Simple Yet Gourmet

With summer here, many of you have family coming into town and are looking for recipes to impress those special guests!  The kids and I came across this yummy french toast recipe and gave it a try!  This is much like a peach cobbler, but not as sweet.  To make this an even easier breakfast I used the canned peaches in their own juices, didn't have any ripe ones to use!  You make this dish the night before and just pop it in the oven the next morning.  No mess, no fuss, just an easy and delicious breakfast.  Instead of sweet syrup, I whipped up some fresh whipped cream, not to sweet, to top off this breakfast dish.  Enjoy!

I love apple pie, so when I found this recipe I was excited.  It is easier than a full blown apple pie as well as quicker to make.  I sliced my apples really thin with my food processor and piled them high.  I added the crispy oatmeal topping and waited!  As this baked the whole house smelled like a homemade apple pie, I was in heaven. I was a little worried with how high I packed the apples, but they shrank while cooking and the pie looked lovely.  I served this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but you could have it with whipped cream or just plain. (I forgot to take a picture so I used this picture from the original recipe from the taste of home website.)

My family loves homemade bread.  We eat is hot out of the oven with dinner then enjoy french toast the following morning! I hate how some homemade breads are only good the first day and then gets hard and unusable the next day.  This bread was great, it stayed soft for days after, even soft enough for sandwiches  I used whole wheat flour to add some whole grain goodness but feel free to use all white flour.  The biggest trick to making bread is not using to much flour.  Gradually add flour to your mixture until the dough comes together and sticks to your finger a little bit.  Don't be afraid to have sticky dough, that makes the best bread!

At least 10 times a day I hear the phrase, "Mom, I'm hungry!".  Because snacking is such a frequent part of our daily lives, I'm always on the hunt for a variety of healthy and yummy snacks.  Since making these granola bars, I have one happy 4 year old!  She thinks they are a great snack and so do I.  We both love having these around.  They are so easy to make and only take a few ingredients.  I think they have a texture very similar to Quaker granola bars, but you know what?  I like these better!

I have to confess, I do love sweets for breakfast. Not all the time, but it is nice to mix up the menu and have a treat in the morning.  On Conference weekend we always make an egg casserole and a sweet bread of some type.  This recipe is wonderful for that, but we have also made this as a treat in the evenings as well.  I love recipes that are quick and easy to make when company comes unexpectedly or for mornings when you just need a sweet fix with those eggs on Saturday morning!  I hope you enjoy this sweet recipe as much as we do.

With summer in full swing, I am always looking for healthy meals without tuning on the oven!   When I came across this recipe last week I knew I would have to give it a try.  One thing I would change was the amount of time I marinated he chicken.  I only marinated it for about 4 hours and it needed to more time for more flavor, I suggest overnight.  The dressing is light and refreshing and a snap to make.  Feel free to add any other veggies your family might like.  Quick, easy and healthy, plus little to clean up, what more could you ask for!

Up until I was introduced to the delicious Red Berry Risotto Kirsti posted about a year ago, I was unfamiliar with Risotto.  I fell in love with the creamy texture of the rice so when I came across this recipe I knew I needed to try it out.  Unlike the Red Berry Risotto, this dish is a savory side dish that is wonderful with just about any kind of meat.  The lemon flavor combined with the creamy texture makes this dish nearly irresistible. One of my new favorite sides! Lemon Risotto modified from Giada's Kitchen 5 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons) 3 Tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons 1/4 cup cream cheese salt and pepper to taste 2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and 1/4 cup lemon juice to a simmer.  Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat. In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoo

Just looking at the picture makes you want to take a bite!  My little guy Jeremy is in love with raspberries so I thought this would be a perfect breakfast for him.  We love pancakes at this house and I am always looking for different recipes to spice up breakfast.  This has become one of our favorite so far, but I have found a couple more that I will share soon that might takes its place.  With summer in full swing I encourage you to find recipes that allow you to take advantage of all the fresh fruit around us!  Start with this recipe, you won't be disappointed. Happy Summer!

I love trying out new kinds of cookies. My hubby however, wishes I'd only ever make Chocolate Chip Cookies . So whenever I am asked to bring cookies to something I almost always try something new. Enter the Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies. Basically what we've got here is a Peanut Butter Cup in cookie form. Can't go wrong with that! From the outside they look like a chocolate Snickerdoodle, but once a bite is taken the creamy peanut butter center is discovered...hence the "surprise". Next time you want to try out a new cookie recipe, try these!