BakeAwayGirl

 We've made this twice and done it differently each time. I liked the flavor better the first time but the texture better the second. Key difference is cooking the potatoes first, and that's a must. Using frozen potatoes is just too wet. Breakfast Casserole 1 lb bacon, cooked and diced 1 onion, diced 1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced 1 can green chiles 12 large eggs 1 cup milk 1 tbsp neutral oil 3 cups frozen diced potatoes 2 cups shredded cheese Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika to taste Cook bacon in preferred method. We prefer to bake it on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400* for 22 minutes. Dice cooked bacon. Set aside. Dice one onion. Deseed and dice one bell pepper.  In a large skillet, heat bacon fat or oil. Saute the onion and bell pepper, adding salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Once vegetables are tender, set aside. In the same large skillet, heat oil. When oil is very hot, pour in frozen potatoes. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Cook according ...

 Apple Pie Oatmeal 2 tbsp butter 2 apples, chopped 1-1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp clove 1/2 tsp nutmeg 2 cups old fashioned oats 2 cups milk (we prefer whole but any will work) 2 cups apple juice (you can use water) Chop apples. We usually leave the skin on but you can remove it. Melt butter in a large pot on the stove. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Stir occasionally and cook until apples are tender. Pour in oats, milk and juice. Mix well. Cook until the oats have reached the desired consistency, usually 3-5 minutes. They will look watery while the heat is still on so be careful not to over cook.

Last year for Jeff's first father's day, he sent me this recipe with the caption "All I want for Father's Day."  It's a generic recipe for oatmeal, and you can add whatever you want to it to make it delicious.  I was a little hesitant because oatmeal isn't my favorite breakfast food.  I mean, I'll eat it, but it's not my first choice. Then we had it for breakfast and I was sold.  This is now our go-to breakfast on a Sunday morning, and (for now) we have enough leftover to eat throughout the week.  The best part is, everyone loves it! Oatmeal Bake 3 cups quick oats or old fashioned oats 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp clove 1/2 tsp all spice 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla *1 can of chopped peaches (NOT drained) *1-1/2 cup dried cranberries Grease 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Bake for 30-35 minutes or ...

This is a childhood staple for me.  Anytime we have uneaten bananas that have gone beyond edible in our eyes, we would mash up 3 of them and make banana nut bread.  It was always a breakfast food, but it's definitely dessert-like.  It's delicious and even moreso now that I usually incorporate chocolate chips as well! Banana Nut Bread 1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups flour 1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (3) 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts) - Optional 1 cup chocolate chips - optional Cream butter and sugar.  Beat until smooth; add eggs. Stir in flour and baking soda, one cup at a time.  Mix until fully incorporated. Add bananas and any extras such as nuts and/or chocolate chips. Line a bread pan with parchment paper, or wax paper.  Pour batter into the pan. Bake at 350* for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  This varies.  The edges finish first, but the very center usually is still doughy.  Bake until it's to ...

When we first moved into our house, we embarked upon the adventure of discovering all the plants in our yard.  We played "Weed or Legit Plant" for pretty much the whole summer.  Turned out, the giant growth of plants in our arbor was raspberries!  Jeff had some for breakfast every day for a few weeks.  The next year, the plants grew, but no berries, so I gave it one more year to produce or I was cutting it all out and seeding over the area. This year, Jeff picks about 4+ cups of raspberries every single day. So we immediately took to Pinterest to find baking ideas including fresh raspberries, and this bread was our first foray into it.  It's named "bread" but make no mistake; it's a cake.  A delicious, lemony, raspberry-filled cake.  Yummmmm Mini Loaves Raspberry Lemon Bread Adapted from here Bread 1 cup butter 2 1/4 cup granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp vanill...

Who doesn't love biscuits?  The best part of most restaurants is their bread or biscuits, and let's be real, those Pillsbury biscuits are addicting.  I normally don't try to make many breads or doughs because it's such a delicate process.  Dough needs the right amount of flour and water and handling.  Too much of any one of those things turns your final product into a rock hard mistake. I had buttermilk for a different recipe and with the leftovers, I was craving biscuits.  I decided to venture into this totally unknown territory and try it myself.  I did what most women do... I asked my mom for help.  No idea why I did this.  My mom is a perfectly good cook and she likes to experiment every now and then, but she has gladly handed over the majority of cooking over to me when I lived at home as an adult.  Apparently she tried biscuits only once and hers were hard as stone. So I was on my own!  Luckily, I had played enough with pie c...

Sorry for the lousy instagram shot... it's all I could do with my time Mmmm it is my most favorite time of the year!  Around August, I start craving soups, stews, and things made of apples and pumpkins.  Luckily, last year I had the foresight to buy in bulk, and at the end of the holiday season, I bought canned pumpkin from Costco and it's been sitting in the back of my pantry, patiently awaiting this very event. This is a two-part post, and the first is dedicated to a favorite from last year.  While browsing Pinterest for great holiday ideas, I found a recipe for pumpkin donuts.  We had all the ingredients, but we were missing the mini-muffin pan.  Well, I take any excuse to hit up TJ Maxx!  Heck yes.  So we found the pan (as well as many other things, of course) and began baking. These have a sugary cinnamony coating that just totally makes these little bites of heaven.  The only thing is, I haven't yet perfected a technique for creatin...

Oh heaven, these are my favorite.  Yes, this is my favorite baked good that I have discovered on Pinterest.  When I was younger, I thought scones were like a hard cookie that old English ladies ate.  How wrong I was... These feature that heavenly combination of cranberry and orange, which cannot be beat.  If that's not your cup of tea, you're living a sad, sad life.  No, just kidding (sorta).  You might be able to substitute your favorites (chocolate chips, apple cinnamon, blueberry), but I haven't tried it.  Let me know if you try and how it works! Without further ado... Cranberry Orange Scones Adapted from here 3 cups flour 1/3 cup sugar 2.5 tsps baking powder Smidge of salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup cold butter (1.5 sticks) 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup dried cranberries 1 tsp grated orange peel (I'm too lazy to measure this, I just grate until I'm happy) 1 tablespoon milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon In your large mixing b...

**Disclaimer:  If you count calories, you may just want to skip this post.  You've been fairly warned! My version from Easter '12 I discovered this little gem last year, and I don't remember why, but I don't think I need a reason.  It's a cinnamon coffee cake from Pinterest.  What more do we need?  I made it for a work breakfast, and then again for Easter brunch.  When it was a hit in both places, I stored this baby away for special days.  I've started jonesing for it again, so it was lucky for me that the work breakfast fell on this week! Unfortunately, it was a busy week.  My sister's birthday was yesterday and we went out for the evening.  When we came home, the couch was so inviting, and then it was bedtime!  I woke up this morning to my alarm and groggily laid there for a moment until a little voice in my head whispered, "Hey... you never made that cake that you need to have at work by 7:00 this morning." I won't bore you ...