiday or event the gift is given. Go to Pinterest!

MORE APPLE CRISP

Did I mention apple crisp is my favorite apple dessert?

Here is another good recipe you may want to try a little later in the year, when the fresh cranberries are available. This one is really good, too.

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CRANBERRY-APPLE CRISP

3 cups peeled, chopped, cooking apples
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup regular rolled oats, uncooked
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently. Place apple mixture in a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Combine oats, brown sugar and salt; stir well. Cut in butter. Sprinkle oat mixture over fruit mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

NOTE:
May be doubled for a 9x13-inch dish.

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I have always melted the butter or margarine before adding to the brown sugar/oatmeal mix. It just seems easier to me.

Again, this needs a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream will do as well. Use whichever you prefer.

SEPTEMBER - APPLE TIME!

It is apple picking time, and time for apple pies, applesauce, apple butter, apple crisp, apple cake . . . . . .

What is your favorite apple variety? Mine is Honeycrisp. If you haven't tried them yet, you don't know what you are missing! They are so juicy, crisp and sweet for eating fresh. I can't stand a mealy apple but they are great for cooking.

What is your favorite apple dessert?  My all-time favorite is apple crisp.

We were discussing apple crisp recipes in one of my groups recently and they asked for my favorite recipe. Here it is ~


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APPLE CRISP

8 cups peeled apples, sliced
1/2 cup raisins (I prefer mine without)
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup flour

TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine

EXTRA:
1 jar Smucker's caramel topping

Mix all ingredients for dessert (apples, nuts, sugar, cinnamon, flour). Place in 9x13" pan. Mix all ingredients for topping. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm. Drizzle with caramel topping. Add scoop of ice cream.

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If your apples are sweet to begin with, you may want to cut back a little on the sugar that is mixed with the apples. Use 1 cup instead.

Apple crisp DEMANDS caramel topping and vanilla ice cream!!

It reheats really well in the microwave. Just put one serving in a dish, reheat until warm, add the caramel and ice cream and enjoy.

A funny story. My husband was going to get me a dish of apple crisp and I told him I wanted it warmed up in the microwave, so he puts the ice cream on top and THEN microwaves it. :o) So I ate apple crisp with warm cream. That was okay, but it is much better warm with cold, frozen ice cream.

Enjoy!

WHEATLESS BREAD - 1918

Here is a recipe found in the newspaper archives from 1918. Think WW1. It seems there was an acute white flour shortage at the time, so these recipes were suggested.  Barley flour is not gluten free so be aware of that.  These recipes do sound good and I will have to give them a try. How about you?

I wasn't even sure barley flour would be easy to find these days so I googled it, and there are suppliers, so you might be able to find it in your stores, or at least online if you are interested in trying it. I also found the following information about barley flour at this link:  http://bakingbites.com/2008/01/what-is-barley-flour/

Barley flour is just what it sounds like: a non-wheat flour made from grinding whole barley. It’s a popular alternative to wheat flour because, unlike many non-wheat flours, it contains some gluten. This obviously doesn’t make it a good choice for those with celiac’s, who cannot tolerate gluten, but it does mean that it is an excellent option for more conventional bakers looking to expand their skills by working with alternative flours.

Barley flour has a mild, but very slightly nutty, flavor the complements both regular and whole grain flours. You can substitute it into a regular recipe for up to 1/2 of the ordinary flour without compromising the texture of the baked good (with the exception of very delicate/sensitive baked goods, like angel food cake, that rely on the presence of a precise amount of flour to work well). In fact, because it has a low gluten content, it can actually help to tenderize baked goods while still lending enough gluten to the recipe to allow it to rise properly. When compared to regular all-purpose flour, there are some nutritional benefits to barley. It has slightly fewer calories and more than 4 times the fiber of all-purpose. It also has slightly more fiber than whole wheat flour.

It is a good flour to substitute into quick breads, muffins and cookies for a little whole grain twist and is an easy ingredient to play around with in the kitchen in general. You can find it at just about any natural foods store (Whole Foods, etc.) in the baking or cereal aisle.

