Homemade Refrigerator Rolls

My Mom makes some of the best rolls ever. I'm pretty sure that multiple people have participated in roll-eating contests at the dinner table to see who can eat the most rolls in one meal. When I would come home from college, I always looked forward to smelling and eating these rolls during our Sunday dinner. I adapted my Mom's recipe for my bread machine. Mom has an awesome bread mixer from "Tradio on the Radio" that can make at least eight loaves of bread at a time. My Bausch doesn't cut it. So I split the recipe in half and make it in the bread maker. I love to make these rolls and then put them in the fridge until I'm ready to cook them. Olivia, always the decorator, put Italian parsley on these ones and smeared them with melted butter prior to cooking.

Ingredients:

1 cup lukewarm milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon yeast

Directions:

Put ingredients in bread maker according to manufacturer directions. Set to dough cycle. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan. When cycle ends, cut dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into round balls. Place in pan. Cover with tea towel and place in fridge until ready to cook. Take out of fridge and let rise for about 30 minutes. Or skip the fridge and cover and let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Seeds

If you have any pumpkins left in your Autumn decorations consider yourself lucky. I don't and so I have to fight off the temptation to snatch them from the neighbor's porch during the wee hours of the morning. I can honestly say I don't like toasted pumpkin seeds and so I actually tried to forget that Olivia requested to make them when we carved our jack-o-lanterns this year. But alas, she would not take no for an answer and that is how we came about with the best snack ever! Well, maybe the best. They are good. Good enough for me to scope out the neighborhood pumpkins.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

5 tablespoons white sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Boil pumpkin seeds in salted water for 20 minutes. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Dry for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Toast seeds for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly golden.

Stir together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts - about 45 seconds. Stir in sugar, salt, and spice mixture. Coat seeds evenly. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

At times granola is a staple breakfast food at our house. Luckily we all love it. This recipe has all of the best fall spices that make your house smell good. I also like that it doesn't have any oil like many other granola recipes. Olivia asked me if I could make it for her everyday. Um, no. It does have to cook for about an hour, so that would cut down on my sleep time. I told her I would make it about once a month. The good thing is that it makes plenty of servings that last for days in a closed container.

Recipe from Jessica Stegelmeier

Ingredients:

5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, coconut, nuts and spices. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well combined. Spread onto two greased cookie sheets. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. I like my granola really crunchy so I ended up cooking it for around an hour. Add dried cranberries after granola is cooked. Store in an airtight container.

* I didn't have any dried cranberries. If I did, they would be in there.

Halloween Graveyard Cups

These Graveyard Cups are a Halloween tradition. Even when I try not to make them, I am told that I must do it. And then I'm glad we do because they are yummy. This year I tweaked the ingredients to make a superior recipe. It's basically a chocolate trifle -- with worms. Yum. I made these for my piano party last week. I also made some from Jessica's pumpkin trifle recipe since some of my students are weird and don't like chocolate. We put gingersnap cookies in them and used cinnamon for the "dirt" on top. Thank goodness Olivia helped me make them all. She said she has the "gift of whisking". The pudding was perfect!

Ingredients:

1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)

2 big boxes instant chocolate pudding

16 ounces heavy cream

1/8 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 brownie mix, made according to package CAKE BROWNIE directions

24 Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies

decorating gel

24 gummy worms

24 clear 12 ounce plastic cups

Directions:

Crush chocolate cookies. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons crushed cookies in the bottom of each cup. Cut cooked brownies in 1 inch cubes. Place 5 cubes on top of crushed cookies. Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together in mixer until it becomes the consistency of whipping cream. Put 3 tablespoons on top of brownies. Make pudding according to package directions. Put about 1/4 cup on top of whipped cream. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of crushed cookies on top. Write RIP on Milano cookies with decorating gel. Stick cookie in trifle. Place a gummy worm beside it. Refrigerate.

*I didn't actually measure each layer. Just estimate and eyeball it. The measurements are just suggestions. Happy Halloween!

