Breakfast Goodies

My family always took brunch very seriously, and I’ve made it my mission to find all the best breakfast recipes and brunch goodies around. Sure, the healthy stuff like delicious frittatas and smoothies full of fruits and veg…but especially the wonderful carbs.

That’s right, the sheer number of different types of pancakes, waffles, scones, twisty sweet breads, biscuits, and more that I’ve got here might blow your mind.

With that in mind, here are a few of my fave breakfast recipes to get you started:

You can see the full recipe index here, look through a more visual archive here, or you can browse the archives below…

Amazing, Fluffy Cream Biscuits

January 16, 2014

These cream biscuits are the bomb diggity.

Bomb. Diggity.

I love biscuits. Basically all biscuits (except Chick Fil-A’s…their food is awesome except their biscuits which are sad). But I tend to get lazy about cutting butter into flour. It’s so annoying!

Sure, maybe it’s not the most difficult thing ever, but for some reason it always makes me feel like a failure. Then I ran across this recipe. The cream provides the fat for the biscuit, so no butter-cutting necessary.

I was skeptical that these could possibly be as good as biscuits made the old-fashioned way, though. But I needed to throw a side bread together really quickly the other night and decided to try the recipe, and was stunned by how good these are.

They’re light and fluffy and buttery on top, took five minutes to throw together, and are even almost just as good leftover.

That’s right—GOOD LEFTOVER BISCUITS. It’s a January miracle.

Save for later: A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…READ THE POST

Caramel-Glazed Apple Bread

January 5, 2014

It’s weird. As a self-proclaimed caramel hater (okay, maybe “hate” is strong, but “non-lover”), I somehow made two different awesome recipes within a couple weeks back in November where caramel was the star. The first was the caramel pear crumble pie I made for Thanksgiving, and the second was this fall-worthy gem—caramel apple bread.

Obviously, apple and cinnamon are a can’t-miss combination. But the caramel glaze really elevates this bread beyond what a regular powdered sugar glaze would. It gives not just a sweetness but a warmth, and the burnt sugar caramel flavor deepens everything.

This is one of those beautiful quick bread recipes that’s super easy to throw together—I mean, the bread takes as long as it takes to chop the apples, basically. And you get not one, but two, loaves of sweet bread that can feed hungry overnight guests for breakfast, delight your co-workers, or punt as an easy dessert.

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November Cakes a.k.a. Gooey Delicious Orange Buns

December 29, 2013

Have you ever read a piece of fiction that describes some kind of food in such rich, real detail that the food becomes real to you?

It’s a talent, writing about completely made-up food in a way that’s so real to the reader that they have a visceral need to create (re-create?) the food in their world. As an avid reader, I’ve certainly run across these kinds of fictional foods from time to time, but rarely has a recipe captured my imagination like the November Cakes from Maggie Stiefvater’s “The Scorpio Races”.

In the middle of a chill, windy, haunting Irish November, Stiefvater describes these rolls as “oozing honey and butter, rivulets of the creamy frosting joining the honey in the pit of my hand.” Pretty amazing, right?

I actually tried a recipe for this a year or two ago, but was disappointed with the dry, somewhat bland results. When I saw this particular recipe and heard people rave about it, I knew I had to give it another try.

And these were everything promised. The dough itself isn’t that sweet, just an orange-tinged yeast roll. It’s the combination of the honey-caramel glaze (which I also spiked with orange extract) soaking into the rolls and the sweet white orange-flavored icing on top that elevates this to complete indulgence.READ THE POST

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes Ever

December 7, 2013

Paaaaaaancakes! Specifically, buttermilk pancakes. When they’re good (and not that terrible IHOP pre-fab stuff), they are one of my favorite foods. Hot and fluffy, a little gooey center, nutty whole grain taste, and slathered in peanut butter and syrup. It pretty much doesn’t get any better than that.

They’re also one of the easiest things in the world to whip up, and endlessly versatile.

I realized a while back that—while I had posted whole grain pancakes, healthy apple cinnamon pancakes, ricotta pancakes, gingerbread pancakes, cinnamon polenta pancakes, and bourbon banana pancakes—I had never posted the recipe that started it all, my awesome basic buttermilk pancakes.

Does anyone else put peanut butter on their pancakes and waffles? We always did it, and I assumed everyone else did.

But going to summer camp growing up, I found out that this was considered somewhat weird. It’s so good, you have to try it! It’s my goal to convert the entire Southeast to the gospel of peanut butter on pancakes.

In all my focus on trying and posting new recipes, I’ve neglected some of my tried and true favorite recipes, so I’m working on rectifying that. My mom’s lasagna, simple coffee cake, buttermilk Belgian waffles, chocolate chip cookies, and our family buttermilk pancake recipe.

It’s not an exaggeration to say we made these the majority of my sabbath mornings growing up. Occasionally we’d throw in some waffles, french toast, or biscuits, but mostly we made delicious, fluffy pancakes!READ THE POST

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

November 29, 2013

I actually made this about a month ago, but haven’t had a chance to bring its greatness to you yet. I love ricotta, and I love lemon, so this is a recipe tailor-made for me.

First of all, it’s super easy—just blend everything together, throw it in a pan, and call it a day. But secondly, it can do double duty as both a breakfast and a dessert.

