Good help was easy to find this time.

This year our fruit trees have had an interesting season so far... Our peach tree had so much trauma I'm sending it to therapy.... Our pear tree provided lots of pears for us, our friends, then a huge storm came through and shook all the rest of the pears off the tree and they were on the grass. Our apples are going gang busters... bug lots have bugs and our baking apples are either really green or barely blushing. I decided to try to usher in some fall weather with the baking apples. Picked a few to make some muffins. Thankfully I have a great helper whose main interest is muffins, but hey, he CAN be bought! With muffins! So he helped me peel and chop them. This muffin recipe is great - easy and they are delicious! I don't keep buttermilk on hand, so instead I use whatever milk I have with a splash of lemon juice - works for me! These muffins were a hit. We baked them on Saturday morning, I was thinking for Sunday breakfast but it's hard to hold the family at bay with warm delicious muffins! So we all enjoyed some for lunch. We have a LOT more apples on that tree, I'm sure we'll be doing more baking this fall. Especially since the weather finally cooled off enough to open some windows! Phew!! Give the A/C and our pocketbooks a break!

Apple Cinnamon Muffin
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups diced apples, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
½ Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Dice about 1 & ½ apples into ½ inch chunks. You want 2 cups diced apples. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a spoon to combine and set aside.
In a larger mixing bowl combine the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine with a fork or spatula.
Gradually mix in the dry ingredients and the apple chunks, mixing just until combined. The batter will be very thick!
Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffins liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other well allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. Fill the liners to the top with batter. Yes – to the top! Use a butter knife to smooth the tops of the muffins if lumpy.
Bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF, then keep the muffins in the oven, and turn the temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 16-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to bump the temperature back up to 425ºF.
Once the muffins are cool, assemble the cinnamon sugar topping. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter on top of the muffins. Roll the top of each muffin in a bowl of cinnamon sugar.

Weed whacking in my garden

First day of high school felt a little special so I decided to make some homemade bread to go with our super fancy store bought Chicken Kiev (this was the requested meal). We have lots of basil this year but it's really strange. I've weed whacked it at least once... yes... I weed whacked it... I saw somewhere that if it's bolted, just cut it all low and it'll come back. It did come back... but it's bolting again.. maybe this weekend I'll go back and do the same thing. It could have something to do with the insane amount of rain we've been getting this summer. It's like we live in a rainforest, every day more and more rain, it's getting really old. My rug on the deck is green from just always being wet and hot. Gross. Back to bread. This bread was super easy, super fast rise, and baked up faster than it was supposed to. Remember... if your baked items are 190 inside you are good to go! Less, they will fall, more they'll be dry. Everyone enjoyed this warm from the oven, but I bet it would be great in the toaster as well. First day of high school? Went great! Next week is 6th grade! (as of this writing anyway....) hip hip!

Basil Bread
2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast (rapid rise works well too)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fresh basil, minced (measure before chopping)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups bread flour

Preheat oven to 375*F
In a stand mixer add yeast, water and sugar. Mix.
Cover with a dish towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Yeast should poof.
Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper, silicone liner or non-stick foil.
After yeast proofs, add salt, basil and oil. Mix well.
Add bread flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between additions.
Once all flour is added, continue to knead dough for an additional 5 minutes. If dough is still sticking to sides of bowl, add an additional 1/2 cup a little at a time.
Place dough on a lightly* floured work surface
Roll out dough to a rectangle that is about 1 ½ inches thick.
Roll up dough like a cinnamon roll and place on prepared cookie sheet.
Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes. (inside temp should reach 190)
Remove from the oven, let cool, slice and enjoy.

I don't make weird food

The day before high school starts shouldn't have felt chaotic but for some reason it did feel chaotic. There was zero reason for it. One trip there to drop an instrument off, then a return trip to pick up a girl who found a friend and wanted to walk a schedule, then back home to get a few things done at home. Dinner felt rushed but easy. Andy fighting electrical wiring that just wouldn't behave at all. Still won't... not entirely sure what our plan will be on that front, but we'll figure it out. I was trying to sneak around him and get out of his way while making dinner. This dish does make more dishes than I think it should... had I bought frozen broccoli, that would have been easier. I could have tossed the broccoli in with the pasta water at the end... didn't... All in all, it was a very easy dish, with ingredients that were normal and not weird. I don't make weird food... I keep telling people that. Anyway... easy dinner, things that taste good all put together and baked to perfection. It was great. Something we will certainly make again, and it could be meal prepped so you could just toss the breadcrumbs on top and toss it in the oven, even easier.

Ham and Broccoli Pasta Casserole
1 pound of your favorite pasta shape, such as penne, rotini, elbow macaroni, or shells.
4 cups of fresh or frozen broccoli florets.
2 cups of diced cooked ham
1 (10.75 ounce) can of condensed cream of mushroom soup.
1 cup of milk
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided into 1 ½ cups for the casserole and ½ cup for topping.
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
½ cup of breadcrumbs, plain or Italian seasoned.
1 teaspoon of onion powder.
1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Salt and Pepper: To taste.

