While we were on vacation at the lake we all took turns making the meals. I picked breakfast meals because that's hands down the best meal of the day, duh. These Blueberry Lemon Pancakes were a perfect breakfast before a day on the lake.
I love how much they plumped up giving a nice and fluffy pancake. They are packed with blueberries and the lemon just adds a little freshness, it's not super strong. I did double the below recipe so we'd have more than enough for 7 people with a few leftovers.
I made this delicious French Toast on Mother's Day morning when my sister, brother in law, and nephew where visiting. Not only was this the best way to start the day, the house smelled amazing!
Jacob and I had these Banana Bread Pancakes for Easter Brunch. With a side of sausage links, of course. Sometimes when waffles seems like too much work, I make pancakes. Logical I know.
So...I'm still on a pizza kick. And it's probably because Aldi sells the most amazing pre-baked thin crust pizza crusts in packs of 2 for like $3.00. Darn you Aldi and your deals!
When I lived in Iowa nearly every morning meeting included breakfast pizza from Happy Joe's Pizza. It was amazing. It would be pretty hard to top Happy Joe's, but this sure does satisfy the craving. Plus it's' super simple and only a few ingredients.
If you follow me on Facebook I shared my new found love for New Girl. I don't know how I missed this show. It's hilarious! The cast is so perfect and all the facial expressions and one-liners get me every time. I watched the first and second season on Netflix and then had to watch the beginning of the third on iTunes and Fox.com.
Marathon watching shows is probably one of my favorite things. Waiting a whole week to watch a new episode of a show will be pretty tough. #firstworldproblems
I love biscuits and gravy. It's by far my most favorite of all breakfast meals. I usually use a packet of dry gravy mix but those days are over. This sausage gravy recipe is so easy and delicious.
Jacob said this was the way his Aunt Donna made gravy. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet her before she past away, but I only hear stories of her amazing recipes and hosting of family gatherings.
Ginny and I are taking on Christmas this week. I can not believe Christmas Eve is a week from today. Insane. We finally finished our shopping over the weekend; I've never put it off this long. Luckily Jacob and I made a list, only went to 3 stores, and got in and got out. Done.
Ginny and I are taking on Black Friday today. Can you believe it's only 13 days away!?! One thing you might not know about me....I do not like crowds, especially when I'm trying to shop. I've never been one of the brave people to wait in line for Black Friday sales. We do, however, venture out to Express and Limited after lunch for their specials. This works for me because all the crazies are already at home passed out.
Jake and I finally went to a movie over the weekend. We both couldn't remember the last movie we went to; it had to be over a year ago. I guess we've just been on a Netflix and TV show kick so movies just weren't our thing. With all the hype around We're the Millers, we had to see it. I love a good comedy, even if it's a little naughty humor, I just LOVE to laugh. This one did not disappoint and the cast was perfect - Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, just to name a few.
What did you do over the weekend?
My mother-in-law bought me The Cupcake Bible for my birthday. She knows me pretty well. :) I've flagged a number of recipes to make, but this one stood out right away. It's so simple but would definitely please a crowd. Instead of just doing cinnamon and sugar like the recipe said, I changed it up and did cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, and glazed. I like choices.
Give 'em a try!
Mini Doughnut Cupcakes (3 ways)
1 box cake mix (white or yellow) + the ingredients called for on the box
1 tablespoon nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Powdered Sugar Coating:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Glaze Coating:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk (more/less for desired consistency)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a mini muffin pan and set aside. Prepare your coatings placing each in a different bowl.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions; stir in nutmeg. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 10 minutes of until lightly browned and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from the pans and roll in the coatings while cupcakes are still warm.
Serve right away. If serving the following day, you can wait and coat the muffins before serving.
If you follow me on Instragram, Facebook, or Twitter you may have noticed that I'm trying to get my butt in shape. I just started the Couch to 5K program and so far so good! It's doable with only 3 workouts a week and it starts with intervals of walking and running. The workouts are under 30 minutes. But just because I'm trying to get in better shape, it's not going to change my enjoyment of baking and sharing goodies with you! Everything in moderation!
