Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf - Pinterest Deal or Dud

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A month or so ago I tried this delicious bread that I found via Pinterest. It is absolutely fabulous - just as good as it looks. I wanted to write about it right away, but I ended up doubling the recipe and freezing a loaf. I thought I'd wait until we thawed the loaf so I could report about its freeze-ability. It turned out perfectly. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for a delicious bread.

I followed the recipe exactly using frozen blueberries. They were blueberries that I purchased fresh, spread on a cookie sheet, then froze. I then placed them in a large freezer bag to store so I can measure out what I need to thaw. I've heard from commenters that store-bought frozen blueberries are too watery for the bread. So I would either use fresh blueberries or fresh frozen blueberries like I used. Also, the loaf that I froze I skipped the glaze. I thought I'd add it after it was thawed, but it turns out the bread is perfectly moist and delicious (and sweet!) without it. I think from now on I'll leave the glaze off altogether.

Hope you enjoy! Recipe can be found here.

Almond Flour Pancakes

We eat a LOT of pancakes around here. It's one of the handful of things that I can count on actually getting into my kids on a regular basis, and it's so nice to have them already cooked and ready-to-go in the mornings. Both of my kids eat them plain and even cold, so I can grab the straight from the fridge as I'm making my cup of coffee and toss them at the hungry babes. =)

I'm always trying new things to increase their nutritional punch, and I recently stumbled upon recipes using almond flour. At my last visit to Sprouts the raw almonds were only $3.99/lb, so I grabbed a bunch. Using my coffee grinder, I ground all of them into flour, dumped it into a Mason jar, and stored it in the freezer. It can be used just like regular flour to boost the protein in things like pancakes, muffins, etc. A word of caution - it is incredibly bland. I'm looking to test out roasting the flour a little before baking with it. I wonder how that would affect the flavor.

So, here's my newest pancake recipe using almond flour. It's an evolving recipe for certain, and I'll be sure to post updates.

Almond-Flour Pancakes

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup fruit/veggie puree (these were banana and sweet potato)

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with a wire whisk. Add the wet ingredients, and stir just to combine. Let this sit for 10 minutes, then cook on a hot griddle. I set my griddle to 375 and cook them for approximately 3 minutes per side. But I've found that this varies tremendously depending on the cooking method, so make sure to test it out.

Serve with butter and syrup. Or, for the kids, serve cut into strips to dip into applesauce, yogurt, syrup, or fruit puree. Yum!

Father's Day Casserole

We had a Bible study dinner for my husband's birthday the evening before Father's Day. I made the pork recipe I recently posted in addition to a cheesecake. I had planned on also throwing together a casserole that I could put in the oven the next morning for a Father's Day breakfast in bed, but I completely forgot. We woke up Sunday morning with no plan and very few ingredients. While scouring the refrigerator, I came up with the idea to make a manly casserole with some of the leftovers and ingredients. It was a hit, so I thought I'd share.

Father's Day Casserole

6 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt & pepper

4-6 slices of bread

1 cup of leftover shredded pork and about 2 tablespoons of juices

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup your favorite shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

Tear bread into pieces, and toss in the bottom of a well-greased 9x9 baking dish. Lay the pork over the top, and sprinkle the juices all over the bread.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and cream cheese. Pour over the top of the bread and pork, and press down with the back of a spoon ensuring that the bread soaks up all of the liquid. Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the egg is set and the top is browned slightly.

Apple Pancakes

Growing up in South Bend, Indiana, we frequented Bibler's Pancake House. Owned by the family of our neighbors and a classmate of mine, and part of the Original Pancake House chain, Bibler's served up amazing breakfasts. My grandparents loved taking us there any weekend we could go. The line that always ran right out the door and out onto the sidewalk - even despite the often brutally-cold weather - was a definite indication of the meal to come. The atmosphere was old-fashioned, the coffee was hot, and the food outstanding. No longer owned by the Biblers, the Original Pancake House still stands, and it still boasts the same menu. My favorite? The Apple Pancake. It is absolutely amazing - a food you will dream about months (even years!) after tasting. The pancake takes over an hour to prepare, so the wait can be long...but well worth it.

I have been trying for years to re-create this gem to no avail. Most of the recipes I've found are way too cake-y. Bibler's is egg-y, dense, and rich-as-can-be. Most of the recipes are made in a pie pan. Bibler's was made in an iron skillet on the stovetop and finished up in the oven. Most of the recipes take 15-20 minutes. Bibler's, start-to-finish, takes an hour and a half. I'd long-abandoned my search and had settled on a visit to Bibler's every time we make the trek back to South Bend...until yesterday. My daily recipe from Allrecipes.com was one for a German pancake - another dish Bibler's does well. It set my apple-pancake-craving wheels in motion once again, and I found a recipe that looked promising. I was feeling pretty terrible with a head cold, I had cranky kids, and we were in the middle of a minor home-improvement project. But, as I sat thinking about this pancake, I knew it couldn't wait. So, in the hustle-and-bustle, I made my way into the kitchen and got to work making only a few minor changes out of convenience. This recipe is almost exactly the same as the apple pancake I know and love! I know all of the ingredients are staples in my house. If you have any doubt whatsoever about whether you should jump off the couch and go make this right this very minute, doubt no more. You will not be sorry!

