Oatmeal Goodness

Pretty much from the day we bought the inn I've been looking for a good oatmeal recipe.  Not just a boring old bowl of plain oatmeal with a few raisins on top, but really (really) good oatmeal with yummy extra goodies blended in.  I finally found a recipe that had good basics and after I tweaked it just a bit by eliminating a couple of ingredients I didn't like, I had what I've been looking for.  If you love oatmeal, you're really going to enjoy this recipe.  

Baked Oatmeal 

2    cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1    tsp baking powder
1    tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2    cups milk
1    tbsp butter (melted)
1    egg
1    tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and generously spray the inside of an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nuts and chocolate.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.

4. Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the blueberries on top. Then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set.

This, plus salt, makes for a delicious oatmeal casserole. 

Dry ingredients mixed together

Milk, egg and vanilla whisked together

Ready for the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes until set and edge crust begins to form

Hot out of the oven - mmmm...

Serve warm/hot oatmeal with a side of berries and sausage with sweetened heavy cream.  Yum!

Blueberry & Vanilla French Toast

I was aiming to make french toast for breakfast but instead of pouring out the 'ole maple syrup, I whipped up this delightful concoction and oh my, my, my was it tasty!  Abi and I never eat the breakfasts we serve (because we'd each weigh 528 pounds) but this one we had to indulge.  It's super simple and well-worth the extra few minutes to put together.  It's sure to please everyone at the breakfast table!  Oh, and since I made this up, I'm going to be guesstimating my measurements.  

Blueberry Sauce
1 - 21 oz canned blueberries w/ liquid
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tblsp. cornstarch (+/- to thicken)
4 tblsp. water

Heat together the blueberries, brown sugar and butter until melted.  Mix cornstarch and water together and then slowly pour into blueberry sauce. Slowly stir and allow to thicken.  More cornstarch and water can be used depending on the amount of liquid you have.

French Toast
2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1 small box of vanilla pudding mix (dry)
1 tsp vanilla

I like Safeway Artisan bread, the fat loaves, and I slice them an inch thick so they don't get soggy!  Whisk eggs and then add milk and other ingredients, stir together.

Oops! I just realized the milk, eggs and vanilla didn't make it into this shot.  Those sneaky guys!

I love this photo because I unknowingly captured the steam rising.

Melt a pat of butter on your skillet, careful not to let it burn.  Medium heat.

Flip when golden delicious!

I have to admit I was in a hurry and sadly, this photo was taken before the plate was finished.  Serve with your favorite sausage or bacon, this is turkey sausage.  Lousy photo, but trust me... the first bite will make your taste buds sing for joy!

The Best Breakfast Sandwich

I suppose I could call this a Panini, but I don't have a press to make those impressive grill marks, so let's just call it what it is... a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  Right up front though, if you are not an eater of pork, thinly sliced turkey would be equally delicious.  This is a yummy and super easy breakfast sandwich but it could also be delicious next to a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter's day.  But since we're in the high heat of summer, let's go with breakfast.

Your favorite sliced bread, thinly sliced ham and/or turkey, sliced cheese, margarine, Dijon deli mustard and thinly sliced tomatoes.  If you're using turkey, instead of mustard use pesto!

Spread margarine and place face down on the grill and spread deli mustard (or pesto).

Add cheese.

Add meat.

Add tomatoes and salt/pepper to taste.  Not too much salt if you're using ham as it is already salty. Spread margarine on other bread slices and grill over medium heat.

Serve with a side of scrambled eggs, a cup of fresh fruit and you've got yourself a delicious breakfast!

The Secret's in the Sauce

I am constantly on the prowl for fresh new breakfast recipes.  I love to find a recipe and then tweak it to suit my fancy.  One of my favorite sources is Taste of Home Magazine. It is the one and only magazine I actually subscribe to.  I found this Pasta Frittata recipe quite a while ago but kept forgetting to give it a try, mostly because I hadn't found the time to tweak it.  When I finally made it for the first time I had vegetarian guests in the house so I substituted red bell pepper for the chopped ham and it came out so good, it's the only way I make it now.  I serve a breakfast meat on the side.  I know, I know, you're thinking pasta for breakfast?!  Trust me, it works!