This lemon ricotta pound cake is the perfect antidote to holiday food excesses.

It’s light and sweet and tart, so a great alternative to all of the heavy, rich desserts we’re usually consuming this time of year. It would be great to have on hand for company to just snack on whenever they want.

If I had any complaints about this recipe, they would probably be about the texture, which can be a little dry, but since it’s pound cake that’s really more the nature of the beast. It’s good on its own, but even better with some tea or coffee.

I had some overflow batter, so I greased up a ramekin and baked little individual pound cakes. Next time I think I’d use a few more ramekins and do shallower mini cakes, or else it can get a little bread-y.READ THE POST

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

November 25, 2013

This one’s for you banana bread lovers out there…

…of which I am not one. It’s one of my shameful foodie secrets. I’ve tried loving banana bread, I really have. And I don’t hate it. I just don’t LOVE it.

So when I saw this recipe that includes cinnamon and chocolate chips (two of my favorite things!), I thought that this would be the open door into me loving all banana baked goods…muffins, breads, and cake, oh my! (well, actually I love banana cake, so that doesn’t really count.)

Overall this cinnamon chocolate chip banana bread had awesome texture and flavor, and the whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat) made it dense (read: hearty and filling) without being heavy.

The cinnamon almost made it a touch too intense—in some ways, I felt like the recipe would be better with EITHER the chocolate chips or cinnamon—but both worked really well with the banana. So while it didn’t change my mind, it IS probably the best banana bread I’ve had.READ THE POST

Omelet with Caramelized Onions, Kale, Tomatoes, & Goat Cheese

November 12, 2013

Sometimes it’s the little things, ya know??

This omelet recipe was an accidental brainchild, a dish born out of necessity.

My dad was in town a couple weeks ago and I invited a friend over to spend time with us. He chose brunch, so I decided to make my whole grain buttermilk belgian waffles.

Things were pretty rushed that morning since my dad was helping me install gas logs in my fireplace and we had run into some snags (we took 5—count ’em, 5—trips to Home Depot that weekend). I knew I needed to provide some eggs with my waffles, but couldn’t bring myself to do boring ol’ scrambled.

My next thought was omelets, which is my go-to egg dish when serving less than 5 people (any more, and you need to upgrade to a casserole or something). I rooted around in my fridge and came up with what I thought was the perfect combination.

I had a half of a yellow onion left from dinner the night before, so I sliced it up in strips and caramelized it. Then I sautéed up a little kale, chopped up some tomatoes and goat cheese, and threw it all in an omelet.

I figured it’d be pretty good and would more than satisfy these two dudes’ palates. But wow, was I surprised at how good it was! This one is definitely a keeper. Add a little shaved parmesan as garnish, and we’re in business.

Omelets are a fairly regular part of my dietary rotation, my go-to egg dish with company. I’ll make them with whatever I have on-hand—garlic, peppers, tomatoes, various cheese, herbs, whatever. But these were kind of a revelation.

The kale gave it some chew, the tomatoes and caramelized onions provided a sweetness, and the goat cheese melted into this creamy pool of awesomeness. It was the perfect combination of flavors.READ THE POST

Marion Cunningham’s Overnight Yeast Waffles

November 9, 2013

YOU GUYS. These. Overnight. Yeast. Waffles.

The last few weeks have been pretty insane, work has been overwhelming with crazy long hours, and I’ve just been so tired. Last weekend daylight savings time ended, which should have meant that I got an extra hour of sleep, but instead meant that my body’s been waking me up at 4:15 every morning this week.

And the sun is rising so early—I’m so used to getting into work and having a couple hours of darkness to get stuff done (I’m like a mole, I like working in a cave) that the early sunrise is making me feel like I’m starting the morning way behind. It has, however, exposed me to some glorious sunrises this week on my drive to work.

Anyway, back to the waffles. I do have a point, I promise. My family takes brunch very seriously. Every sabbath growing up, we would get up and whip up a feast of pancakes or waffles, eggs, bacon, and fruit. While I tend to be more partial to pancakes, my mom absolutely loves waffles.

When I was little, we made the kind of waffles that required you to beat egg whites for forever and gently fold them in. Which is ridiculous and time consuming. Then we found (or kind of created?) this buttermilk waffle recipe which is easy and awesome.

But I still seem to be on a mission for the best waffle recipe, because waffles and pancakes are definitely a kind of comfort food for me and my family. And I’m very much in need of comfort food right now.

I think I originally found this overnight yeast waffle recipe on Smitten Kitchen, but then within the same week found it on A Cozy Kitchen. It’s a classic recipe (that I’d never heard of), and it seemed like all of a sudden it was having a “moment”.

When I first read the recipe, I was fascinated by the idea. Yeast in waffles?? And leaving batter out overnight?! But both bloggers raved about the flavor and texture of the waffles, and I knew I had to try them.

When my mom came into town last weekend, I knew I’d found my opportunity. If there are waffles involved, she’s on board. She got in Friday night and I whipped up the batter before heading to bed, then we got up, drank coffee for a few hours, and then got around to making our (fascinating) overnight yeast waffles.

That’s one great thing about this recipe—exact time isn’t important. You don’t have to time it the night before or make it right away in the morning. I put on at around 8:00 Friday night and we didn’t end up making them til almost noon Saturday. The recipe is pretty forgiving.

