The Unexpected Appointment

I received a notice in the mail that there was a possible danger to the car my daughter drives.  The company would fix it for free, but we needed to make contact & set up an appointment for repairs.

I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but these kind of unexpected things are what “upsets my apple cart” so to speak.  Yes, there is ANOTHER thing placed on my to-do list!!  And the car is located 3 hours away where my daughter goes to college.

As with most things, I spend more time dreading them than they actually take to accomplish!!  I called & talked with the nicest man named Mike.  I explained the situation, & that my daughter drove the vehicle & that I, the owner, lived in OH.

 

Mike assured me my presence wasn’t needed in Ft. Wayne for the repairs to be done.  I simply had to give permission & have my daughter call to set up the appointment.

I’m not sure how we got our wires crossed with the dealership, but repairman Mike made an 8am appointment for Thursday, and left a message for my daughter informing her of the same.  Thankfully, her schedule accommodated this.

Spiritually speaking, I’m reminded that we all have an eternal appointment someday.   It is with our Creator God, & He sets the date & time.  Yes, we want to put off this appointment as long as possible.  We have things we wish to have & do, a family to raise, & career goals in place.  

But Hebrews 9: 27 says   It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

v. 28-So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

I’m grateful that on that day appointed for me, that the blood of Jesus will cover my sins.  I accepted Him as my Savior at the age of 16.  He has been so faithful to me.

Since I talked about having my “apple cart upset” earlier in the segment, I think I will share a recipe for Apple Cranberry bread today.  If I still lived in Ft. Wayne, IN, I might just bake a loaf to thank repairman Mike for getting the job done so quickly. 

APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD

2 eggs                                                         1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/4 c. sugar                                                1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 T. canola or vegetable oil                           1/4 c. pineapple juice

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour                                2 c. tart apples, peeled and chopped

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder                                1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tsp. ground cinnamon                                  1/2 c. walnuts

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs,sugar, and oil. Combine the flour, baking powder,

cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add to egg mixture until just combined. 

Add pineapple juice and stir in the apples, cranberries and nuts. 

Spray an 8 in. x 4 in. loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350° oven for 50-60 minutes or  until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before  removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.

Note: This loaf freezes well and can also be baked in smaller individual loaf pans.

Decrease the baking time to 25-30 minutes, but test for doneness before time allowed

and adjust baking time as needed. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag

for up to 2 months. Be sure to label and date your baked goods.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Today's Confectionately Yours Segment

Hi!!!  Today's segment was a repeat from April.  Scroll on down & you will find those bread machine rolls!!!  Happy Baking...

Confectionately Yours,


Sue

Taco Soup

Good morning WEEC listeners!!  Todays recipe will warm your heart AND your tummy on this cold Fall morning.  I'm also posting the Cranberry Apple Bread I mentioned on Monday's segment. (I got distracted & forgot to post)  :-)

TACO SOUP
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
chopped onions and peppers, to taste
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 (16-oz.) can whole kernel corn grated cheese, for garnish
3 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans, undrained
3 (16-oz.) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
5-6 c. water
grated cheese, for garnish
In a large pot,brown ground beef with onions and peppers. Drain well. Add the rest of the ingredients, breaking up stewed tomatoes into small pieces. 
Simmer for 20-30 minutes. To serve, top with cheese if desired. Makes 2 1/2 quarts soup.

Note: I am always on the lookout for easy recipes that reheat and freeze well. This soup fits the bill and is even better the next day.


APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD
2 eggs 
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/4 c. sugar 
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 T. canola or vegetable oil 
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. tart apples, peeled and chopped

1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
1/2 c. walnuts

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs,sugar, and oil. Combine the flour, baking powder, 

cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add to egg mixture until just combined. 

Add 

pineapple juice and stir in the apples, cranberries and nuts. Spray an 8 in. x 4 in. loaf 

pan coated liberally with non-stick cooking spray. 

Bake at 350° oven for 50-60 minutes or

until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before 

removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a knife around the edges of the pan before removing.  Yield: 1 loaf or 6-7 mini loaves

Note: This loaf freezes well and can also be baked in smaller individual loaf pans.
Decrease the baking time to 25-30 minutes, but test for doneness before time allowed 

and adjust baking time as needed. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag

for up to 2 months. Be sure to label and date your baked goods.

The amount of pineapple juice required in this recipes is about the amount one can drain off a can of pineapple chunks.  When I open a can for another recipe, I freeze the drained juice to use in this bread.

