Breakfast, Si Vous Plait

Hello Sweets,

As you may or may not have noticed, I was not around yesterday :(  I woke up with a sore throat again, and was just so wiped out that I didn't create anything until late last night.  I didn't even realize it was pancake Tuesday, and I love pancake Tuesday :'(  However, I wasn't really in a pancake mood so it didn't bug me as much.  I also don't need a specific day to have pancakes any other time than breakfast, come on I love breakfast for dinner lol.  So tonight's post is going to be short and sweet, but that's because I'm making something cool and super yummy tonight.

Even though I didn't feel like pancakes, it did make me crave some breakfast food.  I started thinking about things I hadn't had in quite a while.  Then it dawned on me, french toast!!  I haven't had it in a really long time, and I felt like being creative.  French toast is one of those breakfast foods that you can make all your own.  Whether it's what you put in the batter, maybe you want to stuff it, or maybe you want to present it completely different.  This recipe is just plain old fashion french toast, with no bells and whistles.

Canuckette's French Toast

Ingredients

2pcs toast

2 eggs

1/3C milk

1Tbs butter, melted *mines cinnamon and delicious!*

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

splash of vanilla

 

Directions:
1)  Place all ingredients, minus the bread, into a small mixing bowl.  Beat until completely mixed.

 

 

2)  Place bread into the bowl one slice at a time.  Gently press down for a few seconds, then flip over and repeat on the other side.

 

3)  Preheat a frying pan, once hot place the soaked bread in to it.  Browning on each side.  Serve with your choice of toppings.

 

 

I choose to top mine with syrup only as the butter had been placed in the batter.  Then I garnished with some fresh strawberries, because they are delicious lol.  You can also top it with fresh fruit, icing sugar, or even something crazy like nutella.  I'm old fashion, so normally I will choose syrup.  What can I say, it makes me reminisce of times when I was little :)

Now I hate to cut things short, but the kitchen is calling my name and I know y'all will really like this one.  Not too sweet, but not savory either.  And yes it is a dessert, just not from this side of the border ;)  Yup, that's the only hint I will give y'all.  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Your Morning Oatmeal, Jacked Up

Hello Sweets,

Jeez I can't seem to catch a break lately lol.  I am clearly coming off of another sick day :/, just when you think I'm in the clear.  I really think this move stressed my system right out, and I am still adjusting.  Just to add a little salt to the wound that is my  pride, Nathan and I won't be spending valentines day together :(.  With all these doctor appointments and moving, it has made our normal travel plans come to a screeching halt.  No girl wants to spend valentines day apart from her man, especially this girl :'(  But it's not the date that matters, it's when we finally can recreate our day :)  However, that does not mean I don't have something sweet planned for my man.  Annnd I'm spending tonight piecing it all together, even if we won't get to see each other for another month (uggghhhh this is going to be the longest stretch we've done in quite some time).

Tonight I thought I would completely veer away from sweet desserts.  I'm not evening going to be sharing a dinner post, instead I am bringing you the greatest meal of the entire day.  Yea you know I'm talking about breakfast!!  I don't know anyone who doesn't like breakfast, and if there is someone out there who doesn't I am sure if you'd let me make you breakfast you'd love it :D  Yea I am a pretty confident breakfast maker lol, but when you know what you're doing it's pretty simple.  Normally I don't eat oatmeal for breakfast lol, yea normally it's a snack or lunch.  But this time I made it for breakfast, and it is unlike any oatmeal I've ever eaten before.

Baked Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Ingredients

2C rolled oats

1tsp vanilla

2tsp pumpkin spice (I made mine with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice)

6Tbs brown sugar

1C pumpkin puree

1C milk

1/2tsp salt

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 375F.  In a bowl combine oats, vanilla, pumpkin spice, brown sugar, pumpkin, and milk.

 

 

2)  Pour into a casserole dish.

 

 

3)  Bake for 40 minutes, or until oatmeal is set.

 

4)  Serve immediately.  I chose to add a little splash of milk, it was delicious!

