Chana's Cinnamon Rolls

Story:

This one is technically not from me.  This one is from my dear Ben.  His family grew up making cinnamon rolls on Christmas Day. This is that beloved recipe that he and the kids look forward to every year! Please note that Ben is in charge of the cinnamon rolls--start to finish--which makes it one of my favorite traditions as well. 

Ingredients

Dough

2 packs (or 4.5 tsp) active dry yeast

½ C warm water

2 C lukewarm milk

⅓ C sugar

⅓ C vegetable oil

1 egg

3 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

5-6 C flour

Cinnamon Filling

4 tsp softened butter

1 C sugar

2 tsp & 2 T cinnamon

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 C powdered sugar

1 T milk

½ t vanilla

Directions

Add 2 packs of yeast and a pinch of sugar to warm water.  Let the yeast do its thing while you scald 2 C of milk.  (Ben is careful to keep stirring the milk and takes it off the heat as soon as he notices steam, so as to not burn it).   Let it cool while the yeast continues to grow and you gather the remaining ingredients.  (Ben prefers to put the pot of milk in the fridge on a hot pad to chill it faster.)

Mix the warm milk, yeast and water, ⅓ C sugar, ⅓ C oil, egg, 3 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp salt, and 3 C of the flour until smooth.  Gradually add the remaining 2 to 3 C of flour until able to handle—you may not need all of the flour.

Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then place in a greased bowl.  Turn it over, cover with a thin, damp dish towel, and let it rise until doubled (~1.5 hours).

Mix the ingredients for the cinnamon filling, and grease two 9x13” pans.  Punch the dough down, divide in half, and roll out to a consistent thinness on a floured surface with your grandma’s rolling pin.

Sprinkle the cinnamon filling evenly across the dough, and then roll it up.  Slice into 12 pieces, and place in the greased pans.

Let rise until doubled (30-45 min) and bake at 325° for 22-25 minutes.  Mix the powdered sugar glaze and drizzle across the rolls while yet warm.

Makes 24 rolls that will best your local bakery’s!

Oven-cooked Bacon

Story:
Whenever my family travels to San Diego County, we get to stay with my amazing parents.  They are wonderful and generous.  Over the years, the tradition has evolved that my dad often makes breakfast for all of us.  He is quite the chef when it comes to blueberry pancakes and smoothies.  He knows how to cook the eggs just right so that the yolk is perfect for toast dipping.  It's the best.

We also all always love his bacon.  He cooks it in the oven on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  It always turns out perfectly.  However, as we all know, ovens cook differently.  And even though he told me how he makes it, and I wrote down the instructions, and I followed them exactly, and I even bought the same bacon at Costco... my bacon in my oven did not taste like Grandpa's bacon.  It came out overcooked and sandy-textured every time.  So I hopped on Pinterest and I tried a few different options and I came across the recipe that works perfectly in my oven!  Yay!  Hooray for amazing bacon!

Ingredients:
Bacon :)

Instructions:
Line a sheet pan with foil.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put the sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.
(Check it sooner if you like the bacon a little on the not-crispy side.)
Use tongs to move the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.
Drain the grease from the foil to save for cooking in other recipes.

So, this is pretty straightforward and nothing too amazing, but I had to write down somewhere:
375 for 20 minutes
so I could remember what works for my oven. :)

Sweet Potato Hash

Story:
A few summers ago, the stars aligned and I found the courage to try the Whole 30 program.  (It is what it sounds like... whole foods for 30 days.  Veggies, fruit, meat, nuts, seeds and healthy oils.)  I loved it!  It took a lot of time and energy when you're trying to feed a big family, but I liked how I felt while eating like that.

One reason I did it, was to see how it would help my psoriasis. Spoiler alert: it didn't help.  I was surprised!  Since then, however, I've read more that many people with psoriasis should avoid "nightshade vegetables" (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and all spices made with peppers).  Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, and are ok.  Thus, this recipe. Those were my go-to vegetables!  And I was eating a lot of them on Whole 30, so maybe that's why my psoriasis did not improve.  I'd like to try it again, but also omitting nightshades this time around.

Anyway, this is a recipe that I found somewhere on Pinterest, but this is an adjusted version.  It can be tweaked a lot!  It's just a breakfast hash, but I honestly love it for lunch or dinner too.  It's amazing.  Here's a general outline of ingredients, but it's fun to change things and add more or less of whatever you like in a hash!

