Bran Muffins

I recently discovered my kids love bran muffins.  I made them for them to snack on, an they devoured them.  

Here's the recipe.  It's super easy. 

3 cups bran

1 cup water

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs (beaten)

2 cups buttermilk

Boil water and add 1 cup bran.  Stir and set as side to cool for about 3-5 minutes. Add butter to melt.  Mix in brown sugar.  Mix in eggs. 

Mix flour, 2 cups bran, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.  Add buttermilk (don't stir). 

Combine wet bran mix, with flour/milk ingredients. 

Put in muffin cups and bake 400° for 15 minutes.

Makes 35-40 muffins (depending on the size)

Sour Cream Biscuits

We found this recipe when watching Paula Deen, and fell in love with it.  It's great for filling people up quickly.  It's a basic delicious and disgustingly rich side.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease miniature muffin pans.

• Mix the flour and butter together, add the sour cream, and blend well. Place spoonfuls of the batter in the muffin pans. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

I love Mac and Cheese.  It's an amazing home style dish that just makes you want to snuggle up and eat on a bad day, good day, cold day, or whatever type of day.  I decided to try my hand at this and make my own Mac and Cheese.  My husband has a slight allergy to eggs, so I used flour as a thickener instead.

3 cups uncooked shell pasta
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 oz cream cheese
4 oz velveeta
2 cups fontina or cheddar cheese, plus additional 1/2 cup for top
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp bacon fat (optional)
Pinch salt and pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp butter (softened)
2 Tbsp flour



Preheat oven to 350°
Butter 9 inch square or round baking pan.

Cook shell pasta for about 5 min.  You'll want it to be only about half cooked.  Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, over med heat 1 Tbsp butter and milk over med heat.  Add velveeta and cream cheese.  Stir or whisk until melted.  Remove from heat.  Add salt, pepper, bacon fat, nutmeg, and worchestershire sauce.  Stir to combine.
Add 2 cups of cheese. Stir until combined.

Mix 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour together until it is a paste.  Put geese mixture back on med heat. Add flour/butter to the cheese mixture and whisk constantly.  You will want to make sure the flour beaks up and doesn't lump.  Do not boil, but whisk until it starts to thicken.  Then remove from heat an add and mix together with shell pasta.

Put in baking dish.  Top with another 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes.

Enjoy

You can also add crispy bacon, ham, or any other yummy additions to make this your own.