Bakery Style Whole Wheat Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

These muffins are made with white whole wheat flour, fresh blueberries, and grated zucchini. They are perfect for a healthy breakfast on-the-run, or for packing in school lunches. As an added bonus, adding applesauce to the batter makes these muffins extra moist!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Blueberry Muffins

Recipe Source: © Amanda Jenks

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup salted butter, partially melted

1 (4 ounce) snack container natural no-sugar added applesauce *plain or cinnamon flavor will work

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 heaping cups grated zucchini

1 (6 ounce) container fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a standard size muffin tin with muffin liners (you could also use a mini muffin pan). 

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients with a hand mixer (eggs, butter, applesauce, and vanilla) until completely incorporated. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients. Also add the zucchini to the well. 

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together by hand or with the hand mixer just until combined. I prefer to use the hand mixer, because this batter will seem a little dry at first if you do it by hand. Using the hand mixer ensures that the moisture from the zucchini seeps into the batter more quickly, making the batter more moist faster. But if you choose to use the mixer you have to understand that it is easier to over mix the batter with a hand mixer. 

Whether you choose to mix by hand or with a hand mixer, do not over mix the batter! Over-mixing muffin batter will result in tough muffins with larger air pockets and the muffins will rise super tall in the middle and not on the sides. In other words, you'll have made chewy cone-top muffins, instead perfect light-and-fluffy domed muffins. 

Briefly and evenly fold the blueberries into the muffin batter with a rubber spatula. Fill the individual muffin tins completely to the top of the liner with batter (yes, they'll look full but that's how you'll get a nice dome). Bake standard size muffins for 20-22 minutes or bake mini muffins for 10-12 minutes. When muffins are fully cooked, a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool to warm or completely cool before eating.

Yield: 12 muffins

Calories per muffin: 190

Carbs per muffin: 32g

"The Greek" aka An Insanely Awesome Hummus Sandwich {with a vegetarian option}

We fondly refer to this sandwich as "The Greek". It's loaded with greek flavors, healthy, satisfying, and oh-so-delicious! Confession: see that massive sandwich down there? I can only ever eat half of one because it ends up being so huge!

"The Greek": A Satisfying Sandwich Recipe

Recipe Source: © Amanda Jenks

What you'll need:

8 pieces of sturdy whole wheat bread

1/2 cup hummus *homemade or storebought

1/4-1/2 cup feta cheese

arugula or spring greens, washed and dried

kalamata or regular black olives, cut in half

roasted deli turkey, omit for vegetarian

sliced tomatoes or roasted red bell peppers

sliced cucumbers

sliced red onion

marinated artichoke hearts

optional for spreading on top piece of bread: Opa Feta Dill Dressing, Dilly of a Dip, or mayo with fresh or dried dill sprinkled on top.

I assemble my sandwiches in this order: bread, hummus, feta cheese, lettuce, olives, turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, artichoke hearts. Then I spread the top bread slice with Opa Feta Dill Dressing and finish the sandwich off with that piece of bread.

Insanely delicious. Really.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

No nutrition facts today! The total caloric value and carb count of your sandwich will really depend on the individual ingredients used (different breads, different hummus, dressing/no dressing... etc).

{click on the collage above to make it larger}

Grilled Sticky Chicken Wraps

These are delicious. I use an indoor grill to make them, but you could definitely do this on an outdoor grill if you wanted to! You may just want to cut the chicken into bigger chunks so that you don't lose any through the cracks of the grill.

What I do is slice up a couple chicken breasts and grill them on both sides for a couple of minutes. 

Then I toss the almost-fully-cooked pieces in sticky finger sauce.

Then I put them back on the grill and cook them on both sides again, and I brush each side with more sauce. I like to let the sauce get all caramelized and thick and STICKY, since these are sticky finger wraps.

YUM. Stack sliced tomatoes, lettuce, shredded colby jack cheese, ranch dressing, more sticky finger sauce, and crispy chow mein noodles on a tortilla.

Slab on some of that sticky chicken.

Roll up and DEVOUR.

Sticky Chicken Wraps

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester, Sticky Finger Sauce recipe adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

Sticky Finger Sauce:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons butter

Wrap Assembly:

2 chicken breasts, sliced
tortillas
sliced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
shredded colby jack cheese
ranch dressing
crunchy chow mein noodles

To make sauce: Combine brown sugar, hot sauce, and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool to room temperature. Store any leftovers in the fridge--- it will get really thick and sticky in the fridge so sit it on the counter a couple of hours before grilling the chicken if it's been refrigerated beforehand.

