What is on your menu this week?

I posted this recipe in 2009, and it's one of my tried and true recipes that I've made over and over.  I gave the recipe a much needed update, so now you know exactly how I make them.   If I had to pick one kind of bread to make, I would have to choose these cloud light cresent rolls.  They are light and fluffy and perfect!  And super easy to make.  I've been making these for years and they are still my favorite! My favorite thing about these rolls is that you mix them up, shape them, and then can forget about them until they're done rising.  They don't require any weird rising times before shaping.  This comes in handy when you're whipping up a fabulous Thanksgiving feast and want to get the rolls taken care of. These rolls appear on our table on special days, like Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving, but we also have them on regular days too. I sometimes make these rolls the night before we need them and leave them in the fridge.  Th...

A little while ago (before the moving craziness started), I tried this pita bread recipe from the Artisan Bread in Five cookbook .   I was a little skeptical, thinking that they'd be more like a flatbread wrap.  Just ask my family, I was super excited when they puffed up and then separated inside.  We ate them with chicken salad inside.   I'll definitely be making them again.  Just wanted to share... Anyway...for my menus for the week: Monday: bistro chicken , garlic mashed potatoes, green beans Tuesday: taco soup in crockpot Wednesday:  orange chicken Thursday: breakfast for dinner Friday: pizza rolls -- last day of school! Saturday: easy night Sunday:  meatball sandwiches or  Ginger Soy Beef Tenderloin Kabobs All right, that's what I'm making.  How about you?

I love trying new recipes that have buttermilk in them.  I'm always looking for new ways to use up buttermilk.  I usually buy it to make ranch dressing or cilantro/tomatillo ranch dressing and end up making biscuits and waffles later to use it up.  I found this recipe for Buttermilk Banana Bread on Two Peas and Their P od and also on Mel's Kitchen Cafe .  I used Two Peas and Their Pod's recipe since it had less sugar in it.  I still love my original banana bread recipe , but this buttermilk recipe was really fun (and everyone wondered why it was white). 

This is the best french bread I've ever made.  I got this recipe from my friend, Nikki, who gave us some of this bread as a thank you for my hubby helping them move a piano.  I remember it being delicious and we gobbled it up fast.  I was intimidated for some reason by the recipe and waited a few years before I made it. We needed some bread for to make some turkey, provolone, avocado sandwiches, so I made some of this bread and it was perfect!  We sliced one loaf like they do at Subway.  Then later I made normal shaped sandwiches with the rest of the bread.  Delicious... light and fluffy and yummy! Update 2/22/12: This is still my favorite bread after making it for a year! It turns out perfect every time and it's gone in a flash! printable recipe French Bread recipe from my friend, Nikki Yield: 2 loaves   Ingredients 2 c. warm water 1 pkg (or 1 heaping Tbsp.) yeast 1/4 c. granulated sugar ...

I've found my new favorite pizza crust.  It's from the Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day cookbook.  I love how you mix up a big batch, use what you need and leave the rest in the fridge.  The dough stays good in the fridge for 12 days.   The pizza crust was chewy, but perfectly crisp on the bottom.  I can't wait to make it again. I still need to order my own copy of this great book.  I checked a copy out from the library, but had to return it since someone else requested it.

I made these muffins yesterday for an afternoon school snack for my kids and their friends that they had over for play dates.  They loved them and so did I.  We ate them for breakfast this morning too. This recipe is pretty similar to the applesauce muffins that I love from Jessica Seinfield's Deceptively Delicious cookbook .  I got this recipe from  Two Peas and Their Pod .  I added a few things that I had on hand that I thought would be yummy.  And luckily, the muffins turned out great with my additions.  (I added a little flaxseed, a handful of oats, and 1/2 c. of buttermilk .)

While I was in Utah over Christmas break, I ate some bread that my sister made.  It was delicious and a little different than most bread that I make.  I asked her where she got the recipe and she said she got it from the cookbook, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day . I picked a copy of the book up at my library this week and set out to make my own artisan bread tonight.  I love it because you mix up some dough and leave it in your fridge.  Then whenever you want bread you grab a piece of dough, let it set for 40 minutes, then back it.  Super easy!  My hubby complains sometimes that we're always out of bread.  So this solves my problem. This is how my bread turned out (a little crunchy), but it was perfect dipped in the soup we had for dinner. I think I'll buy myself a copy of the book.  I'm excited to try the recipes for pizza dough, flat bread and pita bread.  Can you tell I love bread?

I've been making these delicious applesauce muffins from Jessica Seinfield's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious , for several years.  I love them.  I recently tried adding pumpkin instead of the butternut squash puree and they were still delicious and pumpkin-ey.  I'm just going to post a link to this recipe since I don't really like posting recipes out of published cookbooks. 

I posted my favorite recipe for cornbread muffins on my blog a long time ago , but thought it deserve it's own post.  (It's sharing a post with my one of my favorite dinners, white chili.  I've switched up this cornbread recipe a bit by using wheat flour and buttermilk.  These are perfect to serve with your Halloween chili. Cornbread Muffins recipe from my friend Kendy, but modified a bit by me 1 c. cornmeal 1 c. flour ( I use half wheat, half white ) 1/2 c. sugar ( or you can use 1/3 c.) 1 T. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1/4 c. oil ( I use 2 T. applesauce and 2 T. oil ) 1 egg 1 c. milk (or buttermilk ) Mix and pour into either greased muffin tins or small cake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes (for muffins) or 30 minutes (for cornbread in a pan).

