English Muffins

Today I tried a new recipe for English Muffins and got so excited with the way they turned out. Clark just sat and smiled at my enthusiastic reaction. I got the recipe from the food network and it is courtesy of Alton Brown. These are quick and easy unlike other recipes for English Muffins I have tried, and so delicious. We are having bacon-egg-muffins for breakfast in the morning and I can hardly wait. No more store-bought muffins for me! Makes 8-10 muffins. (I made 9).

English Muffins

1/2 C non-fat milk powder
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TBS shortening
1 C hot water
1 envelope dry yeast
1/8 tsp sugar
1/3 C warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (I used half white and half wheat)
Non-stick vegetable spray
Equipment needed: electric griddle or frying pan, 3 inch metal rings (can use tuna cans with both ends cut out.)

Combine powdered milk, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, shortening, and hot water. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool. In a separate bowl combine the yeast and 1/8 tsp of sugar and 1/3 C of warm water and let it rest till yeast has dissolved. Add this to the dry milk mixture and add the sifted flour and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Preheat the griddle (or electric skillet) to 300 degrees.

Add the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt to mixture and beat thoroughly. Place metal rings onto the griddle and coat lightly with vegetable spray. Using # 20 ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops into each ring and cover with a pot lid or cookie sheet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove lid and flip rings using tongs. Cover with the lid and cook for another 5 - 6 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack, remove rings and cool. Split with fork and serve.

I cooked mine in an electric skillet and used the lid to cover. I don't have a clue what size my ice cream scoop is so had to experiment with the amount I needed to fill rings with. My first ones were just a little big but the last ones were perfect. When I turned mine over, the rings just fell off so they finished cooking without the rings.

Lemon Chicken Pasta

I love chicken, I love pasta, and I love lemon so I decided to combine them and make my own recipe with all those loves. It is quick and simple and probably similar to something someone else has tried but it is original for me and it turned out very good. Clark liked it as did Clinton so that makes it a keeper.

Lemon Chicken Pasta

8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 C chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
zest from one lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 C chicken broth
1/2-1 C cream, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion in butter but don't let it brown. Then add garlic and cook till garlic is warm. Add broth, lemon juice, zest, bouillon, cream and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let thicken a little. Add chicken and heat till chicken is warm. Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Blueberry Banana Bread

I'm starting to enjoy blueberries, now that I'm nearing the end of my supply in my freezer (enough for 3 or 4 more recipes). I found this recipe in the Taste of Home June/July 2003. It was submitted by Sandy Flick.

Blueberry Banana Bread

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c shortening

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 c fresh blueberries

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Beat in bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Fold in blueberries.

Pour into three greased 5-3/4 in. x 3-in. 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 3 mini loaves. (I used 2 medium size loaf pans and baked for about 45 min. after greasing the pans I coated them in sugar for a little extra goodness!)

Quick Potato Chips

This recipe came from Taste of Home, June, July, 2009. I tweaked it a bit for my own taste but will list the original recipe. Instead of brushing the chips with olive oil, I sprayed the plate, put the chips on it and then sprayed the chips with cooking spray. I used only salt on mine but will try some of the other spices next time. I cut my chips in my food processor and the picture shows the amount that was made from one medium potato, minus a few tastes by me as well as husband. They can be made ahead of time, but it is a time consuming process as the potatoes must not be overlapped. Might be fun for kids to try sometime when they are bored. Mom would have to be in charge of the potato slicing.

3 medium red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
curry powder (or garlic, cumin, chipolte or any other spice you might like)

Layer three paper towels on a microwave-safe plate; set aside.

Scrub potatoes and cut into 1/16 inch slices. Brush slices on both sides with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and spice. Arrange on prepared plate (do not overlap).
Microwave on high for 3 minutes; turn and microwave 2-3 minutes longer or until chips are dry and brittle. Repeat with remaining potatoes, oil and seasonings. Let chips cool for at least 1 minute before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Watch them carefully after turning them over as they can burn easily and each time will be different.

Creamed Eggs Over Toast

If you need another recipe to help down size your boiled eggs from Easter, this one is for you. We just finished our eggs from Easter the other day with this recipe. My family enjoys this meal, I should make it more often. My mother gave me this recipe years ago, maybe even before I was married, so I 've made some quantity adjustments to feed the ever growing boys at my house. They never cease to amaze me by how much they can eat, Im getting scared for the teenage years!

Creamed Eggs Over Toast

5-6 hard boiled eggs

4 TBS Butter

4 TBS Flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 C Milk

Pepper

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Blend in the flour and the salt. Continue stirring for 1 min. as it is bubbling (boiling). Add the milk. Slowly bring back to a boil, stirring constantly till thickened. Turn the heat down. Add the cut up eggs and warm through. Serve over toast.

Mexican Haystacks

I would guess most of you have made "Hawaiian haystacks" but have you tried "Mexican haystacks"? I had never even heard of such a thing till I got married, my in-laws introduced them to me.
My parents and brother will be getting back from their cruise to Mexico tomorrow so I thought of them. (Not that this is remotely authentic, to my knowledge.) Welcome back Mom!
This is a good go-to-meal-fast and easy!

Mexican Haystacks
1 lbs ground beef
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained (kidney, white, what ever kind you like)
2-3 TBS taco seasoning (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 1/2 c rice

Toppings:
Corn, frozen or canned, warmed then drained
lettuce
Cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips, broken into bite size pieces (which I forgot in the picture above)
Olives, sliced
Onions, chopped
Tomatoes
Salsa
Use what ever your family likes on tacos (My one son likes his with ranch.?.)

Get your rice cooking first. Then brown the burger and add in the drained beans and sprinkle the taco seasoning on top. Stir till evenly coated and cook till beans are warmed through.

I don't suppose it really matters what order you go in but I put the crushed tortilla chips first then the rice and the meat and bean mixture, then corn. I like my cheese to get a bit melted so I put it on next. Then just layer the cold toppings on top of that.

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

I still have blueberries in my freezer so I went searching for a new recipe to try. I adapted the recipe from Tasty Kitchen (submitted by fcopeland). We enjoyed it.

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

For Cake:
2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 c shortening
3/4 c milk
1 whole egg
2 c blueberries
For crumb topping:
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c flour
1/4 c butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the glaze:
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp hot water
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the first seven ingredients together then gently stir in the blueberries. (I put mine in frozen) Then pour into a greased glass pie plate. (This is just a little to much batter for a pie plate so two options: put it in a bigger baking dish or bake it with a cookie sheet under it to catch the overflow.)

Mix the crumb topping ingredients together. Crumble it over the top of the cake before putting it in the oven. Bake it for 45-50 min.
To make the glaze just simply stir the ingredients together till sugar dissolves and it is smooth.
Once cake is removed from the oven drizzle with the glaze.