Blender Pancakes

I'm going to be up front and say we do have a Vitamix, so this recipe might not work as well in other blenders. But definitely give it a try because I think even if the oats don't get ground completely smooth, that it will be ok. Just be sure to blend the dry ingredients first.

There are many substitutions you can use depending on what you have or want to use. Mix and match. Experiment.

For the sweetener, you can use maple syrup, honey, regular or brown sugar, or skip it altogether. I actually made a sweet date paste and froze it in ice cube trays and I use one of those.

Some variations I have done:
Cinnamon and applesauce. Cocoa and banana. Almond butter and frozen blueberries (you can either blend them right in for purple pancakes, or stir them in). Pumpkin puree and pie spice. You could add spinach for green pancakes.

You can also add a tbsp or two of ground flax seed or chia seeds.


Blender Pancakes
Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned/rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sweetener of choice
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream OR plain greek yogurt OR cottage cheese (or combo thereof)
2/3 cup milk (or alternative milk)
2/3 (approx) cup of fruit, such as a banana, applesauce, pumpkin puree
1 tsp spices (cinnamon, pie spice, etc) AND/OR 1 tbsp flavoring like cocoa powder, almond/peanut butter
Optional: Chia seeds, flax meal, vanilla, spinach

Place all dry ingredients in the blender and pulse or blend until a flour consistency (or as close as you can)

Add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Lower powered blenders may need you to stop periodically and scrape the sides down.

Warm a skillet over medium. Once fully heated, melt some butter or drizzle/spray some oil and pour about 4 inch circles of batter from your blender pitcher. Once the bubbles out the outer inch of the pancakes stop forming, flip and continue to cook.

I let the pancakes rest for a minute or two before serving.

Chocolate PB Banana Smoothie

This smoothie will keep you full for hours. You can modify to what you have on hand, but the full deal is really dynamite.

You can make smoothie packs for the freezer with either zip top bags or these reusable containers I found on amazon. Im all about cutting down on plastic in my life, but these are cheap, washable, and stack. I let them thaw on the counter for 20 minutes just to make it easier to blend. I add everything but the liquid to the packs. I put in all the ingredients but the greens and then pack the greens to the top

Soaking the oats are really important. One, they help you digest the oats better and get more nutrients from them. And two, it helps the blender break them down better. This is really important if you don't have a high end blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.

To soak oats, take 1 part dry rolled/old fashioned oats and 1 part filtered water. Add a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and cover. Let sit overnight. No need to drain. When I make the smoothies in advance in the freezer, I just make a large amount. If you want to make the smoothie one day at a time, just get in the habit of taking 60 seconds to do this the night before. The oats are really important in this to help keep you full. For one smoothie, I soak 1/4 cup oats and get roughly 1/2 cup once it soaks.

I get a large bag of ground flax seed from Costco and keep it in my freezer to keep it from going rancid. I would suggest doing the same or buying flax seed and a cheap coffee grinder and grinding it yourself if you want. Chia seeds would also work (but they are super not fun to clean out of the blender, in my opinion.

I use dark chocolate almond milk for the liquid. Its fast and is just sweet enough to make the smoothie perfect. However, if you are preferring a more "whole food" approach, I have also used plain almond milk or full fat organic milk with a tbsp cocoa powder and some sweetener. Honey, maple syrup, or dates.

For the greens, I generally use baby spinach, kale, or baby kale. I have also used the super greens blend at Costco. I generally can easily pack 2 cups of spinach into the smoothie, but generally use a little less kale because I find it a tad stronger.

Ok, enough talk.

Chocolate PB Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1-2 cups greens, such as kale, spinach, chard, collards
1 banana
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup soaked oats
Ice

Put the ingredients in the blender in the order listed. I start with just a little ice and add until I get the consistency I want. The level of ice I use depends on what ingredients are already frozen.

Breakfast Casserole

This is a great meal for a breakfast for dinner night, or for a special weekend breakfast. We had this Christmas morning along with cinnamon rolls.

If you have baked potatoes for one meal, make a couple extra to use later in this. Makes this meal a snap. Even if you have to start the potatoes, its still a breeze. Just wash, dry, poke, rub with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake directly on the rack at 375 for around 45 minutes.

