Make Your Own Syrup

There is nothing on a cold morning like a hot breakfast. Take pancakes or waffles-so good. You can feed a whole crowd on not a lot of money and they are filling, too.


Over the Christmas holidays while our youngest daughter was home from college I made whole wheat pancakes and on Christmas morning we had french toast made from banana bread-delish!


I remember a couple of years ago my daughter asked if we could make some pancakes or waffles for breakfast and I realized we were out of syrup. I then remembered that I had recently found a recipe for making my own syrup. I got my recipe binder out for sauces, found the recipe and got to work. It was just a matter of throwing some ingredients into a saucepan, heating them up, and you're set. We found out that we like this new recipe for syrup than what we used to buy.


Make Your Own Syrup


3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons butter flavoring (optional)
1 teaspoon maple flavoring


Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the burner but leave the saucepan on it until the bubbling stops (you don't want to get burned!)

It is then ready to use if you like your syrup warmed, which I do. It will thicken a little as it cools. I keep mine in glass jars in the refrigerator.

Our Favorite Granola Recipes

I recently tried a new recipe for granola and it turned out badly, although I followed the directions exactly, so I've decided that I'm going to stick with my tried-and-true recipes, both of which I got from the Hillbilly Housewife website years ago. Each recipe makes enough for a small family so if you have lots of people at your house that love granola as much as we do you could double these recipes and make them in two pans instead of one. I like that these recipes are very simple ones, too, with no special or expensive ingredients.

Granola is delicious with milk poured over it for breakfast or with a dollop of yogurt on top. Either way it is very filling and will stay with you all morning. It's also a nice alternative to hot oatmeal in the morning. And, I promise that these recipes are so much better than anything you could get from the store :)

Peanut Butter Granola

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup natural peanut butter (you can use regular peanut butter, too)
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanila
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats (quick oats work, too)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Begin by melting the butter and peanut butter together in a large saucepan. Add the honey, vanilla, and salt. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and hot throughout. It doesn't need to boil. Add the oats and stir until they are completely coated. It will be chunky. TUrn the mixture out onto a cookie sheet or a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread the granola out evenly and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Add the raisins and mix together. Cool in the pan or on wax paper and transfer to a sealed container or large baggie.

Honey Granola

3 cups oats
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup each nuts and dried fruit (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the honey and salt. When nicely combined and melted together, add the oats and mix together until the oats are coated. Turn the mixture onto a cookie sheet or 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread the granola out evenly and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. It should be a nice golden brown. Allow it to cool in the pan and then add the nuts and fruit if using. Store in a sealed container or large baggie.

Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon-Walnut Streusal

I recently found a recipe for Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon-Pecan Streusal and as I didn't have all the ingredients called for in the recipe, I used what I did have and still made a really good muffin. Please, don't skip the streusal topping-even if you have to eat this muffin as a dessert to make yourself feel less guilty about the butter and sugar :) This topping just makes the muffin! This recipe does make 18 muffins so I make the whole batch and put some in the freezer for later. I am building up a nice stockpile of baked goods in my freezer since I don't always have the time these days to bake when I want something good to eat-and homemade goodies are always better than store-bought to me.

Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon-Walnut Streusal

Makes 18 muffins

1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sweet potato puree

Streusal

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use cup liners.

In a large bowl, combine the muffin ingredients, wet ingredients first. Add the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill the muffin tins with the batter.

For the streusal, in a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut into the mixture the butter until crumbly. Add the walnuts. Generously sprinkle streusal over each muffin. Bake for 21 to 23 minutes.

I'm linking up with Ekat's Friday Potluck

Cooking On A Shoestring Budget: Create Your Own Muffin

Blueberry and Lemon Muffins-mmmm!

I don't like wasting any of the food in my fridge, so I'm always glad to find recipes that help me use up the little bits of this or that. And, now, with just my husband and me in the house, it's more important than ever that I use up what we have. This recipe helps me do just that.




