Pop Up Pancakes

I love the food network. When I was pregnant with my first baby, I watched it religiously, all day long. ( no judging, when you are puking all day, you don't really have anything better to do then lay on the couch) Once while watching Good Eats, Alton Brown gave his all time favorite memorized recipe. It also happened to be my favorite recipe. I was beyond thrilled. Alton Brown and I have something in common. : ) 

Pop Up Pancakes are the best breakfast ever. Now they aren't really like pancakes, I actually don't know how to describe them. They are pillows of buttery goodness that rise right out of the pan while baking. Try them this weekend, you will not be disappointed.  

Pop Up Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup milk 

1 cup flour

dash of salt 

1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place stick of butter in a 13x9 in pan, and cut into pieces. Put the pan into the oven. While the butter is melting in the oven, place the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend well. Once the butter has melted, pour batter into the pan and put back into the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes. ( I don't know for sure, I can just smell when it is done ) Cut and serve warm with any pancake toppings of your choice.  

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Up until a couple of months ago, I had never had balsamic vinegar. Maybe unknowingly if someone put it is a recipe, but never on purpose. Then i tried a balsamic glazed chicken salad at BJs restaurant. I was hooked, i had to have another balsamic glazed something. That is when I found this recipe. The glaze is sweet yet tangy and you feel like you are eating something fancy and decadent. Yet this pork couldn't be easier to make, it gets thrown in the slow cooker in the morning and you are practically done with dinner. I imagine the glaze would be amazing on any type of meat, and I plan to try it out on some. 

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin 

Pork:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of large fat pockets
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

Simple Strawberry Syrup

    

      A couple of months ago, I started to research eating whole foods, real foods and cutting out processed foods. It became something that spoke to me and since then I have been trying to rid our family of eating processed foods. We are not perfect and occasionally I give into convenience. We're taking baby steps and just trying to slowly change our diet to eating better foods. 

     

       High fructose corn syrup was one of the things that I immediately took out of our diet. Well when you do that, you get rid of pretty much every breakfast syrup out there. For awhile I bought pure maple syrup at Costco, but it is pretty pricey. So I decided to research and find some other syrups. I have found a homemade maple syrup which I will share next week, but today we have this marvelous strawberry syrup. 

     

        It is so simple to make and tastes better then any other strawberry syrup that you could find in a store. Maybe because it has actual strawberries in it. Pour it over pancakes, ice cream, pound cake or cheesecake. Yum! Add a little whip cream and you have the perfect breakfast or dessert. 

Simple Strawberry Syrup

    

     2 cups strawberries, washed and diced

     ½ cup sugar 

     1 cup + 2 Tablespoons water, divided

     1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. Combine 2 Tablespoons water and cornstarch in a small dish and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water, sugar and diced strawberries to a boil. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add water+cornstarch mixture and blend well. The sauce will thicken, the strawberries will have semi dissolved and the mixture will begin smelling like warm jelly. Turn off heat and allow some cooling before serving.
3.  Carefully pour strawberry sauce inside a blender (or stick an immersion blender in the pot if you have one) and mix well until it’s a thick sauce. If you would like a thinner syrup you can slowly add about ¼ cup more water while blending. 
4. Store in refrigerator up to 30days. Take out a few minutes before serving at room temperature or warm.

Lion House Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    Every couple of weeks I participate in a food co-op called Bountiful Baskets. You can a basket full of 50% fruits and 50% vegetables. These baskets are amazing and I love getting them. I usually have to come up with some recipes for the week to use up the veggies that I get. 

