The Recipe for a Good Morning

In the past 2 weeks, 2 friends have raved about the Cooks Illustrated Granola.

Of course I needed to try this.

Since leaving the cereal isle out of my weekly shopping trip, 

my mornings have been a bit busier.

I like knowing what's in every bite I put in my body.

Since we've opted for a fishing life & not a farming life, the best I can do is buy local

when possible & make everything from scratch.

I entered this commitment rather lightly.

Like meringue.

When really it's a bit weightier.

And really all this means is that every morning is a hot breakfast morning....unless

I make granola or muesli.

One of my favorite qualities about Granola

is its flexibility

 which allows me to tailor it to our likes.

So I veered slightly from the recipe and added more nuts than dried fruits.

My family is divided on the merit of raisins- but if you like them the recipe 

called for 2 cups rather than the pecans.

What's in it?

5 C Whole Old Fashioned Oats

2 C Pecans

2 C Almonds

1/3 C Brown Cane Sugar

1/3 C Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 C Canola Oil

4 tsp Vanilla

Bake @ 325 in the middle of your oven

for about 35-45 min.

It should be light brown.

If you press it into a jelly roll, lined with parchment paper

& let it be for an hour 

(which is the hardest part)

It will break into nice big clumps.

What's missing? Coconut. Next time I'm adding it & probably dried cherries too. 

Ah the benefits of a fishing life...

*******

Eggs & Ham.

I remember seeing these appetizing looking egg crisps

on the cover of a magazine....

I'm drawn to individual servings.

And have developed a fondness for ramekins.

This past month was packed with cooking & yet

 my blog has been in quiet hibernation.

Yet the inspiration comes when I work harder

and spend my days immersed in productivity.

I thought creativity flourished during relaxation...but for me it comes with diligent labor.

The trick is finding time to record those inspired thoughts. 

I find verses ringing round my mind...

"She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family."

Prov 31:15a

Older women can train the younger to

"love their husbands & children, to be self controlled & pure, to be busy at home,

to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands."

Titus 2:4b-5a

Like a bell clanging loudly.

And it seems so obvious - I should have understood before.

Doing laundry doesn't take away from writing.

It gives me time to ponder the words.

Baking bread doesn't take away time to be creative,

it lends to creativity.

If we learn to embrace our lives, our family, our circumstances,

we find God has laid it together

to be foundational in who we are to become.

**********

Egg & Ham Crisps Recipe

for a party of 5

Greased muffin tin or ramekins
5 hearty slices of ham
2 tsp Olive oil
1 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 of a med. size red onion diced
1 Tbsp Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream
5 Eggs

Heat oil in skillet over med. heat
add mushrooms & onions
I left mine in about 10 min.
(but if you want them softer leave 'em in the skillet a bit longer)
While that sautés line muffin tin with ham
When finished, pull skillet off of heat & stir in creme fraiche
Evenly divide mushroom mixture into ham cups
Crack an Egg over top & bake @ 400
15 min should yield a cooked white & runny yolk.

**quick note: my muffin tin holds ~1/3 cup
if using a larger muffin tin I would increase the veggies.

Granola Tryouts Part 1

First Up - Nutty Granola

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup thin sliced almonds
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (pref. cane sugar)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook 45 minute to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color. Look for a light golden hue. If it's not there, continue to cook, stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer onto parchment paper to cool.

Decision

 I really like it. So did my family. So did our friends.
It is a great basic recipe. One I would use more readily for kids & my less "granola" friends.

When I don't have maple syrup I use brown sugar syrup as a substitute.
Which is a simple 2:1 blend of brown sugar to water, boiled until the sugar crystals are dissolved.
And it is still delicious.

Fishing. Grapefruit. Life on the banks.

I was working on a new menu a few weeks back, looking for ways

 to integrate seasonal produce. 

Lets talk about Grapefruit for a minute. I forget about it until December.

But then it shows up on my mom's breakfast table. And I am hooked. 

Hook - line - sinker.

So I bought 15 lbs. of Grapefruit yesterday. 

And I plan to eat it all, at least whatever my family won't take the time to peel.

Oh btw the best way I have found to enjoy Grapefruit is to peel the skin with a knife and then use my thumb to pull each juicy slice out of it's skin.

Life on the banks of the river is a beautiful adventure.

I don't keep track of what season I can fish for other species b/c this one is the one

 that keeps me coming back.

But the menu I mentioned above roused my curiosity about 

Walleye season. And I don't plan to catch & release.

I am planning to prepare Walleye with Grapefruit Beurre Blanc.

YUM.

Beurre blanc —literally translated from French as "white butter"— is a hot emulsified butter sauce made with a reduction of vinegar and/or white wine and grey shallots into which cold, whole butter is blended off the heat to prevent separation.

Besides sounding delish I keep thinking about how it will look on the plate & frankly I'm inspired.

Hope you are too. 

