EASY Way to Cook/Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

Jana here to talk about boiled eggs. I recently read a magazine article about the best way to boil eggs. I told my husband that there seemed to be so many methods (cooking times, when to add the eggs in the water, etc) for cooking the perfect boiled egg!  Then I came across a post on The Prairie Homestead blog (a blog I highly recommend!) with a completely different method. And she said it would be easy to peel the eggs after they were boiled. I have tried some of the other suggested methods for this in the past (adding baking soda to the water, etc), without much success.  

The method is to steam the eggs!  The first time I tried it, and every time after, it has made me so happy to peel each egg in a matter of seconds!  The eggs look beautiful...no big chunks of the white of the egg taken off when it was hard to peel. The yolks are cooked perfectly and a pretty yellow color. I am SO pleased with this method!  It's my 'go to' now!

If you have a steamer basket, great!  But if not, you can set a metal colander in a larger pot for the same effect.  Fill the pot below your steamer basket about halfway with water. Set the steamer basket on top, and add the eggs. Cover with a lid, and get the water started boiling. Once it is boiling, you will want to steam the eggs for 20-22 minutes.

And this is what the results will look like!!

Pea Salad

Becca here with a recipe that both my husband, Samuel, and I grew up eating!  I remember my mom making this as a side dish that my dad particularly enjoyed.  Samuel's paternal grandmother also makes a very similar salad, and often served it as a main dish for a quick meal when we lived right down the street from them and I was home alone a lot because my husband was traveling for work.  I am going to give a 'recipe' because I actually measured out what I used last time I made it, and I'm sure you can find a similar recipe written out somewhere, but I have never seen it in print; it's definitely a "little bit of this, little bit of that" type recipe that you can be creative with, depending on what is in your fridge, in season, or what your family's tastes prefer.  I like to make a double batch, and serve it as a quick main dish once, and then use the leftovers as a side dish, or for my husband's lunch to take to work, depending on how much is left!  I love that I can make it when I can find a few minutes of time during the day, and have dinner mostly finished when that time rolls around.  Enjoy!

I also wanted to mention that in case you missed it, I used rafflecopter to select a winner of the Redmond Real Salt giveaway and it was announced via our Thrice the Spice Facebook Page, Emily Marsh was the winner.

Pea Salad

16 ounces frozen peas (Mimaw, Samuel's grandmother only uses Le Sueur canned peas, and that saves a step of cooking the peas, so use what you prefer!  You will need two cans of peas.)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (I use purple onion normally)
1 cup cheese, in small cubes, or grated (I use sharp normally, and prefer cubed, but grated is quicker)
2-3 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
2-3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (optional, but definitely delicious!)
2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise or olive oil mayo)
Salt & Pepper to taste (I use Real Salt, amount will depend on what kind of peas you used, if you used bacon, etc. :)


If using frozen peas, cook according to package instructions.  Drain cooking water off, and rinse peas in cool water.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients (cooked peas, onion, cheese, boiled eggs, bacon, mayonnaise).  Gently stir to combine.  Taste, and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve immediately, or, for best taste, let chill in the refrigerator, covered, a few hours or overnight to let flavors mingle.

Crustless Spinach Quiche + Redmond "Real Salt" Giveaway!

Becca here with one of my 'staple' recipes to share today!  After my apologies for the 'technical difficulties' on the blog this week, that were, technically, all because of my human error.  A migraine that had me out for a full 24 hours, combined with a day trip out of state to a theme park with my family plus several other family friends, theater costume measurements, horseback riding lessons, nursing home visits, Bible Studies, and regular homeschooling, chicken, garden, and household managing of a 6-person household meant that the blog fell through the cracks this week, so I'm sorry!

I DO have one of my "go do" recipes to share on the blog today, AND a giveaway for products my house is never without!  In fact, I searched twice to double check that I hadn't shared this recipe already, I couldn't believe I hadn't already posted it!  This crustless spinach quiche is a great recipe that I've served at any meal, for any occasion.  I've served it to a large crowd at birthday parties, taken it to friends that needed a meal, and fixed it at home when I needed to go to the store and we just needed a quick and filling dinner with what was left in the fridge.  My notes on the original from allrecipes date back to April 2007, so I've been making for at least 6 years.

