Baked Eggs with Red Sauce

One day I was pursuing through Pinterest and came across a dish that looked amazing. It was in a cast iron skillet with a red sauce and baked eggs. I didn't even click on the recipe to read about it, but the image stuck in my mind. (It was called shakshuka for those interested.) That being said, the image stuck with me for a couple of days. Last night as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I thought about it and starting thinking, perhaps I could make something using it as an inspiration point with the ingredients already in my house. So this is what I made, I think it was really good. Feel free to change/omit or completely do your own thing! I'm sure I broke a few culinary laws in making this.

Baked Eggs in a Red Sauce

1 package of breakfast sausage
1 orange (or whatever color bell pepper or spicy peppers if your prefer)
half a bunch of kale
1 can of pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 stick of butter
lots of parmesan
mozzarella if you like
1/2 tsp of garam masala spice
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
4 eggs

In a large skillet brown your sausage. When it is mostly cooked add diced bell pepper and kale. Cook until vegetables are tender.

In a small sauce pot mix tomatoes, cream, butter and spices. Bring to a boil and let cook until it thickens a bit, by reducing. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. (Don't salt before reducing or it will be too salty!)

Pour red sauce over sausage and mix. I threw in some chunks of mozzarella too. Then either butter some ramekins or if you are using an over proof skillet use that. If you are using ramekins, fill half way with tomato sausage mixture an carefully crack an egg on top. Or carefully crack eggs around the skillet. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes or until egg whites are cooked through and egg yolks are still runny. (It may take less time, because I prepped the sauce up ahead of time so it was cold when I put it in the oven.)

Fast & Easy Breakfast Cups

These are a big hit with our kids so I thought I'd share. It's a fast and healthy breakfast go to in our house.
-Amanda

Yogurt Cups

In a small sauce pan mix up some frozen fruit and a heaping spoonful of no-sugar added all fruit jelly. You could probably leave the jelly out, but it seems to help with the consistency. Add a squirt of honey. I make this mixture a bit over sweet, so when it mixes with the plain tart yogurt the sweetness evens out. With a potato masher, mash up your fruit mixture until it is almost pureed. Or if you like, you can puree it in a blender for kids who have texture issues. Above I made strawberry and banana. After the strawberries were mashed down, I removed it from the heat and mashed in a banana.

 Layer in your container jam, whole-milk plain yogurt, jam, yogurt. If your kid (or you) likes granola, then put some in a small snack zip bag and store it on top so they can sprinkle it in.

Cottage Cheese Cups

My girls have been eating cottage cheese since they were babies. I didn't put honey in it until they were a bit older, but now it's a favorite, especially with pineapples crushed in! So I just simply mixed some 4% cottage cheese with a bit of honey and topped with crushed pineapples. All ready to be stirred in and enjoyed come morning!

Fruit Pancakes and Fig Compote

I love fruit pancakes, and they are a great way to use fruit that is getting a little soft.  Right now in Turkey it is fig season.   Fresh figs should almost look too soft to eat.  Stay away from the firm ones.  The ones that are starting to split at the bottom and have a tiny glistening drop emerging from the star shaped fissure are perfectly ripe.  But, since they often get ripe all at the same time, you may have too many and they can get mushy on you.  While I love a soft fig, mushy is not my thing! Also in Turkey it is difficult to get maple syrup, so I am always looking for alternatives.
This morning made fig and peach pancakes with a fig compote.  For the pancakes, follow your own favorite recipe whatever that may be and throw in any fruit that is slightly soft. 
Fresh Fig Compote
1-1 1/2 cups of over-ripe figs (they are the sweetest)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4  cup of water
Roughly chop soft over-ripened figs, put in saucepan with lemon juice and water.  Boil down while pancakes are cooking.  If needed add more water, or boil down longer to desired consistency.  I like my chunky, but you could mash it if you would like it smoother. 
Drizzle anywhere you please…pancakes, yogurt, ice-cream—use your imagination!

-Jules

Grain Free French Toast Muffins

Those that know me, know I don't bake. So why I decided to try and make up a muffin recipe all by myself is beyond me. And then to make the leap to making it grain free? Crazy I tell you. But it worked! I think next time I'll go for 20 minutes instead of 25, because they got a little too brown on the bottom, but the middle was light and fluffy, slightly sweet and hit the spot. I am right proud of myself if I do say so!
-Amanda

Grain Free French Toast Muffins

3/4 cup of almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
5-10 drops of stevia
1 tbsp palm sugar

Mix everything together in a big bowl EXCEPT the palm sugar. Scoop into paper lined muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Sprinkle a bit of palm sugar on the top of each muffin. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. While still hot, add a pat of butter to the top of each muffin to soak in. This made 8 muffins.

