I love watching Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade. I consider myself a pretty good baker and an aspiring cook, who wishes she had more of a taste for adventure in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy cooking but I’m kind of a picky eater. Ok, I’m a REALLY picky eater. My kids have more adventure when it comes to food than I do. The Food Network, especially Sandra Lee’s show, has really inspired me to try new things.

One thing I love about the Semi-Homemade way of cooking is that Sandra Lee makes meals that don’t look or taste like they came from a box, but they are super easy. I can hear her voice right now, “I take 70% store bought ingredients and add 30% fresh ingredients.” This idea got me thinking. I love to make homemade bread. I always use my mom’s bread recipe and then alter it to make different types of bread. I know making bread from scratch can seem intimidating if you’ve never done it before. So, here’s my Semi-Homemade version of a favorite bread at our house.

Basil Parmesan Bread, the semi-homemade way, is super easy and so pretty. I started with a box of bread mix. I’ve never used a boxed mix before and I was surprised by how yummy and super easy it was. I used my bread maker on the dough cycle because that’s what I always do, but hindsight, I really didn’t need it. It probably would have been easier to just mix it up in a bowl. All you do is combine the box of bread mix, water, and the yeast packet that is included. Done with step one.

Once the bread has risen, you knead it and roll it flat. I rolled it into a square that was the size of the width of my bread pan.

I spread a half of a stick of butter over the dough and added some freshly chopped basil (about a tablespoon) and a sprinkling of Parmesan (I’d say half a cup). Usually when we make this I add garlic, but I completely forgot this time. So, if you make it, add a clove of crushed garlic.

You just roll it up like you would if you were making cinnamon rolls and put it in the pan to rise again. Follow the direction on the box for baking.

The finished product looks like it came from a specialty bread store. 70% store bought, 30% fresh ingredients, and soooo easy. Sandra Lee’s on to something here!

Enjoy!

Here are a few parties I like to participate in.

Not long ago I shared about our family tradition of getting together to celebrate birthdays. My extended family gathers about once a month, sometimes every other month, to enjoy appetizers, a meal, way too many desserts, kid play time, adult conversation time, and cinnamon rolls.

My grandma (we call her Nanie) started making cinnamon rolls for our dinner parties as far back as I can remember.

Here’s my grandma and my mom at our party last week.

I know cinnamon rolls are traditionally a breakfast or brunch item, but they have always been part of every family celebration in my family. I have fond memories of watching my grandma roll out the dough. She always let me scoop up the cinnamon and brown sugar crumbs off of the cutting board when she was done. I remember my Nanie teaching me to make her cinnamon roll recipe just after I was married. They weren’t as hard to make as I thought, but mine just never turned out quite as good as hers. I would guess my grandma had made those rolls about 300 times over the past 30 years. Yep, 10 parties a year for 30 years or more.

Now that Nanie is 92 and living in assisted living, she isn’t able to make her rolls any more. My mom and I are really the only people in the family who truly enjoy baking. (Well, except for the Ellensburg folks, but we just have them bring chips and pop since they have to cross the mountains.) So, it’s up to us to carry on this family tradition.

I’ve tried making my grandma’s recipe many times, but since I just can’t live up to these standards I’ve decided to branch out and try a new recipe. Believe me, my family is full of cinnamon roll experts. They critique the size, gooeyness, amount of cinnamon versus brown sugar, and even the frosting. (My mom tried to switch to canned frosting one time. BIG mistake… BIG MISTAKE!!!) You should hear the wrath of the family when the rolls fail to rise, or you didn’t make a double batch and they are starting to run out.

So, let’s get to it. Cinnamon rolls are really not as hard as they look. I have to admit. I cheat. Nanie did not have the luxury of throwing the ingredients into the bread machine to make her dough, but I couldn’t live without my bread machines.

I have two bread makers and they both have a DOUGH CYCLE. That’s very important because the machine only does the work of making the dough.

I cannot take credit for this recipe. I found it online many years ago. Now the website is called The Fresh Loaf. I can’t wait to explore it a little more. Click here to find the recipe. It suggested using a bread machine for the dough and I decided to give it a try. It was so easy and the recipe is fantastic!

Yep, it’s a Cinnabon knock off recipe.

When I printed it out many years ago, the hit counter said I was the first view, but who knows.

I always use this yeast. I buy the big jar because I bake a lot, but it also comes in little packets.

You just follow the directions and throw everything into the bread maker.

At that point, you walk away. When you come back, your dough will magically be ready to turn into rolls. It really is as simple as that. (Just remember to use warm ingredients because warmth activates the yeast.)

Now for the fun part. Roll out the dough on a cutting board.

Add the margarine.

Add the cinnamon and brown sugar. The recipe calls for a specific type of cinnamon, but I don’t have it. The generic Safeway cinnamon has always worked just fine for me.

Roll it up.

Slice it. This is the point where my son yells, “Wait! I want to come listen to you slice them! I love that sound.” Is that not the cutest thing??? Here’s my big sports loving nine year old who just loves to be part of the baking experience. I told him that the sound of the rolls slicing will always be something he remembers and looks back on.

Place them in a pan to rise.

