Huevos Rancheros ~ Mid Week Munchies

We are soooo in love with Huevos Rancheros lately, and in honour of Cinco De Mayo, I thought I would share this tasty Mexican breakfast entree.

Ingredients:
Cheese
Avocado
Sour cream
Tortillas
Black beans
Eggs
Homemade Adobo Salsa

Adobo Salsa:
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 fresh tomato chopped
2-3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 clove of minced garlic
salt/ pepper
1 diced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

In a small stock pot, saute onions and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. When the onions and garlic are translucent, add tomatoes (fresh and canned), chipotle pepper and cilantro. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes and reduce liquid. While the Adobe Salsa simmers, fry your corn tortillas. One tortilla per Huevos Ranchero.

The Huevos Rancheros requires a layered process to perfection! (Sorry, I don't know why my pictures are sideways!)

 Begin my placing a spoonful of black beans on your plate.

Place your tortillas on top of beans.

Add your Adobo Salsa

Place perfectly cooked over easy egg!

Add your toppings: sour cream, avocado and cheese.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Fresh Eggs ~ Mid Week Munchies

I love fresh eggs! My brother-in-law gave us 5 fresh eggs last night. 3 brown, 1 white and 1 soft pale green. I am dying to make =a delicious omelette or even better, huevos rancheros.

I have been trying for the last two years to convince my husband to get chickens. He has always been reluctant, for many reasons, but honestly chickens are getting big here in Utah and enough of his co-workers have them and he is finally on board!!

This weekend we are building our coop.....stay tuned. Lots of delicious eggs recipes await!!

Homemade English Muffins ~ Mid Week Munchies

This week is Spring Break, and with the kids out of school we made something special yesterday today! Homemade English Muffins, I invited my dear neighbor and friend Marie over, with her kids, and we had a yummy brunch with sweet and buttery english muffins.

I got this amazingly delicious recipe from my favorite cookbook "The Heritage of Southern Cooking" and it does not disappoint. Marie and I were having so much fun cooking, chatting and of course eating. I didn't take any photos of the process. Sorry!

Homemade English Muffins:

1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

2 Tablespoons warm water

*allow yeast to proof for about 10 minutes

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter

*Scald milk on the stove, remove from heat and add butter

Poor milk into a ceramics bowl or mixer (Bosch, Kitchenaid)

Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 cup water

Add yeast and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix until combined

Add 4 cups of flour, one at a time, and beat well

Knead by hand or in mixer for 5-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until doubles in bulk.

This recipe can be refrigerated until the next day or even made the night before ! Yay!

When your ready to make your muffins, cut the dough in half and roll dough 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Using a round cookie cutter, cut dough into 3/4 inch rounds and place on a cookie sheet (that has been sprinkled with corn meal) let rise for 30 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap or a wet tea towel.

Using a heavy skillet, melt a generous amount of butter, at least 2 tablespoons and place 4 muffins in skittle. Cook muffins on medium-low heat flipping every few minutes to evenly cook, coat and brown. The recipe says to cook up to 20 minutes but mine are usually done in about 12-15. The muffins will look firm and browned when done.

Transfer to a cooling rack and cook your remaining muffins.

Marie had this wonderful idea to have our homemade muffins with an over-easy egg, cheese and mini sauted portobello mushrooms. Heaven!

***Linking up at:

Blue Cricket Designs

Aebleskivers How-To ~ Mid Week Munchies

Aebleskivers How-To

Ableskivers are a family favorite at our house. Warm little puff balls of pancake goodness. Click here for my so simple, make in less than five minutes batter.

To make Aebleskivers you need an aebleskiver pan. Typically they have seven holes to make the balls and are cast iron. I bought mine at a local grocery store around Christmas time, but I know they sell the at William Sonoma and other specialty cooking stores. Mine Retailed for $19.99. *Make sure your pan is generously seasoned and heat your pan with a generous amount of grease. (cooking oil or shortening)

Step 1: Fill holes with batter. I try and get my batter to be level with the top of the pan. This makes a fluffy soft round ball when cooked. Allow batter to cook in this position for about one minute, it will really help to cook the ball completely through and form its shape. *I like to get my pan really hot and heat up the oil, then I turn the heat down to medium to cook the balls.

Step 2: Get yourself this handy tool. A long shish kabob skewer with a point. This is perfect for turning the batter.

Step 3: Once the ball has browned on its first side (see photo 2 above) start turning the aebleskiver quarter turns; cooking on each side. Takes about 30 seconds, per turn. Each turn allow a little more of the batter to "spill" out of the ball, cooking against the cast iron.

Step 4: Once ball has completely formed, continue to flip ball for 30 sec. - 1 minute helping it cook thoroughly.

Perfectly cooked inside!!! Add your favorite topping: powdered sugar, syrup, jam, preserve.

4th of July Biscuits

Buttermilk Baking Powder Biscuits:
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons of shortening
3/4 buttermilk

Shift: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Add shortening and mix til crumbly with a fork. Add buttermilk and mix until dough forms into a soft ball.

Since it is the 4th of July I cut my biscuits out in stars! Form dough into a round ball the size of your cookie cutter and cut. Place on glass pan and cook for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Add butter and your favorite homemade jam. Enjoy, Happy Fourth of July!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I love toast for breakfast! The best part of toast is all the toppings: butter, jam, sugar, peanut butter etc. My sister gave me this recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Bread and I love it. Toast this bread for a great snack anytime of the day.

The cinnamon sugar mixture can be applied to any favorite bread dough recipe. Here's mine:

Dissolve: 1/2 warm water and 2 tablespoons yeast - set aside to proof
In your mixer add: 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup !hot! water. Stir til dissolved. Add 1 cup milk and yeast. Add 6 cups of flour, mix-in flour after each cup. Allow to rise twice, doubling in size.

