Banana Coconut Oatmeal

There's nothing genius about these ingredients. It has no unexpected components, combinations, or techniques. In fact this is indeed a very boring recipe. But there is something genius about the outcome. If you have a baby, feeding them can be a real pain. Mine really like to eat, and it's STILL a pain. Sometimes they're not in the mood for what you're giving them (sorry guys I would let you just raid the fridge if you were able), sometimes they like to grab the spoon and fling it at you, and they ALWAYS like to smush at least 20% of what you're giving them on the high chair seat, their clothes, and their hair. My guys are eating mostly finger foods now, but I haven't changed one meal: breakfast. And that's because I make this for them every morning and they literally scarf it down. No other word: scarf scarf scarf. It makes my mornings so much easier.  They love it so much and nutritionally, it's brilliant.  I have no formal training in that department, but oats: fiber + plant protein; banana: it's a fruit so lots of good stuff; cinnamon: I see it used as a spice in all sorts of health cookbooks; coconut milk: lots of healthy fat and calories and I'm sure some other stuff too. The calories is a big thing for me- I like a lot of bang for my buck with baby food, and the full fat coconut milk (the natural canned version, often found in the Asian aisle), makes this breakfast a heavy hitter. And the flavor combo is amazing; they love it because it's sweet. This obviously doesn't have to be baby food; if I were making it for myself I would probably sub with a lite coconut milk as I'm not trying to bulk up at this phase of my life.

PS-  sometimes I throw in a handful of berries for some more vitamin infusion.

Recipe (for 1)

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (natural canned version; be sure to stir)
• 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 banana
• pinch cinnamon
• optional - berries of choice

Combine the water, coconut milk, and oats in a saucepan over medium heat. Throw in the banana and a pinch or two of cinnamon. Bring to a boil and cook until done (a couple of minutes), smashing the banana with a fork or spatula along the way.  Stir to evenly distribute the banana and cinnamon and allow to cool.  If adding berries, add in the beginning to let them cook down a little. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to combine them into the oatmeal.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Nothing makes me think of home more than banana bread. Silly, I know, but it's my favorite comfort food and I spent most of my life thinking my mom invented it (that and graham crackers).  When I was little, my mom and I would play board games and on special days she would give me a piece of freshly baked banana bread. That feeling of comfort and excitement has stuck with me through the years and now that I am a mom, it makes me think of all the little things our moms have done throughout our lives that have had such a lasting impact on us. My mom did a million different things every day that turned 4 little babies into 4 strong, happy, confident women.  It's a feat that I don't take lightly now that the challenge is upon me, and I only hope that I can live up to the same accomplishment.

And with Mother's day approaching, it also made me reflect on her mother, my grandmother, who we lost this year at the grand old age of 97. She was a bright, fiery spirit that I admired my whole life. She was a strong, witty, outspoken and independent woman, who even in her final months very seriously claimed that 'God must have forgotten about her.' But nobody could have forgotten Georgia Carr; she was a woman who we all knew was special and we didn't need her passing to remind us.

The truth is I always wanted to be as extraordinary as my grandma, but it looks like I'm not going to be. I know this because by the time she was my age, she had literally been involved in the prisoner liberation in Dachau, Germany at the end of World War II, when the concentration camps and POWs were released into the streets.  I giggle even as I type that because it's so unbelievable - she was in her early 20s and accomplishing such big, worldly things.  She was a proud member of the Red Cross and served soldiers during WWII in Austria, Germany, and England. This was an extraordinary thing for a woman in that time, but she carried this passion and determination with her throughout her entire life.  She was the first person to swim all the way across the Detroit Lakes in Minnesota (at the age of 15). She took flying lessons because she wanted to learn to fly a plane. She graduated from college with a teaching degree in math and phy ed. Once her 5 children were born, she was a Scout leader, PTA president, UNICEF volunteer, and church leader. At her funeral, I was so touched by the clear impact she had on members of the church; her old pastor came back to give the sermon and so many women came to help with the lunch and talked about Georgia's impact. 

