I love something sweet, that isn't overwhelmingly sweet. And, I love my house to have that aroma of a home, not just a place to live. These apples can take care of both of those needs.
Crock-Pot Apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
I love breakfast... ok, well I really love breakfast at dinner-time. I mean, who has time to do the full English at 6am? Not me, for sure. So when we are wanting some breakfast like foods, or when I am in a hurry, breakfast is perfection.
Breakfast Pizza
A friend of mine, from the great state of Texas, has one thing going on I would like above all else... a freakin' peach tree in her yard. Seriously... there are all sorts of levels of jealousy going on for the other beautiful things in her life, but she got the cherry on top with a lush peach tree! As this is her first year living with her tree, and has an abundant crop coming in, I thought I would post from the "Pennington Family Recipe Book" a few of my favorite peach recipes from all of the sides of my family.
Enjoy Elizabeth!!
Fresh Peach Sauce
*Serve this over pancakes in the morning... or ice cream at night... Yummy goodness from my Great-grandmother Scott
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 cup sliced peeled fresh peaches
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium size saucepan, bring water, sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add peaches. Bring to a boil; boil another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Serve warm.
Peach Crumble
*You can add whatever fruit you'd like, but mostly I make apple and peach. Yeah, and ice cream it up again!! Mmm. Thanks to Grandmother Edna, living in Baton Rouge.
8 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut
into small pieces
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
Preheat the oven to 375F. Arrange the peach slices in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, blend the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the oats and sprinkle the mixture on top of the sliced peaches. Bake until the peaches are soft and the topping is brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.
Fresh Peach Chutney
*Serve over cream cheese on crackers... with smoked salmon... the possibilities are endless for this... Thanks Grandmother Lois!
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded, diced 1/4 inch, about 1/2 cup
1 small white onion, peeled and diced, about 1/2 cup
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced, 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup white raisins
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds firm, fresh peaches, skin & pit removed, sliced into wedges
Put the vinegar and both sugars into a medium size saucepan, place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the red pepper, onion, jalapeño, raisins, garlic, ginger, salt and simmer 10 minutes. Add the peach segments and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes. If the peaches are still firm allow to cook several minutes more. If you would like the syrup thicker you may also allow to cook for a minute or two to reduce liquid.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pot. Serve at room temperature. Transfer all excess to a clean container and refrigerate, covered, for up to one week.
Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Peaches
*This is my recipe... well it started at a Betty Crocker site, then I evolved it to be my own. I could eat this EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup roughly-chopped fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2 large sweet onions, thickley sliced
6 fresh peaches, skinned, halved, and pitted
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
Put vinegar, maple syrup, 1/4 cup of the oil, salt and pepper into a wide, shallow dish and whisk to combine. Add chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning several times.
Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium high heat. Toss peaches and onions with orange juice, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a large bowl; set aside. Remove chicken from marinade and grill about 5 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Transfer to a large plate and cover to keep warm. Grill peaches and onions until tender and slightly charred, then transfer to plate with chicken.
I am trying to clean out my pantry... use up all the stuff that has been accumulating and not being used. I have no clue where I got a can of evaporated milk... it must have been accidentally picked up instead of sweetened condensed... But nonetheless here I was with a can of evaporated milk and nothing to do with it... Until -grin- inspiration...
Bread Pudding!!
Ok, so I made it for breakfast, so you could say its a glorified baked french toast, but humor moi!
You have to make... so easy... amazingly good!
Cinnamon Praline Bread Pudding
* Cooking Spray
* 5 slices toasted bread
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/3 cup raisins
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar
* Dash of salt
* 1 cup evaporated milk
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup light brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 tablespoons butter, softened
Heat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11x7 baking dish with no-stick cooking spray.
Spread toasted bread with butter and cut into quarters. Place buttered side up in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chopped pecans over toast.
Whisk eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, evaporated milk, boiling water and vanilla. Pour over toast and let stand 10 minutes, occasionally pressing bread into liquid with back of spoon.
Combine 4 teaspoons sugar, butter and cinnamon with a fork. Crumble butter mixture over top.
Bake 35 minutes or until knife inserted near edge comes out clean.
You can serve for breakfast with or without syrup.
You could substitute raisins or currents for pecans.
You could make the whole pan for yourself and not share any of it... I won't tell!
We have the plague at our house... It isn't going away. Ever. So what does one do when they have a cranky boy child who is taking up all of your bed... sideways... You bake.
Easy, Sweet Scones
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/4 tsp salt
*2 tbsp baking powder
*1 stick unsalted butter
*1/2 cup granulated sugar (or honey maybe substituted)
*approx 1/4 cup milk
In your food processor bowl, place your flour, salt and baking powder. Pulse.
