Brown Sugar Muffins

These are a family favorite! Usually I make them plain but sometimes, just to be fancy, I put oats on top and drizzle the baked muffins with maple syrup.

When my husband and I started a vegetarian diet, I tried these with a couple changes to remove the dairy in them. They tasted just the same!

I also add 1/2 cup of white bean puree to make them healthier and give a "sneaky" bit of protein and vitamins to these treats!

Brown Sugar Muffins (substitutions in parentheses)

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg   (1/3 cup applesauce)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (may use wheat flour or gluten-free substitute)

3/4 cup ground oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk  (1 cup rice or almond milk)

2 tsp vanilla

Cream together shortening, brown sugar, and egg. (May also add 1/2 cup white bean puree to make it healthier.)

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture.

Add milk and vanilla, stirring until mixed well.

Pour into greased muffin tins. (You can use papers, but this will peel off a lot of the muffin when you take off the paper.)

Bake at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes. High altitude, about 22 to 24 minutes.

Makes about 12 regular size muffins, 6 large.

Pink Vinaigrette

I love this recipe! Tangy and sweet, it's great on spinach with fresh mozzarella cheese, mandarin oranges or fresh strawberry slices, slivered almonds, bacon bits and red onion slivers.

Pink Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

1/2 red onion

2 tsp mustard

1 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients except oil in a blender.

Add oil and blend until smooth.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Got this from thehumbledhomemaker.com. She has a lot of great mix recipes that I have used and I love them!

Making your own mixes can certainly be beneficial in many ways. One is that you are getting less of the extra nonsense that they put in already-made mixes like MSG and such. Plus you can get a fresher taste when you mix them yourself. My favorite is that you can adjust each ingredient the way you like it and create your own flavor!


Taco Seasoning

2 tsp chili powder (you can also make this homemade!)
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (or regular salt)
dash cayenne

This makes enough to cover 1 package taco seasoning or 3 Tbl.

For a fresher taste, omit the garlic powder and add fresh chopped garlic when you use the mix!

Super Duper Breakfast Hash

 Okay, the name isn't so great, but this stuff is AMAZING! It's a great breakfast meal but hardy and flavorful enough you can serve it for dinner! And who doesn't like BFD (breakfast for dinner)?

It's easiest to make it in an electric skillet but you can convert it to a pan or even a casserole dish in the oven. I haven't tried it in a crock pot yet but that's definitely a possibility.

Breakfast Hash
Serves 6-8

1 onion, cut up
4 cups hash brown potatoes
1 cup sausage, cooked and crumbled (may use ham, bacon, bacon bits or any other meat you wish)(be sure it is pre-cooked and cut into small pieces)
2-3 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese (or your fave!)
Salt and pepper
2 Tbls cooking oil
2 Tbls butter

1. Get your skillet heating up then add oil and butter.
2. Cut up onion and add to skillet. Saute until onion begins to turn opaque.
3. Add hash browns and stir. Turn over every 2-3 minutes.
4. Add meat and mix it all up.
5. When mixture is almost done, add eggs and stir around until eggs are cooked. They should look like little pieces of scrambled egg all mixed in the potatoes.
6. Spread cheese across entire surface of potato mixture and put the lid on the pan. Turn off burner, call your guests, then serve!

Pizza Pockets

Another popular item from our Mi Amor Catering kitchen. These are also very popular at home, since they are easy to heat up and eat when you want a quick snack.

These are a great treat to make ahead and keep on hand for hungry kids or for quick lunches. I make these for my husband to take to work. He just loads a couple in a bag and microwaves them at lunch time.

You can purchase little round sandwich cutters that cut and seal at the same time, but they are pretty small. I recommend using a small bowl to cut around or finding a large biscuit cutter so that the pockets are a little larger.

The recipe involves two parts; the crust and the filling. Well, three parts if you count the Garlic Butter topping.

Pizza Pockets

1. The Crust

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1 pkg or 1 Tbls active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
2 Tbls oil
1 Tbls sugar

Mix 1 cup of the flour with all other ingredients with beaters. Let rest 10 min.
Mix in the rest of the flour.
Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut into circles.
Transfer to greased pans.
Add filling. Place a second circle on top and seal.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning.
Bake at 425F for 8-10 minutes. Check. Continue baking until tops and sides are turning golden. May take another 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven.
Brush each pocket with Garlic Butter (see recipe below).

