We moved to Pennsylvania almost 40 years ago and I discovered that the local tradition at Christmas is making a wide variety of cookies. Where I grew up in south Arkansas, we would make pies and cakes but I did not know about the Christmas cookie tradition. However, I gladly embraced the Christmas cookie tradition…
Category: In the Kitchen
Multigrain Bread
While most people think of the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday, for me it is “Cook the Carcass Day.” After enjoying the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, Friday means pulling the extra meat from the bones, placing the carcass in a big pot along with water, celery, onions and cooking for several hours. The result…
Making Pies in Jars
I first heard about baking pies in canning jars through a blog post from my local orchard. With a freezer full of summer fruit picking, and some empty jelly jars, I decided to give it a try. I searched online for additional information and found great directions at Our Best Bites. I headed to the…
Simple Apple Dumplings
Since I live in an area where apple dumplings are taken fairly seriously with apple dumpling festivals and apple dumpling queens, I hesitate to call this recipe apple dumplings since it is not the traditional apple and crust. This is a recipe I got at a family reunion and like a lot of “family reunion…
Apple Coffee Cake
I have been away from the blog for awhile as the business of work, summer gardening and general activity took precedence. Now it is September and in our area September means fresh apples from the many local orchards. I love the smell of apples baking and am always looking for a new baked good using…
Blueberry Coffee Cake
It will be another month or two before our local blueberries are ready. But while we wait for our local berries, here is a recipe that uses fresh blueberries (or you can use frozen berries) that is good as a dessert or as a coffee bread. Blueberry Coffee Cake 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk…
Broccoli Slaw
With the beautiful weather, we are taking advantage of the grill for many of our evening meals. Looking for something to go with our pork kebobs, I remembered broccoli slaw. It is easy to prepare ahead of time and provides a crunchy and chewing contrast to the grilled meat. I enjoy a little “tang” in…
Cinnamon Nut No-Knead Bread
I have been totally involved with planting and weeding when not at work for the past month – thankfully spring finally arrived, although we have a frost warning tonight! Here is a post I started in January but never got around to publishing. Enjoy! This makes a great breakfast or snack variation of the no-knead…
Steel Cut Oats No – Knead Bread
One of my favorite no-knead variations…. This version of no-knead bread uses steel cut oats in the dough to yield bread that is denser than the traditional no-knead bread. It is a great choice to use with a slice of cheese or a bowl of soup. Steel Cut Oats No-Knead Bread 2 1/4 cup all…
Chocolate Nut Cherry No Knead Bread
Yet another variation of the no-knead bread baked in cast iron at high heat… This version uses cocoa to add a chocolate flavor. I also added some sugar to make it a little sweet and chopped nuts and dried cherries. For my first loaf, I used two tablespoons of cocoa which yielded a mild chocolate…
Fastnachts (German Doughnuts)
Today is Fastnacht Day here in the Pennsylvania German area of Pennsylvania. I have copied my post from last year about fastnachts below. Happy Fastnacht Day! There are two different traditions in my life related to the German yeast doughnuts known as fastnachts or fashnachts. My German mother-in-law made fastnachts on Good Friday because they abstained from meat…
Parmesan Garlic No-Knead Bread
Here is yet another variation of the no-knead crusty break baked at high heat in cast iron. This is a good choice to go with any type of Italian food. For more variations on no-knead bread, click here. Other no-knead recipes coming soon include chocolate cherry, cinnamon not and steel cut oats so make sure…
Very Berry No Knead Bread
Another variation on the no-knead method of baking bread in cast iron to yield a bakery-style bread with crusty outside and soft inside. This variation uses dried berries to make a great breakfast loaf. Very Berry No-Knead Bread 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon yeast 2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 cup…
Blackberry Cake
During the summer, I picked 19 pounds of blackberries at our local orchard. This winter the frozen berries have been wonderful as pies and cobblers. This recipe is a cross between a cobbler and a cake and a very good way to use some blackberries. Blackberry Cake 1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks 1 cup…
Muesli No-Knead Bread
This variation of the no knead bread baked in cast iron uses 10 grain cereal to make a breakfast loaf with grains, dates, seeds and raisins. Baking the moist dough at high temperatures in the cast iron yields a loaf with crusty chewy exterior and soft tender interior. Muesli No-Knead Bread 3 cups unbleached all-purpose…
Swedish Cinnamon Ring
When I was in high school we had a Swedish high school student live with use for several weeks through the International Farm Youth Exchange program. Gunilla gave my mother a Swedish recipe book before she left and one recipe that we made many times over the years is a cinnamon yeast dough that can…
Whole Wheat Multi-Grain No Knead Bread
This variation of the no-knead bread baked in cast iron is one of our favorites. It is denser than the traditional no-knead. It uses one cup of whole wheat flour in addition to the unbleached flour. You also add 1 cup of 10 grain cereal (uncooked). The cereal can be found in health food stores…
Jalapeno and Cheddar No Knead Bread
My fascination with baking bread in cast-iron using the no-knead method continues. Using a covered cast iron pot to bake the moist dough at a high temperature yields the type of bread you purchase in a bakery with a crusty, chewing crust and soft interior texture. This is a variation that adds one cup of…
Cranberry – Pecan No-Knead Bread
Having recently discovered the wonders of baking no-knead bread in cast iron, I am eager to try the many variations. This cranberry-pecan bread uses the basic no-knead recipe and you add dried cranberries, the zest of one orange and chopped nuts. It makes a wonderful loaf, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside….
A German and Southern Happy New Year! (A Little Late)
I just realized yesterday that I never clicked on “Publish” for the New Years’ post. So, even though it is now January 7, Happy New Year! Original post below. Our New Years Day meal combines my husband’s German heritage and the Pennsylvania German area where we live with my southern roots. The tradition for the…
Nature and Life Notes 