I learned how to make banana bread when I was young and have been making the same recipe ever since.  I've tweaked it a little bit, using butter and applesauce instead of shortening, substituting wheat flour and adding butternut squash puree when I have it.    Sometimes I make banana bread just so my house will smell good.  Who needs to buy candles if you can bake banana bread?  It tastes yummy too. Banana Bread recipe from the Fairview South Ward cookbook, but tweaked a bit by me makes one loaf 5 T. butter 3 T. applesauce 3/4 c. sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 c. flour ( I use 1 c. wheat flour, 1 c. white flour ) 3 bananas, mashed 1/4 c. butternut squash puree (optional) chopped nuts (optional) Cream butter, sugar, and applesauce.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients (soda, salt and flour).  Blend in mashed bananas and butternut squash puree.  Mix in nuts.  Pour into well greased bread pan....

This is my back up recipe for bread, when I need it fast.  It's really quick and yummy too!  I usually half it, so it makes one loaf.  And I let it rise for however long I have time for.  French Bread recipe from Annelisa 2 1/2 c. warm water 2 T. yeast 1 T. oil 1 T. salt 7 c. flour Add to Kitchenaid bowl in order given.  Mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes, until dough is in a ball on the dough hook.  Take off and let rise (for however long you have time for).  Divide and shape into two loaves and place on greased pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

These rolls are amazing!  I've been making these rolls since 2001 when I was a newlywed and my sister-in-law shared the recipe with me.  The rolls are light, fluffy, easy to make and they only take one hour!  And delicious too!   I've made these rolls more times than I can count, so I've perfected the art of making them.  Here are some step-by-step instructions with pictures for you. Here's what you'll need.  I buy pretty much all of the ingredients in this recipe at Sam's club, thus the huge containers.  You need warm water, yeast, oil, sugar, salt, egg and flour. In the mixer bowl, add warm water (not hot), oil, sugar and yeast.  Mix together. After ten or fifteen minutes the yeast mixture should be puffed up like this.  Time to add the salt and beaten egg. Then mix in the flour.  (I've used a mixture of half wheat and half white flour successfully.) Keep adding flour until the dough is manageable.  It ...

I've made these buttermilk biscuits a few times to go on top of our Green Chili Pot Pie .  I've been really impressed at how flaky they are.  They're pretty fun to make too.   You can make them using a little wheat flour too.  Yummy!

These cinnamon rolls have a secret ingredient.  Would you have guessed they have cottage cheese in them?  They don't have any yeast in them, so they don't have to rise.  I used this recipe from Our Best Bites (who got it from Fine Cooking ).  The recipe is for orange rolls or for cinnamon rolls.  Since I didn't have any oranges, I made cinnamon rolls instead.  They are a little different than traditional cinnamon rolls, but they're yummy and fast!

I've been spent a lot of time in the kitchen this week when the baby has been sleeping and the kids are playing. I bought a bag of masa corn flour the other day and tried two recipes with it. I thought I'd share some of what I've made: Soft Wrap Bread -- really yummy wraps (like a thick tortilla) that we ate with chicken salad inside. The kids ate theirs with ham, cheese, and ranch dressing inside. I was disappointed that I didn't make enough. I didn't get one for lunch the next day. Tamale Griddle Cakes -- The kids ate theirs plain. We ate ours with shredded pork, salsa and guacamole on top. Yum! I made some homemade corn tortillas (using the recipe off of the masa bag). They weren't very flavorful, so I sprayed them with cooking spray, sprinkled them with salt and baked them until crisp. My 5 year old gave me thumbs up -- she loved them dipped in salsa and also plain. I also made three different batches of my favorite rolls -- Cloud Light Crescent ...

I can't believe it's Monday again already. I'm finally posting the recipe for some delish cinnamon rolls. I just have to figure out my menu first and then I'll post it. Here goes. Monday: tacos Tuesday: spaghetti Wednesday: BBQ beef sandwiches Thursday: stuffed shells Friday: pepper steak w/rice Saturday: easy night Sunday: meatball sandwiches Don't forget to post your menus for this week. I could use some new ideas for summer cooking. All right, now for the cinnamon roll recipe. This is from my sister-in-law, Annelisa, and they are yummy! Cinnamon Rolls recipe from Annelisa 1 1/2 c. milk 1/2 c. butter (I've used 4 or 5 T. instead of the whole stick and it's worked out fine) 4 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 c. sugar 1 T. yeast 2 beaten eggs Heat milk and butter to lukewarm and set aside. Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add eggs and milk and butter mixture. Mix well adding 1/2 c. more flour (or more if needed) to make a soft dough. Knead un...

I got this fast and easy recipe for breadsticks from my sister over 10 years ago. I've been making it ever since. Give them a try. They're super easy and yummy! Printable recipe One Hour Breadsticks recipe from my sister, Lissa Ingredients 3 c. flour 2 T. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 c. warm water 1 T. instant yeast Directions Mix all ingredients for three minutes in mixer (I use my kitchenaid), adding more flour if needed so the dough is workable and not too sticky.  Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out and brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt/powder.  Put on greased pan and cut into breadsticks. (I use a pizza cutter to cut them).  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 350 or until lightly browned. My notes: I usually half this recipe and it fills up almost a whole cookie sheet or a pizza stone. If ...