Yummy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Downcake using Paula Deen's recipe.

My daughter Hanna wanted to try this one. It was really good, even though we used regular flour, not cake flour.

Panettone

Italian Christmas Bread!
This is my adjusted recipe, which makes a moister bread than the ones you may have bought at stores!
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 stick butter, softened to room temp.
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs and 2 egg yolks (fresh eggs!)
1/2 cup candied orange peel, chopped small
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
5 1/2 cups flour

( Save 3- 1 pound size- tin coffee cans to bake 3 breads. OR you may bake in mini loaf pans to give as gifts, or 2 regular loaf pans)
Heat the milk in saucepan, add the sugar and butter. Remove from heat and let come to lukewarm. Stir.
In mixing bowl add yeast to the warm water, to dissolve. Add the milk mixture, the eggs, orange peel, lemon peel and raisins. Add 2 cups flour. Stir well. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time. Knead dough until smooth and slightly elastic. Will be a bit sticky. Knead for 15 minutes. Plop out into a large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic. Allow to rise, in a warmish spot, until doubled in size. After rise, place dough onto floured surface. Divide into 2 pieces. OR -- how ever many loaves you intend to bake. Shape and place into greased pans. Allow to rise, covered again about 1 hour. Bake in hot oven, which has been set at 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, depending on loaf size, about 40 minutes.

Chunky Noah Shortbread Cookies

Noah Shortbread Cookies
Delish~!

1 cup butter, room temp.

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and lightly toasted in oven

Mix ingredients together.

Shape batter into log and roll up in wax paper. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice cookies 1/2 inch thick discs and bake for about 40 minutes until very lightly browned on edges. Cool on pan for 15 minutes prior to removing onto rack as these are delicate when just out of oven.

Pancake Chefs

What a great weekend, all the babies (chefs) report for breakfast duty bright and early! Wouldn't want to do breakfast without them!

Daniel's Fast Recipe~~Meatless Three Bean Chili

Meatless Three Bean Chili

Dry Beans measures to 2 cups total.

I used equal parts:

Garbanzo beans

Black beans

Pinto beans

1 can (10.75oz) tomatoe puree

1 onion

1 Green pepper

1 jalipino pepper

3 cloves garlic

chopped fresh parsley

seasonings:

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt, (I used Morton Nature Seasoning Blend) Add more, to your taste

dash black pepper

Optional garnish: add torn pieces of corn tortilla to soup, grated cheese and top with dollup of plain whole milk yoghurt.

Instructions:

Rinse beans. Drain. Fill a large stock pot half way with water, add dry beans and bring to boil, reduce to good busy simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Drain off all water. In same stock pot, pour fresh water over the beans to cover 3 to 4 inches over. Add all the vegetables, which have been chopped and the seasonings. Add the can of puree. Bring to simmer again, covered and continue to simmer at low heat until beans are tender. About 1 more hour.

Eggplant Stewed with a Touch of Balsamic Vinegar

I love eggplant~~I like it baked whole, then scooped out and mixed with a little salt and lemon juice. Baba ganoosh! I love it sliced, dregged in Italian style bread crumbs and fried. I make a spread for rye bread from eggplant, greenpeppers, carrots, tomato, onions and olive oil. Called Baklazhan. That recipe came from my mother.

This is a little break from the normal fried eggplant fare.

Makes a lovely antipasto item.

Balsamic Eggplant Slices

1 medium eggplant, sliced very thin

1/2 large tomato

1 clove garlic, minced

Olive oil

salt

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

You will slice the eggplant thin, and spread out the slices onto a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. Place more paper towels over top and press out the bitter juices. Wipe off as much salt as you can. I don't rinse my eggplant slices, as they will be placed directly onto oil in a skillet.
Place these slices into a skillet coated with olive oil and simmer, covered with lid, along with sliced tomato, and minced garlic until tender. Add 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar toss over all and serve warm or cool as antipasto.

Honey Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Children, this recipe is my own creation. Be blessed with good health as you bake these cookies up for your loved ones!!!

Honey Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened at room temp.

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. unbleached white flour

1 cup instant oatmeal, uncooked

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix, add the honey, mix. Add the eggs, mix. Add the flours, mix and the oatmeal, mix. Lastly, the chips and nuts. Mix just to blend these into batter.

I use a cookie scoop (which equals about 2 teaspoons of batter) and scoop dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. They will be golden and a bit soft right out of oven. I put the baking sheet on the stove, leaving the cookies to cool before I transfer them to the cooling rack.

Tip*

Use a timer, while baking and adjust time to your oven, to get the best bake results. Do a test batch with the first tray. Check on the cookies after 8 minutes, because with the good proportion of honey, they could burn on the bottoms if the oven is too hot.