~Sassy Raisin Sauce~

Two of the Ingredients
in Sassy Raisin Sauce
(File Photo)

Enjoying slices of Baked Ham for a Sunday dinner is delicious! Some people like a slice topped with a sauce. For me, Sassy Raisin Sauce is such a delicious topping. The sauce can be prepared very quickly, too. Apple Juice, Raisins, Cornstarch and Butter/ Margarine are the needed ingredients. This topping comes together very quickly.

Sometimes, I go to my Spice Rack to get the container of Ground Cinnamon. A single shake of Ground Cinnamon adds an additional great taste to the sauce.  

Click here for the Instructions to prepare 2 and 1/2 Cups or a smaller amount like 2 servings of this very tasty sauce. 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Raisin Zucchini Muffins

A Raisin Zucchini Muffin
(File Photo)

It's the weekend! A weekend in late January when our local grocery store had some fine looking Zucchini in the Produce Department. Very quickly a memory of freshly baked Zucchini Muffins popped into my mind.  To be specific- Zucchini Muffins with Raisins.  Yum!  Not since that "buy local" veggie was available at road side stands this past summer have I baked a batch.

Well, that changed today.  A double batch is now baking in my oven and the aroma in my kitchen is beginning to make me hungry.  I baked a double batch.  There will be Raisin Zucchini Muffins located in our freezer tomorrow, too.  

Click here for the recipe. 

When you also find some "fine looking" Zucchini in your grocery store's Produce Department, bake a batch of these very tasty treats!

Enjoy!
Yummy!          

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
(File Photo)
My dessert is currently baking in my oven.

Today was the day! The day to bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp!  The dessert that has fresh apple slices that are baked with an oat topping that also contains Cinnamon and Nutmeg.  Nothing beats enjoying this dessert when it is prepared with fresh apples.  In Autumn I use McIntosh or Cortland apples or a combination of the two.  Craisins (dried cranberries) and raisins are placed in the baking dish along with the apple slices.  

When this dessert is baking the wonderful aroma of apples, Cinnamon and Nutmeg float through our home.  It is a teaser of how great it will taste- later.  

You are one click away from my recipe.  Click here!

Bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp soon.  Do not forget to purchase the vanilla ice cream.  A small scoop tastes so good on top.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

 

Sassy Raisin Sauce

Two ingredients in Sassy Raisin Sauce
Raisins & Apple Juice

Are you serving Baked Ham this Sunday for dinner?  If you are, Sassy Raisin Sauce is a yummy topping for the tender slices of Ham!  Filled with Raisins, it's an easy sauce to prepare at the last minute.  You probably already have the ingredients:  Apple Juice, Raisins, Cornstarch & Butter/ Margarine. 

Think Sunday- you are almost ready to serve dinner.  It's at this time that a tasty topping that comes together so quickly is needed!  What a great added touch!  And- it tastes so good. 

I also like to serve this topping over Butternut Squash Ravioli!

Sassy Raisin Sauce
Yield: about 2 and 1/2 Cups

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Cups Apple Juice
2 Tablespoons Butter/ Margarine
1 Cup Raisins

Method:

1. Place Cornstarch in small saucepan.
2. Slowly add in 1/2 Cup Apple Juice.
3. Stir, dissolving Cornstarch.
4. Then, add remaining Apple Juice to saucepan, stir.
5. Add 2 Tablespoons Butter/ Margarine.
6. Add Raisins.
7. Stir constantly while cooking over medium heat.
8. Sauce will thicken & boil.
9. Boil & stir for 1 Minute.
10. Serve hot.

If a smaller amount is desired use directions above & the ingredients below-  

     For 2 Servings:  
     1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
     2/3 Cup Apple Juice
     About 1 Tablespoon Butter/ Margarine
     1 Handful Raisins

This is always a great addition to a Baked Ham Dinner!  Or as a Butternut Squash Ravioli Topping!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Happy Easter!!!

