Easy Fruit Smoothie

I have always loved making homemade smoothies, but I hate cleaning up the blender afterwards.  I finally purchased a single serving blender and LOVE it!  These things are awesome, and there are lots of options that are very reasonably priced.  I have the G&E and it was under $20 and works great.

Here is a really quick and easy fruit smoothie that I make a lot. 

Easy Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen fruit
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
3/4 milk

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French Breakfast Puffs

One of the first food blogs that I started to follow was the Pioneer Woman, mostly because she also had a section about photography.  Last year, while living in Oklahoma, a dear friend shared the Pioneer Woman's cookbook.  I had so much fun flipping through the recipes and stubbled across many that I wanted to try...including this one for French Breakfast Puffs.  I just finally got around to trying it this past week and they are absolutely delightful!  I was not disappointed and know that I will be making them again.

Recipe: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients


For Muffins:3 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon (Original recipe called for Ground Nutmeg but I didn't have any)
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cups Shortening (Crisco)
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Milk

For Coating:
1 cup Sugar
3 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Add the eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

In a bowl, melt 1-1/2 sticks butter. Feel free to melt 2 sticks right away, but I didn't use all of mine so next time I will start by melting 1-1/2 sticks.  In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly.

Coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture...don't be cheap!!  If you run out, feel free to add more sugar and cinnamon together.  The original recipe called for an extra cup of sugar but my recipe made 16 muffins and this is all I used. 

They are delicious, and best served warm.  About 25 seconds in the microwave reheats them perfectly from in the fridge, or a minute if you decide to freeze some.

ENJOY and let me know what you think!  I am so excited that I can cross off another recipe from my Top 100 list!



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Finnish Pancakes

I first got introduced to Finnish Pancakes when my husband was playing hockey in Manchester, NH and living with a Finnish couple.  I  loved to visit, especially when Meri made delicious Finnish Pancakes to eat while playing a game of Sequence.  I sadly lost Meri's recipe, but have since found a new one that I like as well.  Meri would always make a big, thinner pancake by pouring the batter onto a cookie sheet.  I have done this, as well as cooking them in a 9x13 cake pan, as I did this time.  Both work great. While searching online, I noticed that some people cook them in a frying pan on the stove too.

The following is the recipe that I have been using the last few years.  I am sure I found it online, but am having trouble relocating it so that I can add a link.  If I find it, I promise to link it to my blog!  Until then, here are the basic instructions.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
3/4 Cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 Cups milk
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

First, place the butter in a 9x13 pan and place it in the oven while it preheats to 400 F. 
Meanwhile, beat eggs, add flour, milk, sugar and salt.  Beat well.  Pour batter into hot, melted butter.  Bake for 30 mins.  I usually poke it with a fork about 20 mins in.  ( If you use a cookie sheet make sure to do this more often).

Here is a picture of my baked Finnish pancake.  

I like to add whipped cream & strawberries and serve it as dessert!  Mmmm, sooo good!  You can serve it with other fruit, syrup, jams, or any other delicious combination you can think of!

The leftovers are good too.  Just warm them up in the microwave and they are just as good as when they come out of the oven.

Enjoy!

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