August, 2014

I used to think you could only buy crusty dinner rolls at a bakery but wait ‘til you see how incredibly easy it is to make your own homemade rolls from scratch. And forget everything you thought you knew about baking bread. Here’s what you will NOT have to do:

1. Proof your yeast.

2. Take the temperature of your water.

3. Knead the dough.

4. Rise the dough twice.

5. Rise it in a warm spot.

6. Get stressed about baking with yeast.

All those things are history! Once I learned that you could bake amazing crusty bread at home with no kneading and almost no work, I set out to make it as fast and easy as possible. I’ve already shared my method for making the fabulous crusty bread that bakes in a Dutch oven.

No dutch oven? No problem. If you want to make the no knead bread that bakes in a Dutch oven but you don’t have one, you can make the same dough into these beautiful crusty rolls. All you need is a baking pan. This method is so easy and it’s foolproof. Don’t worry about the water temperature – just use hot tap water. Don’t worry about kneading the dough – you don’t have to. It’s basically like this:

1. You mix the dough together, cover, and let it rest for 3 hours.
2. You shape it into 8 rolls and let them rest for 35 minutes.
3. You take the same 35 minutes to heat up your oven.
4. You bake the rolls.
5. You eat the rolls!

And if you like sesame seed rolls, just brush them right before baking with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds and look what you get:

By the way, you can start this dough the night before and let it stand on the counter top overnight for 8 to 24 hours. The only difference is you would use cool water. Then in the morning, shape the rolls and after the 35 minute rest and oven warm-up, you can bake them. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Baked ziti is a classic Italian comfort food, and my version is lower in fat than most and probably easier to make than most too. Here’s my simple step-by-step video showing how I make my baked ziti using store-bought sauce and low fat cheeses.

I always use reduced fat cheese and this casserole is no exception. And you don’t have to use tons of cheese to make this a creamy, melty, cheesy dinner. This is a hearty delicious meal, perfect for Sunday family supper. The meat I use is the leanest I can find, usually ground sirloin, which has less saturated fat but I’ve also made it with ground turkey.

You’ll find that not all bottled/jarred sauces are the same so try some different brands of marinara sauce until you find your favorite. Enjoy the video and let me know if you make my easy baked ziti. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Are parchment paper and wax paper the same?

My response… Parchment paper and wax paper are very different. Wax paper is actually coated with wax and not intended for use in the oven. The wax would probably melt in there anyway and wind up on your food. It’s good to use for messy work like rolling dough and breading or you can sift dry ingredients on it to save washing a bowl. Parchment paper is grease and moisture-resistant and is made for use in the oven, perfect for lining pans and baking sheets for easy removal. If your parchment paper sticks, it’s likely an inferior quality paper. The only brand I use is Reynolds and it never sticks.

I have so many recipes I’m anxious to post but it takes time for me to put each one together. That means writing up every detail so that everyone can understand and follow, even novice or international cooks. And then there’s the photo. Well that takes time because I’m not a food stylist and when I get a good photo, it’s usually a lucky shot. Not being a pro, I just hope the lighting is right and that I’ll get lucky. It usually takes about 200 shots to get one I like. But I enjoy every part of the process and I love what I’m doing.

All your comments mean so much to me, knowing that someone took time to write a note about a personal recipe I shared. These recipes are personal because I am not a “recipe developer.” I am a home cook sharing only the things I make for myself at home so I sincerely appreciate all your comments and compliments. Thank you so much. And here are some of my recipes I’ll be sharing soon….

No Knead Crusty Rolls (super easy, almost no work, perfect if you don’t have a Dutch oven for the Faster No Knead Bread – same recipe but it’s rolls made on a baking sheet)

Spaghetti & Meatballs from Scratch (sauce and meatballs from scratch ready in 40 minutes)

Butterscotch Pudding (healthier, low fat, so easy to make from scratch)

Light as a Cloud Cheesecake (Italian style ricotta cheesecake that melts in your mouth)

One-Pan Roasted Vegetables & Chicken (one of the healthiest meals I make – everything bakes in one pan)

Whole Grain Almond-Topped Waffles (100% whole grain healthy waffles baked with lots of sliced almonds on top)

Lemon Chicken Cutlets (pounded, breaded, pan fried in a little olive oil)

Homemade Apple Pie (no shortening, no butter, awesome apple pie with a flaky crust made with olive oil and three pounds of apples!)

