Blueberry French Toast Bake

Almost every day I teach piano lessons right before dinner time so these kinds of recipes are my favorite. I make this early in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day. Pop it in the oven while I teach and Wa Lah, a nice warm dinner -- maybe I should say breakfast -- is served within ten minutes after my students leave. I use my own French bread recipe which is a bit more dense than bread you buy at the store. Works great!

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, sliced in thick pieces

5 eggs

1 cup of half and half

1 cup milk

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

Arrange bread in a greased (be sure to grease) 13 X 9 inch pan. In a bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 5 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Turn bread slices over. Sprinkle pecans over bread. Combine butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar; drizzle over top. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Apple Dumplings

This recipe seems to be floating all over the Internet -- probably because it's so good that people want to shout it from the rooftops! I love it because it tastes like something that was labor intensive to make and yet it is so not that. This recipe is quick to put together and makes for a delicious dessert. You also might be able to get away with it for a sweet breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 medium Granny Smith apples

2 cans crescent rolls

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 oz Sprite

cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel apples, core, and cut each one into eight wedges (16 total wedges). Open a can of crescent roll dough and carefully separate along the perforations. Place one apple wedge on each piece of dough and wrap it up. Place in pan and repeat with remaining can of dough and apples. Set aside.

In medium sauce pan melt butter; add sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour butter sugar mixture over the apples. Then pour the Sprite over top of that. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.

When dumplings are done serve with ice cream and a ladle full of sauce. Serves 8.

Cinnamon Syrup

I once met a little girl named Cinnamon at the park. And I still remember because I suppose if I had to be named after a spice I'd choose Cinnamon over Sage, Rosemary, or Ginger. And that's simply because cinnamon is my most favorite spice ever. I've been known to bake cinnamon infused foods just to make my home smell like it did when I was little and my mom made cinnamon rolls or just so that I could tell that it was actually Autumn time despite the not-so-prevalent red, brown, and yellow leaves down here in Texas.

Once you make this syrup, you will have a hard time buying maple syrup at the store. It's quick and oh, so easy and it makes your house smell like heaven.

Ingredients:

1 cup white corn syrup

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

Combine corn syrup, sugar, water, and cinnamon in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir on high heat and boil for two minutes. Take off heat and cover for five minutes. Whisk in evaporated milk and serve warm. Refrigerate remaining syrup.

Meatball Sub Sandwich

Whenever I see ground beef on sale, I buy a lot of it . . . like 30 pounds. And then for the next few months I wonder what in the world I'm going to make with it so I can get it out of my freezer. This is one of my favorite uses for it. I've cooked this two different ways. One way is to put it all in the crock pot on low for 6 - 8 hours. The other way is to cook the meatballs in the oven and then add them to the sauce on the stove. I like the oven recipe better because the fat from the beef ends up in the bottom of the broiler pan instead of the sauce. But, if you use a lean enough meat, the crock pot works great and as always, it is super convenient on a crazy evening.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

6 hoagie buns

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt to taste

1 (14 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

6 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently mix by hand the ground beef, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and eggs. Shape into 24 meatballs and place on broiler pan. (This can be done ahead of time and placed in refrigerator until ready to cook.)

Bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut the buns in half and remove some of the bread inside to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder and salt.

Warm the spaghetti sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce. Toast the bread in the oven while the sauce is warming. Spoon meatballs and sauce onto the bun and top with provolone cheese. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

French Bread Sandwich Buns

I love to cook a hearty sandwich filling in my crock pot all day and then make these buns for an easy evening meal. These buns work perfect for French dip and meatball sandwiches. They're also great deli sandwich buns, but I especially like them for hot sandwiches. I use this same recipe when I make a loaf of French bread only I make one loaf instead of six.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon oil

4 cups of flour (more or less)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast (I prefer the SAF brand)

egg white, whisked

Combine yeast and warm water and let it set for about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well then knead 7 - 8 minutes. Put in bowl, cover with tea towel, and let raise about 50 minutes. Punch down dough, then divide into six pieces. Shape into narrow loaves and place on greased cookie sheets. Cut slits on top with sharp knife. Cover and raise for 30 minutes. Carefully brush with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush with egg white again and bake an additional 15 minutes.

* I love my bread maker and actually do all of the mixing, kneading, and raising on the dough cycle and then take it out to shape into loaves, raise again and bake.

Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite summer desserts. With the tangy lemon or lime mixed in with the ice cream, it is absolutely refreshing. This recipe is from my Grandma Jex. Many times when we would visit in the summertime, she would serve this pie. It can be made in a 9-inch pie plate, a 9 X 11 pan or in individual serving dishes like the ones shown below that were a huge hit at Alyssa's wedding reception.

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker crust (see recipe below) with 3 tablespoons crumbs reserved

2 quarts vanilla ice cream

6 oz frozen lemonade, pink lemonade, or limeade concentrate

a few drop of corresponding food coloring

Directions:

Let ice cream sit on counter until slightly soft. Put in mixer bowl. Add frozen concentrate. Mix with electric mixer until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. Pour onto graham cracker crust. Sprinkle reserved crust crumbs on top of pie. Cover with foil and freeze for at least two hours. Slice and serve. If you make it in a pie plate put it in the freezer, but do not cover until it freezes solid.

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

Directions:

Melt butter; stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers; toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm.