Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes

I love breakfast food. I could eat it any time of day, from breakfast time to 12 at night. So, as you can imagine, I'm always looking for new good and simple recipes. I found this one on the Taste of Home website, it's delicious but I modified it a bit to make the cinnamon and vanilla flavors a little more bold. It's actually one of the best pancake recipes I've come across in a long time. I think these are so good that they don't even need butter or syrup

Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes

(makes 4-5 medium cakes)

Ingredients:

1/2c + 2tbs flour

2tbs sugar

1tsp baking powder

1/2 rounded tsp cinnamon

1/4tsp salt

1egg

1/2c milk

1tbs veg. oil

1tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Combine dry ingredients
• Whisk together wet ingredients
• Add wet to dry and mix until just combined
• Measure 1/4c of batter per cake and cook on medium approx 2 mins per side

They may not look like much, but they're amazing!

Chicken Nuggets

This is a recipe off a show on Chi's favorite channel, Sprout. Let me just say Chi loves her some chicken nuggets, and she's not a fan of veggies so this recipe is perfect.

Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
2 cups roughly chopped chicken (boneless)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cooked
1 1/2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp powdered chicken stock (I use the seasoning from a things of chicken top ramen)
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs

Directions:

• Line a large oven tray with parchment paper.
• Put chicken, sweet potato, mayonnaise, powdered chicken stock, egg, and chives in a food processor.
• Pulse until combined.
• Put breadcrumbs in a bowl. Drop heaped tablespoon of mixture into breadcrumbs and roll into balls or small patties.
• Place on a prepared oven tray
• Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until cooked through

Marinated Asparagus

I have only recently discovered that I like asparagus. Maybe it's the way I prepare it, or maybe I'm turning into some kind of adult, who knows. But this is a delicious way to make them. Even Chi ate one!

 

Marinated Asparagus

 

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
1 shallot chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4c olive oil
1/4c balsamic vinegar
1tsp pepper
1tsp salt

 

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc baggie and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour
• Pour all contents onto a roasting dish, arranging the asparagus in one layer(something with sides)
• Roast in the oven at 450f for 10-15 minutes, turning half way through
• They're done when a forks pierces them easily, and are bright green

Gma's Casserole

This isn't actually called Gma's casserole, but the name of it's kida racist so I renamed it. My great Gma originally found this recipe in a magezine, way back in the day, and she then gave it to my Gma.When I moved to California I went through her cookbook and copied down all the recipes I liked. This recipe was a hit with Chase the first time I made it, and I now at least once every 2 weeks. It may sound a little strange, but it's actually quite delicious, and is better the second day making GREAT leftovers. It's also arecipe hat can be made with leftovers. It's pretty cheap, I always have the ingredients on hand.

Gma's Casserole



Feeds 4+

Ingredients:
1/2-1# gr beef
1 onion, chopped
3/4# chopped bacon
1 package prepared mac n cheese
2c spaghetti sauce (I usually use leftovers)
2c cold, cooked rice (I usually use leftovers)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F
Cook bacon until crispy in a large skillet
Add beef and cook; drain
Add onion, saute until soft
Add rest of ingredients, and combine
Bake in a large baking dish for 30 minutes

Jambalaya

This recipe is a delicious recipe I discovered on another food blog and is actually the reason I bought my cast iron Dutch oven. I got a carving for Jambalaya after listening to The Princess and the Frog a million times. This recipe is delicious. I know it doesn't have shrimp in it like a lot of people like, I'm not a big seafood eater, but it's good all the same.

