Croque-Monsieur

February 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Croque-Monsieur

My husband and I are big sandwich people, especially when cheese is involved! We love having grilled cheese and soup for dinner this time of year. Although it is starting to get really warm here in AZ, we like to pretend it’s cold inside.

I had my first Croque-Monsieur about a year ago at a cafe for lunch one day and I couldn’t believe it took me so long to discover this amazing sandwich. A Croque-Monsieur is a French grilled cheese sandwich made with ham and Gruyere cheese, but my favorite part? The Béchamel sauce on top! It makes the sandwich so creamy! This is a sandwich that you can make for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Serve it next to a light salad or a bowl of soup and call it a day! It’s easy to make, but it looks so much fancier than your typical grilled cheese.

Croque-Monsieur

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Strawberry Jam Loaf

February 6, 2014 By 4 Comments

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, now is a perfect time for all things sweet! This Strawberry Jam Loaf is just that and with hints of pink and red, it’s a perfect Valentine’s Day treat. You could make this recipe as mini muffins for your little ones or send a dozen of these off to a neighbor or coworker.

I love a fresh loaf of bread out of the oven and I am always trying to find new variations. I found this recipe in my mother-in-law’s recipe box and it sounded too good not to try! The recipe originally comes from my husband’s aunt. Trying new recipes is so fun, especially when you know they are family favorites!

The ingredients for this recipe are so simple and you probably have most of them in your house already! The only things I had to get from the store were cream of tartar and strawberry preservatives. I’m not a huge nut fan, so I didn’t use the optional pecans. [Read more…]

Ginger Pear Cream of Wheat

January 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Ginger Pear Cream of Wheat

I’m always on the hunt for new breakfast ideas. Though I could eat a plain bow of cereal every day, sometimes I want something a little different. I’m typically an oatmeal kind-of-girl, but recently discovered how comforting a bowl of Cream of Wheat can be. In this month’s Cooking Light magazine, they shared lots of great shortcuts for meals and I found myself bookmarking practically all of them. I’m all bout shortcuts this month! They shared this great idea to kick up a regular bowl of Cream of Wheat. It couldn’t be easier to prepare. Just sliced pear tossed with some cinnamon and brown sugar and a crushed gingersnap and toasted walnuts on top.

This breakfast is so hearty and will warm you up on those cold mornings. Although it doesn’t have a ton of sugar, it’s just the right amount. The gingersnap cookie also adds a nice crunch and yes, I was tempted to add more like three cookies instead of one!

Ginger Pear Cream of Wheat

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Holiday Spiced Dutch Baby

December 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

DutchBabyTall

The seasonal fruit selection at our Seattle area farmers markets has plummeted to our standard winter options of apple and pear varieties. While there are plenty of tasty things to be made with both fruits, I thought I’d share what can be made with some of the other goodies I routinely pick up at the market. Quality wise – there’s nothing better than farm fresh eggs and butter. Both blow their store-bought counterparts away. At the Ballard Farmers Market, my favorite eggs come from Stokesberry Farm and butter from Golden Glen Creamery.

 

While thinking of recipes to highlight these two everyday ingredients, I immediately gravitated towards one of my favorite indulgent breakfasts. Dutch Babies, also known as German Pancakes, are incredibly simple to make and are a great canvas for all kinds of special flavors or additions. Now that we’re deep into the holiday season, I thought it was about time to create a holiday spiced version – perfect for enjoying in front of a morning fire on a cold blustery day.

 

DutchBabyIngredients

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