Bread Machine Rolls

BREAD MACHINE ROLLS
(My "go-to" recipe for yeast bread)
1 egg + warm water
3 T. olive oil
4-1/2 c. bread flour
 2-1/2 tsp. rapid rise yeast (I use Saf-Instant brand)
1 tsp. salt 
1/3 c. sugar

Place egg in measuring cup and add enough warm water to bring total amount to 1-2/3 cup. 

Pour into bread machine pan. Add rest of ingredients in order given. Set machine to dough setting. This cycle should run about 80 minutes. 

When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down dough to remove air bubbles. It should be smooth, elastic, and easy to shape. If handled too much the gluten will activate and
make the dough tough to manipulate. If difficult to shape, allow to rest 5 minutes for the gluten to relax. 

Roll dough into long tube shape and cut 24 pieces for rolls or 16
pieces for sandwich buns. Roll dough into an oval shape for deli style rolls or round or hamburger buns. 

Place dough on greased cookie sheet. Spray with nonstick baking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm draft free place and allow to "proof" or rise for 45 minutes or until doubled. 

Preheat oven to 350° and bake rolls for 13-17 minutes until light brown. Brush with melted butter immediately after
removing from oven. This will soften the surface of the rolls. Store in airtight container when completely cool.

--You may refrigerate dough after shaping and let it "cold rise" in the refrigerator overnight (up to 16 hours). Remove from fridge and allow rolls to come to room temp while oven preheats.

--Dough may also be frozen after shaping. When completely frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to use dough, preheat oven to 200°, then turn oven OFF when it reaches set temp. Place rolls on greased cookie sheet, spray with nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap and place in the warm oven to rise for 60-85 minutes or until doubled. 

Remove from oven, then preheat to 350° and continue as directed above. Remove plastic wrap before baking. (I use this oven method for my initial proofing also-it takes about 30 minutes for dough fresh from the machine to rise.)

Note: Try not to be intimidated by yeast breads. I had some failures early on when I didn't know what the dough was supposed to look like when risen or what was
"doubled." I didn't attempt bread again until the bread machine came along. It kneads evenly & the instant yeasts of today make the most of our limited kitchen time and
yield great results.

Biscuits

Hi WEEC listeners!!  Here is a great recipe for Angel Biscuits.  I guess they are called this because they are HEAVENLY.  *grin*


ANGEL BISCUITS
2-1/2 tsp. dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. shortening
5 c. all purpose flour
2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder


Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder,
and salt. 


Cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk to dry ingredients. Mix until ingredients are incorporated, but don't over beat. 


Turn out onto floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. Roll out dough to 3/4 inch
high and cut with biscuit cutter. 


Place onto cookie sheet and brush top with melted butter. Bake in 400° preheated oven for 15 minutes or until brown. Yield: 12-16 biscuits


Note: These are light and fluffy-somewhere between a roll and a true biscuit. Freeze
on a silicone lined cookie sheet until hard, then place in labeled Ziploc's. Fresh
biscuits are minutes away. Baking time increases a bit for frozen biscuits. A word
about silicone cookie sheet liners-they are great!! Get one...or two.



HIGH RISE BISCUITS
(a good basic biscuit)
4 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp. sugar
2 T. baking powder
2/3 c. unsalted butter, chilled
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. salt butter, melted
Preheat oven to 450°. 
Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 

sugar in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter with a knife. Blend with a pastry blender until 

the texture of coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk to form a soft dough. 

Knead 

briefly on a lightly floured board. Roll dough out 1-1/4 inches thick. Cut into 3 inch

rounds and arrange with sides touching.

Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake until
golden, about 20-25 minutes. Makes 8-9 large biscuits.

Note: The more you handle biscuit dough, the tougher it gets. A soft dough yields a
moister product. Freeze buttermilk for up to 3 months. It will separate as it thaws. Stir
well to remix the buttermilk, then measure for the recipe. It is perfectly good for
baking. I know you can sour milk with lemon juice as a buttermilk substitute, but I
like the real thing better.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

CINNAMON ROLLS

2 pkgs. yeast or 5 tsp. granulated instant yeast

 1 c. sugar

 1 T. salt
1 tsp. sugar

1-1/4 c. Crisco shortening

1 c. warm water (110°-115°) 3 c. very warm tap water
2 large eggs

10-12 c. bread flour

Mix yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 cup warm water. Allow to sit 10 minutes until mixture appears bubbly. In a very large bowl and using a mixer, combine eggs, sugar, salt, shortening, and 3 cups water. Stir in yeast mixture.