Any potato will work, but golds are especially good due to the thin skin and firm texture.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cooked potatoes, cubed
1-2 bell peppers, diced
1 can diced green chilis
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 lb breakfast sausage (cooked, drained) or cubed ham
1.5 cups shredded cheese (whatever you want. Cheddar, colby, pepperjack)
8 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
few shakes hot sauce
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350

Layer the ingredients in a 9x13 pan. Potatoes, bell peppers, chilis, green onions, crumbled sausage, cheese.

Beat the milk, eggs, hot sauce, and S&P in a bowl and pour on top

Cook for 45-50 minutes, or until set.

German Pancakes

I believe there are multiple names for this yumminess. I was introduced to this by my husbands family, and its a nice yummy change to the breakfast routine


Its kind of a cross between a omelet and a pancake. Its great with syrup or jam.

German Pancakes

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
pinch of salt

Place a 9x13 pan in a oven an heat to 450.

Meanwhile, whip together on high the eggs, milk, flour, and salt.

Once oven is preheated, add butter to the hot pan. Once melted, pour the batter into the pan. Cook 15-20 minutes, until pancake is raised up the sides of the pan and are nice and browned. This will expand a lot and then collapse a bit once its out of the oven.

Maple and Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin Pancake Muffins with Homemade Cinnamon Chips

I kinda hate pancakes. You have to stand right there and watch them, and at least one always burns.

My sister always tells me about these amazing cinnamon chips you can get in the store, but I have never been able to find them! Even in the holiday season they evade me.

So as I am googling the chips to see if I can find anywhere that makes them local, I stumble upon a few recipes for homemade ones! Well, pfftt. I'll just do that! Cheaper anyway. And better ingredients. I adapted the recipe and whipped them up toot sweet. Super fast and easy. And they would last a really long time in a airtight container

And pumpkin. I mean really?? Of course cinnamon and pumpkin.

I was thinking about how yummy the cream cheese frosting is on the pumpkin bars I make, and BOOM. Cream cheese stuffed pumpkin pancake muffins. Sweeten it with maple syrup and its golden.

These will not brown up the same as normal muffins. You have to go by feel.

Maple and Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin Pancake Muffins with Homemade Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Chips (recipe below)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp vinegar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can. NOT pie filling)
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/3rd cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground clove
1 block cream cheese, room temp
1/3rd cup maple syrup

Cinnamon chips:
2/3rd cup sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp corn syrup ( I used organic corn syrup. Nice compromise)


Mix until well combined and crumbly. Press thin and even onto a parchment paper or silpat lined cookie sheet. Cook 35 minutes at 200 degrees. Let cool completely (I just let it sit and dry overnight) Use a pizza cutter to cut into small squares. Place in airtight container.


Pancakes:
Add vinegar and milk and let sit a few minutes. Turn oven to 350 and spray 2 muffin pans



Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Combine milk/vinegar, egg, and pumpkin. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in cinnamon chips

Put a spoonful of the muffin mix at the bottom of all cups(maybe leave 4 undone just in case). Put a dollup of cream cheese mix in the middle of each. Top with more mix, filling about 2/3rds full.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until muffin top springs back and keeps its shape when lightly pressed.

Let cool in pan 5 minutes then take out.

Bacon, Spinach, and Mushroom Quiche

I have been working on making double of something and freezing one for later. Especially with new baby coming soon. Quiches are cheap, pretty easy, and freeze really well. There is also endless possibilities. Any type of meat, cheese, and veggies you want!


I went ahead and wrote the recipe for TWO quiches. I really recommend doing it this way and freezing one! If not, its really easy to halve the recipe

Bacon, Spinach, and Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts
1 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumble
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very well dry.
2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, diced
1 big clove garlic, minced
12oz of sliced mushrooms, cut into smaller pieces.
2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
8 eggs
3 cups of your choice milk, cream, half and half, buttermilk. (I used half whole milk, half buttermilk)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400
Arrange pie crusts in 2 pie pans. Pierce bottom with a fork a few times. Line/cover with tin foil. Cook 8 minutes covered. Uncover and cook for 3-5 more minutes, just starting to brown a little

Heat a big skillet with a little oil or bacon grease. Cook the shallots and garlic until starting to brown. Add mushrooms, and cook until soft. Take off heat.

Sprinkle bacon and spinach over the bottom of the pie crusts. Top with cheese. Put mushrooms and onions on top.

Whip together eggs and milk. Mix in a few generous pinches of salt and pepper

Ladle over the quiche fillings. There might be a little left over.

Lower oven heat to 350 and cook 40-50 minutes. Insert a knife into the middle and its done if it comes out clean.

Let cool 15 minute.

Freeze instructions. Let cool completely. Wrap well. Thaw in fridge overnight and cook at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until middle is warm

Green Eggs

My son LOVES these. Its a great way to get some greens in without the turn off of the iffy texture. It smells like a spinach quiche too! Yum!

Green Eggs

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 heaping handful of baby spinach, baby kale, or kale.
1 tbsp cheese of choice. Our favorites is parmesan or ricotta
sprinkle of salt
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of onion powder


In a food processor, food chopper, blender, or Magic Bullet, put in the greens, eggs, cheese, and seasonings. Do it in that order so the weight of the eggs makes the greens blend better (invert for Magic Bullet since it goes upside down). Blend for 10-15 seconds, until its mixed and green.

Pour into a preheated skillet and cook for a few minutes just like scrambled eggs.
Serve with some strawberries or a glass of OJ for a big iron boost

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

So, my husband is bad at eating breakfast in the morning, so we are making a effort to remedy that. He does like oatmeal, so we decided to try to do that more often. I knew how healthy steel cut oats were, so I wanted to give that a shot. I knew I wanted to try a slow cooked version, but I needed to try the normal method to actually see how it was supposed to feel and taste. It has much more texture than regular oats, so be aware of that if you have never tried them before. They have a "al dente" bite to them. But that is a little less apparent in the slow cook method. So on the other hand, if you are used to the texture of steel cut oats on the stove, be aware this might be a little mushier than you would expect.


I am sure you could do this in a large crock pot, but I am not sure how that would change the cook time. And every slow cooker is different. So you might have to try the plain version of the recipe a few times to get the liquid ratio just right, as well as the cooking time. I went to Target and got a 2.5 quart Crockpot for $12 for this purpose. Totally worth it! Also try spraying the crockpot to help the sticking, but expect to have to soak it :)

You could try this water bath method too in a large crock pot

Long story short, don't cook this for the first time for a bunch of guests, lol.

Spray or butter the bottom and up the sides of the crock pot for easier clean up

I add a couple tbsp of chia seeds to each batch. You don't even notice them. You could add ground flaxseed also/instead.

You can add any type of milk you like. Almond, coconut, hemp, rice, skim/2%/whole, goat. Whatever floats your boat.
Same goes for "sugar". If your prefer stevia, honey, maple syrup, white sugar, or whatever sweetener toots your horn.
You can also substitute virgin coconut oil for butter. Especially recommended for the coconut flavors.

**I kept forgetting to take pictures in the craze of morning routine, so I will add more pictures as I can!**

Basic Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats.

Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk of choice
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

Add all the ingredients. Give a light stir. Cook on low 8 hours. Reheat leftovers with a little milk added.


Variations:


*Unless specified as "when serving" or "top with", all variation ingredients are added for the cooking process.

Maple Brown Sugar:

Add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar in the cooking process and drizzle with a little (REAL) maple syrup when serving.

Maple Bacon:
Top with 1/2 slice crumbled bacon and drizzle with maple syrup

Apple Cinnamon:

Peel and chop 2 apples into bite size pieces
Add to crock pot along with 1 tbsp cinnamon and 1 tsp ground ginger. Add brown sugar to taste when served.

Cinnamon Spice:

Add 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves to liquid.

