SRC: Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Parfaits

I've got something delicious and nutritious for this month's Secret Recipe Club!  I was assigned Serena and Deanna's blog, Teaspoon of Spice.  They are both registered dietitians so I was excited to see what healthy yet tasty recipes they had on their blog.  The pictures made everything look so delicious!  In fact, though I had not visited their blog before my assignment I realized I had seen some of these pictures on pinterest and even re-pinned them myself.  That's how you know you've made it big in the blog world is when people find your photos to be so beautiful that they must collect them.  Speaking of pinning recipes, did you know you can now hover over my pictures to pin them?  So easy!

It didn't take me long to decide on a recipe since I'm still working through my 16 cups of pumpkin puree and this one was staring at me on the homepage.  However, I'm not much of a gingersnap fan and wanted to keep this really light and fluffy.  Easy enough because I used graham crackers instead of gingersnaps and just sprayed some whip cream in place of the cheesecake layers.  If you'd rather use the cheesecake layer (which I'll admit, does sound wonderful!), checkout the original recipe linked below in the source.

It has all the flavor of a pumpkin pie with a light, silky texture making it the perfect easy, no-bake dessert to impress your Thanksgiving guests.  Heck, I would even eat this one for breakfast if I added some crumbled granola or maybe some nuts.  Since it's made with 0% fat Greek yogurt, it's practically sinless!

One Year Ago: Savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Roll and Taco Dip
Two Years Ago: Roast Beef with Onion Gravy
Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Fudge Cheesecake
Four Years Ago: Sweet Potato Souffle and Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Parfaits

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 15 oz fresh or canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
• 2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
• whipped cream or Cool Whip
• 6 graham crackers

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and yogurt.
2. Place cookies in a ziplock bag.  Crush with a rolling pin until you have crumbles.
3. Starting with the yogurt on the bottom, divide pumpkin yogurt, whipped cream, and graham cracker crumbs into six tall serving glasses making however may layers you want.  Refrigerate until serving.

Source: Modified from Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD of Teaspoon of Spice

Orange Push-Up Smoothies

Hi!  I'm popping in really quickly to share a quick recipe.  Who remembers those orange push up pops with the primary colored dots on the outside?  They remind me of my Grandparents because they always bought them for us when we visited.  It's been years since I've had one and frankly, I'm not sure if they still make them anymore?

When I made this recipe, it reminded me of that long lost orange push-up pop flavor.  The only difference was that it was in the form of a smoothie rather than the classic and fun push-up pop.  Depending on the brand of orange concentrate you use you may need more or less sugar as there are varying levels of "orange peel" bitterness to each brand.

Bottoms up and here's to our childhoods!

Orange Push-Up Smoothies

Ingredients

• 1 can orange juice concentrate, slightly thawed 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 cups ice, or to taste 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except for the ice, in a large blender and blend until smooth and creamy, taking care the sugar has dissolved and is well incorporated. If desired, add a splash more water or more milk. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Makes approximately three eight-ounce portions.

Source: Averie Cooks as seen on Delicious Melicious

Copycat McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffins

Is anyone else a fan of breakfast?  How about Sausage Egg McMuffins from McDonald's?  I hardly ever eat at McDonald's but I LOVE their Sausage Egg McMuffins.  If I'm feeling really good, I'll even splurge on some hashbrowns.

When it came time to round-out my freezer stash with some breakfasts, I knew I wanted to try to make my own version at home.  What is about to follow is a copycat recipe but honestly, it's such an easy thing to make that I use the term "recipe" loosely.  If you want, you could also leave out the sausage or substitute Canadian bacon or regular bacon.

The hardest part was figuring out how to make a round egg "patty" like they do...because I'm anal and like everything to be round and match.  For that, I used what I had on hand and that was canning bands.  They were slightly smaller than the English muffins but close enough.  I experimented a bit on whether it was better to put them with the thread-side up or down.  In the end, threads up seemed to work better in terms of getting a better spray and containing the eggs (the picture below is from one of my earlier runs but I got better at avoiding spillage over time!).  If you greased your rings well, the eggs should fall out pretty easily but some of them required a little more oomph.  I just separated the crusty parts that stuck to the rings then pushed them out gently with my fingers.

These are totally yummy and I am so grateful to have about 2 1/2 dozen of them stashed away in the freezer. Having a good (and fast, one-handed) breakfast is the key to starting your day off right!

One Years Ago: BLT Corn Salad Wrap
Two Years Ago: Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Relish

Copycat McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffins

Ingredients

• 12 English muffins
• 12 slices American cheese
• 12 fully cooked frozen sausage patties
• 12 large eggs
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Place canning bands with thread side up into a skillet over medium-high heat (or if you have them or want to buy something fancy you can use something like these egg ring rounds).  Spray pan and inside of bands generously with cooking spray.
   
