Laela's Biscuits

My child makes the best biscuits ever.  Seriously.  One day, I had all the ingredients out (but not measured), and she just started scooping and "smooshing" the ingredients together.  Let me tell you, my little 3 year old is a superstar, because baby, her biscuits are delicious.

And yes, she wears a Sleeping Beauty dress while she bakes.  Don't you?

Laela's Biscuits:

You'll need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1Tb baking powder
• 1Tb sugar
• About 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk

Instructions:

• Smoosh together with your hands. 
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. 
• Play.  Have fun.  Make goofy shapes. 
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• **Laela also stuffed some with proscuitto and cheese. (You make a pancake, fold the meat and cheese, and then wrap the dough around it.)  YUM.

Here's the snowman biscuit Laela made:

 

 

I cannot emphasize how excited and proud Laela is when she makes something all by herself.  The fact that she made this biscuit recipe up all on her own while we were cooking dinner one night, and that it came out delicious, was fantastic for her self-esteem.  I know it can be messy, and for some it can be difficult to allow anyone into the kitchen, but try it.  Invite your children into the kitchen and allow them to create.  They really might surprise you!

Nacho Cheese!

I have this deep, unabiding love for nachos.  I love nachos topped with just about anything you can think of, but especially when they're topped with ooey, gooey, delicious cheese. The unfortunate thing is, nachos are not one of those things that I'd check into the "healthy category" of my life.

I refuse to deny my nacho craving, so I came up with a healthier recipe for nacho cheese.  Truthfully, the process is really not much different than making the cheese for macaroni and cheese, so if you've made homemade mac and cheese before, this should be a total cinch!

Nacho Cheese Sauce

You'll need:

• 1 cup Non-fat milk
• 1/4 tsp yellow mustard
• Hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp Onion powder
• 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper
• 1Tb Butter
• 1Tb All-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup low-fat Mexican blend grated cheese (you can use extra cheese if you'd like)

Instructions:

• Heat a large saucepan to medium-high heat.
• Whisk together the butter and flour to create a roux (a thickener for the sauce).  The butter and flour should be well mixed, looking like a paste.
• Whisk in the milk, hot sauce (a little if you're not a spicy food lover, a lot if you are- remember, you can add more later), a few shakes of salt and pepper, mustard, onion and garlic powder. 
• Whisk until a thick sauce is created (a bit thicker than mayonnaise).
• Once the mixture is thickened, whisk in the cheese.
• Taste to correct seasoning.
• Serve!

A Very Merry Breakfast Bake

I don't know about you, but the smell of gingerbread cooking in our house is one of my favorite smells.  It reminds me of all things holiday and cozy.  Since I'd made some gingerbread the other day, I thought it'd be fun to try making a traditional breakfast bake using the gingerbread. 

The result was pretty amazing.  I think I'm going to have to make this the night before Christmas, and put it in to bake while we open presents!

Gingerbread Breakfast Bake
serves 4-6, or 3.5 very hungry people

You'll need:

• 5 slices of gingerbread (You want them to be about 2 in thick.)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk (I used whole milk for this recipe)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions:

• In a medium sized bowl, beat your eggs, cinnamon, heavy cream, milk, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and sugar together until well mixed.
• Spray some Pam or non-stick baking spray into an 8x8 square cake pan (I used a glass pyrex pan).  If you choose to double the recipe, use a 9x11 cake pan.
• Place the slices of gingerbread in the pan.
• Pour the mixture over the gingerbread.
• Let soak for at least 10 minutes.  I like to let this sit for longer, but no worries if you're in a rush.  You can also let is soak overnight and bake it in the morning.  Just let it sit out for ten minutes or so before you bake it (it's better for it to be closer to room temperature before baking.)
• Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. 
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bake looks like a solid custard, and the bread is slightly golden on the sides of the pan.  (If it still feels soppy when you touch the top of it, it's not ready.  The inside should be a bit custardy, while the outside is lightly toasted.)
• Shake a bit of powdered sugar on top.
• Serve!

A Super Easy Breakfast Bake

I don't know if I've ever made it clear just how much I love breakfast.  It's an absolute favorite in my house for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between!  After years of loathing eggs, it feels totally new and exciting to me to make the simplest of things with them...especially this deliciously easy egg, bread and cheesy gooey goodness.

Ingredients:

• (1/2) loaf of French bread (leftover Italian bread would be fine too)
• (1 1/2) cups of shredded Cheddar cheese
• (6-12) eggs (depending on your number of guests, I usually do 2 to 3 eggs per person, depending on what type's of eaters you're baking this for)
• (6-12 Tablespoons) milk (about 1Tb of milk per egg.  It's not an exact science; you really don't need to bust out the measuring spoons, just guestimate and I can assure you, the bake will turn out great.
• salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice your bread.
• Place the sliced bread in your cake pan. (I used a 13x9 pan).
• Whisk your eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well beaten.
• Pour the mixture into the pan over the bread.  Make sure it's spread throughout the pan.
• Place in the hot oven for 15 minutes, or until the bake looks golden and firm. 
• Sprinkle the cheese over the bake and cook for 5 more minutes.  I prefer my bread and cheese a little gooey and crunchy, so I tend to leave it in a few minutes longer.  If you don't like your bread or cheese that dark, take it out when it's just melted.
• Enjoy!

This is also great to make ahead of time.  You can mix the eggs, add them to the bread in the pan, wrap it up and refrigerate until you're ready to bake the next morning.  Just let the pan sit out for ten to fifteen minutes before you bake it, so that it doesn't need extra time in the oven.