Honey Oat Muffins

I love muffins! They are like cake you can eat for breakfast. :)

I'm always on a search for the next great muffin, but even when I find one, I still come back to these. These have been my most favorite muffins for over a decade. Soft, moist, great texture and a subtle honey flavor that is just perfect.

I use rolled oats in these because I love the texture they create, but you can use quick cooking oats for a more overall evenly fluffy muffin.

Honey Oat Muffins

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cups flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbls. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400*F.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the egg, milk, oil and honey until blended.

Place by spoonfuls into greased or papered muffin tins until approx. 3/4 full.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 1 dozen muffins.


For more great recipes visit Full Plate Thursday.

Life in the Pantry: Potluck Friday #3

Welcome to Potluck Friday! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Potluck Friday, features your best recipes. If you would like to put a Potluck Friday button on your blog you can grab it here. I will be picking my favorite features and sharing them each week.



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My favorite post from last week was this Easy Chocolate No-Bake Cookies from Suburban Wife, City Life.

Visit a few other bloggers and show them your support.  We all love getting comments and who knows what inspiration you may find.

I will be featuring links from the party each week, so by linking to the party, you are giving me permission to use your photo and your link.  I will do my best to let you know about it.

 My only rule:

• Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party recently. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Spinach Chips

My kids may be a little weird but they love spinach. They would eat it all day, every meal if I would let them. Only ever raw though, never cooked. I haven't found a dish yet that makes them want to eat it cooked except this one.

These chips turn out super crispy, but somewhat fragile. I bake them and then leave them on a plate for the kiddos to snack on. They are usually all gone within an hour of me setting them out.

Spinach Chips

2 Cups Spinach leaves (big, healthy looking leaves)
1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning blend (to taste), I use just a light sprinkle, maybe 1/2 a tsp.
Salt (to taste), a good size pinch will do

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325*F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, put the spinach leaves and then the olive oil and mix it well with your hands without breaking or tearing the leaves.

Sprinkle salt and Italian seasoning and mix well until all leaves are coated.

Take the foil lined baking sheet and arrange the leaves in a single layer without any overlaps. Not all will fit on the sheet this first time. It normally takes me 3 or 4 times to cook them all.

Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit on the baking sheet for another 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer them to a cooling rack.

Note:
Do not overcrowd the baking sheet. Every leaf should be equally exposed to the heat.


For more great recipes visit Tasty Tuesday, Totally Talented Tuesdays, Hearth and Soul, and What's Cooking Wednesday.

Life in the Pantry: Potluck Friday #2

Welcome to Potluck Friday! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Potluck Friday, features your best recipes. If you would like to put a Potluck Friday button on your blog you can grab it here. I will be picking my favorite features and sharing them each week.



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My favorite post from last week was this Lite & Creamy Garlic Alfredo from Pickled Okra. I am definitely adding this to the dinner rotation!

Visit a few other bloggers and show them your support.  We all love getting comments and who knows what inspiration you may find.

I will be featuring links from the party each week, so by linking to the party, you are giving me permission to use your photo and your link.  I will do my best to let you know about it.

 My only rule:

• Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party recently. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Green Beans with Bacon

This is one of those recipes that kind of developed over time. I'm not even sure where the original idea came from, but I've been making this forever and each time it's not exactly the same.

I love french green beans. These are not "frenched" green beans like you can find in cans, but a certain type of green bean. They are long, slender and very yummy just as they are. They are amazing right out of the garden, but you can now find frozen whole french green beans in the frozen produce section and they are nearly as delicious.

Since I normally make this as I go without much thought to how much actually goes in the pan, these measurements are approximate. You can adjust them according to your own tastes.

Bacon Green Beans

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen whole green beans
1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, over med-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for about 1 minute. Add the green beans. Cook until all ice is melted and water has evaporated, stirring every 30 seconds (about 5 minutes).

Add salt, pepper and bacon to skillet. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until beans are crisp tender.

You can cook them a little longer if you prefer your beans a little more well done.


For more great recipes visit Weekend re-Treat, Weekend Potluck, Crafty Frenzy Friday, What's Cooking Wednesday, and Wake Up Wednesday

Cherry Granola

A few years ago I spent a couple summers selling food stuff at the local farmers market. I had breads, granola, brownies, cookies and even big trays of huge cinnamon rolls. It was a lot of work, but it was also fun.

