Garlic Parmesan Bread

Are you a garlic bread fan?  We have a few of them in our family and I think is a nice fit to an Italian meal!  I made this recipe when we had company....oh. wow!  It was SO good!!  It is a must try for sure!

What I used:
1 loaf French bread
2 sticks of butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. parsley
2 tbsp. garlic powder

Mix all of your ingredients together.  Slice your loaf of French Bread in half and spread butter mixture onto one half loaf.  You will use about half of your mixture on each loaf.
Broil on high for about 5 - 6 min.  It will come out looking crispy and smelling divine!  The taste is just as good as it looks!

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!

Fruit filled Coffee cake

If you have a real sweet tooth this is a GREAT recipe for you! It is so moist and tasty but very sweet! This also comes from Kraft foods magazine! See, I told you it was a great one to get! :)

What you need:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix (I actually used a Strawberry one!)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

3 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

1/2 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds, toasted (I didn't add these)

1 cup powdered sugar

1-1/2 Tbsp. milk

HEAT oven to 350ºF. Beat first 5 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Pour into greased and floured 13x9-inch pan; top with spoonfuls of pie filling.

BAKE 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; sprinkle with nuts. Cool 10 min.

MIX sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Cool completely.

It really is a super delicious treat! From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Completely delicious Pumpkin Bread!

Nothing says home like a great slice of warm pumpkin bread, at least for my family anyway. We are huge fans of this warm piece of deliciousness!! Thinking back, I cannot remember where I found this recipe, but it is so simple and my bread has come out perfect every time! Please forgive me that there is no picture....I will work on getting one :) In the meantime, give this recipe a shot and let me know what you think!!

What I used:
2/3 c. shortening
2 2/3 c. sugar (I usually use less....you can usually cut your sugar down by 1/2 and not notice a difference!)
4 eggs
1 (16oz.) can pumpkin
2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. water
3 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. or until toothpick comes out clear. I tend to bake mine for 50 min., it keeps the bread from getting to dried out and keeps it moist much longer!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Monkey see Monkey do....

Ever been in the mood to make monkey bread but never quite sure how to make it? Thanks to a friend of mine, Rachel, she has given us all a recipe and it looks pretty easy! Give it a try!

Monkey Bread

• 3 packages refrigerator biscuits
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Grease bundt pan. Cut biscuits in 1/2, drop in cinnamon and sugar mix. Drop in pan.

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick margarine

Boil 1 minute, pour over biscuits. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Wonderful Tasting Challah

(Please note: If you have the Taste of Home baking book this recipe can be found on pg. 342)

Last week I was feeling.....spontaneous! I wanted to try something I had not yet tried. I had always seen the pictures of braided bread and thought it must be hard to do....I was wrong! It is easy, though it does take time waiting for the dough to rise etc.. but really it is not hard at all! Give it a try!

What I used:
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1 Cup arm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. salt
4 eggs
6 to 6- 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Topping:
1 egg
1 tsp. cold water
1 tbsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds, optional

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, eggs and 4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to for a firm dough.

2. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 min. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hr.

3. Punch dough down. Turn onto slightly floured surface; divide in half. Divide each portion into thirds. Shape each piece into 15" rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. (when braiding bread you start braiding in the middle finish that side then switch to other to finish the braid) Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hr.

4. Bet egg and cold water; brush over braids. Sprinkle with seads if desired. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool.

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

To be homemade..to not be homemade....

Before going to college my mom gave me something that I will carry with me for many years to come. She gave me..... a cookbook. It was entitled "Wheres mom now that I need her?", it is not just a cookbook, it has helpful tips about almost anything! One stand by that I have found to be my favorite is the recipe for "Quick and Delicious Bread" found on pg. 100. It is so easy, so simple, and turns out perfect EVERY time! Now, for the majority of the world, it would seem so much easier to go to the store and pick up a bag of bread and toss it in the cart. However, I am a more shall we say....pioneer woman :) Ok, not in every sense of the word, but when it comes to making this bread I think of myself as a pioneer woman! There is no bread machine involved....WAIT! I can hear the groans and the beginnings of scrolling on to the next page....WAIT! This bread is SO easy, there is no need for a machine! Go ahead, give it a try and you will see just how delicious it REALLY is!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 egg beaten
3 tsp. salt
8 cups of flour

Combine sugar, warm water, and yeast in large mixing bowl; let stand 10 min. Combine cooking oil and egg and add yeast mixture. Stir in salt and 3 Cups of flour; mix well. Stir in additional 3 cups of flour; mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, sticky dough. (please note: if you have a standing mixer, like a kitchen aid, attach your dough hook and let it do the work for you!) Cover bowl and allow dough to rise until double in bulk; punch down, turn dough over in bowl, and allow to rise, covered, until double in bulk again-about 45 min. Shape dough into three loaves and put in greased pans; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 min. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 min., or until loaves are lightly browned. Brush crusts with melted butter to soften. (Cut a slice right away and enjoy the savory goodness of your creation!)

Note: if you are having trouble getting your dough to rise, the room may be to cool. A helpful hint would be pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees while you are making your bread dough. When you are ready for it to rise, turn off your oven, cover your dough and place in the oven. It works every time!