Chocolate PB:
Add 1 tbsp cocoa powder and some sugar. Top with a dollop of PB when serving

Chocolate Banana:

Whisk 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp white sugar, and 1-2 mashed very ripe bananas to milk before adding to crock pot. Add more sweetener to each serving if needed (depends on sweetness of bananas) (banana ones don't keep well in our experience, so don't plan on leftovers! Or add the banana when serving)

Chocolate Coconut: 
Replace milk with plain coconut milk (I used canned) and add 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp sugar, and a palmful of shredded sweetened coconut (I chopped it up a little more)

Banana Coconut:
Use coconut milk and mash 2 bananas. Add a palmful of sweetened, shredded, and chopped coconut.
(banana ones don't keep well in our experience, so don't plan on leftovers! Or add the banana when serving)

Nutella:
Add a dollop of nutella and a sprinkle of hazelnuts when serving, plus maybe a little sugar if needed.

Pumpkin:
Add 1 cup pureed pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie stuff), 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1/4 cup sugar. Can top with chopped pecans if desired

Banana Bread:
Mash 2 ripe bananas and add to liquid along with 1 tbsp cinnamon. When serving, sweeten as desired and add chopped walnuts and/or a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips.
(banana ones don't keep well in our experience, so don't plan on leftovers! Or add the banana when serving)

Blueberry Lemon:
Add 1 cup frozen blueberries and zest and juice of one lemon when assembling to cook. Top with slivered almonds, if desired.

Strawberries and Cream:
Add 1 cup frozen strawberries and a couple tbsp sugar.

Lemon Poppyseed:
Right before serving, zest and juice of one lemon and stir. Add a palmful of poppy seeds or, heck just use chia seeds. :)

Mango Coconut:
Use coconut milk. Add 1 cup frozen mango, and a palmful shredded, chopped, sweetened coconut.

Mocha:
Substitute 1 cup water with 1 cup cooled brewed coffee. Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 3 tbsp sugar.

PB and J:
Sweeten and then top with a dollop of PB and a dollop of preferred jam/jelly/100% fruit spread

Country Breakfast Potatoes

I really hope no one reads my blog for the descriptions I write. Because I am drawing a blank today. These are a good breakfast side dish. Yummy, flavorful, and pretty easy. Do it.

Country Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients:
-5 red or gold potatoes (or russet, if you aren't opposed to brown potato skins. Some people are picky), cut into 1 inch pieces
-1 large onion, large diced
-1 bell pepper, large diced
-2 tbsp butter, divided
-a few pinches dried herbs, such as rosemary, parsley, etc.
-salt and pepper
-tbsp flour

Place the diced potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water. Heat to a high simmer and cook until fork tender. 5-10 minutes. The pieces are small, so it shouldn't be too long. Drain. Place in bowl and lightly and evenly sprinkle with flour. Toss in bowl to coat.

In a large skillet on medium, melt a tbsp of butter. Add the pepper and onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened and browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Place the other tbsp butter in the pan. Add the potatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper, and stir. Pat down into a even layer and let sit for a few minutes until well browned and crisp. Flip and repeat.

Add onions and peppers, stir and serve!

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers

Oh...Em....Geee.

How did I not come up with this before?

Or even at all...since it was my friend S that shared this amazingness with me.

We love peppers. We love stuffing peppers. We love breakfast. Come on, Kate. Its not a hard leap to make.

Moving on.

I made 4 peppers. You could easily a little more of each ingredient to stretch this to 6 or more peppers.

Feel free to use different veggies, meats, or cheeses. Green onions would be a nice addition. Fresh tomatoes too.

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

4 bell peppers
1 cup frozen hash browns. I used shredded. Country style would work too
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup asparagus, 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup cheese of choice. (we did a mix of parmesan and mozzarella this time. Sharp cheddar would be nice too)
2/3rds cup breakfast sausage, cooked, drained, and crumbled (I cooked a whole package and froze the leftovers for easy sprinkling in breakfast burritos. Bacon or ham would work as well)
4 eggs
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375

Bring a stockpot of salty water to a rapid boil

Decord and deseed the peppers. Barely shave off the bottom a little so they stand well, if needed.

Place peppers in boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Remove, drain, and place in baking dish.

Bring a skillet to heat on the stove. Cook hash browns per package instructions.

Remove hashbrowns to paper towel. Return pan to stove and heat.

Add veggies. Cook 4-5 minutes, until softened. Remove from heat and place on paper towel to drain. Return pan to heat.

Cook sausage or bacon until done. Drain and crumble. If using ham cubes, just heat and toast a little.

