Breakfast Cookies

So I made these breakfast cookies--the ones I mentioned here.  I have never made a breakfast cookie before but it has two of my favorite words in its name, so it seemed like a sure thing.  Then I got a little scared when I saw that they had no butter, no sugar, and no eggs.  I was suddenly put in mind of these all natural "healthy" cookies my friend Carrie's boyfriend in college once made (he was all into yoga and not showering and listening to the Dead--you know the type--you may have dated one in college yourself)--and how she described them as tasting like small rocks.  Just to be clear, rocks are not my idea of breakfast or cookies.  

Look, I like the idea of something healthy, but would Beeper actually eat them as he ran out the door to catch the bus? Would I eat them as I ran out the door to work?  The answer is YES--in fact, Beeper eats them for breakfast, and then he asks for one later as an after-school snack.  Okay, I did make a few modifications to the recipe.  I did not want them too be too overwhelmingly banana-y so I actually only used 1+1/2 bananas and then substituted 3/4 cup of applesauce for the remaining bananas.  Yep--that still kept it in the realm of all wholesome.  But then I thought they might be sort of good with peanut butter so I added about 1/3 cup of PB.  And then when I tasted the batter it did seem a little bland so I went ahead and put in 1/4 cup of honey to sweeten it a bit and after that it worked for me.  They are just mildly sweet and oatmeal-y and nutty and coconutty with an undercurrent of banana.  Mine did take an extra 5-minutes of baking time too.  But I would definitely make these again--and am thinking about how I could further customize the recipe to still be healthy but maybe taste a bit more like the Ranger cookies my mom used to make.  

You can find the original recipe here, at Blueberry Girl.  Recipe customization is at your discretion--although I would not think any less of you if you were tempted to throw some chocolate chips into these. 

Eat This: Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

If I was going to marry a soup--it would be this one.  That's how much I love it.  It so luscious without being overbearing, hearty without being heavy, healthy without hitting you over the head with how wholesome it tastes.  It was actually inspired by a soup I once had at the now defunct Figlio restaurant here (oh, how I miss Figlio)--it was this silky, lemony soup with a touch of basil.  Then I found a recipe for a lemon chicken soup and worked from there to try to recreate what I once had at Figlio--and this is pretty close.  I did go for the traditional greek addition of dill rather than basil (but it is just as good with basil if you would rather, so feel free to use it if you have it).

Of course, you can make other substitutions, like white rice instead of brown (you will just need less cooking time for the rice), more veggies, or even more chicken and rice if you want this to become almost stew-like.  I do recommend making your own chicken broth--I have a recipe for how to do that with old chicken bones here.

This soup is mostly easy to make.  The trickiest part is just whisking the 2 cups of hot broth into the lemon-egg mixture so the eggs will not curdle--but even this isn't all that tricky.  You just need to get a good brisk whisking action going before you pour in the broth.  And the best part is when you add the eggs mixture to the soup--it is like magic how it suddenly takes on this lovely muted color and the texture becomes just a little thicker and a whole lot creamier...

If there is one soup I recommend you try yet while it is still winter around this part of the world--it is this one.  Really.  You won't regret it.  

DOWNLOAD GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE

Eat and Drink This: Truffle Kettle Corn and Cranberry Fizz Cocktail

I first ate truffle kettle corn about 6 months ago at The Red Stag Supper Club here in Minneapolis.  It blew my mind--the combination of flavors was so much euphoria in my mouth.  I imagined it must be a little like shooting up heroin because it was so hard to stop eating and it was so good.  And then I became obsessed with learning how I could cook up my own version at home.  As it turns out, it is easy.  Once you locate where to buy a bottle of white truffle oil, you are so in business.   The hardest part is not burning the sugar, but after I figured out that you should wait to add it until your popcorn has begun popping, that was no longer a concern.  Okay, you do still have clean out the pan which does get seriosuly gunked up from the cooked sugar once it cools, but just put some water in it and let it soak until the next day and it will not be so much of a prob.  

Needless to say, this is perfect holiday gathering food.  So easy and inexpensive to prepare (yes, the truffle oil is not cheap, but a little goes a long way so think of it as an investment in your mouth's happiness) in mass quantities.   All you need to accompany it is an easy little holiday-ish cocktail--so I made up one of those too.  Again, this drink is easy to make by the carafe, delish and refreshing without being overly sweet.  And it is a perfect complement to the truffle kettle corn--and listening to holiday music while you deocrate your tree or play games with your kid or have friends over...trust me, this is your holiday go-to dish and cocktail to serve up at a moment's notice.  They feel a little special but they are so easy to make.  Just try it.  Let me know if you too find yourself a truffle kettle corn junkie too.

