Breakfast in Bed #10 French Breakfast Puffs

The first weekend of every April and October our church has a Conference that is broadcast from Salt Lake City to all of its members throughout the world. I look forward to these two weekends!
We sit together as a family and listen/watch together. While I don't hear every word (we had to stop the talk that was specifically instructing on parenting to, well, be parents!) it is the overall feeling that I love.

When we woke up conference weekend I decided we needed a little something extra that morning. As children woke up and came in for a snuggle, I tried to slip out of the room. Luke looked at me wondering where I was going, and I whispered, "I think I am going to go make something different to go with our eggs." His eyes widened, "Can I help?"

Off to the kitchen to try something new. I was curious to find out how this next recipe from Breakfast in Bed would be.



These were the best thing I think I have ever made. If there is only one thing you take from my blog, take this recipe. They are little bites of french heaven.



Have someone help you. Not because you will need help. They are so very simple to make. The fact that Luke helped me make these, and that he is not too far off from making these by himself puts a smile on my face. I know what I am requesting for my birthday breakfast!

French Breakfast Puffs
makes 15 puffs, or 30 mini puffs

1/2 cup shortening
1/ cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
cinnamon sugar( 1.2 cup sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream shortening, sugar and egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffs are golden brown. Remove puffs from oven and immediately roll in butter and then in cinnamon sugar.
Note: I used mini muffin tins- I loved the bite size goodness of them!



I had Jay drop two off to my Mom while he was running a few errands before conference. She called to ask where I bought them. She was certain that she had misunderstood Jay when he said that I had made them that morning. They were too much like a delicious donut hole but not fried. Oh I can't wait for you to try them out yourself!

Breakfast in Bed #9 Ricotta Pancakes

Back in February I had extra Ricotta to use and I remembered seeing this recipe from my Breakfast in Bed cookbook. That book is going to be held together with rubber bands soon. It is getting covered with sticky notes and scribbles on the pages, smeared with food, and pages stuck together with syrup. It is a favorite for sure!



I was a little unsure about these. Pancakes with Ricotta? But it was a snow day- so I figured we had time to try it out. If they turned out horrible then we could make regular pancakes, or oatmeal or skip breakfast all-together and head full speed ahead to lunch! Because really on snow days- breakfast falls shortly before lunch anyway.

So a stack of pancakes I did make. Very light. We gave them and enthusiastic thumbs up!

But the most unusual and best part came after I made them. The recipe mentioned topping them with sour cream and jam, or whipped cream and fresh berries.

First Ricotta, now sour cream? I went ahead and got it out. I pulled out all of our toppings on the table and told everyone what was suggested. I thought I would give it a try. Jay was skeptical. It was not until everyone oohed and aahed that he gave it a go.


I wrote this in my book, "Jay says that this is a birthday breakfast. We tried berries and whipped cream, & the sour cream with jam. Both were good. The sour cream and jam were an unexpected compliment. It tasted like a sour cream danish. Jay said it opened up the possibilities of sour cream. Yum!"

So when you make them, try at least one with sour cream and jam. Just see if you don't go back for another.


Ricotta Pancakes
(makes 16 pancakes- but I think it needs to be doubled for sure!)

3 eggs, separated
1 cup ricotta cheese
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sour cream and jam, or whipped cream and fresh berries (optional)

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, cheese, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into cheese mixture.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and grease if necessary. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Flip and cook other side until pancakes are golden brown. Server with sour cream and jam or whipped cream and fresh berries, if desired.

What to eat Wednesday- Hawaiian Breakfast Bread

So- back to the cookbook
Breakfast in Bed

I had wanted to try this and kept forgetting to save banana's. Then I re-read the recipe a bit closer and discovered that there were no banana's in it. None at all.

This bread had the most delicious resemblance of Amish Friendship Bread ... without all the work.

Very moist, easy to make the night before and yields enough for our family more than twice.
Anything that stretches beyond one round in our family is a great thing. Unless its because they won't eat it, and that was not the case with this bread.

Hawaiian Breakfast Bread

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained (I used just a plain can of pineapple, uncrushed)
1 cup grated fresh coconut
2 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cinnamon; mix just until blended. Fold in pineapple, coconut, and carrots. Divided batter evenly into two greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pans and let rest 20 minutes. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Cool completely. (Note: This bread cuts better the next day.)

What to eat Wednesday-Breakfast in Bed 6

Recipe #6 from my Breakfast in Bed experiment

Well- last week, I mentioned that I had a delicious What to Eat Wednesday for today. Oh, and this one will not disappoint ... but I have no photos. Not a one! The first time I made this I did not take a single photo. Rare ... but I knew that we loved them so much I would for sure be making more.

