Buttermilk-Oatmeal Bread

I plan on making most of our bread (at least for the time being) simply because it is extremely inexpensive and also it happens to be totally delicious. It's so nice to have a bread machine because I can just toss the ingredients in, hit "dough" cycle, wait 1 hr. 50 minutes and then bake the loaf in my own pan--creating a more moist and aesthetically pleasing bread. :)

This recipe is from my Bread Making Bounty library sale find. This particular bread is hearty just like I was hoping. And it's low in calories and fat! You can't beat it!

For a 1 pound loaf

3/4 cup buttermilk*

1 Tbsp honey

1-1/2 tsp margarine or butter

1-3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup rolled oats (toasted or not)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp active dry or bread machine yeast.

*To make your own buttermilk, simply add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to milk totaling one cup. Let sit 5 minutes and stir. (Milk will look curdled.)

Add ingredients to machine according to manufacturer's directions. (always add liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients (should be floating on top of liquids), then make a small well in the dry ingredients and add yeast LAST--being sure the yeast never comes in contact with the liquids or it will be activated too soon.) Select the desired cycle. If you choose the dough cycle continue with these instructions: After the dough is complete turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll dough into a 9x15" rectangle. Roll towards you along the length of the dough, pinching each roll tightly with your fingers. Place in a greased loaf pan, brush with oil, cover loosely with a towel, and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

I combined two recipes from my Taste of Home recipe card catalog to come up with these filling, nutritious, and de-double-licious pancakes. Fast and easy. These are a must.

Ingredients

1 cup oats

1 cup flour (ap or whole wheat)

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1-1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in the mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Combine egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Pour into the well and stir until just moistened. Pour batter by the 1/4 cupfuls (I use a small ladle) onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.

6 servings (2 pancakes each)

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am extremely proud to announce that this cookie recipe is a product of my own imagination. This morning while I was showering I had this light bulb moment--"What if I put cocoa powder into my chocolate chip cookies?" I love chocolate chip cookies and I LOVE chocolate so doubling up seemed like the perfect idea.

This was a great success! I might prefer this recipe to my traditional chocolate chip cookie. They are chocolately and moist and soft with just a bit of crunch.

Ingredients

2/3 C Crisco shortening

2/3 C softened margarine

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 and 1/2 C flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, margarine and both sugars until fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In three additions stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Do NOT overbake. They will not look done in the oven. The cocoa in these cookies makes it much more difficult to check done-ness. so keep on eye of them. Possibly take them out at 8 minutes and check the underside of a cookie. My first batch was severely undercooked...the center of the cookies were dropping out through the slots of the cooling rack.

Yields: 4 dozen

Pumpkin Spice Granola

I love granola.

I love all of Annie's recipes.

I have been loving pumpkin.

Hence, when I was looking for ways to use up the remainder of my can of pumpkin puree, I knew this was a must. The hardest part (for me) about any granola is making sure it's cooked thoroughly so it'll be crunchy without over baking...which happens much easier with granola than with most of recipes (again, for me at least.) So keep on eye on things.

And if you do, you're going to love the results. This granola is exactly what you're imagining it will it. Perfectly pumpkin and spice.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients

3 ½ cups rolled oats

2 ½ cups puffed rice cereal

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¾ tsp. salt

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

up to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts

up to 1 cup dried fruit

Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats and puffed rice cereal.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until very smooth.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated. Spread on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn over the granola using a large, wide spatula. Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola and let the rest cook until done, 10-15 more minutes. Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack.

Break up granola as desired and toss with dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.