Sunrise Smoothie (aka Strawberry Orange Julius)

My kids love smoothies so I'm always looking for something new, healthy and kid friendly.  We love the balance of OJ, strawberry and creamy, vanilly goodness that is in this Sunrise smoothie.

I was inspired by this delicious Skinny Strawberry Orange Julius from Classy Clutter.  We just adjusted it for our taste.  If it's just for the kids, I will swap out the water for more milk because neither of them drinks enough milk. 

On a side note, I have issues with drinking waaaay to much smoothie because they are soooo good.  To work on my portion control, I've started serving up my smoothies in my kid's Take N Toss cups with the straws.  It may sound cheesy, but they hold the perfect amount for a snack sized smoothie or for when you want to have a smoothie WITH  breakfast and not INSTEAD of breakfast.  This recipe makes enough for three of those cups or 2 regular sized smoothies.
 
Simple Sunrise Smoothie
(aka Strawberry Orange Julius)

In blender layer:
6 ice cubes
(mine are moon shaped for reference)
1/2 c. frozen strawberries (heaping)
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. water
3 Tbsp. frozen OJ concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla
Stevia to taste (I started with about 2 Tbsp and added another after tasting.)

Blend until smooth and frothy.   Add additional sweetener if needed.  Serves 2.

5 Minute Cinnamon Scones

I love scones, but they take more time and effort than I currently have to give.  I found this cinnamon biscuit recipe from Mama Buzz and had to give it a try.  I decided to change it up a bit by adding cinnamon chips and shaping them like scones.  No, they're not exactly like a scone, but they definitely satisfy your scone cravings. 

One important note is that you really need to chop up the cinnamon chips or they will sink to the bottom and burn. 

You could also use mini chocolate chips, nuts, etc...  I am hoping to come up with a pumpkin spice version soon. 

Picture coming soon...

5 Minute Cinnamon Scones
Ingredients
Biscuits:
1 Bisquick Buttermilk Biscuit Mix
1/2 cup water
3-4 tsp cinnamon/sugar mixture
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. cinnamon chips, chopped

Frosting:
1-2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Milk

Directions:
Mix biscuit mix, water, vanilla, cinnamon chips and cinnamon sugar mixture.  Dump mixture out onto lightly floured surface.  Pat into an 8-9 inch circle.  Cut into 6 wedges and place on baking sheet.  Bake according to package directions.  Remove from oven and drizzle with frosting while warm.  Add more drizzle once they are slightly cooled.

Quick and Easy Brunch Recipes to Make This Weekend!

 

I seriously love a good breakfast casserole, but I don't love spending Saturday morning in the kitchen frying meat and chopping veggies.  I want something that can be assembled by the time the coffee is made because not much else happens around here until momma gets her coffee. 

These recipes are my favorite tried and true recipes that can be made with precooked meats, mixes and canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls. 

This Sweet Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole has over 22,000 pins and is one of my go to breakfast recipes.  I lightened it up a bit with egg substitute.

Because it was so popular, I came up with a Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Casserole which uses pumpkin butter and pumpkin spice coffee creamer.  I actually prefer it to the original.

Another sweet breakfast favorite is Monkey Bread.  This version is simple and quick, using canned biscuits.

This Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole goes together in a flash and tastes a lot like your favorite breakfast sandwich!

If you like a good, hearty breakfast, you'll love the Farmer's Breakfast Casserole with hash browns, sausage, bacon, cheese and eggs.  Everything is premade so you just have to assemble it. 

If you're trying to cut back on calories, these Sausage and Egg Muffins are perfect.  They're full of flavor and can be made ahead.

Now that I've shared some of my favorites, I'd love to hear about yours!  Leave a comment below to share a recipe or link!

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

I'm a sucker for a breakfast casserole whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner.   My most popular post, Sweet Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole is testament to that.