Pasta Frittata

1 - 2 tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper
8 eggs
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
1 package Zesty Italian salad dressing (dry)
2 cups cooked spaghetti pasta
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Whisk together eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, set aside.

In a skillet, sautee green onions with olive oil.  Add in veggies, a bit more oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cooked pasta. Pour in egg mixture, sprinkle in shredded cheese, blend together.

Pour into prepared (spray with PAM) 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 for about 30 - 40 minutes until golden bubbly.

About 2 cups of broccoli, bell pepper and spaghetti pasta

Sautee green onion with olive oil

Add in veggies, salt and pepper to taste

"The secrets in the sauce, so they tell me!"  Quick, what movie is that line from?

Add in cooked pasta, a bit more olive oil, salt and pepper

Whisk eggs, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and seasoning

Add in eggs and cheese, mix together over medium heat

Pour into prepped baking dish (spray with PAM)

Golden delicious!

Serve with a breakfast meat of your choice, side of fruit and watch the happy faces. 

Breakfast Bagel Bruschetta

One of my biggest challenges, as a cook, is to keep building my 1st course dish repertoire.  Main course?  Simple, I have a plethora (don't you just love the word plethora) of recipes from which to choose and I never serve our guests the same meal twice during their stay.  The same rule applies to 1st course dishes, but that's where it gets a little tricky because after all, how many ways can you serve fruit?!  Some of my first course dishes include baked pears, muffins, yogurt parfaits, ebelskivers and yes, fresh fruit.  I like to mix it up though so I'm constantly trying to come up with new ideas.  And, yes, I admit it... I get bored making the same thing every morning so the more recipes I have to work with, the happier the cook! My latest creation is the breakfast bagel bruschetta.  No, of course I did not "invent" bruschetta, this is just my little version of how to serve it for breakfast.  And, if you happen to be a vegetarian or vegan, this recipe will work well for you.

Breakfast Bagel Bruschetta

2 large Roma tomatoes

Several sprigs of fresh basil

1/2 medium red onion

3 mini bagels 

1 tblsp butter (omit butter for vegan)

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste 

* You could also add fresh minced garlic, not so good for breakfast breath though.

Fresh tomatoes, red onion and fresh basil

Heat butter and olive oil

Grill bagels over medium heat (you could also do this under the broiler or in a toaster oven)

Quickly saute over medium heat, just until hot... you don't want to break down your tomatoes

Fresh and delicious breakfast bagel bruschetta

Can aslo be served as a side dish as it was this morning.  Spinach mozzarella scramble, with bacon and bagel bruschetta.

Sausage & Croissant Casserole

This recipe is so quick and easy and it is super yummy!  It is great for potluck dinners, brunch or that morning after a special event or holiday when you know you won't want to cook.  Easily prepped the night before and ready to pop in the oven the next morning. Try it, I promise you'll love it.

Sausage & Croissant Casserole (serves 8)

6 eggs beaten

3 cups whole milk

2 tablespoon deli mustard

6 large croissant (cubed)

1 1/2 lbs. ground Jimmy Dean (original flavor) sausage (cooked thoroughly)

8 oz (or more) shredded jack/cheddar cheese

Combine eggs, milk and mustard, mix well, set aside.  Place chopped croissants in coated (PAM spray) 9 x 13 baking dish.  Layer sausage and cheese and then pour egg mixture over all.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake, covered with foil at 350 for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.  Should be bubbly hot and the croissants golden and crispy.

Costco croissants.  Gotta love em!  Use 6 for the recipe and freeze the other 6 for next time.  Or, just eat them!

Cook ground sausage thoroughly.

Eggs, milk and mustard, whisk together.

