Banana Egg "Porridge"

*Laura discovered this recipe when we were doing "Whole 30" which is no grains, no dairy, no sugar for a month. It is a really tasty, healthy alternative to regular breakfast cereals.

1 heaping tsp coconut oil

1 banana

2 eggs

1 T coconut flour

Chia seeds

Coconut milk

Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add banana and smash together. Add eggs and cook as if you were making scrambled eggs. After stirring together well for a few minutes, add about a tablespoon of coconut milk (I eyed it). Continue cooking. After eggs are well set, sprinkle with the coconut flour and a dash of chia seeds. Continue cooking until done, adding more coconut milk as needed. Remove from heat and spoon into a bowl. Top with fresh berries, sliced almonds, unsweetened coconut, and as much coconut milk as you want to get a “porridge” feel.

Another Buttermilk Syrup Recipe!

Recipe contributed by Rachel

This is very similar to the divine syrup recipe that Sarah posted a few years ago.  This one (which I just got from my mother-in-law) has less buttermilk and the addition of a little Karo syrup.  Try both and decide which one you like best!  (They both taste like candy!)

Buttermilk Syrup

1 stick real butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp Karo syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Bring first four ingredients to a boil in a large pan.  Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla.  Stir well.  Mixture will expand to twice its size.

Especially delicious with pumpkin waffles!  Double the syrup recipe!

Easy Egg Casserole

Our mom used to make this for New Year's Day breakfast.  It is really yummy and easy.  The original recipe says to make it the night before, but my husband does not like the bread to be too soggy, so I make it the morning of.  Either way, it is delicious.

12 slices of bread (cubed)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups milk
6 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried mustard

In a greased casserole dish, alternate layers of cubed bread, milk mixture, and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Bran Muffins

This recipe is awesome.  And HUGE.  Seriously, you will not be able to use your Kitchen Aid mixer.  I start with mine to truly whip up the shortening/butter, but once all of the liquids are in it is full and I transfer it over to a HUGE bowl and a hand mixer when I add the dry ingredients.  It is huge, people!  And here's why.....

This recipe rocks because it "keeps" in the refrigerator for up to SIX WEEKS!!  Can you believe it?!  Mix up the batter, put it in a big ol' tupperware or jar, and stick it in the fridge.  You can cook up a few warm muffins every morning!  Yummer!  I wouldn't expect bran muffins to be sweet and tasty, but these sure are!!  I think it would be fun to give a friend with a new baby a jar of dough so that they could have a tasty snack with minimal effort whenever they crave it.  And, for those who are "counting". . . . these muffins are only 3 points per muffin on the new Weight Watchers Points Plus system.

Bran Muffins

(This bottle keeps up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.  Makes 3 pint jars plus a little.)

5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups All-Bran
2 cups Bran Flakes
2 cups chopped dates
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2 cups boiling water
5 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (or butter)
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk

Mix boiling water and baking soda.  Set aside to cool.  In a large bowl stir flour, salt, All-Bran, Bran Flakes, chopped dates, and chopped nuts.  Cream sugar and shortening (or butter) in a large bowl.  Stir in eggs one at a time.  Beat well.  Stir in buttermilk and soda liquid.  Stir in bran mixture.  Tightly cover.  Better if refrigerated 12 hours (or more) prior to baking.  To bake, drop by spoonfuls (don't stir) into a greased muffin tins.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Yield: 5 1/2 dozen.

Awesome Pancakes

This recipe was contributed by Rachel but was originally found in the America's Test Kitchen Cookbook.

We have "brinner" at our house at least once a week.  These pancakes are our favorite!  We love them with blueberries, but they'd also be good with chocolate chips.  If you really want to get decadent, serve with Buttermilk Syrup.  Yum!

2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of buttermilk (you can do 2 cups of milk with 2 T lemon juice mixed in if you don't have buttermilk)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 cup blueberries (optional)
      *If you use frozen blueberries, thaw them and rinse them before adding to pancakes

1.  Melt the butter in the microwave, and immediately transfer it to the medium-sized mixing bowl you will use to whisk together your wet ingredients.  (I do this first because the butter needs to be cool before you add the buttermilk.)

2.  Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

3.  In the medium mixing bowl, add the buttermilk and egg to the cooled butter.

4.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Coat with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil.

5.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Gently whisk together  until just incorporated with a few lumps remaining.  (It is important not to overmix.  The lumps will disappear as the pancake cooks.)

6.  Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet.  If you are adding blueberries or chocolate chips, sprinkle a few over the top of the pancake now.

