Mmmm...Start the day with a little sweetness:

I just wanted to pop on here tonight and share a wonderful recipe for coffee cake that I made for Mother's Day brunch.  It's full of cranberries, orange peel, cream cheese, and it is sooo yummy.  Even my dad and my brother-in-law, who normally don't partake in cranberry dishes, ate second helpings of this.  Of course, lots of sugar and cream cheese will have a tendency to make just about anything palatable. 

My children helped me make this the night before Mother's Day.  While watching me chop up the frozen cranberries, my son said (over and over with the most forlorn expression), "Sad berries.  Berries so sad.  Chop. Chop."  And as my little kitchen helpers sat on the counter top assisting me, I heard myself saying something that probably doesn't fall under the category of typical meal preparation talk: "If it falls on your sock, don't throw it in the mixing bowl." 

I have several old issues of Taste of Home, and this came from one of their recipe contests for coffee cake.  It was tough for me to choose which one to make.  I figured I'd just start with this one (which, by the way, was a runner-up, not even the winning recipe) and work my way down their list.  So, without further ado, here's the rundown:

Creamy Cranberry Coffee Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Cream cheese layer:

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients.  Then combine the egg, orange juice, butter, and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients until well mixed. Fold in cranberries and orange peel. Pour into greased 9-in. springform  pan.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla; mix well.  Spread over batter.  Combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top.

Place springform pan on a baking sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for about 70 minutes (I checked mine beginning at the 60 minute mark) or until golden brown.  Be sure not to overcook!  Cool on wire rack for 15-30 minutes before removing sides of pan (I didn't remove mine until the next morning -- after it safely made the journey to my parents' house).

My favorite part of this cake is the custard-like layer right there in the middle.  I'm not a fan of dry, crumbly coffee cakes (is anybody?).  There is definitely zero chance of this cake tasting dry or crumbly.  It turned out moist, creamy (with just a bit of crunch from the topping), and had just a hint of tanginess from the cranberries and a light citrus zing from the orange peel.  A perfect balance of flavors.  A must-try for your next brunch or, really, any morning when you need a little motivation to get out of bed and start the day!  If there had been any leftovers from our Mother's Day brunch, I would have raced down to the kitchen the following morning to eat every last morsel.

Fresh From the Oven...

The past few weeks have brought a few opportunities our way for indulging in some home-baked sweets. A couple weeks back, we needed something to accompany our impromptu forest picnic after chopping down our Christmas tree. Apricot-pecan cinnamon rolls, hot cocoa, and clementine slices seemed just the thing for that occasion. Then, a few nights ago, we celebrated our anniversary by trimming the tree (our annual anniversary tradition). Cherry-chocolate cream cheese cinnamon rolls and hot cider filled our tummies while we filled our tree's branches with ornaments new and old. Such a sweet way to celebrate another year growing and learning as a couple and as a family!

Generally speaking, I make cinnamon rolls from scratch. The whole kneading, rising, kneading, and rising process may be more time consuming, but I think it produces better-tasting, tender rolls. But, since the two cinnamon roll-noshing occasions I mentioned above came at busy times of the year for us, I decided to use a shortcut.

I've been holding onto a magazine clipping for no-yeast/no-rise cinnamon rolls (I think it may have come from Southern Living mag). The results were better than expected. Even my Dad, who doesn't care for cinnamon rolls (how is that possible, right??), raved about them and had second helpings.

So, if you are looking for a quick recipe for Christmas morning goodies, or just want a sweet snack while curled up on the couch, give these a try. Here are the recipes for the two different versions, based on the same basic formula. I imagine you could really get creative and come up with your own combinations too.

Apricot-pecan Cinnamon Rolls:

1 pkg. frozen biscuits (12 count)
1 (6 oz.) pkg dried apricots
All-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Arrange frozen biscuits, sides touching, on a lightly floured baking sheet in 3 rows of 4 each. Let stand 30-45 min. or until biscuits are thawed, but still cool to the touch.


Pour boiling water over the apricots and let stand 10 minutes (this makes the fruit nice and moist for baking. Don't skip this step!). Drain well and chop.

Pat the biscuits into a rectangle, pressing and pinching biscuit edges together.

Brush dough with softened butter. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Then sprinkle chopped pecans and apricots over the sugar mixture. My photo below shows the alternate recipe using cherries and chocolate, but the process is the same.

Roll up the dough, starting at one long end. Cut into 1-inch thick slices. Place rolls into a lightly greased 10-inch round pan or 9-inch square pan.

