An apple a day....

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Apple Turnover

Hello hello! It's apple picking time! Just like all the pumpkin recipes I get super stoked about

 (cookies, cake, pie, coffee) I am just as excited for apples!

As the old saying goes, " An apple a day keeps the doctor away", I literally eat an apple almost everyday. They are just something I never get tired of and really enjoy. And apple desserts, well that's just on a different level. Apple pie, apple cake, apple muffins, apple cider donuts. mmmmm!

Well my roommate made homemade apple strudels. Last spring her and I traveled to Europe with our first stop in Switzerland. All I  talked about was wanting to get an apple strudel while there. Apparently Switzerland is known for their strudels, after their fondue of course. That being said you would assume they would have endless amounts and places to eat and purchase their famous apple strudels. WRONG.

We searched high and low and even sat down at this fancy outdoor restaurant when we saw it on the menu yet walked out because we found out it was a "deconstructed" apple strudel. Yup we were those obnoxious tourist. Oh well, we were on a mission.

Anyways we never found our strudel but we found a great way to make them at home!

These are light and flaky and super warm with all that cinnamon and nutmeg. Perfect little treat for fall.

Apple Strudel

Makes 6 individual strudels

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. water
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into small cubes
• 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
• Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking dish with parchment paper to ensure pastries will not stick.
2. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
3. Stir the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the apples and toss thoroughly to coat.
4. Heat a medium pan with the 2 tablespoons of butter and add the apple mixture. Saute on high until mixture begins to bubble then reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, until apples have softened, but are not mushy.
5. Sprinkle flour on the work surface and unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface.
6. Cut Pastry into 6 rectangles ( 1 large cut down the middle and 2 cuts going across). Then Place each piece onto the baking dish with at least 1inch to separate.
7. Divide the apple mixture amongst the pastries, placing in the center of each and leaving room to seal the top pastry.
8. Repeat the cutting of 6 rectangles with another piece of the puff pastry dough.
9. Place each piece on top of the pieces already filled with the apple mixture and gently press the the pastry around the apple mixture.
10. Press the edges of the bottom pastry into the top pastry and ensure they are sealed.
11. *You can use a fork to seal the edges or cut larger rectangles and roll your strudel.*
12. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Cut several slits in the top of the pastry.
13. Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
14. Or serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Vanilla Walnut Granola

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Hello hello! Happy June everyone! I hope you are enjoying the weather and this time of year. Getting out and soaking up the sunshine and enjoying being outside!

Lately it seems every day I am off, the weather has been anything but enjoyable, so I've seen quite a bit of movies and gotten quite a bit of art projects started. However, recently I had off on a Saturday and was determined to enjoy it to the fullest! And that is exactly what I did.

Living at the shore is great and I could have easily enjoyed a beach day, but I have plenty of time for that. Instead I wanted to get out and enjoy nature and some beautiful scenery. So a hiking I went!

A few friends and I took a nice day trip to the Pocono's in Pennsylvania. It was an absolutely beautiful park filled with waterfalls and lots and lots of uphill climbing/hiking. It was such a great day!

My friend Morgan & I at the top!

Anyways, before we headed out I thought we would need some good grub to keep us energized for the day. What goes great with hiking? Granola does!

Yes you can go with the typical trail mix but this has way more flavor and is easy to travel with.

Its nice and sweet but not too sweet and has a deep vanilla flavor which makes it hard to put down.

Granola is actually extremely simple to make and lasts for a while, so why not go ahead and make your own and leave out all the added preservatives and fake flavorings.

This recipe is nice and simple and can be adjusted to your liking. Don't like walnuts? Use almonds, cashews, or peanuts. Or don't use any. Its up to you. You can also add anything you normal enjoy in granola.

This recipe makes quite a bit, so throw it on yogurt, over milk, or just keep snacking on it :)!

Vanilla Walnut Granola
Ingredients

• 4 cups oats
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 c. canola oil
• 1 c. honey
• 3 Tbsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300-degrees.
2. Combine oats, walnuts, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a saucepan combine oil, honey, and vanilla and bring to a boil.
4. Continue to boil for one minute then pour over oat mixture.
5. Mix  well, until all ingredients are moistened.
6. Spread mixture on a large cookie sheet (you may need two sheets). 
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring several times, flipping the granola.
8. Remove from oven and cool for several minutes until the granola hardens slightly.
9. Break up granola and store in large Ziploc bags or containers.
10. Serve plain, with yogurt, or with milk.
11. Enjoy!

Back From The Dead With an Easy Baked Egg Breakfast!

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Baked Eggs with Feta

Over Roasted Tomatoes

HOLA MI AMIGO'S!!!! I am back and Peace Love & Yumminess is up and running with lots of recipes to share!!!

Now, I know all of you were anxiously checking everyday if I had a new post, sorry for all the nail biting but you need not worry anymore! I am back from trekking the Amazon Forest and sailing through the Caribbean.

Hahaha if only both those statements were true :). I have been M.I.A for several reasons, mainly being out of a computer. I have however been cooking and baking quite a bit and have lots of recipes to catch you guys up on. So why not start with a recipe for the most important meal of the day, breakfast!

This was a pinterest recipe I literally made the morning I found it. It is super easy and quite healthy. I thought it was a great change than the normal morning egg, with layers of delicious flavor.

You will need ramekins for this recipe, although I'm sure you could just make this in casserole form as well. But, that just not as fun as having your own little dish.

When I made this, it was only me eating however I made two dishes. Not sure why, but I did. I enjoyed this dish so much I almost went right back for the second. I stepped back and regained my self control and saved it for lunch with a side salad. To reheat it, I just popped it right back in the oven to warm it up. The egg did cook a little more but still tasted amazing.