   
   
2. Crack an egg into each band and sprinkle each with salt and pepper.  Use a knife to gently break each yolk so that it spreads out.  Don't worry if the egg spills out of the rings, if you're a perfectionist, you can peel or cut them off later.  Cover and cook through.  When eggs are done, remove the egg-filled ring using tongs and gently push the eggs out of the rings.  Set aside for assembly.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, split your English muffin and place a slice of cheese on the top of each muffin half.  If desired, fold over each cheese corner so that it is the same size as the muffin.  Place a frozen sausage patty on the bottom of each muffin then top with a cooked egg round.  Put the two halves together to form the sandwich.
4. Wrap each sandwich in square of deli paper wrap (or just use parchment paper).  
5. To enjoy now: Microwave sandwich until sausage patty is cooked through, about 45 seconds to a minute.  To enjoy later: Place wrapped sandwiches into gallon sized freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible.  When ready to eat, microwave from frozen until heated through, about one minute to 90 seconds.  Flip the sandwich halfway through cooking for more even heating.

Source: Christine's Kitchen Chronicles as inspired by McDonald's

SRC: Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer at Mother Thyme.  Jennifer had guest posted for me last year with her very popular Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.  It's always fun to get to know a new blog through SRC but sometimes, it's also good to get one you know and follow already because you just know it will be filled with great recipes!   I had already bookmarked her Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies and so it seemed it was destiny that made her my assignment for the month.

What I loved about this recipe was how it tasted just like strawberry cheesecake filling.  With strawberries in season and having bought FOUR POUNDS from Costco, I added twice as much in my smoothies for extra strawberry oomph.  This made mine a bit thick so I had to add a splash of vanilla almond milk to thin it out.  It was awesome and so simple!

Jennifer topped hers with whipped cream and some graham cracker crumbs for the full cheesecake flavor experience.  Looks pretty, too!

Do you have any favorite strawberry recipes?

One Year Ago: Creamed Chard and Spring Onion Pasta and Fresh Strawberry Pie
Two Years Ago: Lemon-Rosemary Turkey Meatballs

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt (I used 0% Fage Greek Yogurt and added about 1/2 tsp vanilla)
• 3 ounces light or fat free cream cheese
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1-2 teaspoons agave nectar (I used about a tablespoon of honey)
• Vanilla almond milk or regular milk (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except for the milk into a blender.  Process until smooth and creamy.  If needed, add milk of choice to thin the smoothie out to your desired consistency.  Serve immediately.

Source: Modified from Mother Thyme

Recipe Swap: Almond Mocha Cake

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll love today's recipe swap theme which is dessert!  This recipe comes from Nicole of Cookies on Friday and I submitted the super addicting Macadamia Lemon Bars.

When I read the ingredients list, I was concerned by the use of amaretto, an almond liquor.  Now, I know that it's not much and alcohol supposedly "cooks off" but in my experience, you can usually still taste it pretty prominently in baked goods and so I wasn't convinced that it would be the best thing for my baby.  Thankfully, Nicole confirmed it would be okay to substitute almond extract and so that's what I did.

This cake is EXTREMELY tender.  The crumb is very delicate and I found that it fell apart as I tried to enjoy its deliciousness.  The prominent flavor is the chocolate, which is enhanced by the coffee and studded with almond flavoring and pieces.  My husband was completely delighted to see it sitting on our kitchen counter after he came home from the gym.  He approved :).

Thanks to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for running the swap and make sure you check out the rest of the recipes in the link hop below!

Two Years Ago: Handheld Breakfast Two Ways (French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples; Savory Breakfast Muffins)
Three Years Ago: Stuffed Shells and Grasshopper Cookie Bars (an easy St. Patrick's day treat!)

Almond Mocha Cake

Ingredients

• ½ cup sliced almonds 
• 1-1/4 cups strong coffee 
• ½ cup butter 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1 cup sugar 
• ¼ cup amaretto (I used 1 Tablespoon almond extract)
• 2 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs 
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle the almonds into the pan and gently press to the bottom of the pan. 
2. Warm your coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the butter and chocolate chips and stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixer bowl. Add the sugar and amaretto, stir to combine. Allow mixture to cool 5 minutes. 
3. With the mixer at low speed, gradually blend in the flour and baking soda into the chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and eggs and mix on medium speed about 30 minutes, or until well blended. Carefully pour into prepared pan. Be careful not to disturb the nuts too much by pouring quickly. 
4. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pan about 25 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Source: Recipe from Debbie Russell, 33rd Pillsbury BakeOff, Pillsbury Best of the BakeOff Cookbook as seen on Cookies on Friday

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread

One of my favorite things to do on a lazy day is to make homemade bread.  For those of you that are afraid of dealing with yeast, don't be.  Everything will be fine as long as you don't add the yeast to an overly hot liquid (which kills them) and allow it a warm place to rise and grow (my kitchen counter is usually fine except on cold Winter days I will sometimes heat my oven to the "keep warm" setting and then keep it propped open slightly with a wooden spoon so it doesn't get too hot and start baking prematurely).  A good way to know if your yeast is alive and active is by seeing if it gets foamy during the initial proofing period.  If it doesn't, then throw it out and start over.  Your yeast may be too old (check the "best by" date), you liquid may be too hot (it should be lukewarm to the touch), or your environment is not warm enough for the yeast to get happy and begin multiplying.