Don’t forget to let the kids nibble the cinnamon and sugar leftovers.

Fresh out of the pan, ready for frosting.

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the frosted rolls. The minute you get the frosting on, it’s all over… they disappear faster than you can get them out.

Enjoy!

Check out these parties I like to link up to.

Thanks for linking up to my second Home and Family Friday Linky Party! Leanne always has such great organizing tips. I’m going to use her bag idea for my son’s baseball clothes and cub scout items. I always appreciate good organizing tips! (On a side note, I don’t know how to put Leanne’s bag picture into this post. Anyone know how to do that?)

Saturday night my husband and I were invited to a party, where we were in charge of bringing dessert. I really wanted to make a Bailey’s Chocolate Cake, but it was really early on Saturday morning when I started it and I didn’t want to call my neighbor for the recipe at 7am. So, out came my Cake Mix Doctor cook book. If you aren’t familiar with this book, you need to see it. The author takes a regular old cake mix, adds a few other ingredients, and makes miracles happen!

Here’s the recipe:

Darn Good Chocolate Cake
Grease and flour bundt pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add the following ingredients to a large bowl. Mix for 3 minutes.
1 Package chocolate cake mix
1 Package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding
4 Eggs
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup warm water
1/2 Cup vegetable oil

Fold in:
1 and 1/2 Cup chocolate chips
Bake for 45-50 minutes.

I didn’t have any chocolate chips in my pantry (can’t believe that’s even possible since I buy them in bulk) so I used semi-sweet chocolate squares instead. I chopped them up and really liked the small little chocolatey bits they added to the cake.

I used my Pampered Chef bundt pan to make the cake. I also took a little bit of cake batter and made a few cupcakes for the kids, since they weren’t coming to the party.

Here’s the cake fresh out of the oven.

And cooling…

While the cake was cooling I got breakfast ready for the kids, got myself ready for the day, and organized a few things that needed to be taken to the Goodwill. While I was there I found this little treasure!!!

It was only $2.50! Such a cute little vintage cake carrier, and so perfect for transporting my cake to the party that night! My daughter was in love with it because it was pink. I’m and NOT a pink person, but how can you resist this adorable cake carrier?

My husband, on the other hand, did not agree that it was $2.50 well spent. I will just ignore the following comments:
“Where are you going to put that?”
“I don’t care if it was free. Why did you need that?”
“It’s all scratched up.”
“And why do we want someone else’s junk?”
He doesn’t see the joy in thrift store shopping.

Once I was home from Goodwill, awesome treasure in hand, it was on to frosting. There is no better frosting than Martha Stewart’s chocolate frosting recipe. It was an old chocolate frosting recipe (pre-jailtime-Martha).

Mix together:
3 and 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup room temperature milk
2 tsp vanilla

Here’s the finished cake.

It was moist, really yummy, and so cute in the little cake carrier.

Here are a few linky parties I’m joining!

My sister has named these cookies Little Drops of Heaven, and there is a good reason.

Not only are they delicious, but they are super easy to make. Here’s how to make them:

Put an entire package of Oreo cookies and one 8oz block of cream cheese into a food processor.

Let the food processor do its thing.

Use a small cookie scoop to form little dough balls. Place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop these into the fridge for a few minutes. They’ll be easier to work with.

Oooh, my favorite part…

I use a double boiler to melt my chocolate chips. Melting them in the microwave (for 30 second increments) works fine too. Once the chips are all melty and yummy, you’re ready to get the dough balls out of the fridge.

Use a fork to roll the dough balls in the melted chocolate. Then put them back on the parchment paper to cool. This is the step in which you will need to demonstrate some restraint. You see, your fingers will be all chocolatey and messy. You’ll be tempted to just lick your fingers and then keep on working. But, this is not very sanitary. JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE DONE AND LICK THE PAN!

Once they’ve cooled, they are read to enjoy.



There you have it. Little Drops of Heaven.

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

It’s time for my weekly cookie recipe! Well, at least it seems that way. I do love to bake, but I didn’t intend to share a new recipe every week.

A friend at school asked me for my Snickerdoodle recipe a while back and I got busy and forgot to write it down for her. So, here it is… the ultimate soft and cinnamony cookie.

1 Cup Shortening
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 and 3/4 Cups Flour
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
Cinnamon and Sugar to roll cookies in

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Realize that you are out of cream of tartar and begin calling neighbors. They will happily loan you their jar because they know you will bring them warm cookies. Mix all ingredients.

Use a cookie scoop to form a perfect ball. Roll the dough ball in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. I like to roll the whole dough ball in the mixture, including the bottom.

I bake my cookies on a Silpat baking mat. Using a Silpat ensures that my cookies don’t stick to the tray. It also ensures that the sugar on the bottom of the cookie does not caramelize.

Bake the cookies for 7 minutes, at 400 degrees. I use a standard oven, not convection. When they come out they will be slightly undercooked. They will set as they cool and make the perfect soft cookie.

Wrap a few snickerdoodles in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty bow. These cookies make the perfect gift for the teacher who prints out your sub plans when you’re on your death bed or the friends you call “Tech Support” because they can solve any computer issue over the phone. Enjoy, friends!