Wanda's Donuts

It's that time of year again. The time of year to make an obscene amount of spice-tinged dough that grows to the size of a giant pumpkin and is rolled out all over my entire counter top only then to be deep fried and dipped in sweet glaze. And then we'll all know Halloween is here. Who needs trick-or-treating when you make donuts like these?

Actually, one of my favorite memories from growing up is when mom would drive us around to trick or treat from one house the next in our rural area. We were always bundled up over our costumes. One of my favorite stops was at Worthy and LaRue Beck's house. They handed out a very similar melt-in-your mouth donut and always sent one out to mom. Those were the days when treats didn't have to be individually packaged and store bought. When the neighbors talked to the trick-or-treat kids, made them sing songs, and admired their costumes. Good times. Good donuts. And the tradition continues on at our house.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup warm water

4 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

5 small eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

10 cups flour (more or less)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, potatoes and salt; mix well. Add remaining ingredients and flour a little at a time mixing well. Knead like a soft roll dough -- just enough to mix. Cover and raise until double. Roll dough out on a floured counter. Cut out into donuts. ( I use plastic cups and lids from spice jars.) Raise again 30 minutes. Fry in oil and dip in glaze frosting while hot.

*I usually make half the recipe in my mixer, but this year I did the full recipe all by hand in the biggest bowl I have. It was surprisingly easy.

Glaze Frosting:

powdered sugar

milk

vanilla

Mix ingredients together with a wire whisk until the glaze is the consistency you like. I like mine quite runny.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

I adapted this from one of my sister Hannah's recipes. She is so creative with her chicken. Me, not so much. I usually throw it in the crock pot with some barbecue sauce or roast it, dice it up, and use it in something -- not as a main dish. Hannah's chicken recipes amaze me. You actually have to WORK with the chicken. And I don't really like to touch slimy uncooked chicken. But she has me stuffing, smashing, rolling, pinning, dicing and smothering chicken in savory sauce that's good enough to eat alone. Don't worry, you don't have to do all of that in this recipe. Trust me. This one is good. Real good.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup butter

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz fresh spinach

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

2/3 cup bacon, crumbled

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breast halves on a baking sheet; sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.

Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9x11 inch baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish, and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees oven, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve over pasta.

French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

Ya know, when I was growing up my family didn't call these French Dip Sandwiches as most people do. For some reason we called them Brown Dip Sandwiches. Which makes sense because the dip is brown and doesn't look anything like France. But I remember my dad laughing about it during dinner and the memory makes me smile even though I don't completely remember why it was so funny.

This is a fantastic recipe. It makes a lot - I used the meat for 4 different meals - and it was perfectly seasoned and tender. I let it cook for 12 hours on low one day and then put it all in the fridge overnight. The next day I scraped off the small amount of fat that was on top of the au jus and then reheated it all for a couple of hours. The meat fell apart when it was warm.

(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

3 whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place in slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and pour over roast. Pour in enough water to almost cover the roast. Cover and cook on low heat for 1o to 12 hours. Remove meat from broth, reserving broth, and shred with a fork. Distribute on toasted sandwich buns, top with caramelized onions and cheese if desired. Use reserved broth for dipping.

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions:

In a skillet melt the butter in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until onions begin to soften, about five minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook about 20 more minutes, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan often. Cook until onions are brown.

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Jessica put this recipe on our family recipe blog last week and I knew I had to make them. I love pumpkin anything. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any canned pumpkin in the grocery stores. So I was telling some of my friends about this recipe and the next day one of them brought me a can of pumpkin. She found it at the store and stocked up. So she was the one taking all of the pumpkin! By the way, today it was my turn and I bought a ton of pumpkin, too. Is there anything worse than not being able to cook with pumpkin during this time of year? No. I don't think so. These brownies are so good that I may or may not have had them as the main dish of my breakfast and lunch the day after I made them. Thank goodness I just ate the last one and they are gone! Happy Fall, ya'll!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients:

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 large beaten egg, plus 2 tablespoons beaten egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Brownie Batter

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch square pan with cooking spray. Make the pumpkin filling first. Beat cream cheese and sugars together with a mixer, then reduce speed and beat in the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

In a second bowl, beat the butter, salt and sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate chips, then stir in the flour.