Each time I have cinnamon swirl bread, I think of my Dad because he loves this stuff.  I feel great knowing that the bread I'm making is preservative free and I often will substitute up to half the total flour content with whole wheat flour to up the nutritional content.  To make things easier, I provided options for doing a slow rise in the refrigerator overnight so that you can have freshly baked bread first thing in the morning.  The overnight rise also allows the proteins in the whole wheat flour to soften which makes it taste just like white bread!

We enjoyed ours in Microwave Streusel Topped French Toast in a Mug and I ate it toasted with butter or peanut butter throughout the week.  Just lovely!

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk 
• 6 Tablespoons Salted Butter 
• 2-1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast 
• 2 whole Eggs 
• 2/3 cup Sugar, divided 
• 3-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour (I used 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon Salt 
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon 
• Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing 
• Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing 

Directions

1. Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don't boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. 
2. Combine flour and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix 1/3 cup sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined. 
3. Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes. 
4. Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it's warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl with a clean damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for at least 2 hours. 
5. Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you're going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal. 
6. Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with a clean damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours in a warm place.  Alternatively, you can allow it to do a slow rise overnight in the refrigerator.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven. 
8. Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it. 

Source: Pioneer Woman

SRC: Microwave Streusel Topped French Toast in a Mug

Ah the microwave.  What did people do before they had this easy, quick cooking wonder?  Suddenly people that have no idea how to cook are enabled and empowered with this tool.  And sometimes, even more advanced chefs can use it to take the easy way out...kind of like how I did with this month's Secret Recipe Club pick from Alli 'N Son's.

Alli's blog includes a bit about baking, motherhood, and life with her boys.  I was touched when I read her PCOS story because it reminded me of my own struggle from last year when I had my miscarriage.  It's inspiring to read her story and see the success that she's had raising beautiful children.

As for the food, since she's a busy mama, a lot of the recipes that you'll find on her blog are kid friendly and quick along with a lot of sweets. Having just come off of the Holiday sugar high, I considered but then ultimately avoided decadent recipes like Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Bar, Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls, and Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake.  Instead, I tried to find something that I'd be able to fold into our regular dinner rotation.  I considered Grilled Cheese Waffle Sandwich and Peanut Sesame Noodles with Szechuan Style Tofu.  In the end, I had  recently made a  homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread (recipe to be shared) which inspired the choice of Streusel Topped French Toast in a Mug.  Sweet but not overly so and still quite simple.  Hello brinner.

I've seen and pinned  many microwave recipes in the past but this was my first time actually *trying* it.  And wow was it delightfully good, fast, and simple!  The entire recipe was done in about 5 minutes and had the yummy french toast flavor covered in a sinful streusel topping.  The only thing I missed was the slight crispness that comes with real french toast.  But in a pinch or when you just want enough for a single serving (or two), this would definitely do.

Thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead SRC ring leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess!  Please also check the blog hop to see what everyone else in Group C made this month!

One Year Ago: 2011 Recap: Reader Favorites
Two Years Ago: French Dip Sandwiches and Football Snackadium 
Three Years Ago: Chinese Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling (Pineapple Custard Buns) and Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bols

Microwave Streusel Topped French Toast in a Mug

Ingredients

For the French Toast

• 3-4 slices cinnamon swirl bread, depending on the size and thickness of your bread 
• 1 large egg 
• 3 tablespoons milk 
• dash cinnamon 
• drop or two vanilla extract or almond extract 

For the Streusel Topping

• 1/2 tablespoon butter, cold 
• 1 tablespoons flour 
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Instructions

1. Spray a large mug or small bowl with nonstick spray. Set aside. Cube the bread into 1-inch pieces. Place in the prepared mug. 
2. In a small bowl beat together the egg, milk, cinnamon and vanilla or almond extract with a fork. Pour over the bread. Stir together until all of the egg mixture has been absorbed by the bread. 
3. To make the struesel topping: In a small bowl combine the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use your fingers to everything together. The mixture will resemble coarse sand. Sprinkle evenly on top of the bread mixture. 
4. Microwave for 1 minute on high. Check and microwave in 10 second increments until the eggs are no longer runny. Let cool before enjoying.

