Just loafing around

You know I've always been sort of scared of baking bread. Not the easy stuff like banana bread or pumpkin bread. The hard stuff with yeast that has to bubble then the dough needs to rise several times and then its rolled out.

That bread has always taunted me. I have no idea why.

I finally just did it. I have had this easy to make French bread recipe for awhile now. It kept coming up in my to make shuffle and I would just add it back to the bottom of the pile.

Sadly I do not know where I found the recipe. You guys know I always give proper credit. So if I got this from your blog I will edit this entry to reflect that if I ever find you! Ahaha!

Anyway I put on my big girl apron and got my mixer ready and took a deep breath! Guess what happened??? AMAZINGLY EASY BREAD HAPPENED!!! EASY AND HOLY SMOKES DELISCIOUS!!!

So here is it the mystery recipe I had saved in a word doc on my computer for about 2 years.

Go make yourself some bread people!!! Don't be scared!! It's not as bad as I psyched myself into thinking!!

We may or may not have eaten a entire loaf on our own while it was still warm. I mean it was warm and soft what's a girl supposed to do! Ahahaha!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!!

French Bread recipe (this amount makes 3 small loaves or 2 large):
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbls. yeast
3 Tbls. sugar
2 Tbls. white vinegar
Add the above ingredients together and let sit until bubbly (about 3-5 minutes). Then add:
1 Tbls. salt
1/3 c. oil (I use Canola)
6-7 c. flour (or a little more if it's too soft), one cup at a time--add enough until the dough is soft, but firm enough to mold into dough loaves

Knead for 2-5 minutes and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. The water will keep the dough moist. Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this every time it gets to the top of the bowl, as long as you have time to babysit it (2-5 times). Put the dough on a greased countertop and divide into 3 sections. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Roll the dough balls into rectangle/long French bread shapes. Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg. Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled)on the counter, or you can put them in your oven at 170 and wait until they are the size you want to cook them at. Once they are to the right size, turn up your stove to 375 (without opening the door!) and let them bake until done. Or, just raise on the counter and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy! Dough--can be a little soft, if too sticky, add a little more flour. Put the boiling water in the oven with your bowl of dough to help it rise faster. Cut the dough into two equal parts (or three if you are making smaller loaves). --pictures are of a doubled batch. Slice the dough diagonally and white wash with 1 beaten egg. Bake and serve warm out of the oven!

Banana Pumpkin Bread and a little update on me

Oh hey! I’ve been gone for a few. You see my office moved a hour away, it was summertime.

So much has happened since my last post. An update would take way too long so let me just say this summer was filled with fun, friends, love and happiness!!

Back to the reason we came here…..FOOD!!

The best thing about fall cooking is pumpkin. I love pumpkin anything.

I had these bananas waiting so patiently for me to eat them and I just couldn’t so I did what any responsible person would do. I found something delish to bake them in so they wouldn’t go to waste! DUH!

Being early November I have been dying to bake/make something to eat with pumpkin. So on my search for a new banana recipe I found this on one of my fav blogs! If you are watching your weight or just trying to eat right then this recipe is right up your alley. I am have made so many recipes from this site we would be here all day if I went on about how awesome and delicious everything is!

Best thing is if you are on WEIGHT WATCHERS this has the calorie break down AND she shows the points per slice. HI SHE MADE IT SO EASY!! So if you are keeping your mind right and your body tight browse this site you will love it!! Gina is a gift from the yummy food gods!!

OH OH!! So I mashed the banana then I added the pureed pumpkin, tossed in my pumpkin spice and the brown sugar. Let’s just say this mixture could be eaten by itself. Holy cow! SO GOOD!! Almost like a pumpkin butter. Ok sorry I got side tracked day dreaming about it on vanilla bean ice cream!

This is right from the site, I followed it exactly, no modifications for a change!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!!

Pumpkin Banana Bread
From Skinny Taste.com

Pumpkin Banana Nut Bread
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 slices (1 loaf) • Serving Size: 1 slice • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 146.5 • Fat: 2.7 g • Carb: 33.3 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Protein: 2.7 g
Ingredients: 
Pam baking spray
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves*
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg*
3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, unpacked
1 large egg white
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional, 5 pts+ per slice if using)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, egg, bananas, pumpkin and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add flour mixture and nuts (if using), then blend at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake on the center rack for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the pan cool at least 20 minutes, bread should be room temperature before slicing.
* 1 tsp of pumpkin spice can be substituted for cloves and nutmeg.

Naughty Cornbread

Press 1 to speak to a live girl
Press 2 to hear a true confession from a snowed in executive assistant
Keep on reading to know what makes this cornbread so naughty!