To grill chicken: Cook chicken strips on grill for a couple of minutes on each side, or until you get some nice looking grill marks. Remove from grill into a small bowl and toss with about half of the prepared sauce. 

Put strips back on grill and cook for 2-3 additional minutes on each side, brushing with more sauce. When they are done the sauce will be sticky and caramelized (but not burnt) and the chicken will be cooked through.

To assemble wraps: Stack sliced tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, dressing, more sticky finger sauce, chow mein noodles and chicken on a tortilla. Roll up and serve.

If you'd like to use this recipe on your food blog my only request is that you give me credit for the recipe and write it in your own words. If you would like to use my photo please do not write the recipe in your post and link back to this post instead. For more information on using my content please click here.

100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

I know, it's yet another boring whole wheat bread post. I'm on a roll. The important thing here is that it's SUMMER (or at least it feels like it is) and that means grilling season is upon us. We don't have an outdoor grill, but we do have an indoor grill that I use all the time. Someday when we are in a little bit more of a stable living situation, I'd like an outdoor one too.

I don't know about you but we will be eating a lot of hamburgers this summer, which means we'll be needing a lot of hamburger buns. I love this bun recipe because for less than the price of a pack of buns at the store, I can make something that I know is healthy for me and my family. The bonus here is that you can make ten buns in just under 45 minutes, and a lot of that is wait time. This is a very low maintenance recipe.

100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Recipe Source: adapted from Taste of Home

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water (110˚-115˚F)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar or honey

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

3 to 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 egg yolk, beaten

1 tablespoon milk

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine the yeast, warm water, oil, and sugar (or honey). Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt, and vital wheat gluten. Remove the whisk attachment and secure the dough hook. Add the flour gradually until a soft (but not sticky) ball of dough forms.

Turn the mixer on high and knead for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. When the dough is finished kneading, divide it into ten equal pieces and shape into balls. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I like to press my dough balls out a little so that they are slightly flattened and have a larger circumference. They'll still puff up and get beautiful in the oven even if you do this.

Let the buns rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the milk to the beaten egg. Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash mixture just before putting them in the oven. You can also sprinkle the tops of the buns with sesame seeds or poppy seeds after brushing them with egg wash. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm burgers. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase the product, it will not cost more for you but I will earn a tiny percentage of commission which helps me keep this blog up and running. Thank you!

If you like what you see, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and/or twitter.

If you'd like to use this recipe on your food blog my only request is that you give me credit for the recipe and write it in your own words. If you would like to use my photo please do not write the recipe in your post and link back to this post instead. For more information on using my content please click here.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

This is truly one of my all time favorite recipes. It's amazing how something so simple can be so delicious. I am actually surprised it took me this long to post this recipe. On our iPad I have lots of lists.

A list of recipes to share (there's probably like 30-40 recipes on that list currently).

A list of recipes I am developing that are a total work in progress, but I am loving every minute of the recipe development process.

A list of original recipe ideas. Please don't steal my iPad.

A list of recipes to try in general, plus lists of recipes to try in the spring, the summer, the fall, the winter--- seasonal stuff.

I'm a little bit of a food fanatic, in case you haven't noticed. Basically, I am trying to mostly post recipes from that first list of recipes to share while I fine tune some of my own. These sliders were on the top of that list.

The original recipe makes 24 sliders but we often make fewer (by halving or quartering the recipe) and eat them as a main course rather than an appetizer. The original recipe also calls for swiss cheese. But as much as I love swiss cheese it makes my throat itch, so we just use cheddar. I have also used provolone and pepper jack.

These are savory and slightly sweet. The freaking butter poppy seed mustard sauce is ahhhh-mazeee-ing, and it reminds me of {Snyder's of Hanover} mustard pretzels. If you do bring them to a party I can promise that they will be a major crowd pleaser--- with the kids and the adults. Go ahead and give them a try.

