Cherry Coconut or Cherry Almond Muffins

Sorry for the long silence!  I hope that I can make it up with some good recipes!

Nothing says summer to me than a big bowl of cherries.  I have always eaten them fresh but this year decided to experiment with baking them.  What a great discovery!  I love the tartness of the cherries with the sweetness of baking.  Today I'm going to post one muffin recipe with two options - either cherry almond or cherry coconut.  Both are delicious!

Cherry Almond (left) & Cherry Coconut (right)

Cherry Muffins
(adapted from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice)

• 2 cups white, unbleached or white whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping cup pitted cherries, coarsely chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• for Coconut version: 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• for Almond version: 1/2 cup slivered almonds & 1 teaspoon almond extract

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a muffin tin.
*In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
*Toss cherries with 1 tablespoon flour and set aside.
*In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla (and almond extract if making the almond version).  Beat 3 minutes.
*By hand alternate mixing in flour and milk.
*Fold in sour cream, cherries and coconut or almonds.
*Spoon into muffin tin, filling almost full.  Sprinkle with coconut or almonds.
*Bake 18-22 minutes.
*Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then put on wire racks to cool.

I also made a batch of mini muffins with no coconut.  The kids loved them.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Sorry!

I apologize for the lack of posting around here. I've got tons of recipes & pictures to post but am experiencing technical difficulties due to an old version of my web browser. I hope to get back up and running soon. -C :)

Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I don't make cookies very often, so when I do I want to make sure that it is a really good recipe.  Cherries and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations, so when I came across this recipe I knew it would be a keeper.  It definitely was!!  These cookies keep sneaking out of the freezer into my mouth every time I walk by the fridge...

Picture by ME.

Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
(from Elsie Marley)

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 tea salt
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix on high speed to combine. Then add the vanilla.
*Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixer.  Mix just until combined. Add the oats, cherries, and chocolate.
*Place heaping tablespoons full of dough onto a lined or greased baking sheet.
*Bake cookies about 13-17 minutes.

I hope you enjoy these every bit as much as I did!

Enjoy!
-C :)

Linked to Sweet as Sugar Cookies - Sweets for a Saturday.

Baking Mix

For years I always made a biscuit mix in which I mixed the dry ingredients and then added the milk and butter.  For some reason I found that to be too much work.  I also kept coming across recipes that call for Bisquick...  I hate using store bought junk like that, so when I came across this baking mix recipe I was a happy camper!

Picture by ME.

Baking Mix
(from Kitchen Simplicity)

• 5 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white)
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter

*Mix all ingredients & store in freezer. (I freeze my butter and shred it on my grater to mix it in easily.)
*To make biscuits add 1/3 cup milk to 1 cup of baking mix.  Bake at 450 on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes.  (makes 6 biscuits)

*(You can also make pancakes with this mix - use 2 cups mix with 2 cups milk and 2 eggs.  Cook as usual.)  I haven't tried this yet but will soon.

I make the mix and store it in a bag in the freezer.  When I need it, it is handy just to scoop out what I need and save the rest for next time.  I've used this to make biscuits numerous time and love it.  I find I need to add extra milk sometimes.  I have also used it to make cheddar garlic biscuits by adding shredded cheddar and garlic powder.  It makes a great chicken pot pie topping too.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Linked to The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of those recipes that has been in our family for years.  My Mom began making it years ago and now it is definitely a "family" recipe.  I make it often and my freezer feels empty without a container of it waiting for a cold Saturday.  Yesterday I threw a double batch of it in the crock-pot and had to stop myself from eating it for breakfast this morning!!

Picture by ME.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
(adapted from a cookbook entitled Special Celebrations)

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 lb chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

*In a large pot, saute onions in oil.  Add chilies, garlic, jalapeno and cumin.
*Stir in the broth, tomato sauce and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.
*Stir in the chicken.  Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
*Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
*Serve topped with shredded cheddar and crushed tortilla chips.

 *To make this in the crockpot, simply complete the first step and then dump everything in the crockpot.  Set it on low and let it go!

I have made this with and without the lime juice and don't notice much of a difference.  I sometimes add in celery, black beans, etc.  I hope you enjoy this as much as our family does!

Enjoy!

-C :)



Coffee Creamer

For years I have been on the hunt for the perfect coffee creamer.  I LOVE flavored coffee but do not love the trans fat that comes in the store bought creamers.  I had a brief affair with flavored Splenda but now that I am expecting, I stay away from artificial sweeteners.  I actually quit drinking coffee because I couldn't find anything that I liked enough to bother.  Enter this recipe...  It has revolutionized my coffee drinking.  I have cracked out the decaf and am back to my soothing morning ritual of a hot cup of coffee.  I also love taking my travel mug with me on the way to work in the afternoon.  There is something so comforting in the ritual of coffee preparation and drinking.  I'm weird.  I know.

Another high quality image courtesy of ME!

Coffee Creamer
(recipe from Saving 4 Six)

• 1.5 cups of milk (skim, whole, whatever you prefer)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (300ml)
• your choice of flavoring:
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa & 1 tsp. almond extract

*Mix the two kinds of milk together and add your choice of flavoring.
*Add to your coffee and ENJOY!

I am sure that there are other add ins but those two are my favorite.  I usually split my batch in half and add vanilla to half and the cocoa and almond extract to the other.  Yummy!

-C :)

Creamy Turkey and Pasta

Thanksgiving leftovers...  Here is something different from the hot turkey sandwiches and the turkey and stuffing casserole.  We enjoyed this simple and comforting dish.

Image by me.

Creamy Turkey and Pasta
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 12 oz rotini
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup turkey or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 package dry onion soup mix (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced turkey

*Cook pasta as usual.
*Dissolve onion soup in water.
*Melt butter and add flour over medium low heat.  Cook until golden.
*Add garlic.
*Slowly add turkey stock, tomato sauce, and water.  Stir until bubbling.
*Add chicken and cheese.  Stir until melted.
*Pour over pasta and stir to mix.

Enjoy!
-C :)