St. Patrick's Day

Our St. Patrick's Day will revolve around four of our six children dancing in their first ever Irish Step Dance performance.  Today our day is full.  Hubby and oldest son attended our Archdiocesan Men's Conference.  All four kids have a pre-show dance practice as I write this and this afternoon, three children sing at Mass with the Children's Choir.  With Mass out of the way, we will focus on St. Patrick tomorrow.

We're an Irish bunch here.  My husband is half Irish.  I am probably a quarter Irish, maybe more like an eighth...I want to be a quarter :-).  So, is it any wonder we have four children with Irish names or named after Irish descendants?  My husband and I were too broke buying our first house to go on a real big honeymoon, but we took a "second" honeymoon after a year and a half of marriage to go to Ireland.  And, taking Irish Step Dance was a dream come true for my girls and one boy.  The others go along.

Today when we get home from church, I will be putting the girls' hair in tiny curlers so they have the springy Irish curl (no wigs, please).  That will take about an hour.  One daughter has waist length hair.  The other has uncooperatively straight hair!  That will be followed by Tylenol, but I digress...

Tomorrow I want to be all about St. Patrick's Day.  We will feast on Green Scones (recipe to follow), rashers of bacon and green tea.  After we finish breakfast and get ready, we will have a quick lunch before heading out to the Day of Irish Dance at a local exhibition hall.  We will finish up our day by eating at our favorite family restaurant run by an Irish family.  Every year they put up a new calendar with the countdown to St. Patrick's day starting January 1st!  Got to love that!

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I hope you will be wearing the green and eating or drinking something that comes from Ireland.

St. Patrick's Irish Scones
(AKA Mint Avocado Scones)

2 c. Bisquick (so sue me...the recipe works, okay?!)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. mashed avocado
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. mint extract
3/4 c. chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (optional, but many gave up chocolate for Lent here, so it is not optional!)
1-2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the avocado into the Bisquick and sugar.  Add the chocolate chunks and combine.  Add milk and mint extract.  Stir just to combine.  Place dough in a round on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Pat and press down to flatten into a circle about 1" thick.  Cut with a sharp knife and, if possible, separate a bit.  Sprinkle top with sugar.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool slightly and enjoy with a good cup of Irish coffee.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Breakfast Muffins - Egg free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free

We were looking for a special recipe for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.  The kids love starting out our day with a recipe for the Catholic Saint 'o the day.  Since we are back to no wheat, these looked like a recipe I could easily modify.  What a hit!   They loved them so we had them, again, today.

Egg-free, Dairy-free and Wheat-free Mexican Chocolate Muffins
Prep: 15m 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners.
3/4 cup canned lentils or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. chia seed meal mixed with 1/2 hot water (or equiv. egg replacer for 2 eggs)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

I combined the beans and chia seed/water mixture in the blender until it was smooth.  I added the rest of the above ingredients and blended until well combined.

In a separate bowl I combined:

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. hemp seed (or you can add 1/4-1/2 c. nuts here...we're allergic)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Add the wet ingredients from the blender to the dry ingredients and blend until combined.  Pour into prepared muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool 10-15 minutes for easy turn out.

Dust tops with confectioners sugar, if desired.

Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake in a Cup

The new treat here (although we're not eating LOTS of treats during Lent) is cake in a cup.  Friday, my 2 year old, in her sweetest voice, with her hands clasped, pressed up to her cheek as she tilted her head exactly 30 degrees said, "Please make me cake for breakfast."  So I did...Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake.  Of course, I had to make some for the 4 year old.  So here's his:

First, spray a 1 1/2 cup coffee mug with cooking spray or grease well.
In the cup, mix together:
1 tsp chia seed meal
1 Tbsp hot water
Let that sit for about 2 minutes.  Add:
1/3 c. gluten free bisquick
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. dairy free milk (soy, almond, rice, dairifree)
drop of vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Mix with a fork.

