Sausage Patties

May 2, 2016May 1, 2016

Spring is here and Mother’s Day is upon us. A Mother’s Day tradition in many a household is breakfast in bed for mom. Why not make it extra special this year by going that extra mile? Making homemade sausage may seem out of reach to many, but with this simple recipe, you will not only get a more delicious patty, but a healthier one!

Made from simple ingredients. It’s always nice to know exactly what goes into our food and be able to control the quality of what we put in our bodies. These little patties are without casing, which is just one more reason I love them.

These pork breakfast sausages are perfect for freezing and can be ready to go whenever you want to make a special breakfast or just have a quick breakfast ready to go in the morning. I enjoy them along side pancakes, but they go really well with eggs or waffles or whatever your favorite breakfast food is!

Slice up one small onion.

Place it in the food processor… I am using the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor.

Process onions.

Process until finely minced.

Add some olive oil into small skillet.

Add onions into skillet.

Run a large garlic clove or two smaller ones through a garlic press and add in. This Pampered Chef Garlic Press is fantastic.

Add bacon into skillet.

Brown everything up and remove from heat to allow to cool a bit.

Start with a package of ground pork.

Use your favorite bacon.

Snip through some bacon. These Pampered Chef Sheers are perfect to get this job done!

Prepare your spices.

Add your spices into your meat.

Add in plain bread crumbs.

Add in one egg.

Add in cooled skillet mixture.

Stir together.

Form patties.

You can form regular circular patties… I like a 2″ patty.

Or you can make them into heart-shaped patties for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or a special anniversary breakfast.

Using a medium skillet, turn burner heat to medium.

Add patties into skillet.

Turn.

Cook all the way through.

Flash freeze the remaining raw patties for a half hour in freezer bag laying them flat and then remove as much air as possible from bag and place back in freezer for storage.

Sausage Patties

Makes 18 2 oz. patties

Ingredients:

1 lbs. ground pork

2 eggs

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4″ pieces

2 cloves of garlic, run through press

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions, bacon and garlic. Saute until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, add in ground pork, bread crumbs, spices and brown sugar. Stir together. Add in skillet mixture. Form into 2 oz. patties.

Heat a medium skillet and add patties without crowding. Brown patties on both sides (4-5 mins on each side). (Sugar will caramelize as pictured.)

Serve hot, enjoy!

*Recipe can easily be made gluten-free with the replacement of bread crumbs with gluten-free bread crumbs.

Corned Beef & Chouriço Hash

March 16, 2016March 16, 2016

I almost like the day after St. Patrick’s Day even better than the holiday itself. You might ask why, but if you have ever tried a genuine home-made Corned Beef Hash, it wouldn’t take long to figure out the answer! Since I always add in a nice link of chouriço to my Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Paddy’s Day, I like to add it right into the hash the next day. And wow, the results are amazing, the spiced sausage adds in that little extra kick that sets it apart from any other hash you have ever had!.

This is what your dinner looked like last night.

Refrigerate your boiled dinner over night and this is what you get. You will find the fat has floated to the top making it easy to remove, yay.

Grab some potatoes and corned beef to start with.

Dice up a large onion. I used my Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor because I wanted to speed this process along.

Next dice up your potato. I like a small dice, but not so small that they disintegrate with additional cooking. Remember these potatoes have been boiled, so they are quite tender.

Start by removing any remaining fat on your corned beef. Then cut into strips.

Dice.

Then do the same to your chouriço. Be sure to first remove the skin.

Sautée your onions.

Then add in your remaining ingredients. Add in a bit more oil when you add in the potatoes and meat if the onions have soaked up all the oil you originally added in.

Add on some Portuguese All Spice or paprika.

Be sure to give this time to really crisp up, nothing worse than a mushy hash.

Corned Beef & Chouriço Hash

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. cooked corned beef, diced

1/4 lb. cooked chouriço, diced

4 cooked med/large potatoes, diced

1 large onion, diced

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed

1/2 tsp. Portuguese All Spice or Smoked Paprika

salt and pepper to taste

top with egg (optional)

Directions:

Sautée onion in vegetable oil in a large over med/high heat until tender. Add in potatoes and meat adding additional vegetable oil if needed. Sprinkle mixture with Portuguese All Spice or Smoked Paprika. Allow mixture to crisp up mixing only occasionally to allow for caramelization. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with eggs and toast. Enjoy!

*Gluten free only if beer was not used in the cooking of the original Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner.

Pan-Fried Mint Bread “Pudding” (Pudim de Hortelã)

July 29, 2015July 29, 2015

When I was a little girl, my home was somewhat of a mini farm. We always had chickens, goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs a cow and an amazing garden and fruit orchard. My parents always had a plentiful garden full of wonderful tomatoes, couves (Portuguese collard greens), squash, grapes, and beans. Anything that could be grown, my Dad could grow. On the out skirts of the garden were always chives, parsley and mint. The smell of mint hit you long before you found where it was and I loved it. There was so much mint in fact that I was allowed to use it for my mud pies and fun projects. Memories of growing up in the country hit me every time I bite into a fresh cucumber or smell the parsley to tell the difference between it and cilantro in the grocery store. Funny how food connects a person to their past and bridges generations all at the same time.

One very vivid memory is of my mother taking day old Portuguese Popo Secos (rolls) and a bunch of mint from the garden and making bread “pudding”… pudding is in quotes because unlike traditional pudding there is no milk in this dish. I fell in love with this “pudding” as a child and added my own spin to it as an adult adding a little savory in to balance the sweet. Today, my husband loves when he wakes up to the smell of mint and caramelized sugar and my children are starting to understand the connection between growing something in the garden and it making it onto the dining table.

***note – I consider this a Portuguese dish not because of it being a traditional dish, but because it was made by my Portuguese mother.

One or two day old bread is best used for this recipe. These are Portuguese Rolls known as Popo Secos. They are individual rolls with a moderately crusty exterior and a very soft and airy interior. They are best served fresh and day of baking… Which is why this recipe is great to use up bread you got earlier in the week. (If you don’t have Portuguese bread readily available in your area, try this with a crusty italian… you will want about two large loaves)

Rip up bread into large bowl filled with water.

It will look like it won’t fit… but, it should if your bowl is big enough… I use a bowl that can accommodate about 10 cups and fill it with 6 cups of water.

Submerge your bread in the water.

Grab about 6 sprigs of mint, these are fresh from my garden… if you don’t have a mint garden, it’s really the easiest herb to start with, it’s almost like a weed, you actually have to contain it so that it doesn’t spread to your entire garden. If you don’t have a mint garden, then you can get this at your local farmers market or even grocery store.

Pick the leaves off each stem, you don’t want the stems as they are a bit too woody.

Roughly chop your mint leaves.

Add your chopped mint to the soaking bread.

Mix mint in and submerge. Allow to soak for about 15 minutes at minimum and up to an hour.

Mince one medium onion or large shallot.

Add one stick of salted butter to a large non-stick skillet.

Add your onions into the pan with the butter over medium heat.

Saute onions in butter until golden.

Ring out bread and mint so that you have damp bread.

Add damp bread and mint to the onions.

Saute bread in butter and onions turning every few minutes until the bread starts to dry out a bit and you can see it browning.

Keep working at it, this will take a good 5-6 minutes over medium heat.

Add in about 3/4 cup of sugar. I like to cover the entire top of the bread, spread the love.

Once bread gets to a browning point, cover in a layer of sugar and continue to saute.

Recipe for Pan-Fried Mint Bread Pudding (Pudim de Hortelã):

(serves 4)

6 Papo Secos (Portuguese rolls), torn

6 sprigs of mint, chopped

3/4 C. sugar

1 stick salted butter

1 medium onion, minced (or 1 lg. shallot)

6 cups water

Directions:

Add bread to water in a large bowl. Add mint, mix. Allow to soak for 15-60 mins.

Add minced onion to large saute pan with the melted butter. When color on onions comes to a light golden brown start squeezing water out of the bread and add dampened bread to the skillet. Once all the bread makes it into the skillet, saute until the bread firms up a bit and looses some of the moisture. Then add the sugar in an even layer over the top of the bread mixture. Continue to saute. When sugar has fully caramelized onto the bread mixture.

*note – this “pudding” is dairy free.

French Toast Waffles

June 22, 2015June 22, 2015

With 4th of July right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to start this week off with a patriotic breakfast idea! Maybe you have a waffle iron and have no clue what to do with it. Maybe you do, but haven’t dusted it off in a while. Maybe you don’t like the hassle of mixing up the waffle batter… No mind, these are the simplest no muss, no fuss waffles you will ever make and they are super sumptuous too! Are they waffles or is it french toast? Why, it’s both! French toast and waffles all in one, pretty clever, huh?

With this recipe, you heat up your waffle iron, then go about making french toast as you normally would. Then instead of pouring batter into your waffle iron, you just place your egg soaked bread in! Talk about easy and talk about yum!

