Amish Friendship Bread and Starter

Amish Friendship Bread is the recipe you both love and hate because it tastes amazing but in the end you are left with starter that you have to give away. Sometimes this is easy and people are chopping at the bit to have a starter and other times you'll find yourself begging people to take it off your hands. In its original form, you grow the starter for 10 days then divide it. Some you will bake into bread and some you will divide into more starter that you either keep or give to friends. This recipe will work if you are given a starter or if you want to begin your own starter.

Starter right after initial mixing

Starter 3 hours after initial mixing

Fresh out of the oven - Baking in stoneware is my favorite!

Moist & Delicious

Makes: 1 starter/2 loaves

 If you do not have a starter and want to begin your own:

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water (110℉)
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. warm milk (110℉)

* As you mix the starter, be sure not to use any type of metal utensils or bowls.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. The yeast should produce some small bubbles. Stir well. While the yeast dissolves, combine the flour and sugar in a 2 quart glass or plastic bowl. Mix together. Slowly stir in the warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Mix until combined and most of the lumps are dissolved.

Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap and keep on the counter. The mixture will get bubbly and grow as the days go on. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle. For the next 10 days, handle the starter according to the directions listed below. You can also transfer the starter to a gallon-size zip-top bag and squish the bag each day instead of stirring it.

Amish Friendship Bread

If you receive a starter from a friend or make your own starter using the recipe above, here is what you do with it.

Day 1 - Make or receive the starter
Day 2 - Stir
Day 3 - Stir
Day 4 - Stir
Day 5 - Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk
Day 6 - Stir
Day 7 - Stir
Day 8 - Stir
Day 9 - Stir
Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Mix well and place 1 cup each into 3 containers or gallon bags. Give 3 of the starters to friends with the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10.

After removing the 3 cups, follow the recipe below to make 2 loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

1 c. Amish Friendship Bread starter
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on personal preference)
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 325℉. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a fork or whisk beat by hand until well blended. Grease 2 9"x5" loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar (not flour). Bake for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans.

Notes: I love Amish Friendship Bread and have fond memories of my mom receiving a starter from a friend. We would watch each day as the starter bubbled and grew knowing the amazing treat that was coming when it was time to bake. But she worked at a school and those bags of starter would get offered and passed around the staff and teachers until everyone had one and you couldn't find anyone to give it away too.

It's my goal to figure out how to keep my starter going without having to divide it each time and give it away. I'm happy to share if friends want some but that's not always the case. There are also many additions you can put into the finished batter before baking. You can Google to find those ideas and I will update my post when I successful make any of the additions.

This recipe has been around for a long time and obviously was not created by me. That being said, I'm unsure where I got my recipe from originally. I found it as a print-out in my recipe book.
 

Quiche Anyway

Made with Colby Jack cheese, spinach plus sauteed onions & green bell peppers

Made with Cheddar cheese, ham lunch meat and broccoli

* This quiche can be made any number of different ways depending on the meat and vegetables you have on hand and your family's personal preferences. 

Serves: 5-6 (Makes 2 quiches)

12 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded cheese (any variety)
1/2 - 1 c. cooked meat of your choice (optional)
2-4 additional 1/2 cups of your choice of veggies (fresh or frozen)
2 pre-made pie crusts (homemade or store bought)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, break eggs then add milk and whisk until well combined. Stir in salt & pepper. In 2 pie pans, lay out one pie crust in each pan. Put 1/2 cup of cheese on the bottom of each crust. Spread vegetables and meat, 1/2 cup each on top of cheese, placing the heaviest filling on top. Pour half of egg mixture into each pie crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are set in the middle.

Notes: There are so many ways to make quiche and that is the beauty of this dish. Some of our favorite veggies to put in quiche are spinach, broccoli, onions, bell peppers (any color) and potatoes (they must be cooked first). I have found that vegetables with a strong flavor (onions, bell peppers, etc.) can be toned down by sauteing them in a small amount of butter. Spinach is also best torn into smaller pieces and spread in the crust before the cheese.

Any variety of meat can be used such as ham, sausage, bacon or even left out altogether if you prefer your quiche to be meatless. Even without meat, there is still plenty of protein from the eggs. Also, any variety of cheese can be used as well. Cheddar, Colby Jack, Swiss and Pepper Jack are favorites of ours. We often make two different quiches for the same dinner. Enjoy!

Recipe from Stacy.

Banana Bread

Makes: 1 Loaf

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
3-4 smashed, ripe bananas
1/3 c. water
1 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
*See below for high altitude adjustments

In an electric mixer, cream butter & sugar. Once smooth, add in eggs and beat until well combined. Mix in bananas and water. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Gently mix into wet ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for an additional 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes: Who doesn't love a good loaf of banana bread? I've tried a lot of different banana bread recipes and still had trouble finding one I liked. So I finally asked on Facebook and this recipe was perfect! If you tend to have bananas from time to time that get overripe, throw them in the freezer (I leave the peel on) and pull them out when you're ready to bake (be sure to remove the peel before you smash up the banana).

