GOODNESS GRACIOUS GOLDILOCK'S

Perfect for a ski weekend!

3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups 4-grain hot cereal
2/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large heavy saucepan; reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the cereal. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the raisins through the nutmeg, mix well. Spoon the cereal mixture into a 2-quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately with the milk and additional maple syrup.
Serves 6

"Nanny Ogg looked under her bed in case there was a man there. Well, you never knew your luck."
— Terry Pratchett (Lords and Ladies)

A PEACH OF A CHEESY FRENCH TOAST

'Very popular' amongst family and friends best describes this definately different French toast recipe. Cream cheese, mozzarella, and ricotta make their presence known in this delightful creation.

2 cups fresh sliced peaches
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 (16oz.) loaf Italian bread with sesame seeds, sliced 1 1/2-inches thick
6 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups cornflakes, crushed
melted butter

Cook peaches in a saucepan until thoroughly heated; set aside and keep warm.

Beat cheeses ina mixing bowl at low speed of an electric mixer until blended. Stir in preserves.

Make a horizontal pocket in each bread slice; spoon about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Combine eggs, whipping cream and salt in mixing bowl; beat at low speed until blended. Dip each bread slice in egg mixture, then dredge in crushed cereal. Cook bread slices in butter over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden. Serve with the warm peach slices.
Serves: 6 to 8

COOKS NOTE: You can use canned or frozen peaches when fresh peaches are not in season.

HAM-N-CHEESE FRENCH TOAST

Oh baby! is what you will be saying after you have had a bite of this....I love ham and cheese and mustard and french toast...put it all together and it equals unbridled love in my eyes...

12 slices sandwich bread, I use low carb wheat
1/4 cup mustard
12 slices ham
6 slices whatever cheese you like or have on hand
4 big eggs
2/3 cup milk

Spread mustard over 6 slices of bread. Top each one with ham,cheese and another ham slice, top with remaining slices of bread. The cheese is now nestled in the middle of the ham. I am starting to fill a little faint.

Whisk together eggs and milk and dip each sandwich into it coating both slices of bread.

Place sandwiches on a greased baking sheet with the sides not touching. Place another greased baking sheet over top of the sandwiches. Bake at 475 degrees 15 to 20 minutes until nice and golden. Eat um up now as quick as you can with a tall glass of milk!

HEALTHY ENGLISH MUFFIN FRENCH TOAST

French toast does not always have to be sweeter than maple syrup and loaded with calories. This is a favorite of mine and I am betting that it will be yours too if you are watching out for your figure and heart health.

1 cup egg substitute
1 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 whole wheat English muffins, split
vegetable cooking spray
fruit of your choice

Whisk together first three ingredients. Place in a large zip-lock bag; add muffins. Seal and chill overnight, turning occasionally.

Remove muffins from bag when ready to cook, and fry in batches in a skillet which has been sprayed with cooking spray, 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden. Serve with a low calorie syrup, and/or fresh fruit. I like these topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries and kiwifruit.

BLUEBERRY & CREAM CHEESE FRENCH TOAST

Blueberries star in both the french toast and the syrup in this layered dish that does not have to be served just for breakfast.

12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup fresh blueberies
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup

SAUCE

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes; place half in greased 13X9 baking pan. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberies and remaining bread. In a large bowl, beat eggs, add milk and syrup; mix well. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set.

For Sauce: In a saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve over French toast.

COOKS NOTE: French toast is not necessarily French in origin, but is thought to have been a case of medievel ingenuity where you dipped and fried out bread just like you would chicken. Whatever its origin it is a time honored dish to look forward to on anyones table.

CANDY APPLE FRENCH TOAST

Rich and fit for royalty, this French toast is prepped the night before, so all you have to do is slip out of bed, tip toe to the kitchen, turn on the coffee pot, set out the French toast on the counter so it can warm up while the oven is heating up, then pop it in and enjoy your coffee in your favorite chair.

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 large tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
9 slices day-old bread, sliced 3/4-inch thick

APPLE SYRUP

1 cup applesauce
1 (10oz.) jar apple jelly
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and corn syrup about 5 to 7 minutes or until thick. Pour into an ungreased 13X9 baking dish and top with sliced apples. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip the bread in for a minute and then put it over the apples in the dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the fridge 15 to 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix together all syrup ingredients. Cook until hot. Serve over the French toast.

