I've been feeling really stressed out and I needed some down to earth time.  So my hubby took over the phones and I tried a new bread recipe.  This was so good my family ate over 3/4 of the loaf as a snack. (smeared with honey butter of course)

The recipe is from my favorite bread cookbook -- Whole Grain Breads by Machine  or Hand  (Beatrice Ojakangas)  The book gives you directions for making bread by hand, in the mixer, in the food processor, and the bread machine.  Some of the recipes are 100% whole grains, but a lot are a mixture of whole grains with bread flour.  (with the exception of a few recipes I find that my family prefers bread made this way)

Anyway, I am going to list the ingredients and you really make it like any other yeast bread.

Large Loaf (I used a round cake pan to bake mine in)

1 1/3 cups water (105 to 115 F)

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/4 cups bread flour

2 tsps rapid rising yeast or active dry yeast

Okay -- for making dough in bread machine. Add in order and set on dough.  May need a touch more water so check it out.  Follow the standard shape and rise.  Bake 375 until done.

For by hand, mixer, etc....ingredients 1 and 2 and yeast.  Let yeast bubble.  Add rest in order working as you would for any bread.  Do the shape/rise/bake.

One of my goals on my 101 things to do is to try a new bread every week for a year.  (I know -- I haven't posted the list yet, but I will)

Enjoy!

I guess I am on a corn kick...lol.  We love cornbread  and this is a sweet recipe.  In our area there is a great debate about sweet versus unsweetened.  In my own extended family there is a split over it, however in our house we eat both kinds.  (Usually what is being served for the meal determines what I make.)

Frontier Cornbread

1 cup yellow corn meal

3 tsps baking powder

1 egg

1/4 cup cooking oil (or if you like the equivalent amount of bacon grease)

1 cup flour (wheat, barley or rice)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients.  Add egg and milk.  Mix until smooth.  Add oil and mix again until smooth.  Pour into greased baking dish.  (a preheated cast iron frying pan is great or you can use a greased 10" pie plate)  Bake at 425 F for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

This is great served with honey butter!

This is a great side dish...easy to make and quite tasty.  We were served it at our Sunday School class Christmas party.  The original recipe is in our church cookbook.  It is a great casserole for those nights when you want to cook the whole meal in the oven - pop some meat on the broiler pan 15 or so minutes before you put the casserole in.  Put in the casserole and a second pan of veggies.  I like to do this on nights I am running late or really have to work right up until time to eat.

Corn Casserole

2 (15 oz) cans white shoe peg corn

1 small (8 oz) can chopped chillies

1 stick of butter or margarine

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese

Mix above ingredients together and bake at 325F for 30 minutes.

I thought I would share what my mom used to make for us and what I served this morning.  It doesn't require too much pre-planning.  When you cook your evening meal, cook a double batch of biscuits.  Serve 1/2 of them and set 1/2 aside.  (I just cover mine in the bread basket and leave them on the counter.)

In the morning, preheat your oven just like you would for toast.

Slice your biscuits in half and place cut side up on a pan.  Spread butter or margarine on each biscuit half.  Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and bake.  I actually bake mine for about 4 minutes on 500F and then turn them to broil for a few minutes so the tops brown just a touch.

My family calls these cinnamon biscuits.  Another good variation is to cut your biscuits and top with slices of cheese and bake/broil.