Cinnamon Knots

I was tired of the same old cinnamon roll and wanted to make something a little different. This recipe was perfect and was quick to make also. Give these a try when you are wanting to bake someting homemade for your family. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

2 T yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup butter-melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 eggs-beaten
1 t salt
5 cups flour


Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
2 cups sugar
4 T cinnamon
Mix sugar and cinnamon together for later
3/4 cup butter-melted


In your Kitchen Aid Mixer bowl, add yeast to the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes now add warm milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough flour to form a soft dough. Keep kneading in the bowl for 8 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Should double in size. Now punch dough down and divide into 20 balls. Roll each of the balls into a rope and then dip into melted butter and then tie into a knot. Now place on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar mixture. Continue this with each ball of dough. Once you are done, cover and let rise for 45 minutes. Now bake in a pre-heated 325' oven and bake for 15 minutes. Eat hot from the oven.

Dried Apples

I have so many great memories of my Granny West's dried apples that she would make every year. It was a big treat for a kid who never got anything sweet. My Grandpa West made a screen sheet of sorts to place the apple pieces on with another sheet of screen placed over the top. In the morning he would climb a ladder and place this screened contraption with apples on the roof top for the day. In the evening he would climb that same ladder and bring them in the house for the night. In the morning he would climb up the ladder (mind you he was in his late 80's while doing all of this) flip the screen contraption over and leave them to bake in the sun. It usually only took a couple of days in Oklahoma to make dried apples. Granny would let me eat a few but the rest were saved for winter and her fried pies. In my case baked pies and I can still smell them. Well, this Summer on Beaty's Creek has been a scene straight out of Death Valley. We have had 15 days OVER 100' and more to come. Yesterday's temp was 107' with a heat index of 115 degrees! So, I came up with a fun little thing to do.....Dry apples on the car dash board....yep and it works!!!So if you want to have a little fun and make your car smell yummy, give this a try. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

5 pounds of Granny Smith apples- peeled and slice 1/8 inch thick
Cinnamon to taste
Parchment lines baking sheets
A car or truck dashboard ;)

Place sliced apples on your parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon and place on your dashboard. Leave all day. Bring into your home overnight. Place back on your dashboard the next day. At the end of that day your apples are ready to be stored. I store mine in a ziplock bag with all the air removed.

Raisin Oatmeal Bread

My oven is fixed!!! Hear the birds singing?? Oh no, that is just my kiddos wanting brownies,  hee hee.  I decided to celebrate my oven's return by baking like a mad woman. This is the first of several recipes I "baked" yesterday.  Raven loves a healthy breakfast so I try to mix it up a little for her.  You can only eat fresh fruit and have hot tea so many mornings in a row.  This is a pretty good raisin bread if you ask me.  Ask Ransome and he will tell you raisins are from the devil, funny kid he is.  If you are a lover of raisin bread, bake this and then toast it and slather it with some butter.  This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:


1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup honey
1 t cinnamon
2 T yeast
1 T sea salt
1/2 cup corn oil
2 1/3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup raisins


Mix water, milk, yeast, honey, and salt together.  Add to it oatmeal, whole wheat flour, and all purpose.  Mix until well blended.  Now add in oil, and cinnamon, knead for 5 minutes.  Now with your hand knead in raisins.  Let rise for 2 hours.  Now divide dough in half and place in two loaf pans.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Bake at 350' for 40-50 minutes.  Remove from oven and butter top.  Remove from pans after 20 minutes.  

Pumpkin Carob Chip Granola Bars

Raven likes a healthy breakfast so I am always trying new things for her. She loves soft granola bars but hates all of the additives that are in the store bought ones. I messed around with this recipe a bit until I arrived at something acceptable for everyone. She loved them and even Ransome ate several so I call it a success. It has been super cold on Beaty's Creek and I have kept my oven going just to feel a little more warmth. It was -27 degrees one week ago with 27 inches of snow on the ground. Today, the snow is gone and it is 70 degrees, can you believe that??? Crazy Oklahoma weather that I love, Oh yeah! Fix these granola bars for your family and don't bother telling them that they are healthy either. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1 cup carob chips



In a large bowl mix oats, cinnamon, and salt together. Now add in brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and honey. Mix until soft. Now add in your chips and stir. Press into a well greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350' for 30 minutes. You want to take them out when they are still a little soft. They will firm more as they cool. With a sharp knife cut into bars after 5 minutes of cooling.

Popcorn Balls

We like to make popcorn balls around Halloween and the kiddos always look forward to it. I like to make them orange like pumpkins. Raine likes to help make these. She is the perfect little helper. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

6 cups air popped popcorn

1 bag of marshmallows

1 stick of butter

1 t vanilla

Melt marshmallows and butter in a pan over medium heat. When melted stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir until coated. Butter up your hands because this is going to get messy. Scoop a cup of coated popcorn in your buttered hands and press like their is no tomorrow to form a ball. Store them in an air tight container.

Easy Snack Bars

This is a quick and easy sweet treat. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips because that's what was in the pantry but Ransome said he wants white chips next time. Peanut butter chips might be equally tasty also. These are a great after swimming snack. The kiddos have been swimming like little fish in Beaty's Creek this week and will come home absolutely famished. Do you remember that? Swimming all day and coming home so hungry even an apple looked good. Try this recipe and you are sure to win points with your kiddos! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups flaked coconut
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups chocolate chips



In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Mix until smooth. Press into a greased 8x8 pan.
Bake for 10 minutes in a 325' oven. As soon as you take it out of the oven add your chocolate chips. When they melt swirl them around. Cool, if you can let them and enjoy!

Blueberry Bars

Well it is blueberry picking time on Beaty's Creek again and I am more than willing to pick a few gallons. What is better in a smoothie than frozen blueberries?? This recipe is one of our favorites and I am sure you will like it too. I have been using the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter brand of butter and I am surprised it isn't! It tastes good and it is great to bake with also. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!

Needed:

1 cup sugar
1 t baking powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
1 egg
1 t salt
1 t vanilla

4 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 t cornstarch

Mix flour, 1 cup sugar, salt, and baking powder together. Now cut in the butter until crumbly looking. Add in the egg and mix well. Press 3/4 of the crust into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Now mix blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch together then pour over the bottom crust. Sprinkle the remaining crust on top of blueberries and bake at 350' fro 45 minutes.

Party Mix

We love Chex Mix and I always make our spicy version of this popular snack. Marx Foods sent me a package of items to try in a few of my recipes and the timing couldn't have been better. As I said, we like our party mix a little on the spicy side and Tabasco just doesn't do the trick. Their Habanero Salt is the absolute perfect seasoning for our spicy mix. Check out Marx Foods , some very unique products for your future recipes. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 cup of roasted and salted peanuts

1 cup English walnuts

1 cup pecans

3 cups pretzels

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups cheese crackers

3 sticks butter

2 t Habanero Salt

2 T garlic powder

2 T chili powder

1 t seasoned salt

2 T Worcestershire Sauce

Mix all of the dry ingredients and place into a large baking pan. In a small sauce pan melt butter. Now add to the melted butter all of your spices and Tabasco, stir very well. Now pour over the dry ingredients and stir. Place in a 300' oven for 1 hour. I stir mine every 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in a air tight container.