Egg In A Hole

Ah, lazy weekend mornings. Although I guess now every morning is going to be lazy - at least for the summer time or I luck out and find a job. Until then, I resolve myself to eat egg in a hole, stay in my jammies as late as I want, and drink several cups of coffee. Oh wait, the coffee pot broke.

Egg in a hole is exactly that. A delicious piece of butter bread toasted in a skillet with an egg in the middle. 

After toasting the first side, you flip the bread and add an egg. I used one of DJ's old sippy cups that I had laying around to make the hole in the middle of the bread before placing it in the skillet. I'm not much of a breakfast person, but I'll make an exception for these. Any big plans for your weekend?



Ingredients
1 slice Of Your Favorite Kind Of Bread
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 whole Egg
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste


Directions
With a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass, press a hole in the center of the slice of bread.


Next, heat a skillet over medium-low heat and melt a Tablespoon of butter in it. When the butter is all spread out, place the piece of bread in the skillet and crack the egg straight into the center of hole.


Cook for at least 30 seconds or so before attempting to move the bread or things could get messy. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper to taste. After about a minute, flip it over with a spatula and salt and pepper the other side.


Now move the whole piece of toast around the skillet, soaking up all of the glorious butter. Let it cook until the yolk feels, to the touch, still soft without feeling over-jiggly. Here’s the key: golden brown toast, white (not brown/burned) whites, soft unbroken yolk.


Source: Pioneer Woman

Bananas Foster French Toast

When it comes to breakfast, I am a minimalist. A banana, some coffee, and I'm off for the day. I can hear my subconscious telling me with a loving, motherly roll of the eyes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yes, I know - I get it. I wish I could make myself want to sit down and eat well, but it's just not happening. 

This breakfast made me wish that I liked the meal enough to take the time and sit down. Or that I was even hungry. Or that I could swim in the sauce. If you're a breakfast person - or have little ones that love breakfast - this is a wonderful recipe for those days when you can take a little more time or as a special treat for a tough wake up like Monday morning! 



Ingredients
Banana sauce
4 ounces (1 stick unsalted butter)
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
French toast
4 bananas, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 large whole eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 slices (3/4-inch thick) brioche or challah bread
3 tablespoons (about) unsalted butter
Whipped cream (optional)


Directions
Make the banana sauce: Melt the butter in a large stainless-steel skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until it melts into the butter. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside while you prepare the French toast.


Prepare the French toast: Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks in a large bowel to blend. Gradually whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, turning to coat and soak until they are completely moistened with the custard.


Heat a heavy, large griddle pan over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle. Working in batches, transfer the soaked bread to the pan with a slotted spatula and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Add more butter as needed for each batch.


To serve, add the banana slices to the sauce and cook until the bananas are almost tender, tossing gently, about 3 minutes. Transfer the French toast to plates. Top each with the banana sauce and whipped cream, if desired.



Source: Steamy Kitchen

Homemade Baked Donuts

Sometimes, things spring up from no where and completely surprise you. You find a 20 dollar bill in a pair of jeans you haven't worn in awhile. A guy that you find completely amazing is waiting for you outside the Church after your sister's wedding - oh wait, that wasn't me, sorry too many rom coms - but you find out that he feels the same way. Making donuts on a whim that end up being completely and totally amazing. 

I made these donuts out of sheer and complete boredom and they blew me away. They are light, fluffy, and flavorful thanks to a little butter and cinnamon sugar. My only mistake was to not cut out the center and they ended up springing back together in the oven after I shaped them. The original source made them very diet friendly, but I have adapted it to allow for some butter and fat because it makes the world go 'round. 


Ingredients

1 1/3 cups milk

1 packet dry active yeast

2 Tbsp unsalted butter or margarine

2/3 cup granulated sugar or Splenda

2 eggs

5 cups white flour

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp fine sea salt

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm milk to 95 degrees, stirring constantly to avoid scalding. Set aside 1 cup of milk, and pour the other 1/3 cup into a large bowl and add the yeast. Stir in briefly, then let sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the sugar and butter into the other cup of milk. Add to yeast mixture, then use a fork to stir in eggs, nutmeg, salt, and flour, just until the flour is fully mixed into the batter.

