freezer friendly Archives - Cozy Country Living

Raisin, Date & Pecan Muffins

Shannon — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:10:54 +0000

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RealDelicious #CerealAnytime #CollectiveBias

Who’s ready for back to school? Well, whether you’re ready or not it’s here! I’ve always thought that the secret to a smooth transition back to school is to be prepared. Having convenient and great tasting breakfasts and snacks on hand are definitely a must in our house. These easy to make, delicious freezer friendly Raisin, Date & Pecan Muffins are the perfect way to start a school day!

When I’m grocery shopping at Walmart, I always pick up a few of our favorite Post cereals. They’re convenient to have in my pantry for breakfast any day of the week and my kiddos love them. Honey Bunches of Oats are perfect for the whole family with cold milk and Saturday morning cartoons are even better with a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

My boys have even been known to have a nice bowl of cereal after school before sports practice too! I guess a good cereal is good anytime of day!

Although I love Post Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans cereal by itself in the mornings, I really love it in these hearty muffins! These muffins can quickly be made in your kitchen mixer or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Whatever is easiest for you!

The tasty whole grains, raisins, dates, and pecans are blended into a delicious warm cinnamon and buttermilk batter. Yum!

The batter then sits for at least 1 hour (overnight is best) so that the buttermilk can soak into every bit of the flakes for a moist muffin. The buttermilk does something special to these… trust me!

Tip: For little to no mess & even sized muffins- use an ice cream scoop!

You can store the batter in your refrigerator for up to 1 week, bake them first thing in the morning for warm muffins, or get ahead of the game and bake them all right away and store them in the freezer for later.

Eating these muffins is just as versatile as making them. Eat them for breakfast or brunch, pack one in your children’s lunch or even grab one on-the-go for a satisfying after school snack.

Grab your little kitchen helpers today and bake a dozen or 2! They just might become one of your family’s new favorites! Enjoy!

You can find more yummy Post Cereal recipes on Pinterest!

Raisin, Date & Pecan Muffins

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups Post Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans cereal
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
handful whole pecans for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Mix all of your ingredients in your Kitchen Aid mixer or by hand in a large mixing bowl.
Cover and store the muffin batter in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Fill your paper lined muffin tins almost full with the batter.
Place 1 whole pecan on the top of each muffin in the middle.
Bake for 18-22 minutes (ovens may vary) or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Do not over bake.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Makes 18 muffins.
*You may store the batter in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and bake as you like for warm muffins each morning.
*To freeze: Prepare and bake as usual. Cool completely and then store in a freezer friendly plastic bag or container.
Enjoy!

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/raisin-date-pecan-muffins/

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Greek Breakfast Wraps

Shannon — Fri, 20 May 2016 21:45:44 +0000

Have you been on the go lately? As soon as the weather warmed up, we seem to be on the go all of the time. There’s always so much going on around our house this time of year. The end of another school year means field trips, exams and fun outdoor extra curricular activities. I really enjoy the month of May, but as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I have a hard time finding time to spend in the kitchen when the weather is so nice. Sometimes, I would just rather be outdoors! These tasty Greek Breakfast Wraps are a quick & easy on-the-go breakfast (even for lunch, dinner or snack for growing boys for that matter) that your whole family will love! They are even freezer friendly too!

Because I love simple ingredients, these wraps are made with items you may already have on hand.

Marinated artichoke hearts, finely chopped fresh zucchini, sliced red onion, quartered grape or cherry tomatoes, garlic and feta cheese crumbles are mixed together with perfectly seasoned scrambled eggs and rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla for a meal that can be made in about 10 minutes!

First, get out a nice large skillet and saute your onion and garlic in a little butter and extra virgin olive oil until softened.

In a mixing bowl (I even use a large glass 4 cup measuring cup sometimes) beat together your eggs with a splash of half and half or heavy cream, salt, freshly grated black pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano.

Over medium heat, pour your egg mixture into the skillet and stir.

Continue to stir frequently, but not rapidly, and add in your artichokes, zucchini, tomatoes and feta continuing to gently stir until the eggs are almost set.

Remove from the heat and warm your soft whole wheat tortillas on a plate in the microwave to make them nice and pliable. 1 minute should be sufficient.

Then start filling and rolling!