I love muffins, just about any kind. It's probably my breakfast of choice on any given morning and they are so portable! So good with coffee. When I first started making muffins, I always went strictly by the recipe in the cookbook. Then I found Amy Dacyczyn's Creating a Muffin recipe and I found that muffins are pretty flexible just as long as you go by the guidelines she sets out in her book, The Complete Tightwad Gazette, one of my favorite frugal sources. I have used this recipe many times and they have come out good just about every time. And, it feels good not to throw out food!







Create Your Own Muffin

Grains: Use 2-2 1/2 cups of white flour. Or substitute oatmeal, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, rye flour, or flake cereal for 1 cup of the white flour. Or substitute 1 cup of leftover cooked oatmeal, rice, or cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the white flour and decrease liquid to 1/2 cup.




Milk: Use 1 cup. Or substitute buttermilk or sour milk (add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup milk). Or substitute fruit juice for part or all of the milk.




Fat: Use 1/4 cup of vegetable oil or 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Or substitute crunchy or regular peanut butter for part or all of the fat. The fat can be reduced or omitted with fair results if using a "wet addition."




Egg: Use 1 egg. Or substitute 1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour and 1 tablespoon of water. If using a cooked grain, separate the egg, add the yolk to the batter, beat the white until stiff, and fold into the batter.




Sweetener: Use between 2 tablespoons and 1/2 cup of sugar. Or substitute up to 3/4 cups brown sugar. Or substitute up to 1/2 cup of honey or molasses, and decrease milk to 3/4 cup.




Baking powder: Use 2 teaspoons. If using whole or cooked grains or more than 1 cup of additions, increase to 3 teaspoons. If using buttermilk or sour milk, decrease to 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.




Salt: Use 1/2 teaspoon or omit if you have a salt-restricted diet.

The following ingredients are optional. Additions can be used in any combination, up to 1 1/2 cups total. If using more than 1 cup of wet additions, decrease the milk to 1/2 cup.

Dry additions: Nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, etc.




Moist additions: Blueberries, chopped apple, freshly shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, etc.




Wet additions: Pumpkin puree, applesauce, mashed and cooked sweet potato, mashed banana, mashed and cooked carrot, and so on. If using 1/2 cup drained, canned fruit or thawed shredded zucchini, substitute the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.




Spices: Use spices that complement the additions, such as 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cloves. Try 2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon peel.




Jellies or Jams: Fill cups half full with a plain batter. Add 1 teaspoon jam or jelly and top with 2 more tablespoons batter.




Topping: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the batter in the tins.




Nonsweet Combinations: Use only 2 tablespoons sugar and no fruit. Add combinations of the following: 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 3 strips fried and crumbled bacon, 2 tablespoons grated onion, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Spices could include a teaspoon of parsley and a pinch of marjoram.

Basic Recipe:

2-2 1/2 cups grain
1 cup milk
Up to 1/4 cup fat
1 egg
Up to 1/2 cup sweetener
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Up to 1 1/2 cups additions

To make the muffins, combine the dry ingredients, and then mix in wet ingredients until just combined; the batter should be lumpy. Grease muffin tin and fill cups two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (give or take 5 minutes).

The sky's the limit on this formula. No longer am I limited by what is in a recipe, I can use up whatever is in my cupboard or refrigerator.

June Freezer Cooking

I love using my freezer to store my food. When we aren't going to use up some leftovers or other food that is in the fridge, I label it and toss it in the freezer. I also like to make food ahead of time and put it in the freezer to make my life easier later. For those of you that read my other blog, you know that I am actively looking for work outside the home, so I will need meals that come together easily when time and energy are low. (Update: job found-Hallellujah!) Jessica at Life as Mom is doing another freezer cooking month and I'll be joining with her to fill up my freezer with meals or parts of meals that will save me time and money. My husband will be taking his annual fishing trip to Wisconsin with his best buddy, his twin brother, his brother-in-law, and our two sons-in-law this weekend, so I figured that will be the perfect time to get some cooking done and stocking up our freezer.