Leftovers & American Fries

Leftovers, I like them. I have a sibling who throws leftovers away, but here in
my house they are a beautiful challenge.
How do we tweek  'em to be slightly different & maybe
even disguised for the next meal?
I had a job working at a semi-fast food restaurant in high school. It motivated me to go to college out of state. If it had been a drive-able distance I'm not sure my parents would have let me quit.

I did learn 1 trick at that hole in the wall restaurant. And it was this...keep the leftover baked potatoes, slice them 1/4" thick and fry them. 

Of course I use a Cast Iron Skillet and they used a fryer. 

These are perfect with cracked pepper, sea salt, & sauteed red onions. Add them to an egg scramble or serve them with over easy eggs.

If you bake potatoes of any kind for dinner (even sweet potatoes) throw a few extra in the oven & save them for breakfast. They'll hold in your fridge for at least a week.

Oatmeal Waffle Recipe & Eating a Good Breakfast.

It's true. Eating a good breakfast is priority around here. A certain child tries to skip out every so often, but I don't let this one slide. 

Okay so I've blogged about b.fast before & it is most certainly my favorite meal of the day. I've tried many types of morning fuel, some work exceptionally well & others just taste a little better.  So I'm adding a few highlights, like the day I realized homemade bagels are better than store bought & that oatmeal waffles can be made for friends on gluten free diets.

If you have a bread maker it is a quick easy way to make dough for bagels.

I remember the 1st bread maker I owned. 

Back when you had to pay $100 +.

Now they litter the shelves of thrift stores.

The dough gets split & rolled into equal sized balls, then shaped like a doughnut.

  (the steam off of these kept steaming my lens)

 Boiled, topped with Cheddar & ready to bake

    Muffins are a morning must during Steelhead & Salmon season.

These babies accompany my hubby & his fly fishing clients.

    My daughter & I throw on the ipod & bake.

But have you ever tried a muffie @ Panera Bread? 

   I was thinking about the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffie.

                         On a whim I poured my muffin batter on a cookie sheet 

in the shape of a cookie. And wha la.

 A new favorite was born.

Our favorites are: Apple Pecan, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip, Cherry Almond & Carrot Cake.

(please don't tell me that these are really just cake eaten for breakfast - I prefer

 my current belief system)

Here are a few recipes I could not do without:

Oatmeal Waffles

2 egg whites

2 tsp baking powder

3 c. oats

1 Tbsp brown sugar

3/4 milk

4 Tbsp butter melted & cooled

Beat egg whites til stiff & set aside. Mix dry ingredients. Fold in beaten whites til just mixed. Pour in your waffle maker!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin or Muffie:

1 c. sugar

3/4 c. oil

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 eggs

1 c. pumpkin

Mix & then Add

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1.5 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Bake @ 350 about 20-25 for muffins check much sooner for muffies.

Oatmeal Waffles + Freshly Picked Sour Cherries

A few days ago we (Me, Dad, Mom, 2 kids & friends) headed to the orchard to pick Cherries. We climbed rustic wooden ladders, straining for the best cherries & were delighted with the ripe red sours. At least my Dad & I were. There is something perfect about harvesting the fruit yourself before making jam, pies, or crisp, and he & I were in our glory as we sampled different varieties & looked for the best cherries.

24 pints of jam later I can tell you that I think we succeeded & as I type this my hubby is driving me back to the orchard for more cherries. This morning J headed to the river to fish an early hatch - Trico's & I slept. We decided we'd have a late breakfast: Oatmeal Waffles & Sour Cherries with a strong dark mug of Italian Roast.

2 hours have passed & I'm still mentally savoring the taste. My morning prob would have been better if I had joined him for a bit of fishing, but I guess there is always tomorrow.

That is part of the beauty of living here. Fresh produce offerings & daily hatches. Good Fishing & Food are the perfect pair at the Muskegon River Lodge. And incidentally Oatmeal Waffles are on the breakfast menu.





www.muskegonriverlodge.com
 -

Muesli: Making Breakfast Healthier.

A few years back I met a woman who wrote

a raw cookbook. She was inspiring when it came 

to eating naturally, and we became fast friends.

She was the first person to let me in on what all of 

those strange ingredients were on food labels. 

And I'll be honest it was a bit overwhelming. But

       overall I began to pay a lot more attention to what I put              

in my body & what I feed my family.

Breakfast cereals are laden with high fructose 

corn syrup, dyes, modified food starch and preservatives

(just to name a few less than ingredients ). So I tackled breakfast first.

Now I don't want to give the impression that my

children regarded the change as favorable. But after

several years, I no longer hear complaints, except

 the occasional longing for Captain Crunch.

We eat a lot of eggs, oatmeal, and pancakes.

But kids like cold cereal & to be honest I like the

convenience.  I often make granola. But another quick easy

is Muesli. 

I make this right up in the individual cereal bowls, proportionate to each person:

1 cup of oats sprinkled with cinnamon

I then add a combination of whatever ingredients sound good & are on hand:

 raisins or dried fruit

 pecans, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seed

coconut 

diced apples

Sprinkle some brown sugar on top & add milk - Simple!

(Changing up the fruit & nut combo adds variety, which generally means

my kiddos like eating it more days in a row.)

*This is a perfect breakfast option for those who need a gluten free diet.

*One last thought - being intentional about what you put in your body 

is a great way to lose weight without dieting. 

And simply dumping high fructose corn syrup from your diet is a great place to start.

Simple Shirred Eggs & Trout Fishing

A few years ago J & I escaped to the Rockies for a few days.

We stayed in the adorable town of Basalt, where we

fished one of my favorite rivers.

The Frying Pan.

If you have not fished this river & plan to there are a few things I'd tell you before you go.

1. Bring very warm socks. The prime section sits below a (bottom release) dam 

the water is very, very cold. 

2. Bring a camera. The fish on this river are amazing.

3. Bring a box of Allen Brother's Baetis Emerger & Dun Patterns.

4. Stop @ Bernard's Cafe for breakfast.

While on this short & sweet vacay I picked up a magazine that featured Shirred Eggs.

They looked perfect. And since my fisherman likes a hearty egg breakfast every morning, I like finding various ways to serve them.

Speaking of service, I am excited about working at the Muskegon River lodge, 

catering breakfast & dinner. This has me tweaking some

favorite breakfast recipes. And my test subjects had their fill this morning.

Simply:

Preheat to 375

Butter Ramekins

Add 1 Tbsp cream or 1/2 & 1/2

Crack 2 eggs in - keep yolk intact

Sprinkle on diced chives 

Top with grated Parmesan or other favorite cheese 

Bake about 15 min. for a soft yolk & closer to 17 for a hard yolk.

Smile, sigh, sit back & enjoy!

http://www.muskegonriverlodge.com/

Salted Pecan Carmel Rolls = Good Morning Sunshine!

 One of the recipes my entire family loves needed a bit of healthy tweeking - can I call Carmel Rolls healthy? Pecans are good for you. But many Carmel Roll Recipes use corn syrup. 

I have an excellent Hot Carmel recipe from my Mom, who is btw the queen of ice cream sundaes. I decided to make that recipe and see if it works with Rolls.

And let me tell you - it does.

The power of suggestion is really something because I had kinda replaced Carmel Rolls

with Muffins. J calls my mom the "muffin master" & she does have 

some pretty killer recipes. 

But it just so happens that while talking on the phone with a good friend, 

(Yes Gail - you did this)

she mentions putting sticky buns in the oven.

And it is probably not ok to say that to an out of state friend. 

On that note, sorry for any angst this may cause you.

Ok now these delicious babies are off to spend some time in the warm oven, rising.

I should also mention that my 1 shortcut on this recipe is using

a bread-maker to make the dough.

So my hubby has passed down this over the top love for icing. 

And I think all of my kids have inherited it. 

Despite the fact that these were plenty sweet I did throw some butter in the skillet

for a brown butter glaze.  Martha Stewart featured this in one of her Valentine editions &

 we've been hooked ever since.

 You basically melt butter in a skillet let it brown some and then

add powdered sugar, vanilla & milk. 

I gage my adds by the consistency we like, so no I didn't measure.

Ok here is the 411:

Preheat Oven to 375

1. Roll dough into a 15 x 10 rectangle.

2. Spread 1/3 c melted butter.

3. Sprinkle 1/2 c. Sugar + 1-2 tsp. Cinnamon

4. Roll the dough tightly on long side

5. Use dental floss to cut 1" slices

6. Pour Carmel Sauce in 9" round

7. Add toasted salted pecans

8. Lay roll slices over Carmel

9. Let dough rise in a warm place (30-45 min)

10. Bake about 20 min or til golden brown

Carmel Sauce Recipe:

1/2 c butter, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2 c white sugar, 1T vanilla, 1/2 c evaporated milk

Bring all ingredients but vanilla to a boil 8-9 min. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

This recipes makes about 1 pint. And is delicious on Apple Crisp, Brownies & just about anything else that pairs well with Carmel. Enjoy!

Tomato Tart

Crust:
1-1/2 C. Flour
7 T. Cold Butter
1/2 C. Cold Heavy Cream

Blend butter & flour in food processor or mixer until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add cream and mix til dough comes together. Turn onto flour counter & knead a few times. Cover & refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 325. Roll out dough to 14" round. Press into tart pan (pie pan will work) trim excess. Fill shell with your favorite grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or a combo.

Bake 1 hr.  15 min. or until tomatoes are roasted Let Cool. Season with Salt & Pepper. Sprinkle with Feta and Shredded Basil.
This can be made ahead and served at room temperature or re-heated. It is fantastic for brunch!