Category Archives: Breakfast

Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner Ideas November 27, 2025 Leave a comment

This is the absolute best recipe for bread pudding. it will fill your home with warm, welcoming aromas of brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. It also makes a wonderful addition to your holiday brunch. With the holidays around the corner, I feel the need to share some of my favorite recipes for you and your family. This rich, comfort food and so addicting.

Ingredients for Pudding

  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 10 cups chopped day old bread or pastry
  • 3 cups Half-and-Half
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions Bread Pudding

  1. Mx bread, brown sugar, Half & Half, whipping cream, sugar, eggs and cinnamon ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F. degrees.
  3. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray to cover the bread pudding while it is baking.
  4. Pour bread pudding batter into pan. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until center of pudding is firm.
    1. NOTE: This can be made about 1 or 2 days in advance, reheat at 250F. degrees for 30 minutes before serving

Ingredients for Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

  • 4 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ to ½ cup bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

Directions Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

  1. Pour heavy cream into a heavy saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly to keep from scalding, continue to boil until cream is reduced by almost half, about 30 minutes.
  2. Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and bourbon and allow to boil until sauce thickens slightly (another 15 minutes). For extra thick sauce, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the boiling liquid, stirring constantly.

Serve warm, drizzling sauce over the top of each pudding square after placing on a plate.

Baked Eggs in Ham Cups – easy

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff May 10, 2014 Leave a comment

baked eggs ham crispsNeed a great breakfast for mom that is easy and delicious? Try this recipe. You can leave your eggs whole or beat them with your vegetables and cheese.  Serve with a side of roasted red potatoes, steamed asparagus and fruit salad.  You can substitute the shallots with a small red or sweet onion, use your favorite vegetables, if you don’t have sour cream, substitute plain yogurt. The possibilities are endless. You can’t mess this up. Makes 6

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 cups of any vegetables you love, suggestions: chopped mushrooms, chopped red pepper (or jarred roasted red peppers)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil or butter
• ½ cup of your favorite shredded cheese
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream or yogurt
• 6 slices of Virginia Ham
• 6 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Melt and heat your butter, or coconut oil, or olive oil in a large pan on medium heat
2. Sauté your favorite vegetables, and the chopped shallots until soft. Stirring often.
3. If adding spinach, slice it into small pieces – add last after your vegetables are softened just to wilt it. You don’t want mushy spinach.
4. Spray your muffin tins with baking spray, this recipe makes 6
5. Line each muffin cup with a slice of ham, ends will stick up and hang over the sides. baked eggs ham crisps2
*If making scrambled egg cups: using an egg beater or fork, beat your eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk, a pinch of salt and pepper, divide your sautéed vegetables in each of the muffin cups and pour egg mixture into each cup using a ladle. Sprinkle a tablespoon of shredded cheese on top of each cup.
*If leaving eggs whole, divide the sautéed vegetables among the 6 muffin cups 

  1. Crack one egg into each cup, sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper
  2. Sprinkle a tablespoon of shredded cheese on top of each cup
  3. Bake for 15 minutes until eggs are set and cooked to your likeness

Maple Bacon

Appetizers, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff April 24, 2014 Leave a comment

maple baconMaple glazed bacon, who doesn’t love the smell and taste of bacon, dress it up with a coating of pure maple glaze and you have a gourmet dish or appetizer. Glazed maple bacon can add a savory note to desserts, just crumble the bacon into maple flavored frosting for cupcakes.  Or consider sweet and savory appetizers; wrap maple bacon around sweet potato slices, or asparagus before baking. Wrap around prawns or cream cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers, or small smokey links before baking. Maple syrup adds a sweet note to thick-cut bacon slices, which are obviously delicious served right  alongside pancakes, eggs or waffles.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff)
  • 12 slices good-quality thick-cut bacon
  • coarse ground pepper (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

  1. Pour the maple syrup into a shallow bowl and give each bacon slice (both sides) a generous dip in the syrup.
  2. Lay the bacon on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the bacon over and bake until it is crisp at the edges and caramelized on the bottom, another 10 to 15 minutes.*Note: this cooking time is depending on the thickness of your bacon, keep an eye on it while baking so it does not burn, especially if using a thinner bacon.
  4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
  5. Lift the slices from the liner so they don’t stick after cooling. Cool for about a minute, transfer to a long platter to serve.