 
Instructions
Preheat Your Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). While the oven is heating, lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. This step is crucial to prevent the casserole from sticking to the bottom and sides of the dish, ensuring easy serving and cleanup later on. You can use cooking spray, butter, or oil to grease the dish.
Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add your pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Cooking the pasta al dente is important because it will continue to cook in the oven as part of the casserole. Overcooked pasta will become mushy and lose its texture in the casserole. Once cooked, drain the pasta thoroughly in a colander and set aside. Running cold water over the pasta is generally not recommended for casseroles as it can wash away some of the starch that helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
Steam or Boil the Broccoli: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the broccoli. If using fresh broccoli, cut it into bite-sized florets. You can steam the broccoli until it is tender-crisp, which usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, you can boil the broccoli for about 3-4 minutes until it is bright green and slightly tender. If using frozen broccoli, you can steam or boil it directly from frozen, or thaw it slightly and then steam or boil it. Avoid overcooking the broccoli, as you want it to retain some texture and not become mushy in the casserole. Drain the broccoli well after cooking to remove excess water.
Prepare the Sauce Base: In a large bowl, combine the can of cream of mushroom soup and milk. Whisk these two ingredients together until smooth and well combined. This mixture forms the creamy base of your casserole sauce. Ensure there are no lumps of soup remaining to create a consistently smooth sauce.
Combine Ingredients: To the soup and milk mixture, add the cooked and drained pasta, steamed or boiled broccoli florets, and diced cooked ham. Gently stir all these ingredients together until they are evenly distributed and coated in the creamy sauce. Make sure the ham and broccoli are spread throughout the pasta for a balanced flavor in each serving.
Add Seasonings and Cheese: Sprinkle in the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the pasta mixture. Season generously to taste, remembering that cheese and ham are salty, so adjust accordingly. Then, add 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl. Stir everything together until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce, creating a wonderfully cheesy and flavorful mixture. Reserving some cheese for the topping will create a beautifully browned and bubbly crust.
Transfer to Baking Dish and Top with Cheese: Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared 9×13 inch baking dish, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. This layer of cheese will melt and create a golden, cheesy crust as it bakes.
Make Breadcrumb Topping (Optional but Recommended): In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs to the melted butter and stir constantly until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy. This should only take a few minutes, so watch them closely to prevent burning. The buttery breadcrumbs add a delightful crunch and textural contrast to the creamy casserole.
Sprinkle Breadcrumbs Over Casserole (Optional): If you made the breadcrumb topping, sprinkle it evenly over the cheese layer of the casserole. This breadcrumb topping adds an extra layer of flavor and a satisfying crispy texture that complements the creamy casserole beautifully.
Bake the Casserole: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through, bubbly around the edges, and the cheese on top is melted and golden brown. The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven, so keep an eye on it. You want the casserole to be heated throughout and for the cheese to be nicely melted and slightly browned.
Let it Rest and Serve: Once baked, remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This resting time allows the casserole to set slightly, making it easier to serve and preventing it from being too runny. Resting also helps to distribute the heat evenly throughout the dish. Serve hot and enjoy this comforting and delicious Ham and Broccoli Pasta Casserole!

Muffining our way out of the Summer

We are about to travel for the last time this summer and it's been a busy summer for travel! This time it's to Wisconsin, so not too long of a ride and no camping required when we get there. Not a bad way to end things up this summer. I try to bring some breakfasty things since Nicholas and I are early risers. It's been a crazy could of months and I just struggled this time to figure out what to make, decided these muffins were it. Also some banana bread muffins because everyone loves those... I'm pretty sure everyone is going to love these too, oh, how do I know? Well... it's possible two didn't fit in the container and well, sometimes you just have to sample your work, so that's what I did and I'm glad I did, these are going to be winner muffins! Heated up with a little butter on them, oh man, delicious! I forgot the glaze too. I was laying in bed last night and realized I forgot the glaze, I don't think you need it. Maybe you want it? Sure! Go for it, but need? Meh... these are good enough without it.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins
Filling & Topping:
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Muffin batter:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup sunflower oil
¾ cup whole milk, at room temperature
Glaze:
½ cup powdered confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon light (half & half) 10% cream

Make the filling/topping. Combine flour, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and salt until blended. Add the melted butter and stir it in until it evenly blended and the mixture forms clumps. To make the filling, take ¾ cup of this mixture and place in a separate bowl and stir in the other ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Cover the bowl with the rest of the mixture and set it aside for topping.
Make the muffin batter. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt and whisk to blend well. Press out any lumps of brown sugar so the mixture is well combined.
Combine eggs, sour cream, vanilla, oil and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold together to combine. Stop right as the batter is uniform, being sure to reach down to the bottom to pull up any pockets of flour. Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 425°F for tall peaked muffin tops. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Or for extra large muffins, make 10. If making 10 then you definitely need 2 pans so you can space out the muffins every other cup since they will spread out to make large muffin tops.
Use a 1.5 oz scoop to portion batter and add one scoop to each muffin cup. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cinnamon filling evenly over top, then cover with batter so the cups are full. Pile the crumb topping on (really pile it on!). Don't be shy with the topping because it will spread out as the muffins rise in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They're best served warm but also store really well and stay moist for days!

Gather all the random odds and ends and make dinner

This dish was perfect to use up all sorts of random things I had on hand.
A garden brimming with cherry tomatoes? Check.
Partial box of orzo pasta? Check.
Boursin cheese from the Hope Store for 33 cents? Check.
Lots of herbs from the garden? Check.
Chicken from the freezer? Check.
Left over chicken broth? Check.
The marinated mozzarella balls I bought specifically for this? Almost became victim to Andy's snacking habits. "Any of those left?" um... no, they were for this dish. "Oh I could just eat those no problem. They looked delicious." Saved from Andy's snacking habits... Phew!
This recipe was very easy to toss together while I was busy doing something else, stir a few times, add a few things, but easy to get together and really delicious leftovers too!
I did bake the chicken a few days before with seasoning because I didn't have precooked chicken but you could easy use a rotisserie chicken.