Bake at 375 for 35 min. or until just lightly browned. Cool slightly. When my cherry-chocolate rolls came out of the oven, they seemed lacking in chocolate, so I sprinkled on additional chips.

Stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over rolls. I do this step once when they first come out of the oven and then again after they have fully cooled. This way, the first application of icing melts right into the rolls and the second application leaves a nice thick coating that hardens on top. I like the extra sweetness and "gooeyness" of two doses of icing.

*For the Cherry-Chocolate Cream Cheese rolls: Prepare apricot-pecan rolls as directed, substituting 1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese for 1/4 cup butter, 1 (6 oz.) pkg dried cherries for the dried apricots, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips for the pecans. These rolls are pictured at the top of this post, while the apricot-pecan ones are here:

These cinnamon rolls do not have the tender, yeast-like taste of traditional rolls. But, if you are short on time or just don't want the hassle of kneading and rising, these rolls still meet the sweet, home-baked goodness expectations most of us are looking for this time of year.

Better than a Snack Pack

I came across Organic & Thrifty recently and it is chock-full of healthy information and ideas. I was skimming a post about healthy lunchbox alternatives and found this recipe for "pudding." If the chocolate moustache around my daughter's mouth was any indication as to how much she liked this, I'd say we have a winner. Better yet, I had the few basic ingredients on hand and this snack packs a nutrient-dense punch!

Chocolate Banana-Avocado Pudding:

Puree one avocado with one banana in a food processor. Add 2 tsp cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp honey or to taste. (the banana I used was super ripe and very sweet, so I didn't need as much honey). Blend and serve!

Party Snacks, Part II

As promised, here are two more appetizers that fall into the Savory (and Simple) Category. I really meant to get them posted early yesterday morning in case anyone was looking for a simple party appetizer for the 4th of July. But, there are opportunities aplenty for cool, light, and refreshing snacks for the summer ahead!

Marinated Cheese Squares

1 (.7 oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 Tbsp. minced green onion

2 Tbsp water

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, thoroughly chilled for easy slicing

1 (8 oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, chilled

1 (8 oz.) block Cheddar cheese, chilled

1/2 cup chopped pimiento or jarred red bell peppers, chopped

Assorted crackers

Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Then cut the blocks of Jack, Cheddar, and cream cheese in half lengthwise. Follow by cutting each half crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Arrange cheese slices in rows in a shallow baking dish, alternating the Jack, Cheddar, and cream cheese. Pour the marinade over the cheese. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours (I love preparing things way ahead of party time!).

Pour off marinade and arrange cheese rows on a serving platter. Top with pimiento or jarred red bell peppers. Serve with butter knife and assorted nibbles.

Greek Tomato Chillers

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

4 oz. feta cheese

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

Cut off tops of washed, cherry tomatoes. Scoop out pulp (if using grape tomatoes, which are quite a bit narrower and smaller than cherry tomatoes, I find it easier to use a grapefruit spoon or the handle end of a teaspoon to get in there and scoop out the pulp). Turn upside down on paper towel and let drain. Mix cheese and onion and spoon into tomato cups (your fingers make a better spoon here -- freshly washed fingers, of course!) Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, and add salt and pepper to your liking. Spoon marinade over tomatoes. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Party Snacks, Part I

With the Fourth of July holiday soon upon us, I thought I'd share some appetizer recipes that have been well-received this past month of birthdays and other family gatherings. Granted, no one in my family is picky about food: you serve it and they'll eat it. But, these are quick and easy to make, so even if no one eats it, at least you didn't slave away for hours in the kitchen.

First up, the savory top-picks (and I apologize in advance for the recipes that are missing a photo--which is almost all of them--I completely lacked the forethought to take pictures last month when I served them up):

Layered Pizza Dip

1 container (8 oz) chives-and-onion cream cheese spread

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup pepperoni, finely chopped

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Bagel chips or cubes/slices of French bread

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grab yourself an ungreased 9-inch glass pie pan or shallow glass baking dish (1 qt. size). Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of the pan. Top with the pizza sauce. Then (I'm sure you can see where this is going, but I'll tell you anyway) layer the pepper, pepperoni, and cheeses on top of the sauce. Bake for 10-15 minutes. You could also microwave it if you are trying to avoid turning the oven on. If so, heat 1-3 minutes or until just hot and cheese is melted, not a roiling (or is it "rolling?") boil.