AHAHA sometimes I really do make myself laugh. I know I'm usually the only one laughing but who cares. I'm awesome! AHAHA!

Our Best Bites  always has fab recipes and these ladies have yet to let me down. I have made several of their recipes and i heard great things from Gigi about their chicken and dumplings.
Another snow day here in Metro Detroit. Gotta love all the fuss we had on Groundhogs day about Snowmagedon 2011 and we hardly got anything. This was way worse but NONE of the hype.

I was sitting at Gigi's talking about her up and coming wedding to the oh so wonderful Marko, all while she baked cookies. Really great warm yummy cookies from Mega Bite we knew it was snowing and we were supposed to get 2-4 inches but weren't really concerned. Next thing we know I peek through the blinds and say OH MY GOSH LOOK!!! It was a blizzard out there.

I gather my things and head home!! I could have used some skis.

So moving on....it's now Monday morning and I wake up at 4:30 to check the weather and the news to see the roads and the city is under a mountain of wet heavy snow. GROSS!! It looked pretty mind you but still GROSS!!! ahaha!!

I call it and email my Boss who is in California on business that I am snowed in and will be working from home. This working from home thing is pretty awesome. I got a lot done and was able to clean on my breaks and bake this yummy cornbread!!

I had everything I needed for a special meal for me and my sugar booger but he kept getting calls to do more jobs. OH WELL. So I made dinner for me and my mommie dearest who was also snowed in.

We had yummy breaded pan seared pork chops, mashed potatoes and this ever so awesome cornbread. Well I had the cornbread for dessert. I warmed it up and poured honey over it!! YEAHHHHHHHH!!!

Now I'm not a huge box mix fan but as I said Our Best Bites has never let me down so i took their word for it. Below is the recipe from their site. Follow it! Love it! Don't make yourself sick eating too much of it!!!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!!

NAUGHTY CORNBREAD
I box of YELLOW CAKE MIX

2 boxes of JIFFY CORN BREAD MIX

NOTE: at anytime the recipe calls for water replace it with milk. I used skim milk.

This is so simple....

Preheat the oven according to the cake mix box. Mine was 350F for a 13x9 pan.

Now in a large bowl pour in the cake mix and mix it according to the directions on the box. Eggs, Oil, and replace water with MILK

In same owl pour in both boxes of corn bread mix and mix it according to the directions on the box. Eggs, Milk etc

So now you have all 3 boxes of mix and their ingredients mixed well together in a bowl.

Here is where I wish I would have added a can of cream corn or drained can corn for a more corny taste. HAAHA CORNY!! OK anyway!!

Grease your pan/pans. You can use muffin pans loaf pans whatever your hungry heart desires.

Pour in your mix and cook 35-45 mins depending on the oven and the humidity where you live.

This will come up nice and golden and your house will smell like country lovin!!

Cut a hunk as soon as it's cool enough for you to handle. Smother in butter or honey or just eat it plain and let out a OH YEAH DADDY THAT'S WHAT I LIKE.

I assume this is normal and why it's called Naughty Cornbread!! I mean you would think so right???Right???

This makes so much I vacuumed sealed a bunch and left a nice portion out for munching on during the week!

The original recipe is linked above!!

 look at how golden and yummy this looks!!! WOW!!

!!!Cheers!!!

mmmm beer! mmm bread! together make Beer Bread

My grandparents gave me their bread maker but it was missing the directions. But since the bread bug bit me I had to make some bread, bread maker or not. I heard rumors about beer bread and it's greatness so I searched until I found a recipe that caught my eye. I honestly do not think I could have found a more awesome recipe!!

I found it here on Ezra Pound Cake. She has about a bazillion great recipes original and borrowed. Check it out I think you will find something you like. If anything make this beer bread it is all kinds of yummy!!

My most adorable BF enjoyed it, I think he may be partial though ahahaha!

aww it's my favorite martian!

I wouldn't post this if it didn't knock my flip flops off!

So make this...smear it with butter while its still warm, or with some of your fav jam or really just about anything. Heck it's perfect just plain.

Oh and sing into your wooden spoon like it's a mic. It's fun!!

As always here is the recipe.

Enjoy and Keep On Making Stuff

Makes 1 loaf

•3 cups all-purpose flour

•3 tablespoons sugar
•1 tablespoon baking powder

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (i used my fav Blue Moon)
•1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (Note: Feel free to reduce to 1/4 cup.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer into the dry ingredients until just mixed.
4. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Slide a baking sheet onto a lower rack to catch any butter that might overflow from the loaf pan.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Look how golden and chunky it looks. It's like little buttery chunks!! aka Heaven!
 
 
 
 

even Lucy wanted some! I may have accidentally dropped some on the floor for her.