Author Portrait: maryjane

Today’s Recipe: Raspberry-Lemon Muffins

Posted on March 30, 2024 by maryjane

Just in time for Easter Sunday, a simple muffin recipe.

muffins-5217

RASPBERRY-LEMON MUFFINS

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES
MAKES: A BAKER’S DOZEN

Muffins:
1 1/2 cups Organic Budget Mix® All-Purpose Original
I’m happy to report that this recipe is delicious with MaryJane’s Gluten-free Budget Mix! The conversion is simple, just swap the 1 1/2 cups Budget Mix with 1 cup Budget Mix® All-Purpose Gluten Free. After spooning the batter into muffin cups, let them hang out for about 15 minutes before baking (this gives the flour time to absorb liquid). The yield and bake times are still the same.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
6 T melted butter
1 t vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (about 4 ozs)
1 T lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

Simple icing (optional):
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 t milk

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tin with baking papers and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine Budget Mix, sugar, and brown sugar; mix well.
3. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix well and pour into dry mixture. Mix just until combined. Mix in raspberries and lemon zest.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, then transfer muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Make optional icing: Combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Drizzle over muffins and let dry completely.

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:
    January 15, 2016 at 4:43 am

    Sometimes in the Winter, you just have to have a taste of the carefree days of August. These muffins look delicious.

    Reply
  2. Candy C. says:
    January 15, 2016 at 5:55 am

    The muffins look yummy and I will definitely try the recipe, can’t go wrong with raspberries, but I must say I LOVE the vintage Pyrex Cinderella bowl! I have a set with the Daisy pattern that I inherited from my mother-in-law and I use them quite often. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tauna Grondin says:
      June 7, 2016 at 6:06 pm

      I had a daughter in law that collected Pyrex bowls, just like the ones that my Grandmother used. I can’t believe what a person can get when it comes to pyrex. She had a shelf that went around the kitchen and she spread them out. Beautiful and all different patterns.

      Reply
  3. Shelley says:
    January 15, 2016 at 10:21 am

    Where do I find the budget mix and whats in it???

    Reply
  4. Deb says:
    January 19, 2016 at 8:08 am

    I can not wait to try these, makes my mouth water.
    Have a beautiful day and thank you.
    Hugs.

    Reply
  5. Krista Butters Davis says:
    April 5, 2024 at 9:06 pm

    These sound delicious! I will need to make these. The kids love having muffins for breakfast and these are simply enough to make before school. Thank you.

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

Wild Bread

Posted on February 14, 2024 by maryjane

Yesterday’s loaf of Dutch Oven wild bread (no store-bought yeast used, just 1/2 cup of my refrigerator sourdough mother) was so happy when it hit the oven it exploded sideways. This loaf was destined for my daughter’s household. I have perfected this kind of loaf so that it’s airy inside but super moist by working with a more wet dough when I knead and fold it. If you haven’t yet toyed with the idea of nurturing a sourdough mother, I encourage you to take the leap.

  1. Krista Butters Davis says:
    March 29, 2024 at 8:26 pm

    I have a really good friend who loves sourdough bread and has been experimenting with many recipes lately. She talks with me all the time about what’s working and what she doesn’t like. I know she doesn’t have a sourdough mother, so I will have to encourage her to give it a try.

    Reply
  2. Martha Vuist-Bruske says:
    February 28, 2025 at 6:14 am

    Hello, I love your magazine and now your wild bread book. I made a batch with the mother. Your book called for 5-6 cups. Also it did call for any kneading. Is this correct?

    Reply
    • maryjane says:
      March 16, 2025 at 5:04 pm

      It sounds like you’re in the beginner’s section. If so, that’s correct, there isn’t any kneading required. It’s more of a batter bread in the beginning section than something you can handle with your hands and knead. Right now, you’re creating your mother and baking batter breads, etc. along the way. Continue reading and doing and it’ll all make sense and come together for you! In no time at all, you’ll have a mature “refrigerator” mother that you’ll only feed once per week.

      Reply
  3. Joy Pieper says:
    March 15, 2025 at 7:25 pm

    I have the Wild Bread recipe book by Mary Jane Butters but am confused on the amount of starter. I would like to use my refrigerator starter as you suggested 1/2 cup. I assume it is feed 1st. But how does that work with the recipes in the book that say 6 cups? I love the book and all the options for different flours but wanted to use my starter from the refrigerator. My regular recipes uses 110 gm of starter. Any advice to use the small starter with the book?

