New Toys

I'd you hear I got a new toy? It's a cookie press! Now I can make good looking cookies (as well as tasty!) I am not known for my decorating skills so this makes it super easy! The picture is a bit blurry but the cookies are awesome! 

Tis the Season

I know it's been awhile since I last posted. I have started my Christmas Baking and I wanted to get it all done before I posted. But it has proved to be a bigger job than I expected. I have a few recipes to still do but I would like to show off what I have accomplished so far.

I am also on Facebook (just look for Mom's Buns).

Here are one of my favourite. Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls. So rich (I do not provide nutritional values because of cookies like this) and tasty. Also available in Oreo. Even more rich.

What would Christmas be without Gingerbread men! Run, run as fast as you can!!

The classic Sugar Cookie. Never fails to impress. I use an icing sugar icing for these cookies. If you'd rather, I can leave them plain so you can ice them with your favourite icing!!

One of my favourites, so much so that I only make it at Christmas. Otherwise, I would eat it round the clock! Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares!!

I will update with some more yummy Christmas cookies (I promise). But I am enjoying the trial process - as is the rest of my family!!

Trust me, I'm a Professional

Although what I'm doing is not technically a "real business" it doesn't mean I can't be professional. So I got myself a nice, new apron and oven mitts. Looking good! 

And here's my helper. She needs a bit more experience before I hire her on full-time. 

But at least I got it all done...

Like a pro. 

The Big Day

Update 1:

I mixed the rest of the ingredients with the starter. I'm already wary of it. It's so stiff and difficult to mix. I need to wait until it rises so I'll have a better idea soon. The crazy part is that the recipe calls for another 2 cups of flour and I barely got the the flour to mix in as it is! I may be looking for a new recipe. Wish me luck!

Update 2:

I'm feeling encouraged. After letting the dough rise, it seemed less stiff and much easier to work with. I even ended up adding some flour! Then I kneaded for while and shaped it into a loaf. Now I just have to let that rise then into the oven. So far so good!

Update 3:

The sweet sourdough success. Good news everyone, it turned out just fine. Nice crunchy crust on the outside and soft an fluffy on the inside. Very relieved. 

It was more work than I'm used to but it's a nice treat to have.  

Yum. 

Mad Scientist

Day 2: 

I'm feeling a bit like a mad scientist. Or some kind of medieval witch. I'm stirring this creation and I have no idea if it's working out or not. It's a frustrating thing not to have a frame of reference or something to compare it to. I know it's not supposed to be pretty and it's just a starter, but the doubts are starting to creep in. I'll not know whether this is all for not for another few days. I know there's only one way to learn, but I so hate wasting ingredients. I guess the worst case scenario is that I dump it all out and wash a bowl. And the best case scenario is a yummy loaf of sourdough bread and a new recipe to share. It took me years to perfect the bun recipe so I can't expect perfection with every new recipe. And it only Day 2. Like I tell my daughter, sometimes you just have to be patient. 

Starting the Starter

I'm trying something new today. I decided awhile back that I'd like to start experimenting with different types of breads. Well I looked around and I found a recipe for sourdough bread that I think I can handle. It requires a starter so I started that today. I've never done a starter so this should be a good opportunity to try. I've done the Amish Friendship bread before - where you get a bag of starter then pass it on to a few friends, but I've never actually started it from scratch. Should be interesting. It will take 3-5 days before the starter is ready so I'll do my best to keep you posted. In the meantime, this is what it looks like today. Kinda like a lumpy, gooish, glue. I'm sure it will look better once it all mixed together and baked!!

I added some links to different websites and blogs that I found interesting. The Links are found on the right of your screen. 

Order Up!

This was a big week for me. I was approached to provide cinnamon buns for our church's family camp. I was fairly confident until I learned it was for 10 dozen!! I took a deep breath and started baking. It took a couple days, but I got them all done in time to be sent up to camp. They were pretty well received but the funny part is, I didn't even have one. There was this oatmeal cake that was delicious with blueberries. It was my biggest test yet and while it was a challenge, it was a great opportunity. 

While I was at camp, I had the chance to talk with a lady who makes her own bread. She makes a variety of gluten free breads and cookies. It was great talking with her and hearing all the different ingredients she puts in her baking to get a good tasting and nutritious meal. I have been thinking about making bread. I used to have a bread maker but I found that unless the bread was freshly baked that day, I didn't like the taste of it. I remembered my mom used to make mini loaves out of the bun dough. So I gave it a shot today. Here's the first step....the dough....

After an hour of rising....

And the finished product....

Not too shabby. And delicious when eaten with meatloaf. So I'm taking to the Internet, and my old reliable Mennonite Treasury of Recipes to find some good bread recipes. There are a few good websites that I am excited to go through. I'd like to experiment with flaxseed and other herbs. And I'd love to find a good sourdough recipe. If I find anything good, I'll post the results. Who knows, maybe if it's successful enough, I'll put it up for sale as well - if there is any interest. I'm still going through my Christmas cookie recipes to see what I should put up. Now that the nights are getting cooler and school has started, it's time to accept that summer is over. Although with my oven tuned on nearly all day and the sun streaming through the windows, it sure felt like the middle of summer! 