Pre-heat your waffle iron.

Then start preparing your egg mixture:

Start with two eggs.

Scramble up the eggs with a fork.

Add in some light cream for richness.

Add in some pure vanilla extract for depth of flavor.

Add in a pinch of cinnamon for added french toast flavor.

Scramble it all up forming your dredging liquid.

Now prepare your waffle iron because as you dredge your bread, you need to immediately place into your waffle iron, this step doesn’t take long at all.

Spray your waffle iron, I like to use a butter flavored non-stick spray for this, but any regular non-stick spray.

Ready about 3 – 4 slices of your favorite sliced bread. I am using whole wheat bread here.

Individually dredge each piece of bread.

Place your egg soaked bread right on your iron and close like you normally would. Give it about 2 minutes.

You will know your french toast waffles are done when they are golden brown just like regular waffles.

Recipe for French Toast Waffles:

(Serves 2)

4 slices of wheat bread (or your favorite sliced bread)

2 eggs

1/4 cup light cream (whole milk to substitute)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 pinch cinnamon

non-stick cooking spray

berries, butter and syrup to top

Directions:

Pre-heat waffle iron.

Prepare eggs. Crack two eggs into a bowl. Scramble with fork. Add in cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Scramble with fork.

Dredge each slice of bread in liquid one at a time. Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, covering both top and bottom. As you finish the individual dredging, place each slice in the iron. Close iron and wait about two minutes. Waffles will be ready when golden brown.

Top with fresh berries, butter and syrup. Enjoy!

BCT Frittata (Bacon,Cheese & Tomato)

June 8, 2015June 8, 20152 Comments

Looking for a special breakfast to sit down to with your family? Something delicious and easy? Something for Father’s Day or to feed a crowd? Maybe something you can mix up the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning? This Bacon Cheese & Tomato Frittata fits the bill. I recently made a similar frittata for a girl’s bachelorette weekend… My husband loves bacon, so this one has thick cut bacon cooked right in. A frittata is like a baked omelet. And because it is baked, the eggs are light and fluffy and perfectly cooked throughout.

What you will need for this to come out perfectly is an oven safe non-stick skillet... if you don’t have this, no worries, just spray a baking pie dish with cooking spray or coat with butter and pour contents into that.

If you like or dislike any of these ingredients or if you happen to have something else on hand, substitute at will. The important thing is to saute hard veggies like onions. The frittata I made on the girl’s weekend was made up of onions, red bell peppers and sliced baked ham with a sharp cheddar. I was also feeding a larger crowd, so I used 10 eggs instead of just 8 and I added a half cup of cream. Customize it to what you like!

Start with your bacon. Cut up about 4 slices of thick cut bacon and start sauteing in the skillet.

Dice up some onions.

Add your onions right in with your bacon as it is cooking down.

Keep the onions and bacon going over medium heat until it’s time to add in the eggs. Meanwhile get the rest of the ingredients prepped.

Dice up some cheddar… this is mild, sharp works well also.

Cut up some sweet grape tomatoes.

Crack 8 eggs into a bowl and scramble with a fork.

For this Frittata, I added in a smal pinch of Herbs de Provence... Be careful here, this is a strong spice for such a delicate dish, you only want to add in the smallest pinch. If you happen to have fresh herbs instead, great... some thyme and parsley would be lovely here.

For this Frittata, I added in a small pinch of Herbs de Provence… Be careful here, this is a strong spice for such a delicate dish, you only want to add in the smallest pinch. If you happen to have fresh herbs instead, great… some thyme and parsley would be lovely here.

Add in a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper.

When your onions and bacon are good and caramelized, you will know it’s time to drain off some of the fat add in the eggs.

Add in your egg mixture.

Add your tomatoes.

Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Recipe for BCT Frittata:

(serves 4-6)

8-10 eggs

1/2 onion diced

4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

3 oz. cheddar, cubed

8-10 grape or cherry tomatoes

1 small pinch kosher salt

4-5 cracks of fresh black pepper

1 small pinch Herbs de Provence (optional)

Directions:

Render bacon in a non-stick oven safe skillet. Add in diced onions. In a separate bowl, scramble eggs. Add in Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Add in cheese.
Once onions and bacon are caramelized, add in egg mixture. Top with tomatoes.

Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes until set. (Eggs will slightly puff when done)

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe

Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version

May 3, 2015May 19, 2015

My special “Breakfast in Bed” Series continues today with “Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version”. This series is designed in preparation for Mother’s Day or any time that you want to spoil that special someone with that extra effort.

