Category: Recipes


May
2014

Glazed Blueberry Muffins

categories: Breads and Muffins, Breakfast, Printables, Recipes

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Looking to wow mom on Mother’s Day?  One way to do that is with this muffin you can serve to her for breakfast or brunch on Mother’s Day!  It’s packed with fresh blueberries and it has a sweet glaze that’s going to put a smile on your mom’s face.  And attached at the end of this post is a free printable Mother’s Day gift tag.  You can attach the tag to a special gift or a basket of muffins.

To make these muffins, you need to mix the dry ingredients first: mix the 1 3/4 cups of flour, the 1/3 cup sugar, the 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Once you are done mixing the dry ingredients, make a hole in the middle for the egg, milk, and oil.

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In a bowl combine your beaten egg, 3/4 cup milk, and 1/4 cup oil.  Now pour these ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients.

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Now mix just until all ingredients are moistened.  You don’t want to over mix your muffins. The batter should be lumpy. If you over mix the batter your muffins will be dense and tough.

blueberry-bowl-3-wMix in your 6 oz. package of washed fresh blueberries (you could use frozen blueberries).

bluberry-bowl-4-wLightly grease your muffin pan or line with paper cups.  Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.  It will make 10-12 muffins.  My batch made 10 muffins.

blueberry-5-wBake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Now glaze the muffins with a frosting to add that special touch for Mother’s Day. 

You can make the same frosting I used on my Cherry Bars, Powdered Sugar Frosting. Combine the margarine, milk, and vanilla in a pan on the stove and heat it until the margarine is melted.  Then in a bowl place 2 cups of powdered sugar and add the warm liquid ingredients that you just heated on the stove to the powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time. This recipe makes a lot of frosting so you may have some left over.

glazed-bluberry-muffins-2-w 

Glazed Blueberry Muffins
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Cook Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 3/4 cups flour
  2. 1/3 cup sugar
  3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  5. 1 beaten egg
  6. 3/4 cup milk
  7. 1/4 cup cooking oil
  8. 6 oz package of fresh blueberries
Instructions
  1. To make these muffins, you need to mix the dry ingredients first: mix the 1 3/4 cups of flour, the 1/3 cup sugar, the 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Once you are done mixing the dry ingredients, make a hole in the middle for the egg, milk, and oil.
  2. In a bowl combine your beaten egg, 3/4 cup milk, and 1/4 cup oil. Now pour these ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients.
  3. Now mix just until all ingredients are moistened. You don't want to over mix your muffins. The batter should be lumpy. If you over mix the batter your muffins will be dense and tough.
  4. Mix in your 6 oz. package of washed fresh blueberries (you could use frozen blueberries).
  5. Lightly grease your muffin pan or line with paper cups. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. It will make 10-12 muffins. My batch made 10 muffins.
  6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Now glaze the muffins with a frosting to add that special touch for Mother's Day.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/

Powdered Sugar Frosting
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Ingredients
  1. 1/4 cup milk
  2. 1 tablespoon margarine
  3. 1 tsp. vanilla
  4. 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Combine the margarine, milk, and vanilla in a pan on the stove and heat it until the margarine is melted. Then in a bowl place 2 cups of powdered sugar and add the warm liquid ingredients that you just heated on the stove to the powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time. This recipe makes a lot of frosting so you may have some left over.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/
Printable Mother’s Day Gift Tag

Now here is the printable gift tag that you can use on that special gift for mom. All you have to do is print the tag out on card stock and attach it to your gifts. Everyone will have fun cutting them out and hanging them on gift bags or baskets.

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                                         CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD GIFT TAG

 

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May
2014

Beef and Lime Smothered Burritos

categories: Main Dishes, Recipes

Beef-and-Lime--smothered-burritos-2

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!  I have a great smothered burrito recipe that would be a perfect meal idea to help you celebrate. This dish is a wonderful blend of cheeses and sauce that had my husband and I eating the leftovers for days; we loved it!  So let’s get started making this fiesta of a meal.

First start by browning your 1 lb. of ground beef along with 1/2 of a chopped onion in a pan until the meat is brown and until the onions are tender. Season the meat with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

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Now add your 4.5 oz can of chopped green chiles, 1/2 cup of skim milk, 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 4 ounces of cream cheese, and 1 (10 ounce) can of mild enchilada sauce.  Make sure you stir well. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted. Cut your lime in quarters and then add a 1/4 of a lime’s juice (squeeze the lime) into the sauce and stir it.

