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LB’s Spectacular Sunday Breakfast

As far as I am concerned

Breakfast

is the most important meal of the day!

Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and keep the weight off.  One reason could be because eating foods with protein and fiber in the morning keeps your appetite in check (source).  I believe it has more to do with when you eat than what you eat.  My belief comes from my own experience as a career Diet Diva. 

This article will explain how meal timing can affect the body’s internal clock, alter nutrient metabolism, and affect heart health (source).  If you’re interested.

Since one of the major factors that influence our health and weight is WHEN we eat, I do most of my noshing early in the day…

beginning with breakfast.

As a special treat, every Sunday I like to start the day by presenting LB with a special breakfast (or sometimes brunch).

While I have made Eggs Benedict, a variety of waffles, and other clever creations, typically I will fry

shredded hash browns laced with red pepper flakes

and serve them with a

fried egg

bacon

and

pumpernickel toastunless we’re out, then the toast will be Sunbeam white.

LB calls this

“LB’s Spectacular Sunday Breakfast”

While this type of high carbohydrate morning meal will not encourage weight loss, it is delicious (or so he tells me).And he loves it!

On this particular A.F.C. Championship Sunday, it would prove to be very important that EVERYONE have a hearty breakfast to help them perform their VERY BEST.

Oh If Only

I could have made breakfast for our beloved Jaguars…

I may not have found myself weeping at sunset.

It’s okay fellas… now that we know you have it in you, we’ll be pulling for you all the more next season!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

Yeah, that’s right… I’m a fair weather fan.

Don’t judge.

Air Frying Anything

As I mentioned in a recent post, I received two Air Fryers for Christmas.  I am in No Way complaining about that.   This was an opportunity to contrast and compare something that I wanted, but had not put a lot of thought into.

The

Nuwave Air Fryer

was pinned to my Pinterest Wish List

and my Mama made sure I would find it under the Christmas tree.

It is large and complex just the way I expected.  I was very excited when I opened it.  LB was not as excited.  His argument was that we already have a convection/toaster oven that will produce the same results.  In addition, another appliance will take up space and clutter my kitchen in a way that I will eventually not appreciate.  He did have a good point.  Minimal clutter is of utmost importance.

My son and daughter-in-law also gave me an air fryer.  It was the smaller of the two and they were pretty sure that I would keep the larger one.   After YouTube reviewing, my decision was ultimately based on the size of the appliance.

I kept the smaller one.

Here is the

Dash Air Fryer

in a nifty little demo:

My first objective was to see how well this little device could cook…

Chicken Wings

I am not going to complain about the taste of these wings.  They were just as crispy as fried, but not greasy at all.  It takes about 20 minutes to fry 4 to 5 wings (depending on the size of the wings).

I was very pleased.  LB thought they were good too, although he still questioned whether or not the air fryer necessary (we have a TOASTER OVEN after all).

Because I wanted to settle this, I decided to have a contest between the toaster oven and the Dash Air Fryer.

Jalapeño Poppers would be the deciding ingredient.

Two poppers went into the toaster oven, on the convection setting at 350° for 20 minutes.Two poppers went into the air fryer at 350° for 9 minutes.

LB thought they [pretty much] tasted the same

although the toaster oven poppers didn’t have as much time to cool as the air fryer poppers did.

Jalapeño Poppers are best right out of the oven!  In fairness, we decided that it was most likely the brand of popper that made the whole event not nearly as exciting as it could have been.

In summary, I like my air fryer, and LB likes it because I like it.

I’m so lucky!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

Christmas Candy Crush

This

 Candy Crush

has nothing to do with the sweet adventure of Tiffi and Mr. Toffee through the wonderful Candy Kingdom. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

My candy crush involves an activity I love… creating my annual assortment of Christmas treats. Typically I will include about five kinds of goodies, mostly candies, and will without fail involve divinity, dark chocolate fudge and sugar cookies.

I expected to begin on Saturday.

This was my plan:

For my first installment, I attempted to make

Peanut Butter Pinwheels

They are supposed to look like this

Sadly, the consistency of what was supposed to be “like pie crust dough”, was not. (Love how LB catches every moment)

It baffled me because I am accustomed to having success with this recipe.

