Apple Breakfast Cake

We developed this recipe for the family camp out, summer of 2015. The original recipe was made in a dutch oven over coals. But since then, we've been making it in the oven using a 9x13 pyrex pan. It's so good that I never have a photo to post...we eat it too quickly!

The night before, in a large mixing bowl, set 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats to soak in 1 1/2 cups sour milk. (1 1/2 cups of milk soured with 1 1/2 TB apple cider vinegar.) Stir together.

In a smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
Set these dry ingredients aside. They will be used the following day.

The next morning, melt 2 TB butter. Pour the melted butter into the soaked oat mixture along with 2 beaten eggs. Stir to completely incorporate.

Add the dry ingredients and stir again. Finally, add about 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) and one large, peeled and diced apple. Stir the entire mixture well and then pour into a buttered 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake in 350* oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm for breakfast. If you ever find left-overs,try it with some vanilla yogurt on the side.

• If you're not going GF, just substitute whole wheat flour for the rice flour. That's what my original recipe used.
• I like to use buttermilk or kefir instead of the sour milk. They all work well.
• The first times we did this in a 12" dutch oven. It was wonderful! Melt the butter in the bottom of the hot dutch oven, then pour it into the oat mixture. This does double-duty by melting the butter and coating the oven.
• We have had suggestions to use peaches or raspberries in place of the apples. Try it and post results for us!
• This is great for families! Put the cake in the oven While it bakes you can work on the usual morning routine. The wonderful aroma will get everyone to breakfast effortlessly. 
• I have cut the recipe in half for a 9x9 pan. Very successful. But then there is not any left-over!

Breakfast Sausage #1

I had to add a number to this recipe because it is a first attempt. I am sure that there will be many more to follow. I love being a taste-tester for these experiments! Scott is great in the kitchen!

2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch ground cloves
2 pounds ground pork (not too lean)

Mix spices together. Add them to the ground pork and mix thoroughly. (Can use a hand mixture to speed up the process.) Allow the meat mixture to chill in the refrigerator for 18-48 hours for the flavors to blend.
Shape into patties and cook thoroughly on a skillet.

It was delicious! Scott is especially good at breakfasts!

Next time he plans to add tarragon and reduce the cloves. I volunteer to be the taste-tester again!

Sourdough Pancakes

Begin this recipe the night before you want to serve it for breakfast! Mix the following four ingredients into a large bowl that is not metal. Cover the mixture loosely with a towel and leave it in a warm place overnight.

Approximately 1 cup of sourdough starter
2 cups milk
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups lukewarm water

In the morning, beat together the following ingredients in a small bowl:

4 eggs
2 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Add the egg mixture to the bubbling sourdough mixture and incorporate well. The batter will be thin. Cook pancakes on a hot griddle, turning them over when generous bubbles appear on top.

This recipe makes LOTS of pancakes. Cutting the recipe in half works well for a small family. I also like to use the leftover batter as a start for the evening's sourdough biscuits!

Oatmeal Pancakes Gluten-free

You'll never feel deprived by this GF recipe! Just don't tell anyone and they'll never know it. Start this recipe the night before you plan to serve.

Combine these in a large bowl:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
Stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, add these to the mixture:
2 beaten eggs
2 TBS melted butter

Add in the dry ingredients all at once:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

This is a very thick batter. If you need to thin it down, just add more liquid. Cook on a hot, buttered griddle until pancakes are golden on each side. They are incredible served with fresh fruit!

I love to use this recipe if we ever have sour milk. Sometimes I will even sour the 2 cups of milk with 2 TB vinegar to make this recipe.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Jeremiah LOVES pancakes.  Every. Single. Day.  So, these are a nice addition to my growing collection of different pancake varieties. Packed with protein, I feel like I can send him to preschool with a bit more in his tummy than the regular flour kind. And everyone loves these at our house, so consider doubling the recipe and saving some for having on hand for snacks.  They're great with a dollop of jam!

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. honey
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt.

Directions:
Combine eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla and honey in a bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix all together. (Yes, it will be lumpy because cottage cheese is lumpy.  It's OK, carry on as usual!) Pour 1 - 2 Tablespoons on a griddle to cook them.  Do NOT try to make these larger in size because you won't be able to flip them.  Trust me. :)  Cook until they are set and have a dull sheen to them instead of shiny and glossy.  Flip them over and cook on the other side.  Serve and enjoy!

(Find more great recipes, like this one, at Weelicious.com)

Bread Pudding

This classic bread pudding recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It is great for breakfast or as a dessert (served with a caramel sauce or whipped cream), and it's a perfect way to use up old bread. Ben and Annie requested the recipe after we served it during Christmas break.

4 beaten eggs
2 1/4 cup milk or cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
finely shredded orange peel from 1 orange
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4-5 cups of bread (torn into bite-size peices)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional

Preheat oven to 350*
Toss bread peices and cranberries/raisin together in a 2-quart baking dish.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and orange peel. Pour egg mixture over bread.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until puffed and a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

Green Smoothie #1

This is a delicious and easy way to get those elusive green vegetables in the diet. Children especially love this drink by some of its nicknames: dinosaur drink, lizard juice, power boost...what name can you give it? Yes, it really does taste great!