Since bub #2 was born, one of my favorite things to do is to make a breakfast casserole for dinner or for a weekend brunch so I can have the leftovers the rest of the week.  It makes for a quick and delicious breakfast.  

The original recipe that I found at Food.com had nearly 3 pounds of meat and cheese in it which seemed a bit over the top for me.  I cut it way back and used precooked meats because I don't always have a lot of time to prep meals.  Egg substitute cut out a few more calories.  I think it works better in casseroles anyway because it's easier to mix up and bakes well. 

The end result was delicious and filling with a calorie count that I could live with. 

If you like this recipe, give my Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole a try! 

Ingredients
3 c. shredded hash browns (like Simply Potatoes)
9.6 oz. pkg. Jimmy Dean fully cooked Turkey Sausage Crumbles (or 12 oz. cooked and crumbled sausage)
1 pkg. precooked bacon slices (12-15 slices), diced
2 c. (8 oz.) cheddar/jack cheese blend
2 1/4 c. egg beaters or 12 eggs
2 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. season salt or Lawry's
3/4 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Layer the following in the pan: hash browns, sausage, bacon and cheese.
2. Mix a medium bowl, whisk together egg substitute, milk, season salt and pepper.  Pour mixture into baking dish, tilting dish gently from side to side to evenly distribute eggs.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Bake 50-55 minutes at 375 degrees.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Since October is the month of all things pumpkin, I decided to try another take on my most pinned recipe, Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole.  I added pumpkin butter, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin spice coffee creamer.   The result was even better than the original. 

This casserole is special enough for Thanksgiving Day breakfast, but easy enough for any morning of the week.  The leftovers reheat wonderfully.

Ingredients
2 (12.4 oz) cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing like Pillsbury (can use light cinnamon rolls)
1 3/4 c egg substitute like Egg Beaters (or 6 large eggs)
1/2 c pumpkin spice coffee creamer or half and half
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 c pumpkin butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease an 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.
2. Cut each cinnamon roll into 8 pieces and place in dish.  
3. In a medium bowl whisk together egg substitute or eggs, coffee creamer, vanilla, pumpkin butter and pumpkin pie spice.  Pour over rolls.  Give the whole thing a good stir.  Sprinkle with pecans.
4. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 10-15 minutes (if you can wait that long!!)  Remove covers from icing and microwave 5-10 seconds or until it's the perfect consistency for drizzling.
5. Drizzle icing over top.   Serve with light syrup and powdered sugar.   

 Linked to:

Link Party Palooza - Strut Your Stuff Saturday - Super Sunday Linky Party - Munching Mondays - A Pinch of Joy - Mouth Watering Mondays - A Southern Fairytale - Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up - Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday -

Quick Stovetop Pumpkin Butter

One of my favorite things about fall is that it is finally socially acceptable to stuff my face with pumpkin.  I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin cake and pumpkin cookies!  However, they have too many calories to eat every day unless you like having the waistline of a pumpkin.

Thankfully, pumpkin butter comes to the rescue and gives me my pumpkin fix.  It's thick, spicy, sweet and tastes amazing on toast, biscuits and cornbread.  I simmered this on the stove while I cleaned my kitchen one night and just gave it stir every few minutes. 

You can put these in pretty jars to give as gifts or freeze small batches to hoard away for yourself.  I won't judge you.  ;)

Ingredients
Adapted from: AllRecipes.com
1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 1/4 c apple juice or cider
1 1/2 c sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan, adding more apple juice if needed.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer 30 minutes or until desired thickness.  Stir it frequently to prevent burning.  Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Linked to:

Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up - Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday -

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

 My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, no matter what time of day it is served.  Even my hubby who never cared for breakfast gets up on Saturday and looks around for his eggs and bacon.  He's more of savory breakfast man, but I like it all as is evident by my obsession with Cracker Barrel and IHOP.