Our local market was held in the afternoon so I'd get up ridiculously early to make sure everything was baked fresh that day. I had a pretty decent system of what needed to be started first and what order they needed to go into the oven. The hardest part was not eating all the inventory myself because who can resist fresh baked bread? Not me.

My best seller week after week was this granola. I always made it with cherries in it when I put it out for sale, but for family I also made it with dried blueberries, craisins and almost any other dried berry you can think of. It tastes amazing all on it's own too without the fruit so you have lots of choices.

Cherry Granola

6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
2 cups pecans, chopped as fine as you'd like
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 300*F.

In a greased large roasting pan, combine the oats, coconut and pecans.

In a small saucepan, combine the oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat gently over medium heat stirring constantly until smooth. Pour over the oat mixture and mix well.

Bake until browned, about 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and add cherries. Stir to mix well. Cool on a large baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.


For more great recipes visit Tasty Tuesdays, Create Link Inspire, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and soul, Melt in your mouth Monday, and Recipe Sharing Monday.

Life in the Pantry: Potluck Friday #1

Welcome to our very first Potluck Friday! It is time to link up your latest food posts. My weekly link party, Potluck Friday, features your best recipes. If you would like to put a Potluck Friday button on your blog you can grab it here. I will be picking my favorite features and sharing them each week.



<center> <a href="http://lifeinthepantry.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af114/TomorrowFarm/potluckbadge_zps0c8d1a1f.jpg"/></a></center>

Visit a few other bloggers and show them your support.  We all love getting comments and who knows what inspiration you may find.

I will be featuring links from the party each week, so by linking to the party, you are giving me permission to use your photo and your link.  I will do my best to let you know about it.

 My only rule:

• Please link up as many recipe posts as you'd like, as long as they haven't been submitted to this party recently. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Oatmeal Pie

I recently had an oatmeal pie at a church dinner. I'd never heard of an oatmeal pie before. Honestly I thought the idea was a little strange even though I love oatmeal. Surprisingly it was good, but it seemed to be missing something.

I came home bound and determined to make one. I scoured the internet in search of recipes and finally settled on one I thought would do the trick. I couldn't leave it alone though. I did change it a smidge and now it's really, really good. I even microwave it for about 12 seconds to warm it up and it's even better.


I was surprised at how much it tasted like pecan pie although I shouldn't have been. The ingredients are really similar.

Oatmeal Pie

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup butter, melted
A pinch salt
1 9-inch unbaked, single pie crust (you can find my recipe here)

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, coconut, oats, butter and salt. Pour into the unbaked pie crust.

Bake at 325* for 45 minutes or until golden.


For more great recipes visit Full Plate Thursday.

Basic One Crust Pie Crust

Basic One Crust Pie Crust

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbls. shortening
2-3 Tbls. cold water

Mix 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Cut in 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbls. shortening using pastry blender until particles are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tbls. at a time, tossing with a fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves sides of bowl (2 to 3 tbls. total). Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into a flattened round ball on a lightly floured surface. Roll pastry using floured rolling pin into a circle 2 inches larger than upside down 9-inch pie plate.

Place crust in pie plate being careful not to stretch the crust. Trim pie crust if necessary so it's about an inch past the pie plate edge. Fold under edges to fit pie plate. Flute or other decorative edge if desired.

Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Toss

This spaghetti dish is one of the first I successfully cooked from scratch. Up until then I had made some ok attempts and had a love hate relationship with boxed and bagged foods. Prepackaged foods were easy and nearly fool proof, but lacked flavor and had way too much junk in them. I wanted something better.

This was it.

I still to this day make this meal nearly once a week. It makes an excellent lunch but also serves as really nice lighter supper.

I'm going to post the recipe as I made it for years, but now that the kids are hitting their teenage years I have to double it. It doubles quite successfully and is still just as delicious.

Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Toss

2 green onions, chopped separating the green tops from the lighter white bottoms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced thinly
3 Tbls. lemon juice
1 Tbls. dried parsley
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
8 oz. thin spaghetti

In a large pot, cook spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, green onion bottoms (the white part)and garlic in butter 4-5 minutes or until onions are tender and chicken is nearly cooked through.

