This recipe is from my friend Melissa who also gave me my favorite roll recipe.  Its hearty, easy to make and my kids like it - a winner all around.


6 c boiling water
2 c five grain rolled cereal (Bob's Red Mill)
7 c whole wheat flour
2 c white flour
2 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
3/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 c honey
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 c ground flaxseed meal
1/2 c wheat gluten
1-2 c additional white flour

1. Pour boiling water over the five grain cereal in bowl of mixer.  Let sit until lukewarm about 1/2 hour.
2. Add the rest of ingredients except the last 1-2 c additional white flour and knead in mixer till all is incorporated.
3. Add more flour until the dough is soft but still sticky.
4. Knead for about 8 minutes.
5. Cover and let rise until doubled in size around 1 hour.
6. Shape into loaves and let rise 30-45 minutes or until loaves have risen a little over the top of the pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Makes 4-5 loaves.

These rolls are thanks to my neighbor Melissa.  My kids call them the good rolls.  If I make it with part whole wheat flour, then they are almost perfect according to my kids.  If I make them with all white flour then they think they have died and gone to heaven.


2 Tbsp dry yeast
2 c warm water, divided
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1 c powdered milk
2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp dough enhancer
6 c flour (You can swap in 2 c wheat flour.  If you do add an extra 1/2 Tbsp dough enhancer and 1 Tbsp gluten)

Combine 1 c of the warm water with the yeast, set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the other cup of water with the powdered milk, sugar, eggs, salt, and butter.  Stir fill combined.  Add in the proofed yeast. Stir.
Knead in the flour slowly.  Knead for 10-15 minutes.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until double in size, about an hour.
Punch down dough and divide in half.
Roll out each half into a large circle on a greased surface and cut with a pizza cutter into 12 segments.  Roll up "croissant-style" and place on greased cookie sheets.  Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden.  Do not over cook!

As many of you know I have been experimenting with rolls for the past two years.  I appreciate my neighbors and friends sending over recipes and sample, we have tried them all.  But this recipe from my friend Brenda who got it from her sister-in-law Jena is my favorite.  It is super easy and never fails me.  It is not the melt in your mouth rolls made with two cups of butter and risen twice etc.  But those kind of rolls never turn out 100% for me, they are more hit and miss.  Plus I have to plan my day around them to some extent.  These rolls I can start at 5 and have them for dinner at 6.  Plus it takes zero skill really which is exactly my type of recipe.  The sea salt and rosemary are optional but add a lot to the recipe.  Lecithin I can find at most grocery stores now in the baking aisle.  It gives the rolls some longevity so they taste good even when they aren't fresh from the oven.  These can also be cooked as cinnamon rolls or bread but although they will taste good, they aren't the best.

1 Hour Rolls

5 ¼ cup flour (whole wheat or white or any combination)
½ Tablespoon salt
1 ½ Tablespoons yeast
¼ cup sugar (OR 1/3 cup honey)
2 Tablespoons liquid soy lecithin
2 cups hot tap water
Coarse Kosher salt and Rosemary


Mix all dry ingredients in stand mixer first.

Add lecithin and water.

Mix for 5 minutes if mostly white, 10 minutes if mostly wheat.

Spray counter and pans with cooking spray . Roll into loaves or pinch off into roll sizes. Place in greased 9 x 13 pan

Let rise about 25-30 minutes, until almost double in size.  Spray with pam or brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and rosemary leaves.  Trust me, this makes it taste really good.

Bake at 350 degrees rolls about 18 minutes, loaves about 25 minutes.
Makes about 15 rolls or 2 loaves.

This can also be used as a bread but I prefer the muffins.  This is from our best bites.  This is one of Robyn's favorites because she thinks she is getting cupcakes for dinner.


1 c flour
1 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 c oil
1 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sour cream or plain yogurt
3 c grated zucchini with excess juice squeezed out

Mix all together and put into greased muffin tins.  Cook at 350 degrees 12 minutes for mini-muffins or 20-22 minutes for regular muffins.  They are done when you can lightly push the middle of the muffin with a finger and it will spring back.

To make this as a bread or a dessert, use all white flour and add 3/4 c mini-chocolate chips.  Top uncooked bread with a mixture of 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp white and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Bake 8 inch pans at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.  This will make two large 8 inch pans or 4 small 4 inch loaves.  For the smaller loaves bake 40 to 50 minutes.

Bread, cake - a matter of sematics when it comes to this recipe.  Whatever erases the guilt when making it!  My kids think this is the only reason we grow zucchini.  This recipe is from the Test Kitchen cookbook with a few changes.


2 1/2 c shredded zucchini, left to drain in a colander (around 2 small or 1 large zucchini)
1 1/2 c sugar
6 Tbsp butter (3/4 stick), melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/4 c plain yogurt or sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 c all-purpose flour (you can do 1/2 whole wheat flour but you will taste the difference)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c mini-chocolate chips or chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with oil spray, place a piece a parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and spray with oil again.  Take your finger or a towel and wipe off the spray around the top one inch of the pan.
2. Make sure your shredded zucchini has had time to get rid of any excess liquid.  Squeeze it out if needed.  You want 2 1/2 c dry shredded zucchini.
3. Whisk the sugar, butter, eggs, yogurt and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
4. In a larger bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt and either chocolate chips or nuts together.  Fold in the zucchini and the yogurt mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake until golden brown about 55 to 60 minutes.
6. Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes and then take bread out of pan, peel of parchment paper and let it cool for at least one hour before cutting.

This recipe is courtesy of my neighbor Martha who got it from Connie Cook.  I am typing it the way I make it but you can leave the nuts out or use oil instead of applesauce if you want them to keep longer.  These stay moist and delicious for a few days or they freeze wonderfully.

2 large carrots, shredded (1 c)
2 apples, unpeeled, cored and shredded (2 c)
4 eggs
2/3 c sugar
1 c applesauce
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp vanilla
1 c shredded coconut
2/3 c craisens or raisens (I do half and half - or any other dried fruit)
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2/3 c chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix all ingredients and pour into 18 sprayed muffin tins.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let cool in pans for 5 minutes and then put on cooling trays.

Growing up these were one of my favorites.  I often have the problem in the fall of having a half to one cup extra of canned pumpkin.  So my solution is to make muffins for dinner.  My mom would always put raisins in her muffins but in my chocolate addicted household we use mini-chocolate chips.  Unless I am making these for guests I always do at least half whole wheat.  They freeze wonderfully but are best the day made.


1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c pumpkin
1/2 c oil
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c raisins/mini-chocolate chips

Mix egg, milk, pumpkin and oil together.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well.  Fill greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes for mini-muffins and 20 minutes for regular sized.

Here is my favorite chocolate zucchini bread recipe. I like to think the whole wheat flour and applesauce helps cancel out the oil and sugar :)! We had this moto when Spencer started on one of his drugs that makes you constantly hungry. It is "you can't get fat on fruit and vegetables". So you can have fruit and vegetables in our house whenever you are hungry and it isn't meal/snack time. I am rethinking that philosophy as I watched Spencer today eat 2 apples, 2 bananas, 1 peach, a bunch of cherries, a handful of carrots, a cucumber and a serving of salad. At least he is getting his 5 a day! Here is the recipe courtesy of my Aunt Karol's real estate recipe/ad cards:

2 c flour (I use 1 c whole wheat, 1 c white)
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
3/4 c applesauce
1/4 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chocolate chips ( I use the mini- kind. If you toss them with a bit of flour they stay mixed in better)
2 c grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 8" loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients and wet separately and then mix it all together and add chocolate chips and zucchini. (Often I just dump everything in the mixer together). Divide between pans and bake 55-60 min. Let cool BEFORE taking out of pan and then slice.

I usually double this recipe and make 3 regular size loaf pans. It cooks the same amount. Enjoy!

I love pumpkin bread. Something in the cold, fall air makes me want to break out this recipe every time. This is pretty much the Lion House recipe.  It is the gooey, if you don't it long enough it will be mushy in the middle kind.  I think it tastes the best.  But my staple is the second recipe.  It is more of a cake-like consistency and has more heft to it.  Both are my favorite, it just depends on my mood and what I have in my pantry.


1 1/3 c vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2 c flour + 2 Tbsp flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
2 3 oz packages vanilla pudding mix (not sugar free - I have to dump a little bit out to get it to 3 oz)
1 c mini-chocolate chips (you can do nuts but I am a chocoholic)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well 2 large 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Mix oil, eggs and pumpkin together and mix well. Add in flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda. Mix till blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pudding mix. Pour into pans. Bake for 1 hour.


3 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
3 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
1 c water
4 eggs
2 c pure pumpkin

Mix all ingredients.  Grease 2 large 8x4 pans.  (I like to put a small piece of parchment paper along the bottom of the pan.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 1 hour. (At my altitude I have to cook it for 1 hour and 10 minutes.)

This recipe is from my friend Ruth. My kids love this bread. They literally demolish it the day it is made. The recipe says this makes 6 loaves but I have large pans so it only makes 4 for me. We give one away, freeze one, eat one for dinner and one for breakfast!  I again will make a few variations on this, see the bottom.

Ruth's bread - Makes 4-6 loaves depending on time

6 c warm water
2/3 c oil - olive or canola or a mix
2/3 c honey
2 Tbsp sugar
2 TB salt
4 TB dough enhancer
1/3 c vital wheat gluten
3 TB instant SAF yeast
8 c wheat flour
1 c oats
1 c 8 grain cereal or 1/2 c 8 grain cereal and 1/2 c flax seed
2 Tbsp lecithin
4-5 c white flour

Mix the water, sugar and yeast and let sit for 10 minutes. I will usually let it sit while we grind our wheat for the recipe.
Add oil, salt, honey, dough enhancer, gluten, oats, cereal and lecithin and wheat flour. Mix till smooth 5 minutes.
Add white flour till it pulls away from side of mixer. 5-10 minutes. I usually have to pull it out of my mixer, dump the last cup of flour on the counter and knead it smooth for the last bit. The dough just gets too big for my mixer to handle near the end.
Form into loaves and place in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise for up to 1 hour in a warm place.
Cook for 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool for 5 minutes, dump out of pan and rub butter on top.


Often I roll out each loaf into a 9 x 9 shape, sprinkle some cinnamon/nutmeg/sugar mix on and then roll it into a loaf and put it into the pan.  Or I have sprinkled on cinnamon and cinnamon chips (they are wonderful!).  Or I have sprinkled on garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.  The combinations are endless.

Mom - Bet you thought I forgot! Had some old bananas to make banana bread this weekend. I usually do 1/2 whole wheat but did 100% white flour this time and kids thought it tasted like cake. I like diced up apricots mixed in but my kids prefer mini-chocolate chips. This is courtesy of the test kitchen cookbook but its our favorite.

Banana Bread - One 9 inch loaf
2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas mashed ( 1 1/2 c)
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs beaten
1/4 c plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1 tsp vanilla extract
opt: 1 1/4 c walnuts toasted and chopped or diced apricots or chocolate chips or combo of all

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Whisk the bananas and liquids together. Combine. Mix in optional ingredients.
3. Pour into pan. Cook until golden brown about 55 minutes.
4. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before un-molding onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour.