Spicy Chicken Nachos with Pepper Cheese Plus Taco Seasoning Recipe

We have been gifted with a half dozen or so packages of prime cheeses from Wisconsin and several varieties are pepper cheeses.  Just the thing for adorning a big platter of chicken nachos for an easy one dish supper for the two of us.

This weekend I saw again them being made in TV and thought I would roll out my homemade taco seasoning and sear some chicken to start things rolling.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/04/hot-ooey-gooey-tex-mex-cheese-dip-taco.html 
 (This is the link for the taco seasoning recipe.)

Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Nachos:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 t. taco seasoning
2 T. butter
2 t. chili powder
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
8 oz. shredded pepper cheese
corn chips
2-3 diced green onions
2 seeded diced ripe tomatoes
2-3 T. canned or fresh sliced peppers, optional
1/4 head shredded lettuce
sour cream

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, cast iron if you have it.  Mix the taco seasoning and chili powder and season all sides of the chicken.  Sear the chicken all over then reduce the heat to medium and cook 8-10 minutes until done.  Remove the chicken to a platter and just let it sit a few minutes while you pour the Rotel into the hot skillet over the drippings and stir to loosen the bits in the pan.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Shred the chicken with 2 forks and return it to the pan with the tomatoes and chilies (Rotel).  Simmer 10-15 min.

Line a large serving platter with corn chips of your choice.  Ladle half of the hot chicken over the chips.  Next place a layer of half the shredded cheese.  Repeat layers with chips, chicken, and cheese.

Top the layers off with green onion slices, diced tomato, pepper slices, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.  DIG IN!  Pass lots of napkins!

This should serve 3-4 unless you have 2 starving men!  Or pass with small plates and forks as an appetizer or snack.  Serve as a dinner salad or a main dish. 

Watermelon Pops

Summer is here in Indiana and the watermelons are sweet.  This is the second one we have had and both were as sweet and juicy as they can be!  Somewhere, and I can't remember where, I saw the melon cut in a grid and tried it.  The light bulb came on and "Why didn't I think of that?" flashed across my brain!  You get an "icicle" of a slice of watermelon and a nice little square of rind to hold on to!  Handy to pop into your mouth with little muss or fuss.

Just halve the melon.  Place half cut side down and slice across one way at 1 1/2 (or thereabouts) inch intervals.  Than repeat slicing the opposite direction.  AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!  Simple and ready to serve. 

If I am making it ahead of time I store in an extra large plastic bag with the rind ends all pointing out away from the center of the bag.  Easy as can be.

Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cakes, Whichever You Call Them They Are DELICIOUS

Little Bites of Delicious.

The first time I tasted these I was maybe 8-9 and it was my first year of 4-H up in Hamilton county.  The recipe was in my first year cooking book and we made them as a group "FOODS 1" meeting with our leader Ruth Sproat.  I was hooked and have made them ever since.

Since all of the oatmeal cookies disappeared yesterday I made up a batch of these.  Doubting they could have been improved upon but experimenting just the same I substituted 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste* for 1 teaspoon of vanilla and was very pleased!  The rich deep intensity of the vanilla just packs a little more WOW into these heavenly bites.  This is a small batch of cookies only yielding 28 cookies and I doubt they last the weekend!

Ingredients for Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cookies:

2 sticks room temperature butter
1/2 C. sifted powdered sugar + more for rolling the warm cookies after baking
1 t. vanilla bean paste*  (or use 1 T. regular vanilla)
2 1/4 C. flour
1/4 t. kosher salt
3/4 C. finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the flour and salt beating just to blend.  Add the pecans just until incorporated.  Gather the dough into a firm ball and cover snugly with plastic wrap and chill 1-2 hours until firm.

Remove the chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment or use sil-pat  baking mats then set aside.

