Baking fool!

Baking has always been a great part of my life! Yeast bread/rolls, sweets, etc..  Today I am all about trying to make english muffins.  As you can see my dough has risen greatly!

 I love my electric skillet, it gives me the opportunity to "bake" my english muffins.
One side flipped the other side baking.  Next after these is danishes.

 

They actually taste pretty darn good if I do say so myself.  The nooks and crannies were not as deep as the store bought kinds, but they looked pretty good.  I think next time that they will be a little bigger.  I used my medium biscuit cutter, my large biscuit cutter would be too big, we like breakfast sandwiches and the larger one would be too much.  Ah the experiment continues.

I am grateful I have found a few great baking groups on Facebook and have made some great friends and discoveries.  I am attempting to reduce some of the processed foods in my life and my latest experiments are helping!!  I have been baking bread for a while and am completely in love with Debra Collins Easy White Bread recipe.  I have turned it from bread to dinner rolls and others have made  hamburger and hot dog rolls from it.  Not sure about hot dog rolls, but hamburger rolls will be pretty easy!

I am not saying that all my food comes from a box, because it doesn't.  I do have  processed foods just like most people do, condiments, cheese products, pasta and sauces.  I do not rely a lot on store bought canned items as I have been a canner for years and have a great supply of veggies, pickles, salsas, fruit and the odds 'n ends.  This year my attempt is to get more tomato products canned.  Yes I put up 14 quarts of spaghetti sauce, and that was not enough!  Going for 28 or more sauce would be a great start!!  Along with whole and crushed tomatoes and other tomato products.. maybe I will try my hand at ketchup and bbq sauces, but that is a discussion for another day!

What have you completely removed from your grocery budget and make??  I would love to know.

Melissa