Source: Alli 'N Sons

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

In honor of the US Elections on Tuesday I offered my facebook fans the option of voting on the recipe that I would share on Wednesday.  The results were unanimous.  As I'm typing this blog post, I'm watching the results of the election come in.  No matter what side you're on, I think we can all agree that this recipe is delicious.  And that's something we can all unite around :).

I apologize in advance for the less than stellar photo.  I brought this dish to Thanksgiving themed Dinner Club as a last minute dessert when Emily and Scott could no longer make it.  You see, they were in charge of our only planned dessert for the evening and also our regular "event" photographers.  But they had a great excuse for missing their first dinner club since we started about 3 years ago.  Emily and Scott are the proud new parents of twin girls - Paige and Claire!  They came much earlier than expected but everyone's healthy and well.

As for the cake?  It was amazing!  Moist and full of Fall flavors.  But the best part has to be the fact that it's just dressed up boxed cake mix.  You heard me!  And Shhhh!  Don't give away this little secret because no one would suspect ;).

PS: Have you shared my Macaroni and Cheese Mondays post yet and left a comment letting me know you've shared?  Nobody has yet which makes me really sad.  Remember, prizes are at stake here!  And while I wouldn't mind keeping one of these great cookbooks for myself, they're really meant for one of my wonderful readers!

One Year Ago: Strip House Potatoes Romanoff and Chicken and Roasted Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Pie Fudge and Marinara Magnifica

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz) pureed pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box (18 oz) yellow cake mix
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

For the glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.  Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.
3. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and pour the batter into the pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the topping.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake using your fingers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until all the sugar dissolves.
6. When the cake is finished baking, poke holes over the entire cake surface using a fork or a skewer.  Pour the glaze all over the cake.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Heather's Dish as seen on Pretty. Good. Food.

SRC: Gruyere and Bacon Stuffed French Toast

Breakfast continues to be the theme here on my blog today.  On Friday I shared a recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts.  Today, I'm sharing something with everyone's favorite breakfast meat treat...bacon!!!

But this isn't your run-of-the-mill side of bacon.  This bacon is coupled with smooth, melty Gruyere cheese.  And then they're both stuffed inside of thick french toast and topped with sweet sweet maple syrup.  Mmm.  Anyone else a sucker for the sweet and savory combination?  I'd never think to make a savory French toast but it worked and was AMAZING.  Seriously one of the best things I've eaten in a long time and was so simple!  I was in a rush that morning so I used pre-cooked bacon to speed things along.  Would have loved to have the bacon crispier as I bet the contrast of texture would only add more to this already delightful experience.

This wonderful creation comes from Lisa's blog, Authentic Suburban Gourmet.  She is so talented and I'm jealous that she lives in my favorite US city, San Francisco.  I envy her food photography and I went a little bookmark crazy when trying to decide what to make for this month's Secret Recipe Club because everything looked SO GOOD.  

To name a few other contenders:

• Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Bacon, Dates, and Pecans - Perfect for Fall!
• Brandied Yam with Crumbled Pecan Topping - Boozed up food, again!  I think this will likely make an appearance for Thanksgiving in my home.
• Apple and Fig Tart - I noticed she has a thing for figs...I love the flavor of them but have never cooked with them yet and am still a little intimidated...not sure why!

As usual a special thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead, SRC ring leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess!

One Year Ago: Apple Pie Cookies

Gruyere and Bacon Stuffed French Toast

Yields: 4 slices stuffed French toast

Ingredients

• 4 slices good sourdough bread (cut about 1 1/4 inch thick)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled
• 1 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
• Cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup half & half (or whole or 2% milk)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• Maple syrup

Directions

1. Use a sharp knife to cut into the bottom of each slice of sourdough.  Slice to almost the end of the top and sides to create a pocket to stuff each slice.
2. Once the bacon has cooled, combine it with the Gruyere cheese in a bowl.  Divide evenly among the four slices of bread and gently stuff each one.  Gently press each stuffed bread piece together to prevent the inside ingredients from escaping.
3. Add the eggs, half & half, and vanilla together and whisk until gently combined.
4. Use a large griddle to cook all of the French toast at the same time.  Heat griddle on medium and spread butter evenly across the surface.  
5. Meanwhile, dip each stuffed bread into the egg mixture and place on the heated griddle.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Let cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side.  If necessary, reduce heat to prevent burning.
6. Serve hot with your favorite maple syrup.  Take a bite, close your eyes and be amazed by all the contrasting flavors and textures!

Source: Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Recipe Swap: Breakfast Skillet

I don't know if you've been following me on facebook and/or twitter or not lately but if you have, you'll notice that I'm border-line obsessed with my "new" (ie: hand-me-down inheritance) iPhone4 from my husband and posting instagram photos of my food.  Seriously I'm amazed at how this tiny little phone can take such fancy looking pictures!  I'll have to do a before and after on here sometime so you can see what I mean.