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Now remove from the heat.  Then cover the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish you are using with a thin layer of the sauce.  Make sure you set aside 1 cup of the sauce for topping before you start filling the tortillas.  Once you have the sauce for the topping set aside, it’s time to fill each of the 6 tortillas with a 1/2 cup of sauce.  Then rollup filled tortillas and place seam side down in your baking dish.  Top the burritos with the 1 cup of sauce you set aside and with a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. Now you can serve with chopped tomatoes, and garnish with cilantro if you wish. 

smothered-burritos-4

Beef and Lime Smothered Burritos
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Cook Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. ground beef
  2. 1/2 of an onion finely chopped
  3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  4. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  5. 1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles
  6. 1/2 cup skim milk
  7. 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  8. 4 oz. cream cheese
  9. 1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce
  10. 1 quarter of a fresh lime for juice
  11. 6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
  12. 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  13. Diced tomatoes (optional)
  14. Cilantro garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. First start by browning your 1 lb. of ground beef along with 1/2 of a chopped onion in a pan until the meat is brown and until the onions are tender. Season the meat with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Now add your 4.5 oz can of chopped green chiles, 1/2 cup of skim milk, 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 4 ounces of cream cheese, and 1 (10 ounce) can of mild enchilada sauce. Make sure you stir well. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted. Cut your lime in quarters and then add a 1/4 of a lime's juice (squeeze the lime) into the sauce and stir it. Now remove from the heat. Then cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish you are using with a thin layer of the sauce. Make sure you set aside 1 cup of the sauce for topping before you start filling the tortillas. Once you have the sauce for the topping set aside, it's time to fill each of the 6 tortillas with a 1/2 cup of sauce. Then roll up filled tortillas and place seam side down in your baking dish. Top the burritos with the 1 cup of sauce you set aside and with a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. Now you can serve with chopped tomatoes, and garnish with cilantro if you wish.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/
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May
2014

Grandma Dow’s Cinnamon Rolls

categories: Desserts, Recipes

 

Grandma Dow's Cinnamon RollsHere is the best cinnamon roll recipe you will ever find. This was my Grandma Dow’s special recipe.  I am sharing this recipe today in honor of what would have been my grandma Elma Dow’s 100th birthday. She lived a long, full life; 95 years of baking, crocheting, and crafting. This is a recipe she made often to share with neighbors, friends, and family.  She knew the recipe by heart, without measurements, just by the look and feel of the dough. It was not until about eight years ago that Elma and my sister Angie put this recipe down on paper in the form it is in now.  This cinnamon roll has a delightfully light and soft dough that is wonderful and has a fresh yeasty flavor. Very different from the rolls you buy in the store, there really is no comparison. Be prepared to eat two or three when they come fresh out of the oven.   

This is a picture of my Grandma Dow, holding me, sitting next to my cousin Christie.  

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To start the cinnamon rolls, mix the following ingredients to make the yeast mixture in a bowl: 1/2 cup warm water (temp. the water to 100-110 degrees), 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons yeast (or two packages). Stir it in the bowl until just mixed and let it sit for 10 minutes. It will foam up quite a bit. The reason you check the temperature of the water is to make sure that it is not too warm so it does not kill the yeast, but that it is warm enough to activate it.

cinnamon-rolls-1-wNext, on the stovetop in a saucepan you can make your butter mixture, you warm 2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1/2 cup of sugar with it heaping in the cup and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat the mixture until warm about 100-110 degrees.

cinnamon rolls 2After your yeast mixture has sat for 10 min (it will be foamed up) and your butter mixture is warm, stir the two mixtures together in a mixer with dough hooks.

mx-in-blender-wNow beat two eggs in a bowl and pour them in your mixer and mix until combined.

eggs-wNow it is time to add the flour to your mixture. Slowly add 8 cups of flour, mixing as you add the flour.

flour-beig-poured-in-wPut the dough into a large, butter greased bowl and flip the dough around so the butter gets on all the sides of the dough.

bowl-1-wCover the bowl with a clean dish cloth and put the bowl with dough in it in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it rise for 1 hour or more. After the hour has passed, the dough will have rose up in the bowl like this.