These healthy cookies are always on hand in my kitchen because I love sweets but they have to be as healthy as I can make them. And these are. They are 100% whole grain made with whole wheat pastry flour and oats. Then I add oil (I prefer avocado oil these days) and this is a cookie I can eat every day (and I do!). The truth is that most of the time, dessert in my house is just a cookie and it’s this cookie more than any other. It’s sweet and satisfying and might actually do you some good. It has lots of fiber, heart healthy fat, and no butter or white flour. Did I mention a few mini chocolate chips?

I tried to decide what to call this… Oatmeal Cookies, Whole Grain Cookies, Healthy Cookies, Cookies I Eat Every Day, but then I settled on Everyday Cookies because I have them just about every day. Sure, they are dessert after dinner but why not after breakfast? They have oats and whole grains and nuts – isn’t that what’s in a granola bar? And my granola bar recipe has chocolate chips too.

These are some crispy cookies, which is good because they keep really well. I keep them in a covered container, mostly in the fridge by the second day, but they don’t last long. With two of us here they disappear fast and when they’re gone, I make more. If you’re looking for a crispy, healthier cookie, one that you can eat every day that might even do you some good, click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Five ingredients is all you need to make these simple, easy turkey-apple breakfast patties… and about 15 minutes. In fact, you’ll barely have enough time to scramble some eggs. Okay, I admit it. I like breakfast sausage but I haven’t had it in years. There’s this thing I have about eating healthy. I love the smell and flavor of traditional breakfast links but not all the fat that’s in there. I’m very excited that I can enjoy a healthier breakfast sausage. (patty, actually – unless you have a sausage maker and some casing!) If you’re wondering about using white ground turkey breast, I tried it and it’s just too dry but here’s the good news – dark meat is nutritionally superior to white meat. Look at this:

• Calories: White meat = 161 calories. Dark meat = 192 calories.
• Fat: White meat = 4 grams. Dark meat = 8 grams.
• Protein: White meat = 30 grams. Dark meat = 28 grams.
• Iron: White meat = 1.57 mg. Dark meat = 2.4 mg.
• Zinc: White meat = 2.08 mg. Dark meat = 4.3 mg.
• Thiamine: White meat = .04 mg. Dark meat = .05 mg.
• Riboflavin: White meat = .13 mg. Dark meat = .24 mg.
• Selenium: White meat = 32.10 mcg.  Dark meat = 40.90 mcg.
• Folate: White meat = .01 mcg. Dark meat = 10 mcg.

So don’t skip breakfast. Turkey sausage and eggs is full of protein and with a slice of whole grain bread, it’ll keep you going for hours. How about making your own breakfast sandwich with a whole grain english muffin, a fried egg, and a turkey patty. Note to self: Add that to my bucket list. To try my easy, healthy turkey breakfast patties, click here for the recipe.

Professional bakers generally weigh ingredients but I don’t consider that practical so I do what I think most of us do, which is use measuring cups and spoons. Measuring liquids is pretty simple and requires a glass or plastic cup with markings that should be viewed at eye level, but dry ingredients are where recipes are affected the most. The proper way to measure flour is to first stir the flour in its container in case it has settled too much and become compacted. Then you are supposed to spoon it into your dry (stackable) measuring cup. Since I bake so much I keep my flour in a covered container but I always stir it first before measuring. My method is “dip and level” meaning that after I stir the flour around in the container, I dip my measuring cup into the  flour, do not tap or shake the cup, and then I level off the top with a knife. I dip and level with sugar also but it does not tend to settle as much as flour. With small dry ingredients like spices, baking powder, etc. I just dip in the measuring spoon, scoop it up and then level off with a knife. I think most failures in baking happen by not stirring and aerating the flour first.

Here’s some advice I have based on some mistakes I have made:

1) Never measure liquid things like vanilla or oil in a measuring spoon over the bowl you’re working in – it can easily spill over into your bowl and there’s no way to fix it.

2) Never break an egg directly into a batter but always into a small bowl or cup first. You’d be surprised how often you’ll find a piece of egg shell.

3) When baking with cocoa powder sift it together with the other dry ingredients because it’s not always easy to incorporate it later.

