Monday, November 11, 2013

Homemade Mounds

A few months ago, I was craving an almond joy, but had no desire to get out and buy them.  Knowing I had coconut on hand, and chocolate, I looked up a recipe and while I couldn't find one I loved, I did come up with a good product after some trials and errors!  We didn't have any almonds, so they became Mounds!

Homemade Mounds

Ingredients:

1 package coconut flakes (I used sweetened)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Chocolate for coating

Directions:

1. Mix coconut and condensed milk in a bowl until well combined.
2. Place in fridge until in hardens slightly, about 30 minutes.
3. Take a cookie scoop and make as many scoops as you can.  Place on silpat mat and refrigerate for thirty minutes.
4. Melt chocolate and coat the scoops. Refrigerate until hardened.

To make these almond joys just add almonds before coating with chocolate.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Acorn Donuts

One of my mentor moms from Mom 2 Mom is a wonderful cook and we get the joy of trying her creations every week.  She made these for us two weeks ago and they were too cute not to post before Thanksgiving.  They are great for fall!

Pictures and directions from Zoe!


Start with donut holes, dip in Nutella, toffee bits, nuts, and add a stick pretzel

You could also dip in chocolate, really anything to get the toppings to stick!



Thursday, November 7, 2013

Pumpkin Puppy Chow

While at Bible study this semester, our wonderful hostess Melissa made us some really good treats to have while doing Beth Moore's James.  Great study by the way!  Well, she made Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow and it was like crack, couldn't stay away!

Recipe from Melissa, but unsure of where she got it!

**kisses were found at Target!**





Pumpkin Puppy Chow

Ingredients
6 C. Rice Chex Cereal
1 bag Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses
3/4 C. powdered sugar, 1/4 C. more if needed

Directions
1. Place cereal into a large bowl.
2. In a microwave-proof bowl, place all Pumpkin Spice Kisses (unwrapped).
3. Microwave Kisses for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Continue to microwave in 10-second increments and stirring until smooth.
4. Pour melted Kisses over cereal and gently fold until coated.
5. Place powdered sugar in a large plastic bag. 
6. Dump cereal into bag and shake until coated. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
7. Pour out Puppy Chow and let cool on a cookie sheet.


French Bread--stand mixer

Tonight I felt like changing our menu after finding this recipe on Pinterest last night.  It was so easy to make and cooked really well.  We baked for 20 minutes,  it it needed 5 more!

**I did add whole garlic cloves throughout the loaf before the rising.  Yummy.  This is one bread you could definitely make your own with a few add ons!

Taken from the homemade homestead


KitchenAid Recipes: KitchenAid French Bread
Author: 
Recipe type: Fast Yeast Breads
Cuisine: French
Prep time:  
Cook time:  
Total time:  
Serves: Makes 2 loaves
A fast and easy way to have delicious French Bread to accompany your favorite meals. With this stand mixer bread recipe your mixer does all the heavy work for you!
Ingredients
  • 1½ Tablespoons Instant Yeast (or Bread Machine or Rapid Rise)
  • 2½ Cups Very Warm Water (120 F)
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Oil
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 6½ Cups All Purpose Flour
  • Cornmeal (for baking pan)
  • 1 Egg White
  • 1 Tablespoon Water
Instructions
  1. Place flour, sugar, salt, oil, and yeast in mixer bowl.
  2. Using the flat paddle, run to combine, about a minute on “stir”.
  3. While running, add warm water, just until combined and dough begins to form a ball.
  4. Stop, remove flat paddle, and replace with dough hook.
  5. Run on setting 1 or 2 for 8 minutes to knead the bread dough.
  6. After kneading, stop, remove dough hook, and let dough rest in bowl for 10 minutes.
  7. Divide dough into 2 even balls.
  8. For each ball, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch to about a 10×15 rectangle.
  9. Roll into a loaf shape, starting with the long side (loaf should be about 15 inches long when rolled). Seal seams and place seam-side down on greased cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with corn meal.
  10. Cover with damp towel and let rise until doubled, usually about 45 minutes.
  11. Beat egg white with a fork, add water, and brush to coat bread loaves. 
  12. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Pancake Squares

This is one of those recipes I saw on Pinterest, and then my SIL made it and gave it good reviews so we tried it this morning.  Andrew loved them and can't wait to try different variations.

Didn't change anything!

Recipe and picture from Big Red Kitchen


Pancake Squares 
3/4 cup milk
2 T. melted butter
1 large egg
1 T. sugar
1 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Back at it!

After a long lag of really cooking, we are ready toget back to the kitchen.  I have planned a month of meals, started shopping and stockpiling again and am ready to cook.