Place 1/4 of the hashbrowns in each pepper. Repeat with veggies and then meat. Top with cheese and smush down filling a little if needed.

Cook in oven for 10-15 minutes.

Pull pan out and crack an egg into each pepper. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook 15-20 more minutes, until whites of egg is cooked through, but yolk is still a bit runny if desired.

Homemade Yogurt, Greek Yogurt, and "Yogurt Cheese"

So, this has been something I have been wanting to try for a while. It really is incredibly easy. And cheap.

It takes a while, but the actual hands on part is brief.

If you have ever had organic yogurt, you see that its a little runnier than traditional yogurt. This is that consistency. So some people might like to turn it into Greek yogurt. But keep in mind this will cut the amount of yogurt you get in half.

I have heard that one of the key things is to make sure your milk is just pasteurized, not ultra. (lots of organic I have come across is ultra). I can't remember the source, so take it as you will. Its not that hard to follow the tip though, so why not?

You can use raw as well, but you might want to only heat it to 120 or so, otherwise you would basically kill anything raw about it.

There are LOTS of methods out there. I have only tried this one. And it worked just great! I might try other ways later on, so keep posted as I might edit this post.

You can also half this recipe if you wish. My son can go through a 32oz container of yogurt in 6-7 days, so I go big or go home :). Also, this should last 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

Yogurt:

Ingredients:

1 gallon milk (I used a good quality organic whole milk yogurt. About $6)
3 tbsp good quality plain yogurt with active cultures (I used Stoneyfield Whole Plain)

Tools needed for this method:

Large stock pot
thermometer (I used a candy thermometer but my digital meat thermometer worked too!)
whisk
4 quart mason jars
ladle
a funnel would have made life easier, but I managed without
a small cooler
a blanket


Pour gallon of milk into the stock pot. Heat over medium to 180, stirring often. Especially towards the end. I let the milk on the bottom burn a bit, so I had to strain it. No huge deal.

This will take a while. 15-20 minutes or so. I emptied and loaded the dishwasher during this step.

Once its 180, remove from heat and place in sink half full of ice water.

Annnnd this was the day before I deep cleaned the sink. So glad I captured that for all time....

Monitor temperature and stir often until it reaches 120. This won't take as long 3-5 minutes. Don't go too far away!

Whisk in yogurt well.

Ladle into very clean jars. Put lids on.

Run hot water in the sink for a few minutes until its the hottest it goes.

Place jars into cooler and fill to brim level with water. Close cooler and wrap with blanket.


Let sit 7-8 hours.

Do not open or stir or shake. Put into fridge and let cool for at least 8 hours.

Open and enjoy.

A little honey and vanilla is great with this!

Or cook a cup and a half of strawberries and blueberries with a few tbsp of honey. Cook on medium low until nice and syrupy. Mash and cool. Add to yogurt for a mixed berry flavor!


For Greek yogurt:

You need a metal strainer and either cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

Scoop yogurt into the filter lined strainer. Place over a bowl and put into the fridge for around 4 hours. Check to make sure the whey (liquid draining off) doesn't reach the bottom of the strainer.

You can use the whey for a lot of things. I don't really know what at this point, but google it. Lots of good things out there.

For "yogurt cheese" (very very similar to cream cheese):

Take Greek yogurt a bit further and strain overnight.

Breakfast Burritos/Quesadillas

This is a fast, multipurpose, yummy, and filling go-to for us. You can use whatever you have on hand. Great way to use up the 3 mushrooms and 1/2 bell pepper you have sitting around. You don't need a lot of each ingredient. A little goes a long way. These are just suggested ingredients. Other ideas include: Black beans, zucchini, tomatoes, bacon, ham, sausage....

Breakfast Burritos/Quesadillas
Ingredients:

4-5 eggs
1 jarred roasted red bell pepper, dried and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 jar diced green chills
3 mushrooms sliced
1/3rd cup shredded cheese
4 small flour tortillas, warmed
sour cream
salsa

In a skillet over medium, saute the peppers, chilis, and mushrooms until soft. (A little butter or oil if needed)

Beat the eggs well. Add to pan. Stir constantly until cooked, a couple minutes. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

For burritos, simply scoop into a warmed tortilla and top with sour cream and salsa.