Beds across the nation will be warmed up with the love of children to their mother’s showing them just how much they are loved and appreciated by that extra effort to take care of Mom as she takes care of them each and every day. Today’s installment features a fancy kicked up breakfast. Some of it can be prepared ahead of time, but some elements are meant to be done the morning of. And unlike my first installment, Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version where most everything was disposable, this version takes a bit more effort because after breakfast there will be dishes to do and we don’t want to leave that to Mom!

So, again if you are Mom and you are reading this, now is the time to hand the computer or tablet over to your significant other or older child (as there are way too many breakables involved here for a youngster) and turn away. I will now be addressing the Preparer.

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Some of the elements here such as the Chocolate Covered Strawberries and the Codfish Cakes can be made a day in advance. Then other elements, such as the Tea, the OJ and the Southwest Veggie Omelet need to be prepared the morning of. Although, you should definitely refrigerate your oranges for the OJ, otherwise you will have warm OJ.

Start with your Mom’s favorite tray. This is mine. I bought it the last time I visited St. Michael. It is hand-made and adorned with hand crafted St. Michael’s signature blue and white tile. The scene depicted here is of the ‘Portas de Cidade” or Gates to the City. The Portas de Cidade is a famous landmark in Ponta Delgada, St. Michael’s capital city and is a source of great pride for all Azoreans.

Here is a mini tutorial on how to make delicious Chocolate Covered Strawberries from scratch:

Like I mentioned above, These can be done the night before, but they can also be done same day so long as you have a chilled area for them to set up quickly.

Start with some fresh strawberries. Wash and dry them thoroughly. Moisture is melted chocolate’s worst nightmare.

Next, pour half the contents of a chocolate chip bag into a microwave safe bowl.

Pop it in the microwave. Start off with one minute on high. Stir. Every 15 seconds, stir until you get the proper consistency.

When your chocolate still has this much texture to it, it should be ready to stir into melty goodness.

When your chocolate looks like this, you are ready for dipping!

Give each strawberry its own individual bath.

Be sure to have a plate or cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to receive the dipped strawberries so they may cool and firm up.

Once you have them all dipped and ready to so, get them to a cool place to chill.

Next, here is a mini tutorial on how to make fresh squeezed orange juice:

There is nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice. It is not like the kind in the carton. The nutritional value of the fresh squeezed is far superior to anything you might find at the supermarket.

Start with some beautifully ripened oranges. It is a good idea to refrigerate these over night, otherwise you will end up with warm OJ, not great.

I found that one large orange was enough to fill a juice glass. Obviously this depends on how large you can find the orange and how juicy they are. Cut them in half to start.

Here are three different methods to getting one delicious glass of OJ:

The first method of juicing is just to hand squeeze the orange into a glass. I find that this is the least efficient way as you will have a hard time squeezing out every drop.

The next method is a much more common method, using a juicer. This one has the little rim that catches seeds, nice! You will want to work the orange onto the juicer with a bit of elbow grease to get every last drop.

The third option is the squeeze juicer. This baby really gets every last drop out and prevents seeds from falling in the juice! I always find it funny how it almost seems like the orange is put in backwards, but it literally turns the fruit inside out.

This main plate features a Southwest Veggie Omelet and Codfish Cakes. Recipes and tutorials are detailed on their respective postings. Take a look, the omelet tutorial teaches how to make the perfect omelet and customize it to your tastes.

Although you may think of Codfish Cakes as a lunch or dinner item, it is especially good in the morning and with some eggs, so give it a try.

And last, but not least is the tea. I found this little gem while traveling in Utah. I fell in love with this hand-made beauty and started collecting personal tea pots ever since. If you are looking for a lovely gift for Mom, check out Golden Moon Tea, they have some great high quality teas and tea ware.

Supplies you will need:

* Pretty Tray

* Pretty plate

* Pretty napkin

* Crystal juice glass

* Personal Tea Pot

* 3″ glazed tile

* silverware

Food and drink:

* Southwest Veggie Omelet

* Codfish Cakes

* Fresh squeeze Orange Juice

* Chocolate Covered Strawberries

* Tea (don’t forget whatever your Mom takes in her tea, ie. sugar, milk, honey or lemon)

Have fun and remember to think about what your Mom loves and tailor her Breakfast in Bed to what she likes best! A nice handmade card goes a long way too!

Southwest Veggie Omelet

May 1, 2015May 19, 2015

It is really hard to find a good omelet! Maybe I’m just picky, but I prefer eggs made at home to those out in a restaurant any day. This Southwest Veggie omelet is light and fluffy, perfectly seasoned and has some key elements that make it ‘Southwest’.

