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I've made my mama proud. There was a time when she thought I'd never be a breadmaker. How could I knead bread when I couldn't stand to touch the flour? You see, I always loved being in the kitchen, loved everything about baking... except for the flour. Some people hate the sound of fingernails on a chalk board... for me it was the feel of flour. My mom? breaking open a head of lettuce. My sister? chewing on wood (i.e popsicle sticks) It's different for everyone but for me it was flour. But in my mind I didn't need to overcome it, I just needed to get around it. So while I was in college my mom got me a bread machine. I was thrilled. I used it for years. But it never really came close to producing the type of results I knew I could have with the real homemade thing. So I dove in with trepid hesitation and learned to suck it up. I still don't like the feel, but I sure as heck love the results. And hey, what better way to relieve some pent up frustration than some good old fashioned kneading? Yes, this picture is mine... those are MY bagels and I'm proud :)

Cranberry Orange Bagels

1 cup plus 4 Tbsp. warm water (70-80 degrees) divided
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour... it's what I had on hand)
1 pkg. (or 2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. warm water (110-115 degrees). Add cranberries, brown sugar, orange peel, salt and cloves; mix well. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes, adding more flour as needed.

Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into 7-8 balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-inch hole; stretch and shape into an even ring. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Fill a dutch oven 2/3 full with water; add sugar and bring to a boil. Drop bagels 2-3 at a time into boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Whisk egg white and remaining 2 Tbsp. water; brush over bagels. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place bagels 2 inches apart on prepared pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Toast lightly and serve with my very own honey orange cream cheese (mix 1/4 cup cream cheese with 1 Tbsp. honey and 1 tsp grated orange peel and spread 1 Tbsp. mixture over warm bagel.)

*Bagel recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking**Bread machine instructions can be provided upon request!*

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Nothing incredibly extraordinary but very delicious and a great idea for having company for breakfast. I would definitely make it again though... the kids devoured it and the effort was minimal.

Overnight French Toast
4 eggs
1 cup egg substitute
3 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
16 slices french bread (1 in. thick)

Berry Sauce:
1 1/2 lbs. frozen unsweetened mixed berries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar

In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg substitute, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Place bread slices in two ungreased 9x13-inch baking dishes; pour egg mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. Carefully transfer bread to prepared sheets. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 15 minutes longer until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine berries with sugar. Serve over french toast.

*recipe can easily be cut in half for a smaller version*

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Insanely delicious. That's really all there is to say. The sugar crusted tops compliment the tartness of the fresh raspberries amazingly. So incredibly moist and delicious. But the best part was when I self-admiringly exclaimed "and they didn't even come from a box!" to which Brendan replied "how would you make muffins from a box mommy? that's silly..."

That's right buddy, if I have it my way you'll never know... :)

*to decrease fat and calorie content I used skim milk and substituted half of the butter with applesauce (4T melted butter, 4T applesauce) and no one was the wiser ;)

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This recipe is the product of loving the taste of butterscotch but not the overwhelming sweetness of the flavor in the traditional Oatmeal Scotchies recipe. So I tweaked it a little to fit my taste and ended up with a very nice combination of flavors that mellow out the sweetness just a bit.

Oatmeal Choco-Scotchies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old fasioned oats
1/2 package (11 oz size) nestle toll house butterscotch chips
1/2 package (11 oz size) nestle toll house semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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I absolutely love trying new and different salmon recipes. It's one of my most favorite fish to eat, the kids love it and it has so many healthy benefits. But while this one is definitely a keeper, my favorite is still a brown sugar cured, slow cooked version which I will post at a later date. For now, enjoy this one... as everyone at my table did.

Orange-Pecan Salmon

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 salmon fillets (6 oz each and 1 in. thick)

In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Pour one cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the salmon; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes. Set aside remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade from salmon. Place salmon in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Serve with salmon.

(Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

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So I'm coming back with a bang. I can't believe I let an entire month slip by without posting a new recipe! I'm slacking big time and I need to make up for it. I even told a potential new follower that I would post my mom's Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread Pudding recipe and I failed at that too. I promise, that one will be coming soon. But for now... Pork Chops with Cherry Port Wine Sauce. Oh heavenly goodness. The reason the photo was taken subsequent to my first few bites was because I was enjoying it too much to pause for the picture. I served it with a rice pilaf and roasted cauliflower for an incredibly delicious and easy dinner.

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, halved
2/3 cup ruby port wine
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt

PORK CHOPS:
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tsp. olive oil

In a small saucepan, suate shallot in oil until tender. Stir in the cherries, wine, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 1o minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the coriander, mustard, salt and pepper; rub over chops. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side. Serve with sauce.

(Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

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