Bran Muffins

Bran Muffins
by: Barbara Jackson & Jamie Wise

These turned out great! I love the texture! Don't leave out the pecans because I feel that is the key ingredient--oh SO GOOD! Thank you, Jamie and Barbara for sharing this delicious recipe!

Ingredients:
* half of a 20 oz. box Raisin Bran cereal
* 2 c. buttermilk
* 1 1/4 c. brown sugar
* 2 1/2 c. plain whole wheat flour
* 2 1/2 tsp. soda
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/2 c. cooking oil
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. cloves
* 3/4 c. pecans
* 1 c. raisins

Directions:
* Combine the following: Sugar, oil, eggs – then the buttermilk. Next mix this mixture with all dry ingredients. Beat well with mixer. Add nuts and raisins. Spray muffin tin.
* Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on size of muffins.

*freeze well

Whole Wheat Ghirardelli Cookies

Whole Wheat Ghirardelli Cookies

* 2 c. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
* 2 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 3/4 c. sugar
* 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 tsp. vanilla
* 1 c. chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixer bowl, cream butter with sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375ºF for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

For more tempting recipes, visit http://www.ghirardelli.com/bake/recipe_top.aspx

Whole Wheat Banana/Blueberry Muffins

So moist and oh so yummy! :)


blueberry muffin


banana muffin

Whole Wheat Banana/Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. oil
3 eggs
3 bananas, mashed or 2 c. blueberries
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
½ c. nuts (optional)

Diretions:
Mix all ingredients together well. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done.

*Makes 12 large or 24 small muffins.

Seafood Lasagna

chopped red peppers


chopped scallions


Now the layering starts!


Layers: sauce, noodles, mixture, sauce, noodles, mixture, sauce, noodles, mixture, noodles, extra veggies, sauce, cheese




Here are pictures of our friends' daughters. They are such smart and sweet girls! Sawyer and Olivia had a blast playing with them!


Seafood Lasagna
Family Circle magazine March 2009

We had this meal last night for our guests. This, along with a spinach salad, made a delicious meal that even the children liked (except for the picky one)! This is one of those fun recipes to try when you're tired of cooking "the same ole things" over and over. This certainly isn't your every day meal! The recipe is awesome because it's packed with vitamin-rich veggies! If you are slow chopping vegetables, like I am, allow yourself a full hour to wash, dry, and chop the vegetables.

Ingredients

* 1 pound reduced-fat cream cheese
* 3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
* 1/4 cup milk
* 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning or Creole Seasoning
* 2 sweet red peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced
* 2 boxes (10 ounce each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
* 3/4 pound imitation crabmeat, shredded
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 jar (1 pound) alfredo pasta sauce
* 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Stir cream cheese, scallions, milk and Old Bay seasoning in bowl until smooth. Stir in peppers, reserving 1/2 cup, and broccoli, reserving 1 cup. Add crabmeat, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Whisk remaining egg into alfredo sauce.

2. Spread 1/3 cup alfredo sauce into baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, one-third of the crab mixture and one-fourth of alfredo sauce. Repeat layering twice. Top with 3 noodles; sprinkle with reserved red peppers and broccoli. Pour on remaining alfredo sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

3. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

Red Velvet Brownies

Red Velvet Brownies
Southern Living, DECEMBER 2010

These taste AMAZING! Once I saw this recipe in Southern Living, I had to try it!! They are great for people, like me, that have a strong sweet-tooth! They may be a little too rich for the average person.

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

* 1 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
* 3/4 cup butter
* 2 cups sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
* Garnish: white chocolate curls

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).

4. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. Garnish, if desired.

Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

* 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
* 3 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

Eric has fond childhood memories of his mom making these. And my dear friend, Cheryl, recommended these to me because she has been making them for 20 years now and they are one of her favorites! I made these tonight and they are indeed delicious! The almond extract is the key ingredient that make them so yummy!:)

By: Susie Horne & Cheryl Dillon

1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. confectioners sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red food color

Heat oven to 375. Cream the butter, shortening and confectioners sugar. Add egg and flavorings. Blend in the flour and salt. Divide the dough in half and blend food color into one half. Take a little bit of dough from 2 colors and roll each ball out into a nice long snake, then do the same with the other ball, then place them side by side and roll them/twisting them together, pressing lightly; then curve them at the top for the candy cane shape and put on the cookie sheet.
Bake about 9 minutes, until set. They harden more as they cool on the cookie sheet.

Cheryl says, "I actually also make these around Halloween and make orange dough and I do the same thing with the dough, twist 2 snakes together, but I put them in the circle shape and then some green dough at the top for the stem. I try to think of every way I can make these cookies!"

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Very delicious and festive!

Ingredients & Supplies
6 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
red food coloring
green food coloring
various Christmas cookie cutters - stocking and candy cane for red dough and
Christmas trees for green dough

Directions
1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
4. Mix well.
5. Divide the mix in half. Add and mix red food coloring into half and green in the other half. (If you wait and put the red food coloring on the dough after it is slightly chilled, it will make a tie-dye effect that looks cool for the candy canes.)
5. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. I like using a stocking and candy cane cutter for the red dough and a Christmas tree cutter for the green dough.
7. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

*Dough freezes well*