With summer approaching, I’m using my toaster oven more for baking. This time I tried my no knead crusty rolls and WOW – they turned out beautifully! I set the toaster oven to 450, just like my big oven, and just used a smaller baking pan (9 by 13 inches). These rolls don’t spread much so I was able to bake all eight at one time. I plan to make them this way all the time.
As soon as they cool, I freeze these rolls. I find that putting the frozen rolls directly onto my toaster oven rack at 325 for about 10 minutes makes them super crusty, even more than when they’re first baked. It’s a win-win: Less oven use, and even crustier rolls. I love these rolls with salad, with soup, and sometimes I eat a roll,,, with another roll. 😋 Click here for the recipe.
I found some beautiful organic blueberries yesterday and I put the whole box into this gorgeous loaf! 🫐 Has anybody noticed that blueberries aren’t really blue? They’re kind of purple. Whatever color they are, I love this loaf so much, not just for the lightly sweet taste, but for the health benefits of the berries. The deep hues are what fills blueberries with so many nutrients. Don’t just take it from me. WebMD says:
“Packed with antioxidants, blueberries are also high in potassium and vitamin C. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases.” I hope that motivates you to make this delicious lemon blueberry loaf. Click here for the recipe and don’t skimp on the berries!
My first attempt at adding seeds to my no knead bread looks good but I didn’t really love it. I guess I’m a purist when it comes to bread and I really prefer it plain and crusty. There were too many flavors in the mix of seeds for me and it was hard to get the seeds to stick. It was just okay. Don’t get me wrong. I ate the whole thing! It’s bread!! 🍞
My next one’s going to be plain again. The loaf I make most of the time is my whole wheat version. Maybe I’ll try adding some honey next time to shake things up a bit. You’ve gotta take risks in life! I won’t be bungee-jumping but adding honey to my bread – that’s a chance I’m willing to take. 😀
I found a way to make my crispy focaccia even more crispy. I make it in advance, let it cool, cut it into six wedges, and freeze. When I’m ready, which is almost every day 😋, I place the wedges directly on my toaster oven rack at 325° F for about 10-12 minutes and they come out super crispy. And they stay crispy longer than when served right after baking. If you like all things crispy as much as I do, try it. Here’s the recipe: https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/easy-crispy-focaccia/
I know I haven’t been around lately but we are still moving! Yes, still moving. I didn’t know we had that much stuff! (most of it’s not mine 🙂) I’ll try to post some new recipes very soon.
My homemade apple pie is a special treat, which I don’t make very often. Usually, it requires a special occasion and today I washed my hair so I needed to make an apple pie! 🙂 Granny Smith apples are my fruit of choice and I always use a full three pounds! Whoever invented the phrase, “easy as pie,” must have meant the eating part. Making pie, especially apple pie with all the chopping, is not easy but it’s worth every minute! 🍏 It makes an incredible homemade gift but I’ve never been able to let one go.
For anyone wondering which recipes I make the most, my own go-to favorites, here they are:
No Knead Crusty Rolls: I always have some in the freezer because you can pop them into a 325° F oven for about 10 minutes and they are even more crusty than when first baked.
My Dinner Salad: With a few variations in olive oil dressings, pretty much every meal I make starts with a salad.
Pork Tenderloin Dinner: The pork is lean, takes on marinade really well, and I love roasted veggies.
Oven Chicken Veggie Kabobs: It’s an easy and simple one pan meal with delicious marinated chicken, and I always serve it with Basmati rice. One pan = easy cleanup.
Granola Bars: I make a lot of these granola bars. They can be a quick snack, dessert, or something to take on a hike or trip. There’s one in my purse right now.
Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake: Of all the chocolate cakes I make, this is my favorite And there’s a whole sweet potato in there for some vitamin A, or as we say in Canada, “Vitamin eh?” 🇨🇦
Cracked Wheat No Knead Bread: I love farm breads and this easy no knead bread with extra fiber is the one I make the most. I bake, slice, and freeze.