In a separate bowl, mix together:
1 tsp. gluten free bisquick
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
Mix together to form topping.

Thinly slice some apple (put a thin layer on top) over the batter then cover with cinnamon topping.

I have a very powerful microwave oven.  I put mine in the microwave for 1 minute 25 seconds.  Be careful because the cup will be nuclear hot!  Enjoy.

Ed. Note: I keep updating the recipe as we improve it!  

Verdict on tablecloths...

Fabulous!  The new tablecloths are fabulous.  We have the green one on right now with the vinyl on top.  It's so much nicer looking and easier to clean. 
We switch to violet on Wednesday.

Speaking of which...we will be having beignets on Fat Tuesday. What will you do?

Happy Star Wars Day!

All my Catholic friends are posting about May and Mary.  Thank you (all of you who do that!) We will be donning the blue tablecloth and crowning our Blessed Mother.

However, many people do not know it is Star Wars Day.  Get it?  May the Fourth?   "May the Force be with you."

The phrase dates back to at least 1979, on the day Margaret Thatcher was elected Britain's first woman prime minster. Her party took out a newspaper ad in the London Evening News that said "May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations."
 
Typical festivities consist of inviting fellow Star Wars-obsessed friends to stay over, and then watching the series in succession. Lots of snacks, bring lightsabers and Star Wars-themed toys. Lightsaber fights in the early morning hours optional.

We'll be having drinking blue milk and eating Princess Leia Buns for breakfast.  Lunch will consist of Han-burgers and Tusken Raider Tators. We'll snack on Yoda Caramel Corn (yes, it's green.)  Dinner will be Jango Fett-ucine with Jar-jar salad (made with ingredients that come from a jar like marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers) with Carbonite Jell-o for dessert (and yes, I'm putting an action figure in the Jell-o) or Wookie Cookies.  Tough call, need to appeal to the masses, may just make both!

Have a space-cial day!

More with the GF/EF/DF HBI5MAD dough

Quick, tiny, little update for you...

The three year old is thrilled.  He has had, so far, cinnamon rolls (twice), donuts and french toast sticks.  Tomorrow I will finish up the dough for him. 

He usually gets the little sad puppy dog eyes when the other kids get stuff he loved before his diet change.  Now, he's excited because he knows he gets something (albeit not exactly the same).

I did it! HBI5MAD Eggless, GF, Diary Free Brioche Dough!!

We have a new 11 year old here.  My eldest daughter turned 11 today.  We started the day with Mass (her choice).  Then, we came home for our very weird family tradition - Ice Cream and Donuts for breakfast.  Last night at midnight, I was mixing up the regular dough.  My friend Julie lent me the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book.  I have only tried one other recipe, and of course, I punted on that one, too.  We didn't want the three year old left out, so I modified a recipe for donuts for him, too.

I'm happy to report my daughter (the birthday girl) and husband said the GF, EF, DF, CF donuts were great!  I couldn't try them because of the rice flour (I'm allergic).  They said the donuts were chewier (more like a bagel) than our Egg free Challah based donuts, but good none-the-less.  The good news is that I have lots of dough left.  I will be making him cinnamon rolls tomorrow, as a treat.   I will make the rest into a small loaf suitable for little pieces of toast or I will make it into cinnamon swirl raisin bread.  Haven't decided on that one, though.

So, here's the recipe.

