Overnight blueberry almond steel cut oats

• Tried this for Christmas and loved it! Also taken from Mels Kitchen Cafe
•  1 cup steel cut oats
•  3/4 cup sliced almonds
•  1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
•  1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
•  1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
•  1/8 teaspoon salt
•  2 2/3 cups almond milk
•  1 teaspoon vanilla
•  2 eggs
•  1/3 cup pure maple syrup
•  1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, melted
•  1 - 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl mix the oats, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.
2. In another bowl or in a liquid measuring cup, whisk the milk, vanilla, egg, maple syrup and coconut oil (or butter) together until smooth. It's ok that the coconut oil/butter will solidify and form small clumps. It'll work itself out in the warm oven, promise.
3. Pour the wet ingredients over the oatmeal mixture and stir to combine.
4. Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking dish (can use a similar sized baking dish of any shape - 9X9-inch or larger but smaller than a 9X13-inch).
5. Toss the blueberries over the bottom of the dish. Give the oatmeal mixture a final stir and pour over the top of the blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, the oatmeal will definitely take on more of a blue-ish hue than if using fresh). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
6. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, uncover the baking dish and bake for 55-60 minutes until the mixture is set and oats are tender but still slightly chewy. Stir to combine, if desired, or just scoop out in portions as is.
7. Serve with additional milk (to stir into the oatmeal), if desired.

NOTES

This recipe is so, so adaptable. Omit the blueberries and use apples or bananas. Sub in walnuts for almonds (and consider lightly toasting the nuts beforehand). Take out the fruit and nuts altogether and bake just the oats in the creamy, custardy mixture. Seriously, the options are endless. You can also try using other sweeteners besides the maple syrup (brown sugar, maybe, or agave nectar?).

Also, you could certainly use regular milk for the almond, if desired.

Roll up blender pancakes- taken from Mels kitchen cafe

•  1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
•  6 large eggs
•  1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour (about 2 1/2 ounces)
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 cup oil (canola, vegetable or coconut oil)
•  1/4 cup milk
•  1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•  2 tablespoons sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Lift the skillet from the heat and ladle in about 1/4 cup batter, spinning the skillet in a circle to form a somewhat even circle about 6 or 8-inches across (it doesn't have to be perfect).
3. On the heat, cook the pancake until golden, about a minute, then use a wide, flat spatula to carefully flip the pancake and cook for 30 seconds or so on the other side.
4. Slide the pancake to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, spraying with cooking spray every few pancakes or so and making sure the skillet is hot before adding a new scoop of batter (although make sure it isn't so hot that the pancakes burn - adjust the temperature as needed). Stack the pancakes on top of each other as they finish cooking.
5. Serve with butter, jam, powdered sugar, syrup, fruit and whipped cream - whatever your little heart desires! Spread the filling down the center and roll up to eat.

Oatmeal pancakes

I really like this recipe. It has been great and it makes breakfast a lot easier on those busy mornings (or not busy mornings)! Ashlyn (and the rest of us) gobble these up and I think they are healthy!
The recipe comes from melskitchencafe (one of my favorite blogs!)

(I included this picture so you can see what the mix looks like even after the oil is added.)

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats--I threw the oats in a blender and pulverized them to a powder.
3 cups whole wheat flour**
2 cups all-purpose flour **
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable or canola oil

**I used 100% whole wheat flour (hard white wheat) Great for rotating food storage (five cups total, instead of using 2 cups of all-purpose flour).

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). If desired, grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients for a smoother mix. With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I’ve never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side.

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes. -- I always do 2 cups mix and if we have any left I throw them in the toaster the next morning or eat them for snacks.

Vanishing Breakfast rolls

1 pkg. buttermilk biscuits
2 T. marg.
2T sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5 lg. marshmallows
Preheat 375. Melt marg. Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Cut marshmallows in half. Roll in marg. then in sugar mixture. Flatten out biscuits and wrap around marshmallow. Make sure it is sealed up tight. Put in muffin cups or on cookie sheet bake 11-13 minutes

Overnight Caramel French Toast

We made this for Trey's baby blessing.
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon divided
2 T. light corn syrup
6 eggs, beaten
12 slices French or sourdough bread
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Lightly grease a 9 X 13 baking pan. Set aside. bring brown sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into pan. Top with 6 slices of bread. Sprinkle with conbined sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Top with remaning bread. Beat eggs, milk, vanilla and remaining cinnamon. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat over to 350 bake 30 to 35 min uncovered. Serves 4- 6 people

Buttermilk Pancakes

These are good!
2 c. flour
6 T. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3 T. butter (melted)
2 1/2 c. buttermilk (or milk w/ vinegar about 2 T.)
2 eggs
Mix eggs, sugar and butter until well blended, then add flour, soda, powder and salt. Add buttermilk last and mix well. Pour on hot griddle.
*batter may seem runny but it makes fluffy yummy pancakes

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

We really like this French Toast. The recipe comes from The Pioneer Womans blog. It is easy and quick to put together the night before then pop it in the oven the next morning. I halfed the recipe thinking it would be too much. We ate almost the whole pan for breakfast minus one little corner. Hope you enjoy.

1 loaf French Bread
8 large eggs
2 cups milk (we used skim, but pioneer uses whole)
½ cup heavy whipping cream (I used Ashlyn's whole milk)
¾ cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

Maple syrup-for serving

1. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Tear French bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly place in the pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour evenly over bread. Cover pan with saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter pieces and cut into the dry mixture using a fork or your hands. Combine until the mixture resembles sand with a few pea sized chunks. Cover and store mixture in the refrigerator.

4. When you’re ready to bake the French toast, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from refrigerator and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the French toast is set and golden brown.

5. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Serves 16

Blueberry Muffins

Whenever I take the kids to the grocery store I let Brynlee pick out a fruit or vegtable (trying to teach her to make healthy food choices), lately she has been picking blueberries so I've been trying out different muffin recipies to use them up. So far, this is the family favorite.
1&1/2 c all purpose flour
3/4 c white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 c fresh blueberries
1/2 c white sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flower
1/4 c butter, cubed
1&1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine 1&1/2 c flour, 3/4 c sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enought milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To make crumb topping: mix together 1/2 c sugar, 1/3 c flour, 1/4 c butter, and 1&1/2 tsp cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until done. Smells and tastes delicious!

French Vanilla Toast & Buttermilk Syrup

This is one of our favorite special occasion breakfasts, I think I might have made it once when everyone came for conference.
For the french toast:
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 c vanilla coffeemate
bread
Buttermilk Syrup:
1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c buttermilk, or a about a tbsp of vinegar in milk
Boil (in a fairly large pan because it will bubble a lot) take off heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda, stir till frothy
It is also delicious served with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

Blender pancakes

2 c. milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. veg. oil
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix in blender until smooth. Pour on hot griddle.