CINNAMON ROLLS - bread machine style

I shared my mother's favorite cinnamon roll recipe some time ago. They were made the old fashioned way, and I know some of you still prefer to make bread and rolls that way. But all that mixing and kneading doesn't work so well with my wrists and the arthritis at the base of my thumb, so I have the bread machine do all that for me. It might take a little longer but it works really well. Some of you have the big stand mixers with the dough hooks and I have an old style one that has them too. I did use it to make bread dough when it was new, but now it is old and the speed is unreliable. I think it has something to do with a rheostat, and not worth fixing since I don't do a lot of baking these days.

I do like making cinnamon rolls the easy way with the bread machine and I found a recipe that I like quite well. Some time in the mid-to-late 1990's I ordered a small bread machine cookbook called "Fleischmann's Yeast Bread Machine Favorites" I don't know if it is still available. I just checked the Fleischmann's Breadworld website and did not see any mention of it, nor is this recipe among the ones they have on the site. But I did see several yummy sounding recipes that I might have to try, so you might like to check it out as well. http://www.breadworld.com

The recipes in this book have amounts for both 1 pound loaves and 1 1/2 pound loaves. My machine makes 1 1/2 pounds. I don't know if you can even buy bread machines that only make the 1 pound anymore. Many of them now make 2 pounds, so if that is what you have, you will have to figure out how to make adjustments, unless it will also make the 1 1/2 pound. If anyone wants the 1 pound recipe, just ask me for it.

Awhile back I got hungry for cinnamon rolls, so I made a pan full. My intention was to blog about it right away, and I remembered to take pictures, although I did not remember until 3 had been eaten. According to the date stamp on the pictures, that was back on April 12. My goodness, time does flit away. You might guess that I got involved again with genealogy research, and when that happens, nothing else matters.

I am rather proud of how uniform I managed to get the slices without measuring before I cut! I also do not roll out the dough with a rolling pin. I just push it out with my finger tips, pushing out any big air bubbles as I go. I start in the center of the dough and work toward the edges.

Later I decided I wanted them a little sweeter, and I was pretty sure I had a can of frosting in the pantry. Sure enough, after a little digging I came up with a can of cream cheese frosting. Perfect! As you can see, I wasn't aiming at making them look pretty, I just wanted them to taste good. And they did! So here is the 1 1/2 pound recipe for the rolls ~~

OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON ROLLS

DOUGH:
3/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons water
1 large egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/3 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

FILLING AND TOPPING:
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
Glaze (see recipe below)

Add dough ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough/manual cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. If dough is too elastic, cover and let rest for 10 minutes before shaping. Meanwhile, for filling, stir together almonds, the 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon.

Divide dough in half. Roll half of dough into a 9x8 inch rectangle. Spread with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Sprinkle with half of the filling mixture. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut into 6 equal slices. Repeat with remaining dough, butter, and filling. Place all the rolls, cut sides up, into one greased 9x9x2 inch baking pan.

Cover dough and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Bake rolls at 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until done. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Drizzle Glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm Makes 12 rolls.

Cycle: Dough/manual cycle.

GLAZE:
Combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and enough milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) to make glaze of drizzling consistency.

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Here are some of the changes I made. I often use part whole wheat flour, usually 1 1/2 cups of the total amount of flour, and the rest  is white bread flour. I measure out the 1 1/2 cups plus the additional 1/3 cup white flour. Or I will just use 1 cup whole wheat flour to 2 1/3 cups white. Either way is good and it isn't that noticeable to the eye.

I had planned to use what was left in a package of chopped pecans as that is what I had on hand, but I forgot them.

I do not bother to divide the dough in half and roll out 1/2 at a time. I leave it in one piece, then cut into 12 pieces. I have never tried to get all twelve into a 9x9 pan! As you can see, mine filled the 9x13 Pyrex dish. If any of you try the 12 in the 9x9x2 pan, tell us how it worked, please!

I always let bread do the last rise in a slightly warm oven with the light on and that always works well for me. I turn the oven on at the lowest temp for just a few minutes, and turn it off before putting the bread or rolls in. Leaving the oven light on also gives off a little heat.

As I said before, I used part of a can of cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.

