Seasons Change...

Yes, I do realize it has been a few months since I have posted. And quite honestly, I have not made ONE new PW recipe during that time...that is, until last night.

Before I let you in on the amazing recipe that was so easy to make and now we are practically left with just crumbs standing, I must tell you that I have been cooking. And I've even been cooking quite a few PW favorites---just nothing new to this blog. Simple Enchiladas, Chicken Spaghetti, Best Hamburgers, Shrimp Quesadillas, and Cinnamon Rolls are just to name a few. In fact, with the awesome Cinnamon Roll recipe, I DID try them with all whole wheat--and guess what?! They are GOOD. You must understand that changing out the flour from white to wheat is a great change-up, but the reason they are so good would be the enormous amounts of butter. Just sayin'...so don't get too crazy and think they are absolutely healthy. But, it's a step in the right direction, right!?

We are back in the swing of things with school. Which brings me to the change of seasons. Yes, of course, the obvious switch from sweltering summer heat that brings with it a very care-free lifestyle of minimal commitments, hence the lazy days of summer. I would equate that to a time of organized chaos or on some days, utter disorganization. I cherish our summers! I love our vacations we save to the last month to squeeze in every last ounce of togetherness before the school year starts. I love having almost no responsibilities of getting to bed on time, or having to wake up at 6:00 am to get kids off to school, and NO HOMEWORK or PIANO lessons to worry about.

But when the SEASON changes, I am SO ready for it. I love organization and writing in my big wall calendar, and my personal planner. I love to see what life has in store for each of us as we begin the new school year. As much as I love to NOT have a schedule, I love even MORE to have a schedule. I thrive on a schedule and so does my family.

Another SEASON CHANGE for us here is my baby going off to Kindergarten. Oh my aching heart! Bittersweet---is the only way to describe it. It has been 11 years that I have had at least some or one child at home with me. It has made for interesting moments after working some or part of the night and trying to stay awake, it has allowed me to be available for most things, it has given me a grocery shopping buddy, a cleaning buddy (HA!), laundry buddy, and cooking buddy. And now it is just me! Definitely a "season" change I am learning to live with. And while it does make my heart ache, it is so, so good to see 4 kids with their backpacks scamper out the door to the bus and puts a smile on my face to see them run home, throw their backpacks on the floor and beg for me to feed them every morsel of food I have in this house. And the sleep after working all night??? MARVELOUS!

So adjusting to seasons changing is what we have been up to. I really thought I would have all this time on my hands to try a new recipe each and every day. Well, that hasn't happened yet. But it's a good goal, right? Don't hold me to it. But the fall weather does bring out excitement to be in my kitchen.

Which FINALLY, brings me to the recipe you have all been waiting for. And it's definitely worth the wait. Streusel-topped Pumpkin Bread is easily my favorite fall treat of the season. it's about this time of year that everything pumpkin begins to sound good. Why is that? Do any of you use pumpkin throughout the year? I don't. I only use it during the fall and cold temperature months. It's like it doesn't taste the same any other time of the year. Which is exactly why this recipe is so darn good right now!

It is moist, it is the perfect amount of sweetness with the streusel on top, it is filling, and it goes perfectly with steaming bowls of your favorite soup, as a dessert, or a breakfast sweet bread. Versatile, I tell you. And two loaves later, I am left with two pieces and crumbs. It's barely even been out of my oven for 12 hours!

I will tell you that I did change up the recipe just a bit by switching out my flours to oat flour. You know, because that is just how I roll. I was nervous about the consistency, but it worked wonderfully, and packed some added fiber and protein in the bread.

Delicious! Happy fall y'all!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Or should I say Blueberry YUM Cake??? This is a keeper people! I had a carton of blueberries that needed to be used, and we actually have a free morning to ourselves this sultry second day of August. So what does that mean? Yep, you guessed it. A PW recipe to critique. And critique we did...


Blueberry Crumb Cake is simple. Like extremely simple. And it will become a breakfast of champions once school begins in a little over a month. It's not too sweet so you can really enjoy the flavor of your fresh blueberries. The kids all had seconds and I had to slow them down so we could get at least ONE more breakfast out of this 9x13 pan of goodness.

