Fantastic Food

            If you read my previous post, you "heard" me drool over this recipe in the middle of getting to another recipe.  Yeah, when I mentioned pumpkin it made me think of this coffee cake again, and I couldn't help the dribble of drool that escaped out of the corner of my mouth.  Sorry for the details there...                                         Anyway, this is a great use for any pumpkin puree you have, whether it's opened already or not.  It's seriously good.  My daughter even made the semi-blasphemous statement that we should probably just replace pumpkin pie with this cake at thanksgiving this year!  That's going pretty far of course, because you know....TRADITION! TRADITION! (Fiddler on the Roof anyone?). But she's right that it is that good.        You should give i...

I really like muffins, but I rarely feel like making them when I get up in the morning.  Every time I do end up making them, though, I always decide I am going to make them every week because they're so good!  Obviously I am a lazy person (isn't it obvious?!), so that inevitably falls through by the time "next week" comes around...  But I'm here today because I, of course, again loved the muffins I got up and made after not making muffins for several months.  Truth:  I only made them this time because of the riiiipe bananas rotting on my counter and no other ideas on what to make that day.  You should make them though--every week :). I'm going to.  Maybe... Craisin Pecan Banana Muffins with Whole Wheat Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour 2/3 cup white flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 tsp. cinnamon  1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. coarse salt (or a little less than 1/2 tsp of table salt) 3 mashed bananas (ab...

Spinach in waffles?  Gross, right? Only for people trying to lose weight, right?  WRONG.  Right? Okay, I see how thoroughly confused you are now.  And I know what you're thinking: "wait, she can see me?? Creep!"  Oh, you weren't thinking that? Weird, you should be--that IS creepy.  But I digress...we were speaking of spinach in a standard, non-spinachy food.  The thing is, it's SOOOO good you guys!  I even made regular waffles side by side to compare, and my kids (my KIDS!) said the spinach ones were better (cue jaw drop, gasp, and fake fainting spell).  Full disclosure, one (out of 6) of the kids said they were gross, but she refused to actually taste any, so we just won't pay any attention to her.  She's kind of in the middle anyway, so she's used to it.... (cue awkward, judging silence from the reader).  Even if you're kids refuse to taste them, though, you have to be a grown-up and at least try them.  Try them, you will se...

I've been trying to cut out processed foods as much as possible from our diet and was looking for a way to use up a few of the 40 apples I have sitting in my fridge taking up valuable space, and I came across this amazing whole-grain, healthy breakfast muffin.  Low sugar, lots of fiber and flavor.  This is definitely my all-time favorite apple-muffin recipe I've made, so I had to add it to the blog so I know where to find it next time.  I hope you like it too... Recipe by Cookieandkate.com Ingredients 1¼ cups whole wheat flour 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cardamom ⅛ teaspoon ginger 1 cup unsweetened applesauce ½ cup light coconut milk with the juice of half a lemon (or low fat buttermilk) ½ cup packed muscovado sugar (or brown sugar) 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or vegetable/canola oil) 1 large egg, lightly beaten ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 small Gala ...

Ingredients:  2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (OR 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp. cloves) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups finely chopped (or shredded) peeled apples TOPPING: 1/4 cup sugar pinch salt 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional) Directions: In a large bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Combine sugar and butter, whipping until fluffy; add one egg at a time, incorporating fully before adding the next one.  Add pumpkin to wet ingredients.  stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased & floured or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. For topping, combine sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle cho...

a.k.a. "Mary's Syrup" because my dear friend Mary put us onto this recipe.  I have since adapted and changed a few things from what she originally sent me, mainly to stretch my beloved butter sticks a little farther, haha...  It's excellent with anything on which you would pour normal maple syrup.   1 stick of butter 1 1/4 c. sugar (granulated or brown sugar) 3/4 c. buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda Directions: Put butter, sugar, and buttermilk in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda.  Mix well and serve over waffles, pancakes, german pancakes, french toast, etc. As Naomi put it, "I think I'm going to throw up because this syrup is just so yummy and I'm eating so much of it!"  It's GOOD. Alternate method to get a caramel syrup: put butter and sugar together in saucepan and stir over medium high heat until mixture starts to turn brown (or if you're using brown sugar, the mixture g...