    Reply
    • maryjane says:
      March 16, 2025 at 5:15 pm

      It sounds like you want to make one of the Beginner “batter” Breads, starting on page 20, or perhaps some of the Quick & Easy Sourdough Enhanced Treats, starting on page 172.

      Here’s what I do when I need several cups of activated batter.

      The night before I want to bake, I take 1/2 cup of mother from my refrigerator mother and put it in an 8-cup pyrex container (I like that using a pyrex means it’s essentially pre-measured and ready to go for the next day; I also like the handle for giving the flour/water mixture a hearty stir). I then feed my mother 3/8 cup flour and 1/4 water, stir, and put her back in the fridge.

      To the 1/2 cup mother, I add 5 1/2 cups flour and 3 3/4 cups water. I give it a hearty stir, cover and let sit on my counter until the next morning. If you have a strong “advanced” mother, you should have approx. 6 cups “activated batter.”

      Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

Today’s Recipe: Wild Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on April 14, 2018 by maryjane

Even though my latest book, Wild Bread, is already on the shelves, we are continuing to add on to it. Lately, we’ve been dreaming of luscious, ooey-gooey, soft cinnamon rolls. As a result, over the last few weeks, we’ve been on a quest to create a sumptuous cinnamon roll. Along the way, we discovered that dates make a wonderful filling that stays put while the cinnamon rolls are baking.

Check out our cinnamon-roll recipe on my Wild Bread chatroom here.

While you’re there, join in on our conversation about everything Wild Bread!

If you haven’t picked up a copy of my latest book, you can find it here.

Continue reading →

  1. Barbara Criss says:
    April 13, 2018 at 7:10 am

    I have been trying to make good bread since 1979. I never have—even the bread machine hates me. I love sourdough bread and making it has always fascinated me, but I never tried any. Maybe this book can help even me—I can hardly wait to bake something from it. I ordered one just a few minutes ago. Looking forward to receiving it.

    Reply
  2. melissa eloe says:
    April 13, 2018 at 9:30 am

    Dear MaryJane,
    I LOVE the Wild Bread Cookbook!!!! so much so, that I ordered one for my best friend too. She has a sourdough “mother” that she has been keeping alive for over 26 years that she received from her friend. I am looking forward to making these cinnamon rolls. I was delighted to see the girls’ aprons on page 9! Thanks for all you do, Melissa

    Reply
  3. kathy Riley says:
    April 13, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    no matter what I click on no recipe comes up

    Reply
    • MaryJane says:
      April 13, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      Kathy, if you click on the word “here” at the end of the first sentence below the cinnamon roll picture, it will send you to the recipe location on my Wild Bread chatroom. From there, just click on the image of the recipe page, and you can view, download, or print the recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Janet says:
    April 13, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    How do you make the Refrigerated Mother?

    Reply
  5. Madison Curley says:
    February 10, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    I know this is an old post, but I purchased the Wild Bread book (yay!) and have read it cover to cover twice and I had a question, can you make the sour dough cake with the kamut flour?

    Reply
    • MaryJane says:
      February 12, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      We didn’t test the recipe using Kamut flour, but it should work. Since you’re using Kamut flour, you’ll want to reduce the volume of flour added (maybe start with 3/4 cup and see what the consistency is like), but the amounts of all of the other ingredients should remain the same. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

      Reply

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Barbies to Inspire

Posted on March 29, 2018 by maryjane

Barbie has been around since 1959, and it’s safe to say that likely no other toy has been in the hands of little girls more often than the ever-stylish, svelte, and controversial Barbie doll. We even have our own less-svelte version right here on Raising Jane earning Merit Badges: MBA Jane—Merit Badge Awardee Jane. (FYI, the shirt MBA Jane has on in this photo is one that my mother made for my Barbie back in 1960.)

mba_jane-out_there-0297-2

While sporadically causing disdain (remember the talking one who whined “math class is tough!”? Oh, Mattel, what WERE you thinking?) in between bursts of creative genius, Barbie has really gone above and beyond this year, introducing their line of Inspiring Women. Some of their role models to base their dolls on include … drum roll, please …

  • Amelia Earhart, aviation pioneer
  • Frida Kahlo, artist
  • Katherine Johnson, NASA mathematician
  • Chloe Kim, snowboarder
  • Bindi Irwin, conservationist
  • Patty Jenkins, film director
  • Misty Copeland, principal ballerina
  • Martyna Wojciechowska, journalist
  • Hélène Darroze, world renowned chef
  • Ashley Graham, plus-size model and body activist
  • Btihaj Muhammad, fencing champion

There’s even a farmer Barbie (check out our conversation about her here).

With so many dolls to choose from, it almost makes you want to become a collector, doesn’t it?

