Buttermilk Bread

If I had to claim one thing as my favorite food, homemade bread would be a strong contender.  There isn't anything quite like a fresh slice of bread right out of the oven.  Plain, smothered in butter and honey or jam.  Yum!  This Buttermilk Bread is fantastic!  I love the look of the baked loaf.  It's so pretty, but so easy to make.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
3 cups warm buttermilk
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup wheat germ
9 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the buttermilk, butter, honey, salt, baking soda, wheat germ and 4 cups flour; mix well. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a heavily floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface and divide into thirds. Divide each portion into thirds and shape each into a 12 inch rope. Braid three ropes together and pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Place in a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Makes 3 loaves.

Recipe from All Recipes.

Linked on Weekend Wrap Up Party.

Mint Brownies

Brownies seem to be my weakness.  Well, at least one of my weaknesses.  I usually make plain brownies, but sometimes I like to make "fancy" brownies.  These Mint Brownies are awesome!  The brownies are soft, chewy and rich.  And did I mention they are awesomely delicious?  Well, they are!  So delicious that I had to give most of them away to avoid eating too many (thank goodness for neighbors! :)).

Mmmm.  Chocolate, mint, and then more chocolate.  It doesn't get much better than that.

3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter and combine with sugar, cocoa powder and powdered milk and beat well.  Add salt, baking powder and vanilla and mix well.  Add eggs flour and water.  Mix well and pour onto a large, greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Do not over bake.  I've made these several times, but for some reason they decided to overflow this time.  You might want to line the bottom of the oven, or the rack below with aluminum foil.  Just to be safe. :)

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring
3 tablespoons milk

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.  Spread on cooled brownies and refrigerate until firm.

Topping:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter

Melt butter and chocolate chips.  Poor over cool, frosted brownies and spread evenly.
 
Recipe from my old friend Lynda. 

Linked on Weekend Wrap Up Party and Sweet as Sugar Cookies. 

Fluffy Pancakes

It's been one of those weeks.  The kind of week where I'm just not in the mood to cook lunch (or breakfast, or dinner).  My kids don't mind.  They actually like it.  I made grilled cheese sandwiches and Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies for dinner last night.  My 11 year old told me it was the best dinner ever!  The little ones got pancakes for lunch and loved it.  Pancakes have always been reserved for breakfast or dinner at my house until this past week.  Not sure why.  Just the way I've always done things.  They are now reserved for any time of any day.  And my kids like that.  They're easy to please.  And that pleases me.

These Fluffy Pancakes are fantastic!  The batter pours out perfectly and they so good!  The kids liked them.  I liked them.  Maybe I should call them "Really Likable Pancakes".  Because that's really what they are.

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. 

 Recipe from All Recipes. 

Sweet Potato, Sausage and Spinach Hash

It's funny, I've always been me, but in the last couple of years I've realized quite a few things about myself.  Like, spring has always been my favorite season.  I always thought it was because of the flowers that start to bloom and everything turns green.  Not that that hurts, but I've realized that sun + warm weather = happy me. :)  I've also realized that I like color.  Lots of color.  Color is another thing that makes me happy.  And I like it when colors are together that make each other stand out.  That's one of the reasons I fell in love with this beautiful Sweet Potato, Sausage and Spinach Hash.  I love the contrasting orange and green sprinkled with brown and yellow.  It just makes me happy.  And to top off it off, it's delicious!  That makes me happy, too. :)

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 apple, diced (you could peel the apple, but you don't have to)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 mild Italian sausages, removed from casing (I used turkey)
2 to 3 large cups of baby spinach
1/3 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large nonstick skillet heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add diced sweet potato, onion and apple.  Add a pinch or two of sea salt and cinnamon to the pan.  Cook sweet potato, onion and apple, stirring often so not to burn, until cooked and softened.  I like my sweet potatoes slightly browned.  While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Crumble sausage into the pan and cook until no longer pink and completely cooked.  Add spinach to the skillet and cook until the spinach is wilted - about 1 to 2 minutes.  Once spinach is cooked add the sweet potato apple mixture to pan and stir to combine all.

Recipe from Multiply Delicious.

Linked on Weekend Wrap Up Party. 

Sausage and Veggie Egg Muffins

These Sausage and Veggie Egg Muffins were fantastic!  So good and flavorful.  My favorite part had to be the fresh basil in them.  I couldn't believe how much flavor the fresh herb gave the muffins.  So much more and better than dried herbs.  It's a good thing I liked the fresh basil so much, because I panted an herb garden this year along with my regular garden.  I am so excited to pick from both this summer!

2 mild sausages, removed from casing (I used turkey)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh basil, diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
10 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a skillet, cook sausage until cooked through and no longer pink.  Make sure to break the sausage up into small pieces.  In a medium bowl, combine cooked sausage, red bell pepper, shredded carrots, spinach, and basil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt and pepper.  Add egg mixture to the sausage and veggie mixture and stir to combine.  Fill muffin cups with egg mixture up to 1/4 inch from the rim.  Bake the egg muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until eggs are set in the middle.

Recipe from Multiply Delicious.

Linked on Get Your Brag On and Weekend Wrap Up Party.

Tex-Mex Chicken Burritos

I was in a freezer group a couple years ago and got a super yummy chicken filling for tortillas.  The lady that made the yummy chicken filling moved away before I was able to get the recipe.  These Tex-Mex Chicken burritos aren't quite the same, but are still super yummy.

4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used Rotel)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix tomatoes and cream cheese in a large pan and heat over medium heat until cream cheese is melted.  Add remaining ingredients and heat through.  Serve in tortillas.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies

Strawberry cheesecake in a smoothie?  It's true!  Totally not kidding.  Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies are fantastic!  But then, I don't think strawberry cheesecake anything could be anything but fantastic.  We made these awesome Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies for dessert last night and before the kids even finished their smoothies, they requested them for breakfast this morning.  Yeah, they really are that good.

1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup milk
2 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 banana, frozen
2 cups strawberries, frozen

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Serve topped with graham cracker crumbs and sweetened whipped cream, if desired.  Makes 2 large smoothies.

Recipe adapted from Cupcakes & Kale Chips.

Linked on Breakfast Ideas Monday, Sweets for a Saturday, Get Your Brag On and Weekend Wrap Up Party.