Once you get my simple techniques down you can make this into any type of omelet you like. Add ins in this beauty include mushrooms, scallions and pepper jack cheese. Maybe you aren’t into spice, that’s O.K. substitute with a Swiss or a Cheddar. Maybe you like some meat in your omelet, have at it. As long as you get some key techniques down, you can rock your non-stick skillet like a cooking superstar!

Some things to keep in mind: First lets start with the ingredients, the basic to any good omelet is your egg to milk ratio. I like 2 eggs to 1/4 c. milk. If you want to substitute out an egg for egg white, be sure you use 2 egg whites for every one egg. And DO NOT salt until the egg is in the pan, we will go over this in the tutorial. Also, be sure your burner is set to medium heat, you don’t want to scorch your eggs here, have patience. A good omelet needs some TLC.

The ingredients you will need for this omelet are: 2 eggs, 1/4 c. milk, 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 1/4 c. sliced scallions, 2-3 oz. pepper jack cheese and a pinch each of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Use a 10″ non-stick skillet (save yourself a headache). Even though the pan is non-stick, you are going to want to butter it up… So add one pad of butter.

Saute the mushrooms in the butter. DO NOT add salt as you don’t want to draw water from the mushrooms. Let them gently brown.

After a few moments, the mushrooms will be nicely browned, but not overcooked. Add in the sliced scallions. I like to keep the scallions at about inch long pieces for this recipe because I feel like they can stand up to the mushrooms at this size. Any smaller and they could get lost.

While the veggies are sauteing, take a minute to beat the eggs and milk together with a fork, vigorously.

Once you have sautéed the scallions in with the mushrooms for a couple of minutes, add in another pad of butter. Move the butter about the pan to add an additional layer of protection for your eggs. You do not want the eggs to stick,

Gently pour your eggs in over the veggies. The eggs will naturally spread the veggies. Once poured, just make sure you redistribute the veggies throughout the egg. Once poured, sprinkle your kosher salt, just a pinch and your fresh cracked black pepper.

Pretty immediately the eggs will start to set up. Take a minute to go around the pan and gently lift some of the set eggs to allow for the runny part to take its place in the pan. This is where the fluffiness factor comes in with my omelets. This is a crucial step. Do this all the way around the pan, lifting in 2-4 spots.

Once you have made your omelet fluffy, you will want to get it to one edge of your pan. Due to the two layers of butter that were added, this should not be too difficult. If you are struggling a bit with a gentle shimmy, just go around the pan with a spatula and loosen the edges. Then flip. I did an air flip, so I couldn’t take a picture as I did not have the hands for it. I would encourage you to try the air flip if as it is quick and easy. As Julia Child would say “You just have to have the courage”. But, if you aren’t feeling particularly courageous, you can just use your largest spatula to help you to maneuver your eggs over to their other side.

Immediately apply the cheese to one side of your omelet to allow for maximum melting time. And lift the non-cheese side over the cheese side. Slide the omelet off the skillet and onto a plate. This process is pretty quick because the majority of your egg is already cooked from the first side and the fluffing technique.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Southwest Veggie Omelet:

(serves 1)

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup scallions, sliced

2-3 oz. pepper jack cheese

pinch of kosher salt

pinch of fresh cracked black pepper

2 pads of butter or margarine

Directions:

Beat eggs with milk. Set aside.

Saute mushrooms in butter in a non-stick 10″skillet. Add in scallions once mushrooms have browned. Add in an additional pad of butter. Add in beaten eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lift gently along the sides allowing unset eggs to run under set eggs.

Flip. Add cheese to half the omelet. Flip the remaining half over the cheese. Serve.

Enjoy!

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe

Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version

April 30, 2015May 19, 20152 Comments

Breakfast in bed has long been a Mother’s Day tradition across the country. This post is not meant for Mom’s, but for those who care about them. So, I will be addressing both kid’s and their adult helpers. This is my Kid Friendly version of breakfast in bed. Although mom’s love to be pampered, it’s not always a good idea for a young child to be handling mom’s good china and crystal. So, I thought it would be fun to give kids some ideas on how they can prepare some simple crafts and recipes (with adult supervision) to surprise Mom. And even if they don’t have the adult supervision needed for cooking on the stove or using a knife to cut things, I will mention some easy substitutions!