I did alter the recipe, just a tad. I used spelt flour (which has an unbelievable amount of nutrition) instead of all-purpose. And by what I said above, it did not affect the flavor of this cake in the least. In fact, it may have enhanced it?


So, if you're looking for a yummy alternative for your old stand-by coffeecakes, give this one a try. It's delish!

Donuts for breakfast!!

Yes, this recipe is very similar to the French Breakfast Puffs that I made months ago without the baking powder, remember?

Muffins that taste like Donuts just had to be made this morning. I didn't take the time to look closely at just how similar they are to the French Breakfast Puffs, but the kiddos said they taste almost the same.

When I told them I was making Muffins that taste like Donuts Kassidy said to me: "Well, I will be the judge of that..." Oh my, I think we are gonna be in for an adventure with that girl. In my kids' minds, donuts taste like long john's or chocolate covered donuts---so the sugary cake donuts (which is what these taste like) they don't really know. But none-the-less, the each ate two and were begging for a third.

Super easy to make--you don't need a mixer. It's as simple as adding dry and wet ingredients together. And on a side note, I did half white and half wheat flour. Truly, dipped in butter and rolled in sugar, the kids had NO clue. Yep, I am sneaky.

Cherry Banana Coconut Butter Bread

Oh my word, this bread is amazing! A couple of different blogs I have read recently have showcased this bread and have swooned all about it. So, you guessed it...I went straight to the store to get the ingredients I needed and made this nutrient beast last night. (Mostly for a little snack before bed for me, but the critics RAIDED the loaf pan!)


Cherry Banana Coconut Butter Bread was very simple to make. No mixer, no cracking of eggs--just incorporating the wet and dry ingredients. Generally I am drawn to recipes that have very common ingredients that I would have on hand. That is what makes PW's recipes so enticing to me. So when you check this ingredient list, you may be disheartened to find that you will have to go in search of spelt flour, coconut butter, and perhaps pure maple syrup. And admittedly, I did NOT find the coconut butter but instead tried to make my own in the vitamix. Not sure if the coconut butter turned out the way it should, but the BREAD was delicious.


The bread is made out of all whole foods. I am becoming fond of spelt flour which you can find at your local whole foods stores. I read that it keeps its nutrition when refrigerated. You can read all about the health benefits of spelt here.

The critics loved this bread, by the way. And if I find something they love that is nutrient dense such as this?? Well, I'm gonna go make another loaf...

Ok...a Confession and a Recipe

So, some of you may have noticed that I have been trying other recipes in addition to the PW recipes we all know and love. Yes, I said it--and admitted it! My love for The Pioneer Woman will never die, I promise. But I have been trying new recipes and have put in the "healthy" twist version of some of PW's.

As those of you who know me well, know...I become addicted to things quite easily. It is a sickness! But I figure if I am choosing wisely the things I become addicted to, then it is ok, right? For instance, I choose not to try cigarettes, cocaine, marijuana, gambling (ok, well I did try that once on our cruise) for fear of my addiction to addictions. SOMEBODY admit me!!

So are you ready for it? My newest addiction? Is food, health, and fitness for both me and my family. I am just having a blast coming up with new and creative ways to feed our family well. And by well I mean, getting the most nutrition you possibly can. I have found that a little bit goes a long way. When making some of PW's pasta dishes, I simply switched to whole grain pasta. Which you can find anywhere and has become much cheaper in price the last year or so. Or like last night when we had the Mini Meatball subs---just by making your own marinara sauce versus buying it in a jar will save you in cost, calories, and add tons of flavor just the way you like it. In addition, layering your meatballs on a whole wheat bun instead of white packs in nutrition in so many ways. The extra fiber you get in whole wheat not only sustains you longer, it is an overall cleansing for your system.