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Apple Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake

October 20, 2013

I think fall may finally be sneaking up on us here in Georgia. We’ve had a gorgeous late summer and early fall…making up for the terrible, rainy spring and summer we had. Even in mid-October we’ve had temps in the upper 70s and even 80s. I was laying out at the pool last weekend. For real. The pool was tarped over and there was only one chair left, but I was there.

Then this week it turned gray and rainy and a little chilly.

This guy just wanted to cuddle. I don’t blame him. I’m not ready for fall weather, but I do think I’m ready for fall food.

And is there a more quintessentially-fall dish than one combining apples, cinnamon, and streusel topping?? I think maybe not.

I’ll be honest—I don’t think I’ve ever tried out a traditional coffee cake recipe besides the one I grew up on (my mom’s, which is amazing). I mean, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

So last week when it was my turn to make treats for a co-worker’s birthday, and knowing that she loves cinnamon-y things, I figured I’d whip up my mom’s coffee cake.

But then I was browsing Pinterest and found a recipe I’d pinned a long time ago for an apple cinnamon chip coffee cake.

“Hmm…” I thought, “Intriguing. I have all this homemade apple butter and I stocked up on cinnamon chips. Maybe this is fate.” [I typed “fat” the first time and almost left it because that seemed apropos as well]

But I made a number of adjustments, such as using half a bag of cinnamon chips instead of a whole bag (which really seemed like overkill).

The biggest change I made, though, was swapping out the basic powdered sugar glaze the recipe suggested for the sweet and slightly crunchy cinnamon-sugar streusel topping that’s more traditional for coffee cakes. And it was amazing!

This cake was so moist, even a couple days after I made it (I had to make it Sunday and serve it Tuesday). The cinnamon chips in the cake were like tiny little gems of awesome studded throughout.READ THE POST

Cheryl’s Healthy Morning Glory Muffins

October 13, 2013

I love me a good, healthy breakfast option. When I find one I love, I tend to stick with it. Which explains why I’ve had approximately 323 spinach and pineapple smoothies in the past several months…

A month or two ago, my co-worker brought these amazing morning glory muffins into work. I ate one (and then another) and then went right to her desk and asked her for the recipe.

When she sent it, it was even better than I’d thought—whole wheat flour, oil, apple butter, and lots of super healthy add-ins like coconut, walnuts, and carrots. And yet they tasted so indulgent!

They jumped to the top of my “must make” list, and I tried them out a couple weeks later. The recipe was super easy and they turned out so well! I kept them at my desk for breakfast and a mid-morning snack until they were all gone. READ THE POST

Frittata with Beets, Leeks, & Feta

October 12, 2013

Sometimes you just need to go back to basics.

A few (very insane) weeks ago I was still figuring out how to do things for myself after my surgery, just coming back to work (officially) full-time, rehabbing, and getting ready to head out of town for over a week. In short, I was pretty dang tired and feeling very “meh” about cooking or anything else that required even an iota of non-essential energy.

But I was also trying to get back to a normal life, including eating a lot healthier. While I was recovering from the surgery, convenience became a huge focus, so I ate a lot of Kashi pizzas, rotisserie chicken, and packaged ravioli. Not terrible, but not great either. So I told myself that ordering Thai food wasn’t an option and tried to find the next-easiest thing. That’s when I thought about a frittata.

The thing is, they feel kind of fancy, but they’re so simple. And you can make them out of almost anything. Seriously. Dump a bunch of leftovers in there, it’ll be great. I made it with leftover mac & cheese once, and it was awesome.

Honestly, the only thing I had to actually pick up at the grocery store that Sunday was the beet and the leek, because I wanted to try something a little different.

I’ve been meaning to try cooking with beets, so figured this was a great opportunity. But I had spinach in the fridge, a little bit of leftover feta sitting around, eggs, and cheese. What more do you need?? So the feta, leek, and beet frittata was born.

The beet was interesting in the frittata. One thing I didn’t anticipate was that it’s a little more watery than a sweet potato (so not as much caramelization), so I should have maybe patted the diced beets dry before cooking. Honestly I should have roasted them first. My first choice would have been a golden beet, but all they had was red (which stains everything). It was still great, and a nicely-different flavor combination.READ THE POST

Bourbon Banana Pancakes

September 11, 2013

Take *that* Jack Johnson! Because these bourbon banana pancakes 100% beat his…

I have an irrational strong dislike of Jack Johnson. But, the first Jack Johnson song I ever heard was “Banana Pancakes”, and it’s still the only one I can really stand (though still prefer not to hear). I resent that fact that Every. Single. Station. On Pandora will ultimately become a Jack Johnson and John Mayer station if you don’t fight it. Give it up, Pandora! We won’t stand for any of that nonsense here!

But I digress…anyway, I showed Jack Johnson who’s boss. Because these are so much more awesome than just regular banana pancakes.

Saturday morning when I got up, I planned to throw together some of my famous buttermilk pancakes. I’d realized that, while I’ve posted several adaptations on that recipe, I’d never published my regular, foolproof plan for fluffy goodness.

