Honey Whole Wheat Bread

My Mom started baking bread in the 1970s, and I found one of her original recipes (they have changed a lot over the years as she has kept baking) that she had given to her Mom. When my Grandma Jane gave me her recipe cards, I inherited that recipe, and when I tried making it last week, I changed it a bit, and it turned out great! My Mom had some when she was watching my kids this week, and she said, “That is great bread!” I replied, “It’s your recipe—I just changed it a little bit.” In the recipe, I changed sugar to honey, added in some whole wheat flour, and chose to use coconut oil for the shortening.

Have the ingredients at room temperature (75 degrees).

Dissolve the yeast in the honey water in a large mixing bowl:

2 packets dry yeast (4 ½ tsp)

2 Tblsp. honey

1 cup lukewarm (85 degrees) water

Let stand 10 minutes. The yeast will froth up.

Next, beat in:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup coconut oil

4 cups lukewarm water

1 Tblsp salt

¾ cup honey

8 cups whole wheat flour

6-7 cups white flour (add until you have a smooth dough)

Cover, let stand for 10 minutes. Then knead until no longer sticky. Place in greased bowl and cover with a cloth until doubled in size (about an hour, depending on how warm your house is). Punch down, then pinch into six portions and place into greased loaf pans. Put a little oil on the top of each loaf to help with rising.

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees, and when the loaves have doubled in size, bake for 25-35 minutes until golden. Serve with butter! Makes six medium-sized loaves. It is great for making and then freezing some loaves for later so that you don’t have to bake too often.

Copyright 2022

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~Mary Hope

Cheddar Parmesean Biscuits

I craved a cheesy biscuit, so I figured out this recipe based on a recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook—I made it cheesier!

I baked mine a long time to get them almost like crackers, but if you want it more tender, don’t bake it as long. My daughter and I both love these savory biscuits.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tblsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried mustard powder

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the milk and stir until it makes a moist dough. Roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut out about 15-20 biscuits. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 12-15 min if you want them more fluffy or 20 minutes if you want them more like toasted crackers. Enjoy! Makes 15-20 biscuits.

Copyright 2022

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Thank you again, and peace to you and your family!

~Mary Hope

Peanut Butter Ball Cookies

My Mom made these treats with me when I was a child, and today I made these with my kids! With only four ingredients, it is a great recipe to make with kids, and it is pretty healthy too. You could add ¼ cup of your favorite protein powder, if you want it to make them more protein packed.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used one packet of crackers in a regular box of crackers)

1 cup powdered milk

½ cup crunchy peanut butter

½ cup honey

Mix together the graham crackers and powdered milk, and then add the peanut butter and honey. Mix until it combines into it is all crumbly. Then take about a tablespoon and form into a ball. Enjoy! Makes about 18 treats.

Copyright 2022 by Mary H. Schuh

P.S. Thank you for stopping by! I insert affiliate links, such as from  Amazon, into my posts to share interesting books and products. If you buy something or start a registry, I receive income (at no extra cost to you!), for which I am thankful. So…..

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–shop at my Etsy photo card shop: Trees of Transition Art & Design

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Thank you again, and peace to you and your family!

~Mary Hope

Grain-Free Cinnamon Coconut Granola

My husband is gluten-free right now, so I figured out this grain-free granola because he loves breakfast cereal. The combo of vanilla, cinnamon toasted with coconut curls makes my mouth water writing this—I’ve been making this every couple of weeks for the last year (perfecting the recipe), so enjoy!

3 cups raw almonds

2 cups. raw cashew pieces

1 cup sunflower seeds

2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened

2 cups coconut curls, unsweetened

2 cups almond flour

½ cup flax seeds

¼ cup chia seeds

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 Tblsp. vanilla extract

½ cup coconut oil

½ cup peanut butter

1 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Mix together all of the nuts, seeds and spices in a large bowl. Warm up the coconut oil in a 2-cup glass measuring cup for 1 minute in the microwave, then add the vanilla, peanut butter, and maple syrup and mix until smooth.  Mix the liquid mixture into the nuts, and then pour out onto two cookie sheets that are either greased or have a silicone baking liner. Bake for 20 minutes, then take out and stir in the brown edges. Bake for 10 more minutes, stir again, then another 10 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Cool and then store in a glass or plastic container. Makes about 3 quarts. Serve with cold milk and enjoy!

Copyright 2021

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Thank you again, and peace to you and your family!