Serve warm with bagel chips or fresh (soft) French bread slices (although chunks is more accurate. Because have you ever tried to thinly slice fresh French bread without mutilating it? Yeah, we gave up on the slices and just cut it into small hunks for dipping. Still tastes the same, even if not as pleasing to the eye).

Cheesy Bacon Spread

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallions

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp

Crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the food processor (I typed that in there because that's what my recipe says, but I always do it by hand because I try to avoid cleaning my food processor at all costs), combine cream cheese and mayo until smooth. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese mixture with the cheddar, chives or scallions, parsley, and garlic powder until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate or shallow baking dish.

Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the fully cooked bacon into small pieces (or crumble with your fingers) and garnish the top of the cheese spread. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm with crackers.

Coming up tomorrow: Marinated Cheese Squares and Greek Tomato Chillers (neither require heating up your house to make -- Yay!)

4-Cheese Lasagna

Oh my. I really meant to get this post up a couple of days ago, like I said I would do. But, better late than never, I guess. And I think you just might think this one was worth the wait:

4-Cheese Lasagna

(Although as I was typing, I realized it's actually 5. However, we've gotten so used to calling it 4-Cheese, I think we'll just stick with it. Maybe because I don't really consider cottage cheese a cheese, per se, perhaps that's why my mind has latched onto the number 4. Of course, if you don't consider cottage or ricotta to be in the "cheese" family, you can call it 3-Cheese Lasagna. Or, lasagne, if you prefer it that way). Anyway, moving on...

1.5 lbs. ground turkey (Just a side note, my husband and father-in-law don't like lasagna made with turkey, they usually only eat it made with ground beef. That being said, they both thought this was made with beef when they tasted it. It has so much flavor that it wins over staunch beef lasagna-eaters. Try it, you'll see. On the other hand, I don't like the taste of ground beef. So even if the beef-eaters think it could pass for beef, it tastes like turkey to me. Really, it works on so many levels: 3-cheese, 4-cheese, 5-cheese, beef, turkey, etc. How many one-dish meals can you say that about?)

1 white onion, finely chopped

1 16 oz. can peeled and diced tomatoes, undrained

2 6 oz. cans tomato paste (one regular can of paste and one can that comes with the oregano and basil added to it)

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried sweet basil

1/8 tsp garlic salt

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

1 1/2 cups small-curd cottage cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

8 oz. swiss cheese, shredded

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

good handful parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brown turkey and onion in skillet. Add tomatoes, both cans tomato paste, and spices. Simmer 10 minutes.

Arrange 3 noodles in a 9"x11" pan. Add half the swiss and mozzarella over the noodles. Then add half the cottage and ricotta cheese. Next spread about half of the meat/tomato mixture. Repeat with 3 more noodles, cheeses (Swiss, mozzarella, cottage, ricotta), and meat mixture. Add the last 3 noodles on top and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 or so minutes. This can be assembled the day ahead and refrigerated. Bake a refrigerated lasagna for 45 minutes.

Now I got to making this lasagna so frequently that I prepared some things in advance to speed it along. For instance, I made several batches of the spices (salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic salt) and stored each bundle of spices (good for one pan lasagna per bundle) in old black film canisters. {I know, you are probably wondering who still possesses the old 35 mm film canisters. Well, I do. I thought they were cute little containers and I just knew I'd find a use for them. Obviously, if you are not a pack rat such as myself, you could use those little snack baggies or some small tupperware pieces.}

Occasionally, I also browned the turkey and onions in advance and froze them in ziploc bags. That way, I could just take the turkey/onion combo out of the freezer the night before. On baking day, I would throw the meat and onions in the skillet and add the tomatoes and spices. Cutting out that browning step seems small, but it does save time. I will say that I prefer the taste of the meat and onions cooked the same day as the lasagna is assembled. Something about the texture of the thawed onions was off-putting to me. But hey, experiment and see what you think.

Also, you certainly can make the lasagna using two cans of regular tomato paste if that is what you have on hand. Because the recipe calls for added spices anyway, it doesn't alter the taste a great deal if you skip the part about using 1 can oregano/basil flavored tomato paste. I just happened to substitute one can of regular for one can of oregano/basil by mistake one day. Turns out, we liked it better that way and so that's the way I continue to make it.

I would love to give credit where it's due for this recipe, but I can't remember to whom that would be. I've been making this for about 7 years and my mind can only hold so many bits of information. I will say that I have a hunch it came from Deniece Schofield, author of Confessions of an Organized Homemaker, but don't quote me on that.