Add the lemon juice, seasoned salt, lemon pepper and parsley to the skillet. Cover and cook on med-low heat for 15 minutes (the spaghetti noodles should be done about the same time).

Drain spaghetti. Add to the chicken mixture in the skillet. Toss to coat.

Top each serving with the remaining green onion tops.

This is also very good with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.


For more great recipes visit Tasty Tuesdays, Create Link Inspire, Totally Talented Tuesday, and Hearth and Soul.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Nothing says home to me like these pancakes. Always a staple for breakfast, but they make a fantastic dinner too.

I was given this recipe many, many years ago right after I was married. Unfortunately I can't remember the source which makes me a bit sad.

I'm not always the most hospitable morning person so these only get made for breakfast on a good day. Most of the time we enjoy them for lunch, especially Sunday lunch which could in fact be labeled as brunch I suppose. It's so easy to whip these out right after church and save a heavier meal for later in the day. I'll also make these as dinner on those nights when I am completely exhausted from work and have no interest in cooking.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 Tbls. brown sugar
2 Tbls. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and buttermilk until well blended.

Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan slowly over medium heat. Test the temperature by sprinkling a few drops of water on the pan. If they bounce, the temperature is right. You can grease the pan lightly if needed.

Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle or frying pan for each pancake. Cook until small bubbles appear on the tops and begin to break and the edges of cakes are dry. Flip pancakes and cook until brown on other side. Set the completed pancakes aside and continue with remaining batter.

Enjoy!


For more great recipes visit Recipe Sharing Monday.

Rice with Ham and Sausages

What is your comfort food? Is it mac & cheese? Tomato soup? Twinkies?

My comfort food is this... Tomato flavored rice with ham and sausage. My mom made this for us many, many, many times throughout our childhood and to this day it is still one of my favorite meals. It's even become one of the meals my kids ask for often.

It requires a bit of chopping, but otherwise not much effort. It just simmers for some time on the stove-top and smells amazing while doing it.

Rice with Ham and Sausages
serves 5

1 pkg. (12 oz.) uncooked sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups cubed ham (leftover or packaged is fine)
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups water
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste with Italian herbs
1 cup uncooked white rice

In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and sausage until sausage is no longer pink. Add ham, water and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Add rice. Cover and simmer on low about 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

If you can't find the Italian herbs tomato paste you can substitute with 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt but it's not quite the same.

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

I'll be the first to admit that this isn't the most healthy thing to feed my family, but in my defense it's so good!

I grew up eating this from the time I was really little. I'm not sure where exactly the original recipe came from. Maybe my grandmother? No one really seems to know, but it has always been one of my favorites. It's like ooey gooey comfort food on a cold winter's day.

 

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

8 oz. small sea shell pasta

1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of celery soup

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can (6 oz.) tuna, drained

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 Tbls. butter, melted

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. I've found that under cooking the pasta by about a minute or so keeps it from getting squishy while baking.

Meanwhile, mix the soup, milk, miracle whip, dry mustard, cheese and tuna together in a 2 qt casserole dish.

Mix bread crumbs and butter together in a small bowl; set aside.

Add cooked pasta to the soup mixture; mix well. Top with bread crumbs.

Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 45-50 minutes or until bread crumb topping is lightly browned. 

For more great recipes visit Tasty Tuesday, Create Link Inspire, Totally Talented Tuesday, and Hearth and Soul.

Lemon Battered Fish

This is one of those recipes I have had around for years. I'll make it a bunch and then somehow forget all about it until some months later I come across it again. And then when I make it I can't figure out how I forgot about it!

This fish recipe makes such a light, crispy fish with a yummy citrus flavor. I love citrus and fish!

I use tilapia a lot while making this, but cod, perch and other similar white fish will work as well.

Lemon Battered Fish

1 cup + 1/2 cup flour, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup + 1/3 cup lemon juice, divided
2 lbs. tilapia or other white fish
Oil for frying


Pour oil into a large skillet suitable for frying (cast iron works awesome!) so the oil is approx 1 inch deep. Please make sure your skillet is deep enough that the oil will not overflow while frying. This could be a fire hazard!

Heat oil over med to med-high heat until it reaches 350*. A candy thermometer works great for this.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; set aside. In another bowl, beat together the egg, water and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Add to the flour mixture and mix well until smooth.