DOWNLOAD TRUFFLE KETTLE CORN AND CRANBERRY COCKTAIL RECIPE

Eat This: Tripleberry Jam

First off, you should know that I meant to post this like 6 full weeks ago or something--back when it was still berry picking season around here.  But, of course, I procrastinated on making the jam since our kitchen is not air conditioned (welcome to living in a home from the 1920's) and it felt like you were living inside someone's mouth about 6 weeks ago while that terrible heat wave was breathing all hot and heavy on the U.S.  So, I froze the berries and waited--then I went away for a weekend to a dear friend's house and she not only had central air, but also a beautiful kitchen--so she kindly let me go to work and do my canning while I was there.  But since then, sheer laziness has taken hold as the summer wanes and the jam sits in quiet little rows in the basement.

Oh, but here I am!  I have the recipe all typed up and ready for download now.  So, if you are still up for making some jam, try some of this--Tripleberry.  It is a lovely little blend of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.  I used what I had when I made this--which was a lot strawberries from when we picked them earlier in the summer, a lot of raspberries from our own urban patch, and some blueberries from the store when they were on sale.  You could, however, add in blackberries and make quadrupleberry if you prefer, or adjust the measurements of berries if you would like it to be a bit more blueberry-y, for instance--as long as you have 8 total cups of berries all will be good.  A little late, but have at it...

DOWNLOAD TRIPLEBERRY JAM RECIPE

Eat This: More Homemade Popsicles

I made more popsicles again this summer--really, I made enough that I could open my own frozen confection shop in my 'hood.  I made 6 new flavors, in addition to a couple of our faves from last year (pineapple coconut & orange vanilla cream--recipes here).  I am telling you though, this year's layered coconut raspberry is lovely--and the strawberry lemonade really hits the spot on a hot, hot day (or day after hot, hot day as has been case up here this summer where the weather has felt like you are living inside someone's moist, fetid breath).  

You can download my latest popsicle recipes right here:

DOWNLOAD NEW HOMEMADE POPSICLE RECIPES

Mostly, I just want to be the mom all the kids like because she dolls out popsicles like they are smiles--despite her humidity frazzled hair and mood.  Blueberry lime raspberry bomb pop anyone?  

Drink This: Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

My friend, Chellie, introduced me to this drink last summer and I have been a dedicated maker and drinker of this beverage ever since.  For me it has become the drink for summer gatherings with friends.  Served over a glass of ice with an extra sprig of mint, it is the perfect refreshment for the backyard, the cabin, the deck, a picnic, or wherever you can manage to hold one in your hand without spilling it (which may become a challenge if you drink too many in one evening). 

Chellie made this originally with a can of frozen lemonade--and while I do offer that version of the recipe as a variation in my download for those who want the quick and dirty method, the recipe on the card tells you how to make these from scratch--meaning, you make your own lemonade with freshly squeezed lemons (not that you make your own vanilla vodka though--I'm not freakin' Martha over here--vanilla Stolis works fine where I come from).  

 Just take care not to drink too many--it is easy to do.  Um, speaking from experience (like last weekend's experience at a friend's when I returned with a splitting sugar and alcohol headache after downing these all afternoon).  You know, drink in moderation is all I am saying--for your own good.

DOWNLOAD VANILLA VODKA LEMONADE RECIPE

Eat This: Mama's Best French Toast

Okay, yeah.  This is french toast we are talking about here--not exactly requiring high levels of culinary skill to make, certainly nothing that everyone does not already know something about how to make.  But I really, really, really love this particular french toast--like, I eat it for breakfast every freakin weekend because it just so tasty, and I sort of like to think that when made with whole grain bread it is even maybe somehow good for me (nevermind the bacon that usually comes on the side negates all those notions of nutritional grandeur...).

It is all about the toppings really--that combo of pecans, fresh blueberries and sliced bananas.  You put that on some milk and egg soaked bread that has had the flavor turned up with some vanilla and cinnamon and to me it is fit for HRH Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.  I am sure she would like and eat this if only I could get it introduced to the royal kitchen in some way.

I do add a little flour to my batter just to give the french toast a nice brown crust that holds in all sweet and lovely cinnamon for you.  And, yes, I just make mine with regular old whole wheat sandwich bread--but you could get a little swankier and make it with challah or some cinnamon swirl bread. 