This recipe is a slightly moister, eggier version of a recipe I found on the Pillsbury site.  I love using canned biscuits, cinnamon rolls and crescent rolls in recipes even though I don't care much for them on their own.  Adding fresh ingredients takes away the canned flavor.

My other shortcut is to use precooked REAL bacon bits, keeping the prep time under 10 minutes.  Would freshly cooked bacon be better?  Probably, but it's not worth the time and mess to me while trying to keep up with a newborn and 3 year old wild child. 

You can save a few calories by using egg substitute which works great in casseroles, low fat cheese and turkey bacon or ham in place of the regular bacon.  Throw in any of your favorite breakfast meats, cheeses and veggies to come up with your own version.

Recipe
Adapted from: Pillsbury

Ingredients
4 eggs or about 1 c egg substitute
1/3 cup milk
salt and pepper
16 oz refrigerated breakfast biscuits (I used GV Texas style biscuits.), cut into 4 or 8 pieces
4 green onions, diced
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 pkg Oscar Mayer real bacon pieces or bits (the kind you put on salad)

Directions

1. In an 11 x 7 dish, whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper.  (You don't need a ton of salt because many of the ingredients are salty.) 
2. Add biscuits, onions, cheese and bacon.  Toss to coat with egg mixture.
3. Bake 25-28 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown and cooked through.

Linked to:

Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up - Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday -

Super Easy Monkey Bread

Making yummy, family friendly breakfasts doesn't mean you have to get up at the crack of dawn.  This simple Monkey Bread recipe takes about 10 minutes to assemble, giving you more time to hang out with the kiddos, take a hot shower or drink another cup of coffee.  It's also perfect for brunch. 

The first time I made this I used salted butter because I love sweet and salty, but it was too salty even for me.  There is plenty of salt in the biscuit to give you the perfect salt to sweet to ratio.  Stick with unsalted butter and yes, I mean butter, not margarine.  You could also use the light buttery baking sticks.

Serve it with fresh fruit and turkey sausage or turkey bacon to balance out your breakfast.  Reheat leftovers in the microwave.

Recipe
Adapted from:  AllRecipes.com
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 (16.3 ounce) cans Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 chopped pecans or walnuts

1 c firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 c unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bundt style pan with cooking spray.
2. In a zip top plastic bag combine sugar and cinnamon.  Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and place in bag.  Shake bag to coat biscuits. 
3. Sprinkle half of nuts into pan.  Top with half of the biscuits.   Repeat.  
4. In a small saucepan melt butter.  Stir in brown sugar and vanilla.  Pour over biscuits.
5. Bake 28-32 minutes or until browned and no longer doughy.  If it starts to brown too soon, cover lightly with foil.  Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes and until turning onto serving dish. 

Tropical Oatmeal Smoothie {6 WW Pts +}

The last 2 months have been extremely challenging for me both physically and emotionally.  Because of this, I allowed my diet and exercise regime to slack off quite a bit.  OK, I basically threw it out the window and feels as though my body has turned into an exhausted pile of mush. 

After polishing off the last of the donuts yesterday, I put together a healthy eating plan for this week.  You know how once you eat a donut for breakfast, the idea of eating healthy for the rest of the day is thrown out the window?  Therefore, I ate the donuts for the sake of my diet.  It was a win-win. 

Anyway, to start out the week the kiddo and I made Tropical Oatmeal Smoothies inspired by this recipe on AllRecipes.com.  We opted for the tropical fruit mix that we had in the freezer with pineapples, strawberries and mangos.  You could use whatever fruit blend you have on hand.  Adding the coconut extract gave it that extra bit of island flare. 

Now I realize that oatmeal may seem like a weird ingredient and yes you do taste it in the background, but it adds extra thickness to the smoothie.  I don't know about you, but I like my smoothies thick so that they take longer to enjoy. You also get the added benefit of more fiber.

My 2 year old was running around the house saying, "Good smoothie... mmmm... very good smoothie."  I think he's hooked.  He drank his and then part of mine.