CRACK ROLLS

This is a new recipe that I recently made. I found it on Facebook and it has really been making the rounds there. I am sure it can also be found on Pinterest. I forgot to take pictures of the ones I made, but they looked very much like the picture below, even though  those are labeled as Crack Sticks.




I think everyone that has tried them understands why they are called CRACK rolls. They are ADDICTIVE!! Plus they are simple to make. I highly recommend them, unless you are trying to lose weight.  Here is the recipe.

CRACK ROLLS

1 loaf (16 ounces) thinly sliced white bread, crusts removed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup  white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, melted.

DIRECTIONS:

Flatten bread with a rolling pin. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and confectioner's sugar. In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Roll up, jelly roll style. Dip in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Yield: 16 roll-ups. Good warm or cold. ADDICTING! 


I suggest using the cheap sliced commercial bread. You know the kind - has no body to it, easy to flatten and have it stay that way. LOL I used Walmart label bread that sells for 88 cents a loaf.

Someone suggested serving them with a caramel dipping sauce. That sounds good! I only made half the recipe since I am the only one eating them, plus I only had 1/2 package of cream cheese on hand, left from a previous cooking session. Was wanting more once they were gone, but it was a good thing I didn't have more!

Another person said these are very much like something they were served at a bed and breakfast, and they do make a delicious pastry for something like that, and for a brunch, or when you have ladies over for coffee or tea. Oh, heck, they are good for any time! Did I mention they are addicting?

February, the Month of Red, Pink and White

February is the month we lean toward desserts with a red and white theme. Here is one that I tried recently. It was posted by Pillsbury on their Facebook page, and if it sounds like cheese cake, plus cherry pie filling, I am there!! This is an easy recipe, and though rich because of the cream cheese, I found it not to be overly sweet, but good enough to eat. . . . and eat. . . . and eat.

CRESCENT CHERRY CHEESE COBBLER

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) tube crescent rolls (8 crescent rolls are in one tube)
12 oz. (1 1/2 blocks) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided use)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (21 oz. ) can cherry pie filling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Unroll the crescent rolls. Line four (4) of the crescent rolls in the bottom of the baking dish.
Spread them out and cover the bottom of your baking dish. Seal the seams as best as possible.

Next, combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Then add in vanilla extract and mix again.
Spread cream cheese mixture over crescent rolls in the baking dish.

Then pour pie filling on top of cream cheese layer. Spread it around evenly.

Finally, top with remaining crescent roll dough.
Do your best to stretch it out on top and seal the seams of the crescent rolls.

Pour melted butter on the top of the crescent rolls. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the melted butter. Bake for about 35-45 minutes.
Top crust should look crusty and be golden brown in color.

Slice and serve. This must be kept refrigerated if not eaten the same day its made.

In this picture it looks like I could have taken it out of the oven a little sooner, but it was still delicious. As you can see, I didn't quite get the crescent dough stretched out to the edges. It was a little hard to manipulate without pulling holes in it. But maybe that is because my hands don't work as well as they used to? I have seen ads for the crescent dough that comes in a solid sheet instead of perforated for individual rolls, so that might work better. I have not seen it in the store here so far, unless I missed it.

The recipe calls for unsalted butter but I rarely buy that. I don't remember  my mom ever using it either and she was a great cook and baker. I just used regular salted butter. I am not a purest or perfectionist when it comes to cooking and this was 'good enough'. I don't think anyone would push it away unless they just don't like desserts. Period.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

It is December. One whole week is already gone! Only 2 1/2 weeks until Christmas!! Oh my! Is it time to panic yet? For us procrastinators, it probably is. I admire the organized and disciplined women who start their holiday preparations very early and orderly. That is not me! I can't even think of things until the last minute. I have tried using holiday planners such as the Flylady has available. And I just found a holiday planner that Peter Walsh has put online, and signed up on that site, and there are Yahoo groups devoted to organized planning schedules to get ready for the holidays. But I either never seem to get started or I fizzle out long before I get done. Shame on me. I just can't seem to stay focused. I often read a blog called A Slob Comes Clean. Maybe I should call this blog - A Procrastinator Fesses Up ??

I am going to change things up a bit here for December, and not follow my daily theme schedule. Instead I will do as several other bloggers are doing and do some things dealing with Christmas.

As I was looking through a couple of my cookbooks, looking for a recipe for 7 layer bars, I saw a couple of cookie recipes I had cut out of newspapers, pasted in the cookbook, and wrote "good for Christmas" beside them. Actually one said "Excellent for Christmas". They are simple recipes and very good. I will start with the 'good for Christmas' cookies. I apologize for not having any pictures of cookies I made, and most likely won't have any, since I am not making anything for the holidays. I have no reason to. I have no family coming, that I know of, and I certainly don't need to eat them all. I might make something to add to a gift basket I am thinking about, but we will see if I get that far.

SESAME SEED COOKIES

Cream 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 2/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 beaten egg, pinch salt and 1/2 cup sesame seeds. Drop by spoonfuls on greased and floured baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 375.

TIP: Did you know that you should keep sesame seeds in the fridge? They can get rancid otherwise. Poppy seeds should also be kept in the fridge. I never knew that several years ago.




Next is the "Excellent for Christmas" cookies -

ALMOND COOKIES

Combine 1 cup butter, 3 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon almond flavoring, 2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roll in balls and flatten with glass. Bake at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Frost with powdered sugar frosting, flavored with almond extract.


I just noticed as I typed that the original print says both almond flavoring and almond extract. I am sure they meant the same thing.




One more simple cookie for today -

SIMPLE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Blend 1 egg and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 cup crunchy peanut butter. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Top each cookie with a chocolate star. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.


Yes - there is no flour in the recipe! That is not a mistake. This is good for those who have wheat allergies or must eat gluten free. This recipe has been around long before anyone heard of gluten free. You will have to make sure there is no gluten in the chocolate and peanut butter, however.

Sweet eating!

What's Cooking . . . . Quick and Easy Coconut Cream Pie

WHAT'S COOKING . . . .

QUICK AND EASY COCONUT CREAM PIE

I tried this new recipe yesterday, and oh, my! It is s.o.o.o good! I found the recipe here. Coconut Cream is one of my favorite pies, but as my friend said, I have never met a pie I didn't like. If pie is on the menu I will be there!

Coconut Cream Pie

2 package instant vanilla pudding
2 cup milk
1 small container Cool Whip
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small can coconut
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

Mix the pudding and milk together. Let set a few minutes in the refrigerator. Fold in the Cool Whip and vanilla. Add toasted coconut. Pour into pie crust and top with more coconut. Refrigerate. To toast coconut, place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake until light brown, let cool. 

I tried to make this as frugal as possible, as well as close to sugar free since I don't need those extra calories.

First I baked a single pie crust ( Great Value from dairy case) in a glass pie plate, and while the oven was still hot I toasted the coconut. This was about half of a small bag of coconut that was left after using it in the cookies I made awhile back. It is a good idea to use up the coconut fairly soon as it does dry out. 

 Make sure you prick a lot of holes in the pie crust with a fork before baking. I still ended up with a large 'bubble' in one area. Some good cooks like to put some dried beans on top before baking to hold the pastry down but I didn't do that. There are also pie weights available if you bake lots of pies, but that is just more 'stuff' to find a place for in my small house. This is the first time I have used the Great Value brand from Walmart. I found it to be quite flaky and had a good flavor. The fluted edge did relax a little too much in baking so it didn't look so pretty. Maybe I was in too much of a hurry and didn't pinch it tight enough? It also crumbled very easily, not like the thick and almost cardboard texture of most grocery store pies, and it is a bit cheaper than the regular Pillsbury brand. If you want to make your own crust, my favorite recipe is below.

Watch the coconut very closely while toasting it. I don't leave the kitchen when doing that because it can burn very quickly once it starts to brown. I also stirred it a couple of times while toasting. Allow the crust and coconut to cool before making the pie. This step can be done a day or so before actually putting the pie together.

For the filling I used 2 boxes Great Value brand instant French vanilla pudding mix , sugar free. Great Value is quite a bit cheaper than other brands and I think just as good. I use sugar free as I need to watch sugar levels and don't need those extra calories. For the 2 cups milk I used 1 cup evaporated milk from the pantry and one cup water as I had no regular milk on hand. I did not have to chill the pudding as the directions say as it was already very thick. 