dough 2Knock the dough down. That means use your hands and hit the air out of the dough. Sprinkle some flour on your counter and start rolling out the dough. Roll it out to about 24 inches in length.

rolling-out-dough-wButter the dough with your softened butter.

butterin-dough-wSprinkle sugar all over the buttered dough.

sugar-on-dough-wThen sprinkle with cinnamon.

cinnamon-wRoll the dough up.

rolling-dough-wCut the dough in one inch slices.

cutting-dough-wPut the slices on a greased cookie sheet to rise.ready-to-rise-wLet the dough rise one hour or more in a warm spot until the rolls are light. They will look like this.

risen-rolls-wBake the rolls in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. When the rolls are done, they will be golden brown.finished-rolls-wNow it is time to frost the rolls. You can make a batch of Buttercream Frosting. All you need to do is mix your 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt.frosting-1Mix until it is smooth.frosting-2-wFrost your rolls with a butter knife while they are hot.

frosting-rolls-wNow it is time to sit back with a cold glass of milk and enjoy your rolls.

Remember these rolls are preservative free, which means you need to freeze what you don’t eat that first day so you can enjoy them for days to come with the same fresh taste and soft texture.

Grandma Dow's Cinnamon Rolls
The best cinnamon rolls you will ever make!
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Ingredients
  1. (Yeast Mixture)
  2. 1/2 cup warm water
  3. 1 tablespoon sugar
  4. 2 tablespoons yeast (or 2 packages)
  5. --------------------
  6. (Butter Mixture)
  7. 2 cups of milk
  8. 1/2 cup (heaping) sugar
  9. 1/2 cup softened butter
  10. 1 teaspoon salt
  11. --------------------
  12. 2 beaten eggs
  13. 8 cups flour
  14. --------------------
  15. (Filling)
  16. 1/2 cup butter to spread on dough
  17. 1/2 cup sugar to sprinkle on dough
  18. Cinnamon to sprinkle on dough
Instructions
  1. To start the cinnamon rolls, mix the following ingredients to make the yeast mixture in a bowl 1/2 cup warm water (temp. the water to 100-110 degrees), 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons yeast (or two packages). Stir it in the bowl until just mixed and let it sit for 10 minutes. It will foam up quite a bit. The reason you check the temperature of the water is to make sure that it is not too warm so it does not kill the yeast, but that it is warm enough to activate it.
  2. Next, on the stovetop in a saucepan you can make your butter mixture, you warm 2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1/2 cup of sugar with it heaping in the cup and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat the mixture until warm about 100-110 degrees. After your yeast mixture has sat for 10 min (it will be foamed up) and your butter mixture is warm, stir the two mixtures together in a mixer with dough hooks.
  3. Now beat two eggs in a bowl and pour them in your mixer and mix until combined. Now it is time to add the flour to your mixture. Slowly add 8 cups of flour, mixing as you add the flour.
  4. Put the dough into a large, butter greased bowl and flip the dough around so the butter gets on all the sides of the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean dish cloth and put the bowl with dough in it in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it rise for 1 hour or more. After the hour has passed, the dough will have rose up in the bowl. Knock the dough down. That means use your hands and hit the air out of the dough. Sprinkle some flour on your counter and start rolling out the dough. Roll it out to about 24 inches in length.
  5. Butter the dough with your softened butter. Sprinkle sugar all over the buttered dough. Then sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll the dough up. Cut the dough in one inch slices. Put the slices on a greased cookie sheet to rise. Let the dough rise one hour or more in a warm spot until the rolls are light.
  6. Bake the rolls in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. When the rolls are done, they will be golden brown.
  7. Now it is time to frost the rolls. You can make a batch of Buttercream Frosting. All you need to do is mix your 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix until it is smooth. Frost your rolls with a butter knife while they are hot.
  8. Remember these rolls are preservative free, which means you need to freeze what you don't eat that first day so you can enjoy them for days to come with the same fresh taste and soft texture.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/
Buttercream Frosting
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. powdered sugar (or 3 3/4 cups)
  2. 1/4 cup milk
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 1/3 cup butter
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. All you need to do is mix your 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mixer until smooth.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/

Apr
2014

May Day Basket Ideas

categories: Desserts, Recipes

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May Day is already tommorow!  Want to have a fun project with your kids?  Here’s some great ideas that will help you put a smile on your friends and family members’ faces.  We have a mini-apple pie basket recipe that is perfect for those who want to bake something fun and special for their baskets.  I love making these cute little pies; they are easy to make and they are packed with fresh apples!  YUM!      