She also had a fun, competitive streak. As kids, we never once won a game of scrabble or checkers against her (why on earth would she let us win, she would ask my mom).  She was part of a bridge club that was far less about socializing and eating/drinking with other women, and much more about winning. My grandma had a spark, a determination about her; And as amazing as her time in the Red Cross was along with her other accomplishments of swimming, flying, and a college degree in the mid 1900s, it's her lifelong activism that really inspires me. I feel like once she settled down, married my grandfather and had 5 kids of her own..she still managed to make an ordinary life extraordinary. Her leadership in her kids' activities and schools, in the church, volunteering..and still finding time to have fun (sort of) with the bridge club. That's what I find truly awe inspiring; to maintain that level of passion and activism with everything you do, quite literally from WWII to the PTA. She was one of a kind, truly. We could all be a little bit more like Georgia, and if her funeral taught me anything, it's that I need to get moving. 

So happy mother's day to all the moms and grandmas out there. It's a holiday that is truly deserved..and a time to feel proud of what we do and the little people that we are molding into big people - hopefully happy, content, and full of life.  

And while my mom may not have invented banana bread, the fact that I thought she did for so many years really says it all. She was a supermom who made everything great; from games of Trouble to school lunches to our family dinners that I am now trying my best to replicate. The impact both my grandma and my mom had on me is clear; now fingers crossed I can do the same for my own children.

And on that note, onto the recipe. Banana bread, but with chocolate, so hopefully my boys will think I invented it.

Recipe

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 medium bananas
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a bread pan.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a standing mixer. Add the egg and vanilla.  Mix together the baking powder, soda, flour, and cocoa powder in one bowl, and mash the bananas and milk in another. Add a little of the flour mixture to the butter mix, then add a little of the banana, alternating until all is incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and bake for about 45 minutes.

Cloud Egg Avocado Toast

I feel like the cloud egg solved lots of my problems. I love to put a poached or fried egg on my avocado toast, but frequently experience one or more of the following:
1. Egg white does not cover sufficient toast surface area
2. Level of yolk runny-ness is inconsistent
3. Egg white texture is not what I was hoping for

I could go on but those are the highlights.  So the cloud egg, which is trending amongst foodies for good reason, is an unbelievably easy way to make a fun-looking egg with an incredibly satisfying texture.  You can find recipes all over the place, but I tried a few and this is how I like it best.

Recipe

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan
• dash salt
• 1 piece honey wheat or whole grain bread
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray.  Separate the egg white from the egg yolk, careful not to break the yolk. Put the egg white in a medium sized bowl, and beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form - about 2 minutes. Lightly mix in 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan and a small dash of salt (parmesan is already salty so don't be too heavy handed). Spoon the egg white onto the baking sheet to create one puffy egg cloud, and use your fingers to create a little crater for the yolk. Bake just the white in oven for 3 minutes. Take it out and carefully place the egg yolk in the cloud. Bake for 3 more minutes.  Remove and let sit for a minute.

Toast the bread, spread 1/2 avocado on top, then season with a dash of salt and lemon pepper. Top with cloud egg and be very, very thankful that you have a mouth to eat such delicious things.

Chocolate Milk Pancakes

One of the best parts of having kids is getting to eat kid food again. I know seeing them meet milestones, accomplish things, build relationships, yada yada yada is going to be very special, but let's be real. Kid food is AWESOME.  We've already started ordering off the kid menu and our little babies are clearly nowhere near ready to eat chicken fingers. But I mean, the grilled cheeses, the hot dogs, the kids burgers, oh my!

This translates to home too. I envision a day in the future when I wake up on a Sunday and I need a project to keep my little busy bodies busy. For me, that project will probably always include some kind of cooking/baking. So this morning me and the babes had a wonderful mother/son cooking adventure with CHOCOLATE MILK pancakes. They were not helpful. But wow these are good, and pretty healthy because we used Dark Chocolate Almond Milk (um, have you had it? Even my husband can't stop drinking that stuff).  You guys, your kiddos will love these.

Recipe

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate milk (we used almond milk)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat a nonstick pan to medium. Coat with butter. Mix all pancake ingredients, and drop onto heated pan. Flip over when the top looks dry and a little bubbly. Cook until done. Add chocolate chips if you're feeling crazy!

