Granola Crunch

12 cups oats
3 cups coconut
2 cups wheat germ
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
2 cups honey
1 cup oil

Mix together oats, coconut, wheat germ. sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Warm together the honey and oil. Pour honey and oil over oat mixture and mix thoroughly. Spread mixture onto two cookie sheets with sides. Bake at 225 deg for two hours, stirring a couple of times. If you want to add almonds, do so for the last hour.

Buttermilk Pancakes Picture

This is Melanie's plate of Buttermilk Pancakes with strawberries and whipping cream. YUM!

Vanilla Cream Syrup

Syrup of the week:

Vanilla Cream Syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh fruit, diced, or fresh berries (optional)

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and cream in a 1-quart pan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 2 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and fruit.

yield: 1 Cup (enough for about 4 people)

I have made this without fruit, or poured it over fruit. Delicious! Seen with French Toast.

Buttermilk Syrup

Buttermilk Syrup

3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a LARGE pot. Like one you'd make soup in. Yes, you'll have way more pot than ingredients, but this will boil all over your newly-cleaned stove if you put it in a smaller saucepan.

Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it's still bubbling, you're okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes. You're basically making candy here and candy-making requires constant vigilance.

When it's done, it should take on this luscious golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

You can save any unused syrup in the refrigerator and warm up another time. This didn't last more than a few days at my house though because I was looking for anything I could make to eat it with. YUMMMMM!!!!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 T oil
1 cup flour
1 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt

Beat egg. Add remaining ingredients in order given, beat until smooth. If too thick, add milk until desired consistancy. Cook on hot griddle.

French Toast Waffles

I was reading in my Southern Living Book last night and they mentioned you could cook your battered bread for french toast in a waffle iron! William always wants waffles so I tried it this morning and it was pretty good...not amazing, but good. I am always looking for new breakfast foods, so if you feel adventurous, give it a try. You could also try this syrup with them:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/04/buttermilk-syrup.html
enjoy!

Berry Sauce

1 pint fresh or frozen berries
1/3 c water
1/2 c sugar
1 T corn starch
1 T lemon juice

Combine berries, water, sugar and corn starch and heat to boiling stirring frequently until thickened. Cook 2 minutes more stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice.

I like to serve this over waffles or cheese cake.

French Toast

I know what you are thinking...."yeah right, I don't need a recipe for this," but after I started making french toast this way, I will never make it the old way again. The problem I have had for years is that I always thought french toast was either too eggy or soggy. I have since learned that too much milk makes it soggy and too little makes it eggy. The secret ingredient in this recipe is flour added to the batter! Perfect french toast every time! I found this in a "Top secret restaurant recipes" book and apparently this is IHOP's recipe. I have adjusted it just a bit for my own liking though (their recipe is for 2 eggs).

French Toast

3 eggs
1/4 C milk
3 Tb flour
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla


So that you never have to read this recipe ever again, just remember one Tb flour per egg. I plan on one egg per person. Let me know what you think!

German Pancakes

6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 C milk
4 T butter
1 C flour

Whip eggs in blender till thick and lemon colored. Add milk, flour, and salt. Mix again. Heat butter in 13x9 pan while oven is preheating. Pour batter into pan of melted butter. Bake 450 degrees for 15 to 20 min.

Serve with syrup or apple syrup.

tip: be sure not to burn butter. Melt it the second half of preheating.

Basic Smoothie

3-4 large strawberries
1/2 C blueberries
1 banana
1/2 C milk
1/2 C plain yogurt
a squeeze of honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tb sugar
6 ice cubes
1-2 Tb. frozen spinach (optional)

Mix until smooth and enjoy!

You can change this recipe to fit whatever you have on hand but this is a basic outline. AND..Try the spinach! You can't taste it at all and I am always thrilled my little boy is eating spinach!

Apple Syrup

1 C sugar
2 T corn starch
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 C apple juice
splash of lemon
1/4 C butter

Combine all then cook over medium heat till desired thickness. Serve warm

(I half this for my family of 3 and still have leftovers for the refrigerator.)

Puff Pancakes

2 Tb butter
2 eggs 1/2 C milk
1/2 C flour
2 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place the butter in a 9 in. pie plate; bake in a 425 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or until melted. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In another small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon; whisk in egg mixture until smooth. Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until sides are crisp and golden brown.

Serve with blueberry sauce & whipping cream.

(for my family of three, I have to double this and use 2 pie plates....but YUMMMMM!)

Blueberry Sauce

3 Tb sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 C water
2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in orange juice until smooth. Stir in blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Enjoy with a huge variety of breakfast pancakes. (3 servings)

(This is a good basic sauce for any berries)

Crepes

Sorry Alicia for not posting this sooner, but I have been debating on which recipe to post, so instead I will post both recipes and maybe you can help me decide which one you prefer.

Crepes

1 C flour
1 Tb. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients well; on a nonstick skillet over medium head use a stick of cold butter to grease the pan immediately before adding a scoop (depending on skillet size) of batter. Swirl batter around to make a thin layer. Flip. Repeat greasing with butter between each crepe. Have two skillets going if possible to make them faster.


This one is Clarks families recipe - it is a little bit easier but I still kind of like mine.

Swedish Pancakes

1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
3 well beaten eggs
3 cups milk
3 Tb. butter

Mix all and cook as above except there is no need to grease skillet in between crepes. Enjoy!

Favorite toppings: Syrup, apple syrup, blueberry sauce, strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, (whipping cream with berry toppings), and white sugar.