Category Archives: Breakfast

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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“Cookies? Really? It’s the first of the year! No one wants to hear about cookies! They’re the Devil!”

Well, maybe other cookies, but these cookies are special! (Isn’t everything I make?)

For Christmas, I gave my hubby a “make-your-own-beer” kit. This was no liquid extract, this was using real grains that he boiled and strained to make his beer. Well the company I bought the kit from tells you how to dry out the spent grain and make a flour out of them and even has recipes on their website for using the spent grain flour.  If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend making the spent grain flour. It smells like Grape Nuts! Read more about Brooklyn Brew Shop here.

If you don’t have spent grain flour, ( and lets face it, not everybody has spent grain laying around), you could make these cookies with just whole wheat flour.

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My main inspiration for making these was finding a bag of organic rolled oats that had been hidden behind my flour/sugar jars and with it being just about full, I couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. I had already planned on making the peanut butter cookies from the website, so I figured “why not? I’ll just make oatmeal too since I’m already dirtying up mixing bowls and baking sheets!”

My first thought was oatmeal chocolate chip, but I’m trying to cut back on the sugar and since I was going to use agave instead of white sugar in the recipe, it didn’t make since to put chocolate in it!

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together 6 tablespoons of softened butter, 3/4 cup agave nectar, and 1 egg until well blended. Next stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Now stir in 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour a little at a time, then slowly add 3/4 cup of spent grain flour ( if not using spent grain flour, then add 1+ 1/2 cups whole wheat flour). Next stir in 1 cup toasted rolled oats and 2/3 cup raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets ( this filled one and a half of my cookie sheets ) and bake for 12 to 13 minutes. I would check the bottom of a cookie after about 9 minutes to make sure they don’t get too brown!

These are a tasty dessert, but are awesome at breakfast, too!

Gravy & Biscuits

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Over the last year or two, I’ve really gotten into breakfast.

It’s not just cereal and milk, or eggs and bacon anymore. I can do without that. It’s boring and over done and I’d rather just skip it and get lunch. But hubby and I started eating breakfast out, and I’ve discovered a whole new world of tasty morning delights.

I think it really started with Crabcake Benedict at Metro Diner (yes, the same one in Jacksonville that appeared on Diners, Drive-in’s, and Dives).  After we saw it on the show, we had to try it. Since then, they’ve opened several diners around town, one being less than 5 miles from my house, so eating breakfast out became a weekly ritual. Now all breakfasts, at home or otherwise, must be as interesting and delicious, or it may as well be skipped for lunch!

My “Me-me” used to make the  best sausage gravy, with just a roll of Jimmy Dean, flour, and milk. It was the greatest! Staying overnight at Me-me’s always meant gravy & biscuits for breakfast, and even to this day, the smell of sausage gravy reminds me of my me-me. It took several failed attempts but I managed to get my sausage gravy close, but not quite like hers.

Basically, brown and crumble a 16oz. roll of sausage ( any flavor you like) in a skillet over medium heat, Do Not Drain! Grease is required for gravy! Add two to three tablespoons of flour and cook and stir one to two minutes. Slowly stir in WHOLE milk ( I use to try and make it with skim, FAIL!) a half cup at a time, allowing to thicken in between each addition of milk to make sure it doesn’t get too watery. When it’s as thick as you like, season with salt & pepper to taste and serve over hot biscuits ( I like the frozen Pillsbury biscuits).

And now, meet the newest evolution of gravy & biscuits!

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On our last trip to Asheville, we had breakfast not just once, but twice at Early Girl Eatery. Out of all the places we’ve traveled, this is by far the best breakfast place we’ve ever eaten at, period! Both times, I had their wonderful tomato gravy on my breakfasts. I knew I had to come home and try to re-create it!

I “Bing”-ed tomato gravy and realized it was a fairly common gravy, made by lots of people, lots of different ways. This is the way I make it: In a mixing bowl, combine a 15oz can of diced tomatoes and their juices, with 1 cup vegetable broth. In a medium sauce pan or skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons flour and cook and stir for one minute. Stir in tomato/broth and add a teaspoon of fresh thyme, and salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until thickened.

What is so awesome about this gravy is it can be made to suit anyone’s taste! You can add 1/4 cup diced onions and peppers to the melted butter and cook till soft before adding the flour; or as shown above, 4 diced links of fully cooked chicken breakfast sausage, and sliced green onions. You could also make it Vegan friendly by using olive oil instead of butter. If you don’t like big chunks of tomato, you could change things up and use a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes for the diced.

I’ve also made a Benedict (that I’ve included a photo of below), by sauteing some fresh spinach, shitake mushrooms, and diced chicken breakfast sausage in olive oil and garlic, spooning that over a toasted English muffin with an over medium egg, and topped it with the tomato gravy instead of traditional Hollandaise. The possibilities are endless with this stuff!

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I hope this has inspired happy breakfasts! Wish me luck for today as I attempt my first Chicken Pot Pie! 🙂

Sausage And Sweet Potato Scramble

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My husband and I recently went on an impromptu trip to Asheville, North Carolina (in my opinion a dining mecca) and intended on having breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe. When we got there, we were told they were closed a few days for some remodeling, and were directed upstairs to The Early Girl Eatery. It didn’t look like much, and I was heartbroken to not be having breakfast at my first chosen location, so imagine my delight when I saw this tasty treat on the menu! I scarfed down every last bit and was hoping that hubby wouldn’t eat all of his so I could finish his plate as well! Sad to say, I only got the portion I ordered! When I came back home, I knew I had to make this, and did several times for breakfast and even once for dinner!photo-2

A family sized meal:

  • 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean and the like)
  • 6 slices cooked, diced bacon
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
  • 3 diced green onions
  • 4 oz sliced mushrooms, shiitake or cremini
  • 10 eggs

Place sweet potatoes in a large sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until mushrooms are soft. (For a more healthful alternative, drain fat from the sausage, remove from skillet and cook mushrooms and onions in a few teaspoons of olive oil, then add sausage back to the skillet.)

When potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork, drain and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes then add to skillet with sausage. Stir in bacon. Scramble up eggs in a mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add to skillet. Allow to firm up a bit before stirring or you’ll have minced eggs instead of nice big chunks! Serve with your favorite breakfast sides!

Skippy’s Southwestern Breakfast Bake

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My hubby and his buddies camp out every year at Daytona for the Rolex 24. It’s 24 hours of watching cars go fast, enjoying libations, and most importantly, eating. Last year, our good friend Skippy brought this casserole to have for breakfast , and my hubby brought back the recipe. It’s a hardy breakfast best enjoyed after a long night, but will also impress any Holiday house guests that maybe looking for a great breakfast from a wonderful host. It can be a bit on the spicy side, so for the not-so-big-a-fan of heat first thing in the morning, use mild Rotel and unseasoned hashbrowns.

  • 1 20 oz package refrigerated Southwestern flavor hashbrowns
  • 1 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 10 oz can Rotel
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 lb cooked, crumbled sausage
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups Cornflakes
  • 2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Mix together cornflakes and melted butter. Spread evenly on top of hashbrown mixture and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!