Fresh Start Smoothie

Do you ever have those days where you start out strong, with a new found determination to eat nothing but healthful foods from now on, only to find your resolve crumbling by about 3 or 4 pm?  This is me, ALL THE TIME!  So once I've eaten all the sugar my tummy can take, I tell myself I will start again tomorrow!;)  Here is the smoothie I start my healthful days with!  And it is gooood!  Btw, Have you ever heard of Trace Minerals?  They are a company who's mission is to bring needed nutrients back into our diets.  My Momma introduced me to them a few months ago and I'm sold!  The convenient little pack you see below is nutrient filled!  I love that I just add it too my smoothie and I'm getting a supercharged health punch that I wouldn't get eating vegetables and fruits alone!

 

All you need is:
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 medium banana
A good handful of frozen strawberries
1 greens pak(berry flavored)
Blend it all together at hi speed in your blender.  Pour it into a nice tall glass, add a straw, kick back and enjoy!


image and recipe by Kara

Bri's 3 Go-To Breakfasts

Happy Monday! How's it goin'? Want to talk breakfast for a sec? 

We keep breakfast really straight-forward around here. Not a lot of fuss and effort. My feeling is that everyday breakfasts should come together swiftly, be healthy and clean-up easily. I want to share with you three breakfasts that do just that. They are on heavy rotation at our house right now. My fridge and pantry are always stocked with the ingredients to make these. My girls and I love them! 

First up is our Breakfast Sundae. You can make this lots of different ways. It's basically honey yogurt topped with granola (we've also made it with blueberry and strawberry yogurt). Depending on what we have, we'll throw berries, bananas, grated granny smith apple, oats, raisins, and nuts on top. It's so yummy. My two year old doesn't like hers to get too chunked up with stuff, so I keep the toppings at a minimum for her.

Number two is plain Cheerios loaded up with sliced banana and milk. The bananas make it sweet enough that you don't have to add any sweetening. We love this breakfast and my girls ask for this the most!

Third is a toasted multi-grain waffle slathered with peanut butter. We sometimes top it with sliced banana or jam. I've even topped mine with raisins.  

I want to hear what some of your go-to breakfasts are! Please share!

images by Briana

Mother's Day + Omelette Casserole

(Picture of my mom and dad with all their grandbabies)

Mother's Day is this weekend and I've been thinking a lot about my mother this past week. I was especially thinking of her as I cleaned my garage on Wednesday night. As I swept and organized, I thought back to all the times growing up when my mom would spearhead a garage cleaning. I'm afraid I was never much help and did not care at all if the garage was clean back then (When's lunch?). But now, all these years later, having a clean garage is important to me. Order is good for the soul and mood. I get it now, Mom! I get it.

Being a mom doesn't always have immediate pay-offs. Sometimes you have to wait awhile to see the fruits of your labors. In this case, like 15 years? I hope my garage cleaning skills make you beam with pride, Mom! Wink. 

I love you and am grateful that you are my mother. And miracle of miracles, my daughters get you for their Grammy! This is just too good to be true. Thank you for all you've done and continue to do for me and my family. XOXO

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I call this casserole Omelette Casserole because you can put whatever your heart desires in it. You can do ham, bell peppers and onion or you can go all veg with some tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and bell peppers.

 Just imagine you're at brunch and you're telling the professional omelette maker (?) what you want in your omelette.

Treat this casserole like that, k.

 I made this for Hadden's birthday party a couple months back. We had breakfast for dinner at her party! It's a really great and delicious way to feed eggs to a crowd. My dad is going to make two pans for Mother's Day brunch on Sunday. He is adding bacon, green onion and bell pepper to his. You should make a pan for Mother's day too! Here is what you'll need:

Recipe (9x13 in baking dish):

18 eggs (!)

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss, etc) + more for sprinkling on top

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, cheese, sour cream and salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with vegetables or meat of your choice. Here are some ideas: 

Cooked bacon (5 strips chopped)

Bell peppers (1-1 1/2 bell peppers chopped)

Onion (1 bunch green onions, 1 small onion)

Ham (3/4 cupish chopped)

Spinach (two handfuls chopped)

Mushrooms (1 cup chopped)

Tomatoes (2-3 tomatoes chopped)

*These are very rough estimates on amounts to add. I recommend picking 2-4 things to add and sticking to that.