Ingredients:

3 Aidell's (brand) chicken and apple sausages, diced
2-3 yams and/or sweet potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
Coconut or Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Eggs, soft-cooked

Also good: (But nightshades, so I don't add them in)
White potatoes
Bell peppers
Hatch green chilies

Directions:
Dice all the foods.  Heat a generous amount of coconut or olive oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and onions and get them cooking.  (If you are using potatoes, peppers, or chilies, add them too. Ben loves hatch green chilies and adds them to a lot of dishes and he especially likes them in this.) Then add the diced sausages. I add a generous amount of kosher salt and some pepper.
When they are getting close to being done, I throw some eggs into my egg cooker and set it for a soft boil.  When the hash is done, I serve it in a bowl with one or two eggs on top.  The yolk drips all over and you stir it all up and it is one of my favorite meals in the world!  I almost always keep these ingredients on hand for a go-to dinner.  Some of the kids don't love it, but that's just because they're crazy.  Ben and Ethan and I adore it.  I believe last time we had it, Ethan said something like, "I don't even know why this is so good.  I could eat it every day!"

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia Seed Pudding

Story:
I am not very good at making healthy breakfasts.  I mean, I'm getting better at making a protein + avocado + lemon smoothie that my nutritionist recommended to me.  And there's always scrambled eggs.  But what about those mornings that I want something, like, yummy??  haha!
Enter Chia Seed Pudding.
I heard about this a couple of years ago and I tried it.  I think I did something wrong because I thought it was nasty.  It just tasted way too... I don't remember how... but I just wasn't a fan.
I tried again last week, though, with a recipe I found on Pinterest, and I loved it!  Granted, a lot of the Pinterest recipes seem to have the same proportions... and there are a hundred different ways of changing it up.  But I'll just post a basic way here.  And how I have tweaked it a little to fit our needs.  The other morning I woke up and wanted some chia seed pudding... and I hadn't prepped any the night before... and I was just a little bit sad.

Ingredients:
2 C coconut milk*
2 C almond milk (unsweetened)
2 T pure maple syrup
3 t vanilla
1 C chia seeds
(Plus any toppings)

Instructions:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes, then stir (or whisk) again to try to break up any clumps of seeds.  Pour into individual little mason jars, screw on the lids, and place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, just open it up, give it a stir, then add whatever toppings you'd like!  I like to put in slivered almonds and/or cut-up strawberries and/or blueberries and/or little diced bananas... whatever I have on hand!  I really like the almonds, though, for the crunch! that it gives.

Notes:
*I found some delicious with-fat coconut milk from Costco that I really liked.  It's called Real Coco, by Life Refreshed.

The first time I made it, one cup of the pudding seemed a little too much (quantity-wise) for me, so when I made it this way, I split it into five containers.

It's good the next morning.  And the morning after that.  I ate one this week three days after preparing it, and it was great!  I probably wouldn't recommend (from what I've read) eating it more than four days after preparing it.

The nice thing about this too, is it doesn't have to just be for breakfast!  It was pretty satisfying, and those chia seeds are supposedly chock-full of good-for-you stuff!  I could totally see myself eating one of these (maybe a smaller portion?) for a refreshing afternoon snack, or even for a sweet treat when I'm craving something!  I like it that much.

Enjoy!

Crepes

Story:
My favorite breakfast all growing up!!  Crepes.  My mom called them French Pancakes.  One of Ben's patients gave him (the following) recipe and she called them Swedish Pancakes.  Whatever you call them, they are great.  I think I had them every year on my birthday for my special birthday breakfast.

And yet somehow I forgot about them until recently. [Well, I don't know if I totally forgot, but I never really liked the idea of me standing at the stove making crepes while everyone else was already sitting and enjoying...]  Well, I made them for my kids last Sunday, and they all loved them as well.

I like them with strawberries and whipped cream.  I've seen them with pudding inside.  Whatever you want, really.  My mom told me that my sister makes them with chicken or something inside as a dinner dish... gotta get that "recipe" from her!

Please note that this recipe is already doubled from the original.  I tripled it when I made it last Sunday, and that was too much, so I think I'll always use this double version for my family.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C sifted flour
2 T sugar
1 t salt

Directions:
Beat the eggs and stir in the milk.  Sift the dry ingredients and add to the mixture.
I need to use a little non-stick spray on my pan first (but I wipe it a little with a paper towel so the spray flavor doesn't get on the crepe).
Spread a thin layer in the hot pan and when it slides a little, flip once.
Make a whole pile, and enjoy!

German Pancakes

Story:
My mom made these German pancakes for special breakfasts for us, on occasion.  I don't know how my mom had a way of making everything feel special.  Megan says she does things "fancy."  I love that about my mom.  She would do these pancakes up in two round cake pans and they come out of the oven soooo puffy and buttery and beautiful.  She would have sliced peaches on a bowl on the tableclothed-table served on our glass dishes with two separate glasses--one with milk and a miniature glass with juice.  She would even have a little glass bowl of powdered sugar you could use the teaspoon to sprinkle some on top of the pancakes.

Unfortunately for my children, I now make these when I'm in need of a quick dinner.  Sorry, kids.  Don't have that wonderful "fancy gene."  I usually have the ingredients on hand so I can whip 'em up real quick and finish the breakfast dishes that are still left in the sink while the pancakes are in the oven.  I don't even own a tablecloth.  I'm not sure how my mom did it...

I have TWO VERSIONS of this recipe, prepared basically the same way. The first is my mom's recipe, it is much air-ier and fluffier.  The second was in the Crestwood 1st Ward's ward cookbook, submitted by a friend, Heather D.  It is denser and thus more filling for lots of tummies.  Needless to say, I usually prepare the latter.  My mom prepared them in, like I said, two round cake pans.  I keep it simpler and use a 9x13 casserole dish (used for both versions).

Ingredients:
MOM's Version:
6 eggs
1 C flour
1 C milk
dash of salt
3 T butter

HEATHER's Version:
10 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 C milk
(she didn't call for it, but I still use a dash of salt)
1/2 stick butter

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a blender.  Place the butter in the bottom of 9x13 and place in oven while it is preheating (careful not to burn the butter).  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (Mom's version) or 425 for 20 minutes (Heather's version)... until poofy and lightly browned on top.  Serve immediately.  Sprinkle with peaches, berries, and powdered sugar.

(My kids pour syrup on them, but I still have enough "fancy" left in me that I can't destroy the dish with it.... out of respect for my mother, I guess.)

Easter Quiche

Story:
Easy! Easy!

We just moved into a new ward a couple of months ago, and they do a big "Easter Egg-stravaganza" on the Saturday before Easter every year.  It was a lot of fun!  They had a nice breakfast and inflatable jump-ies and egg hunts and balloon games and tug-of-wars and even a (get this...) a chicken chase!  Yes, one of the men in the ward has some chickens and he would tie dollar bills around the legs of the chickens and then set them loose in the yard... the kids who caught the chickens,  got to keep the dollars!  It was great.

Anyway, they had people volunteering to bring dishes to the breakfast, and trying to "jump right in," I signed up to bring an "Easter Quiche"-- for which they handed out a recipe so they were all the same and it kept it simple.  It turned out yummy!  I liked it because it had the flavor of my family's traditional CHEESE STRATA that we have every year on Christmas morning, but it was much easier. (Sorry, Mom.)  I decided to add it on here.  It's pretty basic... at the Breakfast, it was served just as a side dish with whole wheat pancakes, loads of fresh fruit, and hot sausage... well, here it is:

Ingredients:
1/2 C melted butter
10 eggs
1/2 C flour
1 t baking powder
2 C cottage cheese
2 C shredded cheddar blend cheese (I used a cheddar/jack blend)

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients well.
Pour into a 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (until the top is browned).

..."Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy..." as Gretchen says.

Baked Banana Oatmeal

Story:

Admittedly, I can no longer claim to be refined-sugar-free. However, when I was (and I hope to muster up the drive to do so again!), I found this breakfast recipe that I loved. I only made it a couple of times, because, well, it takes a while to cook. And when I come downstairs for breakfast, I'm usually ready to "eat now" not after "bake for 35 minutes" - y'know? I will also add that my kids liked it too. It was kind of like banana bread meets oatmeal...

Ingredients:

3 eggs

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

3 C old-fashioned oats (or quick oats)

1 1/2 C milk

1/2 C raisins

1/3 C honey

1/4 C canola oil

2 t baking powder

2 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

Directions:

In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs then add the remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined. Let the mixture set for at least 10 minutes for the oats to absorb some of the liquid.

Stir the mixture again, and then spread into a (well greased) 8x8 baking pan. (MrBreakfast.com says you can use two small loaf pans too; I haven't tried yet.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

To serve, cut into squares. Tada!

Note:

Happened across this one from mrbreakfast.com too!