I also found a couple of helpful links below…

http://allrecipes.com/video/30/how-to-measure-ingredients/detail.aspx

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/measuring-101/

Like most cooks I am always working on my recipes by either improving, simplifying, correcting, or just clarifying. So…. I MADE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES TO MY RECIPES:

Giant Breakfast Cookies (NOv. 4, 2023) – Added the option to use wheat bran instead of cereal and added a second brand of prunes to use.

Quick & Easy Taco Casserole (Oct. 16, 2023) – Eliminated draining the bean liquid and adding water to just using the beans with the liquid in the can. Much simpler.

Baked Doughnuts (Sept. 17, 2023) – Increased baking soda from 1/8 tsp. to 1/4 tsp.

Healthier Apple Crisp (Sept. 10, 2023) – Increased size of apples from 1/2-inch to (1/2 to 1-inch) chunks.

Healthier Apple Crisp (Aug, 26, 2022) – Included weight of apples (2 pounds) and increased size of apple slices from 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch.

Grown Up Mac & Cheese (Aug, 19, 2022) – Deleted spinach from the recipe, adding it as an option.

Apple Pie Bars (Dec, 18, 2021) – Increased the size of cut apples to 1-inch chunks.

Apple Pie Bars (Sept. 26, 2021) – Increased the size of cut apples from 1/2-inch slices to 3/4 to 1-inch chunks.

Mexican Black Bean Casserole (Aug. 27, 2021) – Reduced tomatoes from 1 pound to 3/4 pound and indicated to rinse the beans.

Apple Pie (Aug. 22, 2021) – Eliminated cutting a 1/2-inch hole in center of top crust before baking.

Pumpkin Pie (Nov. 26, 2020) – Increased crust ingredients back to original amounts so there is more crust to work with.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Nov. 7, 2020) – Eliminated whole wheat pastry flour as it is hard to find during the pandemic. Recipe now uses only all purpose flour with the option to sub some for the pastry flour.

No Knead Greek Olive Bread (Sept. 14, 2020) – Shortened the resting time from 2 hours to one hour.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Aug. 23, 2020) – Eliminated whole wheat pastry flour and made it 100% all purpose flour with the option of using whole wheat. Due to the pandemic, whole wheat pastry flour is almost impossible to find. I also included the lemon zest with the dry ingredients instead of the liquid but either way is fine.

Cracked Wheat No Knead Bread (Aug. 16, 2020) – Increased yeast from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon.

One Pan Broccoli Bean Pasta (Aug. 9, 2020) – Added 1/2 cup water + 2 teaspoons of flour for a creamier dish.

Apple Cake (Aug. 4, 2020) – Changed the flour to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour only with the option of using 3/4 cup all purpose with 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour.

Carrot Cake (June 14, 2020) – Changed the flour to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour only with the option of using 3/4 cup all purpose with 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour.

Apple Pie Bars (June 10, 2020) – Clarified to slice apples into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices rather than large chunks.

Kitchen Sink Cookies (June 5, 2020) – Corrected my mistake in too little oil. Adjusted oil from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup and raised oven temperature from 350 to 375F.

Apple Pie (May 23, 2020) – Changed size of apples from 1-inch to 3/4 to 1-inch size, thinking a little smaller is better for Granny Smith apples to cook all the way.

Blondies (May 10, 2020) – Simplified the process, increased vanilla from 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons and changed chocolate chips to chocolate chunks.

Quick & Easy Taco Casserole (April 4, 2020) – Eliminated the step of putting liquid in the bottom of the pan before adding layers.

Crispy Apple Tart (March 14, 2020) – Increased number of apples (was 3) to 3 or 4 apples as I now make it using 4. Reduced apricot glaze from 1/3 cup to 3 tablespoons, and indicated to grease the pan as it helps to brown the bottom.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake (Feb, 28, 2020) – Reduced prep time from 25 to 20 minutes, indicated to either boil or steam the sweet potato.

Best Meatloaf Ever (Feb, 16, 2020) – The original recipe is unchanged, but on the smaller one pound version that’s available at the bottom of the original recipe, I changed the milk quantity from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup.

10 Grain No Knead Bread (Jan. 31, 2020) – Eliminated the step of softening the cereal with boiling water.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake (Jan. 09, 2020) – Swapped old frosting with my 2-minute chocolate frosting but I left the option for the old one using sour cream at the bottom.