~Mary Hope

Savory Crockpot Beef Stew

We need comfort food especially during this time the whole world is in transition. Beef stewed together with grape juice, vegetables and spices for hours creates a dish that I kept making over and over this winter and spring! It is what I wanted to eat after giving birth to our daughter on Christmas Day (along with turkey pot pie), and every few weeks since then. Adding wine or cooking sherry adds depth to the sauce that brings you back wanting more. If you pop it in the crockpot in the morning, it will be ready for dinner. Serve it with mashed potatoes and enjoy this rich stew.

Dairy-Free Apple Crisp and Honey Apple Pie

Honey, Dairy-free, Apple Crisp

My husband is dairy-free right now, so I’ve been figuring out dairy-free recipes. I made up this recipe for the neighborhood Oktoberfest cook out, and it was great!

12 cups peeled and sliced apples – you may use a mixture of Fuji and Honeycrisp apples
One lemon, zested and juiced (1 tsp zest and 2 Tblsp. juice)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Crumble:
3 cups quick oats
1/4 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix together the apples with the filling ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13” glass baking dish.

Mix together the crumble ingredients, and when it is crumbly, pour it over the top of the apples.

Place in the oven and bake until the apples are soft and the topping is nicely browned, which is 35-45 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8 people.

Here’s an apple pie recipe that is also dairy-free and sugar-free!

Honey Apple Pie

This pie is great for everyone, but for especially for those who have to watch sugar intake. The honey makes the sweetness light and not heavy at all.

4 cups peeled, sliced apples

2 Tblsp. lemon juice

½ cup honey

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

¼ cup. white flour or arrowroot powder

1 double pie crust for an 8-inch pie (See my favorite recipe here: Grandma’s Pie Crust )

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix together all of the ingredients except the pie crust. Taste the apple mixture, and you can adjust the honey and cinnamon to taste.

Pour into the pie crust, and then place the other crust on top. Prick the top crust (make a fun design!) and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are starting the flow.

Makes one pie.

Copyright 2019

P.S. Thank you for stopping by! I insert affiliate links, such as from  Amazon, into my posts to share interesting books and products. If you buy something or start a registry, I receive income (at no extra cost to you!), for which I am thankful. So…..

— Use this link to shop on  Amazon

–shop at my Etsy photo card shop: Trees of Transition Art & Design

–keep on reading this blog.

Thank you again, and peace to you and your family!

~Mary Hope

Hot Chipotle Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Need a spicy recipe for someone who loves food that has a kick? This is your recipe! If you don’t want the heat level to be high, then don’t add the jalapeno pepper, just add the chipotle peppers. I created this recipe recently, and my husband loved it. It makes your nose run a little bit, but it is a smoky, protein-filled dish that is great to serve this fall.

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups cooked pinto beans (or a can of refried beans would work too)

1 tsp. salt

15 medium-sized flour tortillas

¼ cup. oil

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Enchilada Sauce:

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, chopped small

1 tsp. oil

1 small can (7 oz.) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Brown the ground beef, and then prepare the enchilada sauce so that it has time to simmer. Over medium heat, sauté the onion and jalapeno pepper in the 1 tsp. of oil in a medium saucepan for 2-3 minutes or until starting to brown. Next add the chipotle peppers, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes while you finish browning the beef and beans.

Add the beans to the browned beef, and brown together for 5-10 minutes (or until your sauce is done!)

Place the ¼ cup. of oil on a plate and dip each of the tortillas in the oil (this will help them get crispy when baked.)

Mix about 2 cups of the enchilada sauce in with the beef/bean mixture. Taste and season with salt to taste.

Now, take a tortilla, place 1/3-1/2 cup of the beef/bean mixture,  1 Tblsp. enchilada sauce, and 2 Tblsp. cheese inside, and then roll it up and place it in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Repeat until done. Save a little sauce to pour over the top, along with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-30 or minutes until the tortillas are browned, cheese is brown, and it looks ready to eat. Serve with sour cream. Serves about 4-5 people.

Copyright 2019

P.S. Thank you for stopping by! I insert affiliate links, such as from  Amazon, into my posts to share interesting books and products. If you buy something or start a registry, I receive income (at no extra cost to you!), for which I am thankful. So…..

— Use this link to shop on  Amazon

–shop at my Etsy photo card shop: Trees of Transition Art & Design

–keep on reading this blog.

Thank you again, and peace to you and your family!

~Mary Hope