Today's post is a What's Cooking Recipe Swap and the theme is breakfast.  Long time followers of my blog would know that this is a favorite theme of mine.  In fact, "brinner" aka breakfast for dinner was one of my chosen Dinner Club themes in the past.  For this swap, I submitted the super decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls.  So, it was fitting that I received something equally sweet to start my day from Lynsey of Lynsey Lou's.

The recipe is called a "breakfast skillet" but really, it's like dessert for breakfast.  My husband smelled it cooking and said "Mmm that smells good!  It smells sweet!  Are you making dessert for dinner?!".  Truth be told it could have passed for dessert but was in fact our dinner.  We convinced ourselves that the sprinkling of apples and craisins (very Fall!) in the dish made it healthy and justified getting seconds...and thirds.  HA!  It was like cinnamon rolls with a fraction of the effort + FRUIT for added nutrition.  Win.

I should also probably call mine a Breakfast Dutch Oven because that's what I ended up making mine in.  I don't actually own a cast iron skillet so this was the closest cooking vessel that I had.  It worked out fine but a cast iron skillet is now on the wishlist.  I just love how nice they look in food photos :).

Thank you Lynsey for sharing this winning recipe with us!

One Year Ago: Spaghetti Pie

Breakfast Skillet

Ingredients

For the streusel topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

For the skillet cake

• 12 oz can of buttermilk biscuits
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup fruit of your choice, fresh, dried, or frozen (I used craisins)
• 1 small apple, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, prepare the streusel topping by combining 4 tablespoons butter, sugar, and cinnamon by mashing together with a fork until well mixed.
3. Place skillet over low-medium heat.  Add 2 tablespoons butter and brown sugar and stir until butter is melted and sugar is combined.  Remove skillet from heat.
4. Line the bottom of the skillet with 1/4 of the apple slices.  Next, place the biscuits in a single layer on the pan.  Layer on 3/4 of the remaining apple slices and sprinkle 3/4 of your selected fruit over top of the biscuits.  Sprinkle the streusel topping over the fruit and biscuits.  Layer the remaining fruit over the streusel topping.
5. Place prepared skillet into the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked through and lightly browned and the streusel topping has melted.

 Source: As seen on and adapted by Lynsey Lou's from Paula Deen

Banana Pumpkin Nutella Bread

Hi everyone! I'm back!

Well.  Not really.  But, back long enough to write my own recipe post anyway.  I won't be home for good until early October but at least now it's a short trip for pleasure rather than business.

Before I jump into today's recipe, how about those fantastic guest posters of mine these past few weeks?  Which blogger's recipe was your favorite?  Serious big kudos to each of the wonderful bloggers that shared yummy recipes here on my page:

• Angelina at Whisks & Ruffles with her Beef with Black Pepper Sauce (yah for written down Asian recipes!)
• Jenna at Jenna's Cooking Journey with her Oatmeal Caramelitas (mmm caramel...)
• Caroline at The Barbee Housewife with her Bacon Ranch Chicken Taquitos (hello game day!)
• Jennifer at Mother Thyme with her Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (so scrumptious looking and easy to see why this was the fan favorite!)
• Angie at Coffee and Cannolis with her Mini Frittatas (freezer friendly and fillings are 100% adaptable!)
• Desi at Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl with her Grilled Fillet with Bourbon Butter (omg drool!)

The weather really changed dramatically since I came back to The States.  Sure, the fact that I came from the tropical weather of the Equator makes it feel even cooler but there are definitive signs of Fall in the air.  The mornings are cool and require jacket...and sometimes even heat in the car.  The leaves on the trees are starting to display beautiful Fall colors.  And, I'm feeling like making warm, comforting foods again.

In my book, nothing says fall more than pumpkin.  Hence, I'm sharing this recipe with you today.  It was just one of many recipes that I made with my homemade Nutella.  The bananas and pumpkin made it super moist and the Nutella gave it a great look and just enough chocolate boost.  Lovely to welcome Fall!

One Year Ago: French Onion Soup
Three Years Ago: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Banana Pumpkin Nutella Bread

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 bananas (preferably overly ripe), mashed
• 1 cup canned or freshly pureed pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 Tbsp Nutella, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray.
2. Add sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well until combined.  Then add the mashed bananas and pumpkin.  Again mixing until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, add flour, salt, and baking soda.  Whisk together to combine.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.  The batter will be thick.
4. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and dollop Nutella on top.  Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella through the batter.  Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. 

Source: As seen on The World in my Kitchen and adapted by Mom's Crazy Cooking from Babble - The Family Kitchen

Guest Post by Coffee and Cannolis: Mini Frittatas

Any coffee lovers out there?  How about cannolis?

