Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour                               3 eggs
1 tsp. salt                                    1 Cup oil
1 tsp. baking powder                  2 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. cinnamon                          2 Cups of grated zucchini
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven for 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients and pour into 2 loaf pans
Cook for 45 min- 1hour  depending on your oven
*  I use the pampered chef*  mini loaf stone (it has 4 mini loafs)

Italian Bread using a bread machine

Ingredients

• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
•  
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

1. Place flour, brown sugar, warm water, salt, olive oil and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.                        If you don't have a bread machine.  Knead dough for 10min by hand or in mixer.  Let rise for 1 hour and proceed to the rest of the directions.    
2. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves. Place the loaves seam side down on a cutting board generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise, until doubled in volume about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the risen loaves with egg mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife. Gently shake the cutting board to make sure that the loaves are not sticking. If they stick, use a spatula or pastry knife to loosen. Slide the loaves onto a baking sheet with one quick but careful motion.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Choco-Zucchini Cupcake

Choco-Zucchini Cupcakes
INGREDIENTSNonstick cooking spray (optional)
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 8 oz.)
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cooking oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk chocolate pieces (optional)
1 recipe Peanut Butter Frosting
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with double or single layer of paper bake cups or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl stir together zucchini, eggs, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and, if desired, chocolate pieces; stir until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling cups about half full. Bake about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from cups. Cool completely on racks. Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting.
Makes: 24 cupcakes
Peanut Butter Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl beat 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup softened butter, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, beating until combined. If necessary, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons additional milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Makes about 1-1/2cups.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you only have 12 muffin cups, cover and refrigerate half of the batter while the first batch bakes.

Banana Bread

1 Cup mashed bananas                         2 1/2 Cup flour                          Optional:  1 Cup chopped nuts
3/4 Cup milk                                         1 Cup sugar                               Variation:  1/2 wheat flour-1/2 flour
3 Tbl. oil                                               1 Tbl. baking powder
1 egg                                                    1 tsp. salt


Preheat oven for 350 degrees
Combine all dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients. 
Pour mixture into a loaf pan and cook for 45 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Bean Trio

Sweet and Sour Bean Trio

4 slices of cooked bacon largely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 lb. ground hot sausage, browned1 can of kidney beans
1 can of lima beans
1 can of baked beans
1 Tbl. worchestershire sauce
1 Tbl. mustard
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup vinegar

Cook bacon.  Brown beef and sausage, drain fat.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens some.  Serve.

Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle

Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle8 Servings

2 Tbl. olive oil
2 onions ( 1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 Cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1/3 Cup bulgur wheat
2 Tbl. tomato paste or ketchup
1 bay leaf
ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions and cook stirring until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cumin, cook for 1 minute.  Add broth, lentils, bulgur wheat, tomato paste, and bay leaf, bring to simmer, stirring occasionally.  Cover and cook over low heat until the lentils and bugur are very tender, 25-30 minutes.  Discard Bay leaf and serve.
Calories: 218

Pasta Fagoili

This is a nice hardy soup that just brings on the comfort of home!

2 tsp. oil
1 pound of ground beef
1 Cup of slivered carrots
1 Cup chopped onions
1 Cup diced celery
1 Can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 Cup red kidney beans
1 Cup white kidney beans
1 Can(48 ounces) beef stock
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbl. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce or to taste
24 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
4 ounces of dry pasta shell macaroni

Directions:
Sauté beef in oil in large 10 quart pot until beef starts to brown.
Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse beans and add to pot.  Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce and pasta.
Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.
Makes 9 quarts.

Hearty Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
4 Cups Beef Broth
1 Can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew-shaped pasta
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the beef, onion, garlic and parsley in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until it's well browned, stirring often to break up the meat.  Pour off any fat.

Stir the broth, tomatoes and italian seasoning in the saucepan and heat to a boil.

Stir the pasta in the saucepan.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  Stir in the cheese.

Calories:  373

Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup

Servings: 12

"This delicious soup brimming with tasty and colorful ingredients is so comforting on a crisp autumn day."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chopped carrot 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 4 cups beef broth 4 cups water 2 cups chopped cooked roast beef 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes,

undrained 1 cup quick-cooking barley 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute carrot, celery and onion in butter until tender, about 5 minutes.
2.	Add the broth, water, beef, tomatoes, barley, salt, pepper, basil and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Ingredients:
2 Cups flour                             1/3 cup margarine/butter
2 tbl. sugar                                1 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder                 1 tbl. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt                                   1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup butter                             3 tbl. milk
1 cup cold milk

Directions:
Cream 1/3 cup butter, brown sugar, cinnamon together and set aside.
In large bowl, combine flour sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in 1/4 cup butter until crumbly.
Make a well in center and pour in milk.
Stir to form a soft dough, adding milk if needed.
Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.  Knead 8-10 times.
Roll into rectangle about 1/3 inch think and 12 inches long.
Spread cinnamon mixture over dough.
Roll up like a jelly roll.
Mark out 12 pieces and cut.
Place cut side down in muffin pan.
Bake in 350 degrees for 20-25 min.
Cool on Rack
Mix confectioners sugar, milk to make a thin glaze and drizzle over cinnamon rolls.
YUMMY!

268 cal

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
Filling
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese                                     2 1/2 Cups flour
1 egg                                                                                     2 Cups white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla                                                                           2 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbl. brown sugar                                                                 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
                                                                                             1/2 tsp. salt
Topping:                                                                                2 eggs
4 1/2 Tbl. flour                                                                      1 1/3 cups pumpkin
5 Tbl white sugar                                                                   1/3 vegetable oil
1 tsp. ground cinnamon                                                         2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbl. buter
3 Tbl. chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease muffin pan or line with paper.
To make filling:  beat cream cheese until soft, add egg, vanilla and brown sugar.  Beat until smooth.  set aside.
To make topping: mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans.  Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. set aside.
For batter:  mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. beat together until smooth.
Pour batter mixture in muffin tins 1/2 full.  Then add 1 tbl. of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of the batter.
Sprinkle with topping.
Bake in 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Butterscotch Muffins

Butterscotch Muffins
Ingredients:
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Cup sugar
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 Cup water
4 eggs
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package butterscotch chips
Topping:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
 Directions:
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, pudding mixes, baking powder, and salt.
Combine water, eggs oil and vanilla.
Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.
Stir in butterscotch chips.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full
Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle of batter in pan.
Bake at  350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 5 min before taking out of pan
Makes 12 muffins

Bran muffins

Bran muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup of wheat bran                                1 Cup flour
1 Cup buttermilk                                            1 tsp baking soda
1/3 Cup vegetable oil or applesauce               1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg                                                             1/2 tsp salt
2/3 Cup brown sugar                                     1/2 Cup of raisins or blueberries
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Heat oven to 350.
Grease muffin pan or line with paper.
Mix wheat bran and buttermilk...let stand for 10 min.
Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk mixture.
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Stir flour mixture and buttermilk mixture until just blended.
 Fold in raisins/blueberries and spoon into pan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
enjoy!

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