Leah's Power Breakfast

My girlfriend Leah is studying nutrition.  She has the best recipes ever and cooks amazing!  She called me the other day and told me to jot this recipe down and try it. This morning I did and man was it delicious!

 In a small skillet saute 1/4 cup chopped peppers in 1 tsp bacon grease for flavor or (for me this morning it was Olive Oil).  (Animal fat is actually good for your brain, so if you aren't on a special diet add it in for the health and flavor benefits).
Add in some mushrooms if you like them...
Next add in a large handful of baby spinach and toss.  Cook on medium for 2 minutes.

 Add two Eggs and bust the yolks.  I leave the yolks in because the Choline found in the yolk is good for you - it helps brain function. (If you are an egg white only diet - you will need another egg.)
Next add garlic salt and pepper.
Cook until it is cooked through and flip!
I served this up with Karina's Guacamole and grape tomatoes, but it is also good with toast and my Homemade Apple Butter!

Salted Grapefruit Juice

January brings about all sorts of great inspiration for getting healthy or at least losing a few pounds for the New Year.  We all know that when July rolls around we will be firing up that smoker and having a BBQ that will not quit, but for now here's a glass to getting a little bit healthier!

 I juiced this with my Champion Juicer, Use whatever you have.  You could even do this smoothie style in your blender probably.

Juice together:
Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit
Peaches
Lime
Gala Apples
About a Nickle size of Peeled Ginger Root

After juicing add a little bit of Agave Nectar and then Salt the top of the drink.  Garnish with Mint drink it down & feel good about making a healthy choice!

Cinnamon Blueberry Kemper Muffin

While living in Iowa I was given this recipe by a dear friend Shanna.  It was her husbands Grandmother's recipe.  It is delicious!  I never thought of a bran muffin as delicious, but - it really is amazing.  The batter last for 6 weeks in the refrigerator which is nice, but it doesn't last that long in our house!  Perfect Breakfast!  Serve it with a Banana and Hot Tea - YUMMY!

(This is a previous post that appeared just as the Kemper Bran Muffin. We changed it up a bit this week and added about 4 Tablespoons of Cinnamon, and Blueberries right before baking.)



2 cups All Bran
2 cups hot water
Pour water over the bran and let set while mixing the rest.

1 cup oleo
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
Beat together and add bran/water mix.

Next add:
1 qt buttermilk
5 tsp baking soda
5 cups flour
4 cups 40% bran flakes

Keeps in fridge for over 6 weeks.
 Bake in muffin tins at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Yes - it looks like mud!
The batter will become firm after being in the refrigerator overnight. 

We added our blueberries by poking them into the batter due to this batter being so firm. 
Once baked they sort of looked like M&M muffins due to the bulging blueberries! Yummy!

Yogurt and Berries with Chocolate Granola

One of my all time favorite lite breakfast meals, or snacks would be a bowl of vanilla yogurt with strawberries and blueberries.  This is so yummy and when you are trying to just make healthier choices, you can feel good about this one.  The indulgent part of this for me is the chocolate granola.  The best place to find it is Central Market or Market Street.  Trader Joes probably has this as well, however - I haven't ever been to one.
I go and just stock up on it, when Im near one of those stores.

Enjoy!

Poppy Seed Bread

Much to my surprise when I came looking for our poppy seed bread recipe on here it wasn't here.  It is the very best poppy seed bread I have ever put in my mouth!  It was passed to me from my mother who got it from one of her sweet friends Renee Whitley.  Renee is one of the best cooks out there.  Everything that she cooks is worth putting in your mouth!
So, without further ado,

Poppy Seed Bread

3 eggs beaten

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 ½ teaspoons butter flavoring

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla flavoring

1 ½ teaspoons almond flavoring

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

3 cups flour

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Combine eggs, sugar, oil, poppy seeds and flavorings together.  Mix well. 

Add flour and milk alternating slowly.  Add salt and baking powder. 

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans, then grease and flour wax paper to line the loaf pans.  Pour in batter dividing it between the two.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Test with toothpick in the center of the loaf to make sure that it is completely done. 

Cool on wire racks for 3 minutes before removing from pans.  Carefully remove the bread and Glaze immediately

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

½ teaspoon almond flavoring

½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring

½ teaspoon butter flavoring

Sour Cream Biscuits

Biscuits have never turned out for me when I have made them from scratch. Oh, sure - they have turned out, but I haven't been dying to make them again, and they haven't been tender fall apart in your mouth melty goodness! I have been looking for a recipe for FOREVER that meets all my desires in a biscuit.
I just knew it would have buttermilk and all the rest of a mess that goes along with what you think a biscuit should be. Unbelievably this is the easiest biscuit I dare say you will ever make.  AND SO DELICIOUS!  - but I hope by now you know I wouldn't post it if it weren't delicious right?  We have surely established that by now!

Here is what you need:
2 Cups of Bisquick
1 stick of Butter
8 oz of Sour Cream

Combine all the ingredients together and spoon into a muffin tin.

This recipe made 10 biscuits for me.  I baked it at 400 for 8-10 minutes!
Serve this with the Devon-shire cream - and your mouth will thank you!

The Kemper Bran Muffin

While living in Iowa I was given this recipe by a dear friend Shanna.  It was her husbands Grandmother's recipe.  It is delicious!  I never thought of a bran muffin as delicious, but - it really is amazing.  The batter last for 6 weeks in the refrigerator which is nice, but it doesn't last that long in our house!  Perfect Breakfast!  Serve it with a Banana and Hot Tea - YUMMY!


2 cups All Bran
2 cups hot water
Pour water over the bran and let set while mixing the rest.

1 cup oleo
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
Beat together and add bran/water mix.