This smoothie ranks in around 210 calories.  I had it along with one of my Sausage and Egg Breakfast Muffins made with egg substitute and my total breakfast calories were about 300.  It was healthy, filling and gave me all 4 food groups. 

Recipe
Adapted from: AllRecipes.com
1/2 c rolled oats
1 c fat free milk
4-5 ice cubes
1 medium banana, cut into chunks
1 c tropical blend frozen fruit (about 14 chunks of fruit)
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 Tbsp Splenda

Pulse oats in blender until powdered.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Serves: 2

Nutritional Mumbo Jumbo:  Calories: 210.8  Fat: 2.1  Sat. Fat: .3  Carbs: 43.9  Fiber: 5.7  Protein: 7.8  Weight Watchers Points: 6 Pts. +

Cinnamon Pecan Oatmeal Waffles

I first shared my Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal and Pecan Waffle recipe nearly a year ago.  The hubs and the kiddo love their morning chocolate fix so this was a big hit at our house.  It's like having a big chocolate chip cookie for breakfast. 

The thing I love about this recipe is how filling it is.  I'm usually ready for my second breakfast (coffee and fruit) about 2 hours after the first one, but this recipe really keeps me satisfied all morning long due to the addition of oatmeal.

Although my family prefers chocolate to just about anything, this momma loves cinnamon.  Every so often I have the overwhelming urge to break out my stash of cinnamon chips.  If you've never had cinnamon chips, you are really missing out.  They make my little world a happier place. 

Anyhoo, after burning 2 batches of frozen waffles yesterday morning, the kiddo was still begging for "wackles" so we experimented with this cinnamon version.  (Unbeknownst to me, my toaster had been sabotaged by 2 year old who loves to play with knobs.)  The cinnamon waffles were even better than the chocolate ones, in my opinion.  The kiddo ate an entire waffle.  We won't go into how much mommy ate.  ;) 

I put the batter we didn't use in the fridge to make fresh waffles again the next day.  If you're making the Belgium waffles, you'll get 5-6 waffles out of this recipe so you may want to double the recipe.  Seriously, these are amazing.  Double the recipe.

Recipe
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 c quick-cooking rolled oats
1Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c milk
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3- 1/2 c cinnamon chips
1/3 c chopped pecans

1. Heat waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl combine flours, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.  Fold in cinnamon chips and pecans.
3. Spread onto waffle iron with spatula.  Cook according to your waffle iron's manufacturer's directions.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Easy Apple Cranberry Salad {4 Points +}

Don't you love super simple recipes that make people think you worked a lot harder than you actually did?  Every time I make this, I get asked about what all I put in the "sauce".  People (i.e. the hubs) who don't typically like yogurt are always surprised that the yummy sauce is just a container of yogurt.
 
This is an easy to throw together recipe to go with along with breakfast egg muffins, breakfast casserole or cinnamon roll breakfast bake.  It's also a beautiful side for a potluck or holiday meal.  

You can easily double it and trade out the yogurt and fruit for whatever your family prefers. 

Recipe
Adapted from: AllRecipes
1 red apple, cored and chopped
1 green apple, cored and chopped
1/2 c canned peaches (packed in juice), drained and chopped
1/3 c walnut pieces
1/3 c dried cranberries
6 oz light lemon or vanilla yogurt

Combine all ingredients and serve immediately or chill.  This is best made the same day you plan on serving it.  If you make it the day before, the juices can make the yogurt "soupy". 

Serves: 5

Nutritional Mumbo Jumbo: Calories: 136  Fat: 5.9  Sat. Fat:  .5  Carbs:  22.6   Fiber: 2.8  Protein: 2.3  Weight Watchers: 4 Points +




Linked to: Full Plate Thursday -

Cranberry Apple Breakfast Cookies {2 WW Points +}

What?  Cookies for breakfast?  On Weight Watchers?

