Baked Blueberry and Peach Oatmeal

I saw this recipe in a magazine that my mom gave to me. I cant remember the name of it now. I remember that I really wanted to try it out. I love oatmeal. I only like the old fashioned oats. I hate instant or quick cooking oats. It just gets to mushy. I decided that I wanted to try this recipe out because my mom is hosting a Mother's Day Brunch at her house on Mother's Day this year, and I am supposed to bring a breakfast recipe so I thought Id try this. The verdict? I wont bring this to the brunch. It was good, but just not what I'm looking for in oatmeal. I usually cook my oatmeal in milk because I like it really creamy. My mom cooks hers in water like the directions says, and I always think its too chewy like that. Well, this turned out chewy. I do have to say that the next day leftovers were GREAT! I thought it was so much better the 2nd day. Just pop some into the microwave and then add a bit of cream and you are set. It was creamy and mushy and not too chewy. My kids didn't eat this though, so it probably wont be a keeper.

Baked Blueberry Peach Oatmeal

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 1/4 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can (15ounce) sliced peaches, drained and chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Additional milk, optional

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the egg whites, egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Let stand 5 minutes then stir in the peaches and blueberries.

Transfer to an 11in x 7in baking dish, coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Serve with additional milk if desired.

Spinach Quiche

I love quiche. I used to make it quite a bit before I met Carl. He just doesn't like quiche for dinner and that is usually when I end up making it. There are times that he isn't too thrilled with my quiche dinner. Then the next morning we have the leftovers for breakfast and he is saying how great it is. I ask, what is the difference between now and last night? And his reply is that its breakfast now. Hmmm.

The other night I had a craving, so I made it for dinner again. And I have to say that it was yummy. I just love quiche.

Spinach Quiche (from Better Homes and Gardens)

1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 slices of bacon, chopped
8 eggs
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup half and half, light cream or milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups lightly packed chopped spinach
2/3 cup grated mozzerella cheese
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of tin foil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake an additional 4 or 5 minutes, until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 325 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook onion and bacon till onion is tender and bacon is crisp. Drain on paper towels.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs slightly with a fork. Stir in sour cream, half and half, salt, pepper. Stir in onion mixture, spinach, mozzerella and swiss cheese.

Pour egg mixture into the hot baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325 oven for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean (it took about 15 minutes extra for me) Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Waffle Style French Toast

Yesterday was Sam's Birthday and I wanted to make him something special for breakfast. This is a recipe I saw on The Nest. Its from a book called French Toast, by Donna Kelly. This was really yummy. Cutting the bread extra thick, then cooking it in a waffle iron instead of on a griddle was a cool twist! It gave the crusty sides, more surface area and lots of places for butter and syrup to stay hidden. Everyone loved theirs, so I will probably be making this again soon.

Waffle Style French Toast

4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 (1-inch-thick) slices day-old Challah or French bread

Preheat a waffle iron and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. In a pie pan or other shallow pan, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and salt. Dip bread slices in egg mixture until well soaked. Cook slices in the waffle iron one at a time until lightly brown. Serve with warm syrup, powdered sugar and/or fresh fruit as a garnish.

Bacon and Egg Mini Muffins

These are a great breakfast that can be made ahead and then frozen in individual baggies for rushed mornings. I love these muffins because they aren't so eggy, and more like the texture of muffins, instead of an omlette. Charlie hates eggs, but he will eat these cause they have more of a bread texture. I adapted this recipe from a recipe in a little Bisquick handout I grabbed from the grocery store years ago. The original recipe is called Shrimp Tarts, but I used bacon instead of shrimp, and cheddar cheese instead of Parmesan. I also added another egg and bit more Bisquick and I'm glad I did because it was the perfect amount for 24 mini muffins. Next time I make these, and it will be soon, I will add another egg or 2 and probably make them in regular sized muffin tins.

Bacon and Egg Mini Muffins

2/3 cup original Bisquick Mix
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 eggs
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2-2/3 cup cooked chopped bacon
4 medium green onions, thinly sliced

Heat oven to 400 degrees and spray 24 small muffin cups.

Whisk together Bisquick, half and half, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce and eggs in a small bowl until blended.

Divide the bacon, green onions and cheese in the bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon a Tbsp of the egg mixture into each muffin cup.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and either eat right away, or cool completely and put into bags and refrigerate for several days, or freeze for 3 months.

Spicy Pumpkin Muffins

These are so yummy. Sam and Charlie are eating them as I type this out. Sam helped me make these babies and now my house smells delicious! I really like these muffins because they have whole wheat flour, and all the spices. I love the ginger and cloves in this! Gives it a little zing!

adapted from a recipe by Joe at Culinary in the Country

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low fat sour cream (I subbed plain yogurt)
1/4 cup milk (I used Soy)
1 & 1/2 to 2/3 cup mashed pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and the next 6 ingredients (through cloves) and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars. Add the yogurt, milk, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.