Not all the time are the critics as impressed with some of the changes as I am. I am working on that. But little by little, I hope to make some lifestyle changes that will stick with them for a lifetime. Not to say that there isn't room for all kinds of food. There is LOTS of room! And I really believe that anything (when it comes to food) is just fine in moderation. It's what you strive to do MOST of the time. I have yet to switch over flours in PW's cinnamon roll recipe--but believe me, I will at least try it. And if it doesn't work? Well, then those rolls you just leave alone and appreciate all of their yummy goodness in their original white floured, buttery and sugary form!

So as I cook and bake my way through PW's recipes (which I will most definitely continue to do because she and her food are so awesome!) you may notice some changes to some of her recipes. And when I come across other recipes that I just love and think you should know about, I will post those too.

Which brings me to this yummy recipe we made for breakfast this morning...

Gotta tell you that I made a few changes to the Hearty Whole Wheat Waffles too. First of all, I doubled them because you are going to get very few waffles out of a single recipe. And I am trying to feed SIX of us! Doubling this recipe worked well and left us with 2 waffles leftover. Steve got up too early on this summer morning to participate in our family breakfast, so this recipe would be just right if we were all eating together. As far as the ingredients go, I used 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup spelt flour. Spelt flour provides extra protein, fiber, and yumminess---google it! I also added two heaping Tbsp. of ground flax seed (more fiber), and used pure sugar, and of course went the butter route. I am here to tell you that these waffles were delicious! The kids coined them the best they have ever had. Maybe they were really hungry, I don't know. But what I do know is that they loved a very nutritious waffle and you NEED to try this recipe. On top were strawberries, bananas, pure maple syrup, and chocolate chips.

Go for it. They are really, really yummy. I promise.

Coffee Cake

Thought I'd do something nice today for all the FATHER's in our Sunday School class in honor of Father's Day. It's the thought that counts, right? All I can say is I am thankful that my sis-in-law shared the "something nice" today with me and made her own bundt cake, for my coffee cake was stuck to my pan!

The coffee cake tasted fine, but all the yummy stuff ran to the bottom and just stuck there. We really needed a chisel to get the good stuff. It would have tasted SO much better had it looked like PW's. But no, something went wrong. Thankfully there were a few gracious people in class that took some---and a good number of starving kiddos after Sunday school that pounded it down.

But due to the mishaps as stated above, paired with some of the obnoxious details of whipping egg whites and folding them in to the batter, I will be sticking to my good 'ole favorite coffee cake recipe that turns out yummy each and every time!

Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful father's...but mostly I wish my awesome Dad and hubby a very special day.

Bananaberry Muffins

Behold! A morning starring something other than cereal, bagels, or toast!!! Bananaberry Muffins hit the spot this morning and left smiles on faces all around...

They are kind of hard to pronounce but definitely simple to make. I love that you are using all whole ingredients from home and not from a box. Simple, real food. They are moist and bursting with both flavors of banana and blueberry. I used 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour and a 1/2 cup white flour and the kids thought they were wonderful. The muffins bake in 20 minutes and there you have it---homemade Bananaberry muffins. Hoping they'll freeze well too. I'm adding these to my list of favorite muffins!!

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

I thought it was so funny that one of my friends asked me if I had been feeding my family lately... and I am here to tell you---no, not since a week ago. Ha!

This week was CRAZY and I am sorry to say, I didn't have the chance to make anything new of PW's. That is, until today...

I chose an easy recipe but unfortunately, I have more than 3/4 of a pan of Cinnamon Baked French Toast sitting on top of my oven as I write. It's not that the critics didn't like it, they just didn't love it. I did not try this dish due to the extreme egg-like texture and I even thought I saw a cooked egg throughout the bread. EWWWW!!! But regardless, it provided a nice warm breakfast on this cool May morning before the last full day of school--I can't believe it!

I have made many overnight french toast casseroles and all of them are equally simple. I have never eaten any of them (due to my egg aversion) but I am sure this one was good. Especially the topping made of butter and brown sugar. It baked very nicely and was crispy on top and a bit gooey, soft in the middle. Steve left before it came out of the oven, but I'll try him out on the leftovers and see what he thinks.