Mmm...muffins

I had some old bananas so I decided to make Mark's favourite - banana chocolate chip muffins. Of course I had my helper helping me! When I was scooping them into the muffin tray, she asked me who the muffins were for. I said that they were for us. "All of them? Just for us?" She asked with such joy and disbelief that I had to laugh. I remember so many times that my mom would make something only to take it to work or to share with her friends. And most of the time when I bake, I bake for other people. And Abby watches the yummy desserts leave. So I guess I understand why she got so excited when she realized that she gets to eat the treats!

The Bright Side

Who loves hot weather? I do, I do!! I love sitting outside, feeling the heat, listening to my kids run through the sprinkler. I love going to the lake and tanning on the beach or going for a boat ride and swimming in the middle of the lake. And then warming up on the boat platform before going back in the water. I even love the crazy storms that the heat brings. But there is one thing I don't love about a beautiful, hot day. Turning on the oven. Friday evening, I got the itch to bake. But I didn't want to fill the house up with even more heat. I ended up making one of my favourites: chocolate peanut butter squares. It's a great summer treat, cool, tasty and it doesn't require any baking. 

I'm pretty spoiled by my husband who loves to BBQ (and is really good at it). We attempted to BBQ a homemade pizza and while it wasn't perfect, it tasted great and gave us an idea of how to do it better next time. 

So when fall decides to show up (no rush), I'll be back to baking whenever I want. I've even started to think about Christmas baking! Ack!! I'll be adding a few Christmas cookies/baking that will be available for purchase in the coming months. Stay tuned! 

How yummy does that look? Best eaten in moderation!!

Everything I Learned About Baking, I Did Not Learn in Home Ec.

When I was in Jr High, my Home Ec was known for her cinnamon buns. They were light and fluffy and juicy and you could buy them for $.25. And on occasion, you could find a stray hair or a piece of broken nail (so says a sister of a friend of mine). My Home Ec teacher didn't teach me a heck of a lot - we spent most days working on crossword puzzles or word finds. But she did teach me three of my top rules. 

1. Put your hair back!! 

In her class, none of the girls were allowed anywhere near the kitchen unless their hair was in a ponytail. Her rule was so strict that us girls started keeping a spare hair band in the ring of our binder. Her hair however, continued to be styled in a haphazard bouffant that defied the laws gravity. 

2. No nail polish!

I don't know about you, but my nail polish chips if you even look at it wrong. My teacher also had a strict rule against nail polish while her own nails grew nearly an inch long, were greyish in colour and looked like they were about to break at any moment. 

3. Double check the recipe. 

One day, as I was making fudge with my group, I didn't pay enough attention. Instead of putting 1/4 teaspoon of salt, I put in 1/4 cup!! I had to leave the class early that day so I missed the moment when the teacher dug in, took a huge bite and spit it right back out!! I did get a chance to taste it later on. At first it wasn't so bad. Then the overwhelming taste of salt hit me. Oh, so gross. Double check. Every measurement. Every ingredient. And take small bites when tasting. 

This is not to say that I didn't learn anything in Home Ec. I learned how to fold ingredients. I learned that to get flaky pastries, you can't mix the dough too much. I learned that in the winter, your front steps is a great spot to cool off baking. And I learned that if you can make a great tasting cinnamon, you can be forgiven for most wrongdoings. 

Teachable Moments

One of my best memories growing up was helping my mom bake buns. She'd give me a small bit of dough and I'd make a dough-man. Then I'd go play until the buns were ready. 

My daughter loves to help me. And it really makes me happy to see another generation baking. It may take a bit longer and I have been learning a lot of patience, but it's worth it. 

Yikes. I might need to copy the recipe out again!! My original seems to be a bit worse for wear. 

My helper is ready to go!!

Her favourite part - the eggs. She cracks them into a bowl (I search for any pieces of shell) and she dumps them in the mixing bowl. 

Stirring is hard work!!

Welcome

Hello everyone. My name is Emily Kroeker. I live in Estevan with my husband and two daughters. I have recently started selling some home baking. I have always liked baking for my family and friends so I thought I might be able to expand this into a small business. So far, it's been a lot of fun and a great experience. I wanted to set this blog up to have a place to show off what I do and to keep in contact with people who may want to place an order. I will be posting pictures of my baking along with updates. I plan to expand the selection of cookies and treats for Christmas time.

I chose the name Mom's Buns because my mom was famous for her amazing buns. Everyone would talk about them and she would be asked over and over to bring them to various potlucks and family bbqs. When I was married, she gave me her recipe (which she wrote out from her tattered, yellow recipe). It took a few years, but I can finally say that I can make buns as good as hers.

Please feel free to share this with your friends and leave a comment. Enjoy!

The dough pan that I got from my aunt. Big enough to mix all the dough.  

The finished result

Cinnamon Buns

Chocolate chip cookie dough about to go into the oven

Fresh cookies

Snickerdoodles cooking on the rack

Ready to eat