Once the dough has risen twice, split your dough in half and roll into a nice size rectangle.

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture: take about 2 cups of sugar and about 3 tablespoons cinnamon. Luckily this mixture can be made completely off of taste...add as little or as much cinnamon as you like. Spread about a cups worth all over dough.

With a large spoon fill with water and sprinkle over dough. My spoon is about the size off half a tablespoon so I sprinkle 6 to 8 spoonfuls of water. If you accidentally add more water than you wanted just add more sugar to soak it up. FYI: The more water the gooier the bread!!!

After you have added the water, spread the mixture around with your spoon to even it out. See below:

Roll dough like you would cinnamon rolls and place in a greased bread pan. Repeat process with remaining dough and sugar. Rise for one hour or until it has doubled in size.

Cook for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees. The top of the bread will brown quickly so cover with tin foil after about 15 minutes of cooking. After cooking, allow to cool for 2-3 minutes and then invert onto a wire cooling rack. Slice and enjoy immediately or allow to cool and toast for a yummy breakfast treat.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Last Friday I was at Walmart and I spied some big plump juicy blueberries, which is strange for January, but they were calling my name. Whenever I see blueberries my mouth begins to water and I think of a big dollop of butter and my recipe for banana blueberry muffins. After this recipe I can't really go back to ordinary blueberry muffins - the banana just seems to really bring out the best in the blueberries.

Banana Blueberry Muffins:
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar - packed
1/2 cup of butter or margarine - melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

I forgot to include the brown sugar in this picture

Melt butter or marjarine in microwave, add brown sugar, add eggs and vanilla, mash banana and add to batter. Add dry ingedients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, stir til ingredients are completely blended. Fold in blueberries gently thru batter. Cook for 25 minutes at 350 degrees

A little trick: After all the cups are filled with batter, I always have a little (batter) left over and I cover the tops of the cups with just batter (no blueberries) that way, when the muffins cook no blueberries are exploding and being wasted.

We had these blueberries Sunday Morning and my family loved them.

French Toast

I love French toast. We'll I love all breakfast foods, but if I had my druthers it would be french toast. When I was visiting Tina over New Years I begged her to make me her Macadamia Coconut French Toast. Anyone out there who loves french toast this is a delicious recipe.

Batter:
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
2 tablespoons crushed macadamia nuts
2 tablespoons coconut
dash of cinnamon
Grandma Sycamore white bread

In skillet, place a small amount of oil (2 tablespoons, more if desire) this will help cook the toast and make it a little crunchy on the edges. Once oil is hot (medium to high heat) dip bread in batter. Cook toast until both sides are golden brown and cooked. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (my favorite) and syrup. Enjoy.

Christmas Festivities

When we moved into our newest house we started a Christmas Breakfast Tradition. We invited over some close friends and neighbors and had an aebleskiver breakfast on Christmas Eve. The first year was such fun, it is now a much anticipated tradition. For me I get to see all my closest friends as close to Christmas as possible and it really kick starts the Christmas festivities.

I love aebelskivers! Puffy sweet pancakes with lots of hot yummy syrup yes, the syrup has to be hot!

The recipe I have for aebelskivers is easy... the hard part is the pan. I borrow my mom's because it is deep, well seasoned and they cook up perfect. She found hers in a thrift shop, you can purchase them NEW at most kitchen stores.

Here is my recipe:

9 eggs

3 cups Buttermilk

4 cups Bisquick

4 tablespoons oil

1 long skewer

In a large bowl combine buttermilk, bisquick, oil and all 9 yolks - whisk together. Take the separated 9 egg whites and beat until white and fluffy. Add to batter and allow to sit a few minutes. Heat pan on high with a drop of oil in each hole. Once pan is very hot (hot enough that the oil bubbles) drop a large spoonful of batter into the hole. Turning the aebelskiver can get a little tricky. Take your skewer and as the batter cooks make little half turns until the batter cooks making a complete circle. The aebelskiver should be somewhat hallow inside. All the aebelskivers should be done about the same time. Remove from heat, and enjoy! I love to add any and all my favorite toppings: jam, syrup, powdered sugar, butter, fruit, whipping cream etc.

German Pancakes

I absolutely love BREAKFAST. Oh, it is the best meal of the day. I love the sizzling warm bacon, the crispy ham, eggs on toast, pecan pancakes, french toast, croissants, fresh whipped cream, hot mouth watering syrup, Belgium waffles with fresh fruit. I really could go on and on. But my favorite, is GeRmAn PaNcaKeS! What is great about this recipe is it is easy and taste just as good at home as in a restaurant.


I love to make my german pancakes with caramelized apples making them absolutely delicious. Start by putting 2 Tbls. of butter into a 9" pie pan and placing in oven while it preheats to 415 degrees. Once the butter has melted you must remove pan from oven or butter will burn when oven is preheated.


To cArAmElIzE ApPlEs: cut, peel and slice half an apple and place in small sauce pan. Add 2Tbls. butter, white sugar, brown sugar and cook on high for about 8 minutes. You will have to watch and stir the apples so they don't burn, but cooking them on high will make them cArAmElIzE!!!

To make BaTtEr: in a small bowl, add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup of milk. 1/2 cup of flour. Whisk and set aside.

While you are making your batter your apples should be looking like this: Delicious!!

Place batter into pie pan, then place apples on top of batter. Cook for 12-15 minutes. Sides of pancake should be brown and puffed(like picture at top). Add syrup or powdered sugar to sweeten. Devourer immediately. This serving is for one person maybe two.