A Cook's Quest

A while ago, my friend Ellie sent me this recipe to try. We used to work together in the same office before I left my job at that company.  At work we always talked food and shared recipes that we had tried.  When I started this blog she gave me ideas and was one of my first blog followers.  She was a huge supporter of me as I chased after my dreams of becoming a teacher.  I knew that when she sent me this recipe it had to be good, because her recipes always are. I tried it soon after she sent it to me.  I have made it many times since.  But, I never took the time to take pictures and type a post about it.  I knew that it had to be shared because it is the best baked french toast I have ever had.  Finally here I am sharing it with all of you. This recipe originates from the Pioneer Woman's website .  Now, there is another clue it's good. If the Pioneer Woman makes it, it is good!  The first time I made it, I followed the recipe ...

Well, another month has rolled around, and it is time for another round of the secret recipe club.  This month I was assigned a fun blog called, The More Than Occasional Baker  written by Ros.  Ros has a love for baked goodies, both sweet and savory, and enjoys participating in cooking challenges. I really enjoyed looking through the many different posts at The More Than Occasional Baker.  There is a wide variety of delicious recipes to choose from.  I was drawn to all 30 of the recipes made with  peanut butter   because it has been a while since I have tried anything new with the husband's favorite ingredient, but in the end practicality and time won out.  I chose these tasty Cheese, Tomato, and Herb Twists because I needed an easy and tasty side dish to serve with dinner one night.  I had all the ingredients on hand and was able to whip these babies out in no time flat. Honestly, I was a little worried about how these w...

As I have mentioned a time or two on this blog, I LOVE bread.   In the past, I have made all kinds of recipes from delicious orange rolls , to satisfying bread sticks and bread bowls for hearty soups .  But, my all time favorite way to eat homemade bread is in the form of toast. Now, I am not a toast snob.  I really love any kind of bread as toast.  Whenever I make a loaf of Oatmeal bread , or no knead bread I save a slice for a snack or breakfast.  Then I toast it up and cover it with butter...oh, it is so good!  A few days ago, as I was sprinkling said toast with some cinnamon and sugar, and I realized that I had never made cinnamon swirl bread.  That was about to change! I went on a quest to find a recipe.  Luckily,  I had one already pinned on my Breads page  on Pinterest.    It comes originally from Babble.com.  The author, Jaime, originally posted the white bread recipe on her blog, Sohpistamom , an...

Today for breakfast we wanted something different than the regular pancakes or baked French toast we normally have.  I have seen a few recipes floating around Pinterest for German pancakes/Dutch Babies and remembered a recipe in an old community cookbook that my Grandmother passed to me.  This cookbook is on of those books that is a compilation of favorite recipes from cooks who know their stuff.  I LOVE this book and have always enjoyed the easy comfort style food that I create when I select a recipe.  But, a quick internet search will give you a plethora of recipes all quite similar to this one. This recipe for German pancakes was a delightful surprise.  I have never had one of these pancakes, but I was excited to try it.  A German pancake, or Dutch Baby as some recipes call them, is a baked pancake that puffs up high in the oven, and when it starts to cool falls.  Inside are lovely air pockets perfect for absorbing the flavors of anythin...

I am not a lover of bananas, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE banana bread.  There isn't much to say about this recipe.  It is easy to mix up and the tastiest banana bread I have had in a very long time.  Next time you have some bananas that don't look so pretty try mixing up a batch of this. You won't be sorry.  ENJOY! Cream Cheese Banana Bread Recipe Source: A Thrifty Mom 3/4 cups softened butter 1 (8oz) cream cheese softened 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 3 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1  1/2 cups mashed bananas ( about 4 bananas) 1 cup pecans (optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla In a bowl combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar until well blended.  Add the two eggs and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until everything just comes together, you don't want to over mix it.  Add the bananas, nuts and vanilla. Pour into a large greased bread pan or two small g...

I don’t know about your house, but summers are BUSY around here! Lately I have been very dependent on my stand by recipes for dinners. Breakfast in the evenings has been occurring at least twice a week, and the easy options of sweet and spicy chicken tacos , spaghetti with  slow cooker marinara and bean and chicken burritos have been regulars. In between baseball practices, tournaments all weekend, work, and everyday life I just didn’t want to make new dinner recipes. Instead I made sweet treats, breads, and food that, while they are OK in moderation, probably wouldn’t do so great as dinner. It is time to start incorporating some healthy options for snacks, lunches and dinners. That is why I made these corn dog muffins. My kids LOVE corn dogs but I don’t love the deep fried, processed versions that I buy at the store. I have seen this idea floating around blog land for a while and decided to give it a try. My kids loved them and think it is even funnier to say they w...

I am a bit hesitant to say what I am about to say out loud for fear that it might jinx everything but, here goes anyway....I think the warm weather is almost (not finally) here! Yep, after the longest Spring with more rain and wind than I care to talk about, I feel safe saying Summer is close...very, very, close to arriving.  Of course with warm weather comes the season of grilling.  The traditional menu around these parts are hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings and side dishes galore.  But, a good burger deserves a great bun.  The bun is what holds all those lovely flavors of meat, cheese, condiments and veggies together.  It is vital, I tell you, to the burger experience. Now, I know you can buy a bun at any grocery store and many gas stations but I wanted something more than the standard sesame bun.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and with almost five stars how could I not try it? I am so glad I did!  The buns were l...