Butterscotch Caramel Rolls

I would love to share this recipe with you all. It really is so yummy. My mom made these rolls many Sunday mornings before church when we were growing up. And I always requested them for my birthday breakfast too. They are relatively easy and just taste amazing!!

You need 18 Rhodes White Dinner Rolls. These come frozen in a pack of 36. Usually I am making these rolls for more than just my family and will just make a double recipe. Put the frozen bag of rolls (or just 18 for one recipe) in the fridge to thaw out overnight. I usually do this late at night. In the morning cut the rolls in fourths and lay in a greased 9x 13 pan.

Now mix with a wire whip:

1 Box Cook and Serve Butterscotch Pudding ( DO NOT USE INSTANT!!!)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Melted Butter

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 Cup Milk

Now pour this mixture over your buns and let rise until double in size. Usually about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. When done, line cookie sheet with foil and flip rolls on to cookie sheet. Enjoy!!

Monkey Bread

"Ridiculously easy and sinfully delicious..." How's that for a description? Who wouldn't want to make a recipe that is described exactly as that?! Gotta tell you, she had me at easy and sinful. That's what this recipe is all about.


First of all, you must know that all of the critics chowed these down this morning. All of them had seconds. And to say this recipe is easy, is definitely a true statement which earned Monkey Bread a 5 star rating.


BUT, (you knew it was coming) I do have a Butterscotch Caramel Roll recipe from none other than my Mom (the other wonderful cook in my life besides PW) that, for our family, gets the pick over this Monkey Bread any day.

Not to take away from the glorious ease and yumminess of this recipe. Believe me, if you've got the biscuits on hand, a yummy breakfast doesn't get any easier than this.

The Method.

Let me tell you this. Steve JUST called me from work and asked me:

"What in the world did you put on that toast?

Gotta say, I wasn't quite sure where he was going with this. Other than the fact that my sweet oldest girl had commented minutes prior:

"THAT was the best toast I have ever eaten in my life."

So, the odds were pretty darn good that Steve thought highly of the toast/breakfast that I prepared for him. Something about me preparing breakfast for him I think was really the exciting part---then add to it a really good piece of toast?! Yeah, he's loving me right now.

This toast is nothing special really. It is all in the method in how you make it. And if you check here, PW has a very in-depth, explicit post on how to make cinnamon toast. It is quite entertaining and never did I think it would matter so greatly how you make your cinnamon toast.

But oh it does people. I think some of the added shabang is the vanilla. And the gobs of butter may have something to do with it too...

And if you use 100% Double Fiber Whole Wheat bread, you won't feel so bad eating half a loaf. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Breakfast doesn't get much easier. Put your toaster away.

Petite Vanilla Bean Uh-Oh's!

UH-OH!!!!!! Ok, so this kitchen disaster is totally my fault--and I own it, I really do. But you've got to know that despite the mishap, the "no way in the world can these be called scones" were very, very tasty!!

This is what happens when I try to change a recipe to make it somewhat more healthy. I would like nothing more than to sit down with a Petite Vanilla Bean Scone every afternoon with a cup of coffee. But, if I don't want to run miles upon miles, elliptical for hours upon hours, or eat nothing else the rest of the day, I can not do that.

How did I attempt a healthier scone? I did not take out the butter or cream. When I say healthier, I should say I mean more whole food-ish. Does that make sense? Anyway, I used 2 cups of almond flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour, threw in a couple of Tbsp. of ground flax seed, and also used natural cane sugar crystals. The result was the above pictures, which look absolutely nothing like PW's pictures. But as I said before, they taste awesome. Just a hint of sweet to curb the sweet tooth in you--and packed with fiber! Love that. The only thing is they do not look like a scone. In fact, they look like granola in a dish as evidenced by Steve asking me if that dish of scone sitting there was in fact homemade granola. I just said "Yes, Steve. That is homemade granola!!!! "

And you know what? He absolutely loved it. I can not even imagine how good the real scones would be...

A Berry is a Berry

Mondays always come too quickly after the weekend, but for some reason I welcome back the routine of the week. We are completely out of cereal and I was in no mood to make eggs (surprise!), and everyone ate toast yesterday (on the WAY to church, mind you), so...

Muffins it was! I must say, that these muffins were good, but probably much better if you would have used the blueberries as the recipe states. Since I have no fresh blueberries and I had strawberries that were on the verge of rotting, I decided to interchange my berries. It worked and the girls thought they were about the best darn muffins they have ever eaten. However, Kassidy left her warm strawberries on her plate. I would have to admit, that warm strawberries were a bit hard for me to take also---therefore, my toaster did not go unused this morning. The recipe states to let the muffins cool completely. Well, if we were to have done that, Natalie would have for sure gone off the deep end and been almost tardy. So, the warm muffins we did eat.

I am definitely wanting to try this muffin recipe again using blueberries. Although if you're a strawberry fan, it will work. Just let them cool off please.

Waffles Without Syrup?!!

I inadvertently forgot that we have NO SYRUP in this house when I took out the waffles for breakfast this morning. I don't know how I could have forgotten. In fact, as embarassing as it was a couple of weeks ago when we had our friends over for these said waffles, we had to ask them to bring the syrup. Who does that? US, apparently. "Hey, would you like to come over for waffles, and uh, can you bring the syrup?" GAH!

How could I have forgotten? Who knows. All I know is I remember eating a white waffle sauce when I was little that was so yummy. I have also made white waffle sauces before, but never have a recipe right on hand. So who and where did I turn? That's right. PW's Tasty Kitchen website where I searched for white waffle sauce and found Gingerbread Waffles with Vanilla Cream Sauce.


Gingerbread Waffles with Vanilla Cream Sauce is so simple and so yummy. My kids just loved it and didn't complain and ask for our traditional syrup even once. I did not make the gingerbread waffles, just the vanilla cream sauce.

So if you find yourself in a bind without any syrup, try Gingerbread Waffles with Vanilla Cream Sauce and see what you think. I'm thinking you may just do away with that traditional syrup when it's all said and done.

In Need of a Zester...

Mother's Day is coming up, right? Do you hear me Steve??? I need a zester. And then I would not have near the stress in making these types of recipes. Granted, Steve, if you've already bought me some jewelry, I will get my own zester.

Why do I need a zester? Because I have been zesting with my grater now for the last year. PW keeps talking about a "microplane zester" and I am sitting here with my grater--green with envy. I am going to have to find me one of those. That, or quit making recipes that require zest. And that wouldn't be fun!

This morning I was looking for a new muffin recipe to try and Orange Mini-Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze is one I have been wanting to try. Let me tell you all, the batter was delicious. I could not quit licking my fingers--and that is big for me because there are raw eggs in that batter. Gag me!

I had 4 grumpies sitting at the bar watching me zest and whip up Orange Mini-Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze as they longingly looked at the cereal boxes. Not this morning baby critics!! Mommy is making Orange Mini-Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze and you WILL try them. And hopefully WILL like them.

Well not the case for the youngest two. I missed my opportunity to get a picture of their faces. I am going to attribute their dislike to immature taste buds. Because Orange Mini-Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze were really good and the older two thought they were good. Especially after the shock of citrus flavor that surprised them all. Maybe that is what did it to the younger two. Who knows. But those cereal boxes they were longingly looking at? Quickly became their breakfast this morning.

Will I make Orange Mini-Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze again? I think they'd be a great addition to a brunch menu. Especially if you are having different types of muffins. They are an interesting citrus flavor that are soaked with a yummy brown sugar glaze. Best served warm, although these leftovers are good as well.

Worth making for my children for breakfast? Maybe with a microplane zester and cereal on the side...

Bring on the Pancakes!

What is this now? My 3rd post about pancakes... at least? I am having so much fun trying all of these different pancake recipes on my critics! I especially love the mornings that I can accomplish a hot breakfast. It really doesn't happen as often as I would like unfortunately. But it did today!