Although I may appear to not have a clue,  I have made peanut butter pinwheels in the past with no trouble at all. LB suggested that I start over. Being stubborn as I typically am, I wasn’t about to throw 2 pounds of confectioner’s sugar away, so I improvised. Since the ingredients are basically the same ingredients used to make Buckeyes,
each “pinwheel” was lovingly rolled into a little peanut butter ball and placed on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator.

These are currently being stored in the freezer, until I have time to dip them in chocolate.

Although that turned into a royal pain, I am confident it will turn out to be a tasty treat.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making

Divinity

My Mema Reid taught me how to make divinity many years ago.

That time with her and her recipe will forever be in my memory.

However it would be wonderful if I had it in her own handwriting, like this recipeIsn’t that sweet?

Mema’s Divinity recipe is similar to Paula Deen’s recipe.

Mema was of the mind that it is impossible to make divinity on a rainy day and/or without a helper.

For the past few years Amanda has been my helper.

She recently asked when we were going to get together for divinity making, but due to our schedules, this will be my last entry into the assortment, and just barely in time for Christmas.
The sugar cookies will also have to be scheduled for late in the holiday season, as I will be needing Stephanie to help with the frosting/decorating.

LB is looking forward to that day, as he is the official beater licker.

My recipe for

Dark Chocolate Fudge

is the easiest recipe for fudge that I’ve come across yet. Thanks to Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk and a little book of recipes that I found in 1988. 

It is so easy, as a matter of fact, I’m going to make it right now.

Done!

For the rest of my collection of goodies, I’ll be making

Magic Cookie Bars

(also an eagle brand recipe found years ago)

because Wendy mentioned that she likes these (not that she’ll actually eat any).

and last but not least

Rum Balls

because they smell good.

Now that I have a definite Christmas Goodie Plan…

time to embrace the fat kid within!

Pecan Pie Bars

The time has come to prepare for America’s favorite holiday…

Thanksgiving!

When I was a growing up, I remember spending Thanksgiving day with either my Daddy’s side of the family or my Mama’s side of the family.  Christmas would be spent with the other side of the family.  This would flip flop on the following year.  It continued this way for years… until my grandparents were no longer able to play host on holidays.  Now that I’m the Mama/Mom/Ma (depending on who is calling on me), I have created my own tradition.

I call it

The Sunday before Thanksgiving Dinner.

I’ll be sharing more about that later.

It goes without saying that desserts are a significantly important part of this event.  Today I began preparing for my Sunday before Thanksgiving Dinner by making

Pecan Pie Bars

The instructions say to line the pan with foil.  I line the pan with foil AND spray with non-stick cooking spray.  One can’t be too careful.

The Pecan Pie Bars begin with a delicious crust.  Beginning with brown sugar and butter, how could it be anything but delicious?

Once the crust has baked, the pecan topping is added.  And baked again. These are DANG good!

No one will even miss the pecan pie!

This is how they are made…

Pecan Pie Bars

  • Servings: 16-24
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

  • 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

  2. First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

  3. Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

  4. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

  5. Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

  6. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

  7. Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

  8. Use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve.

    prettyis.me

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Cupcakes for a Special Event

Recently I was commissioned to make

CUPCAKES

for a SPECIAL EVENT

 

Later that evening, she let me know:

Eventually I got all of the details about the gender reveal party that is set to take place Friday evening at Stephanie’s house.  There will be family and friends, refreshments, and a piñata filled with either pink or blue confetti.

With my task at hand, I began…

 In a vintage Tupperware measuring bowl (handed down from my Mama), the flour, baking powder, and salt get whisked together.  The whisking process works about as well as sifting and takes much less effort.

That’s right… I use Walmart products.

For about 5 minutes, I beat the butter and sugar together in my stand mixer.

Since I TRIPLED the recipe (below) I had to change mixing bowls mid process.  My glass mixing bowl is quite a bit larger and more suitible for mess makers such as myself.  I added SIX eggs one at at time, followed by pure vanilla and almond extractsFast Forward: add the flour mixture and milk alternately, fill muffin cups, bake and cool.

Although my frosting skills need some work… The finished product was delicious!