PB & B Oatmeal Bites

I have been dying for Girl Scout Cookies all year. Dying. And I can't find them anywhere. I even tried to solicit some girl scouts on our neighborhood website by posting a request for these apparent elusive cookies. Eventually I did come across a cookie stand outside a nearby school, but they were out of the very cookie I was in search of: the Samoa. Or the Caramel Delite. PS did you know they are called two different things depending on what region you live in? I have lived in both regions but like to call them Samoas because it's more exotic sounding. Anyway, out of the Samoas!! Doesn't sound like these girl scouts were prepared for anything, as the Girl Scout Law promises. Actually I don't think the Law promises that but I do remember preparedness being a major tenant when I was a young Brownie. Anyway, I have been craving the Samoas day in and day out.

These are like Samoas in almost no way. Except for the flaked coconut on top, I simply didn't have it in me to attempt baking girl scout cookies. So, I used what was in my pantry (the beeeeest kind of recipe!), and came up with these delicious and healthy things! What a perfect addition to your coffee in the morning.

Recipe

• 2.5 cups oats
• 2 large bananas, mushed
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse/kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• Chocolate chips
• Flaked, unsweetened coconut (optional)

Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas and milk. Add the baking soda, salt and vanilla. Mix together with the oats, then beat in the egg. Mix in the syrup and PB.  Throw in a handful or two of chocolate chips.  Spoon into 12 greased muffin tins, top with some flaked coconut, and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. PS they are pretty low in sugar, but if you want them more dessert-like, add more syrup! Or brown sugar!

Banana Bread for Two

People warned me before I got married that I would inevitably find out traits about my husband that  I didn't like, that I didn't know existed. In my soon-to-be-newlywed bliss (and ignorance), I thought no way! That can't be true! 

But after we returned from our honeymoon, about 3 weeks into our marriage, my worst nightmare came true. I got up early one Saturday morning, made my coffee, and decided - I'll make my banana bread and bring some to John in bed! He'll love me! I'm such a domestic person! I made it, let it cool down to a nice warm melty temperature, topped with a little butter, and brought it upstairs with a napkin. His response? "Thanks, but I don't really like banana bread."

A small part of me died that day.  But I had to move forward, forge on. So now I do one of two things: I either make a loaf of banana bread and freeze the leftovers, or I make this recipe which is just enough for two people. Or two days worth of banana bread for one person. Or one day's worth if you want two muffins.

Recipe

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 small ripe mashed banana
• 1 tablespoon beaten egg (beat egg in a cup, and do your best to get ~1T.)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ~1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• Dash vanilla
• Dash salt
• Handful of chocolate chips or nuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together. If you need help mixing in the banana, heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds and it will mash right up with a fork. Divide into two greased muffin tins, and bake for about 22-25 minutes.

Applesauce Bread with Cinnamon Swirl

I have had a life long obsession with these applesauce muffins that my mom used to make, and I find most Sunday mornings I wake up wanting one.  But, making the same thing every weekend doesn't make for good blogging material, now does it? I added a few twists this past weekend, and %$%^ $$%#. Pardon my language, but this was good.  So moist, great flavor, loved the cinnamon swirl. In fact next time I might add two swirls.

Recipe

• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup original applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Cinnamon Swirl

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and sugars together. Add the buttermilk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix into the sugar mixture, just until combined.  Prepare the cinnamon swirl in a separate bowl.

Grease a 5x9 bread pan, and pour in half of the batter. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl on top, then add  the rest of the bread batter. Loosely cover with aluminum foil (the bread rises quite a bit, so make sure you tent it). Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover the foil and bake for 10-15 more.  If your bread rises into you aluminum foil like mine did and ripped off the top when you removed it - don't panic. Baking uncovered the last 10 minutes will undo most of the damage. Mine is gone already, shoot.

Chewy Granola Bars

My husband eats a granola bar every day.  When I first met him they were cinnamon raisin, he now favors a peanut butter chocolate chip.  He challenged me to try to make them. I did. He tasted them.  He loved them.  He actually said 'they're almost too good to be true.'

YES!! I love when something is such a success. And so practical.  We're practically a sustainable household now that we don't need store bought granola bars.

I made two variations: cinnamon raisin and peanut butter with a butterscotch drizzle.  If I had to pick which one was better I say the peanut butter, because I love peanut butter and I love butterscotch (you could easily switch up with chocolate). Plus, they turned out a little softer and less chewy than the cinnamon raisin.  The cinnamon raisin are delicious if you love cinnamon and raisin.  They are a bit firmer and perhaps less dessert-tasting than the PB.