Yep, you can thank my toddler for this.  He is always asking for cookies, which we don't really keep around the house.  Well, unless you count the 3 boxes of Girl Scout cookies hidden in the back of the pantry...  We don't eat them, but somehow it's comforting just knowing they're there.  Lol.

Anyway, I started thinking that a "cereal cookie" from the breakfast aisle might be good for him, but they taste like pure sugar and are 4 Points each!  For an itty bitty "cookie"!

Food.com came to the rescue with this healthy Low Fat Apple Cranberry Cookie.   I tweaked it a little for our family and we all loved them.  The best part is that I can feel good about giving them to my son- for breakfast!

They taste the yummiest straight out of the oven, but what doesn't?

Stay tuned... I'm hoping to come up with a carrot "cake" version soon!

Recipe
1/4 c light butter, softened
1/2 c splenda brown sugar blend
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c apple, chopped
1/2 c dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until just combined, followed by applesauce.
3. In another bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and oats.  Mix into wet ingredients.  Fold in apples and cranberries.  The batter will be a little on the thin side, but don't be tempted to try and thicken it.
4. Lightly spray your baking sheet with cooking spray.  Drop batter by heaping tablespoons on to cookie sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 13-15 minutes.
5. Cool on baking rack.  Store leftovers in an air tight container or in the freezer.

Yields: 24 Cookies

Nutritional Mumbo Jumbo: Calories: 94  Fat: 1.9  Sat. Fat: .2  Carbs: 16.9  Fiber: 1.9  Protein: 1.9  Weight Watchers Points: 2 Points +





Linked to :  Strut Your Stuff Saturday - Savory Sunday - Tasty Tuesday- Foodie Friday  -

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Muffins 2 Pts+ !!

These are an answer to my dieting prayers!  I found these on Nutmeg Notebook.  She has tons of healthy, Weight Watchers recipes so be sure to visit her site.

I fiddled around with the recipe to keep the points at only 2 which makes these not only a fabulous breakfast, but also a great snack item!  I am thrilled that I can eat 2 of these for breakfast and still have a piece of toast or some yogurt or I can have one of these for a quick pick-me-up in the afternoon.

I opted to leave part of the eggs in the recipe because eggs are an incredibly healthy food, filled with protein and nutrients that you can't find other places.  They also help me stay fuller longer and that is super important when you're dieting!

Customize this recipe however you choose.  Add whatever veggies you like and leave out the ones you don't.  Use all eggs or all egg substitute.  Add cheese.  Mmm...  Don't leave out the Baking Mix though as it gives these guys a little heft and makes them sort of quiche like.

I plan to refrigerate the leftovers and have them throughout the week.  I love the idea of prepping/cooking/cleaning once, yet stuffing my mouth for days with eggy, meaty deliciousness. 

Recipe
5 eggs (I use Eggland's Best)
3/4 c egg substitute (or 3 more eggs)
2/3 package Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles
1/4 c bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 c spinach, chopped
3/4 c Bisquick Heart Smart Baking Mix
1/2 c 1% milk
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup muffin pan liberally with cooking spray.
2.  Combine ingredients until well mixed and pour into muffin pans. 
3.  Bake 20-25 or until cooked through.  Mine were done in 20 minutes.
4.  Remove from and run a knife around the edge to help loosen muffins.

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal and Pecan Waffles

I woke up this morning craving something more than cold cereal and toast.  If only I weren't so lazy, I'd cook breakfast every morning.  Some day, maybe...  Anyway, this Oatmeal Waffles recipe is one of the first recipes that came up at AllRecipes.com when I did a quick search for waffles.  The kiddo loves anything he can dip in syrup and I felt good about serving him something with oats, whole wheat flour and pecans in it for breakfast. 

The original recipe doesn't have chocolate chips or pecans in it, but if you know anything about my family, you know the hubs needs his morning chocolate fix just like I need my morning coffee. So into the bowl they went.  Other yummy mixins to try would include pumpkin, cinnamon, apples, peanut butter, bananas, etc...

