Tuesday With Karen In The Kitchen

Today it is pouring rain and I do not want to set foot outside of this house so I am going to bake/cook.  I have a number of tomatoes that are getting too ripe so I am going to put them on and stew them for spaghetti sauce.  I have a multitude of cucumbers given to me so I am going to made cucumber and onion salad (in vinegar).  THEN....I am putting on the dough to make crusty bread.  Frank loves it and I love baking it.  It is so easy and is NOT made in a bread machine.  After the bread is on and rising I am making caramel cookies.  This was a big flop.  The caramel was too hard to chew...so the cookies went out into the yard.  I am so disappointed.  I made 48 cookies....and threw all but the one Frank and I tried to eat out.  Sigh....So now I am making molasses(ginger) cookies.  I love these.  I love the taste of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.  These cookies were awesome.  I even sent some by Frank to choir practice tonight.  I also made Blueberry Corn Muffins.  It is a recipe I got when Mary and I spent a week with her sister, Noel, in Bangor, ME.  They were awesome too.  I sent some of them to choir practice as well.  This week I also made a sugar free pie thanks to Mrs. Betty Jean.  I sent Beth a piece to try out.  It is amazing!  I think I have found my new favorite dessert for church socials.  I thought I would share the successful recipes with you.

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients:

1 c blueberries

2 T flour

1 egg

½ c packed brown sugar

2 T Canola oil

½ c skim milk

½ t vanilla

1 c yellow cornmeal

2 T baking powder

1 c all-purpose flour

Makes 12 muffins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray muffin tins with non-stick oil.  Toss blueberries in 2 T flour to coat.  In a mixing bowl, beat egg, brown sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla.  With a few swift strokes, mix in remaining ingredients.  Gently fold in blueberries.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm.

 

 

Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 c shortening

1 c packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c molasses

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

1/2 t ground cloves

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground ginger

 

Directions:

Cream together shortening and brown sugar.  Stir in egg and molasses and mix well.  Fold in dry ingredients and stir.  Cover and chill until firm(1-2 hours).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar (I leave this last step out).  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Back 9-10 minutes.  Leave on cookie sheet for one minute or until set. 

Sugar Free Pie

 

Ingredients:

2 boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding (small and sugar free)

2 c 2% milk

Crystal light lemonade powder (1 tub) - you can use any flavor

1 16 oz sugar free cool whip

2 graham cracker pie crusts

 

Directions:

Mix pudding, crystal light and milk.  Beat until smooth.  Mixture must be mixed quickly or it will lump.  Fold in Cool Whip and mix well.  Pour mixture into crusts and chill several hours before serving.

 

Bon Appetit.  I am off to check on my bread.