Baked Blueberry Pecan French Toast

Our church held our Christmas party this year in the morning and had people sign up for breakfast casseroles, fruit and/or milk. LOVED this breakfast idea on a Saturday morning! In looking for a new breakfast dish to make that wasn't the usual sausage and egg dish, I immediately went to My Kitchen Cafe. This blog is great! The author's SIL is a friend of mine from medical school and they are both quite amazing with their dedication to food blogging. So thanks, Melanie for all your hard work. For a picture of this dish, go to her site HERE. I didn't get up quite early enough to bake it and still be on time this morning, so when it was done, I rushed out the door and didn't even have a second to snap a pic of my version.

As for my version... I pretty much doubled the recipe in the same pan because I wanted it to serve more people. This increased the cooking time quite a bit. So instead of using 1 baguette, I used a 1lb. 6oz. Italian bread round loaf (the very dense kind of bread) from my local store's bakery. Also, plan ahead for this recipe, it has to soak for at least 8 hours overnight and bake for over an hour in the morning. Here it goes:

1- 1lb. 6 oz. round dense Italian bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes

12 eggs

2 c. milk

1 t. nutmeg

2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. brown sugar, divided

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted in skillet with 2 t. butter

1 stick butter

4 c. fresh blueberries

Butter or spray 13x9 pyrex pan. Place cubed bread in pan. In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla and 1 c. brown sugar until eggs are beaten slightly. Pour evenly over bread and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for at least 8 hours or up to 1 day, until most of the liquid is absorbed. I toasted my pecans the night before to save time in the morning.

Preheat oven to 375. Toss the bread a little bit to try to get the cubes on top saturated as well. Evenly distribute blueberries over bread and then sprinkle pecans on top. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and 1/2 c. brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour evenly over dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for an hour. Remove foil and continue baking until top is brown, dish is very bubbly and juices from blueberries are seeping out into bread, about 20 more minutes.

Caramel Apples

Let me tell you, these suckers aren't as easy as you would think. I have had 3 batches that haven't turned out very well (this batch below included) but the good part is that I now know every possible mistake that you can make. I have been humbled, let me tell you! I mean, how hard can some caramel apples be to make, right?

Mistake #1: This led to disaster batch #1.... get ALL the wax off your apples! Don't just rinse them, like the normal apple eater does. Gently scrub with a washcloth and warm water. Then towel dry.

Mistake #2: On the back of your Kraft Caramel bag it will say to mix 2 T. water with 1 bag unwrapped caramels. Use milk instead.

Mistake #3: Don't use Almond Bark. You can't thin it out very easily and when your chocolate is too thick, it pulls the caramel right off your apple. Trust me. (This is what happened to the batch above b/c the chocolate was too thick!) Buy good chocolate, like Ghiradelli chocolate chips. Before melting in 30 second intervals or with a double boiler, add 1 T. vegetable shortening for every 1 cup of chips to thin out the chocolate a little. It should put a thin coat on your apple. Refrigerate to dry chocolate. If you want to roll in crushed Heath bars, nuts or whatever your little heart desires, do it when the chocolate has barely dried then stick back in the fridge.

So, your instructions are pretty much above... Here's what you will need to pick up:

3-4 Granny Smith apples (3 large, 4 medium)

1 bag Caramel candies (5 popsicle sticks come in the bag)

1 bag chocolate chips

2 T. vegetable shortening

candy or nuts to crush

Roll the apples in the caramel and chocolate, holding them by the sticks or use a spoon when the caramel and/or chocolate gets low and spoon them on to cover.

I used Heath toffee chunks on the apples above.

Oatmeal Cake with a Brown Sugar-Nut Topping

Wow... it has been a while. Sorry! This last month has been hectic and busy and hasn't left me time to post much! Stay with me though... To make up for it, here is one of my favorite from-scratch cake recipes!

This cake is another one of my mother-in-law's and is wonderful. This might sound a little funny but it is a cake that is perfect to serve at a book club meeting or an informal lunch date. The taste and texture, with its perfect topping, reminds me of the good ol' days where our grandmas used to sit around on their patios and drink tea. Enjoy!

1 c. rolled oats

1 3/4 c. boiling water

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. + 2 T. flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine oats and water in heat proof bowl and set aside. While oats are soaking, combine butter and sugars with mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Scrape down sides of bowl. Stir in oatmeal mixture. Pour into 9x13'' pyrex pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes until light brown and knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

While cake is baking, in small saucepan combine over low heat until smooth:

6 T. butter

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. evaporated milk or cream

1 c/ chopped walnuts

1 c. coconut

1/4 t. vanilla

When cake comes out of the oven, turn the oven to high broil and spread topping on hot cake. Broil until topping is bubbly and begins to brown. *Watch it very closely b/c it will get too dark quickly! Remove from oven and let cool before cutting.

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach

I got this recipe straight from My Kitchen Cafe. This is a wonderful blog with tried and true, delicious recipes that even the average home cook can keep up with.

I loved this pasta dish because it was fairly healthy and had wonderful flavor. You can usually count on pretty good flavor when lemon and garlic have a role. I used whole wheat pasta (I always do) for a little healthier dish. It took me less than 1/2 hour to make too, which is always a plus. It could be a one-dish meal too! You have your protein, starch and veggies all on one dish, though serving some good rolls along-side wouldn't be a bad idea!

