This makes for a very special breakfast, one of my husband's very favorites.  It's fun to serve these when I have overnight guests, or sometimes just to surprise my family. 
I love the flavor of fresh-ground wheat, so I usually make these using 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
If you prefer a fruit filling, use 1-2 Tbsp. jam, jelly, or pie filling instead of (or in addition to!) the cream cheese.
You'll need to plan ahead- mix these up in the evening (10 minutes), stick the dough in the fridge overnight, then shape, quick-rise, and bake in the morning (45-60 minutes). 

Easy Danish Pastry
Makes 1 dozen

1 Tbsp. or 1 pkg. instant yeast
½ c. warm water (110-120 degrees F)
2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ c. milk, buttermilk, or kefir
1 egg yolk

Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. sugar or 1 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. vanilla

Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk

Combine yeast and warm water, let sit 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Mix the butter in, mashing as needed!  Beat the egg yolk with the milk, then add them to the dry mixture.  Pour the yeast mixture on top.  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate dough at least 3 hours, but not more than 24.

Combine the ingredients for the filling- stir cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Divide dough into two logs about 8” long; keep one  in the fridge to stay cold.  Sprinkle counter with flour, then put one of the logs on the flour.  Sprinkle it with flour, as well.  Roll to a rectangle about 8x14”, then cut into 6 strips, each 14” long.   Roll each strip into a rope, then shape into a coil on a greased baking sheet.   Put about 1 ½ Tbsp. of the cream cheese filling on the center of each coil.  Turn the oven on to 350 F.   Cover the rolls and let rise while the oven heats and you roll out the next half.    After the rolls have risen for about 20 minutes, bake for 15-20 minutes or until set and golden brown on the bottoms.  Mix together powdered sugar and milk for glaze, then drizzle over rolls. 

Leftover pastries can be frozen on the baking sheet, then transferred to ziptop baggies for longer storage.  Best frozen within 3 months (but OK after that).

Have you ever looked at the gourmet syrups on the store shelf?  Have they sounded delicious, but cost more than you're willing- or able- to spend?


Start with one jar-- any size-- of jam, jelly, or preserves.  Scoop into a bowl, then fill the now-empty jar about halfway full with water; use a little less if the jam was runny, a little more if it's very thick.  Add about 1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice for each 1-2 cups you now have, to perk up the flavor (optional but good).  Whisk together until evenly mixed.  Serve warm.

18 ounces of jam will yield 26-28 ounces of syrup.

You can use any kind, homemade or storebought, including the ones made with no added sugar.  It's a handy way to use up jam or jelly when you've made/bought way more than y

We've tried blackberry, rhubarb, apricot, elderberry, black currant, blueberry, cherry... 
next maybe I'll pull out a jar of lemon-honey marmalade.  That should be fantastic with blueberry pancakes!

Once you learn the whole rotating-the-pan trick, crepes are EASY.  It's actually the same batter as for German Pancakes.  How's that for a two-for-one?

I recommend making the blueberry sauce the night before, or not trying to make it until after the crepes are done.  You'll need your full attention on the crepe pans.

Crepes
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
butter or oil for the pan
Makes about 10-12 crepes, depending on size and thickness.

Put one or two skillets (6" or larger) on the stove; heat over high heat.  I always use two at a time for this.   Nonstick skillets are easiest to work with, since they are lightweight, and will require less-  or no-  butter.  While they're heating, make the batter:

Bowl method: Beat the eggs with half the milk, stir in all  the flour.  Beat in remaining milk, until mostly smooth. 

Blender or food processor method:  add eggs, all of the milk, and all the flour.  Process until smooth.
Cook the crepes (see below).  Leftovers may be stored in a bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for months (as long as they don't get freezerburn).

Blueberry Sauce

1 Tbsp. cornstarch OR 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. sugar or honey
1/4 c. water
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
a pinch of salt
1-2 drops lemon or orange oil OR 1/8 tsp. lemon extract, OR 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, optional

In a microwaveable bowl or a small saucepan, stir together the cornstarch/flour and sugar or honey. Stir in the water and half of the blueberries.  Bring to a boil, stirring often if you’re using the stove.  Once it boils and thickens, stir again, then mix in the remaining berries.  Makes about two cups.  Serve warm or cold.  If it's not sweet enough for you, add 1Tbsp. sugar, taste it, and repeat as needed.  If you want it thicker next time, double the cornstarch.  

Keep any leftover covered tightly in the refrigerator.  Leftovers can be thinned with water to make a pancake syrup, added to smoothies, stirred into plain yogurt to sweeten it, used as a topping for cake or cheesecake, as a filling for tarts or pies, or stirred in to muffin batter.

Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan, or a tablespoon if it's nonstick.  Pick up a skillet with one hand, tip it to one side, and pour about 2-4 tablespoons of batter into the hot pan.  Quickly rotate your wrist to make the batter spread in a thin layer completely around the pan.  Put it back on the stove (and pour batter into the second pan, if you're using it). 

When the edges curl up a little and/or turn brown, work a spatula underneath the crepe and flip it to the other side.  This first side should take 30-60 seconds to cook. 

The second side is even faster; once it's completely set, with just a few golden spots, slide or flip it out of the pan onto a waiting plate.  (see next photo)

You don't need to add butter to the pan every time, only if the crepes start sticking.

When all the batter has been cooked, cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

You can fill crepes with a thin layer of something strong (like jam, lemon curd, or cream cheese), or with about 1/4" cup of any filling. 
Some ideas:
-Bananas (sliced, whole, cooked, or raw) with a little brown sugar or caramel
-Apples, sauteed or microwaved until soft- add brown sugar and cinnamon to taste
-Pie filling- blueberry, apple, cherry, apricot, or whatever else
-Pudding
For savory crepes, use the crepes are manicotti shells, tortillas, or egg roll wrappers.  Fill with anything you'd put in those.  Or make a sandwich wrap with them.

Pumpkin-Orange Muffins- made using essential oils!

Recipe is at the bottom of this page.

My friend's sister sells essential oils, and has had a lot of people ask how much to use if they want to cook with them.  She asked if I would play around with the oils if she provided them,  and come up with some guidelines and recipes.  Here's the start of that.  As I add more recipes, I'll add them to an indexed pdf so they're easy to access.   (More on that another time.)

First of all, please make sure that you're using pure oils that don't have any chemical residues or other nasty things.  In other words, use Grade A/Therapeutic Grade oils, or Grade B/Food Grade oils.    The label should tell you what grade it is.  There are four grades, see here for more on this.  Several sources say not to ever ingest essential oils, see more about why I disagree with thathere.

Second of all, realize this is not going to be an exact science.  Several things will affect how much oil to use in a recipe:
-What brand you use- some are better quality than others
-How old the oil is (they lose potency over time; these are strongest when under a year old)
-What the growing season was like that year for the plants
-How big your bottle is- see below for an explanation
-And how strong of a flavor YOU prefer!

I've discovered that your bottle size makes a huge difference on the size of the drops that come out.  The 15mL bottles I have require only 16 drops of oil to equal 1/8 teaspoon.  The dram-sized bottles (the kind with a stopper and a little hole in the middle of it) give out teeny-tiny drops- it takes about 64 of these drops to fill 1/8 teaspoon!  (Yes, I did crazy things like measure all of this....) If you're going to cook with your oils, I actually recommend putting your cooking-herb oils in this smaller size; so little is needed that the smaller drops are perfect.  Oils in this category would include oregano, thyme, coriander, rosemary, lavender, and marjoram.  To get a drop out, tip the bottle over the food you're adding it to, and gently rap the bottom of the bottle once.  Watch closely; it's hard to see when it comes out.  A little goes a LONG way!  The oils I've been using are from doTERRA. 
Below are the general guidelines I've learned.

When your recipe calls for herbs:
1/2 tsp. dried herb leaves =  1 1/2 tsp. (1/2 Tbsp.) fresh herb = 1/4 tsp. powdered herb = 1 tiny drop essential oil
1/2 tsp. powdered herb leaves = 1 tsp. dried herb leaves = 1 Tbsp. fresh herbs= 2 tiny drops essential oil
1 tsp. powdered herb = 2 tsp. dried herb leaves = 2 Tbsp. fresh herbs = 2 tiny drops, or 1 regular-sized drop

Using citrus oils:
1 tsp. lemon extract = 1/8 tsp. lemon essential oil = 16 drops
1 Tbsp. lemon zest = 1/16 tsp. lemon essential oil = 8 drops

So if your favorite spaghetti recipe calls for 2 tsp. powdered oregano, you can use one regular-sized drop of essential oil instead, or 4 tiny drops.

The herb ratios also seem to hold true for spices like cinnamon and ginger.  I especially love the flavor of cinnamon oil- it's a pure, clean flavor reminiscent of red hots.  I put two tiny drops in a half-pint of cream, along with 2 Tbsp. sugar and a bit of vanilla,  before whipping it-  Cinnamon Whipped Cream- delicious!  We had it on pumpkin pie, for breakfast.   The pumpkin pie itself also used essential oils for its spices.

Pan-Fried Fish

For 1 lb. boneless fish (I used tilapia):
Cut the fish into serving-sized chunks.  if there are any thin ends, tuck them under.  Pat dry with a paper towel, prinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Breading: Combine on a plate:
2/3 c. flour, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, crushed potato chips, potato flakes, or whatever!  (I used 1/3 c. each flour and cornmeal)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Dipping mixture: combine in a wide dish:
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. buttermilk, yogurt, or mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. mustard (either Dijon or regular is great)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or 1 tiny drop garlic essential oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme, or 2 tiny drops thyme oil- I used rosemary instead
4 regular drops any citrus oil, optional (lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit)

Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; at least 2 Tbsp. or up to 1/2 " deep, depending on how "fried" you want this.  While it's heating, drop a piece of fish into the dipping mixture; turn to coat.  Lift out, then put it in the breading.  Flip it over with a fork to coat it, then put it in the hot oil.  Repeat with other pieces until the pan is fairly full, but pieces are not crowded or touching.  Fry 2-4 minutes, until bottom is dark golden brown.  Flip, and cook other side until the thickest piece is opaque inside and starts to flake when poked open.  Serve hot, with tartar sauce or lemon wedges.

I always have leftover breading and dipping mixture.  Instead of throwing it out, I turn it into Hushpuppies:  To however much breading is left, add that much fresh flour (breading is very salty!) If you now have a cup of this dry mixture, add 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder.  If you have less or more flour/breading, use less or more baking powder!  Add whatever dipping mixture is left.  Add water if you need, to be able to get a soft dough that more or less holds its shape.  Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil.  Fry until golden ( a couple minutes), turning them over once.



Pumpkin-Orange Muffins- makes 12
2 c. flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon, or 1 regular-sized drop cinnamon essential oil
3/4 c. sugar (or 1/2 c. honey)
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk
8-16 drops orange essential oil (1/16 to 1/8 tsp.)- this is distinctly orange-flavored!
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 beaten egg
1/4 c. oil or melted butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin cups, or line them with cupcake papers.  Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.  Add the wet ingredients all at once: buttermilk, orange oil, pumpkin, egg, and oil.  Stir just until combined.  Spoon into muffin tins, then sprinkle with the nuts.  Bake about 16-18 minutes, or until lightly golden and the top of a muffin springs back when touched. 

Do you ever wish you could have cinnamon rolls in the morning without having to get up two hours early? Do you ever wish you could have dinner rolls ready to bake when you walk in the door from church or work? 

With this recipe, you can.  No pop-open refrigerated dough cans required.  You get fresh, hot, delicious bread with all normal, easy-to-pronounce ingredients.   (Do I sense a Christmas tradition in the making?)

The technique might work with other bread/roll recipes; I haven't experimented to find out yet.  (Please let me know if you do!)

The recipe is from a 1987 Fleishman Yeast bread recipe booklet and tweaked only slightly.  One chapter in the booklet was called "Rising On Ice"; hence the name, below.  The dinner roll dough is soft, tender, springy, with a tender crumb.  You can make any shape of rolls with it, including cinnamon rolls!  If you make dinner rolls, remember that you can sprinkle them with herbs, sesame seeds, poppyseed, or sea salt.  These could even be made into can't-be-beat hamburger buns!  (Roll 1/2" thick, cut 3-4" circles with a biscuit cutter or canning ring.)

This makes about 2 1/2 dozen rolls, or one 14x18" baking sheet full of cinnamon rolls.


Rising On Ice Dinner Rolls  
 
1 cup milk
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
6-7 cups flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 packages active dry yeast (or 3-4 tsp. instant yeast)
2 eggs, at room temperature
 
Combine milk, water, and butter; heat to 120-130 degrees (butter doesn't need to melt).  Meanwhile, put 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.  Add the warm milk mixture, then beat two minutes on high speed.  Add eggs and 3/4 c. more flour; beat two more minutes on high.  Add more flour to make a fairly stiff dough; knead 8-10 minutes, until smooth.  Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.  Punch down, shape into whatever shape rolls you want. Place them on a greased baking sheet.  Brush them with oil (this helps them not dry out in the fridge, as well as to not let the plastic stick), then cover them loosely with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2-24 hours.  When ready to bake, pull them out of the fridge, carefully uncover them, and let them sit at room temperature while the oven heats.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done. 

For instructions to make cinnamon rolls, see the Making Bread page and scroll about halfway down.