Bran Muffins

 I was give some yummy muffins after I had Luisa and they were so good I asked for the recipe, and when I got it I realized something awesome about them. You make the batter once and you can keep it in the fridge for 6 weeks, so every day you dcan just bake some fresh ones without having to do all the work,, just pour and bake.

 I made it early this week and they turned out yummy and two days later I baked some more and they were just as yummy, they are packed with fiber and you can add different things each time to make them less boring. I thought it was worth passing, to me being able to make a warm breakfast on school days is a huge accomplishment.

Here it is, I highlighted my changes and suggestions.
Hope you like them too, love you!

Six Week Bran Muffins
      Susie Herrington



4 cups Bran Flakes cereal
2 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups boiling water



1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed)
4 eggs
4 cups buttermilk (laban)
1/2 cup (or more) molasses (optional)  I added them and I think next time I'll skip it, it was too sweet for me)



5 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups raisins, craisins, or dates (optional) (these items I am planning to add as I bake them, so each batch has something different. today we made some with chocolate chips to have as a snack and others with raisins for breakfast tomorrow)
chopped pecans (optional)


In a large bowl, put cereals and boiling water. Let stand.


In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in buttermilk. Add molasses. Stir in cereal mixture.


In another bowl, put flour, soda, baking powder, salt and raisins. Mix. Add to batter. Stir to combine. Store in refrigerator. It will keep for 6 weeks.


Fill greased muffin tins to 3/4 full. Bake at 380 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from pan after 5 minutes.


Variations: Brans may be switched to use 2 cups flakes and 4 cups all bran, or any combination to get 6 cups. Or you may use natural bran to replace 1 cereal.

- Belky

Vermont Pork Chops

This is my very favorite pork chop recipe.

At least, it is today.

2 T. maple syrup (do yourself a favor, go buy the real stuff--none of this pancake syrup nonsense)
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. Dijon mustard (didn't have any, so I used the yellow stuff)
Vegetable oil
2 6-oz. boneless, butterflied pork chops (I used normal, bone-in pork chops)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mix maple syrup, brown sugar, and mustard together and set aside.  Remove visible fat from pork.  Heat some oil in a  skillet over medium-high heat.  Season both sides of pork.  Brown pork 2 minutes, turn and brown 2 minutes on the other side.  Lower heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook 2 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

Remove to a plate.

Add sauce to skillet and heat several seconds, scraping up any brown bits in the skillet.  The brown sugar will caramelize and the sauce becomes magical.

Serve pork with sauce spooned on top.

I think you could easily do 3 pork chops with this because there was a lot of extra sauce.  I made two different types of pork chops last night and this was hands down everyone's favorite.  Even the littlest one who normally abhors meat.

Homemade Pretzels

This is the recipe I used to make "old lady fingers" and "old man toes" for Halloween, but it's a pretzel recipe and it's delicious and amazing.  So, the directions include how to make the fingers and toes, but you could easily just form them into whatever shape you want.

Red or green food coloring, (optional, for fingers)

• 24 blanched almonds, halved lengthwise
• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees), plus 3 quarts, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
• Vegetable oil
• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 large egg
• Sea salt
• Fried rosemary (optional, for toes)

Directions

1. Place a small amount of food coloring, if using, in a shallow bowl, and, using a paintbrush, color the rounded side of each split almond; set aside to dry.
2. Pour 2 cups water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Beat in 1 cup flour into yeast on low speed until combined. Beat in coarse salt; add 3 1/2 cups flour, and beat until combined. Continue beating until dough pulls away from bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour. Beat 1 minute more. If dough is sticky, add up to 1 cup more flour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, 1 minute.
3. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 6-quart straight-sided saucepan over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Add baking soda. Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. Divide dough into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time, and cover remaining dough with plastic wrap. Divide first quarter into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece back and forth with your palm forming a long finger shape, about 3 to 4 inches. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Or, to make toes, roll each piece so that it is slightly shorter and fatter, about 2 inches. Pinch in 1 place to form the knuckle. When 12 fingers or toes are formed, transfer to simmering water. Poach for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fingers to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, blanching each set of 12 fingers or toes before making more.
5. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzel fingers and toes with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, lightly score each knuckle about three times. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, if using. Position almond nails, pushing them into dough to attach. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

Prize Winning Chili

At least... it's won prizes for Wayne and Becky... but never us!  It's still really yummy though- and perfect for this time of year!  It's over at Becky's blog here.

