Date & Sage Scones

These are WONDERFUL! I was curious to try a savory seasoning with something sweet, but wasn't really sure how it would come out and was really impressed. I'd have to say this is one of my favorites now!

1/2 cup dried date pieces

• Date & Sage Scones
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup dried date pieces
• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground sage

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg

Directions: (Pictures below)
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and pour into food processor, whir until dough forms a ball.
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, about 8 inches. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 15-20** minutes at 400˚.


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 20 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

The Best Pancakes Ever

I have used this recipe for many years and everyone loves it. It's my basic pancake recipe, I change it slightly when I use different flours, so if you've followed my blog for a while, you will probably recognize it from my whole wheat pancake recipe.

The Best Pancakes Ever

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cups sugar (optional- I leave this out)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients and then add:

3 cups milk*
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
Mix thoroughly. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle. You will see bubbles form to show you when to flip the pancakes, I flip them when there are bubble across the whole pancake, but the bubbles in the middle have not popped.
This makes a good sized batch, enough for 6 good eaters-- we normally have just a couple pancakes leftover.

*Can replace milk with 2 1/2 c. apple juice

Blueberry Scones

• 
  
• Blueberry Scones
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and pour into food processor, whir until just before dough forms a ball, add frozen blueberries and continue to whir until dough forms a ball.
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, about 8 inches. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 15-20** minutes at 400˚.


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 20 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

Cheeseburger Cups

In effort to make something "new" I did this. It was a definite hit... but pretty much anything that is called "cheeseburger" is a hit!!
This does make 24 rolls, I use two 12 count muffin pans, if you only have 1 muffin pan, then 1/2 of the dough can be set aside and baked up as cinnamon rolls or plain dinner rolls.

Stretch the pieces out in your
hands to make as much
of a circle as you can.

Cheeseburger Cups

1 recipe basic dinner roll dough
1 lb hamburger, browned
mixed with:
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
a few "shakes" garlic powder
slices of cheddar cheese

Place into muffin tins.

Dump the dough onto a flour surface, make an oval shape. I use a pizza cutter and cut it in half, then in half again (so there are now quarters), cut each quarter in half (now you have 8 pieces) cut each eighth into 3 equal pieces.
Stretch the pieces out in your hands to make as much of a circle as you can. Place into muffin tins.
Fill with hamburger mix and top with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350˚ for approximately 20 minutes.

Fill with hamburger mix and top
with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350˚ for approximately
20 minutes.

Almond Scones

I love the look of this presentation. I am not a huge nut fan, so, I admit to just tasting these and not eating several. But it's ok- my boys scarfed ate them all. They were a favorite for them!

• Almond Scones
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds for topping

Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor (including 1/2 cup almonds), whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg, sour cream and extract and pour into food processor, whir until dough forms a ball.
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, about 8 inches. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup almonds and press into dough. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 15-20** minutes at 400˚.


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 20 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

Homemade Hashbrowns

This is comfort food for me. My mom would make these when I was young and I think it was my absolute favorite breakfast!

There isn't really a recipe, just a method. So here is what I do:

Homemade Hashbrowns
Scrub, wash, dry and grate several potatoes (approximately 1 per person).
Heat several tablespoons of coconut oil in a frying pan (cast iron is nice, but anything else will work).

Spread grated potatoes in hot oil/frying pan. Salt.
Potatoes do start to turn a pink color when they start cooking- this is normal and in the end they will be kind of gray and brown.

Cooking depends on the type of frying pan you use, I turn them several times before I consider them "done." If you have a larger pan, use your spatula and cut the potatoes into sections so it's easier to flip. I cut mine into quarters. Flip when the bottom is a nice golden to dark brown.

Salt this side as well.

I like crunchy hashbrowns, you can serve them as soon as both sides are brown, or I mix them and then fry on both sides again. Sometimes more oil is needed to keep them from sticking. That's why I like to use coconut oil, since I know it's a healthy option if you are going to be eating alot of it!

I typically serve these with eggs, fruit and a tall glass of milk.

Lemon Scones

I LOVED this scone. The lemon flavor was light and the scone was everything I look for in a scone- a perfect mix.

• Lemon Scones
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• zest from 1/2 of an organic lemon

Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg, sour cream, vanilla and zest and pour into food processor, whir until dough forms a ball.
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, about 8 inches. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 15-20** minutes at 400˚.


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 20 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

Chicken and Artichoke Penne

So, I know this is a little bland looking- but it's not bland tasting! I really like artichoke hearts. I get a huge jar from Costco. This was a hit with everyone in the family- the 2 littlest kids didn't eat the artichoke, but they ate the chicken and pasta.


Chicken and Artichoke Penne

Ingredients:
16 ounces pasta
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup artichoke hearts
1/2 cup "juice" from the artichoke hearts
1 cup half & half
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or corn starch)

Directions:
Boil pasta, according to directions. Brown chicken breast in lightly oiled frying pan or skillet. When chicken is done (juices run clear) add the artichoke, juice and lemon juice. Allow to heat through. Mix arrowroot powder into half & half, slowly add to chicken. Stir until thickened and toss with cooked drained pasta.
Serve.