Holidays and breakfast or just
a few friends over for a ball
game night on TV, are all times
that snack breads are used.
As a veteran, you may be missing
having those around if you are
newly divorced or just entering
civilian life as a liberated adult.

There is hope on the horizon and
no you don't have to do without
the things that bring you eating
happiness and a connection to your
mother.

Go to any major supermarket, and
find the Baking Aisle. In the Baking
Aisle, locate the muffins and breads
which are usually all bunched in
together.

Some are in boxes, some are in
pouches on the top shelf.

Look around and find Betty
Crocker brand muffins and
snack breads. In particular,
look for the POUCHES which has
a banner across the front of
it that says "just add water".

The muffin and snackbread mixes
are one of the same, because
you use the same mix in different
kinds of baking pans for different
results.


When you find the Betty Crocker
Pouches, they come in different
flavors and all of them are find.
As your money becomes available
you should pick up 2 or 3 of these
pouches and have them in your
kitchen always so you can make
them up whenever you want them.

Be warned, these pouches do make
a small quantity. Just enough
for one person to last 2 or 3 days
or so. If you want a larger loaf
result then you have to buy
2 or 3 of the pouches all in the
same exact flavor then multiply
the ingredients across the 2
pouches evenly when you make them
up.

You need a small to medium sized
loaf shaped baking pan, those
come in FOIL pans if you don't
have a regular baking pan in
your man-kitchen. Or any small
round baking pan will do also.
Those also come in FOIL purchases
as well.

Before you leave the Baking Aisle,
also pick up a spray can of
Crisco brand Flour spray. That will
be down where the shortening and
other Crisco is located. It's a
blue aerosol can, kinda like what
your shaving cream comes in, and
it literally sprays flour and
shortening onto the baking pan
to keep your baking project from
sticking to the pan. Yes you do
need it so get it once and then
just keep it in your cupboard.

The Betty Crocker muffin mixes
come in various flavors, I myself
like to get the Banana Nut, the
Triple Berry, and the Apple Cinnamon.
Those are 3 great mixes and anybody
would be glad to have them.

These mixes only take 20 minutes
to make so they are ideal for
breakfast to have with your eggs
and coffee, or just plain as a snack
food to keep on your counter when
you want a little something with
coffee over the winter months.

Empty the pouch of mix in a bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of water. That is IT!!!
Mix up the water and mixture and
stir it up for about 2 minutes
to blend it into a good texture.

If you are using 2 pouches, then
double the water to 1 cup. 3 pouches,
then the water becomes 1 1/2 cups
of water and so on.

Take your foil pan and spray the
bottom and sides of it with the
Crisco spray flour.

Empty the bowl mixture into the
pan. Preheat your oven or toaster
oven to 400 degrees.

Load in your pan and set the timer
if you have one, or just note on
the clock that you begin checking
your masterpiece in 15 minutes.

Between 15 minutes and 20 minutes,
just make sure that your loaf
does not overbake and get too brown
on the top. At 20 minutes it should
be completely done. The sides will
be slightly separated from the
pan itself which is a good sign
that it's done.

Turn off your stove and open the
over door to let the heat escape
into your house so you can take
advantage of the extra heat.

Let the loaf sit on the top of
your stove to cool for about 5 to
10 minutes. The reason is, baking
that is still extremely hot does
NOT hold together very well when
you slice it to eat it. The cooling
process let's it bond together better
so it is perfect when you get ready
to put that pat of margerine on it.

Slice off one slice at a time to
keep the rest of the loaf fresh
when it is stored as leftover. Just
slice off whatever you want for that
eating moment and leave the rest of
the loaf intact.

You can store the loaf on your
countertop for about 1 or 2 days,
then you should put it in the
refrigerator after that. You can
reheat a slice later on if you want
it warm again.

Put either aluminum foil or clear
plastic wrap over the loaf pan
to store it, or you can use a
butter knife to dislodge the loaf
from the pan (when it is cold
and room temperature) to put
onto a plate and then cover the
plate with foil or plastic wrap.

These are so easy to make that
a child could do it, and there is
no reason for you to not have
some of the good life around
your Man-Kitchen whenever you
want it. Keep these pouches handy
as a must-have in your cupboards.