Chicken Orzo Bake
3 heaping cups cooked shredded chicken rotisserie chicken, leftovers, or air fried/baked chicken breast - shredded; about 1.5 lbs raw
2 cups orzo pasta uncooked
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & ground black pepper to taste (½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; this will depend on your chicken and broth used)
1 (5.3-oz) package Boursin cheese
3 oz spinach chopped
½ cup freshly grated parmesan
splash of cream optional
1 cup mozzarella balls optional
chopped parsley and/or basil, lemon juice, extra parmesan to serve (optional)

Prep: Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Assemble: Add chicken, uncooked orzo, tomatoes, broth, seasoning, salt and pepper to the prepared dish. Stir to combine. Nestle Boursin cheese in the middle.
Bake covered: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully uncover, stir in the spinach and parmesan.
Finish baking uncovered: Stir in a splash of cream if you want a creamier dish. Scatter mozzarella balls on top, if using. Bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.
Serve: Let the casserole sit or 5-10 minutes before serving with fresh herbs, lemon juice and parmesan, if you like.

Crowd pleasing with hot fudge and cookies

What's better than just chocolate chip cookie bars? Hot fudge chocolate chip cookie bars... oh my yes, add some hot fudge in the middle and the game has been changed, gooey and wonderful any time you want one, not just warm from the oven! The hardest part of these bars was locating the hot fudge which honestly wasn't that hard, just not at the stores I was looking. This recipe is quick and delicious. Another crowd pleaser for sure.

Hot Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups (300 g) brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 ¼ cups (282 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups (364 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar (11 ounces) hot fudge, warm

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
To a large bowl, add butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Using a hand-held mixer, cream ingredients until they are light and fluffy. Add in eggs, mixing until completely incorporated.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix at low speed until combined.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Set the remaining cookie dough aside.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove the cookie bars from the oven and place on a heat-safe surface.
Pour the warmed hot fudge over the bars, making sure to get it into every nook and cranny.
Using the remaining cookie dough, form small discs and place them over the top of the fudge. It is okay if there is some fudge showing.
Bake for an additional 20-22 minutes, or until the fudge is bubbling and the cookie is golden brown.
Allow bars to cool to room temperature (about 1 ½ hours) before cutting and serving.

Happy Smiling Blueberries from Michigan

We have this wonderful woman at church who will text us during the summer "How many boxes of blueberries would you like?" Blueberries? Yes please! I mean that's my family’s response, my response is "Why would you eat blue food? Blech!" but I never turn her down. Fresh blueberries from Michigan. What to do with them? What ever shall we do? My family will eat them, Nicholas made some into muffins, I decided to try this yogurt cake for Andy's guys. Sure, I needed help with zesting and juicing, but after that I was good to go. I really wasn't sure how this would go over but I try to make a chocolatey dessert and a fruity dessert each time they come. When the kids and I came home after the meeting - there was one half slice left. Apparently, they loved it THAT much. Wow! Nicholas ate the last half piece and declared we should make this one again. Good thing we have more blueberries, and I have the best zester and juicer in town (Nicholas). We'll get another one in the oven soon.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

1 ½ cups plus 1 tbsp (224g) all-purpose flour, divided
1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoon lemon zest from 1-2 large lemons
2 large eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil or sunflower oil (you can also use vegetable oil or canola oil)
1 cup (237ml) whole milk plain yogurt, at room temperature
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (180g) frozen blueberries
Lemon Yogurt Glaze:
1 cup (120g) powdered confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) full fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides of an 9-inch round non-stick springform pan with a round of parchment paper.
Sift 1 ½ cups (215g) flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add ¼ cup (50g) of sugar and salt, then whisk until evenly blended.
Make the cake batter. Place ¾ cup (150g) of sugar in a large bowl. Add lemon zest and rub it between your fingers until very fragrant and pale yellow-colored. This will extract all of the delicious lemon oils to flavor the cake. Add eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth. If it becomes too thick, switch to a rubber spatula to fold them in. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and then scatter them over the batter. NOTE: if you use fresh berries, then you don't need to coat them in flour.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool for 20 minutes. Then, remove the sides of the pan and transfer to a serving plate.
Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, yogurt and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until very smooth. Pour the glaze over the slightly warm cake, letting it drip over the sides. Let the icing set for about 15 minutes, then slice and serve!
If you want, you can also add more powdered sugar to make a thicker icing, but I like this donut-glazed effect.