Lastly, I apologize for not having a picture of the finished product. It disappeared so quickly after I made it, and before I thought to snap a photo. I am one of those people that won't make something if it doesn't come with a picture. If you are one of those people too, I'm sorry. But, try it anyway. And take of picture of it. And send it to me. Then I'll have a photo to put at the top of this post!

Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

I had a couple of requests for the cinnamon crumb coffee cake that I made a couple of days back, so here it goes.

Now, this recipe is courtesy of Lucy's Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook, so I can't take any credit for it. Although I do alter it a bit. It is made for people on a special diet due to Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, and other digestive diseases. Frankly, I know that my tastebuds are "tainted," to a degree. When you must follow a strict diet for medical reasons, you develop a taste for non-traditional baked goods because they are your only option. However, I've served it to several guests who weren't following such a diet and they liked it. So, it must taste pretty much like a traditional coffee cake to those with "normal" palates.

Now that I've laced this post with all sorts of disclaimers, I bet you're totally ready to just dive in and make this non-traditional/could-possibly-pass-for-traditional coffee cake! Really, though, it's pretty tasty.

Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Cake:

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup homemade yogurt (you can absolutely substitute plain yogurt here)

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins (Personal preference here, I leave them out because I can't stand raisins in my food)

Topping: (I triple the amounts for cinnamon, honey, and butter shown here -- I'll explain why later. Leave the almond amount the same)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup sliced almonds

For the cake, mix together butter, honey, yogurt, and eggs. Stir in almond flour, baking soda, salt, and chopped nuts (and raisins, if using).

In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, honey, and butter. The original recipe calls for this topping to go only on the top of the coffeecake. However, I like to add some to the middle of the cake and double the amount I put on the top of the cake.

So, if you tripled the topping amount, add about 1/3 of it to the middle of the cake by pouring half the batter into the buttered pan, adding some of the topping mixture to make a middle "layer", then add the other half of the cake batter over the topping. Then add the remaining topping (you should have about 2/3 of it left) over the top of the entire cake. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake @ 310 degrees for 30 minutes.

If you didn't choose to triple the topping amount (you're crazy and you'll be sorry later -- just kidding!), then just pour all the batter at once into the buttered pan. Pour the (scant!) topping over the batter and finish off with the almonds. Bake at 310 for 25-30 minutes.

Sometimes I eat this warmed up, as-is. Other times I add a dollup of homemade jam: that is strawberry rhubarb pictured up top. Yum!

*Note: goods baked with almond flour can overcook quite easily and become very dry. Do not overbake!

Happy Birthday!

We like our cake around here. "Cake me!" is one of my daughter's favorite phrases (I'm supposing she's heard her dad joke one too many times, "Beer me!"). When we celebrated my husband's and my nephew's birthday on Saturday, my sister made the most decadent ice cream cake:Think Oreo cookie crust, a thick layer of chocolate fudge ganache, crushed peanut butter cups and crushed Oreos, two kinds of ice cream, more ganache, and topped with peanut butter cups and whipped cream. Oh my! So much better than any specialty store ice cream cake I've had. I will see about getting the recipe for it.

In the meantime, I've added my recipe for brownies, below. My husband's actual birthday is today. He wanted brownies and ice cream. So, being the dutiful wife that I am, I made brownies for him (it doesn't hurt that I love brownies myself).

I'm by no means a brownie connoisseur, but I do know what a good brownie tastes like. The more dense, moist, and fudgy the brownie, the better. I'm not a fan of light, somewhat dry, cake-like brownies. When I googled brownie recipes, it was amazing how heated the battles are regarding which is better: cake-like or fudge-like. It is purely a matter of personal preference. But, since I like fudgy, this recipe falls in that category. I looked over half a dozen recipes, and sort of combined a couple of them together. They are beyond sweet and far beyond rich! My advice? Cut them into small squares. Small! You can always go back for seconds! :)

Fudge Brownies with Mocha Icing

For the brownies:

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp butter

1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8x8 pan.

In saucepan, combine sugar, water, and butter and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips til melted. Mix in eggs, vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Don't overmix. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Do not overbake! Remove from the oven once the center is set and the edges are just pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely.

Mocha Icing:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup strongly brewed hot coffee

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients except the confectioner's sugar in a blender. Blend well, adding the sugar 1 cup at a time. Scrape sides as needed. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Icing will be thin, but don't worry. It will thicken as it stands. Spread over brownies in pan. Refrigerate until icing is thick and set. Cut into squares. Serve alone or warmed up (almost to the point of being a melted pool of chocolate) and topped with vanilla ice cream!

Homemade Samoa Cookies

As a little extra something special, I included a plate loaded with these delightful cookies and gave one plate each to my Mom and my sister with their Mother's Day presents. I came across these through By Sun and Candlelight. They are basically Girl Scout Samoas, in bar form. The recipe came from here.

I probably don't even need to point this out, as it is quite evident from my picture, but they didn't turn out as pretty as they were supposed to. I definitely had some issues.

My first issue was cutting them into squares. Even though I waited until they had cooled, I still noticed the coconut-caramel topping was peeling off the shortbread base as I cut. When I switched to using a pizza cutter instead of a knife, it was better (I think the up/down motion of cutting with a knife was dislodging my topping). Then, I had additional problems when it came to dipping each square into the melted chocolate to cover the bottom. There is supposed to be a nice thick coating on the bottom of each piece. However, each time I dipped one, the shortbread would stick to the chocolate and separate from the coconut-caramel topping when I lifted it up. I was left with a shortbread square stranded in a bowl of melted chocolate, and the golden brown topping in my hand. Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe it. I ended up spreading the chocolate on the bottom of each one with a knife and leaving them upside-down to set. Then, I turned them over and drizzled the remaining chocolate on the top. It was a lot of work.

You might be wondering if it was worth it. And, begrudgingly, I'll admit that they were worth it because they were quite tasty. And when the combination of flavors turns out this good, I'll put up with a little extra work. So, yeah, I'd make them again, but I would allow for more time to do so, and expect less-than-perfect results. On second thought, I think I will just buy extra boxes of Samoas next time the Girl Scouts make their rounds.

Breakfast the Night Before

On holiday mornings, I like to serve a hearty, satisfying breakfast. Preferably one that has been all but cooked the night before. Who wants to spend a festive morning in the kitchen while the rest of the family is enjoying the day in the next room?

So, here is a recipe that I made last year on Easter morning. A sausage and cheese strata. I think it's nice to serve something with a little protein on a day that will be infused with sugar. Of course, you might be thinking that the fat and carbs loaded into this dish are hardly a way to balance out all the sugar intake of Easter. You would be right. But it's sooo good. And I don't even like sausage! If you feel you must round out the meal with something a bit more healthy, serve it with a nice big bowl of fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and melon or kiwi might be nice. That's what I did last year. And it almost made up for the handfuls (bagfuls??) of these that I inhaled that day:

Oh, Cadbury. First you had me with your Creme eggs, and now these addictive little nuggets!

But, back to the strata. Here is the recipe. Hope you like it!

Sausage and Cheese Strata

NOTE: This makes TWO 2-quart dishes. Divide ingredients by half if you only want to make 1 8x8 (or 9x9) square pan of strata. But it's so good that it disappears fast. I made only 1 8x8 last year and I wished I had made two!

10 cups French bread cubes (about 1/2 inch size)

12 oz. cooked smoked sausage links, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained (can use fresh if you prefer)

1 cup green sweet bell pepper, chopped

6 oz. (equals about 1 1/2 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. (about 1 cup) Monterey jack cheese, shredded

7 beaten eggs

3 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp snipped chives

1 Tbsp snipped fresh oregano OR 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Divide half of the bread cubes between 2 greased 2-quart casserole baking dishes. Top with sausage, mushrooms, and sweet pepper. Sprinkle with cheeses. Place remaining bread cubes on top.

Combine eggs, milk, chives, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pour half of the mixture over each baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 2-24 hours (yay! Your work is finished. Now all you have to do is pop it in the oven tomorrow morning!).

Bake in a 325 degree oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes. (Now go hunt for those Easter baskets and munch on some chocolate while you're waiting!)

Check for doneness by inserting a knife in the center. Like a cake, it should come out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving it up!

Good for you and tasty too!

Of course, now that warmer days (and thus, warmer mornings) are here, oatmeal may or may not be on your menu. However, in our house, oatmeal knows no season. My husband and my daughter can eat it all year round. I, have never been a huge oatmeal fan. I can recall, as a child, having more brown sugar than oatmeal in my bowl. But, no matter how much I added, it was never sweet enough. I dreaded cold, snowy mornings because I knew my mom would have a pot of oatmeal on the stove. She believed we should start those winter days with a breakfast that "sticks to your ribs." Well, it can't stick to my ribs if I can't bring myself to swallow it. I'm so not an oatmeal fan.

