Breakfast Pockets
30 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, breakfast, brinner (breakfast for dinner), freezes well, sandwiches
I made these for dinner last night, and they were REALLY good! A bit time-consuming, but since it makes a lot (we had several pockets leftover for the freezer, which means Luke will get a hot breakfast on a school day in the weeks to come, which will make him really happy!) I was okay with that.
You do make a bread dough, but it was really easy and totally worked. In fact, now that I have this dough recipe, I’m thinking of all kinds of stuff to fill these pockets with! It makes a light, not-tough bread that’s perfect for filling with something, and dough that was very easy to work with.
I mostly followed the original recipe, found here. My only change was to use crumbled bacon instead of sausage, since that’s what I had on hand (and what we prefer). I just sprinkled it over the top of the egg filling when I had it on the dough already, so it stayed crispy. That meant that instead of frying the sausage with the onion, I just needed to saute the onion in a tiny bit of butter before I added the egg and hash browns later.
A note about the filling: instead of frozen hash browns, thawed, I just bought Simply Potatoes hash browns (I used the southwest seasoned ones – these are found in the refrigerated section of the grocery near eggs). And, next time, I will omit the hash browns completely. We just don’t eat a lot of potatoes around here, and Luke even commented that he loved them, but next time he’d like no hash browns. To me, it was just filler. I’ll add a couple more eggs to make up the difference in volume.
Dough
1 1/2 Tbl yeast (2 packets)
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees – I microwaved for about 30 seconds)
3/4 c evaporated milk (110 degrees – again, microwave, but only about 20 seconds because it’s not as cold as the water to start with)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 c flour
Filling
1 lb bulk sausage (or bacon, as described above)
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 1/2 c hash brown potatoes (thawed or use Simply Potatoes)
7 large eggs
3 Tbl milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
Dough:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the water.
Add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour; whisk until smooth.
Add enough flour until it makes a soft dough but do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Filling:
Cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain. Whisk the eggs, milk and spices together in a bowl. Add the hash browns and egg mixture to the pan. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and keep warm.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Punch down the dough and cut into 16 equal pieces.
Roll or stretch each piece into 7 in circle on a floured surface. Top with 1/3 c filling, fold, and pinch shut (I didn’t have any problems with filling oozing out while baking, and I just pinched them closed with my fingers). Bake for 15-20 minutes.
To freeze:
Allow to cool completely. Once cooled, place in the freezer on the baking sheet until frozen. Store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for 3-6 months. To reheat, place on a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.
Monkey Bread
31 Jan 2012 1 Comment
in bread/muffins, breakfast, company's coming!
This is Matt’s mom’s recipe, and it is the best! Perfect to take to a coffee with friends or when you have company at breakfast time.
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbl cinnamon
3 cans regular Pillsbury biscuits (not Grands)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
DO NOT PREHEAT YOUR OVEN.
Take a bundt pan and coat it with spray or butter.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl or ziploc bag.
Next, cut each biscuit into quarters, and then roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture so all sides are coated, and then put them in the pan. If you want to add chopped pecans, throw some in while you’re putting in the biscuit pieces.
Melt the butter, and add the brown sugar. It doesn’t need to be a syrup consistency, but most of the brown sugar does need to be melted.
Pour that mixture over the biscuits in the pan.
Put the pan in the cold oven and turn it on to 350 and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes, and then flip onto a large plate, and devour.
Strawberry-Kiwi Jam
06 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, breakfast, freezes well, fruit
I found this recipe in my taste of home magazine. My grandma makes awesome strawberry jam, but we just aren’t there enough to get it! So, I knew I needed to try this recipe as my kids and hubby love that jelly. Kayla and Kirk have both tried this and loved it. This does have a TON of sugar in it, but I did follow the recipe to the exact measurements.
6 cups fresh strawberries (cut up – most I just cut in half)
3 chopped kiwi fruit
1 tblspn lemon juice
1 tblspn chopped crystallized ginger
1 pkg powdered fruit pectin
5 cups sugar
The recipe says to mash the strawberries with the kiwi fruit. I ran it through our food processor. Then, combine that in a dutch oven with the lemon juice, ginger(again I chopped in the food processor), and fruit pectin. Bring to a full roiling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and return to a full boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle into freezer containers and cool to room temperature. Let stand for 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 12 months.
**Next up – blueberry jam. Follow the same above except use 8 cups blueberries, 2 tblspn lemon juice and no ginger. Add 7 cups sugar.
*** The strawberry jam said it made 5 cups. I actually was able to fill 7 jelly jars (8oz).
New Orleans Beignets
26 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, bread/muffins, breakfast, company's coming!