The recipe is also in single serving portions, just apply the recipe per ramekin.

Enjoy<3!

& Glad to be back!

Oven Bakes Eggs with Feta

over roasted tomatoes

adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• Handful of grape tomatoes sliced
• 1/4 tsp basil, dried
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 eggs (I used one because my ramekins are quite small)
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 tsp feta cheese ( I used tomato basil feta to amp up the flavor!)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray  a small ramekin with cooking spray.
2. Toss the sliced tomatoes with the olive oil, basil, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour into each ramekin then place the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven then crack the eggs into the dish, then add the milk, feta cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Return to the oven and cook for 13-15 minutes or until the whites set but the yolks are still soft. Remove from the oven and serve with some whole grain toast.

All You Need is Love.....& Breakfast

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Brown Butter Cinnamon Waffles
with butter pecan sauce

 Happy Valentines Day!

 I dunno about you but I happen to have the best Valentine for a second year in a row.....my niece Kayleigh.

It's crazy how time flies. Look how incredibly tiny and adorable she was last year on her first Valentines Day

 .........and then now

 She's growing too fast I can't  take it.

Anyways, for all you lovers I hope you and yours truly enjoy this day, and all you anti Valentines day people, I hope you still remember to share a little love today.

Since we are talking about love. There are a few things in life I REALLY love. Such as breakfast. I love breakfast. Enough to eat it for dinner. Remember being a kid and having pancakes and eggs for dinner? It always seemed liked such a treat for some reason. I'm not sure we all would have felt as excited for spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast though. Who knows why breakfast for dinner is so fantastic, lets just accept that it is.

 The reason I say this is because I made these phenomenal, yes phenomenal, waffles for dinner last night. I really wanted something different and since its been way too long since my last waffle I decided to have breakfast for dinner.

I also wanted it to be semi-gourmet. I'm not sure you can call a waffle gourmet, but in my kitchen I can :). So i thought browning the butter and adding some cinnamon and nutmeg would be a great idea. I was right, of course.

These are great topped with some extra cinnamon and a sprinkle of brown sugar or the classic butter and syrup. However as I mentioned I wanted something gourmet. After all I was making this for my Valentines Day post.

 

So gourmet is what I did. Skip the syrup and butter and make a butter pecan sauce. All you need is some pecans, butter, and brown sugar. I added a tad of vanilla and cinnamon.

I  told you these were phenomenal. Get up, get moving and make these for someone phenomenal in your life.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Waffles

Makes about 6-7 waffles                                                                        

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• non stick spray for waffle iron

Butter Pecan Sauce

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2. Continue cooking until the butter turns brown and has a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes then remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and the egg yolks and  together, gently working them into the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Add the browned butter and whisk until fully absorbed.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
7. Gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.
8. Spray the the waffle iron with nonstick spray and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's instructions.

For Butter Pecan Sauce

1.  In a medium saucepan toast the chopped pecans for several minutes until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the butter and melt.
3. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour atop waffles and fall in love<3!

Simply Scumptious!

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Blueberry Bread French Toast

with cinnamon and brown sugar

Blueberries. Cinnamon. Sugar. And buttaaaa! If that doesn't mix well then I'm not sure what does! Summer is not only bikini season but also blueberry season and if you would like both to go hand in hand with out issue then well don't bother reading this recipe. It is a scrumptious and indulgent Saturday morning breakfast that is just too delicious to worry about that bikini, for me anyways.

I have always loved french toast and preferred it to pancakes any day (Belgium waffles are a close 2nd). I also pride myself on my amazing french toast making skills, but that's a story for a different day. This french toast was no different. It came out perfect and defiantly called for seconds.

Now, ever since I saw the Good Eats episode on french toast I truly believe that putting that extra effort into making a custard and soaking the bread over night and not using sliced white bread, really makes for the PERFECT french toast. However this bread was pre-sliced, I bought it at an Amish Market which, if you have ever been to one, is like dieing and going to heaven. If heaven was the smell of cinnamon and sugar, and donuts and butter filling the air. Anyways, since it was sliced super thin I did not want to soak it over night and end up with a soggy lumpy mess. So instead I made a super decadent egg mixture with eggs, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon. MMMM!

This was pre-made blueberry bread. If you can't find any any good french bread, such as brioche, or yes even that good old bag of Texas Toast would work. Or if you feel like getting fancy go ahead and whip up your own. The only thing I wish I did was make a homemade chunky blueberry syrup but I was out of blueberries. Good, REAL, maple syrup did just dandy!

Blueberry Bread French Toast

(yield: 6 servings with 2 slices each)

1 loaf, or enough slices to feed the hungry mouths, of blueberry bread(or bread suggested above)

3 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

   * you may need to repeat this mixture depending on how much french toast you are making *

For egg mixture:

6 egg yolks plus 3 whole eggs whisked

1/2 cup of heavy cream, or half and half would work

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

In large bowl whisk eggs and add in cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk to incorporate. Pour into large baking dish.

In shallow bowl mix cinnamon and brown sugar together.

Preheat skillet or large pan.

Dip 6 slices (or as many that fit into baking dish) into the egg mixture pressing down. Let sit for at least 1 min.

Transfer to preheated skillet or pan. Medium heat works best.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.

Cook for about 3-4 minutes and flip. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar mixture again.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes and remove from pan.

Lather on that butter and dust with powdered sugar and pour on that syrup.

*Note* If serving a lot of people at once keep the oven on warm and place finished french toast on baking sheet. It will keep it nice and warm until ready to serve.

           Also I prefer heating the syrup so try that out as well!