Homemade syrup

We have an apricot tree. We love it...that is, when it grows apricots. This year we got NONE. Last year, we got like 200. Utah has crazy spring frosts that can be detrimental to early bloomers such as the apricot tree. So sad.

We were pleasantly surprised when a kind soul brought us a big bag of apricots a couple of weeks ago from trees that had made it through the frost. That meant we didn't have to go without our beloved apricot syrup this year!

If your apricots are naturally sweet, you can really limit the added sugar. I like to add as little sugar as possible so I'm not covering my breakfast with candy. The fruit on our own tree is always very sweet and delicious. We prune our trees and thin the fruit. I have gotten away with adding as little as 1 1/2 cups of sugar to my syrup. Many syrup and jam recipes call for equal amounts of sugar and fruit puree. I think that's insane. If your apricots haven't been thinned or ripened, they might have little flavor and require more sugar. This was the case with the apricots that were gifted to us. I had to use 3 cups of sugar.

This syrup, or you could call it a sauce, is delicious. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE:

6 c. apricot puree
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring a pot of water to boil. Set a bowl of ice water nearby. In batches, place whole apricots in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove and place in ice water. This is called blanching. The skins will slip right off the apricots now. They should also break open very easily so you can remove the pits. I never need a knife, but I do get a little messy.

Puree apricots in a blender, then pour into a pot, along with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. The sugar will dissolve, and the puree will eventually boil up then back down. At this point it starts to look glossy and more syrupy. It will never get really sticky, though, like pancake syrup because I don't add enough sugar for that. That's a good thing. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. The syrup can be canned or frozen.

Not your everyday breakfast

This praline french toast casserole makes a delicious breakfast for special occasions. I adapted the recipe from one by Paula Deen. I cut the butter in half and used whole milk instead of half-and-half. I'm sure the original was....to die for. My version is still plenty decadent, and my family loved it. This is a make-ahead dish. It's extremely easy to throw together, but plan for a long bake time. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE:

1 16 oz. loaf french bread*
8 eggs
3 c. whole milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

The night before serving, rip french bread into chunks and place in greased, deep 9x13 baking dish. Whisk together casserole ingredients and pour evenly over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Combine topping ingredients thoroughly with fork, then cover and set aside for later use. No need to refrigerate. (Or just make the topping in the morning.)

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place casserole, still covered, in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and plop small blobs of topping all over the casserole. It's easiest to just use your fingers. Bake, uncovered this time, for 55 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the middle of a bread portion of the casserole comes out clean. (Paula Deen listed a total of 40 minutes baking time, which was completely off for me. I live at a high altitude, though, so you might want to keep an eye on your dish.)


*I like to rip up my bread a couple of hours before assembling the casserole and leave it on the counter to dry out. Dried out bread often has better absorption. Paula Deen didn't do this, though, so it might not be necessary.

Autumn muffins

Remember all that lovely applesauce I made? Well, I used some of it to make a big batch of these healthy applesauce muffins. My family enjoyed them for breakfast several days in a row. They taste healthy and hearty, but they are moist and have a lot of flavor. We were really happy with them. As my husband said, these muffins taste like fall. You can't really taste the applesauce, but it adds great moisture and health value.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. rolled oats
2 c. applesauce
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins, or line with paper liners. In large bowl, mix oats, applesauce, milk, eggs, vanilla, butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda and seasonings. Add dry ingredients to large bowl and stir just until combined. Don't overmix.

Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups (make each about 2/3 to 3/4 full). Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Set the timer a little early and check so you can remove muffins as soon as toothpick test allows. Overbaking will lead to dryness. Makes 24 muffins.

*Note: Refrigerate leftovers after 24 hours so they don't spoil. Reheat them in the microwave. Muffins can also be frozen.

Base recipe came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Fresh and healthy

Making applesauce from scratch was one of the most satisfying things I've done in the kitchen. It was so fun to know we grew the apples in our own yard, then slow-cooked them into this delicious, healthy puree. It was by far the best applesauce I've eaten in my life. Halfway into the cooking, your house will smell like a cider factory.

This is beyond easy! You can make as big or small a batch as you want. Use naturally sweet apples whose flavor you love, and you won't have to add a single bit of sweetener. I used honeycrisp apples from our tree, which we have been told are some of the best apples people have ever eaten. They made the sweetest, most flavorful sauce. I am excited to make this pie with it.

THE RECIPE:

Apples
1/2 c. water

Peel and core apples before slicing into eighths. It doesn't matter if the air turns the apples a little brown while you're working. Fill Crock-Pot with desired amount of apple slices. A full pot will cook down and make about half a pot of applesauce. Pour 1/2 cup water over apples. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10 hours.*

Puree apples to desired consistency. An immersion blender is fantastic for this. A regular blender works as well, or if you like a chunkier sauce, use a potato masher. Eat your applesauce warm, right out of the pot! Refrigerate leftovers. (Applesauce is also great for canning.)



*I do high for 6 hours, but every Crock-Pot is different, so you'll have to figure out what's best for you. I have two Crock-Pots, and one of them has a tendency to burn the top edges of food, so I spray the sides of that one with cooking spray before I put apples in it.

Beautiful blueberries

For Mother's Day breakfast, we ate this blueberry strata, which I got from the Kraft website. It's a breakfast you assemble the night before, and it's a snap to throw together. It was good, and we were all happy to have something new, but I have to say it wasn't as flavorful as I expected. We couldn't really taste the cinnamon and syrup added into the egg mixture. The blueberry syrup poured on top, however, made the dish worthwhile.

I would make this again, but I might fiddle around with the recipe. Let me know if you have any suggestions! By the way, my young family only needed half the recipe.

THE RECIPE:

12 slices white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
8 oz. cream cheese
8 eggs
2 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. maple-flavored or pancake syrup
1/4 c. packed brown sugar

Spread half of the bread cubes onto bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries. Pinch off small chunks of cream cheese and sprinkle around, then top with other half of bread cubes.

Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, syrup and sugar. Pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata, covered, for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 to 35 minutes more, or until center is set. Pour blueberry syrup on individual servings.

Blueberry syrup:

2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/3 c. maple-flavored or pancake syrup

Combine blueberries and syrup in small saucepan and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over blueberry strata.

Enchiladas for breakfast

 My family loves enchiladas....enough to have them for breakfast.

I saw these overnight ham and egg breakfast enchiladas on The Girl Who Ate Everything and had to give them a try. My family was very happy with the results. We used leftover Easter ham.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. cubed cooked ham
1/2 c. chopped green onions
2 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 flour tortillas
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 c. half-and-half
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
Salsa and sour cream for serving

Toss together ham, green onions and 2 cups cheese. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of ham mixture, then roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Whisk together eggs, salt, flour, half-and-half and chiles. Pour over enchiladas, then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top. Bake another 10 minutes, or until eggs are set. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Fancy french toast

The gal at Smitten Kitchen came up with an innovative way to make french toast. She calls it cinnamon toast french toast, and it tastes fantastic. You can make it ahead of time, even the night before, then have breakfast ready to go in a flash. I would never have guessed regular, cheap sandwich bread could make such great french toast.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
16 slices white sandwich bread
1 stick butter, softened and spreadable
6 eggs
3 c. whole milk
 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Lay bread in single layer on two cookie sheets, then spread butter on each slice. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Toast bread in oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until bread is golden and crisp.*

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Cut two slices of cinnamon toast in half. Arrange toast in two rows, starting with a half slice, then fanning out whole slices and ending with a half slice.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and vanilla, then pour evenly over toast. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Let stand as little as 15 minutes or as long as overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until puffed and until no liquid seeps out when toast is nudged around in pan. Cut into squares and serve with syrup.

