Today is National Date Nut Bread Day.

8 slices per loaf.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Beat eggs in bowl. Set aside.

Pit and chop dates.

Combine boiling water and baking soda. Add dates to water and soak for 30 minutes. This will help bring them back to their juicy plumpness. Do not drain.

Combine butter and sugar. Cream together.

Add eggs, vanilla, dates and liquid, nuts, flour, and salt.

Grease 2 loaf pans with butter.

Divide batter evenly between the pans.

Bake 1 hour in preheated oven. Using toothpick check to make sure it’s done.

Let cool.  Bread can be frozen.

Date Nut Bread Full Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  In bowl add baking soda to boiling water.  Remove pits from dates and chop.  Add to hot water and let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Beat eggs and set aside.  In separate bowl cream together butter and sugar.  Add flour, vanilla, eggs, nuts, salt, flour and dates including liquid.

3. Grease to loaf pans with butter.  Pour batter evenly between pans.

4. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Today is National Cherry Popover Day.

Cherry Popover Recipe

You need:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In saucepan melt the butter.

Take the cherries,

Slice them in half and remove the cherry pits.

Chop again in half.

In large bowl mix together milk, melted butter, flour and salt until smooth.

Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.

Stir in cherries.

Coat 12 muffin cups with butter.

Fill cup 3/4 full with batter.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes

Reduce heat to 350 degrees F without opening pan and bake 10 minutes more. Do not open oven at all during baking!

Remove from oven and pierce tops with fork to let out steam.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.  Because popovers are not made with sugar they are not particularily sweet.  Cut them in half and spread with your favorite fruit jam or honey.

Cherry Popover Full Recipe

1. Beat the milk, melted butter, flour, and salt in a medium bowl until just smooth, then add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Stir in cherries. Allow batter to rest for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 450F. Butter 12 muffin cups (or 6 popover cups) taking care to coat the cups as well as the area around the top as well.

3. Fill cups 3/4 full and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the heat to 350F and bake 10 minutes longer.

4. Remove from oven, pierce tops with a knife to let the steam escape, and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.

5. Remove from pan, and serve.

Today is National Waffle Day and National Oyster Day.

Here is a simple batter to use in your waffle maker. Add fruit, nuts and chocolate if you wish. But butter and syrup work just as great on top of these plain ones.

Waffles

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.
3. In another bowl beat the eggs.
4. Add the milk, butter and vanilla to the eggs.
5. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and beat until blended.
6. Ladle the batter into the waffle iron and cook until crisp and golden.

Today is National Blueberry Muffin Day.

These muffins have a nice surprise in the centre.

Stuffed Blueberry Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cups.
2. In a bowl add the blueberries and 1.4 cup flour. Toss to coat.
3. In another bowl mix together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla.
5. Add the flour and milk in alternating additions and stir well. Fold in the berries.
6. Fill the muffin cups 1/3 of the way full. Add a dollop of jam to the centre. Cover with more batter until the cups are 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean when inserted in centre of muffin.

Today is National Apple Turnover Day.

Not a turnover recipe but a really good apple one.

Apple Strudel Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla.
4. Stir in the apples and then gradually blend in the flour mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
6. In a small bowl mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
7. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
8. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Today is National Jelly-fillled Doughnuts Day.

You can use all different flavours of jam filling.

Jelly Doughnuts

1. In a saucepan, heat milk to scalding. Remove from heat; add 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, and the butter. Set aside and let cool to lukewarm.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture, egg yolks, and 2 cups of the flour.
3. With a hand mixer beat at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. With a wooden spoon, beat in remaining flour until smooth.
5. Cover soft dough with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough.
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 times until dough is smooth. Divide the dough in half.
7. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into a dozen 3-inch circles.
8. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam in the center a circle. Brush edge with a little egg white then top with another circle. Press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining circles.
9. Place filled circles on a floured baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
10. Cover with towel and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in bulk.
11. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350°. Carefully drop doughnuts in hot fat, top side down, 2 to 3 at a time.
12. Turning the doughnuts as they come to the surface then turn again until golden brown, about 4 minutes in all.
13. Open one to test for doneness and gauge a more exact time for remaining doughnuts. Lift out with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Today is National Applesauce Cake Day.

I love a really quick and simple loaf bread. If you want an even tastier loaf add some raisins or apple pieces to the batter. Or even better substitute the applesauce with one that is a combination of fruits.
Okay let’s make this!

You need

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened applesauce
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

I think the best things begin with a bowl of sugar.

To it you are going to add your applesauce,

Oil,

Eggs,

And Vanilla.

Beat everything together until smooth.

I think the second best things begin with flour.

And to the flour add your baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. 

Mix your dry ingredients together well then pour them into the applesauce mixture.

Just stir this all together until combined.  If you plan to add any extras this is where you can stir them in.

Pour the batter into your prepared pans, till about halfway full.  This bread will rise so don’t try to cram it all into one loaf.

In a small bowl combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle this evenly on top of the batter.

Make sure you get in to the corners.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the loaf.  As you can see the cinnamon sugar seems to just sit on top of the bread.  This is a good thing. 

First it helps create a crispy top.  But most importantly when you slice into the bread the cinnamon sugar falls into the cuts and sticks perfectly to the front of the bread.

There is no need for butter here.

Applesauce Loaf

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Light butter and flour 2 loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl beat together the sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
3. In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture until well combined.
5. In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.
6. Pour into prepared pans, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture and bake for 45- 55 minutes or until tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

Today is National Quiche Lorraine Day.

I think quiches are great for breakfast but absolutely perfect for lunch.

You need:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Partially bake the pie shell for 10 minutes.  This way it won’t get soggy when the egg goes in.  Let cool slightly.

Slice the onions.

Shred the Swiss cheese.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon. You want it so it’s almost crisp.  Always cook more than the recipe calls for cause who can resist sampling a few crisp pieces of cooked bacon.

Remove to paper drain to drain off excess fat.

Chop into bite sized pieces.

Discard all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat and add the onions.  Saute until tender.

In a mixing bowl add the eggs. 

Beat in the cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Sprinkle the cheese onto the bottom of the pie shell.

Top with the bacon then the onions.  Oops forgot to take a picture of the onions….

Pour the egg mixture carefully into the pie shell. You probably will have some left over.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

You want the top to be golden and the eggs set.

Notice how all the onions and bacon rose up into the egg as it baked.  Delish!!!

Quiche Lorraine

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Partially baked the pie crust in oven for 10 minutes or until slightly firm.
2. In a skillet fry the bacon, in batches if necessary until almost crisp. Drain on paper towels. Chop into bite sized pieces.
3. Remove all but a couple of tablespoonfuls of bacon fat in pan and cook onions until tender.
4. In large bowl beat together the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese over bottom of pie crust. Top with the bacon then the onions.
6. Carefully pour in the egg and bake in oven for 15 minutes.
7. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer until set and the top is golden.

Today is National Cheese Souffle Day.

You can use any cheese other than the gruyere in this recipe.

Gruyere Cheese Souffle

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F and grease 2 1-cup souffle dishes with butter.
2. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium low heat and add the flour stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
3. Warm the milk in the microwave at medium power for 30 seconds.
4. Whisk into butter and flour mixture and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened.
5. In another bowl whisk together egg yolks, mustard powder, salt and pepper, then add to sauce mixture, whisking steadily to avoid scrambling the eggs.
6. Stir in the cheese and mix thoroughly until melted.
7. Beat egg whites to medium stiff peaks.
8. Fold 1/3 of whites into sauce mixture.
9. Fold mixture back into remaining whites.
10. Pour into, place in oven, reduce heat to 375F, and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not open the oven while they are baking.

Today is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day.

Definitely ate one or 5 of these right out of the oven spread with butter.

You need:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Add the butter.

Cut it into the flour until it resembles loose crumbs.

Pour in the buttermilk. 

You don’t want the dough to be to dry but also not too sticky.

Place the dough on a floured surface.

Roll it out till it’s about 1/2″ thick.  If it’s too thin then the biscuit will be rather small and flat.  And we don’t want that.

Use a good size biscuit cutter to make your cut outs.  Firm press down on the cutter.  Don’t twist or it will seal the edges of your dough preventing the biscuit from rising.

Continue cutting circles until all your dough has been use.  You may re-roll the dough scraps one more time but no more or you’ll get hard and flat biscuits.

Place the cut dough on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.

I highly recommend opening one up, slathering it with butter and diving right in.  You probably will have more than one so be warned that you may need to make another batch.

Buttermilk Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
3. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the buttermilk until just moistened.
5. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll into ½ inch thickness.
6. Cut out in round biscuit shapes and place on a ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for 8-10 or until golden. Serve warm.