 I prefer Watkin's  vanilla extract. I know there are cheaper imitation vanilla flavorings available but I feel this is not an area to skimp on. It used to be that the only way you could by Watkin's products was to buy from a dealer that went door to door years ago. My Walmart does carry their vanilla as well as their black pepper and cinnamon, their most popular sellers. My daughter made a pumpkin pie from the recipe I always use and said it didn't taste like mine. It was the cinnamon as she didn't have Watkin's.  If you can't find it in a store, it can be ordered online.

The Cool Whip was in my freezer from a time when it was on sale for 89 cents, and I bought several to have on hand. When I added the toasted coconut, I reserved some to sprinkle on top. I have already had a piece and it is yummy! I haven't added up the cost or how much cheaper it is than if I had used the usual brand name, mostly because I can't remember prices of the name brands, plus I hate to take the time to do it. Yes, I am lazy. To guess, I would say it was about $1.00 to $1.50 saved, more if you don't count the cost of the leftover coconut that wasn't wasted.

MOM'S PIE CRUST

3 cups flour

1 cup lard

2 teaspoons salt

Using a pastry blender, or food processor (I don't have one) blend the lard into the flour until pea size lumps.

Mix together:

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons vinegar

water to make 2/3 cup

Add to lard/flour mixture until it holds together. Divide into 3 balls as this is enough for 3 one crust pies, or 1 double crust pie and 1 single. Sometimes I use that single one to make treats by cutting into strips, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake. I can't get enough of those.

The reason I call this Mom's pie crust is that she found this recipe decades ago and never made any other after that. She might have gotten in from a popular recipe column of a local newspaper back in the 1950's, or maybe from a friend of hers.

I might also add that if you don't like the idea of using lard and use a solid vegetable shorting like Crisco, use about 1/3 cup more. With all the talk about trans fats and hydrogenated fats not being good for us, I am thinking lard is the way to go. It is a natural product. 

What's Cooking - Cooking Tip

Tip: Use beaters from a hand mixer as a make-shift whisk. Just hold one beater in your hand and whisk with it. It works great for smaller tasks.

I use whisks a lot when cooking or baking. They're perfect for beating eggs, sauces, batters, or combining dry ingredients. But sometimes they are all dirty when I need one, so this is handy to know.

What's Cooking -- Good Cookies

WHAT'S COOKING

 

GOOD COOKIES

 

 

 

 

It is impossible to show you how good these cookies taste. Let's just say, you can't eat just one. At least I can't, but then I am a sugarholic. This is one of my favorites.

Now I don't necessarily like making cookies. I would rather make bars because the bars take a lot less time. Cookies are what I call 'putzy' baking. But I do love to eat homemade cookies. And I think I have solved my problem with making them. Make the dough, form into balls, and FREEZE them before baking! Call me a slow learner. I discovered this after joining an internet group of frugal women who do a lot of cooking and baking, plus reading several blogs. Isn't the internet wonderful? In fact, the day I made these cookies, my friend Rhonda, over at if you do stuff. . . stuff gets done posted about her cookie baking too.

 

Since it is hard for me to stand very long at one time, I can mix up the dough and make the balls all while sitting at the table. I did have to use my hand mixer, which isn't quite as efficient as the stand mixer, but it works, and much easier than dragging the heavy mixer out, plus the rheostat (or whatever it is called) seems to be going out as it doesn't keep the speed regular. All of a sudden it will take off like lightning, and then slow way up, or somewhere in between. That makes using a bit tricky! Can I say the mixer is old?

 

I put the balls of dough on cookie sheets and put them in the freezer until frozen, and then transfer to some square ice cream pails that I have. They fit in the freezer better than the round ones. If you are wondering where to get the square ones, Walmart sells a line of ice cream in them and is cheaper than the other brand in pails. I didn't want to use plastic bags for these as I can see them getting squished and broken with other stuff on top of them, even if they are frozen.

