Turkey breakfast sausage ~

A very savory breakfast

Why not spinach at breakfast?  I like it.  The kids...not so much.  My picture focus is poor enough, adding spinach at least makes it better than a picture with just a patty on a plate.  


Ground turkey was on sale this week at Safeway's $5 Friday.  Three pounds for $5.  That is a heck of a price, easy on the budget.  I struggle with the other side of the coin that says it's not great animal farming practices.  I do have to pick and choose when the food cost allotment is sparse.  Moving on past the guilt...temporary as it is...


Turkey meat being as lean and dull as it can be, it needs help.  I've wanted some sauage lately, and at this price I decided now was the time to try adding spices to make a quickie sausage flavored ground turkey while saving money.   How wrong could it go.  :)  It went really well.    I wandered the web for spice recipes...picked what I like and played with amounts.  I had to add fennel...a favorite of mine in sausages.  I also had to purchase something I've not had in my kitchen in decades.  Onion and garlic powders.  They won't be staples, I feel lazy using them, an illogical feeling.


Turkey breakfast sausage ~
Part of Menu Plan Monday

1 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, fresh grated
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 lb. ground turkey

• Mix spices, fold into turkey meat.
• Cook as desired.

Notes -

I did add salt to the exterior of the patty after forming, it needed a little extra boost of salt.  I used olive oil, patty form, medium low heat, saute pan.

Happy morning to you ~ will you choose love today.


xoxo
Until another time.

Apple cake ~

The first layer of fruit & streusel

I don't do this often, serve what is essentially no more than a homey old-fashioned dessert for the kidlets after school snack.  Tossing nutritional value to the wind.  I must be feeling the combination of loving and vulnerable at the same time, wanting to nuture through food.  How under the surface is that...how about simply floating at the top, "Why not have a special treat now and then."   Because my mind doesn't do surface stuff naturally.   Darnit.  :)


Simple apple cake with whole wheat flour ~
Linked to Menu Plan Monday


1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp. nutmeg
6 1/2 T. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1 apple, cored, peeled, halved, 1/4" slices
Lots of streusel of choice, approximately a cup

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and line with parchment an 8" springform pan.
• Mix the dry ingredients, set aside.
• Add the butter and sugar into the mixer bowl...mix until light.
• Add vanilla and one egg at a time, beating between the additions until light and fluffy.
• In thirds, alternate adding the flour and sour cream.  Begin with flour, end with sour cream.
• Spread half the batter in the pan.  Line half the apple slices atop the batter.  Sprinkle the apples with half the streusel.
• Top with the remaining batter.  Add the apple slices.  Top with remaining streusel.
• Bake for 60+ minutes.  Use a toothpick in an area without apple, near the middle.   It should spring back when lightly touched.

Notes ~~

This is not very sweet, as I tend to bake for us, it's my perference.  If you are...say...from the South...you might care for more sugar, the recipe can take to add up to 1-1/8 c. sugar.  This would also be good with some added almonds or pecans.  

Lil' dude asked for seconds ~ be still my beating heart....today I said yes.  

Apple crumb cake

xoxo ~
Lil' nose rubs ~ :)

Whole wheat blueberry pancakes ~

~
Oh boy, oh boy ~ I have success.  Whole wheat pancake success, yay!  Little dude was surprised that they were whole wheat.  He has it in his head that all whole wheat items are not as delicious as white flour products, he's learning.  :)  

This made way too much for the four of us, whole wheat is filling and satisfying in a way white flour is not....though bless the delicate addicting nature of white flour.  :)  Next time I'll cut the recipe in half.   Anywhoo.....attaching this backwards to Menu Planning Monday's list. 

Monday morning pancakes, Monday morning light

Whole wheat pancakes ~


2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. sugar
2 eggs
3 T. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 - 2 c. buttermilk, depending on how thick you like your pancakes

• The usual pancake drill.  
• Combine dry.
• Combine wet.
• Combine wet into dry, just until mixed.  Do not beat.
• Medium heat.  Butter.  Batter.  Blueberries.  Cook.  Flip.  Finish cook.
• Serve to happy morning people that love you.  
• :)

xoxo

Eskimo kisses, real ones ~

Menu Plan Monday ~

Doing this with others motivates me...which in turn helps organize my life, which is helpful now that I have a part-time job outside the home...menu planning saves me money....and means we eat healthier when I plan....and makes me wander around the food fun of the web for a couple new meals to eat, keeping out meal anything but boring.  Heck...as if good food could be boring.  :)

If I get any pictures, I'll back track and add recipe links to the menu list as the week goes on. 

Meatless Monday ~

Breakfast - Whole wheat blueberry pancakes.

After school snack - apple crumb cake, milk.

Supper - Sauteed tofu with Thai spices, rice noodles with veggies and peanut sauce.  Veggies are roasted carrots and steam broccoli.

Taco Tuesday ~

Breakfast - homemade turkey sausage patties, toasted whole grain rye bread, grapefruit supremes.

Afterschool snack - hummus and crackers or yogurt and orange slices.

Supper - Sofia’s request, taco Tuesday.  Hard shell tacos.  Filling choices of seasoned ground beef, grated cheese, homemade salsa.  Rice, pilaf style, with browned sweet onion, cilantro, cumin, roasted poblano pepper.

Wednesday  ~

Breakfast - oatmeal.

Afterschool snack - banana and strawberry yogurt parfaits.

Supper - Baked turkey meatballs with hoisin sauce.  Brown jasmine rice.  Steamed broccoli.

Thursday ~

Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, toast, orange wedges.

Snack - Popcorn, fruit.

Supper - Freezer grab -  Chili verde over brown basmati rice with caramelized onions.  Black beans.

Friday ~


Breakfast - Cherrios.  :)


Kidlets are gone to their dads for the weekend, no meal planning...I get to wing it as I go.  :)

Grapefruit-sesame vinaigrette ~

Sunday lunch

Grapefruit-sesame vinaigrette ~ 

Juice from one grapefruit, ruby red
2 T. champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. honey
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Pinch cayenne
4-5 T. olive oil

• In a small saucier, reduce the grapefruit juice to 2-3 T.
• In a mini-processor, blend the minced garlic, champagne vinegar, dijon mustard
• Add the honey, sesame oil, salt, cayenne.
• Slowly add the olive oil. 
• Easy peasy, especially tart.

A serene spiritual Sunday.

xoxo
Eskimo kisses.

Sofia cake, part two

~

After filling the particular pan we used for Sofia cake the other day, we had some batter leftover.  True it could have held the entire amount, but better safe than sorry when baking up a new recipe and a pan not used often.  I got out my mini angel food pan - I think I've used once - I certainly do not want to clean the darn thing...even though I was drawn to buy it when it showed up on a clearance sale rack.  It's a sweet pan, but I find the cakes are too large for one person.  We gave it go when Sofia wanted to add some coconut to the top of her pumpkin-almond cake.  Caramel sauce added at plating time and it was definitely a sweet dessert for the kidlets.  

Sofia cake ~

 ~ Sofia cake ~

Sofia cake for a spiritual sunny Sunday gathering.  It was Miss Little Bit and myself alone all weekend.  Truth be told, I was grumpy and testy a fair percentage of the weekend, I felt for her.   I did pull it together to ask her if she wanted to help me make a cake for Sunday's spiritual gathering, I was on snack duty.  I already had brownies made, more snacks were needed.  Please forgive the oil....I was low on butter, feeling financially pinced, I had lots of oil on hand, was too lazy to run to the store.  Pick an excuse, most of them are hardly valid save the second and last one.  Substitute 1 1/2 sticks melted butter or simple cream room temp butter with the sugar, the flavor will be softer, richer, more depth with butter.  On to...

Sofia cake ~

 

3 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. pumpkin spice

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil (or substitute 1 1/2 sticks butter)

15 oz. pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

1 c. chopped whole almonds

• Why almonds?  Because when I asked Sofia is she wanted nuts, that I had plenty of almonds, she replied, "Yes!  When I think of almonds, I think of yummy!"  I don't feel the same about almonds.  This is not my cake. 
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a baking pan of choice.  Either a bundt or angel food size pan with a removable bottom.
• Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, extracts.  Mix well.
• In thirds, add the flour mixtures and buttermilk, starting with the flour, ending with the buttermilk.
• Fold in the almonds.
• Bake for....oh....start checking on it at 55 minutes.  It might take 10-15 minutes longer than that.  I'll leave that to you and your oven.  It should spring back or leave no crumbs on a toothpick...or a pretty handy dandy Swedish cake tester like we have.  :)