 

 

Who would've thought, that pumpkin in oatmeal would be this dang good!!  The spiciness has this wonderful warmth to it, and it's very hearty so you won't be getting hungry anytime soon.  I don't think I'll ever make oatmeal on the stove top again, baking it clearly is the way to go.  Now to think about an apple, cinnamon, brown sugar medley mmmmm sounds yummy ;)

I know this was a short post y'all, but my little project is anything but little lol.  And we all know how much of a perfectionist I am, so I better get my butt in gear!  I'm also making a sweet treat for this sweet holiday, of course!  But y'all will have to come back tomorrow and see what that will be.  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo  

Dare I Say, The Perfect Pancake

Hello Sweets,

Well much to my dismay :(  I did not get my little butt into the kitchen today.  My sleep is so out of whack it's not even funny, and when that happens I tend to feel even worse.  So tonight I am going to put myself to bed early because I have all the information I need to move forward with a creation that I've been dreaming of.  Alas that will have to wait one more day *sigh*.

However, I will give y'all the super delicious recipe from my friend Heather that I promised.  As you can tell by the title we are making pancakes today!!  But these are no ordinary pancakes, these pancakes have been in her family for three generations now and nothing stays in your family that long unless it's great!  I'll be the first to admit in the past I've made pancakes out of a box (I know, awful), but I've also made them from scratch.  The recipes I've used in the past are less dimensional then Heathers, not to mention a few extra special ingredients go into hers.  I'm a huge fan of breakfast for dinner, lol yes you read that correctly I eat breakfast for dinner and I like it!  But one of my favorite any time of the day breakfast food would have to be pancakes, especially when I make them with maple bacon *drool*.

Unfortunately for me I didn't make bacon with my pancakes, but instead added a little something extra to the batter to give it yet another dimension.  If you are interested in checking out Heather's blog you can do so by clicking here, it's a little blog dedicated to mental illness and not acting as though it doesn't exists in most peoples lives.  I find her writing to be helpful and even sometimes inspiring when I'm having a less than happy moment, which I am not afraid to admit it happens pretty frequently (thank you fibromyalgia).  Just like Heather I have my own little tools to cope, but the most common one we share would have to be creating in the kitchen!  So without further ado, I present to you Heathers super awesome pancakes!

Heather's 3 Generation Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/2C flour

3Tsp baking powder

1/2Tsp salt

1/2Tsp allspice

3Tbs sugar

1 egg

1 1/4C milk

3Tbs butter, melted

1/4Tsp vanilla

1/2C carob chips

 

*Heather additionally adds cinnamon or allspice, although cinnamon is present in the picture I decided to add allspice in the end lol*

Directions:

1)  Sift and mix the dry ingredients together, making a well in the center.

 

2)  Beat the egg well in a small bowl and add the milk.

 

3)  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mix.  Add vanilla and butter, mixing until smooth.

 

 

4)  Fold in the carob chips with a wooden spoon.

5)  Always try a spot of batter on your pan/griddle to ensure it is hot enough.  If you'd like a thicker batter add less milk.

 

These pancakes are light and airy, and they have so much more flavor then any box pancake mix could ever dream of.  If you try them you'll be able to understand why they've been in Heather's family for three generations.  I think because of the fantastic quality of the pancakes you could add almost anything to them, from fruits to chocolate, or even dare I say bacon!  Yes I know I have an obsession with bacon, but it's just sooooo good.

For tomorrows post I want y'all to think tiny, sweet, and maybe even fruity thoughts.  But as per usual I am not going to give you anymore information than that, I have to keep y'all coming back don't I?  Until next time..............................

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxoxo

I Love You a Waffle Lot!

Hallo Snoep/Hallo Süßigkeiten/Bonbons Hello,

In other words, hello sweets!  Are you ready to take a trip across the pond (the North Atlantic Ocean that is)?  If you haven't already guessed, we're on our way to Belgium, courtesy of our imaginations :)  I did a little research on Belgium and discovered a few fun facts; 1) they have 3 official languages dutch, German, and french 2)  they're government is similar to the UK monarchy and 3) they're a very artistic culture.

Okay enough history :) I'm pretty sure y'all know what I made.  It's both good as breakfast or a dessert, with syrup or with whipped cream and strawberries.  If you guessed waffles you'd be correct and not just any old waffle, a buttermilk waffle.  Did you know they have five varying types of waffles in Belgium and Belgian waffles isn't one of them?  They can be soft or crispy, topped with confectioner's sugar or syrup, and some are even heart shaped with cherries on top (sounds like my kind of waffle).  So even though the recipe I'll be sharing today isn't from Belgium, that is where the idea was born and thus we give thanks.  Another fun fact about waffles, they've been around since medieval times (9th-10th century).  Although back then the waffle iron usually depicted Jesus and his crucifixion, that would make for an interesting breakfast.  I know I said no more history, but that was applicable to Belgium not waffles (sneaky sneaky) lol.  In the 14th-15th century waffles were made with wine (sign me up lol), from then on they continued to evolve and still do to this day.

About a year ago Nathans dad bought a waffle iron and we had waffles all the time, and then of course the fad died and it rarely was used.  Well Nathan and I had to be up early one morning, knowing Nathan is much less of a morning person than I am, I offered to make him waffles (that got a smile).  So I looked at different recipes, and then came across the cutest named blog, Smitten Kitten.  She creates comfort food that reminds you of home but with a dash of new and exciting, you should check it out there is lots to see and read (although probably best to look when you're not hungry).  Since I still had buttermilk leftover from Dave's Chocolate Cola Cake I decided that buttermilk will be the shining star.

Buttermilk Waffles (via Smitten Kitten)

Ingredients

2C all-purpose flour

1/2Tsp salt

2Tbs sugar

1 1/2Tsp baking soda

1 3/4C buttermilk

2 eggs, separated

4Tbs butter, melted and cooled

1/2Tsp vanilla

cooking spray for the waffle iron

 

Directions:

1)  Combine the dry ingredients.

  

2)  Mix together the buttermilk and egg yolks.  Stir in the butter and vanilla.

3)  Brush the waffle iron with your cooking spray and preheat it.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

 

4)  Beat the egg whites with the whisk until they hold soft peaks.  Stir them gently into the batter.

 

5)  Spread a ladle full or so of the batter onto the waffle iron and bake for 3-5 minutes.

 

yum!

These waffles are light and fluffy, but super filling, I could only eat about 3/4 of it before I was way too full.  This is now my go to waffle recipe for Nathan, because as with everything else once I find a good recipe I no longer use boxed mixes.  Nathan really liked them, he managed to eat a whole one faster than I could eat half of mine lol he's too cute.

Well I am almost out of past recipes to post, which is pretty much divine timing because soon I'll be back in Texas *happy dance* !!  That means I can make all sorts of goodies and there are plenty of happy mouths down to help devour them :)  Until next time.......................................................

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxoxo

Lookin' Like A Certified Texan

Hello Sweets,

Well the week has begun. Have you been productive so far?  I've been sort of productive lol, I've had some bad migraines so I have been doing small projects and no writing :(  But I was feeling the itch to do a post so I'm giving it the old college try :)  I must say that I am very much enjoying being beside Nathan again.  Until you're in a long distant relationship you never appreciate the little things like holding hands or cuddling.  So if my posts are a little sporadic I apologize, but it probably means I'm enjoying my time with my soul mate ;)

So as I mentioned previously I tried something completely new in regards to my kitchen adventures.  I was actually intrigued because of an article I had read (again I don't remember where from lol).  Now I looked at tons of different recipes to determine what spices I wanted to include, but ended up using my favorite tool; my nose :) to really determine what needed to be added.  So are you sitting there wondering what I decided to try?  Well I said it is part of both the most important and delicious meal of the day, which means breakfast, and there are only specific things we can make.  I decided to tackle something that not everyone loves, but those who do have probably had a bunch of different ways, good ol' sausage!  That's right, Canuckette tackled breakfast sausage all on her own and succeeded!  Since I was creating these delicious patties I finally got to use another of my many kitchen gadgets that I was given at Christmas time.  Check out my Westin Patty Press, it made my sausage patties look very professional not to mention I can control the thickness of the patties.

 

pretty cool huh?

Now I'm going to share with you what I've created and will also give you other spices you can add depending on what flavor you are looking to create.

Texan Breakfast Sausage

Ingredients

2lbs ground pork

2Tsp marjoram

1 1/2Tbs sage

2Tsp red pepper flakes

2Tsp thyme

1/2tsp cayenne pepper

1/2Tsp salt

1/2Tsp black pepper

1/2Tsp cloves

1/2Tsp garlic powder

5Tbs maple syrup

Directions:

1)  Mix all ingredients in a bowl, put in the spices in small amounts so you can balance the flavors.  When you think you've reached your desired flavor, do at test patty so you know whether or not to adjusts the spices.

 

2)  Form into patties and fry for six minutes on each side, careful not to under cook for the obvious reasons or overcook as it will make them dry.  They can keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, or you can freeze them for later use :)

I paired them with my homemade biscuits and some home fries

Here are some of the other spices you can use in your breakfast sausage such as; nutmeg, rosemary, basil, fennel seed, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, mustard, cardamon, or caraway.