High altitude adjustments: Increase water to 3 ounces, decrease baking soda to 7/8 tsp, decrease baking powder to 1/8 tsp. All other measurements stay the same.

Recipe from my friend Krysta P.

Hashbrown Bake

Serves: 8-10

1 bag (2 lbs.) frozen, shredded hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. minced onion

Topping:
1/4 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. cracker crumbs, crushed

Mix all ingredients, except topping, in a large bowl. Place in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: It takes a little bit of arm strength to mix all these ingredients together so make sure to use a large bowl. I mixed this up the night before, put it in the 9 x 13 dish, stuck it in the fridge overnight and baked it in the morning. Came out great! So if you're making this as part of breakfast there's no need to have to get up early to put it together. Just make sure you take your dish (especially if it's glass) out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven. Also, any kind of cracker can be used but the best is a light, buttery cracker such as Ritz or Town House.

Recipe by Stacy having adapted it from several recipes in my MOPS compilation cookbook

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Makes: 1 large & 1 small loaf

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk (see tips)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add bananas, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips; pour into lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and one small loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: I love different banana bread recipes and this one from the Hawaiian cookbook intrigued me. The chocolate chips add just an extra touch of sweetness. I'm hoping I can convince my kids that this is a special treat and substitute it for cookies or ice cream at dessert time. If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, just put 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in a measuring cup then fill with milk to the 1/2 cup line. If this isn't quite what you're looking for, check out Blueberry Banana Bread or my other Banana Bread recipe which has yogurt in it.

Recipe from From Hawaii's Kitchen: Homemade Gifts of Sweets & Treats

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

Makes: Approx. 3 cups

1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whipped topping, thawed
Cut-up fruit of choice

With an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add in sour cream and vanilla, beat until blended and smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Chill for 4 hours before serving. Serve with fruit.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: This is a wonderful fruit dip! It has just enough flavor to enjoy the extra sweetness but it also does not overpower the taste of the fruit. As always, I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer because it makes things so much easier. Fruit dip is great as an addition to a breakfast fruit platter or a way to convince your kids that fruit is actually dessert!

Recipe from MyRecipes.com

* I'm back after a month off since our new baby arrived! Hopefully I can be more consistent but this isn't the first time I've promised to post more often so we'll see how it goes. Thanks for sticking with Recipes for Moms!

Apple Coffee Cake

Serves: 6-8

Cake
1/2 c. + 2 T. sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 c. plain yogurt
3 T. butter, melted
1 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 medium apples, peeled & thinly sliced
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Glaze
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

To start cake, in a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup sugar and eggs; stir in lemon peel, yogurt and butter. Add flour, baking powder and salt to egg mixture; blend well. Pour into greased 8-inch square pan. Arrange apple slices on top of dough, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; blend well. Slowly pour over almonds and allow mixture to soak into hot cake. Broil 5-6 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.

Tips: Granted that this coffee cake was a little bit of work between preparing the apples and making the glaze but let me assure you that it was well worth it. I made it when my in-laws were visiting and my father-in-law raved about it and had seconds the next morning. Be sure to watch the glaze carefully under the broiler, as the top tends to brown very quickly.

Recipe from Pillsbury: Best of the Bake-off Cookbook

Blueberry Cream Muffins

Makes: 1 dozen

Muffins:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Filling:
1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 egg *See tips
4 T. sugar
Dash salt

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon about 2 rounded tablespoonfuls into greased muffin cups. In a small mixing bowl, beat filling ingredients; place about 1 tablespoon in the center of each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 375 degree for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: These were great moist muffins and the blueberry/cream cheese combination tastes great. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the mix. For the filling, just do your best to make a whole egg into a half. The original recipes was double this but I think most families probably use 1 dozen muffins more often than 2 dozen. Also, my cream cheese filling was pretty runny but baked up just fine.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Blueberry Banana Bread

Makes: 1 loaf

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
2 c. + 1 T. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 bananas)
1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk (see tips)
6 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 egg

In a small bowl, mix blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. In another bowl, blend remaining 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a another large bowl, whisk together bananas, buttermilk, butter and egg. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture just until evenly moistened, the batter will be stiff. Gently stir in blueberry mixture. Spread batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert bread onto a plate, remove pan, and turn over onto rack to cool completely, up to 45 minutes.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This is a perfect recipe for this time of year since blueberries are usually on sale and bananas ripen with lightening speed. If you don't have buttermilk, put 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into your measuring cup, then pour in the milk up to the 1/2 cup mark. I made this for some friends who watched our kids last month while we went out for our anniversary. Since we usually don't pay friends who watch our kids (or take money from friends when we watch their kids), I like to be able to have a little something to say thank you. They told me that the bread was pretty much gone by the next morning.

Recipe from Firefly Blog

Bubble Loaf

Serves: 4

2 tubes refrigerated biscuits
1/3 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. walnuts, chopped

Cut each of the biscuits into four pieces. Melt butter in small bowl. Mix sugar & cinnamon in a separate bowl. Dip each biscuit piece in butter then coat in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place in a single layer in ungreased 9 x 5 loaf pan. When first layer is complete, sprinkle with walnuts. Repeat biscuits and walnuts until finished. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This is one of my favorite breakfast breads going back to when I was a kid. My brother and I loved to sit at the table and get our hands all goopy helping our mom dip the biscuit pieces. The easiest biscuits to use are usually the cheapest tube of store brand biscuits. However, larger biscuits like Pillsbury Grands just need to be cut into more than four pieces and they will work fine. To make sure that the Bubble Loaf bakes evenly I suggest leaving a tiny bit of room between the biscuit pieces when you make your layers. Also, if you have nut allergies (like we do) the walnuts can easily be left out. As an additional treat, if there is any cinnamon/sugar or butter leftover, mix them together in a small resealable bowl and keep in the fridge for use on toast or pancakes.

Recipe from my mom.

Sour Cream Pancakes

Makes: 12 4-inch pancakes *See tips

1 c. sour cream
7 T. flour
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Butter
Pancake syrup

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; stir gently until mostly mixed. Whisk eggs in separate bowl; add vanilla and stir. Pour egg mixture into sour cream mixture. Stir together gently. Batter doesn't have to be totally combined. Heat a griddle or iron skillet over medium-low heat. Melt a small amount of butter on griddle and pour the batter 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 45 seconds to 1 minute or until golden brown. Top with butter and syrup.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These were delicious pancakes with a little more substance than traditional flapjacks and are nice and moist. I doubled this recipe for our family of 4 (two of those mouths being under 5-years old). So keep that in mind when making breakfast. Be sure to have the griddle or skillet nice and hot otherwise your first batch of pancakes will be impossible to flip. Start with only 1/4 cup of batter at a time until you see how they will spread.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl

Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos

Makes 6-8 burritos

1 dozen eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb. breakfast meat of your choice, cooked & chopped
1 package tortillas

Break eggs into a large bowl. Add milk and whisk until scrambled In a large skillet, cook over medium-high heat, mixing in meat towards the end of cooking. For each burrito, place a tortilla on a paper towel then add a scoop of scrambled eggs and top with a handful of cheese. Wrap each burrito in the paper towel and then in a piece of foil. When finished with all burritos, put them in a zip-top bag and place in the freezer.

When ready to eat, remove burrito from foil and place on a microwave-safe plate still wrapped in paper towel. Microwave on high 2 to 2 1/2 minutes (depending on the wattage of your microwave), turning over once. Serve with salsa or taco sauce, if desired.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: It is great to have a healthy, filling breakfast ready to go in your freezer. My husband has used these several times when he had to leave the house early. The number of burritos you make will also depend on the size of tortilla you choose to use. Watch for eggs to go on sale ($1.00/dozen is a great price) then buy an extra carton for making these burritos. I also shared this recipe at We Are THAT Family's Works-For-Me Wednesday.

Recipe from Daily Essentials and Deals

Orange Pan Rolls

Makes: 8 rolls

1 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. cream of tarter
1/4 t. salt
1 t. grated orange peel
4 T. butter
1/3 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. nutmeg

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cream of tarter and salt. Add orange peel; cut in butter and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just moistened. Divide dough in eight equal pieces. With floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place butter in a small bowl. Combine sugar and nutmeg in another small bowl. Dip balls in butter, then in sugar mixture. Evenly space in a greased 9-inch round baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These were really good little rolls with just the right amount of sweetness. Don't be fooled on the size though. The picture was taken with these four rolls on a bread plate. So if you're baking for a large crowd be prepared to double the recipe. These rolls did stick a bit to the pan because the sugar baked and burned on the pan. This might be avoided by greasing and flouring the pan first (just a suggestion). I used my Microplane Grater/Zester to get the orange peel just right. It is also great for grating chocolate. I also shared this recipe at A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day, Momtrends' Friday Food, Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday & The Girl Creative's Just Something I Whipped Up.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Bran Coffee Cake

Serves: 6

1/3 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. bran flakes, crushed

Topping:
2 t. butter, softened
2 T. brown sugar
1/3 c. bran flakes, crushed

In a large bowl, combine milk, egg and butter. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir into milk mixture. Add bran flakes. Spread into a greased 8-inch round baking pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve warm.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: My whole family enjoyed this light coffee cake the other morning. Any bran flakes will work - I only had Raisin Bran in the pantry so I measured out what I needed and took out the raisins. I also shared this recipe at Trendy Treehouse's Sharing Ideas Wednesday, Someday Crafts' Whatever Goes Wednesday & Crazy Daisy's Tuesday Tastes.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

1 c. quick-cooking oats
1 c. buttermilk *see notes for alternates to buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

In a large bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 10 minutes. Stir in egg, brown sugar and oil. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into oat mixture until just moistened. Fill greased muffin tin three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These were delicious muffins that we used as bread with our dinner. They have a hint of sweetness that goes great with butter and jam for breakfast or just with butter to go with dinner. If you don't have buttermilk, measure 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a one cup measuring cup then fill with milk up to the 1 cup line. These muffins were featured at Simply Sweet Home's Sweet Thursday. I also shared this recipe at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and Somewhat Simple's Strut Your Stuff Thursday.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

Makes: 1 2/3 cups

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. water
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Store leftover syrup in the refrigerator.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: If you are a cinnamon fan, you'll love this creamy cinnamon syrup over your breakfast. We had it with Oat Waffles, but it would also be great with Easy Waffles or Overnight Pancakes. Even if you usually use store-bought syrup, keep this recipe in mind in case you find yourself craving waffles, pancakes or french toast but realize you're out of syrup. I also shared this recipe at 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2004 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Oat Waffles

Makes: 8-10 waffles

1 3/4 c. milk
2 eggs
2 T. canola oil
1 t. vanilla
1 c. quick oats
1 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

In a food processor or food chopper, process the dry oats until well chopped. In a large mixing bowl, add oats and milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, followed by oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Ladle onto hot waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Serve with syrup or fresh fruit.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: I was so glad to find a way to add some whole grains into a traditionally sweet and highly refined breakfast. My whole family gobbled down our oat waffles and they kept us full. If you prefer a more traditional waffle, try Easy Waffles. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Recipe Swap.

Recipe adapted from Cook with Sara

Spicy Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients until just moist. Spoon into greased muffins tins; bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: We love making muffins on Saturday mornings but often the problem is that the muffin recipe calls for a specific fruit or ingredients I don't have on hand. I like these muffins because these are all ingredients and spices I have in my pantry. They are also very tasty spread with some butter! We have nut allergies in my family so we leave the nuts out and they still taste great. I also shared this recipe at Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Recipe from Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?

Overnight Pancakes

Serves: 6

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
2 T. baking soda
2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the bowl from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease with butter or nonstick cooking spray. When pan is hot, turn heat down slightly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto skillet for each pancake. When lots of bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancake. Serve with syrup or your favorite breakfast topping.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: Up front confession - I did not make up the batter the night before so I can't promise how they turn out using that method. However, I can tell you that these were very tasty pancakes. They seemed to be a bit lighter than traditional pancakes but I liked that because then I didn't have to add quite as much syrup. I also used 1% milk instead of whole milk. I don't know if that possibly made a difference in the recipe but again, I liked it the way it turned out. Do make sure your skillet or griddle is nice and hot before you start or it will be very hard to flip the pancakes. If you need some other ideas for breakfast, check out Easy Waffles or Overnight Coffee Cake too. I also shared this recipe at 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Crescent Ham & Cheese Tartlets

Makes: 12 appetizers

1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated garlic-butter crescent rolls
1/3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. ham, cooked & finely chopped
1 T. green onion, finely chopped
1 egg
3 T. half & half

Unroll crescent dough into 1 large rectangle on work surface. Press into a 12 x 9 rectangle firmly pressing perforations to seal. Cut dough into 12 squares. Gently press squares into 12 ungreased mini muffin cups, with tips up out the top of the cup. Put cheese evenly into dough-lined cups. Top each with ham and onion. In a small bowl, beat egg and whipping cream with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon slightly less than 1 tablespoon mixture into each cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is set. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from cups.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These were very tasty little appetizers and they look nice too. The easiest way to put these together is to get all of the ingredients together first, keeping the crescent dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to spread it out and put it in the cups. To chop the ham, I used a small piece of ham steak and put it in my food chopper. It came out in nice tiny pieces and not ham puree (which I was worried it might).

I think these would make a nice addition to a breakfast potluck just use regular crescent rolls instead of the garlic-butter flavor. There are almost always coupons available for crescent rolls so wait for these to go on sale and pick some up. If you find a really good sale, then make Somethin' Yummy too! These did take a little bit more work than I prefer to put into an appetizer but at least it was a good outcome. I also shared this recipe at Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday, My Frugal Family's Talented Tuesday & Fireflies and Jellybeans' Show Off Your Stuff.

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury