Egg and Sausage Muffins

For those parents out there, how do get your kiddos involved with kitchen duty? Our little isn't old enough to be put to work yet, but I am storing up lots of ideas. One of my favorite parenting resources is Parenting. Their recipes include hints on how the kiddos can be involved.

Don't forget to check out other Saturday Stirrings recipes at It Coulda' Been Worse.

UPDATE: I add cooked spinach to each muffin cup before adding the egg mixture. A yummy and healthy addition!

Egg and Sausage Muffins
By Rosemary Black, Parenting


Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 7 minutes

Bake time: 12 to 15 minutes

Yield: 6 Servings

Cooking spray

1⁄2 of a 12-oz package of bulk turkey or pork sausage meat, thawed

8 eggs

1⁄4 cup low-fat milk

1⁄4 tsp salt, or to taste

Pinch of black pepper

6 English muffins

2 tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, brown the sausage until it's crispy, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cool slightly, and crumble into small chunks.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper, and stir in crumbled sausage.

4. Ladle mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set. Let cool, then loosen gently and remove to a plate.

5. Split and toast the English muffins. Cut tomatoes into about 12 thin slices. Place a slice on each toasted muffin half, and top with an egg-sausage muffin. Serve hot, 2 per person.

How kids can help: Crack and beat the eggs; measure ingredients

Per Serving: 308 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated), 710 mg sodium, 300 mg cholesterol

Philly Cheesesteak Crockpot Lasagna

I have two really great crockpot lasagna recipes. "Regular" lasagna and chicken & veggie lasagna. After enjoying these two creations several times, Hubby suggested that I develop a Philly Cheesesteak Lasagna recipe as well. So Hubby is the inspiration, and I gave the perspiration. Actually, it wasn't too difficult. I used a large soup pot to cook the steak ums in so that I would only have one extra pot to wash.

This my very own creation - enjoy!

Also, don't forget to check out Pam's blog for more Random Recipes!

Philly Cheesesteak Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pkg oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles

8 steak ums (1/2 pkg)

1 large white onion, sliced

1 large green bell pepper, sliced

2 cans Cheddar cheese soup

3 soup cans milk (I use skim)

1 1/2 cups Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook steak ums one at a time in a large soup pot. Reserve steak ums on a plate until all are finished.

2. Add a little bit of olive oil to the pot and saute onions and peppers. When they are soft, add steak ums.

3. Pour Cheddar cheese soup and milk into the pot and stir to combine. Heat through, add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Assemble layers in your crockpot. I was able to make 4 layers in my 6 qt crock. Use a one cup measure or ladle to spoon a small amount of "sauce" into bottom of crock. Then add a layer of noodles, breaking noodles to fit as needed. Add a layer of sauce with meat, peppers, and onions, then a layer of shredded cheese. Continue layering, with the last layer being shredded cheese.

5. Set crockpot to low and cook for 6-8 hours. Check noodles for doneness.

This made 8 servings for us and we are a family of big eaters. I debuted this recipe for my mom, my in-laws, and Hubby, and they all loved it.

Coffee Cake

This is the BEST coffee cake EVER! I used the butter recipe yellow cake mix. I could have eaten the whole thing! Fortunately, I wrapped up half of it to put in the freezer.

For more Saturday Stirrings recipes, visit It Coulda' Been Worse. DeeDee is taking the day off due to bad mock-amole. DeeDee, I'm so sorry that the "best" Mexican restaurant in your area is Chili's. We've got some serious good Mexican eateries here, if you're in the mood for a road trip!

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (plus ingredients on back of box)

2 Sticks cold salted butter

2 1/4 Cups flour

1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1 ¾ Cups sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla

Powdered sugar (for dusting)

PREHEAT oven to 350.

PREPARE cake mixe in large bowl according to directions on box. Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center is just barely set.

WHILE cakes are baking, prepare crumb topping. In large bowl of electric mixer combine, butter, flour, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla until all crumbly.

IMMEDIATELY after cake is removed from oven, break crumb topping into marble size pieces with fingers, sprinkling over top. Put back in oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (topping will begin to look a little less wet/raw). Let cool fully then dust with powdered sugar, using a sieve.

CUT into squares and serve.

Oatmeal Applesauce Bars

I think my last several posts for Saturday Stirrings have been oatmeal related. I guess I'm thinking about extra fiber lately! This is an adaptation of your standard oatmeal raisin cookie.