But when I got up and looked around my kitchen, my eyes fell on a pile of bananas on the verge of going bad. I just bought them a few days ago! It seems like all of my bananas are over-ripening in record time lately, so I decided I needed to make a dent in this pile and do something banana-y for breakfast.

And then I remembered this recipe I bookmarked from the always-interesting A Cozy Kitchen a while back. Bourbon. Banana. Pancakes.

Mmmmm Ol’ Fo.

READ THE POST

Sweet Potato, Pepper, & Kale Frittata With Goat Cheese

April 1, 2013

I’ve mentioned how much I rely on frittatas to have a real meal when I haven’t really planned ahead.

Lately, with all the house drama and packing and such, I seem to be constantly caught off-guard when it comes to meals. A lot of the time, I’ll just throw together a pasta with whatever’s on-hand, but frittatas are actually a healthier, protein-packed option. And this frittata packed with peppers, sweet potato, and kale is a winner.

I’ve already shared what is still my current favorite, the spinach frittata with sweet potato hash crust (and goat cheese). So you may be sensing a theme here.

I used the same idea of scallions and sweet potatoes to create a delicious, almost caramelized crust, but made a few changes based on what I had in my fridge. I still used the goat cheese, but added kale instead of spinach and threw in a red bell pepper I’d bought for no good reason. Plus, I pre-baked the sweet potatoes in the microwave to cut down on cooking time—by half.

As long as you use basic frittata proportions (for me, that’s 8 eggs and a 1/2 cup of milk for a round pan; 10 or so for a 9×13 pan), you can basically add anything you want based on what’s in season or in your fridge—zucchini, tomatoes, corn, peppers, greens, any kind of cheese, fresh herbs, potatoes. Go crazy with combinations! But you truly can’t go wrong with this sweet potato, pepper, kale frittata combo with that goat cheese kicker…

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Snickerdoodle Biscotti

March 6, 2013

Hmm…I’m seeing kind of a theme here. First it was actual snickerdoodles, then snickerdoodle bread, and now snickerdoodle biscotti? I guess I just don’t know how to resist a great cinnamon-sugar combination.

I was planning to make something else a little more labor-intensive last weekend, but then I ran across this recipe. I was in a particularly lazy mood and didn’t feel like putting much effort into anything, so I decided to try it out. Because you want to know a secret?

Biscotti are (is?) actually very easy to make. Sure, the baking time is a little longer, but from an effort standpoint they’re a breeze.

You might also like: The Kitchen Tools & Gadgets I’m Obsessed With

This recipe is also particularly great, because I had all the ingredients on-hand already. Many biscottis you need special nuts (hazelnuts, pistacchios) or some other add-in (citrus zest, etc.), but these were all normal ingredients pretty much everyone already has.
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Brown Butter Scones with Roasted Pear & Dark Chocolate

February 27, 2013

As we’ve established, I love pears, and one of the flavor combinations I love best is pear with dark chocolate. A couple months ago I made a delightful brown butter cake with pear and bittersweet chocolate, which was quite a revelation, flavor-wise.

So a couple days later I tried out these pear and dark chocolate scones, but decided to tweak the recipe a little and add in that brown butter flavor.

Brown butter really does add another layer of flavor to things, but it’s an extra step in baking so you can decide to just use all cold butter instead (they’ll probably be a little fluffier). I’ve done a separate post with detailed steps and photos of how to brown butter, if that’s helpful.READ THE POST

Almond Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie

February 11, 2013

So, we’re back to smoothies…

I’ve been doing my best, despite an insane work schedule and a house search, to eat just as healthy as I do when I have time and energy. I get to work quite early, and I’m a big believer in breakfast (plus my blood sugar can go wonky). But oatmeal at my desk can get kind of boring. So lately I’ve been jumping on the smoothie merry-go-round.

This almond apple smoothie caught my eye. The apple-cinnamon flavor combo is a winner for me, and I love how the nuts (and greek yogurt) really gave it some added protein. It’s also super easy!

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Coconut Milk Smoothie With Raw Egg: Healthy, Fat-Burning Breakfast

January 26, 2013

I’ve definitely been on a smoothie kick lately, and trying combinations that are way outside of my normal smoothie-zone. This whole past week I’ve been trying an apple-cinnamon shake (recipe to come), and then today I tried a smoothie with raw egg for the first time ever.

I know, raw eggs. Lots of people have an automatic “EWWW!” response to the thought of eating or drinking raw eggs. First thing—consuming raw eggs is not inherently dangerous. The only real danger is salmonella (also a danger from raw meat and various fruits and vegetables). By the most recent estimates, only maybe 1 in 30,000 eggs has salmonella, so those odds are fairly good in my book, but for children, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems it may be safer to stay clear.

And eggs are incredibly healthy—they’re full of protein, vitamin B, and choline, and they provide lots of energy and repair your body at a cellular level. Nutritionists and scientists still argue about whether or not raw eggs are actually healthier than cooked, but they made a nice protein addition to the shake…better than weird, chemical-y protein powder, at least.READ THE POST

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pancakes

January 21, 2013

Pancakes are a beautiful thing. Breakfast or dinner, buttermilk, whole wheat, flavored, ricotta—they’re always delicious, filling, and somehow comforting.

They’re also very forgiving. Many recipes (particularly ones that use baking ingredients) can be finicky, needing exact measurements and careful combining to yield a good result. But not pancakes.