Cut your very cold butter into 8 pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse again until the mixture resembles large crumbs or pea size clumps.
At this point sprinkle in the sugar or honey. Pulse.
Add half of the milk and pulse until the small clumps become one big ball of dough (adding more milk as necessary). The ball of dough should come together and roll around the processor noisily.
After your dough has reached this stage, remove and knead one or two times on a floured surface. Not too much kneading as that can make them tough and melt the butter.
Roll out to about 1 1/2 inch thickness.
Cut out with cookie cutter (shape of your choice).
Arrange your scones closely on a clean cookie sheet.
You may sprinkle with sugar or brush with egg white at this point (optional).
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
I got up early today and made breakfast for Reed... Yeah, don't be too impressed, I had gone to bed before 9pm last night so I was up and raring to go by 6am! :) Once again, I was feeling a bit grouchy and am trying to fight it off... One day of grouchy is enough for me!! So I fixed something my grandmother made for me and my brothers all the time while we were growing up. Something I rarely fix though! :)
Regrettably, I am working through my menu ingredients for Breakfast later this week. Guess I will need to go to the store!! :)
Toad in the Hole Muffins
* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 2 tsp dry mustard
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used bacon drippings as I had made bacon the night before)
* 6 link sausages, uncooked
* 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Mix the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl and mix to a smooth batter. Do not overmix.
Grease a nonstick muffin tin with oil (or bacon drippings). Divide the sausage and onion evenly among the wells. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the onion is lightly golden, the sausage is golden around the edges, and the drippings are bubbling.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven and divide the batter evenly among the wells. Return the muffin tin to the oven and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until popovers are puffed and golden brown on top.
Serve immediately, as they will deflate if you let them sit.
It's snowing again and we are stuck inside. This is really getting O-L-D fast. One thing always happens when its snows, I get the cooking bug.
So for lunch we had breakfast (neither of us are breakfast eaters, especially at the normal breakfast time!) To change things up a little, I made banana pancakes. Believe me, it was a huge hit!!
Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
*1 medium ripe banana, mashed
*1 large egg
*1 tsp. baking soda
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 Tbsp. sugar
*1 cup milk
*1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
In a large bowl, combine the banana, egg, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add in the milk, ground flax, if desired, and flour. Stir until well combined.
Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter, two pancakes at a time, into preheated skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form in the center of the pancakes. Flip and cook an additional two minutes. Serve with sliced bananas and other desired toppings. (Peanut butter is my son's favorite)
I have always said I want to be reincarnated as Paula Deen. The things that woman does in the kitchen makes me crazyy hungry. She is my main Food Porn lady. Mmmm butter!!
So I thought I would try one of her fab breakfast dishes for dinner... Yeah, its a thing of mine... I do not like breakfast food in the morning. I am barely coherent enough to speak before noon. However I find breakfast food, especially southern breakfast food, is just too heavy to start out your day.
Back to the recipe... This is FAB!! But omg, I am doing Slim in 6 about 20 times today to work off the calories... those yummy... buttery.... praline sugar-coated...creamy calories. -sigh-
Praline French Toast Casserole
Serves 8 Recipe from: Paula Deen
* 1 loaf French bread
* 8 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
* 1 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Dash salt
* Praline Topping, recipe below
* Maple syrup
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping:
* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.
I love breakfast for dinner. I love the aroma of bacon frying, the sweetness of some foods mixed with the saltiness of others, the sound of milk being poured into a glass, and the feel of a warm biscuit in my hand.
Breakfast is something difficult to do well at breakfast time. Well, it is for me. Seriously, I am barely coherent before noon, let alone be able to time out so the eggs are perfectly warm at the same time the biscuits are ready for buttering.
Last night we had breakfast with all the goodies: scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast, bacon and home fries. It was amazing. And to add just a little bit of special flavor to the meal I made a Peach Pecan Pancake topping.
I wish I had a picture of the topping. It wasn't that I didn't want to take the picture... Actually, that is exactly why you do not have a picture. I make horrible inartistic pancakes. They are lopsided. They taste fantastic, but look like something that was a mistake!
So enjoy the recipe without the picture... Its easy peasy, and everyone will enjoy! Use any leftovers on vanilla bean ice cream!!
Peach Pecan Pancake Topping
*1 can peaches, with juice
*2 tablespoons honey
*1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
*1/4 cup chopped pecans
*2 teaspoons cornstarch
*1 tablespoon water
Coarsely chop peaches; reserve juice.
In saucepan mix peaches and juice with pecans, honey and cinnamon.
Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to peaches. Heat on medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
Spoon 1/3 cup over hot pancakes.