Pour all but about 3/4 cup of the chocolate mixture into the pan. Spoon the pumpkin mixture evenly over the brownie layer. Drop reserved brownie batter over the pumpkin layer to give the brownies a marbled look. Bake on the center rack at 350 for about 55 minutes. Let cool for at least two hours at room temperature prior to cutting. Cut into 16 squares.

When doubling this recipe, the egg in the cheesecake equals three eggs. Pour into an 8X8 and a 9 X 13 pan. Makes a very tall, thick brownie.

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

I love to cook recipes like this that I can throw in the crock pot early in the morning and have ready for dinner immedietly after getting done with piano lessons. The smell permeates the house all day. I've made several different recipes of Swiss steak but this is my favorite because the sauce is isn't too thin. It's great over rice or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds round steak, cut into small strips

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 package onion soup mix

Directions:

Place meat in crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in the flour to coat all pieces. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on low. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I bought the ingredients for this recipe before I went on my summer vacation but never had a chance to make it. And then, while I was visiting with family, my sister Hannah bought the ingredients to make it for everyone. And we never got around to it. And it is too bad, because this is so so good. I got home and saw my sun-dried tomatoes sitting in my pantry and decided for once and for all to give it a go. And now Olivia has requested it for her birthday dinner next month. I'm excited.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon snipped dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds total)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)

2 tablespoons softened fat-free cream cheese (1 ounce)

2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil or cooking oil

Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

Directions:

Place tomatoes in a small bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the tomatoes to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry; set aside. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast by cutting horizontally through the thickest portion to, but not through, the opposite side. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, the snipped or dried basil, and tomatoes. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoon into each pocket. If necessary, secure openings with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet (or grill), cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 12 to 14 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once (reduce heat to medium if chicken browns too quickly). Serve warm. If desired, garnish with basil sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Broiled Roast Beef Sandwiches

This is a great open-faced toasted sandwich. Some friends of our made it for us when we were first married and I'm still making it -- with some minor modifications. Tasted good then, tastes good now.

Ingredients:

6 bakery rolls (or small loaves of French bread) sliced in half

butter

3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is clear. Add crushed tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly butter rolls. Broil just until golden on top. Spread marinara sauce on top of rolls. Top with roast beef and mozzarella cheese. Place back in broiler until cheese is melted.

Hamburger Buns

So you might wonder why I make hamburger buns when I can probably buy a package of eight for less than one dollar at almost any grocery store this time of year. Well, make these and then you'll never buy hamburger buns again -- unless you like the taste of preservatives or you are in a major time crunch. Then it will be okay to buy them, but only then.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons shortening

2 3/4 - 3 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt, egg, shortening, and one cup of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour; continue mixing until smooth. Cover bowl with tea towel or plastic wrap. Let dough raise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes. Punch down dough. Turn onto floured surface. Divide into 8 to 10 equal parts. Shape each part into a smooth ball with lightly greased fingers. Smash down with palm of hand until shaped like a flat hamburger bun. Place about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Loosely cover and let raise until double, 20 to 30 minutes. Brush egg and water over top of buns. Sprinkle with chives, sesame seed, or poppy seed if desired. Bake for 15 minutes in 400 degree oven.

Or, add all ingredients but egg wash to bread maker. Set to dough cycle. Make sure dough is not to dry or wet. It should feel sticky but not stick to your finger while mixing. When cycle has mixed and raised at least one time, follow the above directions for dividing, shaping, raising, and cooking the buns.

Blueberry French Toast Bake

Almost every day I teach piano lessons right before dinner time so these kinds of recipes are my favorite. I make this early in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day. Pop it in the oven while I teach and Wa Lah, a nice warm dinner -- maybe I should say breakfast -- is served within ten minutes after my students leave. I use my own French bread recipe which is a bit more dense than bread you buy at the store. Works great!

