Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins

I am all about these muffins! They were not overly sweet and still maintained a bit of zing from the strawberries. I will make a few tiny changes the next time I make these but other than that I could totally eat them every weekend.


Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooking oil
¾ cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pans lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine all the ingredients except for the strawberries and mix together with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gently stir in the berries.

Place the batter in ¼ cup measures into the prepared pans. Bake 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan.


I would recommend using fresh strawberries for this recipe, although thawed and drained frozen berries would work in a pinch.

These could easily be made for a halloween treat. Maybe shark bite muffins? I am under not illusion that they are pretty.

Baked Dilled Eggs with Cheddar and Bacon

Friday morning on my way out of the door to go to work I noticed water pooling on the floor in front of our refrigerator. We knew there were things starting to go bad with it, we had even already gone and looked at refrigerators to be ready for when it does bite the dust, but I just wasn’t expecting it so quickly. It was older; it came with the house when we bought it, the instillation man told us it was an early 90’s model, what a trooper right? About 20 years old. I was sad to see it go but at the same time glad to see it go because now we have a new refrigerator!

I shared this because staying home and cooking out of ice chests for a day, not to mention having a reason to keep Baby Cakes at home on a weekend morning, I finally got to make a breakfast recipe I’ve wanted to make.

This was so simple to pull together and uses things you have in the pantry and fridge anyway. We have a new quick egg recipe.


Baked Dilled Eggs with Cheddar and Bacon
recipe adapted from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet cookbook, pg. 34

4 eggs
4 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons dill fronds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 bacon strips, cooked

Coat four 4-oz. ramekins with cooking spray; break an egg into each dish. Spoon 1 tablespoon milk, half a tablespoon cheese(s), half teaspoon dill and a sprinkle of salt and pepper over each egg and whisk to combine all ingredients. Sprinkle bacon crumbles over egg mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not firm; let cool for a few minutes before serving.


The next time I make this I’ll only make 2 of them, just divide all the ingredients between 2 ramekins to make it a bit heartier. As it was Baby Cakes ate three alone. Goodness are they yummy. I can already think of adaptations.

Made the way the recipe calls for each dish is 107 calories. Woot woot.

Crispy Oven Baked Bacon

I’m not sure that I have shared with you the way I cook bacon. I know this seems strange, I mean who doesn’t know how to cook bacon? But this isn’t just throwing some in a pan and letting it fry away until it reaches your desired crispness, no, this is much easier. I found this method because I can’t stand cooking bacon on the stove top, it’s messy and pain inducing when the grease pops on you, I disliked it so much that Baby Cakes and I never had bacon for breakfast, yet I always found myself ordering it in restaurants, and if I needed bacon for a recipe, well, hello hormel bacon pieces. No, I kid you not. I really disliked cooking bacon. Since finding this way of cooking it I now use real bacon in recipes and enjoy it for breakfast. Oh how I missed this loveable and delicious pork product.

I guarantee that this will become your way to cook bacon too.


Crispy Oven Baked Bacon
recipe from About.com

Up to 1 lb. of bacon

Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a cookie cooling rack; arrange desired amount of bacon on the rack and place it in the center of a cold oven. Close the oven door and turn the heat on to 400 degrees. Let cook for 25-35 minutes or until it gets golden brown. It will crisp up as it cools. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain the grease.

You can save the bacon grease if you want to use for future cooking by straining it into a heat proof container. I remember being a kid and my Grandma Lolly always saved the bacon grease to use in cornbread or to fry up cabbage. I may just have to try that sometime.


Also, if you cook it this way you can freeze it for use later by laying the peices out flat on a baking sheet and freezing them. Once they are frozen you can transfer them to a freezer bag. To cook just thaw out and microwave for about 3 minutes.


Like I said above, I use this everytime I need bacon be it a recipe or just for some crispy bacon to serve with breakfast.

Huevos Rancheros

When it comes to breakfast and lunch in our household Baby Cakes and I are incredibly routine, the exception being the weekends as we’re almost always running the roads all weekend long. He eats the same breakfast every day and either the same sandwich or leftovers for lunch. I have a cup of coffee every morning with a banana and the same lunch consisting of the same salad along with the same snacks every single day. Now to some that might be boring and to a self-proclaimed food blogger I can admit that it is odd, but to keep things interesting I am always making and trying new recipes for supper and special occasions.

