Delectable Tuesday Blog Hop 8/2 - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm sick. :( My head is so stuffed up I can't think straight. So I am going to revisit an old recipe that I had forgotten about.


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400*

In a medium size bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, oil, and egg. Stir until just blended. Add the chocolate chips; stir. Divide the mixture evenly into 18 greased (or use muffin papers) muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.


For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.




<center><a href="http://ourjourneytoasimplerlife.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af114/TomorrowFarm/delectabletuesday.jpg"/></a></center>

Delectable Tuesday Blog Hop 4/5 - Donut Muffins

Yummy! Is it time for breakfast yet?

I love muffins! I love everything about them. Even better is the fact that they are really easy and don't take that long. What could be better than that?

Enjoy!


Donut Muffins

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk

Topping:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

In a mixing bowl cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and mix until it is smooth. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into the bowl. Pour in the milk. Mix the batter until it is smooth. Drop the mixture into 12 oiled muffin cups. Make sure not to over fill the muffin cups, 1/2 to 2/3 full is full enough. Bake the muffins at 350* for 25 minutes, or until the muffins are brown on top. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.

Mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Take the muffins out of the pan. When they are cool enough to handle, dip the tops of the muffins into the melted margarine. Then dip them into the powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture. Arrange the prepared muffins on a large plate and serve while still warm. Makes a dozen.

For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.





<center><a href="http://ourjourneytoasimplerlife.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af114/TomorrowFarm/delectabletuesday.jpg"/></a></center>

Recipe of the Week -- Praline Syrup

Did the name of this week's recipe grab you? I think it sounds richly indulgent and oh boy is it ever!

I mentioned this recipe in a recent post and someone had asked for it so here you go.

I found this recipe originally in an old Ball canning book and just tried it for the first time recently. If you've read any of my canning posts in the last few weeks you know that we really like to know where our food is coming from. That's not to say that we don't eat the occasional mac & cheese or smoked sausage. Yes, I even by frozen fish sticks once in awhile, but not very often.

Every year during canning time I like to add in a few new items. Last year I canned ham & bean soup and applesauce for the first time. This year I'm going a little more exotic with fancy syrups and I might even make jelly for the first time. I even found a canning chili recipe that has some potential, but it'll all depend on how many jars I have left.

For all of you keeping track here are my updated canning totals:

• 12 dill pickles
• 13 Bread & Butter pickles
• 14 Sweet pickles
• 5 peas
  
• 41 corn
• 47 green beans
• 38 pizza sauce
• 5 gallon bags of frozen corn (not sure how many quarts or such that might be)
• 6 Spaghetti Sauce #1
• 3 quarts plain tomatoes
• 6 salsa
• 6 Spaghetti Sauce #2
• 6 chili sauce
• 8 praline syrup
• 6 applesauce
  

Last week's total was 157 plus the frozen corn. Now we are up to....drum roll please....211. Geez, no wonder I'm running out of shelf space! :o)

Ok, on to the recipe....


Praline Syrup

2 cups dark corn syrup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine syrup, sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute. Reduce heat; stir in pecans and vanilla; simmer 5 minutes.

You can eat it at this point. It should stay ok in the fridge for a week or so. If you want to continue on and can it here's the directions.

Ladle hot syrup into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: 4 half-pints

For more great recipes visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Recipe of the week -- Honey Nut Granola

I never really thought I was a granola person, but now I am a believer!

My granola journey started as an idea of something to sell at the farmer's market. I see gourmet granola everywhere for $4-$6 for 8 oz. and it seems to sell. I go to these little Mom & Pop places and people are buying it. Of course my first thought was "I can make that sooooo much cheaper". Um.....not really I discovered.

There is a reason that that gourmet granola is so expensive. These ingredients are not cheap. If I buy in bulk they are a little better, but still......

I wanted to make sure that I was at least covering my cost and at best making a profit. I actually took the time to weigh every ingredient as it went in and figure my cost per batch. I know....I'm such a nerd :o). I discovered each batch cost me $5.70. That was the cost of the actual ingredients by how much was used. I didn't dare add up the cost of everything I spent because you can't just buy 1 tsp. of vanilla or 1 cup almonds. You have to buy them in larger quantities. I think I actually bought enough for maybe 4 batches or so.

The whole point of this is that I am in love with granola now and although it's expensive, it's still cheaper to make at home.

Honey Nut Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300*F. In a large bowl, stir oats, nuts and sunflower seeds together. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Add to dry ingredients; mix well. Spread mixture onto two ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven, for 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and continue baking until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing.

For more great recipes visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.