Add the dry flour mixture into the wet and stir just until combined. The batter will be thick.

Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Spoon muffin batter into each cup and place in the oven for 25-35 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

(I also sprinkled on a crumb mix I made of brown sugar, white sugar, flour and butter.)

12 Big muffins

Crispy Polenta with Cinnamon and Syrup

I love polenta. I just discovered it recently and I was so bummed that Carl didnt like it at all. I tried it several ways and he wasnt keen on any of it! Bummer! It looks like I have to add Polenta to the growing list of things that I only make when he is gone, or when I am up late at night alone, craving a midnight snack.

I love polenta sliced up and fried in olive oil until its crispy on the outside, but creamy on the inside. Then sprinkled with some cinnamon a pat of butter and some maple syrup....YUMMY!

Crispy Polenta with Cinnamon and Syrup

Sliced cold polenta about 1/2 inch thick
1 Tbsp olive oil
a dash of cinnamon
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a cast iron skillet until hot and almost smoking. Fry polenta slices for several minutes on both sides until golden and crispy. Drizzle syrup onto a plate, top with crispy polenta slices. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and dab with a pat of butter. Enjoy.

Potato Sausage and Red Onion Scramble

Ive been doing good with using up these fruits and veggies I got through the co-op. This morning I did not disappoint. This turned out so yummy! A lot of times when I'm making scrambled eggs, I tend to stir them too much and it becomes a scrambled mess! This time I was careful not to stir too much. I only stirred enough to get the raw eggs underneath so they could cook up too. I then flipped it over in 3 pieces.

Potato Sausage and Red Onion Scramble

2 T olive oil
1 small baking potato, diced
1/2 of a small red onion
1/2 cup breakfast sausage, cooked and drained and set aside
4 eggs
4 tsp milk or half & half

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the potato in one layer and cook covered for 4-5 minutes or until they are brown on one side. Then stir them, trying to flip them over so they all get browned on the other side. Once they are flipped, sprinkle the red onions on top. Cover again and cook 3 minutes, or until onions are softened. Sprinkle the sausage over the potatoes and onions. Whisk the eggs with the milk or half & half. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently pour over the potatoes and sausage in the pan, being careful not to disturb all the veggies. Cook on medium-low until most of the eggs are set and nicely browned on one side. Flip over and cook an additional minute or so. Enjoy.

Lox and Cucumber Bagel Sandwiches

When we were on our honeymoon in Maui, we stayed at the Outrigger Resort and they had an awesome breakfast buffet that was included with our room each morning. They had all kinds of food! This is what I got almost every single day. Its also great with thinly sliced red onions, or tomato. This is a breakfast dish that Carl and I really like. I also like it for lunch or a snack...anytime really.

2 Bagels, toasted
4 Tbsp cream cheese
2 tsp capers
4 ounces lox, or smoked salmon
1/4-1/2 of a cucumber sliced (I like about 6 slices per sandwich)

Toast the bagels. Spread 1 Tbsp cream cheese on each half. Sprinkle capers on each half and press into the cream cheese so they stay. Chop up the salmon and divide it among the halves. Top each half with 3 slices of cucumber. Enjoy.

Ciabatta Breakfast Pizzas

I saw this recipe posted last week to The Way The Cookie Crumbles and I knew I had to try it right away. Especially when I listed off the ingredients to Carl and he said that it really sounds good. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love all types of breakfast foods! Im always looking for something new to throw into my rotation. Well, this is a good one. Definitely rich and a heavier breakfast. Its probably best saved for the weekends. I did brown the sausage last night so it would be easy to throw these babies in the oven today, so it made for a quick weekday breakfast.

Adapted from this recipe.

Ciabatta Breakfast Pizzas

2 pieces of ciabatta bread, longways in half
1 cup browned breakfast sausage
1/2 cup or more of grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs fried over medium

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and crisp in the oven under the broiler. Once crisp, take out and top with sausage then cheese. Return to the oven until the cheese is melted. While the bread is in the oven, fry the eggs. Serve each pizza with an egg on top. YUM.

Desayuno Del Jaen

My sister Tiffany lives in Spain with her husband, Luis. They live in Sevilla, but Luis grew up in a small town in the South of Spain called Jaen. In every cafe in Jaen, you will find people eating the same thing for breakfast every single day. Toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped with a yummy grated fresh tomato sauce. If you have time you can add cured meats or fish. Its so easy to make the fresh tomato sauce. All you do is grate the tomato in a cheese grater. All of the good stuff goes into the grater and you are left with just the peel in your hand, which you can toss out.