Feel free to substitute with a similar veggie or cheese; in fact, this time, in the quiche pictured here, I used Pokeweed instead of spinach!  I had precooked it, after two friends' mothers, separately, helped the kids and I identify it, and I had thorough cooking instructions from one of them, plus read a lot online, and then followed the normal recipe from there.  A tip on all quiches, is to let them sit for about ten minutes after you remove them from the oven, to allow the eggs to set, so then you can cleanly and neatly slice it!  My kids all 4 love this quiche, I hope you'll give it a try!  Recipe follows giveaway info!

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you've probably noticed that I usually, in the ingredients list, mention that I use "Real Salt" for our household salt.  So when I was placing an order recently, and for Earthpaste also, which my daughter had been begging for again, since we'd been out for a few weeks with the recent move we had, I contacted Redmond and asked if they would be willing to do a giveaway, and they said yes!  So I'm super excited to be giving away the price package above!

In a one line explanation, I like to tell people that Redmond Real Salt is like using whole grains instead of white flour.  And it tastes SO much better I think; like to the point where white table salt at a restaurant or something has a funny after taste to me now even!  They have a super informative website here with a great video  and online brochure explaining the health benefits of a real salt.  As they say,

"Real Salt comes from an ancient sea bed in Central Utah, where for more than 30 years we've delivered completely natural sea salt -- nothing added, nothing taken away. That means you get more than 60 trace minerals in a delicious, healthy salt that is never chemically treated, bleached, or kiln dried."

So the winner will receive a 10 ounce container of Real Salt, as well as 4.75 ounce each containers of Organic Garlic Salt and Organic Onion Salt, both made with Real Salt!  They also have a seasoning salt, and a 26 ounce 'refill bag' size of Real Salt that I usually purchase (at amazon, vitacost, directly from Redmonds, or at my local health food store, depending on what is more convenient for me at the time!)

Redmonds also has a line of "Redmond Clay" products that I also use regularly and love.  The winner will receive a 10 ounce jar of the powdered clay also!  Their Earthpaste toothpaste is made with the Redmond Clay, xylitol, Real Salt, menthol, and essential oils, and is the only toothpaste 3/4 of my kids even like!  It doesn't have any foaming agents, and is safe to swallow also.  We've tried all of the flavors, and they like them all, although spearmint is their very favorite.  I like the convenience of the clay already hydrated in a tube for a first aid cream, and it really does seem to draw the toxins out of burns, bites, and stings, which we've had plenty of since moving to the 'farm' especially!

"Redmond Clay is a completely natural bentonite clay, extracted from the earth and brought to you in its pure, natural state. Redmond Clay is available as a fine powder, pre-hydrated gel, or in easy-to-swallow capsules.  Redmond Clay™ remains as pure today as it was when the Fremont indians discovered its uses long ago. As our world returns to more natural lifestyles, more and more people keep Redmond Clay in their medicine cabinets, first aid kits, and purses. Discover for yourself the healing benefits of Redmond Clay."

I've included lots of links above, and their websites are full of informative videos, graphs, and articles I'd encourage you to check out if you're interested; they really are products we use everyday at our house, and I'm excited for one of you to get to try them!  To enter, just use the rafflecopter below!  Notice one of the entries you can do once per day!  Contest ends 5/30/14.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crustless Spinach Quiche

5 eggs

1 Tablespoon butter (or oil)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 (10 ounces) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained well

1-2 cups shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar, amount is your preference!)

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use Real Salt)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, heat butter (or oil) and onion for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.

Add (cooked and well drained) spinach, and stir continuously and cook an additional couple of minutes until the water has all evaporated out of the spinach.  Remove from heat. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs until well blended.  Stir in salt, pepper, cheese, and  spinach mixture.

Pour into a lightly greased 9" pie plate, an cook at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until center has set. 

For best results in slicing, let quiche sit for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven.  Enjoy!

Baked Vanilla Custard

Jana here with a recipe that was something new for our family to try!  We have had frozen custard before, but had never had warm, baked custard at home.  Although the texture was something different for the kids to get used to, my husband and I thought it was a yummy treat!  It's not overly sweet, but it is a delicious flavor that would pair well with coffee. The recipe came from the Incredible Egg website.