Next add:
1 qt buttermilk
5 tsp baking soda
5 cups flour
4 cups 40% bran flakes

Keeps in fridge for over 6 weeks.

Bake in muffin tins at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Hungry Momma French Toast

French toast was a favorite of mine growing up.  Momma always made this for me when I was watching my big brother go out the door for Kindergarten - so I remember eating this dish at 3 years old.  Maybe this is my first recollection of food. Momma always served it with butter and then powdered sugar.  Whenever it was strawberry season and we had Strawberry Preservers that is the way I preferred it (and still do)!
Then I got married and my gorgeous man tried to convert me to cinnamon and syrup! I did end up adding cinnamon, but I don't add that when I want to eat it with the strawberry preserves. Here is the way I do it.


Crack open 6 eggs in a bowl.

Add 1/3 cup of milk and whisk til blended.
Sprinkle in some Cinnamon if you so desire...


Dip your bread (I use whole wheat) into the egg batter.  Flip over and make sure both sides are covered. Do this rather quickly, as to not get the bread soggy.  Transfer bread to a buttered griddle.  Cook at a medium temp til done on both sides.  French Toast tends to cook rather quickly - you are just cooking a thin layer of egg on the outside really so just check it with your spatula every so often.
Dress it up however you like; because that is a highly debated topic at our house, I will warn you that Everyone will probably want it different!

Whole Wheat Waffles

My beautiful friend, Sarah shared this recipe with me over a year ago.  They are delicious and much more healthy than the ones Grandma used to make, but hey - no one is judging Grandma here - or knocking her waffles, just to make that perfectly clear.  These, I just feel less guilty eating!

Start with whole wheat that has been freshly ground *this is a huge note - if you don't have freshly ground wheat - they don't seem to turn out the same - mix half regular flour and half whole wheat flour from the store if they don't seem to turn out quite right from the store bought bag of whole wheat flour.


1 3/4 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Cup of Honey
2 Tablespoons of Oil
2 Eggs (I prefer fresh eggs from Sarah's chickens)
2 Cups of Milk (soy can be used if that is what you prefer)
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
Throw in some flax seeds or a little flaxseed oil - the kids will never know.

Place in a bowl all of your dry ingredients, then stir in the liquids.  All Waffle Irons cook differently, but mine takes 2.5 minutes for a half cup of batter.

Okay - now last but certainly not least is how to dress these babies up for the table.  I like mine with fresh blueberries and strawberries and a little syrup.  My son prefers them with lots of syrup.  They are delicious many ways, but for quick serving take a jar of pure maple syrup and a stick of REAL butter, and melt them together on the stove and whisk up and ladle over the top.  Honey, it is worth putting in your mouth.  I would never lead you wrong on this - its food were talking about here! Yummy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

"Here is a concoction I made tonight that turned out wonderful and comforting."

Pumpkin Pancakes
by Leah Vincent

2 1/2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
sprinkle of nutmeg, ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix all that together then add:
1 cup pumpkin
2 eggs and then 1 or 2 cups of milk until it makes a pancake consistency


Make just as you would regular pancakes!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Submitted by Dara Singleton - with permission from Heart Pondering's Blog 

3 cups water

1 cup Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 apple grated

1 pear grated

1 teaspoon lemon juice, to keep fruit from browning

Bring the water to a boil. Add the oats and reduce heat. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and fruit. Cook one minute more. Remove from heat.

Alyssa and I like to eat ours with some Greek nonfat vanilla yogurt.

(4 servings)

Banana Chip Oatmeal Muffins

submitted by Kim Rojak - Missionary to Vanuatu

1 c. quick oatmeal
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. b. powder
1/2 t. b. soda
1/8 t. salt
2 T. softened butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, Packed
3 med ripe bananas, mashed, I usually put in at least 4
1 egg
2 T. unsweeteded applesauce
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c minature choc chips (I just use normal size ones)

Mix all dry ingredients together then add butter, bananas, egg, applesauce and vanilla. Add choc chips mix well and fill greased muffin tin 3/4 full and bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

Chocolate Lowfat Muffins

Submitted by Kim Rojak - Missionary to Vanuatu

3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 t. b.powder
1 t. soda
1/2 t salt
2/3 c. lowfat vanilla yogurt
2/3 c. skim milk
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. chocolate chips

sift dry ingredients together then add yogurt and milk. mix well and add choc. chips and vanilla

Fill greased muffin tins and bake at 375 til toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Yum!

Enjoy with a cup of tea or cold milk

Breakfast Casserole

Submitted by Dara Singleton

8 eggs, beaten
6 slices of bread, cubed
1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard

Mix ingredients and refrigerate 12 hours in 9x13 pan. Bake 35 min @ 350.

Sausage Cheese Balls

submitted by Angela Sustala

2 pounds (32 oz.) ground sausage, uncooked

1 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients. Form into 1 inch balls. Bake 15 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until golden brown.

(*For firmer texture, add an extra 3 cups Bisquick & 2 cups cheese*

Lemon Crisps

Submitted by Angela Sustala

1 package lemon cake mix (with pudding)

1 cup crisp rice cereal

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter over low heat. Stir all other ingredients into butter and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press flat with thumb. Bake 9 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Then, remove to wire racks. Makes 4 dozen.

French Toast Casserole

submitted by Angela Sustala

10 slices of white bread
8 oz cream cheese
12 eggs, whipped
1/2 cup maple syrup (room temperature)
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Put 5 slices of bread, cubed, on bottom of pan. Cube the cream cheese and put it over the bread in the pan. Cover with remaining 5 slices of bread, cubed. Whisk eggs, syrup, milk and sugar and pour into the pan covering the bread and cream cheese. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, uncover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.