Good Morning!

Rise and Shine!

Our Sunny Kitchen Table

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Is Everybody Hungry?  Juice?  Coffee? 

Oh, I know, how about our:

Whole Wheat Heaven and Heat Breakfast Muffins?

Don’t they smell absolutely delicious?

If you’d like the recipe scroll down the post.

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Our Rise and Shine Kayaker’s Breakfast

We also have this breakfast treat for any morning occasion.  We just happened to have made these one morning before a kayaking expedition to Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida.

Quick, Easy, and Delicious!

(See Recipe Down Below)

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Also try our:

Sausage and Quiche Egglet’s

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(Recipe Down Below)

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AND,

Our Breakfast Knots with Eggs, Pancetta, and Cheese

(Recipe Down Below)

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Our Broccoli Ham and Egg Cups

(Recipe Down Below)

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Our Cream Cheese English Muffin Veggie Spread

Topped with our Mad Hatter Peppers and Herbs

(Recipe Down Below)

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First Up:

Whole Wheat Heaven and Heat Breakfast Muffins

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(We did double this recipe because we wanted to freeze several of them for future breakfast’s.  We do have a single batch listed here in the ingredients.)

The Ingredients:

2 3/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (You can use White All Purpose Flour.)

2 Tbsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. ground Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp. ground Sweet Paprika

1 tsp. Homemade Hungarian Paprika (optional)

1 tsp. Fine Ground Himalayan Pink Salt

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 Tbsp. Ground Turmeric

3/4 Cup Whole Milk

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

3 Eggs

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Medium Red Onion – Diced

3/4 Bell Peppers – Red, Orange, Green – Diced

3/4 Cup Feta Cheese

2 Cups Spinach – Chopped

Pancetta, Italian Bacon – Medium Sliced

Preheat your oven to 375′ F. 

Again, we doubled the recipe, which is why some of the portions look larger than they should be.

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In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients.

Add your flour…

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….then your baking soda, cayenne pepper, and Himalayan Pink Salt.

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Then add your Turmeric

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In another bowl, combine your wet ingredients starting with the milk.

Now add your vegetable oil.

And now your eggs.

(I hope we don’t confuse you but we did end up adding an additional egg to the batter later on in the recipe.  Keep reading down below and we will show you where.  But for now just use 2 eggs here for a single batch of this recipe.  OR, you could just go ahead and add all 3 eggs NOW.)

This was an experimental recipe for us which is why we decided to add more later on instead of now.

Whisk the wet ingredients together well and set aside.

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Time for the Vegetables

Slice your red onion.

Also your bell peppers into small dice sized pieces.

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Nice picture Julie!

(Thank you Gordon!)

Using a large saute pan, add your olive oil and turn to med. heat.

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Here is a great picture of all the colorful vegetables we will use.

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I vacuum sealed the pancetta shortly after I bought it.

When your olive oil is heated, add your red onions and bell peppers to the saute pan.

Toss the ingredients in the oil.

Add your salt and pepper to taste.

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Use a spatula to turn the cooking vegetables when needed.  The picture on the bottom right is the finished product as they still retain much of their color.  Set aside to cool.

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Use a whisk to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.  I am adding sweet paprika I received from my Hungarian friend… amazing home-made ingredient.  This was an after thought to the original recipe.

Stir all the dry ingredients well.

Stir the wet ingredients one more time before pouring them into the dry ingredients.

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Now, add your sauteed vegetable into the dry ingredient bowl.

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Mix all the ingredients well using a spatula, being careful not to over mix the dough.

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(HERE is where the extra EGGS come in to play.)

As the batter looks dry, we decided to add more eggs.  Remember, we doubled the recipe which is why you see two in the bowl below.  All these extra ingredients have been correctly added to the original ingredients at the top of this recipe.  We are simply depicting our thought process as we were making the recipe.

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The dough looks great with the small bits of color.

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Now, add your feta cheese

Just crumble it in.

Now fold in your chopped spinach to the dough batter.

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Place one slice of pancetta into each muffin slot as shown.

(Gordon came up with this idea.)

Now, add a heaping spoonful of the dough into each muffin slot.

Bake the muffins in your preheated 375’F oven for 20-25 min.

Depicted below, are the extra muffins we made as we did double the recipe.

But we only used the pancetta in 12 of them.

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In order to crisp up the pancetta, Gordon flipped them over and placed them back into the muffin tin.

We could have pre-baked the pancetta slices for about 5 min. or so in the muffin tin before we added the batter.  Perhaps we’ll try that next time.

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Time to turn the oven on broil and place the pancetta side up back into the oven.

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Here is a great shot of them broiling…

They really turned out great!

This crisps the pancetta up so nicely!

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 They make a great portable breakfast for those on the go, without having to stop on the way to work.  This lessens your human contact in these times of the Coronavirus.

The pancetta here is like biting through butter.  There was no toughness to it whatsoever. 

And we added just the right amount of heat  that gave you that great after taste.

Yummy!

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Rise and Shine Kayaker’s Breakfast

We needed a good breakfast before our day of kayaking Weeki Wachee Springs one day.

It is a 6 mile trip by kayak and we wanted to start our day off with something easy, healthy, and tasty.

Start by slicing green, red, and yellow bell peppers into rings.

Add some olive oil to a sauce pan on a medium-high heat and then place a few of the rings to soften.

Once they have softened a little bit, crack an egg into each ring.

Place a lid onto the pan for just a few minutes so that the steam cooks the eggs and they don’t run when you try and flip them.

Gordon Flipping Our Bell Pepper Eggs

Just Top With Some Salt and Pepper  🙂

Great Grab and Go Breakfast!

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Sausage and Quiche Egglets

This recipe idea was born out of a worry that eggs would be scarce in the beginning of this Covid 19 Pandemic, March 2020.  We started shopping online and grocery stores were limiting the amount of eggs that we could purchase.  Seeing how this was early on in the pandemic, none of us knew what to expect or where it would lead us?  So, I thought that if we at least got breakfast situated that it would be one less meal to worry about daily.  Having these delicious little quiche’s in the freezer would make things a bit easier on us just in case there did become an egg shortage.

At this writing, July 2020, eggs were never a problem and we have always been able to purchase as many as we need.  But, it’s still nice to plan ahead and have a freezer full.  Just in case.

This Recipe Will Make 24 Combined Quiche Egglets, and Sausage Egglets

The Ingredients:

2 tsp. ground Sweet Paprika

2 tsp. Fine Ground Himalayan Pink Salt

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

3/4 Cups Whole Milk

12 Eggs

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Onion – Diced

1/4 Cup Green Bell Pepper, Diced

4 Mini Sweet Peppers – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green – Diced

3/4 Cups Feta Cheese, Crumbled

2 Cups Spinach – Chopped

Pancetta, Italian Bacon – Medium Sliced

A Few Salami Slices (We turned to Salami when we ran out of Pancetta.)

1 Package Turkey Sausage Links

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It’s always a good idea to read a recipe through before you start to make it.

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Pre-Heat Oven to 350F

The first thing we did was to place some Pancetta into our muffin pan.  When we didn’t have enough to fill all of the spaces, Gordon got some Salami out of the refrigerator to fill the remaining holes.

This is a non-stick muffin pan. 

There was no need to add any cooking oil spray because the Pancetta and Salami would produce enough grease preventing them from sticking.

The Salami turned out to be a very nice alternative and made cute little cups to hold our quiche’s. 

You will see further on down the post.

Time to place into a 350F oven for about 15 minutes to crisp the Pancetta and the Salami.

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Chopping the Onions

Gordon Chopped About 3/4 Cup

Here He Added About 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

..to a saute pan and softened the onions for about 7 minutes on a medium-high heat.

So, while the onion is sauteing It’s time to chop the Green Bell Pepper.

Gordon Chopped About 1/4 Cup

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Meanwhile, our Pancetta and Salami is ready to remove from the oven.

It looks like our Onions have softened.  See photo left top.

Now it’s time to remove our crispy Pancetta and Salami from the muffin pan and place onto paper towels for the oil to drain.

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Here Gordon is chopping the rest of our peppers into diced sized pieces. 

Approximately 1 cup total.

Time to add them to the onions and continue to saute until they become a bit soft. 

About 5 minutes on medium-high heat.

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Now it’s time to add 1 teaspoon Salt, and 1 teaspoon Paprika.

(NOTE:  I have listed in the ingredients above that this recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of both Salt and Paprika.  But here is where you only add 1 teaspoon each.  The rest is added later on to the eggs in the recipe below.)

We do love this very fine Himalayan salt as it adds a nice flavor.

Now it’s time to place back into our muffin pan, the crispy Pancetta and Salami cups.

But before you do, make sure that you have drained the grease out of it.

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Now it’s time to make our egg mixture.

In a medium bowl crack about 12 eggs.

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Add your milk, about 3/4 cup.

Whisk Together

Now it’s time to add the remaining 1 teaspoon of Paprika.

Also, time to add the remaining 1 teaspoon of Salt and now add about a teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper.

Whisk Together

Now It’s Time To Chop Your Fresh Spinach

Add Your Chopped Spinach to the Egg Mixture

Here Gordon is adding the sauteed Onions and Colorful Peppers to the egg mixture.

Now crumble in your Feta Cheese’s. 

Stir Together

Preheat Your Oven to 350F

Use a ladle to scoop some of the egg mixture into each muffin cup over the crispy Pancetta and Salami.

Now it’s time to bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. 

Each oven is different so keep and eye on them.  You want them to cook thoroughly but not burn.

When done remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack while still in the pan.

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Now It’s Time for our Sausage Egglets

I’ve got this great pan with the spikes that I am going to use to hold the Turkey Sausage Links.

We wanted to brown these in a sauce pan first.  These are Turkey Sausages.

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This was my idea (Julie), to place these sausages on these spikes and then have a quiche around them. 

So, here Gordon is placing them on the spikes.

Now It’s time to add the leftover egg mixture. 

If you find you may need more then add a few more eggs, salt, pepper, paprika, cheese……

Again, use a ladle to pour the egg mixture over the sausages and into each muffin cup.

Now it’s time to place them into a 350F oven for about 25 minutes. 

Again, your oven may cook faster, or slower, so keep an eye on them.

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When done remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack until cool.

Delicious!  They freeze well. 

We placed about 1 or 2 into plastic freezer bags and then placed into the freezer for future breakfast eating.

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The Leftover Mixture…

Gordon did not want to waste the last of this mixture so he added a few more eggs to it….

Placed some Olive Oil into the saute pan and added some Turmeric, and then poured the remaining mixture over top. 

He then cooked the egg mixture in a small oven proof saute pan over medium high heat on the stove top for a few minutes.

Now, turn the oven to 350’F and place the pan in it for 20 to 25 minutes or until the eggs are firm and reach an internal temperature of 165’F. 

Hey, you just made a Quiche! 

And REAL MEN DO Eat Quiche  🙂

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Muffins to Freeze

When the Covid 19 Pandemic hit I also set out buying several packages of muffin mixes of various flavors and using the eggs that I already had in my refrigerator, I made muffins all day to freeze for a later date.

So, whether we are in a pandemic or not, it’s still a good idea to make ahead some easy breakfast muffins that are ready made and waiting for you in the freezer.  There is something reassuring in these uncertain times where planning ahead gives us a little bit of peace of mind.

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Our Breakfast Knots with Eggs, Pancetta, and Cheese

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This is Such a Nice Simple Recipe for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

These are called Hot Mama Knots and they are found in the frozen section of the supermarket.  Just follow the directions on the package and bake accordingly.  When done just let them cool a bit before you start the assembly.  (You can use any bread you like for this.)

Bake the Pancetta slices above.  Bake in the oven on a lined sheet pan for about 12- 15 minutes until nice and crispy and then place them onto paper towels for the oil to drain.

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Microwave Eggs

Ingredients:

6 Eggs

Pam Olive Oil Spray

3 Tbsp. Milk (1 Tbsp. per mug)

 Turmeric (Pinch per mug)

Salt and Pepper to taste

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Hot Mama Knots

6 Slices Pancetta or Bacon

6 Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese

(We ended up making 6 of these but I am only photographing the ingredients and instructions for 4 of these sandwiches.  Hopefully not confusing you too much.)

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Spray your Olive Oil into two microwave safe mugs and then crack two eggs into each mug.

Here you see the two eggs in each mug.

Add your milk to each mug.

Now add your Turmeric, fresh ground pepper and salt to each mug.

Using a fork, whisk all the ingredients together well.  Note: You could omit the milk if you wanted, but you still need to break the eggs yellow yolk as it could explode in the microwave during the cooking process if not pierced.  This is the same for when you microwave a potato.

Microwave the two mugs for 40 seconds on high.

Remove the mugs and using your fork, stir the eggs slightly to assist in the cooking process.

Microwave the two mugs again this time for 30 seconds on high.

Remove the mugs and again stir the eggs.  Here you can see the eggs are beginning to firm.

Place the eggs back into the microwave again for another 20 seconds on high.  You will see the eggs rise during the cooking process and may even get higher than the mug.  If this happens, stop the microwave, wait about 10 seconds then continue to microwave the eggs.

Here you can see both mugs of light and fluffy eggs.  They become fluffy from the stirring between cooking instances and the rising of the eggs almost out of the mugs while being microwaved.

