Jiffy Hands Pear Bread

In my real life, I teach second graders.  The first day of fall means a whole new set of books on display in my classroom.  Without hesitation, I will read Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears by Cynthia Rylant. I love Mr. Putter, his fine cat Tabby, busy Mrs. Teaberry, and Zeke the dog! When my children are through with Mr. Putter, I will have to find a way to continue reading them to anyone who will listen.

The Pick the Pears book finds Mr. Putter unable to pick pears because of some "cranky knees," but he does have some "jiffy hands" to get rid of the pears littering the ground. The book ends with Mr. Putter being surprised by wonderful, fall baked goods.

As I picked up my CSA box with 4 not-so-ripe looking pears, I thought, "What can I do with these overripe pears?"  A quick Google search of those exact words showed me tons of ideas, but the bread seemed best for our family.  It will be a great treat as we enjoyed reading and listening to the adventures of Mr. Putter.

Those pears have seen better days!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/4 t baking powder
•  1 t salt
• 1 T ground cinnamon
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 pears
• 1 t vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. 
2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Mix well.
3. Peel and core the pears.  Grate them. Set aside.
4. Combine butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and pears.  Mix well.
5. Add pear mixture to dry mixture.  Combine well.  Add nuts. Mix.
6. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes; until a toothpick come out clean.
7. Cool bread on wire rack. 

TIME: 20 minute prep time; 60 minutes baking time

DIFFICULTY: Medium 

SOURCE: My search led me here: http://www.thekitchn.com/falls-other-fruit-8-things-to-131549

Sausage, Egg, and Potato Breakfast Casserole

As I prepare to leave for a camping trip with my family to one of our many amazing National Parks, I find myself turning to this recipe for the third time.  We travel in our RV and though there are generally no hook ups (for electricity, water, etc.) at the National Park campgrounds, we do have a gas oven that we can use.  I have made this recipe for two other trips and it has been the perfect breakfast to fill us up for the adventures of the day.  There are three steps to the process: the prep, the baking with foil, and the baking without foil.  I do the first two of those steps at home before we leave.  This leaves just the baking without foil to do on the trip.  Unfortunately, I have never taken a picture of the finished product on one of our trips.  Maybe this time I will and post an update.  In the meantime, I didn't want any more time to go by without posting this!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet, hot, or mild)
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced (or 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and diced)
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 (20 ounce) bag frozen hash browns, thawed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• (optional topping: thinly sliced green onions)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Add the sausage to a medium saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, crumbling the sausage with a spoon as it cooks. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of sausage grease in the saute pan, discarding the rest. 
3. Add the onion and red pepper* to the saute pan, and saute for 5 minutes until cooked. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant. (*If using the jarred roasted red peppers, wait to stir them until after the garlic.) 
4. Pour the vegetable mixture into the mixing bowl with the sausage. Add the hash browns and 1 1/2 cups cheese to the mixing bowl with the sausage and veggies. Stir to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and black pepper until combined. Then add them to the hashbrown mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 11x7-inch or a 9x9-inch baking dish (a 9x13-inch dish will also work), and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes and the top of the potatoes begin to slightly brown. Remove and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 20 minutes prep, 35 minutes baking

Source: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins

My husband and I teach at a different school than the one that our kids attend.  For the most part, this is a non-issue.  However, the fact that we don't always have the same schedule as our kids can sometimes be a childcare nightmare.  At the beginning of the year, John and I had five days for which we needed someone to watch our kiddos because they hadn't started school yet.  And "someone" really turned out to be a village.  Between family, friends, and neighbors, the outpouring of offers to help was awesome.  When I took my kids to their home for the day, I wanted to bring something that everyone could enjoy as a breakfast treat.  Yet, I didn't want to "sugar up" my kids for someone else to deal with.  (I can be considerate like that.)  I was also interested in using my overripe bananas and the whole-wheat flour that I had on hand.  Enter this recipe, which seems to have a perfect balance of ingredients for a filling treat that is not too sweet for breakfast.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ cups whole-wheat flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted OR 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, melted
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 very ripe bananas, peeled (the riper they are the sweeter they'll be)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners and set aside.  (This recipe makes 12 full-sized muffins or 36 mini muffins.)
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and drop in the eggs, butter, and syrup. Mix with a fork until it just comes together and set aside.
3. In a small bowl mash the two bananas together with the back of a fork. Carefully fold the bananas and walnuts (if using) into the muffin batter and distribute evenly into the 12 muffin cups (or 36 mini muffin cups). Bake until they begin to brown on top and a toothpick comes clean when inserted in the center, about 20 to 22 minutes for regular sized muffins or 12 to 14 minutes for mini muffins.