Canadian Butter Tarts (Jan. 04, 2020) – Updated the recipe: 1) Switched from melted butter to softened butter. 2) Switched from brown sugar to white sugar. 3) Increased oven temperature & reduced baking time.

High Fiber Granola (Sept. 29, 2019) – Revamped the recipe to include flaxseed meal and egg white for more crunch.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake (Sept. 28, 2019) – Indicated you can use half whole wheat pastry flour & half all purpose flour, added the option of using an 8 x 8-inch square pan and reduced the powdered sugar in the frosting from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup.

Crispy Top Oatmeal Bars (Sept. 14, 2019) – Reduced chocolate chunks from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup and indicated to keep the oven rack in the middle for broiling, not move it up a notch.

Spicy Mexican Casserole (Aug. 30, 2019) – Reduced measure of Jalapeno peppers to 1/4 cup, removed suggestion of using bell peppers, indicated to drain tomatoes, made Pinto beans optional. Added “Spicy” to the name.

Broccoli Bean Pasta (June 29, 2019) – Changed the method so it all cooks in one pan.

15 Minute Veggie Pasta (June 23, 2019) – Changed the method so it all cooks in one pan.

Wound Healing Soup (June 16, 2019) – Changed serving size from 5-6 servings to 4 servings.

Spaghetti With Chard (April 7, 2019) – Simplified the process to cook all in one pan.

No Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread (Feb. 20, 2019) – Eliminated the 2-hour resting period.

Polish Doughnuts – Paczki (Nov 4, 2018) – For custard filling, I increased cornstarch from 1 Tbsp to 4 teaspoons.

No Knead Rye Bread (Oct. 24, 2018) – Increased yeast from 1/4 teaspoon to one teaspoon.

Angel Hair Casserole (Aug. 8, 2018) – Reduced sauce cooking time from 10 minutes to 5.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (July 25, 2018) – Reduced oil from 1/4 cup to 3 tablespoons and reduced salt from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/8 teaspoon.

Metric Conversion Chart (May 25, 2018) – Increased flour measurements in grams and ounces after much testing with my scale. One cup of flour was changed from 4 1/4 ounces / 120 grams to 4 1/2 ounces and 130 grams. Flour never measures the same twice so I did the best average I could.

Marble Loaf Cake (May 21, 2018) – Increased oil from 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. to 1/2 cup and increased sugar added to cocoa from 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons.

Boston Cream Pie (March 24, 2018) – Added salt to the cake recipe and reduced vanilla in glaze from 1/2 to 1/4 tsp. Also, eliminated 8-inch round so you only use a 9-inch round pan.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (March 10, 2018) – Increased salt from 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp.

Skinless Chicken Drumsticks (March 10, 2018) – Reduced sugar in marinade from 2 Tbsp to 1 Tbsp.

Blueberry Coffee Cake (March 4, 2018) – Eliminated using 8-inch round pan, only use 9-inch. Eliminated tossing berries with flour before adding, unless berries are wet.

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan (March 1, 2018) – Eliminated salt & pepper from flour mixture and sprinkled the cutlets with salt & pepper instead. Now instead of two egg whites, you can choose to use one egg. Eliminated parsley from the breadcrumb mixture and you can sprinkle it on just before serving.

Cinnamon Puffs (Feb. 12, 2018) – Added option of using whole wheat pastry flour, reduced baking powder to 1 tsp. and baking soda to 1/4 tsp. Replaced nutmeg with cinnamon in the batter.

Christmas Sugar Cookies (Dec. 16, 2017) – Simplified process. Eliminated milk. Added how to make them whole wheat.

Simple Bread Stuffing (Nov. 22, 2017) – For drying bread cubes, reduced time in turned off oven from 1 hour to 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie (Nov. 17, 2017) – Reduced the amount of pie crust: reduced flour from 1 2/3 cups to 1 1/3 cups of flour and reduced oil and milk from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup each.

No Knead Crusty Rolls (Nov. 14, 2017) – Increased baking time from 20-25 minutes to 25-30 minutes for even more crusty rolls.

Easy One Bowl Blondies  (Nov. 6, 2017) – Corrected a typo calling for 1/2 cup of all purpose flour – should have been one cup.

Potato Pancakes  (Sept. 18, 2017) – Changed frying oil from canola to peanut oil.

Mexican Casserole  (Aug. 19, 2017) – Adjusted jalapeños from 3/4 cup to 2 large jalapeños, up to 3/4 cup.