That was before I tried to buy another can of pumpkin. I had no idea that there was a pumpkin shortage. Did you? Well apparently there is. No cans of pumpkin at the stores that I shop at. I checked over and over. I even walked to one with the sole intent of getting pumpkin. The shelves were bare!

(I do have a picture of that!)

So I am a little worried about this. No pumpkin? What will we do? I joked with someone that I guess I will have to process and can my own. I have not processed pumpkin in about 18 years. (Ouch, that hurt to type that- it seems like such a lonnnnnng time ago!)

Anyone know how to do that? I am not joking.

So ... I went back and forth about posting this without photos. It pains me. But I decided that by some chance someone might have some pumpkin in their pantry this would be a good time to pull it out, check the expiration date and give this recipe a go. It's a really good use of that rare can of pumpkin.

On a dismal Sunday evening in the middle of September we were having somewhat of a grumpy ride home from church.With our later Sunday schedule, and not being prepared ahead of time with dinner, we quickly came up with a plan.

It was one of those rare occasions that we were all in the car together and had no meetings that night either. We decided to pretend it was Christmas and have breakfast.

The kids were all on board and quickly unloaded and hung up their Sunday best and set about preparing for Christmas.

Savanna took over the kitchen table and set the stage. Luke wrapped "presents" while Jay and Jack and Tucker took care of the rest. I decided that waffles would be fun and remembered seeing some in "the book." Thankfully I found a can of pumpkin in the cupboard and figured I would go ahead and try this one out.

In August we went downtown for a traveling exhibit of a Disney remake of the classic, A Christmas Carol. It was a whole train. A real train that came on the tracks all the way from Los Angeles and heading all the way to New York. It was a series of cars that you walked through that had all kinds of memorabilia and sneak peaks, and how-it-was-made features. At the very end we entered a train car and we all just swooned. It smelled just like Christmas! It was that perfect final Disney touch.

Well, we (our family) felt it all over again this Sunday night. The smell captivated more than our noses. We achieved that Dinseyesque sense of everything being happy and right with the world.

All in a waffle.

Pumpkin Spice Waffles
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup all- purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter, sugar, and pumpkin. Add flour, baking powder, salt. nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; mix just until smooth.

Heat a waffle iron and grease if necessary. Bake waffles in hot waffle iron until golden brown.

What to eat Wednesday-Breakfast in Bed 5

Recipe #5 from my Breakfast in Bed experiment

South of the Border Crustless Quiche

6 eggs

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour


2 cups cottage cheese


1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted


1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained


salsa and sour cream on the side

Preheat oven to 375- In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add flour. Mix in cheese, butter and chiles. Pour into a greased 10 inch pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes, or until center is set. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

This was a pretty good alternative to quiche in the morning. I think I would make it if we happened to have extra cottage cheese and jack cheese to use up. But I don't know if I would intentionally put the ingredients on our grocery list just to make it again. I have other breakfast items that I love more. (can't wait to share next weeks! It is perfect for fall!)
It did take longer to cook than expected. It kind of cooked up more like scrambled eggs but had a looser texture. So at least 3 of our family rolled it up into a tortilla, and devoured it. I would say this was much better than last Thursdays big fail of angel eggs! We did not have to pull out cereal as a last resort! It was eaten all up.

What to eat Wednesday-Breakfast in Bed 4

How is it Thursday?
I went to bed too early on Wednesday to post my What to Eat! But I am well rested and ready to face Thursday so I guess its a good trade.

Recipe #4 from my Breakfast in Bed experiment
Hawaiian Scramble

I was so excited to try this one- I love pineapple and ham.
And it seems funny to me to even have to follow a recipe for some of these ideas.

I often pull things out of the fridge to add to my scrambled eggs. But really. I don't think I would have just pulled out the swiss cheese to add to my eggs. Definitely cheddar, and maybe mozzarella, but not Swiss. But now I am sold on Swiss for this!
And Pineapple! I don't know that I would ever have added them to my scrambled eggs. I was so surprised to enjoy pineapple with my eggs!

I have heard Swiss described as having a nutty flavor. And I agree. If eating it just plain, not without a contrasting flavor, swiss does not have any appeal to me. But melted over the saltiness of the ham and sweetness of the pineapple I would have to agree that there is a hint of nuttiness. I love it.

My whole family agreed that I should use the really small ham bites, and definitely the small pineapple tidbits, and not the bigger ham or pineapple chunks. I made this for the family with large ham, and large pineapple the first time. The second time- went the smaller route. The rest have all been with small ham and small pineapple, it really does make a difference.