Last week a co-worker's husband called work and when I answered the phone he started raving about the muffins his wife had made the night before.  He told me they were the best muffins she had ever made, which is saying a lot because she is a fabulous cook.  Later in the day I asked her for the recipe and she quickly printed it for me. Let's me just say, that these are definitely the best muffins I have ever made.  They have a light, cake like texture that isn't too sweet.  The best part about them is the wonderful blueberry swirl that combines with the whole berries.  And let's not forget the lemon sugar topping or the streusel topping, I made both because I couldn't decide which would be better--both are equally wonderful on top of these muffins.  Inadvertently, bought the wrong size container of blueberries at my store, so I didn't have as many as the recipe calls for, but it didn't matter they were still FABULOUS!  I plan on making more of...

If you are looking at these rolls thinking they are just another roll, look again my dear readers. These rolls are the new love of my family.  They posess a soft and flavorful exterior that is dotted with crunchy bites of salt, combined with a light yet chewy center which creates the most most perfet roll. A roll that tastes like a pretzel, and so delicious that it is easy to eat a bunch few without even realizing it.  I was amazed that the simple step of poaching the rolls in water and baking soda would yield a flavor that is exactly the same as a soft pretzel.  My next plan is to make them in pretzel form, covered in cinnamon and sugar.  Until then, pairing these up with a warm winter soup is ideal.  Enjoy!

I know I post a lot of bread recipes on here.  And I also know that bread is A) something that people thoroughly enjoy making, B) have no desire to make or C) have no clue how to make. I'm now in the "A" category but for a very long time I was a "B" or a "C."  My problem was fear.  I was very intimidated by kneading before I started making bread.  How do I know when to stop kneading?  Can I knead too much?  What happens if I don't knead enough? Once I finally started making bread and understanding how to "know" my dough (more on that at a later date) I stumbled onto the most brilliant recipe ever!  No Knead Bread.  Really? REALLY ?  Bread that doesn't have to be manhandled on my counter or by my beloved Kitchen Aide mixer?  Could it be so?  Yes, my friends, it is so.  This bread is truly a no knead bread, and the best part is it tastes absolutely, wonderful!  I'm talking compare it to a fine restaura...

A little secret about bankers, we love food. So when a co-worker succeeds at something, or advances in their position, or maybe the branch just has a great day, we have food, all kinds of food. So when all of the above happened last week, my manager and I planned a surprise party for two employees and I volunteered to make orange rolls. Delicious, sweet, and tangy, they are a perfect pairing with the breakfast casserole my manager makes. One problem though, I didn’t even have a recipe for them. The only orange rolls I have made came from the freezer section of my grocery store. So I went to my go to spot, My Kitchen Café and it was no surprise that she had a recipe that looked perfect. These rolls turned out beautifully.  I had to modify the dough recipe because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand but, it was tender and the filling a perfect balance of tangy and sweet with just enough orange flavor coming through. I may or may not have eaten four over the spa...

The divine bread sticks I posted originally really are divine.  Light, chewy pieces of bread coated lightly with butter and topped with herbs and cheese, or anything else that your heart desires.  The recipe is fast, and dare I say...fail proof?  The dough is so easy to work with that I decided to play with it a few weeks ago in an attempt to recreate some stuffed bread sticks we order from a local pizza restaurant.  Once again, the dough was divine and the few extra steps I took to make a cheesy centers made the final sticks even better than the originals.  So follow along with me below to find out how easy it is to make something divine even better! Stuffed Divine Bread sticks Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest (Bread stick recipe Mel ) 1  batch of Divine Bread stick Dough 1/2 stick  butter Ranch Dressing Mix (I use my homemade variety) or your favorite herbs/seasonings Cheeses of your choice After allowing the dough to rest, roll out in...

I'm going to keep this post simple just like this bread is. I love it for three simple reasons, As bread recipes go, it is easy to make It is flavorful with a light texture (Heavenly with butter or olive oil and balsalmic vinegar) I can make many other recipes from this french bread ( baked french toast , crostinis , and  bread pudding to name a few.) French Bread Recipe Source: The Sisters Cafe    2¼ c. warm water 2 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp instant yeast 1 Tbsp salt 2 Tbsp oil 5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured First dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof—or sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well  Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky. Knead for a few minutes. Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and then allow to rest another 10 ...

In honor of my friend Nikki, who had a terrible craving for cinnamon rolls while she was pregnant, I am posting this cinnamon roll recipe.  It is supposed to be a clone of the famous Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls and while I can't say they taste the same to me, I can say that these are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made, ever, without a doubt, seriously delicious!  I dare you to eat only one because I don't think it is possible.  The cream cheese frosting is rich and buttery, there is a perfect cinnamon to sugar ratio going on and the dough itself, well it is wonderfully delicate and light while being full of rich flavor.  I would highly suggest making a double batch to ensure everyone can have seconds! Cinnabon Clones Recipe Source: All Recipes.com Dough 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup margarine, melted and cooled 4 1/2 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons bread...