foodie wednesday: christmas breakfast

for christmas breakfast, my mom often makes an egg strata.  for those of you who are unfamiliar, egg strata is sort of like a savory bread pudding filled with ooey-gooey cheese and other deliciousness.  as you can tell from the recipe below, we always improvise...and it always turns out great!  another bonus?  you can make it in advance and bake it the day-of.  or, you can even bake it in advance and just reheat it in the oven on christmas morning.  it makes the whole house smell fabulous!

credit {here}

here's what you'll need:

1/2 a loaf of day-old crusty bread (we like to use rosemary focaccia)
2 onions chopped

approx. 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (a hearty, pungent cheese like swiss or cheddar tends to work best)
4-6 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk or half & half
mustard, worcestershire or ranch dressing to taste
salt & pepper
butter or olive oil

View full recipe

preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

1) while oven preheats, saute onions in either olive or butter over medium heat.

2) in a large, buttered oven-safe baking dish mix together chunks of bread, sauteed onions, cheese (saving a bit for the top) and season with salt and pepper.

3) in a bowl, beat eggs with milk (or cream) and season with salt, pepper and either mustard, worcestershire or ranch.  totally your choice, but traditionally my mom uses worcestershire sauce : )

4) pour egg mixture over bread mixture and press bread to make sure it absorbs egg mixture thoroughly. sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

5) bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown on top and eggs are set. 

credit {here}

this makes approximately 8 servings, so there will be plenty of leftovers to enjoy later or the next day.  keep in mind, above is a very "basic" strata recipe, so don't hesitate to add your own personal flare.  mix in roasted tomatoes, fresh herbs or crumbled chicken sausage to really impress.  yum!

merry christmas breakfast!

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buddha bowl

i wanted to share one of my favorite things today with all of you.  my buddha bowl.  this bowl - with it's lovely, organic curves and convenient thumb hole - fits perfectly into the palm of your hand.  it's my go-to bowl for cereal, soup, overnight oats, chili and anything else i want to cozy-up with.

craig gave me a set of them for my birthday 2 years ago.  and i fell in love.  the buddha bowl supports a communion with your a food.  a coming together with whatever deliciously comforting meal you're about to enjoy.  it's fabulous.

and, as long as you fill your buddha bowl with wholesome, nutritious delights, you won't have to worry about developing the dreaded buddha belly...

need some ideas of what to fill your buddha bowl with?

overnight oats with peanut butter & banana
homemade mac n' cheese
cereal with pecans & raisins
st. germain & vodka cocktail (just kidding...)

(fyi - i didn't get paid or anything to write this.  i just love my buddha bowl that much!)

and, congratulations to tamara from smallwoods studios - the winner of the shabby apple dress giveaway : ).

overnight oats: my newest love

i have been loving me some overnight oats.  i read about them on the blog pb fingers a while back and finally got around to trying them (and have had them for my breakfasts for pretty much a week straight).  i am hooked.  what are overnight oats you ask?  well, just one of the most wholesome, satisfying and yummy breakfasts i’ve enjoyed in a while.  and best of all, they’re super simple to prepare. (you make them the night before, so there’s no excuse for not having enough time to make or enjoy a delicious breakfast!)

my preferred (or should i say perfect?) combo:

½ quick oats (or rolled oats)
½ soy milk (you can use any milk really… skim, chocolate almond, coconut…take your pick!)
½ ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp peanut butter (add the next day : )

mash banana in cereal bowl.  mix in honey.  sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.  stir in ½ cup milk until combined.  mix in oats.  cover and put in fridge overnight.

in the morning, heat in microwave for approximately 2 minutes on 50% power, stirring half way through.  (this will get the oats warm, but not hot.  i like them in this mid-range because you can taste the flavors better.  when they’re too hot, you lose the taste.)  put a glob of peanut butter in the middle.  sprinkle with more cinnamon if you like…i always do…

my plan of attack:  i eat the oats around the edge of the bowl first, and try to preserve as much for the pb for the last few yummy bites! 

variations:
use pumpkin puree instead of mashed banana
try a flavored milk
top with chopped nuts and dried fruit
use nutella or some other nut butter instead of pb
garnish with fresh fruit
…the possibilities are endless (and delicious!)

check out more delicious real, wholesome food {here}..

date night & brunch recipes

last night craig & i enjoyed an impromptu date night at one of our favorite local restaurants.  bell's tavern.  this locals-only joint serves up delicious italian food.  what did we opt for?  my personal fave...their baked ziti.  yum!  2 glasses red wine + bleu cheese pecan salad + baked ziti = happiness : )

ok, so, today, i've been busy cooking & cleaning to get ready for weekend visitors!  two college friends are coming out saturday through sunday to see our place and enjoy some college-esque fun.  i won't bore you with the cleaning details, but i'll share what i cooked (much more fun).

i made an egg strata (i.e. egg "custard" poured over bread, onions, sausage, etc. and then baked until golden brown and delicious) and also made up some cranberry orange muffins.  so, here's what went down...

egg strata

4 eggs
1/4 cup light cream (or half&half)
1 tbsp ranch dressing
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 large tomato, sliced
2 slices (day old or frozen) bread, cubed
4 (small) links turkey sausage, cooked & chopped
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
salt & pepper
olive oil (about a tsp)

preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray 8" by 6" pyrex with PAM or olive oil

saute onions in a drizzle of olive oil.  season with salt and pepper.  once onions begin to caramelize, mix in sausage and rosemary.

i love rosemary with sausage!

beat 4 eggs together with cream and ranch.  season with salt & pepper.

mix bread & onion/sausage filling together in pyrex.  sprinkle with cheddar.

pour egg mixture over and decorate with slices of tomato.  garnish with a bit more rosemary.  season with salt & pepper.  (it's important to layer in seasonings for optimal flavor, not just add all at once : )

bake for 40 min until edges are browned and top is bubbly!

fyi: for 1/6th of the strata, it's only 160 calories!  for 1/4th, it's 235 cal.

cranberry orange muffins

ok, i used a mix for these, but i have a secret about how to improve ANY mix.  add-ins.

this boxed mix would probably be a bit lack-luster, but i added in fresh orange zest to brighten the flavor and give it that "made from scratch" appeal.

other ideas:
blueberry muffin mix - add lemon zest (or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice)
carrot cake mix - add coconut, chopped pineapple and/or raisins
banana cake mix - add cinnamon, nutmeg and maybe chopped pecans
brownie mix - add chocolate or pb or butterscotch morsels, chocolate chunks or chopped candy bars

do you have any cooking tricks or short-cuts?.