Baby Chick's Skirt

My little baby chick is very hard to take a picture of.  She moves at the speed of light!  I finished her skirt today.  It turned out really cute and she can spin like crazy in it.  I used the Emerson skirt pattern.  It is a really fast skirt to make.  Even a beginning seamstress could whip this skirt up in a couple of hours.  I am off to finish the first born chick's skirt. 

Pepperoni Rolls

Yummy!!!

This is the crispy cheesy bottom. (The best part.)

These are delicious.  They are great served along side pasta or salad.  You can serve them with marinara for dipping or just eat them as the are.  We had these last night with pasta and corn on the cob. 

Pepperoni Rolls

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 T. yeast
• 2 t. sugar
• 1 t. oregano
• 1 t. basil
• 1 t. salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1-1/2 cups jack cheese, grated
• 1 cup pepperoni, diced
• Marinara sauce, optional

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine water, sugar and yeast. Let proof for 5 minutes.  Add flour, salt, oregano and basil.  With the dough hook combine and knead for 5 minutes.  Once your dough has finished kneading, shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.  Punch down dough and pat out into a rectangle about 17x12 inches.  (I use my cookie sheet as a guide and pat out my dough in my cookie sheet, just like pizza and cinnamon rolls.)  Sprinkle with cheese and pepperoni.  Roll up starting on the longer side and pinch seam together.  You will now have a roll about 17 inches long.  Slice into 16 pieces.  Spray a 15x10 inch Pyrex with nonstick spray and place rolls in pan.  Cover and let rise 30 to 45 minutes, until just about doubled.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Today's post is linked up with WFMW.

Cake for Breakfast?

Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

This is a family favorite. It is like having cake for breakfast, especially when chocolate chips are added! The original recipe can be found at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. My brood loves peanut butter oatmeal. We usually eat this twice a week. We always have this on Sunday mornings with chocolate chips. It is quick to throw together and can bake while I get ready for church.

What you need:

• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 t. baking powder
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (on Sunday only)
• Milk, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except milk.  Prepare a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick spray and pour in oatmeal.  Bake for 25 minutes. Cut into squares and top with a splash of milk if desired. 

Today's post is linked up with Tasty Tuesday.

Skirts!

This is #2 chick.  She moves around a lot and does enjoy having her picture taken!

I love to sew!  It is often hard to find time, but we have a special event coming up next week and I am making all the chicks new skirts.  Here is the first one.  It is made using the Gracie Ruffle Skirt pattern.  I made my own version, modifying the pattern to have only one ruffle.  To quote my good friend Carrie, I think it is super "MEGA."  

The Cheese Chip Burger

One of my favorite shows is Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  They featured a restaurant in Sacramento, The Squeeze Inn, which had some awesome looking burgers.  This is my version.  That is a giant cheese chip oozing out from under the bun.  These burgers were awesome.

Maple Sticky Buns

 
This morning I was up with the roosters (Rowdy that is) at 5 a.m.  I figured since I was up so early there was plenty of time to make Maple Sticky Buns.  They turned out great.  You can make these the day before and stick them in your fridge, then take them out the next morning about an hour before you are ready to bake and let come to room temperature.  I have done this before, but it does change them some.  These are so much better made and eaten the same day.

What you need:

• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 1 T. yeast
• 1/3 c. demerara or white sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. oil
• 4 plus cups of flour

Filling:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Topping:

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 3 T. pure maple syrup

Put water, sugar and yeast in mixing bowl and let proof for 5 minutes.  Add egg, salt, oil and 4 cups flour. With a dough hook start kneading.  If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.  You may need to add 1/2 to 1 cup more flour.  The dough should pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl, but will still be sticky.  Let knead for 5 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Once doubled, punch down. I use a cookie sheet to help make a perfect rectangle.  I pat out the dough just as I would for pizza, trying to keep things even.  Spread with melted butter.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Now roll into a log, trying to keep it the same thickness. Pinch the seam together. Flip the log so that the seam is on the bottom.  Melt the butter, brown sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted and sugar has dissolved pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan.  Sprinkle pecans over brown sugar mixture.  Now it's time to cut the rolls.  Cut into 12 pieces.  Place on top of brown sugar/pecan mixture. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes or until doubled. If you are making these the night before, cover with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray and put in fridge as soon as you cut them. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned.  Once you remove them from the oven, carefully flip the pan over onto a cookie sheet, scraping all the gooey stuff on to the rolls.  Yum!

Just out of the oven and ready to be flipped.

You may be wondering where the nuts are....well some chicks around here do not like nuts and there were no nuts in the house...looks like the nut lovers lost out.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Last night we had biscuits and gravy at the request of #2 chick.  She had a friend over who had never had biscuits and gravy (gasp!), so she felt it was a must to serve them.  We also had farm fresh eggs and sweet and juicy cantaloupe.

What you will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 T. cold butter
• 2 T. cold shortening
• 1 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  With a pastry cutter, cut in butter and shortening.  It is very important that you use cold ingredients.  Your biscuits won't be fluffy and flaky if you don't.  Once you have cut in the fats, stir in the buttermilk.  I use a fork to do this.  Now knead in bowl a couple of times to get the rest of the flour incorporated.  Pat dough out on a floured surface.  Do not roll dough, it will make tough biscuits. The dough will be slightly sticky.  Pat into a 1 inch thick circle.  Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place on baking sheet so that they are touching.  Pat out dough scraps and continue cutting biscuits.  You should get about 12 biscuits. With the last scraps make your crazy 8!  (Family tradition to make a crazy 8.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. 

It is also important to use real buttermilk.  Making your own with a milk/vinegar mix just won't cut it.  Add buttermilk to your weekly shopping list! 

Here is the crazy 8.  I don't know why but my Nana and then my mom always made the crazy 8. You can start your own tradition....my friend now makes a P, I guess the crazy 8 wasn't good enough for her.