Apple Cider Pancakes

These pancakes are wonderful!  Such warm and comforting flavors.  We are a big fan of breakfast in this house, we often eat it for dinner too.  My kids are always up for some pancakes and honestly I am always up for some bacon which is what I serve these with.  So here is my spin on some breakfast pancakes for fall.  The batter is thin so don't be alarmed they cook up great!

On a side note, Thanksgiving is coming and I can't wait to share some great recipes with you!  Who does the Thanksgiving meal in your family?

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium apple (sweet variety) peeled and grated
2 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in  a large bowl.  In another bowl combine milk, apple cider, egg, and vanilla.  Combine wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Add apple and melted butter, stirring to combine.  Do not over mix.

Melt butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and cook pancakes until golden brown on both sides.  Serve with maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Walnut Cream

I love waffles and pancakes.  I really love breakfast food period.  We often have it for dinner too.  My kids love waffles too.  After tasting their Eggo waffles once I decided to start making waffles in big batches and freezing them so they can have homemade "Eggo's" instead.  Eggo's taste like cardboard!  Not that I've eaten cardboard but that's what I imagine cardboard to taste like.  We just stick them in the toaster and voila they have warm waffles in no time.  These are a fall spin on traditional waffles and they are so good!  Nice pumpkin flavor with a little spice. They prefer regular pancake syrup, go figure, but I love this maple walnut cream.  It makes a hearty fall breakfast that will leave you happy and satisfied all morning!

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups milk
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 cup butter, melted
Maple Walnut Cream

Directions:

Lightly grease waffle maker.  Preheat waffle maker.

In a large bowl stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, pumpkin, and butter.  Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened.  Batter should be slightly lumpy.

Pour batter into waffle maker and bake according to manufacturer's instructions.  Serve with syrup.

Maple Walnut Cream

In a medium saucepan melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Add 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.  Cook and stir for 1 minute or until walnuts are toasted.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups maple syrup and 1/2 cup whipping cream; heat through.

Homemade Granola

We eat a lot of yogurt and granola in our house.  How about you?  Granola has gotten quite pricey and so many of the kinds in the store are very high in fat.  So I decided to start making my own.  It has been a work in progress and I think I have found a good balance.  Sweet, with heart healthy nuts, and some chewy dried fruit, perfect start to your morning.  It makes a great snack too.  This is a great recipe to customize to your liking.  You can use any type of nut, dried fruit, or sweetener that you like.  It's super easy and makes a lot!

Ingredients:

8 cups of Quick Cooking Oatmeal
1/2 - 3/4 cup honey (or maple syrup) I like mine sweet so I used 3/4 cup.
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup slivered almonds ( or nut of your choice)
1 cup dried fruit (I used dried cherries)
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Tossing to thoroughly combine.  Spread out on a large baking sheet.  Using your hands form clusters.

Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.  Watch closely as to not burn it.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie Bread with Streusel Topping

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  It really felt like Fall this weekend in Tennessee.  Cooler temps and Fall food.  It was wonderful!  I'm enjoying my morning coffee and a nice slice of this wonderful bread.  This is one of my most favorite quick breads.  It is best to make the night before.  It allows the flavors to meld and it becomes sooooo moist!  The Streusel Topping is heavenly.  This is a kid favorite too!


Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
2 cups shredded, peeled apple (2 large or 4 medium)
Streusel Topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x -inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Beat in sugar until combined.  Add buttermilk and baking powder; beat until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined.  Add flour, salt, and apple pie spice; beat until combined.  Stir in apples.

Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.  Sprinkle Streusel topping over batter.

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Streusel Topping

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional).

Enjoy!

Blackberry and Cream Cheese French Toast Bake

We are a French toast loving family and I make all kinds of variations of it.   I love French toast bakes because you can put them together the night before and just pop them in the oven in the morning.  They're perfect for company or if your serving brunch.  They make for a special breakfast for your family too.  It's nice to have a big breakfast on the weekends as a family, since during the school week there is lots of cereal and yogurt going on.  This bake is so easy to put together and the results are DIVINE!  The blackberry jam and cream cheese meld perfect together and the brown sugar makes a crisp crust on the top of the bake.  This just melts in your mouth.  Can't wait for y'all to try this!

Ingredients:

1 cup blackberry jam

1 loaf French bread, cut into slices

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes (I used 1/3 less fat)

4 large eggs

2 cups half- and-half

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Toppings: Maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh blackberries, optional

Directions:

Cook jam in a small saucepan over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring once.

Place half of the bread slices in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Top with cream cheese cubes and drizzle with melted jam.  Top with remaining bread slices.

Whisk together eggs, and next 3 ingredients.  Pour over bread mixture.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake, covered, 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until bread is golden brown and mixture is set.  Serve with desired toppings.

Enjoy!

I'm linked up at:
http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/
http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/2011/09/tempt-my-tummy-tuesday-gooey-butter-cupcakes/#comments
http://33shadesofgreen.blogspot.com/
http://mygirlishwhims.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://cookiesxo.blogspot.com/
http://pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com/
http://gingersnapcrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/?p=15223
http://www.somethingswanky.com/

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
http://thischickcooks.blogspot.com/
http://mangoesandchutney.com/2011/09/key-lime-pie-ice-cream.html
http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/08/caramel-apple-crisp/

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

We *love* these muffins!  I just know you will too!  They are so moist and full of flavor.  There are few things that go as well together as banana and chocolate chips.  I make these at the beginning of the week and we have quick breakfast and snacks throughout the week.  They are always a hit when I bring them or serve them at brunch too.  Who needs a bakery when you can have these at home?  I wish you could hear my baby boy ask for "Nana Mupin".  You'd know why these are constantly around my house. =)  If you are watching what you eat, you can substitute half the butter for applesauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I always use fat free Greek)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, butter, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Enjoy!

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Pull Apart Muffins

Today is my daughter Grace's first day of seventh grade!  What a crazy day!  Shocking really! How is Summer over already and how do I have a child old enough to be starting seventh grade?  I mean I'm only 22 ya know. ( Give or take a decade )  Anyways, my busy life will be getting even busier.  Mornings can be quite crazy trying to get out the door to work or school on time.  That's where breakfast like these come in handy. They are so delicious and a good balance of what we need to get our day started.  They can be made ahead and reheated in the morning.  I even freeze mine, thaw out a couple the night before in the fridge, and reheat in the morning.  These are so easy to grab and go!  No drive-through needed!


Ingredients:

6 Pillsbury Biscuits ( from 8 count can)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 package breakfast sausage, cooked 

5 eggs

4 tablespoons milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a Jumbo size 6 Cup muffin tin with cooking spray. You’ll have 2 extra biscuits left over.  You can just bake the other two biscuits separately. Cut each of the 6 biscuits into 8 triangles and place into each muffin tin. Just drop the pieces into the muffin cups, they don't need to be in a specific way.  Lightly sprinkle each biscuit cup with salt and pepper.  You can just bake the other two biscuits separately. 


 Sprinkle sausage evenly over each biscuit filled muffin cup.


 Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Pour evenly over each cup. With a fork make sure eggs get to the bottom and around each piece of biscuit. Top each with sprinkles of cheddar cheese and bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of biscuits and cheese is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin cup.  Pull them apart with your fingers or cut with a fork. 

Enjoy!

BLT Hashbrowns

So my brother and his lovely wife came to visit this weekend.  We grilled out and did one of my favorite things, shopping!  I gotta say TJ Maxx is one of the best places in the world! I made these this weekend and wow, they are so good!  A great spin on classic hash browns.  They are super easy to make and are very quick also.  They went great with our grilled chicken but would be great with lots of meals.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash browns, thawed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter.  Add hash browns and onions and cook until onions are tender and potatoes are browned and crisp.  Stirring occasionally. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Top potatoes with spinach, cheese, bacon, and tomatoes.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Granola French Toast with Cinnamon Yogurt sauce

I eat Greek yogurt and granola everyday.  Literally.  I can't get enough of it.  So when I saw this recipe I could not pass it up.  It is awesome!  The sauce is so good.  I love the crunch the granola gives the french toast, no soggy french toast here!  This was a huge hit with the whole family.


Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 loaf french bread ( I used wheat french bread)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup coarsely crushed granola (I use Cascadian Farms)
Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce (recipe below)
Maple syrup (optional)


Directions:


In a shallow bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well mixed.  Dip bread slices into egg mixture, coating both sides.