And just to prove that to you, I fried up some apple cider doughnuts (donuts?) just for you. Oh, and then I put some glaze on them...ya, know...just because.
My dad would appreciate these doughnuts. The bakery in my hometown makes a mean applesauce doughnut and he always seems to have one for me when I visit. This was my first time frying doughnuts too; it was much easier than I was expecting. I blame the cookbook I picked up a few weeks ago - Doughnuts by Lara Ferroni. I was so excited to find this cookbook that I bought 2! Yes, it's giveaway time! See below for entry instructions. :)
Apple Cider Doughnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup apple cider (I used an apple cider mix, cheaper than buying a jug that would go to waste)
1/4 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil for frying
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is fluffy and pale yellow. Add in vanilla extract, cider, and buttermilk and mix to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture comes together to create a soft, slightly sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick, then cut out the doughnuts using a 2 1/2-inch-diameter cutter. Reroll the scrap dough until gone. You can also save the center of the dough and fry doughnut holes!
Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360 degrees (F). With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Fry in small bathes, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook until a rich golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Let cool to the touch before glazing and eating.
*If you prefer to bake the doughnuts, place dough in a doughnut pan and bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees. They will not be as golden brown.
Basic Sugar Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoon milk or water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Either dip doughnuts into glaze or use a basting brush to cover doughnuts. (I like to glaze both sides.)
My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew were in town this past weekend. On Saturday, the girls did some shopping and the boys watched basketball and went to Bass Pro. On Sunday we made it a day for our nephew by going to Crown Center in downtown Kansas City to visit LegoLand Discovery Center. It was super fun! My favorite part was Miniland that has pretty much all the KC attractions made out of Legos.
This cinnamon toast went perfectly with our bacon and eggs for Sunday breakfast. Normally when I make cinnamon toast I spread the butter on the bread, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and toast. But this method is now my go-to. So goooood!
Put butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small dish and combine with a fork. Once mixed, spread a good tablespoons of the mixture on each slice of bread. Place buttered bread onto cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until bread is toasted to your liking.
Serve with eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit for a delicious start to the day!
(If you have mixture leftover, store in the refrigerator for next time!)
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I've had this recipe pinned from The Pioneer Woman for months but it wasn't until this weekend that I really had a need to make it. Jacob and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary on Saturday. How nice to make this the night before, pop it in the oven in the morning for an easy, delicious breakfast. Plus the house would smelled amazing.
I decided to 1/2 the recipe which was more than enough and still provided yummy leftovers. I also baked for 60 minutes to make it firmer and less like bread pudding. We also added a couple handfuls of fresh blueberries.
You should definitely make this for your next family breakfast! Serve along side fresh fruit and maybe some bacon and you'll have one happy crowd!
{make-ahead} Cinnamon Baked French Toast
Bread Base
1/2 to 3/4 loaf sourdough or french bread (Or, enough to fill a 8 x 8 pan)
4 eggs
1 cups milk
1/4 cup heavey whipping cream
1/4 cup PLUS 2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP vanilla extract
Topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
Fresh Fruit (optional)
Lightly butter an 8 x 8 baking pan. Cut or tear bread into chunks and evenly distribute in the dish.
Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold butter pieces with a fork or pastry blender until resembles fine pebbles. (If making ahead of time, store in the fridge.)
When time to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pan from the refrigerator. If desired, add fresh fruit (blueberries, apples, etc). After the fruit, sprinkle crumb mixture over the top.
Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.
I've never made a recipe that required yeast and dough rising. I'm pretty sure it's because most of my recipes can be made fairly quickly, like in an evening after work. But these Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls came to me very highly recommended by Jacob and the in-laws. The recipe is from a family friend and they are really called Pat Davis cinnamon rolls. And man do they love Pat Davis cinnamon rolls.
I was actually going to make them for the in-laws when we were in Nebraska last weekend but I just didn't have the time. We made other cinnamon rolls instead that didn't require yeast to go with our chili. When the boys came home for hunting we were ready to eat. Jacob saw the rolls and said, "Those don't look like Pat Davis's cinnamon rolls!?!" Thanks, Captain Obvious.