Home improvement week means easy dinners

I have to admit, having a meal you can toss in a pan and then into the oven while you do some home improvement project, then come back to and it be delicious and a full meal? Kind of awesome. Actually, really awesome. We've had this weird issue with our under-cabinet lighting; it won't get very bright. We've had it installed and working great for a while, then suddenly it wouldn't work right. It's on a switched outlet, so Andy swapped the switch - no luck. Swapped the outlet - no luck. We plugged another light into that outlet - same issue! So, something is wonky somewhere in our 120 year old house's wiring and I'm not really interested in figuring it out right now. I've been researching LED wireless under cabinet lighting and found a solution! I was all excited to install it then we had a flush valve in a toilet go out... so I spent 4 1/2 hours on that instead of the fun lighting project... 4 1/2 hours on one toilet is just wrong... thankfully I got the most of it figured out, after 3 trips to 2 different hardware stores (one where the "helpful hardware folks" was a girl half my age who just googled things and said I wasn't trying hard enough). I was very happy the next night to toss dinner into the oven, then do my lighting project with no issues, everything worked and we had a great dinner, then I went out to do a camper improvement project! I will say I get my Boursin cheese at my favorite weird grocery store for 3 for $1... while at Aldi I noticed they are over $5 each! So, if you are stuck paying over $5 - I'm sorry, but this stuff is good!!

Dump and Bake Creamy Sausage Pasta
1 12-ounce box bowtie pasta
1 12-ounce package frozen broccoli florets or about 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 13.5-ounce package smoked Polish kielbasa cut into 1/4 inch coins
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 5.3-ounce package Boursin garlic & fine herbs gourmet cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉.
In a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish, add the uncooked pasta noodles, broccoli, sliced kielbasa, chicken broth, milk, and salt; stir.
Remove the cheese from the package and place it in the center of the dish.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover the pasta, give it a stir, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the pasta is soft.
Give the pasta a stir and let it set for 10 minutes. This will help the sauce thicken and coat the pasta beautifully!
Stir once again and serve!

Melted cheese, a dream or a nightmare....

It's been a while since I've made fresh bread for dinner - it felt time. This bread needed caramelized onions, which aren't just cooked onions, they take quite a while to cook slowly in a pan not burning or going too fast. Slow and low, and making the house smell amazing. I used my Kitchenaid mixer for this one since my other mixer I normally use for doughs was being used for something sweet. It's been a while since I hauled out the dough hook and used it rather than using it to make the drawer get stuck opening, because usually that's all it gets used for. This dough rose quite a bit, even on second rise - it was all over the place! I rolled the bread in cheese and herbs, and sprayed my pans but oh man did that cheese stick to the pans. I'm not sure what I could have done differently. Now that I think back, it might have been fun to bake this in bundt pan for perfect slices! But oh the mess of that melted cheese... not sure that would be a dream or a nightmare. This recipe made two very puffy large loaves and they were delicious! Let's have another!

Caramelized Onion Cheddar Bread Savory Artisan Loaf
For the Dough
1 packet Active Dry Yeast
1 cup Warm
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
4 cups All-Purpose Flour
For the Filling
2 medium Onions Caramelized
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme or Rosemary

Sauté Onions: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely sliced onions and cook for about 10-15 minutes until softened. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for an additional 45 minutes until they are golden and fragrant.
Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, combine sugar, active dry yeast, and warm water. Allow it to sit until it becomes foamy—this means your yeast is active and ready to work its magic!
Mix Ingredients: Stir in milk, olive oil, salt, and the delicious caramelized onions. Gradually add all-purpose flour until just combined; your dough will be a bit shaggy at this stage.
Knead Dough: Transfer the mixture to a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. This step is essential for developing structure in your bread!
First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size—this should take about 1-2 hours.
Shape Dough: Once risen, punch down the dough to release the air. Divide it into two pieces, roll each into a rectangle, and generously sprinkle with grated cheddar and thyme or rosemary. Roll tightly and braid your dough for a beautiful finish.
Second Rise: Place the braided loaves into greased pans, cover lightly, and let them rise until puffy—approximately 1 hour. Your kitchen will smell amazing!
Bake the Loaves: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake for about 50 minutes, rotating halfway through for even browning. If they begin to brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
Cool Down: Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing into warm bread is the best part!

Worth the Wait

Summer has been a whirlwind. Trips to plan for and go on, packing to do, camps to get gets kids to, so many fun adventures and weekends away, but very little time to bake and try new things. This recipe has been on my radar for quite a while, printed on my desk staring at me. We had an at home Saturday and wildly got all our yardwork and other chores done in the morning so an afternoon of baking sounded fantastic! I thought this recipe would be harder than it actually was, it honestly was very straight forward and not hard. My measuring was a bit off and I ignored the first tip about cutting a slit in the wide end of the triangle. My first croissant showed my inability to follow directions and it did not fan out very nice, so I went back and cut slits and they all rolled out beautifully and looked just like you'd expect. These croissants are not standard with laminated dough and layers of flakey pastry, they are soft and delicious. Layers of cinnamon and brown sugar filling, with some icing on top. So delicious and they are wonderful as left overs! These were worth the wait!