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, sliced in thick pieces

5 eggs

1 cup of half and half

1 cup milk

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

Arrange bread in a greased (be sure to grease) 13 X 9 inch pan. In a bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 5 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Turn bread slices over. Sprinkle pecans over bread. Combine butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar; drizzle over top. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Apple Dumplings

This recipe seems to be floating all over the Internet -- probably because it's so good that people want to shout it from the rooftops! I love it because it tastes like something that was labor intensive to make and yet it is so not that. This recipe is quick to put together and makes for a delicious dessert. You also might be able to get away with it for a sweet breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 medium Granny Smith apples

2 cans crescent rolls

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 oz Sprite

cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel apples, core, and cut each one into eight wedges (16 total wedges). Open a can of crescent roll dough and carefully separate along the perforations. Place one apple wedge on each piece of dough and wrap it up. Place in pan and repeat with remaining can of dough and apples. Set aside.

In medium sauce pan melt butter; add sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour butter sugar mixture over the apples. Then pour the Sprite over top of that. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.

When dumplings are done serve with ice cream and a ladle full of sauce. Serves 8.

Cinnamon Syrup

I once met a little girl named Cinnamon at the park. And I still remember because I suppose if I had to be named after a spice I'd choose Cinnamon over Sage, Rosemary, or Ginger. And that's simply because cinnamon is my most favorite spice ever. I've been known to bake cinnamon infused foods just to make my home smell like it did when I was little and my mom made cinnamon rolls or just so that I could tell that it was actually Autumn time despite the not-so-prevalent red, brown, and yellow leaves down here in Texas.

Once you make this syrup, you will have a hard time buying maple syrup at the store. It's quick and oh, so easy and it makes your house smell like heaven.

Ingredients:

1 cup white corn syrup

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

Combine corn syrup, sugar, water, and cinnamon in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir on high heat and boil for two minutes. Take off heat and cover for five minutes. Whisk in evaporated milk and serve warm. Refrigerate remaining syrup.

Meatball Sub Sandwich

Whenever I see ground beef on sale, I buy a lot of it . . . like 30 pounds. And then for the next few months I wonder what in the world I'm going to make with it so I can get it out of my freezer. This is one of my favorite uses for it. I've cooked this two different ways. One way is to put it all in the crock pot on low for 6 - 8 hours. The other way is to cook the meatballs in the oven and then add them to the sauce on the stove. I like the oven recipe better because the fat from the beef ends up in the bottom of the broiler pan instead of the sauce. But, if you use a lean enough meat, the crock pot works great and as always, it is super convenient on a crazy evening.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

6 hoagie buns

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt to taste

1 (14 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

6 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently mix by hand the ground beef, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and eggs. Shape into 24 meatballs and place on broiler pan. (This can be done ahead of time and placed in refrigerator until ready to cook.)

Bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut the buns in half and remove some of the bread inside to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder and salt.

Warm the spaghetti sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce. Toast the bread in the oven while the sauce is warming. Spoon meatballs and sauce onto the bun and top with provolone cheese. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

French Bread Sandwich Buns

I love to cook a hearty sandwich filling in my crock pot all day and then make these buns for an easy evening meal. These buns work perfect for French dip and meatball sandwiches. They're also great deli sandwich buns, but I especially like them for hot sandwiches. I use this same recipe when I make a loaf of French bread only I make one loaf instead of six.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon oil

4 cups of flour (more or less)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast (I prefer the SAF brand)

egg white, whisked

Combine yeast and warm water and let it set for about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well then knead 7 - 8 minutes. Put in bowl, cover with tea towel, and let raise about 50 minutes. Punch down dough, then divide into six pieces. Shape into narrow loaves and place on greased cookie sheets. Cut slits on top with sharp knife. Cover and raise for 30 minutes. Carefully brush with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush with egg white again and bake an additional 15 minutes.