You can find more information on these dolls and the real-life women who inspired them over at Mattel.

Which one would you buy and why?

Continue reading →

  1. Barbara Criss says:
    March 28, 2018 at 2:02 am

    Oh—how I loved Barbie as a little girl! I got my first Barbie in 1966 for Christmas and I still have her. Later I was given Midge and Francie and the fun was on. My sister would make the most wonderful clothes for them. She also built doll houses for them and made furniture from card board. We even had a little dress shop—grocery store, etc. It was such fun to find things to go in them. She even made little paper groceries from pictures in magazines. My grandfather let us put all this in one of his buildings. I would pick produce for him and use my money to buy other Barbies. Today I would buy the Amelia Earhart Barbie because I read a book about her as a child and I have always admired her.

    Reply
  2. Cindi says:
    March 28, 2018 at 5:02 am

    Bravo Mattel! As soon as I heard the announcement I wanted to run right out and get one of each. Alas, I could not find a one them ~ only the glamour/model/socialite versions. Sigh.

    Reply
  3. Laurie scott says:
    March 29, 2018 at 6:44 pm

    I got my first Barbie doll when they came out in 1959 from my Uncle for a Christmas present. That’s when I first learned how to sew. Making clothes for my Barbie doll. I even bought the Farmer one. Such a great idea that Mattel did for Women’s month. Great inspiration for girls. We can be anything we want to be.

    Reply

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Today’s Recipe: Gluten-free Quinoa & Currant Soda Bread

Posted on March 3, 2018 by maryjane

Soda-Bread-8055

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  1. MaryJane says:
    April 3, 2015 at 4:40 am

    I actually had Ashley make an extra loaf for me. I warm a slice up in my cast iron skillet, coat it with butter, and then top it with jam or maybe a smashed banana. Yum.

    Reply
  2. MaryJane says:
    April 3, 2015 at 8:17 am

    Here’s what my DIL Ashley, MaryJanesFarm food guru had to say:

    Hi Jody,
    I think any non-dairy milk should work, but the amount of liquid might need to be adjusted to get the right consistency. Also, since the acidity of the buttermilk aids in the rise, you would need to add a little cream of tartar to make up for that. I’d try 1/4 t. Baking powder could also work, but since I haven’t tried the recipe with it, I’m not sure you could just substitute baking powder for the baking soda in equal amounts.

    Reply
  3. Winnie Nielsen says:
    March 2, 2018 at 6:47 am

    I was just thinking about soda bread because March makes me think of St. Patrick’s Day and that means soda bread. Soda bread is delicious and so very easy to make.

    Reply
  4. Barbara Criss says:
    March 2, 2018 at 10:13 am

    Although this looks so good—it mostly makes me thankful that I do not have to cook gluten free.

    Reply

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Today’s Recipe: Coconut-Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Posted on February 17, 2018 by maryjane

grapefruit-vinaigrette-5976

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:
    January 22, 2016 at 5:15 am

    Yummm, this sounds light and fresh with the citrus base. I bet it is quite delicious on salads.

    Reply
  2. Marilyn Barclay Jennings says:
    February 16, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    This sounds delicious, refreshing, light, and good for me! Perfect. I will get a grapefruit from the tree in the morning! Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Tonita says:
    February 17, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    Sounds perfect for a summer salad. Yum.

    Reply
  4. Denise Collins says:
    February 20, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    I know this probably sounds very silly, but here goes. What type of salad would this be good on? It sounds amazing, just can’t wrap my mind around the ingredients of the salad. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply

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Today’s Recipe: Pan-roasted Lime-Cilantro Cauliflower

Posted on January 27, 2018 by maryjane

roasted-cauliflower-7498

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:
    February 26, 2016 at 4:58 am

    Ashley, this is a really yummy looking twist on fixing cauliflower . I love how lime juice just makes everything taste fresh and bright.

    Reply
  2. Krista says:
    February 26, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    This is some tasty looking cauliflower. I bet this would make the perfect side to a barbeque dinner.

    Reply
  3. Adrenne says:
    January 28, 2018 at 11:41 am

    I don’t care for cilantro, would it taste ok without it or sub with something else?

    Reply
  4. Amy says:
    September 16, 2018 at 9:02 pm

    I made this tonight. It was great. The lime and cilantro gave it really good flavor. I may try it without the garlic next time.

    Reply

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Today’s Recipe: Cranberry-Pineapple Punch

Posted on December 30, 2017 by maryjane

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:
    December 29, 2017 at 4:45 am

    I bet this punch tastes as delicious as it presents beautifully in the glass. Refreshing and festive!