Cinnamon Bun Pancakes are just delicioius! We all thought they were super! I have even been pondering a pancake feed at our house with a variety of pancakes for people to try. So far, Cinnamon Bun Pancakes are my favorite.


They fry up darker making your critics think that you may have used whole wheat flour (GASP!), but after their first bite, your critics will thank you for making such a beautiful pancake. Even though it looks dark. And looks dark ONLY because there is bountiful amounts of cinnamon in them (and also if you grill them up on your cast iron skillet and your skillet is too hot).

I did also go ahead and make Maple-Butter Icing for Pancakes to go on top of the pancakes. And yes, despite the very traditional pull of the maple syrup I also had sitting out, the critics loved the Maple-Butter Icing for Pancakes too.

It was just a winner of a morning over here. Except that eating Cinnamon Bun Pancakes this morning caused us to be a little bit later than our oldest "child", type A, critic would have preferred. But she and the others made it to school on time with a tummy full of Cinnamon Bun Pancakes.

I am guessing that the minute you take a look at the Cinnamon Bun Pancakes you are going to want to make them too. Mine were all down the hatch before I could get any pictures of them. If that tells you anything...

Thinking Out of the Box

Any one ever been at the place where your husband refuses to let you spend $$ out of your means. Meaning, that I must have CASH in hand before I go to the grocery store. None of this Discover card stuff so you can earn extra cash back. Why would you want to do that? And none of this writing checks kind of stuff, because you'll be tempted to spend money that is allocated to other bills, necessities, etc. So, it's a CASH only grocery shopping trip. Don't get me wrong. I get it. I totally get it. It's responsible, it's spending with in our means, it's uh, frugile. But, I will argue, I won't get any CASH back by using only CASH. And Steve would argue against that philosophy...


My point to all of this, is that we are down to 1/4 cup of milk, no orange juice, no hamburger, no chicken, and a few eggs. I had buttermilk, eggs, and most baking supplies available. So I decided to get creative and find a recipe that would double as a good snack for the critics and also could be a good breakfast. Since last night was church night, I did not have to worry about supper and today is grocery shopping day! To help me out, of course, I turned to the one and only. And like always, she had just the thing I was looking for. Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins.
These are so easy! And the kiddos really liked them. Cute too, aren't they? The recipe says that you should serve these warm out of the oven, smother them with butter, and dip them in syrup. YUMMO! Now, that is out of the box thinking. I love it!
A quote from my youngest critic was this-- "They don't have a lot of taste". Does that sound like a professional food critic or what? At the young age of 5, I think he is taking his job very seriously. And I'm proud of him for it... (now smother it with butter and dunk it in syrup and then tell me it's tasteless, boy!) Just kidding. I take his criticism very seriously. He wasn't the most impressed with Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins. Although he did eat his fair share.

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins will definitely be added to my breakfast freezer recipes along with my old standby Cinnamon Chip Muffins as pictured above. Ahhh, at least we have breakfast taken care of for the rest of the week...

Now off to make my grocery list. Because as good as these muffins are, I don't think the critics will appreciate Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins for dinner tonight.

Get Yourself Some Cake Flour!

This morning I was actually feeling like a "morning" person, which I am not. I was jolly, ready for the day, and excited to make Perfect Pancakes! If you remember, I had made another pancake recipe by PW a few weeks ago that the critics loved and I could not stomach (due to the incredible egg-like texture...) Anyway, since I had cake flour I was prepared to make Perfect Pancakes. They passed the test with flying colors, although one critic does not think they're as good as my normal pancakes (which would be Bisquick...). More on that in a minute.

But first, is this not just the perfect picture of a

MONDAY MORNING???

Happy Monday Kassidy!! Looks like you need some Perfect Pancakes to me!

Kourtney surprisingly was extremely happy this fine Monday morning while she waited patiently for the Perfect Pancakes. They grilled up really thick! Kassidy looks a little more thrilled now that she's dressed and spreading butter on her Perfect Pancakes. This batch made a lot of Perfect Pancakes!! I was impressed and you all know how I love to have leftovers to put in the freezer for another day... But between these two girlies, I think they put away 6-8 Perfect Pancakes between them. Wait girls!! Slow down! Natalie has to eat yet.