I roughly measure ingredients when making pancakes, but never get worried about being precise. The batter feels too thick? Add a little more buttermilk. Feel like a little flavor? Add a big spoonful of apple butter or some lemon zest and juice. The variations are endless, and a batch can be thrown together in five minutes.READ THE POST

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

January 4, 2013

Guys, I was REEEEEEALLY skeptical about this one.

Unlike many people, crockpots actually scare me. I’m on board with soups and chili, but pretty much everything else I’ve ever made in a crock pot has turned out burned, dry, soggy, or otherwise not very good. It’s like I’m incapable of mastering it. But I needed a make-ahead breakfast option for my “breakfast day” at work, so the crockpot was really my only option. I turned to this crockpot breakfast casserole recipe…and guess what? It turned out surprisingly great!

The final result wasn’t *pretty*, mind you (hence no pics of it ready to serve) but it was very flavorful, not dry at all, and got a thumbs-up from my co-workers. Plus, the assembly the night before was quick and painless—cooking the bacon was the most involved piece, everything else was just layering. Slow cooker breakfast casserole for the win!READ THE POST

Snickerdoodle Bread

January 1, 2013

This bread is magical.

I’m not someone who could generally be accused of being a snickerdoodle freak, though I’m a sucker for a cinnamon-sugar combo. But I might change my mind after having this snickerdoodle bread.

The blog I got this recipe from (Lil Luna) warns that the cinnamon chips are usually only in grocery stores during the holidays, so best to stock up on a few bags right now while the getting is good. There was actually a shortage a few years back for months, and I started effectively buying them on the black market 🙂

The other great part about this bread (cake? cake bread? bread cake?) is that it literally takes five minutes to mix together, then you just pop it in the oven and go about your business! I realized late in the day that the next morning was my “breakfast day” at work and I didn’t have much of an evening to make something, and this turned out to be the perfect option (and I carefully packed the second loaf in my carry-on bag to visit my family the next day!). READ THE POST

Baby Spinach, Goat Cheese & Sweet Potato Frittata

December 30, 2012

Sometimes I forget how awesome and easy frittatas are. Sure, they take slightly longer than scrambled eggs or an omelette, but the end result is also so much better. Plus there are leftovers. Do you have leftovers from scrambled eggs? (If so, ew.)

This frittata was even better than I’d imagined—the salty tanginess of the goat cheese, the sweet firmness of the sweet potatoes, the flash of green onion and the fragrant pop of the rosemary just all combined for an amazing flavor.

Most frittatas only take about 20 minutes. This one took slightly longer because the sweet potatoes need a little longer to cook than other things I’ve used (shallots, zucchini, etc.), but it also made an even more delightful crust.

[Note: Images updated 2019; I’d forgotten how delicious this recipe is!! Going back in the rotation…]
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Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

December 21, 2012

Sometimes you just need to switch things up, y’know?? I’ve made no secret about my love of fresh, hot whole wheat buttermilk pancakes in all their many variations. But that’s generally the only kind of pancakes I make. I mean, why mess with perfection? I found this recipe for lemon ricotta pancakes intriguing, however, and decided I needed to give them a whirl.

Like many people, we had a Thanksgiving full of food, drink, family, late nights, and general craziness. Then tons of leftovers the next day. So by the weekend, we were ready for something light and simple. Enter “breakfast for dinner”. My mom made eggs and I threw together these fluffy ricotta pancakes since we had ricotta leftover from Thanksgiving. They had such an interesting and moist texture, practically melted in your mouth.READ THE POST

Mom’s Famous Homemade Donuts

December 19, 2012

My mom’s homemade donuts are one of those fleeting, kind of mythical things that only comes around once in a blue moon. I’m pretty sure they are my mom’s favorite thing to make, but she only does so like once a year. I love that they’re not insanely sweet (*coughKrispyKremecough*) and actually aren’t horrible for you either. I mean, they’re not kale, but they could be worse.

The secret? It isn’t a donut recipe at all. It’s a recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook from eight million years ago, for panettone (an Italian Christmas treat, though not as light as these are typically), and the glaze is made up.

It’s funny, only as an adult have I become obsessed with donuts. Good, locally-made donuts, not Dunkin or Krispy Kreme nonsense. But doggone are good donuts amazing?!

Here’s the other really important thing—you have to eat these right away. Yes, you could eat them as leftovers, but it has been scientifically proven that homemade fried doughnuts are 927% better if eaten within the first 24 hours, and are absolutely best within the first few hours. So consider that permission to devour.READ THE POST

Orange Almond Biscotti

December 7, 2012

So, Smitten Kitchen claims that this is the best biscotti ever. And she may not be wrong.

This orange almond biscotti has a lovely light citrus flavor, a great crunch from the almonds, and crisped up to the perfect consistency—something that’s been missing with the other biscotti I’d made.

I couldn’t stop eating them, and even brought a bunch home for Thanksgiving in a ziploc bag and they traveled quite impressively.

