French Toast Breakfast Muffins

(If you make them with skim milk and make 12, they only have 121 calories each.) Taste just like French Toast.

Ingredients:

1/3 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg (preferably room temperature)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. milk

Topping (option: cut topping in half*)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Do NOT over mix; over mixing will ruin the texture of the finished muffins. Also? Don't over mix the batter. Finally, don't over mix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray. Using a large ice cream scoop, I got 8 medium-large muffins out of this batter; I think you could get 10-12 muffins by distributing the batter a little less generously. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges. 

Optional:  Peanut butter chips in the mix....about a 1/4 cup....so good!!!!!

For the topping, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the warm muffins in melted butter (you can dip just the top, but it's even tastier to dip the whole muffin!), then dip/roll the muffin in cinnamon sugar.

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Bacon Pancakes

A new way to do Bacon & Pancakes

Just brown or crisp up - not fully cook - your bacon.

Pour strips of batter in medium hot pan or griddle,

then center bacon piece on top and pour enough batter over to cover but not submerge or drown.

Once bottom side done, flips over to cook opposite side.

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Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of quick oats
3/4 Cup of greek yogurt
1/4 Cup of fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, cut peaches, whatever you like
1/2 Tsp ground flax seed
1/2 Tsp of chia seed

Instructions:
In container with tight-fitting cover, mix yogurt and uncooked oats along with flax and chia seeds . Stir in desired fruit. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 3 days before eating.

Perfect for busy mornings, and travels well to work or school.

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Thirsty Thursday Vanilla Cranberry Smoothie

A friend of mine created this yummy combo, and said it's a must try!  So I did, and have to agree!!  It has to be tried, it's so tasty!!

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Blend and enjoy!

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Random Recipe: The BEST biscuits ever!

Tell me you're not trying to bite the screen!? There is no better biscuit out there.  

It's a secret family recipe, and I'm about to share it all with you!

Here's the secret!

It's known as the the Maine equivalent of cream of tartar. Made in Norwich, Vermont at the King Arthur Flour Company, but originating in Maine over 60 years ago . Apparently it's not well known outside of the New England States.  I'm located north in New Brunswick Canada, and to the best of my knowing, no one has heard of it here.

For more info, as well as recipes check out the New England Cupboard.

Bakewell Cream contains no additives or aluminum and is gluten-free.

Here is the recipe, which is right on the label. Ingredients: 4 cups flour 4 tsp Bakewell Cream 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups cold milk Directions: Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add shortening and mix with pastry blender. Add milk all at once, and stir quickly with a fork. (Some flours may require a little more liquid to make a nice soft dough). Turn out on floured board and knead 5 or 6 times. Roll or pat to 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Cut with biscuit cutter. Bake at 475°F, for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and leave in oven  for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown. These biscuits are extra high and light. 
You won't be disappointed by these biscuits!!  What is your favorite meal have biscuits on the side with??

Thirsty Thursday Green, Orange Coconut Smoothie

Green, Orange Coconut Smoothie

I happened upon this mix by accident, but now it will be a regular in my house! I'm always trying to get greens into my picky 2 year old, who would rather sustain life by eating crackers & cheese only. 

I was doing a freezer inventory and came across some orange sherbet that was not so nice, but not to the point of tossing either. I figured I'd blend it up in some sort of smoothie concoction.  Since I almost always use spinach in smoothies, the 2 together seemed logical, but the rest of the ingredients really made this a yummy treat! My 2 year old must have agreed, because hers was gone before I even got to try mine... which of course meant I had to share mine :). 

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup of coconut greek yogurt
1 frozen banana
3 good sized scoops orange sherbet
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp chia seeds



Blend & enjoy!

Jo

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Caprese Eggs

Simple, quick, and a great twist on a traditional over easy egg for breakfast. This would be really yummy on a piece of toast as well. I've been on a Caprese Kick lately, adding tomato, basil and mozzarella to everything! This one was a yummy combination that I'll be having again.

Ingredients

1 Egg
2 slices of tomato (about 1/4" thick)
1-2 fresh basil leaves
1 tbs shredded Mozzarella
drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
heat a pan over medium heat (spray with cooking spray if necessary)

on one side of the pan place the 2 tomato slices, topped with the basil leaves and mozzarella. On the other side, crack the egg. ( I was able to do this in one pan without the egg running to the tomatoes, if you're using a small pan or its a little warped you may want to use 2 separate pans.)