Please if you try this, let me know what you think and if you made any changes!

*I submitted this post to Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday!

Leftover Breakfast!

Last nights leftovers made a great breakfast! There was a teeny tiny piece of steak and a good portion of the hash left. Topped with a fried egg and some of the poblano pesto, what a hearty steak and eggs breakfast, that took hardly any time to prepare!
-Amanda

Frittata

 Last nights dinner was a simple frittata. I love making things with spinach incorporated because my girls like spinach that way. If I give them a side dish of spinach they turn their noses up though. This was super easy to put together and tasted delicious. It was one of those dishes that will be hard to recreate since I used leftover potatoes from a chicken roast from a few nights ago. The potatoes had soaked up all the chicken juices and they were divine. You could sub in some boiled potatoes that are mashed with butter, but they wouldn't taste exactly the same.
-Amanda

Frittata

6 eggs
1 cup of diced ham
1 cup of cooked spinach, drained
4 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper
sprinkle of parmesan
2 cups of cooked diced potatoes
olive oil/butter


Preheat oven to 350. Fry the ham in your oven safe skillet in a bit of butter, bacon grease or olive oil. While that is frying, in a large bowl, whisk your eggs together. Add cream, salt and pepper. Add the cooked ham and cooked (drained) spinach. In the hot skillet, press down/smash your potatoes to form a crust. Let them brown for a few minutes and then remove the skillet from the heat. Pour egg mixture in the skillet. Slice your tomatoes and lay on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with some olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes until eggs set. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Spinach Dip Omelet

If you use a bit of imagination, this photo is a perfect looking omelet. I think I sort of overstuffed it, but it was no matter, because it was a really good omelet. Last night I made the Spinach Dip Stuffed Chicken Breasts, and I had a few tablespoons of the stuffing leftover. I was going to throw it away, because it wasn't enough to do much with, but I hate throwing away any good food. Then it came to me, make an omelet! A fancy omelet. Oh yum. I actually sauted some bacon, mushrooms and artichoke hearts for the omelet too. (I was going to put the artichoke hearts in dinner last night, but since my husband doesn't care for them, I left them out.) Anyway, I'm not going to post a recipe, because omelets are pretty straight forward, but I just wanted to put the idea in your head, that sometimes a few tablespoons of leftovers can be transformed into a fun and different omelet the next day!
-Amanda

Breakfast Blueberry Crepes

I made the girls breakfast crepes this morning. Although they are so good they could be dessert crepes too! For two crepes I took about an two ounces of cream cheese, a big dollop of cottage cheese, a tbsp of honey and a tablespoon or two of heavy cream. I put all of that in a mini food processor (I love my magic bullet!) with a splash of vanilla and a few sprinkles of cinnamon. After blending it, I added a couple handfuls of blueberries and stirred gently. Divide the filling between the two crepes and fold. Serve cold or warm in microwave for 30-45 seconds.

-Amanda

Soaked Wheat Crepes

I've talked before about why soaking grains, legumes and nuts is good for you. So I wanted to learn how to make soaked wheat crepes. Crepes are excellent recipe for soaking since most recipes tell you to "rest" the batter for awhile anyway. This time you are just "resting" it overnight! These crepes are so tasty and light. I am doing a (mostly) low-carb diet right now, so I actually made this for the girls and my hubby. I did taste a few bites though! I stuffed them with a mixture of grated cheddar cheese, cream cheese, a splash of heavy cream (to help mush the cheeses together) and shredded chicken. They got a thumbs up from the family!
-Amanda

Soaked Whole Wheat Crepes

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of raw milk (you can use yogurt instead of milk too.)
1 cup of water
4 tbsp of yogurt or milk kefir
3 eggs
1/2 stick of butter
1 tsp salt

Stir the whole wheat, milk, water and yogurt together in a large bowl. Make sure that there is no dry flour left. You can add more liquid if need be, you want a loose batter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and sit out at room temperature overnight (or approx. 8 hours.)

