French Toast recipe (without eggs)

Sorry for the lack of posting around here lately...but the weather has been sooo nice!  I have sewed a little bit ,but can not show you until my swap partner receives it.  Soon!

Am I the only one who does not like french toast because of the egg? The weird thing is that I actually don't mind eggs every once in a while!  Mr. P watches a lot of cooking shows and recently he saw one that had a recipe something like this.  He described it and asked me to make it for breakfast on the weekend.

Fresh berry French toast:

One baguette (the one you need to bake for a few minutes at home)
syrup of your choice (I like Sohgave,Maple flavor,because it is low GI/not super sweet)
fresh berries or fruit of your choice (1/2 cup)
powdered sugar for dusting
1 - 2 tablespoons Butter

Slice your baguette into pieces(I used 4 pieces for each of us) about 2 inches thick place on a tray or rack in oven (preferably a toaster oven since it is such a small amount).  Bake for the time recommended on package,or until it looks toasted.  Mean while,wash fruit or berries and slice them,set aside for now.

In a frying pan melt butter,remove the baguette slices from the toaster oven and place in frying pan fry for a minute or two over medium heat,just until golden on both sides.

Remove from frying pan and plate.  Top with berries and or fruit,pour syrup over the top of berries/fruit and toast,dust with powdered sugar.

All that is left to do is Enjoy!  I know we did :)

Cedar Wrapped Mediterranean Salmon

When posting the Asian Salmon with Vegetables recipe,I promised to also share the  Mediterranean Salmon recipe.

Of course it rained yesterday...but Mr. P. grilled anyway,I know he is a keeper!

Mediterranean Salmon:

• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped sun dried tomatoes (rehydrated in hot water or,packed in oil)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup zucchini,cut into thin strips
• 2 6-8 oz salmon fillets
• 2 fire & flavor cedar papers(pre-soak in warm water for 10 minutes)
• fresh basil for garnish (optional)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

These are the papers used for wrapping and grilling your salmon/veggies in,and is also where the recipe came from.

First: Combine tomatoes,olives,garlic,oil,and thyme in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Next: Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high heat (about 400 degrees).  Place one fillet in center of each grilling paper,spoon tomato mixture directly on top of fish,and arrange zucchini strips on top.  Fold edges of papers over the fillets and secure with string.  Place packets on grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side,depending on thickness of fish.

Last: Using tongs,remove salmon from grill and serve with fresh basil as a garnish.

I chose to steam up some fresh green beans on the grill (in a foil pack with butter and seasonings) to go with the salmon.  Serves 2

Asian Salmon with Vegetables

Since my sewing tables are packed up for the Farmers Market tomorrow...I decided to share a recipe with you...

It is a good thing that these little "papers"are for both outdoor & indoor cooking.  (since we are on fire here in CO and grills are banned)

On to the recipe...found inside of Fire & Flavor package
Asian Salmon with Vegetables:

2 tablespoons soy sauce; divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 carrot,thinly sliced into 6-inch strips
2 scallions,thinly sliced into 6-inch strips
3/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
4  6 - 8 oz Salmon fillets
cotton string,for tying papers together
4 Fire & Flavor cedar papers,soaked for 10 minutes in a shallow pan/tray of water
salt & pepper; to taste

First:
Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce,oil,and ginger in a zip top plastic bag.  Add salmon and toss to coat.  Marinate  for 10 minutes at room temperature .  In a small bowl,toss carrots,scallions and mushroom slices with remaining soy sauce.

Next:
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat (about 400 degrees).  Remove salmon from marinade and season each fillet with salt and pepper.  Place one fillet in center of each paper and top with equal amount of vegetables.  Fold edges of paper over the fillets and secure with cotton string.

Last:
Place packets on grill or in grill pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side,depending on the thickness of the fish.  Remove from the grill/pan using tongs and serve.

Cooking tip:
Soak papers in wine,sake,or bourbon for extra flavor.

Changes I made to the above recipe:

• marinated everything together in the plastic bag
• used crystalized ginger chopped into small bits (because that is what I had)
• grated the carrot (because they were baby carrots & I didn't want to cut myself)
• used red onion (no scallions on hand)
• a handful of sugar snap peas sliced thinly (in place of mushrooms)

I also sliced my fillets into three or four thiner pieces so the vegetables were wrapped up inside of the fish.

If you like salmon I hope you give this recipe a try,we loved it!  Now I want to try the Mediterranean Salmon recipe too :)

Oatmeal.... Its whats for breakfast (recipe)

Recently I have been trying to make some of the many projects,tutorials,recipes,etc. that are on my boards on pinterest.  A couple of weeks ago I tried out an Oatmeal in a small mason jar recipe.

                                                            TheYummylife

The above photo is courtesy of theyummylife dot com.  (their food photos skills are awesome).

Anyway,while talking to Jolene one evening I mentioned this recipe to her.  After listening to me blab about how good this stuff is she suggested,(as usual) that this should appear in a post on my blog.  So that way she would have easy access to the recipe herself :)  So Sweetie,here it is....

Refrigerator Oatmeal

Here are the main ingredients needed for this recipe,you will also need fruit (not pictured).
The fruit used in my oatmeal jars was,Strawberry/banana,White Peach/Raspberry,and Blueberry/banana.  Normally I would use Apple with the blueberry,but did not have any apples on hand,so substituted the banana instead.

The General Recipe is as follows:

1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/3 cup Milk (I used Almond Milk)
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (I like Greek Gods Brand,but any brand will do)
1 1/2 / teaspoon dried Chia Seeds (found at health food stores or online)
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup,vanilla extract,or other flavoring
1/4 cup fruit or enough to fill the jar

Jars:
Most Walmart's,Amazon,Target's,or grocery stores carry canning jars.  You can also find them at thrift stores,but usually not the smaller ones.  The size used in this recipe is a jelly jar or a half pint size jar.
Some stores also have the white plastic lids,some do not,so you might have to look around for those.

Directions:

In your jar add the oats,chia seeds,milk,yogurt,maple syrup,or whatever flavoring you are using.  Place lid on jar and shake vigorously until well combined.  Take the lid off and add your fruit to the jar stirring carefully until it is mixed throughly.  Return the lid to the jar and place in the refrigerator overnight.

My jars with Chia seeds in one,the chia seeds look kind of like Giant pepper grounds,except that they are round like a poppy seed.

Oatmeal mixture,Shaken Not Stirred ;)  (Raspberry White Peach)

Can you see the little bits of green in the Strawberry Banana?  That is Chocolate Mint from my herb garden,Yum!

Blueberry Banana,I added one leaf of Orange Mint to this one!

All three flavors :)  This recipe is a definite Keeper!  It is great for work mornings when I am in a hurry to get out the door,but also for on the weekends when being lazy too!  The great thing about it is that you can play around with the fruit part of the ingredients,and add whatever you like.  Or try out new things,i.e.,make it up as you go.

Another Pin,that I have tried and am very happy with the results!  Since deciding that instead of just pinning things and leaving them,it is important to try them out.  Which is helpful in making the decision of either to keep,or not to keep!

Off to have some breakfast ;)  Hope you try this out,Enjoy!

DIY Laundry soap

Have you ever made your own laundry soap?  No,me either,that is until this weekend!

Pictured are the items you will need to make your own laundry soap.  With the exception of a medium size bowl.  (forgot to include that in the photo)
1. cup Borax
1. cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1. Bar Fels Naptha soap
disposable gloves  (to protect your hands)
jar/container for storing
wax paper (or you could just grate the soap into the bowl)
Grater

Note:  You will want a grater with smaller holes!

Here is the Fels Naptha soap all grated,looks like cheddar cheese!  It has a lemony scent to it.  As noted above,you will need to use a grater with smaller holes.  The one I used was really to large,so the next trip to the thrift store, I will be looking for another grater.

Add one cup Borax.

Next add one cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.  Mix the three ingredients together.

Pour into your desired container.  As you can see my Fels Naptha soap is not evenly distributed throughout the mixture.  This is why you need to grate it using the small holes on your grater.  That aside,it still worked quite well!  I just used an old cap from a vitamin container as a scoop.  For Mr. P's jeans I used 2 caps (since he has been welding at work lately),for the rest of the laundry I used 1 capful per load.

This has been pinned on one of my boards on pinterest for a little while now.  Here is the pin/recipe with better photos and instructions too!  Check it out,you will see how it looks when using the smaller holes on your grater :)  Pretty!