Bibler's Apple Pancakes

(adapted from a recipe found here)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 medium gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Melt the butter in an oven-safe skillet* over medium heat. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Dump in the apples, and saute stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the apple mixture sit for 1 hour to cool. (At this point I set a timer for 40 minutes so I could come back, make the batter, and preheat the oven by the time the 1 hour was up.)

Batter:

3 eggs

2/3 cup half-and-half (I used fat free, and it was perfectly fine)

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons of sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of flour, sifted

Beat the eggs with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the half-and-half, vanilla, sugar, and salt, and mix until well-combined and until the sugar has dissolved. Add the flour, and stir slowly until it is completely mixed in. Let this sit for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 475 degrees.

When the apple mixture is completely cooled and has been sitting for 1 hour, slowly pour the batter over the apple mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. (The recipe I followed says to bake for 16-18 minutes, but mine was well done at 15. This largely depends on your oven, I imagine.)

Your finished pancake will look like this:

Let sit for 1 or 2 minutes, then loosen the edges with a rubber spatula. Place a large plate or platter upside-down on top of the skillet, and flip it over. Your pancake should drop easily onto your plate.

I love this pancake as-is, but Bibler's served it with powdered sugar to sprinkle on top. This just may become a new Christmas morning tradition around here. Delicious! If you make this, please make sure to stop back by and let me know how you like it.

*My skillets are oven-safe to 450 degrees. But I learned a trick years ago that I've used up to 500 degrees, and it has worked just fine. There is a small rubber grip on the underside of the handle on my pans, and that is the only part that is not oven-safe. I just wrap the handle with aluminum foil loosely before placing in the oven, and my handles have never been affected.

Quinoa and Steel Cut Oats

My poor kids are sick with a virus, and neither of them are interested in eating much. These are the times I try to make every calorie count because I truly believe that empty bellies (or bellies filled with empty calories) slow healing. When my kids lose their appetites, they tend toward high carb, low nutritional things like Goldfish crackers, Cheerios, etc. This afternoon I wanted to make something that would pack a punch (since neither of them went for the from-scratch, filled-with-veggies-and-whole-wheat-pasta chicken noodle soup I made). I had some quinoa in the fridge, so I combined that with some steel cut oats for a protein and nutrient-filled snack. And it was delicious! Here it is so I don't forget my combination.

Quinoa and Steel Cut Oatmeal

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1 tsp cinnamon

2 small apples, cored, peeled, and chopped

a handful of dried cranberries

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 cup juice

1 tsp vanilla

brown sugar or a drizzle of honey to taste

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan. Add the milk and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often, and add the juice as needed as the quinoa and oats absorb the water and milk. I ended up needing the entire extra cup of liquid. You basically don't want it to dry out before the quinoa and oats are finished cooking. After it is done, remove it from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Give it a taste at this point. Since I used all-natural, no-sugar-added juice, it needed a little sweetening still. I chose brown sugar, but honey or agave nectar would be just as good.

*This recipe would also work in a slow cooker. Just mix the dry ingredients, then add 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of water. Place in a bowl that fits inside the bowl of the slow cooker, then pour water in between the bowls so it steams in a water bath. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.

Snow Days are for Baking

Knowing it was going to be a crazy, icy, snowy day here in Texas, we loaded up with baking supplies. This coconut lime banana bread got the winning vote, and we spent the morning covered in flour and mashed bananas. If you're looking for a great recipe, this was a hit! I made it according to the recipe save for two things. I had already used all of our yogurt to make smoothies, so I just used a quarter cup of a smoothie in its place. Also, mine cooked for significantly longer than an hour - probably closer to 1 1/2 hours, actually. I've never had a problem with my oven timing following other recipes, so it may be that this recipe was written for a convection oven. Enjoy!

Blackberry Muffins

My mom went blackberry picking a couple of months ago, and she gave me a TON. We've been eating blackberry pancakes, blackberry smoothies, blackberry cobbler, and blackberry syrup on ice cream. Yum, yum, yum. I wanted to find a good blackberry muffin recipe, but I just couldn't find one anywhere. I did some combining and review-reading to come up with this recipe, and it is a hit. I think it could use some tweaking, but as-is they're amazing, and I guarantee there will be none left.