Add eggs, salt and melted butter. Stir until well incorporated. I used a crepe pan to make my crepes, but a small non-stick skillet would work also. Very lightly grease your pan with butter and pre-heat it to medium heat. I think the first crepe has to be a throw away, I've never made a pretty first crepe. Using a ladle, scoop out 1/4 cup of batter in the center of your pan. Pick it up off the heat and make a large swirling motion with your wrist. You are trying to make the batter into a large, very thin circle in your pan. When the edges start to curl up a bit, flip it over and cook the other side. It takes about one minute per side for each crepe. I got 16 crepes out of my batter.

 Loose batter

 Swirling the batter around the pan.

 Ready to flip!

Done!

Bacon and Spinach Quiche

I attended a brunch playdate with some of my fellow moms of multiples yesterday and I brought this Bacon and Spinach Quiche for everyone to try. I almost forgot to snap a photo, but made everyone stop for a quick shot!
-Amanda

Bacon and Spinach Quiche

1 lb of bacon (nitrate free!)
1 bag of loosely frozen spinach (I find this is better than the frozen box spinach because you don't have to thaw and squeeze all the liquid out.) Fresh spinach would work perfectly fine too!
1.5 cups of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of cheese (swiss or cheddar)
6 eggs from free range chickens
1 crust*

Roll crust out and place it in a pie dish. Stick it back in the refridgerator to stay cold. Cook bacon using your favorite method. I found that if you have the Pampered Chef Bar Stoneware, it cooks bacon great in the oven and you don't have to turn it. Just lay the bacon out on the stoneware and bake at 400 for 25 minutes for crispy bacon. Let bacon cool. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and heavy cream. Add salt and pepper. Grate your cheese and have it ready. Remove pie shell from refridgerator and layer bacon, spinach, cheese, and then again with another layer of bacon, spinach and cheese. If you have the loose spinach, you can place it frozen in the dish. Pour egg mixture over the layers and shake to make sure it gets evenly distributed. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Crust

8 tbsp butter
1 cup flour (I used white wheat)
1 tsp salt
4 ice cold tbsp of water

Place butter in freezer for 15 minutes. Put flour in food processor and add salt. Pulse to mix. Remove butter and cube it into small pieces. Add to food processor and pulse 6-8 times until the butter is pea sized in the flour. Add 1 tbsp of ice cold water at a time pulse until dough starts ball up and pull away from sides of processor. Pour dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerate 1 hour before rolling it out.

Homemade Cold Breakfast Cereal

About a month ago or so, I read that boxed cereal isn't very good for your body. Once I read the article (and read the same info in some other places too.) I couldn't un-read it and pretend it wasn't true. I didn't want it to be true because I LOVE cereal. I grew up on bowls and bowls of cereal. My thinking is that it isn't so bad for you that you'll keel over and die immediately, because lets face it, most of us grew up eating lots of cereal and we are still here. But it's one of those things that when you find out something isn't good for your body and actually causes harm over the long haul it is best to eliminate it or at least reduce it in your diet.

John has the argument that convenience foods are just that, convenient. He says living with modern food and getting to enjoy other modern facets of life is worth some of the chemicals and such in processed foods. That is a very valid point. I believe that if you eat healthy, nutrient dense, non-chemical foods that you will have a better quality life. I've heard some people use an 80-20 rule. Eighty percent of the time eat nutrient dense foods and then 20 percent rely on convenience, restaurants or sweets. I think that is a good balance for my life. I also  really enjoy cooking from scratch and learning about healthy, nutritious foods. Some people say that science has given us ways to make food cheap and easy, but science has also given us a better understanding of why some of the foods and methods our great-great-great grandparents used worked the way they did. Our grandparents learned by trial and error passing down recipes and methods over the years. We now know why mixing whey in with your cucumbers makes a tasty pickle that is full of healthy probiotics. Our great-greats just knew that it'd make their cucumbers last through the winter!

I'm a bit off topic here. Back to the cereal. Basically to create cereal, manufactures super-heat the grains (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) and extrude them through machines. This super high heat makes the oils in the protein of the grains rancid. Anything rancid is VERY bad for you. Rancid foods create free-radicals in your body. Free radicals cause disease. So any chance you get to eliminate free-radicals in your body the better! That's why when I read that store bought cereal creates these free-radicals in your body, I decided I didn't want to eat it anymore. This was hard, and I actually bought a few boxes before I decided to find other things to eat instead. Then my mom came across a video on The Healthy Home Economists blog on how to make cereal from scratch. She grinds her own flour, which I will probably start doing at some point, but for now I just used store bought whole wheat flour. I also used my brand new excalibur dehydrator for the drying process. The end result tastes a lot like a Raisin Bran, if you add raisins to the dry cereal. (I'm not actually eating this cereal because I'm on a low-carb diet right now, but I made it for my girls to enjoy!)