For quesadillas (my toddler prefers these) place tortilla in a small warmed skillet. Place filling on one half of the tortilla, and fold other side over. Cook until tortilla is lightly browned on each side. Top with sour cream and salsa (or gently open and place some inside)

Buttermilk Peanut Butter French Toast

Yeah. Its even better than it sounds. You will thank me :)

If you don't have buttermilk, no need to make a special trip to the store. Just use milk But if you have it, use it :)

Peanut Butter French Toast

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp brown sugar sugar or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6-8 slices of bread. (We use leftover Challah  or store bought texas toast. )

2 tbsp butter




Whisk together the milk, eggs, PB, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Heat a skillet to medium for at least 5 minutes. Coat in butter. Dip the bread for 15 seconds on each side. Cook until heated through and golden brown, around 3 minutes per side. If it gets too dark too fast, lower heat a little. 

Mini Make Ahead Frittatas

I am always looking for make ahead food for my toddler. I am a zombie in the morning so I don't want to have to think about what to make. Or lunch is a scrounge for yourself type day. Its not fair for the toddler to find his own lunch so this is a good option :)It would also be great for a fast breakfast before work.
I just adapted my other frittata recipe. The combinations are endless. Play around with it.

Sorry about the picture. I forgot to take one until they were already frozen.

Mini Frittatas
Makes 12 muffin sized

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter or oil
2 russet potatoes, grated
1 onion, grated
8 eggs
2 tbsp milk or cream
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 cup of cheese (I used feta, cheddar, and provolone, separately)
filling of choice. Ideas: mushrooms, asparagus, bacon, sausage, ham, spinach, zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375

Dry the potato and onion very well after grating. Place in a large skillet that has been heated over medium heat, with butter melted.

Cook until starting to brown, stirring/flipping as needed. About 5-8 minutes.

Evenly divide potato mix between the muffin pans. Add whatever fillings you want. Put cheese on top.

Beat the eggs, milk, and spices well. Add a couple/few tbsp to each muffin pan.

Place in oven and cook 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let cool in pan. Eat or transfer to sheet pan and put in freezer for 2 hours and then move to freezer bag. This is so they don't stick together

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Lemon and blueberry are that classic combo. They belong together.

These muffins don't rise a ton, so don't be afraid to pile them high.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp butter, melted 
• 1¼ cups sour cream
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1½ cups frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Either grease or line a 12 muffin pan

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the blueberries and toss to combine.

In another bowl, whisk the egg until light. Add the sugar and lemon juice and zest. Add the butter and sour cream, until just mixed.

Add this to the flour and blueberries. Mix until just combined. It is very thick. Do not over mix or they will be tough.

Divide into the muffin pan. Cook about 30 minutes, turning halfway through. As always, its done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Let sit in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Black Bean and Pepper Frittata

I am getting obsessed with frittatas. They are fast, easy, and you can make them with anything. Whats not to love?

Black Bean and Pepper Frittata

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 medium russet potatoes
1 onion
1 bell pepper, diced
1 can fire roasted diced green chilies
1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed
2 tsp Adobo seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese ( I used a little colby jack and cheddar)

9 eggs

splash of milk

Preheat oven to 400


Grate/shred the potatoes and onion with a large cheese grater or food processor attachment.

Use paper towels to squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a 12 inch oven safe frying pan, heat up a couple tbsp of your oil of choice over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onion. Sprinkle with Adobo. Let cook until brown.

Add the bell pepper and flip the potatoes (in sections)

Cook for a few more minutes.

Combine the milk and eggs and beat well

Add the beans and diced green chilies. Add the cheese. Top with the egg mix.

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until center is set and is somewhat browned.

Let cool 5 minutes and serve

Buttery Caramel Syrup

I think I have said it before, but I will say it again. I am not a food photographer. If you want fabulous pictures, this is probably not the place. But I promise it tastes good...And sorry this looks more like gravy than syrup.

But anyway, this syrup is great on pancakes or waffles as well as on ice cream. And while it has a ton of sugar, it has to be a little better than the HFCS maybe-ish crap, right?

Besides, its fast and yummy. And you can make a bunch and store it in the fridge for quite a while.