Well, like I said in my last post, I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I do LOVE cannolis (Umm have you been to Mike's Pastry in Boston? Yum!).  I also am a fan of  Coffee and Cannolis!  Angie, the voice behind this blog, is another What's Cooking message board member but I only recently started following her myself.
She had my attention at her Baked Cinnamon Sugar Churros (I had tried a fried Churro Bites recipe but am always looking for equally delicious baked versions of fried foods).  After that point, I went back and pursued her other recipes.  I bookmarked a couple recipes that I know my peanut butter, dessert loving husband would go crazy over: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust and Peanut Butterfinger Mini Cheesecakes.  I honestly don't know which one would he'd like more but can say that they'll definitely be contenders for future birthday cakes.  I also saw Angie post a recipe for Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips, one that I love but realized I have never shared on my own blog.

Today she has chosen to share a super easy savory recipe and she must have read my mind because I love breakfast foods!  I love a good frittata or quiche but my egg-hating husband would never go for it.  This recipe would work well in my house because I could eat a few and then freeze the rest for later.  I can also add whatever leftover veggies and meats I have for customized flavors.  Awesome! It'll get filed right next to the Bacon Egg and Toast Cups for quick, bite-sized eggy breakfast treats.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cheesecake - A past birthday cake for my husband...and it was 9 LAYERS high!
Three Years Ago: Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili

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Hi!  My name is Angie from Coffee and Cannolis, and I’m so excited to be able to guest post today on Christine’s Kitchen Chronicles!  I have been following Christine for a few years now, so it’s an honor to be able to help her out with a post while she’s busy!  (And PS – have you seen that S’Mores Pizza?  I cannot wait to try it!)

Since you may not know me – a few things… I am a (new) mom to 15-month-old Tyler, who takes up A LOT of my time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!  With what little free time I get, I enjoy baking and cooking (and Pinterest, Netflix Instant Queue, reading…).  Since my free time has been cut significantly, I’ve learned to take some shortcuts, make adjustments, and that I don’t have to get a completely gourmet meal on the table every night.  My new goal (aside from just getting the kid to eat!) is to create REAL food that anyone can make.  Quickly and easily, with as few convenience foods as possible.  I wish I were superwoman, but alas I am not.

In efforts to save some time in the kitchen while still getting a healthy breakfast in my son’s tummy, I’ve discovered my love of these mini frittatas!  I like to make them on Sunday during nap time, or even once he’s down for the night, and freeze them to grab throughout the week.  Not only are they quick and freezer-friendly, they’re very versatile.  Your kids LOVE broccoli?  Throw some in.  You have a kid like mine that loves turkey sausage and super sharp white cheddar cheese?  Well, good news – these are fantastic with sausage and cheese!

Mini Frittatas

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• ½ cup milk or half and half
• Salt and Pepper
• Assorted Mix Ins, such as: Shredded Cheese, Cooked Sausage Crumbles, Diced Peppers, Diced Steamed Broccoli

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray
2. Whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Evenly distribute egg mixture among the 12 muffin cups.  Add about 2 tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup.
3. Bake about 20-25 minutes until the eggs are puffy and the edges are golden brown.  (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edges to loosen before removing from pan). 

Makes 12-mini frittatas

* These can be frozen in a freezer-weight bag.  To defrost I pull them out and keep in the fridge overnight, and just microwave for 10 seconds for my son, 30-45 seconds for me!

Source: Disney’s Family Fun

Guest Post by Mother Thyme: Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

New week, 3 new guest posters!  And today, I'm FINALLY flying back home from Asia.  But my travels don't stop there because on Sunday I'm off to drive to another US city for a couple days and then this coming weekend, it's yet another flight to New York City for a friend's wedding and visiting my grandma and other extended family while I'm out there.  Phew.  September is certainly a whirlwind of a month for me!

To start the week, I'm sharing one of my new favorite blogs, Mother Thyme. Jennifer is the author of the blog and I first discovered it through being in Secret Recipe Club Group C together. I fell in love with her gorgeous photography (lots of beautiful examples below!) and am just thoroughly impressed by the catalog of recipes that she has amassed on her blog.  Seriously, the number of her recipes I've recently bookmarked to try is out of control and I struggled with which to highlight in my post today.  

I decided on a theme of Fall flavors and comfort foods.  There's something about the weather turning cooler that makes me crave things like:

• Baked Gingerbread Donuts - Any excuse to break out my donut pan!
• Hot Caramel Cocoa - Always a cocoa drinker over coffee anyday. Add caramel? Heaven.
• How to Make Pumpkin Puree - This will be useful in the coming months.  Homemade always tastes so much better than canned and is worth the effort in my opinion.
• Lasagna with Homemade Lasagna Noodles - Speaking of homemade, I think I should give homemade noodles a try again.  I did it last year as part of my 23 Things in 2011 challenge but found it so cumbersome.  Perhaps I just need more practice.  I do feel bad only using it once so far...my husband did buy me that Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller Attachment last Christmas after all...
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Noodle Soup - I eat soup year round and am always on the hunt for new varieties to try.  Especially ones that are for the crockpot!

