Dissolve honey and yeast in warm water. Stir together whole wheat flour and salt. Pour yeast and water into flour mixture, add olive oil, and mix well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to absorb water. Then turn out onto surface sprinkled with all purpose flour and knead for about 8 – 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour as you go to keep it manageable. Grease inside of clean bowl with oil or butter. Place dough in and turn to grease. Cover with moist towel or plastic wrap or plate and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 – 2 hours.

Gently deflate and pinch or cut into about 10 pieces. Cover with tea towels and let rest about 10 minutes. Roll each ball out on lightly floured surface to about 5 or 6 inch circles approximately 1/4 inch thick. Recover with tea towels. Let rise 20 – 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500*F with rack at lowest setting. Preheat baking stone or cookie sheet, or you can also bake right on the oven rack. Bake two or three at a time about 2 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Remove with metal tongs or spatula.
Cover with tea towel as they come out of the oven. Store in zip loc plastic bag.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup oat bran (opt)
2 1/2 tsp (1 pkg) yeast (raw yeast if you have it, otherwise use active dry)
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Combine flours, flax, oat bran, yeast and salt. Stir together milk, brown sugar, butter and vanilla and heat until warm and butter is melted. When liquid is a wrist comfortable temperature, stir in to dry ingredients. Add egg and knead well. Cover and let rise about 1 hour (30-60 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is).

Roll out into a rectangle and spread with:
2 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Roll up like a jelly roll and cut into 12 even slices. Place in greased pan. Cover and allow to rise a second time. Bake at 350* about 25 minutes and until lightly brown on top.

Remove immediately from pan.

Glaze with the following:
2 Tbsp cream cheese (or use 1 – 2 Tbsp butter)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth and drizzle over top.

If you would like to get some raw yeast, try asking at your local bakery, or at your grocery store’s bakery. Sometimes they are willing to sell it by the pound, which can be much less expensive than off the shelf. Always helpful if you bake a lot!

Soak bran cereal in buttermilk for 15 minutes. In separate bowl, mix together flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add oil, pineapple, honey and raisins. Make well in dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture and buttermilk mixture. Stir just until smooth.

Honey Glaze (to grease muffin tins with):
1/4 cup butter, softened
6 Tbsp brown sugar
6 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp water

Cream butter and sugars. Add honey and water and beat until fluffy. Coat 20 – 24 muffin tin cups and spoon in batter until about 3/4 full.

Bake at 400*F for 18 -20 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out of pans and leave upside down on rack to cool.

1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or unbleached)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened or melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup finely chopped or slivered nuts (opt)
Jam

Stir together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (Use a mixer if you like). Beat in eggs and flavoring. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then half of the yogurt. Repeat. Fold in nuts (or fruit). (You can also stir these into the flour mixture).

Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling half full. Make a small indent and put a teaspoonful of jam in. Top with remaining muffin batter and bake at 375*F for 18 – 20 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched.

Variations:

Instead of jam, stir in:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen berries or diced fruit (eg. blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, banana, pineapple, apple)
- 1/2 cup raisins or other diced dried fruit (eg. cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (goes good with raisins)
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin (goes good with cinnamon)

Substitute vanilla or almond flavoring:
- 1 tsp orange, lemon or lime zest
- 1 tsp cinnamon or ginger
- 3 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 3 Tbsp instant coffee (dissolve in yogurt)
- 1/4 cup cocoa

Substitutions for sugar:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- sugar substitute equivalent to 1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar
- sugar content can be reduced to 1/4 cup but muffin will be noticeably less sweet; pour wet ingredients all at once into a well in the flour mixture and stir just until combined

Substitutions for flour:
- half or all whole wheat
- 1 cup flour and 1 cup oatmeal

Substitutions for yogurt:
- milk
- fruit juice
- buttermilk
- sour cream

Substitutions for butter:
- substitute all or part with vegetable oil or margarine
- fat content can be reduced to 1/4 cup, but do not mix with mixer; increase liquid (eg. yogurt or milk) to 1 cup; pour wet ingredients all at once into a well in the flour mixture and stir just until combined

Optional Toppings:
(before baking)
- cinnamon-sugar
- sugar
- nuts or seeds
- butter, flour and brown sugar crumble

(after baking)
- brush tops with honey or honey-butter
- brush tops with glaze of icing sugar and juice (eg. lemon)
- frost with butter frosting or cream cheese frosting

Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, then honey and buttermilk. In separate bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add dry to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Scrape into greased 9×5 loaf pan and bake at 325*F for about one hour until top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool 10 minutes, then carefully turn out of pan onto rack to finish cooling.

Mix together dry ingredients. In separate bowl or measuring cup, mix together wet ingredients. Make well in dry ingredients and pour in wet. Stir just until combined. Fill greased muffin cups or loaf pan. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350*F, for about 20 minutes for muffins, or about 30 minutes for loaf, until top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool about 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan.

