Yogurt & Granola Parfait

This certainly is not a new/unique breakfast dish, but it is a simple, healthy, and yummy breakfast that I enjoy so I wanted to share it with you!

I've mentioned before that I am always looking for quick, healthy breakfast ideas so I thought I would post this one to remember.

Yogurt & Granola Parfait

Vanilla Yogurt
Granola (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Fill a glass with the following layers: yogurt, granola, fresh fruit. Then repeat the layers once more and drizzle the top with a little extra yogurt! So fast, so easy, and so delicious! I love this best with berries, but it would be yummy with mandarin oranges, kiwi, plums, grapes, canteloupe, or pretty much any fruit that you can think of. I was thinking this would even be good with an added layer of applesauce (or maybe replacing the yogurt with applesauce - now there's an idea to try).

So go grab your granola and throw this beauty together for your breakfast/brunch, or even for a mid-day snack!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun weekend leading up to Halloween, and a fun Halloween today! We did the traditional carving of pumpkins over the weekend...

Then this morning I thought it would be fun to make a nice breakfast and try my hand at pumpkin and ghost pancakes! I think the pumpkins turned out better than the ghosts. I just free handed these. They of course would be a lot better if I had had a pancake mold. Maybe I'll get one for next year.

I also made bacon this morning (which I absolutely hate doing). I have a hard time with cooking bacon because the grease is always spitting at me and I can never get it just right. Today I decided to try a new method - in the oven. Let me just tell you that I will never cook bacon another way. Now I won't skip over recipes with bacon in them just because I'm scared to cook it.

So here's how you cook bacon in the oven. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place bacon on the tin foil in a single layer. Place in the oven (without the oven on) and turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Cook for 17-20 minutes or until brown and crisp. Remove from oven and transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Let cool and eat! So simple and I promise this works great.

Anyway, moving on. I then spent the rest of my Halloween day making our costumes for our parties... I decided to wait until today to make them because of the balloons. I wanted the helium to be fresh and to last so I picked them up this morning and put everything together while my son took a nap. I finished 3 hot air balloons in 2 hours. They are that simple. And I LOVED how them turned out.

We enjoyed a nice trunk-or-treat at our church and then joined some friends for a party afterwards. Our hot air balloons were a big hit and everyone thought they were very fun. All of the little kids loved them too, and they kept wanting to play with the balloons. I'll post instructions another day so stay tuned.

Fruit Smoothie Oatmeal

I am always curious what other people feed their kids for breakfast. Most of the time when you read blogs they have these amazing recipes that seem like they would take too long to make in the morning when you have a hungry monster in your kitchen begging to be fed. Or maybe I'm the only one with a hungry monster?

Well, my hungry monster usually wants breakfast right away so I have come up with some fast, simple, and healthy breakfasts to feed him in a hurry. This concoction is what I like to call fruit smoothie oatmeal.



I promise it actually tastes a lot better than it looks!

This is such a simple thing to do for breakfast. We like to make smoothies for dinner sometimes at our house and usually I make way too much for our small family of 3. I then freeze the leftover smoothie in ice cube trays to use for our breakfasts.

On a morning that we feel like making oatmeal I will whip up a batch of plain oatmeal (aka microwave rolled oats with water until cooked through) and add melted smoothie. Just heat up the left over smoothie ice cubes and add to the oatmeal as your liquid instead of milk. This also does not need any sweeteners because the fruit from your smoothies will be plenty sweet enough. If, however, you like your oatmeal extra sweet then simply add some honey.

Next time you have leftover smoothie then try using it in your oatmeal. You will be amazed how delicious it is - and healthy. This could be a great way to get your kids to eat more fruits and even more vegetables depending on what you make your smoothies with.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

For this recipe I think the picture says it all!!!

Doesn't that just look AMAZING. And it tastes amazing too. This is a definite must try in blueberry season. We still have blueberries everywhere here but the prices are definitely going up. My mom tried this recipe when we visited Utah last May. She made it knowing that she would score some major points with my husband! He loves everything and anything blueberry (I have probably said that before). So go find some blueberries (you can use frozen ones too I think) and whip this up for a nice leisurely Saturday, or Sunday, breakfast/brunch. You will not be disappointed.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

8-10 slices french (or sourdough) bread, torn into 1 inch pieces

1 pkg cream cheese, softened and whipped with 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup blueberries

8 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbs cornstarch

3/4 cup water

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25-30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Pour over the baked french toast.

Sausage & Egg Megmuffins

In our family we enjoy breakfast for dinner quite often (usually about once per week). Our old standbys are breakfast burritos, pancakes, or breakfast sandwiches. So here's what our sausage, egg mcmuffins look like Meagan style (hence the name Sausage & Egg Megmuffins, haha).


We cook up a sausage patty; my famous most delicious, secret recipe scrambled egg patty (really not that secret - just add a little milk and cheese); slice a thick piece of Tilamook cheddar cheese; and pile it all on a toasted, buttered, sourdough English muffin. That's what I call a good breakfast sandwich. You could also add sliced bell peppers and avocado to spice/health it up.

I usually pair these delicious sandwiches with a big bowl of cut up fruit. This is yet another quick and easy meal at our home. Hope you enjoy some breakfast for dinner soon.

Blueberry Waffles

Lets face it. My husband is OBSESSED with blueberries. He loves anything and everything blueberry. So...I made him blueberry waffles. I randomly found this recipe somewhere online (if it is yours let me know so I can give you credit). I really like it a lot because of the addition of the cinnamon flavor.

Blueberry Waffles

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp white sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup blueberries

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Mix in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon just until smooth. Let sit 10 minutes then fold in blueberries. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.

Top with butter, syrup, fresh blueberries (or strawberries), and powdered sugar.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

This AMAZING recipe comes from a friend from church. She is known in our ward as "The Baker." Well maybe not, but everyone LOVES her fresh baked goods. Her cinnamon rolls are scrumptious as well (I really need to make those).

Anyway, on to the blueberry muffins. My husband and son helped me make 3 batches (or 3 dozen) of these beauties for a baby shower yesterday!


Aren't they amazing? They turned out perfectly. And there are so many possibilities with the recipe! Check it out.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

(adapted from Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2003)

You can do different combinations as long as the total amount of the add-ins does not exceed 1 ¼ cups. Try peach and pecan, blueberry and lemon zest, peach and raspberry, raspberry and walnut, strawberry and orange zest or lemon zest and poppy seeds (add about ¾ cups nuts or 2 tablespoons zest or poppy seeds).

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

⅔ cup sugar

⅔ cup milk, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

1 ¼ cups fruit (blueberries or other combo)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a standard muffin tin. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; whisk to combine.

2. In a medium bowl, combine butter, vanilla, sugar milk, and egg; whisk to combine. Fold butter mixture and fruit into flour mixture; use no more than ten strokes.

3. Spoon ¼ cup batter into each prepared cup. Press 2 tablespoons streusel (see below) on top of each, if desired. Bake until tops are golden, 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 15-20 minutes; transfer to a wire rack.

Streusel Topping:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with fingers until mixture is moist and crumbly.

*Give these a try! You will not be disappointed.

Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine's Day blog world. It has been busy around here since the start of the year but I have a few yummy recipes to post about soon. And I have a million friends having babies in the months to come so I am cooking up all sorts of crafty ideas for baby showers and gifts. Plus at some point I will actually get some of my sewing projects on my to do list done and posted. Here's what we enjoyed doing for Valentine's Day.


I made heart shaped pancakes from scratch. The recipe was quick, easy, and delicious. Then I warmed up some frozen strawberries over the stove and blended them up to make a yummy, quick strawberry sauce (it's just not Valentine's Day without something strawberry).


Then I also used my heart shape pancake molds to make heart shaped scrambled eggs. Cheesy, I know. But fun and yummy. I figured this was my year to play around because my son is not old enough yet to eat these things, let alone care about them. Next year I want to do THIS surprise breakfast, from Our Best Bites (I hope my husband doesn't read this), if I can manage to ever wake up before my husband. It looks so fun!

The rest of our day was pretty normal, except dinner went in the oven around 6:00 PM (talk about LATE), then just before it was coming out my husband was called to help give a blessing to a boy who is sick (learn about blessings HERE if you don't know what I am talking about). Thus it is almost 8:00 PM and we are just about to sit down to a fantastic dinner. Pictures and recipe to come tomorrow! Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Stuffed French Toast

I found this AMAZING recipe on The Pioneer Woman's cooking blog. We tried it out on our anniversary about a month ago and it was the best french toast I have ever had (and I usually don't like french toast). You really have to try it!

• 1 loaf French Bread (I used Wheat)
  
• 3 Tablespoons Any Flavor Fruit Spread (I used fresh strawberries mashed up with a little sugar)
• ½ package Cream Cheese (4 Oz), At Room Temperature
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• ½ cups Skim Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Heat skillet or electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees.

Cut french bread into 2-3 inch wide slices. Then, with a paring knife, go back and cut halfway into each slice, in the center, creating a ‘pocket’ that your fruit mixture can be stuffed into.

In a bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and three tablespoons of fruit spread of your choice. (I used all organic blueberry spread in the picture.) Combine well.

In a separate bowl, break 2 eggs; add cinnamon and milk and combine well.

Now, take fruit mixture and stuff into the ‘pockets’ of your french bread slices. Place on a baking sheet.

When done stuffing each piece of bread, completely coat each piece in egg mixture. Make sure all sides are covered. Do all pieces before starting to fry.

Put 2 tbsp (you can use less!) of butter into a hot skillet and melt completely. Add all of the bread to the skillet and cook roughly about 3-6 minutes on each side, until it reaches a nice golden brown. You want to make sure the cream cheese mixture heats through.

When done cooking, serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Delectable Cinnamon Rolls

I have always wanted to make cinnamon rolls but I could never find a recipe that I wanted to try. I saw these and thought that they would be an easy first try (because there's no yeast in them). They are the best cinnamon rolls in the whole world. Both Josh and I agree on this! So give them a try, they are definitely worth it!

Adapted from Our Best Bites "No Yeast Sweet Rolls"

For the dough:

3/4 cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbs real butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
9 oz. (2 cups) flour; more for rolling
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Filling
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp, divided
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 T cinnamon

Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 T milk or cream
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t over-process). The dough will be very soft, probably softer than you're used to. Don't add anymore flour! Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times just until smooth. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 12x15 inches.

Now put your filling on. After the rolls are filled and cut. Place them in a glass pie dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

When the rolls have a few minutes left in the oven. Whisk your glaze ingredients together. When the rolls are done cooking, let them cool for five minutes. Then spread the glaze over the top! They are the best when they are fresh out of the oven, but they still taste delicious the next day!

My husband's comment on these was priceless! Here's what he said:

"They're AAAAAAMMMMMMAAAAAZZZZZIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!! Best thing ever! Yum! You will want to print this recipe on gold leaf and frame it on your wall after you've eaten one!"