Cinnamon Roll Croissants
Dough:
3/4 cup (180ml) milk of choice, warmed to 110F
1/2 cup (110g) granulated sugar, divided
2 1/2 tsp (9g) active dry yeast
1/2 cup (120g) Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, very softened (almost melted)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract
4 1/2 cups (540g) bread flour (substitution: all-purpose flour);
1 tsp (6g) salt
Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, softened (not melted)
1 cup (240g) light brown sugar
2 tbsp (12g) cinnamon
1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract
Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp heavy cream or milk of choice, for brushing on top before baking
Egg Wash (For Brushing on Top Before Baking):
1 egg
1 tbsp (15ml) heavy cream or milk of choice
Cream Cheese Glaze:
4oz (125g; 1/2 a block) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp (28g) salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar
2 tbsp (30ml) milk of choice
1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
Activate the yeast for the dough:
Start by activating the yeast for the dough. Pour the warm milk into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Add 1 tbsp (13g) of the granulated sugar and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Stir and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes, until frothy and activated. If using instant yeast, no need to wait for it to bloom; go straight into mixing the dough together!
Continue preparing the dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
Once activated, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if mixing/kneading the dough by hand). Add the rest of the sugar (1/2 cup minus the 1 tbsp that was used to activate the yeast), Greek yogurt or sour cream, butter, eggs, vanilla, and the flour mixture.
With the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon if mixing by hand), mix on low speed for 1 minute, until barely combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes so the flour can soak up the liquids.
Then, mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is elastic, smooth, and is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems a little too sticky, you can add 1 tbsp more flour at a time, until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t be tempted to add too much, you want the dough to be slightly sticky! I ended up adding about 3 tbsp more flour. If you are mixing and kneading by hand, pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes by hand.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm environment for 30-45 minutes. Don’t let the dough rise for too long, or your cinnamon rolls will turn out a little too airy. NOTE: This dough won't double in size in that timeframe, and that's what we want!
Prepare the cinnamon filling and baking sheets:
While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling by mixing together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape and proof the cinnamon roll croissants:
Once the dough is done rising, punch it down and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 20x12” rectangle, ~1/4” thickness. Disperse the cinnamon filling all over the surface of the dough, and spread/smooth it out evenly, leaving a very small border around the edges.
On the long end of the dough, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to divide the dough into 5 equal sections (each 4” in width). This should create 5 long rectangles.
Then, cut a straight line diagonally through each rectangle to create 10 triangles. *This is going to make 10 very large cinnamon roll croissants. If you want them smaller, you can cut smaller sections and triangles (i.e., roll the dough out to a 24x12" rectangle; cut into 6, 4" sections; cut a total of 12 triangles from those sections).
Take a triangle (do not stretch it out too much, or the layers won’t be super fluffy) and make a small slit in the middle of the large end. Then, tightly roll it up into a croissant shape. Repeat with the remaining triangles.
Place the cinnamon roll croissants onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2” apart from each other. Loosely cover the baking sheets with a kitchen towel and allow to proof for 25-30 minutes while the oven preheats, until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake:
Once the cinnamon roll croissants are proofed, whisk together the milk and egg for the egg wash. Then brush the egg wash over the tops of the cinnamon roll croissants.
Bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes, or until golden on top. *NOTE: some of the filling is going to spill out just slightly, this is normal. Once they are removed from the oven, it creates a nice gooey and caramelized bottom!
Prepare the cream cheese glaze and serve:
While the cinnamon roll croissants are baking, prepare the cream cheese glaze. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and softened butter until smooth and fluffy. Then whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined and smooth. If you would like your glaze more runny, whisk in 1 more tbsp of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Remove the rolls from the oven and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes. Then immediately spoon or drizzle the cream cheese glaze all over the rolls

Therapy via ChatGPT

It's peach season at Cedar Road... but our poor sad peach tree is not happy. Last week I had a little therapy session with ChatGPT sharing pictures and my concern. Don't worry, ChatGPT thinks It'll be just fine, I'm not so sure. Since some of the roots were cut for the road construction and all the trauma... it's having a rough year. I have plans in the spring of planting another Red Haven in the front yard just incase this is the way it's going. Oh, I should explain - the limbs are dying, the peaches are very weird shaped, ripening and molding in weird ways. Hopefully next season we'll be back to a bumper crop. I have been able to can some, and hope to can more, but right now it's a sad looking tree. I was able to pull a few when I was canning to make these upside down cakes! Since I can't do pineapple, these peach cakes seemed perfect to try and they were delicious with a scoop of ice cream on top! They even came right out of the pan! One note - Andy and Nicholas (and I) decided we should add some cinnamon to the batter and that was a great decision! So if you can't find me, I'll be talking nicely to my peach tree and hoping a better year for it next year.

Peach Upside Down Mini Cakes
For topping:
1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter cold
6 teaspoons (5 g) light brown sugar
For cake batter:
3 fresh peaches Note 1
1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (130 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk at room temperature (Note 2)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177° C). Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
To prepare the topping:
Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into 12 equal parts. (TIP: cold butter is easier to cut.) Place each butter piece in 12 muffin cups.
Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of brown sugar into each muffin cup.
Slice 1-2 peaches into thin slices. Arrange about 3 slices into the bottom of each muffin pan.
To make the cake batter:
Cut the remaining peaches into small cubes. You should get about 1 cup of cubed peaches. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla extract and beat it for another 2-3 minutes, or until well combined. The mixture should be fluffy and white. (Note: It's totally normal for the mixture to curdle right after adding egg, but keep mixing and it'll turn nice and fluffy!)
Add half of the flour mixture into the batter, beat for 1 minute on low speed.
Stir in the buttermilk and beat for another minute.
Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined. Don't overmix the batter, or it'll make tough cake.
Fold in the cubed peaches.
Divide the batter into 12 muffin pan cups. (TIP: This large cookie scoop makes this step super easy – one scoop of batter in each muffin cup.)
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully run a butter knife around the edges to release the cake from the sides. Now, place a wire rack over the muffin pan and carefully turn the pan upside down to remove the cakes.
Serve the mini cakes warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Baking for a cause

For the past few years, I've helped provide dinner for our volunteers each night at our church's Vacation Bible School, this year it was renamed to Kids Camp. In previous years I would get catering or do some catering and some homemade food. This year it was all homemade. Lots of preplanning made it not to difficult. Pre-make some parts and pieces, ask for help in other areas. One area I've asked for help - cookies for dessert. I ask people if they are willing to make a batch of cookies. More often than not, the people who offer are people who aren't helping as a volunteer so it's their way to help out. We do get some people who volunteer and bake too, which is great too. Since I won't ask people to do something that I'm not also doing, I decided to give some cookies a try too. I made these about a week earlier and froze the dough balls, they were ready to bake the day I needed them. These cookies include an ingredient I don't see much, Cookies 'n' Creme Bars from Hershey's. Usually, I see these aren't Halloween and that's it! In fact, the big 6 bar pack was on clearance at Wal-Mart! These cookies were full of cookies and cream goodness. The Oreos added lots of crunch and the Hershey bars added that creme flavor. I'll be making these again for sure. I had to ask one of my kids to snag me one to try because they went fast and the plate was empty before I knew it!

Cookies and Cream Cookies
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
15 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (chopped)
9 oz. HERSHEY’S Cookies ‘n’ Crème Bars, broken into pieces (6, 1.55 oz. bars)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: All-Purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cold butter with the sugars. Cream for 3-4 minute, it will look sort of like a paste. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
Then add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients and then add in the chopped Oreo cookies and cookies and creme bars.
Shape dough into 7-large cookies (~5 oz. each). and bake for 10-12 minutes. Or you can make them much smaller and adjust the baking time.
Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

The lies we tell ourself...

Somehow, I had in my head that after school ended summer was going to be a breeze. Relaxed nights, less chaos, sitting on the deck watching the hummingbirds... That's turned into a wifi camera that tells me when the hummingbirds come to visit, out most nights chasing errands, and endless to do lists and packing lists because, oh my word we have so much packed into three months I can't even see straight. One thing we couldn't forget was our girl turning 14! She was pretty busy too so we didn't decide on a cake design until a few days before her birthday party. I had in my head how to do these flowers then after they were done, I realize just how giant they would be on the cake and realized I should have/could have done them much differently. But you know what? Maybe it's not the same as the picture, but it is it's own thing and it's beautiful for that! The day I made and decorated was a rough one, but the day of the party it looked better in the daylight and we all enjoyed it.
The strawberry filling is not 3 sticks of butter... I did the full recipe of vanilla buttercream plus a third. Then took a third out and added the powdered freeze-dried strawberries and just used it as filling. By far that is our favorite strawberry filling. Tastes like strawberries and doesn't overpower anything.
Hard to believe this girl is 14! This time next year she'll be learning to drive... oh my!

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz Freeze Dried Strawberries - ground into powder
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle or whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed (if using whisk attachment whip on high speed) until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7 - 8 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add in powdered sugar, heavy cream, strawberry powder, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Immediately spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle or whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed (if using whisk attachment whip on high speed) until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7 - 8 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add in powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Immediately spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.

Tornadoing and bad measuring

When you see a recipe that includes several things you already have in the house - that makes things a bit easier. This recipe is a bit of a guessing game. How much liquid do you add? Eh... until it makes sense. Isn't that the worst advice ever? I mean the way this recipe is written it's not really clear. I started with 2 cups of broth and added a little more... but also did milk instead of heavy cream. I didn't have fresh basil - well there's some growing in the garden but it was tornadoing outside so I opted to just run out and grab chives instead. That worked just fine. I loved this pasta. It was so flavorful and different from what I've made before. For sure when I see more Boursin, it's coming home with me! Last I saw at the weird grocery store it was 3 for $1! Maybe next time the weather won't be so lousy and I can add some basil... although our weather is pretty crazy...

Boursin Basil Rings
2 cups pasta rings or ditalini
4 tablespoons butter
1–2 garlic cloves minced
2–3 cups chicken broth or water
Salt and pepper
3/4 c heavy cream or milk
1 package Boursin Basil and chive flavor
Fresh sliced basil
Chopped chives

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the garlic. When the garlic sizzles add the pasta and 1 1/2 cups broth/water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and cover for about 5–6 minutes. Give it a stir and add more broth if needed. Stir in the cream and add the Boursin. Continue stirring until tender adding liquid as needed. Season with salt pepper and stir in the basil and chives.

16 pounds of chicken and a cookie recipe I didn't read

16 pounds of chicken in the oven and cookies to get baked too. Tossed the chicken in and started on the cookies. 20 minutes to let the butter and chocolate cool. Oof... Ok. Oh man... 45 chill to firm up? Ugh! Got those in the freezer. Who has time for recipes like this? I mean if I had read the recipe ahead, well that would have been smarter, but we know I'm not that great at that. These cookies are deeply flavored with chocolate and oh so good. I think the only tweak I'd make is adding some salt to the top. Learning to love extra salt here and there. oh and the 16 pounds of chicken? Turned in to 100+ Cheesy Chicken buns for Kids Camp Volunteers. Can't wait to bake those up too and enjoy them. Maybe I'll make a batch of these cookies to go with them.

