2016 Daily December 22--eggnog French toast

My family loves eggnog, and we enjoy it all December long--the non-alcoholic kind :)  I found this recipe for eggnog French toast a few years ago, and we have enjoyed it every December since.  I find it works best if you just put all the ingredients in the blender to mix them up.  Then you don't get any egg pieces in your French toast which I do not like.  Enjoy!

Eggnog French Toast

8 eggs

3/4 cup eggnog

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 loaf Texas Toast

Mix eggs, eggnog, brown sugar and cinnamon in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a shallow dish.  Dip each piece of toast in the mix and let is soak up a little on each side.  Transfer to a hot griddle and cook both sides until golden brown.  Top with butter, syrup, peanut butter, powdered sugar, jam or whatever your family likes on French toast.  We also just like them plain.

Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--banana chocolate chip mini muffins

 Going with a muffin theme this month so far, but that is good.  On cold mornings I don't think you could have a better breakfast than a yummy muffin and some hot chocolate, and we have had some cold mornings!  Today school didn't start until 10 a.m. because of ice everywhere.  The kids and I didn't complain.  How nice to sleep in on a Wednesday!!!  Sweet!  I have shared these before, but they are seriously one of our family's favorite muffins.  Banana chocolate chip--yum!  They freeze well if you have leftovers to take out and warm up for another cold morning breakfast.  Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 medium)

1 large egg

1/4 cup butter, melted or coconut oil melted

1/4 cup sour cream, can use fat free or low fat

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 and either line a mini muffin tin with baking cups or spray with pam.  In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix well.

In a mixing bowl combine the mashed bananas, egg, melted butter/coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla and milk.  Mix well.  Mix in the dry ingredients until barely mixed in.  Do not overmix.  Fold in chocolate chips and fill each muffin tin.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until top are golden and spring back when touched.  

Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--buttermilk syrup and pancakes

Yes I realize it is a Thursday, but my week didn't have a Wednesday this week.  It just disappeared into crazy chaos and so you get this amazing recipe today.  Please make it.   It is divine!  Now that school is back in session, I try really hard to make breakfast.  That includes making tons of pancakes and/or waffles, muffins, etc and putting them in the freezer, so the kids and Ben can just grab something out of the freezer and either toast it or microwave it, and they have a hot breakfast ready to go.  This week I made a huge batch of my buttermilk pancakes and also a batch of this buttermilk syrup.  Oh. my.  It is so good--like lick-the-spoon-off good.  Not only is this good on pancakes, waffles and such, but also so good on ice cream.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk Syrup

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup Karo syrup

2 sticks butter

2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together EXCEPT the vanilla in a large pot--this expands a ton while boiling because of the baking soda so I used my stock pot.  Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Serve warm.  Store leftovers in a glass mason jar in fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Buttermilk Pancakes  

(I always double this and freeze the leftovers)

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 Tbs oil

Mix the above well in a bowl.

In another larger bowl mix

2 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add wet ingredients to mixed dry and mix together with a whisk.  Add more buttermilk to thin if needed.  Use 1/4 cup to measure out batter to cook pancakes.  Turn when bubbles start to pop.  Cook until lightly brown. Enjoy with buttermilk syrup.

Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--crepes

One of my favorite summer meals is crepes with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and vanilla yogurt inside sprinkled with powdered sugar on the top.  Divine.  When strawberries and blueberries are in season together, we have this often.  The batter is super easy to make.  Just put everything in your blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Basic Crepes

4 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups flour

2 1/4 cups milk

4 TB melted butter

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Heat a lightly oiled 9" frying pan on medium high heat.  Pour the batter onto hot pan using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon.  Quickly tilt the pan so the batter spreads out even and smooth all over the bottom of the pan.  Cook about 1-2 minutes and then loosen with a spatula and flip to cook the other side.  Serve hot and fill with whatever you want.  We love vanilla yogurt with berries and bananas.  Nutella with bananas is also really good!  Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--election results and chocolate chip pancakes