That’s it! If you are eating these right away (the absolute best way to eat them), serve them immediately with a piece of fruit or if you have time,a yummy fresh fruit salad!

If you are freezing these to keep on hand for busy mornings, go ahead and prepare these as usual, then let them cool completely. Wrap each wrap gently in a paper towel (select a size works great for these- if you don’t have those, just cut your paper towel in half) and then store them in your empty whole wheat tortilla bag in the freezer!

Enjoy!

Greek Breakfast Wraps

Ingredients

1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
12 large eggs
2 Tbsp. half & half or heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
pinch of dried oregano
1/2 of 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 (6.5 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, removed from the jar w/ a fork and roughly chopped
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
4 oz. feta cheese crumbles
10 whole wheat tortillas

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute your onion and garlic in olive oil and butter until softened.
In a mixing bowl, lightly beat your eggs along with the half & half, salt, pepper and oregano.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and stir.
Continue to stir frequently, not rapidly, and gently stir in your zucchini, artichokes, tomatoes and feta.
Remove from heat when the eggs are almost set. If your eggs still look a little wet, continue to stir on low heat to cook off the extra moisture.
On a plate, warm your stack of whole wheat tortillas to make them more pliable. About 1 minute.
Fill the 10 tortillas evenly with the scrambled egg mixture, fold and roll them up.
Serve warm with a fresh piece of fruit or a fruit salad.
Makes 10 Greek Breakfast Wraps.
*To freeze: Prepare as usual. Let the wraps cool completely, wrap in a half of a paper towel and then store in the empty tortilla plastic bag or a any freezer friendly container or bag in your freezer for a quick & easy on-the-go meal. Heat frozen wraps individually, directly from the freezer in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Enjoy!

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/greek-breakfast-wraps/

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Hearty Spinach Marinara with Turkey Meatballs

Shannon — Sat, 16 Apr 2016 02:15:14 +0000

There’s really nothing more comforting than a pot or skillet of homemade simple marinara sauce bubbling on your stove top. The sweet smell of tomatoes along with fragrant herbs gently lingers and makes it’s way through your house pulling you into the kitchen. Well I want my comfort foods and my veggies all in one, so I love to make this delicious Hearty Spinach Marinara with Turkey Meatballs for a tasty family dinner!

Marinara sauce is simple and I think that’s the what makes it so great. It’s also so easy to make. You’ll wonder why you’ve been buying sauce out of a jar all of these years.

In the summer months, I prefer to use fresh tomatoes from my garden, but a good can of crushed tomatoes works excellent in this recipe too.

This recipe takes under an hour to make and it’s perfect for Sunday Supper!

I start by making the turkey meatballs. I know a lot of people like to use ground turkey in place of ground beef to save fat and calories. The truth is, is that if you are going to do that, you need to make sure that your ground turkey is ground turkey breast or 93% lean.

If you want a tasty turkey meatball, you’ll have to season them well and keep them moist.

I like to use milk soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs along with a little Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper and of course some freshly grated Parmesan cheese in these meatballs. Yum!

I always roll up my sleeves and gently mix the meat mixture together with my hands being careful not to over mix it. Sometimes getting your hands dirty is just worth it!

After gently shaping the meat into balls, I bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While that’s cooking, you can get started on your sauce.

Saute a little onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add your crushed tomatoes, a freshly grated carrot for sweetness, a little basil, a package of squeezed dry spinach and a bay leaf. Stir, Stir, Stir….

Then let the marinara sauce simmer over low heat, stirring frequently as it lightly bubbles. This sauce thickens up so nicely.

When the meatballs are done baking, add them to your marinara sauce, wiggle them into the sauce and continue simmering for 15 minutes or so.

Oh, these are so good!

This is an excellent recipe to use if you are watching your carb or pasta intake because the sauce and meatballs itself is so satisfying.

When serving this for Sunday Supper, I like to toss it well with penne pasta and serve it with more freshly grated Parmesan.

This also freezes very well! Make a batch on a rainy weekend and you’ll have a tasty sauce ready to go on a busy evening stored right in your own freezer!

Enjoy!