Difficulty: easy as far as baking goes
Time: 10 min prep and 20-22 min baking
Source: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com

Breakfast Cookies

These cookies are awesome.  I first tried these cookies at work when I was having a rough day; my coworker told me to take two since they were small.  They appeared again at an end of year breakfast.  I will admit to actually putting a few leftovers in a baggie for my husband to try (the breakfast cookies were so good that I broke my rule about taking items from the staff room).  John loved them.  So I begged for the recipe, which I lost-twice.  After finally finding the recipe again, I made the cookies to rave reviews from the entire family.

These cookies have been great in lots of different situations for my family; they have worked perfectly for everyone. My husband and I are runners;two of these cookies are great as we head out on our long runs.  Then, I  made them for new neighbors as they were unloading their U-Haul.
Just yesterday, I made them for my friend who is always shuttling her boys to practices and games.

Everyone has enjoyed them. 

While I'd love to say that I can eat breakfast at home with my kids each morning, it is too hard given our early departure time. These cookies are easy to grab and go as well as being filling as we head to a packed day of school and work.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup coconut oil, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 t pure almond extract
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 T cinnamon
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup Craisins
• 1 cup flaked baking coconut
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1 T chia seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In mixing bowl, cream together oil and sugars.   Add eggs and extracts; beat well.
3. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats. Mix.
4. Fold in remaining ingredients and stir until blended.
5. Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 14-16 minutes. 

DIFFICULTY: Medium..mostly because there are a lot of ingredients.  I often make two batches, one to eat and one to freeze. 

TIME: 15 minute prep; 15 minute baking time

SOURCE: I adapted this recipe from my friend; my changes were to make the recipe more clean. 

NOTE: If you don't have coconut oil, you can use 2 sticks of butter.  Also, you could exchange the honey for 1/2 cup sugar.  

Grab & Go Egg Muffins

 Our family is usually a bit rushed.  To practice. To school. To the doctor. To a meeting.  To the store before the snow. It is important to me that my family have breakfast each day.  Some mornings we can enjoy eating together; other mornings, it is a grab and go type of day.

For those grab and go mornings, we can take 2 of these egg muffins. They really kept us full. John was surprised that he didn't need anything else.  I have taken one to work and heated it up for about 15 seconds; it was the perfect mid-morning snack.  We have also eaten them for lunch on Fridays when we try to avoid meat.

You can use any types of veggies you have lying around. I had a bag of mini-peppers and some collard greens, but I easily could have used spinach and mushrooms.






INGREDIENTS:

• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper (or regular pepper)
• 1 to 2 cups assorted veggies 
• 1/2 cup feta cheese or 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line 12 cup muffin tin with liners; spray lightly with olive oil.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3.   Beat eggs in large bowl; add veggies, seasonings, and cheese.
4. Pour into lined muffin tins to about half full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of egg comes out clean. 

DIFFICULTY: Easy

TIME: 15 minute prep (chopping veggies) 25 minutes baking time

SOURCE: a clean eating group I participated in

Berry Breakfast Bake

Breakfast is essential in healthy eating; I strive to eat within the first hour of being up to help me manage my eating throughout the day. Due to crazy schedules, breakfast is often skipped.  This breakfast bake can be made ahead and eaten during the week.  

I loved making this dish Saturday evening.  My family enjoyed a sit down, warm breakfast on Sunday.  The leftovers were great on Monday and Tuesday morning.  This is a great "what do I have sitting around" dish.  I happened to have some Craisins and also fresh cranberries; I added them.  I added the chia seeds to the original recipe; if I'd had any flax seed, I would have added that too.  

My photo doesn't show ripe bananas because I didn't have any.  What I did have was a quart freezer bag of mashed bananas. We buy lots of bananas, but occasionally they ALL hit the overripe state.  We peel and throw them in a bag; they are great for smoothies, banana bread, or casseroles like this.  There is no need to throw away overripe bananas or force feed yourself four in one day anymore. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (divided)
• 3 T chia seeds
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 cup natural maple syrup
• 1 cup almond milk (or skim)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 T unrefined coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup mixed berries, frozen or fresh (divided)
• 1/2 cup cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Lightly grease a 9 x 11 baking dish
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients (use half of the walnuts).  In another bowl, combine milk, egg, syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil. 
4. Spread banana slices on bottom of baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle dry oat mixture over fruit layer. Pour liquid ingredients evenly over oats. 
5. Sprinkle remaining walnuts and berries on top.   Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is browned and oats have set. Allow to cool. 