Amazingly, Jennifer does this all while being a mother to two year old twins!! I can only aspire to the level of cooking, blogging, and motherhood that Jennifer has achieved. I also think perhaps I should get tips from her for my friend Emily, also expecting twin girls soon!

Today she shares a yummy looking coffee cake which will also make my "to-make" list. Some of my other favorite coffee cakes: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Berry Buttermilk Cake...both are sorta dessert, sorta breakfast!

One Year Ago: Easy Cannelini Bean and Ham Soup 

Three Years Ago: Barbecue and Chicken Pizza

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Hi I’m Jennifer, the voice behind the blog Mother Thyme.   A big thank you to Christine for inviting me to her delicious blog today.  

When I head out with my adorable twins to visit friends or family I like to bring something sweet.  And who doesn’t like to be the recipient of a sweet treat?  I often bake a warm batch of cookies, a loaf of one of my favorite quick breads or my Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.  Packaging any of these goodies and taking it to someone to share can brighten anyones day.  

This delicious cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert.  It is a  classic coffee cake with a thick layer of sweet cream cheese in the center.  

Ready to dive in?

Anytime I cake justify cake for breakfast I’m happy.

Want to know the best part?

It is so easy to make!  

Now won’t this impress everyone the next time you serve this?  

Let me not forget to mention this is so good!  No.  It is actually really, really good.   

Make a pot of coffee, and enjoy a slice or go ahead and have two.  Trust me, you’ll be happy!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Print recipe

Ingredients:

For Filling:

• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light or regular)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

For Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream (light or regular)
• For Streusel Topping:
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed

For Topping:

• ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour a 9” x 13” cake pan and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla and blend on medium-low speed until creamy.  Set mixture aside.
3. In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.  
4. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl cream butter and sugar on medium-low speed.  Add eggs one at a time then vanilla extract.   Gradually add in flour mixture alternating with sour cream until it is all combined.  
5. Spread half the batter in prepared cake pan.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top.  Top with remaining cake batter.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl in the batter.  
6. Add sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl and stir using a fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of cake.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool on rack.
9. In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar and milk until creamy.  Drizzle over cake.  

About Mother Thyme

Jennifer is a mom to two year old twins and the creator of Mother Thyme creating fast and easy family friendly meals that incorporate fresh ingredients with common ingredients already on hand.

Find Mother Thyme-

Blog- Mother Thyme

Facebook- Mother Thyme

Twitter- @MotherThyme

Pinterest- MotherThyme

SRC: Homemade Nutella

It's that time of the month again!  This month for Secret Recipe Club (SRC) I received Heidi's blog, Heidi's World.  She is Danish and so it was my first adventure with a foreign blog.  I was excited!

Since most of the world other than the US cooks by weight, I was grateful to have my food scale.  But, since I realize not all of you may have one (highly recommend to get, though!), I did my best to translate the recipe into volumetric cups based on the ingredients that I used.  Please realize though that depending on the particle size of what you're measuring, you could actually end up with more or less of the item than intended because of packing, though.

I was intrigued by her recipes which included many unfamiliar things (such as these Moink Balls - Meatballs wrapped in bacon, grilled and then brushed with BBQ sauce...sounds like a Summer cookout winner to me and almost made those!).  Ultimately, I went with a homemade version of Nutella.  If you don't know what Nutella is, surely you've been living under a rock all of these years.  It is chocolate hazelnut spread and somehow passes as dessert for breakfast when you smear it on your toast.  Every time I think of Nutella now I think of the woman that sued them because she was "deceived" into thinking it was a healthy breakfast food for her child.  Really, it's quite laughable to think this given it's CHOCOLATE but hey, that's how Nutella markets themselves with their "breakfast never tasted this good!" slogan.  I'm not sure if this is necessarily healthier than the real stuff but at least you know exactly what is going into it.

I haven't had Nutella in a long while but from what I can remember, this is good!  I mean really, can you go wrong with chocolate and nuts?  I think not.  When it was hot, it was quite soupy and I thought surely I must have read something wrong (it wouldn't be the first time).  But, it does get nice and thick as it cools and sets so don't fret!  I personally would like a thicker spread and more hazelnut flavor so have adjusted those ingredients, accordingly.  This recipe made a lot and is supposed to last 2 weeks in the fridge (if it lasts that long).  I think mine might become ingredients for other things...possibly more recipes to come?

As usual a special thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead, SRC ring leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our new Group C Hostess!