Ham (and Turkey) and Cheese Sliders

Recipe Source: adapted [ever so slightly] from Chef In Training, The Girl Who Ate Everything, and The Recipe Club

12 King's Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls *these are what give the sliders a hint of sweetness
2 1/2 tablespoons miracle whip
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 thin slices of ham
12 thin slices of turkey *You could try these with other deli meat, like pastrami or roast beef
1 cup grated cheese *swiss, cheddar, provolone, pepper jack, monterey jack, havarti... the options are endless
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the rolls in half horizontally. Stir the mayo and miracle whip together. Spread the top and bottom of each roll with the mayo mixture. Put the bottoms of the rolls mayo side up in a greased 9x13 pan. Stack a slice of ham, a slice of turkey, and about a tablespoon of grated cheese (in that order) on each bottom bun. Put the tops mayo side down on each slider.

In a small bowl stir the butter, mustard, poppy seeds, onion powder, and worcestershire sauce together. Brush over the tops of the rolls, and use all of it! Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is really melty and the tops of the rolls are browned and little bit crusty, but not too crusty.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase the product, it will not cost more for you but I will earn a tiny percentage of commission which helps me keep this blog up and running. Thank you!

If you like what you see, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and/or twitter.

Egg Salad Banh Mi

To be perfectly clear, I've never had a banh mi. I'm not even entirely sure I spelt that right. But after watching the first season of The Great Food Truck Race and drooling over every sandwich the Nom Nom Truck made, I have had this Vietnamese style sandwich on my list of foods to try for a really long time.

This led to me being very creative with how we used our easter egg leftovers. We LOVED these sandwiches. They may not be very "authentic", but there was just something about all of the components of the sandwich and how they work together. You should give them a try, pronto.

Egg Salad Banh Mi

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester, *pickled veggies adapted from Our Best Bites

Simple Egg Salad:

8 hard boiled eggs
1 (6 oz) container plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Slice hard boiled eggs in half and remove the yolks. Dice the egg whites. In a medium size mixing bowl cream the egg yolks, greek yogurt, mayo, and mustard together until smooth. Stir in salt, pepper, and paprika. Fold in the egg whites.

Pickled Veggies: 

1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
5 medium radishes, halved and sliced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced shallot

Prepare veggies and put them in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle the veggies with the salt and toss. Refrigerate vegetables for one hour. Toss them every 15-20 minutes so that they drain well.

In the meantime combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and red pepper flakes together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer until the mixture reduced to 1/3 cup (this will take anywhere from 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the minced shallot. Cool to room temperature.

When the vinegar mixture is cooled, put the veggies in a small bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over them. Stir well and refrigerate for at least one hour before using.

Sandwich Assembly:

1 baguette

cilantro leaves

sriracha sauce

To assemble the sandwiches, cut the baguette into 4 equal portions. Cut each portion in half horizontally. Divide the egg salad equally between the rolls. Top with pickled vegetables, cilantro leaves, and cilantro. Devour.

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If you'd like to use this recipe on your food blog my only request is that you give me credit for the recipe and write it in your own words. If you would like to use my photo please do not write the recipe in your post and link back to this post instead. For more information on using my content please click here.

Curry Chicken Salad

I am truly sorry that this post wasn't up earlier, it has been a really busy couple of days. I am trying to adjust to having David gone from four in the morning until seven at night (school and work). Before he was only gone until 1:00pm at the latest so I am definitely in a tiny period of readjusting. Be patient with me (that's all I ask). Hopefully I can get back into the groove of things here shortly.

I don't know what all to say about this chicken salad except that it's good. We prefer it to any other chicken salad recipe here at the Jenks home. The reason why David loves it so much is because it's totally savory. He does not like chicken salads that contain fruit.

I do like chicken salads that have fruit in them, but the reason why I love this chicken salad is the curry. Next time I make this I am actually going to try putting diced fresh mangos in it.

When you do decide to make this simple chicken salad, I recommend buying a rotisserie chicken for the meat. The reason why is that rotisserie chickens are already seasoned perfectly for you. If you'd rather prepare your own chicken, buy bone in skin on chicken breasts, season them and roast them (or cook them in your crock pot). This will give you the best punch of flavor in your chicken salad. I do not recommend boiling your chicken. I find boiled chicken to be very bland which means you'll inevitably have to use more salt/seasoning later on.

Chicken Curry Salad

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester

4 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1/3 cup mayo

1/3-1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon curry powder *I use a red curry powder

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 red pepper, diced small

1/2 cup roasted cashews *I've used salted and unsalted, either works but it will change how much salt you need to season with at the end. Salted cashews= season to taste with less salt, Unsalted= season to taste with more salt

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste *My recommendation is no more than 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Start with a small amount and then add more.