 

Now, when I want a cookie I can take a few out and bake in the toaster oven. The tray that came with the oven holds 4 cookies at a time. In the summer the toaster oven is nice as it doesn't heat up the house as much. It also uses less power than the big oven. I really hate to turn the big one on to make just a couple of little things, and it takes longer to preheat as well, so lots of electricity being used in the process. And this way, I am not tied to the kitchen while all the cookies bake, one cookie sheet after another. That can take 1/2 a day. And then I have all those cookies cooling on the table, too, and who can walk past without grabbing one or two each time? Not me.

 

Now for the recipe. My recipe calls them Ranger Cookies. In some of the other church cookbooks I have, very similar recipes are called Crisp Cookies, Krispie Cookies, Everyday Cookies. These are crisp cookies. And they can be called Krispie Cookies because they have Rice Krispies in them.

This is an old recipe that has been around for decades. The one I used came from the book above. Don't you think it looks well used and old? I had also written in the top right corner "Very Good" to remind me that this recipe has been tried and approved. I don't remember what year I started this book, but am thinking it was in the early 1960's, maybe even late 50's. My mom had one similar to it before I got married, so daughter does as mother does.

 

 

RANGER COOKIES

 

Cream:

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

 

Add:

2 eggs

1 cup oatmeal

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups Rice Krispies (or other cereals which need to be used up)

1 cup coconut

 

Mold into balls. Bake at 350 F. degrees for 12 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.

 

Some of the other similar recipes added raisins, chocolate or butterscotch chips or nuts. This is a good recipe for using up a little of this and a little of that, or whatever you have on hand. But the cereal, oatmeal and coconut are must-haves as far as I am concerned.

 



This is one of my favorite tools for cookie making. It makes a nice size cookie and all are the same size. It is easier to use than two teaspoons. I also have a larger one that makes Monster Cookies, or either can be used to make meat balls.

 

Happy baking!

What's Cooking - Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

This is one of Mom's favorite recipes, and one I loved to eat. It was featured in the local newspaper sometime in 1958 or 1959. If you still like to make bread dough the old fashioned way, this recipe is for you. It won't fit in my bread machine, but maybe if yours makes 2 pounds it might work.

MOM'S CINNAMON ROLLS

1 cup milk
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups flour
1teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup salad oil

Scald milk. When cooled to lukewarm, add yeast (which has been dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water), sugar, and 2 cups flour.

Next add salt, eggs, oil and remaining flour. Knead well, let rise until double.

Roll 1/4 inch thick, spread 3 Tablespoons butter over and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar to suit taste.

Roll and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices and place in greased pan.

Let rise until light.

Before baking, pour over top of raised rolls:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon butter melted
1/4 cup water.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes.

This dough may be used for clover leaf rolls and doughnuts.
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Here is a tip for cutting the rolls.

Use dental floss. Put a length of dental floss under the long roll, bring up each end and cross over the top and pull tight. Roll is cut very neatly. I suggest you don't use the mint flavored floss, though.

(I know, I should have pictures of the process and finished rolls, but I was in a hurry to get this post written. Who knows, maybe they will show up later.)

What's Cooking?

 

In My Kitchen

 

 

Grands biscuits. Yes, I took the easy route and made them from a can. But I love them! I did get them from the clearance basket for $1.50, which is almost 1/2 price. I bought most of those in the basket - Grands biscuits, Pillsbury Cinnabon rolls and Pillsbury Caramel rolls. I had recently read on another blog that they can be frozen right in the can so thought I would take advantage of the sale and give it a try. I call that a God-incidence to have read that just before finding the good sale.

 

Then I tried a new recipe that I first saw on Facebook. The actual recipe is at this blog:
  http://hangingonbyaneedleandthread.blogspot.com/2011/06/rhubarb-dump-cake.html

(for those who quilt, this is a good site for that too)

 

The recipe is as follows:

 

RHUBARB DUMP CAKE

 

1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/4" pieces (between 3 and 4 cups)

1 cup white sugar

1 (3 ounce pkg) strawberry jell-o

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 cup water

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the rhubarb evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb, followed by the dry jell-o, and finally the dry cake mix. Pour the water and melted butter over the top. Do not stir. Bake for 45 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

But I didn't follow the recipe exactly. A friend brought me some rhubarb, but it was pencil thin and most were not much longer than a pencil, so it only gave me a little less that 2 cups. I had a 6 oz. box of fresh blueberries in the fridge so added those. I bought them thinking I would make blueberry muffins but that didn't happen, so I knew they should be used. That still wasn't 4 cups. I had a bag of mixed berries in the freezer - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries - so added those to make 4 cups. And when I went to the pantry to get some jello, all I had was one box of peach. With the blueberries and blackberries, it really didn't matter what color the jello was! I used a scant cup of sugar since the berries are naturally sweeter than rhubarb.