Egg Free, Diary Free, Wheat/Gluten Free Brioche the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day Method

based on the GF Brioche recipe from Healthy Breads in 5 Minutes a Day.
Makes 3 1-1/2 lb loaves (I only made enough for 1 loaf)

1 c. brown rice flour
1 c. tapioca starch
3 3/4 c. corn starch
2 Tbsp. granulated yeast
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. xanthan gum (I used 1.5x as much Guar Gum since I'm out of xanthan gum at the time)
2 1/2 c. milk substitute (I used Vance's Dari-free, made according to package directions)
1 c. honey
1/4 c. flax seed meal mixed into 3/4 c. warm water (as an egg substitute)
1 c. neutral flavored oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1.  Combine dry ingredients and whisk together until thoroughly combined.  I used my stand mixer because this a difficult bread to mix well by hand.  I used the paddle attachment.  If you use an ice cream bucket for your dough, it will fit under your stand mixer and you don't have to dirty an extra mixing bowl.
2.  Combine liquid ingredients and mix until well combined.  Gradually pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix until no dry spots are left.
3.  Loosely cover and allow to rise until doubled at room temperature. 
4.  Refrigerate lightly (not tightly) covered.
5.  For donuts, sprinkle a little rice flour on a board or counter.  Sprinkle top or cover with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Roll to about 1/4" thickness and cut with a donut or circle cutter.  Place on a sheet pan or bread board covered with wax paper, sprinkled with rice flour to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Heat oil to 360-370 degrees.  Add donuts and holes carefully to hot oil.  Do not over crowd.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and flip carefully.  Cook until other side is done.  Drain on paper towel covered plate.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.
6.  For bread, grab a 1 1/2lb wad of dough and gently shape into a loaf, using wet hands.  Put into a greased 8x4" pan.  Allow to rise for 90 minutes (covered with plastic wrap).  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Just one more note...I don't usually use flax seed as an egg replacer, but I have found that it is the best replacement in bread.  I just don't use it as much.  I'm going to get some chia next to try as an egg replacer!

Memorial Day Breakfast A La Dr. Seuss

My kids came to me with this book on Sunday night with a request to make some recipes.



We've had this book for years and we love the recipes!

This morning we had Blueberry Bumplings, Schlopp with a Cherry on Top and Glunker Stew.  What a lovely Red, White and Blue table we had this morning to remember those who gave ALL so we could be free.

The Blueberry Bumplings are Blueberry Scones, which my 4 year old made almost by himself.

The Schlopp is Quinoa Oatmeal Granola with Strawberry Yogurt on top, topped with, of course a cherry.

Finally, Glunker Stew is homemade chunky apple sauce served over fresh blueberries and raspberries, sprinkled with dried cherries.

I must say the recipes are surprisingly healthy.  I used 1/2 whole wheat flour for the scones.  Otherwise everything was great. They also use fruit for color, because most of these crazy concoctions are very colorful!  For example, Pink Yink Ink Drink, which I did not make today is a combination of blackberries, raspberries and milk.

Hope your Memorial Day was wonderful!  We sure enjoyed the beautiful weather along with some very meaningful trips to Ft. Snelling, including the cemetery and the historic fort.

Baby cakes

For years, I've wanted to make a baked food for breakfast for my new eaters (the under 9 month crowd). It was always a challenge to make something baked without eggs or dairy, which I usually introduce around 9 months of age. With all our allergies here, I have mastered cooking without those two ingredients now. Here's how I made baby cakes for my Wee One this morning.

Babycakes
Yield - 24 mini muffins

Mix together:
1 container Gerber 2nd Food Bananas
1 container Gerber 2nd Foods Carrots
2 tbsp. flax seed meal
2 tbsp. coconut oil
4 tbsp. water

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 tbsp. Vance's Darifree **
1 cup Bisquick

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a non-stick mini-muffin pan with aerosol pan spray. Fold wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon into muffin pan (about 1 1/2 - 2 tsp). Bake approximately 6-8 minutes (until edges start to brown). These are naturally sweet from the bananas and carrots. No sweetener is required.

** This is a milk substitute that contains no dairy, soy, nuts, corn, gluten, rice. 1 Tbsp of Darifree powder contains the equivalent Vitamin D and Calcium of 1 cup of milk.

You could substitute some other milk or milk substitute (2 Tbsp) for the Darifree and 2 tbsp. water.

Feed the baby and freeze the rest.

Schmarren or Scrambled Pancakes

This is for Julie...Enjoy!