   Last Saturday i got a ton of zucchini and this bread was the first thing that went through my mind. My obsession with this bread started when I was working for Deseret Book. The Lion House makes a decadent muffin top version of this recipe  When I got transferred to the store that has a Lion House Bakery inside of it, I honestly bought a muffin top everyday. I pretended it was healthy, what with all the zucchini in it. : ) 
    
      Now I make it whenever I have zucchini in my house.  Its moist, delicious and you just cant go wrong with it. You get to "eat your veggies" while eating a  chocolate bread. ( its pretty much a cake , but we'll keep calling it a bread for health's sake. : ) 

Lion House Chocolate Zucchini Bread 

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 

2 cups zucchini, grated

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar 

1 cup vegetable oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips  

Prepare two 8x4 - inch loaf pans by greasing and flouring or by lining with parchment paper. Melt unsweetened chocolate and set aside. Wash and grate zucchini; set aside. Measure flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl, stir, and set aside. Place eggs in mixing bowl and beat. Add the sugars, oil, melted chocolate, and vanilla, beat until creamy. Add the zucchini and stir together. Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix in. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

* To make muffins, place liners in a muffin tin and fill with batter. I cant remember how long I cooked them for muffins but I remember starting with 15 minutes and then watching them from there. It all depends on how hot your oven cooks. 

Green Smoothies

Today is the first day of my 2nd green smoothie challenge. For the month of July I have to drink at least one green smoothie everyday. When I did this in May, I thought that it would be difficult but once you find a few good recipes, you fall in love with  them. Green smoothies are full of amazing benefits, too many to list here. The have helped me feel more energized and just better in over all health.  

   This recipe is my favorite green smoothie, and I admit that it is the one that i drink 75% of the time. Its full of tropical flavors, while packing a nutritional punch. When you find something you love that's healthy, why ruin a good thing? Try it today, I promise you'll fall in love. 

You can join the challenge too! They provide shopping lists and daily green smoothie recipes. Just click here to join in on the fun!

Pina Colada Green Smoothie 

1 cup spinach
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cups pineapple
3/4 cups mango

Layer the milk, spinach and then frozen fruit into a blender. Blend and Enjoy!

* If you don't have frozen fruit, you can add ice to make the smoothie cold. You may also have to add water to get to desired consistency.

Perfect Pancakes

         I make a lot of pancakes. Like seriously, a lot. Matthew loves pancakes and it is one of those things that he can actually make with a little bit of help. So usually two or three mornings a week we try a new pancake recipe  I have tried them all, and most of them have been good. Then yesterday I found this recipe  and I have found the perfect pancake. They are seriously divine  Now these pancakes are not healthy pancakes at all, but they taste amazing. I even ate them plain for breakfast yesterday because they were so good they didn't need toppings  Try them, trust me, these are the perfect pancakes. You will never make pancakes from a mix again. 

Perfect Pancakes 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons  sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream 
• 2 tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, just until combined - it's okay if there are a few lumps. The batter will be pretty thick, that is ok.
2.  Preheat and lightly grease a heavy skillet or griddle. Scoop the batter onto the griddle with a 1/4 cup measure or a large spoon.When the first side is golden brown and the edges start to look dry, turn the pancakes over to finish cooking the second side.  Remove the pancakes from the griddle and keep them in a warm serving dish until you have enough to feed everyone.    

 Tip: I tried making these pancakes this morning with whole milk and a buttermilk substitute, they were still edible but not the amazing pancakes that these are. So you must plan ahead and have buttermilk and heavy cream. It will be worth it, i promise. 

Menu 4/7 - 4/13

Sunday: Dinner at the Petersen's 

Monday: Best Baked Manicotti

Tuesday: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: dinner out ( most likely)

Saturday: dinner out ( most likely )


This weeks menu is not my not my normal plans and kind of repetitive with the pasta and casseroles but we are moving Friday and Saturday so I am just trying to use up what is in our pantry and freezer.

Easy Hard boiled Eggs

    When I first got married, I tried making hard boiled eggs because my hubby liked them. They turned out ok, kind of a weird color in the center. So I didn't try them again. Then last year I tried again by looking up some different methods online, a way to get the yolk in the middle perfectly done and bright yellow. After trying a few different ways, I found the perfect one. The eggs comes out perfectly every time. 

Hard Boiled Eggs

    Cover eggs with water in a saucepan, about an inch over the tops of the eggs. . Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the eggs and water. Heat water until boiling. When the water is boiling, cover the pot and turn off of the heat. Set the timer for 16 minutes. When the timer goes off, using a slotted spoon, put each egg into a bath of ice water. The shock of water will stop the cooking and will make it easier to peel the eggs later by shrinking the whites a little bit. Enjoy! 

Menu Plan 3/31-4/6

Sunday 3/31- Easter!
                      - Deviled Eggs
                  - rolls
                  - ice cream
                  - candied walnut salad 
                    -funeral potatoes  
                   - strawberries 

Monday:  crock pot lazanga 

Tuesday: leftovers 

Wednesday: Make ahead sausage and egg breakfast casserole,  
                      bacon 
                       
Thursday: Grilled Chicken Salad, homemade bread 
                  
Friday: BBQ chicken pizza 

Saturday: Leftovers/ Nick out with guys for General Conference

Sunshine Smoothie

This smoothie reminds me of sitting on a private beach with a good book in your hand, slight breeze and a cool drink by your side....... Of course its what I imagine that would be like, since I have never done that. 

I have never made a smoothie that I loved. The only ones I could ever find that I liked were found at Jamba Juice. However when I made this one, I was super excited because I never have to go to Jamba Juice again. It tastes just like one of theirs but its lower in calories and doesn't have anything extra in, so you control what your eating. This smoothie is my new morning pick me up. 

Sunshine Smoothie 

1 cup frozen Sunrise Growers Tropical Fruit Blend* 
1/2 cup orange juice 
2 tbsp milk 
water to thin out to the consistency that you desire 

Dump everything in a blender and blend away. You will probably have to mix it around a little bit as you blend, since the frozen fruit needs a little help to blend. 

* You can use any blend of strawberries, mangoes and pineapple. Just make sure they are frozen because otherwise you wont get the right smoothie consistency. 

Overnight Oatmeal

This is seriously so Delicious and so easy. You prep it the night before, stick it in your fridge, the next morning just pop it in your oven, and in thirty minutes, deliciousness. The first morning i popped it in the oven and then went back to bed. After about twenty minutes Nick woke up and was like what is that amazing smell? I said it was breakfast. He was like yum. It literally smelled like an apple crisp, but without the apples. Just the yummy stuff on top. But it doesn't look like that, so don't be surprised when it comes out looking more like a oatmeal bar.

Freezer Friendly Baked Oatmeal 

-  1/3 cup butter, melted

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup raw sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
• 3 cups oats (regular or quick oats)

1. Beat eggs, sugar and butter together. Mix in baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

2. Stir in milk and oats. Pour into a greased 9×13 foil pan or baking dish and cover well. (Can use a Ziploc freezer bag, if freezing). Freeze.

3. To serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until set in the middle. Serve warm with milk. (We like to sprinkle sugar on top before pouring the milk on.)

4. If you want to serve it without freezing it first, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight and then bake it at 350 degrees for 35-45minutes in the morning.

Serves 6-8.

Obviously i didn't freeze mine, but you could if you wanted to make a couple of batches. Or split them into smaller pie pans. 

I found that putting brown sugar on top right when its warm and then ice cream or milk on it is the best way to go. Next time i'm gonna try putting chocolate chips or apples in it. Depends on how i feel the night before. : ) 

Oh and this is lovely heated up later too. I just covered the left overs and put in the fridge. Then when i wanted a snack or breakfast the next day, i sprinkled with brown sugar and microwaved it. Seriously Delicious. 

Weekly Meal Plan 3/24-3/30

Weekly Meal Plan 

Sunday: Dinner at Petersen's, bringing Strawberry Cheesecake bars 

Monday: Happy Birthday Nicholas! pizza and giant cookie! 

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Ihop pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit 

Thursday: Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie 

Friday: Homemade pizza, Salad 

Saturday: Sweet and Sour Citrus Chicken Stir Fry with Veggies and Rice 

I'm also going to try to make some bread this week and overnight oatmeal for breakfasts. 

Hi and welcome to my food blog. I love food. I love cooking. I love baking, and i especially love eating! Here is my little space on the world wide web to post my favorite recipes so I always know how to find them. So sit down with a tall glass of milk and a chocolate chip cookie and browse the recipes!