Baked Custard

3 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
cinnamon and nutmeg to sprinkle on top

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat milk in small saucepan until very hot. (milk should be steaming, but not bubbling)  Meanwhile, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in medium bowl until blended, but not foamy. Slowly stir in hot milk.

2. Place 6 slightly greased 6 ounce baking dishes (ramekins) in baking dish large enough to hold all cups without touching each other or sides of the pan. Pour egg mixture into cups, divinding evenly. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg if desired.

3. Place pan on a rack in the center of a 350 degree oven. Pour very hot water into the pan (creating a hot water bath) to within 1/2 inch of top of cups.  Bake until knife inserted in center of cups comes out nearly clean, 25-30 minutes. (Center will still be soft.) Remove cups from the oven, and place on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, or refridgerate until cool.

Enjoy!

Pesto Egg Wrap

Becca here with a super quick, super delicious meal.  In fact, we've had these Pesto Eggs several times a week the past few weeks, and no one has complained a bit.  My two year old affectionately refers to these as green eggs, and can eat as many (or more) as I do!  A great combo also is to combine the pesto from this recipe with the kale from the recipe I posted here to go along with Dr. Seuss' classic Green Eggs & Ham!  The picture above is a 'serving suggestion' for the eggs, feel free to adapt to your family's favorites; we like them on a homemade whole wheat tortilla with a bit of avocado on top, or a bit of cheese.  Just the eggs by themselves are really flavorful, and paired with fruit make a great meal for any time of day.  I originally got the idea for mixing pesto and eggs from the Weelicious Lunches cookbook I checked out from the library.  I think eggs are a great, inexpensive, healthy protein that can be cooked in just a matter of a few minutes, making them perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Feel free to experiment your favorite store bought or homemade pesto!

Pesto Egg Wrap

*Recipe is per person, so you can easily multiply to serve your family!

2 large eggs
1 heaping Tablespoon pesto (your favorite, homemade or from the store)

Additional ingredients to make wrap pictured above:
1/4 avocado
1 whole wheat tortilla

Heat a skillet over medium high heat (I use cast iron on my gas stove).  Crack eggs into the skillet.  Break the yokes and move bottom cooked part to the top and let the liquid flow to the bottom of the skillet, carefully stirring to scramble the eggs as you go.

When the eggs are nearly set, gently stir in the pesto until thoroughly mixed and eggs are done. 

Add to warmed tortilla and top with avocado, if desired.  Enjoy! 

Broccoli, Ham, & Egg Bake

Jana here with a delicious and healthy meal that makes plenty for leftovers!  I like to make 'breakfast recipes' for dinner, just to change things up. (like one of my all time favorites, this Spinach & Bacon Frittata)  This recipe uses a 9x13 dish, and the food is pretty filling since it has ham and eggs for protein. Because of this, my family was able to eat it for dinner one night, and also have it for breakfast later in the week. I think you could use this idea in muffin tins also, and freeze the muffins to pull out for individual breakfasts as you needed them! I found inspiration for this recipe here.

Broccoli, Ham, & Egg Bake

4-6 cups small broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1-2 cups diced ham
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
8-10 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2. If using frozen broccoli, thaw. Once thawed (or if using fresh), blanch the broccoli for 2 minutes. (cook in boiling water, then drain)

3. Layer the broccoli in the bottom of the baking dish, then the diced ham. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the seasonings, and stir until well combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the ham in the baking dish. Use a fork to 'stir' the mixture if you need to spread the egg mixture around a bit.

5. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until the egg mixture is set, and starting to brown.

Enjoy

Breakfast Skillet

Jana here with an idea for a weeknight dinner, breakfast, or brunch!  A restaurant we go to once in awhile, Village Inn, has some delicious breakfast skillets!  What's wonderful about a skillet dish like this is how easily you can adapt it to suit your family's tastes!  You can add more veggies, more protein, whatever you'd like!  I'm going to give an idea of what ours included, and then give some additional items you could add!