Using clean hands or an electric mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough in the bowl until it begins to pull away from the sides and becomes smooth and glossy. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour. If it seems too dry, you can add a bit more milk. Lightly flour a working surface or counter and knead briefly, then shape into a ball, transfer to a bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and put in a warm place to rise until doubled, approximately one hour.

Punch down and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 1/2-inch thick sheet. You can either use a donut cutter to cut out donuts, or a cookie cutter or the top of a plastic bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and cut out the centers with a smaller cutter or melon baller.

Cover with a damp cloth and allow rising an additional 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottoms begin to turn golden.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in microwave. Cover tops and sides of doughnuts thoroughly and quickly toss in a bowl of cinnamon and white or brown sugar.

Source: adapted from Hubpages

Raspberry Chocolate Scones

I love a day off and all the indulgences that go with it. I can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Sleep in, as late as DJ will let me, and enjoy breakfast while watching DJ's favorite morning shows. Raspberry and chocolate makes for a decadent scone that is absolutely delicious. Using whole wheat and yogurt makes it healthier. Honey adds natural sweetness that cuts down on the sugar. Nothing beats sharing these sweet treats snuggled under the blankets watching Sesame Street with my little man. 

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Mix flours, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add berries and chocolate chips. Mix gently.

Mix yogurt and honey together in a small bowl. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, mixing until just blended.

Place ball of dough on countertop. Knead one or two times. Roll into a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Cut into 12 wedges.

Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl. Sprinkle over top of scones.

Bake at 400 F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Source: Adapted from MayoClinic.com

Old Fashioned Pancakes

I remember reading a story called Everyday Use when I was a sophomore in high school. Maybe I remember it so well because I had a crush on the teacher - Mr. Schlanger. I may have spent the school year hanging on to each and every word that he said. Anyway, the story had to do with a quilt that was owned by a deceased grandmother and her two grandchildren fighting over who would keep it. One grandchild said that her sibling would be simple enough to put it to everyday use. It was decided that the grandchild that would actually use the blanket every day was the one that would be able to keep the remembrance of her grandmother. Good story. Good looking teacher. Oh geez, I'm 15 again. Ok...I'm done, I promise. 


This pancake recipe is just that - good for everyday use. I normally go for a muffin or breakfast cookie that I can throw in a bag and devour when I get to work. With the chilly temperatures here, I prefer something warm to start my day. I mix this together on the weekend and store it through the week. 


My blog is all about getting in the kitchen and trying new things. If you depend on Bisquick or other pancake mixes, try this recipe. You don't be disappointed.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.


Source:  Allrecipes.com

Granola Muffins

Hello readers! I hope that you had wonderful times with your families this past weekend, no matter what your faith might be. I am so excited to share my favorite Christmas present with you. Here it goes...

So I channel some Oprah Winfrey to say, "I got a Kitchenaid!" I was so excited. I've wanted one for so long. I can't wait to make pizza dough and not have to knead it. I will now be producing a massive amount of cookies, cakes, and something I've been wanting to try forever - Swiss Merigue Buttercream Frosting. This particular kitchen feat has been on my list for quite some time, but I was not excited about using a non-stand mixer and mixing for hours. ALthough I do think that it would count for my workout for the day. Oh well. 

If not for the granola in this recipe, I definitely would have christened my mixer already. These muffins are a wonderful start to a morning. They are a bit different than your normal muffin recipe because these are fantastically lumpy. The egg, butter. sugar, and yogurt make a wonderful binder that helps to make the granola cake-like. Lumpy is a good thing though - the granola make for a filling start to the day and the vanilla yogurt adds a great flavor to the crunchy granola. When buying the granola, I accidentally bought a plain granola instead of the dried fruit granola. I will definitely be trying this recipe with a variety of granola flavors. Dried fruit - yum! 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup granola cereal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg

1 cup vanilla yogurt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted**

** If using salted butter, eliminate the sea salt from above ingredient list.  

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and granola. Add sugar to mixture.

Combine egg and yogurt, beat slightly. Add butter and mix until thoroughly blended. Put into muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes. 

Source: SparkRecipes

Eggless Apple Banana Muffins

DJ had a feast with his class a few days ago. Everyone was responsible for bringing their favorite things.Some brought smoothies, others brought mini-pizzas -- and I was bound and determined to bring something that DJ enjoys and flex my muscle in the kitchen. I decided on muffins. I knew the muffins couldn't have egg due to allergies in the classroom. Using a miniature muffin pan, I was able to make two bite muffins. Perfect for little toddlers to pick up and helped tons with portion control. Or popping more of them into your mouth quicker. 

