Cinnamon Swirl Bread

The Lawrences love carbs and the Lawrences love cinnamon bread. This recipe makes 2 loaves. Since there are no preservatives, they won’t last too long....but that’s never a problem in our house. Or, you have a loaf for you and one to share. Since we make a lot of bread, I have a bread slicer and storage bags.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
From Taste of Home

2 T yeast

1/3 c warm water 

1 c warm milk

1 c sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

6 T butter, softened

1-1/2 t salt

5-6 c flour

2 T ground cinnamon

1/2 c raisins, optional

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. 

2. Add milk, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, butter, salt and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. 
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.

4. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

5. Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar. 

6. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 18x8-in. rectangle; sprinkle each with about 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (and raisins, if using) to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place in 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans, seam side down.
7. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°.
8. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

I hosted a pasta party last weekend. Wanting to be the consummate host, I made sure there was no possible way I could run out of pasta supplies for my guests. As a result, I was left with 3 dozen extra eggs. What to do, what to do!














That's where the the frittata comes in!! I found a recipe for a basic frittata that I like and went to town. I picked sweet potato and onion because I needed to eat them up. But, this is a time to clear out your crisper drawer. Is that kale looking a bit sad? The Brussels sprouts side dish didn't happen this week? That's fine! Make a frittata! Roast up just about any vegetable and throw some cheesy eggs over them. Bam! Fast, healthy, tasty dinner!








Kitchen Sink Frittata
from Pioneer Woman

1 onion, sliced in quarter moons

1 sweet potato, diced in bite-sized pieces

1 tsp taco seasoning

12 whole Large Eggs

Salt And Black Pepper

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese

1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Or Monterey Jack Cheese (more To Taste)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

2. Toss sweet potatoes and onions with olive oil, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.

3. Roast for 20 minutes until crispy. Remove and reserve.

4. Reduce heat to 375 F.

5. Beat together the eggs with the salt and pepper Stir in the grated cheeses and set aside.

In a large oven-proof non-stick skillet, add 2T of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sweet potatoes. 

6. Make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed across the bottom of the skillet, then pour in the egg mixture so that it evenly coats everything. Let it sit on the burner for 30-45 seconds to set the edges, then put the skillet in the oven.

7. Watch the frittata as it cooks. Let it cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the eggs are set but remove it before the eggs brown very much on top. 

8. Slide the frittata out of the skillet and onto a cutting board. With a long serrated knife, slice it into wedges and serve warm.

Pumpkin Muffins

We've been fans of pumpkin pancakes for a long time. However, on a school night, who wants to rank out a dozen pancakes on a griddle?! Not me.

We took the same batter recipe and found the right cooking temperature and time for muffins, instead. Easy Peasy!

Pumpkin Pancakes
from Jane Maynard at This Week for Dinner


- 3c buttermilk pancake mix
- 2c cold water
- 2/3c canned pumpkin
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

** You can substitute the spices for 2T of pumpkin pie spice.

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. In a medium/large bowl, whisk all the ingredients until just blended. 

3. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray and fill each tin 2/3 full

4. Cook for 18-22 minutes - or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve with syrup for dipping and enjoy!

Pancake Mix

Can you really call a "pancake mix" a recipe? I suppose it meets the definition - get a bunch of stuff together and combine it. I always have the ingredients in my pantry and it's nice to have some pancake mix ready! 

It takes longer to measure out the ingredients than it does to mix it all together. Sure, picking up a box of pancake mix at the store would be easier, but I like that there are less than 10 ingredients...and I can pronounce them all.

A double batch fits nicely into a glass canister......and I am a huge fan of the glass canister. I loved them from the moment I saw them in the Barefoot Contessa's kitchen!

Pumpkin muffins for dinner with this mix is our favorite. It works great in a pinch if you're running short on time or (God forbid) you didn't plan anything for dinner. 

Pancake Mix 

from Jackson Hole Foodie

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Mix ingredients together and store in airtight container.

Blueberry Muffins

If you've been following the weather in Florida for the past month, you'll know that we've had a lot of rain - in Biblical proportions. That being said, we've spent a lot of time stuck in the house. And, weekend after weekend, it's hard to keep a very rambunctious three-year old entertained. 

We've taken to cooking together to pass some time. I don't do much baking (much to Scott's dismay), but we did make these muffins....and you should, too! This recipe is a master muffin recipe. You can add any flavors you want. We chose classic blueberry with fresh, juicy blueberries! When you fill up the muffin tin to the top, they bake off to have that perfect coffee house, muffin spill-over.