 So you should try it.  I've got the recipe right here for you:

DOWNLOAD FRENCH TOAST RECIPE

It would make a lovely mama's day breakfast if, like me,  you really like french toast--plus it is a manageable recipe for the kiddies if they want to get in on it.

Happy weekend breakfasting.

What I Ate for Breakfast Today

What'd you eat for breakfast today?  Betcha what I ate was better than what you ate--meaning, better tasting, not better for your health.  Because this is definitely not good for your health--but is probably good for your momentary Saturday morning breakfast happiness--which must do something good for your body in some way, right?

The recipe came from Joy the Baker.  It is Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread and works and tastes exactly like the name sounds.  Which is delicious.  I saw this on Joy's blog, momentarily lost my mind, then had to go to the grocery store at 9pm last night to get some yeast so I could make up the dough and have it all ready for today's breakfast.

The scent of it baking in the your kitchen bright and early on a Saturday is enough to make your day better.  It tastes like eating the love child of toast sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and the soft doughy interior of a cinnamon roll.  You do not need the distraction of icing with this.  Pour yourself a cup of coffee, pull off a chunk and thank the gods for the gift that Joy the Baker is to this world--or better yet, just go to her blog and thank her directly.

Call me crazy but I am already thinking about how I could jerry-rig this recipe to make a pull-apart chocolate babka...

Eat This: Homemade Applesauce

Over the holidays,  friend of ours gave us some homemade applesauce she had canned.  Beeper about lost his mind he loved it so much--insisting we not eat too much at one time so every spoonful could be savored and cherished.  Of course, that applesauce is nothing but a tasty memory now...

But then I thought it might be a nice after school activity recently to make some of our own.  So we did.  And if you have never made applesauce before, I am here to tell you it is about the easiest thing in the world to make.  

Here's the recipe:  Select an array of apples (this is key to sweetness and taste).  Peel apples.  Core and chop.  Add to a pot with just enough water that the water comes up to about an inch or so beneath the top of your apples in your pot.  Put a lid on the pot and simmer until the apples are good and mushy, adding more water if it seems too thick.  Add some cinnamon if you like and serve.

Yep.  Does not get much easier than that.  You can even can it if you want--which I did not, I just stored it in a canning jar so it looks like I did.  The apples you see in the top photo produced two full pint jars + about 1 cup or so extra (we froze half for later consumption). 

Pork Chops and potato pancakes are on the menu for later this week--with applesauce, of course.

Eat This: Best Brownie Made Even Better

First off, trust me--these are the best brownie you will ever bake.  I picked up the recipe from Bliss recently and made an excuse to bake some and was almost down on my knees with gratitude that I had finally found the one brownie recipe I could go to for the rest of my days.  My search was done.  And what is so great about these is that they mix up and are in the oven in about 20 minutes flat--and all in one bowl, thank you very much.  I followed the recipe pretty much as outlined with the exception that I mixed half of the chocolate chips (1 cup) in right away before baking, and then added the second half (1 cup) of the chips about 15 minutes into baking.

But it gets better--these brownies are both fudgey and cakey and have that lovely crackly crust on the top that makes your teeth squeal with pleasure when they sink into one.  

Oh, and then I decided to just put these completely over the top by adding some cream cheese frosting heavily sprinkled with shredded coconut and topped each square with one bright lush raspberry (used Ina's frosting recipe--but you need only make about 1/4 of the recipe for this purpose).  I was thinking about Hostess Sno Balls when I added that coconut--but don't let that scare you.  And do you want to know what is even better yet about these brownies?

This.

Eat This: Grandma Neuman's Cookies

You might be wondering who the heck Grandma Neuman is and what does she have to do with these cookies.  Well, I have tell you I do not even know who the heck Grandma Neuman is other than that these cookies are made from her recipe.  You see, back in the seventies, my brother was a paper boy in a small Minnesota town and one of his customers was this old lady, whom was only known to him as "Grandma Neuman" (small towns, gotta love 'em).  One Christmas, Grandma Neuman gave my brother a small box of these cookies as a thank you  (again, small towns--wish my world in the city was more like this...but I am pretty sure that if we gave our paper boy a box of cookies he would scowl at us)...the cookies came home, we all dug into them, and my mom then declared we must have the recipe and sent my brother back to request the recipe the next time her delivered her paper...and here we are today, still eating Grandma Neuman's cookies every single Christmas.

And these cookies are one my holiday faves--both because of how the recipe came to us, but also because they are simple to mix up, fun to cut out, and are a wonderful simple cookie that falls somewhere in flavor between a sugar cookie and gingerbread.   I guess they are a spice cookie.  And you can see above, the dough is Beeper approved.