Raisin Easy Cheesey

Raisin Easy Cheesey

Ah, you're biting into a toasted English Muffin breakfast sandwich & suddenly the taste of a raisin and cheese hit your taste buds.  Add an egg to that.  Yes, it's a Raisin Easy Cheesey.  This is a very quick breakfast to make on a weekend morning.  You have the toaster/ toaster oven and a small frying or saute pan, so you're in business.  Now, find your "short order cook" skills! 

There's no need to stop into a breakfast shop & order one of these tasty breakfasts!  Add Raisin English Muffins & sliced cheese to your grocery list.  Chances are the eggs are in your fridge.  Breakfast does not need to be difficult to prepare to be so yummy!      


Raisin Easy Cheesey  

Ingredients:
Eggs
Raisin English Muffins
Sliced American Cheese - Kraft is my choice.

Method:

1.  Split Raisin English Muffins, to toast.
2.  Fry 1 Egg in nonstick frying pan, turning over once.
3.  While Frying Egg, toast English Muffin.
4.  Place 1 slice of American Cheese on 1 half of toasted English Muffin.
5. Top with Fried Egg & then the other toasted English Muffin half.
6. Repeat to make another!

***If you like to use only Egg Whites while preparing breakfast, yes, 2 Egg Whites can be fried rather than 1 whole Egg for each Raisin Easy Cheesey.

***If you do not enjoy the taste of raisins, use Plain English Muffins.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

    

Raisin Easy Cheesies

The changed landscape!

No doubt about it.  The light powdered snow fell last night.  Our temps were/ will continue to be low.  Last night & today snowplows were clearing the streets and also some driveways.  The sound of snow blowers could be heard in my neighborhood.

This AM before my DH headed outside to give our trusted snow blower a workout, a yummy breakfast was definitely needed.  After our great fam FuN filled holidays, our freezer is... well... empty of any pancakes.  However, Eggs, English Muffins & American Cheese are staples in my kitchen.

It took little time to whip up Raisin Easy Cheesies!  The quick breakfast that is filling & warm! 

Raisin Easy Cheesies  

Ingredients:
Eggs
Raisin English Muffins
Sliced American Cheese - Kraft is my choice.

Method:

1. Split Raisin English Muffins, ready to toast.
2. Fry 1 Egg in nonstick frying pan, turning over once.
3. While Frying Egg, toast English Muffin.
4. Place 1 slice American Cheese on 1 half of toasted English Muffin.
5. Top with Fried Egg & other toasted English Muffin half.

What a great breakfast sandwich!  The cheese slightly melts and tastes so yummy combined with the Raisins in the English Muffin.  The Egg + the Cheese = so good!

Yes, 2 Egg Whites only can be used rather than 1 whole Egg in each of the Raisin Easy Cheesies!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Egg Cheesy Muffins

Partial Grocery List:
Raisin English Muffins? yes
Eggs? yes
Sliced American Cheese? yes

Quite often for breakfast on the weekend we enjoy Egg Cheesy Muffins! Preparing these simple yet delicious yummies tests one's short order cook skills.  It's fast to make and is eaten even faster!  All of the English Muffins need to be split and ready to pop into the toaster/toaster oven.  My small non- stick frying pan finds its way to my stove top.   Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins taste wonderful here - you know how raisins rate high in my fam and I add Cinnamon to many foods!  There is something about melted cheese and raisins + cinnamon combined...

While the toaster oven is at work...the egg is frying.  After turning over the egg it's usually clockwork.  The toaster oven rings and the Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin is ready.  A slice of American Cheese is placed on one half and topped with the Fried Egg.

The next one is started!   

This week my grocery store (Big Y) has a special on the Thomas' Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins and there is room in my freezer.  I like to split the muffins before freezing them and they are always a great find in my freezer for a quick and easy weekend breakfast!  This is one tasty Egg Sandwich!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

            

~Craisin Raisin Oaties~

Craisin Raisin Oaties

Yes, four had been taken out of the orange cookie canister and stored in a small Ziploc Freezer bag, then placed in my freezer!  WooHoo! 
On Monday the outside temperature on our thermometer read 83°F and it is October!  We do enjoy Indian Summer here in Western MA, but who would have guessed that it would feel like a day in the mid summer?  Who would also guess that I would be baking Craisin Raisin Oaties on a very warm day?  Well, I made the commitment to bring refreshments to a Docent Class I was attending on Tuesday and  a promise is a promise. 