The batter was kind of thick, but resist the urge to add more liquid.  Instead, use a spatula or spoon to spread the batter into the waffle iron.  This made 6 large, Belgian style waffles.  Next time I'll make a big batch and freeze some for those lazier mornings when I don't want to cook. 

These waffles were moist and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.  The pecans added a little more texture and the chocolate was delicious.  We all enjoyed chowing down on these. =)

Recipe
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 c quick-cooking rolled oats
1Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c milk
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (I roughly chopped some regular chips.)
1/4 c chopped pecans

1. Heat waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl combine flours, oats, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips or pecans.
3. Spread onto waffle iron with spatula.  Cook according to your waffle iron's manufacturer's directions.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes
Printable Recipe

Quick and Easy Nutella Turnovers

For those unfamiliar with it, Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread with a consistency similar to smooth peanut butter.  There are a bazillion recipes out there that you could use with Nutella, but it's pretty good just spread on a graham cracker or piece of toast.  Combine it with it buttery, crispy puff pastry and you have the ultimate comfort food.

The recipe came from Tracey's Culinary Adventures, who found it at Picky Palate.  Be sure to visit these blogs where you'll get better pictures and more detailed instructions.  I varied only slightly from the original instructions by cutting my puff pastry into 9 pieces instead of 4 because I was making them as a potluck dessert.  I've made them both ways now and prefer the smaller pastries.  They tend to break open more easily than the bigger ones while baking, but who cares when they taste so amazing?!

This was my first time working with puff pastry and it was super easy.  The most important thing is to let it thaw well before trying to unfold it. It's a pain pinching it all back together when it breaks.  Don't ask me how I know...

To serve, sprinkle these with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate.  I hope you all will enjoy these as much as we did!

Recipe
1 box puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets, tested with Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry)
1 c Nutella spread
1 c mini marshmallows
Egg wash = 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Powdered sugar

1. Lay puff pastry on a lightly floured counter.  Roll out slightly.  I rolled mine from a 9x9 to a 12x12 square.  
2. Cut into 9 squares.  Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon Nutella into the center of each square.  Top with 3-4 marshmallows.  Fold dough over to form a triangle.  Use a fork to crimp the edges together and seal tightly.  (They may still pop open a little when baking.)  Brush with egg wash and place on cookie sheet
3. Bake 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.  Cool slightly, sprinkled with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from  Tracey's Culinary Adventures & Picky Palate
Printable Recipe

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Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits

OK, today is true confession day... if I had a celebrity crush, it would be Alton Brown.  How big of a foodie nerd does that make me?  :P   I have learned so much by watching him on Good Eats!  Alton makes cooking both fun and educational which I love!

 
Would you believe that this is the first time I've tried one of his recipes?  Tired of box mix biscuits and in a big hurry, I quickly scanned the first page of biscuit recipes that Chef Google dished up.  And there it was, like a cupcake in a refrigerator full of carrots... Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits.  I knew they would be perfect!

These were super fast to throw together and baked up in about 15 minutes.  Just follow the directions on the recipe here and they will turn out tender, fluffy and melt in your mouth amazing.  The best part is that I was able to wrap the leftovers in a damp paper towel and reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  To my surprise they still tasted fresh!  To me that makes them worth adding to my collection of recipes.  =)

Recipe
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled (or regular milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Using fingers, work in butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Work quickly to keep fat from melting.  Make a well in the center and stir in the buttermilk until it is incorporated.  It will be really, really sticky.  It's OK, that's part of the fun.  ;)
3. Flour your work surface and turn out your dough.  Dust the top of the dough with more flour.  Kneed or fold the dough over 5-6 times.  Dust with flour as needed.  Pat dough to about a 1 inch thickness.  Use a 2 inch cookie cutter or a glass to cut out biscuits.  Place on a baking sheet with edges of biscuits touching.  Reform scraps to make more biscuits, making sure to manipulate dough as little as possible. 
4. Bake 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter if desired. 

Source: Food Network: Good Eats 
Printable Version
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Blueberry Lemon Muffins, Oh My!

I've always been a HUGE fan of blueberry muffins.  They are one of the top 10 foods that I would want to take with me to the desert island.  Chocolate would be the other 9.  Kidding, I think.

The last few weeks I've seen several lemon/blueberry recipes and I started craving lemon blueberry muffins.  So I did what any good cook does and googled/swagged a recipe.  The one I settled on was from Alexandra's Kitchen.  Her incredible pictures lured me in while her descriptions made me salivate.  You've got to check out her post to find out more about this recipe.

Anyway, these muffins were fabulous.  The texture from using cake flour, which I just happened to have on hand for once, was light and delicate, the blueberries were abundant and the lemony flavor was just right.  It was like eating a sweet treat from your favorite bakery except you made a dozen for the price of 2 bakery muffins. ;)

Blueberries are plentiful in our local grocery store so I used fresh, but I'll definitely be making these this winter with frozen berries.  This is one of those recipes that you could probably use as a base recipe to make all kinds of combinations.    

These were such a hit at our house that a sneaky little muffin thief crashed my photo shoot.  I like to take my pics on a wooden bench by our window to get the best light.  Little man snuck under the table to get to the muffins.  ;)  Yep, they're that good.

Recipe
½ c unsalted butter, room temperature (I used Best Life Buttery Baking Sticks and adjusted the salt in the recipe)
2 heaping tsp. lemon zest
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. kosher salt
2 c fresh blueberries
½ c milk

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners or spray well with cooking spray.
2. Cream butter, lemon zest and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
3. Toss blueberries with 1/4 cup of the flour.  This will help prevent them all from sinking to the bottom of the pan, so I wouldn't skip this step.  In another bowl whisk together remaining flour, baking powder and salt.  
4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture a little at a time, alternating with milk.  Scoop into 12 tins.  Bake approx. 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool for 7 minutes (why I don't know) and then remove to cool on a wire rack.

Source: Alexandra's Kitchen 
Printable Recipe

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Chocolate Cake Batter Cocoa Krispies Treats with a Mochaccino Variation

If you're like I was last week, you're wondering what Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats are.  They sound a little funny, but perhaps they've made you just a little curious.  After all, Rice Krispy Treats bring back childhood memories of time spent with mom or grandma whipping up a special ooey gooey treat that yields instant gratification.
 

When I saw a link to this recipe for Birthday Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats on the Sugar and Dots What I Whipped Up Wednesday Blog Party, I had to see what they were!  Jade's tutorial is awesome so be sure to check her blog out as well as the super fun Blog Party at Sugar and Dots.  I found all kinds of neato ideas there to try!

I tried Jade's recipe last week and loved it, but alas we are a chocolate family so I set out to make a choco version of the delectable snack.  I used Cocoa Krispies and chocolate butter recipe cake mix.  Hmmm...if only I could think of a way to use up the rest of those Cocoa Krispies... Nom nom nom...

For a mochaccino twist, a few drops of liquid coffee flavoring really adds a nice coffee punch and enhances the Cocoa Krispies' overall chocolaty goodness.

Sprinkles are totally optional, but so much fun!  I plan on making both versions of these for the kiddo's upcoming birthday party!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

Recipe
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
1 bag large marshmallows (approx. 40) or 4 c mini marshmallows
1/2 c chocolate cake mix
a few drops coffee flavoring
6 c Cocoa Krispies
sprinkles

1. Heat butter and marshmallows over medium heat until smooth.  Remove from  heat and stir in cake mix and optional flavoring.  Once smooth, mix in cereal.
2. Pat into greased 9x13 cake pan.  If you spray the bottom of a measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray, you can use that to pat them down without the treats sticking.
3. Sprinkle with jimmies and cool. 

