Herbed Wheat Muffins

My husband, Nate, doesn't have nearly as much of a sweet tooth as I do. Sometimes that's disappointing, sometimes it's just a fun challenge! I stumbled across this recipe when we were engaged, when he had a rough day and I wanted to show him how great of a wife I would be. ;)

I've made it quite a few times since then, but much more often in the last year. That is largely due to the fact that I acquired a tarragon plant at the farmer's market--this is one herb that's pretty expensive, and I'm too cheap to buy that very often. Now we always have plenty! (And usually have some to give away, if I'm keeping up on drying it! So, local readers... let me know if you need some!)

I will admit, this is a very healthy-tasting muffin. (So.... not my favorite.) Nate loves them, and so does my mom. The boys are touch and go--sometimes they will devour the batch, sometimes they hardly touch them. If you are looking for a good, healthy, breakfast or snack--try these!!

Printable Recipe

Herbed Wheat Muffins

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ⅔ cup all-Purpose flour
• ¼ cup wheat germ *or cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• ⅔ Cup buttermilk 
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ Teaspoon dried basil
• ½ Teaspoon dried tarragon
• 2 Tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray (or use muffin liners).
2. In a small bowl, combine the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
3. Combine the egg, buttermilk, honey, and butter; stir into dry ingredients until just moist. Fold in basil & tarragon.
4. Fill prepared tins ¾ full with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Yield/Time

Yields: 8

Prep Time: 15 Cook Time: 20

Nutrition Facts

162 (using buttermilk sub)

Source (for original): Cooking for Two

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite healthy muffin?

Peanut Butter, Chocolate, & Cranberry Cereal Bars

I always love easy recipes, especially when I have a thousand other things going on. (Most of the time that's by choice, but that's OK.) I also love recipes that are guaranteed to please those sweet small children in my house.... and their parents.

This is definitely one of those. Easy (hello, no bake!), tasty, sweet, and a crowd pleaser! It actually is encouraging me to try my cereal cookies a slightly different way, too! Most no-bake cereal recipes I've seen call for karo syrup. While I truthfully don't have any objections to karo syrup, especially since it's required for the bucketful of hard candy I make at Christmas time, I like the idea of using honey instead. And, while I am not a huge fan of honey (please don't judge me), it's honestly not noticeable here. It might be SLIGHTLY overpowered by the Reese's Pieces and chocolate chips... but who know, it might just be a light taste here. ;) 

Oh, and for the picky eaters: don't skip the cranberry. Really. It adds just a bit of fun to some bites, but definitely isn't overpowering. 
(Side note, I discovered that my boys really like dried cranberries. I don't usually buy it, I honestly just bought it for this... but I will buy it more often. They both devoured the handfuls I gave them when I was making these!)

Printable Recipe

Peanut Butter, Chocolate, & Cranberry Cereal Bars

Ingredients

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3 cups Cheerios cereal
• ¾ cup mini Reese’s Pieces
• ¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Spray a 9"x9” baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat sugar and honey over medium heat almost to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Stir in cereal, mini Reese’s Pieces, and cranberries until evenly coated. Press evenly into prepared pan using a spatula. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
4. Cut into squares and serve.

Yield/Time

16 servings

10 minutes + cooling

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

213/bar

Source (for original): Simply Being Mommy

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite no bake recipe--bar, or cookie?

Buttermilk Bread

My Grandma is one of my favorite people in the world. Partly because she taught me most of what I know, partly because she's just amazing, and partly because she shares recipes with me.

Like this one. I have no idea where she got it, but she shared it with me, and that's the important part. I have a few plain bread recipes, but this is by far my favorite. Close your eyes, and imagine biting into warm, fresh homemade bread. The best warm, fresh, homemade bread you've ever had.

It's not as good as this. Promise.

There is something about the buttermilk in this recipe that makes it amazing. I'm sure it's a combination of everything, but I am giving a lot of the credit to the buttermilk. (Unless you have fresh goat's milk! Then use that! I've done that whenever we had goat milk, and had enough extra that my husband wouldn't divorce me for using it in my baking. He tends to hoard the stuff when we have it.) The taste and texture of this are perfect.

Yes, in the picture I cut the slices really thick. Try this bread, and tell me you wouldn't do the same. You don't even need to butter it. Just eat it warm, fresh, and perfect.

