A Cook's Quest

It is time for another round of Secret Recipe Club recipes.  I love doing this every month, because it introduces me to blogs that I wouldn't otherwise see.  This month I was lucky enough to be assigned to Fantastical Sharing of Recipes written by Sarah.  What I love about this blog is that Sarah has a similar take on food as me.  She tries to cook at home and not from packaged meals, but she also cooks what her family loves.  Not everything is the healthiest but she is always trying new recipes and sharing them with her family. As I started going through her recipes, I found many that I wanted to make.  Her one pot spaghetti looks awesome, and has been pinned for future reference.  I almost went for the cheddar baked potato soup , but the weather here is just too warm for that.  So, finally, I settled on this chocolate chip coffee cake .  I love coffee cakes, and Sarah says "adores," it and it is super easy to make.  I didn'...

A while ago, my friend Ellie sent me this recipe to try. We used to work together in the same office before I left my job at that company.  At work we always talked food and shared recipes that we had tried.  When I started this blog she gave me ideas and was one of my first blog followers.  She was a huge supporter of me as I chased after my dreams of becoming a teacher.  I knew that when she sent me this recipe it had to be good, because her recipes always are. I tried it soon after she sent it to me.  I have made it many times since.  But, I never took the time to take pictures and type a post about it.  I knew that it had to be shared because it is the best baked french toast I have ever had.  Finally here I am sharing it with all of you. This recipe originates from the Pioneer Woman's website .  Now, there is another clue it's good. If the Pioneer Woman makes it, it is good!  The first time I made it, I followed the recipe ...

As I have mentioned a time or two on this blog, I LOVE bread.   In the past, I have made all kinds of recipes from delicious orange rolls , to satisfying bread sticks and bread bowls for hearty soups .  But, my all time favorite way to eat homemade bread is in the form of toast. Now, I am not a toast snob.  I really love any kind of bread as toast.  Whenever I make a loaf of Oatmeal bread , or no knead bread I save a slice for a snack or breakfast.  Then I toast it up and cover it with butter...oh, it is so good!  A few days ago, as I was sprinkling said toast with some cinnamon and sugar, and I realized that I had never made cinnamon swirl bread.  That was about to change! I went on a quest to find a recipe.  Luckily,  I had one already pinned on my Breads page  on Pinterest.    It comes originally from Babble.com.  The author, Jaime, originally posted the white bread recipe on her blog, Sohpistamom , an...

Today's recipe isn't technically a recipe, but it has become one of my favorite food treats.  I love that it gives me protein, but also tastes like dessert at the same time.  It is cheap, it is easy to make, is portable, and it can be changed to suit your tastes. I discovered this recipe on Pinterest , and have not changed it very much.  This version is my favorite, but I have made other additions such as white chocolate chips, strawberries  blueberries, and different flavors of yogurt.  You can really do anything you want with it.  ENJOY! Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt Recipe Source: The Suburban Girl Gone Country 1 small container Greek yogurt (I prefer vanilla flavor, but you can do use any flavor/brand you like) 1 healthy teaspoon peanut butter 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips a splash of vanilla (I really like vanilla) a dash of salt (because I like the sweet and salty combination) Combine and enjoy! ...

Let me tell you a secret.  I didn't used to eat breakfast. I know, I know, it is the best meal of the day.  I always made sure my kids ate it every morning because I wanted them to have a good start, but I just couldn't find the time to eat it myself.  Instead, I would drink my soda and grab a snack about 11 a.m. to hold me over until lunch.   On the rare occasion when we made a big breakfast, or went out to eat breakfast, my go to meal was ham and eggs with hash browns and sourdough toast.  It was always wonderfully delicious and perfect in every way--at least in my opinion.  With my commitment to eating healthier this year, my ideal breakfast  ins't a good option anymore.  I know that I need protein in the mornings.  I have been eating a lot of hard boiled eggs and fruit, which gets a bit boring.  Insert this recipe for Baked Ham and Egg Cups , and the boring stops.  They have the flavors of my f...

About a month ago my mother in law called me out of the blue and asked, "Do you want a tread-mill?"  to which I replied, "ummm, yes?"  And within the hour I had a treadmill in my garage just waiting to burn all those unwanted calories off of my ever growing hips. Fast forward a  few weeks to when my mother in law was cleaning out her cabinets and stumbled upon a smoothie maker still in the box and never used.  She asked me if I wanted it or not, and, after considering what I had planned for dinner that night (NOTHING), I quickly snatched it up and became a hero when I made fruit smoothies and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner.  Thus, our love of fresh fruit smoothies was born in my kitchen.   There are millions of ways to make smoothies both healthy and un-healthy.  So far ours have been relatively healthy.  We have been making them by tossing in fruit, ice, and milk or yogurt and blending away.  But, now I feel an obligation to crea...

Today for breakfast we wanted something different than the regular pancakes or baked French toast we normally have.  I have seen a few recipes floating around Pinterest for German pancakes/Dutch Babies and remembered a recipe in an old community cookbook that my Grandmother passed to me.  This cookbook is on of those books that is a compilation of favorite recipes from cooks who know their stuff.  I LOVE this book and have always enjoyed the easy comfort style food that I create when I select a recipe.  But, a quick internet search will give you a plethora of recipes all quite similar to this one. This recipe for German pancakes was a delightful surprise.  I have never had one of these pancakes, but I was excited to try it.  A German pancake, or Dutch Baby as some recipes call them, is a baked pancake that puffs up high in the oven, and when it starts to cool falls.  Inside are lovely air pockets perfect for absorbing the flavors of anythin...