Granola

Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff April 28, 2013 Leave a comment

Granola

Granola

With milk or yogurt, this home-made granola gives you a hearty start to the day. Made with walnuts, almonds, coconut, and sunflower seeds, this cereal has a healthy dose of protein wrapped up in a sweet maple-honey flavor. Serve it with warm milk on cold winter days for a great alternative to oatmeal.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1-1/4 cups bran flakes
  • ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • ¾ cup salted sunflower seeds
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • ¾ cup honey
  • ¾ cup canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Prepare two baking sheets by covering with parchment paper and grease paper with cooking spray.
  2. Combine oats, bran flakes, coconut, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix maple syrup, honey, and oil; add to dry mixture and stir until well combined
  4. Divide the mixture between each prepared cookie sheet; spread evenly
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown, tossing granola halfway through baking time to keep edges from burning.
  6. Let cool completely before storing.
  7. Yields ½ gallon

*Great gift idea, store in mason jars

Souping up your Oatmeal

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Weight Watcher Friendly March 2, 2013 Leave a comment

yogurt and oatmealI discussed Oatmeal in a previous blog. You can find the difference between “instant, groats and steel cut” oats in that blog. This blog is about souping up your breakfast oatmeal to entice you to eat more oats (because they are healthy for you) and to make the eating experience uniquely delicious. Box cereals are loaded with sugar – sugar goes right to your waist and hikes up your insulin, so that being said try to change out your breakfast during the week with eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit etc.

This morning I made “naked” Raw oatmeal (oatmeal without flavors or sugar) and gathered together a sliced fresh peach, sliced strawberries, 2 tablespoons of walnut pieces, and ½ container of Greek yogurt.

I cooked the oatmeal according to package directions and let sit for a minute, added the walnuts, and fruit and stirred. On top of that wonderful goodness I put a half container of Greek yogurt and stirred slightly. Delicious, decadent, creamy, thick and sweet is all I can say about this morning treat. It was comparable to dessert for breakfast! Enjoy.

Triple Chocolate Pancakes

Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner Ideas February 5, 2013 Leave a comment

Triple Chocolate Pancakes

Triple Chocolate Pancakes

What can I say, breakfast, dinner, dessert? Not just one kind of chocolate but three kinds of chocolate. A complete gooey chocolaty overload. Serve with Hot Fudge Sauce, or fresh fruit and White Chocolate Yogurt sauce – recipe follows.

 

 

Ingredients for Pancakes:

  • 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 2eggs, separated
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
  • Purchased or homemade Hot Fudge sauce

Directions

  • Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl
  • Mix milk, buttermilk, egg yolks, and cooled melted butter into a second large bowl and beat well.
  • Add flour to the milk/butter mixture and mix well
  • Put egg whites in another bowl and beat until stiff peaks form
  • Fold a small amount of beaten egg white into the chocolate batter, then add the remaining egg white and fold until mixed.
  • Add the bittersweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips to the batter
  • Heat skillet and spray with cooking spray
  • Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter onto skillet and cook on medium-low heat until tiny bubbles appear on the top, flip and cook for one minute more.
  • Keep cakes warm in a 250 F oven until all cooked.

White Chocolate Yogurt

  • 6 oz White Chocolate chopped
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  1. Put the chopped white chocolate into a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and melt slowly. Be careful not to get moisture or steam into the chocolate. OR microwave on 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.
  2. When melted, remove from heat and let cool slightly, beat in the yogurt until smooth and shiny. Serve cakes with hot fudge sauce and White Chocolate Sauce. Yummy

The Poached Egg

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas January 29, 2013 Leave a comment

The wonderful, light, delicious poached egg. This egg dish is simple to prepare and yields a light

The Poached Egg

The Poached Egg

breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Always start with fresh eggs. Cooks will tell you to crack your egg into a custard cup or bowl before transferring to the water. I’ve been at this a long time, so I crack mine directly into the boiling water.

  • If you have a small skillet, add at least 1-2 inches of water. If you are cooking with a saucepan, add at least 3 inches of water.
  • Place saucepan or skillet on high heat and bring water to a boil. To keep the white of the egg from spreading in the water add a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the water before adding egg.
  • After adding the egg to the water, turn heat down to a simmer.
  • I cook my egg for 3 minutes, basting the egg with a spoon as it simmers. Gently stir the water around the egg to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You can cook your egg for 4 – 6 minutes if you like your yolk thick or cooked through.

How to serve your poached egg,

  • Well I remove my egg from the water after 3 minutes with a slotted spoon.
  • I place my egg on a piece of toast and sprinkle with a tablespoon of grated cheese, tonight I used my left over apple smoked Gruyere cheese I used in my Barley, Leek Gratin recipe.
  • I sprinkled a little Kosher salt on my egg and enjoyed with a slice of cinnamon/sugar toast, and a glass of white wine.