We made one batch for ourselves and one batch for all the teachers at the kids' school. They were a big hit - at home and at school!! Pete's teacher said, "Those aren't the Martha White muffin mix crap with freeze-dried blueberries that I make. Those are homemade - with real blueberries!"

Blueberry Muffins
from Three Many Cooks


Makes 1 dozen large, 18 medium, and 4 dozen mini muffins as well as 4 mini quick-bread loaves



3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 pint blueberries



1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (or 450 degrees for mini muffins).
2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in eggs. 
4. Alternating 1/3 at a time, beat in the dry ingredients and applesauce until a smooth, thick batter just forms. 
5. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among the cups with a 1/2-cup measure (fill it up to the top!). 
6. Bake muffins 25 minutes (18 min for a convection oven) or until golden brown, . 
7. Set pan on a wire rack to cool slightly, remove muffins and continue to cool or serve.

Baked Oatmeal Bars

I was on Pinterest wasting time browsing when I came across these baked oatmeal bars. I'm always up for a quick, on-the-go, healthy, filling breakfast item/treat. The blog I pulled the recipe from said these were less like granola bars than they were like oatmeal cookies. AND, they don't have any dairy?! You have my attention!

They were really good! With only 1/4-cup of sugar, they're pretty low-calorie yet filling. I might try a little less milk next time as they were pretty moist. But, they do hold together pretty well after a day.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
from Livingwithout.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 egg, or 1 T ground flax mixed with 3 T boiling water (let sit for 5 minutes until thickened)

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup craisins

Directions:



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.
2. Combine oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. Add milk substitute, egg, applesauce, sweetener, and vanilla.  Mix well.
4. Stir in dried fruit.
5. Put batter into pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow bars to cool completely, then cut into bars.

English Muffins

I was looking at the recipes I've posted over the past couple years and I realized I've tried out quite a few "active yeast" recipes: sandwich bread, pizza dough, hamburger buns. My latest attempt is English Muffins. They are one of my favorite breakfast foods! I found the recipe on Pinterest. I followed the link to a blog focused on how tasty and cheap homemade food can be. She priced out English Muffins to be $0.08 per serving! Whoa!

These muffins take very minimal active preparation time and a lot of time waiting for the dough to rise....perfect for a girl taking care of a 2-month old! I've found the key to a good active yeast bread/dough is don't rush it: 1. letting the yeast bloom in warm water for 10 minutes before adding it to the flour and 2. allowing the dough enough time to rise properly.

I've made the English Muffins a few times now. This time they really turned out great! I learned a few things:
    - Even after letting the dough rise the correct amount of time, I still didn't have big "nooks and crannies" inside the muffins. I guess it's a trade secret that requires special machinery and engineering to make! So, I'm not too disappointed!
    - I also made sure both sides of the muffin were generously coated with non-stick spray. That way the muffins had a nice, crisp surfaces.
    - And, this time I used a large biscuit cutter. When I formed them by hand, the English Muffins ended up looking like a hamburger bun.
    - I substituted in almond milk and vegan butter and it turned out just fine....no difference in taste.

English Muffins
from Budget Bytes


1 t active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1/2 c milk
2 T butter
3 c flour, divided
3/4 t
1/4 c cornmeal
Non-stick spray



1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and yeast. Let sit about 5 minutes or until foamy on top.

2. Combine 1.5 cups of the flour and salt in a stand mixer. 


3. Combine the milk and butter in a small bowl. Microwave the milk/butter for 30 seconds, stir and microwave again for 30 seconds until butter is melted. 

4. Pour the yeast and milk mixtures into the flour. Mix until it has combined into a pasty mix. Adding 1/4 cup at a time, stir in more flour until the dough forms a soft, slightly sticky ball that pulls away from the bowl. Knead for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl that has been coated in non-stick spray. Lightly spray the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size (about 45 min - 1 hr).

6. Punch the dough down, shape it into another ball, cover the bowl/dough and let rise a second time until doubled in size (another 45 min - 1 hr).

7. Punch down the dough again and turn it out onto a well floured countertop. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into circles. When you can't cut out any more circles, gently ball the remaining dough, roll again and cut more.

