Maple Toast N' Eggs!

My sister-in-law shared this recipe (by the looks of it, she got it from Taste of Home) and it's really tasty!  Anyone who owns laying hens knows what it's like to be constantly on the lookout for good egg recipes and this one doesn't disappoint.

Here's what you'll need:

• 12 bacon stripped (cooked and broken into pieces)
• 1/2 C. Maple Syrup
• 1/4 C. Butter
• 12 slices of white bread 
• 12 FARM FRESH Eggs
• Salt & Pepper

Cook your bacon and break into pieces.  In a small saucepan, warm butter and syrup until butter is melted and mixes well with the syrup -set aside.  Trim the crust off the bread & feed it to your chickens (if you don't have chickens, just toss them) and use a rolling pin to flatten the bread.  Generously brush one side of the flattened bread with the syrup & butter mixture and press into ungreased muffin tin syrup side down.  Divide bacon evenly among cups and break one egg over the bacon.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with foil, and bake @ 400° for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are cooked just how you like 'em.  If you've got a sweet tooth like mine that just won't quit, use the leftover syrup mixture to drizzle over the top. Enjoy!!

Before, After, & Egg Salad...

Before coloring...

After coloring...

Egg Salad!! 

The HUGE golden yolks from our chickens make a beautiful egg salad!  I'm not much for measurements; I add a little of this and a little of that until it's just right.  My husband and children will let me know if it's edible or not.  This went over well -the only thing I fear is the poison gas that is sure to fill the walls of our little ranch home this evening!

Here's what I added to about 20 eggs:

• Light Mayo
• Salt & Pepper
• Lemon Juice (The juice of 1 small lemon will do-Add some zest too)
• Granulated Garlic
• Paprika
• Dill
• Onion
• Mustard
• Love

DONUTS!!!

This morning Travis & I made his family's take on the classic glazed donut.  These donuts are so delicious and sweet and fluffy and crispy and simple and addicting and delicious....oh wait, I said that already...did I mention that these donuts are delicious?!?!?!  We usually make 20 donuts and they are gone before we even have the chance to clean up the mess.  They are the perfect addition to a lazy Sunday morning and remind me of down-home country cookin'! 

I thought we'd share our secrets, so your family can be tempted to add a delectable donut or two to your waistline...

What you'll need:
Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (Pack of 10)- We suggest 2 packs...1 just isn't enough.
Oil to fry them in, my dear (We use peanut oil, but vegetable oil works too).

Glaze Ingredients
Powdered Sugar
Milk
Vanilla
Start out with some powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Whisk in milk until the consistency is that of a glaze (it'll be pretty runny).  Add a splash of vanilla...whisk it in...and SHABAM!  Who needs measurements?!?!?

*Travis wanted me to remind you to make your glaze and set up your dunking station before you begin frying the donuts.  Dunking while the donuts are still warm means you get to eat them while they are still warm and that's the only way to do it...period.  You won't want to make more than you'll eat that day, they aren't good keepers.

Open your biscuits and pop holes in the center with your finger.  No need to discard any dough, just press and shape it into the donut shape.

Drop them in the fryer (we use our dutch oven)...flip 'em around until they are golden brown.  We had our stove set at medium heat.  You know your oil (1/2-3/4" deep) is ready when bubbles form around a toothpick when you poke it in the center of the oil.  The oil should NOT be smoking.

Scoop 'em out and lay them on paper towel for a few seconds...

  Pick 'em up with a stick (I use a shish-ka-bob skewer) and dunk them in the sugary sweet glaze!

Set them on end while the glaze sets...

At this point, your donuts will start to disappear rapidly. 

Be sure to wash them down with some milk! 



Egg In The Hole (or Star) !!!

I've seen others make this yet I'm always surprised how many people have never heard of it! It's everything eggs and toast should be...simply delicious!

What you'll need:

Farm Fresh Eggs
Bread
Butter
Salt
Pepper
A Cookie/Biscuit Cutter

First, pull out your farm fresh eggs. These are the eggs I've been purchasing from the grocery for $4/dozen since I saw that horrific video I showed you in my very first Happy Hen post while waiting for my happy hens to start making eggs for me!



Aren't they lovely?



Use your cookie cutter to cut out the centers of your bread slices...

Warm up your fry pan and drop a hunk of real butter in that baby...



Slap your beautiful bread creation down over that butter...