Place the remaining lemon juice in a small bowl and the remaining flour in a separate small bowl.

When oil is ready, dip each fish fillet first in the lemon juice, then the flour and finally the egg batter. Carefully drop battered fish pieces two or three at a time into hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Drain fish on paper towels before serving.


For more great recipes visit Tasty Tuesday, Create Link Inspire, Totally Talented Tuesday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, and Recipe Sharing Monday

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Yum! That's about all I ever hear from my family when I make these. They are so good! They are also nice and chewy and stay soft for days in the cookie jar.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 Tbls. butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 bag (12 oz.) butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350*F

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars together on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and butterscotch chips; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Cool 1 minute on cookies sheets; remove to wire rack to cool. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.


For more great recipes visit Recipe Sharing Monday, Weekend re-Treat, Weekend Potluck, Crafty Frenzy Friday and Full Plate Thursday.

Crockpot Corn Chowder

This was one of the first recipes I put into my cookbook (a 3 ring binder of tried and trues) when I was a young bride. It's changed a little over the years to this current form and it is a huge family favorite.

I love crockpot meals because I can put them in, turn them on, and then spend the day down in the shop without worrying what I'm making for dinner after I close. Just a quick stir every now and again is all it needs during the day.

For the ham in this soup, we normally use leftovers from a baked ham, but any ham will do.

Crockpot Corn Chowder

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (14 3/4 oz.) cream style corn
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Gently mix all ingredients in a 4-5 qt crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.


For more great recipes visit Create Link Inspire, Totally Tasty Tuesday, and Hearth and soul.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

Did you eat sloppy joes as a kid? I did....a lot.

Maybe it's because they are so child friendly, economical and unbelievably easy to make. Or maybe it's just because they are fun. Whatever the reason sloppy joes are always a crowd pleaser and moms seem to love to make them.

My mom always made our sloppy joes from scratch. The smell of them was intoxicating and because they needed to simmer on the stove for awhile, I learned how to sneak a bite right out of the pot when no one was looking.

It wasn't until I was a teenager that I learned of the sloppy joe sauce in a can. You know the one I'm talking about. The whole concept seemed weird and alien to me especially with how easy the homemade version was.

Now I make these every couple of weeks for my own kids. They love them and can never get enough. In fact it won't be long before I have to start doubling the recipe to feed growing teenagers!

Mom's Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbls. yellow mustard
1 Tbls. brown sugar
1 cup ketchup

In a med. saucepot (the one I use is around 3 qt.), brown the ground beef and onion. Be sure to break up the ground beef into small pieces while cooking. Carefully drain off any liquid when done.

Add remaining ingredients to ground beef mixture in saucepot. Stir well to combine.

Cover and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve on your favorite hamburger bun.


For more great recipes visit Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Hearth and Soul, Totally Tasty Tuesday and Create Link Inspire.

Teriyaki Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Yum! That's really the best way I can think of to describe this. You can't go wrong with a pork tenderloin and I think brown sugar makes everything awesome.

Teriyaki Marinated Pork Tenderloin

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbls. brown sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbls. Olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 pork tenderloin approx. 1 lb.

Mix all ingredients except pork in a large resealable bag. Shake well. Add pork. Place bag in fridge and let marinate for at least 3 hours.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray.

Remove pork from marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for basting. Place pork on foil lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400* for 45-50 minutes or until center reaches 160*. Baste with reserved marinade during last 15 minutes of cook time.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing. This will help it retain it's juiciness.

For more great recipes visit Weekend Potluck, Hearth and Soul and Full Plate Thursday

Cheesy Crescent Dogs

These are one of those things I don't make very often but when I do they are gone quick. I'm not sure my kids even let them cool down before they were gobbled up for lunch.

I normally serve them with a salad, carrot sticks and/or fruit to round out the meal.

Cheesy Crescent Dogs

8 hot dogs
4 slices american cheese, cut into 6 strips each
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375*.

Cut hot dogs (not all the way through) to within a 1/2 inch of the ends. You are making a "pocket". Insert 3 cheese strips into each hot dog "pocket".

Separate dough into 8 triangles. Wrap each triangle around a hot dog. Place on an ungreased baking sheet cheese side up.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden.


*You can use whatever brand of hot dog is your favorite


For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul and Full Plate Thursday.

Taco Pasta Salad

I've had summer on my mind lately and with all the snow we've been getting, who could blame me.

Thinking of summer got me thinking about summer-y foods and pasta salad is right up there at the top of the list. The only thing better may be anything off the grill.

Of course I love tacos too and while I was enjoying them last night I was reminded of a pasta recipe I hadn't made in a few years. I wondered if I could find it.

Amazingly I did find it and it was just as yummy as I remembered. And the reminder that summer would be here eventually didn't hurt either.

Taco Pasta Salad

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
3 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup Catalina salad dressing
Tortilla chips

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.
In a large bowl, stir together pasta and ground beef. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, olives and dressing; toss to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.


I've also substituted kidney beans for the ground beef for a fun salad.

Oatmeal Bacon Scones

Lately my family has been on a scone kick. That's not a bad thing though because these are so easy and delicious. They also freeze really well so I can double the batch and make extra.

I love that these aren't overly sweet, but instead are a nice savory scone. Our favorite way to eat them is alongside soup or chili for dinner, but they work equally well for breakfast.

Oatmeal Bacon Scones

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into slices
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 Tbls baking powder
2 Tbls sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon

In a large bowl, add flour and butter. Cut in butter until pea sized. If you do not have a pastry blender you can use a food processor for this step but be very careful not to cut the butter too tiny. This is what is going to help them be fluffy.

Next stir in the remaining dry ingredients except bacon.
Add the buttermilk and egg. Stir until blended. The dough should be a little bit sticky. If it seems too dry you can add a little more buttermilk. No more than a tablespoon at a time.

Stir in the bacon gently.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Knead dough 10-12 times. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with a little more flour and work in gently while kneading.

Divide the dough into 2 even portions. Flatten each portion into a 8 inch round circle.
If you would like to freeze your scones stop now. Place the dough circles on a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen you can place the dough into a ziplock freezer bag, label, and save to use later.

To bake scones:
Thaw dough completely first if frozen.
Divide dough circle into 8 "pie slices".

Place scones on a baking sheet leaving some space between each one. Sprinkle each scone with a little sugar if desired.
Bake in a 400* preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until a light golden brown on top.
Let cool slightly before serving.

Easy Teriyaki Salmon

Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat fish that doesn't resemble a stick? Do you hear them chanting salmon is yucky?

That's my kiddos in a nutshell. If it wasn't labeled fish "stick" it didn't enter their mouth. Even putting it on their plate started a riot.

Fast forward a bit to the moment where an experiment yielded the easiest, yummiest salmon recipe ever. Somehow (and I'm still not really sure how it happened) I got them to try a teeny bite and lo and behold they were hooked! Salmon was now a must eat!! Go healthy fish!

Easy Teriyaki Salmon

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbls. vegetable oil
2 tbls. brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. salmon fillet cut into four pieces (individually frozen salmon pieces/filets are great for this!)

In a small baking dish, combine the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and garlic; mix well. Place salmon in the baking dish, coating with sauce mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or broiler (both work equally well). Grill (or broil) over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Spraying your grill or broiler pan with a light coating of oil (Pam, etc.) to prevent sticking is recommended.

Why I Choose to Have a Well Stocked Pantry

 I loved playing with food when I was little. Whether it was the Fisher-Price stuff or empty boxes of the real deal. Even my favorite book growing up was about a grocery store.

I loved everything about food and as I got older I learned to cook, to can, and how to have a well stocked pantry from my mother. Thanks mom!

My reasons for having this pantry are really simple. I dislike the actual shopping portion of the grocery getting and I love the fact that I don't have to rush to the store to find dinner. There are times where I won't go to the store for almost a month (except for milk, eggs and the occasional fresh veggie/fruit).

If you need a few more reasons though, here they are:

1. Unannounced guests? No problem, you’re all set. There is no need to waste gas running to the grocery store for an unplanned run.

2. If you have a well stocked pantry and freezer, you’ll be able to make many more meals (if not all) at home instead of eating out, thus saving lots of money.

3. In the event of a disaster, storm, etc. you will should have a ready supply of the basics as well as food that can be easily eaten without electricity (more on this later). No more trips to the store right before or during a storm just to find the shelves bare. You're all set.