Berry Compote

One thing I love about summer is all the fresh berries that are in season, sweet and tart all at the same time. My son loves to eat any kind of berry, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, you name it he eats it. Since we have a growing boy on our hands, I tend to buy fruit and veggies in bulk at Costco. We generally always eat them before they go bad, but occasionally we cannot get through all the fruit fast enough and this is when I make berry compote. 

You can put the compote on anything you like-waffles, pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Blueberry Banana Buttermilk Bread

So you make a recipe that calls for 1 cup of buttermilk and then you think to yourself, what am I going to do with the rest of this cartoon. It sits in the fridge, gets shuffled around to make room for other food, and finally goes bad... Well not anymore, this recipe allows you to use that buttermilk and those over-ripe bananas that no one wants to eat. Add some fresh or frozen blueberries, some almond extract and you have a delicious breakfast bread that is sure to satisfy.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup blueberries, plus more to top the bread

Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two non-stick loaf pans with cooking spray. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes. On low speed, add one egg at a time until combined. Next add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and almond extract, mix on low speed till combined. Mix in the mashed bananas on medium speed. Gradually add in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined, making sure not to over-mix as this will make the bread tough. With a spatula, gently fold in 1 cup of blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans and top with a few blueberries. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for about 15 minutes. Then remove the bread from the loaf pans, place on a wire baking rack and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

Note: The loafs of bread are relatively small as you can see from the picture above; if you would prefer to make one big loaf of bread that would be fine as well, just make sure to cook the bread longer in the oven. 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This old church cookbook recipe is easy to make and a family favorite. I have found that church recipes are "tried and true" and everyday kind of cooking. Feel free to add your own touch to the topping mixture or add a glaze! Curl up with a cup of coffee and enjoy!  

Topping:

8 oz. chopped walnuts or pecans

3 Tbsp. Cinnamon

1 cup sugar

Mix together and save for topping.

Coffee Cake:

1/2 lb butter , softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sour cream

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan. Mix together dry ingredients and set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with sour cream. Spread half the cake batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. Cover with remaining batter and then sprinkle on remaining topping. Bake for 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when done.

Satisfying Breakfast Sandwiches

These breakfast sandwiches are quick, easy, packed with protein, and will keep your hunger satisfied all morning. Better yet, it only takes 20 minutes to make a batch of six, which can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Great for busy mornings while you are running out the door or for kids before school. They are delicious and healthy, something every mom is looking for in a quick breakfast. 

Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper in each ramekin.

Lightly beat all the ingredients together.

Bake the eggs for 15-18 minutes.

Layer each sandwich with one egg, sausage patty, and slice of cheese.

Tightly wrap all the sandwiches with plastic wrap.

6 Whole Wheat English Muffins
6 large eggs
6 tsp. 1% milk
6 slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
6 sausage patties; you can buy the pre-made ones or make them yourself from your favorite breakfast sausage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cooking spray
Special equipment: 6 small baking ramekins or a jumbo muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, place the ramekins on a baking sheet, spray the inside of each ramekin with the cooking spray. Crack one egg into each ramekin, season with salt and pepper. Also, place 1 tsp. of milk into each ramekin. With a fork or small whisk, lightly beat the eggs in each ramekin. Place the baking sheet with the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the eggs have set. Once the eggs have cooked, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes. 

While the eggs are baking, cook the sausage patties according to the package instructions. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly. Slice the English muffins in half. Layer the bottom of each English muffin with one cooked egg, one sausage patty, and one slice of cheese. Top with the other half of the English muffin. Repeat until all the sandwiches are made. Wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, place all the breakfast sandwiches in a large zip-top bag and freeze.

When ready to eat, place in a damp paper towel and microwave for approximately 3 minutes. Enjoy!