In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, sour cream, and curry powder. Set aside. In a larger bowl combine the cooked chicken, green onions, and red pepper. Pour curry dressing over chicken mixture and toss until mixed well. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss in cashews right before serving. We love to eat this in whole wheat pitas or on whole wheat bread.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase the product, it will not cost more for you but I will earn a tiny percentage of commission which helps me keep this blog up and running. Thank you!

If you like what you see, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and/or twitter.

If you'd like to use this recipe on your food blog my only request is that you give me credit for the recipe and write it in your own words. If you would like to use my photo please do not write the recipe in your post and link back to this post instead. For more information on using my content please click here.

Brown Butter Croutons

If you follow me on facebook then you probably remember a post from a couple weeks ago about my undying love for brown butter. If you've never made brown butter then I highly suggest you give it a try.

It's very easy to make, the hard part is trying not to drink it while it cools. If you'd rather try brown butter in a sweet recipe these brown butter chocolate chip cookies are my favorite.

I've recently discovered that brown butter is great for savory (not just sweet) recipes, which is why I thought I'd share this recipe for brown butter croutons. You might recognize them from the photo of that bacon soup last week. These croutons are perfect for soups and salads. You won't be disappointed.

Brown Butter Croutons

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester

1/4 cup butter, browned and cooled
4 cups bread, cubed into 3/4"-1" squares *I use a mini baguette (equivalent of about 1/2 of a normal baguette)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Combine the pepper, salt, italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. In a large bowl toss the cubed bread, cooled brown butter, and the seasoning mix together until cubes are evenly coated. Bake at 375 degrees until bread reaches desired crispness (12-18 minutes). I like more crunchy croutons so I cook them longer. I also stir these croutons about 8 minutes through the cooking time.

Homemade Tortillas

THIS is my favorite homemade flour tortilla recipe. I used to make tortillas with shortening and then one day I decided to use olive oil instead. The end result is a tortilla that stays soft. Yeah, that's right. These are going to change your life. 

By the way, store bought tortillas are nothing compared to fresh, warm homemade ones. We never buy store bought. EVER. You shouldn't either. After you try these you won't want to.

Homemade Tortillas

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup good quality olive oil

3/4 cup hot water

Combine the dry ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, add in the olive oil just until it makes the dry ingredients crumbly. Add the hot water little by little until your dough is soft and shiny but not sticky (sometimes I need all of the water, sometimes I don't--- you may even need a little more than 3/4 cup depending on humidity). Divide the dough into eight balls of the same size.  

Lightly flour a clean surface and a rolling pin. Use the rolling pin to roll each ball of dough into a 6-8" tortilla. You can also use a tortilla press. By the way, David (my husband) if you are reading this I'd like a tortilla press for my birthday. Please and thank you!

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook each tortilla for 1 minute on the first side. It should bubble up. Flip and cook for about 30 seconds on the second side. Remove to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. For best results store tortillas in a ziploc bag at room temperature (they stay softer this way) though you can also refrigerate them. I usually make them in large quantities and freeze them.

Serves: 8

Calories: 215

Carbs: 28g

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The Best Ever Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I first found this recipe four years ago and actually was not thoroughly impressed the first time I made it. Eventually I gave up on the original recipe entirely.

But don't stop reading there, because after a couple of years of trying to find the perfect whole wheat bread recipe, I realized that this recipe (even though flawed) was a great recipe to start with and build off of. I've made my adaptations and the recipe I am sharing today is my perfect version of 100% whole wheat bread.

It's light and fluffy, not dense. In my opinion it produces the perfect sized slices. I get kind of annoyed by bread that rises and bakes SO high that the bread slice ends up being the size of two normal slices of bread. It's a stupid pet peeve, I know, but the thing is you inevitably have to cut these tall breads twice as thick to prevent them from flopping over and breaking while you are cutting them. There are other reasons for my distaste for bread slices that are too large, but I will get off my soapbox now.

This bread is also perfect for sandwiches. Basically I love this bread. It's beautiful and perfect. I will be making it all year this year instead of buying bread. Oh and did I mention it tastes good too?