Hearty Spinach Marinara with Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:
1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey or ground turkey breast
1 large piece of white bread tore into small pieces
1/4 cup milk (poured over bread to soften)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp, dried parsley
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the Marinara:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot finely grated
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 (10 oz.) package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 bay leaf

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meatball ingredients gently with your hands being careful not to over mix.
Gently roll or shape into a 2 inch ball and place into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, start your marinara sauce.
In a large pot or skillet, heat your extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.
Slowly add you tomatoes and remaining ingredients.
Stir well over low heat as the sauce thickens and begins to bubble.
When the meatballs are done baking, add then to the sauce and cover them with the sauce.
Continue simmering for 15 minutes or so.
Serve over penne or spaghetti for a delicious family meal!
Serves 6.
Enjoy!
*To freeze, cook as usual, cool completely and store in containers or mason jars, making sure to leave and inch of room at the top of the jar. To defrost, leave overnight in the refrigerator, then heat in a saucepan.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/hearty-spinach-marinara-turkey-meatballs/

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Cheesy Chicken & Tri Colored Rotini Bake

Shannon — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 15:50:28 +0000

I’m always looking for new casserole or bake type dinners to serve my family. A little meat, a little veggie and whatever else goes good together and you’ve usually got a yummy meal that everyone can enjoy, any night of the week. These types of meals are always simple and comforting. I made this Cheesy Chicken & Tri Colored Rotini Bake this week and we just loved it!

I usually stock up on Colored Rotini for my family’s favorite Italian Tuna Pasta Salad. As I was doing a little Spring Cleaning this week through my pantry, I noticed that I had a few packages of this pasta on my top shelf. Sure, pasta doesn’t really go bad, but I thought it would be nice to use this in something a little different.

I cooked the pasta until al dente and then set it aside. Then I sauteed a little onion and garlic in a little olive oil in my skillet until softened. Then I slowly added my chicken broth.

I added the chopped, squeezed dry spinach along with the ricotta cheese and gave everything a good stir over medium heat.

Oh, it smelled so good!

I then added the cooked rotini pasta and the chopped chicken breast (from my make ahead Perfectly Roasted Chicken Breast or a rotisserie chicken), then tossed everything together well.

I poured the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish, topped with more cheese and baked in the oven to melt the cheese and heat everything through well for 20 minutes. Yum!

This tasty and simple bake is wonderful served with a fresh salad or a loaf of garlic bread for a nice family meal, even on busy weeknights.

You can even prepare this meal ahead of time and freeze it before baking. It’s always nice to have a whole meal… a homemade meal, ready to go in your freezer for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking.

I hope your family puts this recipe on your menu soon & enjoys it as much as we do!

Cheesy Chicken & Tri Colored Rotini Bake

Ingredients

1 lb. Tri Colored Rotini Pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained
2 -3 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) container part skim Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* You can use Italian Blend Shredded Cheese too.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain (do not rinse) and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the extra virgin olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until translucent.
Slowly add the vegetable or chicken stock and continue stirring.
Turn the heat to low and add the squeezed dry spinach and the ricotta cheese and stir.
Season with salt and pepper, stir and turn off heat..
Add the pasta and chicken to the skillet.
Toss well and then pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Top with the cheeses and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the bake is heated through. Do not over cook, you don't want it to dry out.
Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Serves 6.
*To freeze: Prepare as usual, but do not bake. Cool completely, cover and store in the freezer. When you are ready to bake this, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bake as usual. It may require a bit more cooking time depending on your freezer and refrigerator settings.
Enjoy!

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/cheesy-chicken-rotini-bake/

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White Chocolate & Pistachio Cookies

Shannon — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:30:48 +0000

Have you ever sat down after a long day, the house if finally quiet and you’re ready for a date with your DVR? The only thing that would make the night better would be a little sweet treat, but you’ve got nothing in the house! I know… I’ve been there. I keep sweets out of the house most of the time so I don’t snack on them all day, but I do like to have quick recipes on hand, just in case I have a late night craving. These yummy White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies are the perfect way to end the day and to satisfy those cravings!

Pistachios are one of my favorite snacks and I always have them in my pantry for my kiddos to pack in their lunches. With St. Patrick’s Day, Easter & Spring right around the corner, adding those pretty green nuts to these cookies not only makes them extra delicious, but it’s festive without using any food coloring.

These warm, buttery crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside cookies filled with creamy pistachios and sweet white chocolate are excellent served with a tall glass of cold milk!