Now I can deal with the snow

Potato Pancakes

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas, Vegetables January 16, 2013 Leave a comment

Potato Pancake

Potato Pancake

German potato pancakes, a true comfort food and wonderful side with any meal from breakfast to dinner. Eat with a dollop of applesauce or sour cream, potato pancakes are a real treat. Poach an egg and serve on top of a potato pancake, or serve as a side with a steak or chicken. Crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. potatoes, about 2 or 3 large russets, grated (a sweet potato may be substituted for one of the russets for color and sweetness)
  • 1/2 onion, grated
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Dash of Ground pepper
  • ¼ tsp of Nutmeg
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Oil for frying

Directions

  1. Grate potatoes, with or without skin
  2. Grate the onion over the potatoes, (at this point you can add 2 grated carrots for color and flavor, or a grated zucchini)
  3. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and egg. Mix thoroughly.
  4. Using a non-stick griddle or frying pan, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot
  5. Using a measuring cup – ½ cup – drop the potato mixture into hot oil and flatten with the back of a spoon.
  6. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown
  7. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with your choice of topping.

*keep cakes warm in a 250 degree oven while cooking the remaining batter.

Oat Groats aka Whole Oats

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas January 15, 2013 Leave a comment

Oat Groats

Oat Groats aka Whole Oats

I tasted whole oats for the first time in my life at a Health Fair the clinic I work for hosts every fall.  I was hesitant at first because I am not a fan of the instant oatmeal that seems very popular today. The gal serving the oats owns a popular café in town, the restaurant is known for their great food. So I decided to try a serving of whole oats. She served the oats with sides of: Almond Soy milk, cream, brown sugar, walnuts, honey, and raisins. She scooped out a tiny little portion for me after I explained my dislike for Oatmeal and invited me to add one of the sides to my oatmeal and then taste it. I poured a little Almond Soy milk, a pinch of brown sugar, and walnuts to my serving and tasted. Needless to say I went back for 2nds. I loved the chewy texture and nutty taste. It was unlike any oatmeal I have ever eaten. Now I am hooked.
I have been searching the WWW for other ideas on how to serve up whole oats and am amazed at how versatile it is. I saw a recipe that included a shot of soy sauce and chopped scallions for a dinner version of oats. I’m sure you can add just about anything to your whole oats for a tasty dinner, some suggestions; chopped ham, spinach, tomatoes, chopped avocado, peas and onions, any vegetable you prefer actually.
The heart health and cholesterol lowering benefits of oats is very well known, and if you are not familiar with the nutrition aspect of oats, may I suggest this site for more information; http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/health-benefits-of-oats

Here are some facts about Oats that I borrowed from Dr. Andrew Weil’s web blog about Oats:

  • Oat groats (“whole” oats) are the most intact form, only the outermost inedible hull is removed.
  • Steel-cut oats are simply oat groats that have been cut into two or three pieces with steel blades, slightly decreasing their cooking time. Oat groats and steel-cut oats are the least processed; they take a long time to cook, but result in a chewy, lower-glycemic treat.
  • Rolled oats are the result when oat groats are steamed, flattened and dried. This is the form most people know. Though somewhat processed, rolled oats are still a whole grain. I don’t recommend eating oats that have been processed any further than this, such as quick-cooking or instant oats – they are no longer whole, intact grains, and instant oatmeal packets often contain copious amounts of salt, sugar and other additives.
  • Oat bran – the finely ground meal of oat groats’ bran layer – though not technically a whole grain, has the health benefits of one with its high fiber and low starch content; it makes a good addition to other foods, especially baked goods. Despite its short cooking time and smooth texture, it won’t spike blood sugar levels, thanks to its soluble fiber.

Oats have a higher fat content than other grains, and can go rancid more easily as a result. Whether you’re buying oat groats, steel-cut oats, rolled oats or oat bran, buy in smaller quantities, and store in the refrigerator.

Add a 1/4 cup of cooked whole oats to any bread recipe
Cooking time: steel-cut, 20-40 minutes; groats, 45-60 minutes
Liquid per cup of grain: steel-cut and groats, 3 cups

Biscuits ‘n Gravy

Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

This is not a “Weight Watchers” recipe or anything “cooking light” it is not something that should be consumed more than once or twice a year preferably after your physical – HOWEVER, being the nutrition freak I am, there are ways to cut back the fat. I use turkey sausage and skim milk for the gravy – still yummy, but if you want the “real” thing, use pork sausage and whole milk or heavy cream – ouch.

Moving forward –  I’d like to show you how to make a very important cowboy staple: Biscuits and Gravy.biscuitsgravy

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces hot bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 12 ounces mild bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 gallon milk or cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Biscuits, store bought or homemade

 Directions

  1. In a large skillet, add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.
  2. Drain the grease into a cup and remove sausage from the skillet into a bowl.
  3. Return 2 – 4 tablespoons of grease and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of flour to the grease.
  4. Cook over medium-high heat until the grease turns into a roux (paste)
  5. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden in color – adding flour if mixture is not thick (pasty)
  6. Begin to add the milk one cup at a time and keep whisking to prevent lumps, stir until the mixture is bubbly and smooth, adding milk a cup at a time until gravy consistency.
  7. At this point, you can start add back the sausage or if you made sausage patties, break a few up and throw into the gravy.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve over biscuits – homemade or store bought.