This was Beeper's first year that he really dug into the whole cookie making process from start to finish--and you can see the colorful (did I hear someone say gaudy?), and richly festooned (did someone say looks like rainbow vomit?) fruits of his labors.  

But you can also make these with simple white sanding sugar and they are lovely--like these little gingerbread men (that are technically not gingerbread men, I know...) that just got a light sprinkle of sugar and 3 red hot buttons and were piereced before and after baking with a skewer so they could be threaded with baking twine and hung on the tree.  Or, you can just eat them too--because you will want to and they are just plain good in the way something can only be when it comes from an old lady known only as Grandma Neuman to her town.  

You can download the recipe here:

DOWNLOAD COOKIE RECIPE

Use What You Have: Bread Ends and Leftovers

I don't know if you are like me, but I always seem to have all sorts of bread leftovers lurking in my kitchen--heels from otherwise used-up loaves, remains from artisan loaves I bought at my co-op that I could not bear to toss out so I just tossed them in a bag in the freezer, and other freezer burnt-bread has-beens just taking up space. Okay, and I still do--but they now have a their own mission in life other than obstructing the view of whatever else is in my freezer: I make homemade bread crumbs from them.  

Yes, even your stale, freezer-burnt and otherwise unwanted bread pieces can be put to use.  I keep a plastic bag in my freezer at all times and simply toss these sad bread pieces in (you name it, we save it--hot dog buns, rock hard pieces of french bread, stale heels...)--and once I have a full bag, I pull them out, defrost, cut into chunks, process into crumbs, and toast in my oven.

Voila!  Bread crumbs that are perfectly delicious and useful.  I use them to make breadings for chicken, to add to meatballs, to top casseroles...whatever your heart desires.  And, if you can believe it--they will keep endlessly in a plastic bag in your freezer.  Seriously--at one point, we had a HUGE bag of bread crumbs and I think I worked from that bag for over a year...with no apparent detriment to taste (do not ask me why this is true, but it is--really.  Would I lie to you, honey?).  I sometimes even season a large quantity of the crumbs all at once so I have my fave breading at the ready when needed with no fuss or muss.  Give it a try:

DOWNLOAD BREADCRUMB RECIPE

And here is a little tasty dish to get you started: stuffed peppers. I love these--they are full of veggies and are like a moist and flavorful meatball all mounded up in a bell pepper. And the recipe makes lots--enough for a family dinner, or enough for dinner and then some leftover to freeze since these do freeze and reheat nicely.

DOWNLOAD STUFFED PEPPER RECIPE

And if stuffed peppers are not your thing, think about making this fantastic faux-fried chicken that is a perpetual favorite at our house. 

It really is amazing what you can make from foods you might otherwise be inclined to toss out or add to the compost heap--so check out my other how-to's on: what to do with a glut of tomatoes, what to do with over-ripe fruits, and what to do with chicken bones.  Make the most from what you have and bon appetit.

Eat This: World's Best Ever Chicken Cheeseburger

These chicken burgers may not look all that impressive, but they are one of the best burgers EVER.  I ate something similar last summer at the Longfellow Grill--but it was a special and they never reappeared on the menu...so I decided I had to try to work the recipe out for my self.

The additions of bacon, and sauteed apples and onions to the ground chicken keep it moist and extra flavorful--and then the smoked cheddar AND the herby-mayo just put it over the top.  I double-dog dare you not love them.

And here's the recipe:

DOWNLOAD CHICKEN CHEESEBURGER RECIPE

Eat This: My Most Favorite Ever Omelet

Have you noticed that I am an ardent lover of breakfast? It is the best meal of the day--and weekend breakfasts are something to be looked forward to, at least at my house.

But, are you maybe a little like me in that you really like a good omelet but fear making one for yourself? I mean, all that egg swishing around in the pan, and then the folding, and the desperate attempt to get it out of the pan whole? Yeah, it can be intimidating. I am still no expert, but I have worked on omelet making a bit over the years. The two things I have found to be essential are using a good, un-abused non-stick pan (in my house, that means the non-stick pan that Mr Beeper is not allowed to touch, ever), and just babysitting the damn thing the whole time it is in the pan--never, ever leave that omelet unattended. And with that, I believe a decent omelet can be produced.

So, I want to show you my omelet-making technique, in case you might want to know--and then share my all-time, most favorite omelet recipe with you.