    Reply
  2. Mary Rauch says:
    December 29, 2017 at 6:47 am

    Tonight as we view the Cotton Bowl, we w I’ll need several pitchers of this brew. Ohio State University needs my support.

    Reply
  3. Krista says:
    December 29, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    Oh my goodness! This sounds delicious! Cranberry juice is one of my favorite juices and I love pineapple. This will definitely be making it to our table for New Years.

    Reply

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Simple Soup for Supper: White Bean

Posted on December 9, 2017 by maryjane

soups-whitebean

White Bean Soup

Sauté 1 diced onion, 1 diced bell pepper, and 1 clove minced garlic in 3 T olive oil. Add 1 bay leaf and 1/2 t ground fennel; cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 diced Yukon Gold potato, 2 T white wine, 1 T lemon juice, and 2 cups vegetable stock; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 can (16-oz) undrained cannellini beans; heat for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf; add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Simple!

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  1. Winnie Nielsen says:
    January 3, 2014 at 4:28 am

    Oh man this looks good! I wouldn’t mind having it for breakfast. Believe it or not, it is currently 39 degrees here!!Whoop!! Happy Farmgirl!@

    Reply
  2. Terry Steinmetz says:
    January 3, 2014 at 6:26 am

    This looks so good. It’s that time of year to experiment with new soups!

    Reply
  3. Brenda Wheeler says:
    January 3, 2014 at 7:57 am

    This soup looks wonderful. An artic blast has hit and soup is so warming. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Bob Arias says:
    January 3, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Yes…this soup is the way to begin the New Year, 2014! Though I am in beautiful Panamá and it is summer, this soup will cool me off.
    Peace Corps Volunteer/Panamá

    Reply
  5. rosalynne brown says:
    January 3, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    cant wait to try it think I have all the ingredients here. sounds so good for this very cold weather we are having here in wi

    Reply
  6. Sharon says:
    January 3, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    I made a homemade navy bean soup yesterday with a ham bone I had in the freezer. It is so good and warming to the body in this cold Iowa winter weather. I love to make soups this time of the year. I will try putting a potato in it next time. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  7. Kathie says:
    December 8, 2017 at 5:26 am

    “Yummm” it looks so good ! Being a very busy person ,I love looking forward to your simple delicious recipes . Thank You ! Soup tonight !

    Reply
  8. Sally says:
    December 8, 2017 at 10:41 am

    Looks great, but potatoes cause IBS problems for me, what could I substitute in place of the potato?

    Reply
  9. Krista says:
    December 8, 2017 at 11:35 am

    Simple meals are my favorite! This recipe will be wonderful with our cold weather. I’ll make this on a night we plan to be out in the cold looking at lights.

    Reply
  10. Lynnia says:
    December 8, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    This is PERFECT for my full time rv life!
    Thanks⭐️⭐️

    Reply
    • Virginia says:
      December 10, 2017 at 9:30 am

      Hi..Lynnia..
      just read ur post of being full time rver..
      Wondering how you like it…and any info for me…since I have been thinking of this life style.

      Reply

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Today’s Recipe: Hot Chocolate My Way

Posted on November 25, 2017 by maryjane

This homemade hot-chocolate recipe is concocted by melting a bar of organic dark chocolate over the stove with rich and creamy cow’s milk, vanilla, and sugar, and then topping with a cinnamon stick and a dollop of whipped cream (no store-bought powders here!). I love the flavor and health benefits of dark chocolate, but semi-sweet or milk chocolate would be divine.

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  1. Debbie says:
    November 30, 2012 at 7:15 am

    Did someone say DARK chocolate? YUM!

    Reply
  2. Winnie Nielsen says:
    November 30, 2012 at 8:47 am

    Made perfect by your cows wearing their lace halters!!!! Thanks for this easy recipe to follow.

    Reply
  3. Eileen Widman says:
    November 30, 2012 at 11:48 am

    My husband will be singing your praises for this one!
    He loves dark chocolate any thing! Now if I add a little melted home made caramels to this he will love me forever!

    Reply
  4. Winnie Nielsen says:
    November 24, 2017 at 6:15 am

    Here we are 5 years later and this recipe and mug of hot chocolate is STILL calling my name! Like you, dark chocolate would be my favorite too. Plus, with some creamy fresh cow’s milk from your farm, I bet it does make the perfect hot chocolate delight.

    Reply
  5. Krista says:
    November 24, 2017 at 11:09 am

    Hot chocolate is amazing this time of year! I have some milk chocolate on hand that I want to try this with. I think I’ll make some for my family tonight!

    Reply

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