7.  Cook until large bubbles appear (about 2 minutes) and flip to the other side.  Cook until golden brown.

Pumpkin Waffles

I looove these waffles!  They scream fall, and they are a quick, easy, and cheap meal.  The recipe looks a little complicated, but it comes together very quickly.  To really do them justice you should serve them with the Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup.  Yummmmm......

Pumpkin Waffles

2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix and set aside.

4 eggs (Separate the yolks and whites!)

Beat egg yolks with a mixer, save the whites.

Add to the beaten egg yolks:

1/2 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mixture.

Cook and enjoy!  Don't forget the Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup!

Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup

Have you ever been to Magelby's Fresh for bottomless french toast or pancakes?  You haven't?!?  I feel very sad for you.  Very sad indeed.  Magelby's Fresh breakfasts are the bomb, and the main reason is this:  THE SYRUP!!!  They have frothy, homemade buttermilk syrup.  I could drink it like soda.  Except that it may make me sick.  Oh, what the heck?!  It would be SO. WORTH. IT.

Have I built it up enough yet?  Good.  Because I have the recipe for you!  It is a copycat recipe, and it is AMAZING!!!  Best of all, not only is it amazing, but it is also crazy easy!  My friends always think that if they make yummy pancakes, waffles, or french toast and put normal syrup on it that it will be enough; no extra effort necessary.  They are so wrong!  Take the 5 extra minutes to make this and it will take "breakfast for dinner" from a last-minute family meal to a company-worthy event!  (For real, we make it for company all of the time with the America's Test Kitchen Buttermilk Pancakes.  Oh yum.....)


Here it comes . . . are you ready?!

Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup

Throw the following in a medium or large sauce pan (at least 2 quarts or it will foam over the edges and make your kitchen exceedingly sticky):

1 stick of real butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk (fresh is better than powdered so it's not clumpy . . . you can find it by the milk next to the  whipped cream boxes)

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Stir and bring to a boil.  (You MUST watch and stir it or the buttermilk will curdle!  Trust me . . . since it all comes together so quickly, I've curdled many a pan by walking away.)  As soon as it comes to a boil stir in:

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

It will froth up like crazy, so take it off of the heat and stir it so you don't end up with a wild mess on your hands.  YUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

Easy German Pancake

This recipe was contributed by Rachel.

This recipe can be whipped up in 5 minutes and baked in 20!  We sometimes have it for breakfast on a lazy Saturday morning or for dinner on a night when we don't want to cook anything.

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 t salt
2 T butter**
    **Sarah's recipe is exactly the same EXCEPT they use a full stick of butter.  It is less healthy but MUCH more moist and buttery.  Yum!

As you are preheating the oven to 400, place butter in the bottom of a 9x13 glass casserole dish and place in the oven to melt.  Tilt the glass dish to coat the bottom with the melted butter.

Blend remaining ingredients.

Pour into buttered baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve with powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruit, syrup...whatever you would like!

**When my husband and I make this recipe for just the two of us, we half it and use a smaller glass dish.

Coffee Cake and the Big Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of our first GIVEAWAY!

And the winner is . . . . . Sara Lee!

Please email your full name and address to forcedtocook@gmail.com ASAP so I can get this fun little package to you in the mail before I leave for the holidays!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

And NOW for the up-until-now Super Duper Secret COFFEE CAKE RECIPE!  Yum!  ENJOY!

COFFEE CAKE!

Cake: 
2 cups flour 
½ cup sugar 
½ cup brown sugar 
1 tsp. baking soda 
½ tsp. baking powder 
½ tsp. salt 
1 tsp. cinnamon 
1 cup buttermilk 
2/3 cup shortening 
2 eggs 

Topping: 
½ cup brown sugar 
½ tsp. cinnamon 
½ tsp. nutmeg 

Glaze: 
1 cup powdered sugar 
6-8 tsp. milk 
½ tsp. vanilla 

Cream batter thoroughly with a mixer. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch rectangular cake pan. Mix topping in a small bowl with a fork. Sprinkle evenly over cake batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or bake immediately uncovered). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Pour glaze over the top of the cake immediately. 

Breakfast Casserole

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.  I got it from my friend Michelle Leinwebber.  It is super yummy and easy!  The only time consuming part is the bacon, and if you're willing to spend a little bit more moolah you can make that easier by buying the microwavable, or even pre-cooked, bacon.  It is great for a brunch or breakfast because you can put it together the day before and store it in the fridge overnight so you can stick it in the oven in the morning.  If you do prepare it the night before there is no need to thaw the hash browns before you put it together.

Breakfast Casserole

1 pound bacon
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cups shredded cheddar
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
Pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

2.  In a large bowl beat together eggs and milk. Mix in cheese, bacon, onion and green pepper. Stir in the thawed hash browns. Pour mixture into prepared casserole.

3.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes until eggs have set.