Chocolate Gravy

I think this must be an Arkansas thing - I've never heard of it or seen it anywhere else. Nanny made it for us when we visited, and it was such a treat. She didn't leave a recipe, so Mom had to figure it out herself. Thankfully, she did, so this treat wasn't lost to us.

Chocolate Gravy

1 c sugar
3 heaping T cocoa powder
2 T flour
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c water

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Serve immediately with biscuits and butter.

Bubble Bread

I can't tell you how often as a child I woke up on Sunday mornings to the smell of Bubble Bread in the oven. Because it is mixed the night before, it was frequently Mom's choice for a speedy breakfast on church days. It had been years since I last enjoyed it, but I suggested to Mom that we make it the day after Thanksgiving. It's completely unfriendly toward dieters, but oh-so-good anyway! Just a note - you need to eat this as soon as it comes out of the oven because the gooey topping hardens very quickly.

Bubble Bread

1 pkg frozen dinner rolls (we use Parkerhouse brand)
1 stick butter or margine, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. chopped nuts, optional
1 pkg cook & serve butterscotch pudding (not instant)

Grease an angel food or bundt pan very well. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients until well blended. Place frozen rolls in pan and pour butter mixture over the rolls. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Invert onto a plate and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Waffles

Who says breakfast on a diet can't be decadent? Who says you can't have chocolate for breakfast? :) I love our new house - for the first time, the lighting is good enough for me to take attractive pictures of the food I cook!



Seriously, y'all - this was good stuff! I found a recipe for light waffles, and though the batter looked incredibly thin, they puffed up beautifully. I make several at a time and freeze. Pop one in the toaster and top as desired. This morning I used fresh strawberries and about two tablespoons of Hershey's dark chocolate syrup (absolutely worth the calories, I promise!).

This recipe is easily doubled - in fact, I cut the original in half because it wasn't practical for me to freeze 32 waffles! To easily make your own buttermilk, use regular skim milk and add one teaspoon of white vinegar per cup. Allow it to sit a few minutes before mixing into batter.

Light Waffles

2 cups self-rising flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 cups nonfat buttermilk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
4 egg whites
cooking spray

Combine flour, sugar, and soda in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and oil; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; carefully fold into batter.

Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray before spooning in batter.

Makes about 16 waffles

105 calories each, 4 g fat (approximate)

Tropical Breakfast Quinoa

In honor of my foray into the world of vegetarians, I tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wa, in case you were wondering). The seed/grain (not sure exactly how to classify it) doesn't have a great deal of flavor, but it is a complete protein, and tastes pretty good in this experiment I put together this morning. Next time I'm going to add bananas.

Tropical Breakfast Quinoa

1/2 c. quinoa
1 c. water
3 Tbsp. craisins
3 Tbsp. dried pineapple, chopped
1 Tbsp. coconut
1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
Sugar or splenda to taste, optional

Thoroughly rinse quinoa (this is important - otherwise it can have an icky bitter taste). Bring quinoa and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer until water is absorbed. If desired, add sugar or splenda to sweeten. Serves 2.

Southern Sausage Muffins

My weekend cooking got a little interrupted, and I wound up splitting the kitchen duty over two days this time. I had decided to make the Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole again, but wanted something to use up the leftover 1/2 lb of sausage. I found this yummy little recipe that tastes very much like a sausage ball, but with a much lighter texture. I used reduced-fat cheese, turkey sausage, and reduced-fat Bisquick to lighten it up. Make sure to store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Southern Sausage Muffins

1/2 lb. mild pork sausage
1/3 c. green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 1/2 tsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. finely grated Cheddar cheese (2 oz.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees (375 degrees for dark nonstick pan). Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches. Cook and stir sausage and onions in 10 inch skillet until brown, crumbling sausage into small bits; drain on paper towels.

Mix baking mix, brown sugar, dry mustard, and red pepper in medium bowl. Stir in sausage mixture, milk, and cheese just until blended. Batter will be thick. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full, spreading batter to edges of cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Serve warm. 1 dozen muffins.

High altitude directions (3500 to 6500 feet) : Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake about 20 minutes.

Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole

I have a special place in my heart for breakfast casseroles - the kind that include meat, potatoes or rice, cheese, eggs, and lots of flavor. It's a versatile class of food, the kind that can be eaten any time of the day and on any occasion. When I tried this recipe from the Taste of Home Casserole Cookbook, I knew I had a winner. Jeff confirmed my assessment by eating half the casserole in one sitting! It really couldn't be yummier. To reduce calories and fat, use low-fat turkey sausage, reduced-fat cheese, and egg substitute.

Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. bulk sausage
26-oz bag frozen tater tots
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
sliced tomatoes

Brown sausage and drain. Transfer to greased 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with tater tots. Sprinkle cheese over tots. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, and seasonings. Pour over cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes more, until heated through. Garnish with tomatoes.