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas
1 cup applesauce

1 1/8 cup flour
1/3 cup+1 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt  


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease/line a muffin tray.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Mash the bananas with a fork and mix in the sugar and vanilla and beat till the sugar blends well into it. Add the melted and cooled butter and give a good whisk.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, applesauce and salt. Mix the flour mix into the wet ingredients with a spatula and fold it in just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-22 minutes or till the muffins have risen and become golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Source: Easycooking: Eggless Apple Banana Muffins

Granola with raisins, apples, and cinnamon

Just as man can not live on bread alone, a woman can not live on salad. During my planning period, I love to have something to snack on because diving face-first into my snack drawer of my desk face first. This granola is delicious and filling - which is perfect when the snack craving hits. 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Ingredients
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups dry old-fashioned oatmeal
2 cups bran flakes
3/4 cup dried apple pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool. Raise the temperature of the oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the oatmeal and bran flakes. Stir to mix well. Add the honey mixture and toss with your hands. Don't break the clumps apart.

Spread the cereal mixture evenly onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and, stirring occasionally, bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the cereal mixture, toasted almonds, apple pieces and raisins. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Source: MayoClinic

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

My school participates in the Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative and I support it as much as I possibly can. Teaching students about health, nutrtition, and fitness? I'm all for it. Being at the school at 7am so the students can sample a healthy breakfast? Not so much.

When all the other teachers were groaning that a class would be in charge of the mandatory tasting table each month, I immediately signed up for the first possible date. On a test, I asked the students to make the choice between homemade fruit leather and baked oatmeal. They chose the baked oatmeal.

We decided as a combined class that we would make three different combinations - banana blueberry, peach raspberry, and apple cinnamon raisin.

Ingredients:1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled sliced ½-inch thick
(or peaches, apples, or any fruit you like)
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided
(or raspberries, raisins or anything you like)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine
 the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir with a fork to combine.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.  Spread
the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries.  

Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer.  Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats, Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson via The Curvy Carrot

Hint Of Hazelnut Pound Cake

Hello. Yes, I am still alive. Last week was absolutely crazy. Trying to prepare my students for the regional science fair on Friday took up way more time than I thought it would. It was all worth it - one of my students placed third in his division. I am so excited mostly because this was the first science fair that the school had in over a decade. I was not expecting any of my students to get awards. It makes me a little excited to start next years projects now. 


I have decided to make my font blue this month for autism awareness. I have cycled through all the possible emotions that come with a diagnosis. I have been angry, upset, in denial, felt guilty, but I am finally in a place where I want to meet whatever may come our way head on and do what is in the best interest of my little boy. So no, I am not pregnant and expecting a boy, it is just my little way of showing  my support to a cause that has quickly become an important part of my life. 

One of the things that I love about reading so many blogs is the wealth of information and awesome recipes that I have found. I love getting lost in all of the links and blogrolls. When I ventured onto a new blog and saw this recipe, I knew it would be a wonderful treat between breakfast and lunch. The hint of hazelnut smelled amazing while baking and is subtle in the pound cake. These would be amazing (and definitely a little more up my alley) filled with a chocolate ganache. But chocolate makes everything more delicious, right? Yum - which coincidentally in the name of the blog where I found this recipe. Thank you, Sherri, they are a wonderful addition to my breakfast rotation. 


Hint of Hazelnut Pound Cake
1 c. butter
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 c. flour
2 c. liquid hazelnut flavored coffee creamer
1 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and creamer alternately. Mix in vanilla. 


To bake these puppies you have several options: 10" tube pan or 2 loaf pans for about an hour and a half or until top of loaf springs back when pressed gently. I used a silicone muffin tray to make them portable. 


Source: Yum. 

Mango Muffins

I don't' know if it was the warm/cold snap or what, but our household has been very sick lately. With a MedExpress visit yesterday and doctors appointment today, I have been running around like a crazy person trying to keep my boys fed, hydrated, and clean. Easier than it sounds, for sure. I considered myself lucky to score just enough free time to shop. That's when I saw the beautiful mangoes that were only $1. Sold. 