Crack your egg down in that hole.... I always find myself wanting to shout, "Egg in the hole!" Kinda' like "Fire in the hole!" I'd like to think I'm not the only one.

Add some salt & pepper. Let it sizzle & fry until it's ready to flip...if you've ever cooked an egg, you'll know when. If you haven't cooked an egg, try that first.

FLIP and enjoy the view while the underside is becoming just as scrumptious and golden delicious as the first!

Serve along side some bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, hashbrowns...or whatever you'd like. Enjoy!

Blueberry Peach Crisp!

This recipe is divine. The key here is to use FRESH blueberries & FRESH peaches...This is the perfect time of year to do just that!

Travis always teases me because I am a recipe changer. I can hear him now, "Can't you ever just follow a recipe?!?!?!" I find several recipes ...tweak them, combine them, take the best of one and leave out the worst of the other until I am satisfied with the result. So, maybe I should title this one The HodgePodge Fresh Blueberry & Fresh Peach Crisp! Serve it warm with some vanilla ice cream on top. You're going to thank me for this.

As you're sure to notice, my photography skills are a bit amateur...the picture really doesn't do this crisp justice. I think I need to hire Deborah Tynan to do my food photographs for me! You may also notice that I was unable to snap a shot of this dream before someone (I'll blame this entirely on my husband) started digging in!

Topping
2/3 c. All-purpose Flour
2/3 c. Rolled Oats (I use Quaker 1-minute oats)
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
6-7 Tbsp. Butter (room temperature)

Put it all in a bowl, mix it, mash it....with your hands...until it's all crumbly. Set aside.

Ingredients2 Pints FRESH Blueberries
5 FRESH Peaches (Blanched, Peeled & Sliced)
3/4 c. Granulated Sugar
4 Tbsp. All-purpose Flour
1-1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, peaches, sugar, flour & vanilla. Pour into a 2-1/2 qt. baking dish-lightly greased (with real butter). Evenly spread topping over fruit. Bake 40 minutes...until the topping is light brown and the juices are thick & bubbling through around the edges.

Oh, this is heaven.

Scrumdiddlyumptious!

I must apologize for my 3 week sabbatical. With all the rain around here this year, we've had an extended "spring" season at work which has required long hours for Travis and little extra time for me. However, after practically inhaling two scrumdiddlyumptious ears of sweet corn this evening, I felt compelled to tell you all about it!

I wait patiently all year for the sweet, crisp, delicious bicolors that are grown locally. Sure, you can get frozen corn on the cob year round or buy the semi-fresh early stuff that comes in from Florida, but once you've had the local stuff...nothing else will do!

You can roast it, grill it, boil it...even eat it raw! The popping noise that it makes as you make your way back and forth like an old-school typewriter is like a party in your mouth. No mushy, rubbery sweet corn here!

Working at a farm cooperative has its benefits. I meet so many local producers and many of them stop by with fresh, sweet treats like the corn I enjoyed this evening. One of the producers that we service, Ingersoll Farms, has some of the best in town. They have roadside stands all over; just look for the gigantic wood cutouts of smiling sweet corn pointing the way!

If you haven't already, go out and get you some...And, don't forget the butter!

Becky's Breakfast Pie!

Here's a recipe that's sure to be a Sunday morning hit! I get requests in our house for it all the time. I'll be sure to add a picture the next time I make one...

1-Pillsbury Pie Crust (Make your own if you'd like. Me? Not a chance.)
6-Farm Fresh Eggs
1-Small to Medium Onion (chopped & sweated)
1 c.-Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 c.-Sour Cream
3 Tbsp.-Flour
6- Slices of Ham or Bacon Chopped
(Fry the ham a bit or crisp the bacon)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Top with Shredded Parmesan Cheese & a Touch of Dried Sweet Basil

Spray pie pan with cooking spray. Bring pie crust to room temperature and lay in pie pan. Crimp the rim, brush with egg wash and put in the refrigerator.

In a medium mixing bowl: beat eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, & flour together. Stir in shredded cheddar, bacon or ham, and onions (cool the onions first or they'll start to cook the egg). Poor mixture into prepared pie pan. Lightly top with parmesan cheese and sprinkle with sweet basil. Bake @ 400 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes.

Serve with a side of fresh fruit and enjoy!

*Make a delicious vegetarian pie by adding fresh chopped spinach and/or mushrooms instead of the meat. The possibilities are endless...get creative and have fun!