My Miniature Kitchen and Library

My mother is way into miniatures and wanted me to join her in this hobby. As my favorite things to do are cook and read, a kitchen and a library are what I have made. The kitchen was a bit difficult to photograph. I saw a similar scene in a smaller canning jar at a doll-house store.   So cute!  The kitchen is of course in my kitchen and the library hangs on the wall in my office.  Most of my supplies came from Hobby Lobby. 

Caramelized Apple and Onion Pork Chops

Our family loves this recipe. The apples and onions create a wonderful flavor combination and help keep the chops nice and moist.  I make this as a freezer meal as well.  I buy pork loin when it goes on sale and have my butcher cut it into 3/4 inch chops for me.  They do it for free and it makes my preparation easier.

4 – 6 Pork loin chops
Pepper to taste
6 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
6 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
3 apples – cored and sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 medium onion – sliced about ½ inch thick and separated into rings
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pepper chops and place in a 9x13 baking pan. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter in a large bowl; add apples and onions and toss to coat. Pour apple and onion mixture over chops. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear (160 degrees).

Freezer Meal: I use gallon size freezer bags.  For this recipe I just compile the ingredients to make one recipe worth in each bag.  Place desired amount pork loin chops in first.  Add sliced apples and onions.  Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg over the apples and onions.  Pour melted butter over mixture.  Squish bag to mix the sauce throughout.  Squeeze out as much air as possible as you seal the bag.  Lay flat and freeze.  Be sure to write the baking temperature, time and date prepared on the outside of the bag. Defrost in the refrigerator before using and bake according to directions.  HERE is a great article on thawing frozen foods and meals.

Baked Chicken with Mustard Gravy

My husband really loves honey mustard, so this recipe is for him.  It’s really easy to make on a day when you don’t have time.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Seasoning of your choice (I use Mrs. Dash or Seasoned Salt)

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

4 tsp honey mustard

1 tbsp milk

½ tsp basil

½ tsp parsley flakes

½ cup reduced fat sour cream

Line a baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lightly sprinkle chicken with the seasoning of your choice. Lay chicken out on baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Meanwhile, combine mustard, milk, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream. Serve over chicken.Yields: 4 servings

Cinnamon Rolls

These are soooo good. My son even asked for them for his Birthday instead of a cake.  You really have to go by touch when adding the flour, so pay attention.  They are worth the effort I promise you!

1 cup very warm water

1 pkg. active dry yeast (or 1 tbsp)

¼ cup powdered milk

1/3 cup sugar1 tsp salt

1 egg

¼ cup soft shortening

2 ¾ - 3 ¾ cups flour

¼ cup softened butter

1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Raisins (optional)

Mix together water, yeast, powdered milk, sugar, salt, egg and shortening. Slowly add flour ½ cup at a time. This will be a soft dough, so only add flour until you can work with it. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead by hand until smooth (about 5 minutes). You can knead in a mixer, but the finished product will not be quite as light. Place dough in a large greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour). Punch down and roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 15x9”). Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Cut roll into about 1” slices. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until the dough has doubled in size (about 35-40 min). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Frost while warm with butter cream frosting. Yield: 1 dozen rolls.

Tip: I use dental floss to cut the rolls. Slide the dental floss under your rolled up "log". Bring the ends up over the top, criss cross them and pull. This will cut the cinnamon roll and retain its shape better than using a knife.

Creamy Fruit Dip

This recipe is really easy. We had it at a bed and breakfast a few years ago. We liked it so much I begged for the recipe. Sometimes I use it as a base for a fruit salad. My kids also like it on pancakes.

8 oz softened Cream Cheese
¾ C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Sour Cream
1 C. Cold Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 small pkg. Vanilla instant pudding

Cream brown sugar & cream cheese & then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Keep chilled until ready to use. Sometimes we use a different flavor of pudding. Our favorite so far is Cheese Cake.

Sour Cream Potatoes

I love these potatoes!  My whole family smiles when they find out I have made them for dinner.

 

30 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns

½ cup butter, softened

2 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1/3 cup green onions chopped

2 cups grated cheese

3 tbsp melted butter

3 cups crushed cornflakes

In a large bowl, mix together hash browns, butter, soup, sour cream, onions and cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Mix cornflakes with melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sometimes I add chopped ham or cooked chicken to make it a main dish.

Chicken Enchiladas

This is one of the first recipes I learned to make.  I have tweaked it over the years and have arrived at this loveliness.  This meal freezes well too.

2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 cups cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn
2-1/2 cups Salsa
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
1 small can enchilada sauce
10 - 12 flour tortillas

In a bowl combine chicken, rice, beans, corn, salsa and 1/2 cup shredded cheese.Scoop mixture into flour tortillas, roll up and place in greased 9x13 pan. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, spread to cover. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.*You can vary the spiciness by using mild, medium or hot salsa and enchilada sauce. You can half the recipe for a 9x9 pan. My husband cut his enchilada up and put it on top of his salad with chipotle cheddar dressing. See additional pictures below.

Caramel Pretzel Bites

These yummy treats are really easy to make and they are oh so yummy! Who can resist a sweet and salty chewy bite. You can make these with Hershey kisses or rolos, but I use milk duds because they are cheaper and I don't have to unwrap them. The instructions are easy.
I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper so they don't stick. Lay out your mini pretzels, top each one with a milk dud. Place in a 350 degree oven for 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately push an m-n-m into the top of each. Let cool.

Cheesy Basil Tomato Chicken

My whole family loves this recipe! It is easy and tastes oh so good.....

Sauce:
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped onion
6 oz can tomato paste
1 tbsp basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 cloves minced garlic cloves
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Topping:
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat over to 350 degrees. In a 9x13 pan melt 3 tbsp. butter in the oven (4-6 min). Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together remaining sauce ingredients except chicken; set aside. Place chicken in the pan, turning to coat with butter. Spoon sauce mixture over chicken. Bake for 30-40 min. (until chicken reaches 150 degrees). Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together all topping ingredients except cheese. Spread cheese over chicken; sprinkle with topping mixture. Continue baking 5-10 min. (until chicken reaches 165 degrees) and the crumbs are browned.

Caramel Banana Muffins

These are seriously delicious! Sometimes I double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan and call it Caramel Banana Cake. In my oven, it takes 38 minutes to bake the cake. It is baking in my oven right now and my house smells heavenly!

1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Caramel Icing:
2 Tbl. butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar


(I love the glaze, so I double it when I make muffins)In a small mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add egg; beat well. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 350* for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.


For icing, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk; bring to a boil. Cool slightly. Whisk in powdered sugar. Transfer to a small re-sealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of the bag and drizzle over muffins. Makes: 12 muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.


UPDATE: A double batch will also fit in a large cookie sheet with sides. I baked it for 19 minutes.

Monkey Cupcakes!

I found a recipe for these Monkey cupcakes. They were easy to make and the kids loved them. I used Ladies finger cookies cut for the ears, Nilla Wafers cut for the mouth, and MnM's for the eyes with frosting eye balls and the tuft of hair on the top.