Sin-namon Muffins

ala Nate…

Actually they are officially called French Breakfast Puffs–but I like my name better.  It’s more edgy and much more truthful. These little lovelies are soft and moist and cinnamon-y which is a fabulous thing if you happen to be a cinnamon spaz like me. Honestly, it’s like having a great big snickerdoodle…only in a muffin. I. Must. Resist.

Dude…

somebody save me.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

1.    Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 15 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2×1 1/4 inches.
2.    Mix shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and the egg throughly in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3.    Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4.    Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll hot muffins immediately in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot.

Recipe originally found in the Betty Crocker recipe site.

Top 10 Comfort Foods

Had a hard day? Been away for awhile? Wanting to celebrate something going really right in your life? Well, what better way to encourage the planets to align than to snuggle up somewhere cozy with your very favorite Comfort Foods? We’ve got the list of the perfect edibles that –that according to Gracious Rain readers–will cure any ill, enhance your happiness and just plain make you feel like you’re finally, finally…home.


1. Chocolate

Whether in the form of chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fudge brownies or a Symphony bar–warm, soft, gooey chocolate of some sort was the number one food you chose to comfort your heart.

2. Soup

Homemade Chicken Noodle, Broccoli, or Potato and Cheese soup–to name a few came in a close second as most soothing to the soul.

3. Ice Cream

Rocky Road, Homemade Vanilla, Deep Chocolate , or Summer Peach–it doesn’t seem to matter which kind, as long as there is plenty in the freezer.

4. Potatoes and gravy

Some said with chicken, some said with roast beef or sausage–however you serve those potatoes–don’t forget the gravy!

5. Homemade Bread

Wheat or white, rolls or bread sticks, warm or toasted with butter and jam–homemade bread came in fifth for making memories of home.

6. Breakfast

Scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon, pancakes, ham, sausage and toast–all served with ice cold orange juice–yum! Breakfast food–what a comforting way to start the day!

7. Lasagna

“My mom’s lasagna” came in number seven and no one was afraid to say, “the more cheese the better!”

8. Chipped Beef on Toast

Apparently an old childhood favorite for many–bringing back memories of rainy days, doing homework at the kitchen table. Oh, and keep the toast coming!

9. Chips and Dips

With some sort of salsa to be exact. Salty, crunchy and never ending chips. Sometimes one bag just isn’t big enough. :]

10. Popcorn

Last but not least–what better way to end the day than to cuddle up in front of a good movie than with a big bowl of buttery popcorn? Now that’s comfort!

 
 
What do you think?
Did we picture your very favorite comfort food of all time?

Cheesey Lasagne

While I’m in the mood to spill all the family recipe secrets…here’s a gooood one. Couldn’t you just reach through the monitor screen and pinch some of that cheese?

Ummmm….

Start with the basic stuff:

1 large box of wide Lasagne noodles

1-16 oz. cottage cheese

1 can/jar spaghetti sauce

Parmesan cheese

2 lbs. Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Shred the Mozzarella cheese first thing. You’ll want all your ingredients sitting there ready to go. Seriously, shredding the cheese is the only thing that takes any time here.

Pour a small amount–maybe 1/2 cup–of sauce in a 9×13 Pyrex dish. Tilt the pan around to spread it over the bottom of the dish. I’m going to use the word “some” quite a bit, because there is no exact recipe with this.

Place the uncooked noodles on top of the sauce. Don’t you just hate mushy noodles? That won’t be happening this time.

Top the noodles with the cottage cheese and spread it completely over the noodles.

Top with a layer of Mozzarella. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese.

Top with noodles, then sauce, then Mozzarella, then Parmesan–in that order until you reach the top of the pan or you run out of something.

Make sure you save plenty of shredded cheese for the top–you won’t be sorry.

Seal the pan with a layer of foil–shiny side down. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Take the foil off and cook 10 more minutes–or until your lasagne looks…

like this. Let this beautiful thing rest for about 10 minutes. You can toast some garlic bread and toss a salad while you wait.

You are about to experience perfection.

I envy you.

 

 

Cheesey Lasagne
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large box of wide Lasagne noodles
  • 1-16 oz. cottage cheese
  • 1 can/jar spaghetti sauce
  • Parmesan cheese
  • 2 lbs. Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Shred the Mozzarella cheese first thing.
  2. Pour a small amount--maybe ½ cup--of sauce in a 9x13 Pyrex dish.
  3. Tilt the pan around to spread it over the bottom of the dish.
  4. Place the uncooked noodles on top of the sauce.
  5. Top the noodles with the cottage cheese and spread it completely over the noodles.
  6. Top with a layer of Mozzarella.
  7. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese.
  8. Top with noodles, then sauce, then Mozzarella, then Parmesan--in that order until you reach the top of the pan.
  9. Make sure you save plenty of shredded cheese for the top.
  10. Seal the pan with a layer of foil--shiny side down.
  11. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
  12. Take the foil off and cook 10 more minutes.
  13. Let this beautiful thing rest for about 10 minutes.