Brownie Cookies
2½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine 2 cups of the chocolate chips and the butter. Microwave on high in 20-second intervals, stirring thoroughly between intervals, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to cool.
While the chocolate mixture is cooling, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low, slowly pour the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips and mix briefly to incorporate fully.
Using a 1-ounce scoop, portion the dough onto one prepared baking sheet. You do not need to space them out. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
Working in batches, place the chilled cookies 2 inches apart on the other prepared room-temperature baking sheet.
Bake until the edges are set, 12 to 14 minutes. The centers of the cookies will appear and feel soft when hot but will set as they cool. Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie balls.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days

Dodging tornados and rain to get dinner on the table

I've learned that every week lately is a "make it through" this week and it'll get less busy... over and over until you realize it never gets less busy. I oddly thought Summer would be less crazy and yet I was very wrong. I swapped dinner plans Tuesday and Wednesday because I'm still not grilling anything, and burgers aren't something I'm making. I had arranged to make one stop on my way home instead of five... yes, five I told you things were busy... as I was about to leave for home - my phone alerted me there was a tornado warning at home... so I wasn't heading there yet. I waited around for that to clear and drove through the blinding wind and rain to get home to get dinner going to we could still get our girl to where she needed to be on time. As I raced through this recipe we heard word that the storm knocked out the power where she was going so phew! One less thing to do! Good thing, because my pork tenderloins must have been massive because they took like 40 minutes in the oven.... good thing we had extra time! This had a few steps but well worth it! Add some applesauce and delicious! Yes, always applesauce with pork.

Best Baked Pork Tenderloin
1 pkg. pork tenderloins, trimmed (comes with 2 pieces, 2 – 2 ½ lbs. total)
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup ice cubes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter sliced into 6 pats
Spice Mix
1 TBS EACH chili powder, garlic powder
1 tsp EACH salt, onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
HERBS TO ADD LATER:
1/2 tsp EACH dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 °F. Lay two long pieces of foil on a baking sheet – these will be used to fold up each tenderloin separately.
In a gallon-size freezer bag, mix salt with warm water until dissolved. Whisk in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and ice, followed by pork. Brine for exactly 20 minutes then remove pork from brine, RINSE and pat very dry. The pork becomes mealy if left in the brine any longer.
Whisk together all of the Spice Mix ingredients (not the "Add Later Herbs") in a small bowl. Evenly rub pork all over with spice mix.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil is very hot and just smoking, add pork tenderloins, you may need to work in batches. Sear each side of pork until golden, then transfer to foil.
Evenly sprinkle tops of pork tenderloins with remaining herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme) then rub into pork. Evenly drizzle each pork tenderloin with one tablespoon of lemon juice (2 tablespoons total), then top each tenderloin with 3 pats of butter. Bring up the sides of the foil to completely enclose each tenderloin.
Bake at 400 °F until pork registers between 145- and 150-degrees F (63 and 65 degrees C) at the thickest part of the tenderloin, 15-25 minutes depending on thickness. This means the pork will be juicy and slightly pink in the middle. To check the temperature, carefully unwrap the foil, then wrap it back up if it need to continue baking.
When pork is done, loosen foil (so steam can escape) and let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste (I like additional salt) and serve with accumulated butter sauce in the bottom of the foil.

Trifles for the win

The month of May has cruised right into the month of June and trying new recipes has gone right out the window. Making standby recipes and standard faire has been more top of mind than anything else. May was crazy – so many nights out and events to get to and a girl to get graduated. June has proved equally crazy with so many things to get planned and prepped for two weeks of camping in the middle of nowhere… it’s been… something. Somewhere in there I remembered that we had dinner with friends planned! Oh! I could bring a dessert! I’d promised something light and refreshing. Clearly you can see what I made wasn’t light, not in the least. The last time we got together I made a trifle, am I the trifle maker now? I decided to make a fudge brownie trifle! We got home the night before around 11:30 PM from a day in Wisconsin so I got up early to go walk, set the oven timer to turn on right when I got home – so all I had to do was toss the brownie mix together and get that in the oven before church. When we got home from church, I put it all together which went very quickly. This was a hit, an absolute hit. Brownies, pudding, Cool Whip, and Oreos… There’s nothing light about this – but it was delicious! Next friend dinner is at our house… I’ll be on main dish duty! I’ve got this! Can I make a main dish in a trifle bowl?

Oreo Fudge Brownie Trifle
1 box brownie mix *plus egg, water, oil, etc.
2 box instant chocolate pudding - mixed according to box directions
16 oz cool whip
1 box Oreos

Prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Once fully cooled, cut brownies into 1-inch small squares.
Crush Oreos in a gallon zip bag, set aside about ¼ cup.
Place ½ brownie pieces on first layer of trifle bowl.
Spread ½ of pudding mixture over brownie bites.
Pour ½ of cool whip container over pudding mixture.
Sprinkle ½ of Oreo cookie pieces over whip cream.
Repeat pattern a second time.
On top layer, sprinkle ¼ cup of Oreo pieces.
Refrigerate for an hour and enjoy!

Cinnamon Chip Bread Wins Hearts Everywhere

If I had to pick a favorite flavor, I think it would likely be cinnamon. Ask my allergist and she'll tell you I should pick something else, but we aren't asking her, are we?
I have made a version of this bread before - but I'm always willing to give another a try. This one I doubled so I could share some bread with others and oh man did it rise right out of my mixer! I buy my cinnamon chips from a place in Utah called Gygi - and last time I sure got a lot of them. the ingredients are simple and with my NutraMill mixer, it comes together in just a few minutes. This bread is best eaten toasted with some butter (or country crock or Aldi version) on it. So good. You know how else it's good? As French Toast. Yes... oh my... so very good. Try this one! Even if all you can get are Hershey Cinnamon Chips, it'll still taste good, just be a bit more orange.
We took some to a friend who just has surgery and to our neighbor who just came back from international travel. Don’t worry, that double batch meant we still had plenty for ourselves. Mmmm let’s toast a slice!