Sprinkle the top of casserole with cheese. Make sure you cover the whole top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until the eggs are set. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.


I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! Thanks for all your support and for all your kind comments. It always brightens our day!


images by Briana

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I've been eating good old oatmeal for breakfast alot these days!  And a few mornings ago I wanted to get creative and think outside of the typical "oatmeal" box!  That's when I came up with this...

Warm and hearty pumpkin oatmeal!  It satisfied a major craving for something "dessert-like" without any guilt!  It was a great feeling to know I was getting a good serving of veg(the pumpkin) as well as the fiber and protein from the oatmeal!  It was a fantastic switch up from the basic!  Enjoy!


Here's what you need:
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1/2 cup canned pumpkin(I used Libby's.  It's just the pumpkin with nothing else added)
1/2 cup fat free milk(Add more milk if you prefer your oatmeal to have a thinner consistency)

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, cook the above ingredients, stirring frequently, until oatmeal is tender.  About 5 minutes.  Pour into your bowl, add 1 tablespoon honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon and mix.  Add a dollop of Greek yogurt or Creme Fraiche to the top and you are good to go!  Amazing breakfast that will give you an abundance of energy until your next meal! 


Image by Kara     

Apple Spice Buttermilk Muffins

I had been brewing up these muffins in my head for a week now and finally made them yesterday. I was trying my hardest to not get my hopes as I was making the batter, because I've had my fair share of experiences when you get so hyped on a recipe and you imagine in your head how it should taste and then the end result is a big disappointment. WhaaWhaa. While the muffins baked my kitchen smelled of warm autumn spices. I love that part of baking and cooking: the smells! The muffins were delicious, better than what I had imagined in my head, even! I'll surely be making these muffins again and again. Eat them warm with a slathering of butter. Enjoy!

Recipe (yields 12 standard muffins):


1 Granny Smith apple (medium to large size), washed, cored and coarsely grated
1 cup sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon plus two pinches salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted until light brown over low heat
brown sugar for sprinkling on each muffin top


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with liners (I used parchment squares) or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.


Whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Take washed and cored apple and coarsely grate directly into the bowl with flour mixture. Make sure the juices from the apple make it in the bowl as well. Toss to coat.


In a small pot, melt butter over low heat until brown. Set aside. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla in a small bowl.


Pour slightly cooled brown butter over the flour/apple mixture and stir once to help it cool. Make sure to use a rubber scraper to get all the butter out of the pot. Gently fold in the buttermilk mixture in until just combined; do not overmix.


Divide batter into muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Top each with a sprinkling of brown sugar (1/2ish teaspoon). Bake until muffins are browned around edges and spring back when touched, 16-18 minutes. Let muffins cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before taking them out of tin. Serve warm. 

all images by Briana

Kneaders Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Yesterday I was in a festive kind of a mood!  It was cold and rainy out.  So the kids and I stayed cozy inside, got out the Halloween decor and did some Fall baking!  I can say that I'm finally starting to embrace the Fall and I hope I have a lot more days like yesterday.  It was just, FUN!  Watching Ace and Ind's faces smile from ear to ear as I put out all of the spooky things!  All the while the sweet aroma of pumpkin bread baking filling the home!  I found a recipe from Burnt Apple that claimed to be the Kneaders pumpkin bread recipe!  Plus, of all the recipes I looked at, it was the only one that called for BUTTER instead of veg oil!  HELLO, NO CONTEST!  Butter will win every time!  The finished bread was dense, moist and flavorful!  And it went FAST!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees


3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or make your own here)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup butter softened
4 whole eggs
1-30 oz can or 2-15 oz cans of pure pumpkin such as Libby's
2/3 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.  Cream the sugar and butter until combined well.  Add the eggs to the sug/butter mixture one at a time, mixing after each egg.  Add and mix in the mashed pumpkin.  Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the water.  Fold in the chocolate chips.


Pour into 3 large greased bread pans and bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 (mine took 65) minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  


Tips:  Even though this recipe is awesome as is and I'm more than confident sharing it, I want to add my own touch!  So next time I make it, which will probably be next week.  I'm going to substitute evaporated milk for the water, I will use 1 cup of softened butter instead of 2/3 cup and I'm going to try baking it at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  My reasons?  Because I love the flavor of canned milk, you can never have enough butter and I'm impatient!:)  Enjoy!


image by Kara

Peaches & Cream

This is what I had for breakfast the other day...

And it was SOOOOOOO GOOD!


I cut up 2 ripe and juicy peaches into a cereal bowl, sprinkled about 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar over them and then poured about 3/4-1 cup of half & half over the top!  With my breakfast/dessert;) in hand, I went upstairs where my little Acer was sitting on the bed watching cartoons, and sat down next to him so we could eat it together!  Because something as incredibly delicious as Peaches & Cream should be shared with someone you love tonsens and tonsens!
Ace's response, with a mouthful of goodness:  "Mmm mmm!  I've never had this kind of cereal before!":)  

Quinn's Blessing Day

Quinn was blessed this past sunday! After the meeting we gathered at Kara and Kimble's home to eat and be together. Here are some pictures:

Juice bar. I made tags for each different flavor of juice.

Britt made these ham and swiss sams. Talk about decadent. RECIPE HERE.

Kara's Banana Cream-cheese Swirl Muffins and classic blueberry.

Our mom put together this rad spread where everyone could make their own yogurt parfaits. It was a hit! Ingredients included: plain yogurt, fresh mixed berries, shaved coconut, chopped pecans, raisins, uncooked irish oats and raw sugar.

I was in charge of putting together the cereal bar. There were three different cereals offered as well as a granola. I placed a bunch of bananas on a cutting board for slicing and had a large pitcher of cold 2% milk at the ready. This cereal bar was a cinch to put together, but had a big impact. The kids loved it.

Mom made apricot bars! Dynamite.

I made this banner the night before the blessing day. I saw the idea on Say Yes To Hoboken and thought it was clever and I'm stoked to be able to use it on other occasions. I used miniature clothespins to attach the chalkboard circles to the string and I like the way it kicked it up a notch. P.S. I found all the stuff to make this at Michael's. 

And one last one of Kara and Quinn, matching noses and all! Aaaaaaaw.

It was a perfect day spent with loved ones. If you have any questions, let's chat in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!

all images by Briana

Hash Brown Quiche

Family dinners have been sorta non-existent around here. This summer we've been go-go-go and although we've been having a ball, I've sorta missed cooking dinner and sitting down to eat at our little dining table. I think I've only been to the grocery store once in the last 2 1/2 weeks, which has got to be a record for me!

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store (finally) and picked up ingredients to make quiche for dinner. I recalled Paula Deen making a quiche using a hash brown crust on her show awhile ago. I thought that was sort of a radical idea and it stuck with me. I'm usually not too jazzed on recipes that mess with a timeless classic, like quiche, but I thought this idea was accessible and I thought you all might respond to it. I was really pleased with the results and the four of us downed the whole quiche in one sitting! Let me know what you think and thanks for stopping by today!

Recipe (9 in pie plate):

3 cups hash browns, thawed

5 tablespoons butter, melted (4 tablespoons for crust and 1 tablespoon to saute onion and pepper)

4 large eggs, beaten until smooth

1 1/4 cups milk (don't go any lower then 2%, pretty please)

1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts only, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup diced cooked ham (I used Boars Head brand ham from my grocers deli)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread 3 cups of thawed and refrigerated hash browns out on paper-towels. Allow excess moisture to drain and pat dry.

Combine melted butter and hash browns in a bowl. Press and mold buttered hash browns evenly into a 9 inch pie plate to form the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until hash browns are browned and crisping up.

While the hash brown crust bakes, prepare the filling:

Saute green onion and red bell pepper with a tablespoon of butter. Cook until softened.