Next time I am going to use a lavender soap instead of the Fels Naptha.  The store bought laundry soap I used had a lavender scent which I loved.  Let me know if you try this out!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole & Peanut Butter Sweeties recipes

As you can see Mr. P dug right in before I could get a photo of
the casserole :)
To make this you will need....
1 can each,cream of chicken,cream of mushroom,and fiesta nacho cheese soup
1 can olives
1 cup milk
1/2 onion chopped,or sliced
2 small chicken breast,cooked and chopped,or 1 12oz can of chicken
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend) but you can use what you like
tortilla chips,I used Mission,but again whatever kind you like is fine
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Make sure that you grease the casserole dish or use Pam,because if you don't
it will stick to the bottom of the dish.

Start by opening and mixing the three cans of soup in a medium size bowl. 
Spread a layer of the soup mixture on the bottom of your casserole dish,then a layer of
tortilla chips,1/4 cup of shredded cheese,1/2 chicken,1/2 olives,1/2 onions,repeat
the layers.
Pour the cup of milk over the top of all the layers.

Top the layers off with a few handfuls of crushed tortilla chips.
Cover with foil and place in oven.
Bake for 30-45 minutes
Enjoy!

This is a great recipe for when you need a meal that doesn't take a whole lot
of prep time,like a few days before Christmas ;)

One of my followers requested the recipe for these!  So here
you go Bookworm222 :)

Peanut Butter Sweeties
1 cup peanut butter*
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes),softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
5 dozen miniature pretzel twists,or waffles (about 3 cups)
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips (your choice of flavor)
1 tablespoon oil

In a medium to large bowl  mix Peanut butter,and butter until smooth.
Mix in confectioners sugar,until combined.
Shape into 1 inch balls.  Gently press each ball onto a pretzel.
Place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet,refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a microwave safe bowl or heavy saucepan,melt the chocolate chips and oil.
Dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate,then return to the wax paper lined
cookie sheet,pretzel side down.
Return to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Generic brand,or reduced fat Peanut butter is not recommended for
this recipe.

Check out these Huge Cinnamon rolls that a friend at work
gave me today for Mr.P and myself!  They are about 7-8 inches
across!
Mr. P already tried out his after dinner this evening :)  I am saving mine for
breakfast and break at work tomorrow :)

Cherry Chip Scone recipe

(Sorry no photo)

Ingredients needed...

2 cups flour                                                   
2 teaspoons baking powder                            
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon                                  
1/4 teaspoon salt                                             
1/2 cup buttermilk*                                         
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cherry chips
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1stick) butter cut into small pieces
2 eggs divided
1 Tablespoon milk                                  

* If you don't have buttermilk,place 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or distilled white vinegar in a measuring
cup and add enough milk to measure 1/2 cup.  Stir and let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees...

Combine flour,baking powder,cinnamon,baking soda,salt,sugar, in large bowl.  Stir well.  Cut butter into mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly.  Combine buttermilk,1 egg and vanilla in a small bowl; mix well.  Add to dry ingredients,also add cherry chips and mix gently until dough comes together.

Spoon dough onto baking sheets,using 2 Tablespoons of dough for each scone.  Leave 1 inch between scones.  Combine remaining egg and milk in a small bowl; brush over tops of scones.

Bake  for 12-14 minutes on a well greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet,or until scones are golden brown.  Transfer to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 scones

Baking update & recipe for Jolene :)

Just wanted to let everyone know that our first toys for tots
bake sale/cookout was a smashing success!
We ended up making $550.00!!!
Above is a photo of some zucchini bread I baked yesterday.
I actually baked 6 loves :)
Am hoping to get 6 more baked up today so that they can go into
the freezer too.

Here are some of the goodies that I baked up for the bake sale.
8 dozen cookies!
Also baked but not pictured were 2 loves of pumpkin bread &
2 cakes.

These are some yellow squash fritters that I made yesterday.
Mr. P was eating them as fast as I could make them.
So I had to tell him to stop long enough for a photo!

As promised,below is my recipe for home made Granola.
For You Sweetie :)  (Jolene)

Pecan & Cranberry Honey Granola

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 TBsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped apricots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
*NOTE*
You can use any dried fruit/nut combo that You like.