Whew! That was a close one. Thankfully Natalie got in on a few, although THIS is the critic who likes the Bisquick cakes better. Doesn't look like she's minding these, though.


Had to slow her down too because "the boy" was still asleep until 9:00 am today! And he loves Perfect Pancakes. So I am left with around 6 or so in the freezer for another day. That will take care of the girls' breakfasts at least.

This is what I am left with when it's all said and done. Yes, it was worth the mess. And as soon as Sam's starts selling cake flour in bulk, we will be having these much more often.

Pass the Honey Butter

I searched and searched the website to find the recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits, but couldn't find it. It was a recipe that I made from PW's cookbook and I really thought they were going to be just unbelievable. The dough did not work well, it was kind of dry. And I know I did not roll it out thick enough because these biscuits were about 1/2 inch thick. Talk about U.G.L.Y.!!! I also baked them too long so they were dark.

Nothing turned out well with this recipe. Nothing EXCEPT for the Honey Butter! Oh my goodness, honey butter is so yummy. The honey butter was so yummy that it even disguised the biscuits enough to where the critics thought they were actually good. It wasn't until the next day did we all realize how much we did not like the biscuits.

I am not saying that I made this recipe as it should have been made. The pictures in her book sure did look good, and my biscuits sure did NOT look like the biscuits in the PW cookbook. So I don't know what happened. I may make them again or I may opt for the Grand's! version. We will see. But the honey butter needs to become a staple in this house.

Just Meant to Be...

Over the last week, I have made quite a few different recipes. One recipe called for egg whites. So I had a bowl full of egg yolks in my fridge. Basically, when that happens, I keep them in there for awhile thinking that I will be resourceful and then end up throwing them away. I also have about 1/2 container of sour cream sitting in my fridge. Let's see, what else... Oh, I bought cake flour thinking I would make a certain recipe that now I am going to wait on. And most annoyingly of all, I had taken some of my rhubarb out of the freezer thinking I was going to make a pie. Well, thinking about that pie was the only thing that happened. So there sits my thawed out rhubarb. Rhubarb that is very precious and not in abundance in my freezer.

So what is the point in all of these things I am telling you about, you ask?

THIS IS IT: Big Crumb Cake.

Do you ever feel or get that notion that something was just meant to be? Like you were supposed to do something because all the stars (er, ingredients) lined up in the universe and it was like a calling or something?

Well, that is exactly what happened to me. I was mostly concerned for my rhubarb sitting there sadly, getting soggier by the day, wanting to be made in to a pie that I was not going to make. Where else do I turn in my time of baking/cooking need? You guessed it. HERE!

I simply searched for the word rhubarb in the site and it got me to the Big Crumb Cake.

And what to my wandering eyes did appear? But a recipe that called for sour cream, rhubarb, egg yolk, and cake flour!!! What?! Could it be? Yes, there was no turning from it. It had to be made.

And because it had to be made, I did just that. I didn't know what might happen if I didn't make it. But it was going to be something big, something disturbing, something, uh, I don't know...

Big Crumb Cake. is simple to make. I have never in my long life used cake flour. I don't know why not? Most likely because if the recipe called for cake flour, I would find a different one. But wow! This stuff is awesome! It's so soft and fun to work with. And I would be lying if I told you I did not try the battter. I did. And it tasted exactly like YELLOW BOXED CAKE MIX!!! I have a big obsession with a yellow cake mix. It's my favorite kind of cake and I have always wondered how in the world to get the taste of that cake. Wonder no more!

(disclaimer: I have a slight obsession right now with picnik.com and editing my photos. SO fun!! I'll try not to be too obnoxioius. But I heard you wanted photos, right?)

I made Big Crumb Cake. as a dessert for last night's supper, but it would be even more wonderful as a coffeecake for breakfast. If you find yourself in a predicament, such as I, with:

egg yolk

sour cream

cake flour

rhubarb

then please, please, please make Big Crumb Cake. You'll be happy you did.