Pinch off lumps of cookie dough and roll them into balls the size of an English walnut and place 2" apart on the prepare baking sheets.  Bake about 10-11 minutes until set, only the undersides should lightly brown.   Leave them in the pans to cool slightly for 4-5 minutes then while warm remove to a pie plate of confectioners sugar and roll to coat well.  I use two tablespoons to roll and remove them to a rack or paper towels to cool.  Yield about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

HELPFUL HINT:
*Vanilla bean paste is a product I order from King Arthur Flour Co.  It is a suspension of vanilla bean caviar, about the consistency of honey.  One teaspoon of vanilla bean paste = the caviar of one vanilla bean or three teaspoons of plain vanilla extract.  It adds delightful depth and flavor to whatever you are making.

Oatmeal, Flax, and Walnut Cookies and Trail Mix, Change Up Old Recipes and New

Trail Mix.

Oatmeal, Flax, Walnut,  & Raisins make these Oatmeal Cookies!

Munchies that pack a little extra punch are always a good thing!  This crunchy, salty, sweet, tart, chewy, and chocolate trail mix really hits all the notes!  Ground flax seeds push the nutritional score for oatmeal cookies with walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and the less processed old fashioned oats even higher and also ups the fiber ante.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/08/oatmeal-cookies-cinnamon-clove-pecans.html   is the link to my basic recipe which I adapted by using walnuts and adding 2 tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds.

Yesterday afternoon I got busy and made up the cookies for my husband to take to share with all of the gunsmiths at Paducah Shooters Supply where he is visiting today!  Not only is this his favorite cookie but he loves to share them with his friends.  I had already packed up the majority of them when I thought to take the picture.  My bad.

I admit to having slacked off my ongoing diet after Christmas while I have been fighting this crazy cold and enduring the winter doldrums.  But even then, I drink no calories.  I up the non starchy vegetables and try to stay away from the "white stuff".  My biggest obstacle is no good tomatoes!  Thus my staple and favorite meals of eggs and tomatoes and everything else with tomatoes runs amok!

Ingredients for Trail Mix:

1 C. cashews
1/2 C. walnuts
1 C. mixed nuts
1  1/2 C. combined of your favorite dried fruits like bananas, blue berries, apricots, cranberries, cherries, raisins etc.
1 C. chocolate chips or mixture of M & M's, dark chocolate chunks etc.

Stir altogether and enjoy! I like to have things like this around when I feel weak willed and need just a little something special.   A tablespoon or two of this and I am good to go.   Way better than a binge on something unexpected!

Crystal's HOT Buffalo Chicken Dip with Celery Dippers, My Holiday Find and Favorite!

My niece Crystal brought this most yummy dish to our family Christmas celebration.  When I tell you it is SO delicious we all stood around the table, celery sticks in hand in unison diving into the delicious hot bubbly dish of spicy chicken and cheese!  Believe it!

Kudos go out too to Mike and Julie for the hot pizza's they brought that had a whole banquet table of little kids eating and clamoring for more and to Chris and sons for the vat of diced fresh fruit they (the table of little kids) scarfed down after the pizza!  I thought what a good idea although unplanned at the time to have something little kids could really love and dive into! 

Ingredients for Crystal's Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip with Celery Dippers:

8 ounce Philly Cream Cheese at room temperature
2 cans drained and flaked premium chicken (Save the broth and refrigerate or freeze for use in other recipes.)
1/2 C. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 C. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1/4 to 1/2 C. Hot Sauce, to taste  (We got a hot pepper sauce assortment for Christmas so we tasted as we went!)
Washed, cleaned celery cut into 2-3" lengths and chilled for dippers
Crackers or other assorted veggies of your liking.

Butter a deep 9" pie plate and set it aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients using slow speed on the mixer until just combined.  Or, if you prefer a coarser texture combine everything but the chicken then flake it with a fork and blend into the mixture by hand.  Taste and adjust hot sauce as needed for desired heat.

Smooth into the prepared pie plate.  Bake 20 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature along side dippers. Cover and refrigerate any left over and reheat in a microwave for a quick snack.

Crystal doubled this recipe using a 9" x 12" baking dish o serve at a party of 30 or so adults along with with other appetizers. 

