Spice Cake Muffins

2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shredded wheat

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup crushed pineapple

1/4 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup grated coconut

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For cupcakes, grease and flour a 12 cup cupcake pan.

2.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into bowl; set aside.

3.  Place butter and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl.  Blend until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 
one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4.  Stir in flour, alternating with the buttermilk.  Stir in vanilla. Stir in shredded wheat, fruit  and coconut.

5.  Divide batter evenly into prepared cake pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched, or when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cupcakes will bake for 20-25 minutes.

6.  Place cupcake pans on wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes, then turn out of pans and cool completely on racks.

Thrifty Thursday ---- Easy-Does-It-Spaghetti!

Since school has started and all my employee have left me... I have found myself still working lots of nights and by doing so have discovered a greater need to use my crock pot for dinner meals. So to lick off a warm September Fall,  We give you...  


1 lb ground chuck (yeah, I use hamburger)

1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 - 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms drained (yeah, I leave these out)
3 C tomato juice
6oz dry spaghetti, broken into 4"-5" pieces

Cook and drain meat and put in crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except dry spaghetti and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. (High 3-5 hours). Turn on high last hour and stir in dry spaghetti.

I double it for my family.

Make-Over Monday: Better than Oatmeal

My husband and I have been researching some whole grain breakfast alternatives to that old-fashioned, heart-warming bowl of sticky oatmeal. We have found that whole grain couscous flavored with fruit and cinnamon makes for a healthy whole grain, low-calorie breakfast suitable for kids as well as adults! This Breakfast couscous recipe and photo is courtesy of the Wheat Foods Council.

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce can apples or pears, divided
water
1 tbsp butter
1 10 ounce package couscous
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

Preparation:

Drain fruit, reserving juice. Pour juice into measuring cup and add water to equal 2 cups. Prepare couscous according to package directions using the fruit juice and butter. Dice fruit; add to couscous.
Combine sugar and cinnamon and mix with couscous. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6 - (7/8 cup) servings of apple cinnamon couscous.
Calories per serving: 271
Nutrition: Each serving provides approximately: 271 calories; 6 g protein; 56 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 2 g fat (1 g saturated); 5 mg cholesterol; 0 mcg folate; 1 mg iron; 22 mg sodium.

Super Saturday - Meat Cooking Tips

So how many of you actually B-B-Q for Easter? Here at the Pantry, we actually don't. We are pretty much traditionalist and love our baked ham. But just in case you do here are some very educational tips that you can use today or anytime throughout the summer...

Many times here at the pantry we have been asked how you can tell what stage or temperature your steak is at and the other day we came acrossed this awesome chart on pinterest that we thought would be good to share.

Outdoor Cooking 2014- Day 1, Rubs & Sauces

It's the first Saturday in MAY and that means we are back in class. Today, here at the pantry, we are having a Kentucky Derby Tailgate Party and since we are transitioning from grilling to Bar-B-Queuing, We decided it would be good to explain the differences between Dry rubs, wet rubs and sauces. Even though they are similar in nature, they very in styles and all three have distinctive purposes. So we are going to share some of our ideas with all of you.

Dry Rubs

• We like dry rubs for grilling indoors and outdoors. They are made with dry spices and seasonings. They are all about flavor and don’t add any extra moisture to the meat. They will usually create a nice, crusty layer on the outside which locks in the juices. We like to make our dry rubs ahead of time, that way the spices have a chance to meld and we have them to use when we want them, we do lots of last minute grilling, based on our moods and weather. Dry rubs are great to store in bulk and if stored in an air-tight container they have a pretty good shelf live. We use dry rubs on both meats and vegetables prior to grilling.
 

Harris's Favorite Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon beef or chicken seasoning
• 1 tablespoon ground celery

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Keep in a cool, dark place.

 

Wet Rubs

• Typically, wet rubs are a blend of seasonings and or spices that have a bold rich flavor. Then liquid is added to make a paste, which is rubbed on the meat. This helps to add moisture and helps to seal in the flavor at the same time. We often use cooking oils, honey, vinegars, fruit juices, mustard or liquid smoke added to the dry seasonings to create the paste.  A wet rub is perfect for meats that you will be cooking or roasting on a lower heat for a longer period of time. Also remember that most oil and sugar-based wet rubs have a tendency to catch on fire if you try to cook over open hot flames. Be sure to watch your meat carefully and turn the meat over at regular intervals to avoid charring. Wet rubs can be used as marinades, but we usually do not you them for continual basting like you would a sauce or sop. 

Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic Marinade

• 2 - 3 stalks fresh rosemary (washed)
  
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  

Remove the rosemary leaves from the stalks and finely chop. Place them in a large resealable plastic bag.

Finely chop the garlic and add to the bag along with the juice from the lemons, olive oil, salt & pepper. Slosh around to mix. Add chicken and seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place the bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook and marinade up to 6 hours. This does not make a good basting sauce.

 Sauces

• Sauces have a liquid base with the seasonings and spices blended in. We use lots of sauces for different meats and we love to experiment with different flavors and textures. We use them mostly for BBQ's and continual basting on cuts of meat that tend to get dry during grilling. They make great marinades, but have a tendency to stay thick, so not much flavor is absorbed into the meats and once a sauce has been used as a marinade, it has come in contact with the rawness of the meat and it cannot be re-used because of contaminants. They are especially good used to sop, mop and baste while your meat in on the grill.

Soda Sauce 

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 6 green onions, chopped finely 
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed 
• 6 oz can tomato paste 
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup 
• 3/4 cup any soda pop (we like coke or ginger ale)
  
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar 
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 Tbsp "sweet baby rays" sauce 

Melt the butter in a small saucepan set over low heat. Add the green onions and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the green pieces of the green onion are well wilted. Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the corn syrup, soda pop, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Sweet baby rays sauce. Blend well and simmer, stirring occasionally, reduce for 20-30 minutes or until pleasantly thick.

Cowboy Dutch Oven Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bacon
• 1 large yellow onion
• 5 lbs potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

Preparation:
Cut the bacon slices into 1-inch pieces.  Cut the onion into rings about 1/2 inch thick and separate the rings.  Scrub the potato skins clean, leave the peel on them. Slice the potatoes into uniform circle slices about 1/4 inch thick. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and onions and let soak in cold water until ready to use.

Heat a 12-inch standard dutch oven over warm fire or 15 - 20 briquettes until it just barely starts to smoke.  Add the chopped bacon and cook and stir until the bacon is crisp, but not burnt. Drain water from potatoes and onions, then add them to the dutch oven and stir well to combine and distribute the bacon and bacon drippings evenly throughout the mixture, season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake over medium fire or with 10 briquettes bottom heat and 15 briquettes top heat for 40 to 60 minutes - stirring occasionally until potatoes are fully cooked but not falling apart.  Stir so that the bottom doesn't burn

Heaven in a Crockpot

Every once in awhile we try a new recipe... straight as the recipe reads, no alteration or changing it up... and when that happens and it turns out really really good, we love to give credit where credit it due! So, my I suggest a little "Heaven in a Crockpot"

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup butter, melted.
4 eggs
1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
Mix it all together.
Cook about 3 hours on low.
Top with vanilla ice cream.
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