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 cups apple juice

2 handfuls raw spinach leaves and stems

1 TB ground flax seed

Put all ingredients into the blender (I favor the vitamix) and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

This drink is also good without the ground flax seed; but it will be bubbly and full of air.

Another variation that we enjoy is to substitute blueberries for the strawberries. It will make a much darker drink, but equally delicious.

Try adding different juices, greens or fruit until you can find your perfect combination.

Stovetop Granola

This recipe is for Jenny! I'm pretty sure this is the one I used to make your birthday jar...pretty sure. Umm, at least it looks like it. :) I know I added more oats than it calls for, 'cause I like my granola that way. And I like pecans over almonds if I have the choice. (This comes from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

2. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.

3. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

Truly Whole Wheat Pancakes

Scott often prepares breakfast on Saturday morning. These pancakes are delicious and rank right up there with his hash-browns. Delicious!

1 cup whole wheat (wheat, not flour)

2 cups water

The night before, soak the wheat in the water.

1 1/4 cups milk (approximate)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2 TB baking powder

Add the pre-soaked wheat to a blender. Pour the milk into the blender. (There should be enough milk to cover the wheat.)

Turn on the blender and allow the mixture to blend for aobut 3 minutes.

Add teh eggs salt and canola oil. Blend for aobut 30 seconds.

Add the baking powder and blend. Transfer to a bowl. (Have your bowl ready, because the mixure will expand radidly in the blender.)

Allow mixure to sit in bowl for about 3 minutes.

Stir the mixture before cooking; pour pancakes onto preheated griddle.

Cook until golden brown on each side.

Credit for this recipe goes to Chef Bryan Woolley of KUTV Channel 2 News.

Granola

My granola recipe is ever evolving. So, this version includes many years of editing. I'm sure that there will be more versions in the future, too.

4 cups rolled wheat

8 cups old-fashioned rolled-oats (not "quick")

1 1/2 cups ground flax seed
3 cups sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds, hulled, roasted, not salted
3/4 cups raw wheat germ
1 cup honey
6 TB canola oil
ground cinnamon OR vanilla extract
3 cups dried fruit of choice (dates, cranberries, apples, blueberries, chopped apricots)

In a large mixing bowl, combine wheat, oats, flax, almonds, coconut, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. Stir to combine ingredients.

Combine the honey and oil in a sauce pan. Warm gently to combine; do not boil or overheat. Add ground cinnamon or vanilla extract as the mixture is taken from the heat. (The fruit I choose to add later determines which flavor I use here.)

Pour honey mixture over grain mixture and stir well to combine. The mixture will appear crumbly and not very moist.

Divide the cereal into three greased jelly-roll sheets. Bake in a preheated 300* oven. Bake each sheet for 20 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven, stir the granola and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Add the dried fruit to the granola after it has cooled completely. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place.

I make granola about monthly. Scott says that it sticks with him and lasts longer than cooked cereals. I will often change what nuts I am using by what I have on hand: pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, almonds. To make the granola chewy, add some applesauce to the honey and oil mixture.

September 2013...True to form, I have made another change in this recipe. For the past year I have been trying to find ways to use coconut oil in order to incorporate more medium-chain triglycerides in our diet. This is the perfect place to do that! I have been using this recipe, replacing the 6 TB of oil with 1/2 cup of coconut oil. It is a great improvement! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm baking these as I type this and the house smells AMAZING! Like fall just kicked in my front door and made itself at home! I haven't actually tasted these yet, but based on smell and the 4.5 star rating the recipe got on allrecipes.com, they're gonna be awesome!

Ingredient:

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1.5 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour muffin tins or use paper liners.

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add in wet mixture, then add chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 20 -25 minutes. (Only took about 17 in my oven).

Apple Squares

Most criminally delicious use of fruit...since Kali's peach upside down cake, that is. ;) This is my take on a recipe from allrecipes.com. I doubled the apples from their recipe (and I think I might go crazy and quadruple the apples next time), replaced walnuts with pecans, and added only half the cinnamon sugar. Here's my variation:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/2 white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp white sugar (for topping)
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon (for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x9 pan. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Blend in the mixture of dry ingredients until just combine, then add apples and pecans. Spread mixture evenly in greased pan. Combine the remaining cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the top.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bars spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pan and cut into squares.

I may or may not have had these for breakfast this morning. Okay, I did. And they were delicious! I also think these would we awesome with whole wheat.

Pineapple (or Other Fruit) Skillet Upside-Down Cake

By popular demand, here it is, from Rick Bayless' "Mexican Everday" cookbook.

So YUMMY!

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 1/2 cups pineapple, or berries, or peaches, or apples, or nectarines, or... you get the picture
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or soured milk) or plain yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*. Melt butter in a 10" skillet with an ovenproof handle, preferrably non-stick, over a medium heat. Swirl it around until it turns nut-brown then pour into a medium bowl. Without wiping the pan out, sprinkle the brown sugar into the skillet and top with a fruit layer.