Recipe: Peanut Butter with Butterscotch Drizzle

• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup honey crunch wheat germ (or toasted)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (don't use natural, I don't think)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Glaze

• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 350.  Toss the oatmeal with the canola oil, and toast on a baking sheet for 10 minutes in the oven.  Pour into a bowl, and add the wheat germ (you can find this in the cereal aisle).  Reduce the oven to 300 degrees.  In a saucepan, melt the butter; whisk in the honey, peanut butter, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a very low boil, remove from heat and add the vanilla.  Stir the sauce into the toasted oats.

Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.  Press the granola into the dish, and bake at 300 for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely.

To make the glaze, melt the chips over low heat in a double boiler with the butter and corn syrup, and whisk until it comes together (it doesn't look like it's going to but it does).   It doesn't melt very easy and is a little sticky once it does, but if you can drizzle (I just used the whisk I was stirring with), I promise you it dries perfectly. Doesn't smear, doesn't stick, it's just a perfect consistency.  Drizzle it over the bars and let cool. Cut into rectangle or squares.

Recipe: Cinnamon Raisin
Simply reduce the oats to 2 cups, replace the 1/3 cup peanut butter with another cup of honey.  Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon into the oat/wheat germ mixture, along with 1/2 cup raisins. Omit the glaze.

Then you can wrap them up for mobility purposes:

 

**Note:  I recently made a vegan version of this recipe, where I replaced the 1/4 cup butter with 3 tablespoons of canola oil, and oil for butter in the glaze. They turned out almost the same!

Eggnog Pancakes

I will never make another pancake again. Do they sell eggnog all year long? I fear that they don't.  The perfect spice and density it lends to this recipe makes you want to eat nothing but pancakes forever and ever. Also, did you know that Eggnog is one word? I didn't.
Recipe

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup egg nog
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 heaping tsp baking powder (probably closer to 1 1/2 to 2 tsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• dash salt
• Eggnog icing (optional)

Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl (but don't overmix).  Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat with a dab of butter or nonstick spray. Pour pancake batter into desired size pancakes (huge, in my case); Cook until brown on each side. Top with maple syrup and eggnog icing. 
 

Banana Bread for One

Do you love banana bread so much you could eat it every day? Do you live with someone who does not necessarily share that same sentiment? Can you not justify making an entire loaf for just one person? Do you live with someone who is Gluten Free?

If you've answered 'yes' to any of the questions above, help is on the way. Below, you will find a step-by-step process for creating a single serving of banana bread in under a minute.  Now you can make banana bread every day and no one else has to eat it.

Recipe

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 mashed ripe banana
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• Dash salt
• Handful of chocolate chips or nuts

Mix the butter and sugar together in a mug or small bowl. Beat in the egg, then add the vanilla and mashed banana.  Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Microwave for 45 seconds, and EAT. Preferably with milk or ice cream.

For further support on single-serving desserts, you can contact me through this blog. 

Fried Eggs on a Salt Block

Have you seen a Himalayan Salt Block before? I hadn't until I received one from my sister for my cooking endeavors, and now I'm hooked on experimenting. It's a large (and rather heavy) block of super pure and natural salt that you can use for cooking, serving, chilling, etc. How fun! Coincidentally, I LOVE SALT. And when you cook on this, it perfectly salts your food and gives it a really delicious flavor. I will let you read more about it on the website, but the whole idea is kind of amazing. You can heat it to super high temperatures to cook on, or you can freeze it to serve chilled appetizers. I knew I loved salt, and now it's confirmed that it truly is a superfood.

Frying eggs has been my favorite use so far. It's easy and I looooove salty eggs served over toast. And peppery eggs, as you can tell from the photo above. It's the one and only culinary trait I inherited from my father.

So, I placed the salt block directly over a burner (we have a gas range).  I started the heat at low to warm it up a bit, then gradually increased the heat to medium-high. I let the block heat up for about 20 minutes or so, then I threw on about a tablespoon of butter. I let the butter melt, then added two eggs. And lots of pepper. In minutes you'll have fried eggs with a perfectly unique and salty flavor infused into them!

I feel very creative and resourceful with my salt block, like I am one step closer to being able to live off the land.  Because that's clearly one of my long term goals. Thanks B! 

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

MAKE THESE NOW.  I don't care if you're at work, or out with friends, or at the gym. Run home and make these now. Actually if you're at the gym stay for 3 more hours and then run home so you can eat all 12 of them.