Wanted to officially announce that I won the school board election!  Woohoo!  We were waiting at the court house for the results to come in from 7 to 9 p.m. last night.  When they finally did come in, we needed to celebrate, so we went to Sonic and got shakes. Yum!  yes, sadly we are missing one.  She was at play practice.  Thanks so much for your support!  I got tons of texts of congrats and even a call from my sweet aunt in Utah to congratulate me!  Thank you all!  That meant so much!  I take office July 1st.  Crazier--here we come (because we were already at crazy:)  So love this family of mine and their support!  Couldn't do it without them.

so onto the recipe I promised for today--chocolate chip pancakes.  This is one of Mr J's favorite things to make.  He does them all by himself which is really nice :)  He likes to make different shapes and letters when he cooks them.  These are extra yum.  Enjoy!

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 Tbl baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

In a large bowl combine flour, chocolate chips, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl combine milk, eggs, oil and brown sugar then add to the flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened (batter may still be lumpy)

Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot skillet and cook until bubbles begin to burst.  Turn, continue to cook for about 1 minute longer or until golden.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

What's up Wednesday--buttermilk pancakes

This is my mom's buttermilk pancake recipe, and they are sooooo good!  Last week everyone had Monday off--our final day of the holidays--so Ben and Mr J made us these pancakes for breakfast.  Divine!  You have to use real buttermilk, though.  Substitutes just don't cut it for this recipe.  They freeze really well.  We usually double the recipe so we have extras to heat up for breakfast on busy mornings.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk pancakes

Beat together:

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 Tab oil

In another bowl mix together:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 Tab sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 scant tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients with mixed liquid ingredients with a wire whisk.  Add more buttermilk if mixture is too thick, but try to keep it pretty thick.  Drop by 1/4 cup on hot, lightly greased griddle.  Bake on one side until bubbles appear, turn and cook until done on other.

Enjoy with butter and syrup or whatever you like on pancakes--peanut butter, nutella, applesauce, jam--a few of our favorites :)

What's up Wednesday--pumpkin waffles

 We have had some cooler days.  Days where I have turned off the A/C and opened up the windows.  So nice.  Can't wait for fall!  So on one of those cooler days I got into a breakfast cooking mode.  I love pumpkin in anything, and I felt like I needed to invite fall all the way in by making pumpkin recipes.  I did my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and my pumpkin pancakes along with these pumpkin waffles.  One large 29 oz of pumpkin allows me to do a double recipe of the muffins and pancakes plus enough to make these waffles.  I put them all in the freezer to we are set for breakfast for at least a week :)  My mom sent me this recipe when I was a freshman in college.

Pumpkin Waffles

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

3 beaten eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

3/4 cup mashed pumpkin

1/2 cup cooking oil

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.

In another bowl mix the eggs, milk, pumpkin, and cooking oil.

Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture and mix well.  It is okay to leave a few lumps.

Cook in a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

Serve with butter and syrup.  Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--banana bread pancakes

We love bananas at our house.  Miss O especially loves them.  When I found this banana bread pancake recipe they were all really excited.  The dough is very thick.  I have made it a few times and always add more buttermilk at the end to thin it out a little.  Enjoy!

Banana Bread Pancakes

2 cups flour (I have used all white, all wheat or a mix, all work well)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup buttermilk plus more to thin if needed

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2-3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon.  Whisk until all combined.  Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix in a with a spatula or wooden spoon.  Add in mashed bananas and butter.  Mix until smooth.  Add more buttermilk to thin batter if too thick.  You want the batter thick, but not super thick.  Cook on hot griddle using a 1/3 cup for each pancake.  turn when pancake starts to bubble about 2 minutes, then turn and cook until done about 2 minutes more.  Times are adjustable.  Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--whole grain waffles

I love waffles.  Always have.  They are really not Ben's favorite, but every once in a while I find a waffle recipe that he likes.  This one he definitely likes and so do all my kids.  I have been making these once a week all summer and putting the extra in the freezer for the rest of the week.  I always double the recipe. I got the original recipe from here.  Enjoy! 

Whole Grain Waffles

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 Tbl ground flaxseed

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbl sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup oil**

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, flaxseed, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  In another bowl mix together the milk, oil, vanilla, and egg and whisk until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just mixed.  Ladle onto your waffle iron and cook according to its instructions.  My waffle iron makes 4 squares like above and I put 1/3 cup batter in each square and cook for 3 minutes.  Everyone's waffle irons are different.  