Because we don’t often make breakfast on the weekends and I’ve already shared that we are creatures of habit during the work week I occasionally find myself making breakfast for dinner. I had taken notice that Baby Cakes orders Huevos Rancheros often so I thought I might try and make it. While thumbing through a cookbook I had stashed away I came across a delicious looking recipe for Huevos Rancheros, not to mention a healthy version. Sold!

The best part about this recipe, aside from the amazing flavor, is how quick it was to make, especially the second time. Because it makes 4 servings, I made the entire recipe and then split the ingredients. I used half of the salsa and beans and stored the other half in separate containers, as in beans in one and salsa in the other, so 2 days later I made it again but that time all I had to do was lightly nuke the beans to take the chill out, toast the tortillas and cook the eggs. Viola! A simple and really quick weeknight meal or heck a quick weekend breakfast, maybe I can talk Baby Cakes into staying in just once.


Huevos Rancheros
recipe from Cook This Not That cookbook, pg. 50

16 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
½ small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper
juice of 1 lime, divided
salt and pepper to taste
16 ounce can black beans
pinch cumin
8 eggs
8 corn tortillas

Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle, cilantro, and half of the lime juice in a food processor and pulse until well blended but still slightly chunky; season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix the black beans, cumin and remaining lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Use the back of a fork to lightly mash up the beans, adding a splash of warm water if necessary.

Coat a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Break the eggs into the skillet; cook until the whites have set but the yolks are still loose and runny.

On a separate burner, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the tortillas, 2 at a time; cook for 1 minute on each side, until lightly toasted.

To assemble the dish, spread the tortillas with the beans, top with the eggs, and top the eggs with the salsa. Garnish with more cilantro, if you like, and serve immediately.


This recipe makes 4 servings and according to the book each serving is 480 calories. When I put the recipe into Calorie Count it came back with 522 calories per servings so to play it safe I would count the higher amount. Still, 522 calories for dinner is not bad, not bad at all.

Banana-Oatmeal Bread

One of the things I’ve noticed from watching what I eat has been the fact that I can’t seem to eat my bananas quick enough. I eat one daily and up until this last shopping trip I was buying them ripe and ready to eat but by the end of the week they were over ripe. Well, my co-worker told me about a little trick; buy them green and they’ll last longer. I did take her advice during this most recent shopping trip but it didn’t help last week’s bananas. What’s a food blogger to do with over ripe bananas? That’s an easy answer. Make banana bread!

I have shared quite a few recipes for banana bread over the years, like Meg’s Sweet Banana Bread (my hands down favorite version), Banana Apple Bread or Kona Inn Banana Muffins (amazing by the way) but this is the first healthy banana bread recipe I’ve made and shared with you.

Baby Cakes was home from work yesterday and called me at work asking how to make banana bread. I told him where he could find my recipe and assumed he was making it. About an hour later he called back and asked me what baking pan he needs to use and then again about 5 minutes later to ask another question. I finally told him that I’ll make it for him when I got home from work. So now I had to bake but the plus side is because I know I will be eating some of it (come on, how could I not have a piece or two) I get to make a healthy version. Thanks to Google, my dear friend, I found the perfect recipe to try.

It was very good oat type bread. It had just enough sweetness to it and although it’s not the moistest bread I’ve made it wasn’t dry at all. I’ll make it again, maybe next time with pistachio.

It would be excellent with applesauce smeared on it like a jam.


Banana-Oatmeal Bread
recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, June 1999

1 cup packed brown sugar
7 tablespoons canola oil
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat well at medium speed of a mixer.

Combine banana, oats, and milk; add to sugar mixture, beating well.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir with a whisk. Add to sugar mixture; beat just until moist.

Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.


I had ½ a piece that night and 1 piece the following day, and then it had to go to work with Baby Cakes. I know my weaknesses and baked good are one of them.

Don’t get used to me sharing this info but 1/12 of the loaf equals 264 calories. 1/24 of a loaf, or half of one piece, equals 132 calories hence the ½ piece the first night.

