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.

Humpty Dumpty's favorite

Every now and then, I crave egg salad. This recipe was the result of one of my hankerings. My daughter and I combined some different but yummy flavors, and we were really happy with the results. We packed up our salad and fresh rolls and had a nice picnic as a family. This is a great recipe for spring and summer!

THE RECIPE:

12 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I used the olive oil kind)
2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. yellow curry powder

Mix dressing ingredients thoroughly in a salad bowl before adding chopped eggs. Add eggs last and gently mix until combined. This prevents the eggs from breaking down. Refrigerate at least a half-hour before serving so flavors can blend. Spoon salad onto rolls or croissants. Serves 6.

A pound of perfection

This pound cake is absolutely delicious. Top it with fresh whipped cream and your choice of fruit. We even eat it by itself with a glass of milk. Its sweet, buttery crumb is addictive. I got the recipe from my sister Laura, who has graced many happy family gatherings with its presence.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sour cream
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix ingredients and pour into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool, then turn onto serving platter. Garnish as desired.

*I am at a high altitude, which may make my baking times different from yours.

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.

Simple, yet satisfying

This is just a simple, mild, kid-friendly recipe for white bean chili. It uses pantry ingredients, and it's meatless, because I like to try to reduce the amount of meat we eat every week. My entire family gobbled this right up. Add whatever toppings make you happy -- crushed tortilla chips, avocado chunks.....

THE RECIPE:

2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, NOT drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. each salt, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. cream
1 c. shredded cheese

In large pot, mix beans, corn, chiles, onion, broth and seasonings. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes so flavors can combine. Stir in cream and cheese. Serves 4.