Sunday, May 24, 2009

Spaghetti Day

Yesterday I made Glenna's All Day Spaghetti Sauce. It filled my house with wonderful smells all day. Five pounds of meat sounds like a lot of meat, but I will be able to freeze enough sauce for at least two, maybe three more meals.

I also made the cinnamon bread. It turned out better this time. Except I used an 8 x 4 inch pan instead of a 9 x 5 inch pan and the bread cooked over the edge. But it still tasted yummy! Here is the recipe I use. I'm thinking the next time I make it I'm going make a streusel topping instead of using the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture on top.

Cinnamon Bread
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 c. butter (room temperature)
1 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. orange juice, fresh if you have it
1/2 tsp. orange peel zest
1 c. buttermilk (I use 1 tbsp. white vinegar, plus enough milk to make 1 cup)
1 c. brown sugar
2 heaping tablespoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. Beat in the eggs, orange juice and orange zest.

Mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix 1/2 of the buttermilk into the wet ingredients. Mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the remaining buttermilk into the wet ingredients. Mix 1/3 the remaining dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Pour 1/3 of the cinnamon mixture on top. Pour 1/3 of the batter on top. Pour 1/3 of the cinnamon mixture on top. Pour the remaining batter on top. Pour the remaining cinnamon mixture on top. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about an hour.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Today we are off to Portland to have lunch with some friends. Tomorrow I have to work. Tuesday is my first day babysitting Mr. E.

Happy homemaking!

Sweet P

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

How Not To Make Cinnamon Bread

Yesterday morning I was wide awake at 6 am. No reason why. I was up until 11 the night before so I thought I would be able to sleep. Maybe I was excited for Jammie Day with Mr. E.

Since I was awake and the morning sun was splashing through the kitchen windows I decided to make Cinnamon Bread. I found the recipe on Closet Cooking recently. I made it while my mom was visiting and loved it. I do make one change to the recipe. Instead of vanilla extract and lemon peel I use orange peel and fresh orange juice. Here are the three bowls of ingredients and the buttermilk ready to get mixed together.
Here's the bread after it came out of the oven. If you look very, very close you see the edges and the top are burnt. Yup, burnt! How did I manage that? I set the oven temp to 425 instead of 350! I guess baking at 6 am is not my strongest talent.
I plan on making the bread again this Saturday and will be sure to set the oven to 350!

Happy cooking and home making! Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet P

Monday, May 18, 2009

Long Time No Post

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted on Coffee Time At Home. Since Mr. E's birth we have been on a whirlwind of family visits. Great Grandma Helen from Minnesota was here for 12 days. Uncle Brandon and Ellen were here this past weekend. Now the visitors are gone until the baptism next month.

This is how Coffee Time At Home looks like these days. Mr. E spends time on the pack and play mattress with his quilt and boppy pillow.
The corner of the living room has become Baby Central. We purchased this wonderful bassinet a few weeks ago. It glides and plays music. The bottom is a huge basket where diapers, clothes and toys reside. Next to the bassinet is Mr. E's bouncy chair.
Brandon, DS #2, likes to cook. On Saturday night he made three awesome homemade pizzas: one pepperoni, one cheese and this one with prosciutto. He makes the tomato sauce from scratch. I asked him to write down the recipe before he left, but he forgot.
Sunday morning I made breakfast for everyone.
My DIL decided to take this action photo of me cooking.
I didn't work too hard to make the food.
I bought a quiche the day before and popped it in the oven.
I also cooked sausages, bacon and pancakes.
A large pot of coffee and orange juice rounded out the meal.
I had to leave for work while they were eating. I asked them to clean up the kitchen before they left. They did and I came home from work to a clean kitchen. Thanks guys and girls!

I plan to get back to blogging here more often. Stay tuned!

Sweet P