Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I made this bread the other day, and everyone seemed to like it, especially the kids.  This is not the quickest bread recipe, but it's really not very hard either--it just takes a bit of time.
Yield: 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

Bread Dough

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry, active yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour 

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons cinnamon
• milk for brushing

Glaze

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Heat milk and butter until butter melts.  Cool until mixture is lukewarm (about 110 degrees)
2. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a mixer (you can do this in the bread-mixer) if you want.  Beat in sugar and eggs, and blend at a low speed.  Add salt, lukewarm milk mix, 2 cups of flour--mix until well blended, for about a minute.  Add 1 1/4 cups of flour, and knead at medium-low speed, adding more flour until dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the bowl (or your fingers when you pinch it).  This will probably take about 10 minutes.
3. Once dough is smooth, soft, and elastic transfer it to a large oiled bowl to rise in.  Make sure and oil both side of the dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in size (2-2 1/2 hours).  After it has risen, punch down the center (you can refrigerate it at this point for up to a day if you need to).  Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Grease sides and bottom of bread pan.  Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (you can throw in raisins, nuts, etc at this point too).
5. Roll the dough into a rectangle, as close to 8x18" as you can (lightly flour counter if dough sticks), and brush it with milk.  Sprinkle filling evenly over dough, leaving 1/2" border along far end.  Starting with the close end, roll up dough, and push sides in if it gets wider than 9".  When you reach the end, pinch the dough together tightly to form a secure seam.  Pinch the ends together firmly as well, and place loaf seam-down in pan, pressingly lightly to flatten.
6. Cover top of pan with plastic wrap, and let it rise until dough is 1 inch above the top of the hand (this will take about an hour or so, or 2 if the dough has been refrigerated.  As the dough rises, move the oven rack to the center and heat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Meanwhile, whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl.  Gently brush loaf top with egg mixture.
8. Bake until loaf is golden brown, this should take 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.
9. Devour--once you cut it, it won't last long.

Chicken Nuggets

Every kid loves chicken nuggets, but not every parent loves buying them from the store when they're really just chicken with crumbs on them.  These are cheaper than the store kind, and tastier too.

Ingredients

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl or dish for dipping.
3. Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

black n white brownies

This is not the quickest brownie recipe, if you need them done in a half hour cook some from the box. These are not for those with weak arteries or diabetes though, haha.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 2/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons milk
• CHOCOLATE LAYER:
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 ounces of unsweetened (or semisweet) chocolate
• 1/2 cup of marshmellows or marshmellow cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nuts)
• FROSTING:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in oats and coconut. Add butter and milk; mix well. Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan--this will be the crust for the brownies. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate and marshmellows; cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, milk and vanilla; mix well. Add chocolate mixture; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to chocolate mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts. Spread evenly over crust. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the first five frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy. Spread over bars. Sprinkle with walnuts. Store in the refrigerator.

Interesting Ideas

I found this list of ideas when I was surfing the internet.  Not all of them are genius, but some really are pretty good.
Tell me what you guys think, should I post things like this too or stick to recipes?

Applesauce Bars

Feel like cake, but sorta healthy?  Give these a try, they're super tasty and not really all that bad for you (compared to my normal treats at least )

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (didn't have any so i used some cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice)
• chopped nuts, chocolate chips (optional)
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1 tablespoon milk (use cream cheese if you prefer a creamy icing_
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in applesauce. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; stir into the applesauce mixture until well blended. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips, and spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Cool in the pan over a wire rack.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar and margarine. Stir in vanilla and milk until smooth. Spread over cooled bars before cutting into squares.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

This bread is awesome!
Yield: 2 Loaves

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar (I used 1 cup sugar and 1 cup applesauce)
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 or 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Crumb Topping (optional, but delicious)

 1/2 c. regular oats, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. flour, 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/4 c. butter

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Pour crumble topping over after bread has baked for about 30 minutes--if you don't wait it'll sink.
5.  Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Pictures

 fresh summer grape tomatoes are the best  :)

 no bakes, and happy ones at that  :)

 It's been a weird winter, but the lack of snow has allowed for extra frisbee golf 

Some creamy and cheesy baked fries

 my first two loaves of bread i ever made on my own

 It was spicy, buttery, and delicious  :)