5 Quick & Easy Shelter in Place Baking Ideas

Too many long days inside the house got you down?

You may be one of us that are still supposed to stay at home and that means you are looking for new exciting ways to spend the long  (and getting longer) days in the house.  I can’t offer you anything really state of the art and different. Sorry, I am just not that creative.

But…

I do have 5 really easy and great tasting desserts you can make in a snap and you can get the kids to help,  or, whoever behaves like a kid in your house. You may be able to get the dog to give you a hand.  Have you seen those Youtubers with the dog in the kitchen I cook with dog,  something crazy like that?

Like I said, I am just not that kooky or creative but here is what I do have for you.   I have been cooking  and baking out the wazoo these last few weeks, or is it months now?  Thankfully, I have a several neighbors that have been willing to take my extras.

On the down side, I have noticed a brand new muffin top developing where there did not used be one.   It is for the greater good, I keep telling myself.

Truth be told, I am not completely unhappy about staying at home.   I am a little bit grateful for the stay at home order for many reasons. We decided to do all the yard work this year because we had so much free time and after going on 8 weeks, we have finally nearly finished.  Yes, there was a tremendous amount of work that needed to be done but we have not been working at it everyday.

A couple reasons I am grateful are

1. I feel I accomplished a lot of truly necessary work which ultimately benefits us as homeowners
2. The work we did around the house provided several hours of cardio each day I worked

One more reason is that each time I completed a day in the yard, I felt justified when I went inside and ate that extra piece of fudge or that freshly baked slice of bread or, once or twice it may have been two slices, slathered in butter and honey.

Besides the landscaping, while we have been at home, I dusted off the old family bread maker and have made at least 4 loaves of bread, pizza dough by hand -no bread maker involved in that one.  At least 2 coffee cakes and 1 pound cake.  Countless dozens of cookies, and then my girls started to get into the game too,  Homemade granola…so good!  Flourless brownies, vegan lemon bread-don’t recommend it.

You get the idea. Now you see that I am not kidding about the muffin top.  It’s folks like us that have totally demolished the supplies in the baking aisles.  Yes, I have yeast!

My poor daughters…at least that are not able to go on dates so no one but their parents see the effects of my baking overload.  Honestly, I do not see 1 sign of a muffin top on either of them.  Whats the deal with that?

Another thing I have to be grateful for is that 2 of my 3 children are living at home during these chaotic times and we have been graced and blessed with their undivided attention.  I do not expect to have a chance like this ever again. All you parents of adult children know exactly what I’m talking about.

All the hours spent indoors have produced a few keepers.

First off, you are going to love this Cinnamon Applesauce Cake by itself but the unique addition of chopped dates makes it extra special. My family preferred to devour this cake in muffin form but either way you can’t go wrong in my opinion when you have got cake with cinnamon. The sweet chewy dates are an added bonus.

Then there is the Salted Fudge.    Who doesn’t love fudge? Honestly, who?  You spread this on a jelly roll pan so it’s thinner than those densely thick blocks of fudge you get at the beach, and it’s all about perception.   I topped half mine with coconut and half with sea salt for a little pizzazz!

I am also sharing  a couple previously seen but so well received they deserve another shout out.  I got a lot of excited feedback on the Devilishly Dark Chocolate Cake  so I am adding it in here in case you missed that post. My Banana Chocolate Chip muffins are always a hit in our house and a great way to use up the overripe bananas.

And last but not least, I want to share a truly fabulous  one bowl brownie recipe  I found awhile back on a blog site that offers desserts from scratch, and I have not made brownies  from a box since.   Once you have assembled  the ingredients it doesn’t take long to make and so much worth the effort.  The crackle top and rich velvety chocolate brownie is so so worth the extra few minutes.

Figure out I am a chocolate lover yet?

Get your family involved and whip up a couple of these quick and  easy desserts then be sure to let me know which you liked best with a comment below.