Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon bread is a highly requested food at our house. Everyone loves it, and the kids like to help make it.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
1 loaf of bread dough
1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon

• Mix and knead the dough, let raise for an hour, and punch it down.
• Grease a rectangular bread pan with shortening.
• Spread the dough into a large rectangle, about 9x13 inches, on a lightly floured board.
• Sprinkle the dough with brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Starting on the short end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam together. Fold the two ends under and pinch to stick those seams together as well.
• Place the dough in the pan, brush with oil or butter, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let raise for about an hour.
• Bake at 375* for 30-35 minutes.
• Remove from the pan, brush with oil or butter, and cool on a rack.

Potato Soup

Potato Soup with Baked Potato Toppings

The fall weather has put me in the mood for soup. Potato soup gets a 4 out of 6 "something good" rating. With the toppings, this soup tastes like a loaded baked potato in a cup. Yummy!

Potato Soup
1 lb of bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
5 cups chicken broth
5 potatoes, peeled and diced
dash Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper (to taste)
Toppings: cheese, sour cream, chives

• Fry the bacon in a pot over medium heat until crispy.
• Remove the bacon and set aside.
• Drain off all but 2-3 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
• Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the broth slowly, stirring to avoid clumping.
• Add the potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
• Simmer until soup is thickened and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Serve with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and chives.

Notes: You could skip the bacon and use butter or oil, but bacon just makes it better.

Grape Bread

Bread that looks like a bunch of grapes

This bread doesn't taste like grapes--it just looks like a bunch of grapes. Grape bread gets a 6 for 6 "something good" rating. It's fun to pick the little grapes and eat them. I've made it a number of times, but it wasn't until today that I managed a picture before all the little hands started reaching for a snack.

Grape Bread
1 loaf of bread dough
Olive oil

• Mix and knead the dough, let it raise for 1 hour, and punch it down.
• Preheat the oven to 400*.
• Pinch off small pieces of bread and shape them into balls by pulling the dough down and pinching it on the bottom. You can add a rectangular piece for the vine if you want.
• As you make the balls, place them on a greased cookie sheet in a triangular pattern to look like a bunch of grapes. Add a few balls on top of the bunch to give more depth.
• Brush the bunch of grapes with oil.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops of the grapes are lightly browned.
• Remove grapes to a cooling rack and brush lightly with oil.
• Serve plain or with grape jelly.

Notes: I use my basic bread recipe for grape bread, but any recipe would work, even thawed frozen dough.

The little guy sneaking a grape