I Selected Dark Blue

Well, how exciting! My foot is broken. I ended up going for an X-ray when things weren't getting better and sure enough, I have a break on the side of my foot. The solution? I am in a walking cast...RIGHT UP TO MY KNEE! With all the pretty colors to choose from, I opted for dark blue for my cast. It is still RIGHT OUT THERE, but less so than neon pink or green! So here I am for the next 6 weeks, hobbling around. Now the husband can wait on me.

This is what I look like only in blue.

Anyway, I found this neat recipe in the September 09 issue of Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. I think it is something that my family will like and I plan to make it when they are all here in the next couple of weeks.

It is a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole. While the recipe calls for heavy whipping cream, I am going to use Low-Fat Half and Half. I don't think it will compromise the flavor or consistency. And I am also going to use breskfast turkey sausage.

The photo in the magazine makes me want to dig right in and it is so easy to make. It would also be nice on a brunch table or for company, without spending a lot of time. The recipe calls for fresh thyme. I like the sage -iness of breakfast sausage so I might toss a touch of that in as well.

But, I wanted to share this with you, because I think it sounds like a hearty way to start a nice chilly fall day before getting out to rake the leaves! Just don't eat too much!

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Casserole

1 (1 lb. pkg ) bulk breakfast sausage

1 cup shredded Italian 5-cheese blend

1 (8 oz) pkg cubed Velveeta cheese

4 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 (10.2 oz) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9-in. square baking dish with PAM and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet cook sausage over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and crumbly. Drain well on paper towels. Cool.

Sprinkle sausage and cheeses into prepared dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, thyme, garlic salt and pepper; pour over sausage mixture.

Arrange biscuits evenly over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 15 minutes longer.

Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Pear Cake for Breakfast

This is a very dense cake that works well for breakfast or snacking. I have been on a pear kick for the past few weeks and decided to make this again. I found this recipe on line several months ago...have no idea how it got it's name, but we loved it. I took the author's suggestion and added cardamom to the batter. It was fragrant and gave the cake a beautiful flavor. I also made sure that the pears were very ripe. I think apples , tossed with some cinnamon and sugar, would work very well in this cake. So maybe you need an Easter breakfast treat! Serve it warm as an alternative to toast or bagels. It is so good.
The photo and recipe are copied right from the author's site.
New Year’s Pear Cake
Adapted from Home Baking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

A quick note: In the spirit of “breaking the rules,” feel free to break the ones given here! Throw in some cinnamon or cloves, or even some cardamom, which goes wonderfully with pears. You can also, as Alford and Duguid suggest, substitute apples or plums for the pears, in which case you should toss them with some sugar first. Just make sure the fruit is ripe and flavorful; the dense cake almost seems to be there just to hold the fruit together.

About 1-1.5 lbs pears (enough for 2 cups chopped)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus extra for greasing the pan)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk (or more “as necessary”)
For glaze:
2 tablespoons flavorful honey, such as wildflower (you can substitute clover)
1 tablespoon hot water

Adjust your oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 350F.
Brush an 8″x8″ square pan with some melted butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, using a long enough piece so that it comes up and over two of the sides. Butter the paper.
Peel, core and chop the pears into 1/2-inch chunks. Place them in a bowl and set aside (you can squirt with a touch of lemon juice if you want; I didn’t).
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla and beat until you have a stiff batter (I used an electric mixer for this, which made this easier, but you could do it by hand).
Fold in the pears, then add the milk and mix until the batter is completely moistened. Add more milk, if necessary.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with a little sugar, then place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and, using the parchment paper, lift the cake onto a rack to cool. Mix the honey with the hot water and brush the top of the cake with the honey glaze. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the glaze to set.
Yield: 6-8 servings

Time for Tea and Scones

The husband is a BIG fan of scones. When I make them, whether they are savory or sweet, he is dashing into the kitchen to see when they will be done. We've had scones with currants, raisins, chives, rosemary, you name it. Depending on what I need them for is how I alter the recipe. They are good for breakfast , afternoon tea or a snack in the evening.


A little about scones..... This Scottish QUICK BREAD is said to have taken its name from the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. The original triangular-shaped scone was made with oats and griddle-baked. Today's versions are more often flour-based and baked in the oven. They come in various shapes including triangles, rounds, squares and diamonds. This information came from a site called The Kitchen Project and you can find many different varieties of scone recipes here. http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Scones.htm Another interesting site that talks about scones is http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/main/breadstuffs/scone-history.asp Now that, I am sure, is all you ever wanted to know...about scones that is! I personally love to know the origins of food but well, some aren't as interested unless they are fanatical foodies too!

SO,as I was leafing through my new issue of Bon Apetit (May 09), I came across a very healthy scone recipe that I think we are going to love....and which led me to write about our love affair with scones. It has wheat germ and dried berries/cherries mixture in it and lots of healthy spices. There have been many articles that I have read regarding the healthy aspects of using cardamom, ginger, cinnamon....all those nice fragrant spices. And the people of India and the Middle East have used these forever. They stand by the healthful properties of the spices. So I can't wait to try these scones. I bet they will smell awesome in the oven and I will check back to let you know how they came out!
WHEAT GERM SCONES WITH DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS
1/2 cup chilled buttermilk plus additional for brushing
3/4 cup dried berries and cherries mixture, large pieces coarsely chopped
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups self rising flour
1/3 cup honey crunch wheat germ
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
1 tsp. ground cardamom
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix 1/2 cup buttermilk, dried fruit and vanilla in medium bowl. Whisk self-rising flour, wheat germ, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cardamom and ginger in large bowl.Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in almonds, then buttermilk mixture. Mix until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather dough together. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface; flatten to 8-inch round. Using large knife, cut round into 8 wedges. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Brush scones with buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with additional brown sugar. Bake scones until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.