December 31--Breakfast of Champions

 

Ahhh...the final breakfast of December!  I always love planning this menu and carrying it out.  Mostly it's fun cooking and baking for an appreciative family.  They come to the table with anticipation and delight. And they're usually pleased with the result.  But, I am always relieved when January rolls around and we can pull out the cereal, oatmeal and plain old eggs and toast. 

 

 The family really loved this one--as much as I love to bake

sweets, they enjoy the savory breakfasts the most, I think.

I called it "The Breakfast of Champions". 

 

I cooked some beans (pinto, navy, cannelloni, black...whatever you have) with onions and tomatoes. Then topped with eggs and let them cook in the sauce.  Just before the eggs are done, sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  By the way, this dish is a perfect example of why I love my cast iron skillet.  It

heats evenly and enables the eggs to cook well, even in the center of the pan.  I love, love,

love my cast iron.   I served the eggs with buttered toast, but it was hearty enough to be eaten alone.

 

So long, 2012, and Happy New Year!



December 30--Egg Nests

This was a fun, little breakfast.  The boys could have eaten 4 of them, with toast on the side!

 

You simply press shredded hash browns into a greased muffin tin and bake until golden brown.  Then, crack an egg on top and add bacon and cheese.  Bake for another 10 minutes or so.   Voila!



December 29--Popeye Eggs

Doug introduced this breakfast to me many years ago.  His mom used to make it for him and his 4 brothers.  I know it has many names--toad in a hole, egg in a basket... Not sure why the Treats call them Popeye eggs, but they do!  The kids have loved this breakfast since forever and December wouldn't be the same without them.

They are perfect when the yolk is a little runny, and you can dip the bread into it.  Yum!

December 28--Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is so good, it deserves 3 pictures.

 

 

The recipe makes a full 9x13 pan.

 

 

 

The top has a crunchy, sugary topping, but the cake itself is very light and moist. 

The cream cheese layer in the middle is smooth an creamy.  Perfection. 

Everyone loved this new recipe and I know I'll use it again and again. 

 

http://www.motherthyme.com/2012/09/cream-cheese-coffee-cake.html

 

Make this coffee cake.  Now.  You will not regret it.

 



December 27--French Toast Kabobs

 

This is a fun one to make!  Pretty self-explanatory.  I used fresh raspberries, blueberries and

 bananas. As usual, I was concerned with presentation, but the kids just wanted to eat! 

( I cut the bread into cubes before dipping them in egg and frying them.)



December 26--Croissants

 

I chose an easy breakfast for the day after Christmas.  I think we ended up  eating at 11 a.m.  I didn't make the croissants.  You could choose between nutella or an egg and bacon.  Luke chose nutella with bacon on the side.  Maybe someday I'll make croissants, but they seem so time consuming! 

Now we're off to play with our new toys! 

December 25--Crepes

Merry Christmas!

Crepes with vanilla sauce and strawberries.  Every year, I borrow my mom's crepe pan.  I think maybe it's time to get my own!  Crepes are so yummy and delicate and perfect for Christmas morning!  And I love these cheery coffee mugs to go with it.  Christmas breakfast is the best--everyone is happy and content and anticipating a fun day.

December 24--Luke's Casserole

Several years ago, Luke came up with an idea for breakfast and asked if we could make it on Christmas Eve.  It's now a tradition! 

The boys helped me make it!

Very simply, it's buttered toast (both sides!), scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese tossed together and baked until the cheese melts.  We used to add sausage, too, until Luke decided that it was too much and only bacon was just fine.

December 23--Cinnamon Rolls

Doug is always on call on Sundays.  Quite often, his co-workers will go out for coffee or breakfast.  Doug might go, but he rarely orders anything.  Several weeks ago, I said that he should invite them all over for breakfast some Sunday.  Today was that day!  In 12 years, I've never had the crew over, so it was about time!  I'm sure some people wondered about the 3 ambulances in our yard. 

I wanted to make a hearty breakfast for these guys (and one gal), so I made the Eggs Benedict Casserole from several weeks ago, and cinnamon rolls.

This is the recipe for quick, yeast rolls that I found on Pinterest.  I'm not sure I'll use it again.  It sure is quick--90 minutes from start to finish--but not the best tasting dough.  I think I'll go back to my mom's recipe.

It was fun to hang out with the ambulance crew and share a Sunday morning breakfast with them.  It ended quickly when a call came and they all took off!

December 22--Waffles

Waffles!

Gotta have 2 waffle irons to keep up with demand! Although, they're small
and nothing like the huge, metal one we had when I was growing up.

We like mini chocolate chips and fruit on our waffles.  Also, we are liking this new syrup. 
It's from Log Cabin and it's not made with corn syrup.  Some of the family doesn't
like real maple syrup, so this is a good alternative. 

December 20--Smoothies

This breakfast is more suited to a  summer morning, but it's still a good way to start the day.  A banana makes it creamy and vanilla yogurt makes it yummy!

Vanilla yogurt, a banana and frozen stawberries and peaches

Not too filling, so Jonathan suplemented with a bagel. 

December 19--Biscuits and Gravy

Snow Day!  It snowed off and on yesterday, and really started to pick up as the night wore on.  We woke up to about 9" and they called off school!  We started our day with yummy biscuits and gravy.  Doug made the biscuits and I used a sausage gravy mix.  Easy and yummy!

There's nothing like homemade biscuits.  And Doug has perfected them!

Piping hot sausage gravy.

After breakfast, 4 hours of non-stop sledding!

December 18--Danish Puff

This is a recipe from my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook.  She made this when I was a kid and we loved it!  It was one of those treats that tasted like it came from a bakery, but my mom made it!  I always thought it was so magical.  It's crispy and flakey and not too sweet--the only sugar is in the icing. 

December 17--Huevos Rancheros

This is very similar to our breakfast burritos, but with no meat or tortilla.  Just cook up potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms and top with an over-easy egg.  Add hot sauce or green salsa and enjoy!

December 16--Santa Lucia Bread

Every since Morgan was a little girl and read the American Girl books about Kirsten, she has dressed up as Santa Lucia on December 13.  We don't have Scandinavian heritage, but we like to pretend.  Morgan didn't want to do it last year, (sniff, sniff) but she agreed to do it one more time this year. 


Morgan--Christmas 2007


Then I blew it.  I tried a new bread recipe.  It was supposed to be a quick-rising dough that didn't take 4 hours from start to finish.  I liked the idea, since Santa Lucia is supposed to bring the bread and coffee to the family at dawn!

Needless to say, Morgan lost her motivation to dress up and present the bread since it looked so hideous.  Oh, well.

This is what it looked like before it exploded.



Whoa! Was I surprised when I opened the oven!



Tasted just as yummy, though.



December 15--Cranberry Scones

My mom gave me this scone mix for a Thanksgiving present.  We love scones.  They're sweeter and more dense than a biscuit.  And yummy with dried fruit mixed in.  I made this today because Luke had a basketball tournament and we needed to eat and run!  Thanks, Mom!

December 14--Denver Omelette

We went to the midnight showing of The Hobbit this morning!  Whoa.  Hard to get up at 7 and make breakfast, but the show must go on!

   The Denver Omelette--green peppers, mushrooms, diced ham and cheese. 

December 13--Snooze

So my cousin got married yesterday!  12-12-12.  I drove out to Parker for the wedding and then stayed the night with my cousin and sister-in-law.  We met another sister-in-law for breakfast at Snooze this morning.  Wow!  What a great place.  Super yummy and interesting menu items.  I got a combo Eggs Benedict and OMG! French Toast.  Best French Toast I've ever had.  It was a stuffed brioche with a vanill/caramel sauce, strawberries and toasted coconut.

                                                  I ate every last bite.

Sisters. Cousins. Friends.

December 12--Egg Nog French Toast

I'm not a huge fan of egg nog, but I am a fan of French Toast.  When I was a kid, Village Inn had a special on Tuesday nights--kids eat free!  We didn't go every week, but whenever we did, I got French toast.  Every time.

Egg Nog French Toast has just the right amount of

nog combined with crispy sweetness. 

By the way, quite by accident, we found a new syrup

that we like.  I'll post about it when we have waffles.

December 11--Traditional Bacon and Eggs

Scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and a toasted English muffin (still in the toaster.)  Now that's a good breakfast!  Getting tired of my blue plates, yet?

December 10--Pumpkin Donuts

I love pumpkin. And donuts.  These donuts are baked, so if you don't have a donut pan, you can make them in muffin tins.  After you bake them, you toss them in a cinnamon/sugar mixture.  They melt in your mouth!

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/09/07/pumpkin-doughnuts-baked-to-perfection/

December 9--Eggs Benedict Casserole

There's my happy crew.  This was a new recipe this year.  We all love Eggs Benedict, so I thought I'd try it in casserole form.  Super easy.  Dice 6 English muffins, layer diced ham and 6 eggs mixed with 2 cups milk.  You assemble it the night before and bake in the morning.  And then serve with Hollandaise sauce.  It was very yummy.  Morgan even joined us for breakfast!

December 8--Buttermilk Pancakes

Sorry, no picture.  You know what a stack of pancakes looks like, right?  We had to leave the house at 7:30 this morning for a basketball tournament in Longmont.  No time to take pictures! 

We started making buttermilk pancakes about 15 years ago and haven't gone back.  In fact, Doug won't make pancakes unless we have buttermilk.  He found a recipe and tweaked it for high altitude and the result is "Doug's Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes."  He makes them all the time--we're so lucky!

December 7--Pop Tarts

Do you really think I would give my family Pop Tarts for breakfast?  I don't know what it is about those things.  I kinda think they taste like a super-sweet brick.  I haven't bought them in years, but for a while there, I would give in and buy a box.  I've seen lots of recipes for homemade ones, and have never made them. Until now. 

It's basically a pie crust dough.  Lots of butter.

I mixed the strawberry preserves with vanilla and flour.

Crimp the edges with a fork and poke steam holes in the top.

Drizzle with a simple icing. 

These were more like a Toaster Strudel than a Pop Tart. 

Super yummy--the kids loved them.  I will definitely make these again!