**I have used coconut oil for these, and it makes them taste really good, but coconut oil is only liquid when it is warm, so if I use it, then I have to warm up the milk and then add the coconut oil, and then if my milk wasn't warm enough, I have to microwave the whole bowl of liquid ingredients with the solid coconut oil clumped in until the coconut oil melts and it becomes smooth and ready to combine with the dry ingredients.  Kind of a hassle, but it does taste extra good with coconut oil.

What's up Wednesday--the best granola

I love granola.  I love oatmeal--not plain, but in things.  I know I have mentioned this granola before, but it bears repeating.  If you haven't made it, you need to.  It is divine.  Our family can eat the whole recipe in one sitting.  I have made it for our treat for Friday night movie nights, and everyone cheers.  I even made this for seminary once and was very surprised that the high school boys gobbled it up.  The original recipe is from, of course, Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She uses raisins, but my family loves the dried cranberries.  I also use coconut oil instead of regular oil when I make this, but both work well.  I just like things I can make with coconut oil because it smells so good :)  This is divine over vanilla yogurt in the mornings or just with milk.  It is also just great to snack on.  Enjoy!

Coconut and Cashew Granola

 3 cups oats, can use old fashioned or quick

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup cashews

3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/4 cup plus 2 Tab brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 Tab pure maple syrup

1/4 cup vegetable or coconut oil

3/4 cup salt

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250. In a large bowl combine the oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar.  In a smaller bowl whisk together the oil, syrup, and salt.  Slowly pour the liquid over the oatmeal mix and stir well until all covered.  Divide in half and pour onto two 11x17 rimmed baking sheets.  Spread out into an even layer for each sheet.  Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden.  Remove from oven.  Transfer to a large bowl and mix in 1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries.  Store covered.

Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--overnight French Toast

This is another overnight breakfast recipe I found last year as we were trying to find breakfast ideas for Friday mornings and Ben's seminary class.  This is one of the kids' favorites--our kids and the seminary kids.  It is so easy.  It calls for a whole loaf of French bread, but even squishing them in really tight, I can never fit a whole loaf  in the pan.  Just fill in the pan with as much bread as you can and call it good.

Overnight French Toast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 T corn syrup

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 loaf French bread, cut into thick slices

In a medium saucepan over medium heat mix and melt brown sugar, butter and corn syrup.  Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and spread the butter mixture on the bottom of the pan.

Mix eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Arrange bread slices on the baking dish--squish them in.  Pour egg mixture over bread making sure not to miss any area and use all the mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  The next morning just bake at 350 for 30 minutes and serve.  Yum!  

What's up Wednesday--overnight breakfast casserole

You may not know that Ben teaches an early morning scripture study class--we call it seminary--for the high school kids in our church.  He has 4 kids including Miss A.  They meet every morning there is school at 6:10 a.m. in our basement.  This is his second year teaching, and he does a great job!  When he first started teaching last year he decided on Fridays they would have breakfast for the class.  Because of this, I keep my eye out for easy, yummy breakfast recipes.  Overnight casseroles that you make the night before and just put in the oven in the morning are the best, and the seminary kids love them.  I tried this new one a few weeks ago, and they all really liked it.  I like that you can either bake right away or it can wait overnight.  Nice.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

4 English muffins, split

1 lb pork sausage

8 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 drained 4 oz can green chilies

softened butter to spread on English muffins

Pam spray a 9x13 pan.  Spread butter on each muffin half and place buttered side up in 9x13 pan.  

Brown sausage and cook until done.  Drain

Spoon sausage over each muffin half.

In a bowl whisk eggs and sour cream, then stir in drained chilies.  Pour over sausage and muffins.  Sprinkle top with cheese.  

Refrigerate overnight or bake right away.  350 degrees uncovered for about 30 minutes or until eggs are set.  Enjoy!