Kirk traveled to New Orleans last Mardi Gras and had beignets there….he claimed they were amazing. Ironically, I found this recipe in my cooking light magazine shortly after he returned. It took me this long to try them. They were a huge hit! Obviously not nutritious at all, but a special treat none the less. A parenting plus for me?….when I told Kayla what we were making and told her they were sort of like donuts, her reply was “What’s a donut?” That’s how little they get donuts around here. So, this was definitely a treat for them.
This recipe makes a TON (like 4-5 dozen). But, it does say you can refrigerate the dough for up to a week in an airtight container. So, I did that with half the dough and will make the rest next weekend. So, the kids get another treat next week! :-) I’ll revise this if that doesn’t work.
1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees), divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
6 1/2 to 7 cups bread flour (I used closer to 7)
vegetable oil
sifted powdered sugar
1. Make the yeast mixture. Combine yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tsp granulated sugar in bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Add milk, eggs, salt, and remaining granulated sugar.
2. Form a dough: Microwave remaining 1 cup water until hot (they say to 115, I had to get it to about 125); stir in shortening until melted. Add to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed, gradually adding 4 cups flour, until smooth. Gradually add remaining 2 1/2 to 3 cups four, beating until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.
3. Rolll and cut: Turn dough out onto a floured surface; roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into squares.
4. Fry until golden: Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3 inches into a dutch oven; heat to 360 degrees. Fry dough, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (Mine did not take this long on each side) Drain on a wire rack. Dust immediately with powdered sugar.*
This is something I would consider making when all of my family is together. I think they would be an added treat to a big family breakfast!
* Kirk said I did not put enough powdered sugar on compared to the restaurant where he had them so he put powdered sugar on each plate for dipping. Super nutritious. But, I will say we all used a bit of it. It was needed. :-)
Purple Pancakes
27 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, breakfast, brinner (breakfast for dinner), freezes well, fruit
Pardon the lack of posting…I’ve not been cooking much for the past month, due to a crazy schedule and the etsy store opening. Sonya is busy growing a baby and preparing for her arrival soon, so she’s busier than normal, too!
Matt wasn’t going to be home for dinner, so I decided it would be pancake night (he’s not a fan), since the boys all devour them. Not often content to just make normal pancakes, I decided to mix in a bunch of stuff and see how they came out. The inspiration was the bag of blueberries I just found in the freezer from last summer’s trip to Michigan. Surprisingly, they weren’t freezer burnt!
No exact measurements here, but you’ll do fine!
Get out your blender. Put the following things in it:
~3/4 cup of vanilla yogurt (I always have Dannon Natural Vanilla here – you could use plain or blueberry, too)
~1 1/2-2 cups of blueberries (it’s ok if they’re a little frozen still)
a few squirts of honey or agave nectar* (I used the agave nectar)
Blend until smooth.
Add in the following:
a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed or wheat germ (I used some of both b/c I was almost out of flaxseed)
~2 cups of complete pancake mix
water (start with 1/2-3/4 cup and add more as needed to thin the batter
Cook on a hot griddle! You want the batter fairly thin, or if it’s too thick, use a rubber spatula to spread out the batter a bit on the griddle right after you pour it on there. For the purpose of getting buy-in from my two older boys who I was afraid would flinch at blueberry pancakes, I added a few mini-chocolate chips.
Verdict: delicious. I’m not a fan of the texture of traditional blueberry pancakes, so blending them up was perfect for me!
It made a ton – probably 16+ 8-9″ pancakes, though I lost count.
*agave nectar is thinner than honey and also sweeter – to me, it’s more like a pure sugar sweetener than honey. You can buy it at any grocery or SuperWalmart. It’s great mixed into a cup of tea, also.
French Toast
10 Mar 2011 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, breakfast
Ok, so I’m sure most of you have a recipe for french toast that you love. We do. However, recently I purchased the most delicious bread for making french toast from Trader Joe’s. I would have never thought of it if they weren’t marketing it as great for that use. But, it makes ours so much more amazing. Challah bread. It’s a must for french toast in this family now. And, I’m going to include my recipe for french toast in case your curious 
3 large eggs
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla (sometimes I use a little more)
1 cup milk
lots of cinnamon
challah bread
I beat the eggs and pinch of salt with a fork and then add the vanilla. I continue to stir as I add the milk and then I sprinkle in quite a bit of cinnamon and stir it up. I just barely put my bread in this mixture (long enough for both sides to be covered with it but I definitely don’t let it sit there and soak in it). Cook on a griddle and then we add powdered sugar and a little bit of agave nectar. There is never a bite left on the kids plates. I realize it isn’t the healthiest, but it’s definitely a treat I make on the weekends a couple of times a month.