Homemade Nutella

Ingredients

• 75g (3/4 cup) pre-chopped hazelnuts
• 150g (~1 cup) good chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips)
• 30g (2 Tbsp) butter
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a microwave safe dish, toast hazelnuts in the microwave for about 1 minute.  Ground them up finely using a food processor.  For a chunkier spread, process for less time but keep it going longer until the oils are released and it forms a nut butter if you want it nice and smooth like real Nutella.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan on the stove.  Pour in the chopped chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate has melted.  Add the butter and stir until melted.  Add the nuts, powdered sugar, and salt.  Stir until well combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to a glass jar and close immediately.  Put in the refrigerator and allow to set.  Can be stored for 14 days in the refrigerator.  You may need to allow it to come to room temperature a bit before becoming spreadable again.

Source: Re-written from Heidi's World

Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Buns

Hi friends!  I have exciting news to share.  You may have noticed that I've been rather absent from my blog this year.  I've been busy, to say the least.  And so to help me get back to regularly blogging, I was accepted to and joined the Secret Recipe Club.  The idea is simple.  Each month, you are assigned a random blog and then you get to choose a recipe that you'd like to make from it.  On a prescribed day and time, everybody reveals what they've made!

I'm part of Angela's Group.  She's the hostess of Group C and the blogger behind Big Bear's Wife.  This month I was assigned Melissa's Cuisine and boy did things look tasty!  At first, I considered making Grilled Pizza since it's always something I've wanted to try but then I decided I'd use this opportunity to make something sweet instead.  Melissa's blog is FILLED with cinnamon rolls and so I knew that I'd have to try one out.  But the question was....Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls or Cookie Dough and Chocolate Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls?  I went with the latter, knowing one of my husband's absolute favorite desserts are the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles that he often begs me to make.

I think that I was not supposed to have chocolate chips in my cookie dough stuffed cinnamon rolls now that I look back at Melissa's pictures so what I ended up with was a hybrid roll.  I don't buy margarine so I used something better...BUTTER!  Yum!  Also, lately in my cooking I've been trying to swap out some of the white flour with whole wheat.  Nutritionally I don't think it makes too much of a difference but psychologically it makes me feel better haha.  I also didn't reserve any cookie dough for the frosting (I was a bit overzealous in stuffing my rolls!) so I winged my own frosting by adding a bit of butter for well...buttery flavor.

Now, I knew that these cinnamon rolls would be rich but I had no idea of the sheer decadence that would explode in my mouth.  They were ADDICTING!  Chocolate chip cookie + cinnamon roll?  This is dessert for breakfast!  What's not to love?  I'm embarrassed to say that my husband and I each ate 3 in a single sitting.  Yup, good thing I added some whole wheat flour to the mix, huh? ;).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

For the Ready to Eat Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 packet yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
• 4-1/2 cups flour (I used 1-1/2 cups whole wheat and 3 cups all purpose)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) butter
• cinnamon
• sugar
• 1 batch ready to eat cookie dough
• 2 cups chocolate chips

For the Icing:

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Directions

1. Make the Cookie Dough:  In a small bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add in flour. Stir in chocolate chips.  Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.
2. Mix the milk, oil, and sugar in a large pot. Scald milk mixture (heat until not quite boiling) and then let it cool to room temperature.  The cooling step is important because if the liquid is too hot, you will kill your yeast and your rolls will not rise!
3. Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let it sit for a couple minutes.  Stir in 4 cups of flour to form a sticky dough. Cover pan and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
4. After dough has risen, stir in remaining 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Divide dough in half. On a flour covered workplace (I use my counter), roll the dough out until it's about 1/8" thick and in a rectangular shape about 18 inches long and 12 inches wide.
5. Melt butter in a glass measuring cup or a small bowl. Pour half of the melted butter over the dough and spread using a brush. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (the amount is up to you). Now top with spoonfuls of prepared chocolate chip cookie dough.
6. Roll dough toward you, keeping the spiral as tight as possible. Cut into 3/4 inch slices. Place in a greased pan. 
7. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. 
8. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for 30 minutes. Then bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
9. While rolls are in the oven, mix together ingredients for icing.  Add more powdered sugar if the consistency is too thin.  If the mixture is too thick, add more milk or cream.  You want it to be the consistency of a spreadable frosting.  
10. Let the rolls cool for about 5 minutes before icing.  To really put these over the top and/or for the chocoholics in your life, drizzle with melted chocolate.  Eat them warm right out of the pan...and don't say I didn't warn you!

Make Ahead Tips: Once you have cut your rolls and placed them into the greased pan, you can cover then put them in the refrigerator or freezer to bake later.  To bake straight from the fridge, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.  Fresh cinnamon rolls hot out of the oven in the morning!  You're welcome!

Source: Slightly modified from Melissa's Cuisine