Apricot Honey Oatmeal

Story:

I am afflicted. Literally. I currently have a rare skin condition thing going on. It's really a bummer, actually, but it'll be fine... eventually. I hope.

Anyway, I am to stay off of refined sugar. Strictly. I'm allowed honey and fruit, so that's nice. But now I've been left to find more sugar free foods to feed my family and myself. I discovered this oatmeal online at a website called MrBreakfast.com. I LOVE it. Super, super good.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 C water

1/2 C chopped dried apricots*

1/3 C honey

2 C rolled oats

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t salt

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring water, apricots, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a boil.

Stir in oats; return to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes (quick oats=1 minute), or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Le stand until desired consistency.

Notes:

*You can use any fruit instead of the apricots.

When I made this the first time, as Ben was scooping it into his bowl, he casually stated: "Apricots are probably my very least favorite fruit." Thanks, Ben. But he liked it. I made it a couple days later with raisins, and he liked that better. Next up, I want to try chopped apples. Yum.

Oh, and even Gretchen liked this. She and I were eating it out of a bowl, cold, for an afternoon snack yesterday, and she loved it.

Good Morning Oatmeal

Story:

No real story. I found this one somewhere when I was looking for crock pot breakfast recipes. Yes, I said crock pot breakfasts. You see, I grew up with healthy and substantial breakfasts. And while I love the idea of making a hearty breakfast for my kids, I am simply too tired and too muddle-headed in the mornings to do a very good job at it. So I went looking online for things I could do the night before...

I made this last night and Ben liked it so much that he found himself bragging about it to one of his patients at work today. He told her it was on the blog, which it wasn't, but, well, now it is. So here you go, Miss Patient-Whose-Name-I-Know-Not-Because-of-Confidentiality-Laws! Hope you like it too!!

Ingredients:

4 C milk

1/2 C brown sugar (maybe a little less, it was pretty sweet)

2 T butter, melted

1/2 t salt

1 t cinnamon

2 C regular oats

2 apples, diced

1 C raisins

Directions:

Spray nonstick cooking spray in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Then combine all ingredients and mix well.

Cook on low overnight (8-9 hours).

Stir before serving.

(Makes quite a bit... but Ben likes a big breakfast...)

EDIT:
I still like this... but it seems to burn in my crock pot every time and then I have to spend time scrubbing it out... Hmmm...

Vitamina

Story:

In his younger years, my dad served a mission in Brazil. Missions were 2 1/2 years then, so he had a lot of time to live, love, and serve there. He brought home with him lots of experiences to be shared throughout the rest of his life. One such "experience" was that of the VITAMINA. Since bananas and avocados grew in plenty in Brazil, he and his companions would make drinks that they would call "vitaminas." Bananas, avocados, ice cubes... whatever was in their apartment. In turn, I grew up on these. Growing up in San Diego, avocados were plentiful and fruit abounds.

Directions:

While I don't have a specific recipe to give you here, I want you to rest assured, that children don't mind green smoothies. In this vitamina, I think I used an avocado, a couple of bananas, ice, water, and some vanilla. Easy-peasy and so healthy-good. Sometimes I put in sugar or honey to sweeten. You can add whatever fruit is around, and we throw in yogurt all the time as well. But remember the avocado. They are so good for you.. and the fats help you to not get so hungry-so quickly after eating it...

Ciao!

Kari's Quiche

Story:

My friend Kari invited me over for a little lunch with our friend Kristine. Kari always serves up tasty things, which she always claims are "so easy." She made this quiche which I loved... and because she said it was "so easy," I had to get the recipe and give it a try. She was right, it wasn't too hard, though you have to plan ahead a little because it bakes for about 40 minutes. I made this when I was kind of in a cooking slump, and I especially liked having something different than my good old standbys.

Ingredients:

1 C sour cream

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 t onion salt

1 pkg frozen veggies (chopped broccoli, spinach, etc.) - thawed & drained

1 C cooked and chopped ham or bacon

1/2 C green onions

1 1/2 C cheddar cheese

1 1/2 C swiss or jack cheese

[1 pie shell - or make your own]

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Make a pie shell (or just use a pre-made one).

Prick the bottom and bake about 5-8 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the pie shell.

Top with nuts, if desired.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until brown.

Let set for 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes:

It looks like there are lots of ways to vary it... I've only tried spinach and ham so far, and that was pretty good. Kids didn't love it the first time, but for some reason, they did the second time! Ben and I especially loved it with salsa! Yum.