Printable Recipe

Buttermilk Bread

Ingredients

• pinch of ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2 cups warm buttermilk (or goat's milk!)
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 6 cups flour, divided
• ¼ cup butter, melted, cooled until only warm to the touch + extra

Directions

1. Mix the ginger, sugar, yeast, and water; set aside for five minutes. Add buttermilk, honey, salt and baking soda with the yeast mixture. Add 3 cups flour and mix with electric mixer about 5 minutes on low speed, til smooth. Mix in butter until it is totally incorporated into batter.  Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low. When dough pulls away from sides of bowl remove from bowl to floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. (Can continue to knead in mixer.)
2. Place in greased bowl and let rise 1 - 1 ½ hours. Meanwhile, grease 2 loaf pans.
3. Punch down and roll out/form into 2 loaves and place into prepared pans. Let rise 30-45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter (optional). Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out and cool on rack.  

Yield/Time

2 loaves, 12 slices each

3 hours

Nutrition Facts

146/slice

Source (for original): my amazing grandma

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite bread recipe?

Whole Wheat Honey Cinnamon Muffins

Nate is a huge fan of honey, and whole wheat, so when I saw this recipe on one of the blogs I follow, I had to try it! 

This is one of those recipes that I saw, and just decided to make right then-which is great, because it's something where I have all the ingredients on hand! (Well, except for the whole wheat flour.... I apparently did not have a full bag in the back of the pantry, like I thought. I had 1/2 cup, and that was it. So, I subbed regular flour.) I love finding recipes like this... and Nate does, too!

As usual, Gabriel helped me to make these, too! I love having a little helper in the kitchen! He'll be 2 in a couple weeks, and as soon as he sees me cooking, he comes out and tells me to get his stool out so he can help! What a sweet little boy. :)

Overall, this was a big hit with my boys! (I liked them too, but Gabriel & Nate really liked them!)

(I did adapt this recipe quite a bit. If you follow the link to the original, you'll see that it calls for 2 cups of her quick mix. Well, I didn't want to make a full batch of the mix, so I just cut it into 1/5, which made about 2 1/2 to 3 cups. I adjusted the rest of the recipe accordingly.)

Whole Wheat Honey Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Thoroughly cut in Crisco until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Add in cinnamon, honey, milk, and egg; mix all ingredients until just combined.  (Do not over-stir.)  Scoop batter into 12 paper lined muffin cups.  Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Yield/Time

12 muffins

45 minutes

Source (for original): Heavenly Homemakers 

Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies!!

First of all, sorry for the lack of posts--shortly after my last post, we found a new place to rent, and life has been crazy. We moved a few weeks ago, but things have been so busy I haven't wanted to take the time to blog! (Well, between that and not being able to find the camera cord to upload pictures of recipes....) We are (basically) settled in now, thankfully! There are still a lot of boxes, but that's ok.... we are working on it!

So, to make up for it, I'm posting an AMAZING new recipe!  I found this on Pinterest, and had to try ASAP! I am a huge fan of mini Reese's Pieces in cookies (this recipe is one of my favorites), so I usually have some on hand. I am pretty sure I made these the day I found the recipe..... 

I made a few changes, and I definitely want to cut down on the sugar next time too. These cookies have vanilla pudding mix, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, honey, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, AND Reese's Pieces... So you can see why they might have a bit too much sugar, even for this sweet tooth! I think next time I will try 1/4 cup sugar vs 1/2 cup.... I will post an update when I do! (And if you try it in the meantime, let me know!)

Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour    
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt    
• 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding
• 3/4 cup butter flavored Crisco    
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar    
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs    
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey    
• 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup reese's pieces    
• 2/3 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pudding; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat Crisco, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and honey; beat until combined. 
4. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beat to combine. Mix in chocolate chips, Reese’s Pieces, and peanut butter chips by hand.
5. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a small ball, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2” apart. Gently flatten the dough balls until they are about 3/4” thick.
6. Bake 9-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield/Time
3 1/2 dozen
 1 hour

Source (for original): Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Soft Honey Oat Bread

Between the pregnancy and some sinus/ear stuff, I have been feeling pretty cruddy for the last week. So when I woke up yesterday morning feeling decent, I decided it was time to get some of my baking done! (And actually make real meals.)

I decided to make bagels (recipe to follow) and this soft honey oat bread! They're both breads I wanted to make in the next couple of weeks, and days off are best for making bread! 

In general, I am NOT a honey fan, not by itself. Nate & Gabriel both love it, but I would rather just have it in something to sweeten it up! Breads are the best for honey, if you are going to add much of anything sweet. (And this bread is definitely sweet! At least with how much honey I put on top!) 