This last Christmas, when Tiffany and Luis came to visit, they gave me a wonderful present that I will cherish for the rest of my life. A hand written cook book, with photos of them and their friends preparing and eating all of the food that they eat in Spain all the time. Any time I am missing my sister and her wonderful Spanish husband, Luis...I can get out my cookbook they made me and find a recipe that reminds me of them and reminds me of my past visits to Spain when Ive visited them. Tiffany and Luis love to cook and have a huge appreciation for fresh food. Luckily living in Spain, they pretty much only eat fresh food.

I love this recipe because its so simple and easy and so satisfying. It might be strange to eat this for breakfast here in the US, but it is so common to eat this in the South of Spain. Ive made it a couple times before but this time, I am using the No Knead Bread that I baked yesterday. Its absolutely delicious and such a nice change from our everyday breakfasts we usually have. Plus, it takes Carl and I back to a time when we were dating and in Spain for Tiffany and Luis' wedding. What a great time that was for everyone that went.

Desayuno del Jaen

Toast: Baguettes or other rustic bread, toasted
2 large tomatoes, grated to make a fresh tomato sauce
extra virgin olive oil
salt, or salted cod, or jamon serrano, or prosciutto
garlic clove, peeled (only on weekends!)

While bread is toasting, grate tomato and serve in a small bowl.

On toasted hot bread, first rub it with garlic clove, then drizzle with plenty of olive oil. Next spoon on fresh tomato sauce and top with little bits of salted cod or slices or prosciutto or jamon. If you don't have meat, just add a bit of salt and pepper.

Usually served with cafe con leche and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

I decided to try out my first overnight French toast last night. I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com and tweaked it to my liking. One thing that has always turned me off to overnight French toast is the soggy factor. I hate soggy French toast. I never soak my bread at all. I just dip it and fry it because I hate when the middle is eggy and soggy. So, this time I found a recipe that got a lot of reviews that said it wasn't soggy at all. I have to say, it was still a bit soggier than my liking, but it was still really really good. It was more like a blueberry bread pudding with crispy edges. We all had seconds, and there was none left. I think Charlie ate as much and Carl and I. The next time I make this, which will be soon, I will just cut the bread and prepare the egg mixture the night before, but not soak the bread in it all night. I will just pour the eggs over the bread in the morning and bake it and I think that will take away any sogginess at all.

I halved the recipe, so that is what I will put here. It was just enough for the 4 of us. Id probably make a little more next time.

• 1/2 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Butter a 9x9 baking dish. (I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the bottom and sides) Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. Sprinkle with blueberries, making sure to get them in between the bread layers. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, take french toast out of fridge. Let it set out why you preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Migas Arizona Style

I had never even heard of Migas until the other day when I was reading Homesick Texan. She had the most beautiful recipe for a Tex-Mex breakfast I have ever seen. Growing up and living in Arizona, I have always loved Mexican food and foods from the Southwest. I was suprised that Migas are such a staple for breakfast in Texas since Ive never heard of it. I had most of the ingredients on hand so I decided to try out my own version and see how it went. I have to say it was absolutly delicious!!! It was kind of like Juevos Rancheros with suprises of crispy fried corn tortilla in every bite! So good! You have to try this one out. I just love this pic below with Charlie watching me cook. I get him all set up in his highchair like that so I can cook and keep an eye on him at the same time:)


Migas AZ Style

4 eggs
2 Tbsp whole milk
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch thick strips
2 Tbsp peanut oil
3 green onions with stems, chopped
2 Tbsp canned chopped green chilis
1/4-1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
salsa and sour cream to taste
hot flour tortillas for serving

Whisk the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper and set aside. In a skillet, heat peanut oil until hot, then fry tortillas for a couple minutes turning once. Add onions to the pan and let cook for a minute. Add eggs and let cook until set on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Stir the eggs gently, breaking up the tortillas a bit. When the eggs are almost done, add the green chilis and top with cheese. Let it melt and stir it, then top with a bit more cheese. Serve it with cilantro, salsa and sour cream to taste.

My Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits

Years ago, my Grandma Lumpkin gave me a cook book that she had written in hand, of family recipes. This is her recipe for buttermilk biscuits. The cooking temp is high, at 450 and the time was for 12-15 minutes. I'm glad I checked them at 8 minutes because they were already too done. So they turned out a bit dry. I think next time I will cook them at 400. We had these with breakfast this morning with butter and jam and eggs and bacon. I didn't have enough eggs, so I decided to make some biscuits to be a filler. I threw the dry ingredients together in a bowl last night and when I got up this morning, it was easy to prepare the rest.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C. cold shortening
1 C. buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add buttermilk all at once. stir until dough follows fork around bowl. Roll dough 3/8" thick. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in oven 450 12-15 minutes. This would have been way too long. Watch them carefully.