I woke up Sunday morning craving a cinnamon roll, but knew I didn't have the ability to wait for anything that had to rise. So I googled 'cinnamon roll muffin,' and ended up making these.  I doubled the icing recipe (why not) and also added 4 tablespoons of melted butter (great decision). I loved absolutely everything about these, that's all I can say.

Best served warm out of the oven, though not so much better that I could stop myself from eating them on Monday and Tuesday as well.

Baked French Toast Donuts

%$&*$#!. These are good. And healthy, because they’re baked. Probably not as healthy when you eat three in one sitting with your morning coffee, but that’s neither here nor there.

I woke up Sunday morning wanting to use my donut pan, and I came upon this recipe.  I followed the recipe exactly for the most part, but added a teaspoon of vanilla into the batter and an extra drizzle of maple syrup on top because it seemed like the right thing to do, and lived the rest of my weekend in donut bliss.

Is it DO-nut or DOUGH-nut? I’ve always been under the impression it was DO-nut, but all my internet research makes me believe I’ve been wrong all these years.

Applesauce Bread with Caramel Frosting

Last weekend I had a craving for Applesauce Muffins, but decided to add a few twists to spice it up a bit. I used half brown sugar and half white, added chocolate chips, baked it in a bread pan to create more of a cake, and then topped with the caramel frosting on this bundt cake. The bread should bake for about 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees, until a toothpick comes out clean. Top with the frosting once cooled. It is kind of a muffin-meets-cake dessert...I don't know whether to suggest coffee or ice cream with it. I went with both.

Baked Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

There are a million reasons why baked donuts are a good idea. They are healthier. You don't risk burning your face/fingers off during the frying process. They are easier. But honestly, this is the reason I baked donuts this weekend:

!!! How fun is that pan??? We were out shopping for furniture and other legitimate home items when we stumbled upon this donut pan at Crate and Barrel.  I love that store. And this pan. Talk about a good day. 

I really love donuts. In high school someone would bring donuts every Friday for homeroom, and I often wonder why no one has implemented that same policy at work.  Perhaps I could lead the charge, being the woman of progress and change that I am.

Anyway, baked donuts. These will not disappoint. They have the exact same flavor of your typical cake donut, but are so much easier to prepare. Oh and they are healthier too, I suppose.

Recipe

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease your brand new donut pan. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Beat the eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer, then add the buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix in the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined.  I can confirm that this is very, very tasty batter.  Pour the batter into the donut pan until about 3/4 full, and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the donut springs back when poked.

I love a chocolate glaze, but these would also be delicious dipped in butter, cinnamon, and sugar, or powdered sugar.

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons milk

Mix all the ingredients together with a fork, then dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the glaze (this is the easiest way to evenly coat).  Eat and enjoy!

Baked Eggs in Ham

These things are about as fun as it gets. Eggs baked in a mini ham cup. I love the combination of eggs and ham, so this morning I decided to bake some eggs in some ham, and the result was one fabulously easy and delicious breakfast. I have a few left over and plan to refrigerate them for breakfast this week!

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray the cups of a muffin tin with Pam, and line each one with 1 or 2 pieces of thinly sliced ham (make sure there are no holes). Crack an egg in each one, and sprinkle with pepper. This is the only time in life when I will tell you that you don't really need salt - the ham is pretty salty on its own. I still added some, of course, but not much. Then I topped each egg with a sliced cherry tomato, and baked for about 12 minutes. Then I sprinkled each egg with a little cheddar cheese, and baked for about 3-5 minutes more.

Amazing!

Banana Applesauce Muffins

My mom's Applesauce Muffins are one of my all-time favorites. And there isn't even chocolate involved, which speaks volumes for their insanely delicious flavor. Last weekend I woke up craving them, but since I had already shared the recipe with you, I decided to be adventurous and modify. It was a really, really good decision.

Recipe

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup applesauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl with a standing mixer. Add in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, and spices. Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the bananas. Mix in the applesauce. Pour the batter into greased muffin tins (or lined), and bake for 13-15 minutes. Eat immediately with coffee. Or chocolate milk.

French Toast

I LOVE FRENCH TOAST. I didn't always know it though. Growing up I thought the combination of egg + bread was disgusting. Now the only ounce of disgust I feel is for all the years I lost not eating french toast. 