My kids thought I was nuts when I told them we were having cake for breakfast.  There is something about eating cake for breakfast that makes the meal feel special.  Similar to a muffin batter, this cake is spread into a cake pan, topped with sugar, and then baked to delightful yumminess.  It isn't too sweet and has a wonderful lemon aroma that fills your mouth and blends perfectly with the blueberries dotted throughout pair it up with breakfast sausage or bacon for an  easy and tasty breakfast. The original cake called for 2 cups of berries, but I thought that was too much for such a small pan and cut it down to 1 cup instead.  Please feel free to add as many as you like though, there is nothing wrong with a lot of berries! ENJOY! Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake Recipe Source: Modified Slightly from Alexandra's Kitchen Serves 6-8 ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature zest from 1 large lemon 7/8 cup sugar (3/4 cup+2 tablespoons) plus addition...

I am not a lover of bananas, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE banana bread.  There isn't much to say about this recipe.  It is easy to mix up and the tastiest banana bread I have had in a very long time.  Next time you have some bananas that don't look so pretty try mixing up a batch of this. You won't be sorry.  ENJOY! Cream Cheese Banana Bread Recipe Source: A Thrifty Mom 3/4 cups softened butter 1 (8oz) cream cheese softened 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 3 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1  1/2 cups mashed bananas ( about 4 bananas) 1 cup pecans (optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla In a bowl combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar until well blended.  Add the two eggs and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until everything just comes together, you don't want to over mix it.  Add the bananas, nuts and vanilla. Pour into a large greased bread pan or two small g...

Last week a co-worker's husband called work and when I answered the phone he started raving about the muffins his wife had made the night before.  He told me they were the best muffins she had ever made, which is saying a lot because she is a fabulous cook.  Later in the day I asked her for the recipe and she quickly printed it for me. Let's me just say, that these are definitely the best muffins I have ever made.  They have a light, cake like texture that isn't too sweet.  The best part about them is the wonderful blueberry swirl that combines with the whole berries.  And let's not forget the lemon sugar topping or the streusel topping, I made both because I couldn't decide which would be better--both are equally wonderful on top of these muffins.  Inadvertently, bought the wrong size container of blueberries at my store, so I didn't have as many as the recipe calls for, but it didn't matter they were still FABULOUS!  I plan on making more of...

Mornings around my house are hectic.  Typically my husband is just getting home from work and the rest of us are blow drying, dressing, searching for matching socks, and looking for the homework that was supposed to be put in the backpack last night, before rushing out the door.  Somehow sleep feels so much better than the idea of getting up just a little bit earlier so we would all have time for breakfast.  Until this year I didn't worry too much about breakfast.  My older two ate breakfast at school and the youngest at daycare.  But this year the kids just aren't as thrilled with school breakfast, nor am I after I heard some of the things they get to choose from.  So I am making an effort to have portable breakfast options available; maybe this way we can all eat something hot, and homemade for breakfast each morning.  Until now, we have been eating breakfast burritos because they are super easy to transport in a backpack and waffl...

A little secret about bankers, we love food. So when a co-worker succeeds at something, or advances in their position, or maybe the branch just has a great day, we have food, all kinds of food. So when all of the above happened last week, my manager and I planned a surprise party for two employees and I volunteered to make orange rolls. Delicious, sweet, and tangy, they are a perfect pairing with the breakfast casserole my manager makes. One problem though, I didn’t even have a recipe for them. The only orange rolls I have made came from the freezer section of my grocery store. So I went to my go to spot, My Kitchen Café and it was no surprise that she had a recipe that looked perfect. These rolls turned out beautifully.  I had to modify the dough recipe because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand but, it was tender and the filling a perfect balance of tangy and sweet with just enough orange flavor coming through. I may or may not have eaten four over the spa...

In honor of my friend Nikki, who had a terrible craving for cinnamon rolls while she was pregnant, I am posting this cinnamon roll recipe.  It is supposed to be a clone of the famous Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls and while I can't say they taste the same to me, I can say that these are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made, ever, without a doubt, seriously delicious!  I dare you to eat only one because I don't think it is possible.  The cream cheese frosting is rich and buttery, there is a perfect cinnamon to sugar ratio going on and the dough itself, well it is wonderfully delicate and light while being full of rich flavor.  I would highly suggest making a double batch to ensure everyone can have seconds! Cinnabon Clones Recipe Source: All Recipes.com Dough 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup margarine, melted and cooled 4 1/2 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons bread...

What could be wrong with a pancake and a cinnamon roll combined?  If you said nothing at all, you are 100 percent correct!  Not only are these pancakes made using the best ever pancake mix ever, ever, ever, but now they are even better with a sweet, cinnamony (another one of my words) swirl made from the exact ingredients that go into a cinnamon roll filling.  Then, as if they weren't fabulous enough they are topped with, what else I ask you, cream cheese frosting.  Oh my. Oh my.  This recipe is far past breakfast fare it is now dessert at 8 in the morning.  Can it get any better?  Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe Source:  Big Red Kitchen For the Cinnamon Filling... In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix until smooth: 1 stick softened butter, almost melty 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 T. cinnamon Using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides, pour this mixture into a large pastry bag or ziplock bag that had been opened and stoo...

Let me just start this post off with two simple statements: I Love where I live because of the amazing fruits and vegetables that grow in the area. The bank I work at has amazing customers who bring us the fabulous fruits and vegetables grown locally.  Just look at these cherries, they are huge and there was no way everyone in the office could eat them all so Friday, after everyone had been snacking on them for a few days and after everyone had taken huge bags full home to their families, I took what was left wanting to try some new things with cherries. My first round of inspiration came when my children repeatedly asked me to make pancakes for breakfast. I thought that a cherry syrup would be perfect with the Oatmeal Pancakes we eat in this house all the time .  I wasn't sure if the best pancakes in the world could be any tastier, but I quickly discovered that this homemade cherry syrup elevated my favorite pancakes in the world to the "bestest pancak...