Visit DeeDee at It Coulda' Been Worse for more Saturday Stirrings recipes. Thanks for visiting!

Oatmeal Applesauce Bars

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup stick butter or margarine

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3 cups quick cooking or old fashioned oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup raisins, chopped nuts, or semisweet chocolate chip, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients except oats, flour, and raisins in a large bowl. Stir in oats, flour, and raisins.

3. Spread dough into 9x9 ungreased squared pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until light brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 2 inch squares. Makes about 16 squares.

Kolacky - Nut Rolls

We make this for Easter, and the fillings can vary. Below is the nut filling, but you can also use poppy seed pastry filling, raspberry or apricot dessert filling. This is my great aunt's recipe (grandma's twin).

Dough:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 packets of yeast
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup margarine
4 cups flour
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs sugar

Filling:
4 1/2 cups walnuts
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
1 Tbs evaporated milk
3 Tbs honey

1. Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar and let stand.
2. Blend margarine and flour as for pie dough.
3. Warm the milk, yolks, salt, and sugar, then add yeast mixture and combine with flour.
4. Cover and let rise double.
5. Punch down, divide into 4 pieces.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece. Spread filling, the form into roll. Put on greased cookie sheet.
7. Oil rolls before covering to rise.
8. Let rise double, bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
9. For filling, mix dry ingredients. Add combined milk and honey to dry mix. Mix thoroughly and scatter over dough.

Makes 4 rolls.

Paska - Easter Bread

This is our family's traditional Easter bread. This is my great aunt's (grandma's twin!) recipe, and I have many fond memories of baking this bread with my mom and sister.

5 cups scalded milk
2 Tbs salt
1 scant cup of sugar
1/2 cup oil
3 packets of yeast
6 egg yolks, plus a few drops of yellow food coloring (I leave out the food coloring)
1 cup golden raisins (cook in hot water for a few minutes) (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 small can Carnation milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
about 13 cups flour
1 stick of margarine or butter

1. Scald milk. Add salt, sugar, oil, and butter. Let cool.
2. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and let set a while.
3. Beat egg yolks and coloring. Add raisins, vanilla, Carnation milk, and buttermilk.
4. Add flour and yeast mixture. Knead until you see bubbles in the dough (at least 12 minutes).
5. Place loaves in bread pans or round baking dish. For round loaf, also braid small ring of dough to represent the crown of thorns. Let rise until doubled.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Brush tops with egg whites beaten with water for shiny appearance.

Makes 6 loaves.

Semi-Homemade Pizza

It's time for Random Recipes again! Our "topic" is pizza. I.love.pizza! I could eat pizza every day and not get bored. There is just so much you can do with it.

I don't have a pizza recipe per se, but I'll share what I do when making pizza at home.

Ingredients:

one prepared store-bought pizza crust (I like Boboli thin crust.)

your favorite spaghetti sauce (really, what's the difference between spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce?)

small amount of olive oil

garlic powder

chopped basil (either fresh or dried)

shredded mozzarella cheese

your favorite toppings - our current favorites are turkey smoked sausage and bell peppers

Directions:

Pre-heat oven according to directions on the pizza crust. Well, the directions are not ON the crust. They are on the package from whence the crust came.

Place your store-bought pizza crust on a pizza stone or pizza pan. Yes, the directions may say that you can bake it directly on the rack, but I don't want to clean up a messy oven if the sauce or cheese spills over.

Brush the crust with a small amount of olive oil. You can either use a pastry brush or your fingers. I use my fingers. Why dirty another utensil that you are going to have to wash?

Spoon spaghetti sauce over crust, spread to within 1/4 inch of edge. Sprinkle garlic powder and basil evenly over the sauce.

Top with shredded mozzarella, as much or as little as you like. Then scatter toppings over cheese. I like to finish with just a little more cheese over the toppings, but that's a personal preference.

Bake according to directions on pizza crust package. I always take my out before it's done, but I'm impatient like that. I just like it that way, or maybe I've learned to like it that way because that's always how it is because I can't wait. I could blame it on being a middle child like the Pioneer Woman does, but I'm not a middle child, so I really can't use that excuse.

Now, get on over the Pam's blog to check out her pizza recipe and post your own if you so desire!