These were a great breakfast, awesome with coffee and even with tea (I had them with a mandarin orange herbal tea and it was amazing!). These would make a great gift, hostess gift, or something to have on hand for company.READ THE POST

Two Different Takes On Single-Serving Scones

November 26, 2012

Boy, I love scones. They’re kind of my go-to breakfast food if I want to treat myself to something nice on the weekend. I make plain scones, cherry almond scones, Starbucks pumpkin scones (recipe coming soon), pretty much anything I can. But the downside is that a recipe generally makes 8-12 scones, which is way more than my poor workout schedule can take care of. So when I saw not one but two recipes for single-serving scone recipes, I knew my life had just gotten exponentially more awesome.

I stopped eating breakfast a couple years ago, and generally on weekends I just have tons of strong coffee to start my morning. Every so often, though, I’m struck with an intense craving for hot biscuits and honey. That’s basically what scones and biscuits are to me—an excuse to pile on jam or honey. You can’t say I don’t have my priorities straight.

These recipes are fairly similar, though the second one uses a little less sugar (and brown instead of white) and calls for coconut oil in its solid form (and seems slightly healthier overall). I didn’t have coconut oil on hand the first time so I tried it with butter, but I made the recipe again using coconut oil (and whole wheat flour) and it was still great. The first recipe also made a little more, I made two scones out of it. Both also bake at higher temperatures (450 F) than all my other scone recipes. READ THE POST

Healthy Apple Butter Pancakes

November 18, 2012

So, it was a big week in the Fergen household. My little sister, who lives in Louisville, finally went into labor with her first child. So I hit the road and have spent the last few days there with my family, just getting back around midnight last night.

That’s all to say, I haven’t had a chance to cook or bake much the past several days. So I hope you’ll accept this healthy, delicious little breakfast gem I tried a while back as a peace offering. I took a (probably even healthier) recipe from my friend Tonya’s blog, Nom Eat Nom, and adapted it for ingredients I had on-hand (including gobs of homemade apple butter). So I bring you apple butter pancakes!

These were full of whole grains, too, so they stayed with me a long time. And they toasted up nicely for breakfast during the work week. Plus…apple butter. I mean, what’s not to love?!

This is my little niece (niece #2) who decided to join us this week!READ THE POST

Make-Ahead Egg Muffins With Veggies & Chives

November 13, 2012

I’ve been on a mission. My mission is to find all of the best, easy, healthy breakfast options for work mornings.

I’ve already tried a few variations on egg muffin cups (here and here), but I liked how these guys looked. They were puffy and cheesy, and looked a little more substantial than the other ones I’d tried. Overall, I really liked them, though *cringe* I forgot that they were in the fridge at work and had to throw most of them out. It made me sad.
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Leftover Pasta Frittata

November 5, 2012

Guys, today was a big day for me. Life’s been a little crazy, so leftovers have piled up in my fridge for the past week. My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I bought produce and I thought I would use more of my leftovers, but I was going to have to throw everything away. And then I found the leftover pasta frittata, and my life changed.

Its beauty is in its simplicity and flexibility. Seriously almost anything can go in this frittata. Leftover beer mac & cheese? Check. Orange bell pepper and spinach getting close to expiration? Throw them in.

Generally I don’t have the time or energy to cook on a work night, but this was so easy. I even got some yoga in while the frittata was baking in the oven!READ THE POST

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

October 21, 2012

Strangely, I’d never really wondered how biscotti were made. They haven’t ever really interested me as a food—I like my cookies and breads soft and gooey, not teeth-shattering.

Then one Sunday evening last month, I was minding my own business, watching TV and browsing Pinterest, and I got this sudden, strong compulsion to make biscotti. It was seriously weird.

So I began searching for biscotti recipes on Pinterest and also just online overall, bookmarking a few that looked interesting. But I was hampered somewhat by the ingredients I had on hand. For instance, I didn’t have almonds at home, and most of the recipes called for them. Then I found this gem of a recipe, and I was immediately hooked: chocolate hazelnut biscotti.

Strangely, I DID have hazelnuts on hand—my mom had given me some frozen hazelnut bits quite some time ago—so I decided it was fate, and set to work.

Biggest thing we learned from chocolate hazelnut biscotti-making experiment? I have no actual concept of what a half-inch is. Truly

Turns out, the basic premise of biscotti is that you bake it twice, which makes it crunchier and harder than a regular cookie or bread. And now you know.

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Sweet Brown Rice Porridge

September 24, 2012

I’m kind of at a loss for what to call this dish. At its root it’s “sweet rice”, a lightly-sweet breakfast dish my mom used to make occasionally with leftover rice when I was a kid. But it’s a couple steps beyond that, too, because I went on one of those sprees where I start throwing whatever else healthy I can think of into the pot.

Basically it’s an alternative to oatmeal. It’s really filling, easy to make ahead and bring to work, and very healthy as well.

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Infinitely better than an Egg McMuffin (Mini Breakfast Frittatas)

September 14, 2012

If it hasn’t been obvious from my past 10 or so posts, I’ve been really trying to find good, easy make-ahead breakfasts for weekdays. Part of that is that I’ve been trying to eat even healthier than normal to fit into a bridesmaid dress (and look good in my upcoming trip pictures). The other part is that my work schedule has been so crazy that I feel like normal meals have become non-existent. Enter the mini frittata.

This was very similar to the kind of baked/oven poached eggs I did a few weeks ago. And just as easy.

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Moist, Healthy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

September 2, 2012

A couple weeks ago, my CSA box had some little apples in it. Now apples are one of those fruits I can kind of take or leave—I think I ate way too many some years ago taking the “an apple a day” adage too seriously. But they are fairly good for baking, and I wasn’t about to let these go to waste.

Since I’m trying to be really healthy (and fit into a dress next weekend), desserts like pies, crisps, etc. were out. But I’d pinned this healthy apple cinnamon oatmeal muffin recipe a while ago and decided it sounded sufficiently healthy.

My biggest complaint with muffins generally is that they’re usually kind of dry. Oh, sure, maybe they’re fine straight out of the oven. But once they cool they’re a surefire way to choking and getting the hiccups from not being able to swallow. BUT NOT THESE. Seriously, these are like magic moistness muffins.

I had a couple for breakfast all week, and they stayed just as moist and awesome. This might be my favorite muffin recipe ever.

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And the award for best presentation goes to… (Eggs in Peppers)

September 1, 2012

In looking at all my recipes lately, I’ve been on quite an egg kick. Which is weird because, while I don’t hate eggs or anything, I don’t really eat them that often and sometimes they make me a little nauseous. Maybe my sudden interest in eggs has to do with the ravenous protein cravings I’ve been having. Regardless, this recipe caught my eye because it was fast, easy, cute, and added a little something extra to your average egg recipe.

And I love red peppers.

If you’re the kind of person that keeps red peppers on hand, then this recipe is for you. And, it’s totally scalable—it can make one serving or feed a whole family if necessary.

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Double the pleasure, double the fiber (Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread)

August 28, 2012

I’ve definitely been on a bread-baking kick lately—though not sure if this one qualifies as an actual “bread”. It’s delicious and moist and fiber-ful and CHOCOLATE. It’s breakfast and dessert. It’s so many things.

And the best thing about this?? It’s surprisingly healthy! No, really.

While there’s some brown sugar in it, and the chocolate chips (though I use at least half dark chocolate chips because I think they taste better), otherwise it’s made with oil and honey and zucchini. You could even try using whole wheat flour, though I haven’t yet myself.

The first time I made it, I thought it was done and pulled it out of the oven too early, so seriously everything but the edges was complete chocolate goo. Which sounds great, but actually was just too much. So don’t be like me. Never be like me. The second time I got it right.

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Kale, Bacon, & Egg Breakfast Casserole

August 27, 2012

I never understood the big deal about breakfast casseroles until recently. My co-workers love them—of course, that’s because they usually have pig products in them, which I don’t get as excited about. But to me, it always seemed like more work and time to do a casserole than to just make eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

But I was intrigued by this one, partly because it contains my vegetable du jour (mese? annno?), kale. Kale for breakfast? Count me in! Also, I had a crowd to feed last weekend with family in town, and we had made turkey bacon the day before so I swiped a few pieces for the next day’s breakfast. Bam, one step down. I’m that efficient…

From there, it was super easy to put together and put in the oven. I included one of my little tricks for getting egg dishes to cook evenly in the instructions, because it’s saved my life a few times. I live in perpetual fear of accidentally giving all my co-workers or family food poisoning by under-cooking eggs or chicken.

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A “berry” good idea (Blueberry Scones)

August 22, 2012

My mom and sisters were in town last weekend, which means I cooked and baked my face off all weekend. It was a great excuse to try a bunch of new recipes and generally stuff ourselves!

On Saturday morning we decided to make some eggs and bacon, and then wanted some kind of bread. We thought about pancakes or waffles, but my mom suggested some kind of scones. Since I didn’t feel up to the effort that pumpkin scones require, I thought it was a great chance to try a new scone recipe.

I had frozen blueberries on-hand, so that worked just fine—blueberry scones it is! While this wasn’t my favorite scone recipe I’ve ever tried, it was a great one to have in the repertoire.

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Make-Ahead Mini Baked Eggs & Veggies

August 15, 2012

I’m a breakfast proponent. Not because I love eating so early in the morning, but because it’s one of the best things you can do for keeping your blood sugar and energy up all day. Normally I just go for fiber-y cereal or instant oatmeal, or the smoothies I’ve been doing lately, but I found this idea from Pinterest intriguing. I’ve seen several of my co-workers cook up eggs in a pan ahead of time and make a McMuffin-type breakfast when they get to work, but this was a little different—the egg ends up almost poached.

You can make them plain or throw some veggies or cheese in as well. I had some sweet peppers and summer squash leftover from my CSA box last week, so I used those, and threw in some spinach that was about to go bad. I forgot cheese, but would totally put a little on next time.

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Healthy smoothie variation (Pear, Kale, & Mango Smoothie)

August 1, 2012

I posted an awesome pineapple spinach smoothie I’d been trying out for breakfast every day a couple weeks ago. On a few of the smoothie websites I’d read that you should mix it up, not just always do the same fruits and veggies, to get the most out of the nutrients. So I switched up a few of the ingredients for the past week and made this pear, mango, & kale smoothie. Just as good, though I think I prefer the spinach one from a texture standpoint.

What I’ve been doing is making this in the morning, drinking part of it on my way to work, then putting it in the fridge while I have my normal coffee and such. Then I pull it out of the fridge around 10:30 and have breakfast part deux.