Meaty Mushroom Chili

1 pound Italian sausage (cubed or ground)

1 pound beef (cubed or ground)

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 can (46 oz) V8 or tomato juice

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 cans (16 oz) kidney beans

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook sausage, beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for one hour. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese if desired. Serves 8.

You can also easily adjust this to a crockpot or dutch oven and cook it all day and let the delicious-ness of it fill your house.  Mmmmhhmmmm.  

Arugula Rice With Chicken Sausage

I invented this tonight!  And so, it probably tasted even yummier to me because I was so proud of myself, but everyone else here liked it, too.

1 1/2 C. rice (I did half white, half brown)
2 C. chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
12 oz. Chicken Sausage (I used sun-dried tomato and Asiago cheese variety), sliced thin
3 potatoes, cooked, cubed and salt/peppered to taste
1 large or 2 small bell peppers of any color, sliced
Handful of arugula

Cook the rice using the chicken stock as the liquid.

When the rice is almost done, saute garlic and onion and brown the sausage all together over med-high heat.  When the onions and garlic are soft and translucent, add in the cooked potatoes.  When the rice finishes cooking, open the lid and toss in the arugula and peppers, then cover again and let sit for a few minutes to wilt the arugula and soften the peppers.

To the sausage mixture, add some fresh basil, dried marjoram, dried oregano, and a dash of ground paprika.

Combine the two mixtures.  Stir really well to evenly distribute the arugula, as it tends to clump together.  If you don't like arugula, you could substitute spinach, but I loved the flavor the arugula added.  Lastly, I sprinkled some grated cheese similar to Parmesan, but from goat's milk.  However, I don't think it really needed this at all.

Zucchini: Use 142

I've come to realize that Zucchini is just one of those garden veges that is bountiful and somehow no matter if you have enough from your own garden....you seem to find more on your car after church from anonymous donors....0bviously, they simply don't know just how many uses there are.....

Zucchini French Fries

2-3 med to large size zucchini  (skins removed, seeds removed, and sliced into french fry shape.  This is very easy if you already have a french fry making tool....but even if you don't...its worth cutting them)

Put cut zucchini sticks into plastic bag.  Add 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, salt, pepper, and any other spice that you like....we added a variety of stuff.  Shake (with bag closed of course.....or if your in the mood to clean up, keep the bag open.)

Pour out on to a cookie sheet.  Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for around 25 min...(please check this because I don't know your oven personally, and it might have a slightly warmer personality then my oven does and it could cook those babies faster..or slower depending...so, don't blame me....I'm just sayin')

Anyhow, add Ketchup to a plate..and enjoy them.  I mean really enjoy them...they are not potatoes and they came out of your garden for goodness sake..so eat them knowing you are really doing your best to be a good steward of the harvest you've been given.

Um....okay....yeah, ...enjoy!

Mel's 1st place Dutch Oven Blackberry Cobler

Hi ya'll.  I won first place last week at our ward campout with my Blackberry cobbler.  So, here it is for all to enjoy..

Ingredients:

3 cups blackberries.  (Mine were freshly picked, but I'm sure store bought is just a great.  They key here with fresh or store bought is to wash and freeze them individually on a cookie sheet.  The Frozen state of the blackberries is very important in the cooking process.)

1-2 white cake mixes (depends on how much of this stuff you want....so if its just for the family use only one cake mix)

1 can Cream Soda

1 Stick butter

1/4 cup sugar  (um  yeah, it's dessert.....it's not really healthy, but it won FIRST PLACE!!!!)

Okay, take the stick of butter and grease the bottom and sides of the dutch oven.  Place frozen blackberries on the bottom of the oven.  Cover with dry cake mix.  Pour the can of cream soda over the cake mix(s).  Slice the remaining butter and put that over the cake mix in slices.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top.

Cover oven with lid. and cook with charcoal bouquets ( 8-10 on bottom and 12-14 on top...for my large dutch oven...it could vary by size so be careful and check often) until brown on top and bubbly. 

Really Yummy folks!.....and did I happen to mention it took FIRST PLACE?!!!!!  :)...I'm pretty proud of that.