Add by hand 10-12 cups bread flour to obtain a soft, nonsticky dough. Knead 5-10 minutes. Grease bowl and put dough in, turning to grease other side. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free place.

Allow to rise 1 hour. Punch down. You may now use dough or refrigerate up to one week. When allowing dough to rise, I turn on oven to 200°, then turn it off when it reaches that temp. I put in the bread to rise and check it in 30 minutes. It makes for great proofing (rising) of yeast doughs.

Filling

5 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. flour

1-1/2 c. butter, softened

3 T. cinnamon

Roll out dough to a rectangle shape about 1/2 inch in height. Mix filling recipe and spread evenly and very thinly over surface of dough.(Filling that is too thick will ooze out during baking). Roll up, starting at long side.

Cut into 1 inch slices. (I use a sturdy piece of thread slipped under the dough and brought to the top. When you cross the threads together, you get a clean slice.) Pinch the end of each roll to keep it from coming apart.

Spray baking pan or 9 by 13 cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Place 2 inches apart and spray top with non stick spray. Cover with clean dish towel and allow to rise for one hour. Bake at 350° for 10-20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool briefly and frost with cream cheese frosting. Serve warm.

Cream cheese Frosting

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese,softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. half and half or milk

 3-4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

Beat together. Spread onto warm rolls. Store in fridge. The number of rolls yielded from this recipe varies due to the size of the rolls, but rest assured, you will get at least 3-4 dozen. You can also put prepared dough in fridge overnight and bake rolls in the morning. The rolls will do a slower 'cold rise,' but the filling will liquefy a bit and give a 'sticky bun' result on the bottom of the pan.

Remove from fridge and allow to rise for 30mins-1 hour.

Note: Bread flour has a higher gluten which makes the dough more elastic and it will rise higher. Instant bread yeast (I use Saf-Instant) rises quickly and is easier to use than traditional yeast packages. I was so intimidated by yeast breads, but knowing I could have fresh bread and rolls without a trip to the store made me keep on trying.

Be Diligent

2 Peter 3:14

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be DILIGENT that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Good Morning to the WEEC listeners!!  This morning's segment was dedicated to my daughter Emily, whose name means "industrious"-another definition of the word 'diligence'.

APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD

2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 T. canola or vegetable oil
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. tart apples, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. walnuts

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs,sugar, and oil. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add to egg mixture until just combined.

Add pineapple juice and stir in the apples, cranberries and nuts.

Spray an 8 in. x 4 in. loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350° oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.

Note: This loaf freezes well and can also be baked in smaller individual loaf pans. Decrease the baking time to 25-30 minutes, but test for doneness before time allowed and adjust baking time as needed. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.

Tip-A can of pineapple chunks will yield enough juice for making this bread.  You can use the fruit for another dish or just get in those 2 servings a day we are encouraged to eat.  :-)

Confectionately Yours,

Sue  

Banana Bread

Hi all,

I love quick breads!!  They can be dessert, a pick-me-up with coffee or tea, or a great snack. They freeze well for 2-3 months, so when the urge to bake hits, I take advantage.  I am never sorry I have an abundance of goodies to tuck into a lunch box or provide something for an unexpected event.

I like to put peanut butter ON my banana bread.  (If you like PB & banana sandwiches, you will love PB on banana bread!!)

This recipe came to me from a friend years ago.  The buttermilk makes a huge difference to the flavor.  I freeze leftover buttermilk in recipe ready sizes.  A true Southerner always has buttermilk in the fridge, but I know that for many, it is not an 'on-hand' ingredient.

The coconut called for was not in the original recipe, but I added it one day on a whim, and I never make it without now.

BANANA BREAD

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 c. sugar  

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 eggs

3 bananas, very ripe, mashed

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. coconut

walnuts or pecans, optional

Cream oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in buttermilk, bananas, nuts, and coconut. Spray loaf pans with non stick spray.

Fill 2/3 full and bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes until loaf tests done. If using mini loaf pans, cooking time will be approximately 25 minutes. Batter will make 7 mini loaves or 2 regular loaves. Insert toothpick into middle of loaf. If it comes out clean, bread is done. This is a very moist loaf that freezes well.

Note: Got some overripe bananas and no time to bake right now? Put peeled bananas in Ziploc bags and freeze. I put the amount needed for recipe in individual bags, label and date. Bananas can be thawed in microwave for this recipe. Yes, it will be a mushy mess, but it works well for this recipe! Keep in freezer 3-4 months.

'Confectionately' Yours,

Sue