Raspberry Variation: Want to make these even yummier? (and this is my FAVORITE) Throw in a cupful of raspberries – or press them gently into the muffin batter after filling the cups, so they come out even. You can also substitute 1 cup oatmeal for the 3/4 cup flour.

Thin Crust Pizza made with plenty of extra-lean ground beef, plus spinach, onions, and sauce, keeping it light on the cheese.

Crust (makes 3 twelve-inch pizza crusts):
1 cup warm water
1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour

Stir together. Dough will be rough and sticky. Cover and let rise at least 2 hours. Gently deflate with floured hands. Divide into 3 portions, shape into balls and flour well. Let rest at least 15 – 20 minutes. Press into rounds, using additional flour as needed to keep from sticking to counter. If dough is still resistant to being stretched, allow to rest a few more minutes. Gently roll, pull and stretch each round out to about 12 inches in diameter. Take it easy to keep the dough a fairly even thickness and to prevent holes. Sprinkle cornmeal in the bottom of nonstick pizza pans and lay pizza dough rounds over top. Cover with tea towel and allow to rise 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 450*F. Bake for about 8 – 10 minutes. Watch to prevent scorching, and rotate half-way through for even baking. (Bake until crisp, as adding toppings will tend to make it too soggy, otherwise.) Remove from oven and cover with toppings. Place back in oven and bake another 10 – 15 minutes until toppings are done and cheese is melted.

Topping Ideas:
pizza sauce
garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes
lean meats, such as extra lean ground beef, turkey or pork, chicken, or ham
onions, mushrooms, green pepper, tomato, spinach, pineapple tidbits, olives
grated cheese – mozzarella, cheddar…

Bread Pudding

6 slices bread (or more if thin/small slices), a day old (or so)
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (approx)
1/4 – 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (opt)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk

Toast bread (optional) and spread with butter or margarine. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Pull bread into pieces and put in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole or 8 x 8 pan. Sprinkle with raisins, if using. Beat together eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in milk. Pour over bread. Bake at 350*F for 65 – 70 minutes, or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

I love this way of making muffins – 1 big muffin in a pie pan. It takes a few minutes longer in the oven, but it turns out moist and delicious. (Take a little extra care to make sure it is done in the center before taking it out of the oven – it’s like a cake that way). And it means no muffin tins to wash out afterwards! I also measure my wet ingredients right into my 2-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup which means less mess and fuss, AND even fewer dishes to wash. Gotta love fast, fuss-free and fewer dishes!

Apple Banana Oatmeal Muffin (Pie)
with Walnuts on top!

1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup quick oats
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
sprinkle of cinnamon

1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1 apple, chopped (peel on if you like)
1/2 banana, chopped
3/4 cup milk (or a little more)

sprinkle of granulated sugar
handful of walnuts

Measure flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir well with spoon or whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, measure in egg, oil, chopped apple, banana, and milk. Stir or beat together well to combine.

OR (and this is how I do it!!)
In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, crack an egg, pour in oil to about the 1/2-cup line, slice in apple and banana, and pour in milk to about the 2-cup line, or a little over. Stir with fork, being sure to break up egg and combine all together well.

Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fill a greased pie pan (or muffin cups). Top with a sprinkling of white sugar and a generous handful (or two) of walnuts.

Bake at 350*F for about 25 – 30 minutes for the pie pan (15 – 20 minutes for the muffins), until the edges are golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Cut into wedges (or remove from muffin cups) and EAT IT ALL UP! (with the help of your family, of course!)

Best Biscuits

2 heaping cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (approx)
1/3 cup frozen margarine, thinly sliced
1 cup cold milk

1. Preheat oven to 425*F.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt – using a whisk makes it quick.
3. Thinly slice the frozen margarine into the flour mixture. Work in with fingers, breaking the fat into smaller clumps until fairly evenly distributed.
4. Add 1 scant cup cold milk and stir in, then work with hands until dough is well moistened and gathers into a ball. Add a bit of additional milk if necessary so dough is not too dry and all flour is incorporated – a little bit sticky is just fine.
5. Turn out on well floured counter and pat out to about an inch thick. Cut out biscuits (you can use a small glass, or clean, empty 8oz. tomato sauce can, or similar if you don’t have a biscuit cutter). You’ll get about 8 or 9 biscuits.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and put on very top shelf in oven. Set the timer for about 6 minutes and increase the heat to 450*F.
7. When timer goes off, move biscuits to the very bottom shelf and continue to bake for another 4 or 5 minutes, until biscuits are golden on top and dry on the sides. They should be crunchy on top, tender and flaky inside.

Notes:
You can try using frozen butter or cold shortening in place of margarine, if you like.
If you don’t want to fuss with the heat, or moving the biscuits around in the oven, just preheat to 450*F, put them in the middle and bake about 10 – 12 minutes.