Greek Spinach Pie  (July 29, 2017) – Increased spinach from 3/4 lb to 1 lb, dill from 2 Tbsp. to 1/4 cup, feta cheese from 3 oz to 5 oz, added 1/2 cup cottage cheese, and made the number of phyllo sheets optional (from 20 sheets to 15-20). Also, eliminated chopping the spinach, and added 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste.

Kitchen Sink Cookies  (July 2, 2017) – Switched from whole wheat pastry flour to all purpose flour, eliminated baking powder, and reduced temperature from 375 to 350.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies  (April 29, 2017) – Reduced butter from 1/4 cup to 3 tablespoons, decreased sugar from 3/4 to 2/3 cup total, increased chocolate chips and nuts to 1/3 cup each, reduced baking time to 10-11 minutes.

Oatmeal Snacking Cake  (April 15, 2017) – Drastically simplified and improved…. less sugar, less ingredients, simpler instructions.

Cinnamon-Glazed Apple Brownies – (March 18, 2017) – Took down this recipe for re-working.

Vegetable Bean Pasta (Feb. 4, 2017) – Eliminated asparagus and indicated to add the spinach later, along with the pasta.

Canadian Butter Tarts (Jan. 14, 2017) – Increased butter from 3 Tbsp. to 1/4 cup; Replaced 1/2 cup white sugar with 3/4 cup brown sugar; Added 1/4 cup corn syrup; Increased one egg to two.

One Pan Chicken & Vegetables (Jan. 4, 2017) – Removed recipe, feeling it was not consistent.

Easy White Bread (no egg) (Dec. 23, 2016) – Increased the rising time from 35 minutes to one hour and reduced the baking time from 30 to 25 minutes.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons (Dec. 12, 2016) – For the coconut-almond macaroons, I reduced the ground almonds from 1/4 cup to 2-3 tablespoons.

Skinless Thighs & Fries (Oct. 19, 2016) – Shortened the cooking time to 30-35 minutes total by putting both chicken and potatoes in to cook at the same time.

Lemon Brownies (Aug. 27, 2016) – Indicated that a 9 x 9-inch pan also works.

Creamy Carrots (Aug. 25, 2016) – Switched from milk to water when adding cornstarch and increased cooking time by 3 minutes, eliminated salt & pepper, increased sugar.

Cinnamon-Glazed Apple Brownies (Aug. 17, 2016) – Reduced yogurt from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup, apples from 3 cups to 2 cups, reduced baking time to 20 minutes. Eliminated salt.

Blueberry Coffee Cake (Aug. 3, 2016) – Made walnuts optional, made primary cake with all purpose flour with the option of using part whole wheat pastry flour, reduced sugar from 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. to just 1/2 cup, simplified layering to not put any streusel in the middle. This is an older recipe and I am still working to make it even simpler.

Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Brownies (May 29, 2016) – Indicated that it takes two small bananas to make 3/4 cup mashed – one banana is not enough. Also, reduced oil from 1/2 to 1/3 cup and increased baking time from 20 to 25 minutes.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread (April 3, 2016) – Indicated that honey can be used instead of sugar.

Easy Dinner Rolls (March 16, 2016) – Reduced baking time from 14-16 minutes to 10-12 minutes.

Vegetable-Bean Pasta (March 6, 2016) – Increased flour from 1 Tbsp. to 1 1/2 Tbsp.

Corn Chowder (Feb. 29, 2016) – Eliminated the red pepper and bay leaf.

Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti (Feb. 29, 2016) – I noted to turn the oven off for the final 20 minutes of drying the biscotti.

Blueberry Coffee Cake (Feb. 27, 2016) – Eliminated salt, reduced flour in streusel from 1 1/2 T. to one T. and increased vanilla from 1/2 to one teaspoon.

Giant Breakfast Cookies (Feb. 1, 2016) – Changed 1/2 cup prunes to 1/2 to 1 cup prunes.

Marble Loaf Cake (Jan 30, 2016) – Reduced baking time from 45 minutes to around 40 minutes.

Cabbage Rolls (Jan 28, 2016) – Added that long grain brown rice works well.

Easy One Bowl Yellow Cake (Jan 14, 2016) – Noted that you can use either an 8 or 9-inch pan.