Izzie and Maddie eating their homemade cereal with raisins and raw milk.

Cold Breakfast Cereal
(please visit The Healthy Home Economists Blog for a wonderful video tutorial.)

6 cups freshly ground flour
3 cups plain yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or clabbered milk (use 3 cups water plus 2 TBL lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for dairy allergies)

Mix fresh flour and soaking medium of choice in a large, glass bowl.    Cover with a clean cloth and rubber band and leave on the counter for 24 hours.

After soaking is complete mix the following into the batter:

3/4 cup coconut or palm oil
1 cup Grade B maple syrup or honey (1/2 cup sweetener plus 5 drops stevia may be substituted)
1 Tsp sea salt
2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp maple flavoring - I used almond extract because I didn't have maple flavoring.
1 TBL ground cinnamon

Mix these ingredients well into the soaked batter.   Pour into 2 – 9X13 pans and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Do not overbake.
Let cool and crumble the coffee cake into small pieces and dehydrate on cookie sheets at 200F for about 12-18 hours. Turn cereal pieces every few hours to dry evenly. (I used a food dehydrator, set on 150 degrees overnight.)


Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Soaked Wheat Pancakes

Say what? Soaked Pancakes? I have to tell you when I first heard of soaking wheat bread overnight I was skeptical. Soak it in what? Milk? Water? Buttermilk? I finally learned that buttermilk or water with whey (the runny part of yogurt) or even water with lemon will do the trick. Then the next step is to leave it on the counter loosely covered for at least 24 hours. Sounded pretty strange to me. So I kept digging and found out the 'why' behind soaking your wheat. Grains, nuts and legumes all contain something called phytic asic. This is something that isn't easy to digest for humans that only have one stomach. Not only is phytic acid hard to digest, when it is in your system, it robs you of other minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

Have you ever heard of soaking beans over night to make them more tender? The reason that our grandmas and great grandmas did that wasn't to just make them tender, it actually was breaking down the phytic acid. They may not have known the science behind what they were doing, but through trial and error our ancestors were pretty smart people! Now we know that all grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes should be soaked before digested.

Which brings me back to my recipe....
-Amanda

Soaked Wheat Pancakes

2-3 cups of whole wheat
enough water to fully absorb into the wheat
2-3 tbsp whey

1 egg
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp cinammon
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
splash of vanilla
(raw) milk to thin if necessary

The morning before, place whole wheat flour in a bowl. Mix water and whey together and pour over wheat. Stir thoroughly to get all of the flour wet. It is actually pretty hard to stir. But it should be wet enough to be a gloppy dough, not runny. Cover and let sit on the counter over night.

The day you make the pancakes. In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add melted butter, honey, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly. Add gloppy wheat dough from yesterday. I ended up getting out my hand mixer to try and get the dough to incorporate. For a minute there I thought it was alive! It is a strange dough the first time you do it! Finally I got it incorporated but it was still too thick to make pancakes with. I added a splash of milk and got a great pancake consistency batter! Cook on a greased griddle just like you would any pancake.

Change is in the air

Welcome all! Change is in the air. Over the next few days/weeks, The Frickin Chicken will be getting a new face lift. I have a brand new passion in the realm of food and I am so excited to learn more and share more. I am now declaring myself as a representative of the Real Food Movement and I want to share my journey of leaving the processed food world behind, I hope you stay along for the ride.

Last night, at my last seminar of The Living Passionately Seminar I took through Landmark Education, I declared my new passion to a room full of people. I stood up and told them I wasn't an expert, but I'm so excited about Real Food that I can't wait until I'm expert to start sharing what I've learned. After the session, I had so many of the participants come up to me and ask me more questions that I was a bit overwhelmed, but at the same time I was that more excited to embark on this new adventure. It is a journey to leave behind what you've always known and been told; to open your eyes to what might be possible if you let go of what you've been told is the "right" way to eat. I want to share that journey. I have so much to say, but for right now, I'll just leave you with a simple recipe.
-Amanda Dittlinger, Real Food Representative

Real Breakfast Smoothie

This recipe is just "approximates" I'm still not much of a measure-er and it is to taste anyway.