Kaisers Schmarren tanslates loosely to "Emperors Pain". Its name comes from the stories of how Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, would emit groans of pleasure when he ate this pancake like dish. Oooooooo, Ummmmmmmm, Ahhhhhhh! At any rate, it is a very good dish for a meatless Fridays. It is usually served with a side dish of fresh fruit or cooked fruit like plums, cherries or peaches. Apple sauce is great, too!

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions

1. Whisk together ingredients.
2. Pour into a greased non-stick pan.
3. Cook on stove top on medium heat.
4. Stir periodically like you are scrambling eggs.
   
5. Cook until cooked through and/or lightly browned.
6. Serve with favorite syrup or honey.

Blueberry Boy Bait

In 1954, a 15-year-old girl won second prize in the junior division of a Pillsbury baking contest with a moist and tender blueberry cake that was named after the effect it had on teenage boys--one bite and they were hooked. The boys (and girls) at my house are hooked now, too!

Blueberry Boy Bait
Adapted to be ALMOST dairy free (except the butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x13" pan. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add:
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. cold butter, cut into 1 tbsp. pats
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Pulse in 10 1 second pulses until butter is the size of small peas. (Alternatively, you could use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter.) Open processor and reserve 3/4 c. of the flour mixture for topping. Close top again. To the remaining mixture add through the feed tube:
2 egg yolks
1 c. coconut milk (yes, you can use real milk)

Run for approximately 30-60 seconds or until well beaten.
(Alternatively, you could mix with a hand mixer for 3 minutes - until smooth and silky looking.)

In a glass mixing bowl, add:
2 egg whites

Beat until stiff peaks form. Pour batter from food processor bowl into egg whites. GENTLY fold until egg whites are incorporated. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle on top:
1 cup fresh blueberries
Reserved flour mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes (until center springs back when gently touched). Serve warm or cold. Makes a great desert and even better coffee cake for breakfast!

Monkey Bread and Eggless Challah dough a la ABI5MAD

One of the biggest disappointments on the egg allergy front was thinking I couldn't pull off the enriched doughs using the ABI5MAD method. Both the brioche and challah doughs are my favorite for special breakfasts. After doing a ton of research and even writing to one of the authors of ABI5MAD, I found I was just going to have to experiment! So I did and it turned out great!

First the dough recipe, then the experiments:
Eggless Challah Dough a la ABI5MAD
Makes 4 1-pound loaves.

This recipe is easily doubled or halved.
2 1/4 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
(Here's where I'll replace the 4 beaten eggs)
1 1/2 tsp. gelatin bloomed in 2 Tbsp. cold water, then 3 Tbsp. boiling water added, then cooled (to replace the binding properties of the egg whites)
1/4 c. coconut milk (to replace the fat in the egg yolks)
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten (to replace the leavening properties of the egg whites)
1/4 tsp. guar gum (to replace the emulsifying properties of egg yolks)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. melted butter
6 1/2 c. bread flour

Mix the wet ingredients together first with the yeast and salt. Add the flour, guar gum and vital wheat gluten until completely incorporated. You may need to use your hands.

Here's a handy trick: I hold the ice cream bucket up underneath my kitchenaid fitted with my dough hook and let it mix the ingredients for me. Then I don't have to dirty the mixer bowl. Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (approximately 2 hours).

Refrigerate. Take out what you need as you need it. Remember to sprinkle the dough before taking it out. Then, take out a grapefruit sized piece for 1 pound loaves. Cut with a serrated knife. Cloak the dough with flour as you shape it into a ball. Shape into desired loaf type and allow to rise for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Remember the enriched doughs DO NOT need steam as the fat in the dough inhibits the crispy crust AND the honey in the dough makes it prone to burning, so cook at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Now here's what I did with it. First I made doughnuts. They were delicious. A 1 1/2 lb amount of dough yielded approximately 18 3" doughnuts and 18 doughnut holes. They were delicious and didn't last more than a day (can you believe that????) The next experiment was using my dear friend Margaret's Monkey Bread recipe that you can find her version of here.

So, I took the remaining 2 1/2 pounds of dough and turned it into 3-9x5" pans of monkey bread that I served to company that came to visit last weekend.

You thought I was sloughing off, didn't you? No, I was just busy. My best friend from high school came to visit with her family. Her girls EXPECT monkey bread, but my other recipe requires instant vanilla pudding mix, which I didn't have. I remembered Margaret's post about making monkey bread for birthday breakfasts, so I went there for help. Thank you Margaret dear!

Anyway, here's what I did - multiplied the recipe by 1 1/2 times to make enough caramel to cover the rolls. I took the dough, cloaking it as usual into a ball. Then, I divided the dough into 36 pieces. Each piece was shaken in the cinnamon sugar, then I put 12 pieces in each of the greased bread pans. I allowed the dough to rise for about 1 hour, then I baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. It was delish (as little woman likes to say). It was ALL GONE in no time at all!

Quick Crepes for Breakfast

My dear husband did my Sam's Club run again yesterday while I napped. He came home with 2 huge containers of strawberries ($3.88 EACH!!!!), raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. To say we are berry fanatics would be an understatement. I love my husband...he knows what I love.

So, to celebrate the berry wonderful occasion, we had crepes for breakfast this morning. My crepes are not the super thin, see through, fall apart crepes. Those are for big people and I have little people here who cry when their crepes fall apart, so we adapted. These are very easy folks, so don't be intimidated! Oh and we don't need whipped cream around here to enjoy crepes, although they are very good when we do have it.

Here's the recipe:

Crepes for Kids HUGE BATCH SIZE feeds 5 kids and 2 adults
3 eggs
3 c. milk (substitute, in our case)
3 Tbsp melted butter
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
dash of vanilla
2 1/2 c. Bisquick

Heat a griddle or electric fry pan on medium high heat. Whisk eggs, milk, butter, sugar and oil with vanilla. Add Bisquick and whisk until smooth. Butter the skillet generously. The butter should melt immediately or it is not hot enough.

Pour 1/4 c. measure of batter and spread with the bottom of the cup. They should bubble on top right away.

As soon the edges are set or brown, slide a rubber spatula under the middle, lift and flip. Really, they shouldn't tear if they are cooked to a medium brown. Cook on the other side until just golden.

My skillet is big enough to do two at a time. Your mileage may vary. This goes really quick, so have someone else getting the inside ingredients ready or have them done beforehand. Don't take your toddler to the potty. Don't decide to make a cup of coffee. Stay there so they don't burn. IF by chance the first two aren't perfect. Eat them as a test case (that's what always happens here even when they are perfect). My kids hover, asking to test them, too. Most of the time I share :-).

Look at what Julie did!!!!!

Aren't they beautiful? She made the boule using the master recipe (see Welcome to my blog) and the her beautiful cinnamon rolls out of the brioche dough. Yummy! I want to crawl into the screen and eat them!

We are talking about making these recipes more healthy. I must say, I am struggling trying to find a way to combine this method with soaking my flour. My next post will include details of my whole wheat escapades. Stay tuned!

Do you think it's -2 degrees in New Orleans?

Of course not, but here in the frigid north we are still enjoying beignets. I went to New Orleans when I was about 10. We went to Cafe' du Mond for these delicious little fritters and I've never forgotten them. My mom would occasionally pull out the box of beignet mix at home. Even though they were from a box, they were still WONDERFUL. I had to walk away before I ate more than my fair share.

I used the Challah recipe from _Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day_. You can use the Brioche dough, also. I found the brioche a little over the edge with 8 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of butter (remember that is for 4 loaves). This only have 4 eggs and 1/2 cup of butter (for 4 loaves). Little Princess helped me mix up the dough last night before bed. I WAS going to make cinnamon rolls this morning. However, the dough was too sticky last night and they take an hour to rise. Everyone was hungry. These were ready in 30 minutes. The kids had yogurt and oatmeal while they waited, lest you think I only serve them doughnuts.