 

A dish of warm dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. . . . . heaven! With a dump cake, any fruit can be used and it will be good. I still want to make one with all rhubarb, but I need to tell my friend to let it get much bigger and longer before she takes some.

 





m . . .m. . .m. . .Bacon!

Some time ago I saw on Pinterest directions on cooking bacon in the oven and thought "I've got to try this." I have seen others do it on TV or on blogs so maybe you do this already, but I had not tried it. A couple days ago I had an open package of bacon in the fridge that needed to be used before it spoiled, and thought this was the right time to try this method. Wonderful!! Easy. . .not messy. . . perfect bacon. I only made about half the package the first time as that filled my jellyroll pan. After it was done I thought - why didn't I take pictures and put it on the blog? So today I made the rest and here are the pictures.

 

The instructions are easy. First line your pan with aluminum foil to make cleanup a snap. Lay out a single layer of bacon strips, not touching if you can help it. I already had my package cut in half. I have always done that since I can get more in a frying pan that way, plus a handy size to eat or use in sandwiches.

 

 

 

Then put the pan in a COLD oven, turn the oven on at 375 F. and set your timer for 15 minutes. Check to make sure it doesn't overcook. It might take a few minutes longer depending on the thickness of your bacon, or how crisp you like it.

 



 Here is the pan hot out of the oven. Can you smell it? You can see some of the grease still bubbling on top of the slices.

 Then I put a layer of paper towel in the bottom of a pan or dish, add a layer of bacon, and repeated the layers, with paper towel on top to absorb the extra grease.

As you can see, there isn't a lot of mess in the pan. I then took a spatula and scraped all the grease into my bacon grease jar that I keep in the fridge. You can't throw that yummy stuff out! It makes the best fried potatoes ever, not to mention frying eggs in it. It works great with frying any meat as well, especially pork chops. The grease jar is also recycled from an empty jam jar. My mom had a little crock that she kept the bacon grease in, right on the stove or close to it. It wasn't refrigerated (and nobody got sick from it). But today the 'experts' warn that it must be kept in the fridge. I used that little crock for bacon grease many years after Mom was gone, but now my daughter has it. Once the grease is in the jar, wad up the foil, throw away, and the pan is clean. No need to wash it before putting it back in the cupboard.

Now, if you can resist eating it all, you can freeze the slices for future use in sandwiches, salads, or reheat for a meal - homemade pre-cooked bacon! And cheaper than what you buy already cooked, plus you have the grease to use. This is also a handy way to cook bacon when you have several people to feed, whether for breakfast, supper, or a brunch. This can bake while you are making the eggs, pancakes, etc. You can also bake muffins at the same time if you want, or bake the whole pound at one time by using two pans and rotating them about halfway through cooking.

Another thing I want to try in the future is the brown sugar/pepper bacon like I saw the Pioneer Woman do on one of her shows. Doesn't that sound yummy?

My favorite bacon brand is Oscar Mayer. I think it tastes the best of any of the other brands in our area. There is one brand that I cannot stand the smell as it cooks. OM is a little more expensive but so worth the extra money. I try to buy several packages when there is a really good sale, then freeze them. I don't usually have the energy to cook them up after I have been shopping so they go in the freezer as they come from the store. (Oscar Mayer is not paying me to say this.)

Surprise Prize!