Cinnamon Burst Bread
Ingredients
5 ¼ to 5 ½ cups (745 to 781 g) all-purpose or bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (27 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
1 ¾ cups (405 g) warm water, 105 to 110 degrees F.
¼ cup (49 g) neutral-flavored oil, like grapeseed, avocado, vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoons table salt
1 ½ cups (270 g) mini cinnamon chips (see note)
Butter, for brushing tops of loaves

Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 3 cups of the flour, sugar and yeast. Mix. Add the warm water and mix until combined. Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the oil, egg, salt, 1 more cup of flour, and the cinnamon chips. Mix on medium speed, and continue to gradually add flour (up to another 1 1/2 cups, more or less) until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Judge the dough by how it looks and feels, not necessarily by the total amount of flour added (humidity, elevation, how the flour is measured will all affect how much flour is needed).
Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about an hour. Alternately, you can transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise.
Lightly grease two 8 1/2-X-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased counter and divide into two pieces.
Press each piece into a thick 9-inch square. Roll up into a tight log without stretching the dough. Turn the edges under and press all the seams to seal.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position.
Place the loaves in the prepared pans. Cover and let rise until the dough rises about 1/2 inch above the top of the bread pans. Don't let the dough rise too high in this step. It springs up quite a bit in the hot oven.
Bake the loaves for 32 to 35 minutes until golden on top and baked through. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the bread should register 195 degrees F.
Out of the oven, carefully turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack and brush melted butter on the tops of the loaves. Let the bread cool completely, before cutting into slices and serving.

Maybe I need a real wok?

Sometimes I make Asian dishes and I end up substituting things because my normal grocery stores just don't have it and I don't want to go to the local Asian grocery store because it's out of the way and honestly, the owner is scary. I mean maybe not scary, but crabby is fair. My sister in law told us about Weee! - an online Asian supermarket and we are hooked. They have everything we need for all our Asian cooking... which really isn't that much, but it's enough to love shopping and having things delivered to my front door the next day. My kids are in love with the single serve Korean rice packages, the seaweed snacks, and Andy likes anything and everything. The only thing I left out of this recipe was the chili because nope.... just nope. I could have ordered it from Weee! But nope.
I'll warn you... the fish sauce is something else. Whoa... I mean yes add it - it certainly adds to the overall flavor, but don't go dipping French fries in it. Whoa...
These noodles were loved by all and even eaten as leftovers by all! That's a win. We made a double batch and well worth it. Will for sure be adding these to the rotation.

Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Ingredients
8 ounces wide rice noodles
Stir-Fry Sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon water
Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2-3 Thai red chilies (sliced (adjust to taste))
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 small onion (sliced)
1 medium bell pepper (sliced, red)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 carrot (julienned)
2 green onions (cut into 2-inch pieces)
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
Lime wedges (for serving)

Soak the 8 ounces of wide rice noodles in warm water for 15–20 minutes until they soften. Drain and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons lime juice, and 1 tablespoon water until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 4 minced garlic cloves and 2–3 sliced Thai red chilies. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the 1 pound of chicken pieces to the wok. Stir-fry for 5–6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned.
Toss in the sliced onion, bell peppers, broccoli florets, and julienned carrot. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Add the softened noodles and stir-fry sauce to the wok. Gently toss everything together, ensuring the noodles are well coated with the sauce. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the noodles are tender and the sauce has been absorbed.
Stir in the green onions and 1 cup of Thai basil leaves. Cook for an additional 1 minute until the basil is wilted.
Garnish with extra basil leaves and serve with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy immediately!

Giant delicious cookies added to the calendar

It's been a busy year so far with weeks and weekends packed with a full calendar. We finally had a mostly free weekend and these cookies seemed like a great way to celebrate a free weekend. The wild part of this recipe is it's for eight cookies... a full cup of butter for eight cookies. I was pretty sure if I made them that big, we'd be cutting them into pieces to eat them, so rather than make eight giant cookies, I used an ice cream scoop and ended up with 27 cookies instead, still very large for our standards and very delicious. I could have used much more dark chocolate pieces on top, or the sides, but what was there was wonderful. Both kids wandered through, "Ooooh those look good!" they seemed surprised when I offered them one, oh yay! Plenty of chocolate all over hands and faces and rave reviews. I don't think these cookies will be around too long, which is the sign of a great cookie!

Thick Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups (267g) brown sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (255g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
3.5-4 oz high quality milk or dark chocolate bar chopped or broken into small pieces
flaky sea salt

This recipe yields eight 5.5-5.7 oz cookies. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat for 30 seconds, until fully combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated. I like to finish mixing with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly combined. The dough will be thick.
Using a kitchen scale, portion the dough into 5.5 to 5.7 oz balls. Roll each ball between your hands, then shape it so it’s slightly taller than it is wide.
Chop the chocolate bar into small pieces, then press the pieces and a few extra chocolate chips onto the outside of each dough ball.
Place 2 cookies at a time on the baking sheet. Bake for 15–18 minutes. I pull mine at 15 minutes—the centers will look slightly underdone but will set as they cool.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring.