Woodland Creature Pancakes

This recipe for McPancakes came from this other delightful blog I follow: My Charming Kids
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MckPancakes
2 c. regular old pancake mix (I had to use at least a half a cup more to get a good consistency)
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. flaxseed meal
1/2 c. almond butter
1 banana
1 tsp. flaxseed oil
1 egg
1/3 c. plain, whole yogurt
1/4 c. honey
dash cinnamon
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In a large mixing bowl, blend pancake mix, flaxseed meal and cinnamon. Set aside.

In blender, combine almond butter, oil, egg, honey, yogurt and banana.

Blend until smooth.

Add blended mixture and water (note: I actually added the water to the wet ingredients and blended it in the blender along with everything else) to the dry mix. Stir together well.

Make pancakes out of the batter.

Drizzle with honey or syrup (syrup gives it a completely different flavor altogether!) and enjoy! They're very filling and very delicious!

Southwestern Quiche

From time to time Joe brings home recipes he comes across in the newspaper that he wants me to make for him. Isn't that sweet? Well, you might not think it is, but since I'm enjoying trying out new recipes these days, I think it's wonderful! This is one of those recipes. I've had it for a while now and am just now getting around to trying it out. I have no idea why I waited so long! This makes a lot, so I hope the leftovers are just as tasty! It tasted like chicken enchiladas to me. YUM!

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2 refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (if they were frozen)

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup half and half

2 cups cooked chicken, diced ( I used a rotisserie chicken)

2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup salsa with cilantro

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

handful of chopped green onion

sour cream, salsa (optional)

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Preheat oven to 350.

In medium bowl, beat eggs and half and half together with a wire whisk.

Stir in chicken, chips, cheeses, salsa, black beans and salt.

Pour into pie crusts.

Sprinkle pepper over top.

Bake approximately 1 hour, until crust is golden brown and knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, salsa and Spanish rice.

Hana sure thought it was yummy!

McKerr Muffins

And this is yet another delicious recipe out of my new Cooking Light cookbook.

Cooking Spray
4 (2 1/2 inch) mushrooms
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I used more because we like it hot!)
1 tsp butter
1 1/2 cups egg substitute
2 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted
4 (1 ounce) slices Canadian bacon
4 (1 ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped green onions

Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat; coat with cooking spray. Remove stems from mushrooms and discard stems (I also cleaned out some of that weird stuff on the inside). Add mushrooms to skillet, under sides up. Pour 1/2 tsp lemon juice into each cap. Sprinkle evenly with dill and red pepper. Cook 6 minutes or until mushrooms are browned; turn mushrooms over and cook 1 minute more. Remove from pan, cover and keep warm.

Wipe same pan with a paper towel. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add egg substitute and allow to set about 30 seconds. Gently scrape cooked part of egg substitute to center and continue doing so ever so often until all egg substitute is set (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.

Preheat broiler.

Arrange muffin halves cut sides up on a baking sheet. Top each muffin half with 1 Canadian bacon slice, about 1/3 cup scrambled egg substitute and 1 mushroom cap, stem side down. Gently press mushroom cap down. Top each mushroom cap with 1 cheese slice. Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.

I served mine with jalapeno hash browns and tomato slices.

The husband was happy!

Pre-Father's Day French Toast

3 slices of bread

2 eggs

cinnamon

powdered sugar

1/4 banana, sliced

2 strawberries, cleaned

whipped cream

syrup

salt and pepper

1. Beat eggs and mix in a pinch of each: cinnamon, powdered sugar, salt and pepper.

2. Dip each piece of bread into egg mixture, coating both sides well, and place in heated skillet (medium heat). Cook until browned on both sides.

3. Cut each slice in half, arrange prettily on a plate, drizzle with syrup, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon, decorate with whipped cream, bananas and strawberries (I also added a few sprigs of parsley for decoration purposes only).

4. Serve to the most important fathers in your life (except I didn't get to serve it to my Dad, but I will soon if he wants some!).

This is what I served Joe and Wayne yesterday morning, today's breakfast is yet to come. They're still sleeping! I wish my Dad could have been here to enjoy this delicious French Toast, but as I said before, I'll make it for him any time if he's interested!

Hana got to enjoy some, too!

Happy Father's Day!

3-Point McMuffin

Well, the diet veered a bit off track with the mourning of the pooch. I have discovered I am a comfort eater. Oh, well. There are worse things I could be, right? As of Monday, I am back on track, the Weight Watchers track that is! Here's a delicious low-point breakfast for all my fellow egg sandwich lovers out there!

1/4 cup Egg Beaters = 1 pt
1 Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffin = 1 pt
1 slice Kraft 2% American Cheese = 1 pt

Cook the egg, toast the muffin and assemble. If I hadn't have told you, you would have never known it was only 3 points!

Two-Egg Sandwich

You know those mornings when you wake up hungry? Or those mornings when you wake up needing comfort food because you had a bad evening/night? This is the sandwich for those mornings.

butter cooking spray or butter
2 eggs
mayonnaise (optional, I use Hellman's light)
salt & pepper
slice of cheese (I use Kraft 2% milk American)
approx 1 tbsp shredded cheese (I use 2% milk Mozzarella)
2 slices of **Nana-fresh bread

Spray a small skillet with butter cooking spray (or grease with real butter) and heat (medium).
Beat 2 eggs in small bowl and add salt & pepper to your liking.
Pour eggs into skillet and let cook in one solid piece, turning only once to cook the other side.
I like to put mayo on on side of my bread. I know, I know, but if you like mayo, you'll love this!
Cut the egg so that it will fit perfectly on the bread and sprinkle shredded cheese on the biggest piece.

Place smaller egg pieces on top of the cheese and cover them with cheese slice. Place on one slice of bread (if you used mayo, place egg on mayo'd side - yes, it makes a difference!). Leave stove top on.

Put the other slice on top to create a sandwich and place the sandwich back into the skillet to brown top and bottom.

As Joe Joe the dog-faced boy would say: "Make sure your mama's not around because this sandwich is so good it'll 'make you want to slap your mama!'"

This sandwich goes really well with Cheetos, or better yet, Flamin' Hot Cheetos! (I know, what happened to the diet?!)

**Nana-fresh bread: Nana ALWAYS has the freshest bread! By Nana-fresh bread I mean bread so fresh that only Nana could have picked it off the shelf!

Courtney's Crumpet Sandwich

1 egg

1 diced mushroom

1 tbsp diced tomato

dash of Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 tbsp diced red onion

1 tbsp mozzarella cheese

dash of garlic salt

dash of cracked black pepper

2 crumpets

Saute mushroom, tomato and onion until soft. Beat egg, add sauteed mixture, Louisiana Hot Sauce, cheese, garlic salt and pepper. Cook in greased skillet until cooked through, turning once (kind of like a pancake). Toast crumpets and create sandwich. If you like, serve with hashbrowns (My Irish, potato-loving husband and I prefer Betty Crocker's Seasoned Skillets).

Leftover Omelet

Last week I made taco soup but instead of hamburger meat, I used chicken. While searching in the fridge for something to cook for breakfast this morning, I came across a small bowl of what was left over. I drained the juice off of it and made an omelet out of it. I added chopped fresh cilantro to the eggs and sprinkled a little more on top of the finished product. The whole thing was topped with a little 2% milk mozzarella and 2% milk cheddar. (I use 2% milk cheese to cut back on fat, I find that the fat free cheese does not melt and it tastes horrible. 2% milk cheese is just as good as the real thing!) Enjoy!