Bunny Burner Breakfast

So let's just clear the air right now. I'm not talking about burning bunnies. Let me repeat - no bunnies were harmed in the making of this breakfast!

Bunny burner breakfasts are a tradition in our family. My Dad's family made these breakfasts and now our family does. It's a breakfast that you make outside on a tin can. It consists of bacon, an egg, and bread. Oh yeah, and smoke. And burned bits of who knows what. And more smoke. And maybe a little dirt. And then more smoke.

So for Memorial Day, we had a send-off party for my parents (who will be leaving for Alaska for 3 months in just a few days) and we made bunny burners.

Step #1
Preparing the tin cans. Sorry, no pictures! You need large cans that already have the top off the can (that open part now becomes the bottom of the can.) Then you cut an opening on the side at the bottom for the fire. You also cut small air holes around the top of the side of the can.

Step#2
Put a corn cob (minus the corn on it) or two under the can. Then dip another cob in some kerosene. Or gasoline. Not quite sure which was used. Light the fire very carefully with a match. Making sure to keep away when you throw the match in the can. (I believe we all have all our arm hair and eyebrows still, but there were a few close calls on Monday!)

Step #3
Add bacon. 2 or three pieces.


Step #4
Check fire. Add more cobs if needed.

Step #5
Move bacon around with a fork. Or a poker. Or a stick.


Step #6
Check fire again. Add more cobs if needed.

Step #7
If your bacon is done, use it to form a ring in which to crack an egg.


Step #8
Check fire again. By now the fire is probably out, in spite of your best efforts. First you have to determine if your fire is getting too much or not enough breeze. Then you move the can around accordingly. Then you need to add yet another cob that you dipped in kerosene. And then you get to light the fire again.


Step #9
Carefully flip the egg and bacon over. Take extra care to keep it on the tin can so that it doesn't fall on the ground.


Step #10
Line up who will be using the can next. I am always bummed that Kent likes to make these, because I would gladly make enough for my whole family. The fun is in the making of the breakfast. Well. I guess it's in the eating too!


Step #11
When the egg is cooked through, you will need to have 2 pieces of bread. One goes on the bottom of the egg and bacon, and the other on the top. When the bottom piece is toasted, flip the sandwich and toast the other side.


Step#12
Enjoy all the greasy, outdoorsy goodness of your bacon and egg sandwich made outside. On a tin can. (You'll see that I was halfway done eating before I remembered to take a picture!)


We also had a campfire on Monday. (Is it still called a campfire if you're not camping?) It was a good way to be together as a family before my parents leave for Alaska. We had a great time, but I was definitely ready to go home and take a shower to wash all the smokey smell out of my hair.

Cherry Deliciousness

We spent the morning of this fine holiday with the family and our bunny burner breakfasts. I'll leave the explanation of the breakfast to Theresa. I opted to bring a family favorite, cherry coffee cake. I've had several requests for the recipe and I'm glad to share it but I've got to give my good friend, Staci Yoder, all the credit for introducing it to us. In fact, I think my family wants to spend the weekend at her house just for this!

1 c butter or margarine
1 3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
3 c flour
4 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 cans cherry pie filling

Frosting
1/2 c butter
1 t - 1 T milk
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla, baking powder and flour. Spread 2/3 of batter (or enough to cover) in a greased 10x15 pan. Pour pie filling over mixture. Drop remaining dough over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 min or until clean on a toothpick. Frost while warm.

~Kristen

Pretzel-mania

Kent is currently in Cincinnati for the week. He left yesterday and will return on Sunday.

Last weekend I read about Pioneer Woman making awesome looking pretzels. (Go here to read about it!) And Meredith and I decided that when Kent left for Ohio, we would make yummy pretzels to cheer us up.

Yesterday after school we started the recipe, and although both kids were totally distracted by other things by the time the pretzels were actually done, they both totally loved them.


We got the actual recipe on Smitten Kitchen (find it here.)

Yes, I made T, J, and M pretzels. The M worked the best - by far. Both the T and the J ones kind of came apart.


I made some with coarse salt on the top as the recipe indicates. But then I made some with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. And to kick it up a notch, I also made cream cheese frosting to dip the cinnamon/sugar ones in. You know, because a sweet pretzel isn't fattening enough by itself!


The cinnamon/sugar ones were our favorite. Meredith even had one for breakfast this morning.

Ok. Ok. So did I!

Kent, rest assured that this recipe will not be lost forever. We will make them when you are back home!

Jalepeno Popper Dip

Here 'tis:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. mayonnaise
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 oz. canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chilies and jalapeno peppers. (Or, if you're like me, you will get whole jalepeno peppers by mistake, so then you can mix everything in your food processor so it chops the peppers and mixes everything really well.) Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Microwave on High until hot. Or you can bake in a 350 degree oven for a while (no, I don't know how long...) Or you can heat everything in a microwave safe bowl and then put it in a small crock pot and serve that way. You've got a lot of options! You can serve it with chips or crackers.

Beware - it's highly addictive!

Super Bowl or Supper Bowl?