Delicious and nutritious,

Cranberry Corn Bread

I have already shared the 3 Pigs in a Pot and New Year’s Good Luck Spinach Dip that we had on New Year’s Day but I thought some of you might also be interested in the cornbread I served up alongside it this year.

This recipe is another one from my Betty Crocker Win at Weight Loss Cookbook which happens to be my favorite low cal recipe book at the moment.

I took this bread with us camping with my husband’s family on New Year’s Eve to be another element to enjoy at breakfast. Our niece (4) and nephew (2) tried it, it’s not a sweet bread per say as the cranberries are rather tart. They took a polite bite or two, my nephew shuddered from the tartness and then handed their pieces back. The adults however enjoyed it.

It was perfect along with the beans. I adore fruit and pork dishes together and apparently cranberry and pork is no exception, absolutely fabulous flavor combination.

A side note: I used fresh cranberries and because they aren’t sold all year and I only used 1 cup from the bag I froze the rest to use later. To do that just spread them onto a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze until hard. Then store them in a zip lock bag until you are ready to use them. (I already know what I am using them for. As always, coming soon.)


Cranberry Corn Bread
recipe from Betty Crocker Win at Weight Loss Cookbook, pg. 52

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup fat free milk
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside.

In a large bowl mix the flour, cornmeal, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk and oil; mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries and the 2 tablespoons sugar until coated. Fold into batter and spread into pan.
Bake 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm.


Now, I just want to remind you that although it does look like sweet bread it honestly isn’t. Don’t let that deter you because it is phenomenal with a hot bowl of 3 Pigs in a Pot.

Enjoy,

Buttermilk Biscuits

I have a little confession to make. I have never made certain, most, baked good from scratch. I have never made a pie crust, cookies, rolls or biscuits. I’ve always been intimidated by the rolling out and cutting process but today is the day that changes. I have pumpkin butter to share with loved ones and I need to send something to use along with it. Biscuits are perfect.

Every once in a while I receive emails with cooking tips. Have you guys seen them? I’ll be posting a few of them beginning with a microwave corn recipe in a day or two. Anyway, back to the sharing at hand, the email for the biscuits recipe was of a little old lady showing someone, the video taker, how she makes her families recipe. She made it look so easy. I had to try it.



Now some parts of the recipe are missing due to malfunctions with the video camera so I used my own judgment on measurements. Below are my measurements.


Buttermilk Biscuits
recipe lightly adapted from Gertrude Lindley

3 cups self rising flour
1 cup crisco, chilled
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450.

Sift flour into a large bowl. Scoop a well into the middle of the flour. Put the shortening and buttermilk into the well. Using your hand, work the milk and crisco together until there are no large lumps of crisco. Slowly go around the bowl mixing the flour, little by little, into the milk and shortening mixture until combined. Once there is no raw flour left in the bowl and if the dough is still sticky add a bit more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, working it in until it is no longer sticky.

Turn out onto a floured board and roll to about 1 inch thick. Cut with a round cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place onto a greased cookie sheet.

If your going to freeze them bake for 7 minutes or until they rise and then take out of the oven, let cool and then freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen you can transfer to a freezer bag. When your ready to bake off just set on a cookie sheet and let thaw, then bake off in a 450 oven for about 12 minutes.

If your going to cook them now, brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden on top.

Once out of the oven, brush the tops again with melted butter.


They turned out just fantastic. I am just amazed that my first attempt at biscuits turned out to be so good.

XOXO,

French Fry Hash Browns

Growing up my Daddy was the official cook in our house. I might have mentioned this once or twice before (grin), what can I say I am a proud daughter. After all, he did pass his love of cooking onto me. Anyhow, every weekend on either Saturday or Sunday my Dad would make his version of what we called “big breakfast”. This consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits or toast, hash browns, and sausage gravy. I don’t feel the need to share his recipe for sausage gravy, although I probably will at some point but I will be sharing his hash browns recipe with you today.

You guys, as kids we fought over who got to have seconds of these, not because he didn’t make enough (with 6 kids I don’t know that enough was ever enough) but because they are just so good.

Head up, this is not a diet food (and I am only posting the half recipe). I come by my curvy figure naturally. Grin.