Jambalaya

Feeds 4+

Ingredients:
1/4c veggie oil
1 1/2c onion, large dice
1/4c green bell pepper, large dice
1/4c red bell pepper, large dice
5/8 tsp cayenne, divided
1/2# andouille, cut into 1/4" slices
3/4# chicken, cut into 1" cubes
2 bay leaves
1 1/2c uncooked white rice
14oz can diced tomatoes with juice
2c water or stock
1/2c green onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

• Heat oil in large cast iron DO over medium
• Add onions, bell peppers, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 t cayenne
• Stirring often, brown veggies for about 20 mins, or until well caramelized
• Scrape bottom and sides to loosen any browned bits
• Add sausage and cook, stirring often for 10-15 minutes, scraping bottom and sides
• Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cayenne, add chicken and bay to pot
• Brown chicken for 8-10 minutes, scrapping bottom and sides
• Add rice and garlic cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes
• Add water/stock and tomatoes, stir to combine and cover
• Cook over medium 30-35 minutes, without stirring, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed
• Remove from heat, let stand covered 2-3 mins
• Remove bay, stir in green onion and serve

Pink Vegas

As most of you know, we just recently went to Vegas for the first time. This drink is inspired by a delicious drink I had in one of those huge plastic tube type things. Chase actually stumbled upon this mixture by accident, and when we realized it tasted exactly like the pink concoction I had in Vegas we dubbed it:

Pink Vegas

Ingredients:
1 oz coconut rum

1 oz tequila (use .5 oz of each silver and gold if available)

.5 oz spiced rum

.5 oz triple sec

.5 melon liqueur

.5 oz vodka

1 oz pina colada mix

1 oz strawberry daiquiri mix

3-4 oz pomegranate margarita mix

What can I say? We've established a quit extensive liquor cabinet

Directions:

• Tall glass full of ice
• Combine ingredients in shaker with ice
• Shake and strain into glass
• Garnish with a strawberry if desired

Delicious!

Mrs. Weasley's Meat Pies

This is another delicious recipe that I made for the Harry Potter party we had awhile back. They were amazing. I got this recipe out of "The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook" It references the scene where Harry receives food from all his friends because Petunia has put the house on Dudley's diet, and Mrs. Weasley sends these pies. They are a little time intensive, but they are worth the effort.They can also be reheated in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes. This recipe calls for homemade pie crust, but you could also buy pre-made. The crust recipe does call for a food processor...

Mrs. Weasley's Meat Pies

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

2 1/2c all-purpose flour

1tsp salt

1 stick (8tbs) cold butter, cut into pieces

1/2c (8tbs) vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into pieces

1/2 to 3/4c cold water

Filling

3tbs vegetable oil

8oz chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4" dice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4-5oz mushrooms, chopped

1tbs all-purpose flour

1c chicken stock

1/8tsp ground thyme

1tbs tomato paste

salt and pepper

1 egg beaten with 1tbs water

Directions:

Pie Crust

• Place flour and salt in food processor, pulse to combine
• Scatter pieces of butter and shortening over flour mixture, pulse until mixture resembles coarse yellow meal and no white remains. About 15 pulses.
• Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle 1/2c water over mixture and toss until dough stick together. Add more water 1tbs at a time if dough is dry (better too wet than too dry).
• Divide into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and chill from 2hrs-3days

Filling

• Heat 1tbs of oil in a large skillet (not non-stick if possible). Add beef in two batches and sear on high heat until crusty on all sides. Transfer each batch to a plate and set aside.
• Add remaining oil and heat on medium, add onions and mushrooms and cook until well browned.
• Add flour and mix until combined
• Add chicken broth and mix until combined
• Return beef, add thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper
• Simmer for 2 hrs
• Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temp.

Construction

• Preheat oven to 425
• Remove chilled dough from fridge. On a generously floured surface roll out one disk very thin, cut 4.5" circles, should make approx. six
• Fit the circles into a muffin pan, fill generously with beef filling
• Roll out second disk. Cut out six 3.5" circles. You may have enough to make another 4.5" and 3.5" set.
• Brush rims with water, lay circles over filling, and press with your fingers to seal
• Brush the tops with beaten egg
• Cut slits in the top of each pie
• Bake for 10 mins, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until golden brown.

YUM!