We absolutely love this bread! I don't know if it's the honey or the milk, but it's incredibly moist. I even decided to make a double batch.... but then I had to knead it by hand, because my KitchenAid couldn't handle it. :( On a side note, I've decided I want a bigger KitchenAid for Christmas next year. It's only $500, I'm sure I can convince Nate I need it! ;)

If you are looking for a great sandwich bread... this isn't it. (Well, I don't think it is, at least.) This is great warm, or just with a little bit of butter or honey. For me, it's too sweet (especially the crust) for sandwiches. If you don't put much honey on top (see instructions), it might be manageable though. We actually got a big jar of honey from my brother & sister-in-law for Christmas, from their farm. I didn't use any of that for actually making the bread (it seems like a waste to put such nice honey IN the bread), but I would be very surprised if Nate doesn't! He was SOO excited when he saw the honey!!

I didn't change this one much from the original, aside from how much honey/oats I put on top. I don't measure, I just pour out some honey til it looks pretty, and sprinkle on some oats til it looks pretty. :) (Don't blame me, my Mama taught me how to cook.)


As always, comments are love!

Soft Honey Oat Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour    
• 3/4 cups oats + extra
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast    
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk     
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter     
• 1/4 cup honey + extra

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, yeast, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, warm the milk so it’s hot enough to melt the butter, but not boiling. Add the butter, stirring until melted, then stir in the water and honey. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing with a dough hook. 
3. Knead in the mixer (or by hand) for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is still wet and sticky after 5 minutes, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is barely tacky. If the dough is too dry, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to soften it up. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about ½ to 1 hour.
4. Once doubled, place the dough on a clean, dry work surface. With your fingers, flatten the dough into a 9”x12” rectangle. Tightly roll the dough into a loaf. Place the shaped dough into a 9”x5” loaf pan, cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled, about ½ to 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. When the loaf is doubled, drizzle warmed honey over the top and sprinkle with oats.
7. Place the bread in the oven and pour boiling water into a pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown and the internal temperature is about 190°.
8. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Yield/Time

Makes 1 loaf

Total time: 2-3 hours

Source (for original): Bakingdom

Quick Rolls: One Hour Whole Wheat Honey Rolls!

I love making homemade bread. Love, love, love it. (Especially since I started using my KitchenAid to knead the dough.... now I love it even more.) It works out quite well too, because both of my boys (and I, of course) love eating homemade bread. Even with that, if I see a recipe that makes the process easier and looks delicious, I will try it. So when one of the blogs that I follow posts a recipe for fast, easy, whole wheat rolls with honey.... I'm in. 

Well, my husband is in, which is more the point. The terms "whole wheat" and "honey" don't do anything for me, but I do try to keep my honey happy. (Yes, I just made myself giggle. Admit it. You think I'm funny, too.)

I was a little bit nervous, seeing that this calls for only wheat flour. Very, very rarely will I do anything with wheat flour without also using regular all-purpose flour. If the wheat is too dominant, I am not fond of the taste or texture. But, I decided to give this one a try, thinking that the honey would sweeten it up a bit.

And, it did. A bit. The wheat was still too strong for me, and even Nate wanted some changes made. Ironically, he thought they were too sweet, in addition to being too dense & wheaty. Gabriel thought they were amazing, but he doesn't turn his nose up at much. (Maybe I am doing something right as a parent....)

I think that, next time (and there will be a next time), I will decrease the wheat and add some all-purpose flour.  Maybe 50/50? However, if you like wheat & honey, I would still recommend trying these rolls as-is.

Now that I've told you what I would change about this recipe, I should probably bring up the things I LOVED about this recipe. One, could this get any easier?? That's always a big plus. Two, I liked that there is a bit of sweetness. They aren't overly sweet, but the honey adds just enough for this girl. 

Remember, comments are love!
 

Have to apologize for the picture.... I took 5 or so, and of course they were all blurry. My photography is atrocious.... Can I blame in on my camera? Sorry!!!

 

One Hour Whole Wheat Honey Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons dry active yeast
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon honey, divided
• ⅓ cup + 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 - 3 ½ cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast, and ¼ cup honey.  Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
2. Add ⅓ cup melted butter, salt, and egg. Gradually stir in the flour.  The dough will be sticky but manageable. Cover the bowl of dough with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Shape dough into 12-16 balls.  Place the balls so that they don’t touch each other on a buttered cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
4. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes.
5. Brush tops of rolls with a mixture of remaining butter and honey.  

Yield/Time

12-16 rolls

1 hour

Source (for original): Heavenly Homemakers