I encourage you to really use your sense when creating your sausage because even with just a sense of smell you can get a very good idea of what the flavor will be.  I hope you all have as much fun creating this sausage (although I could go without touching the ground pork) as I did, and that you get that flavor you're looking for.  Until next time...................................................

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

A "Spicy" Pear

Hello Sweets,

I hope you all are having a fantastic Friday, after all it's the weekend!!  I'm going to see my grandparents this weekend, and I am going to make them an offer that I'm pretty sure they won't refuse.  I'm going to offer to make them dinner a few times a week. They choose the protein and I will take it from there :)  They are the best grandparents you could ask for, so I figure it's the least I can do, not to mention it allows me to expand my cooking skills because anyone who has to cook for someone knows it can be a pain.  Not to mention my grandmother is from an English background, so she doesn't like to experiment with spices, or even stray from cooking instructions for that matter lol, and my grandfather is from Malta (close to Italy) so he is the complete opposite.  I think it will be fun, for me, for them, and it will give my readers more variety, so everyone wins!!

I know that I said today's post would have some type of reminiscence to my childhood, but since I didn't get any sleep last night, I ended up flipping through a cookbook that was given to me at Christmas from our friend Dave (you know from Impact's Views).  It's funny, every time I can't sleep I end up eating better and getting some things done, but I think a lot is that because my body never goes into rest mode so I'm burning calories that I don't really have.  As I'm flipping through the cookbook I remembered that I had pears in the fridge that I wanted to use in a new way, and I had this weird random craving for oatmeal. Then, like a sign from the kitchen gods, I flipped to the perfect inspiration:  Spicy apple and oat muffins. They even had an option to make it with pears at the bottom.  Now of course I didn't follow their recipe, but I'm not going to take complete credit when they were my inspiration for them after all :)

Canuckette's Spicy Pear and Oat Muffin 

(inspired by 1001 cupcakes, cookies and other tempting treats)

Ingredients

6Tbs coconut oil, plus extra for greasing

1C all-purpose flour

1Tbs baking powder

heaping 1/2C dark brown sugar

2C rolled oats

 1 1/2 pears, cubed

2 eggs

1/2C light half and half

1/2C fresh apple juice

heaping 1/2Tsp allspice

heaping 1/2Tsp cinnamon

heaping 1/4Tsp ginger

(I ended up omitting the salt)

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 400F.  Grease 12 cup muffin tin.

2)  Sift together the flour, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger into a large bowl.

3)  Stir in the sugar and 1 2/3C of the oats.

4)  Chop the unpeeled pears into bite size pieces (or smaller if preferred), discarding the core.  Add to the flour mixture and stir in.

5)  Place the eggs in a large bowl or container and beat lightly, then beat in the milk, apple juice, and oil.  

 6)  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the egg mixture.  Stir gently until just combined; do not over mix.

7)  Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with the remaining oats.  Bake for 18 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown and firm to touch, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8)  Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These muffins would be a great addition to your breakfast, or even as your mid morning snack. They aren't overly sweet and have a lovely spicy scent and flavor.  The pear recipe in the book called for pear juice but I decided to stick with the apple juice because the pears I got were sweet and I wanted to subdue that as much as possible.  This is definitely the type of recipe that can be tweaked with different spices, and you can most certainly use almost any fruit, it's the kind of muffin you can reinvent each season with the seasonal fruit.  I think I'll experiment with nuts and seeds as well, you can never have too much goodness can you?

Dave if you are reading this, thank you for the awesome gift, it is definitely getting used and has been a great source of inspiration and guidance.  Now I need to really delve into my wine course book soon, so that I can become a "wine snob" lol, not really, I just want to become more familiar with the different types of wine for when Nathan and I go out for dinner, or just to grab a bottle to enjoy by the fire :)  Life with Nathan is honestly perfect, and at the risk of sounding mushy and cheesy, I've never been happier in my life and feel very fortunate to have found my soul mate and my best friend all wrapped into one :)

So now I am going to enjoy a nice cup of tea with a muffin, do a little recipe research because I still have to dress up or "adultify" lol my childhood snacks.  Not to mention I have a bunch more fresh mint that I want to use as well.  Do any of my lovely readers have a suggestions for the mint?  I would love to hear from all of you, whether it is feedback on a recipe, a story, or even a suggestion. I'm never to busy to read comments and messages from you :)  Until next time...................


Stay sweet,



Jennifer xoxoxo