So, if you are a mom… now is the time you turn the computer over to your children or significant other or whomever may be a trusted adult in your child’s life…

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OK kids, Mom’s love feeling special and knowing that you love them. You don’t need to crack open your piggy bank to do this. With some easy supplies and ingredients you can probably find around your house, you can bring Mom a beautiful breakfast in bed tray with a delicious and nutritious breakfast!

Start with a tray. I got this one around Christmas time for a dollar at a local store. If you look around you might have a hard plastic tray you can use too. It may have Easter bunnies on it or even sun flowers.

Now find a dish towel or a tea towel. This one is plain white, just use whatever color your mom likes.

Fold the towel nicely to cover the tray, but not over hang.

Use a disposable coffee cup for this project. If you don’t have a plain white one available, you can color a piece of computer paper or construction paper, cut it to the size of your mom’s travel mug, color it with pictures or just a simple “I love Mommy” and tape it to the mug.

Then your cup will be ready to set on the tray with coffee or tea… or whatever your mom likes to drink in the morning.

Ask an adult to help you get some of your mom’s favorite fruit and make her a little fruit salad in a paper or plastic cup. Here there are some sliced mango pieces and cut up strawberries. You could use grapes, blueberries and raspberries if you can’t use a knife. Just be sure to rinse them and dry them gently first.

Get a pretty napkin and plastic fork and knife or in this case a wooden set.

Make a pretty flower like this one. This one is a pom-pom flower (I will be posting the tutorial soon, so look for it). And place it in a bud vase. You could also make a tissue paper flower or get creative and make one from pipe cleaners or popsicle sticks or whatever you have in your craft supplies.

This is an egg with a hat… You can click on this link to find my Eggs with Hats recipe! (Also, notice it is on a plastic plate, you can use whatever you have, plastic, paper) If you aren’t allowed to use the stove, make mom some nice toast with butter and jelly!

Mom’s usually like having something healthy for breakfast and this BCT (Bacon, Cheese and Tomato) salad is yummy and healthy. Again, if you can’t use the stove you could just get some pieces of cheese and toss with some tomatoes and maybe use microwaveable bacon.

Here is what you will need for my BCT salad:

My BCT salad is super simple! It’s just some crispy bacon (1 slice, chopped into 4 pieces), 4 grape tomatoes (they were grilled with the bacon for about 1 minute) and about 2 oz. of diced cheddar cheese. Toss them all together.

And that’s it. I will have a list of supplies for doing it exactly as I did. But, you can definitely substitute with supplies you have around the house! Have fun and remember that your mom will just love the effort you are putting into it so make it special and keep her tastes in mind!

Supplies:

1 hard plastic tray

1 kitchen towel

1 plastic plate

1 bud vase

1 homemade flower

1 pretty napkin

1 plastic cup

1 coffee cup, decorated

1 fork and knife

Food:

1 egg with hat (bread, egg, butter see recipe here)

1 BCT salad (grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon)

1 fruit salad (mango and strawberries)

Coffee or tea for the mug

‘Breakfast at Lindsey’s’ Bridal Shower

April 28, 2015May 19, 2015

My little sister is getting married! What an exciting time! She loves breakfast food, so my other sister, my mom and I thought it would be fun to throw her a ‘Breakfast at Lindsey’s’ Bridal Shower. We took the elements of the very popular movie and made them burst from every seam.

These details can be transformed with little effort to be a ‘Breakfast at _______’ of your very own for anything from a 1st birthday party to a graduation party to sweet 16! In fact breakfast parties are really becoming all the rage. Although breakfast and brunch has traditionally been reserved for wedding or baby showers, they are a great low-cost option for any type of party really. This one just happens to bring a little glitz and glamour to the morning.

I’ll take you through each detail and you can be on the lookout for projects in my crafts section to show you how to do some of the very doable DIY projects we have for pulling it all together. Whatever you do, have fun with it. This was a joint effort and it all came off splendidly, so be sure you have lots of what I like to call ‘Party Warriors’ to help get everything done.

Let’s start with the beginning… the welcome table. This is a table we had set up right at the entrance which was to welcome people in. It contained all the key points we needed to let everyone know as soon as they got to the party. We covered the table that was already covered by a long white restaurant provided table-cloth with one we brought from home in a “Tiffany-ish blue”.

We set out a recipe box to collect all the recipe cards that incoming guests had already filled out at home as they received the cards with their invitations. You will see touches of diamonds as you see the confetti here throughout the party.

