Best Ever Honey Whole Wheat Bread!

I have been making this bread for over 3 years...and have been meaning to blog about it for just about that long! It took several months to gradually adjust a recipe I found until I was satisfied with the results: a soft, light-tasting, no-white-flour, all whole wheat bread.

I have found that I prefer this bread to have a short stay in the freezer before cutting, seems to tenderize the crust even more. As this is the only bread we now eat (no more store stuff!), the freezer time isn't a problem. I make a batch or two a week, always being sure to have a loaf or two or more in the freezer!

Because I make this bread so often, I mix up the flour and gluten beforehand and place in quart bags. This helps evenly distribute the gluten throughout the flour – if you don't, you can end up with gluey glops in your bread. Ick. This also cuts down my preparation time (I've got my recipe memorized), and I can quickly grab a bag and put a batch together in my bread machine in the morning.

And, this bread really must have the gluten. Gluten helps keep whole wheat bread soft and tender. Make this bread without, and you'll notice the difference!!

BEST EVER HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

In bread machine place:
1-1/3 cups warm milk
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola (or olive) oil
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten

Thoroughly combine and add:
3-3/4 cups whole wheat flour (I've used every brand and found that Gold Medal has the best results!)
3 tablespoons gluten (find this in the baking aisle – I use Bob's Red Mill)

Make a small well in flour and place:
1-1/4 teaspoons yeast

Choose your bread machine's dough setting. When cycle is complete, turn dough out onto a greased or floured surface (I use a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray – keeps my countertop clean, too)! Divide dough in half. Press one half into a rough rectangle (see pictures) and roll tightly towards you. Pinch and turn ends under. Place dough in greased loaf pan. Repeat with other half of dough.

Cover bread with cloth and let rise in a warm place until edges just begin to round the edge of the pan (this can take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity of your house, the season, etc).

Once dough has risen, you can brush the top with a light egg wash (1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp of water), if desired (I don't even bother with this step anymore)! Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

When cool, package and freeze...or slice and eat.

Best whole wheat toast and sandwich bread...ever!! Ever.

**DISCLOSURE: Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

I Pinned, I Made: the BEST Sweet and Sour Chicken...with fried rice!

I really do love Pinterest. It is full of great inspiration, from amazing recipes to beautiful crochet patterns to free photography tutorials to lovely wedding ideas.

When I saw this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe from Holly over at Life in the Lofthouse, I decided to make it almost immediately.

I was not disappointed.

I have never tried making Chinese at home, aside from an occasional stir-fry, and this was absolutely fabulous! Tasted just like our favorite Chinese restaurant!

My young children called it 'China Chicken' and were cheering when we still had leftovers for a third meal!! And the leftovers tasted just as good as the first time.

My husband devoured it! He kept saying, 'Man! This is good! This is so good!' ...(and I won't embarrass anyone by saying I saw someone licking their plate after one meal... ;-)

I barely remembered to take a picture, we were so busy eating and mmm'ing. The hubs said to just take pictures of our empty plates.

The recipe takes a bit more time than I usually spend preparing a meal -- not terribly so, but you have to dredge, dip, and brown the chicken before finishing it off in the oven. I had doubled the recipe, so it took me awhile, having to pan fry in several batches.

But...it was definitely worth it, and I'd spend the time to make this again! And again...

The fam is already asking when that will be...!

So, head over to Holly's blog to find the recipe!




**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

I Pinned, I Made: Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

Another Pinterest recipe that I couldn't resist trying. And now that I have, I must be the first to tell you that you should try it, too!

You can find the recipe here on Sally's Baking Addiction.

They were soft and chewy and chocolatey and peanut-buttery.

Super yum!

*To cut down on messy hands, I used my cookie scoop to scoop equal amounts of dough next to each other, then did Sally's 'smoosh-and-roll' to get one cookie ball (see below pic). I did chill the dough (which is something I hate doing), and didn't have much trouble with stickiness...so I recommend it!*

You'll definitely need a glass of cold milk with these fabulous Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies! I hope you give them a try! (You can thank me later)! ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking for more peanut butter and chocolate?? I'd recommend this Black Magic Chocolate Cake topped with this Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting!



**DISCLOSURE: Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

I Pinned, I Made: Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

There aren't many things better than the classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter. I mean, really! They are perfect for each other!

Does the picture tempt you?!

It's shameful, I know...as I'm supposed to be getting rid of the sweets leftover from the holidays, but I wanted to try two different things I found on Pinterest.

The first was doctoring up a cake mix to taste like a bakery cake. Well, I've got to admit, I haven't eaten many (or any?) bakery cakes...but, it made it sound like my cake mix would be elevated to much better standards.

So, I tried it. Add 1 more egg than the box calls for, substitute (and double) the oil called for with melted butter, and instead of water, use milk.

Meh. It was good, but it wasn't fabulous by any means. Not worth wasting butter on. If you want your butter to go to good use, make THIS. Nom, nom, nom!!!

And, I'd recommend THIS chocolate cake if you want to have happy cupcakes!

Anyway, on to the second pin: the peanut butter frosting.

Yum.

To be honest, I don't think I've met a peanut butter frosting I haven't liked. ;-)

But, I did keep this version after a few of my own additions. It was smooth, creamy, not overly sweet, and how can you go wrong with the addition of cream cheese?

If you need just the right PB buttercream for your next cake, pick this one!

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frostin'

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (half a stick) softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter (do not use 'natural,' the kind you need to stir)
2-3 tablespoons milk or cream

Be sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before beginning. With an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla and 2 cups of confectioners' sugar. Blend until smooth. Add remaining 2 cups of confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, and milk. Combine until smooth.

Frost or fill decorator's bag and pipe onto cake (or fill a plastic gallon storage bag and snip a corner off! That's how I decorated mine - not fancy, but still just as tasty)!

Scarf 'em down or decorate with Reese's Pieces. :-)

Enjoy!!




**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

I Pinned, I Made: English Toffee

Goodbye, Saltine Toffee!

That's all I've ever made before...and while I always thought it was fabulous, well, that was before.

Before THIS:

Source: the-taste-tester.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Amanda, aka The Taste Tester, is right: you must make it.

It. is. beyond. fabulous.

Yum. Yum. Yum.

I didn't find the process quite as painful as Amanda makes it out to be. ;-) I even made sure I had a stool to sit on, just in case! But, the toffee mixture came together for me in about 20 minutes - using Sam's Club butter and low heat (burner was set on 3.5 out of 10).

I didn't add any nuts (not a fan of most), and the toffee was absolutely delicious to me. Nice and crunchy...smooth and buttery. Mmmmm!

Also, my own personal tip: I use chocolate chips to melt on top AND I make sure it's a mix of milk chocolate and semisweet. In my opinion, it makes the perfect chocolate topping.

Mmmmmm!!!

Need a last minute gift idea?! Head on over to Amanda's for the recipe...and MAKE IT. (Um, you still might need to buy a gift...you just might eat the entire pan yourself instead of sharing)! :-D



**DISCLOSURE:Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

Onion Crunch - Review and GIVEAWAY!

Have you seen Loeb's Onion Crunch yet?

Onion Crunch is a new crunchy, onion condiment and the only all-natural kosher (parve), vegan and non-gmo, crunchy onion topping in the US - and it tastes great! 

It’s a great healthy topping for holiday green bean casseroles, mashed potatoes, veggies and stuffing (plus hot dogs, pizza and hamburgers!) Kids even eat their vegetables when Onion Crunch is sprinkled on them.

I received a sample of Onion Crunch to try and our whole family loved it! The smell was amazing - very fresh - and the ingredient list impressed me: onions, palm oil, wheat flour, and salt!

We continue to weed out the processed foods, and I was pleased to see how natural (and non-gmo) Onion Crunch is!

I tested the yummy smelling topping with Onion Crunch Chicken:

Sometimes simple is the best...and Onion Crunch Chicken was some of the BEST chicken I've ever eaten. It was so moist and flavorful! My husband, who admittedly thinks I'm a pretty good cook, grabbed leftovers the next day and said to me, 'Hey! I had some of that oniony chicken you made and...WOW.'

Yes, it was really that good. So simple. So good!

I've already seen Onion Crunch in my local grocery store, but if you can't find it, you can buy it online HERE. You can also have a chance to try Onion Crunch FREE by entering to WIN a 6 oz bottle below (open to US residents only)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Barrie, from Onion Crunch, for sending me product samples to review and give away!



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs

Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books, I was able to read A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Wrapped in a cloud of steam, the engine rolled to a stop, the screech of metal against metal filling the frosty air. Snow blew across the railway platform and around Meg’s calfskin walking boots. The weather definitely was not improving.