In under 10 minutes (or in between commercials), you can have a few dozen of these cookies baking away in the oven!

*Tip: Keep a few sticks of unsalted butter on a small plate softening on your kitchen counter so you’re ready to whip up a batch of homemade cookies whenever you like!

To speed up my cookie making process and to ensure that all of my cookies are all the same size, I always use my handy dandy Cookie Scoop! I just love this little thing!

If you like to make homemade cookies, you’ll love how easy it is to get perfect looking cookies every time when you use it!

Since this recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies, you’ll be able to freeze some of these for later too.

Having them on hand is convenient for school lunches, last minute guests and of course another date night with your DVR that requires a sweet treat!

Enjoy!

White Chocolate & Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips
1 (6 oz.) bag shelled, lightly salted pistachios

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In your Kitchen Aid mixer, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time mixing well, then add the vanilla.
Stir together and then add the flour, soda and salt.
Mix until the dough comes together and then add in your white chocolate chips and the pistachios.
With a cookie scoop or a large spoon, drop packed tablespoon sized scoops of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let them sit for a minute before moving them to a cooling rack.
Serve warm or room temperature with milk!
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
*To freeze, bake as usual, cool completely and then store in a freezer friendly plastic bag or container.
Enjoy!

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/white-chocolate-pistachio-cookies/

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Blackberry & Vanilla Baked Oatmeal

Shannon — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 00:45:53 +0000

There’s nothing like waking up and enjoying a warm breakfast on a cold and snowy morning, especially on the weekend! If you don’t have to be anywhere, it’s nice to take your time enjoying your breakfast with your family and staying in your pajamas until lunch time! If we are staying in, I like to do household chores in between Hallmark movies after we’ve started our day with this easy (and make ahead) Blackberry & Vanilla Baked Oatmeal!

I like to fill my grocery cart with a lot of fruit this time of year and I try to use fresh berries for snacks and baked into scrumptious muffins or oatmeal recipes too. Fruits like oranges, grapefruits and bananas are always good in the winter, but berries…now that can be a different story. It’s hit or miss. Sometimes they’re good. Sometimes they’re bad. This week I lucked out and found some fresh, juicy blackberries at Aldi for .99 that looked better than any of the bigger grocery stores have had in awhile. I bought 4 packages and couldn’t wait to put them into some oatmeal for my family.

This recipe comes together in minutes and you can mix it all easily by hand in a large bowl. Old fashioned oats are mixed with a little sugar, vanilla almond milk, warm cinnamon and plump blackberries for a tasty breakfast treat! You can make this oatmeal the night before and then just bake it in the morning or you can freeze it too! Convenient recipes like these are nice to have on hand for unexpected company or for cozy weekend breakfasts.

Not only will this warm oatmeal make your whole house smell amazing, but when those juicy berries burst into the oatmeal it’s like a warm summer pie in every bite.

If you’re trying to get more fiber and oats into your family’s diet this year, this sure is a yummy way to do it!

Stay warm this weekend & enjoy!

Blackberry & Vanilla Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sugar (sometimes I only use 1/4 cup because I prefer less sugar)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 (6 oz.) package of fresh blackberries

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl combine all of your ingredients except for the blackberries.
Mix well.
Gently fold in the blackberries and pour the oatmeal mixture into a lightly greased (cooking spray will be fine) 8 x 8 baking dish or pie plate evenly.
Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until the oatmeal is light golden brown and the berries have begun to burst.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with milk if desired.
Serves 6.
*To freeze- Prepare the oatmeal as usual, but do not bake. Store in a freezer safe container with lid. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake in the morning as usual. It may require 10 more minutes of baking depending on how fast it thawed in the refrigerator.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/blackberry-vanilla-baked-oatmeal/

*Linking up at I Heart Naptime

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Chocolate Chip & Coconut Cookies

Shannon — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 19:30:36 +0000

It’s been a full week of snow here…and lots of it! Living just south of Buffalo makes us very familiar with winter weather and lake effect snow. The temperatures are cold, the wind blustery, and the landscape beautiful and covered in a 2 ft. blanket of fresh, glistening white snow. Dinners this week consisted of slow cooker meals, warm and comforting soups along with chili to keep everyone warm and cozy. Since it’s been such a cold week, I wanted to end it on a sweet note! These freshly baked delicious Chocolate Chip & Coconut Cookies are the perfect way for your family to end a snowy day or week!