From the "get go" I knew that old fashioned oats would be used when I was baking the goodies.  Craisin Raisin Oaties definitely rank as one of the three fave cookies in my fam.  While growing up, my mom would bake them, but she did not include the Craisins.  They were not an ingredient we were accustomed to, even though I did live in MA.  Driving back from Boston after a Boston College Football game one Saturday many years ago, we stopped at a Rest Area on the Mass Pike.  One of the snacks offered in the "goodies" case was Oatmeal Cookies containing both Raisins and Craisins.  What a combo!  From that day I always added both whenever I baked Oatmeal cookies.

Usually when I bake these yummy nutritious cookies, I make a double batch.  They freeze very well when stored in Ziploc Freezer bags, so the small amount of extra time and effort is totally worth it.  However, the heat of the day on Monday called for only one batch to be baked.  So glad that I stored those four cookies in the freezer!  :)  Yummy!

Craisin Raisin Oaties

Oven :  350°F
Yield:  About 3 and 1/2 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 Cup (2 sticks) Butter/Margarine, softened
1 Cup Brownulated Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs (OR 1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt (optional) - I do not use any Salt.
1 and 1/2 Cups Flour
3 Cups Quaker Oats (Old Fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 Cup Craisins (dried Cranberries)
1/2 Cup Raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat Butter/Margarine with Sugars until creamy.
3. Add Eggs, (Egg Whites) & Vanilla Extract.  Beat well.
4. Add Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, optional Salt & Flour.  Mix well.
5. With large spoon or spatula, stir in Oats. 
6. Add Craisins & Raisins.  Stir well.
7. Place 12 rounded Tablespoons of batter on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10 - 12 Minutes until golden brown. 
9. After removing from oven, cool cookies in pan about 2 minutes before removing cookies from pan and placing on wire rack to cool.
10. Cool & Enjoy!

The infamous four cookies found in my freezer were defrosted last night.  Using two cookies and a small amount of Vanilla ice cream the Craisin Raisin Oatie Ice Cream Sandwich tasted scrumptious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Fantastic French Toast!

The weekend is approaching! Usually on Saturday morning, we enjoy a breakfast of Pancakes or French Toast. Now, easy is really good! I’ve gotten in the habit of using cinnamon bread while preparing Fantastic French Toast. No cinnamon and no sugar to add into the egg/milk mixture. How easy can that be? I only need to remember to purchase the cinnamon bread. I also use Soy Milk. The Vanilla flavored and the Original flavored Soy is always found in my fridge. Either can be used or 1% Milk.

Preparing Fantastic French Toast (click here for recipe card) with Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Bread is great! After dining on Sausage Soup last week (portions are in my freezer, too), the balance is preparing other foods with less cholesterol. I use less whole eggs and many egg whites when making this yummy breakfast. Keep in mind that two egg whites equal one whole egg when cooking.

This is one of our favorite breakfasts! Ah, and the extra slices are stored in our freezer for more scrumptious breakfasts on busy mornings.
The recipe is below:

Fantastic French Toast

Ingredients:

(1) Loaf Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Bread
(2) Whole Eggs
(8) Eggs Whites
(1) Cup Milk (I use Soy or 1% Milk)

Method:

1. Place Whole Eggs and Egg Whites in a rectangular container and beat with a fork. (I use a 1 & ½ Qt. CorningWare container.)
2. While beating mixture add in Milk and continue beating to combine.
3. Heat non-stick griddle or non-stick skillet on medium heat.
4. Dunk each bread slice in mixture coating both sides and then place on the griddle. (Two or three browning at once)
5. The underside will be golden brown when it is time to turn the bread slice over with a spatula.
6. Turn over and brown other side.
7. Serve with Maple Syrup.

Over the years my family has enjoyed this breakfast so many times. One year my younger son had a great suggestion – use Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin Bread rather than plain cinnamon bread. Ah, that is so tasty!

