Orange Cranberry Bread

This is right up there with the Raspberry Lemon Muffins I made earlier

Cranberry Orange Loaf
Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
* 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
* 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup margarine, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup orange juice


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest, cranberries, and pecans. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the bread springs back when lightly touched. Let stand 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Wrap in plastic when completely cool.

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

I made these this weekend and they were AMAZING. I have a new favorite recipe to make.

Raspberry Lemon Muffins
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup plain yogurt
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 2 egg whites
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1 cup frozen raspberries
* 2 tablespoons white sugar for decoration (optional)


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, egg whites, and, if using, lemon extract. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the frozen raspberries. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the tops for decoration, if desired.
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack.

A Little Wrapping

Bri and I decided to be a little creative when it came to wrapping presents...

Happy Thanksgiving...a Little Late

I always have fun setting the table nice and fancy. Thanksgiving is only once a year! A few years ago Suzannah and I made the place cards together, I did the quilling and she did the calligraphy.



Mom took the time to teach me how to make a pecan pie, yum!

I found the most amazing Hot Cocoa recipe, almost as good as Burdick's in Boston.

Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate
Yield: 4 servings

* 4 ounce(s) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
* 1 cup(s) half-and-half
* 1 tablespoon(s) amaretto (almond liqueur)
* 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup(s) whipped cream
Directions

In saucepan over low heat, bring chocolate and half-and-half to simmer, whisking constantly. Simmer 1 minute or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat; whisk in liqueur and vanilla.

Pour into four 1/2-cup demitasse or coffee cups. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons whipped cream; dust with Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa (if desired). Serve immediately.

Tip: Instead of amaretto, use 1 tablespoon hazelnut, coffee or orange liqueur or peppermint schnapps, or 1/2 teaspoon almond or peppermint extract.


I used the almond extract instead of the amaretto, I'm excited to see how the mint would taste

Messenger Bag

This is my next project...


http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/09/2-in-1-bag-stroller-bag-into-messenger.html

Marinated Baked Pork Chops

I decided to try a new recipe for pork chops last night and it was amazing! The sauce is just enough for about 3 pork chops, not 6 like the directions say. I put in a little finely diced onion too. The left over sauce was perfect to put on top of rice.


Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 6 pork chops, trimmed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, thoroughly blend soy sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup.
3. Place pork chops in a medium baking dish, and spread with 1/2 the sauce.
4. Bake pork chops 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn, and spread with remaining sauce. Continue baking 30 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chops has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

New Blog

Apparently google didn't like my video I posted last time so it shut down my old blog, so I get a fresh new start again