CHEESE AND EGG BAKE 12 oz. Mozzarella cheese - grated 12 oz. Cheddar cheese - grated 10 - 12 eggs 1/2 cup flour 1 3/4 cups milk 1 Tbs. fresh parsley 8 oz. sausage (cooked & drained) 1/4 cup margarine 1/3 cup chopped green onion 1/2 red bell pepper - chopped Melt margarine in pan and saute vegetables till tender. In 9 x 13 pan put vegetables and butter, then half of the cheese, then meat, then the rest of cheese. Mix eggs, flour and parsley. Pour over the top of cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered for 35- 40 minutes at 350 deg. * Can also spray pan with Pam, and mix everything together with the meat & cheese. This makes it easy to make ahead.

I'm a big scone lover, and these are amazing !!  The recipe is from one of my favorite food network chefs, Tyler Florence.  I think the glaze really makes them pop with flavor. Ingredients Blueberry  Scones: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones 1 cup fresh blueberries Lemon  Glaze : 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 lemon,  zest  finely grated 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sift  together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a  pastry blender , cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy  cream . Fold everything together just to incorporate; d...

Blueberry French Toast Casserole A delicious French toast bake with cream cheese and blueberry sauce Cook Time: 55 minutes Ingredients: 12 slices white bread, crusts removed 1 package (8 ounces total) cream cheese 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed 12 eggs 2 cups milk 1/3 cup maple syrup or other syrup . Sauce: 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 cup water 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 1 tablespoon butter Preparation: Cut bread into 1-in cubes; place half in a greased 13- x 9-i x 2-inch baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk and syrup, blending well. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; a...

2 lbs frozen hash browns 1/3 c chopped onions 1/4 c butter or marg. chopped ham 2 c shredded cheddar cheese 1 c shredded swiss cheese or cheese slices 8 eggs Press potatoes into greased 9x12 pan. Melt 1/4 c butter or marg, saute 1/3 c chopped onion (to taste) Pour over the potatoes Stir to break up 8 eggs, pour over the potatoes Cover with chopped ham Sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole. Garnish with paprika is desired Bake uncovered for 45 min or until eggs are set.

My Grandpa Goodsell always made these for us when we visited.  They were, by far, the BEST waffles I have ever had.  I just got the recipe from my mom last week and realized that not only are they the best-tasting and fluffiest waffles ever, but they are super easy as well! All you need is: 1 c. flour (wheat or white, whichever you prefer) 1/4 c. cracked wheat, soaked in water 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2 eggs, separated 1 quart buttermilk A waffle iron, preheated All you do is: First put the cracked wheat into a small bowl and put enough water in the bowl to just barely cover the wheat, then set aside until later.  Put all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and mix together.  Separate the yoke from the white of the eggs, adding the yokes to the dry ingredients and the whites to a mixing bowl.  Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.  Pour buttermilk into dry ingredients, stirring and adding more buttermilk until consistenc...

Creamy Strawberry Crepes Rated: Submitted By: meliss Photo By: Kphoto Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 6 "These delicate crepes are rolled up with a fluffy cream cheese filling and sliced strawberries. Make these as a dessert treat during strawberry season, or for a fancy weekend brunch." INGREDIENTS: 3 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons butter, melted 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream, whipped 4 cups sliced strawberries DIRECTIONS: 1. Place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour, and salt in the pitcher of a blender; blend until smooth. 2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to s...

This is, quite possibly, Jason's favorite breakfast. He can eat a whole pan by himself, and that's saying something because he's not a big eater. This is the recipe I use, and so far it has been my favorite. German Pancakes: Ingredients: 6 eggs 1/4 tsp. salt (you can do more or less depending on your taste) 2/3 cup milk 2/3 cup flour 6 Tbs. butter (about 2/3 of a cube of butter) Syrup and/or Honey Directions: Put butter in a baking dish (for this amount of batter, I like to use an 8x11 size dish). Preheat oven to 475 degrees, and put the butter right in (don't wait for it to heat up to 450 before you do this). Check on the butter every few minutes to make sure it doesn't start burning. In a blender, crack the 6 eggs, and add the flour, milk, and salt; mix well. Pull the butter out of the oven and pour the batter into the dish, then place back in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffy and browned well. We like our syrup hot, so we heat that up and ...