French Fry Hash Browns

1 stick butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, large dice
4-6 tablespoons seasoning blend, your choice
½ a bag crinkle cut French fries

In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent. When the onions are soft stir the seasoning blend into them.

Add the frozen French fries and stir to combine, let the fries soak up all the seasoned butter. Let them brown stirring occasionally.

Don’t worry if some of the fries start breaking down, they are supposed to.


Confession time, growing up my sister and I ate ours smothered in syrup. However, as an adult I like them ketchup. It is amazing to me how unrefined my childhood taste buds were, not that ketchup could be classified as refined. I do still eat syrup on corned beef hash though, shrug, some things never change.

I am going to try to start sharing ingredients that I used in my recipes with everyone because sometimes that ingredient can make or break the recipe. Speaking of ingredients this is the seasoning blend that we use at our casa. It's my favorite blend. My Mom and Dad use it, my Mom's Parents used it. Heck, even my best friend uses it. It's the bees knees here at Sweet Tea.


This is an easy recipe to throw together on a weekend along with some eggs and sausage. We happen to have it about once a month for supper.

XOXO,

Baked French Toast Casserole

You’ve all heard about my Grandma Lolly before, if you’ve followed this blog. I feature recipes I've been passed down from her often.


She is my Daddy’s Mom. She has Cajun roots and can cook me under the table God love her! I would go as far to say that she is the reason I love to cook. If she hadn’t have loved it my Daddy wouldn’t have and then neither would I. It all starts somewhere. Well, yesterday was my Grandma Lolly’s 73rd Birthday Party. It was a bingo potluck and it was a blast, as always. Every year all her bingo friends, most of her children and grandchildren get together to celebrate another glorious year owned and operated by Laura Lillian Jones a.k.a. Lolly Pop a.k.a. my Grandma. (And the picture below because Baby Cakes is a ham and can't let a camera flash go off without him being in it.)


(Speaking of hams I thought I would share a photo of my Daddy being a ham as well, that's why Baby Cakes fits right in, we're a family of hams.)


Well because of the above said party I was sent home with a bag full of leftover King’s Hawaiian rolls, now I could make breadcrumbs out of them, or croutons or french toast. Oh or bread pudding. That is exactly where my mind went but because I am reluctantly counting calories I couldn’t deem their fate to croutons or bread pudding for that matter (although I wish!). Nope, but I can be kind of naughty. Hello Baked French Toast Casserole.


If you haven’t had it before, and I suggest everyone try it at least once, then you are missing out. Now this is a Paula Deen recipe slightly adapted only I left off the praline topping because as I said above I am counting calories, and because I feel like it is a slight overkill, but whether you make it with or without the topping it still worth devouring.


Baked French Toast Casserole
adapted from Paula Deen

20-25 King Hawaiian rolls, torn into pieces
9 eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
½ stick butter, sliced

Place the torn pieces of rolls into a 9x12 baking dish and let sit on the counter for an afternoon to dry out the bread a bit.

In the evening, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the rolls, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Press the rolls down to soak up the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Top with butter pats evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Serve with maple syrup.


This is wonderful, better than wonderful and I loved that all the prep was last night and that I could bake it off this morning. Not to mention that it was a hit. I will be making this again and again and again.

XOXO,

Cinnamon Bun Oven Pancake

Today is Baby Cakes’ 31st Birthday.


Since we met I have been with him through, as of today, 5 birthdays. I sometimes feel like I missed out on so much of what it is that made him into the man he is today but I am blessed to get to spend all his future birthdays with him. I love you Baby, here’s to the next 70 more birthdays!

So because today is his birthday seems to me that he should get whatever he wants for supper, within reason, and when asked what he would like me to make for him he chose pancakes.

The thing about it is that I have always wanted to try baked pancakes. Like dutch pancakes but I also know that it has to be over the top for my hubby.

This post is how I made an over the top baked pancake for my gorgeous husbands birthday.


Cinnamon Bun Oven Pancake

Pancake:

½ cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons of white sugar
½ teaspoon of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon together. Set aside.
Smear the butter over the entire surface area, inside, of a cast iron skillet. Place skillet in warming oven to melt.

In a mixing bowl mix the eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup and milk together vigorously until it is frothy. Gently mix in the flour and cinnamon until well combined.

Pull the hot skillet with the melted butter from the oven and pour the batter in.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Pause about 15 minutes into baking to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the pancake. Continue baking until done.

Meanwhile, make the frosting.

Frosting:

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons melted salted butter
2 tablespoons cream

Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and at a drizzling consistency. If it is too thick add bit more cream, if it is too thin add a bit more sugar.


Now when it comes to icing it is completely up to you. I chose to drizzle a bit for aesthetics and then let Baby Cakes decide how much extra he wanted along with it.

I wanted to share how it looks before icing, right out of the oven while it's still puffy...


and after is falls which in this case is a good thing.


I cannot tell you how decadent this recipe is. While baking the entire house smelled of cinnamon and sugar, exactly like cinnamon rolls baking. It is sweet for a breakfast so make sure to serve it along with some protein and maybe even some fruit.

Fabulous!

Happy Birthday Baby.

Tamale Scramble

One of my all-time favorite things to eat for breakfast are tamales. Baby Cakes goes to a little place around the way to get them for us on Saturday mornings, this isn’t an every weekend occurrence, but when he does we normally just shuck them and eat them straight from the paper sack they are packed in and that’s that. It’s time to shake it up a bit; dare I say that I am getting tired of our routine? No, I wouldn’t say that, ever, but the man of this house, aka Baby Cakes (manly name I know) deserves something new to delight his taste buds. He did wake up extra early to fill all the bird and squirrel feeders for me, so I would wake up to find that they are full (because don’t-cha-know, that is the very first thing I do every morning, run to the backyard to see if the birds ate all the seed. He’s too cute. And for those of you thinking ‘geez she really has an attachment to her bird feeders’, I was being facetious I am not kooky over my birds feeders. No not the feeders, but the birds? They are MY birds, MINE! Grin.)

I digress; this recipe was perfect for wanting to shake up the tamales a bit and the best part was that it really couldn’t be any simpler to make, wonderful for a Sunday morning. Basically it is just like tamales in a bowl, flavor wise, because the eggs just took on their flavor. I am most certainly going to make this again and again and again and then probably even again. Baby Cakes loved this one y’all, as did I.


Tamale Scramble

6 tamales, warm*
4-6 eggs, beaten
shredded cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Break up the tamales in a skillet, stir in the eggs and scramble over medium/low heat. Top with cheese and sour cream if desired.

*to warm tamales: From frozen, thaw, wrap them in a damp paper towel and then nuke them in microwave for about 6 minutes. From just cold, wrap them in a damp paper towel or place them in a dish with a few tablespoons of water and nuke for 4-6 minutes.


I told you, just look at how simple this is to make. Sometimes simple recipe are the best recipes.

If you are a tamale fan I implore you to make this one.

Peace, Love and Spinach Dip,

Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Oatmeal was on mega sale, because I cut coupons and watch ad sales, I got a 42 oz. can of quick cooking oats for about $.50 last week. I see a lot of oatmeal recipes in our future and I do not mind not one bit. I have already begun searching for creative recipes, something outside of oatmeal raisin cookies, although I will be making some of those soon too. So if you have any killer oatmeal recipes send them my way.

It was cold last night and if this morning is anything like last night then I want hot coffee and a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I dreamt of my Daddies oatmeal and toast; guess what we’re having for breakfast… This is my Dad’s oatmeal, by taste anyway, because he invents recipes and then remakes them over and over all without a formal ingredient list. This particular recipe was highly requested of him by us, the three oldest children, especially the broiled toast he served alongside it. Mmm, a spoonful of sweet oatmeal on top of the crunchy butter-y toast, one taste and you’ll be well, toast (Sorry I had to).


Brown Sugar Oatmeal
recipe from my Dad

3 ½ cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
½ stick of butter
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil.

Stir in the oats and let them cook for about 1 minute.

Toss in the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until incorporated into the oatmeal and the butter is melted.

Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for 1 minute more. Take off heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

To serve: Put 1 cup of the oatmeal into a serving bowl and top with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Stir in and serve alongside toast or a bowl of fruit.

Before the cream is added...


Everyone has a recipe for oatmeal, you do don’t you? If you don’t you are more than welcome to borrow this one from time to time but just know I warned you, you’ll never stop making this version.

And just because these two things go together I’m also posting on here his broiled toast recipe, if you can even call it a recipe.


Broiled Toast
recipe also from Dad

4 slices bread, any kind
4 slices butter, quartered

Place 1 quarter of butter on each corner of the bread slices, somewhat in the center.

Place under the broiler for 30 seconds; watch it closely because it burns very quickly, if it is not done yet allow it to cook in 15 seconds intervals, checking between each one, until done. You’re wanting it to be toasted light brown and for the butter squares to be melted.

Serve alongside Brown Sugar Oatmeal or top with a slice of cheese to eat with some soup.

Enjoy, I know I sure did. Yum.

French Toast

When I was a child my Daddy was the primary breakfast cook on Saturday mornings and still is on special occasions. However, my Mom would make a special breakfast every once and awhile and this was almost always what she served (and if not then this was what I wanted her to serve). I have to tell you that I am a huge fan of French toast. Both Baby Cakes and I are. Something about the crispy slightly cinnamon-y exterior and the warm soft inside, smothered in melted butter and maple syrup does it for me. It is the perfect breakfast, the perfect lunch or even better yet the perfect supper. This is actually the very first breakfast that I had ever made for Baby Cakes and he has been requesting it, for dinner, ever since. I will always oblige.

Now this isn’t the exact recipe or the directions for how my Mother makes it. She uses whole milk instead of cream and I don’t recall nutmeg being used in her recipe. Nor does she fry it in butter! But despite these small adaptations whenever I make it I still think of her and the wonderful memories of sitting at the kitchen table with my siblings, swinging our legs and eating French toast.


French Toast
adapted from my Moms recipe

3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
dash of nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 slices bread
butter

In a shallow dish beat the eggs and cream together; add the salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix until combined.

Now coat a piece of bread in the egg mixture, flip the slice over and coat the other side. Set on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, to catch the drippings. Repeat with all six slices of bread.

Warm a skillet over medium/low heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan and add a slice of dipped bread into the pan. Brown on both sides, it doesn’t take very long.

As the slices get done butter and set on plates.

Serve warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle (or drown as the case may be in my house) with maple syrup.


Now I don't know that this is the proper way to make real French Toast but I must say that this version is as good if not better than any other version I have had at resturants or even at someone else's kitchen table.

You're gonna love it,

Cherry Clafoutis

This weekend I hosted a girls night. My sisters, sister-in-laws and I got together at my house for a grown up game night and sleep over. It was so fun. We stayed up all night, really all night!, and had way too many drinks. I learned a few things about myself because of this party, #1 I am too old to stay up all night, I still feel like I have jet lag today and #2 next time I will ban all men. Baby Cakes is a social butterfly and he decided not to make other plans and to stick around for the night. He was a doll and catered to us girls all night but it just would have been more carefree without him there, so next time, NO MEN!!!

The morning after we partied hearty I was in charge of making breakfast for the ladies and myself. I chose to make a dish that might not actually be considered breakfast, infact it is actually a dessert dish but I thought you only live once. I first saw this recipe on Food Network on a cooking show called Secrets of a Resturant Chef. Love that show, love Anne Burrell and love this dish. To me it had the feel of bread pudding, the dense sweet creamy goodness of it but with sweet tart cherries as well. I am a new found clafouti fool and WILL be making it again, alot!



Cherry Clafoutis
recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell

1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for baking dish
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for baking dish
1 pound fresh cherries, pitted and cut in 1/2 or 1 box frozen cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zested
Powdered sugar
Ice cream or whipped cream, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Generously butter and flour a 7 by 5-inch baking dish or 6 individual, wide, flat gratin dishes.

Add the cherries, in an even layer, to the prepared baking dish.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the almonds, sugar, flour and salt and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, using a whisk, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest until they are homogeneous. Add in the melted butter and the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cherries.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream or both!



When I saw her make this I knew it would be a stellar dish and boy oh boy was I right. This is so good. Make it, you'll love it!

We topped ours with powdered sugar and whipped cream but it would be so good served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I will posting a few of the drinks from girls night in the next few days. Tequila Sunrise, Rusty Nickel, Red-Headed Slut and Lindsey Lohan (if your not a drinker and find this offensive my apologizes).

Love.