Adapted from:  Birthday Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

Printable Recipe

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Sweet Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole

Who doesn't love cinnamon rolls?  Seriously, who?  Because there is something wrong if you don't enjoy the buttery, cinnamony sweet flavor of a rich cinnamon roll.  You *might* need to see a doctor about that.  :-P 

This recipe was is a version of the 2004 Pillsbury Bake-Off's Cinnamon French Toast Bake, and it's a one of my always reliable, no-fail breakfast casseroles.  It brings smiles to the faces of both kids and adults.  The best part is that it is super simple.  You can put it together in about 10-15 minutes.  Double yay!

I've lightened up the original recipe because I have a hard time eating just one serving of this casserole and wanted to feel less guilty about it.  ;-)   (Not that a little guilt would have stopped me.)  I left out the butter.  It's OK though, since I'm not "technically" a Southerner I can remove butter from recipes without losing my kitchen privileges.  =P  Just don't tell my Southern friends and family because they don't know it's gone. 

One splurge that I do use is cinnamon coffee creamer in place of the heavy cream from the original recipe.  It adds richness and I don't have to buy a container of whipping cream and let most of it go to waste.  You could use fat free half and half instead.  I also like to use coffee creamer in cake icing instead of milk.  Yum.

Serve this lovely Cinnamon Roll Casserole with turkey sausage and fresh fruit for a delightful brunch.  It reheats nicely to serve throughout the week as well.

Enjoy!

**I recently added a new version of this popular recipe that I like even more than the original- Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Casserole!  It has an amazing fall flavor.**

Recipe:
Casserole
2 (12.4 oz) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing like Pillsbury (can use light cinnamon rolls)
1 3/4 c egg substitute like Egg Beaters (or 6 large eggs)
1/2 c cinnamon bun coffee creamer or half and half
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped pecans
1 cup light maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease an 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.
2. Cut each cinnamon roll into 8 pieces and place in dish.  
3. In a medium bowl whisk together egg substitute or eggs, coffee creamer, vanilla and cinnamon.  Pour over rolls.  Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle syrup over all.  
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 10-15 minutes (if you can wait that long!!)  Remove covers from icing and microwave 5-10 seconds or until it's the perfect consistency for drizzling.
5. Drizzle icing over top.   Serve with additional light syrup and powdered sugar.   

Source: Adapted from 2004 Pillsbury Bake-Off's Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Printable Recipe

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Chocolate Chip & Walnut Scones

Soooo.... if I call it a scone and eat it with my breakfast then I can pretend like I'm not eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, right?  Hehe... 

I made these for the hubs because he's a chocoholic and a fruitaphobic.  ;-)  We both love scones, but I've always been too intimidated to make them.  I found this recipe on All Recipes and thought it looked simple enough to try.  It had great reviews as well so what was there to lose?

No weird ingredients and no kitchen gadgets are required.  Given last nights terrifying encounter with the mixer (always make sure your mixer is in the off position before inserting the beaters), I was thrilled to make a recipe that didn't require any form of machinery.  So were my fingers...
: /

Anyhoo, these scones are moist, tender and lightly sweetened.  I changed this to a chocolate chip and walnut scone, but if you view the original recipe, you will find all kinds of fruity variations.  I can't wait to try the lemon-blueberry version! 

Enjoy these with a cup of coffee and fresh fruit!   

Recipe
2 c all purpose flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c sour cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Grate butter into bowl.  Using hands, work butter into flour mixture.  It should look like coarse meal once combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, egg and vanilla.  With a fork mix wet ingredients into flour mixture until it is well incorporated and large chunks start to form.  Use your hands to work it into a ball.  
4. Lay ball on a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8 inch circle.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.  Cut into 8 wedges and put on cookie sheet.  Bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes

*Printable Version*

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