Blueberry Strawberry Muffins

Guys, I actually got creative and tried something different from what a recipe said.  And it was so good!  Here's my adaptation from regular blueberry muffins to.... blueberry strawberry muffins.  Be prepared to say "Oh my YUM!" when you eat them!


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 c. fresh blueberries
• 1 c. fresh strawberries, cut to blueberry size pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Whisk vegetable oil, egg, milk, and applesauce together in a separate bowl until smooth, and stir the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture until moistened. Lightly stir in the blueberries and strawberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.
3. Bake muffins in the preheated oven until they rise and the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean.

I even think that you don't have to put in that much sugar, but Weston disagrees with me.  So if you try this with less sugar, will you let me know if your husband approves? Thanks!

MEXICAN DISHES FROM FRAN KETCHESON

BEEF TORTILLA CASSEROLE
1 1/2 lb ground beef 1-6 oz Doritos, broken
1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 c chopped onions
1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 lb cheddar or longhorn cheese, grated
1-14 oz can enchilada sauce 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles

Brown beef, season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Then mix with soups, sauce, and chiles. Place in 9x13 casserole dish, alternating Doritos and sauce. Sprinkle cheese and onions between layers

Bake 350, till bubbly

MEXICAN BUFFET

Crushed Doritos.
Cut up lettuce, onion, tomatoes in bowls
Meat mix: 2 lb hamburger, onions, hot sauce, tobasco sauce, worchestershire sauce (to taste), 1/2 c catsup or more if needed, salt and pepper.
2 cans chili beans Sauce - tomatoes and green chiles Velveeta cheese. Heat together over low heat to thin consistency.

Serve chips, vegetables, meat, beans, then sauce.

Cookie Recipes from Fran Ketcheson

Here are some recipes that Gary took from his mom when he left home. Liz copied and sent them to me. ENJOY!

GINGER SNAPS (full recipe measurements, followed by half recipe measurements)

3/4 c butter or shortening - 3/8 c 3 tsp baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp
1 c sugar - 1/2 c 5 c flour - 2 1/2 c
1 c brown sugar - 1/2 c 2 tsp ginger - 1 tsp
1 c molasses - 1/2 c 1/8 tsp salt - dash
1/2 c cold water - 1/4 c

Cream shortening and sugars. Stir in molasses to which soda has been added. Sift dry ingredients and combine with first mixture alternately with water.

Bake 350, 15 min

Liz added this note:

A word of warning - when you add the baking soda to the molasses, be sure your bowl is relatively large as the concoction will foam up and almost double in size. These cookies (because they have no eggs) can be baked for as long as your tastes allow. Shorter time makes a chewy version, longer time makes a dunking in milk or orange juice (coffee for us heathens) version.

STIR-N-DROP SUGAR COOKIES

2eggs 3/4 c sugar
2/3 c cooking oil 2 c + 1 TB flour
2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated lemon rind 1/2 tsp salt

Beat eggs with fork until well blended Stir in oil, vanilla, and rind. Blend in sugar until mixture thickens. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and stir into oil mixture. Drop with spoon on ungreased sheet. Flatten with greased glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 400, 8-10 min

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 cakes sweet chocolate 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter or shortening 1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 c granulated sugar 1 1/2 c sifted flour
1/4 c brown sugar 1/2 tsp soda
1 egg well beaten 1 tsp vanilla

Cut each small square of chocolate in 6 or 8 pieces. Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg to mix well. Sift flour once, measure, add salt and soda and sift again. Add flour in two parts and mix well. Add cut chocolate, nuts and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Drop with spoon on greased baking sheet.

Bake 375, 10-12 min

DIVINE KISSES

18 double graham crackers, rolled 1 c chopped nuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 6 oz pkg chocolate chips

Mix together and spread in 9x12 pan which has been greased and floured.

Bake 325, 20 min - DO NOT OVER BAKE

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.