DIFFICULTY- medium (it has a lot of ingredients)
TIME: 15 minute prep; 40 minutes baking time
SOURCE:  adapted from Schall Fitness

Overnight Oatmeal

Recipes for overnight oats have been popping up in my magazine and internet world for quite a while now, but it wasn't until I saw this recipe posted on Sea Love's website that I decided it was time to give it a go.  My kids and I experimented with four different kinds of milk - regular skim milk, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla almond milk, and a coconut-almond milk blend - over the course of a couple of weeks.  We also tried two different kinds of oats - quick oats and old fashioned oats.  The conclusions from our super-scientific taste tests?  Well, we decided that even though the texture is slightly different, it didn't matter which oats we used.  My kids liked the vanilla almond milk the best, but I suspect that had I added a touch of brown sugar as a topping to the regular skim milk version, they would have liked that one equally well.  (Maybe that should be our next experiment.)  The kids loved measuring the ingredients and pouring them into the jars.  And the shaking, of course.  We loved fruit toppings such as blueberries, strawberries, and bananas.  Bottom line - this is a great breakfast that we all love and that is waiting for us to personalize in the morning.  For sure, the kids will be taking overnight oats to school this year (just not in the cool glass jars).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats (quick oats work, too)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 cup milk (see notes above)
• toppings (the sky is the limit - fruit, cacao nibs, coconut, nuts...)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients in a 1 pint mason jar; secure lid and shake for about 30 seconds.
2. Refrigerate overnight.  Top as desired in the morning.

Difficulty: super easy

Time: less than 5 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration

Source: www.sea-love.com

Cinnamon Breakfast Squares with Yogurt and Fruit

My family is big on breakfast.  We like variety and substance - we don't want to be hungry again an hour after we've finished.  When Honey Bunches of Oats e-mailed us with a new recipe to try, I was all about it.  In fact, as the last day of school approached, I decided that I would make this for my kids as a special "last day of school breakfast."  The cereal alone is great, but they absolutely loved this protein-packed, fiber and antioxidant-rich morning meal - and so did I!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy Cinnamon Crunch cereal
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter, cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• yogurt (original recipe calls for Greek, but I used regular, vanilla yogurt)
• fresh berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) or favorite fruit of choice
• Honey, for drizzling (optional)
• Nutmeg or Cinnamon, for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter and flour an 8-inch square pan, or coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cereal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon.While stirring, slightly crush the cereal using the back of the spoon or rubber scraper; set aside. 
3. In another bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Add milk, melted butter and vanilla, and mix well. Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour batter (it will be thin) into prepared baking pan. 
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until it is set when lightly touched in the middle. Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. To serve, cut into 6 equal-sized bars and place on serving plates. Top each square with a dollop of yogurt, surround with fruit, and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 15 minutes prep, 45 minutes total
Source: Honey Bunches of Oats recipe

Overnight German Chocolate Oatmeal

I don't know why it took me over half of the school year, but I finally bought my son a insulated container so that he can take hot foods to school for breakfast.  This simple $5 purchase has opened a world of possibilities for healthy breakfasts for him.  As an oatmeal fan myself, the first morning we had the container, I made him a packet of oatmeal.  It was great, but the packets have their limitations, including cost and sugar content.  Enter steel cut oats cooked overnight.  Chocolate steel cut oats cooked overnight.  Chocolate steel cut oats with brown sugar and walnuts.  So. Good.  And even though you add brown sugar as a topping (it melts so perfectly), you control the sugar content and there is still less than in most packets of oatmeal.  This recipe makes a large quantity, so after the first day all I do is heat it up in the morning and throw on some toppings.  Who wouldn't like (healthy) German Chocolate for breakfast?

INGREDIENTS:

The only other ingredient is water (plus some optional toppings)!

• 2 c. steel cut oats
• 7 c. water
• 1 (13.5 oz.) can lite coconut milk
• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Optional toppings:

• Brown sugar
• Chopped pecans or walnuts
• Sweetened, shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir together oats, water, coconut milk, and cocoa powder in a slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. To serve, top (in order) with brown sugar, pecans, shredded coconut to taste.

My husband calls this "No Bake Cookie Oatmeal."

Difficulty: very easy

Time: 5 minutes to prep, 6-8 hours to cook in slow cooker

Source: www.ihearteating.com

Breakfast Pizza

We are early risers in my family and love starting the day with a big meal-especially if we have a day of outdoor adventures planned. While I often throw bags of dry cereal to my kids through the minivan, I try to prep one or two breakfast meals a week.