* I love my bread maker and actually do all of the mixing, kneading, and raising on the dough cycle and then take it out to shape into loaves, raise again and bake.

Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite summer desserts. With the tangy lemon or lime mixed in with the ice cream, it is absolutely refreshing. This recipe is from my Grandma Jex. Many times when we would visit in the summertime, she would serve this pie. It can be made in a 9-inch pie plate, a 9 X 11 pan or in individual serving dishes like the ones shown below that were a huge hit at Alyssa's wedding reception.

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker crust (see recipe below) with 3 tablespoons crumbs reserved

2 quarts vanilla ice cream

6 oz frozen lemonade, pink lemonade, or limeade concentrate

a few drop of corresponding food coloring

Directions:

Let ice cream sit on counter until slightly soft. Put in mixer bowl. Add frozen concentrate. Mix with electric mixer until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. Pour onto graham cracker crust. Sprinkle reserved crust crumbs on top of pie. Cover with foil and freeze for at least two hours. Slice and serve. If you make it in a pie plate put it in the freezer, but do not cover until it freezes solid.

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

Directions:

Melt butter; stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers; toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm.

Oatmeal Creme Pies

These cookies knock the socks off of Oatmeal Creme Pies by Little Debbie. And I LOVE her cookies! In fact, I love them so much, that when Dave and I were poor newly wed college students we spent our last dollar and some change on a box of them to hold us over until pay day. Well, these will hold you over too until you crave them again and have to make another batch!

Adapted from Yummy Fun

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Add to the butter mixture; stir until well blended --mixture will be drier. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 - 10 minutes. Don't over cook. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

When cool spread 1 tablespoon Cream Filling over each bottom side of half of a cookies. Top with remaining cookies, right side up to make a cookie sandwich.

Cream Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 oz cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with a electric mixer on low speed until combined, scraping bowl. Beat on high until light and fluffy.

Honey Butter

I've been looking for a good honey butter recipe for a while. This one is great. I should have posted the picture of the bowl with someone's little finger marks all through it. Try it on the Naughty Cornbread muffins and you'll think you're celebrating your birthday.

From Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

2 cubes real butter

2/3 cup honey

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Place butter on counter for 20 minutes to reach room temperature. Don't let it get too soft or you will have a gooey mess. Place butter, honey, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds and serve at room temp.

Naughty Cornbread

I tried a new cornbread recipe and I love it because it's on the sweet side and it isn't crumbly. This recipe is super fast and easy and it makes a lot so you have some left over to freeze. It made 12 regular sized muffins and a 9 X 13 pan -- baked at the same time in my oven. While eating these muffins, I couldn't help but envision soft honey butter swirled on top like the frosting on a cupcake. Oh so yummy!

From Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix

2 Jiffy cornbread mixes

Oil, milk and eggs according to package directions

Directions:

Preheat oven according to directions on the cake mix box. Combine all three mixes in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and milk according to package directions (replace all water with milk). Mix together according to cake mix directions. Bake according to cake mix directions (about 20 minutes for muffins or 30 minutes for a 9 X 13 pan).

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

I decided to plant a little back porch herb garden this spring. The herbs are growing like crazy. I can't believe I haven't killed them off yet! I chopped up some fresh rosemary for these potatoes and it really made a difference in flavor. Red potatoes worked well for this dish although the original recipe called for small fingerling potatoes. The boiling makes a huge difference in the amount of time it takes to cook these in the oven. It's well worth the extra step. These are perfect for Sunday dinner because you can make them early in the day and then pop them in the oven to finish cooking when you're ready. Sometimes this Idaho girl needs a good potato dish . . . and this one hits the spot.

Adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. red potatoes, washed and quartered or halved depending on the size

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary needles

5 cloves garlic, minced

Black pepper

Salt

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, mustard and some pepper. Set aside. Drain potatoes and return to pan. Toss with the mustard mixture. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil. Either cover and refrigerate until ready to cook or sprinkle with salt and bake in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes.