A soft and spongy lemon poppy seed muffins with the perfect balance of sweet and tart!

Yield: 

12 muffins

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 egg
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (the zest from ~two large lemons)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cups kefir (or buttermilk)

Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

2. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, sugar, andlemon zest, stirring well. Add butter and kefir (or buttermilk) and stir.

3. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened. Do not over mix. The batter will be fairly thick.

4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Divide batter evenly into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin cups. Bake muffins on rack in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until muffins test done. (Ours are usually done in 17-19 minutes; over-cooking seems to make them unnecessarily dry.)

5. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A fluffy moist chocolate cake mix recipe — better than Duncan Hines!

Yield: 

12-16 servings

Ingredients: 

Cake mix ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

To make the cake:

1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Instructions: 

1. Make the cake mix by combining the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

2. Using an electric mixer or a food processor, blend in the shortening until no lumps remain. (Using the mixer on this makes a dusty cocoa mess, so I prefer the food processor!) This is the dry cake mix part, and you can store it in an air-tight container for several months.

3. Finish making the cake by adding the water, oil, and eggs to the cake mix in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until moistened, and then beat on medium for about 2 minutes.

4. Pour batter into greased and floured pans (one 9×13-inch pan, two 9-inch round cake pans, or cupcakes) and bake at 350 degrees.

9×13-inch pan: 35-38 minutes
9-inch cake pans: 30-33 minutes
cupcakes: 19-22 minutes

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

The perfect blend of sweet juicy mulberries and tart sour cherries makes this one of my favorite fruit pies!

Yield: 

Two 9-inch pies

Ingredients: 

5 cups of sour cherries, washed and pitted (will measure more like 3 cups after pitting, if you pit by hand)
7 cups of fresh mulberries, gently washed
3/4 cup sugar, or more to taste
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons clear jel*
1/2 cup water
Sugar for sprinkling, optional

Pie crust dough for two 9-inch pies with tops (I use my foolproof pie crust recipe)

Instructions: 

1. In a large stock pot, combine fruit, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. You can also taste and see if you want to add more sugar to your pies. We use 3/4 cup, which seems just sweet enough to us, but you may prefer yours sweeter or less sweet (also depends on how ripe your sour cherries were!).

2. In a small bowl, mix clear jel and 1/2 cup water with a fork, to remove lumps.

3. When the fruit mixture starts to boil, stir in some (most) of the clear jel mixture. The fruit will thicken into pie filling very quickly. If the pie filling doesn’t look quite thick enough for your preference, add all of the clear jel/water mixture, stirring as you add to prevent lumps.

4. As soon as filling is thick (usually less than a minute from the time you add the clear jel), remove from heat.

5. Pour filling evenly/equally into two unbaked 9-inch bottom pie crusts. Place top crust over filling (be sure to poke a few holes in the top crust so the steam can escape!) and seal edges with fingers dipped in water (I crimp/pinch the edges to seal).

6. Sprinkle sugar over pie tops if desired. Bake pies at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crust is browned and cooked.

7. Serve warm with ice cream, or eat it cold, by itself.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A sweet fruity pie made with mulberries and a little lemon

Yield: 

3 pies

Ingredients: 

3 quarts (12 cups) ripe mulberries, washed and drained
1 cup sugar
dash salt
1 large lemon
1 cup water
1/3 cup clear gel/Sure Jel
1/2 cup cold water
Pie crust (unbaked) — we use this foolproof pie crust recipe

Instructions: 

1. Wash the lemon (but don’t peel), and thinly slice it. Remove seeds and chop.

2. Put mulberries in a large stock pot. Add 1 cup sugar and a dash of salt. Add the chopped lemon and one cup of water. Heat to boiling.

3. Dissolve 1/3 cup clear gel in 1/2 cup cold water and add to boiling mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

4. Line pie dishes with pie crust. Pour in pie filling. Place top crust on pies (be sure to have some holes in the top crust for steam to escape!), sealing edges with a little water before fluting. Sprinkle tops with sugar if desired.

5. Bake pies at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until crust is browned.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A sweet and juicy peach dessert with a crispy oatmeal topping! Yield: 

16 servings Ingredients: 

12 cups ripe thinly-sliced peeled peaches
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar

Crumb topping ingredients:

2/3 cup flour
1 1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats
2/3 cup softened butter Instructions: 

1. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix 6 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 6 tablespoons brown sugar. Add sliced peaches and toss to coat. Spread peaches in prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, combine crumb topping ingredients and stir/cut together with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the peaches.

4. Bake peach crisp in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes or until peaches test done with a fork. Enjoy hot or cold or with ice cream! 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

            Ingredients:

            1 lb of ground beef

            1 lb of ground lamb

            2 cloves of garlic

            1 large onion

            1 tablespoon of marjoram

            1 tablespoon of oregano

            1 tablespoon of cumin

            1 tablespoon of thyme

            ½ tablespoon of black pepper

            2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Steps:

1. The first thing you are going to want to do is to grind the beef and lamb together into a fine mixture. The meat is often put into a blender or food processor to turn the meat into a paste-like mixture. This will help the two meats mix together, let you integrate the gyro seasoning into the mix, and give you the ability to form the meat into the thin slices that gyros are known for.
2. Mix all of the ingredients into the meat. To make authentic homemade gyro meat, you have to get the flavor right. Hopefully you have a fine paste of beef and lamb mixture that is easy to mix with the spices. If you used a food processor or blender, you can add the onion and garlic cloves into the mixture and use the processor to mix everything together. If not, you will want to chop and mash the onions and garlic so they will be easy to mix in without any noticeable chunks.
3. Let the meat and gyro seasoning chill in the fridge for at least an hour in the bowl.
4. Cooking the meat will remind you of cooking meatloaf, but this gyro meat recipe will be miles above the meatloaf you remember from dinner at grandma’s. You will want to get a loaf baking dish to spread the gyro meat out in. A 7×4 dish is the standard, but anything that fits your meat in a rectangular pattern will work.
5. You will want to bake the meat at 325 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Make sure the meat has reached 165 degrees on the inside.
6. Remove the loaf and wrap it in tin foil and place it on a cooling rack. Place a pan on top of the loaf, or anything to weigh it down. This will help the meat become denser and get the desired gyro meat consistency.

Learning how to make gyro meat isn’t the only piece of the puzzle in your search for an authentic Greek meal. There are a few other steps to completing and amplifying the dish.

• Puree the onion, garlic and herb mix before adding it to your gyro meat. This will help even out the gyro seasoning distribution.
• Serve your gyros in a piece of pita that has been lightly grilled, and add sliced tomatoes, minced onions and lettuce. Some people will also add ketchup or mustard to their wrap. Include a side of french fries and your meal is complete.
• A more traditional method of cooking includes grilling the meat on a rotisserie skewer. This is a more difficult option, but will cook the meat more evenly and add a good texture to it. You will want to leave the mixture in the refrigerator overnight so you are able to form it in rolls easier. Then you will grill the meat on medium-high until the internal temperature reaches 165.
• Use your gyro meat to make gyro nachos. Instead of a pita wrap, combine your ingredients, including the tzatziki sauce, on top of a plate of chips. It is a great way to make a snack for game night or just a good, crunchy alternative to classic gyros.

Simply the tastiest healthy homemade vanilla pudding you’ll ever meet! Yield: 

about 7 cups of pudding (12-14 small servings) Ingredients: 

1 cup sugar (or vanilla sugar*)
6 tablespoons corn starch
dash of salt
6 cups whole milk
6 (large) egg yolks OR 3 whole (large) eggs**
4-6 tablespoons butter***
1-2 tablespoons vanilla extract Instructions: 

1. In a large heavy stock pot, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt to combine and remove lumps.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs briskly. Add milk and whisk. Pour milk mixture into sugar mixture and whisk.

3. Heat milk mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid lumps or sticking, until milk boils. Allow to boil/bubble for 1 minute and then turn off heat.

4. Stir in butter and vanilla extract, stirring until butter melts. Serve hot if you desire, or allow to cool and refrigerate before serving.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A flavorful vanilla quinoa pudding, reminiscent of tapioca pudding with a nutty twist! Yield: 

4-5 cups of pudding Ingredients: 

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained*
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon corn starch**
1 egg
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions: 

1. Place quinoa and water in a small sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil, covered, over medium heat. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is clear rather than white in the middle, and little “tails” appear.

2. In a large sauce pan, whisk together the sugar, salt and corn starch. Add the egg and whisk well. Whisk in the milk. Add the cooked quinoa.

3. Heat milk mixture over medium-medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Let bubble for 30 seconds and then remove from heat.

4. stir in butter and vanilla extract. Allow pudding to cool, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Stir and serve warm! Leftovers can be refrigerated and served cold.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A flavorful moist carrot cake with sweet cream cheese frosting Yield: 

18 servings Ingredients: 

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups finely grated carrots*
1/4 cup well-drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Icing Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Ground cinnamon and ground walnuts, for dusting (optional) Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, blend sugar and oil. Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, soda, and baking powder. Fold into the batter in the large bowl.

3. Stir in carrots, pineapple, and walnuts to make a thick batter.

4. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until cake tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack, covered with a thin clean towel.

5. To make icing, mix ingredients in order listed, using an electric mixer. Spread over cake and dust with cinnamon and walnuts if desired. Enjoy!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

The most delicious, fluffy pancakes you will ever eat, made with kefir! Yield: 

10-12 pancakes Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups kefir*
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Fresh fruit, butter, or syrup, for serving Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, combine kefir, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs. Add to dry mixture and mix just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy!

3. Pre-heat griddle or skillet over medium heat (or just below). Lightly grease griddle or skillet, and spoon batter on.

4. When many bubbles have risen to the top of the pancake (about 3-4 minutes), flip over and continue cooking until done (about 1-2 minutes).

5. Serve immediately, or keep pancakes warm on a plate in the oven until all have been cooked. Serve with butter, fresh fruit, or syrup. Enjoy!