I have never worked with mango before and I figured what better way than with a breakfast for the week. The fact that I was in need of some inspiration took me right to Google. I found these muffins after looking at a few different options. I had everything in my (dare I say it, organized and cleaned out) pantry and even added some coconut in lieu of the raisins. I left out the nuts from the original recipe because we are not a nut household. If nuts are your thing, you can fold in 1/2 cup of walnuts with the mango, banana, and coconut. 


Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups diced ripe mango
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup coconut


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Place flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, add eggs, oil, and lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients with wet until moistened. 


Fold in mango, mashed banana, and coconut until combined. Using a spoon (I like to use my ice cream scoop), fill paper-lined muffin pans 2/3 full with mixture. 


Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted through the middle comes out clean. 


Source: Nancy Leeds, AllRecipes.com

Simple Cereal Bars

This week, I am on a mission. Anyone that knows me would tell you that I am an absolute food hoarder. My husband even made more shelves in our tiny little pantry so that I would have room for everything to be organized. Once I had everything organized into kitchen contraptions, boxes, cans, and large baking supplies, I had empty spaces. Something about those empty spaces made me feel anxious and I NEEDED to fill them. Well, what happens when you keep thinking your pantry needs filled? Your pantry gets overfilled and then some. This week I am attacking my pantry. All of my meals this week, and desserts too, will come from there. Let the Pantry Challenge begin...

DJ had his very first play date this past weekend. Even though we were meeting at the local mall and eating lunch, I knew that my little one would be hungry with all of that running around. After checking with the other mom, I knew that there were no allergies to worry about. In searching for something aside from veggies and dip or cheese and crackers, I happened upon this recipe. Then, I thought of all of the containers of oats that I have. When I was nursing, I ate oatmeal and gatorade twice a day. For awhile after I stopped, I still stockpiled oatmeal. A little more searching and I had everything needed to make this in my pantry - score! This recipe is quick, simple, and yummy. It is able to be adapted to use other fruit or jelly. I just chose grape because it is the favorite of the men in the house and I had plenty on hand. I think it is comparable to the various types of multigrain bars that are out there today. An added bonus - enough for breakfasts for the week. 

DJ says, "What you lookin' at Willis, get in the kitchen and start making these!"

Ingredients

2 c oats

2 c white flour

1/2 c brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

Dash of salt

1 c butter

1 c grape jelly

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a 9x13" baking pan.

Combine oats, flour(s), brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or use a food processor. The texture will be chunky and crumbly.

Take half of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan. Bake it for 15 minutes, until it's a bit brown and set. With about five minutes left on the bake time, take the cup of jelly, heat over medium, and stir until warmed through. Spread your jelly over top of this and then cover with remaining dough, press down firmly, and bake another 15 minutes!

Source: Toddler Treats - and more

Homemade Granola, Version One

I love starting out the week with a breakfast post. However, this week it was pushed back a day so that I could care the absolutely delicious Valentine's Day inspired cookie with you. 

It is so much fun to search for recipes. I always tend to favor the muffin/scone type of breakfasts because that is what I am accustomed to for weekdays. When I think of something for weekdays, I look for something that can be put into a sandwich bag for easy transporting and enjoyed on the road. Dan is a field technician so his job requires that he travels a lot.

I know that he loathes the Friday night question. I don't really understand why he doesn't see it coming. I love my schedule and it helps to keep me organized. I need to know what he wants to check my pantry and see what is needed to make the breakfast for the week. Convienent is a great thing to have on a weekday. It's nice to just throw the breakfast into a bag and send my dear husband on his way with something to eat. It makes spending the little bit of time that it takes to prepare and cook on the weekends worth it. Every time I say, "Breakfast this week is..." and wait for a response, I am normally met with a shoulder slump, eye roll, sigh, or a combination of the three.

This past week, he proclaimed that he needed a break from the muffins, danish, and scones because it is starting to make him fat. He opted for a healthier (less muffin-y) alternative of peanut buttered banana and granola. There is nothing impressive about slicing a banana and putting peanut butter in the middle. When I searched for granola, I was met by a slew of recipes. This is the first that I wanted to try. I love Alton Brown. Being a science teacher, I love the fact that he gives science explanations behind recipes - it's right up my alley. I adapted the recipe slightly to reflect the fact that I used honey roasted peanuts instead of almonds.

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Source: Alton Brown, Food Network 

Banana Muffins

It is very hard to roll out of bed on any given Monday. When the alarm goes off in the morning, I want to throw the covers up over my head and just go back to sleep. That's on a typical Monday...throw in a late night watching a disappointing loss by your home team in the biggest game of the year and you're really in trouble. When I say late, I mean that I usually am in bed by 8:30pm.  

When I asked Dan what he wanted for breakfast, he said something with banana. I love looking for breakfast items. It is like a giant scavenger hunt. I look through all my cookbooks and browse the web until I find something that looks and sounds good. Dan always makes fun of me because he says that I am always on my phone. Well, I am and constantly looking up new recipes to try and seeing what my favorite bloggers have posted about.

I turned to these banana muffins. I'm not a huge fan of bananas, but my fellas like and eat them, so I always have them around. I did try one of these muffins and was pleasantly surprised that I liked them as much as I did. They were soft and fluffy with a nice flavor. It was a nice little pick me up to the start of another fun Monday.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

Source: Banana Muffins II Recipe, AllRecipes

German Pancake

When the alarm went off today, I jumped into the shower and started getting lunches together for the day. In the span of about twenty minutes, it went from normal days for all of us to a two hour delay schedule for me and a sick day for Dan. Having some time before DJ got up, I decided to throw this together and put it in the fridge so Dan would have something easy and quick to fill his tummy when he actually pried himself out from the cover cocoon. I've seen more dressed up versions of this recipe, but the recipe that I used was just three ingredients: eggs, flour, and milk.

As you can see from the picture, DJ loved this huge pancake as well. Melt a little bit of butter, add a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar, grab the maple syrup (and a fork) and you're good to go. A nice, filling breakfast for a day when you don't have to do much at all (except go into carb overload.)

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 cup sifted bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
confectioner's sugar, for dusting

DirectionsPreheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place oven rack on the middle rack of your oven.

Place a large, heavy ovenproof frying pan or skillet in the oven until hot. While pan is heating, prepare your batter.

Mix eggs, milk, and flour in bowl. When combined, pour into hot pan or skillet. Bake at 450 degrees for twenty minutes.

Source: 1,001 Inexpensive, Quick Recipes

Banana Applesauce Oat muffins

 

Well, here we are. The start of another week. Last time I asked my husband what was for breakfast, he answered (without hesitation) that he wanted cheese danish. This week was not as fortunate, as I received the shoulder shrug and head tilt, which means I don't know and I don't feel like thinking about it right now. I looked in the kitchen and found bananas that were beyond ripe and really should have been thrown out if I didn't do something with them. So over the internet I searched, and found these muffins from So Tasty, So Yummy.

I know that I usually wait to see Dan's reaction before I say whether it's a keeper or not, but seeing as how I made a dozen and only have six left in the fridge, I am going to say keeper! 

Ingredients  

1 egg
3 mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup natural applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup quick cooking oats

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
 

In a large bowl, combine egg, bananas, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir the oatmeal into the flour mixture. Gently stir flour mixture into the banana mixture.  Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to let cool before serving. 

Source:  adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy. 

Cheese Danish

My husband is definitely not a morning person. On the weekends, it takes him about two hours (and two huge cups of coffee with breakfast) to get "lead in his pencil". On weekdays, I wake up far before he does. I make the lunches, tidy the house, and get our son ready for the day. By the time that he is just getting up and into the shower, I am dressed with the car warming up outside and ready to go. I would love to give him a kiss and wish him a good day - but in the time that we've been married, I've learned better. Mornings are just not a great thing.

While I may not kiss him and wish him a good day, I most certainly can make sure that he starts the day with something yummy in his belly. I found this recipe over the weekend after asking him what he wants for breakfast. He picked cheese danish for the week, and the search was on. The shell for these danish was made from the flaky apple turnover post which included a how to on puff pastry on Annie's Eats. The filling, which is from Ina Garten, was simple to make and came together in no time. It is so nice to also finally have an oven that is working. I will find out later today if these are a keeper or not, but I am guessing - yes, a keeper. 

Update: Keeper, but with half the amount of lemon zest listed in the recipe below. I will make this again before I adjust the recipe. 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

Source: Ina Garten, Food Network