This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. My friends and family call them Becca Cookies. They are always soft (as long as you don’t overcook them) and they hold their shape. They don’t melt down into a ball of goo, like some cookies do when they bake. The dough is really just my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Instead of chocolate chips, we used M&M’s. Sometimes we use the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips or even peanut butter M&M’s. Any of these options make a scrumptious cookie.

I usually make cookie dough in my standing Kitchen Aid mixer. Sometimes when my daughter helps, we use the handheld Kitchen Aid mixer. It’s easier for her to handle and she feels like more of a helper.

Here’s the recipe:
1 Cup Crisco shortening (original, not butter flavor)
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup white sugar
Mix until soft and fluffy.

Add:
2 Eggs
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix just until blended.

Dry ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
Mix it up and add a bag of M&M’s or chocolate chips.

Bake for 10 minutes (or less) on 350 degrees. My oven is a standard oven, not convection, and this is what I do.

This is the dough after adding the M&M’s. I have to say Chocolate Chips will ALWAYS be my favorite!

When I have made M&M cookies before, I’ve noticed that the M&M’s kind of sink down into the cookie. They are not quite as bright and colorful when this happens. So, after we scoop the cookie onto the pan we add a few more M&M’s to the top of each dough ball. I always use a good size cookie scoop to form the dough balls. I also don’t ever bake cookies without my Silpat baking mat. I love these baking tools!

Fresh out of the oven.

Once the cookies have cooled, I put individual cookies into ziploc bags. These go into the freezer for the kids’ lunches. I have always thought it was a special treat for my kids to have a homemade cookie in their lunch each day. A few weeks ago my son was begging for me to put some oreos or packaged cookies in his lunch. Now I realize that the packaged junk is the treat for my kids because they never get those types of cookies! I’m sure I’ve scarred them for life. They’ll probably never want to bake with THEIR children when they are older.

Don’t you want to go bake a batch now? They’re even better when it’s raining outside. Happy baking!

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

If you like peanut butter cups, this is the ultimate no-bake, 5 minute, recipe.

Crush graham crackers. You need about 2 cups. Honey Maid Graham Crackers come with three packs in each box. Two packs is usually just about right.

We melt 1 cup of margarine in a bowl. Then add 4 cups powdered sugar, and stir until creamy.

Stir in 2 cups peanut butter. Add the 2 cups of crushed graham crackers last.

Poor 1 bag of chocolate chips into a bowl. Microwave and stir in 30 second intervals. Press cookie mixture into a 9×13 pan.

Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture. If you have helpers, like I do, the edges of the pan may not look too neat and pretty.

When you take the cookies out of the pan, no one cares that the edges of the pan were messy with chocolate.

Enjoy!!!
.

My kids and I spent the afternoon making one of our favorite cookies…frosted sugar cookies. I make these cookies for most holidays, to share at our volunteer tea at school, to take to Seaside, and simple snowflakes to give as gifts at Christmas. Here’s the recipe:

Just kidding. Here’s the real recipe:

2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 TBSP butter
1/3 Cup shortening
3/4 Cup sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookies for Christmas

Beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients. Beat until well mixed. (I usually make a triple batch. They freeze well.)

The dough needs to be refrigerated for about 3 hours to make it easier to handle.

I like a thick sugar cookie. That way they are soft, rather than crispy. I roll them to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 for seven minutes.

I frost my cookies with a simple powdered sugar and milk frosting. I don’t ever use a recipe. I just pour in a little powdered sugar and a little milk until I get a consistency I like. The Wilton food coloring paste is the only way to go. You can buy it at Michael’s. It gives a much more vivid color than regular food coloring. Stir it up until the color is well blended.

I love to frost my cookies and then use a little sanding sugar from William Sonoma. Oh, they’re just so pretty. It’s a tradition my kids love and it makes the house smell great too.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.
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One of my nieces is a second grader and for her birthday, last November, my sister in law planned her birthday at Dawn’s Cake and Candy. www.dawnscandyandcake.com

The party was perfect for a group of second grade girls. Dawn led them through the candy making process and then the girls got creative.

I taught second grade for ten years, and I have never seen a group of second graders engrossed in a project like this! They had a great time. Dawn let each girl keep their candy mold and beautifully boxed up the candies they made.

During the party I was talking to Dawn about her business, candy making parties for grown ups, and supplies she sells. I love to bake sugar cookies for every occasion and I’ve been looking for some edible glitter to add to my cookies.

Dawn took down my name and address and told me she’d contact me. Well, the holidays came around and I got busy. I’m sure she was busy too, and we never touched bases again. Now for the sweet surprise…

Yesterday I went to the mailbox to find a package waiting for me. I opened it up, and there were four bottles of the glitter I was interested in buying! Along with the glitter, there was a note, “Sorry this took so long. Enjoy the glitter at no cost.” She even paid $4.80 to mail my package! It was truly a sweet surprise in my mailbox! To thank her, I thought I’d post this for all of my bloggy and Facebook friends to see. Keep her in mind for all of your baking needs. She throws a great party too!