Here's the plan:



I have about 10 pounds of chicken legs and thighs that I plan on putting in the crockpot. It will not only cook the meat until it's incredibly tender for lots of dishes like my chicken potpie but it will also make a wonderful chicken broth for soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.

I already have some cinnamon rolls in my freezer that I plan on using for easy breakfasts and desserts.

I'm going to be trying Rhonda's method for freezing pizza dough, along with a couple of other breads and roll recipes so that we can have homemade bread even if I haven't been home to make it that day.

I have some white beans in the freezer now but I want to add some black beans, lentils, and pinto beans to that. I can make my Tuscan White Bean Soup, Black Bean Chili with Red Onion Salsa , lentil cakes, refried beans, and salads. I have yummy recipes for a chickpea salad and a black bean salad that I will be sharing soon since we are in the warmer months, which is when we enjoy salads the most.

I also have a whole chicken that I plan on cutting up and marinating in the freezer for the grill. Mary Ann-I will do a tutorial on how to cut up the chicken :)

Since it's often just my husband and myself at home to eat, I will set aside some of the leftovers for our daughters or for the next day's lunch, and put the rest in the freezer. I will be putting some of the leftover soups in separate small containers in the freezer for taking to work for our lunches, too. Even after I find the right job,(found it!) we want to try and eat as little fast food and premade foods as possible. We've been eating this way for so long that I think it will affect the way we feel and we are going to need extra energy!

Cinnamon Rolls

There's nothing like homemade cinnamon rolls. For years and years I made the kind you get out of a can. In fact, it is our tradition to have them on Christmas morning before we open presents and while the ones from a can are really, really good, homemade ones just can't be beat. But, who wants to get up at 5 a.m. to make cinnamon rolls? Not me. So, first I'll give my recipe and then I'll tell you my secrets for having them ready when I want them, not the other way around. The first picture above is what they look like before I put them into the oven. They have risen nicely.



Cinnamon Rolls



6 oz. (3/4 cup) milk (90-100 degrees)

1 egg

3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoon active dry yeast



Filling:



1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon



In your bread machine pan, place the dough ingredients in the order given or according to your bread machine instructions. Place machine on Dough setting and start. When the dough is done (about 1 hour 20 minutes) place dough on a floured surface. Roll dough into an oblong shape of 9 inches by 18 inches. Spread with the butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Cut roll into 1 inch slices. Place a little apart in a greased 13" x 9" pan or 12 muffin cups.



Cover and let rise until double in bulk (about 1/2 hour). Bake until golden brown and completely baked through at 375 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. Makes one dozen rolls.



If you want to wait until the next morning to bake your rolls, immediately after rolling and cutting them and placing in the pan, cover with a towel and put in the refrigerator over night. The next morning take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise for about 30 minutes, then bake as above.



If you want to freeze them, immediate after shaping and cutting, place the rolls on a pan and put them in the freezer. When they are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to use them. The night before you want to bake them, take them out of the freezer and place on your pan. Cover with a towel and let set overnight. The next morning they will be risen and ready for the oven.





The glaze we usually spread on the warm rolls is a simple one.



Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-6 tablespoons hot water

Combine the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together, adding enough of the hot water to make a smooth thin glaze. Spread on the warm rolls and enjoy!

I'm participating in Foodie Fridays and Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap

A Tutorial: Poached Eggs

We love eggs of all kinds at my house but one of my recent favorites is poached eggs. The texture of the yolk is much more different and better in a poached egg than in a fried egg to me. If you aren't familiar with poached eggs, hopefully seeing how I make them will give you the desire to try them yourself. All you will need is a saucepan or skillet, a slotted spoon, and a small cup or bowl. Butter the bottom of your skillet or pan and fill with water to about 3 inches and bring to a rolling boil. Add a splash of vinegar to keep the whites tight against the yolk as they cook. (You won't taste any vinegar in your eggs.) Lower the heat until the water is barely simmering. Crack your eggs, one at a time into a small cup or bowl. Bring the edge of the bowl level with the surface of the water and slide each egg in gently so the yolk doesn't break.

Simmer until the whites are set, about 4 minutes. With practice, you will be able to judge just the right amount of doneness that you like. My husband likes them at 3 minutes, but the whites are a little too runny for me, so I cook mine for 4 minutes.

Remove the eggs with a large slotted spoon, and drain well before serving.

My husband likes his eggs on buttered toast like in the picture above but you don't have to do it that way. I like it with my toast on the side. The larger your pan, the more eggs you can make at one time but you don't want to overcrowd them.

I'm posting this as a part of Life As Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap this week. The theme is Eggs.

Honey Nut Bread

Most of my quick breads have way too much sugar in them but I love making them and my daughters love eating them, so I've been doing some searching for healthier versions of quick breads. I found a recipe in my Joy of Cooking cookbook called Nut Bread with the alternative of using honey instead of sugar. I also substituted most of the flour for whole wheat and I added raisins. This is just a good all-purpose quick bread that you could add all kinds of ingredients to, such as dried cranberries, orange or lemon zest, almonds, almond extract, etc. This bread is a good substantial bread that I feel good enough about to eat for breakfast with my coffee. It even stood up to the toaster, which most quick breads do not. I'm confident it freezes well, too.

Honey Nut Bread

1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 (or less) cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans
3/4 cup raisins

Butter or spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk until blended the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the liquid ingredients together. Add the nuts and fruit, if using. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly, then turn out onto a cooking rack until cool. Makes 1 loaf.

I'm participating in the Ultimate Recipe Swap and Foodie Friday this week.

Pancakes and Waffles

I love pancakes and waffles. My husband, not so much. He'd rather have a couple of eggs, over easy, thank you very much. But the rest of the family just loves pancakes and waffles. When my girls were younger I would buy the packaged, just-add-water kind of mix, but I remember one morning one of my daughters asked if I could make pancakes and I was out of mix. So, I got out my Pillsbury cookbook and found a from-scratch recipe for pancakes. The girls loved them. Fast forward a couple of years later, when I was learning about the benefits of whole grains and found a recipe for Whole Wheat Pancakes. We were hooked. They tasted so much better than the white flour variety and they kept the girls fuller for a much longer time, yet they didn't eat as much. Interesting, hmm?

Today my husband was in the mood for breakfast for dinner, so I made grapefruit halves, bacon, eggs (of course!), and waffles using my whole wheat pancake recipe. Yes, I know there are separate recipes in many cookbooks for pancakes and waffles but I've found that they are pretty interchangeable and I have used this recipe for either.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (and Waffles!)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

For pancakes: Heat griddle to 400 degrees or skillet on medium-high heat. In large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients; beat (or stir) just until large lumps disappear. Lightly grease heated griddle or skillet. A few drops of water sprinkled on pan will sizzle and bounce when heat is just right. Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto the hot pan. Bake until bubbles form and edges start to dry; turn and bake the other side. Makes sixteen 4-inch pancakes.

For waffles: Heat waffle iron. Follow instructions above for mixing ingredients together. Bake in hot waffle iron until steaming stops (my waffle iron has a light that tells me when it is done) and waffle is done to a golden brown.

We love to add all kinds of things to our waffles and pancakes: nuts, bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, or apples and cinnamon.

This is another recipe I tried last week for pancakes or waffles. This batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. After a couple of days they will develop a slight sour dough flavor. This is what the batter looked like after one day in the refrigerator. There were a few bubbles forming from the yeast.


Make Ahead Pancake and Waffle Batter

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour (I used half whole wheat flour)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or oil
3 eggs

In large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. In small saucepan, heat milk and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Add to flour mixture along with the eggs. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days, adding 2 additional tablespoons of sugar after the second day. Prepare as you would regular pancakes or waffles.

Nowadays we don't usually eat a whole batch of pancakes or waffles in one sitting, so I have been freezing them for when we want them again.