Combine beaten eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add cheese, ham and cooked onion and red pepper. Shake a little pepper in and a pinch of salt. You don't need to season much because of the ham, cheese and butter already in the dish that will add a lot of salt. When the hash brown crust is ready, carefully pour the egg mixture over it and return to oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes or until the quiche is golden brown on top and puffed and/or set in the middle and jiggles only slightly.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

images by Briana

recipe for the filling is my own, the hash brown crust measurements are Paula Deens

Banana Cheesecake Swirl Muffins

Hi everybody!  Hope your weekend was excellent!  Ours was spent a little under the weather.  But that didn't stop us from making all of the important rounds for the amazing Fathers and Grandpas in our lives!  I even managed to get dinner on the table for my sweet husband.  Sure, it wasn't until 9:30 pm but hey, it got done and at this time of year it's still sort of light outside so dinner at 9:30 pm is okay at our house!:)  Anyway, I'm really excited about sharing an absolutely incredible muffin recipe with you today!  I was looking at the over ripe bananas sitting on my counter Saturday night and remembered I had cream cheese sitting in my fridge!  The wheels started turning and I decided a banana/cream cheese muffin needed to be on the docket for Father's Day breakfast!  Well, this muffin exceeded good.  They were melt in your mouth, buttery, sweet, delicious!  I ended up taking several over to my parents and they were gone quick!  My brother Jas had to hide one and Mom didn't even get to try one!  I found a simple banana muffin recipe online and modified it slightly!  Then I whipped up an easy cheesecake batter to swirl into the muffin batter!  If you are in the mood for muffins, you guys have got to try these!!!!!  I promise they will not disappoint! 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients for muffin batter:
Mix together:
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
Add and mix in thoroughly:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour


Prepare your muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or using muffin papers.
Fill prepared muffin tin 3/4 full each with batter.  Set aside.


Ingredients for cheesecake batter:
Mix together thoroughly:
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg


Now dollop a heaping tablespoon full of the cheesecake batter on top of the muffin batter in each tin.  Then using a butter knife, swirl the two batters together slightly. (Not mixing together)  Then into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes!  Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes and then turn out on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!!!!  We sure did!
Recipe yields 15 muffins.


image by Kara
  

Chocolate Banana Muffins

A few weeks ago our good friends brought over some very tasty muffins!  She modified the recipe to make them healthier and they were soooo good!  She was kind enough to give me the original recipe with her healthy modifications in parenthesis to the side of each ingredient!  Who wouldn't love a chocolatey banana muffin for breakfast???  Especially if you can get you're whole wheat and flaxseed in there!;)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
The breakdown:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat flour)
1 cup granulated sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 medium ripe bananas
1/3 cup vegetable oil (grape seed oil)
1 egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(1-2 tablespoons flaxseed)


In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  In a small bowl, combine bananas, oil and egg.  Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients in the large bowl just until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes!  Recipe makes about 1-2 dozen.


Image by my good friend Breanna

Mascarpone Creme & Fresh Berries

Happy Friday morning everybody!  Any fun plans for the weekend?  Perhaps like spending time celebrating with your fabulous Mom??  Or maybe you get to celebrate Mothers Day also?  Fun, fun!  Whatever your plans entail, here is a festive, quick and light brunch or dessert recipe for all you special Moms out there!!!  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

2-3 six oz containers of berries, your choice, rinsed well

Mix well:

16 oz Mascarpone cheese at room temp

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (optional)

Layer fresh berries and Mascarpone creme in glass flutes, small clear cups or just in bowls side by side for individual dishing!  However you serve it, it is sure to please!  The above recipe will serve approx 5-6 people!

image by Kara  

Hearty Breakfast Smoothie

Looking for a break from your regular breakfast routine?  Looking for something healthy that will give you the energy needed until your next meal?  Look no further!  This smoothie was developed by a world renowned reflexologist, aromatherapist, licensed massage therapist and nutritionist.  Not to mention a dear friend of our families!  Thank you to Cecilia Salvesen for this great tasting morning pick-me-up!