Christmas Sugar Cookies (Dec. 17, 2015) – Deleted the note to use only 2 cups of flour for a cookie press. The same recipe works for both cutouts and press.

Christmas Wreath Bread (Dec. 6, 2015) – Increased oil from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup.

Christmas Bread (Nov. 4, 2015) – Changed the shape from loaf to wreath, replaced water with milk, and increased sugar from 1/4 to 1/3 cup.

Greek Spinach Pie (Oct. 19, 2015) – Increased the spinach from 1/2 pound to 3/4 pound and increased the dill from one tablespoon to two.

Crispy Oatmeal Choc. Chip Cookies (Sept. 9, 2015) – Simplified by making the crisped rice optional.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Sept. 7, 2015) – Reduced nutmeg from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon; increased sugar by 2 tablespoons.

Citrus Chiffon Cake  (Aug. 29, 2015) – Reduced number of eggs from 7 to 6.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread  (Aug. 21, 2015) – Changed the loaf pan size from 9 x 5-inch to 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch which is more accurate.

Bolognese Sauce/Meat Sauce  (Aug. 12, 2015) – Drastically shortened the cooking time, eliminated the water, simplified the recipe, and re-named it Simple Meat Sauce.

Easy Bread & Butter Pickles  (Aug. 4, 2015) – Simplified the process – the ingredients are the same.

Kitchen Sink Cookies (July 20, 2015) – Eliminated the butter, simplified the ingredients, streamlined the instructions.

Apple Brownies (July 13, 2015) – Reduced amount of cinnamon in glaze from 1/4 tsp. to 1/8 tsp.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes (July 9, 2015) – Eliminated the dash of salt.

Apple Pie Bars (July 7, 2015) – Increased apples from 6 to 8 cups or 2 pounds, not three.

Whole Wheat Waffles (June 27, 2015) – Added 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Easy One-Bowl Chocolate Cake (June 15, 2015) – Included fresh lemon juice as a substitute for distilled vinegar – it works just as well.

Bran Muffins (May 8, 2015) – Increased the whole wheat pastry flour from 3/4 cup to 1 cup and reduced a/p flour from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

 Easy Dinner Rolls (May 8, 2015) – Made the main recipe with all a/p or bread flour with the option for whole wheat.

Rainbow Bean Salad (March 16, 2015) – Increased canned bean sizes from 8.5 oz to 15 oz. and increased onion from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

Easy Chocolate Brownies  (March 6, 2015) – To make them more fudgey I reduced the baking soda from 1/4 tsp. to 1/8 tsp.. I also doubled the vanilla to 2 tsp. and simplified the measuring by making the oil and yogurt both 1/3 cup instead of 5 Tbsp. and 6 Tbsp., because both amounts are very close to 1/3 cup.

Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (March 1, 2015) – Increased vanilla from 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. and streamlined the instructions.

Breakfast Brownies (Feb. 26, 2015) – Increased eggs from 1 to 2, reduced cereal from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup, increased vanilla to 1 tsp.

Turkey Breakfast Patties (Feb. 21, 2015) – Changed the patty size from 2 1/2 to 3-inches and added the internal temperature required for turkey.

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread (Feb. 3, 2015) – The faster method does not work as well as the overnight method so I changed the recipe to use the overnight method. It takes longer (still hardly any work at all) but it makes a better loaf that is less dense.

Giant Breakfast Cookies (Jan. 31, 2015) – I suggested that instead of chocolate chips, use the darkest chocolate bar. The one I prefer is Scharffen Berger 70% chocolate bar, which I chop into tiny pieces.

Skinless Chicken Drumsticks (Jan. 29, 2015) – Simplified marinade, increased oven temperature from 400 to 425 and reduced cooking time from 1 hour to 45 minutes. I also eliminated adding water in the pan. This reduced total time to 1 hour.

Marble Loaf Cake (Jan. 26, 2015) – Improved the recipe by beating egg whites stiff before adding to make a lighter, moister cake.

Marinated Superfoods (Dec. 30, 2014) – Reduced steaming time from 10 minutes to 6 – 8 minutes.

Christmas Sugar Cookies (Dec. 7, 2014) – Clarified amount of flour for both cutouts and cookie press. Changed rolling thickness to 1/4-inch and increased baking time from 8-10 minutes to 9-11 minutes.