But this past Saturday I took the time to make the infamous rolls and I'm so glad I did. I don't think I'm as scared of yeast anymore either so I see more breads and rolls in my baking future. The finished product is a buttery roll with sticky caramel pecan goodness topping. And they got the head nod and eye brow lift from Jacob. Maybe they'll start calling them Pat and Chelsea Cinnamon Rolls.....
Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from recipe by Pat Davis
Rolls:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk scalded*
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 beaten egg
Filling:
4 TBSP butter, melted
1 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup lightly chopped pecans
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
2 TBSP white corn syrup
1/3 cup lightly chopped pecans
Soften yeast by mixing 1 packet with the 1/4 cup warm water in a small dish. Set aside.
*Scald milk by placing in a sauce pan and heat until bubbling around the pan and light froth forms, or it's heated to 180 degrees. Remove from heat.
Combine scalded milk, shortening, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cool to luke warm. Add 1 cup of flour and beat. Beat in softened yeast, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add remaining flour to make soft dough.
Brush dough a little more softened shortening, cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, punch down dough and turn onto lightly floured surface. Roll a rectangle 3/8 inch thick. In a small dish mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Pour melted butter onto rolled dough. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture all over dough. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans. Roll into jellyroll and cut 16 slices about 1 1/2 inches thick by scoring with a knife, then use thread or string to cut from bottom of dough. (This will keep dough from getting all smashed.)
Prepare topping by mixing brown sugar, margarine, and white corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat slowly, stirring until blended. Butter a jelly roll pan or large baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup pecans. Pour syrup mixture over pecans in pan.
Place rolls on top of mixture and let rise in warm place until they double in bulk, about 35-45 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
After removing from the oven, invert pan onto another pan/tray so that the syrup pecan glaze is on top of the rolls as they cool.
Bananas. I can’t think of another fruit that when it gets old, it’s okay. I get on kicks where I eat a banana every day and then I just forget about them and that happened last week. So what is a girl to do?!?! Make banana bread!
When I was back home for my mom’s retirement party I borrowed a cookbook from my mother-in-law. It’s one of those cookbooks put together for a fundraiser and consists of everyone BEST recipes. It’s almost like going to the world’s best pot luck except you just have the recipes and can’t taste test anything.
As soon as I noticed the browning bananas I went to the cookbook. I found the winner on page 1 of the bread section. The only issue was it called for 3 medium bananas and I only had 2. I decided to add in 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce to hopefully keep the consistency. I also added in ½ teaspoon of vanilla because let’s face it, vanilla can’t hurt anything. I think next time I could even do a whole teaspoon.
I was very pleased with the finished product! Bread rose up great, good crust, and moist. And I did eat it for breakfast for a number of days! Funny…not in the mood for a healthy banana but banana bread…heck yes!
Banana Bread
Adapted from National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Jen Miner
1 ¾ cup flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas OR 2 bananas and 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
Preheat oven to 350.
Shift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In bowl, beat together sugar and margarine until light, scraping sides often. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla beating until smooth.
Add flour mixture, bananas, and applesauce to butter mixture, lightly mixing until smooth.
Pour into lightly greased loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes.
(Could do as muffins; 12 muffin tins, lightly greased, bake at 350 for 20 minutes.)
Oh and, after enjoying my breakfast of banana bread, this was the gorgeous sky view on my way to work!
My first big girl job was in a bank and I loved it! Not only did I get to count and organize money, chat with some of the most interesting people, but I worked with some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. One, in particular, was Darlene. She treated every customer like they were the only one and she was the same with co-workers. She was always positive, and even though she was a little quiet, she would crack the best jokes at the perfect time. She worked at that location for many years and we all joked that she could never retire because the branch would just have to close.
for my birthday. She knows me pretty well. :) I've flagged a number of recipes to make, but this one stood out right away. It's so simple but would definitely please a crowd. Instead of just doing cinnamon and sugar like the recipe said, I changed it up and did cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, and glazed. I like choices.
. I was so excited to find this cookbook that I bought 2! Yes, it's giveaway time! See below for entry instructions. :)