Blackberry Muffins

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups blackberries (rinsed, and dried, and dusted with flour)

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup milk

Streusel Topping:

4 Tablespoons white sugar

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir with a whisk.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the 1/2 cup of butter with the white and brown sugar until fluffy and light. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Gently stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk until well-combined.

Add the blackberries, and fold lightly.

In a separate bowl, use a pastry blender (or two knives or even a fork) to mix the streusel topping ingredients.

Using a 1/4 cup scoop, fill a greased (or paper-lined) muffin tin. Sprinkle approx. 1/2 Tablespoon of streusel mixture on top of each muffin, and bake for 25 minutes.

Mother's Day 2010

A few years ago I started hosting a Mother's Day lunch to honor all of the special moms in my life - whoever's in town, really. I was really hoping I'd be up for doing it again this year. But the week before I got a sinus infection (oh, and I have a newborn and a 2-year-old!), so it was a bit last-minute. I was able to host, but everything was scaled back. I can't wait to gather ideas and recipes for a big celebration next year!

Since I'm always concocting new recipes, I like to sit down as soon as possible to write them out so I don't forget. And I think the new ones this year were a hit, so here you go!

Asparagus Quiche

1 pie crust (any recipe or store-bought crust will work)

5-6 slices of Swiss cheese (you could also use gruyere)

1/2 cup steamed asparagus tips

1/8 cup Black Forest ham, cut in cubes

2 Tbs chives (fresh or dried)

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

salt and pepper

Line the bottom and sides of a tart pan with the pie crust. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom to prevent the crust from rising. Cover with aluminum foil, fill with dried beans or pie weights, and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. The crust will not be done, but you want to get it started so the filling does not make it soggy.

Line the bottom of the tart with one layer of cheese. Sprinkle with asparagus, ham, and chives. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into the crust to within 1/8 inch of the top of the pan.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until set, and serve immediately.

Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake with Blueberry Sauce

1 loaf French bread cut into 1-inch cubes

1 8-oz package of cream cheese

1 1/2 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen will work just fine)

12 eggs, beaten

1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups milk

1 Tbs vanilla

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups blueberries (again, fresh or frozen)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

2 Tbs cornstarch

2 Tbs butter

1 tsp vanilla

The night before, line a greased 9x13 deep baking dish with half of the bread cubes. Cube the cream cheese, and sprinkle evenly over the bread. Spread the blueberries, then top with the remaining bread cubes. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes, and press the cubes down to soak up the custard. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake another 25-30 minutes until top is slightly browned and the center is set.

For the sauce, combine sugar, water, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes, then add 1 1/2 cups blueberries. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 more minutes stirring occasionally. When all of the blueberries have burst, remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.

Serve the sauce over the casserole. Yum!

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Granola Berry Pancakes

First of all, I just want to start off by saying that I will be pretty in and out of this blog for the next couple of months, so please forgive me. I'm dilated and effaced, and the ball is rolling for us to meet our sweet baby boy any day now. My intention is to maintain this blog, but 2 kids under 2 will definitely cut into my intentions.

Okay, on to the recipe...
We love pancakes around here. I try to change them up all the time by adding different unique ingredients. These were a huge hit, and I thought I'd share.

Granola Berry Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla

3/4 cup granola

1/2 cup chopped fresh berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the middle, and add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir until just combined. Add granola and berries. Set the batter aside for 5 minutes to let settle (this will help the pancakes to be more fluffy, I've found).

Meanwhile, heat a griddle or skillet to 375 - 400 degrees. Butter the skillet, and pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Flip when bubbles appear and the edges are slightly browned.

Enjoy!

Breakfast for Dinner

We've finally gotten rid of the stomach flu around our house, and it was time to celebrate with a huge meal. We all got our appetites back around the same time, and we were hungry!

When I was growing up we had breakfast for dinner every now and then. I hadn't actually done that with my own family yet, so we indulged. Oh my goodness, was it ever fun and delicious. My normally light-eating daughter ate her weight in breakfast food and slept very well for the first time in weeks. It was a huge success, and I'd highly recommend it for a tummy-pleasing, heart-warming evening.

I made: scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, decaf coffee, turkey sausage patties, and these delicious Cinnamon Bun Pancakes with Maple Icing. I'd suggest making these the very first opportunity you have. Delicious!

Semi-homemade Croissants

We always have a stash of refrigerated tubes of croissant dough on hand. But sometimes I get tired of the plain croissants, and I love to beef them up a bit. I just roll out the dough, sprinkle on some toppings, and bake according to the directions. These are asiago cheese, parsley, and garlic.

Other ideas: cinnamon and sugar, pumpkin pie spice, fresh basil with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella, salsa and cilantro, garlic and parmesan, jam, etc. Possibilities are endless.