Starting with a good blender is a must to making this smoothie!
Ingredients:
Blend until fairly smooth:
1 cup cold water
6 ice cubes
1/2 cup raw almonds
Add and blend well:
2 good sized handfuls of spinach
1 banana
1 apple, washed with the core removed and sliced, skin left on
2 heaping tablespoons honey
1 large carrot, rinsed, no need to peel
Add and blend well:
1/2 cup whole rolled oats (we like Bobs Red Mill but any will do:)
Make sure it's all blended well and then enjoy!  If you are making this for yourself, it will easily cover 2-3 morning breakfasts!  Just store the leftovers in a sealable container in the fridge!


image by Kara
  

Peanut Butter & Jelly Monkey Bread

I found a great recipe over at Picky Palate that I just had to try!  Sweet, gooey, delicious and way easy!  We love PB&J as well as any yummy warm bread so this recipe was sure to please!  And it did!  I followed her easy instructions to a tee and it is amazing!  Thanks Picky Palate for the creative take on traditional monkey bread!

 

My Little Monkey eating some monkey bread!

images by Kara

Cheesy Breakfast Pie

It was Sunday after church and we were starving! We didn't have a lunch plan in mind so I went to the pantry and fridge to see what I could throw together quickly and would be yummy and satisfying! What I came up with was super easy and tasty! Layers of flour tortillas, melty colby/monterey jack cheese and jalapeno eggs all baked together in a cake pan! The flavors, although few, really popped and hit the spot! And the nice thing about this recipe, is you could always toss in some ham, bacon, green onion, use a different type of cheese, etc, etc! Very versatile I'd say!!! Happy President's Day!!!!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and Pam the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan or pie plate.

In a fry pan scramble together:

10 large eggs, soft scrambled

1 teaspoon sea of kosher salt

1- 4oz can diced jalapenos(green chilies for less heat)

Put one 8 in flour tortilla in the bottom of cake pan. Sprinkle with a generous layer of cheese(your choice). Put half of the scrambled egg mixture on top. Layer with another flour tortilla, more cheese and the rest of the egg mixture. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese on top is nice and melty! Slice into wedges and serve! Serves 4-6! This would be a great addition to a Sunday brunch!

images by Kara

Chile Relleno Casserole

While I get the rest of my Christmas decorations down, take a look see at this recipe! My good friend Kelli made this for a party recently and I had thirds. And then I reheated some more the next day for lunch. It's so good. I think it would be fun to add to a brunch menu. Enjoy!

1 27 oz can whole chiles + 1 small can (If you can't find the 27 oz cans of whole chiles just buy 8 small ones)

1 lb monterey jack cheese, grated

1 lb cheddar cheese, grated

6 eggs

4 cups milk

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray with cooking spray a 9x13 pan. Set aside. Open cans of chiles and drain juices out. Take each chile and rinse under water to get rid of seeds. Using your hands split each chile open, so it is completely flat. Lay a layer of chiles in the bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Over the top of the chiles generously sprinkle a combination of cheddar and jack cheese. Repeat this process two more times. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt until combined. Whisk in flour. Pour this mixture slowly over the layers of chile and cheese, making sure it gets in all corners. Sprinkle more cheese over the top if you have some left over. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before slicing into squares and serving. Refrigerate any left overs.

image by Briana

Bri's New Years Day Frittata

Last day of 2010! I hope you've got some good plans in the works to close 2010 out with a bang tonight. Here is a little recipe I whipped up and thought it would be perfect to make on New Years day. It's a frittata! I really like frittatas for many reasons: they are easy to make, super delicious, you can eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you can be creative with what you put in them. Here's a combination I whipped and I really dig it...the basil really makes it, so be sure and add it. But, feel free to make substitutions if you want...like, maybe you could dice up some left over ham and throw it in! There is one stipulation with this recipe and it's that you need an oven-proof skillet. :/ If you don't have one, I highly recommend you invest in one when it works for you-- you can make so many wonderful things using them!