Breakfast Skillet

5-6 eggs
6 slices bacon, chopped
fresh mushrooms
1 large tomato, diced
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
shredded cheese
oil for cooking
salt and pepper

I scrambled the eggs in a small skillet. In a separate larger skillet, sauté the bacon pieces, mushrooms, tomato, and potatoes. Cook until items reach desired tenderness.  Season, and top with shredded cheese!

Some other yummy things to include would be ham, avocado, spinach, onions, and peppers!

Spinach & Mushroom Frittata

Jana here with one of my favorite recipes that I've made in a long time!  I had some ricotta that I needed to use, and I wanted a recipe that was different from an Italian pasta dish.  I went to All Recipes, where you can do a specific search.  I told the website that I wanted to include ricotta in my recipe, and didn't want pasta.  (this search is great to use up ingredients you have on hand, especially since you can have it exclude things you don't want!)  Frittata recipes started showing up, and they looked delicious!  I chose one, and made modifications to it.  This is a definite 10 on our rating scale!  (Does any one else rate their food?)  My two kids who are old enough to eat the same thing we do (ages 2 and 4) don't always get excited about cooked spinach in recipes.  After the first bite of this frittata, they both started raving about how much they loved it! 

Spinach & Mushroom Frittata

2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 teaspoon minced onion)
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
8-10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and all liquid squeezed out
5 eggs
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional...the original recipe was meatless.  I also think ham or chicken would be a good addition)
1 cup part skim ricotta (or cottage cheese)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or romano)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet, and add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and spinach.  Saute for 5 minutes. 

2. Combine the eggs, bacon, ricotta, parmesan, and spices.  Add the sauteed mixture, and stir to combine everything.

3. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan, and pour mixture in.  Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until it appears to be set up.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Baked Peach French Toast

Becca here with a really yummy breakfast or brunch recipe.  I'm definitely not a morning person, so I love dishes that can be prepared the night before, and just popped into the oven in the morning before serving.  A lot of times I go ahead and prepare the next morning's breakfast while fixing dinner, so I just have to clean up the kitchen once, and this recipe is perfect for that.  Plus, it tastes great & is a great hearty start to your day.  For the bread, I used my 'regular' whole wheat bread that I tore into a few large chunks and set into the oven for twenty minutes or so while dinner cooked so it would dry out a bit and have a nice crunch to it, since the original recipe that was my inspiration called for day old French Bread.  You could use that, although I'd definitely recommend a 100% whole grain instead.  I love that the casserole forms its' own syrup too, it would be a perfect "all in one" dish to take to a potluck.  My kids said it reminded them of bread pudding, so you could even serve it as a dessert.  Using the whole wheat bread makes it quite filling, my family of 5 can easily eat this twice, with a bit leftover even.  Enjoy!

Peach French Toast

1 cup brown sugar (I like dark)
1/2 cup butter
2 Tablespoons water
3-4 cups diced peaches (29 oz. canned, drained are fine, as are frozen, as I used here)
8 cups day-old toasted whole grain bread, or french bread, torn into large bite-sized pieces
5 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine brown sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour the brown sugar/butter mixture into a 9x13 baking pan, and tilt it until mixture covers the bottom evenly.  Top with peaches in an even layer, then spread bread evenly on top as well.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla.  Pour over bread to coat evenly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, I always do overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator a few minutes before ready to bake.  Place into the cold oven, preheat oven to 350, and set timer for 35 minutes.  Check to see if it is golden brown on top, and center is set.  Depending on the type of bread and peaches you use, it may require an additional 5-10 minutes baking time. 

Let cool a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Sausage Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Becca here with a classic breakfast casserole that you can't go wrong with!  Our Mom used to make this ahead of time for us to eat on Christmas Morning when we were growing up.  I recently served it for my son's second birthday, and it's a favorite breakfast treat of my family's now as well.  I love that you prepare the whole casserole the night before, so all you have to do in the morning is put it into the oven and bake!  When I'm baking a cold, from the refrigerator, casserole, I always place it into the cold oven, and then preheat the oven after the dish is inside, so the oven and baking dish can warm up together.  Placing a cold baking dish into a hot oven is never a good idea.  I hope you'll try this easy recipe, I'm sure it will become a favorite of your family's too!

