Bread! After experimenting, I think I finally have a good bread recipe. I combined a couple of recipes from my mother’s archive. The texture is soft without a lot of air pockets. The crust is lightly crisp without being overbearing. I baked 1 in a light pan, and 1 in a dark pan. They’re both about the same in color. Kneading by hand sure gets rid of a lot of stress!   In a bowl, combine: 1 cup warm water 1 cup warm milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast Whisk in: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup melted butter 2 eggs, beaten Mix well, then stir in: 5 1/2 cups al ..read more

Serve this delicious chili with freshly baked corn bread or biscuits.  Top with homemade salsa or pico de gallo for an added kick.  Crumble over the top corn tortilla chips or crackers. 2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup diced onion 1 cup red bell pepper 1 cup green bell pepper 2 tbsp finely chopped green chiles 1 tbsp minced garlic 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tbsp Home Cook’s Pantry Beef Chili Seasoning 2 cups beef broth 1 can (14-16 oz) petite diced tomatoes 1 lb cooked roast beef, shredded and cut small 1/3 cup sweet BBQ sauce 1 can each (14-16 oz) red kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans, rinsed ..read more

Whenever the holidays are upon us, and we are often reminded to donate to help other people who are in need. Food pantries and community service agencies plead for donations, and stores set up boxes for food, toys, and coats. If you’ve ever donated to any of these well-deserving campaigns, you probably feel good for doing it. But does the good feeling last? Do you ever wonder how you could continue to help those in need throughout the year? Here are some ideas to extend your help when the holidays are over. Consider setting up a monthly donation through your bank to your favorite community se ..read more

Late night baking resulted in this delicious coffee cake for tomorrow's breakfast (and a few nibbles tonight). Ingredients: 1 cup oil 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup milk 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup Home Cook's Pantry Tahitian Vanilla Sugar 3 cups flour 3 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup butter Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk. In another bowl, blend together granulated sugar, Tahitian Vanilla Sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour half the batter into a lig ..read more

Friday night dinner was a simple dish of Mexican-style eggs. Not quite as elaborate as huevos rancheros, but still delicious. I layered some crisp diced potatoes that were fried with bell peppers, onions, and scallions. Then, a layer of pinto beans and fresh homemade salsa. To add crunch and kick, I layered on crisp strips of bacon that were fried with a dash of our sweet Habanero Honey Rub. It's all crowned with 2 over-medium eggs, another dash of spicy rub, and cheddar cheese. It was a feast ..read more

This lovely loaf of apple bread just came out of the oven. Tender apples lend moisture and sweetness to this soft crumbed bread. The crust is slightly crispy, and it’s delicious with a pat of sweet cream butter. I used 1 red delicious and 1 Fuji apple for this recipe. Combine in a bowl: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon Home Cook’s Pantry Apple Pie Spice In another bowl, whisk: 2 large eggs 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup half and half Add the wet i ..read more

For a quick and easy meal, try a sheet pan recipe! I threw together a satisfying sheet pan meal for dinner. Chicken tenders tossed in our Sweet Sixteen Spicy Chicken and Rib Rub (yes, made with 16 spices!) and panko. The red potatoes were parboiled and seasoned with olive oil and our Garlic Fixation Blend. I threw in a couple of small garlic heads and baked it all at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Delicious ..read more

Be in control of what goes into your French Onion Dip – make your own! Combine 1 cup sour cream with 1/2 cup real mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of our French Onion Dip Spice Blend, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire. Ready in minutes with no additives or ingredients you can’t pronounce ..read more

Make these delicious chocolate waffles for a late night treat or breakfast. Add a spicy kick with our Mexican hot chocolate mix! Makes 6 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. Xocolatl Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 2 cups whole milk 1/4 cup melted butter 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 4 oz. chocolate chips Whisk together ingredients and ladle onto your hot waffle iron as per manufacturer's directions ..read more