We also have a great plant basket idea that is perfect for those who want to give flowers etc.  I love to garden, which is why I really enjoy creating baskets with plants.  For this project all you have to do is buy some plants and make a pipe cleaner handle for each basket.  Another creative way to make your plant baskets extra special is to buy vegetable, fruit, or herb plants and include a recipe that uses the plant you are giving in your May Day baskets.  For example, if you are making a strawberry plant May basket, you could include a printout of a Strawberry Pie recipe and tie it to the basket with a ribbon.

Below are steps to making these great May Day baskets: a mini-apple pie basket and a creative plant basket. 

Mini-Apple Pie Baskets

Apple Pie BasketsThese cute heart covered handleless baskets are sure to brighten anyone’s May Day.  Fill up a basket and take them to work or to a neighbor; I’m sure your day will be filled with smiles.

First you start by chopping six apples into bite size pieces.chopped-apples-wNow mix your apples with 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

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Now mix all of the ingredients together until combined.

apples-and-spoon-wNow set the apple mixture aside.  Then get out your ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (a box with two crusts in it).  Unroll one of the crusts and cut out 12 small hearts.  I know what your thinking… you don’t have a small heart cookie cutter.  You can get a 3 heart set at Hobby Lobby or just cut out each heart with a knife.

heart cookie cutter wNow with the remaining apple pie crust cut out 12 circles to fit into your muffin tin pan.  I use a cup to punch out the circles.
 cup-cutting-dough-wNow put the 12 circles of dough in your greased muffin pan and divide out the apple mixture between the 12 cups.

putting-apples-in-cups-wNow put a heart on each cup.  Then brush each heart with a little milk and sprinkle each heart with brown sugar.

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In a 375 degree preheated oven bake the baskets for 25-30 minutes.  Cool them on a wire rack.  Now you are ready to share for May Day.

Mini-Apple Pie Baskets
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 14.1 oz ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (2 pie crusts per package)
  2. 6 apples chopped into bite size pieces
  3. 3/4 cups sugar
  4. 2 tablespoons of flour
  5. 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  8. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  9. 1 tablespoon milk (to brush on hearts)
  10. 1 tablespoon brown sugar (to sprinkle on hearts)
Instructions
  1. First you start by chopping six apples into bite size pieces. Now mix your apples with 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Now set the apple mixture aside. Then get out your ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (a box with two crusts in it). Unroll one of the crusts and cut out 12 small hearts. I know what your thinking... you don't have a small heart cookie cutter. You can get a 3 heart set at Hobby Lobby or just cut out each heart with a knife. Now with the remaining apple pie crust cut out 12 circles to fit into your muffin tin pan. I use a cup to punch out the circles. Now put the 12 circles of dough in your greased muffin pan and divide out the apple mixture between the 12 cups. Now put a heart on each cup. Then brush each heart with a little milk and sprinkle each heart with brown sugar. In a 375 degree preheated oven bake the baskets for 25-30 minutes. Cool them on a wire rack.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/
Plant Baskets

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Another easy idea for a May Basket is place a few flowering plants or vegetables (that you bought at a store) in a cup and add a pipe cleaner handle.

First you punch two holes in your paper cup.putting-holes-in-cups-w

Now place 2 plants from a 6 cell plant container in each cup. You don’t need to get any extra dirt, because they wedge down in the small cup nicely.  Now put two pipe cleaners together and bend them through the holes in the cups.  And there you have it!  You have a basket worthy of handing out on May Day.

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The next plant basket that you can make is also made with a plant purchased at the store. You just add a pipe cleaner handle to it and tape a piece of black construction paper to the plant.punching-hole-in-strawberry-plant-w

Then decorate the construction paper with chalk or stickers.  You could go even one step further by including a print out of a Strawberry Pie recipe and tie it to the handle of the basket.  

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You can also use herbs and add a recipe that uses that herb in it.  This is a great project to do with kids.  They love creating the baskets and handing them out.  Have a great May Day!