8. Place the cut dough circles onto a sheet pan that has been liberally covered in cornmeal. Sprinkle more cornmeal on top of the muffins. Cover loosely with a damp towel and let rise, once more, until double in size (another 45 minutes).

9. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Carefully transfer the fluffy, risen muffins to the hot skillet with a spatula (be careful not to deflate the muffins too much). 


10. Cook the muffins, in batches, in the skillet until they are golden brown and crispy on each side (~7 min per side). Let the muffins cool on a wire rack before attempting to slice open.

Carmen Miranda Smoothie

I was brought up to transform sad, past-their-prime bananas into banana bread. Today, I was looking at some geriatric bananas and remembered the smoothie.

There are about a million recipes for smoothies out there - on Pinterest alone! And, the beauty of the smoothie is you can put whatever you want into it! I had some CSA mangoes and bananas that were begging to be eaten. So, in the blender they went! And, how easy can they be! My only problem is that we don't have a blender - just a food processor. A little challenge, but gets the job done. And, when you have the toughest critics in the house saying "mmmm" (Pookie Pants couldn't say much because she was busy slugging it down) and "not bad" (a huge compliment from Scott), you know it's a keeper.

Carmen Miranda Smoothie

- 2 c frozen blueberries. strawberries, raspberries....whatever you've got!
- 2 mangoes, roughly chopped
- 2 bananas, roughly chopped
- 1 c ice
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 c orange juice
- 1/2 c plain (or vanilla) yogurt

Combine in a blender and puree until all is combined and creamy!

Yorkshire Pudding

When I was growing up, my mom made German pancakes for dinner - always a family favorite! I believe the recipe was one that came with her stand mixer instruction book (I never look in backs of those booklets, but I guess good stuff can come from those things!). Everyone got a pie pan full of an oven-puffed pancake. And, it was always served with warm, cinnamony applesauce. 

One of my favorite food blogs (This Week for Dinner - where I stay accountable for posting a weekly menu!) featured Yorkshire Pudding a while back. I hadn't heard of it before, but once I saw what it looked like, I knew exactly what we were talking about! And, could the preparation be any easier????

The traditional British ways of serving Yorkshire Pudding is as a savory dish with a pan gravy sauce. It may be the "pregnancy nose" talking, but that does not sound like a good time. Since I have a love affair with all things cranberry, I decided to serve it with a chilled, whole cranberry sauce. For me, the tart cranberries are a good contrast to the slightly sweet oven pancake.

Yorkshire Pudding
from This Week for Dinner

Blend in a blender:
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/4 c. milk
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt

Place 4 tablespoons butter in the oven in a 9″ x 13″ pan until just starting to brown.

Pour the blended ingredients directly into the hot pan.

Bake at 450 for 25ish minutes.

Pumpkin Pancakes Redux

Pumpkin pancakes. They are a staple in our menu rotation. And, they are one of my favorite go-to meals. These pancakes are actually requested by my family! And, this recipe fits in perfectly with my quest to hide vegetables.

For some reason, I have issues finding the canned pumpkin in Publix during the off-season. I gave up on it this spring as one of those foods only found during the holidays (like the elusive cranberry.....I miss them)*. So, I froze some pureed butternut squash in 1-cup patties. *

These pancakes are just awesome!! I upped the pureed vegetable to 1 cup. You can add any spices you would find in pumpkin pie or gingerbread. In my book: the more spices, the better! You will never be able to eat regular pancakes. They'll seem so plain in comparison.

This pancake was my first attempt at the ever popular Mickey Pancake!

Pumpkin Pancakes
from Jane Maynard at This Week for Dinner

- 3c buttermilk pancake mix
- 2c cold water
- 2/3c canned pumpkin
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom


In a medium/large bowl, whisk all the ingredients until just blended. Spray heavy griddle or skillet with nonstick spray and heat griddle over medium heat. Spoon 1/3c measure of batter unto griddle to form each pancake. Cook until edges are drying and bubbles start to pop, turn and cook a few minutes longer.


* Never fear. I have since found the canned pumpkin year-round in the canned fruit aisle!

Pumpkin Pancakes

I've really gotten into reading some blogs. One really cute one is This Week for Dinner. On Sunday she posts her menu for the coming week, and invites you to do the same. Then, during the week, she posts different recipes. My favorite is pumpkin pancakes. Oh. My. Gosh. They're so yummy!

I've heard through the Inter-web that there's a pumpkin shortage! Perish the thought! I'm going to have to buy a cartful to get through the holidays.