Country Style French Toast

Jen, Amy, and I made this Country Style French Toast (inspired by Kimmie's Coffee Cup) the last morning we were at home. Follow these simple steps, and you'll be in for a mighty fine breakfast!

mix oats, 1/2 stick of melted butter, and crushed pecans

Dip your bread in your normal french toast egg mixture. Then, spread a spoonful of the oat/pecan mix on top of bread.

You can put the oat/pecans on both sides if you wish. Note: this french toast may take longer to toast, but it is so worth it! Serve right away with butter and syrup for on top :)

Cake Pops by Jen, Amy, & Anna

1. Plug in your babycakes cake pop maker.
2. Make batter:
Chocolate Cake:
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. buttermilk
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. freshly brewed coffee

Directions: Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add buttermilk, veg oil, egg, and vanilla. With an electric mixer, mix until smooth. Add coffee and continue mix until evenly incorporated into mixture. Fill each cake pop spot with 1 Tbsp. of batter. Bake 4-5 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Then, freeze for 15 minutes before dipping (see below).

Vanilla Cake:
1-1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, beat together butter & sugar until light and creamy; beat in eggs and vanilla. Alternately, blend in flour mix and milk into butter mix, beginning and ending with the flour mix. Fill each cake pop pot with 1 Tbsp. of batter. Bake 4-5 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Then, freeze for 15 minutes before dipping (see below).

3. Make the cake pop chocolate coating.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate:
1. buy Wilton's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Candy Melts (from Michael's)... melt them in the microwave and then mix them together or use them as two separate cake toppings (do not over melt... that would be bad news bears!)
2. buy candy sticks (from Michael's)
3. first, dip the stick (about 1/2 in) into the chocolate, then place stick inside cake (that looks like a donut hole right now) and fully dunk the cake into the chocolate. Let it drip... you don't want it too heavy, or the cake will slide down the stick :)
4. Immediately, decorate with sprinkles, mini M&M's, graham crackers, or almonds.
5. Place into styrofoam.
6. When completely finished with the batch, place them in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Store them in a cool place until serving.

If you don't have a Cake Pop Maker, then follow this recipe for making your own cake pops or, buy one here!

Fresh Lemonade (Splenda Style)

presentation by Amy :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups water
• 1 (or 1-1/2) cup(s) fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup Splenda (or a no Calorie Sweetener), Granulated
• Ice cubes for serving
• Fresh mint sprigs or strawberries* and lemon slices for garnish (optional)
• *freeze the strawberries to help chill the lemonade
• 
  

• DIRECTIONS:

  1. Stir water, lemon juice, and Splenda in a large pitcher until the Splenda Sweetener dissolves.
  2. Serve over ice, garnished with mint or strawberries and lemon, if desired.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This salad is a favorite of ours, especially when we have fresh strawberries from the stand...

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white sugar (I use Splenda instead)
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2-1/4 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 bunches fresh spinach - chopped, washed and dried
• 3 cups strawberries, halved

In a blender, mix together the sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, poppy seeds, dried onion, paprika, oil and vinegar. Refrigerate until chilled. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach and strawberries. Drizzle with dressing, toss lightly and serve. (enough dressing for 6 servings)

Scalloped Tomatoes

Do you have an excess of tomatoes (from your plant or others') this summer? Then, don't think twice about making this Scalloped Tomatoes Recipe! It is delicious, and in my mom's words, "a keeper!"

Ingredients

• Good olive oil
• 2 cups (1/2-inch diced) French bread 
• 16 ripe tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. (If your tomatoes are really juicy, add 1 Tbsp. of flour). Off the heat, stir in the basil.

homemade croutons

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm. (Also, this is really tasty served on toasted french bread, like bruschetta.)

*If you have extra french bread, cut them into cubes (like before), & heat 3 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and italian seasoning (remember a little goes a long way) and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned. Let cool, and enjoy these homemade croutons on your salad or add them to the top of your scalloped tomatoes :) yum!

Banana Cream Pie

I've made Banana Cream Pie before, but this has got to be the best one I've ever made :) Thank you, Fink family for providing me with the recipe book and tools to make such wonderful pies!


(The best) Dough (I've ever used for baking pies):
1 - 1/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt*
1/2 c. unsalted butter,* cut into small cubes
3 Tbsp. cold water
*or omit the salt and use salted butter

In an electric mixer, stir dry ingredients; add butter. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low until the dough pulls together. Roll out the dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Decorate and trim the edges. Refrigerate pie shell for 30 minutes (or until firm). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you have ceramic pie weights, place them inside the pie shell and bake for 25 minutes. Remove weights, and make until golden color (about 7-10 more minutes). Let cool completely.

Pie:
1/4 c. cold water
2-1/2 tsp. (1 pkg.) unflavored powdered gelatin
2 c. milk
4 large yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 bananas, peeled and cut into slices

Pour cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin. Let sit until gelatin softens and swells (5-10 minutes). In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until hot to touch (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch and salt, beating until smooth. Add the hot milk to the yolk mixture 1 c. at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the softened gelatin and mix well. Return to the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, 8-9 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.

Lay 2/3 of the banana slices in a single layer in the bottom of the baked pie shell. Stir remaining banana slices into the custard and spoon it evenly over the bananas. Cover with plastic wrap (poke a few holes in the plastic). Refrigerate for about 4 hrs.

Topping:
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. dark rum (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. sugar

In a an electric mixer, combine cream, rum, vanilla, and sugar on medium-high speed (beat until soft peaks form). Spread whipped cream on top of the cooled pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Grandma Dottie's Zucchini Bread

While in college, this was requested by
Jon and his friends to be in a care package from us :)

Zucchini Bread 

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 c. oil

2 c. grated zucchini (1 lb.) (squeeze water out after grated)

3 c. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

¼ c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir in zucchini, milk, and vanilla. Mix the spices in the flour and add to mixture. Grease and flour two 9x5” loaf pans (or grease 24 muffin tins – or grease a bunt pan). Pour in mixture and run the bottom of a spoon down the top before putting in oven. This will keep the bread from cracking. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean (approx. 10 minutes for muffins – approx. 1 hour and 20 min for bunt cake). Cool bread in pans 10 minutes before removing.