This breakfast pizza was a hit with everyone.  The crescent roll crust makes a big difference; the flaky, buttery bottom was perfect with the savory toppings.  It would be easily adapted to use fresh produce like mushrooms, onions, and peppers as toppings.  I prepped mine the night before and baked it when I got up.  It was a great addition to a co-worker's baby shower; for easy serving, I cut with pizza cutter and stacked in a Pyrex dish layered with wax paper.  No need for forks and knives for this (I remembered to make it, cut in, and put it in the car on the last Friday of the year...utensils would be way too much for me to handle).



INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
  
• 1 lb. ground pork sausage, browned and drained
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Unroll dough onto a 15 x 10 cookie sheet.  Press seams together (I used a rolling pin)
2. Evenly sprinkle sausage, hashbrowns, and cheese over dough.
3. In a bowl, beat together milk and eggs.
4. Pour egg mixture over top over toppings on crust.
5. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes, until crust is browned and center of pizza is done.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 15 minute prep; 30 minute baking

Source: a coworker 

Breakfast-in-a-Muffin

We have had a lot of adjustments to make in our family this year, with this being the first year that our kids are attending two different schools with two entirely different routines.  At my daughter's school, breakfast is provided at around 9 am.  She arrives prior to 7 am, so we send her with a piece of fruit that she eats when she gets there and she is good until breakfast time.  My son, on the other hand, arrives at school at 6:35 am and his lunch is at 10:50.  He has the option of purchasing breakfast in the cafeteria, but we prefer to send him with a breakfast to hold him over until lunch.  So far, this has been a favorite.  I make a batch on Sundays, put them in the refrigerator, and heat them in the microwave in the mornings.

INGREDIENTS:

•  1/3 lb bulk Italian sausage
• 3 eggs + eggs necessary for corn bread mix
• 1/8 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 pkg (8 1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook sausage over medium heat in a skillet 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  (I usually make extra sausage in the morning when cooking breakfast to be time-efficient with this step.)
2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, seasoned salt, and pepper.  Pour into the same pan and scramble until no liquid egg remains.
3. In a large bowl, prepare muffin mix according to package directions.  Fold in sausage, scrambled eggs and 1/2 cup cheese.  Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
4. Bake 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Difficulty: easy

Time: approximately 25-30 minutes total

Source: Taste of Home magazine, September 2013

Banana Bread

I do anything in my power to not throw food away; usually that means taking leftovers to work to eat for lunch.  But when it comes to fruit, I like my apples crisp and my bananas so fresh they are almost green.  So, what to do with those three way too ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl?  Make banana bread, of course!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed banana (3 medium)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• a handful of chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the egg, mashed bananas, sugar, and cooking oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in nuts and chocolate chips, if using.
4. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  

Note:  The original recipe also says to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove loaf and cool on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  This doesn't happen in my house.  We let it cool in the pan and leave it there...often eating it before the next day.

Difficulty: Measuring aside, this is easy and delicious.

Time: 15 minutes prep, 50 minutes baking

Source:  adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th edition

Cheesy O'Brien Egg Scramble

My coworkers strike again!  We love to eat-birthdays, meetings, holidays, retirements, going away parties.  I cut into this dish while it was still hot; it was amazing (more amazing was how my friend served it hot despite her two small children needing lots of her attention during the pre-work marathon).  I took a bite and immediately asked for the recipe; within seconds the cook produced it and made me a copy.  I often make dishes like this the night before a holiday...just throw it in the oven and it's ready.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package frozen O'Brien hash brown potatoes (28 oz)
• 1/2 t garlic salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 can condensed cheddar soup (10 3/4 oz), undiluted
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 12 eggs, lighly beaten
• 2 T butter or margarine
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, prepare hash browns according to package directions. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
2. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
3. Top with soup.
4. Set aside 1/2 cup of bacon; sprinkle remaining bacon over soup.
5. In skillet, scramble eggs in butter until nearly set.  Spoon over bacon.  Sprinkle with cheese and reserved bacon.
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy...no chopping :)

Time: 20 minute prep; 25 minute baking time

Source: my coworker copied it from somewhere...I'm thinking O'Brien potatoes

Fruited Irish Oatmeal (Slow Cooker)

Last year, St. Patrick's Day was on a Saturday, which made for the perfect opportunity to make some Irish-inspired food (and some green milkshakes) for my family.  I came across this recipe using steel-cut oats in the slow cooker - it was perfect!  I hit up the bulk foods section at our local grocery store (huge cost savings, especially on the mango and syrup) and threw it together the night before.  We awoke to a wonderful, hot meal that the kids loved, and you can't go wrong with the health benefits of steel-cut oats, which are rich in B-vitamins, calcium, protein, and fiber.  Plus, we had plenty of leftovers to heat up for breakfast during the week!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dried mango 
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 cups water

Optional toppings:

• milk
• chopped nuts
• maple syrup or brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 3-1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker, combine oats, cranberries, raisins, apricots or mango, cinnamon, and salt.  Add maple syrup, water, and apple juice.
2. Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.  (I have actually cooked for longer overnight and it was totally fine.)
3. Serve oatmeal with brown sugar or maple syrup, chopped nuts, and milk, if desired. Serves 8-10.