Crisp on the outside, warm, soft and chewy on the inside and filled with rich dark chocolate & semi sweet chips along with moist shredded coconut makes this cookie recipe a keeper! My husband plows snow in the winter and this week I’ve only seen him to hand him a meal or cup of coffee on his way out the door. These yummy cookies are definitely plow cookies. Made with love and perfect on the go with a cup of coffee on these blustery and snowy days while he plows!

As long as you have some softened butter on your kitchen counter, you can have these warm homemade cookies ready for the oven in about 10 minutes! The butter blended with extra virgin coconut oil makes for a wonderful, flavorful base in this dough.

After your fluffy dough comes together it’s time to add in the chocolate & coconut! Semi sweet chocolate chips, coconut filled dark chocolate chips and shredded coconut can be added and blended quickly.

To keep the cookies all relatively the same size and in a nice round shape, I use a (affiliate) Cookie Scoop!

Place the cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes!

Remove the cookies from the oven, let them sit a minute and then grab yourself a glass of milk! You have to try a warm cookie to make sure they are perfect!

These can be served warm or room temperature and taste wonderful with a cold glass of milk or hot cup of coffee. These cookies are freezer friendly too, so get baking this weekend! Your family will thank you!

Chocolate Chip & Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil, solid not melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (9 oz.) bag Nestle Delightfulls Dark Chocolate Coconut Filled Chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In your Kitchen Aid mixer, cream the butter, coconut oil and sugars together until smooth, light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla and combine well.
Sift and add the flour, baking soda and salt.
Mix well until combined until the dough comes together.
Add the semi sweet chips, the coconut filled chocolate chips and the shredded coconut and quickly mixed until incorporated into the dough.
Using a large cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 1 minute before removing them to a cooling rack.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy!
*To freeze- cool the cookie completely and store in a freezer safe container or plastic bag.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/chocolate-chip-coconut-cookies/

*Linking up at I Heart Naptime

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Banana & Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Shannon — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 17:15:25 +0000

I love making quick breads! They are (obviously) quick, delicious and perfect for breakfast and snacks. It seems like I always have bananas on my kitchen counter too. I make my go to Banana Bread recipe quite often and my family loves it. Ever since I was little, Banana Bread has always made an appearance on our family’s Thanksgiving table. It’s a favorite for all of the children and this year, in addition that yummy recipe, I’m adding this delicious Pumpkin & Banana Pecan Bread!

Creamy pureed pumpkin is mixed with mashed ripe bananas, warm cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove along with freshly chopped pecans for a tasty, moist bread that’s perfect with your cup of coffee in the morning!

For added flavor and crunch, this yummy bread is topped with cinnamon and sugar coated pecans for beautiful presentation too!

This simple quick bread is freezer friendly, so I get busy making it a week or so before Thanksgiving. If I can cross some items off my Thanksgiving to do list ahead of time, that helps me a lot and I find that I am able to enjoy the rest of my holiday kitchen prep work without rushing around.

The night before Thanksgiving, I just take this out of the freezer and it’s ready to slice in the morning. It makes a wonderful breakfast for the whole family while you spend some time together watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

I have such wonderful memories from my childhood of waking up to my mother busy cooking away in the kitchen and the smell of a savory stuffed turkey baking away in the oven.

Now that I have a family of my own, I want them to experience the comforts of home on Thanksgiving morning and a simple, but special breakfast treat before the day begins.

This bread of course is great any time of the year, but if you love pumpkin for Thanksgiving, give this recipe a try! I think you’ll love it! It also makes a beautiful and thoughtful hostess gift wrapped in clear cellophane tied with twine and a sweet note! Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Banana Pecan Bread

Ingredients

For The Bread:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 egg whites
3 very ripe large bananas, mashed
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1-1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
For The Topping: (optional)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In your Kitchen Aid mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time combining well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and combine them with the pumpkin puree and the spices.
Mix well.
Add the banana/pumpkin mixture to the batter and combine.
Slowly add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk until the bread batter is combined.
Add your finely chopped pecans and mix until incorporated.
Lightly grease 2 large (5" x 10") loaf pans and pour the batter evenly into the pans.
In a small bowl combine your topping ingredients and spoon evenly onto the tops of the loaves.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the loaves comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes or so.
Remove from the pans and let the loaves finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Makes 2 large loaves.
*To freeze- let the loaves cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe container or plastic bag.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/banana-pumpkin-pecan-bread/