*Switch cookie sheets halfway through if they are on different racks to ensure even cooking. Bake time in this case is more like 10 to 15 minutes.

Heavenly breakfast

This pile of beauty you see before you is called heavenly breakfast*. It is a yummy twist on biscuits and gravy. The recipe came from the Brewer family, who lovingly introduced it to my family years and years ago. It's comfort food at its best. Serve it with a side of fresh seasonal fruit and enjoy!

THE RECIPE:

1 16-ounce can jumbo flaky refrigerator biscuits
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
Pepper
Paprika

Bake biscuits according to package directions. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Mix flour, salt, and pepper to taste, then add to melted butter, stirring until smooth. Whisk in milk, then cook until thickened, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or burning.

Meanwhile, separate hard-boiled yolks from whites. Slice or roughly chop whites, and crumble yolks. Stir egg whites into finished sauce.

To assemble heavenly breakfast, break up a biscuit into chunks, then spoon white sauce over top. Sprinkle with crumbled egg yolks and paprika to taste.

*Dishes similar to this are traditionally known as eggs goldenrod.

Cinnamon rolls reinvented

Oh dear. It's terribly rude of me to suggest you should have these cinnamon roll pancakes for breakfast, because they aren't very healthy. But you should. You probably have a special occasion you could use as an excuse. Ours was St. Patrick's Day, as you'll see from the picture below with the green glaze. This recipe was delicious. I got it from a website called Recipe Girl. You can go there to find helpful tips for making these.

THE RECIPE:

Cinnamon swirl
Cream cheese glaze
Pancake batter

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. On my electric stove top, No. 4 worked great. Make pancakes as usual, except squirt a swirl of cinnamon onto each when bubbles start forming on the batter. Keep the swirl about an inch away from the edge of the pancake.

Flip pancakes when bubbles pop and bottom of pancake is golden brown. Cook a couple of minutes more, until other side is nicely browned. Wipe out pan with paper towel, then repeat the process. Serve pancakes with cream cheese glaze. Makes about 8.

Cinnamon swirl:

4 Tbsp. butter, very softened
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Stir together ingredients and spoon into a piping bag or thick plastic baggie with tip cut off. Tip should have about a 1/4-inch opening.

Cream cheese glaze:

4 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Milk for thinning

Whisk butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then thin with milk as desired.

Pancakes: (or use your own batter)

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.

Sunny side up

Wouldn't it make you happy to see colorful flowers on your breakfast table? These fried egg flowers are a fun way to start the day. Slice into them with a knife and fork, and dip each bite in salsa. They taste good, and the bell peppers give them a yummy southwest flair.


THE RECIPE:

Oil
Bell peppers, sliced in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch rings
Eggs
Salt and pepper
Salsa for serving, if desired

Lightly oil frying pan and bring to low heat. (The right heat was #2 on my electric stove top.) Place pepper rings in pan and crack an egg into each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on desired yolk firmness. If your frying pan doesn't have a lid, use foil. Serve with salsa.

Bad buckwheat

I had no idea what buckwheat tasted like, until I made these buckwheat pancakes. I hated them with all my heart. Buckwheat has a really strong taste -- probably an acquired taste for those who like it -- with some lovely dirt and dust undertones. It is extremely healthy, however, and gluten-free, which is important for some people.

This recipe was a cute-looking one found in my daughter's Mother Goose cookbook. It called for half buckwheat flour and half white flour. I wonder if they would have been tolerable with just a fourth buckwheat? I'm almost crazy enough to try it.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 c. sifted white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. unsifted buckwheat flour
2 eggs
1/4 c. melted and cooled butter
1 c. buttermilk

In medium bowl, mix white flour with salt, baking powder, soda and sugar. Stir in buckwheat flour. In a small bowl, combine eggs, cooled butter and buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Batter should be lumpy. Heat an oiled griddle or skillet to medium. Pour 4-inch rounds of batter onto skillet and cook until bubbles form on surface and edges become dry. Turn and cook until nicely browned on underside. Eat, and try not to gag.

