Oatmeal smoothie...

I heart Pinterest...

I pin all sorts of recipes and most of them have been a flop...

but I really like this one...

it sounded so weird but so good for you and filling that I had to try it...

my kids just die when they see me drinking it...

therefore I call it my sledge...

mmmmmm....

Oatmeal smoothie:

approx. 250 calories

1/4 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)

1/4 cup yogurt, whatever flavor (I had yoplait light blackberry)

1/2 cup juice (I used grape)

3 Tbsp. dried fruit (I used cranberries)

Place the oatmeal in a blender, the bullet style one works really well.  Blend it's guts out till it resembles cornmeal.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend away.  Let it settle for a minute so the fruit will re-assemble at the bottom and then blend again.  The fruit won't totally pulverize so don't worry if there are chunks.  This has to 'cure' in the refrigerator for a few hours so the oatmeal will soak up the liquid and get all yummy.  You could obviously substitute any kind of yogurt, juice or fruit...these were just what I had on hand. 

I make this in the evening so I can have it in the morning...I have to sorta shake it around and sometimes blend it up again cuz the oatmeal can settle in the bottom.  Just a heads up!

The original recipe called for Chia seeds and I am so intrigued by those little guys but I didn't have any so I continued on without them.  I am tempted to go and get some to see if they live up to their reputation.  They are supposed to expand a gajillion times their size in your stomach and make you feel super full so you can make through the in-between time of meals without being tempted to snack...or at least that's what I would hope they would do for me.  Interesting right?  Although, this smoothie really makes me feel super full and so maybe I don't need them...anyways, let me know if you try it and if you like it!

Egg in the hole...

PW made these on her show a couple of weeks ago...

and my kids begged for them...

personally I thought that they would never eat them but was happy to make them and give them a try...

they all love them...

all but the little girls that is...

and so we made them again last night and I got a photo...

so I can share the recipe with ya!

Egg in the hole:

What you'll need:

Bread

eggs

butter (and lots of it)

salt and pepper

circle cutter

Directions:

Cut holes in the bread and save the holes.  Heat your pan on med-high heat and slather on the butter...a good amount.  Place the bread in the pan, making sure to soak up the butter.  Crack an egg into each hole...and at this point you can sort of 'scramble' the egg if you like, it's what my kids prefer but I like it whole.  Salt and pepper your egg.  After the bread has toasted to a nice golden brown, it's time to flip.  Now when I am at this point, I get my butter stick in one hand and the spatula in the other...I pick up the toast with the spatula hand, and rub more butter on the pan with the other hand.  This makes for a very tasty and toasty bread.  When the egg has cooked and the bread is a nice golden brown on the other side...remove it from the pan.  And, don't forget to toast up the little holes too...they are soooo good!

Caramel Waffle Syrup...

Let me just preface this blog post with...

YOU MUST TRY THIS RECIPE!!!

and yes...

that's an order!

Special Caramel Syrup:

1 cube butter (the real stuff)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 cup cream (heavy whipping cream)

1 tsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Bring the butter, sugars, cream, flour and salt to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Take off heat and add vanilla.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Pour over strategically stacked waffles...like this...1st waffle, 2nd cool whip, 3rd strawberries with sugar (thus making their own syrup) and lastly but certainly not least...the Special Caramel Syrup!

I promise...promise...you will LOVE it! 

Breakfast is the new Dinner...

This is what Chris and I had for dinner the other night (above photo courtesy of Flickr of course)...it was one of those nights where pay-day is still a few days away and there isn't much in the fridge or freezer to choose from. It requires a little creativity on my part and alot of trust on my husbands...the kids are always happy with Ramen or Mac N' Cheese. It's really quite simple and I scaled it down from it's original version that I made on Christmas morning a few years ago, and again for Rhett's Baptism brunch.

Breakfast Casserole:

Layer in the following order:

hash browns: Any kind but enough to cover the bottom of an 8x8 pan.

breakfast sausage or ham: brown the sausage (about 1/2 lb)

shredded cheese: about 1 cup

Make a mixture of:

4-5 eggs

a little milk

a dash of mustard

salt & pepper

Pour over the casserole...Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Serve with salsa or ketchup.