Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins
This is what you make when you’ve an unexpected guest for breakfast! Quick, easy and nutritious oatmeal muffins. Doug had to have more than one giant muffin … And I’d even over-baked them. Yikes!
Gluten Free Raisin Biscuits
A Throwback
Over the last days I’ve been visiting with my daughter and her family in Southern California. My daughter is always mindful of healthy eating. Her pantry is low sugar, primarily organic and whole grain everything. She is into cookies and muffins if the nutritional value outweighs the calories. I’m for that! So, while driving home I was thinking dessert … after all, it had been three days without one. My thoughts went to a raisin biscuit, not gluten free, I ate as a kid. I’ve searched for this cookie in recent years … no longer available at my grocer’s.
I started this recipe late in the day when the natural light was disappearing from my kitchen … Working quickly to get a post together by the end of the day. The step to refrigerate the dough was skipped … saving time, but the recipe suffered a bit. I worked half the dough … So, tomorrow look for instruction photos showing the rolling out process when I work the second half. The typical all purpose flour has been replaced by a gluten free all purpose. This was an easy transition for this cookie since the texture of the original raisin biscuit is unlike a ‘cookie.’ I’ve done a taste test and this definitely passes. I think my daughter would approve!
Try this with any number of dried fruit. I tweaked this a little and added a few dried cranberries too.
Apple Recipes
My Apple Dumplings-Sunday
Here are a few apple recipes to tide you over until My Apple Dumplings Post.
Top L-R: Spinach Apple Banana Smoothie, Mother’s Day Muffins, Apple Empanadas
Bottom L-R: Pork Chops Recipe, Apple Dessert, Apple Pie
Did you know there are over 7000 apple cultivars? Just within the last weeks I was looking through the apples at my grocer’s. And up popped a new one … to me anyway. Do you get confused about which to use for what? I kinda stick with my favorites. But it’s interesting and recommended to mix cooking apples to get a little different taste and texture.
The crabapple is the only apple variety native to North America. It’s not used in cooking often because of its extremely sour taste. Apples are usually categorized by use; cider, cooking, eating. Below I’ve listed what I often find available and their recommended use. Yep, in my youth I baked an apple pie with Red Delicious. It took forever for the apples to ‘cook.’
Braeburn-sweet, tart; eating and tarts (can turn brown inside from long storage)
Empire-sweet, crunchy, juicy, tangy; eating (cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious)
Fuji-one of the sweetest, crisp; eating (brought to market in the 60’s-developed in a research station in Japan)
Gala-sweet, juicy, crisp, grainy; eating and sauces (one of the most popular apples)
Golden Delicious-very sweet; eating (found in West Virginia-not closely related to Red Delicious)
Granny Smith-crisp, juicy, very tart; cooking and eating (originated in Australia)
Gravenstein-crisp, sweet, tart; cider, cooking and eating (been around for 100’s of years)
Jonathan-tart; cooking and eating (Origin-Woodstock)
McIntosh-slightly tart and crisp; cooking and eating (very popular in eastern Canada and the Northeast US)
Red Delicious-sweet, very mild to little taste; eating (easy to recognize by the mounds circling the bottom)
Rome-crisp, juicy, mild; cooking (flavor develops in baking)
Winesap-sweet, tangy; cider and eating (Stayman apple)
The Same Recipe for Both! Really?
Linguini (linguine) Carbonara and Fried Rice
Maybe a tiny bit misleading. But with the exception of rice and pasta and one other ingredient these two recipes are the same. Once cooked and soy sauce added to one and Parmesan to the other the tastes are distinctively different.
Linguini Carbonara has always been on the brunch menu, more like eggs and bacon, but is quite versatile and easily makes a great family dinner. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy these two recipes are with minimal ingredients. Great for the inexperienced cook.
Not just for Breakfast-Breakfast Burrito
Serve it as a brunch on the patio or dinner in a pinch. Do it the simple way with mushroom soup and your favorite store bought salsa … Or for the purest make a béchamel and if you don’t make salsa try fresh chopped tomatoes and cilantro as the garnish.
Check Out These Banana Recipes
Smoothie
Banana Spice Cake
Banana Bread
Vegan Muffin
Chocolate Eclairs
Apple Empanada
What a great lunch box dessert! Packs well, can be eaten with little hands, and oh yes, it’s absolutely scrumptious!A real treat and healthy too. I say this is a perfect dessert for everyone. Change the fruit if you prefer another … add as much or as little sugar … and make it vegan if you’d like.
Old Fashioned Pancakes
Family’s favorite pancakes! The secret is the thinness of the batter and the hot hot griddle. My four children are so into my pancakes. They call for advice when theirs don’t turn out. And I always say, the heat of the griddle is crucial, and the thinness of the batter-not too thin but definitely not thick.
There is no need to make the ingredients complex. I like saving that for toppings. Here I’ve used fresh strawberry syrup. You can find the Strawberry Syrup Recipe Here.
And for other Pancake and Syrup Recipes Try Here.
Easy Delicious Dessert
Looks a little like a burrito! Not into blueberries? Add your fav fruit pie filling instead! Really easy … really tasty. Fruit burritos for dessert or breakfast. Doesn’t need a topping but doesn’t hurt. A treat you can make your family’s.
Blueberries were on special today … 2 packages for the price of one. I don’t need much incentive to choose blueberries but for this recipe these work too: apples, peaches, blackberries, cherries, strawberries…. Well, you get the idea.
Egg and Potatoes Meal
Breakfast, Brunch or Dinner & Lunch Too!
This happens when you have potatoes and eggs about to go south. BUT that doesn’t mean this isn’t a surprisingly delicious alternative to the usual dinner. I appreciate my hens working overtime! And my friend does too with this really easy dinner or anytime recipe. My single serving cast iron skillets are perfect for this dish. Fun!