Spray your dish with cooking spray, then layer with croissants, ground sausage and cheese and then add the liquid.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Hot and cheesy, see the mustard seeds?  Here's the thing... I do "not" like mustard on anything at any time, but I do like this recipe.  I don't know why, but it works for my taste buds.

I always serve this with a side of fresh berries mixed with pecans in a raspberry vinaigrette.  The flavors work well together and there is just enough tangy in the vinaigrette to balance the casserole. 

Baked Pears with Pecan Caramel Sauce

This is a sure fire hit for anyone who enjoys a dish of lovely yummy warm pear goodness! It is ridiculously easy to make and sure to impress your guests and/or family!

Baked Pears (serves 8)

4 firm pears cored & halved

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Generous sprinkle of nutmeg

1 cup of blueberries and/or blackberries

Whipped cream sweetened with vanilla extract and sugar

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cut pears in half and take out the core and stem.  (Don't you love my pink knife?!)

In a 9 x 13 baking dish melt 1 stick of butter at 350 degrees.

Very thinly slice off the "hump" of the pear so it will sit nicely in a bowl. (Don't you love my green knife?!)

1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans and a healthy sprinkle of nutmeg

After the butter melts layer the brown sugar and the pecans and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Set your pears on top of the layers, this amount/dish can easily fit 8 pear halves.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or your caramel sauce will harden.

Set your pears in a dish and sprinkle berries of your choice and a good serving of the pecan caramel sauce, I snapped this photo just as I started to plate as I was trying to hurry.  (Hungry guests!)

Look at the bowls of wonderful warm pears, hot pecan caramel sauce and blueberries with a dollop of whipped cream. Oops! snapped this photo before the pretty sprig of mint went on top.  

Happens every time!

Morning Delights

I love me some Goose Berry Patch Cookbooks, yes, I do!  I could easily own several more of these wonderful cookbooks, but sometimes you just have to stop, you know?!  Or, wait until next Christmas to see if Santa brings another one. They are reader friendly, easy to follow and I would describe them as down home "real" cooking. Most often you won't find these three books on my kitchen shelf of cookbooks because they are usually sitting next to my spot on the sofa, for easy access in the evenings.  You should never read a cookbook just once, it takes multiple journeys through the pages before you really discover what a good cookbook has to offer.  Somehow, in all of my page turning, I missed the recipe for Morning Delights, or I just didn't read close enough until a couple of days ago when I zeroed in on page 7 of Best Ever Casseroles.  If you're not familiar with Goose Berry, you really should cozy up with a cup of tea and check them out.  Have you noticed there is a direct link to Goose Berry right here on our blog? 

Goose Berry Patch - Don't you love the artwork?

Best - Ever Casseroles, page 7

Morning Delights (serves 4 - 6)

8 oz tube refrigerator crescent rolls

8 oz package of cream cheese

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract (+/-)

1 cup sugar

Cinnamon sugar

Press 1/2 of the crescent rolls into the bottom of greased 8 x 8 baking dish.  Pinch seams.  Set aside.  Mix cream cheese, egg, extract; spread over rolls.*  Top w/ remaining crescent rolls; sprinkle to taste w/ cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until golden.

 * I only used 1/2 of the filling. I saved the rest for the next batch.

This recipe is is easily doubled and made in 9 x 13 pan.

Talk about just a few ingredients; does it get any simpler?  That is Almond extract by the way and the jar with half of the label missing is Sugar 'N Cinnamon.  Of course you can mix your own sugar and cinnamon but if someone is going to do it for me, put it in a handy sprinkle bottle and sell it at the $1 store, well, I'm all over that!

If you are a baker then a can of Baker's Joy is a must have in your kitchen.  It's like PAM cooking spray but it has flour in it. Works every time!

Since Crescent dough comes perforated, pinch together the seams.

Blend until smooth and creamy

Dough on the bottom, filling in the middle, dough on the top and sprinkle to your heart's delight!  Ready for the oven.

Hot out of the oven.

Serve warm.  Absolutely yummilicious!