DISCLOSURE: For best results make bread exactly as directed below. Successful bread making definitely takes practice. I think you'll find that this recipe is fairly forgiving if you put forth your best effort and know-how.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

1 heaping tablespoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon honey, divided

2 1/3 cup warm water, divided

5-6 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten*

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Activate yeast by lightly stirring it with 1/3 cup of the warm water (120 degrees) and the 1 tablespoon of honey. Set aside for five minutes. After five minutes it should be expanded and bubbly (this is how you will know that you have successfully prepared and not killed your yeast).

Combine 3 cups of the whole wheat flour and the vital wheat gluten in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add remaining 2 cups of warm water and prepared yeast. Mix on low speed for one minute. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. This step is important, as it will help make the bread lighter.

Add oil, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup of honey. Mix until combined. Remove whisk attachment and replace it with the dough hook attachment. Slowly add remaining flour one cup at a time until dough is still very soft (and even slightly sticky) but forms a ball and cleans the sides of the mixing bowl. When dough has reached this point, turn your mixer on high, cover it, and let the dough knead for 7 minutes (yes, 7 whole minutes). If you are kneading by hand, this will take 12-15 minutes. When the dough is done kneading, it should look smooth, elastic, and even a little bit shiny. 

Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Spray two 8x4 inch or 9x5 inch bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly oil hands. Divide dough into two equal portions. Shape into loaves and and place one loaf into each of the prepared bread pans.

Place pans in preheated oven and let dough rise until it is doubled (20-25 minutes). When dough has risen, turn oven up to 350 degrees. Cook for 20-25 more minutes or until the tops of the loaves sound hollow when tapped (they will also be a dark golden brown). Immediately turn out of pans onto a cooling rack.

Makes 2 (1 lb) loaves.

This recipe can easily be doubled to make four loaves and it stores well in the freezer.

*Wheat flour has a smaller percentage of gluten than other flours. Adding vital wheat gluten helps give it a lighter, fluffier texture.

EXTRA BONUS: This bread takes 1 1/2 hours from start to finish.

Recipe Source: The Taste Tester, adapted from Dana Thornock

Shared here: Pin Me Friday @ Diana Rambles, One Creative Weekend @ Buns in My Oven, Strut Your Stuff Saturdays @ Six Sisters' Stuff, On the Menu Mondays @ StoneGable, Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef In Training

Everyday Cinnamon Rolls (made in 30 minutes)

I'm craving a cinnamon roll.

This happens to me all the time. When I do get the itching for a cinnamon roll I have two options. ONE, I can spend a few hours making them completely from scratch and by the time they are done I have no interest in them anymore, or TWO I can go buy an altogether mediocre cinnamon roll from one of those places that wishes they were Cinnabon.

I have learned that neither of these options are desirable, which is why I bring to you the most gooey, moist, wonderfully delicious cinnamon rolls of all time. They can be made in thirty minutes flat and will get rid of any cinnamon roll craving very quickly. Yeah, you can thank me later.

It all starts with a pie plate and half a stick of butter. Melt said butter in microwave, right in your glass pie dish; add 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Stir the brown sugar into the butter and spread in an even layer on the bottom of the pie plate.

Not that it matters but I forgot to take a picture at this point when I sprinkled three tablespoons of chopped pecans over this butter and brown sugar mixture. Next open your can of crescent rolls (don't judge me, I happen to love canned crescent rolls) and press the seams together, making a rectangular sheet.

Spread a lot of butter over your dough.

Sprinkle a cinnamon sugar mixture generously over the butter. Starting at the long side, roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the dough closed. 

Cut into eight cinnamon rolls with a very sharp knife, dental floss or all-purpose thread.

Place cut cinnamon rolls in prepared pan. I like to sprinkle any leftover cinnamon sugar over the tops of the rolls. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve them hot, fresh from the oven. When we plate ours we like to flip the individual rolls upside down (so the gooey pecan part is on top) and then we drizzle them with sweet vanilla glaze. BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER. Easy, too.

Everyday Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls:

1 can crescent roll dough

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter, divided

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sweet Vanilla Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8- or 9-inch glass pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Put half of the butter (1/4 cup) in the prepared pan and microwave until butter is melted. Stir in brown sugar and spread evenly on bottom of pan. Sprinkle pecans over brown sugar mixture if desired.

