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May 4, 2020

Photo of the Week

Jenny Can Cook Chocolate CakeThis  picture brought me so much joy last week. Mike here is from Virginia and just baked his first cake ever at 86 years old. His daughter, Carol, sent in the photo saying, ““My dad, first cake he’s EVER EVER made! I baked your single layer chocolate cake last week, then sent your site link to my mom (sharon). they watched the cake video, then my mom walked my 86-year-old dad (mike) through baking this cake. she said it turned out great ? he mixed the cake, baked it, and frosted it all by himself… they cut half and froze the other. we’re from coastal virginia. ? thanks jenny!!!”

This photo is sure to motivate other people who think they can’t bake, How about some of you “youngsters” in your seventies?? You can do this! ?

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May 2, 2020

Make Healthier Sandwich, Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Healthy Sandwich Buns

I love these soft, whole wheat buns. This is the exact same recipe as my simple whole wheat bread but it’s shaped into buns and it’s faster than the loaf. If you’re a fan of my whole wheat loaf, you must try making these buns. It’s a quick and easy recipe that takes only an hour from start to finish. With summer coming and burgers about to be made on the grill, you can now have a healthier option for hamburger buns. As for sandwiches, it’s always a healthier sandwich when you use whole wheat bread.

These rolls are so soft, you might forget they’re whole wheat but if you’re not a fan of whole wheat… no problem. These turn out just as well using my simple white bread with egg recipe. Either way, these are quick, easy and delicious buns for healthier sandwich and burgers. Click here for the recipe.

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

And here are my hot dog buns, made from the same recipe, only made into long buns. They are also soft, whole wheat buns for a healthy alternative to store bought buns. I tried store bought whole wheat hot dog buns and they were terrible – dry and heavy. These are light as a feather but again, if you want to make them white, just use my simple white bread with egg recipe. But since my soft whole wheat loaf is so popular, I hope you’ll try these healthier whole wheat hot dog buns. Click here for the recipe, – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins
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Apr 30, 2020

Fudgy, Chewy, Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Brownies

Fudgy Chewy Gluten Free BrowniesI like these brownies just as much as my regular and very popular chocolate brownies. I was surprised how well gluten free flour works in brownies, both my lemon brownies and these dark chocolate ones. I think it makes them even more fudgy and chewy. The only gluten free flour I could find was Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour and it works really well. I’m hoping if someone makes this recipe with a different gluten free flour, they will report back on the result.

I make them with avocado oil but you can also used melted butter. Surprisingly, I prefer the ones made with oil and saw no improvement in flavor using butter. That may be because there is so much rich chocolate flavor in these decadent brownies. I use a whole 3-ounce dark chocolate bar and Dutch process cocoa, which is very rich and dark. I also use dark chocolate chips so that would make them triple chocolate brownies that just happen to be gluten free. Click here for the recipe – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Baking Without Butter, Sweets
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Apr 25, 2020

Photo of the Week

Polish Paczki RecipeBeing Polish did not sway my choice this week… well maybe just a little. This photo is from Claire in Ottawa, Canada. (Wait! I’m from Canada too! ??) This photo of my Polish Pączki made my mouth water and shows how light these jelly doughnuts are. Claire said, “Unbelievably delicious, they didn’t last long and the kids enjoyed licking the jam off their fingers!” Thank you, Claire.

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Apr 21, 2020

My Lemon Brownies – Gluten Free!

Gluten Free Lemon BrowniesGood news for gluten free cooks! I was finally able to get the flour some people have mentioned in their comments and I tried it out with my lemon brownies. They turned out great – I saw no difference in taste or texture. This recipe is exactly the same as my regular lemon brownies only with swapping the regular flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour. (This is not a paid endorsement, just a way to share a good recipe that’s gluten free.)

I have only made this recipe with this particular flour and can’t say how it will work with other gluten free flours so it you try it with a different brand of gluten-free flour please comment here on your results. I’m really happy to be able to share this very easy and very popular recipe for lemon brownies (some people call them “yellowies” ?) for everyone who has asked for more gluten-free baking. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Baking Without Butter, Sweets
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Apr 18, 2020

Photo of the Week

Best Homemade Beef StewI grew up in Ontario, Canada but that’s not the reason I chose this photo from Gail in Ancaster, Ontario. This picture made me realize, “I need to take  a better picture of my beef stew!” ? This stew is so tantalizing that I put the ingredients on my shopping list to make it again myself. Gail wrote, “Hi Jenny, Really enjoy your style of cooking. Simplicity married to nutritious makes perfectly delicious foods. Love it! Here is a photo of your Beef Stew recipe made in my cast iron pan with a heavy lid. It is great comfort food during the lockdown. Blessings to you and yours! ~ Gail Albanese. (Ancaster, Ontario Canada)” Thank you, Gail. ??

These photos are my favorite thing. I still can’t get over seeing my recipes all around the world! ???

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Apr 17, 2020

You Can Bake Bread Without Yeast

Quick Easy Bread No Yeast

Can’t find yeast? Need to make bread? Here is a bread recipe that uses no yeast, instead using baking soda and buttermilk for a fast and easy loaf, good for sandwiches or toast. When I say “fast” check this: without yeast there is no rising time so the whole recipe, start to finish, takes 35 minutes!

This is basically my version of Irish soda bread so don’t expect it to taste like yeast bread. It might remind you of buttermilk biscuits. I used it for a salmon sandwich yesterday and had it toasted today with breakfast. Most soda breads don’t use eggs but I found that adding the egg makes it lighter and rise more; otherwise, it turned out more dense.

And I tried it with both real buttermilk and with a substitute of milk + white vinegar and I preferred the real buttermilk version. On the bright side, buttermilk should be easier to find than yeast these days. So bottom line, you’ll get the best result using real buttermilk and the egg but if you want to avoid the egg there are lots of Irish soda bread recipes available online for you to choose.

Bread made with yeast is ideal but for anyone in quarantine who can’t find yeast, this is my best version of bread without yeast. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Baking Without Butter, Breads/Muffins, Quick & Easy
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Apr 11, 2020

Your Photo Of The Week

If anything good could come out of our current worldwide quarantine it’s that people are learning how to cook. It’s given us a chance to either learn or to teach our children this important life skill. That’s why my pick this week is this photo of 9-year old Svea, whose mother sent it in, showing Svea taking pride in this chocolate cake she made all by herself for her family in Minnesota. I hope this inspires other young people to discover the joy (and value) of cooking. ❤️

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Apr 10, 2020

I Made Casseroles

Easy Baked Ziti CasseroleIt 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.

Stay well, everyone. ❤️

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Filed Under: Main Dishes, What I Cooked Today
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