My friend Angela found this recipe in a Cheerios cookbook (yes, it exists) and made it for a playdate years ago. I recently remembered it and decided the little geeks might like them as a "dessert."
I was right, and then I discovered that even more than dessert, they loved having them for breakfast. Whether you have them as a snack or breakfast, it's an easy, semi-healthy indulgence.
You need:
ripe bananas (but not over-ripe)
yogurt--any kind, but smooth, not with chunks of fruit. I like strawberry.
cheerios or "O" cereal
Popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks
1. Peel bananas and insert Popsicle stick into each one. (You may want to cut the bananas in half so you have 2 shorter pops). Place on wax paper on a cookie sheet or plate and freeze until the stick is really frozen in place.
2. Dunk frozen banana in yogurt (or spoon yogurt over the banana--whatever works best for you).
3. Roll yogurt-covered banana in cereal.
4. Return yogurt and cereal-covered banana to wax paper and freeze.
When they are frozen, you can store them in a plastic baggie until you're ready to eat them.
5. Tell your kids they are having Popsicles for breakfast and listen to them cheer!
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Blueberry Scones
I love scones and had extra blueberries and a visitor who is allergic to eggs, so I decided to make some. Up until this morning I was blissfully unaware of how much butter was in scones. Now I know, and I may have to rethink how often I have them (along with a skinny vanilla latte) when I make it to Starbucks. . .
However, they are yummy and easy, so I'd encourage you to try them yourself. :)
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, frozen whole
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat b/c it's what I had)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling (or get that large-granulated sugar for sprinkling--it would be pretty, and if you can find lemon-flavored it would be even better)
2 tsp baking POWDER
1/4 tsp baking SODA
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp finely grated lemon peel (I may double this next time)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I think salted would also be fine here)
1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat to 425. Grate the frozen butter with a cheese grater (I have a mandolin with a grater attachment I used, or you could do this in a food processor). Rinse/dry blueberries and place them in the freezer until needed.
2. Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl--refrigerate until needed.
3. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated (this is the part where I went "Holy crap, it's practically pie crust, no wonder I love this stuff").
4. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface--it will be sticky. Knead with well-floured hands about 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball (I'm pretty sure you could also do this part in a food processor). Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking. Did I mention that the dough will be sticky? It will be sticky.
5. Roll the dough into a 12 inch square. Fold into thirds (like a letter). The original recipe suggests that a dough scraper would make this easier. I agree. Must add "dough scraper" to my growing list of kitchen tools on my Amazon wishlist. Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds (again, like a letter) and place on a lightly floured plate. Chill in freezer for about 5 minutes.
6. Return dough to floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12 inch square again. Place blueberries on the surface of the dough and gently press them down, so they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. Using a dough scraper (or just your hands if you have to, maybe assisted by a sharp knife), roll the dough into a tight log. Lay the log seam side down and press into a 12 x 4 inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife (or the scraper), cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Then cut each smaller rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 min. Transfer to wire rack and cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Mmmmmmmm.
However, they are yummy and easy, so I'd encourage you to try them yourself. :)
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, frozen whole
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat b/c it's what I had)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling (or get that large-granulated sugar for sprinkling--it would be pretty, and if you can find lemon-flavored it would be even better)
2 tsp baking POWDER
1/4 tsp baking SODA
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp finely grated lemon peel (I may double this next time)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I think salted would also be fine here)
1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat to 425. Grate the frozen butter with a cheese grater (I have a mandolin with a grater attachment I used, or you could do this in a food processor). Rinse/dry blueberries and place them in the freezer until needed.
2. Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl--refrigerate until needed.
3. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated (this is the part where I went "Holy crap, it's practically pie crust, no wonder I love this stuff").
4. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface--it will be sticky. Knead with well-floured hands about 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball (I'm pretty sure you could also do this part in a food processor). Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking. Did I mention that the dough will be sticky? It will be sticky.
5. Roll the dough into a 12 inch square. Fold into thirds (like a letter). The original recipe suggests that a dough scraper would make this easier. I agree. Must add "dough scraper" to my growing list of kitchen tools on my Amazon wishlist. Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds (again, like a letter) and place on a lightly floured plate. Chill in freezer for about 5 minutes.
6. Return dough to floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12 inch square again. Place blueberries on the surface of the dough and gently press them down, so they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. Using a dough scraper (or just your hands if you have to, maybe assisted by a sharp knife), roll the dough into a tight log. Lay the log seam side down and press into a 12 x 4 inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife (or the scraper), cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Then cut each smaller rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 min. Transfer to wire rack and cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Mmmmmmmm.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Any Meal: Ham and Swiss Bread Pudding
This is meant to be a lunch or dinner, but The Big Geek likes it for breakfast. I like it for anything, because it's good.
from Cooking Light
Cooking Spray
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
3/4 cup chopped ham (about 3 oz)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
7 (1-oz) Hawaiian bread rolls, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups fat-free milk (or whatever type of milk you have)
3/4 cups egg substitute (or 3 large eggs, lightly beaten)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
Heat a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onions, ham, and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Preaheat oven to 350.
Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally (I confess I never turn mine--it's still good).
Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through nutmeg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir in ham mixture. Add bread, tossing gently to coat.
Arrange half of bread mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of cheese; top with remaining bread misxutre. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until set.
I generally follow this recipe (maybe adding extra cheese, because cheese is good. But as I was typing this, I realized that for the ones I just made, I put in a LOT of extra eggs. I was doubling, and for whatever reason when I read the recipe I thought it said 1 3/4 cups egg--not 3/4 cup. So my most recent batch has an extra 1 1/4 cups of egg in it--and it looks fine. I made it for someone else. I hope it tastes fine. That would explain why it puffed up so much in the oven--but then fell back down. And why it seemed to have so much extra liquid. Oh, well.
I'm betting it tastes just as good, if not better, with the extra egg in there!
from Cooking Light
Cooking Spray
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
3/4 cup chopped ham (about 3 oz)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
7 (1-oz) Hawaiian bread rolls, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups fat-free milk (or whatever type of milk you have)
3/4 cups egg substitute (or 3 large eggs, lightly beaten)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
Heat a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onions, ham, and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Preaheat oven to 350.
Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally (I confess I never turn mine--it's still good).
Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through nutmeg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir in ham mixture. Add bread, tossing gently to coat.
Arrange half of bread mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of cheese; top with remaining bread misxutre. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until set.
I generally follow this recipe (maybe adding extra cheese, because cheese is good. But as I was typing this, I realized that for the ones I just made, I put in a LOT of extra eggs. I was doubling, and for whatever reason when I read the recipe I thought it said 1 3/4 cups egg--not 3/4 cup. So my most recent batch has an extra 1 1/4 cups of egg in it--and it looks fine. I made it for someone else. I hope it tastes fine. That would explain why it puffed up so much in the oven--but then fell back down. And why it seemed to have so much extra liquid. Oh, well.
I'm betting it tastes just as good, if not better, with the extra egg in there!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Mediterranean Spinach Strata
Because of THE COLD, I wanted to cram some nutrients into my family at breakfast. This strata proved to be the perfect way. I love stratas because you can prep them the night before, after the little geeks have gone to bed, and then just pop them in the oven in the morning.
2 8-oz (or 1 16-oz) loaves French bread baguettes (I used whole wheat), cut into 1-inch slices (if you are lucky they will do this for you at the store).
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 8-oz package sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 7-oz bags baby spinach
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
3 cups thinly sliced plum tomatoes (about 1 lb)
1 (4 oz) package crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided
3 cups fat-free milk
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 35o. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes (or until lightly browned).
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms (if included), and saute 5 minutes until tender. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add half the spinach and cook until it wilts. Add the other half, cook until it wilts (you could do this all at once if your skillet was large enough). Stirl in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Place half the toasted bread slices in the bottom of a 13 x 9 bakign dish coated with cooking spray. Spread spinach mixture evently over the bread. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle feta and half of Asiago cheese. Top with remaining bread.
Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, milk, mustard, oregano, and eggs/egg whites in a bowl with a whisk. Pour over bread, then sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese. Cover and chill overnight (8 hours at least).
Prehead oven to 350. Uncover strata and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Serve warm.
I thought this had a little bit too much spinach, so I'd probably use about 1/2 a bag less in the future. I also might up the Dijon mustard, but that may just be me. The Big Geek thinks it needs ham. Maybe some bacon, and then use cheddar instead of feta, and it would be kind of like a blt. . .
2 8-oz (or 1 16-oz) loaves French bread baguettes (I used whole wheat), cut into 1-inch slices (if you are lucky they will do this for you at the store).
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 8-oz package sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 7-oz bags baby spinach
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
3 cups thinly sliced plum tomatoes (about 1 lb)
1 (4 oz) package crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided
3 cups fat-free milk
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 35o. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes (or until lightly browned).
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms (if included), and saute 5 minutes until tender. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add half the spinach and cook until it wilts. Add the other half, cook until it wilts (you could do this all at once if your skillet was large enough). Stirl in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Place half the toasted bread slices in the bottom of a 13 x 9 bakign dish coated with cooking spray. Spread spinach mixture evently over the bread. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle feta and half of Asiago cheese. Top with remaining bread.
Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, milk, mustard, oregano, and eggs/egg whites in a bowl with a whisk. Pour over bread, then sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese. Cover and chill overnight (8 hours at least).
Prehead oven to 350. Uncover strata and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Serve warm.
I thought this had a little bit too much spinach, so I'd probably use about 1/2 a bag less in the future. I also might up the Dijon mustard, but that may just be me. The Big Geek thinks it needs ham. Maybe some bacon, and then use cheddar instead of feta, and it would be kind of like a blt. . .
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