Sausage Egg Brunch Casserole

4 cups of bread, cut or torn into bite sized pieces (I use homemade 100% whole wheat)
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 pound breakfast style sausage, browned & drained (try our homemade seasoning!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup grated cheese (my family's favorite is sharp cheddar)

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Place bread evenly into a greased 9x13 baking pan.
Sprinkle cooked sausage evenly over bread.
Pour egg mixture evenly over sausage & bread.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until top is starting to brown.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving for nice clean slices.

For making the night before:  Follow all directions, except after sprinkling with cheese, tightly cover casserole dish and place into refrigerator.  When ready to bake, remove pan from fridge, uncover, and place into the cold oven.  Then, preheat the oven to 350, and bake 40 minutes, or until top is starting to brown, as shown above.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving for nice clean slices.

Green Eggs

Becca here with a fun and healthy meal that your kids are sure to want to try!  Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" is a classic that was first published in 1960. Children my kids' ages are the third generation to grow up with the book as a staple of libraries and homes everywhere, and Theodore Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) even has his birthday celebrated in schools and libraries across the country every March 2, which has since been named "National Read Across America Day."  My kids are no exception and love the book also, and it's funny to hear them remind each other often that "you never know if you like it until you try it, remember the Cat in the Hat?"  I must confess to, in the past, making food-coloring dyed green eggs to suit the theme, before realizing how bad food dyes really are and was thrilled to come across this recipe for a way to not only get your green eggs, but to make them healthier (and dye free!) in the process.  My kids all do like kale fine already, but I think even a picky eater couldn't resist a good reading of the book and plate of the green eggs.  Fresh spinach could be substituted, although I'd recommend trying the kale.  Because the kale is in such fine pieces, it really just adds a bit of (good!) flavor, and, of course, the green color, so I think it's an excellent intro to kale recipe.  And then after they love the green eggs, you can serve kale different ways, reminding them that they do like kale, and ate it in the green eggs :)  Enjoy!

Green Eggs

8 large eggs
1 1/2 cup fresh organic kale, washed, cut away from the large center stem
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tablespoon butter

Combine first four ingredients into your blender (eggs, kale, salt, and pepper).  Blend until well mixed, and the kale is in tiny pieces.

Heat butter in skillet over medium heat until melted.  Pour egg mixture into skillet.  Let sit for a couple of minutes until it begins to solidify.  Then use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir and scramble until eggs are done all the way through. 

Immediately top with mozzarella cheese and serve. 

Eggs in a Hole

Becca here with one of my kids' favorite breakfasts!  I honestly don't remember where I first saw this idea, but it was sometime years ago when my oldest daughter (now seven!) was young, and I could still make breakfast for the two of us in a large skillet.  Now that I'm feeding three kids, I use the griddle so they're all hot & ready at the same time.  I sometimes even use a shaped cookie cutter for the cut out in the bread that the egg is cooked in to make the meal extra special.  The kids also love that they get a special lunch out of the meal too, since I save the centers of the bread for a 'fancy' meal of shaped pbj sandwiches.  Since we're a bread crust eating family (I've never offered the children the option of not eating it), eating little shaped sandwiches with no crust seems like quite a treat.  With a griddle (I can fit 5 regular loaf sized eggs in a hole at one time on mine) you can easily have a plate of these on the table in 10 minutes, and the bread is sturdy enough that it can be picked up and eaten with your hands without a mess, so it doesn't get much better than this homemade 'fast food'!  Serve with fruit, and you have a super quick & complete meal that you can feel good about giving your kids a good start on the day with.  I do realize that I've called for butter, and some people avoid it for various reasons.  You can use olive oil or your favorite cooking oil, but for the best flavor, you just really cannot beat butter, the toast just isn't the same without it, I think it makes the meal here.  Go lowfat for lunch, and use the butter early in the day so you have time to burn it off :)  Enjoy!

Eggs in a Hole
(All amounts are per slice/serving.  In my experience, growing kids may sometimes need 2 slices!)