 

Coveted Chicken Salad

The Coveted Chicken Salad. Sit up now. Pay attention.

I promise, there are people in my family going…”No. WAY!” right this minute. Because, you see, sometimes I can be just a tad…

selfish…

with certain recipes. This is one of them. I’m working on being a better person, so here it is. Use it quick before I have a panic induced relapse…

or buy up all the chicken in the world to make this only for…

me.

Oh, I could too.

:}

Coveted Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

5-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1 Tbsp.  onion flakes

3/4-1 cup Miracle Whip

5 stalks celery, diced

salt

Instructions:

Boil the chicken breasts in water, with salt,  until cooked through–about 30 minutes.

Remove from water and refrigerate until cold enough to handle.

While you are waiting, dice up the celery and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a ridiculous amount of salt over the celery. Don’t worry, we’ll be rinsing it off in a while. This will help the celery lose the bitter taste it has sometimes. Set aside.

When chicken is cold, cut it into bite-sized pieces, being impeccable about removing everything but the actual white, breast meat. Discard fat, veins, gristle–nobody wants to eat that…trust me on this.

Place diced chicken in a medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing. Please note that I did NOT say mayonnaise. That is because this is recipe MY recipe…my famous recipe…so if you want it to be right, then just plain do what I say. Miracle Whip. No discussion here. The end. Phew. I feel better now.

Mix the chicken and Miracle Whip well and decide if you need the extra 1/4 cup of salad dressing. I usually do. Now, sprinkle the onion flakes and bouillon granules evenly over the top and set aside.

Pour the diced and salted celery into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Let it drain for a few minutes then add to the chicken mixture. Again, mix very well.  Understand that the real flavors will be much better distributed if you leave the salad covered in the fridge for a few hours–or better yet, overnight. Then mix again, and salt to taste. You may proceed to serve it to your guests on a lettuce leaf or in a puff pastry shell. They will genuflect.

Now somebody should write me a check for a million dollars.

Seriously.

Get on that.

*********

Coveted Chicken Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 5-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
  • 1 Tbsp. onion flakes
  • ¾-1 cup Miracle Whip
  • 5 stalks celery, diced
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Boil the chicken breasts in water, with salt, until cooked through--about 30 minutes.
  2. Remove from water and refrigerate until cold enough to handle.
  3. While you are waiting, dice up the celery and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a ridiculous amount of salt over the celery. Don't worry, we'll be rinsing it off in a while. This will help the celery lose the bitter taste it has sometimes. Set aside.
  4. When chicken is cold, cut it into bite-sized pieces, being impeccable about removing everything but the actual white, breast meat. Discard fat, veins, gristle--nobody wants to eat that...trust me on this.
  5. Place diced chicken in a medium bowl. Add ¾ cup Miracle Whip salad dressing.
  6. Mix the chicken and Miracle Whip well and decide if you need the extra ¼ cup of salad dressing. I usually do.
  7. Now, sprinkle the onion flakes and bouillon granules evenly over the top and set aside.
  8. Pour the diced and salted celery into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Let it drain for a few minutes then add to the chicken mixture.
  9. Again, mix very well. Understand that the real flavors will be much better distributed if you leave the salad covered in the fridge for a few hours--or better yet, overnight. Then mix again, and salt to taste.

Comfort Food Survey

Been reading all kinds of articles on the subject of comfort foods and it made me wonder…

just what truly makes up the perfect “make the world go away” or “now I feel better” foods anyway? Does it need to be a sweet treat or could it be a savory supper dish?

So I decided to do a survey of my own and see for myself…

just what people want when they need comfort…

or acceptance…

or joy…

or happiness…

or plain, old Mama love.

So, how about it? When you need down-right comfort what food would you reach for if it could be handed to you…and you didn’t have to lift a finger? Let me know your favorites in the comment section.

We’ll add up the results in a week and let you know the top ten. Please encourage your friends to pipe in with their favorites as well. We need a real good–down to earth list. Then, if we haven’t made them here already–we’ll find the best recipes and share them with you, in the next few weeks.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Gr-Sig-right-size-e1547674736862.png

What are your favorite comfort foods?

~~~~~

Happy “Scrabble Day!” Celebrate by making our pretty little Scrabble Tile Pendants.