Here's the deal--get your 3 eggs all whisked together with whatever seasonings you might want to add (I just like salt and a few grinds of pepper--but herbs are lovely here too), then heat about 1/2 tablespoon of butter in your omelet pan over medium-high heat. Swirl the butter around the pan, once melted, pour in your eggs...then let them sit there for several seconds. As soon as they start to firm up around the edges, push the edges back and tilt the pan so any runny, uncooked eggs on top, run to the side and bottom of the pan (you can also use your spatula to gently push the soft eggs over to the edge of the pan)--then keep on doing this until you have essentially gotten most of the runny parts cooked . The key is to try to get the runny eggs over to make contact with the pan so they can cook, while keeping the cooked eggs whole and untorn.

Now, while the eggs are still just a tad soft on top, pile your omelet ingredients on one half of your eggs, then using a spatula, carefully flip the other half of the eggs over the top of the ingredients. You can turn off your heat now, but just leave the omelet sitting there for 30 seconds or so to let your filling warm and any cheese melt. (NOTE: my fave omelet does not include any ingredients that require sauteing in advance, but yours may--so insure you have those cooked and ready before you start the egg part of your omelet).

Now, take a deep and courageous breath and slide that omelet from your pan onto your plate in one smooth movement. Help it along with your spatula, if you must. Eat immediately because an omelet never gets better with age, in my opinion (that said, I will admit, sometimes we do put one on a plate in a warm oven until the other is done so Mr Beeper and I can sit down to eat our omelets together)

And here, is my favorite omelet recipe, for those who might like to give it a try:

DOWNLOAD FAVORITE OMELET RECIPE

Happy weekend breakfasting.

What I Did Over My Easter Break...

Made some little easter coloring books using my tutorial here...

...made lots and lots of candy (does anyone else have the issue of feeling totally out of control when working with melted chocolate?)...

...made simple paper easter baskets to give out to the kiddies we know...

...and left a mooshy belly bunny as a Toy Society Drop (still trying to make up for the two I missed last year).

What did you make and do over your Easter break?

Eat This: Winter Granola

Here is a variation on our house granola--a little something I made up recently when I needed to use up some aimless pepitas and dried apples. There is something warm and earthy about this granola--the flavor has memories of autumn and Halloween and the holidays all rolled up inside it. Mr. Beeper calls this recipe, The granola of the gods. While maybe not quite at deity status, this granola is pretty damn good. I mean, I cook a lot and when I tasted this, I was like, Dang, I can make a mean a granola--even if it was sort of accidental the way it came together. The good thing is that I actually wrote the recipe down as I was preparing it (which often does not happen--things often come about a little haphazardly in my kitchen).

DOWNLOAD WINTER GRANOLA RECIPE

So, try to this one out. See if you think it is worthy of Zeus and Hera, or Percy Jackson, or Robert Plant circa 1971, or whoever.

Reduce Waste & Use What You Have: Over Ripe Bananas & What to Do with Them

I am an ardent saver of fruit that is overly ripe and on the cusp of going bad. Saving it for other uses is really a snap--just toss it in a plastic bag in the freezer. We perpetually have a big bag of over-ripe bananas in our freezer--as well as smaller bags of things like strawberries, blueberries, mangos, pineapple, etc. Always stuff that was on its way out if left to languish in the fridge much longer...no fruit is left behind at our house. Those overly sweet fruits (as they are inclined to be late in their lives) are a perfectly lovely additions to things like muffins, smoothies, pancakes, even made into glazes or sauces. Of course, banana bread is the old stand-by for overly ripe bananas--and yes, I am going to share the recipe for my version which incorporates oatmeal and other whole grains (as do most all baked goods I make). I love this bread--I eat a couple of slices each morning, slathered with peanut butter, aside coffee and half of a grapefruit--it is my go-to winter breakfast, if you must know.

And yes, you can use bananas from your freezer for this--simply defrost the amount you need and use them as you would any other over ripe bananas. You should be prepared for the fact that when you thaw bananas from the freezer they will have quite a bit of liquid floating around with them and that is okay--I simply mash this in with the rest of the banana and use as usual.

So here is my banana oatmeal bread recipe for you:
DOWNLOAD BANANA OATMEAL BREAD RECIPE

And if you care, here are some other recipes that will make use of your overly ripe bananas or other fruits stocked in your freezer:

• Sunshiney Smoothie
• Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pancakes You Can Feel Good About--to make banana pancakes, simply add 2 mashed bananas to this recipe

Happy over-ripe fruit freezing and baking.