1 large egg
1 slice of your favorite bread (I'd definitely use whole wheat; I normally use homemade sliced thinly)
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon butter

Heat griddle to 350, or skillet on stovetop to medium-high heat.  Meanwhile, use cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass, as I did here), to cut a shape out of your bread.  Make sure that you have a good sized hole for the egg, but that there is plenty of bread & crust framing it also, so that the egg stays in the hole & it can easily be picked up & eaten.  Press down with the cutting shape, then wiggle back & worth a few times, and the center will come out cleanly.  Reserve bread centers for a later use (we use them for 'fancy' sandwiches for lunch).

Add a small sliver of butter to the heated griddle or skillet (about 1/2 Tablespoon).  Place toast on top of it, and wiggle it around a bit so that it's coated evenly with the butter.  Immediately crack an egg into the center hole.  Sprinkle a dab of salt & pepper onto the egg, and continue to cook until the egg is mostly set, and toast is a nice golden brown on the underside, which takes a few minutes, 2-3 if I had to guess, although your pan, griddle, and heat level will obviously factor into this time quite a bit.  If you flip it too early, the egg will spill out during the flip, and it won't be as pretty, although it will still taste great :)

After flipping, continue to cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, or until other side is also nice and toasted, and egg is completely set.  Serve, and enjoy!

Eggs in a Potato Basket

I saw this idea on Pinterest, and it came from this blog.  Mine didn't turn out looking as cute as the original, but they were so yummy that I decided I needed to share the recipe anyway!  I served this for dinner, along with some fresh mixed fruit, and it was a great meal!  It would also be wonderful for breakfast or brunch too! 

Eggs in a Potato Basket

2 large (or 3 medium) Russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8-12 medium eggs

1. Generously (this is VERY important...mine needed a little more) grease a 12 cup muffin tin.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Shred the potatoes using a grater, and put them in a bowl with the salt mixed in. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, and then squeeze excess liquid out. (this will allow for crispier potatoes)

3. After the water is removed, stir in the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and paprika.

4. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the potato mixture into each muffin tin.  (fill as many as you can with the right amount...mine made 12, yours could make fewer) Make sure to line the bottom and the sides, and press tightly.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the outer sides are becoming slightly brown.

5. Decrease oven to 350 degrees.  Add a small amount of shredded cheese to each muffin tin.  Crack an egg into each tin, on top of the cheese. 

6. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked, and the yolks are cooked to your preference.  Cool for 2 minutes, and then run a butter knife around the edges of each basket to remove. Top with remaining pepper, and serve warm!

Enjoy!

Breakfast Pizza

Becca here with a great way to use up leftover bits of sausage gravy, egg, and pizza crust you may have hanging out in your fridge. In fact, I plan to have them leftover just to be able to make this yummy pizza! You can easily have it made in five minutes, and be getting dressed and ready for the day while it bakes if you're quick! (My favorite homemade pizza crust takes just 10 minutes to cook at 500). My kids think this is amazing, and I can't wait for you to try it too! Feel free to experiment with the toppings, I've listed the amounts I used this time, but they are definitely approximate, and will vary slightly depending on how much you have leftover to use.

Breakfast Pizza

1 large pizza crust, or leftover homemade dough to make 1 large crust
2+ cups leftover sausage gravy (I use my recipe you can find here)
1+ cup scrambled eggs
1+ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or your favorite cheese. Pepper Jack is good too!)
a dash of salt & pepper

On large baking sheet, layer pizza crust, leftover sausage gravy even spread over crust, scrambled eggs, and then shredded cheese. Add a quick dash of salt & pepper across the top, and bake according to crust instructions. Enjoy!

Egg Salad

Becca here with a 'treat' that my kids are always excited to see for lunch!  We like egg salad equally well on bread as a sandwich, or served with crackers.  My recipe makes enough for my family of five to eat as a main dish for lunch, and has just enough tang from the mustard to make it good, but not enough to scare the kids off or keep them from asking for seconds.  Peeling boiled eggs is a great way for even the littlest kids to get started helping in the kitchen too, and we always get lots of practice sharing with the egg slicer, everyone's favorite job :)  Enjoy! 

