Brunch Squares

Last week I made brunch for about 25 women in my church.  I served these brunch squares with mini muffins and fruit.  The presentation was beautiful and the food was delicious.  The next time you want to impress someone special with breakfast this would be an excellent choice!  And for the convenience of those who attended the brunch last week, the two muffin recipes are here and here.

12 Frozen Hash Brown Patties, thawed completely
2 C. Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
15 Eggs

1 8oz. pkg. Low Fat Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1/2 lb. bacon
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped small
4 green onions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut up bacon into small pieces and saute in a small frying pan until crispy.  When bacon is done, drain off grease and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.  Wipe out pan.  Slice the white parts of the green onions and add them to the frying pan.  Set aside the tops of the green onions for use later in the recipe.  Saute the onions for about 3-4 minutes.  Set aside. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Crumble the hash brown patties and press firmly onto cookie sheet.  Sprinkle cheese over top of hash browns and bake 13 minutes.  While hash browns are baking, whip cream cheese to soften. Add eggs, salt, pepper and sauteed green onions to cream cheese and whip with an electric mixer.  When hash browns come out of the oven, pour egg mixture over top, then sprinkle bacon over top of egg mixture.  Bake for an additional 8 minutes.  During baking time seed and chop the tomatoes small and slice the tops of the green onions.  After the brunch squares finish baking sprinkle with the tomatoes and green onions and serve immediately.

Addictive Oatmeal

I know what you're thinking.  Addictive?  Oatmeal?  But it's true!  We have had this oatmeal 5 times in the last 3 weeks.  When I make it my 6 year old says "YES!".  It is the best oatmeal I have ever had and I am not generally a fan of oatmeal.  The texture of this recipe reminds me of risotto, it is creamy and sweet.  You don't even need to add any sugar or milk to it before digging in.  I love the taste of this oatmeal and I also love that I can make it in about 10 minutes...yep 10 minutes people!  You just can't beat that!  This recipe gets 5 stars from me.

1 egg
1 3/4 C. Milk
1/2 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1 1/4 C. Quick Oats
1 T. Butter

In a medium sauce pan combine egg, milk and sugar.  Turn on burner to about medium high heat. (Between 6 or 7 on my stove.)  Mix well and add oats.  Stir mixture constantly as it begins to bubble.  Continue stirring until it thickens to a consistency you like.  Don't let it get gluey and sticky like regular oatmeal.  Spoon oatmeal into bowls and eat.  You can add a little cinnamon or nutmeg too.  So yummy!

Orange Walnut Muffins

Orange flavor is so fresh tasting and orange anything just sounds awesome for breakfast.  So when I came across a recipe for orange muffins I was intrigued.  I had never in my life tasted or even heard of orange muffins.  You know how I feel about muffins and I am always looking for new breakfast ideas.  The results: So. Good. 

2 C. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp.Baking Soda
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Sugar
1 Large Orange, zested
2/3 C. Orange Juice
1/2 C. Butter, melted
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Walnuts, coarsely chopped
Cinnamon and Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and orange zest until well mixed.  Add orange juice, butter, and eggs and mix until everything is combined but don't over mix.  Fold in walnuts and divide into 12 muffin cups lined with papers.  Sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar over top of each muffin.  Bake for 20 minutes. 

Blueberry Zucchini Muffins/Bread

Is your garden producing obscene amounts of squash like mine is?  I am always looking for new ways to use it.  This is a fantastic recipe.  I love the addition of blueberries to this summertime favorite.  This recipe makes a lot (12 muffins and 4 mini loaves).  So freeze what you don't eat for an easy breakfast on a busy morning or share with a few neighbors. You'll be their new best friend!

3 Eggs
1/2 C. Oil
1/2 C. Applesauce
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
3 C. Zucchini, grated
3 C. Flour (you can use 1/2 wheat flour)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 T. Cinnamon
1 1/2 C. Blueberries (thawed if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 dregrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla and sugars.  Mix well then add zucchini.  Add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly then fold in blueberries.  Grease pans well then fill each 2/3 full.  Mix together struesel topping by mixing 1/2 C. Flour, 1/2 C. Brown Sugar, 1 tsp. Cinnamon and 1/4 C Butter with a pastry blender.  Sprinkle 1 T. of topping over each muffin then divide the rest among the mini loaf pans.  Bake muffins 25 minutes and mini loaves 45-50 minutes. 

Chunky Monkey Pancakes

I found this totally awesome recipe on allrecipes.com the other day.   I must tell you that these are fantastic!  They are a nice, fun change to traditional pancakes.  And who doesn't like chocolate for breakfast?

1 C. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 C. Milk
3 T. Oil
2 Eggs
1 T. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Banana, diced
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
1/4 C. Chopped Nuts (I used pecans)

Mix all ingredients together except chocolate chips and nuts.  Mix thoroughly then fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Spoon onto hot griddle and cook until brown on both sides.  Serve with maple syrup.  Makes 9 pancakes.

Morning Glory Muffins

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a muffin lover. The only muffins I really like are the bran muffins on this blog. Until now! I wanted to make something different for my husband on Father's day. We always do breakfast in bed for Fathers/Mothers day. This Father's day I made him and omelet and these fabulous muffins. They are so good warm with a little bit of butter. Oh... I can taste it now!! You must try these muffins.


2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flakes coconut
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix all dry ingredients together with carrots, apple, walnuts, coconut. In a separate bowl mix eggs, oil, apple sauce, and vanilla. Add egg mixture to the dry mixture. Grease muffin tin and fill 2/3 full. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Banana Bread

This is my favorite banana bread recipe. I received it first as a gift from my friend at Christmas time when we lived near Sacramento. I called her and just had to get her recipe and it has been my favorite since that time. If you have bananas on your counter top turning many shades of brown this is a great way to use them.

2/3 cup Shortening
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 2/3 cups Sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 mashed Bananas
2/3 cup Buttermilk (I use sour milk)
2 eggs
2/3 cup chopped Nuts

Combine:
Shortening, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Add mild and mashed bananas. Mix well and pour into 2 loaf pans or 1 9x13 or 2 8" round pans.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Orange Rolls

I have never had an orange roll before I made these. I loved them. Perfect for spring! Easy too!


For the dough I just used the sweet dinner roll dough from this site.

Filling

2 TBS melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 oranges zested


Glaze

Juice from the 2 oranges
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Roll dough into a rectangle. Melt butter and spread over rectangle. Mix sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Sprinkle all over the top of the butter. Roll up length wise and cut using string. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Mix glaze and pour over top of each roll while still warm.

Buttermilk Syrup

This can't be healthy. We went camping with some friends a few years ago and they introduced this recipe to us. We call it candy syrup. It is really good!


1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (I made it once with margarine and it was not the same)
3/4 cup butter milk (I used sour milk)
2 TBS corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

Put everything except vanilla and baking soda in a good sized pot. Bring to a boil. Take off heat and add vanilla and baking soda.

*hint* It foams up quite a bit so make sure you use a pot with some room for it to foam.

Crock pot breakfast

We were talking to our friends one day about how nice it would be to put breakfast in the crock pot and wake up to some awesome food. I decided to give it a shot. It was very good. We all really liked it.


1 bag shredded frozen potatoes
2 cups of cheese
1/2 of an onion (diced)
1 lb sausage (cooked and crumbled)
12 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper


Grease crock pot. Layer half of the potatoes, half of the onion, half of the sausage, and half of the cheese. Repeat layers. In a bowl whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Pour over top of the layers. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Banana Muffins (or Bread)

I have been making this recipe For-ev-er!  It is one of my kids favorite kinds of muffins. The recipe comes from a family friend, Kim Fox, although I have tweaked the recipe a bit from the original.  They are extremely moist and bake up nicely.  If you would like to make loaves of bread instead of muffins just double this recipe and it will make 2 large loaves. 

1 C. Sugar
3 Ripe Bananas
1/4 C. Butter, melted
1 Egg
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 3/4 C. Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together and measure in 1/4 C. fulls into a greased or lined 12 cup muffin tin.  Bake 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.  *Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour for loaves of bread.

Blueberry Syrup

This syrup is yummy.  I love having a variety of recipes for pancake and waffle toppings to change breakfast up a bit.  It seems like breakfast can get boring, there isn't an endless supply of ideas out there like there is for the dinner menu but with delicious toppings like this, traditional pancakes can feel different and taste amazing.  I used this syrup on whole wheat blender pancakes. 

2 1/2 C. Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Orange Juice
1 T. Corn Starch
2 tsp. Lemon Juice

In a small sauce pan combine the blueberries, sugar and 1/4 C. orange juice.  Heat mixture to boiling while stirring occasionally.  While berry mixture is heating up, mix remaining orange juice with corn starch until completely smooth in texture.  When berry mixture comes to a light boil add the cornstarch mixture and stir for one minute until sauce thickens.  Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice.   

Pumpkin Spice French Toast

So I was laying in bed one night and I was thinking about what I would make for breakfast the next day. I love eating breakfast, but I feel like there are not enough options for breakfast some times. Pancakes, waffles, muffins, eggs, blah blah blah! Then I remembered french toast. I'm not really a french toast lover, but hey, if the kids eat it I am happy. Suddenly I had a light bulb moment. What if you could make french toast that tasted like pumpkin pie? Well I gave it a shot and Simon and I thought it was good enough for the blog. It is not an over powering pumpkin taste, more like a hint... a secret if you will. So after this long novel, here it is folks... Pumpkin spice french toast!


2 eggs
1/4 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves

Whisk eggs in shallow dish then add cream and pumpkin whisking until combined. Add spices and whisk together. Dip both sides of bread into mixture (don't let it sit or it will be soggy). Cook in frying pan.

Apple Bran Muffins

I was skeptical about these muffins.  Dry milk and bran flakes with apples?  It seemed odd.  I was wrong, boy was I wrong!  These are delicious, filling and healthy for you.  The hint of nutmeg was a very nice addition to the flavor of these muffins.  Next time I will add another apple because I like mine absolutely packed.