In a medium bowl,whisk together first four ingredients.
Add next five ingredients.  Toss to combine well.
Spread on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at
350 degrees for 30 minutes,stirring every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl,add all dried fruit and toss well.
Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon & wild Rice Recipe

What you will need to make this meal...
One piece of salmon
Size depends on how many you are feeding, the piece here will feed 4
Soy sauce 1/4 cup
Cilantro fresh or dried 1 tablespoon
lemon juice or juice of 1 medium lemon
Grill
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (you could probably broil it in the oven too)
Gallon size zip lock bag
Rice
Green veggie

Place your salmon filet in the zip lock bag
Add your cilantro
or whatever herb you like

Next add the brown sugar

Pour in 1/4 cup of whatever kind of Soy sauce you like or
use.
Also add your lemon juice now

Zip up the bag
Now rub all the ingredients around on the salmon filet
making sure to coat both sides,you may need to turn the
filet over to do this.
Now place in the fridge and let marinate
You can marinate it for as little as 30 minutes
or as long as an hour
Place on a hot grill
The amount of time you grill it will depend on how
you like it done

I like mine black around the edges,so Mr. P grills it
for about 1/2 an hour on his Weber charcoal grill
 

Mean while prepare your rice according to the
directions on the package.
This is the first time we tried this particular brand
of rice.
I always make long grain & wild rice with my salmon.
This one we found at Sam's the last time we were there.
It has wild rice,long grain rice & red rice too.
It is good,but you will probably want to add some seasonings.

Here is the finished meal!
I like green beans with this dish,but you can add
whatever green veggie you like :)
Enjoy!

Bacon & swiss chard over Alferdo pasta

Yesterday I posted a photo of my first bunch of Swiss Chard
from the garden.
This evening I used it to make dinner!

Recipe
1 package of bacon (I used beef bacon)
15-20 leaves of Chard (you could also use Kale,or one package/
bunch of spinach)
8 oz pasta (your choice)
Alfredo sauce
Cut the Chard/kale off the spine,and tear or chop into bite size
pieces.  If using spinach tear large leafs in half & remove stem.
Set aside.
Take bacon out of package and cut in half.  Place in skillet and fry
to desired dourness.
Put your pasta on to boil at this point.
Drain off most of the grease,leaving about 2 tablespoons in skillet.
Add whichever green you are using to the skillet.  Return to heat
and cook until your greens are aldente.  Three to five minutes,no longer
Remove from heat.
Drain pasta,return to pot and add Alfredo sauce and heat through.
Place desired amount of Alfredo pasta in bowl and top with greens &
bacon mixture.
Enjoy :)
Serves 3

This evening I was able to get my triangles cut for my Posie
Patch quilt.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to start putting the blocks
together.

Green Bean & Mushroom Pie

3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter or margarine,divided
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
6 cups cut fresh green beans (bite sized pieces)
2 teaspoons minced fresh herbs (your choice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 package 8 oz. cream cheese,cubed

~ Crust Recipe ~
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tablespoon whipping cream

In a large skillet saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter until tender;
drain and set aside.  In the same skillet, saute onions and beans in
remaining butter for 8-20 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender.
Add herbs,salt,pepper,cream cheese, milk and mushrooms.  Cook
and stir until the cream cheese is melted.  Remove from the stove;set
aside. 
In a mixer or food processor combine the flour,baking powder,dill,
salt, and butter.  Mix or process until the mixture resembles coarse
crumbs.  Add sour cream and mix to form a soft dough.
Divide dough in half.  on a well floured surface, roll out one portion to fit
a deep-dish pie plate;trim pastry even with edge.
Pour green bean mixture into crust. roll out remaining pastry;
make a lattice top crust.  Trim, seal and flute edge.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and cream; brush over lattice top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until golden
brown.
Yield: 8-10 servings

Cancer bake sale goodies

I'm Baked!  Came home from work early today to do a bunch
of baking for our second Cancer bake sale.
Just finished a few minutes ago, whew!  I am about ready to
fall into bed :)
4 loaves of Herb Cheese bread (recipe here )
6 loaves of Cheddar English Muffin Bread (recipe here )
11 3/4 pound packages of Key Lime fudge (recipe here )
6 packages of Lemon Blueberry Scones (recipe at Rocknrecipes )
6 packages of Cherry,Triple Berry & Sunflower seed Scones
Yummy Overload!
Wish me luck at the bake sale tomorrow!

Chicken Salad & Lemon Scones too!

Chicken Salad in the making.
One 12 oz. can of chicken
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2 stalks of celery
15-20 grapes
1 leaf of kale
1/4 sm. red onion
Sliced almonds (3-6 oz.)

Open and drain chicken.
chop celery,red onion,grapes, and kale,add to bowl with chicken.
Add mayonnaise and almonds, mix together.
Enjoy on bread of your choice!

