It Inspired Me

Slow Cooker French Toast I was looking for a good overnight French toast recipe to use up some old dry bagels. I didn't like what I was finding so I made my own. I really liked it. Now is like to try adding cream cheese and/or apples. Hope you enjoy it.   For the French Toast: About one loaf of bread 8 Eggs 2 cups Milk 2 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp Sugar For the Topping: ¾ cup Brown Sugar ½ cup Butter 3 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 t nutmeg Cut the bread into roughly 1" cubes.  Melt all topping ingredients in a small pan and set aside.  Spray the inside of your 6 qt. crockpot with non-stick spray or line with slow cooker liner.  In another bowl beat together eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar and set aside.  Start layering your casserole: bread, egg mixture and topping . Repeat till all gone. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

4 large eggs 1½ cups whole milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup all purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup butter, melted Mix eggs, milk, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth.  While mixing, pour in melted butter until combined.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray or butter.  Pour in the batter in a thin layer, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan slightly to swirl the batter around the pan in an even layer. Cook until lightly browned on bottom, then flip and cook the other side until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 6 pancakes. Serve immediately dusted with powdered sugar and fruit, jam, and/or whipped cream

This recipe was first used when I needed a cornbread mix to make the holiday corn souffle.  I didn't have it in me to pay for a mix when I knew I could make my own.  Some alternatives you could try with the following mix is to use whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose flour.  Or add corn to the muffins.  Or try a different oil such as grapeseed or avocado in the muffins.   The first recipe listed below is the mix.  Below that are ways to use the mix.  Cornbread Mix 4 cups yellow cornmeal 4 c flour 2 T + 2 tsp baking powder 2 t baking soda 2 t salt 1/4 c sugar Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  You can skip this step but it helps to be sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Add the cornmeal and whisk together till combined.  Store in an air-tight container in a cool dry place.  Cornbread muffins 2 1/4 c cornbread mix 1 large egg 1/2 c buttermilk 1/2 c plain yogurt ...

One of my favorite Asian style meals.  This is an easy recipe and is fantastic served over rice.  As an alternative to serving your vegetables on the side try adding carrots or peas while cooking.  The options of veggies are endless.  How about water chestnuts? Celery?  This would probably be good with chicken as well. Share your successes in the comments.   2 pounds flank steak, cut into 1/4″ strips 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup water 2/3 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons water 3 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces. Season beef with salt and pepper. Put oil in the cooking pot and select browning. When oil begins to sizzle, brown meat in batches until all meat is browned – do not crowd. Transfer meat to a plate when browned.  Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, and ginger. Stir to...

Here's a spin on the Moscow mule. 1/2 oz. lime juice 2 oz. vodka 6 oz. ginger beer Mix and enjoy.

Easy and tasty main meal using ground meat.  You could use any combination of ground beef, turkey, pork or chicken.  I prefer a more saucy alternative so I doubled the recipe for the sauce.  I have it listed below as I preferred it.  Serve over a bed or white or brown rice.  To incorporate vegetables, try adding some broccoli, carrots, pea pods or water chestnuts.  If you add the vegetables, you'll probably want more sauce.  I cooked mine in the cast iron skillet.  Before serving, let it sit for about 15 minutes in the pan with the heat turned off.  This helped thicken the sauce a bit.  1 pound lean ground beef (or other ground meat) 6 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 4 teaspoons sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon pepper 6 green onions, thinly sliced In a large skillet, cook ground meat and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or meat is m...

Simple but tasty baked chicken. It's also really good chilled and served slice in a salad.  This topping also works for fish. 4 boneless chicken breast, halves 1 cup mayonnaise 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated 1 1⁄2 tsp seasoning salt 1⁄2 tsp black pepper, ground 1 tsp garlic powder Mix mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings.  Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.