Each guest was given a string of pearls and asked to fill out a square of fabric with the fabric markers provided giving their best marital advice in lieu of a sign in book. After the shower, my mother planned to sew it together with mixed in silver squares. (also, the fabric – Tiffany blue linen – is the same as that of the runners you will see on the tables also)

A sample square was provided so that guests could see what we were looking for. This is always a good idea to help guest get a clear picture of what we are asking them to do. Also, I got to do my square ahead of time, which is great because when hosting a party, it is hard to find time to stop what you are doing to participate in all the fun. (I didn’t take a clear picture of it (sorry), but all squares were laid out on a table in the entrance to the room when completed… that way guests could also have fun looking at what everyone wrote)

We had a hard time finding the guest of honor a tiara that wasn’t gaudy and didn’t cost more than the whole party. Our solution, a hair comb we found at our local craft store. We bent the comb at a 90° angle and wala… instant tiara, cute too! (We kept this at the entrance table so as not to forget to place it on my sister’s head)

We clustered some vases in varying sizes that we had adorned with some diamond-like ribbon. We filled them with simple in-season white tulips and ostrich feathers and pulled it all together with some pearl string. Then we completed the look with some sparkly votive candles and diamond confetti.

The food was served family style at the tables, but we added a special touch and ordered a waffle station because it is the guest of honor’s favorite. We just added a little touch of softness with this bunch of plain baby’s breath.

As guests came in, we had two tables set up to accept gifts with a pretty white birdcage topped with a crystal birdy we found at our local craft shop for cards.

And that is my daughter in awe of the beautiful gifts!

Our little Kathrine Hepburn had her dress designed and made by my good friend and her mom who is an amazing seamstress. The little tiara was a pin that i converted into a hair bow and she had her own pearls, but she wanted some of the party favors too.

This is my daughter’s BFF who was a matching little Katherine Hepburn for the party! They had lots of fun! I just wish I had gotten a picture of the two girls together!

We had a simple vase of white tulips as the centerpiece on each table, filled with ostrich feathers and adorned with the diamond-like ribbon I mentioned above.

My mom made these beautiful Tiffany blue runners for each of the tables. Then we asked the restaurant to set out a circle mirror (most restaurants have these for free!) and we of course sprinkled more diamond confetti at the base of each centerpiece.

Each place setting was set with a black napkin (that we asked the restaurant to do for us before we got there) and a pair of sunglasses for each guest. We also added a Tiffany blue mini pencil for the bingo game we planned (guests appreciate not having to fish around for a pen)

Each table was then dotted with a few boxes of “cigarettes”. Don’t worry the place didn’t fill up with smoke, we just took a box of candy sticks (candy cigarettes) and wrapped them in a black and white ‘Holly Go Lightly’.

If you are doing a party where gifts will be given and opened, it’s a good idea to have a gift passer outer and a gift writer downer.

We put together a little surprise at the end of the gift giving. We gave Lindsey, the guest of honor, a laundry basket and had her filling it with cleaning supplies, but we created a little story with the cleaning products (kind of like a skit). Each cleaning supply had something to do with either getting married or the couple themselves.

Now, onto the cake table. We had one of the couple’s engagement pictures blown up and turned into a canvas and displayed it on a stand behind the table.

We decided to forgo a regular cake and made red velvet and my special black velvet cupcakes in black cupcake liners and topped with cream cheese frosting. We added a little game this by hiding a chocolate kiss in one of the cupcakes (warning guests of the possibility of course) and whoever found it, got a prize.

I designed the cupcakes to look like a wedding dress with a super fancy belt and brooch. The belt is a double layer of diamond ribbon and the brooch is a real brooch to tie it all together.

We can’t talk about the famous Tiffany’s without that little blue box tied up with a white ribbon. So, we got some little blue boxes and white ribbons and filled them each with a ruby ring for each guest to take home (a strawberry Ring Pop). Guests loved the little thank-you gift.

In keeping with the theme, we (the hosts) each wore our little black dresses and pearls. We also were sure, since the shower was a surprise, to have a little black dress and pearls ready for the guest of honor.