Note: This oatmeal is great reheated or it can be frozen.  (It does make quite a bit.)

Difficulty: very easy

Time: 5 minutes prep, 6 hours in slow cooker

Source: www.betterrecipes.com

Pancake Squares

As I was getting ready to prep the French Toast Casserole for our play date brunch, my daughter asked for pancakes.  Usually, I don't switch my menu (especially when I have my ingredients out and ready), but my six-year old has been having some issues with separation anxiety so I thought making her pancakes might go a long way.  I wanted to make her happy, but I did not want to flip pancakes for 5 kids; then, help them make sock snowmen.

I found this idea on Pinterest.  It seemed almost too good to be true.  I prepped mine the night before and baked it in the morning; my cook time was a bit longer since my batter was refrigerated.  We threw some sprinkles on since it was Groundhog Day.  This recipe yielded enough to feed 5 young kids; next time, I'll double it for my husband.

INGREDIENTS:

Our snowman wanted to join the photo..

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 T melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 T sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• Optional toppings-syrup, sprinkles, blueberries, chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease a 8 x 8 casserole dish.
2. Beat milk, butter, and egg.  Add sugar.  Gradually mix in the flour.  Add baking powder and salt; stir with a wire whisk until well combined.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes until edges are beginning to brown.

Difficulty: Easier than standing and flipping pancakes!

Time: 10 minute prep; 25 minutes baking time

Source: Pinterest

Orange Spiced French Toast

As my own family grows, we are making a tradition of  holiday breakfasts.  No one wants to cook on Christmas morning so I have found organizing a delicious meal and just throwing it in the oven works for us (much better than eating leftover cookies).

I loved the recipe found in Gooseberry Patch's The Christmas Table for Orange Spiced French Toast.  At first glance, I was a bit disappointed with having to transfer the bread after soaking onto a jelly roll pan.  My disappointment disappeared with the first bite!  Baking the French toast on the pan really gives it a great crisp finish, nothing soggy about this French toast.  My family loved it!  The accompanying syrup was great too!

INGREDIENTS:

French Toast

• 1 loaf French bread, sliced
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Orange Syrup

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Orange Spiced French Toast

1. Arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 13 x 9 baking pan.  
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, beat remaining ingredients except butter.
3. Pour egg mixture over bread, turning slices to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
4. Spread melted butter in a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan (I used a large lipped cookie tray). Arrange bread slices in a single layer on top of butter.  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees Farenheit for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden, turning slices once halfway.  

Orange Syrup

1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine butter, sugar, and orange juice concentrate.
2. Stir until butter is melted; do not boil.
3. Cool for 10 minutes; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until thickened.  Stir in pecans.

Difficulty: Medium

Time: Prep time is 20 minutes, plus overnight; baking time is 25 minutes

Source: Gooseberry Patch's The Christmas Table, Copyright 2012

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Zucchini Bread with Pineapple

Zucchini is something that seems to grow extremely well in our part of the country. People are always giving me fresh zucchini from their gardens. My CSA produce contains zucchini almost every week so I've tried lots of recipes.  Now that the weather is cooling off, I am ready to start turning up the oven for baking. This recipe is from one of the best bakers I've ever met; she often brings warm baked treats into work in the morning.  I have yet to be able to bring one of these loaves of bread to work warm, but everyone enjoys them anyway.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 grated zucchini (I peel and throw them in my mini-chopper)
• 8 oz of crushed pineapple (drained)
• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 t vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 cup nuts (I use chopped walnuts)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 cup chocolate morsels (this is my addition to Susan's recipe)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix oil, sugar, vanilla; beat well.
3. Add eggs; beat.
4. Add grated zucchini and pineapple; mix.
5. Add dry ingredients and mix until blended.
6. Pour into 2 loaf pans (sprayed with cooking spray and floured)
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
8. Test with a toothpick; cool 10 minutes.
9. Turn out onto wire rack.

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 30 minute prep; 1 hour baking time

Source: my coworker Susan