So we had fun at my sister Kristen's house for a Super Bowl gathering. As you can read from the previous post, she made these yummy apple hand pies. And chili. And bacon wrapped little smokies. And had chips and guacamole. And provided the drinks. Everyone else was supposed to bring something to go with the chili, but really, we wouldn't have needed to bring anything.

But of couse we did. Oh did we ever!

I made wings to take along. I've never attempted them before, but I'm telling you, Pioneer Woman makes everything seem so...well...easy to make. So I tried them. I think they were good, but I don't really know because I had only a bite of one before we left the house. (That's always why I hate taking a cake or pie or something to a potluck that I can't test it beforehand...but I digress...) I love wings, but I prefer the BBQ ones, or teriyaki, or something other than plain 'ole buffalo wings. Kent assured me that they were great, though. (The photo is courtesy of Pioneer Woman.)

Anyway, I also made this awesome jalepeno popper dip to go with chips. (Yes, it was one of at least 3 dips at the party...wait...that didn't come out quite right!) Kent's sister Karol made this dip at Christmas, and I've made it at least 3 or 4 times since then. It tastes just like jalapeno poppers (hence the name) but it's way easier than actually making jalepeno poppers. I almost don't want to share the recipe with anyone because then you'll see how easy it is to make!

Finally, I made these way yummy lemon cookies for the party. And seriously, I've never made an easier cookie! (Yes, I had a theme for the last two items: easy-peasy!) Anyway, I found the cookies here. And this is the recipe: mix a tub of Cool Whip and 2 eggs. Add a box of cake mix (I used lemon for mine) and mix together. Drop by spoonfuls into a bowl of powdered sugar and roll around to coat. Then bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. And that's it folks! They are sooooo good. I got stuff to make strawberry cookies next...we'll see how those are!

Comfort

Yesterday Kent came home after a long and not-so-fun day. So I decided he needed a little comfort food. I remembered a recipe I had seen recently on Pioneer Woman for yummy chicken with bacon and cheese on top. What could be more comforting than that?!?

So I cooked up Pioneer Woman's Ranch Style Chicken and some cheddar mashed potatoes - and I believe it was a hit!

Note to readers: the above picture is not mine, but from the Pioneer Woman herself.

Note to self: next time I fry chicken in the cast iron skillet on the stove, make sure to put the splatter screen on...or I'll end up degreasing the stove, counter, and any recipe that is nearby...again!

Have you ever visited Pioneer Woman? (No, not just any old pioneer woman, but thepioneerwoman.com) If not, you should go - she has awesome recipes and great photography and photoshop tips and lots more. I really love the recipes that she has though. Not only are they scrumptious, but she has step-by-step pictures accompanying the recipe. Now that's the kind of recipe that I love!

Anyway, a nice and comforting meal was had by all last night.

Birthday fun and recipes

Last Saturday night we had a great joint birthday party. My niece Grace turned 11 on January 17,and Jesse turned 2 on January 19.

At the party, we ate a lot, talked a lot, played a lot of Wii...in short, we had a great time! Kent recently fixed up our unfinished basement so the kids could play there while the adults were on the main level of the house. It made for a much more enjoyable time for both adults and kids!

This was Jesse talking to Grandma Bev on the phone - he loved it even if she was sitting just a few feet away from him!

And of course there had to be at least one present that was either Notre Dame or Yankee paraphernalia!

When everyone gathered around to sing happy birthday to Jesse, he got this really funny, embarrassed look on his face. I've never seen the look before - it was hilarious!

Thanks to everyone who came and made the evening special. And especially thanks to Jim and Bev for driving 6 hours and spending time with us this weekend.


And here by popular demand, the recipes for the cinnamon sugar sticks and red velvet whoopie pies, courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens. (I'm clueless as to why the links aren't working in the previous post - they work just fine here...)

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (which are really just chocolate whoopie pies with food coloring - is that what red velvet cake really is??)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
• 1 recipe Whoopie Pie Filling, recipe below

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined. Stir in food coloring.

3. Spoon batter in 1- or 2-inch diameter rounds, about 1/2-inch high on prepared baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between each round.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes for 1-inch cookies or 9 to 11 minutes for 2-inch cookies, or until tops are set. Cool completely on baking sheets on rack. Remove cooled cookies from baking sheets.

5. To fill, dollop Whoopie Pie Filling on flat sides of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down. Makes 60 one-inch or 42 two-inch cookies.

6. Whoopie Pie Filling: In medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup softened butter and half an 8-ounce package softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in one 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme.

7. To store: Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Sticks

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups slivered almonds, toasted and ground (about 7 oz.)
• 3 oz. white chocolate, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. shortening
• 1/3 cup red cinnamon candies, crushed
• 1/3 cup coarse decorating sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In mixing bowl beat butter on high 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined. Beat in baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. In medium bowl combine flour and almonds. Beat as much flour mixture as you can into butter mixture. Stir in remaining flour mixture.

4. On lightly floured surface roll or pat dough to 14x7-inch rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut in half, making two, 14x3 1/2-inch rectangles. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide sticks. Use a metal spatula to transfer to baking sheets, placing 1 inch apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until firm and edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.