In an extra-large skillet or on a griddle melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat; add half of the bread slices.  Sprinkle some of the granola on top of each slice of bread in the skillet, pressing gently with spatula so granola sticks.  Cook for 2 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Flip each slice, pressing lightly with the spatula.  Cook for 2 more minutes or golden brown. When removing from skillet, flip each slice so granola side is up.  Repeat with remaining butter, bread slices, and granola.  Serve immediately with Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce and/or Maple Syrup. (Yields 4 servings)




Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce


In a small bowl, combine one 6-ounce container plain low fat or fat free Greek yogurt (you can use regular too), 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  


Enjoy!

Coconut Banana Bread with a Lime Glaze

How do I love this bread? Let me count the ways.  It is so moist.  The lime glaze rocks.  It is less then 200 calories a slice.  Of course I rarely restrain myself enough to only eat one slice.  I love having things around the house for breakfast that you can just grab and eat. When I go get my baby boy out of his crib the first thing he says to me is eat and dink. (drink) That's where things like this come in handy.  The kids love it!  Serve this bread at your next brunch it really stands out from the crowd!


Coconut- Banana Bread
adapted by Rachel from Cooking Light


Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
• Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, milk, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Blackberry Cream Cheese Muffins

These muffins are wonderful! The combination of the cream cheese and tart blackberries are perfect together.  This recipe is my makeover version to a recipe I've had for years. I don't miss the original one bit.  You and your family will never know they are lower in calories and fat. They are full of flavor. You can use any berry you like in these. Try them, you will be glad you did!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat well.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in blackberries.
• Place 18 cupcake liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350° 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Honey Butter

I love Carrot Cake so when I found this recipe I knew I had to try it. These are really good pancakes! And they are light! Yes, every so often both worlds collide! I top these with some honey butter and some pancake syrup and my kids gobble them up. Little do they know I've snuck in a vegetable! 


Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups  all-purpose flour  
• 1/4  cup  chopped walnuts, toasted, optional
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• Dash of ground ginger
• 1/4  cup  brown sugar
• 3/4  cup  low-fat buttermilk
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cup finely grated carrot  (make sure carrots are fresh and moist)
• Cooking spray
• 3  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 2  tablespoons  honey

 Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in carrots.

 Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 4 (1/4 cup) batter mounds onto pan, spreading with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter. Combine butter and honey in a small bowl; serve with pancakes.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast with Brown Sugar Bacon

Just when I thought french toast couldn't get any better I had this. Strawberry stuffed French toast. Seriously? It is so good. And better yet it is really easy and quick to assemble and make. My kids love this and so does my husband. This is perfect for a romantic breakfast in bed. And if your like us, you can gaze dreamily into your spouses eyes, while three children sit in between you talking non stop and stealing the food off your plate. =) I love the combination of sweet and salty so I make this with brown sugar bacon (recipe below). If you don't like strawberries, substitute with your favorite fruit, such as blueberries, raspberries, etc.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
1 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 tbsp. sugar
4 oz. cream cheese, softened

For the toast:
4 thick slices bread, I use french bread cut thick. Do not use the presliced kind.
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspopn vanilla

To make the filling, combine the sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl.  Mix well and set aside to get juicy for about 15 minutes.  Stir in the cream cheese until well blended.

To prepare the toast, carefully slice a pocket into the center of each slice of bread, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, whisk together the egg and milk.  Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla.  Stir in the cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth.  Fill the pocket of each slice of bread with some of the filling mixture.  One or two at a time, place the filled slices of bread in the egg mixture, soaking about 60 seconds per side.  Remove the bread and allow the excess batter to drip off.  Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining bread slices.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the heated skillet and swirl to coat.  Add the filled slices of toast to the skillet in a single layer.  Cook until light golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Repeat with the remaining slices of bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.  Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries if desired. Prepare to get lots of kisses.

Brown Sugar Bacon

Ingredients:

1/2 pound thick cut bacon

1 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional. (I know, I know I put this in everything)

Heat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil. Top with a wire rack. Spray with cooking spray. You can also use a broiler pan for this.

Mix brown sugar and cayenne in shallow bowl. Dredge bacon in brown sugar. Pat brown sugar onto bacon.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.

Enjoy!