Cook the egg to your desired taste, and just let the tomatoes and cheese heat up simultaneously.

Transfer the eggs to a plate, top with the tomato, basil, and cheese.
salt and pepper to taste and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top.
Enjoy!

xo

Jess

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've been on a Zucchini kick lately. I'm also determined to get my 2 year old to eat more veggies, and this recipe helps me win that battle. She loves these things!  

Ingredients:
-3 cups grated zucchini

-3/4 cup vegetable oil

-1 1/3 cup sugar

-2 eggs

-2 tsp vanilla

-2 tsp baking soda

-1/4 tsp salt

-3 cups all-purpose flour

-2 teaspoons cinnamon

-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

-1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs (already beaten), and vanilla. Next stir in the grated zucchini and vegetable oil. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture, and once mixed add chocolate chips and stir.  Now place desired amount of mix into muffin tins and bake on the middle rack for about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness, then allow to cool before removing from muffin tin.  Enjoy.

Makes 24 muffins. 

Warning, these don't last long, so feel free to make a double batch and freeze half for later ;)

:)

Jo

Scrambled egg with Spinach & Feta

This one is easy.  The hardest part is making sure you have all the ingredients in your fridge, but let me tell you, it's tasty!!  If you want a jazzed up version to your everyday scrambled eggs, try this! 

Ingredients:

-Eggs {desired amount}

-Spinach leaves (baby is best) {desired amount}

-Feta cheese (the stuff in water is best) {desired amount} 

-Butter (or oil, something to lubricate the pan)

-Pepper {desired amount}

Directions:

Mix up the eggs, but don't bother adding water, or milk.  There's no need for that, and you'll find your eggs much more fluffy and more flavor with out it. Pour into a hot pan. A hot pain is essential, the eggs cook much better when the pan is already hot (in fact most foods are better this way). Start to scramble the eggs by giving them a few stirs in the pan, and when the mixture is about half cooked dump in the spinach and the cheese (be sure to crumble the cheese). This way as the rest of the egg is cooking, the spinach is wilting, and the cheese is melting.  Sprinkle your pepper as it's finishing up cooking, but keep in mind, salt isn't needed as the cheese it self is salty enough from the brine. 

Serve up and enjoy. 

:)

Jo

2 Minute Smoothie for 2

School is almost back in session here, which means really busy and early mornings. We've all heard how important breakfast is for our health. It kick starts your metabolism and is recommended by nutrition experts to eat within 30 minutes of waking up. It fuels your morning, giving you energy to get through your daily routine. Sometimes it's easier said than done though! I'm not a morning person, and I'm also usually that last person on my list to take care of in the morning. In my attempt to live a healthier life I decided that I needed to make breakfast for myself a priority. A bowl of Lucky Charms doesn't count. So I started making smoothie freezer packs. Filling them with fruit and frozen yogurt and storing them in the freezer so they would be ready in an instant. This has made mornings run much more smoothly. I double them up and send one with my husband to work or split it with my kids. It's fast, easy, and portable.

How to make smoothie Packs:

• Fill an ice cube tray with yogurt, I prefer Vanilla Greek yogurt. You can use any kind you'd like though. Freeze. when they're fully frozen, use a butter knife to pop them out of the tray. Use 3-4 cubes per smoothie pack
• Add 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit to the bag. In this smoothie I used frozen mixed berries, fresh mango, and 1/2 a banana. You can use what ever combination you like. Switch it up and give yourself some variety! It's also a great idea to cut up fresh fruit that's nearing the end of its edible life and freeze it so that you're not wasting any food.
• Seal bag and label it (if you're making several kinds) store in the freezer until your ready to use it.

Tip: Make these packs up as soon as you get home from grocery shopping. If you wait, you may never get around to it, or your kids and husband will gobble up all the yogurt before you have a chance.

To Make Smoothies:

• Haul out your smoothie Pack and dump it into your blender
• Grab a Handful of greens ( I like spinach or kale, bumps up the nutrients and  you can't even taste it) and add it. If you're one of those people that need measurements a heaping cup will do.
• Add 2 cups of liquid. I used regular milk here, because I was out of everything else. Usually I would add unsweetened almond milk. You can make combinations of anything, water, juice, milk, coconut water, almond milk, etc.
• Blend until smooth.
• Enjoy your breakfast while packing lunches, driving the kids to school, or on your way to work.

Whats your favorite smoothie combination?! I'd love to hear!

XO

Jess