Pineapple Banana Muffins

I needed to use some leftover crushed pineapple so I found this recipe from Taste of Home. I adapted it by cutting down the sugar, adding some whole wheat flour, using butter and applesauce, and making muffins instead of bread. They were really yummy. I made 30 regular-sized muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 3 to 4 ripe bananas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare muffin tins with liners.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs.
5. In a 2-cup measuring cup, melt the butter. Add ½ cup vegetable oil and ½ cup applesauce to make 1 ¼ cup liquid.
6. While whisking the eggs, pour in butter/vegetable oil/applesauce mixture. Add vanilla extract.
7. Add the pineapple.
8. Add the bananas and mix until bananas are thoroughly mashed.
9. Stir in the dry ingredients until just moistened.
10. Using a cookie scoop, fill muffin cups ¾ full.
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken and Dumplings (Slow Cooker)

The original recipe came from Budget Bytes. I had never even had chicken and dumplings and then one day I randomly decided to try it and found this recipe and became a fan. I love how the dumplings soak up some of the soup. It's delish. Also, I have made these dumpling dough with whole wheat flour and it has worked great. 

Ingredients
For the soup:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 ribs celery, sliced
• 3-4 carrots, sliced
• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

For the dumplings:

• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ tablespoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• ¾ teaspoon sugar
• 2/3 cup milk or almond milk

Directions

1. Add all of the soup ingredients - except salt - to a slow cooker. 
2. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
3. Shred the chicken and turn the slow cooker to high if it isn't already.
4. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt.
5. Keep the slow cooker lid on as much as possible to retain heat.
6. Mix flour, soda, parsley, and salt together.
7. Cut in butter in small chunks.
8. Add the milk until a soft paste-like mixture forms.
9. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and drop the dumpling batter into the soup by heaping spoonfuls.
10. Return the lid to the slow cooker and allow the dumplings to steam for 20 minutes.
11. Serve hot soup with dumplings on top.

Christmas Day Pull Aparts

This is part of our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. It's actually put together the night before, which makes it perfect to stick in the oven on Christmas morning and then enjoyed during present-opening. Some people call this "Monkey Bread". Do not make that mistake with me. This is not Monkey Bread. That is an entirely different recipe in my book.

Ingredients

• 12-18 frozen dinner rolls (like Rhodes)
• 1 package (small) instant vanilla pudding
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Directions

1. Grease a bundt pan and arrange rolls in pan.
2. Sprinkle vanilla pudding on top of rolls.
3. Melt butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a microwavable bowl. Stir well.
4. Pour butter mixture over pudding and rolls.
5. Cover and let sit on a counter overnight.
6. In the morning, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown.

Honey Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

This recipe comes from a blog called The Prairie Homestead. I made these using my bread maker to do the dough. The directions below are for mixing by hand. It takes some practice to get the size right when shaping the buns. They turn out really soft, too!

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil (If using coconut oil, select the refined kind that doesn't taste like coconuts)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (or one packet)
• 2 to 3.5 cups of whole wheat flour (it was 3 for me)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, gently heat the honey, butter, and milk over low heat until the butter is just slightly melted. Don't boil or simmer this mixture-- you want it just barely warm.
2. Place the yeast in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix the lukewarm honey/milk mixture into the yeast and stir well. Add the egg and salt. Gradually add in the flour, mixing and kneading as you go.
4. Once the dough gets to the point where it is forming a ball, I let it rest for 2-3 minutes. The whole wheat flour tends to soak up liquid over time, so giving it a few minutes allows the flour to soak up liquid and helps to prevent you from adding too much. After this resting period is complete, I go back in and add more flour if needed.
5. Knead 6-7 minutes, adding flour as needed. Cover the dough ball and allow it to rise in a warm place for one hour.
6. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 portions (12 if you like smaller buns). Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten it.
7. I flatten mine so they are pretty close to the size I want my finished buns to be -- during the rising process, they will mostly rise up, not out.
8. Cover the dough circles and allow them to rise 30 minutes in a warm place.
9. Bake at 375 degrees in a preheated oven for 12-18 minutes.
10. These buns are best if served on the same day they are made.