Baked Oatmeal

Story:

Well, I'm totally just stealing this one right off of my good friend's (Sarah E.) blog. I think the picture on her blog made me want to try it:

I've only made it a couple of times and I've just used what fruit I had on hand at the time: frozen berries. It's been really good. Ben and I like it a lot; the kids are so-so. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 C rolled oats

2 eggs

1/2 C oil

1 C brown sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t vanilla

1 C pecans, chopped

1 t cinnamon

frozen or fresh fruit

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

Bake in a greased 9x13 baking dish at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Story:

Norton family favorite. High protein, simple, meatless meal. Yummy.

Ben likes these okay, but we used to joke early on in our married years, because he, first of all, doesn't like cottage cheese and, second of all, he said that these don't really seem like pancakes. You know, like when you think you have milk in your cup, but then it's water, how it throws you off a little? He said it's weird to call these pancakes, because the consistency and flavor is different, and although he likes them, he says that he can't bite into them thinking that they are "pancakes." I used to try to disguise them by making up names like "Cheesy Crepes" or something like that. But whatever... they're just cottage cheese pancakes.

Ingredients:

1 pint cottage cheese

1/2 C flour

6 eggs

6 T oil

dash of salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and cook on a griddle like regular pancakes. But cook them on a lower temperature than you would regular pancakes or else the cheese will burn and stick. Sometimes they turn out "prettier" than other times. I'm not exactly sure what makes the difference, but they always taste good!

The kids eat them with syrup, but I think they are best served with applesauce or jam!

Easy Waffles

Story:

This is nothing special, really. It's a basic waffle recipe out of my good ol' red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Except that this is the doubled version. And I adjusted the flour to use about half whole wheat... The whole wheat just makes them that much heartier.

Ingredients:

2 C whole wheat flour

1 1/2 C white flour

2 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

4 eggs

3 1/2 c milk

1 C oil

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.

Then mix all together.

Then just cook 'em up in your waffle iron.

I like 'em with strawberries and whipped cream.

Or with bananas and syrup.

Or peanut butter and syrup.

(It's like dessert, really.)

When Ben makes them, sometimes he puts berries right into the batter.

Or, for the kids, he'll put in mini chocolate chips.

They love that!

Whole Wheat (Blender) Pancakes

Story:

The kids and I started a little tradition about a year or so ago. Ben works late once or twice a week, usually on Thursdays. Thus, Thursdays have become our fun (and simple!) little "Pancake Night." We do German Pancakes, Cottage Cheese Pancakes, pancake-mix pancakes, or sometimes just bacon and eggs, breakfast burritos... you get the point. Key word for me is simple; key word for kids is fun.

This recipe is one of the more recent adoptions to "Pancake Night." It's from Traci's ward cookbook, and this one was submitted by Traci, herself. They are simple and delicious and made from whole wheat and surprisingly filling. They are great served with sliced bananas and syrup, or sliced strawberries and whipped cream. (When I do the strawberries and whipped cream, it pretty much tastes like dessert for dinner. hehe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C buttermilk

3/4 C whole wheat kernels

3 heaping T corn meal

1 heaping T brown sugar

2 eggs

2 T margarine, cut in small pieces

1 heaping T baking powder

1/4 to 1/2 t baking soda

Directions:

In a blender, liquify the buttermilk and the whole wheat kernels for 4 full minutes.

Add the corn meal, brown sugar, eggs, and margarine. Blend for 30 seconds.

Then add the baking powder and baking soda. But just switch the on and off just enough to blend in the baking powder--just two or three times.

Let the mixture rise to the top of the blender before pouring onto the griddle.

Note to my neighbors:

I know whole wheat kernels are something not everyone has on hand. I happen to have a lot. If you ever want to try ths recipe, feel free to ask for some!

Monica's Granola

Story:
I have a good friend here in KY named Monica. And I love that we can hardly ever get off the phone with each other without sharing a recipe with each other. (Actually it's usually her sharing something new she discovered... which I am always anxious to copy.) She shared her granola recipe with me... and I fell in love with it. Thanks, Monica!

Ingredients:
14 C rolled oats
2 C wheat germ
2 C coconut
2 t salt
1 1/4 brown sugar

1/2 C honey
1 C oil
1 C warm water
1 T vanilla

Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Pour the wet over the dry and mix together.
Pour the granola onto two baking sheets.
Bake at 225 for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

To serve, you can add anything you'd like... like peaches, bananas, raisins, craisins, almonds, etc. I like to sprinkle on some flaxseed and I love it with nutmeg!