*Cornbread and Fluffy Honey Butter*

Last night for dinner we had Taco Soup and I finally got around to trying this recipe for Cornbread and Honey Butter.  I think I found it on a friend's blog but I can't remember.  Well I am so thankful for whoever I found it from because we were in Heaven - OMG it's so so yummy!!  I found one awhile back but it was dry and the honey butter didn't turn out so I was disappointed because I LOVE cornbread.  The bread was so moist and the Honey Butter - there are no words to describe how tasty it was.  We are going to pop our leftover scones out of the freezer and smoother them with this butter it's so good!!

Cornbread and Fluffy Honey Butter:

The best Cornbread we have ever tasted, seriously:

½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

○RESURRECTION ROLLS○

So I know that Easter is over but after hearing my mom rant and rave about how GOOD these were I thought we would give them a try.  We missed having family night since my kids went home for a few days with my parents so tonight we made these as a family and went over this lesson with the kids.  I was very proud of my kids when they started going over the story with us and how they understood why the rolls were hollow:)  I loved their excitement to see that the marshmallow had disappeared. 

Oh and BTW these are so YUMMY!!  I think you can use the recipe any time of the year to teach your kids the importance of Christ's Resurrection and enjoy a tasty snack to go along with it!

RESURRECTION ROLLS
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Crescent rolls
melted butter
large marshmallows
cinnamon
sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Give each child a large marshmallow cut in half, this represents Jesus. Have them dip the marshmallow in melted butter, which represents the oils of embalming. Then dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represent the spices used to anoint the body.

Then wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

Place in cupcake liners and in a muffin tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The oven represents the tomb.

When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, He is risen. (The marshmallow and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

•BEST EVER Banana Bread•

For my sister's wedding we bought banana's to dip in the chocolate fountain and my mom bought WAY too many.  So she gave us a big bunch of them, which I added to our already overflowing basket of banana's at home!!  They slowly started turing very ripe and my kids don't like them unless they are "fresh!"  Well I had to do something with them and what better thing to bake than a batch of banana bread AND banana chocolate chip muffins - YUM!!  My SIL Jodie (from her SIL Katie) gave me this recipe and it's the best I have ever had!  Plus it calls for ALOT of bananas and makes plently...which is a good thing because we have been devouring them!!

BEST EVER Banana Bread and Muffins --

1 c. Butter

3 c. Sugar

6 Eggs

3 c. Sour Cream

4 tsp. Soda

2 tsp. Vanilla

4-5 Mashed Bananas

1 tsp. Salt

5 c. Flour

1 pkg Chocolate Chips (optional)**

Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs.  Mix together in a seperate bowl the sour cream and soda, let stand until foamy.  Combine and add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Place in 4 greased and floured 9x5 in. bread pans.  Bake 350* for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

TIPS:

Low fat varieties of sour cream and butter works well.

Can be halved.

**I placed half of the mixture in 2 bread pans WITHOUT chocolate chips and baked for 50 min.

Than I added 1 bag of choco chips to remaining batter and made muffins.  I cooked them for about 10-12 minutes.  It made approx. 40 muffins:)  These are SoOoOo good and we have already finished off half of them....they made a GREAT breakfast for my kiddos!!

•Scrumptious Soft Pretzel's•

I have been doing a little preschool with my kids each week and since our letter for the day was "P" we decided to make pretzels.  I found an easy kid friendly recipe and gave it a try...

Soft Pretzels
1 1/2 C warm water
1 pkg yeast (or 1 T)
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
4 C flour
Add sugar to warm water then sprinkle yeast on top. let it float for a min. then stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 10 min. as yeast activates and starts to foam. Add salt and flour and knead 5-10 min; adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into snakes. Twist into pretzel shape and place on nonstick baking sheet.  Make an egg wash with one egg and 1T water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash then sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Bake @ 425 for 15 min. or until lightly browned.  Serve with nacho cheese or brush with butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them!:)
*For left over pretzels, brush with butter and sprinkle with parmesan and broil one minute. It makes a yummy treat.

I let the kids roll, shape and brush on the egg wash so our pretzels looked very "pretty!"  They didn't turn out as golden brown as I had hoped...I think it was from not enough egg wash, but they sure did taste good:)

SuPeR eAsY SoFt PrEtZeLs

Super Easy Soft Pretzels as seen on Kara's Kitchen Creations:1/2 cup warm water2 Tbsp yeast (I use SAF)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
Add yeast to warm water. Add milk, salt, and sugar. Stir in flour to make a stiff dough. (Unlike most bread recipes, you want plenty of flour. That makes the pretzels chewier.) Knead on floured counter a few times. Let dough sit for about 5 minutes. Form into pretzels following the instructions below. Bake at 400 for about 15-18 minutes. Yum! -Makes about 10-12 pretzels
Pinch off a small ball of dough.
Roll it into a rope about 14" long.
Cross the ends over.
Now bring the ends down to the bottom of the pretzel.
Place the pretzel on a greased cookie sheet and tuck the ends under.
Keep forming pretzels till you run out of dough. Then brush all of them with milk.
If you want, you can sprinkle toppings on the pretzels.
We have tried poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic salt and Parmesan, and cinnamon/sugar. Or you can sprinkle them with salt. Most of the time I just leave them plain-and they are still heavenly!
Notes:
-Sometimes I replace some of the white flour with freshly ground whole wheat flour and it works wonderfully and is more healthy.

*Pizza Crust*

I have been making homemade pizza's at our house a lot lately and would love to find a recipe so I don't have to keep buying the dough. I came across this one and heard it's the best. Can't wait to try it tonight:)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour
Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the oil, salt and sugar. Let yeast mix sit for about 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix well.
Dump onto a floured surface. Knead into a smooth dough (about 5 minutes). Roll out and press down on a greased pizza pan (if you have it, dust with cornflour after greasing the pan).
Add toppings.
Bake at 425 degrees for around 12-15 minutes, until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned.