Smoothies make a great quick breakfast or snack…and my kids love them! Plus, they’re a great way to get extra fruit into your diet! So fire up those blenders and get to it!!! Enjoy!

Rise ‘N Raspberry Smoothie
-recipe from The Little Black Book of Smoothies by Ruth Cullen

Makes 2 10-ounce smoothies or 1 big smoothie.

You can’t go wrong with this tangy-sweet, berry blend. Add 1 tablespoon rolled oats or wheat germ for added texture and taste.

1 cup chilled orange juice
1/2 cup non-fat raspberry yogurt
1/2 frozen banana*
1-1/2 cups frozen raspberries

Pour orange juice into blender and add yogurt, banana, and raspberries. Blend at high speed until smooth.

*Buy golden yellow bananas without any visible bruises, and prepare for freezing by removing peel and slicing. (One cup of sliced banana is approximately 1 whole banana.)

Tags: Breakfast, raspberry, smoothie, snack

If you’re still working on your Christmas morning menu, this recipe for Cranberry Streusel Cake would be a good one to consider. The moist, festive cake is both easy to make and delicious. The sweet, brown sugar streusel is a nice balance to the tart cranberries.

To simplify things the morning of, have your cranberries chopped and measured, and your dry ingredients measured and combined. Now all you have to do Christmas morning is mix the  cake (wet and dry ingredients) and bake it.

I didn’t have plain yogurt so I used a combination of sour cream and buttermilk. The cake turned out great and several people asked me for the recipe. Enjoy!

Cranberry Streusel Cake
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Add the topping 40 minutes into baking rather than at the beginning, when it would sink too far into the cake, or at the end, when it wouldn’t sink in at all. Serves nine.
 
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose flour; more for the pan
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. table salt
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, well softened at room temperature; more for the pan
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt (or sour cream)
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

For the streusel:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Make the cake:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch-square baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt until blended. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Using a wide rubber spatula, alternately fold the flour mixture and the yogurt into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the chopped cranberries with the last addition of flour. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 40 min.

Make the streusel:
While the cake is baking, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix, using a fork, until the ingredients are well blended and form small crumbs. Stir in the walnuts and cranberries.

After the cake has baked for 40 min., sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Continue baking until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, another 10 to 15 min. Cool in the pan on a wire rack until warm or room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.

Tags: Breakfast, brunch, cake, Christmas, Christmas baking, cranberries, cranberry, cranberry coffee cake, Dessert, holiday baking, holiday breakfast, holiday brunch, holidays

Bacon lovers will devour this delicious hash loaded with potatoes, mushrooms, onions and, of course, bacon! For hearty appetites, you’ll want to double the recipe.

Don’t skimp on the bacon here…buy a good quality, thick-sliced bacon. Also, to speed up the morining cooking process, prep the onions and mushrooms and cook the potatoes the night before; just refrigerate everything until you’re ready to start cooking in the morning. Enjoy!

P.S. this would make a fantastic camping breakfast! 

P.S.S. I’m linked to Foodie Friday.

Morning Eggs on Mushroom-Bacon Hash
-recipe from  Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes by Janice Cole

If breakfast hash brings to mind memories of something unrecognizable out of a can, this recipe will redefine this quintessential American food for you. Fried eggs top a jumble of crisp bacon, fried potatoes, and mushrooms, creating the perfect breakfast for a crisp fall morning. You may want to start the potatoes the night before, for less prep time in the morning. Serves 4.

8 slices bacon ( about 6 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups cooked peeled russet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch dice (see Note)
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 eggs

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the onion and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the bacon is brown and crisp and the onion is lightly browned, reducing the heat to medium if the mixture is cooking too fast. Remove the bacon and onion with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet (there should be about 2 tablespoons).

Add the potatoes to the skillet and spread out in a single layer if possible. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes, carefully stirring and turning the potatoes occasionally until lightly browned. Put the potatoes in a medium bowl, top with teh bacon and onion, and keep warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes over medium-high heat, until the mushrooms are lightly browned and tender. Stir the mushrooms into the potato mixture.

While the mushrooms are cooking, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in another large nonstick skillet. Add the eggs and lightly season with salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Cover and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 3 minutes, or until the whites are set but the yolks are soft. To use the same skillet, put the potato and mushroom mixture in a shallow baking dish and keep warm in a 300°F oven. Serve the eggs over the hash.

Note: To cook potatoes, gently boil 1 pound of diced potatoes in a medium saucepan of salted water over medium heat until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain, cool under cold running water, and pat dry.

Tags: Breakfast, brunch, camping breakfast, Chicken & Egg by Janice Cole, Eggs, mushroom-bacon hash, potatoes

Here’s a simple recipe featuring my favorite summer fruit: peaches. The coffee cake is easy to make, delicious, moist and lightly spiced…and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

I added an 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg to the batter, and omitted the pecans. The cake is best served the day it’s made, but leftovers are still tasty the next day. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Cake
-Recipe from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips (Fabulous Recipes and Easy Tips) by Ina Garten

Level: Easy
Makes 8 servings

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, Breakfast, brunch, coffee cake, Ina Garten, peach cake, peaches

I made these delicious citrusy, berry-studded muffins last week for a gathering. They were easy to make, moist and a perfect way to highlight summer’s freshest berries. These muffins are best the day they’re made…but are still tasty the second day.

I used blueberries and raspberries, and lemon zest and orange zest for both the streusel and the muffin batter. The citrus combination filled my kitchen with a wonderful, summery fragrance. I didn’t use nuts in the streusel and there was still more than enough topping for the muffins. The recipe calls for fresh berries but you could use frozen (they will just take longer to bake). Enjoy!

Berry Best Muffins
-recipe from Simply Classic: A New Collection of Recipes to Celebrate the Northwest by The Junior League of Seattle

Makes 12 muffins.

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Muffins
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup berries (a mixture of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

For Streusel Topping:  mix brown sugar, flour and lemon zest together in a bowl.  Stir in nuts and butter.  Mix together until butter is evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.

For Muffins:  combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center.  Add milk, butter and egg to the well and mix until smooth.  Fold in the berries.

Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling each only 2/3 full.  Top with 1 tablespoon of struesel topping.  Do not overfill the muffin cups or topping will run over into pan.  Bake on middle rack in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Place on a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.

Tags: blackberries, blueberries, Breakfast, lemon zest, Muffins, quick bread, raspberries, Simply Classic by the Junior League of Seattle

I love fried eggs, scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs…just about any kind of eggs. I saw this recipe for One-Eyed Jacks in one of my Foster’s Market cookbooks and thought it would be a fun way to eat eggs and toast. They’re great for breakfast and as a snack.

Depending on heat setting and what your pan is made of, the bread may take longer to brown in the skillet. I let the first side get lightly browned before cracking the egg in the hole (for a runny yolk).

If making the One-Eye Jacks for a crowd, you’ll definitely want to use an electric griddle. My BroilKing electric griddle is perfect for cooking stuff like this when a frying pan will only let you make one or two at a time (pancakes, grilled cheese, etc.).

I spread the bread round (the part you cut out to make the “eye”) with butter and fried that, too, and used it to dip into the egg yolk while eating it. The parsley garnish isn’t necessary but does add color to the plate. Enjoy!

One-Eye Jacks
-recipe from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes From Foster’s Market by Sara Foster

These are made one at a time and served hot out of the pan to each guest; just multiply as needed. Fry the cutout circles in the skillet with butter to dip in the egg yolk, or toast and serve with butter and jam. Serves 1.

1 slice bread (such as brioche, challah, whole-wheat, or whole-grain)
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, or more as needed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large egg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives, or basil

Use a cookie or biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) to cut a 2- to 2 1/2-inch round from the center of the bread slice.

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the bread in the skillet and turn it over to coat each side. Cook the bread for about 1 minute on one side, until it is light golden brown. Crack the egg so that it falls into the hole in the center. Fry the egg in the bread for 1 minute longer. Flip the egg and bread and fry the other side for 1 minute or longer, depending on how done you want the egg. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the fresh herbs, and serve immediately.

Note: If the pan is dry when you flip the bread and egg, add a little more butter (about 1 teaspoon) to the pan.

Tags: Breakfast, eggs and toast, fried egg, kid food, one-eyed Jack, snack

This recipe for Mother’s Crunchy French Toast is, without a doubt, the best French toast I’ve ever made. Period. I’ve also ordered it at the source, Mother’s Bistro in downtown Portland, and this recipe produces a restaurant-worthy breakfast dish! It’s easy, extremely delicious and would make a great start to the day for mom (or anyone else for that matter!). Because of how rich this dish is, it’s definitely a special occasion meal and not something you would make every morning.

I used a loaf of brioche that I got at Trader Joe’s (I couldn’t find challah) and cut it into thick slices. Both challah and brioche are eggy breads that are perfect for this recipe. If you can’t find challah or brioche, Hawaiian bread would be a good substitute. I tried a few slices of regular sliced white bread and it didn’t work nearly as well as the thick-sliced brioche (the texture and flavor were lacking). Whatever bread you choose, use thick slices.

After a quick dip in the rich, vanilla-scented custard and crushed corn flakes, the pieces of bread are ready to brown in butter in the skillet. What you end up with is French toast that is crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and lightly spiced with cinnamon. OH MY GOODNESS…IT’S AMAZING! We were licking our plates.

I ended up with leftover custard so I made extra pieces of French toast. Serve the french toast with real maple syrup and fresh berries. Enjoy!

Mother’s Crunchy French Toast
-recipe from Mother’s Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again by Lisa Schroeder, Danielle Centoni 

If I had to pick our one signature breakfast dish, this would be it. French toast goes by the name pain perdu in France, which translates as “lost bread.” It’s a recipe created to save stale bread from being “lost” to the garbage by soaking it in eggs and milk to get it moist and tender again and then frying it up. Although you can certainly use whatever stale bread slices you have lingering in the fridge (except something strong-flavored like rye), fresh challah provides a wonderful richness. A roll in cornflakes adds a wonderful, addictive crunch. Serves 4.
 
4 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes
1 loaf egg (challah) bread, sliced into six 1-inch-thick slices
9 Tbs. (1 stick plus 1 Tbs.) unsalted butter (divided), preferably clarified
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving (optional)
Softened butter, for serving
Maple syrup, for serving

If your pan isn’t big enough to cook all the French toast at the same time, heat the oven to 200°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, half-and-half, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Place the cornflakes in another large bowl and crush with your hands until the pieces are small (but not like breadcrumbs) and somewhat uniform in size. Place a rimmed baking sheet nearby to hold the prepared bread.

Dip a slice of bread into the cream mixture, immersing both sides (saturate it, but do not let it fall apart).

Dip the slice into the cornflakes on both sides, pressing to adhere the flakes; set aside on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining slices.

Place a griddle or wide (preferably 14-inch) sauté pan over medium heat for several minutes. If using an electric griddle, set the heat to 350°F.

Sprinkle the griddle with a few drops of water; they should bounce around before evaporating. If they sizzle away quickly, the heat is too high. If they just sit there and slowly steam, the heat is too low. When the griddle is properly heated, add 1 Tbs. clarified butter for each piece of French toast and tilt to coat the pan.

Add the prepared bread in an even layer. Cook until golden on one side, about 4 minutes. Lift each piece with a spatula and put 1/2 Tbs. butter in its spot. Flip the toast onto the butter to cook the other side, about 4 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until all the French toast is cooked.

Cut each piece of bread in half diagonally to make triangles. Arrange 3 triangles like shingles on serving plates, sprinkle with confectioners’  sugar, if desired, and serve with softened butter and maple syrup.

Note: Challah (pronounced HALL-uh) is a slightly sweet, eggy Jewish bread that’s becoming increasingly common at gourmet grocery stores and bakeries. Many bakeries often carry it on Fridays, for the Jewish Sabbath. If you can’t find it, substitute any soft, sweet bread, such as brioche, Hawaiian bread, or thick slices of Texas toast.

Clarified butter is important for this recipe because it allows you to cook the French toast at a high enough heat to get a proper sizzle going, ensuring that the toasts stay crunchy. If the butter isn’t clarified, the milk solids will melt and impart moisture, which can impede crunchiness. And when the solids inevitably burn, they’ll give a burnt flavor to the food.

I’m linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green

Tags: Breakfast, breakfast for mom, brioche, brunch, challah, Comfort Food, cornflakes, Lisa Schroeder, Mother's Best Cookbook by Lisa Schroeder, Mother's Bistro and Bar, Mother's Crunchy French Toast, Mother's Day breakfast, Mother's Restaurant

I love scrambles! When I’m not ordering pancakes at a breakfast place, I’ll go with an egg dish like a scramble. This particular recipe has some of my favorite ingredients: spicy Andouille sausage, mushrooms, spinach, onions and, of course, eggs. And while I don’t think the devil should get any credit for something good, this dish gets its name from the spicy sausage and red pepper flakes. Oh yeah! It makes a great lazy Saturday morning breakfast…enjoy!

Devil’s Mess
-recipe from The Sunset Cookbook (Oxmoor House, 2010)

A big, spicy scramble of eggs, hot pork sausage, vegetables, and red chile flakes in which all the flavors remain distinct.
Serves 6.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped andouille sausage (about 6 oz.)
10 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes, or to taste
6 ounces spinach, washed and thoroughly dried (about 2 qts.)
Hot sauce

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and stir often until onions are light golden, about 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high, add sausage, and stir often until sausage has browned slightly and released some fat, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and 3 tbsp. water.

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and chile flakes. Stir until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach to pan and toss with tongs until it has wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer sausage-vegetable mixture to a bowl and wipe pan clean.

Add eggs to pan and scramble just until set, 4 to 5 minutes, then gently stir in sausage-vegetable mixture. Serve with hot sauce if you like.

Sunset, OCTOBER 2008

I’m linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Delicious Dishes
Tasty Tuesdays
This Week’s Cravings
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tags: Andouille sausage, Breakfast, Eggs, mushrooms, onions, scramble, spinach

If you’re a granola lover like I am then you know that it can be a spendy item to buy on a regular basis. That’s the beauty of making your own granola…it’s super easy to whip up a batch of it and you get a lot more granola for a lot less money.  

This recipe is a great one to play with. You can use different dried fruits and nuts depending on what suits your fancy. I decided to use dried apricots and a combo of chopped pecans and sliced almonds. I didn’t have unsweetened coconut so I used the sweetened variety. I also added 1 tablespoon of flax seeds, 1/8 cup of wheat germ and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. The granola turned out great! I like to mix it with plain yogurt drizzled with a bit of honey. Yumm!

Everyday Granola
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Yield: Makes about 5 cups

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut*
3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 30-40 minutes. Place sheet on rack. Stir granola; cool. Mix in fruit. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.

* Available at specialty foods stores and natural foods stores.

I’m linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Delicious Dishes
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tasty Tuesdays
This Week’s Cravings

Tags: almonds, apricot, Breakfast, cereal, dried fruit, granola, honey, old-fashioned oats, pecans, shredded coconut

Looking for a good banana muffin that tastes great and is healthy, too? Give this recipe a whirl. My kids loved them…so did I! The struesel topping elevates them from plain ol’ banana muffin to something special.

I didn’t have plain yogurt for the recipe so I used 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup buttermilk. The muffins make a great breakfast treat or after-school snack. Enjoy!

Banana Oatbran Muffins
-adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe

Moist, tender, and banana-y, these muffins represent comfort food at its best.

Batter
1/2 cup yogurt (I used 1/4 cup buttermilk & 1/4 cup sour cream)
1 large egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed banana; 2 to 3 large bananas
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup oat bran
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon soft butter

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a standard muffin tin, or line with papers and grease the papers. 
 
Combine the yogurt, egg, oil, mashed banana, sugar, and oat bran in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside for 10 minutes. 
 
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. 
 
Work the topping ingredients together until the mixture is crumbly. 
 
Whisk the banana mixture into the flour mixture. Scoop into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost full; the muffins won’t rise much. 
 
Sprinkle muffins with the topping. 
 
Bake the muffins for 20 to 24 minutes, until the muffins are set and browned. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and enjoy warm.
 
 

Tags: banana muffins, Breakfast, brown sugar, nutmeg, oatbran, rolled oats