2. The Filling

1 jar pre-prepared Spaghetti sauce (like Prego) OR 1 large can tomato sauce, 2 Tbls Italian seasoning, 1 Tbls sugar (to get rid of the bitter taste in the tomato sauce)
1 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or cheddar or cheddar jack)
1 pkg mini pepperoni slices
Additional fillings (optional):
1 can mushroom pieces and stems
1 can olives, chopped
1/2 cup real bacon bits
1 cup ground sausage, cooked

3. Garlic Butter

3 Tbls butter, melted (do not use margarine)
1 Tbls minced garlic

Melt butter in microwave for about 20-30 seconds, until melted.
Stir in garlic and let sit while you make the other items. Quickly heat again in microwave for 10 seconds before brushing on tops of pockets.

Honey Muffins

While searching for muffins I came across this recipe. It sounded good so I tried it. Can I just say Yum!?
For die-hard health enthusiasts, it isn't what you would expect (contains sugar and all-purpose flour). But for someone who just wants the taste of honey in their muffin, it's a hit.
These are great for breakfast but would be equally delicious served with chili instead of corn bread.

Honey Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey

1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line muffin tins with paper liners.
2- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3- Combine egg, milk, butter and honey in a small bowl.
4- Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened.
5- Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Mini Pot Pies

Mmmmm ... these are so tasty! And easy to make!

To make things even easier, you can use store-bought pie crust. Or make up a couple batches of pie crust ahead of time and store in the fridge for another day when you are ready to make these delicious little pies.

These are great for make-ahead meals! I have made a bunch of them, then put them in the freezer for my husband to take for lunch or for the kids to have as a quick meal or snack. Be sure to wrap them in foil or plastic wrap, then put them in a gallon-size plastic bag and label. Remove the wrapping and stick in the microwave for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes and you have a quick little meal that has "comfort food" written all over it.

I like to take simple, easy recipes and add a few professional touches to make them look and taste like something much more decadent. These have a simple topper that will make all your meal guests think you are a top chef!

Filling for pot pies - mmm!

Mini Pot Pies

6 pie crusts
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 Tblsp minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves)
2 tsp seasoning salt
1 (13 oz) can chicken
2-3 large parboiled* potatoes, cubed
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup frozen or canned peas
1/2 cup chopped broccoli (I use freeze-dried broccoli that has been reconstituted)
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower (Again, I use the freeze-dried stuff, but you can use fresh or frozen)
1 onion, chopped (you can keep it fresh or saute them first)
1 cup (or so) shredded cheese (I use a colby-jack mix, but plain cheddar would do just fine, too)
1 egg
3-4 Tblsp water
3-4 Tblsp dry Ranch dressing mix

Add-ins: (these are optional. I like to change it up a little when I make them, so here are some of those things I do)

1/2 cup bacon bits
1 can green chiles
1 cup green beans, french-cut and chopped up
1/2 cup freeze-dried (and reconstituted) green and red bell pepper

*Don't let the word "parboiled" discourage you! Here's how you do it:
Wash and peel the potatoes. Cube into small pieces. Boil in a pot for about 8 - 10 minutes. They should be getting soft but not mushy. Drain and use in recipe. Easy!

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
1- Roll out pie crust dough. Cut in 4 or 5 inch circles. I have 2 cookie cutters that size but before I bought those I used a small Pyrex bowl to measure the circles and cut them out with a table knife. You will need 2 circles per pie.
2- Mix soup, milk, garlic and salt. Add in any other spices you prefer, such as black pepper.
3- Add chicken and vegetables and mix.
4- Spoon mixture onto pie crusts. Pile the inside mixture high!
5- Sprinkle cheese on top of the vegetable mixture.
6- Cover with second pie crust. Press down on edges to seal. The bottom crust will be sticking out around the edges. Turn these edges up and press to seal it all in.
7- Place the pies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Beat the egg with the water. Brush on the tops of each pie. Sprinkle with dry Ranch mix.
8- Bake about 20 minutes. Check the pies. Keep cooking until the edges and tops are turning golden. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Serve or store.