Blueberries are in season

My husband made these blueberry-cornmeal pancakes for breakfast a couple of weekends ago. We really liked them. There's only a hint of cornmeal, but somehow it gives a nice touch. And you can't go wrong with fresh blueberries. The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. flour
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk*
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine dry ingredients, then make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add mixture all at once to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Batter should be lumpy. Gently fold in blueberries.

Cook over medium heat on lightly greased griddle or skillet until golden brown. Pancakes are ready to flip when their surfaces are bubbly and their edges are slightly dry.

*Place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup. Add milk to make 1 cup total liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.

Nice buns

This recipe for sticky buns comes from the Whitesides family. It uses Rhodes rolls and is extremely easy to make. Just plan ahead for the rise time. The butterscotch sauce is delicious.

THE RECIPE:

24 Rhodes rolls, still frozen
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 package Jell-O cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Put frozen rolls in greased 9x13 baking pan. Pour butter over rolls. In medium bowl, combine dry pudding mix, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over rolls. Cover with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let rise overnight. In the morning, place baking pan on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes, then invert onto cookie sheet.

Granola girl

I love making parfaits with this homemade granola. It tastes delicious with vanilla yogurt and fresh berries. The base recipe comes from Phemomenon. The granola really is so good. I even like to grab handfuls to munch on. Plus, it is very easy to make.

THE RECIPE:

3 c. old-fashioned oats (not quick)
1 c. raw almonds, chopped
3 Tbsp. wheat germ
1 Tbsp. whole flax seed
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
Dash salt
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/3 c. honey**
1 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix oats, almonds, wheat germ, flax seed, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together oil, honey, water and vanilla. Microwave to melt honey. Pour over oat mixture and stir well.

Spread out entirely over large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, then stir with spatula and spread out again. Bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool completely on cookie sheet. Store in airtight container.

*I only wanted a hint of cinnamon, but you could do as much as 2 teaspoons.

**Swirl the oil in your measuring cup, then dump it into the bowl. That way, when you measure your honey in the oiled cup, it will slip out instead of sticking.

French perfection

Crepes are amazing, aren't they? You can make them sweet or savory and serve them for breakfast, dinner or even dessert. I am in love with them. I am imagining the crepe pictured above drizzled with chocolate sauce. Oh my heavens. Below is Julia Child's recipe. Plan ahead, because crepe batter is supposed to be refrigerated before use.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. cold water
1 c. cold milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
4 Tbsp. melted butter

Whisk together ingredients, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Preheat wide nonstick skillet to medium heat. Stir settled batter before ladling into pan. Swirl pan around until batter has spread out into a wide, thin circle. You can either flip the crepe or leave it. It's thin enough to cook through. They only take a minute or two to cook. Flip cooked crepes onto plate to cool.

We stuffed ours with our neighbor's homemade strawberry jam, our homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. We topped them with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Another option is powdered sugar, strawberries and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You can't go wrong.

Easter object lesson

I've seen these fun "empty tomb" rolls on multiple websites. Some people use homemade roll dough, others use frozen roll dough, and still others use refrigerated crescent dough. These rolls are the perfect way to teach the story of Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection to a child. Each roll starts out with a marshmallow inside, a symbol of the body of Jesus. When the rolls are cooked, the marshmallows melt, leaving a hollow roll -- an empty tomb. My almost-5-year-old was riveted on the lesson. She asked me to tell the story again and again as we assembled the rolls. Each ingredient is a symbol.