You know what... for the recipe, just go here! Enjoy!

PS: I used a 6 oz. bag of spinach (it looks like a lot when you first pour it in, but don't worry, it wilts way down!), a 14 oz. box pasta (whole wheat) and more like 1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan. :)

Marble Cookies

These are my favorite cookies, I think. It is a hard choice, because I am a cookie nut, but these are so divine, I think I may come out and say that they are my favorite. You have never tasted a cookie like this! I think that's what is so fantastic about them! The presentation is absolutely beautiful as well. The marble effect is so pretty and unique that it draws people to pick them right up and scarf. Please don't take this recipe for granted! Don't just cut and paste the recipe and print it out and never make them! You probably have all of the ingredients already... so get bakin'!

For a beginner, this recipe may be a little challenging. It's not really hard, but care is required when folding the chocolate into the dough, so if you have never had to do anything like this before, try it! I am sure you will do fine. You just don't want to over mix... try to slice your rubber spatula through the places where there is the most unmixed chocolate.



From the Mrs. Fields' Cookie Book & introduced to me by my SIL, Marta.

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. In mixer, cream sugars and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla and beat at medium speed until fluffy once more. Scrape bowl.

Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.

Place chocolate in glass bowl and microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Let cool for 3-4 minutes. Pour evenly over batter in a drizzling-like fashion. Using the edge of a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate. Do not mix chocolate completely into the dough. It is OK to have larger streaks of dough and chocolate throughout. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 20-24 minuted until there is a faint hint of brown around the bottom edges of cookies. Move to a cool surface, such as a baking rack immediately. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Buffalo Pico Quesadillas with Black Beans

How the heck do you take a good picture of quesadillas? Anyway... these were GREAT. I absolutely loved them!! I had some pico de gallo left over from Sunday's Cafe Rio dinner that we had, so I thought I would use it up in some quesadillas. My husband and I always dip our quesadillas in Frank's Hot Sauce, so I included that spicy stuff right inside the 'dilla. For some added flavor, texture and protein, the black beans were the perfect choice.

My husband really doesn't care for leftovers. He doesn't usually like to eat the same thing 2 or 3 days in a row, or in the same week. However, I caught him, the very next day, making these quesdadillas for himself for lunch! That means he really liked them! I was proud.



8 large flour tortillas
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped
1 can black beans, drained
2 c. pico de gallo*
1/4 c. Franks hot sauce (original or buffalo flavor is fine)
~1 c. monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
~1 c. cheddar, shredded

Heat a large, heavy skillet over med-high heat for 3-4 minutes until hot. Place 1 tortilla on skillet and, working quickly, sprinkle 1/4 c. (or more) monterrey jack over tortilla. Spread a handful of chicken, about 1/2 c. black beans, 1/2 c. pico de gallo, 1 T. Franks and 1/4 c. cheddar evenly as well. (Amounts are approximate... use your eye to judge how much of everything to put on.) Place another tortilla on top and check the bottom to see how brown it is. If the bottom tortilla is nicely browned already, then flip the quesadilla, swiftly, since you will have falling beans if it is flipped too slowly. Cook on the other side for 3 minutes or so until lightly browned. Slice with a pizza slicer into 6 or 8 slices. Serve hot with sour cream and/or guacamole for garnish.

Makes 4 quesadillas.

*For pico de gallo, chop up 3-4 roma tomatoes, 1 jalapeno and 1 small red onion and add ~1/3 c. chopped cilantro (more or less, depending on your taste) and about 2 T. lime juice. Toss.

The Amazing Cafe Rio Bar

I am appalled that I haven't posted this recipe yet. If I am having a crowd over for dinner and want less stress, this is what I always seem to default to. By "default", I don't mean "settle for." This chicken/pork is so flavor-bursting that you will never forget it.

This is the deal: Make the chicken or pork in the crock pot and let it cook all day, on high for 2-3 hours to get it going, then on low for 4-5 hours, until the meat is very soft and will shred easily with two forks. I usually just put all the dishes on the counter and let people do what they want. I LOVE to make a big salad on my plate, my husband likes to put everything in a tortilla and chow.

The Amazing Cafe Rio Bar

~2 lbs. chicken or pork (You can use less than this, I usually use about 1 large chicken breast for every 2 people that I am feeding.)
1 c. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 T. dried chopped onions (You can use fresh too)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. chili powder
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. red enchilada sauce (comes in a can, you can also use red or green taco sauce)
1 c. brown sugar (sometimes I decrease this to 2/3 - 3/4 c.)

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine next 8 ingredients in small bowl then pour over chicken. Cook as said above. An hour or so before serving, add enchilada sauce and sugar. Make sure to use a slotted spoon when serving.

In the afternoon or an hour or so before dinner get any or all of these toppings ready:
- black beans
- guacamole (for recipe, click)
- pico de gallo (diced tomatoes and red onions, chopped cilantro and jalapenos and lime juice)
- finely shredded cheddar cheese
- rice
- green or red leaf lettuce
- whole kernel corn
- sour cream
- tortillas of your choice