Egg Salad

8 boiled eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons mustard

2 teaspoons dried dill

a dash each salt & pepper

Peel boiled eggs, slice them into small pieces (I use an egg slicer for this, so the children are able to peel & slice the eggs all on their own; just be sure & check for bits of shell before slicing with really little ones, or new learners :) and place into a medium sized bowl.  Add remaining ingredients (mayonnaise, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper) and gently stir to combine. 

I like to top with a bit of extra dill to look 'fancy' if we're eating it with crackers.  Enjoy!!

Becca's Deviled Eggs

Becca here with one of my kids' favorite recipes.  In fact, my daughter requested them for her soon upcoming seventh birthday party!  They make a great protein-packed side dish, and are very economical too.  I think these have the perfect mixture of creamy vs. tangy, and couldn't be easier.  My recipe serves five, since I have five in my family, but feel free to double for company or a potluck.  Don't let the simplicity of the recipe fool you, this is my favorite way to eat deviled eggs by far!  This is another recipe that is great to get the kids in the kitchen with, peeling boiled eggs is a great task for even the little ones. 

Becca's Deviled Eggs

5 boiled eggs

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

salt & pepper to taste (I use a dash of each)

dried dill weed, to top

Peel boiled eggs and slice into half lengthwise.  Carefully remove yolks, and add them to a small bowl.  Add mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper and use a fork to combine, and mash yolks until a smooth consistency is reached.  Using a tablespoon, add the yolk mixture back into the egg whites.  Sprinkle with dried dill weed, and serve!

'Over Hard' Fried Eggs

Becca here with a good basic fried egg tutorial.  In case you don't prefer yours over hard like I do, I have included instructions on when to stop cooking for over easy, or even medium also.  I mentioned in a previous post that I try to fix a healthy, protein packed breakfast for the children and I every day.  This often ends up being eggs, which actually aren't one of my favorite foods. I do love a good restaurant style fried egg, but only in the past few months have I been able to fix a good one that isn't either hard & tough on the edges, still runny, or that ends up just being scrambled eggs.  I did consult the Incredible Edible Egg website when I first started to try to learn how to make these :)

Over-Hard Fried Eggs

1 T. butter or coconut oil

2 T. water

eggs (I can cook 6 at a time, absolute max, in my largest skillet)

salt & pepper, to taste

1) Heat the butter or coconut oil in skillet over medium-high heat.

2) When it is hot (this will depend on if you're using a gas or electric stove top, as well as the type of pan you're cooking in; on my electric flat surface cook top with a thick nonstick pan, it takes about 2 minutes), gently crack eggs and add them to the skillet.  In my skillet, I do 5 evenly spaced around the edges, and one in the middle.

3) They will begin cooking immediately, so poke the yoke with a spatula a few times gently to break it, if you prefer (I do).  I add a bit of salt & pepper at this point also.

4) Add the water to the skillet, and cover with a tight fitting lid.  I use a clear glass lid so you can keep an eye on the eggs.  When they have become more white than translucent, and only the center is still opaque and runny, this will just take a few minutes, remove the lid and gently flip the eggs over to finish cooking.  This should take less than a minute.  Because I use an electric stove that retains heat well, after flipping the eggs I normally replace the lid and turn the stove top off so I'm sure not to overcook the eggs. 

**If you prefer your eggs to be less cooked than over hard, just continue to cook them with the lid on, before flipping the eggs, until they've reached the desired consistency.  Please note that to prevent illness, eggs should always be heated to 165 throughout!  Also, the website I linked to above (that I have no affiliation with, I just found it useful) has more detailed instructions on cooking eggs any way you could imagine :)  Enjoy!

Eggshell Seed Starter

Jana here with a frugal way to start seeds for your garden!  Although our area of the country has had a warmer than usual Spring, it is still a good idea to start some of your garden seeds early in a starter pot.  You can either keep them inside the house near a window, or in a greenhouse outdoors.  We found a small, inexpensive greenhouse at Tractor Supply that has been working well for our family.  Anytime in the next few weeks is a great time to get your garden seeds started, so they'll be ready to plant in your garden space when the threat of freeze has passed.

Home supply and gardening stores sell seed starter pots, but they are not cheap, especially if you are needing to buy many at all.  We eat quite a few eggs in our house, so we began saving our egg shells. It is very easy to crack the egg towards the end of the shell, leaving you with the majority of the shell as a starter pot!  Once we had saved enough empty shells (we stored them in empty egg cartons to keep them from cracking), we began the process of preparing them for seeds.