Will you be making French Toast this weekend for breakfast?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Raisin Rice Krispies Bars

Whenever these easy and quick to make favorites are found in our fridge, they disappear swiftly. Raisins are a great addition to a Rice Krispies Bar! It’s all about the raisins! Over the years I have learned that doing a little prep work before starting to make the Raisin Rice Krispies Bars is very useful.

I use a glass baking dish (about 9” x 15”) and spray it lightly with PAM. Wipe off the excess PAM with a paper towel. The required ingredients need to be ready to use. Making Raisin Rice Krispies Bars requires working quickly.

After measuring out all of the ingredients and before lightly pressing the mixture in the glass dish with the bottom of the measuring cup, place a pinch of margarine on the underside (bottom) of the measuring cup. Spread it lightly with a paper towel or piece of crumpled wax paper. This allows for easy non-stick pressing of the mixture in the baking dish.

Method:

1. In a 6 qt. pot (large pot) melt 4 TBS. Margarine over Low Heat.
2. Add in 4 Cups Miniature Marshmallows stirring until melted.
3. Turn off heat.
4. Add in 3 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal and stir.
5. 1 Cup Raisins are added.
6. Then, add 2 ½ Cups more Rice Krispies Cereal and stir.
7. Place mixture (will be sticky) in the baking dish and press lightly.
8. Cover top of baking dish with Glad Wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
9. Cut into bars and place in a covered container to store in fridge.

Yummy!! It is all about the raisins!! :-)

For more of my family favorite recipes check out my A Tasty Thought website.

Enjoy!!!

JG

New Twist on Old Favorite

It is always wonderful to locate an old favorite recipe, substitute one ingredient with a similar ingredient and then discover that the new component made the recipe taste even better! Earlier this week I baked a batch of Bran Muffins. (Click on link for recipe.) Sauteing & Baking Extra Light Olive Oil was substituted for the vegetable oil. These easy homemade delicious Bran Muffins containing raisins tasted so good. Trying something new certainly worked well!!! I will always use the Olive Oil when baking those delicious, moisty, and light muffins.

Yummy!!!

Egg Cheesy Raisin Muffin

Hearty nutritious delicious breakfasts have been on my mind! My family enjoyed a quick and an appetizing breakfast this morning. The needed ingredients were Raisin English Muffins, Sliced American Cheese and Eggs.

In a small non-stick skillet fry an egg, turning egg over once. I usually pierce the yolk after the egg is in the pan (less messy to eat later). At the same time lightly toast a Raisin English Muffin. After the muffin is toasted place a slice of American Cheese on one half. The fried egg is placed on top of the cheese. Then, place the muffin’s other half on top. Melted cheese and raisins taste so good surrounding an egg. Yummy!

This breakfast is easy and delicious!

Enjoy!

Father’s Day is approaching!

Soon during the month of June the strawberry fields here in Western Massachusetts and in Northern Connecticut will be filled with the ripening, red, delicious berries. It will be Strawberry Shortcake time! This is a wonderful dessert to make and to surprise your Dad with on Father’s Day! If the fresh local berries are not ready to be picked, frozen and defrosted strawberries or strawberries purchased in the grocery store can be used. Fortunately, we have two frozen packages of local strawberries that were prepared and placed in our freezer last June. The shortcake recipe is easy to make and tastes scrumptious!

Yummy Blueberry Muffins are another mouth-watering dessert to prepare for Dad. These tasty muffins can be enjoyed any time during the day. Craisin Raisin Oaties always bring the question of eating just one without reaching into the cookie jar for another. A family favorite for us on any occasion is Cranorange Coffee Cake. It will be difficult to decide which recipe to bake. Fortunately, I have a few days to decide what to prepare.

Happy Father’s Day to all Dads!!!

Raisin Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A grilled cheese sandwich using cinnamon raisin bread is absolutely delicious! The sandwich remembered from childhood with a sweetened flavor. Keep a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread in your freezer. The needed slices of bread can be defrosted and used to make this quick tasty sandwich.