These are my Lemon Blueberry Scones, don't they look
yummy?
Well let me tell you they are! :)
The recipe for these can be found over at my friends blog
RocknRecipes here
She has the best recipes!  You don't know what you are missing
if you don't hop over there and check some them out.
Well what are you waiting for???

Corn Souffle

Quiltpecan  over at Sew How's This, posted a recipe the other day
for Corn Souffle.
It just so happens that Mr. P and I both Love cornbread!  So this
recipe was added to the list of meals for this week.
The picture above is the Corn Souffle we had for dinner tonight, along
with some leftover BBQ chicken!
After dinner Mr. P stated "I love this,Where did you get this recipe from?"
This is definitely a keeper, and is going in my recipe box!
Thank You Quiltpecan :)
You really need to give this recipe a whirl, you won't be disappointed!!
You can find the recipe here:
http://sewhowsthis.blogspot.com/2011/03/recipe-roundup_21.html

Cornmeal Pancakes w/chili and sour cream

This is what we had for breakfast today.  Yum!
Mr. P (hubby) loves pancakes, and Mrs. P (me) loves waffles.
So this is the compromise we came to!
These pancakes are a lot lighter than regular pancakes, which is why
I like them.  They don't sit on my stomach for half the day like regular
pancakes seem to do.
Anyway these are a quick and easy meal to prepare, which is an added plus!
If you like to make breakfast for dinner, like we do, this is a great recipe for
that.  It is also a great Brunch recipe!
So without further ado, here is the recipe!

Cornmeal pancakes w/chili & sour cream topping
3/4 cup pancake or Bisquick mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup grated cheese
green onion (for garnish)
1 can chili beans
3/4 cup salsa (optional)
sour cream
Mix the first 5 ingredients to make the batter, set aside while your pan or griddle
heats up.  Chop or slice your green onion and set aside.  Mix Chili Beans and
Salsa together and heat (either on low heat on stove top or in microwave)
Pour batter into your heated pan or onto griddle.  Cook until the edges are dry (done)
and then turn and cook the other side.
Top pancakes w/Chili Bean & salsa mixture, then add a dollop of sour cream, and lastly
garnish with green onions.
Enjoy!

Pizza dough recipe

                                                 Basic Pizza Dough
  1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
 1 package (.25 ounce) dry active yeast
 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat pastry & half all purpose)
 1 teaspoon sugar
 1 teaspoon salt
 2 tablespoons olive oil
In mixer or large bowl, mix flour and salt.  Create a small well in the center and add yeast, sugar, oil, and water.
Mix or stir until dough comes together and forms a ball.
Turn out onto a floured  surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding as much of the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed.  Form a disc or ball and place in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil.  Turn disc/ball to coat with oil, cover bowl with towel or plastic wrap.  Allow to raise (in a warm place) until doubled in size.  1-2 hours.
Remove dough from bowl and punch down (punch in center with your fist)  Roll out, or hand toss, to desired size.
Top with your favorite sauce and toppings.
Bake at 425 for 18 minutes.
enjoy!

Cheddar,English muffin bread recipe

  This morning after enjoying my cup of coffee it was time to get busy putting the beans in the crock-pot for dinner.  And of course that meant some homemade bread was in order too!
  So after a little debate the Cheddar,English Muffin, green onion bread won out.  This is a favorite around here, it always disappears at a rather quick rate!  This bread is very easy to make and goes great with a variety of soups, and beans too!
  Recipe:
3 Tbsp. cornmeal
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 pkt active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
6 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese,shredded; (1 1/2 cups)
  Lightly coat two loaf pans with nonstick spray.  Dust each with 1 1/2 Tbsp cornmeal.
Mix 3 cups flour, green onion, yeast, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes and baking soda in a large bowl.  Heat milk and water until warm (105-115) degrees.  Stir into flour mixture, then stir in remaining 3 cups flour and 1 1/4 cups cheese.  Lightly mix together.
  Divide dough evenly between your two loaf pans.  This is a little hard as the dough is very sticky ( see 2nd pic)  Lightly coat a piece of wax paper with nonstick spray and then invert over the loaf pans. 
  Let rise in a warm draft-free place 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake loaves 20-25 minutes or until golden.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes longer.
  Cool on wire rack in pans for 5 minutes before removing from pans to finish cooling.  (I can never wait until it is all the way cool, so it gets sliced and buttered while still very warm)  Yum!
Store at room temperature for 3 days or in freezer for up to 2 months.