I need to go have something a little more nutritional now along with my cafe' au lait.

I'll be milling flour and cornmeal today. I'll post pictures of the process for those who don't have a home mill.

Hot Cross Buns

Here they are are. They are delicious. We made 24, but only needed about 14 (10 for the girls plus 4 more for lingering parents and siblings). So, we tried a few for breakfast. Little Man, Testy Tiger and Little Princess actually opted out after finding there were, GASP, dried fruit in them! Even though I put Grandma's Secret Butter Cream Frosting on them, they abstained.

The inside texture was lovely. I tried to capture it with my cell phone camera, but it didn't turn out well at all. So you'll just have to trust me.

Here's the recipe. I have to go panic clean. Hope you get to make these someday. I still have some dough left that will probably get frozen for the first Friday in Lent or Good Friday.

No Knead Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Adapted from the Panettone recipe from _Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day_

Makes 18 rolls (Can be doubled or cut in half)

In a 5 Qt. ice cream bucket or other large bowl combine:

¾ c. hot water

2 tsp. yeast

1 ½ tsp. salt

¼ c. honey

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

4 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Mix well. Add:

1 c. dried fruit (raisins and currants are traditional – we used dried cherries, blueberries and cranberries)

3 ¼ c. all purpose flour measured by the scoop and level method

Stir into wet ingredients until flour is just combined. Allow to sit on counter, lightly covered with lid until doubled. Then, place in the refrigerator until ready to use. This recipe is best used when the dough is cold.

When ready to use, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle flour over top of dough and form into one nice ball, not by kneading, but by pulling and stretching the dough down to the bottom. Place on a floured work surface. Divide dough in half and cut each half again into thirds (6 pieces now). Divide each third into three pieces (to make 18 pieces). With floured hands, form into ball, again pulling and stretching the dough to the bottom. Place on a buttered or greased cookie sheet about 1” apart. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Allow to rise for at least 40 minutes, and up to 1 hour and 40 minutes. It's best if the buns don't feel cold to the touch anymore. It took 1 hour and 40 minutes at my house. Take off the plastic and using a serrated (one with teeth) knife, make two slices in the bun, forming a cross. Mix an egg white with 1 Tbsp. water using a fork. Brush egg wash over the buns. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Before serving, fill in the cross with this icing:

Glaze (you can use this one or your favorite butter cream recipe)
1 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp milk

Put in a zip loc bag and snip a very small piece off the corner. This will make it easier to drizzle the icing over the buns.

Hot cross buns are typically eaten on Good Friday and during Lent

Stories abound about the origins of the Hot Cross Bun. Yet, the common thread throughout is the symbolism of the "cross" of icing which adorns the bun itself.

Some say that the origin of Hot Cross Buns dates back to the 12th century, when an Angelican monk was said to have placed the sign of the cross on the buns, to honor Good Friday, a Christian holiday also known as the Day of the Cross. Supposedly, this pastry was the only thing permitted to enter the mouths of the faithful on this holy day.

P.S. If you are in the Catholic Traditions Book Club you will get this recipe in the class packet.

One big snack treat we only have once in a while...

I was looking through my recipes on my computer and thought I'd include this:

Safe to eat - Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Yield: 12 servings

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Cream butter, and sugars together.
2. Blend in milk and vanilla.
3. Add flour and salt and mix well.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 210kcal; Protein 2g (4%); Total Fat 9g (14%)(Sat. 5g (27%)); Chol. 11mg (4%); Carb. 30g (10%); Fiber 2g (6%); Sugars 19g; Calcium 18mg (2%); Iron 1mg (7%)
----------

I know...This is dessert and if you are pregnant and if you have sworn off eating anything with raw eggs, this is surely delightful, but certainly not something you should often. However, now that I look at the Nutritional Facts from my software, this is NOT that much worse than the Bisquick Muffins. So, what the heck. On Fat Tuesday, I might let the kids have this for breakfast instead. Or maybe not. You'll just have to tune in and see...