Recipe:

10 eggs

1 small carton mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 bunches green onion, finely diced, white and light greens parts only

2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, very finely chopped (chiffonade)

3/4 cup milk

2-3 tbs butter

2 cups grated cheese, any variety you prefer (for this dish I used a combination of cheddar and jack)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10 in oven proof skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add finely diced green onion and allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Add mushrooms and stir to combine with onion. Allow to cook for a few minutes more. Season with a little salt and pepper. Turn heat down to low. Crack all 10 eggs in a small bowl, add milk and whisk rapidly until the mixture is nice and fluid. Take basil and stir into egg mixture. Pour egg/basil mixture into oven-proof skillet with onion and mushroom. Carefully lift the skillet and place it in the oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Take cheese and sprinkle evenly over the surface of your frittata. Allow to cook for 8-10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Make sure you wrap a dish cloth around the handle of the skillet!!! It'll be very hot and we don't want anyone getting burned!

images by Briana

Hot Cakes and Apricot Syrup!

This morning we woke up to snow, finally! Pancakes were in order and to top them I made one of my favorite syrups. Enjoy!

Apricot syrup recipe (yield 8-10 servings):

1/2 cup Smucker's Simply Fruit Apricot Preserves

1/2 - 3/4 cup maple syrup (any brand you like)

In a small sauce pan, pour in maple syrup and all your preserves. Using a whisk or an immersion blender, combine and mix well. Turn heat on to medium low and gently heat syrup through until time to serve. Refrigerate left overs.

You can use any waffle/pancake mix you prefer to make your pancakes. I use this one often and really like it (any pancake with buttermilk in it is a winner in my book). Even Krusteaz is a good stand by. If you've got more time this one from Alton Brown is excellent as well!

images by Briana

Waffle French Toast

This has speedily become my favorite thing to make for an "occasion" breakfast. When Kara and I started this blog this was at the top of our list of things we wanted to share. Today, when my two littles and I were down visiting grammy and grampy, my mom whipped up a batch and it was dynamite (as always). It wasn't an occasion per-say, but that's just how our mom rolls. She even styled the shots I snapped and everything. Goodness sakes, I didn't have to lift a pinky. That mom of ours-- she should win awards I tell ya. Major awards.

Recipe:

Melted butter or nonstick cooking spray for cooking

6 eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (we've made it with and w/o-- both ways delicious)

2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar

8 slices brioche, each 1 1/4" thick (you can use french bread too)

Preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Spray surface with nonstick cooking spray or brush with melted butter.

In bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add half-and-half, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar; whisk until blended.

Dip 1 bread slice into egg mixture; soak, turning once, 30 seconds per side. Place bread on pre-heated waffle maker, close lid and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Keep warm while cooking remaining bread.

Serve Waffle French Toast warm with this syrup (scroll down a little to find it). You know the one; the kind they serve at Magleby's and Kneaders here in Utah. In addition to the syrup, add some fresh berries and whipped cream on top of the warm Waffle French Toast. Ooooh, bayba.

Recipe credit: The recipe for Waffle French Toast was found by my mom a couple years ago in a Williams-Sonoma catalog. I have tried searching for a link online to credit here but have had no luck. The recipe I have entailed is word-for-word their recipe.

Images by Briana

Blueberry Muffin Tops w/ a Buttery Lemon Glaze

A yummy way to start your morning, or your afternoon, or evening. We ordered take out the other night and my little guy wanted nothing to do with it because I had just pulled these bits of awesomeness out of the oven! He kept asking for "one more cookie."

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet about 5 in apart. I only get 5 or 6 per sheet. The dough is thick. Bake for 8-9 minutes until slightly golden.

For the glaze:

1/2 stick(1/4 cup) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Zest of one lemon

1-2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Whip the butter. Then add your powdered sugar alittle at a time while constantly mixing. Add the lemon zest. Then slowly start adding the milk while still mixing to get to a slightly thinned consistancy. Add the lemon juice. The glaze should be thick enough to completely coat the back of a spoon, but be able to drizzle and spread evenly over muffin tops.

images by Kar