A little over 5 weeks ago I received an email saying I was chosen to receive a $25 gift box of Hodgson Mill products - one of 10 people chosen because we voted in a pizza contest on their Facebook site! I didn't even know they were doing that. I just voted for one of the bloggers I have followed, hoping she would win the big prize, and she did, by the way. I was told I would receive the box in 2 to 4 weeks, but after 5 weeks nothing had showed up. I sent an email to the person that informed me and wondered if this was all a joke. She promptly sent a reply saying it was ready to ship the next day, but the next day - yesterday - the box arrived in the late afternoon! This is what was in the very heavy box ~

The bread flour is a 2 pound bag and the rest are 5 pound bags.

Doesn't the European Cheese & Herb bread sound good? That just might go in the bread machine tomorrow. The box on the right is whole wheat angel hair pasta. I have never tried whole wheat pasta so that will be interesting.

This is not the greatest picture. It is fast rise active dry yeast. I think I count 5 packages. I foresee a lot of baking going on soon!

I like the fact that these products are GMO free. My youngest daughter found out a couple years ago that she has a wheat allergy. There are many more people with such allergies now than there were 30-40 years ago, and some people think it is because of the grains grown today in America are genetically modified organism products. I heard someone on Dr. Oz show say just the other day, that the wheat today is not the same as it was in the 1950-60's. I guess that would be referring to the GMO. His theory is that those altered grains are what is causing us to gain weight as a nation too. :o(  Maybe some of us react to them as my daughter has, with an allergy, while the rest of us have reacted with gaining weight.

That gives us all something to think about, doesn't it. Maybe we should all be making a stink to the companies that are doing all these unnatural things to our food, and buying only GMO free foods. What do you think?

Baking again

This is the loaf of basic white bread I made yesterday. And yes, I just HAD to have a slice while it was still warm out of the oven and it was delicious! Since I made the 1 1/2 lb recipe and that is too big for my bread pans, I decided to go the simplest route there is and just leave it in a ball. I did end up with a few small air bubbles but not bad at all. I have cut the loaf in half and then cut slices from that and it makes a nice size slice and fits in the toaster too. I think a toasted cheese sandwich is on order for lunch today.

Today I am about ready to make a pan of caramel rolls. Since the recipe makes a dozen that fit in a 9x13" pan, I hope to get some in the freezer before I eat them all. ;o) Can you tell I love caramel rolls?

I don't know why I didn't do this years ago as I have had the bread machine for a long time. But then I baked the bread in the machine, too, and I guess we only liked it the first day, plus did not like the thick crust. I guess I was just too lazy.

Since I am trying to stay out of the grocery store until after May 1, this bread baking has helped me to do that so far. I am getting low on several things, like milk and eggs, but if I am careful I think I can make it. With all this bread baking I will have to buy more bread flour as well. I think I better change one cup of the flour for the cinnamon rolls to whole wheat to save a little on the white bread flour. I have done that before as I want the extra fiber and they were still very good.

Don't laugh!

Here is what I was busy with today. Don't laugh!




These are the hamburger buns I made today. No, it isn't the angle that I took the picture, nor an optical illusion. They really are different sizes! I have never been good at judging size when I cut things - bars are always various sizes in the same pan too. (Now be honest. Did you laugh?)

There is also one missing that I ate right out of the oven. I did something a little different this time, by adding 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the mix, which the original recipe calls for, but I have never put it in before. I can't say it made them any better but maybe I will notice it more when I make a sandwich later. I also make the flour half white bread flour and half whole wheat and find them very good. The very first time I made these I did a little better on getting the size more even, but today I just didn't take enough time as I had too many other things to get done. While these buns were rising I put the ingredients for French bread in the bread machine and let that work until the buns were baked. The dough cycle in my machine takes 1 1/2 hours. As you can see below, I didn't quite get these equal size either.

I also couldn't find any corn meal in the pantry to put on the baking sheet before baking, but that won't hurt anything. All I could find there was cornbread mix. Oh well, there is always next time.

I must tell you that it has been a very long time since I actually baked bread of any kind in the oven. I have always used the bread machine, but mine makes such a thick crust that I don't like. And as far as I can remember I had never made hamburger buns even when I made the dough myself years ago, before there were bread machines. So one is never too old to learn!

I wish I could fan a little of the lovely smell of fresh baked bread your way, and to share a warm slice or two with you along with a cup of coffee or tea.