This was item #2 in our Sunday brunch, a perfect complement to our scrambled eggs. I like a lot of vanilla flavoring in my french toast, a little bit of brown sugar, and topped with freshly sliced bananas and maple syrup. 

Recipe

• 1 french loaf, preferable day-old
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups half & half (or milk)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Slice the bread into 1-inch pieces. Mix the eggs, egg yolks,  half & half, vanilla and brown sugar in a bowl. You can use milk if you are worried about clogging your arteries. I'm not (yet). Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Dip the bread slices in one by one,  making sure to coat well. Try to cook the french toast almost immediately, as not doing so can result in soggy french toast.  Fry each piece until golden brown, a few minutes on each side. I find this process to be very fun and satisfying. See how much fun I'm having:

Lots of fun. And I'm happy, because I am about to eat this:

And all of this:

Perfectly Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Grilled Ham

We are back from Spain, which means I am officially back in the blogosphere. We had an incredible time  - very fun wedding, very fun friends, very fun country. The week of excessive eating has kept me away from the kitchen for a little bit though, as all I have been craving is plane jane food, such as peanut butter sandwiches. When I realized that I had gone through nearly an entire jar of peanut butter this week, however, I decided it was time to get back in the cooking saddle.

One of the best things about Spain is the ham. I'm not kidding. I could eat it morning, noon and night - and in fact I did for a good part of last week. My friend Irene, who is from Barcelona, sometimes sneaks it back in her suitcase for me. I am pretty sure that is illegal, so hopefully this post doesn't lead to an arrest.  Not that I needed any encouragement, but I am back on a ham kick and I want to eat it at every meal.

We decided to have Sunday Brunch at home this weekend, to keep things simple. What started out as simple quickly turned into scrambled eggs, grilled ham, french toast, and banana applesauce muffins (recipes to follow). I couldn't help myself.

Everyone likes their scrambled eggs different - fluffy, dry, wet, etc. We like ours not overly fluffy, and done but not dry.  I find I achieve the texture I like by only lightly beating the eggs. This may go against everything you've been taught regarding the scrambling of eggs, but I find that over-beating eggs results in a massive loss of flavor. So, I recommend barely beating them, just enough to break the yolks. But, to each their own. This recipe is obviously easy and not very innovative, but delicious nonetheless. 

Recipe

• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 slice very thickly cut ham (about an inch)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

We started by grilling the ham, which is unnecessary but really delicious. Props to my husband for these outstanding grill marks.

Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly mix the eggs, milk, S&P with a whisk or a fork - just enough to break the egg yolks. Pour the eggs in the pan, using a large spoon or spatula to stir them as they cook.  When the eggs are about half done, mix in the ham and cheese. Finish cooking and serve immediately.

Happy Sunday!

French Toast Casserole

Here is your Christmas brunch recipe. I'm not trying to be bossy, but this is it. I know, I know, Christmas is about family, friends, time together, blah blah blah. To me, it's about the food. And let me tell you, I would have been much better off making this recipe for my family of 9 at Christmas, rather than my Dallas family of 2 on a random Sunday. You just simply cannot stop eating this stuff.

The best part about this recipe (well, the second best part - the first best part is the taste) - is that you assemble it the night before, then simply bake it the day of. It is such an easy and stress-free brunch option.

Recipe

1 loaf french bread (I used a round french boule)

8 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick cold butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional, but good)

So, start by greasing a 9x13 inch baking dish. Tear your bread into about 3-inch chunks and throw them in the dish. 

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk/cream, sugars, and vanilla.  You can modify the sugar combo if you'd like - I love the flavor of brown sugar so cut down on the white.  Pour the egg mixture over the bread. I think I threw on a few more sprinkles of brown sugar here for fun. Not necessary, but fun. 

Cover and put in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight (I did overnight - and it was really fun to think about that marinating in there the whole time).

The next morning, or a few hours later depending on your life choices, preheat the oven to 350 and remove the casserole from the fridge. To prepare the topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, cold butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. I used a hand mixer for this, but I think a pastry cutter would have been more appropriate. I don't have one of those, since I was born in the 80s.

 Pour the topping over the casserole, and then bake for 50 minutes. 

Scoop out the casserole in ginormous sized portions, and top with whatever feels right. We did bananas and maple syrup. And I think that will be my dinner this evening.

 Merry Christmas!