1/4 cup plain yogurt with live cultures, made with whole milk, or kefir
3-4 strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
1 raw egg, from a pastured, cage free, antibiotic free chicken
1/2 cup raw milk
1-2 TBS virgin coconut oil
splash of vanilla
1 tsp honey
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!


For more information on the Real Food Movement, the Weston A. Price Foundation is an excellent source.

From Scratch - Decadent Nut & Maple Syrup Oatmeal

I bet when you think of all the things that could be decadent, oatmeal didn't come to mind. You'd be wrong. This is so warmy-ooey-gooey and filling. It's great for a cold morning (or night) and it uses all real food.I made one large portion for my dinner this evening and I didn't measure, so these are educated guesses, but it's really all to taste anyway. If you like your oatmeal thinner, add more milk, if you like it thicker don't. (Updated 3/6/11)
-Amanda

Nut & Maple Syrup Oatmeal

3/4 cup stone ground oats
1 tbsp Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
enough water to cover, plus some
1 cup milk or so
1/2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp Grad B Maple Syrup (Grade B is better, and more nutritious than Grade A)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup crispy nuts*, I used walnut, toasted


Soak oats in water and apple cider vinegar for 8-12 hours. (This breaks down the phytic acid in the oatmeal and makes the nutrients more easily digestible.)

In a small pot add soaked oats and milk bring to a low boil and stir for 8-10 minutes.Add the butter and remove from heat. Stir in the heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and last garnish with freshly toasted nuts. Enjoy!

*Crispy Nuts- a recipe by Sally Fallon. Soaking your nuts in salt water gets rid of the phytic acid in the nuts, an anti-nutrient that is very hard to digest and isn't good for your body. Use about 1 tsp of salt per cup of nuts. Cover the nuts with filtered water and stir in salt. Let them soak for 24 hours. Drain, and spread out on a cookie sheet and bake at 150 (or as low as your oven goes) for 12 hours. Or use a dehydrator until they are completely dry and crispy. Store in a airtight container in your refridgerator.

Sticky Lemon Rolls

A couple of weeks ago I was just browsing the internet and I came across a blog called The Kitchn and specifically on this recipe of Sticky Lemon Rolls. When I was asked to bring a dessert to a meeting I have tonight, I was excited to have an excuse to make these. I made them a teeny bit healthier using white wheat flour. I also doubled the recipe so that I'd have an excuse to taste test before going tonight. Here is the recipe as found on The Kitchn.
-Amanda

Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes 12 large breakfast rolls

Lemon Roll Dough
1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons) yeast

3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F or warm but not hot on your wrist
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 lemons, zested
2 eggs

Sticky Lemon Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 lemons, zested and juiced *
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested

In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.

(If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand (see this video for explicit instructions) for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy.)

Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled - about an hour.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles wet, soft sand. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon. (Reserve the juice of the second lemon for the glaze.)

Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches. Spread evenly with the softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small food processor (or with a mixer, or a sturdy whisk), whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and blend until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.

When the rolls are done, smear them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the zest of 1 additional lemon over top to garnish. Serve while warm.

Omelet Braid

I made this by using a Pampered Chef recipe from the "All the Best" cookbook as my launching point. I changed the croissant dough for homemade pizza dough and I just made a simple egg/bacon/cheese stuffing. I brought it to a kid friendly brunch this morning and it was a hit for the grown-ups and kids alike.
-Amanda

Omelet Braid

Basic Pizza Dough (or crescent dough package)
8 eggs
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt or cream cheese
8 strips of bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tbsp flour

Cook your bacon using your favorite method. (I laid it out on my Pampered Chef Stoneware Bar Pan and baked at 400 for 20 minutes, then chopped it.) While bacon is cooking, in a big bowl crack 7 eggs and the yolk of the 8th egg. Reserve the 1 egg white for later. Add yogurt to the eggs. Whisk to mix together. Add salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of flour. Last mix in chopped bacon. Roll pizza dough into a large rectangle. Every 1.5 inches cut a slice in the dough to almost the middle.

Lay egg mixture down the center of the dough. Then bring each section together over the egg mixture, twisting the sides together and laying it down over the eggs. Work your way down the length of the dough. Pinch off any dough that is too thick and discard. Brush the dough with the egg white. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Whole Wheat Bagels

I'm not exactly sure how I got onto this baking kick, but I love making bread! Today I decided to make whole wheat bagels with oats. I thought they were going to be harder than they actually were. I did have to go to Sprouts a more specialty store to buy the barley malt syrup, but everything else is pretty standard. I got the recipe from  www.homemadebagels.com. Which has really good step by step photos.. you should check them out!