Hawaiian Scramble

10 eggs


salt and pepper to taste


1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed


3/4 cup pineapple tidbits, drained


1 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided



Preheat broiler. In a large bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly greased nonstick skillet. Stir eggs over medium heat until set but still soft. In a separate skillet, warm ham cubes. Add ham to eggs along with pineapple and 1 cup of the cheese; continue to cook until eggs are set. Spoon eggs into 4 au gratin dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and broil just until cheese is melted.

So I followed the directions EXCEPT- what is an au gratin dish? I don't have any, whatever they are. So I just put all the eggs in one dish. Also the recipe says it serves 4. But it fed our family of 6 with a tiny bit leftover.

What to eat Wednesday-Breakfast in Bed 3

Recipe #3 from my Breakfast in Bed experiment

I have not given creamed corn a chance during my cooking days. Whenever I had a recipe for creamed corn, I would skip over it. Just the very name conjured up images and smells of the elementary cafeteria, plastic sectioned trays (that I loved!) chocolate milk cartons and creamed corn ruining whatever else we were eating. I did not like it. But when I saw PW's fresh corn casserole I think I made up my mind that this is what creamed corn should taste like. I made it this summer and loved it. I decided that maybe I did like creamed corn. That I just had some misinterpreted memory of it. So when I found this recipe for Baked Eggs for a Gang, and it had creamed corn I went ahead with the recipe, using cans of creamed corn, thinking "I like canned cream corn."

I should have waited until I had fresh corn to make it Ree's way. As I opened up the can I thought about canceling the current plans for breakfast. I was back in elementary school and wishing that my crackle cookie did not have the creamed corn flavor. But- I had breakfast to make, and I went ahead. It really wasn't too bad. Once it finally cooked everyone liked it. I think that I would even make it again, but I would really like to have it with PW's fresh corn casserole. The green chilis were not overpowering, they added just a bit of flavor, so don't let the thought of spice scare you away. Just leave that up to the cans of creamed corn.

Baked Eggs for a Gang

12 eggs, beaten


2 cans (15 ounces) creamed corn
1 can (7 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained


4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese


1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teapoon Worcestershire sauce


Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, combine eggs, corn, chiles, Worcestershire suace, cheese, salt and pepper: mix well. Pour into a greased 13-by 9- inch glass baking dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until center is set.

Woa on that last line- 50-60 minutes or until center is set.
I had to feed the kids a bowl of cereal while we waited for this thing to finish cooking. It took another hour to finish!

what to eat Wednesday-Breakfast in Bed 2

Recipe #2 from my Breakfast in Bed experiment

Our family has deemed this one a keeper. Now pay attention. If you are used to eating the kind of oatmeal that you take out of a packet and put in the microwave- this will taste different. But please try it. Our family has had this 3 times since last Monday when I checked out the cookbook. I love all the fruit in this. I don't taste the bananas at all. I think they just blend in with the milk and oatmeal giving it added creaminess. The nectarine and apple are just the right amount of sweetness. I think that it could use a few more raisins. Now after making it three times, I don't think the family has an overwhelming urge to pour on the brown sugar.

The first go at making this was an early morning. As I measured out the salt, I remember thinking, "Hmmm -this sure seems like a lot of salt." I forged ahead, measuring everything else and chopping and slowly cooking. I went to serve it and tasted it before everyone else. I put the bowls on the table, then immediately turned around to grab the brown sugar. Oh. My. Salt! Jay took a bite and said, "Hmm it tastes kind of like pie crust. Kind of good, but kind of salty." I took another look at the recipe to double check that salt. I didn't just double the salt. I tripled the salt! Not sure why I read it wrong. I added a titch of brown sugar to every ones bowls to counteract the salt lick I had just given them for breakfast. Jay mentioned, "So any heart healthy benefits this oatmeal had, have just been negated by all the sodium you gave us."

So a second time I went after it. I read, double checked and cooked the oatmeal. Good but still a little too salty.

So yesterday- I gave it another go. This time I decreased the salt by 1/4 tsp, making it 1/8 of a teaspoon. Ahhh just right. Adjust accordingly to your likeness.






Rise and Shine Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oats

4 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 fresh ripe nectarine, peeled and chopped


1 apple, peeled and chopped


1 banana, peeled and chopped


1/4 cup raisins


In a large saucepan, combine oats, milk, salt, nectarine, apple, banana, and raisins; let soak for several minutes. Simmer slowly over low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until mixture becomes thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve warm in individual bowls.