5. In small heavy saucepan melt chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. In wide shallow bowl combine crushed candies and sugar. Dip sticks in chocolate then in candy mixture. Place on waxed paper to set. Makes 56 sticks.

6. To store: Place cookies, separated between waxed paper, in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Do you have a sweet tooth?

T-minus 4 days until Jesse turns 2.

Can you believe it?

T-minus 2 days until my niece Grace turns 11.

We are going to have a rip-roaring birthday party for Grace and Jesse on Saturday night.

(Don't I sound about 80 years old? I do remember that when my family would visit my grandparents in Florida in the winter, we would come home talking like we were 80. Maybe I'm channeling what my parents are hearing in Florida...but enough of that tangent!)

By now you are wondering what exactly my title has to do with the post.

Some of you know that I hate giving each post a title - maybe I'm rebelling.


Really though, do you have a sweet tooth?

Because if you do, and you are coming to the birthday party on Saturday night, you will get to try my two latest attempts at cookies.

I don't like to make cookies. It has something to do with my impatience, my distractibility, my inability to get them just right. The cookies that I make are usually either over- or under-done. Never just right. But I found two recipes in my January issue of Better Homes & Gardens and I just had to try them. The first is Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. I totally love whoopie pies and figured I should try the red velvet kind. Turns out they are not as good as ones from Golden Delight Bakery outside Kalona, but they aren't bad at all. They are actually pretty good. (Doesn't my description just make your mouth water?)

The second recipe is for a biscotti-like cookie called Cinnamon-Sugar Sticks. As usual, I didn't have exactly what the recipe called for, so I had to make-do with the ingredients in my pantry, but they turned out really good. And you dip the top of the cookie in melted white chocolate and put crushed red hots and sugar on the top. Seriously, how can you go wrong with that combination?

Anyway, Meredith and I had fun spending yesterday afternoon in the kitchen making these.

(You'll notice that she had finally changed out of her pajamas, and I had finally combed her hair. She got tired of her pajamas before lunch, and I wouldn't let her help me in the kitchen until her hair was put back and out of her face.)

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

A while ago my mom and I made a cinnamon roll tea ring for our family Christmas breakfast. My mom was in charge of keeping Jesse occupied, and Meredith and I were in charge of making the tea ring.

I took the easy route this year and made dough in my bread machine. I now regret this time-saving decision since the rolls were not nearly as good as the ones that my mom makes. But I guess I'll know for next time...


Yummy butter, sugar, and cinnamon goodness!


Shaping the ring.
Just pretend you don't see my daughter eating raw dough!

It was nice to have my mom there to tell me what to do - this was the first time that I had made a tea ring instead of just making regular rolls.
Not exactly the finished product, but I forgot to take a final picture. So just imagine that these are baked, frosted, sprinkled with red and green sugar, and ready to eat.

Orange Marmalade & Pickle Relish

Last week my sister, Kristen, and I made pepper jelly together. Unfortunately we (well, actually Kristen) forgot the red peppers. Ok, so the red peppers are the most important ingredient in red pepper jelly, but no big deal! (She's sitting right beside me as I type this, so I can give her a little grief!) Seriously though, the recipe calls for either red or green peppers, so we made one batch with green peppers and one batch with orange and yellow peppers. The orange pepper jelly is really pretty, it's just that it looks more like orange marmalade instead of pepper jelly. The green pepper jelly is totally the same color as pickle relish...tastes just as good as red pepper jelly...but just looks like pickle relish. Who knew that bright green peppers would end up looking so army green when chopped up?

Yum-O Snack

As you know from my previous posts, Meredith had a snow day on Tuesday. I wanted to have a special snack in the afternoon to celebrate the snow day. So Meredith and I decided to make donut holes. First off, you can see my lovely assistant in the picture above. No need for a pesky apron or anything - her scarf and princess dress are washable, right?!? Anyway, we used a can of refrigerator biscuits and first I cut them in fourths, and then Meredith rolled each piece into a little ball. Next, I fried them in hot oil. Some of them wouldn't stay on one side but kept flipping over so it would be raw dough on the top and crispy on the bottom. (If anyone has any tips on how to keep that from happening, let me know!)
After I got them out of the oil and patted them dry on a paper towel, I put them in a bowl with sugar, where Meredith would use tongs to coat them with sugar. She was pretty excited that she could use such a grown up utensil - no boring big spoon or spatula for her!
But by the end, she got tired of the tongs and would just wait until the donuts were cool enough so that she could just use her hands to coat them with sugar.
Mmmm, yummy donuts! (Yes, some of them got a little burnt, but they're covered in sugar so they're still good!)
I couldn't get her to stop eating long enough to take a picture...so just pretend that you can't tell that she has a donut in her mouth in the picture below!

Perfect snack for a perfect snow day!

(Poor Jesse, he had to take a nap during all of this fun. We did leave enough donuts for Jesse and Kent to try later though. And Mom, I set some aside for you but I keep forgetting to bring them to you!)