First, we made a small hole in the bottom of each shell.  This could be accomplished in a number of ways, but we set a small stone on the ground, and slightly pushed the eggshell on it, making the hole.  This will allow the water to drain through the shells.  Next, we filled each shell with potting soil.  The seeds were planted afterwards, and watered!  Now that we have had them planted for a week or two, we are starting to see plants pop up! 

There are a few things to remember....make sure you watch the seed starters, and keep them moist.  Ours have needed water everyday.  We planted two seeds in some of the shells, with plans to remove the smaller/weaker looking plant once they came up.  If you use the cardboard egg cartons to hold the shells, they will absorb the moisture.  If you are using styrofoam egg cartons, you will need to poke holes in the bottom of the carton to allow the water to drain.

After the plants are large enough to be planted in your garden, you can just place the whole thing, eggshell and all, in the ground!  This will save you lots of money in your gardening!  

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Fried Rice

Becca here with one of our favorite breakfast recipes.  I homeschool our children, and can tell a big difference in them between when we've had a protein packed breakfast and when we haven't, so for the past year or so I've tried really hard to make sure we're getting a good start to our day with a healthy breakfast.  This recipe is actually a combination between the Anytime Breakfast Burritos and Fried Rice, but I thought I'd share it in case you needed a new breakfast meal in your rotation.  Eggs are healthy & inexpensive, but I get a bit tired of eating them every single morning, so this makes a nice change. 

{Sausage & Egg} Breakfast Fried Rice

(this makes a large batch, you'll likely have leftovers, yay!)

6 large eggs

1 pound breakfast sausage (I always use my easy homemade sausage recipe) 

3-4 cups of cooked rice

salt & pepper to taste

1) If sausage is uncooked, cook it in a large skillet, crumbling it as it cooks.  I usually cook several pounds at a time, and then freeze the cooked, crumbled sausage for a quick & easy meal later!

2) When sausage is no longer pink inside, scoot it to one side, and add eggs to the empty space in the skillet you just created.  Because your skillet is hot, they will almost immediately begin cooking; use your spatula to start scrambling them, adding the sausage in as they begin to set.  Before the eggs are quite done, scoot the sausage & eggs to the side and add the cold rice to the empty spot in the hot skillet.  Continue to chop it up and mix it into the sausage & eggs until everything is evenly combined and hot.  Serve and enjoy!

Quinoa Tuna Cheese Muffins

Becca here with another original recipe that I am super excited about!  And yes, I know I say that often, but these really are just that great.  A long time ago, like nearly 11 years ago when Samuel & I were first married, I copied a recipe for tuna 'muffins' made with white rice down from a cookbook while we were house sitting for one of our college professors.  I've made a few changes to that original recipe over the years, including making a dairy free variation while one of my sons had a problem with dairy for a couple of years, but it's remained a family favorite.  So after the great success of the Mini Broccoli Bacon Quinoa Quiches I first made a few weeks ago, I started thinking about making a tuna/cheese variation, for a healthier, more updated version of the white rice ones.  So here's the result!  My family also ate all of these in no time; I think they taste just as good, or quite possibly even a teeny bit better, if that's possible, reheated the next day for a quick & easy lunch.  Here's my recipe for a large batch, enjoy!

Quinoa Tuna Cheese Muffins

6 cups cooked quinoa
5 cans tuna (6 oz. each), drained well
6 large eggs
1/4 cup dried minced onion (the dehydrated ones from the spice aisle)
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (our family favorite, regular cheddar is fine too :)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together & until evenly combined and mixed well.

Place mixture into well-greased mini-muffin tins; filling to the top, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until starting to brown around the edges.  Let cool 5-10 minutes in the pan before trying to remove.  Enjoy!!

*I used a mini muffin pan, for a regular sized muffin tin cooking time will need to be increased by 5-10 minutes.  They should start to brown on the edges & the middle will be bubbly when they are done. 


I also wanted to with my "sweetheart" a happy 4th Birthday today too!!  I love you, Momma :)