Tomato Basil Bread

Confession: Before making this bread I had not used our bread machine, ever. Dan had the machine before we met and he uses it when making pizza dough or bread. Before now I have always made bread by hand (with help from the kitchen aid), I'm excited to say that I will be baking bread from my couch again in the near future. Not to say that I will give up making bread the old fashioned way (I've made bread by hand too). The same day that I made this bread I also made Curry Lentil Soup for dinner, they surprisingly went together well.

Tomato Basil Bread

(Source: Brooke at ...And A Cookie For Dessert)

Ingredients:

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/4 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil (I used a basil paste)

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:
In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in the order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). I added 1 T of water.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

I almost always publish my posts as I finish them, somehow this one slipped through the cracks. I made this last August and thought that I had lost the recipe, until now I had no I idea that I had the post almost finished and that I just needed to write about it (the hard part). I'm so happy that this recipe is not lost forever because I could not remember where I had found the original recipe. Now that I have found it I can make it again and share the recipe with all of you. This coffee cake is so freaking good, I know that I say almost the same thing about everything I make, but for the most part I only blog about foods that turned out well.

Blueberry Coffee Cake:

Source: All Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

For the crumb topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Coat a Bundt pan well with cooking spray.
3. Make the streusel topping: Mix 1 brown cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine; topping mixture will be crumbly. Set aside.
4. For the cake: Beat 1/2 cup butter or margarine in large bowl until creamy;
5. add 1 cup white sugar, and beat until fluffy.
6. Beat in egg and vanilla.
7. Whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; add alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
8. Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Cover with berries, and add remaining batter by tablespoons.
9. Cover with streusel topping.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, until deep golden brown.
11. Remove pan to wire rack to cool.
12. Invert onto a plate after cake has cooled, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins were delicious, and did not last long in my house. I took a few to school to give to a classmate and she said they were excellent. These came together quickly, and would freeze well if I had any leftover. Dan worked from home the day that I made these, so I'm sure that was part of the reason that they went so quickly. Or its because I have a weakness for baked goods, something that I should work harder at overcoming.

Source: http://lizscookingblog.blogspot.com/
Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats (I use oatmeal)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Grease and flour a muffin pan, or use paper liners.

3.In a small bowl, combine oats and buttermilk, and let stand 5 minutes.

4.In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5.In a large bowl, beat together the egg, oil, brown sugar and vanilla.

6. Blend in the oat mixture. 7. Stir in the flour mixture, just until moistened.

8. Fold in strawberries.

9. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yield: 16 muffins