What's Up Wednesday--German pancakes/Mountains

When I was growing up my mom made this often.  We always called them Mountains because of how they puffed up while cooking.  I hadn't made these in a long, long time, and saw the recipe the other day and thought my kids needed to try them.  

Mr J was pretty impressed by how big they got while cooking.

It is basically like a baked egg pancake.  They are called lots of things-- German pancakes, or Mountains at our house.  You can put syrup on them just like a pancake.  I like honey butter on mine.  You can see that in the picture too.  This is super fast and easy to make.  I mixed the whole thing up in my blender.  We finished the whole pan so I am thinking next time we need to make 2 pans.  It is a breakfast food, but we had them for dinner.  Breakfast for dinner is a favorite around here.  Enjoy your mountains!

Mountains/German Pancakes

Turn oven on to 400 degrees.  Cut up a 1/2 cube (1/4 cup) of butter into pieces and put in a 9x13 pan.  

Put the pan with butter in it into the oven while it heats up and while you mix the other ingredients.  Keep in eye on it so it doesn't burn.

In a blender beat 6 eggs

Add 1 cup of flour and mix well,

Add I cup of milk and 1/2 tes salt and mix until smooth and kind of frothy.

Take out the melted butter pan and pour mixture into the butter.  Return to oven quickly and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve with anything you like on a pancake.

Honey Butter

1/4 cup butter, soft

1/4 cup honey

1/8 tes vanilla

Whip butter then add in honey and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

 Enjoy!

What's up Wednesday--baked banana oatmeal

I found this recipe I don't know where, but it originally hails from Parent and Child magazine here, and since I found it 3 weeks ago, I have made it no less than 3 times.  It is so good!  My whole family loves it, which is saying a lot because my 8 year old son does not like oatmeal, but he loves this.  Who wouldn't?  It is like a baked oatmeal cookie for breakfast, and what's not to love about that?

Baked Banana Oatmeal

4 1/2 cups rolled oats or quick cooking or a combination

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

3 Tbl butter, melted

3 eggs

1 Tbl baking powder

1 tes salt

2 tes vanilla

1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1.  Heat oven to 350

2.  In a large bowl mix all ingredients and stir well

3.  spread in a greased 9 x13 pan

4.  Bake for 30 minutes or until set

I usually mix all the dry ingredients together the night before and have the wet ones ready to go in the fridge so I can quickly get it in the oven in the morning.  This is just super easy to mix together and make.  The leftovers are good to reheat for the next day--if there are any leftovers which sometimes there aren't in our house.

What's up Wednesday--breakfast food

I love breakfast food.  Breakfast for dinner is one of my all time favorite meals.  As school is set to start here (like tomorrow) I have been thinking about breakfast foods.  We are usually cereal kind of people, but I like to try to make something at least once a week so they have something different.  I will do a big batch of pancakes, waffles, or muffins, and then the extras go in the freezer for the rest of the week for the kids and Ben to just grab out and heat up.  We eat a lot of eggs at our house too, because scrambled eggs are quick and easy and yummy!  

Here are some of our favorite breakfast recipes. . .

Classic buttermilk waffles with cheese:  When I saw Mel's Kitchen Cafe's cheddar waffles, I admit I was skeptical.  Cheese on a waffle?  But let me tell you it works!  Yum!  My family likes them a lot.  

You sprinkle on a few tablespoons of cheese before you close and lid and then. . .

Ta-da!  Yum!

Coconut and cashew granola:  This is just to-die-for good!  The recipe calls for raisins, but we usually put dried cranberries in it.  It makes your house smell so good when you make it also!  It does take a while to cook, so I usually make it the night before I want it.  

Overnight maple brown sugar oatmeal:   I make this once a week.  It is really good.  A great way to use steel cut oats, and we always put the dried blueberries in--I get those at Costco.  It is good reheated for the next few days also.  

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles:     This is from Our Best Bites, and I love these.  They are probably my all time favorite waffle.  I am not an extreme health freak--I like things healthy, but I also like them to taste good.  These waffles are a perfect combination of both.  I just use regular sugar when I make them, and I do use the flaxseed meal and wheat germ in them.  They are great!

Happy breakfast from our house to yours!  Here's to happy school mornings ahead!!