My husband prefers the little packets of oatmeal that are heavy on the sugar and light on the oatmeal. For health reasons, I have been trying to switch him over to the steel-cut oats. Until now, he's been a bit resistant. The man likes his over-processed, over-sugared, over-powdered oatmeal.

But, I have a recipe for oatmeal that is tasty enough to make a convert out of my husband and me! The beauty of this recipe is that the sugar and spices are added while it is cooking, not after you spoon it into your bowl. I think this makes it sweeter because the flavors get soaked into every little oat. So there's less sugar cancelling out all those benefits of the steel-cut oats.

Sweetly Spiced Steel-Cut Oatmeal:

1 cup steel cut oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 cup milk

Add oats, brown sugar, vanilla, and spices to 3 cups boiling water. Stir well and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes.

Stir in milk. Cook 15 minutes more or until liquid has been absorbed by the oats and the mixture is creamy.

Top with fruit and nuts, if desired.

I hope if you try this oatmeal, you will agree that it's a tasty update to the plain-jane oatmeal of yesterday. Now, the weather channel is telling us that a big snowstorm is on the way. I better get in the kitchen and make another batch of oatmeal to fill us up and warm us up, just in case the weatherman is right!

Post-St. Patrick's Day Post

I had some grandiose, memory-making ideas for St. Patrick's Day this year. Unfortunately, none of them came to fruition. Apparently, the luck of the Irish was not ours yesterday. Instead, we had a day that redefined my previous understanding of chaos. So, in lieu of a jam-packed day of leprechauns and pots of gold, I present to you the Shamrock Pretzel. One day late. Courtesy of one of my favorite magazines, Family Fun.

Despite appearances to the contrary, they are cooked. It certainly doesn't qualify as a culinary masterpiece, as we are strictly talking refrigerated breadsticks, cinnamon, and colored sugar. But, Roo enjoyed sprinkling the cinnamon and sugar, and doing her fair share of sampling after they came out of the oven. So, if she's happy, then so am I.

We also made a few pretzels in the traditional shape because pretzels actually have a historical significance relating to Lent. The Parenting Passageway linked to an interesting article regarding the pretzel and Lent. An excerpt:

"According to pretzel maker Snyder’s of Hanover, a young monk in the early 600s in Italy was preparing a special Lenten bread of water, flour and salt. To remind his brother monks that Lent was a time of prayer, he rolled the bread dough in strips and then shaped each strip in the form of crossed arms, mimicking the then popular prayer position of folding one’s arms over each other on the chest. "

So, our "crossed arms" version of the St. Patty's pretzel:

Maybe next year I can incorporate the many St. Patrick's ideas rattling around in my head. But, for this year, I will concentrate my energy on Easter, as it is fast approaching! In an upcoming post, I will be writing about some non conventional Easter basket items, sure to thrill your little ones and guaranteed not to rot their pearly whites!

A Little Slice of "Haven"

I made this cake two times in two weeks. The first time was for my sister's birthday. She saw the recipe somewhere and thought it would be a good one to try. Initially, I was not convinced. Looking over the recipe, I wasn't sure where the flavor would come from, as the cake is basically eggs, flour, milk (heavy cream and sour cream), and vanilla. Plus, as a woman who knows and loves her chocolate, I am suspicious of any birthday cake that does not list chocolate as a primary ingredient. But, boy was I wrong! This cake is delish! Light, fluffy, sweet, creamy...just heavenly! I made it again yesterday for some dear friends who were coming over. It did not disappoint. I sent some home with them, as I did not need a lot of extra cake sitting around begging to be eaten! [Pictured above: Yes, there is an indent in the frosting that is curiously shaped like a fingertip. I sampled some frosting before deciding to snap a photo!] If you are looking for a light but decadent dessert, perhaps this would satisfy:

Tres Leches Cake

Cake ingredients:

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 pint (8 oz) heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup toasted coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square or round pan.

Beat eggs in mixer until frothy. While mixer is running, pour in sugar and beat until mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. This takes about 5 minutes.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Keeping mixer on low, add water and vanilla to egg mixture. Then, gradually, begin to add the flour mixture. Mix just until batter is smooth. Do not overmix.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Cake is ready when it begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

While cake is cooling, mix sauce ingredients together and set aside. Once cake has cooled, take a fork and poke holes all over top of cake. Pour sauce over entire cake, cover and refrigerate until most of sauce has been absorbed. This takes at least a couple of hours, but I let it sit overnight.

Then whip frosting ingredients until stiff peaks form. Frost chilled cake and top with toasted coconut right before serving. Grab a fork and dig in!!