Make Do Coffee Cake

After a week away for Elizabeth's surgery and returning home with my daughter from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, a 20 mile trip to the grocery store was not on the agenda as far as I was concerned. I figured with her not having much of an appetite and it being such a hot July that I would just make small meals from what we had here in the house. Well, my little girl asked me to make a cake. Out of flour, out of granulated sugar, out of sour cream, out of real butter, I told her that I would figure out a way to make some sort of cake. This is what I came up with and it actually turned out quite tasty. It is a little denser than I normally like my cakes, but a rich moist coffee cake isn't a bad thing!

Ingredients:

1 stick room temperature margarine
1 C Light Brown Sugar
3 C Bisquick
1 1/2 C Buttermilk
3 Eggs
1 1/2 t Vanilla

Topping:

1/2 C Light Brown Sugar
1/2 C Bisquick
1/2 stick cold margarine

Glaze:

1 C Powdered Sugar
1/2 t Almond Extract
3-4 T Water

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour Bundt Pan. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Mix together with a fork until it becomes a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle into the bottom of the Bundt pan. Cream margarine and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add Bisquick 1 cup at a time mixing well after each to make a smooth batter. Pour over top of topping mixture. Place in oven and bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a plate, leaving pan in place for 5 minutes. Remove pan. Mix together glaze and slowly drizzle on cake while still warm. Some of the glaze will soak in.

You can serve it warm or wait until cooled to eat some.....I couldn't wait and neither could Elizabeth.

Ham Egg & Cheese Bake

A recipe that can be changed and changed again to suit the ingredients you have on hand or your mood or taste. Use the basic ingredients and add sauteed onions and peppers or jalepeno and sundried or chopped fresh spinach, tomatoes...sausage or bacon instead of the ham....monterey jack or hot pepper cheese instead of the cheddar....the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Ingredients:

2 C diced ham or 1 lb cooked and drained sausage or crumbled bacon
6 slices cubed bread
1 C shredded cheddar
10 eggs
2 C milk
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t yellow mustard (makes cheese taste cheesier)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9 X 13 baking pan with non stick spray.  Arrange meat and cubed bread (or any other veggies, etc you decide to use) in bottom of pan. Top with shredded cheese. In large bowl combine eggs, milk, seasonings, and mustard until well mixed. Pour egg mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until eggs are set in center.

Easy peasy!! and oh so yummy!

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C all- purpose flour
2 T + 1/2 t baking powder
2/3 C sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1 C whole milk
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 t vanilla

cinnamon and sugar for  sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. Place cupcake liners and spray the inside of those as well.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl making sure to slightly beat the eggs.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients in. Hand mix with wooden spoon or a spatula just until batter comes together. There will be small lumps in the batter and this is okay. Gently fold in blueberries. Use an ice cream scoop or half cup measure to fill cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stay in pan for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Mommy's Collard Green Quiche

Sorry, no picture yet.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

1 C All purpose flour
1 t Sugar
1/4 t Salt
3 T Butter
4T COLD Water

shhhhh....or you could do Pillsbury Pie Crust

Custard:

4 slices bacon, diced
1 1/2 C onion, diced (mom used yellow, but I like walla walla or vidalia)
8 oz fresh Collards chopped
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 whole eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 C milk
1/2 C half & half
1/2 C grated Swiss Cheese
pinch Nutmeg
1 T Flour

Preheat oven to 350F.

Pie dough: In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, 2 knives or forks, cut in butter until dough resembles small peas and is crumbly. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and gently mix after each addition. The mixture should begin to bind together after the last tablespoon of water is added. If it does not, add 1 more tablespoon of cold water. Gather the mixture into a ball and let it set for 5 minutes. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll dough into a 12-14 inch diameter circle. Gently roll onto rolling pin and place into a 9 inch pie plate. Press into the pie plate and flute edges. Top dough with beans or pie weights and bake for 5-10 minutes or until crust is just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile in large skillet fry bacon until crispy. Add onions and saute until onions are translucent. Add collards and salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Drain excess water from pan. Allow to cool slightly.

In large bowl combine eggs, egg whites, milk, and half and half and whisk until well combined. Add cheese and nutmeg. Sprinkle with flour. Stir in cooked collard mixture.

Pour into pre-baked pie shell. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until filling is set. A knife inserted into the middle of the quiche will come out clean when done. Remove from oven and let set 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Makes 8 slices.