Bacon and Egg Pizza

When I first saw this recipe posted at Blake Makes I was really intrigued! I love fried eggs with a runny yolk so I thought I should try this out. It turned out so good! Im always amazed at how many things eggs can go with. I was the only one who wanted to try this, so I made myself a personal sized pizza all to myself, then made pepperoni pizzas for the boys. We were all happy. For the recipe, click Here .

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles

I decided to make waffles today. I rarely make them because I dont like only making 1 waffle at a time. Id rather have 8 pancakes going on the griddle instead. But today I got out the trusty old waffle iron. I have a nice one that was a wedding present. Its a Vintantonio Premier Five of Hearts Waffler. I love this little machine. It has never made anything except perfectly cooked waffles. I had Sam pull up a chair and we made these together. Adapted from this recipe.

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 Tbsp cornmeal
1 Tbsp flaxmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp melted butter

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, egg and melted butter. Pour all at once into dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour onto hot waffle iron in 1/4 cupfuls. Cook until golden and crispy.

Hole In One Eggs

I love to make these for Sam. He loves fried eggs with toast and making it this way makes breakfast fun for him and more interesting, therefore he is more likely to sit there the entire meal and eat. (Something that seems to be a challenge sometimes) My son loves the little circle shaped toast he gets. He keeps asking for more circle toast when his is gone. My dad used to make these for my sisters and I when we were kids and I remember loving them.

For each serving:

1 slice of whole wheat toast

1 egg

1 Tbsp butter

cooking spray

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan with cooking spray on med-high heat. Cut a circle shape out of the slice of bread with a muffin cutter. Butter one side of the cut toast and put it in the pan. Crack an egg into the hole and let it cook for several minutes, then flip it and cook the rest of the way until its done to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Ive been making alot of buttermilk pancakes lately because I needed buttermilk a few days ago and could only find a 1/2 gallon at the store. So today I finally used it all up. I adapted this recipe from a blog I came across called Whipped. They were so light for whole wheat pancakes. We all really liked them.

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 Tablespoons melted, unsalted butter

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. Add to dry mixture all at once and stir until just combined. Mixture will be lumpy. Cook pancakes in a hot pan with a little oil or butter to make the edges crispy.

This makes about 16 large pancakes. I freeze the leftovers and have them on a morning when I dont feel like cooking from scratch.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

I have to be honest that usually when I make pancakes, it is Bisquick mix. I love Bisquick and think its yummy. The only time I make pancakes from scratch is when I am out of Bisquick and then I realize that its not that much more work to just throw pancakes together from scratch. I usually do add blueberries. I chop them up in my food chopper because Sam doesnt like them whole in the pancakes. This recipe is from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook that Ive been using since I moved out of my parents house.

1 cup flour

2 Tbsp cornmeal

1 Tbsp sugar (I leave this out)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 beaten egg

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the egg, buttermilk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries.

For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greasted griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry.

Cinnamon French Toast

I love good french toast. The key to good french toast is a good bread. Sure you can use your normal sandwich bread when nothing else is available, but it doesnt compare to thick cut french bread or challah. Usually, we have french toast anytime I have good leftover bread from the night before. See even the kiddies love it!

1/2 loaf of french bread, cut into thick slices

5 eggs

1/4 cup milk or half&half

1/2 tsp vanilla

butter and cinnamon to taste

Preheat a griddle and spray with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla in a shallow dish. Dunk the bread slices into the egg mixture and let sit for 15-30 seconds. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, or till golden. When the toast has been flipped, slather butter on it and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Spanish Tortillas

From Everyday with Rachael Ray April 2006. http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/fish-shrimp-recipes/smoked-salmon-spanish-tortilla/article.html I thought it was delicious! I used sweet onions and they were so good. They caramelized so nicely on the bottom of the pan. Carl wasnt so keen on it though. He said it was bland. I say, use some salt then!

1/3 cup olive oil
2 spanish onions
5 medium russet potatoes
Salt and fresh pepper
6 ounces sliced smoked salmon
7 large eggs

In a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it ripples. Lower the heat to medium and add a layer of onions. Top with a thin layer of potato slices, season with salt and pepper, then add another layer of onions, potatoes, salt and pepper. Add the smoked salmon in a single layer. Continue layering the onions and potatoes, seasoning as you go. Let the layers cook, pressing down gently to flatten. After 10 minutes, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the vegetables soften, up to 25 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and pour them into the skillet, lifting the layers with a spatula to let the eggs in. Jiggle the skillet to prevent sticking. Return to low heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and shake gently.

Preheat the broiler. Place the skillet about 3 inches from the heat and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes. Shake the pan gently to loosen the tortilla, place a serving plate over the top and flip to release.

I only used 4 potatos because there just wasnt enough room in my pan. I ended up only using 5 eggs since I had used less potatos. I also mixed some Franks Red Hot sauce into the eggs to give it a bit of a kick. Oh and I had no salmon, so I used some jamon serrano (Spanish style cured ham) and chopped it up for the filling.