She ordered tea with milk and sugar, eying the currant buns and sweet mincemeat tarts displayed beneath a bell jar.
Later, perhaps, when her appetite returned. At the moment her stomach was twisted into a knot.

“Anything else for you?” the cashier asked as she handed over the tea, steaming and fragrant.

Meg was surprised to find her fingers trembling when she lifted the cup. “All I want is a safe journey home.”

“On a day like this?” the round-faced woman exclaimed. “None but the Almighty can promise you that, lass.”

MY THOUGHTS:
I don’t usually read Christmas-themed books, but A Wreath of Snow's beautiful, wintery front cover and the teaser on the back made my decision!

With her brother’s bitterness overshadowing what should be a joyful time, Meg tries to cut her Christmas visit home short. Unfortunately, snow...and a stranger...change her plans. But secrets are hidden by more than just the not-so-stranger and will make this Christmas one to remember!

A Wreath of Snow is a short, quick read, but full of emotion. The characters struggle within themselves to extend mercy and forgiveness to those around them. With snow, Scottish brogues, and a little curling, A Wreath of Snow is the perfect story for a cozy-up kind of afternoon.

It’s only November, but after closing the book, I was in a Christmas-y mood! If my children had begged to put up the tree, they may have convinced me that day! ;-) Instead, using the recipe that Liz includes in the back of the book, I gathered up some butter, sugar, and flour and whipped up a batch of Scottish Shortbread. Light and buttery: Mmmmm!

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Sift confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and flour together in a bowl. Add softened butter, using your hands to knead the mixture into dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for no longer than 30 minutes.

Press cold dough into the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan (round or square; glass is best). Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.

Sprinkle granulated sugar across the top. Cool completely, then cut into 8 servings.

AND FOR YOU, a peek into the book HERE.

Thank you to Liz and Blogging for Books for sending me a copy to read and review!

Also reviewed on Amazon and Christianbook.



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

Blueberry Muffins from The New Best Recipe

I've posted about blueberry muffins in the past HERE. 'To Die For' they were called. Mmm, yes, they were.

UNTIL I made the Blueberry Muffins from The New Best Recipe.


(Don't have that cookbook on your shelf yet?! You must. Besides tested and tried dishes, The New Best Recipe has illustrated kitchen tutorials and unbiased product ratings from America's Test Kitchen and it is over 1000 pages of ahh.maz.ing-ness)!


Ok, back to the muffins.

The New Best Recipe Blueberry Muffins should be called 'to die for' or 'the best' or something!

The added sour cream in NBR's recipe takes the cake...or muffin. The sour cream compliments the blueberries perfectly, making a most fabulous tasting muffin.

You must try them!

And, if you have the ingredients around to make the Lemon-Glaze following the recipe...oh, do! That puts these muffins over the top!

(When I don't have those ingredients, I use NBR's other topping variation: Cinnamon Sugar-Dipped OR I brush the muffin tops with a vanilla syrup [like DaVinci's coffee syrups] and sprinkle with turbinado sugar).

Oh, my mouth is watering! Time to share the recipe!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
from The New Best Recipe via acookingbookworm.com

2 cups (10 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-1/4 cups (10 oz) sour cream
1-1/2 cups (7-1/2 to 8 oz) frozen or fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the egg in a second medium bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.

Add the berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds (small spots of flour may remain, and the batter will be thick. Do not overmix).

Using a large spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking, divide the batter among the greased muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Invert the muffins onto a wire rack, stand the muffins upright, and cool 5 minutes.

Ginger- or Lemon- Glazed Blueberry Topping
While the muffins are baking, mix 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or grated lemon zest and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Bring 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir to dissolve the sugar and simmer until the mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup. After the baked muffins have cooled 5 minutes, brush the tips with glaze; then, working one at a time, dip the tops in lemon sugar or ginger sugar. Set the muffins upright on a wire rack; serve.




**DISCLOSURE: Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

The Amish Family Cookbook by Jerry and Tina Eicher

Today's featured authors from FIRST are Jerry and Tina Eicher and their cookbook, The Amish Family Cookbook.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

From bestselling author Jerry Eicher (more than 350,000 books sold) and his wife, Tina, comes this warm and inviting peek into an Amish kitchen, complete with recipes, Amish proverbs, and a dash of Amish humor. Readers will laugh and eat robustly with The Amish Family Cookbook at their side.