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25 Cozy & Comforting Soups

Shannon — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 13:00:47 +0000

This week was full of rain, wind, chilly temperatures and even a little snow! Brrr! Being stuck inside didn’t turn out to be such a bad thing though. This kind of weather and the winter season ahead are perfect weather for making cozy & comforting soups! Most of these delicious 25 recipes are freezer friendly, so while you have a little extra time on your hands before the holidays roll around, simmer a pot (or 2) of these yummy soups on your stovetop or in your slow cooker this weekend! It’s always great to stock up for a busy night or for when family member suddenly starts to get the sniffles or begin to feel a little under the weather. There’s nothing like a warm bowl of homemade soup with crackers, a sandwich or freshly baked crusty bread to make someone feel better! Enjoy!

Loaded Vegetable Soup

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Double Noodle Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Cheesy Pepper Jack & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Italian Sausage, Pepper & Onion Soup

Broccoli & Cheese Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

Pepper Jack Ham & Potato Soup

Crockpot Pasta Fagioli

Lemon & Garlic Chicken & Orzo Soup

Easy Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

Homemade Alphabet Vegetable Soup

Slow Cooker Garlic Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Slow Cooker Spicy Sausage & Black Bean Soup

Rustic Italian Wedding Soup

30 Minute Sausage & Tomato Soup

Garlicky Green Bean & Parmesan Soup

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Hearty Vegetable Beef & Rice Soup

Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini Chicken Soup

Fresh Tomato & Basil Soup

Italian Sausage, Potato & Spinach Soup

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Cheesy Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Homemade Vegetable Stock

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Chewy Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Shannon — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:45:47 +0000

Apples, apples, apples! I can’t seem to get enough of them this time of year. We’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors lately, so I wanted to make a special apple treat that was easy to bring along anywhere. These tasty Chewy Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal cookies are a delicious treat that the whole family will love. They are easy to make, perfect with your coffee in the morning, make a fantastic after school snack and are freezer friendly too! Grab some fresh apples and your little kitchen helpers and bake a few dozen of these yummy cookies this weekend!

As much as I love apples, I also really love oatmeal in cookies. There’s something hearty, wholesome and always satisfying in a good oatmeal cookie. I’m always coming up with new ways to add some of my other favorite ingredients into simple oatmeal cookies, and I’ve not been disappointed yet.

In the summer, I like to make my special Blueberry Cobbler Oatmeal Cookies. Now in the Fall, these surely have become a household favorite! Some people like their oatmeal cookies crispy, but I like mine soft and chewy.

This cookie dough will give you that chewy, tasty cookie that’s slightly but perfectly crisp around the edges.

When I’m adding apples to cookies, I like to use good baking apples. Cortland apples have long been a family favorite, so I continue to use those.

Other similar apples like McIntosh, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious also will work well. They will be soft in the cookie so that you aren’t biting into a hard piece.

After your cookies have been baked and are cooling, start making your glaze.

This simple apple & cinnamon glaze drizzled or piped across these cookies pulls all of those lovely apple and warm spice flavors together.

Let the glaze harden and these are all ready to serve! My family likes to enjoy these cookies with apple cider or a glass of cold milk! Enjoy!

Chewy Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/3 cup half & half
4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled apple
For the Glaze:
1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In your Kitchen Aid Mixer, cream the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, half & half and mix well.
Add the oats, and flour along with the soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until combined.
Add the chopped apple and mix until incorporated.
Drop Tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) of the cookie batter onto the lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies become light golden around the edges.
Remove from the oven and let them rest 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, in a small mixing bowl whisk together the confectioner's sugar, apple cider and cinnamon for the glaze.
After the cookies have cooled completely, drizzle the glaze with a spoon or small plastic bag across the cookies.
Let the glaze harden.
Serve with coffee, milk or freshly pressed apple cider.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
*To freeze: After the glaze hardens, store the cookies in a freezer friendly plastic container or bag.

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