Brown Bread

 2 1/2 Cups Warm Water

1 1/2 T Yeast

2/3 Cup Honey

Put in mixer, mix and let sit for 10 minutes

Add 1/4 Cup melted coconut oil

1/3 Cup molasses

2 T cocoa powder

1 T salt

4 Cups whole wheat flour

4 Cups white flour

Mix, knead for 10 minutes.  Let double.  Punch down and form into loaves and let rise until double.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chewy Choc-Oat Chip Bars

Ingredients

• 1 Cup(s) (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
• 1 Cup(s) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup(s) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoon(s) milk
• 2 Teaspoon(s) vanilla
• 1 3/4 Cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon(s) salt (optional)
• 2 1/2 Cup(s)
  Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 2 Cup(s) (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Cup(s) chopped nuts (optional)
• 2 Egg(s)

Cooking Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F. Beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts; mix well. Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. Store tightly covered.

Serving Tips: Substitute 1 cup of any of the following for 1 cup chocolate chips: candy-coated chocolate pieces, candy-coated peanut butter pieces, white chocolate chips, peanut butter & milk chocolate chips or butterscotch chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 10 minutes for a chewy cookie or 12 to 13 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 5 dozen.

Blackberry Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups  cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup  unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract²
• seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup  full-fat sour cream at room temperature
• 1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners - this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
2. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
4. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners - fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
5. Top with Buttercream frosting and a blackberry
   

For the Buttercream

•  1 cup fresh blackberries
•  1 tablespoon water
•  1 tablespoon lemon juice
•  1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
•  4 cups powdered sugar
•  2-4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
•  1 teaspoon vanilla
•  pinch of salt
• Additional blackberries for garnish if desired

Instructions

• To make the buttercream, place the blackberries, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Heat on medium heat stirring occasionally until the blackberries soften and release their juice. Crush the blackberries and continue to cook the mixture on the stove to reduce it. When the mixture coats the back of the spoon, remove from the heat and strain the mixture in a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and fruit. You should have roughly 1/4 cup of liquid. Let cool completely
• Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until light in color and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, blackberry reduction and enough of the heavy cream or milk to make a spreadable consistency. Beat the frosting on high for 3-4 minutes or until very fluffy. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with a blackberry if desired.

Texas Sheet Cake

3/4 LB butter

4 TBS cocoa

1 Cup water

2 Cups flour

2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

ICING:

1/2 Cup butter

4 TBS cocoa

6 TBS milk

1 lb powdered sugar

1-1 1/2 Cups pecans chopped

1 tsp vanilla

 Melt and bring to boil butter, cocoa and water.  Sift together flour and sugar.  Pour hot mixture into sugar mixture then add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla.  Mix well.  Pour into long cookie sheet with sides and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Prepare icing while cake bakes.  In sauce pan bring to boil butter, cocoa and milk; add powdered sugar and beat in; add pecans and vanilla.  Pour over cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Let cool and serve.

Herbed Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Salad

  7 cups mixed greens

 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
 1 large avocado, sliced
 8 ounces burrata
 2 ears of corn
 1 pound chicken breasts
 5 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked
 salt + pepper
 Olive or avocado oil
 Fresh basil + rosemary, small bunch of both

1 | Start by seasoning your chicken with salt, pepper, and rosemary to taste. Then grill until cooked all the way through, approximately 12 minutes on each side. While your chicken is cooking shuck your corn and coat in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Throw the corn on the grill for about 5 minutes, rotating continually. Just long enough to get grill marks.

2 | Once the chicken is done let it rest and cut the corn kernels off the cob and set aside.

3 | Now you can start by assembling your salad. Place the washed greens in a bowl. Add the sliced chicken, tomatoes, avocado, corn, bacon, and burrata. Drizzle a little avocado oil and season with salt + pepper.

4 | Serve the dressing on the side + enjoy!

BASIL + ROSEMARY BACON DRESSING
– 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
– 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
– 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
– 2-3 tablespoons honey
– 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
– 1 tablespoon fresh basil
– 1 strip of bacon
– 1 tablespoon leftover bacon grease, cooled a bit
– salt + pepper to taste

1 | Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve alongside the salad and store any leftover dressing in the fridge for up to one week.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

 4 Quarts popcorn - popped

1 cube Butter

1 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup Karo Syrup

1 TBS vnailla

few shakes salt

Put popped popcorn in brown paper bag that has been sprayed with Pam.  Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil.  Take off heat and add 1/2 tsp soda.  mix well.  Pour over top of the popcorn.  Roll up the bag and microwave one minute on high.  Shake bag.  Microwave one minute on high - Shake Bag.  Microwave 30 seconds on high - Shake bag.  Microwave 20 seconds on high and Shake bag
.  Pour out onto cookie sheet and let cool. 

Caramel Popcorn

Equal amounts of the following 5 ingredients:

white sugar
brown sugar
butter
Karo Syrup
Sweetened condensed milk

Combine in sauce pan and cook until soft ball stage.  Pop popcorn removing all kernels.  Put in a bowl and pour hot caramel over popcorn.  Let cool and harden.