Chrusciki (Dec. 3, 2014) – Lowered frying oil temperature from 375 to 350-365° F and reduced the frying time to about 30 seconds. Increased sour cream from 1 to 2 tablespoons, reduced kneading from 100 to 50 turns. Also reduced the total times.

Giant Breakfast Cookies (Nov. 30, 2014) – Increased vanilla to 1 teaspoon.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread (Nov. 30, 2014) – Clarified the different temperatures for milk when using instant or regular yeast.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (Oct. 26, 2014) – Reduced the prep time (35 to 30 min.) and total time (2 hrs. 20 min. to 2 hours). Also added that both regular active yeast and instant yeast can be used.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread (Oct. 23, 2014) – Added the option of using either instant or regular yeast.

Apple Muffins (Sept. 2, 2014) – Simplified by eliminating the sliced apples on top and putting more apples in the batter. This required reducing the batter so it would fit 12 muffin cups. Also reduced the sugar on top and increased the sugar in the batter by about 1/2 tablespoon.

Vegetable Pasta (Aug. 25, 2014) – Increased pasta water to 1 1/2 cups and flour to 1 tablespoon. It makes the dish more creamy.

Vegetable-Bean Pasta (Aug. 25, 2014) – Increased pasta water to 1 1/2 cups, flour to 1 tablespoon, and beans to one can.

20-Minute Pizza Dough (Aug. 19, 2014) – Clarified instruction re: adding water slowly as you may not need all the water.

Dry Rub for BBQ Ribs (Aug. 16, 2014) – Corrected a typo. Chili powder and sweet paprika were mistakenly listed as one teaspoon each, should have been two teaspoons each.

Easy Baked Ziti (Aug. 15, 2014) – Changed amount of ziti pasta from 8 oz. to 10 oz. Noted that after adding sauce,  add 1/4 cup water  jar, shake, and add what’s left in the jar to the pan.

Easy Pan Pizza (Aug. 8, 2014) – Added new option for eliminating the overnight wait and starting the pizza the same day.

Easiest Granola Ever, Seriously. (July 8, 2014) – Simplified the instructions to mix everything right in the baking pan.

Cabbage Rolls (May 20, 2014) – Notated that mushrooms in the filling are optional.

Beef Stew (May 6, 2014) – Eliminated the dredging of stew meat before browning.

Skinless Chicken Drumsticks (May 1, 2014) – Eliminated the step of rubbing drumsticks with oil before baking – it really wasn’t necessary.

Good news! After the success of my faster no knead bread I wondered if the same concept would work for my pan pizza. It does. The original easy pan pizza recipe, which is the most viewed video on my youtube channel, is a really easy recipe but you have to start the dough the night before and let it stand overnight. The result is an amazing crust that everyone has raved about but now, you don’t have to start it the night before. All you do is use hot tap water instead of cold water (the original recipe calls for cold water) and you can start the pan pizza the day you want it. I’m so excited about this.

Simply by switching from cold water to hot tap water (not boiling), you reduce the overnight rest of 12 hours to only 3 hours. Here’s what to do: Use the same exact recipe but use hot water instead of cold, and instead of letting it rest overnight on the counter, you let it rest for 3 hours on the counter.  After 3 hours, you proceed with the original recipe from step #2. There it is. My faster easy pan pizza.

The main thing to remember is that instead of starting it the night before, you can start this easier faster pan pizza about 5 hours before you want to eat. Click here for my original recipe. – Jenny Jones

If you like lasagna you will love this easy casserole. Baked ziti is a classic Italian dish and my version is light and healthy, made with lean ground sirloin and part skim cheeses. If you’re tempted to buy pre-shredded mozarella for this dish you may be disappointed. Any cheese that is pre-shredded will never melt as well as real cheese that you shred by hand. That’s due to the stabilizers that are added to packaged shredded cheeses. It takes about a minute to shred your own cheese so just do it. You’ll be rewarded with a creamy, melty dish that’s as close to lasagna as I’ve ever had.

Homemade marinara sauce is great if you choose but for this dish, bottled sauce works really well. Ziti is not always available so you can use other shapes of pasta with penne being the closest. The man in my life recently had a birthday and I offered to make him anything he wanted for dinner and for his birthday cake.  He could have had anything that I make and guess what he wanted? He asked for baked ziti for dinner and my fresh strawberry cake for dessert. Good call, since I was eating here too. To try my Easy Baked Ziti click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones