Honey Oatmeal Bread

I have been making this bread for almost two years now and though it takes several hours to make the outcome is well worth the effort. The kids love it and it's great with soups or just as a quick pick me up. I think it's most delicious. So delicious I couldn't stop myself from eating an entire loaf this afternoon.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons butter

2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 c warm water

1 -1 1/2 cup bread flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, oats, 1/2 cup honey, butter and salt. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the yeast mixture into the oat mixture. Add 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour; mix well. Stir in the remaining whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface (I use bread flour). Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
5. Preheat an oven to 375.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Oatmeal Pancakes

I have been experimenting with several different pancakes recipes lately.  I thought of doing a week of pancakes but that is too much even for a pancake fan like myself.  I am just so excited with myself for finally being able to make pancakes, for the longest time I just avoided them.  I am still the world’s worst pancake flipper, but at least they taste good.

I wanted to get these posted for National Pancake day, but then I got confused as to when exactly National Pancake Day occurred.  Then I got busy, extremely busy, and either misplaced several days of my week or rushed through them so quickly I have no recollection of them.  So here I am, a week later, finally sharing this delicious recipe.  It only makes about 8 pancakes so if you have children or significant others who might want any, you may want to double the recipe.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp canola oil

1 egg

Directions

1. Mix flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in food processor until smooth.  Add buttermilk, vanilla, oil and egg.
2. Heat griddle to 350*.  Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake.  Flip when pancakes start to have air bubbles around edges and cook on opposite side for another minute or two.

Colt just lost the ‘big game’…again cookies

 

So what do you do when your favorite team makes it to the Superbowl?  Well, if you’re us you make a bet with your nephews involving cookies.  What happens, you might ask, when your favorite team makes it to the big game and plays horrendously?  Well, if you’re me you spend the Monday morning after the big game creating a new recipe that is (hopefully) fit for air mail. 

I was going to make something with peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips because the various websites I found about mailing cookies recommended these ingredients.  Unfortunately, I had only 1/4 cup of peanut butter in my whole house.  (Note:  We have been snowed in a lot recently.)  So I played around with a cookie that ended up having really just a hint of peanut butter than being a peanut butter cookie.  Hopefully our nephews and niece, who cheered for the Saints, will find them edible.

Colt Just Lost the ‘big game’…again Cookies

Ingredients

6 tbsp shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 bag mini semi sweet chocolate chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. In large bowl cream shortening, butter, sugars, and peanut butter until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture.  Add oats and chips until just combined.
3. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9-10 minutes.