Supplies for a Breakfast at Tiffany’s style party:

* pearl necklaces

* sun glasses

* a ruby ring (Ring Pop) in a beautiful little Tiffany’s box

* candy cigarettes wrapped in movie themed photo copies (two per table)

* a tulip/feather centerpiece in a vase adorned with diamond ribbon

* a Tiffany blue table runner

* black napkins set under the plate (supplied by restaurant)

* diamond confetti

* little blue pencils

* Cupcake wedding dress

* a chocolate kiss to hide in one cupcake

* blue table-cloth for the welcome table

* tiara made from a hair comb

* quilting squares

* fabric markers

* canvas photo of the couple, set on an easel

* fun skit with laundry basket and cleaning supplies

* recipe box for incoming recipes

* gift tracking book

* bird-cage to collect cards

* two beautiful little girls dressed as Katherine Hepburn to top it all off

Not shown here (sorry) but don’t forget:

* prizes for games

* Bingo cards (fill in your own card with potential shower gifts)

* prizes (we did this in white lunch bags adorned with a Tiffany blue ribbon and filled with something sparkly like a stretch bracelet or a gem wine stopper)

Stacy’s Famous Pancakes

April 27, 2015May 19, 2015

When I was a kid my mother had one real cookbook. Most of her cooking was of the passed down from generations type (the best type really). But I loved this cookbook. It was probably something she received as a wedding gift, an old red Betty Crocker. I used to pour over that cookbook looking for recipes whenever I felt like being industrious in the kitchen.

I was around 8 or 9 when I decided to try the recipe for buttermilk pancakes. Well, growing up in a Portuguese-American household, there wasn’t much buttermilk around. Goat’s milk yes, plain whole milk, sure… but, buttermilk, not so much. Buttermilk was not something I had ever heard of. Sooo, my 8/9-year-old mind determined that buttermilk must be milk with butter in it! And how does one get milk with butter in it? Why you just melt the butter and add it to the milk of course!

These days, buttermilk is a staple in my home. I make cakes, chicken (like my Popcorn Chicken), breads and any number of things. What I do not use it in is pancakes. Never even tried it! Turns out, I love my little 8/9-year-old trick (that I had no idea was a trick at the time!). There is something about that butter addition that brings a real richness to the dish.

As for the rest of the recipe, it was a good base of course, but my pancakes have taken on a life of their own over the years. They are a weekly staple for breakfast around here because they are just so easy. But they are also a great late night snack when all my friends (who are mostly moms and dads themselves) get hungry late night after a fun party or gathering and don’t want the last thing in their bellies to be that glass of wine!

So, lets start this with my little 8/9 year old trick. Melt a half a stick of butter or margarine. Should take about 45 seconds in the microwave, but watch it.

Here are all the rest of the ingredients.

Next, is the milk. The milk is cold, this brings down the temperature of that melted butter (and makes my “buttermilk”). The cooling is essential so you can add the egg quickly without having to wait for the butter to, well, cool.

Now, add in one large egg. Wisk.

Add in one cup of all purpose flour. But don’t wisk yet… this is my little quick and easy trick to not having to sift things… definitely a time saver.

So, on top of the flour, add in the baking powder and baking soda.

Now add in salt and wisk.

Last ingredient is to add in the sugar. This is probably more sugar than you will ever see in a pancake recipe. I like them sweet. You don’t even really need syrup with my pancakes. I almost always eat one like bread before they make it to the table.

This is what you will see. Remember not to over wisk. You don’t want to make it tough. Also, at this stage, its a good idea to let it rest for 5-10 minutes – just to give the leveners to leven.

Now you will want to butter the pan. Heat pan to medium/high heat. Don’t skimp here. Make sure you cover the whole pan. When I was a kid we would always use a plug-in electric skillet. (heat to 325°F if using an electric skillet) Sometimes I still do, but here I am using a non-stick stove top griddle.

Pour your batter to whatever size you like. We tend to like about 4″ diameter circles.

Don’t forget to leave some space between in order to get your spatula in there for flipping. When you start to see bubbles form on top and then start to pop on their own, you will know they are ready for flipping.

(If you would like to add anything in, blueberries, chocolate chips and in this case bananas, do it right after pouring and flip with the same rule, when you see bubbles that start to pop… as you can see, these are ready for flipping.)

Pancakes should be golden in the middle and around the edges. If at this point you need more butter for the pan add some. Then let them cook for a bit less time on this side. Keep the heat on medium/high. I do about 45 seconds to a minute on the flip side, it’s really just to finish it off at this point.

Add some butter and syrup (or just eat without) and enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Famous Pancakes:

(serves 4)

1/2 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 pinch of salt

Additional butter or margarine for pan.

Directions:

Mix milk into melted butter. Add egg and wisk. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Wisk. Add in sugar wisk. *** Careful not to over wisk.

Pour onto a buttered skillet that is over medium/high heat or 325°F on an electric skillet. When bubbles form on top and start to pop, flip. Cook about a minute more.

Enjoy!

the portuguese american mom

stay awhile… have a cup of tea, let's get creative!

Tag: breakfast

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