** this weekend, I’m going to try putting sliced almonds on ours before I cook it to see what that adds to the taste!
The Most Delicious Pancakes Ever.
02 Mar 2011 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, breakfast, freezes well
I got this recipe a long time ago here, and even though I haven’t read her blog for a long time, this recipe is here to stay in our house. The boys LOVE these and eat a ton when I make them, and because they’re so loaded with goodness I don’t care!
Here’s what you need:
2 cups pancake mix (I always use some kind of buttermilk complete mix)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/3 cup almond butter (I get this at Trader Joe’s; much cheaper than anywhere else)
1 1/2 cups of water
1 egg
1 banana (overripe is fine)
1/4 cup of honey
1/3 cup of yogurt (she calls for plain; I always use Dannon Natural Vanilla)
Cinnamon
It’s easiest to throw everything in the blender if you have a gigantic one, but I don’t, so I mix everything together in my regular-sized blender EXCEPT the pancake mix. When it’s all pureed together, pour it into a big batter bowl, and add the pancake mix and stir or whisk it in. You want this to be kind of thin batter, because they take a while to cook if not.
Cook them on a griddle on 300-325 degrees or over medium heat on the stove.
They’re sweet enough to eat without syrup, but that will never fly at our house, so syrup it is. They also freeze really well for a quick weekday breakfast!
Breakfast Casserole II
28 Sep 2010 1 Comment
in breakfast, brinner (breakfast for dinner)
I think Sonya’s already posted a breakfast casserole, but I just realized that I haven’t posted mine! This one comes from Matt’s mom, and it’s easy and delicious!
I often make 2/3 of a recipe instead of a whole one so that we don’t have quite so much in leftovers. I bake that in a 9×9 instead of the 9×13 and it works perfectly.
**Helpful hint: This can be made the night before you intend to bake it and just refrigerated overnight. I think it’s better that way. If I make it for dinner, I usually put it together by mid-afternoon so it has some time to set.
12 slices of WHITE sandwich bread. Don’t use anything else. I’ve tried this with whole-grain wheat and it’s not very good.
crumbled bacon, sausage or diced ham
shredded cheddar or any other kind of cheese you like or a combo (maybe 8 oz or so)
6 eggs
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
butter
crushed plain potato chips (if they’re flavored, the stuff on them will burn, so don’t use those!)
Grease 9×13 pan. Whisk eggs, milk, salt and dry mustard.
Put a layer of bread on the bottom of the pan. Cover with as much meat and cheese as you want! Add another layer of bread and pour the egg over the top.
Now, the original recipe calls for a stick of butter to be dotted on the top, but I just can’t bring myself to use that much. For a 9×9 I probably use 3 Tbl, and half a stick for a full pan.
Before baking, crush chips over top of all (don’t do this step if you’re refrigerating it the night before until it’s time to bake).
Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes. Let it sit 10 minutes before serving.
Blueberry Muffins, with some updates
15 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, bread/muffins, breakfast, freezes well, fruit, snacks
Sonya first posted this blueberry muffin recipe a long time ago, and it has become a staple in our house. I’ve made a few changes and calculated out some of the nutrition information, so I will include that, too.
1 1/4 cup all-purpose white flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup flaxseed meal (flaxseed is so good for you, and it’s better for you to eat it ground into meal)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
8 oz Dannon vanilla yogurt (obviously, use what you want, but this is our favorite)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbl butter, melted (this last time I used just slightly less; probably 3 1/2 T)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (you can use frozen, but fresh are much better)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 15 muffin cups or line with paper liners. DO NOT make mini-muffins; they don’t turn out well.
Stir together flours, flaxseed, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, egg, vanilla, butter and blueberries. Stir mixtures together just until combined; batter will be be very thick. Scoop into muffin cups.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Per muffin: 118 calories, 4.5 g fat, 3.5 g protein, 2 g fiber
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream BARS
06 Jan 2010 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, breakfast, dessert, there's chocolate in this!
Here’s my mother-in-law’s version of the same cake, but this bakes up more like a bar that you can pick up and eat a bit more easily.
Chocolate Chip Cake Bars
6 Tbl softened margarine or butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 c flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
8 oz. sour cream
Small bag of chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate chips)
Cinnamon and sugar
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cream butter and sugar with a mixer; add eggs; add dry ingredients; add sour cream.
Grease or spray a 9×13 pan and spread batter in it. Scatter chocolate chips over the batter. Sprinkle several tablespoons of cinnamon and sugar over the top.
Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes.