Open the canned crescent rolls and pinch the seams together so that you have a rectangular sheet of dough. Spread remaining butter (1/4 cup) over dough. In a small bowl, combine white sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over buttered dough. If there's too much cinnamon sugar, save for sprinkling on top of cinnamon rolls before baking.

Starting at the long side, roll dough into a log pinching the dough closed when finished. Cut into eight rolls. Place in prepared pan. Sprinkle with any extra cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes.

While cinnamon rolls are baking whisk powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla together until smooth. When rolls are done, drizzle with glaze while hot and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Kevin and Amanda

This week I'm partying at!

MamaBuzz

Homemade Bread, Is There Anything Better?

Have I ever told you how much I love to blog? Well, if I haven't then I will do so now. I love having a food blog. As a stay at home mom it gives me a hobby, something I can do other than change dirty diapers, clean the house, take out the trash etc. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom. But it is really nice to connect with myself every so often and have a break from the utterly mundane. This blog helps me do that.

Blogging is not always easy however, and in recent months this blog has grown more. I expect that this growth will continue and as a result, you may see a lot of changes on the blog. For example, the design of the blog might change, I am trying to change host sites for my domain, I am going to start offering advertising for small businesses, etc. A lot of these changes are absolutely necessary because they are going to make my life ten times easier--- and as a mom, I need that.

 I just love how supportive all of my readers have been so far, so stick with me through the changes and be very patient with me and my lack of technical skills. I promise it will all be worth it.  I have a list of changes that need to happen and it is very long. None of it will be that final until the beginning of 2013. Thank you for your patience.

On the off-chance that you are upset about this news (haha), don't worry I have a solution. BREAD. Good bread makes everything better. Especially homemade bread fresh from the oven slathered with cinnamon honey butter. Is there anything more comforting?

I submit that there is not (with the exception of all things chocolate).

Today's make-ahead recipe is for overnight rolls, which I am assuming will come in handy this coming week. You see, the dough itself maybe takes 5-10 minutes to throw together. Once its done all you have to do is throw it in a bowl and stick it in the refrigerator overnight. In other words this recipe is very little work= small investment of time, big delicious totally-worth-it dividend.

To make your life easier on Thanksgiving Day, make the dough the night before. One and a half hours before you plan on serving your turkey and all it's fixins', shape the dough, let rise for 30-40 minutes, and bake. It's as easy as that.

Overnight Pull-Apart Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 egg , beaten
• 3 1/2- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I do one cup whole wheat)

Cooking Directions

1. In small saucepan combine milk, sugar, shortening, and salt; heat to lukewarm (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)*. 
2. In large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water**. Add egg and milk mixture. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough***. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead gently 2 to 3 minutes to make a smooth ball. (Knead in just enough remaining flour so dough is no longer sticky.) Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.
3. Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface; allow to rest 10 minutes.
4. To shape rolls, roll or pat dough to a 10x8-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut in 2-1/2x1-inch strips. Lightly roll each strip and place in a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, leaving about 1/2 inch between each roll. Cover and let rise until nearly double in size (about 30 minutes).
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and rolls sound hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan. Serve warm or cool. Makes about 32 small dinner rolls.

Tips for Making More Successful Rolls:

*If you heat your milk mixture past 110-115 degrees F, allow it to cool until it is back within this temperature range. If you don't you might risk killing your yeast, and dead yeast equals bread that won't rise. Gross.

**Once again make sure your water is warm, not hot. Hot water will kill your yeast. Also, help your yeast grow by adding one teaspoon of sugar in with the water and yeast during this step. Sugar gives the yeast something to feed on. Who doesn't love sugar?

***A soft dough is one of the biggest determining factors of a light, fluffly, heavenly roll. Some cooks are tempted to keep adding flour for some reason and their doughs just become hard and tough. Also gross. You want your dough to be slightly tacky (basically it will look sticky), but it will have formed a ball, and it should not stick to your hands when you touch it. Understand?
One last tip about bread making: Always remember that just like your mother-in-law, bread making is a lot less intimidating than you think it is. 

Recipe by Better Homes and Gardens

5 out of 5 stars

A word about the honey butter: some honey butter recipes also contain powdered sugar or marshmallow fluff. I have had these recipes before and they are good. However, there is something so beautiful about the simplicity of just using honey for the sweetness in honey butter. After all, it is called honey butter.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Ingredients

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions

1. Combine the butter, honey, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip until light and fluffy. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe by Ina Garten

5 out of 5 stars

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