“We eat fried eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast, things like that. Let's just say they won't set us at a two-person table anymore. So we have enough elbow room, they set us at a four-person table.”~Josh Taylor

ALMOND CIABATTA FRENCH TOAST

I have made a lot of different French Toast recipes over the years but this one stands out as my all-time favorite! The recipe comes from the most fabulous cookbook; "Gale Gand's Brunch! 100 Fantastic Recipes For The Weekend's Best Meal..
Gale is a member of Les Dames D'escoffier which is the premier association of women culinary chefs and a James Beard award winning pastry chef.

"At Osteria di Tramonto, the Italian restaurant I own with my partners, we serve ciabatta, an Italian bread that has nice big, open holes inside. It's delicious fresh, but it really is not the same the next day...so, what to do with all the leftovers? We tried a bread pudding, but it was to firm for my taste. Then I tried making French toast with it-and it's divine! It's soft and tender from absorbing extra custard into all the spongy holes. Serve this with maple syrup or a dollop of ricotta cheese."~Gail Gand

3 large eggs
2 pinches salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Eight 1-inch slices round ciabatta
Unsalted butter, for cooking
1 cup sliced almonds

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Whisk in the salt, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Working in batches if necessary, place the bread in the dish and let it soak for 3 minutes; then turn the slices over and soak on the other side.

Butter your griddle and let the butter bubble. Just before placing the soaked bread slices on the griddle, place almonds in a single layer (but fairly densely packed) on the griddle, forming an area the size and shape of a bread slice. Press one side of the bread into the almonds on the griddle, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the bread to the other side and cook until speckled golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes 8 pieces of French toast; serves 4 to 6

COOKS NOTE: Unless it is an oven French toast I always use an electric skillet for the cooking process. When I first read this recipe I was a little intimidated at placing the almonds in the buttered skillet to form the exact size of the bread; but there was really nothing to it and it turns out beautifully. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

'I never met a French toast I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

MORNIN' DARLIN' POTATOES (Dated Dec.4th, 2009)

Potatoes at breakfast are always welcome on my plate. Pass the ketchup please. And while you're at it, toss some cheese in with those scrambled eggs.

2 red potatoes, unpeeled
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
2 Tbsp. chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp. paprika
pinch or two of cayenne pepper
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil the scrubbed potatoes until almost cooked, about 20 minutes. Cool and cut into 1/2 cubes.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring now and then until potatoes are browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with a smile :~)
Serves 4.

“"I'm feeling so good. I feel like a million bucks. I'm focused, I'm alert, I'm zippy and top of my game.. I've never felt better! I'm sharp as a tack right now. And what's weird is that I didn't get a good nights sleep last night. And they say that's the most important thing..Or is it breakfast they said?..That's the most important meal of the day, breakfast...yes. And then it's 'i' before 'e' I know that..Um.. diamonds are a girl's best friend. Dog is a man's best friend.. What was I talking about?..Oh that's right, that I feel great and I'm at the top of my game. And it's odd because I didn't get hardly any sleep last night. And, they say that's the most important thing."- Ellen DeGeneres

CHILI RELLENO PUFF

Simple, Quick, Delicious

1 (7oz.) can whole green chiles
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Grease 9X9 baking dish. Layer split chiles and Jack cheese in dish. Combine eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and parsley; mix well. Pour over chiles and Jack cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve with:

CHILI SAUCE
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup hot picante sauce
1 teaspoon oregano
Heat above ingredients for 5 minutes.

George Orwell describes the kitchen at the Hotel X.

"The kitchen was like nothng I had ever seen or imagined — a stifling, low-ceilinged inferno of a cellar, red-lit from the fires, and defeaning with oaths and the clanging of pots and pans. It was so hot that all the metal-work except the stoves had to be covered with cloth. In the middle were the furnaces, where twelve cooks skipped to and fro, their faces dripping sweat in spite of their white hats. Round that were counters where a mob of waiters and plongeurs clamoured with trays. Scullions, naked to the waist, were stoking the fires and scouring huge copper saucepans with sand. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry or a rage."George Orwell, from Down and Out in Paris and London

~

SAUSAGE EGG CASSEROLE

This is an old stand-by recipe that I have been making for the family that I cook for since the early 80's and it is always a hit. It would be perfect for a large family breakfast or party brunch. Make it the night before and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. Do-ahead always works for me.

