Baked Creme Brulee French Toast

Home-Baked Creme Brulee French Toast

We were craving for the popular New York Style Creme Brulee French Toast.  Thanks to My Burning Kitchen Blog for sharing a recipe which comes close to what we were wishing for.  We were able to literally carve our sweet breakfast cravings.  It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

The only two things we changed from the recipe are the challah bread and baking time.  We used a loaf of 12-grain bread instead and baked ours for 40 minutes.  We loved the nutty taste from the grain bread and the crusty edges.  

Whip cream to top it off!

Enjoy.

Christmas Cookies

Shortbread Cookies with a Twist.

Macadamia Nut with a Hint of  White Chocolate.

My Homemade Christmas Cookies for the Tea Party.

DIY Packaging inspired from Intimate Weddings.

I added a little hang tag so they can hang it on their Christmas tree, 

perhaps for Santa and Rudolph.

Have you made some already?

One Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

One Minute Chocolate Cup-Cake

Five minute mug cakes are increasingly getting popular.  It's a quick sweet fix, convenient and easy to clean up.  We tried different recipes and although it only takes 5 minutes to cook it, making the cake mix still takes quite a bit of time.  I also found out that eggs in a microwave is not a good idea (just think salmonella).  I searched for a mug cake recipe using store bought cake mixes and didn't found any, maybe I just have to click past the 2nd page in the google search result.

After 3 burnt cakes in a cup, we finally got the perfect timing and mix right.  So, without further ado, we (me and our little man) present to you our 1 minute mug cake.  

:: Ingredients ::

microwaveable mug or cup

8 tablespoons of Devil's Food cake mix (we used Duncan Hine's)

1 tablespoon of water

1 tablespoon of oil

drop of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of chocolate morsels (chopped up chocolate bars work too)

:: How-To ::

mix all dry ingredients

add wet ingredients

mix in the cup or mug

microwave on high for 1 minute for 1000w ovens

let sit for 1-2 minutes

top with nutella or whipped cream

sprinkle with nuts (skip if allergic to nuts)

Enjoy! 

Let me know if you made some and how you liked it.

Thanks for Leftovers

Crunchy on the outside, warm and soft inside.

 

 A post-Thanksgiving breakfast to look forward to.

Good morning!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It's the morning after, ready to tackle the leftovers?  Rise up with this simple leftover stuffing recipe idea:

Thanksgiving Stuffing Cakes

::  Ingredients ::

leftover stuffing or dressing

panko bread crumbs

olive oil

sprig of parsley for garnish

::  How-To  ::

scoop some stuffing and form into patties

sprinkle and tap panko bread crumbs on both side

heat pan with oil or spray a non-stick pan

pan-fry patties until golden brown

serve hot and top each with egg

garnish with parsley

Enjoy!

Instant Oatmeal Pancake

One egg left, no more pancake mix & little time for breakfast.
Instant Oatmeal to the rescue!

:: Mix ::

1 egg

4 packs of instant oatmeal (1 serving packs)

3/4 cup whole milk

2 drops vanilla extract (for plain oatmeal)

Heat skillet then cook how you'd normally make pancakes. 

Makes 6 pancakes. I topped ours with caramelized nuts. 

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

What do you think?  It's your turn to share a word.

Crustless Mini Quiche Recipe

Here's the recipe for the mini quiches I made yesterday.  

The lack of crust makes them easy to make in less time.  Make a batch for freezing and re-heat for quick, hot, breakfast bites. The individual portions are great for portion control too.  Enjoy!

What you need:

2 whole eggs

• 3 egg whites

  3/4 cups organic 1% milk

  1/2 cup skim milk

  1-1/2 cups asaparagus, finely chopped

  1 cup chopped onions

  1/4 cup leeks

  3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese (or your preferred cheese)
  
  
  Make It:
  
  
  PREPARE asparagus filling. Sautee chopped asaparagus, onion 
  and leeks in lightly oiled pan until asparagus is slightly soft and 
  tender.  Let cool and set aside.
  
  

  PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Beat eggs and milk with wire whisk 
  until well blended. Stir in cooled filling and cheese until well 
  blended.

  LIGHTLY spray muffin pans with cooking spray.  Put a pinch of 
  grated cheese in the bottom of each muffin cup. This serves as a shell 
  for the mixture.

  POUR mixture into muffin pans.

  BAKE 30 minutes or until center is set and crust is lightly browned. 
  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

  GARNISH with tarragon (optional), or your favorite herb.

  Did you made this?  Share your photos, I'd love to see it.

Crustless Vegan Mini Quiche

Crustless Vegan Mini Quiche. 

Roasted asparagus and onion with gruyere cheese and tarragon garnish. I put my muffin pans into good use, aside from making cupcakes.  My own recipe was a success!

Quiche bites for our little boys. 

Tiny versions of vegan roasted asaparagus and onion quiche.

Perfectly paired with home brewed mango peach iced tea. 

I'll post the recipe tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Fresh from the Farmers Market

Saturdays are farmers' market days here in our town. I got up early this morning with my boys to shop for fresh produce.


Here, we're picking out the juiciest peaches for the peach crepes I'll be making


Sweet corn on the cob for lunch with grilled pesto chicken.


Cucumbers & onions for the salad. Try sliced cucumbers drizzled with red balsamic vinegar, dash of salt & pepper, and brown sugar. A tasty, refreshing summer side dish.


We love these granola bars from the Amish. These make for healthy quick snack, especially for our little guys.


Loading up on these greens!


And don't forget the carrots. We love snacking on these. Blanch it in hot water then drizzle with agave syrup to cap off your sweet cravings.

Can't wait to cook things up for an al fresco dining with family today.

Have you been to the market today? Share your photos too.

- Posted from my iPhone

Crafty Cooking

Chicken Pasta with Homemade Pesto

My craftiness has extended to the kitchen, and no one's complaining (thankfully).  In fact, everyone leaves the dining table smiling.  

Thanks to online recipes, I'm able to whip up meals that are healthy and tasty.  For lunch today, I made chicken pasta with homemade pesto.  Love the sound of 'home-made', reminds me of my own mom's home cooking.  

I got the basil pesto recipe from 'Simply Recipes'.  I used whole grain pasta and sauteed the chicken in olive oil with onions and bell peppers.  Then, I put about a cup and  a half of the pesto.  A little dash of salt and fresh ground black pepper and lunch is served.

Simple, fast, healthy and delicious. Oopps, gotta wipe that pesto from our little man's chin.

Bon appetit!

What's For Breakfast?

The Artist's Cereal Mix

We started this morning with an 'oh-so-summer' breakfast, packed with lots of flavor and nutrition.  The refreshing colors are so irresistible, I had to take a photo of it.

Want to make yours?  Here's how:

Mix the following in your favorite bowl:

- cup of homemade granola cereal (we got ours from the local French Market)

- walnuts

- raisins and/ or plums

- sliced fresh cantaloupes

- sliced melons

- lastly, pour milk (we added vanilla almond milk for added flavor)

Yum! We love the crunchiness and juiciness in every spoonful. Enjoy your breakfast!  

Let me know how you like it.

Warning:  Not for those who have 'nut' allergies.

Today is Valentine

Don't wait another year to show your loved one how special they are to you.  Today, I decided to make it Valentine.  I surprised my husband with my own version of B&B (bed and breakfast) recipe.   A homemade steaming dark chocolate, heart wheat toast and spinach quiche.  

Now, it's your turn.  What will be your recipe for a spontaneous act of love?