THE RECIPE:

1 8-count package refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Separate roll dough into eight triangles. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow in butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on triangle. Roll up marshmallow, being sure to seal edges well. Dip tops of dough balls in remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place sugar-side up in greased muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Symbolism ideas:
(Scripture references come from King James version of Bible)

Marshmallow -- body of Jesus
Butter and cinnamon-sugar -- spices and ointments (Luke 23:56; John 19:40)
Roll dough -- linens for wrapping and/or tomb (Luke 23:53)
Oven -- tomb (or you can just have the dough be the tomb)
Hollow roll -- empty tomb/linens (Luke 24: 6; Mark 16:6)

A toast to breakfast

Here's a fun and easy twist on the traditional: peanut butter waffle toast. Now let me explain. It's bread that has been dipped in batter -- similar to what you would do with French toast -- then cooked in a waffle iron. And it's yummy.

My sister-in-law Amy introduced it to us while we were visiting her family in Texas last month. And then my husband requested it for his birthday breakfast this week. The recipe calls for Bisquick, which makes it easy, but it would be fun to turn it into a made-from-scratch thing. I just couldn't bring myself to put forth the effort.

THE RECIPE:

1 1/4 c. milk
1 c. Bisquick mix
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
8 slices bread

Heat waffle iron. In medium bowl, stir top six ingredients until well blended. Dip bread into batter, coating both sides. Cook in waffle iron until toast is golden, about 2 minutes. Optional toppings: syrup, powdered sugar, maybe even a sprinkle of miniature chocolate chips.

Eat your oats

I'm excited to have another great breakfast dish. I loved topping my baked oatmeal with fresh blueberries. The nice thing about this dish is that it's incredibly versatile. Tweak it to your liking. The recipe came from my cousin's food blog, Table for 7.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. oats (either old-fashioned or quick)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 c. mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce (I used banana)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then mix together. Pour into 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. (I actually had to cook mine for 35 minutes.) Serve with milk and your choice of fruit.

Scone me

Psst. Psst. If you're reading this just as it's posting, you're up too early. But that means that you still have time to wake up your family — the late risers — with the smell of freshly fried scones.

I wanted to surprise Marie with a tasty breakfast on Mother's Day, so this is what she got — fried dough with delicious cinnamon honey butter.

I stole borrowed this recipe from Taste and Tell, a blog I stumbled upon. You get a story with every recipe.

Our story is simple: We loved, loved, loved these scones. Simple, a little time-consuming, but totally worth waiting for.

THE RECIPE:

2 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. butter
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
5 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, pour the boiling water over the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, the butter and the salt. Add eggs and mix well. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups of flour. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add the remaining flour and mix in. Let rise for one hour and then refrigerate 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/4 inch and cut into 3-inch squares. Fry in hot oil until brown, then flip and fry until both sides are browned and puffy.

Serve with butter and honey, jam, coated with granulated sugar, or make your own cinnamon honey butter while you wait for the dough to chill.

Cinnamon honey butter:

1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and whip with a mixer until light and fluffy. Try not to eat it all before the scones are ready.

A reason to get up in the morning

Have you ever had eggs Benedict? I hadn't. Neither had my husband. That's why he wanted it for Father's Day breakfast. I have to say it is incredibly delicious! I never would have guessed it. In fact, I wasn't all that excited. But now I am. I wouldn't mind making this every week! It's so easy and versatile. For example, eggs Benedict are traditionally made with poached eggs and Canadian-style bacon. But you can just as easily -- and deliciously -- make them with fried eggs and ham. Try them, try them, Sam-I-Am!

THE RECIPE:

Eggs, fried or poached (directions below)
English muffins, split, toasted and lightly buttered if desired
Slices of Canadian bacon or ham, heated
Hollandaise sauce, a must-have (directions below)

Place ham on muffin. Top with egg, then sauce. Serve warm.

Poached eggs:

Lightly grease medium skillet. Fill halfway with water. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to simmering. Bubbles should begin to break water's surface. Break egg into measuring cup. Carefully slide egg into simmering water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. Remove with slotted spoon.

Hollandaise sauce:

Option 1 -- Buy a packet of powdered mix, which requires you to add milk and a little butter. That's what we did. You'll find it with the other gravy and dressing packets.

Option 2 -- Make your own. There are tons of recipes online.