-Amanda

Whole Wheat Bagels

1 1/2 cups of warm water (110 to 115 F / 45 C)

1 Tbsp dry bread machine yeast
1/4 cup of honey
1 Tbsp barley malt syrup (Available at health food or bakery supply stores)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of bread flour
3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
*1/2 cup of Oats + 1/4 Cup (Optional, to top bagels with)
2 tsp of wheat gluten
2 tsp of kosher salt
1/4 cup corn meal (Used to keep the formed bagels from sticking to the cookie sheet)

Note: Makes 12 bagels

Bloom yeast in 1 1/2 cups of water with the honey, barley malt syrup and vegetable oil. Add to 1 cup bread flour. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, and salt. Knead in machine for about 20 minutes. Bring water to a boil while bread is kneading. Also preheat oven to 450º. Divide dough into 12 balls. Place on a cookie sheet that is sprinkled with corn meal. Make a big hole in the center of each ball. Boil bagels for 45 seconds.(Dip in oats, while wet if you are going to cover the top with oats.) Replace on cookie sheet and bake for 2 minutes. Flip after 2 minutes and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

  

 Bagels before they are boiled.

 

At first the bagels sink to the bottom, but then they float to the top.

Granola

I've been on a very big "homemade" kick. I mean taking it even farther than I normally do. I hope to be able to maintain this super from scratch, for one thing it can be alot cheaper and healthier. I made this granola a few days ago and now I'm on my second batch. Granola is yummy. I plan on replacing some of my expensive cereal habits with some fresh granola. It's so good with milk and a lot less of it fills me up than boxed cereal. I plan on experimenting with different flavors but this is what I made this time with what was in my cabinet. The girls are loving this mixed into their yogurt too! By the way, these are just rough guesses on measurements!
-Amanda

Granola

2 1/2 cups of oats
3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup crunchy dehydrated strawberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey

In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts and coconut together. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar, honey, oil, vanilla and cinnamon together. Then poor the brown sugar mixture into the oats and stir until everything is mostly moistened. I actually put in it my kitchen aid mixer and used the paddle attachment to mix it quickly. Dump it all in one layer on a cookie sheet. Cook for 45 minutes at 250º stirring it every 15 minutes. Add the dried fruit and store in a sealed bag or container.

French Toast

French Toast is another one of those memories I have of being a kid at Mema's house. I think she'd serve it to me every day for a week if I asked for it. Some people put powdered sugar or maple syrup over their French Toast, but Mema's recipe has so much sugar in the batter that no topping is necessary. Serving it with sausage is a good idea because it helps cut through the sweetness! After making a perfect loaf of bread yesterday I had to use some of it to make some French Toast. Not to mention my girls are 2 and have never had this family meal so I made it for dinner tonight. Breakfast for dinner can never be bad.
-Amanda

French Toast

4-5 eggs
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla (not in Mema's recipe, but I love vanilla)
6 slices of bread

Mix all the ingredients together in a square brownie pan. Beat really well to make sure the eggs break up completely. Dip white bread one piece at a time in the egg batter. Let the excess batter drip off and place bread on a hot buttered griddle. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until the bread starts to brown. Serve with sausage. 2-3 pieces per serving. Enjoy!

Buttered Hot Chocolate

My Mema used to make me something called Chocolate Toast. She basically made this thick chocolate sauce laden with butter. She'd toast up some bread and cut it into strips. Then you'd dunk your toast strips into the sauce and eat it. It was called breakfast. It was divine. Now that I'm an adult eating something like that for breakfast seems sinful, but I really wanted to recapture that memory/taste. I made what I'm calling Mema's Decadent Hot Chocolate based off her chocolate sauce recipe. And perhaps since I'm visiting her this weekend, she'll take me on a trip down memory lane, and I can be a kid again, just for a day.
-Amanda
ps. recipe udpdated 12/10 to remove white sugar.



Mema's Decadent Hot Chocolate

2 tbsp cocoa powder
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp butter
1 cup milk (I use Raw)
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
a dash of vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring up to a simmer whisking well. Pour into a mug and serve with marshmallows or whip cream. Makes 1 serving.