Modified ever so slightly, this recipe was discovered on the site Two Peas & Their Pod.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup Silk Almondmilk Unsweetened Vanilla

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Silk Almondmilk Unsweetened Vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Retrieve cupcake pan(s) and liners from the cabinet for later use.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  4. Add the eggs one at at time, beating after each addition. Stir in the extracts.
  5. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until flour is just incorporated.  Try not to over-mix.
  6. Divide batter evenly in prepared cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
  7. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. With the mixer on low, add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until all of the powdered sugar is added. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on high until smooth.
  8. Frost and Serve!

Note-Frosting can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature and beat briefly before using. You can store the finished cupcakes in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Let the cupcakes come to room temperature before serving. They are best the day they are made.

More Fall Fun With Pumpkin

LB loves pumpkin flavored goodies and I love making them for him.

A few weeks ago I found a recipe for pumpkin pound cake and successfully created that cake.  I posted about that cake here.  The pumpkin pound cake has long been devoured, so I decided to tackle another recipe.

The notable

Pumpkin Roll

It is easier than you think.

It all began with 3 eggs.  I cracked them into my stand mixer and beat them for 5 minutes.

While they were mixing, I set the oven to 375°.  Then I sprayed a 10×15 inch sheet pan with no stick cooking spray, lined the pan with parchment paper, and sprayed it again.

After the eggs were very well beaten, I added 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the rest of that can of pumpkin.  Send suggestions if you have any.

In a separate bowl, I combined together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda, then added flour and baking soda to the pumpkin mixture and blended some more.  Every recipe I researched had a very small amount of flour, which was surprising to me.

Then I spread the mixture over the prepared sheet pan.

I popped it into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.When I removed the cake from the oven I turned it out onto a CLEAN dish towel that I had sprinked with confectioners’ sugar.  After it had cooled enough to handle I peeled away the parchment and rolled the cake inside the towel, and left it seam side down to cool.

I made a mess with the confectioners’ sugar when I dropped my cake onto the towel.  SLOB.

The filling is a typical cream cheese frosting that is made by blending together butter, cream cheese, more confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.  When cake cooled, I unrolled it and spread the cream cheese filling.   Then rolled it up again (without towel, obviously).

I have no more pictures of the process because at this point I had become more interested in licking the bowl after I emptied it of the frosting.

It turned out perfectlyLB is thoroughly enjoying his pumpkin roll.

I think I’ll make another for my Sunday Before Thanksgiving Dinner.

 

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting/filling:

  • 5 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Spray a 10×15 inch sheet pan with no stick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and spray again.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat 3 eggs for 5 minutes.
  4. Add 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree to the egg mixture.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
  6. Add flour and baking soda to pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth.
  7. Spread the cake mixture over the prepared jelly roll pan.
  8. Bake 15  minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
  9. Remove cake from pan and place on cotton towel. Roll up the cake by rolling a towel inside cake and place seam side down to cool.
  10. Prepare the frosting by blending together 5 tablespoons butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  11. When cake is completely cooled, unroll and spread with cream cheese filling. Roll up again without towel. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and slice.

 

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Friday I said I was planning to make this

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Saturday afternoon I did!

It looks great right?

I’m not going to take credit for a recipe that isn’t mine, you can find the purveyor of this pumpkin cake click here.

Here are the instructions that I followed:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°.  Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour (3 Cups), baking powder (2 tsp), baking soda (1 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp), cinnamon (2 tsp), nutmeg (1/2 tsp), ginger (1/2 tsp), cloves (1/4 tsp); set aside.
  3. In mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks of  butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 3/4 cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Mix in 5 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Mix in 1 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture. Continue mixing on medium speed until the batter is smooth and well blended. Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center.

Once again, I can’t take credit for this cake recipe.  I think it is very delicious, but it belongs to The Spruce who has several good recipes, and you can this one find here.

You’re welcome!

It isn’t superimposed onto a clean white plate, but it still looks pretty good.

And it tastes great.

That buttery maple pecan glaze is delicious.

Here are the instructions for the glaze:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine 4 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp maple syrup, and 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream; bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute.
  2. Remove from heat and sift 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar into the hot mixture. Whisk until smooth. Let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  3. Stir in the finely chopped pecans, if using. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

And that is the way to begin a new season!

 

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