1 C. Flour
1/2 C. Brown Sugar, packed
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 Medium Tart Apple, peeled and chopped small (I will use 2 next time)
3/4 C. Water
1/2 C. Dry Milk
1/4 C. Oil
1 Large Egg
2 C. Bran Flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease or line a 12 cup muffin tin.  Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.  Add wet ingredients, including apple and mix batter until well combined.  Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to divide batter evenly into each muffin cup.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.  Don't over bake, the tops don't get very dark.  Serve warm with a little bit of butter on each muffin.
 

Breakfast Pie

I love this breakfast. I like to make it the night before and bake it in the morning. I have made this with and without a crust. Both are great!


9 inch pie crust
8 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
2 cups cubed potatoes
2 TBS onion
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 TBS flour
3 eggs
12oz can evaporated milk
salt
pepper


Cook potatoes and onion in bacon grease until tender then add bacon. Toss cheese and flour together. In pie crust layer half the potato mixture followed by half the cheese. Repeat. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into pie. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 additional 30 minutes.

Perfect Baking Powder Biscuits

I used to think that the only way to get perfect biscuits was to buy Pillsbury Grands from the store. When I came across this recipe a while back I resolved never to buy store bought biscuits again.  These biscuits are perfectly flaky, bake up nice and high and have the perfect level of sweetness for a biscuit.  Whether you are making biscuits and gravy or eating them with butter and jam like we did this morning, you won't be disappointed.

2 C. Flour
1 T. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 T. Sugar
1/3 C. Butter
About 1 C. Milk

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix together dry ingredients then cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until crumbly and fine.  Add milk gradually and mix until it forms a soft, moist dough.  You may need a little less than a cup or a little more, just add it until it is the right consistency.  Roll to about 1" thickness on a lightly floured surface.  Cut with a round cookie cutter or the top of a glass.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 12 minutes or until biscuits are very lightly browned.  Makes about 12 biscuits.

Dutch Apple Oatmeal Muffins

I have felt deprived lately.  I haven't had a chance to make muffins for breakfast in a couple of weeks and we were missing each other.  Today when I bit into these babies...heaven.  This is a pampered chef recipe and frankly every recipe I try from them is wonderful.  Chunks of apple, swirls of cinnamon and nutmeg, chewy streusel topping...well, it was a good morning here today.

1 1/2 C. Flour
1 C. Quick Oats
3/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1 T. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 C. Chopped Apple (I did 1 1/2 gala apples)
1 C. Milk
1/4 C. Butter, melted
1 Egg

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder together and mix until well combined.  Add milk, butter, and egg and mix.  Add apple and fold in with a spatula.  Distribute batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.  Mix together ingredients for streusel topping, it will be crumbly and stick together because of the melted butter.  Put about a teaspoon full of topping on each muffin before baking.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.  These muffins are great warm or cold with a little bit of butter spread on them.  Mmmm...

Streusel Topping
1/4 C. Flour
1/4 C. Oats
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
3 T. Butter, melted

Buttermilk Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

I have been hearing about this syrup for years from friends and on the web.  I finally decided to give it a try and it is very good.  The waffles, likewise, were very good.  The perfect level of crispness for me.

2 C. Flour
2 C. Buttermilk
2 Eggs, separated
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 C. Butter, melted

Separate egg yolks and whites into two bowls.  Combine yolks and buttermilk and whisk together.  Add dry ingredients and blend well.  Add melted butter and mix with a spatula until combined.  Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold into batter.

Syrup
1/2 C. Butter, melted
1/2 C. Buttermilk
3/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla

Combine butter, buttermilk and sugar in a small sauce pan.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla.  It will foam up quite a bit.  Give it a stir every few minutes until the foam goes down a bit.  Serve over hot waffles, pancakes or french toast.

Blueberry muffins with lemon icing

I have been making these muffins for 7 years! This recipe is adapted from one in Martha Stewart Living June 2002.

8 T butter

1 3/4 cups flour

1 T baking powder

1 1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups blueberries (they can be frozen)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin tin. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a small pan melt butter on low and take off heat. Add vanilla, sugar, milk and egg, whisk to combine. Add wet mixture to the dry, along with the blueberries. Stir just until combined. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup. Bake for 12-15 min. Drizzle with icing and enjoy.

Lemon Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T. lemon juice

Mix until smooth.

Raspberry Valentine Pancakes

I thought I would post this well before Valentine's Day to give you an idea for a special holiday breakfast.  We really enjoyed these this morning.  The buttermilk made the pancakes extra moist and delicious and I loved the taste of raspberries in every bite. 

1 C. Flour (I used whole wheat)
1 T. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Buttermilk
1 Egg
1 1/2 T. Butter, melted
1 C. Fresh or Frozen Raspberries (thawed)

Mix butter, buttermilk and egg together.  Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until batter is smooth without lumps.  Fold in berries with a spatula.  Cook on a hot griddle.  Makes 12 pancakes.