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It’s actually way better than it sounds… (Spinach Pineapple Smoothie)

July 20, 2012

I’ve been feeling the need to detox a little. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing any of that crazy stuff like drinking only lemon juice and cayenne pepper or anything. It’s just that between the long work hours, lack of sleep, some weekend trips, and general meh-ness, I’ve been feeling pretty blah lately.

I was browsing Pinterest for recipes and found a bunch of different smoothies, which just struck my fancy for some reason. This spinach pineapple smoothie in particular jumped out at me, which is weird because I’ve never had a green smoothie. And I know the spinach makes it looks so weird, but it’s actually really good. The pineapple and banana are plenty sweet and you don’t taste the spinach at all. So I’ve been drinking it every day for over a week, and am loving it.

And now for the good news:

When blended really well, the combination of low calorie foods mixed with fiber and antioxidant-rich ingredients means your body doesn’t need to work as much because the food is already broken down. This allows key nutrients to flood the body better than if the food were eaten whole and separately. Additionally, spinach is a nutritional powerhouse full of vitamins A and K, as well as iron, folate, calcium, and lutein. The pineapple is a vitamin C star, which helps the body absorb the iron in the spinach—which for someone like me who is always low on iron & vitamin C, it’s a 1-2 punch of awesome. Sign me up!

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Frittata with Summer Squash, Tomatoes, & Scallions

July 1, 2012

I’ve always kind of had an irrational fear of making frittatas (or frittate as the Italians would say). I think it probably stems from the time I made a quiche for my breakfast day at work, and realized once I got ready to serve it that the egg was still runny. So, panicked, I ran to the kitchen and threw the entire quiches (yes, there were two) in the microwave and started re-cooking them. Suffice to say, it was a bit stressful and I was terrified I’d make all my co-workers sick with partially-cooked egg.

But I’m realizing how silly it is to be scared of frittatas, because they’re about the best, easiest, most versatile food you can make. It’s basically an open-face omelette—in fact, “frittata” comes from the Italian word for “to fry”. What’s truly excellent about it is that it’s what I call a “kitchen sink” food—meaning you have a basic base (in this case eggs, a little milk, seasoning, & cheese) and then you can add whatever you happen to have on hand to finish it off.

In this case I am still trying to use up the gobs of summer squash and scallions that came in my CSA box a week and a half ago, and I had some lovely tomatoes sitting around as well. But you could put whatever you want in here…zucchini, peppers, any other veggie, different types of cheese, fresh herbs (yes please!). The biggest thing is determining which things need sauteed first. Good rule of thumb: if it won’t be cooked to the right consistency with about 10 minutes in an egg mixture in the oven (tomato, for instance), you should cook it up first. You can saute it, or roast the veggies to add some lovely flavor, or if you have leftover cooked veggies you can throw them in too.

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Fancy twist on pancakes (Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes)

June 3, 2012

This morning when I got up, I went for a long run and was just craving something carb-y when I got home. Though I normally don’t do much besides coffee for weekend breakfasts, I decided to whip up some pancakes.

I’d found this cinnamon polenta pancakes recipe in a Food & Wine issue (I think) a long time ago and was intrigued by the cornmeal and cinnamon combination. I tried it once on a whim and was hooked. I probably make them more than regular pancakes now.

What’s even better? The recipe is super easy, takes the same amount of time as regular pancakes, and you should already have all the ingredients on hand.

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Go-To Easy “Fancy” Breakfast (Basic Scones)

May 3, 2012

So, last August my parents and I spent a week in Ireland, which has been on my bucket list since I was like 14 (and read a Nora Roberts trilogy set in Ardmore with hot Irish guys and cool music…but I digress). And you know what I was probably most excited about? Scones.

Well, and good beer. But also scones.

Easy Basic Scones | finding time for cooking blog

My basic scones with homemade strawberry jam!

I flipping LOVE scones, and was so excited to try them in their “birthplace” (or close enough). We went to Queen of Tarts in Dublin, I had them in Cashel, basically anywhere we went. Great excuse to have lots of cappuccino too. They came in all shapes and sizes, textures and flavors, moist or dry, etc.

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Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Cold Brew Coffee

April 26, 2012

I’m fairly new to cold brew coffee. Actually, by most people’s standards I’m fairly new to coffee altogether. My parents drink gallons but it never appealed to me (beyond the smell, which is awesome mixed with amazing)—that is until a visit in Italy in ’08. We had church every morning at 10:00 a.m. and between jet lag and staying up late, we were desperate for a pick-me-up at breakfast. Enter Lewlo, our awesome waiter/concierge, who hooked us up with as much free delicious cappuccino as we could put in our bellies. And I’ve been in love ever since.

I normally drink the Nespresso at work (with a raw sugar packet, in case you care), but we also have Keurig machines so I’d tried making iced coffee a few times when the hot brew wasn’t doing it for me. Unfortunately, it was super watered down and just…OFF. Then I read about the Pioneer Woman’s cold brew coffee recipe and it made perfect sense. I’ve tried it a couple times now and overall it’s awesome, plus I’ve found a couple twists that work for me.

The best part? For the price of a venti Starbucks iced latte, you can make 2-3 weeks’ worth of cold brew coffee for yourself—$4 or so for the coffee, a tiny bit for milk & sugar, and you’re good to go with iced coffee for dayyyyyyyys.

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