Pour out your eggs onto a plate.  There shouldn’t be any runny eggs.  If there are, place the eggs back into the mug and microwave them for another 10 seconds or so.

When your eggs are properly cooked, slice them in half.

Now it’s Time to Assemble

Put together your breakfast knots!  Slice your knots in half ash shown, then add a slice of your Sharp Cheddar Cheese folding in the four edges so it all stays on the bread knot.  Then add your eggs and a slice of Pancetta.  Finally, place the top on the knot on the Pancetta and you are done!

If you like you can add some mustard as we did.

Enjoy!

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Our Broccoli Ham and Egg Cups

Perfect for that long, lazy weekend.  🙂

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The Ingredients:

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~1 1/2 Cups Broccoli – boiled

~7 Green Onions – sliced thinly

Pam Cooking Spray

2- 3 Slices Cracker Barrel Sweet Smoked Ham

2-3 Slices Smithfield Honey Cured Ham

3 Slices Swiss Cheese – sliced thinly

1/2 Cup Gruyere Cheese – shredded

9 Eggs – beaten

~1/2 to 3/4 Cup Milk

1 tsp. Rubbed Sage

1 tsp. Roasted Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sprigs of Parsley for garnish

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The Ham We Used

(Although you can use whatever that you like.)

Slice your broccoli to bite sized pieces.

Place your broccoli into a pot of boiling water and cook for about 5 min. or until just tender.

Drain the broccoli into a colander and gently rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. 

This will keep the broccoli bright green as shown.

Slice off the root ends of the green onions…

and slice them thinly as shown.  Put them aside for later use.

Spray your ramekins with cooking spray as shown.

Slice your ham in half or fold them in half and either line the ramekins or center the meat as shown.

Slice your Swiss Cheese into thin slices about 1/4 inch in width then slice them to 2 inch lengths.

Place some broccoli and sliced Swiss cheese into the ramekins as shown.

Crack your eggs into a large bowl.

Then add your milk…

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Using a whisk, beat the eggs and milk together. 

Here I added a touch more milk to the eggs as I felt they were still too yellow in color.

Our Cheese and Herbs Ready

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Now add the Rubbed Sage, and Roasted Garlic Powder to the eggs.

Then add your freshly ground Pepper and Salt (Hawaiian) to taste.

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With any of the cheese or meats used, you can substitute your own favorites to suit your taste.

Add about 1 Cup of the sliced Green Onions to the egg mixture and whisk all the ingredients together well.

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Arrange your ramekins on a sheet tray.

Ladle your egg mixture into each ramekin leaving about 1/4 of an inch of space at the top.

Like so….

These Are Ready For The Oven

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While We Are Waiting For The 350F Oven To Come To Temperature…

Shred your Gruyere cheese and save for later.

Place your ramekins into the preheated 350’F oven…

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and cook the egg mixture for about 20 min. or until the eggs are firm.

Add some of your Gruyere cheese and sliced Green Onions to the top of each ramekin.

Garnish with a sprig of Parsley.

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Our Cream Cheese English Muffin Veggie Spread

Topped with our Mad Hatter Peppers and Herbs (Basil)

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Ingredients:

2, 8 oz. blocks of Cream Cheese, Softened

Chopped Colorful Bell Peppers, as many as you like.

Chopped Onion, as much as you like.

2 Long Stalks of Celery, Chopped

Bunch of Chives, Chopped

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Optional Additions:

Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped

Sweet Bell Peppers, Chopped

3/4 Cup of Roasted Walnuts, Chopped

Tabasco Spicy Salt, Add to Tastes

Mad Hatter Peppers

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English Muffins or Bagels

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This is a recipe about personal tastes. 

I am giving you the ingredients but it really is up to you to decide the amounts.

The funny looking red peppers above are my Mad Hatter Peppers that I will use to top my creation when I am finished.

You do want to soften the Cream Cheese, and then add your chopped ingredients to your liking.

The peppers that you see at photo right, I picked from our garden that morning. 

I did use one of them in this Veggie Spread.

The jarred Roasted Red Peppers in the photo right, added a great taste to the fresh Peppers I originally added.

Time To Mix Together

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For some added taste and crunch I roasted about a cup or so of Walnuts and Pieces for about 10 minutes in a 350F oven.

I added about a half a cup or so to the Cream Cheese Mixture.

Tabasco Spicy Salt

I probably added about a teaspoon or so to this.

Mix Everything Together and Spread Generously onto an English Muffin  🙂

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What a nice way to start your morning!

Julie and Gordon