2 lbs. bulk sausage, 1 mild, 1 hot
6 to 7 slices wheat bread, crusts removed; spread with butter and cubed
2 or more cups shredded sharp cheese
7 to 8 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Cook sausage until done, stirring to crumble well. Remove grease while cooking, then drain well on paper towels. Place buttered bread into 3-qt. casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with sausage and top with cheese. Combine remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour over mixture in baking dish and chill at least 8 to 12 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
Serves: 12

COOKS NOTE: Can use 1 1/2 lb. ham, bacon or Canadian bacon. Can use 1 cup grated cheddar and 1 cup cubed Swiss cheese.

"Never love a wild thing.... He was always lugging home wild things. A hawk with a hurt wing. One time it was a full-grown bobcat with a broken leg. But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up.... If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."~Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1958, spoken by the character Holly Golightly

POTATO PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST (Dated Nov. 26th, 2009)

Quick, simple, delicious!

1 (26oz.) pkg. frozen country-style shredded potatoes, thawed
8 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup milk
Toppings: sliced green onions, chopped green pepper, chopped ham, cooked and crumbled bacon
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine potatoes and 1 egg; spread on a lightly greased 14-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees on lowest position of oven rack for 25 minutes.
Combine remaining 7 eggs and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes; stir. Microwave 2 additional minutes.
Spread cooked eggs evenly over potato mixture; top with choice of assorted toppings. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Serves 8.

"That was where my dream began to take hold, of not havin' to pick cotton and potatoes, and not havin' to be uncomfortable, too hot or too cold. That in itself had driven me to try to find some better way of life."-Buck Owens

BREAKFAST APPLE TREAT

Cook this dish all night in your crock pot and awaken to a house filled with the fragrance of cooked apples and cinnamon.

6 to 8 Granny Smith apples-peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch slices
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup white sugar or Splenda
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter
Lightly grease the inside of crock pot and place apples in the bottom. Sprinkle with oats, sugar, and cinnamon. Dot with butter. Turn pot setting to Low and cook all night.
Serves 6 to 8.

ALTERNATE METHOD: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix apple slices in a large bowl with the oats, sugar and cinnamon. Pour into a greased baking dish and dot with butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until apples are tender.

“You have to eat oatmeal or you'll dry up. Anybody knows that.”~Kay Thompson

EGG IN A HOLE FRENCH TOAST STYLE

Beat 2 eggs in a shallow bowl. Add a cup of evaporated milk, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp, vanilla extract. Beat it good with a whisk. Using a drinking glass cut a hole in the center of two slices of bread. Toast the center pieces or put some butter on them and out in pan. Dip bread slices in batter and place in hot buttered skillet. Crack egg into holes and cook until set then flip over and cook for about a minute til browned on bottom. Serve with toast circles and jelly and maple syrup and sausage or bacon. Coffee and oj finishes it off. Whoo Hoo

LAUREN'S FRENCH TOAST

This yummy concoction was shared by Lauren Peters, Donnie and Shad Peters daughter. I saw her making it one time at the beach and have thought about it ever since. Thank You so very much Ms. Lauren for sharing this great recipe.

Lauren Peters wrote: I don't have the exact recipe. But you start out with some braided bread and cut into 1-1 1/2 in thick slices. Dip those in a basic french toast mixture (that's where I can't remember the exact recipe). Then you coat the bread in Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, with almonds. Put that on the stove till they are nice and crispy and then finish them off in the oven. For the berry mixture you get strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and tangerines; let them soak in sugar and grand marnier. Then just top the toast with the berries, drizzle with some yummy syrup and enjoy!!

"There's a special kind of freedom friends enjoy. Freedom to share innermost thoughts, to show their true feelings. The freedom to simply be themselves."Delete Post

POUND CAKE FRENCH TOAST

The words Pound Cake and French Toast together makes my motor hum. Use any old pound cake you just might have hanging around your kitchen...the possibilities are endless! Just simply batter it and fry it up in a pan...that's what I'm talking about..

3 big eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
16 (1/2-inch) slices pound cake

Stir together eggs and milk in a shallow dish.
Dip pound cake slices in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Cook slices in a lightly greased nonstick skillet in batches over medium heat until golden. Serve with:

MAPLE CREAM

1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat whipping cream at high speed of electric mixer just until soft peaks form. Add yogurt and syrup, beating until blended. Let the games begin!

Serves 8

“We eat fried eggs, biscuits and gravy, French toast, things like that. Let's just say they won't set us at a two-person table anymore. So we have enough elbow room, they set us at a four-person table.”~Josh Taylor