Sheet Pan Chicken & Vegetables: It’s fast, easy, healthy, low fat, and it all roasts in one pan. It’s delicious. I love this meal!
Bran Muffins: I make a dozen and freeze them for the days I crave traditional, old fashioned, bran muffins, which is almost every day.
Tapioca Pudding: Light as a cloud, this comfort food dessert is a family favorite. My husband swears I always take the bigger serving, but he can’t prove it. 😀
Giant Breakfast Cookies: These are almost a meal in themselves, chewy, delicious, and full of fiber. As soon as I’m down to one, I make more.
One Pan Broccoli Bean Pasta: I buy fresh broccoli every week so I know I can always make this quick and easy last minute dinner with my pantry staples of pasta and canned beans. Any time I can make dinner in one pan, I’m on it! 🥘
I make bran muffins on a “regular” basis. I freeze them and just take out one a day, put a little butter on it, and it’s my evening snack with a glass of warm milk. The combination of molasses and vanilla gives it that old school bran muffin taste. The older I get, the more I… make bran muffins.🙂 Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
It’s just so good! I wanted something special for the holiday weekend and decided on my homemade apple pie. I bought six large Granny Smith apples and this time I cut the slices a little smaller, about 3/4-inch thick. Someone had mentioned that the apples weren’t cooked enough so slightly smaller pieces worked out just fine. And of course, I always use my easy oil crust, using avocado oil.
Most of the time I brush the crust with milk but I had whipping cream on hand and used that before sprinkling the top with sugar. I didn’t see much difference from using milk. You can’t buy an apple pie anywhere that even comes close to homemade. Serve an apple pie and you’ll find you have more friends & family than you realized! ? Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
I was craving a good hamburger so I made sesame seed buns from scratch and they were ready in an hour. I can’t find whole wheat flour right now so I used my white bread with egg recipe. Just before baking, I brushed the buns using beaten egg yolk with a little water and sprinkled on the seeds. You can brush with egg white, egg yolk or even a beaten egg. Let me tell you, these were some awesome burgers! I used lean ground beef and I cooked the patties in a hot cast iron skillet. I seared them first so they were beautifully browned and tasted like they just came off the grill. (I should have taken a picture but I was hungry ?)
I had all the trimmings on hand, including lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mustard, mayo, and ketchup. WOW! I may never cook a burger on the grill again. I also made oven fries since I had a russet potato. I peeled and sliced it into fairly thin wedges, tossed them in olive oil, salt & pepper, and roasted them in a 425 oven on a baking sheet for about half an hour. Next time I make this classic American meal (and there will be a next time) I will post it as a recipe so everyone can enjoy delicious hamburgers at home. I never made a burger in a skillet before so I even surprised myself.
Meantime, if you want to make the best and easiest sesame seed hamburger buns, click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
It may sound crazy but I love grocery shopping. I like to take my time, meander down the aisles, see what’s new, what’s on sale, what the produce guy just rolled out, and I miss that. I miss my favorite checker who always says, “Hi, Jenny.” She’s from Russia and says she learned how to speak English by watching my talk show. I miss her too. And I worry about her because she is an essential worker, close to my age, and is still working now.
It’s not easy getting groceries so I’ve been cooking and freezing as much as I can. Last night I made my two favorite casseroles to freeze in portions. Left is my baked ziti and right is my angel hair casserole. The ziti is made with a meat sauce and three Italian cheeses and the angel hair casserole uses beef, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese. They are both family favorites and luckily they freeze well. I cut them into serving portions today and froze them so we can still have our favorite meals as getting groceries continues to be a challenge.
If you can get the ingredients, I recommend both of these casseroles for freezing. For the Baked Ziti recipe click here and the Angel Hair click here.
With summer approaching, I’m using my toaster oven more for baking. This time I tried my no knead crusty rolls and WOW – they turned out beautifully! I set the toaster oven to 450, just like my big oven, and just used a smaller baking pan (9 by 13 inches). These rolls don’t spread much so I was able to bake all eight at one time. I plan to make them this way all the time.