BEEF JERKY at Home Recipe, Big Protein and Low Calorie Treat, Helpful Hints

Make in your oven or in a dehydrator at home.

We have made jerky in the past.  Several years ago Brian got me a dehydrator and I have made it with that.  It was good but messy and I am not a big devotee of dry, tough, raw meat!  On the other hand Brian loves it and in trying to keep on this semi-diet it might be wise to invest in exploring jerky further!

I remember Alton Brown rigging a dryer out of a box fan and furnace filters.  I don't think I want to do that but with an oven and a home dehydrator there is potential for coming up with a decent jerky I hope.

This morning I have been on a quest for potential recipes.  Many are similar to Alton's.  I found a top ten list in Men's Journal and between them and Alton I hope to be inspired!

 

2 1/2 pounds sirloin.

Sooo....I made my bi-weekly trip to Sam's Club and found a great piece of beef to make the jerky from!  I am going to place it in the freezer for between 1-2 hours to firm it up for easier slicing then mix up the marinade!  Most of the recipes are similar and I will just go with Alton Brown's.

Ingredients for Alton Brown's JERKY:

2 pounds red meat (beef, elk, bear, venison, wild boar, or any critter you can hunt)
2/3 C. Worcestershire sauce
2/3 C. Soy sauce
2 t. ground black pepper
2 t. onion powder
1 t. liquid smoke
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. honey

Semi-frozen meat slices much easier.

Place the meat in the freezer for 1 or so hours, so that it will be easier to slice.  Slice the meat with the grain as thin as possible.  Mine is about 1/8-3/16" thick.

Remove and fat or gristle.

Mix the brine ingredients right in a resealable plastic bag. (Place the bag inside a flat container to make this easier.)

Mix the brine in the bag.

Place the meat strips in the brine.  Move it around so the marinade is evenly distributed around it.  Seal the bag, working out as much air as possible.

Push out excess air, flatten into a flat container, and refrigerate.

Lay the bag flat in the container and refrigerate 3-6 hours turning every once in a while.

Remove the meat from the brine and  drain well, pat it dry and discard the brine.

This recipe smells wonderful as it drys!

It is helpful to spray the dehydrator or oven racks with non stick cooking spray before placing the meat on the racks.   Next place it so it does not touch.  I scattered the meat laden sprayed racks across my double sink and turned on the ceiling fan and left them a short time just to dry a little more before loading them into the dehydrator. 

If using your oven spray the racks.  Next you can place a drip pan on the bottom of the oven to catch any drips then turn the oven's heat to the lowest setting.  Place the strips across the racks and prop the door open with a wad of foil.  Leave until dry and leather like.  I would check every hour or so to start.

Or dry per mfg. instructions in a food dehydrator.

Store in air tight bags at cool temperature. 

I am very pleased with the way these turned out.  They are very flavorful.  I like to send to work with my husband in the event he does not have time for lunch.  It is a much better snack than chips or candy! 

This was a much less messy endeavor than my past attempts due to the use of the non stick cooking spray and the semi-freezing of the meat before slicing.  Both made this a snap.  I load the dryer shelves in the dishwasher and am done. 

1-2-3 Banana Bread

Another 1-2-3 recipe! ONE yellow cake mix, TWO eggs, THREE ripe bananas, just beat together for  2-3 minutes with your electric mixer and pour into a buttered floured loaf pan. Then bake 45 - 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. until a skewer inserted into the center tests clean.  Cool on racks and store tightly wrapped.  If you like stir in a few chocolate chips or rough chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter just prior to baking but that is purely optional.

Yield one very quick and easy loaf of banana bread.

I saw this little recipe a few months ago and it stuck in my mind but I am sorry to say I cannot for the life of me remember where or exactly when.  But, it was too easy a little recipe to forget!

Fall Weekend Snacks, Two of My Favorite Favorite Cut Out Cookies and My Best Caramel Corn

Sugar Cookies with sprinkles of colored sugars.

As the weekend nears and I spy but one cookie left from the last batch I made, the "cookie monster" inside me rears up and I must bake more cookies.  If you are a regular reader you know I very rarely buy cookies, never pies or cakes either.  We just do not like them or the chemicals inside!

French Cinnamon and Honey Rolled Cookies.

So last night I got busy and baked 2 batches of my favorite rolled and cut out cookies.  My  easiest handling doughs.  Kid cookies and grown up cookies!  Both recipes were first posted in 2011 but they are go to recipes that I make over and over again so they are worth repeating.

At least half of these are going to be sent off to my twin grandsons north of Indianapolis.  I have to keep then supplied too as Emily and Kate are here more and get ahead in their consumption of Grandma's cookies!

These almost form a cookie wreath!

thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/01/cinnamon-honey-cookies-and-elder-berry.html    This is the link to my recipe for a French cookie I adore made with honey and cinnamon.  It is an easy dough and yields a delicious cookie that just gets better as it sits.

thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/12/sugar-cookies-to-cut-out-and-decorate.html       This link is to my "GO TO" sugar cookie recipe that I have made for decades!  You can decorate these any number of ways and I have!  Today I just brushed with a tiny bit of plain water to dampen and sprinkles with colored sugars.

These make me smile and are a happy beginning to a weekend.

We love caramel corn.

Another "OLD STANDBY" is this caramel corn.  It is my favorite as it has a flavor much like that of Werther's caramel.  This is a SUPER EASY RECIPE requiring no candy thermometer, or messing with hard ball or soft ball testing.  You just bring to a boil and time.  It has worked perfectly every time for me!  Here is the link to this 5 STAR Carmel Corn (in my book anyway!).     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/10/carmel-corn-fall-tradition-at-our-house.html

Take care not touch this hot caramel as it will really burn!

I also many times add nuts to the mixture for a protein and fiber rich snack food.  So happy first week of Fall!  

ZUCCHINI RECIPIES I ADORE: Oven Zucchini Fries with Horsradish Dipping Sauce, PLUS Zucchini Spagetti with Quick Spicy Shrimp

Zucchini Fries, Chopped Steak, Tomatoes, ans Horseradish Dipping Sauce.

I love these things and could have them every day!  The recipes and my lazy steps make clean up easy too.  I made them last year but must not have posted them as I didn't find them upon looking.  Shame on me for not sharing sooner!  I am zucchini crazy this year.

I made the Spicy Shrimp with Zucchini spaghetti last week but failed to photograph.  I will add pictures soon as it wad so good I have already purchased the shrimp to make it again.  Brian loved it!

This Asian Mandolin has a Julianne Blade.

Before cooking Zucchini Spaghetti.

I only boil 1 1/2-2 minutes and wonder about trying in the microwave!

Directions for Zucchini Spaghetti:

My first "zucchini discovery" is to use the Julianne blades on my mandolin on zucchini making long spaghetti strands with it.  Just be sure to trim off the ends and remove and blemishes before Julienning.   Then I just plunge the strands into salted rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes and drain.  Top with my Spicy Shrimp and enjoy!  Two medium zucchini will serve 2 adults.

This looks and tastes terrific.

Ingredients for Spicy Shrimp:

1 pound raw peeled and de-veined shrimp
2-3 T. olive oil  (can use part butter)
1 1/2 t. hot sauce
4-6 T. of the vegetable cooking water
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the shrimp until no longer translucent, just a minute or two.  Add the hot sauce and veggie water and stir cooking a minute or two to form a sauce.  Season to taste and spoon over a dist of zucchini spaghetti.   Serves 2 adults deliciously!

Delicious Zucchini Fries made in the oven.

Ingredients For Oven Zucchini Fries:

2-3 zucchini cut into 3" sticks about 1/4" in diameter: place in colander with 1-1 1/2 t, salt, toss and let drain in the sink for 1/2-1 hour before starting the recipe
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 C. Panko (Oriental Bread Crumbs)
1/3-1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese grated
1/3-1/2 C. flour
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cover a half sheet pan with parchment paper then spray well with cooking spray and set aside.

Using Parchment Paper and Cooking Spray makes for a fast clean up!

Shake off liquid from the zucchini.  Combine the Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and flour and whisk to blend.   Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg and then toss with the crumbs.  Place close but not touching in the prepared pan.  When the pan is full spray the breaded zucchini with cooking spray and place into the preheated oven.  Set the timer for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes turn the zucchini and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.  At the end of 40 minutes it should be hot, brown, and delicious!  Serves 2-3.  I serve with horseradish dipping sauce.

Ingredients for Horseradish Dipping Sauce:

1 C. sour cream
2 T. grated horseradish
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Stir all of the ingredients together and serve.  Yield 1 cup sauce.

Chip Beef Dip/Spread (Another Oldie but Goodie!)

This is a really old old recipe that many of our family members make from different sources.  I remember as a young married living across from the A & P in Broadripple in Indianapolis and they made this dip.  We bought it so often the deli lady told me how to make it.  My sister has a similar version marked from our ex-sister-in-law so it has been around for sure.  It is really good though, I can remember my sisters and I, the three of us  polishing off a whole batch in our youth!

Ingredients for Chip Beef Dip/Spread:

2 C. sour cream
8 ounces softened Philly cream cheese
3 green onion sliced with tops very finely
1 jar dried beef
1/8-1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8-1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

Beat the cream cheese and sour cream together until fluffy.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve.  Refrigerate in a sealed container any remaining or if not serving immediately. .  It just gets better.  Today we tried with some of the new "cracker" chips.  Also very good with crunchy vegetables or to stuff celery.  Yum!  Sometimes on weekends I make this up with veggies and meat and cheese and stash in the refrigerator so we can fend for ourselves mid-day or if the kids come by early.

Yield 3 cups.

Smoked Turkey Roll Ups

These "WRAPS" were really yummy but I told Brian I think they would do better as far as holding together to use the larger size wraps the next time!  I had purchased smoked turkey at Sam's Club last week and thought this a good way to use up tortillas I had left in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Wraps:

flour tortillas
smoked turkey
honey mustard
shredded cheese
sliced tomato
shredded lettuce or packaged salad
sliced sweet onion
sliced pickles

Place tortilla on a clean flat work surface.   Spread with honey mustard and top with cheese.  Continue layering meat and condiments leaving a margin at the edges.

When you have added all of the topping roll snugly and secure with toothpicks.  Slice into about 2" pieces and serve with plenty of napkins unless you are much neater than we seem to be!

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

This is a recipe adapted from my new Martha Stewart Cookbook titled "Martha Stewart's Cookies." This was one of many delightful Mother's Day Gifts but I can share this one!  The twins and I made these recently.  Grandpa was asking for an iced oatmeal cookie so we got to work.

Ingredients for Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies:

4 T. melted and cooled butter
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 C. applesauce (I used my homemade chunky)
1 1/2 C. old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 C. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. kosher coarse salt
1/2 t. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 C. golden raisins

NOTE;  I just made these again and used apple butter because I was out of apple sauce DELICIOUS! 5/24/14.

Ingredients for the icing:

1 3/4 C. powdered sugar
3 T. pure real maple syrup
3 T. water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare the pans by cutting parchment paper to fit or use sil-pat baking mats then set them aside.

Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix the butter and sugars well at low speed.   Add the egg and applesauce and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes.  Add the remaining cookie ingredients just until well blended.

Use a heaping teaspoon or 1 1/2" ice cream scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets 2" apart.  Bake until golden and set 13-15 minutes.  I dropped by heaping teaspoon fulls and mine took exactly 14 minutes to bake.

Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to cool on rack.  Cool completely before icing.

Prepare the icing by stirring all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Mix well with a small wire whisk to remove the lumps until perfectly smooth.  Drizzle over the cookies and leave to set.

This recipe yielded 2 1/2 dozen delicious cookies.  This cookie is outstanding.

Delicious, Easy, Mix & Pour Amish Cinnamon Bread

When I saw this recipe and shared it on Face book I knew I would make it and I have today!  My house smells delicious from it's baking and I think it just delightful.

There seems so many ways to serve this.  As a tea bread,  a sliced loaf cake topped with whipped cream or peaches? Maybe spread with a cream cheese and  apricot spread?  It seems a very handy bread to have in my freezer which is where one of the two loaves will go.  One thing I can attest too, I really do like this a lot.  It reminds me of a sour cream coffee cake but less dense and more tender.

Ingredients for Amish Cinnamon Bread:l

THE BATTER
2 sticks soft butter (1 cup)
2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 C. buttermilk
4 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla

THE TOPPING
2/3 C. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter 2 loaf pans and set them aside.  Stir together the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Using a large mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar, and eggs beating with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Mix in the buttermilk, flour, salt, and soda.  Fold in the vanilla then spread each of the 2 pans half full of the batter.  Sprinkle the batter with 3/4's of the cinnamon and sugar.  Cover the cinnamon layer with the remaining batter and smooth topping with the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Use a table knife to swirl through the batter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until a bamboo skewer tests clean when placed in the center of the loaf.  Remove from the oven and cool 20 minutes then loosen the edges with a knife and invert to remove from the pans.  Place on racks and cool completely.  After cold wrap well in plastic wrap or bags until ready to slice and serve.  Double wrap to freeze.  Yield 2 loaves

Ramblings:  The aroma of cinnamon is said to be an aphrodisiac to men.  Just so you know!

Orange Blueberry Muffins/Mini Loaves

Since we have begun eating more fresh fruits and vegetables it sometimes requires me to think of new ways to use them up if the clock gets to ticking more quickly than we are consuming them.  Today I need to use up some blueberries and have been inspired to an orange adaptation of Ina Garten's Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins. 

I yielded 16 muffins and 5 mini loaves with this recipe and used a wonderful ingredient I personally LOVE, Fiori Di Sicilia, a citrus and vanilla flavoring I order from The King Arthur Catalog.  It is optional but I used 1/8 teaspoon in these.  I also Love it in banana bread and oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients for Orange Blueberry Muffins/Mini Loaves:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 C.) soft butter
1 1/2 C. sugar
3 extra large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. Fiori Di Sicilia (optional)
3 T. fresh grated orange zest (about the zest of 1 large orange)
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. buttermilk or sour milk (1/4 C. milk + 1/4 t. vinegar = 1/4 C. sour milk)
2 1/2 C. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 C. fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.    Place paper liners in cupcake pans or paper liners in mini loaf pans and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large stand mixer bowel with paddle attachment at medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the eggs one at a time,  next add flavorings, zest, sour cream, and milk.  Stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl.  Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture and the blueberries and beat until just mixed.  Using a large spatula stir a couple of rounds to be sure it is combined.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pans and bale 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and cake tester tests clean.   Good warm or at room temperature.

Pizza Dough Bread Sticks

This yielded about a dozen 10-12" bread sticks per half batch of dough.

Hot and Crisp from the Oven.

It flashed in my mind that the other half of the unbaked pizza dough in my refrigerator might make good bread sticks.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/01/easy-and-fast-pizza-dough-to-make-at.html     I had mixed the dough up 4 days ago and used one half of it for a large (half sheet pan sized) pizza.  The remaining dough was intended to be made up and frozen when the bread stick light came on!

To make these delicious (Best I have ever made.) light, and crisp bread sticks mix up the pizza dough as directed.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  The dough is incredibly easy to handle after refrigeration.   Just flour the rolling pin and board you are rolling onto well.  Pat and roll until about 14" thick then slice about 1/4" wide strips.   I used a pastry cutter and the fluted edge.

As you can see I used a perforated bread stick pan that was lightly floured and they did not stick a bit.  A pizza stone or parchment paper would be my next choices.

I twisted the bread sticks and lay them in rows.  Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Check the bottoms too just to be sure they are not browning too quickly.  Cool on a rack.

Helpful Hint:  For an added treat these are scrumptious dipped into home made ranch dressing.  I like my ranch dressing a little on the tart side and I add the juice of half a lemon to every batch I make up.  Yum, what a game day treat!