The salad for which I needed the candied walnuts

Strawberry Feta Salad

1 small head of red lettuce

1 bunch of spinach

1 pint strawberries

1 cup candied walnuts

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/4 lb feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

poppy seed dressing - I use this kind

Basically, just wash all the veggies, throw them in a bowl, and top with everything else. =) One of the things I do when making a salad is to salt and pepper the lettuce before adding the toppings...adds much-needed flavor.

Enjoy!

Granola

My sister posted the perfect basic granola recipe on her Facebook page. I made it for Chris to take to work, and now he's hooked. As soon as his supply runs out, I make another batch. It's delicious and very, very versatile. Here's the basic recipe followed by the things I added to make this Rocky Road granola. Yum!

Ingredients

18 ounces of old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

a few dashes of your favorite spices

1/3 cup veg. oil

1/2 cup honey (more or less depending on your desired level of sweetness...I tend to use less)

4 T. molasses

4 T. maple syrup

2 T. vanilla

In a microwave-safe dish, heat the oil, honey, molasses, and syrup until it is thin enough to stir and combine. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients over the top, and stir to combine. Bake at 300 degrees on a foil-lined baking sheet (or a heavily sprayed sheet - it'll stick) for about 30 minutes. This is the hardest part, as sometimes it cooks faster/slower, so check and stir every 5 minutes or so. It will not be crunchy when it's done, just lightly browned. Allow to cool, and it will become nice and crisp!

For the Rocky Road, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the wet mixture. After baking, stir in 1/4 cup of marshmallows and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips stirring to combine.

Other variations: dried cherries and chocolate chips, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, candied or dried fruits.

Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

The Menu:

Ham & Swiss Quiche

French Toast Casserole

Fruit Salad

Sausage & Cheese Biscuits

Orange Juice, Coffee, Iced Water with Lemon

Recipes:

Ham & Swiss Quiche

1 pie crust

5-6 slices of Swiss cheese

3/4 cup chopped smoked ham (cut 1/4 inch thick)

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

pinch of salt and black pepper

*This recipe is to be made in a traditional tart pan. You will have to adjust (by adding more ingredients, obviously) for a pie dish or a deep dish tart pan.

Press the pie crust into the tart pan. Using a fork, poke holes into the bottom of the crust. Cover with aluminum foil, and fill with dry beans to prevent the crust from rising or shrinking. Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 10 minutes. The crust will not be fully-cooked.

Remove the beans and foil, and line the bottom of the pie crust with slices of Swiss cheese. Top with ham, green onions, and mushrooms.

In a separate bowl, stir together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, and pour over the rest of the ingredients. Fill to within 1/8 inch of the top of the tart pan, and discard the remainder.

Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.

French Toast Casserole

I followed the recipe found here. When I mixed the custard, I added 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. I also used maple-flavored syrup and not maple syrup, and I think it turned out just fine.

Fruit Salad

Combine chopped cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the fruit and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

Sausage & Cheese Biscuits:

1/2 lb browned breakfast sausage (I used maple-flavored)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 1/4 cup Biscuick mix

3/4 cup milk

Mix Bisquick mix and milk until combined. Do not overmix. Add sausage, cheese, and onions, and stir. Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400* for 10 minutes (or until lightly browned).

Enjoy!

Frittata - Sounds fancy, but it's not!

In this economic crunch, we're trying to eat at home almost exclusively putting me in the kitchen daily. Dinners are easy, but lunch is daunting to me. I get tired of soup and a sandwich every day, and I try to make something that can be sent with my husband to work as well. So we do a lot of leftovers around here. I've recently discovered frittatas and their simplicity and cost-effectiveness. They can be made with just about anything you can dream up, they're so easy to make, and they're different and delicious. Here's the basic idea:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a small, oven-proof skillet over medium heat, sautee your ingredients in a tsp of butter to your desired doneness. Meanwhile, beat your eggs with a fork until all of the yolks are broken and well-mixed. Add your eggs to the skillet, and let sit until the eggs are cooked about an inch around the edges of the pan. Transfer to the oven, and bake until set.

The other day I made a taco pie (recipe courtesy of my sister and will be posted soon). I had more of the filling than I could fit into the pie, so I saved the extras. I also made my new chocolate chip cookie recipe which calls for an egg yolk, so I saved the egg white. I added the ingredients to my small (6-ish inch) skillet (yielding about 1 cup of filling), cooked until reheated, then added the egg white plus one more egg. Just before I put it in the oven, I sprinkled the top with a Mexican blend of cheeses. It took about 8 minutes in the oven, and I had a delicious lunch. Since it was too much for me to finish, I have a delicious Saturday brunch waiting for me.

Other filling ideas: bacon and tomato, shredded chicken with sliced bell peppers, asparagus and proscuitto, ham and cheese...