Gumdrop Roses on Red Velvet Cupcakes

Little Woman had a Little Flowers meeting here today. 9:30. Now, that wouldn't have been a problem IF I had gotten to bed before 2:00AM and remembered to switch on the alarm (I set it, but forgot to turn it on). I woke up a 7:51AM in a panic. Breakfast to make...Children to feed and dress...Husband to wake (that can be the hardest on some days.)

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Good thing I put these in the fridge to rise overnight. I am not one for too much busy work. I used the last 3 lbs of dough to make 12 TEXAS sized cinnamon rolls. Yes, I know. Portion control ... NOT. I cut them in half to serve. I used a texas muffin pan, well greased. After rolling out the dough in 2 batches, I put 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon on each batch of dough. I rolled, sealed and cut each into 6 pieces. They slept in the fridge overnight.

I raced downstairs and I put on a pot of water to boil eggs and turned on the oven to 375 degrees and ran to get dressed. By the time I was dressed, the water was boiling and the oven hot. I put the eggs in to boil and slipped the pans into the oven for 20 minutes (a mite too long, based on the dark exterior).

Breakfast was served before 8:25. Now, not everyone was present and accounted for, but we got Husband out the door with 4 of the kids to other activities and the other Little Flowers started to arrive. This was the last of my brioche dough, by the way. Too rich for everyday. I will save it for special occasions. I just had to try it though. The next batch will be bagels.


Thank you Tegwin for the buckets. A loaf of bread will be coming your way.

Little Flowers Meeting

Our virtue was "Love of Neighbor", the color red and the flower was rose. Hence the special snack. The cake was a mix (sorry Grandma). The frosting was home made (leftovers were GREAT on the cinnamon rolls) and dairy free. The roses? Spice drops (six for the flower, two for the leaves) rolled flat with a rolling pin between wax paper. Roll one flattened drop into a tight roll. Add the rest around the outside, overlapping the petals. The girls could do it without a problem. You can too. Roll out the green for leaves and stretch the ends gently for a pointed leaf. They stick together without any help. Place on top of the frosted cupcakes and voila' - a beautiful snack (or birthday treat).

I'll keep you posted on how the bagels come out as I did change the recipe by using barley malt instead of sugar. Brugger's Bagels uses barley malt, and we LOVE their bagels at our house, but they are just too pricey (unless you go on Wednesdays or buy the leftover ones).

Cookies for breakfast?

This is what we had for breakfast this morning...not bad, nutritionally and really yummy. Looking at the standard box of cereal, this has less sugar, more dietary fiber and less calories than a small bowl. (NOTE: for one kid, these were not quite sweet enough, so next time I might actually up the sugar a LITTLE. Also, 2/5 of my children want these plain, so I add the chocolate chips after I've made about a dozen, then add 2/3 c. chocolate chips.) Excuse the really seasoned stoneware. All my stoneware is really well used and very dark from use.

Oatmeal Flaxseed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 34 servings of 1 Cookie

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons sunbutter (you can use peanut butter)
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
3. Beat butter, sunbutter, and brown sugar well.
4. Add eggs and mix well.
5. Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
6. Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
7. Add dry ingredients to butter mix.
8. Stir in oats and chips.
9. Scoop onto baking sheet using a large sized Pampered Chef scoop (less than an ice cream scoop). Press down to flatten. They do not spread.
10. Bake for 12 minutes.
11. Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 152kcal; Protein 3g (7%); Total Fat 7g (10%)(Sat. 3g (16%)); Chol. 20mg (7%); Carb. 20g (7%); Fiber 2g (6%); Sugars 9g; Calcium 15mg (1%); Iron 1mg (6%)