Product Details:
List Price: $ 14.99
Spiral-bound: 272 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers; Spi edition (October 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736943773
ISBN-13: 978-0736943772

MY THOUGHTS:
The Amish are well-known for their family-style type meals and are often known as great cooks. I enjoyed looking through the Eicher's new cookbook, which gave the feeling of thumbing through old family recipes, or one of those old-fashioned church cookbook booklets that I found piled in my grandma's cupboard.

You won't find any mouth-watering pictures of the recipes in this cookbook, which may be a turn-off to some, but those who are looking for family-friendly meals and sides, the recipes will speak for themselves.

To successfully review a cookbook, I think you should actually MAKE one or two of the recipes (I AM a 'cooking' bookworm, after all)! The family really enjoyed Yost's Baked Chicken Pieces on page 157 and several other recipes are marked for further testing!

AND NOW...A FEW RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY (CLICK ON PICTURES TO SEE THEM LARGER):

Thank you to the Eichers and Harvest House through FIRST blog reviews for sending me a copy to read and review!

Also reviewed on Amazon and Christianbook.



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

Sweet Lemon Brownies

I LOVE lemony things. Sweet, tart, light, refreshing. Yum.

However, I'm not a big fan of Lemon Bars. They always taste egg-yolky to me. Blech.

When I found this recipe on Pinterest, claiming to be nothing like a Lemon Bar, I wanted to give them a try.

Imagine the moist, fudgy texture of a brownie, but bursting with bright lemon flavor! And then there's the sweet glaze...!

Ahh, yes! These were soo tasty! :-)

(My only complaint: I didn't double the recipe!) Nom. nom. nom!

So, if you love lemon too...make these! Now.

SWEET LEMON BROWNIES

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 large eggs
2-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Zest and juice two small lemons (please don't try to substitute dried lemon zest and bottled juice. Use fresh!); set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. Add the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat into the flour mixture at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing.

When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze by whisking together all three ingredients. Spread over the brownies, cut into bars, and serve!

Fabulous!



**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

Dee-licious Chewy Granola Bars

I've been making homemade granola for a healthier snack for several months now. Since then, I've had granola bars on my to-make-someday list, and finally got around to making them today.

So easy. Soo good!

Since we're trying to cut back on the sugar, I debated trying to sub out the brown sugar, but I knew that was what helps make the bars hold together, so I left it in.

Pinterest made me! Kiss Pies!

Are you on Pinterest??

Let's just say: fantabulous idea OVERLOAD! ;-)

Source: picky-palate.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

If you're saying What's Pinterest?! I guess the easiest way to describe it is a visual bookmarking site. Once you find an idea that you love, you 'pin' it to one of your own virtual bulletin boards. You can follow friends or other pinners based on your interests, from food to home decorating ideas to fashion.

I'm a food/recipe follower. Surprised?! ;-)

One of my friends pinned this fun, sweet idea (left) from Picky Palate: Kiss Pies!

I immediately pinned the recipe, knowing I had both pie crusts and kisses in my freezer from my leftover Christmas stash.

I don't enjoy fussy cooking (rolling dough, cutting cookies, pinching dough), but these pretty little pockets were fun. They'd be perfect for a party!

I used regular kisses and sprinkled the tops with cinnamon sugar.

Pin It

I see endless possibilities here. Caramel kisses? Peanut Butter? Miniature Milky Ways?! Nom, nom!!





**DISCLOSURE: Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

Another Birthday Cake!

We just celebrated another birthday in our house.

You can probably guess that it was for my little guy...

Craving Donuts?? Try these!

Did you miss this recipe the first time around??

I'm craving donuts today, so I thought I'd better share these delicious Doughnut (Hole) Muffins with you again!

They're (almost) healthy! Well, at least healthier than something you could pick up at the DD drive-thru and, in my opinion, better tasting!!

They're quick and easy, too! So, go get the recipe HERE!



**Disclaimer: Post *may* contain affiliate links.**

Bread Machine Bagels

Homemade bagels? Really? Yes!

Bagels really aren't any more difficult to make than dinner rolls, especially when you've got a bread machine! Bagels just have the extra step of boiling in water before baking which helps gives them their trademark chewy crust.

Our favorite way to make these is to add 2-3 teaspoons of onion powder into the dry ingredients and then, just before baking, brush the shaped tops with an egg white and minced dried onion (that you rehydrate in just a bit of water). Mmmm!

So, are you ready to start?