Back from a Vacation... Okay, a LONG Vacation

February:

Super Bowl Cupcakes

Beast Mode

March:

Red Velvet Cheesecake

April:

Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

May:

Fudge Cake

July: 

Gluten Free Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The reason for the six month break: 

I decided that I was focusing too much on my appearance online, rather my relationship with God. For lent I took a break from the internet, and after 40 days of not doing something, it's difficult to start it up again. I hope you all didn't miss me too much, and that you all stayed sweet. 

If you would like to here more of a description, or a recipe of one of the delicious desserts above, just comment below. I will reply in a post.

Kirsten

Molasses Cookie Recipe

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/soft-molasses-cookies/4e20528d-5cb1-45fb-b9eb-8e6cca62afac

Ingredients

• 1 cup of packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of shortening
• 1/4 cup of molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3 tablespoons of sugar

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and then egg. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the sugar. (I like to beat the brown sugar and shortening until really smooth).
3. Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip the tops into the sugar.
4. Place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, with sugar side up, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet to the cooling rack. 

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/soft-molasses-cookies/4e20528d-5cb1-45fb-b9eb-8e6cca62afac

Kirsten

Canning

This Christmas I made homemade apple butter (crock-pot style), and homemade blueberry jam (from the berries my husband and I picked this summer). There was a bit of a spice to the apple butter, and a little tang to the jam, but both were yummy. 

But we are not here to talk about the delicious contents that are in the jar, we are talking about the jar itself. 

Step 1) Prepare the Jar. In canning pot (or big pot) fill it with water. Have the water come to a boil. Place the Jar and lid in the water (carefully). Have it boil for 5 to 20 minutes (I usually have it just sit until I am ready to fill the jars). 

Step 2) Fill the Jars. Fill as much as possible. Wipe the outside and rim of the jar clean. 

Step 3) Preserve it. Gently put the jar back in the boiling water and have it boil for 20 minutes. If the middle of the top is able to move, the jar is not sealed, and therefore not okay to eat. 

Kirsten 

Welcome 2014: Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Muffins

Happy 2014 to all my readers.

I know, it's the 13th, but life has been a little bit busy since I got home from my family vacation. I have baked and cooked a lot of lovely goodies this Christmas season. I made these delicious molasses cookies, homemade apple butter and blackberry jam, and gluten free banana blueberry muffins. 

I will be sharing my tips for canning on Tuesday, and I will give the recipe for the molasses cookies on Wednesday. This post is going to discuss the gluten free banana blueberry muffins. 

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are both gluten free. After realizing my allergy to milk this last year, I feel a passion to create delicious tasting baked goods that people with allergies can enjoy. With my experience in eating gluten free baked goods, they are sometimes hard, or have an interesting after taste. There is usually a lack of moistness to them. 

During the New Year, my mother-in-law asked me to make muffins for our Christmas/ New Year brunch that we were going to have with her side of the family. The challenge was to make them gluten free, and taste good. 

I search for recipes for days, writing down ones I thought might taste good, or had interesting flour substitutes. I then came across this gluten free blueberry muffin recipe that looked pretty darn good; http://thelittlewhitekitchen.com/?p=238. 

I tweaked it a little by adding cinnamon, nutmeg, bananas, and using brown sugar, but they came out tasting really good. I was getting a lot of compliments on how good they tasted. Frankly, I think they would taste even better if you put some butter on top and heated it up in the microwave, so that the butter could make the batter even more moist. 

What did I learn, you may ask? That all my college experience was right. Do your research and then take what you learned, and what you already know to make something unique. 

I encourage you to do the same.

Kirsten