baking pt 1

Before the baby comes, I have these high intentions of becoming this amazing chef. I want to be the type of mom that has fresh cookies out of the oven as the kids walk in the door from school, award-winning pies for Thanksgiving, and delicious meals for dinner every night... just like my mother. Seriously though, my mom is such an amazing chef. 

So, with all of my free time, I have been spending many hours learning her wisdom. Today's lesson was on homemade 7-grain bread and raspberry jam. To say it is the best bread you'll ever taste, would be an understatement, and it's healthy, too! My absolute favorite is having it as toast in the morning for breakfast. Lucky for you, I have listed to recipes below. Enjoy!

Freezer Jam

2 bags of frozen fruit (raspberries, strawberries, etc.)

5 1/4 cups sugar

1 box pectin

1 cup water

Place fruit in a bowl and add the pectin, stir for 1 minute.

Add pectin mixture to the fruit and stir until sugar os dissolved.

Pour jam into freezer safe containers and freeze.

Makes 7 - 8 oz jars. 

7-Grain Bread (makes 2 loaves)

Mix together:

1 1/2 cups warm water

3/4 cup evaporated canned milk (or 5 oz can + 2 tbsp of water)

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups white flour

Then add... 

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2-1 cup of grain ("Bob's Red Mill" 7 Grain Hot Cereal)

1 teaspoon salt (mix in yeast before adding salt)

1 tablespoon Wheat Gluten (optional)

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups white flour (add slowly - only use enough flour until dough doesn't cling to bowl)

Knead the dough for 4 minutes on medium speed.

Add 1 tablespoon of Dough Enhancer (optional) and continue kneading for 1 minute.

Let the bread rise in the mixing bowl for 30 - 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. 

Punch it down, divide into 2 loaves, roll out and put into greased bread pans.

Let it rise again until almost double in size - maybe an inch or two over the top of the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. 

HOPPY EASTER

Happy Easter! To start the day off on a good note, I made my classic French Toast. It is to die for.

Chad has been swamped with finals. So what does that leave me to do? Bake! I decided to try some new recipes for Easter. 

First up, is the Chocolate Birds' Nest. These are honestly so easy to make. I was surprised how quickly I was able to throw them together. I found the recipe here.

Funfetti cupcake + funfetti frosting = one happy wife. 

Next up, banana bread. This is by far the BEST banana bread I have ever had. I am not a banana person, so I usually don't care that much for banana bread, but 4 slices later, I figured I should probably take it easy... gotta work on my bikini body, ya know? 

The secret to this recipe is sour cream. I know that sounds absolutely disgusting, but it seriously makes the bread so moist. Another secret is the sugar and cinnamon crust... it completes the bread. It's definitely a keeper!!! 

{You can find the recipe here}

I surprised Chad with a box of See's Chocolates... I mean, who doesn't love a Milk Bordeaux for breakfast?

Both of our parents live like 0.3 miles apart. So what does that mean? We always get two meals for every holiday {explains why I don't have a bikini body}, but I am very grateful we are able to spend time with both families! It makes holidays double the fun. 

 Happy Easter!

#LDSconf

 General Conference is one of my favorite times of the year. Staying in our pajamas all day, listening to uplifting talks, and of course, you can't forget one of the best parts... making {and eating} yummy breakfasts, snacks, treats, etc.

As of late, Chad and I have been overly obsessed with the website allrecipes.com. We have made it a nightly tradition that we choose a recipe off the website and make dinner/dessert together. We came across this amazing blueberry muffin recipe, and we're seriously addicted. There was no question that's what we were going to have for our General Conference breakfast... (it was our 20th muffin in 2 days... to say we're obsessed would be an understatement).

They are amazing! If you're not a blueberry muffin lover like we are, you will be after you try this recipe. It converted me. 

{You can find the recipe here}.

Chad is in the process of replacing the axel of his car. I'm grateful for that handy man of mine... such a hunk ;)

While the guys went to the Priesthood session, us ladies partied it up. Naturally, we went shopping at University Mall (just like every other girl in Utah county). Needless to say, it's always a good time with the Weitzeil girls. 

We met up with the guys at Malawi's for some pizza and ended the night with a little carousel fun at Provo Beach Resort.

Let's Bake!

You know how you go through hundreds of chocolate chip cookie recipes and none of them ever seem to be just the right one? Well maybe that's just me....but I finally found the PERFECT one! Usually I would keep secrets like this to myself, but it's so good, I want everyone to know! Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts, toasted, then coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready 2 ungreased baking sheets. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the granulated and brown sugars and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your finger and thumb. 

Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended, occasionally stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. 

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. Add the chocolate chips and the walnuts, if using, mixing or stirring just until blended.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls or drop by rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely. 

Since it's just me and Chad at home, there is no way we are going to eat 3 dozen cookies. So, after I roll the dough into balls, instead of cooking all of them, I put the majority of the dough on a plate or in a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer. It makes it easy when you're carving a few, warm, delicious cookies. 

Another one of our favorites is to roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut the dough into circles (trace a large cup). Drape it over the outside of a muffin tin and bake. Carefully remove the cookie from the pan and let it cool. Scoop ice cream into the cookie and you have just made yourself the most delicious, yummy and eatable bowl!