Please to not do the vinegar/lemon juice with milk sub for buttermilk. Get the real thing. Make the waffles with the leftovers. Worth it.

Buttery Caramel Syrup

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla


In a large saucepan (3 qt+), bring the buttermilk, sugars, and butter to a boil over medium heat.


Let boil 2 minutes.


Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Whisk. It will bubble a lot. Glad you used the big pan?


Let cool. It will thicken as it cools. 


Serve and refrigerate leftovers. If you don't eat it all with a spoon.

Eggs Benedict California on English Muffin Toast

This english muffin bread is SO fast and easy. Its more like a quick bread or beer bread than a tedious yeast bread. Even if you don't want to make these eggs benedict, give the bread a shot...But the rest of it is so easy, why not do it all?

Oh and this blender hollandaise takes about 3 minutes and its perfect.

Eggs Benedict California on English Muffin Toast

Ingredients:

Eggs for poaching
white vinegar
2 avocados, sliced
2 vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
english muffin toast (recipe as follows)
hollandaise (recipe as follows)

Assemble the toast. Toast, tomato slices, avocado slices.

Bring a pot of water with a splash of vinegar to simmer, not boil.

Crack an egg into a small bowl. Gently pour egg into water. Use a slotted spoon to gently prod the whites to keep them close to the yolk. After one minute, turn off the heat. Let sit 3-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to bring egg to surface so you can lightly press into the yolk to make sure its soft. You want the yolk runny but the whites set and not too underdone.

Remove with slotted spoon and pat dry with a paper towel. Place on the toast tower and cover with hollandaise.


English Muffin Toast
Adapted from OneGoodThingByJillee

Makes 2 loaves

2 3/4 cups warm water
3 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
5 1/2 cups flour



All you do is mix it all together and divide into either 1 or 2 greased loaf pans. 2 pans will make smaller loaves, closer to english muffin size. 1 will make a nice large loaf, good for toast. Let rise until it reaches the top of the pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 350, brush with melted butter, and continue baking until golden brown. About another 5-10 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting.


Blender Hollandaise Sauce
Adapted from Simplyrecipes

3 egg yolks
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
10 tbsp butter

Melt the butter on the stove top. Do not boil. 

In a blender, combine yolks, salt, lemon, and cayenne. Blend for 45 seconds on high.

Turn blender on low, add melted butter slowly. Let blend 5 seconds after butter is added.

Taste the sauce. Add more lemon, salt or cayenne to taste. Should be buttery, lemony, and slightly salty. 

Keep warm. Use within a hour.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Such a nice hearty weekend breakfast.

The biscuits are very fast. Can be whipped up in minutes and make the gravy while the biscuits bake.

May not be the most pretty picture, but it sure is yummy

Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees 

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. 

Stir in butter and milk just until moistened.

Drop batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon.

Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil

1 lb of breakfast sausage

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp black pepper

3 cups milk

Salt to taste
a few shakes hot sauce
a few shakes worchestershire sauce

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium

Add sausage and brown

Once cooked through, add flour and pepper.

Stir well and cook 2 minutes

Add milk slowly, while stirring 

Let bubble and thicken. Salt to taste

Serve over biscuits 

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

My friend just out of the blue suggested I make Nutella Banana Bread. I immediately rose the the occasion and tweaked my tried and true banana bread to make the swirl bread. So yummy

Virgin coconut oil is a good use in this recipe. It adds a nice coconut undertone

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

Wet:
1 cups brown sugar
1 cups white sugar
2 cups mashed banana
4 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil

Dry:
3 1/2 cup flour
1/2tsp salt
2tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp clove

2/3rd cup Nutella
1 cup walnuts (optional if you are one of those people that like nuts in bread. :P)


Preheat oven to 350
Spray 2 9x5 loaf pans

In the mixer bowl, mix all wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Add dry to wet. Mix until just combined

Pour about half the batter into the the bowl that held the dry ingredients

Add the Nutella to the half batter. (Fold in nuts if you desire)

Alternate the plain batter and the nutella batter. Use a butter knife to lightly, briefly swirl the batters.

Cook 60-75 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean

Let cool 10 minutes in pan.