In a bowl, mix together the flours, salt, soda and baking powder. Mix the white sugar in with the browned butter. Add the egg and mix; then add buttermilk/yogurt and mix. Pour into the dry indregients and whisk together.

Pour batter over the fruit. Put skillet in oven and bake 35 minutes or until cate is golden brown and springy to the touch. Remove and cool 10 minutes.

Put a plate over skillet, and using oven mitts, flip them over together in one quick movement. Remove the skillet and serve cake!

Marion Cunningham's buttermilk pancakes

This recipe has become our favorite when we make pancakes, which is quite frequently. I'm not sure what makes them so good, since it's very similiar to other recipes, but it works for us! The author says it doesn't work well to multiply the recipe, but you can double a batch and have it still turn out.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. butter or oil for the pan

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Crack egg into the center and pour the buttermilk over the top of the egg.
2. With a fork or whisk, stir until it forms a lumpy batter and all flour is absorbed. Pour in melted butter and stir until buttter is just dispersed. DO NOT OVERMIX.
3. Spread 1 Tbsp. butter/oil on the griddle. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter on to form pancakes. Turn when bubbles form on the top. Brown the other side.
4. Eat!

No buttermilk? Just add a Tbsp of vinegar to a measuring cup, then pour in milk until it reaches 1 cup mark. Stir, let sit a few minutes, then proceed as normal. :)

Ham and Cheese Strata

12 slices bread
6 ham slices
6 cheddar slices
6 beaten eggs
3 cups milk
1 TBS finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper

In a greased 9x13 dish, layer 6 ham and cheese "sandwiches". Combine eggs, milk, onion, dry mustard, salt and pepper; whisk well. Pour liquid over the sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove cover and bake at 300* for 1 hour. Allow casserole to set for 10 minutes before cutting sandwiches in half to serve.

Note: I have also assembled this recipe like bread pudding. In that case, the bread is torn, the ham is chopped and the cheese is grated. This variation is great for older bread.

Cheesefada

This post must start with a disclaimer: I have no idea how to spell the name of this dish! We have just spelled it as it sounded.
We originally enjoyed this breakfast dish in Idaho, when Kurt Johnson made it for us. I understand that it is a Hungarian dish that was passed down in his family. Of course everything tastes better at Grandpa's cabin, but this tasted great when we attempted it at home, too. The best description that I have heard for this dish is "scrambled pancakes".

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBS baking powder
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, separated
milk

Melt butter in a large fry pan and set aside. Beat egg whites to form stiff peaks; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Beat in egg yolks, melted butter, and enough milk to form a consistency of very thick pancake batter. Finally, fold in whipped egg whites and pour into the hot fry pan with melted butter. Cook like scrambled eggs, turning and breaking the mixture as it cooks. Serve with syrup, fruit, milk or just as-is.
We have also had success with whole wheat flour; it adds a deliciously nutty taste.

Amish Oatmeal

I can no longer find the original recipe for Amish Oatmeal. However, I remember that the first attempts had extravagant amounts of sugar and butter. No wonder it tasted so good! This version is the one that we often use now and it still tastes great. We love it served with yogurt or milk and fresh or dried fruit.
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this is a great way to start the day!

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup applesauce
3 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix liquids in a separate bowl: milk, honey (if not using sugar), applesauce, eggs. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix in the melted butter. Spoon the thick mixture into a buttered 10x14 casserole dish, or several smaller dishes. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot or cold for a great breakfast cereal.
This recipe freezes very well. I like to make it once and serve it multiple times. It's also great to feed a crowd.
Another delicious option is to add fresh, diced apples, frozen blueberries or chopped nuts to the mixture before it is baked.

Stir and Roll Biscuits

This recipe has received recent rave reviews. It's embarrassingly easy for a biscuit and makes for a quick supper addition. It's one of our favorites for breakfast biscuits and sausage gravy.

2 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk and oil all at once. Stir until combined. Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into desired
biscuit shapes. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking pan; bake at 425* for 10-12 minutes.

Notes: Larger biscuits will take longer to bake.
I love to use half whole white wheat flour in this recipe.
Make sure the oven is preheated.
Corn oil and canola oil work well. Olive oil produced a lack-luster, greasy biscuit.

Double-corn Polenta

Okay, my photograph doesn't make it look like much. But it is heavenly!! The perfect summertime side dish. And best of all - it's so stinkin' easy. This recipe comes from the book "The 150 Best American Recipes".

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup medium-grind cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels
• 2/3 cup loosely packed fresh mixed herbs, like parsley, chives, oregano, basil, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 4 large basil leaves for garnish

1. Chop tomatoes. Toss with the olive oil and salt. Set aside

2. In a saucepan boil together water and cream. Add butter and then salt to taste. Whisking constanty, add cornmeal in a slow steady stream. Keep whisking until the lumps disappear. Reduce heat to low and simmer while stirring until polenta is creamy and thick about 20 minutes. (It was more like 5 when I did it.)

3. Fold in corn, herbs and cheese. Top with the tomatoes and basil leaves. Serve immediately. (Makes 6-8 serving)