Tag: breakfast

Huckleberry Scones

Huckleberry Scones

My name is Stephanie and I have a problem. I buy things in season in bulk, then freeze them…and then never use them. And now my freezer is FULL! Between hatch green chiles, rhubarb, huckleberries, zucchini, homemade pesto and brown bananas I have no room 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

This post is sponsored by Imperial Sugar. I have received sample products for writing this post.  All content and opinions are mine. While I love to garden and have a small container garden on my patio, I think I love coworkers with gardens even more. The best 

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars

Before we get to these tasty treats, I want to apologize for the radio silence here on the blog recently (even my dad has noticed. Hi, Dad!) We are both still here…just busy with life! There are still plenty of delicious desserts we plan on sharing with you, but there may be longer gaps between posts. If you stick around though, we promise they will be worth the wait.

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars | longdistancebaking.comNow back to these breakfast bars. Breakfast may be my favorite meal of the day: fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy diner style hash browns, crunchy bacon and a hot cup of coffee. It doesn’t get better than that! Sadly though…my usual breakfast routine is shoveling a bowl full of oatmeal in my mouth as fast as humanly possible. But hey…at least I’ve graduated from eating in my car!

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars | longdistancebaking.comWhile I guess technically these are pretty much a dessert, they have fruit, oatmeal, and very little added sugar. In my mind, that’s enough to consider them acceptable for breakfast. Flahavan’s Irish Oats are a source of whole grains and we all know how good whole grains are for you. Studies have repeatedly shown that they are able to reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Sign me up!

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars | longdistancebaking.comGrowing up my mom always used to make strawberry rhubarb pie…but it was never my favorite (sorry, Mom!) I think it’s one of those things you have to acquire a taste for? Maybe? Or maybe these days I’m just a less picky eater because now I love the combination. Juicy strawberries fresh from the farmers market and homegrown rhubarb are the epitome of early summer. Plus they’re just so pretty together!

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars | longdistancebaking.comI’ll let you be the judge of whether these bars are a breakfast or dessert. Either way, I’m sure you’re going to love them.

~Steph

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars | longdistancebaking.comDisclosure: I received Flahavan’s Irish Oats to be used for review and recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.

Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

  • 1 1/2 c Flahavan’s Irish Oats  (or another old fashioned oat)
  • 3/4 c whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 c butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 c strawberries, sliced
  • 1 c rhubarb, chopped in bite size pieces
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  1. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In small mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
  3. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and combine until a crumbly mixture forms.
  4. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for later and pour remaining amount into baking dish. Press it down evenly into bottom of pan to create crust.
  5. Spread half of the strawberries and half of the rhubarb over crust.
  6. Sprinkle fruit with cornstarch and lemon juice. Add the remaining fruit and 1 tbsp sugar.
  7. Top evenly with reserved crumble mixture.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
  9. Let cool and cut into squares. Serve bars either room temperature or chilled (I personally liked chilled)

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Homemade Loaded Granola Bars

Homemade Loaded Granola Bars

I have a hard time buying granola bars at the store. I think it’s because they’re somewhat expensive for such a little snack, they’re never as healthy as they appear, and half the time they don’t fill you up anyways! Growing up, my mom made 

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

It’s finally Fall. That means it’s time for college football, peppermint mochas, Halloween candy (I would emphasize candy corn but I can’t stand it!), pretty colored leaves, apple cinnamon candles, apple cinnamon desserts, the World Series (sadly our man Buster Posey won’t be there…), Thanksgiving prep, 

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie

smoothieI’m on a health kick… again. Remember, I strive for progress not perfection blah, blah, blah… but with this smoothie, I don’t feel like I have to give anything up!

This is the summer of oatmeal and coconut. Lately, I can’t seem to make a recipe that does not call for one or both of these items on the ingredient list and I look for any excuse to sneak them both into any recipe. Case in point: Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie.
smoothie2We leave this Friday for our annual family trip to the Beach House in Aptos, CA a.k.a the greatest place on earth! I capitalize Beach House, not because that is what the house is called but because that it was what we call it. I even refer to it as our Beach House, despite the fact that we only rent it for one week out of the year, because we’ve been going there as a family since before I can remember. We took a hiatus during the high school/college years but we’ve been going back now for the past 5 years and I look forward to it every summer.

Yes, my family got matching shirts for the beach house :)
Beach House 2014

I come from a family that is weight conscious. What I mean is that we’re always watching our figures and claim we can’t eat dessert yet, we always eat the dessert! We even do this thing where we’ll eat half the cookie and leave the other half on the plate. And if someone doesn’t eat that  half of cookie within the 30 second window it takes to eat our half, we grab that second half and eat it too. And chances are, we’ll usually go back for a second and third cookie later on. Ya, we’re the family with pieces of cookies left on the plate, half eaten donuts in the box, and leftover pie that is just the filling.
smoothie3So in attempt to eat somewhat healthy from now until the beach, where cookies are baked fresh every night and we sometimes eat donuts for breakfast, I’ll be drinking a few of these smoothies. Similar to Haystack Energy Bites, this smoothie is chock-full of flavor but without all the added sugar. Of course, the one thing that would make it better- Oreo pieces… But that’s for another day. Hope you enjoy!

-Kelly

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter, or any nut butter
  • 1 tbsp coconut, unsweetened
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • almond milk (I use Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk), as needed
  • ice cubes, as needed

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until well combined. For a thicker smoothie, use less milk and more ice. Pour in glass and enjoy!
Blackberry Scones

Blackberry Scones

When I was in middle school there was a locally owned coffee shop across the street, Plantation Coffee, that we used to go to all the time, especially when my grandparents would pick us up. They had the best blueberry scones! In fact, I have 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

My last meal before I die: a thick Oreo milkshake, tri-tip and biscuits. I know, I have quite the sophisticated palate 😉 I’m one of those people who is always craving something. It’s usually some sort of dessert, red meat or a carb happy item 

Egg Muffins- on the go!

Egg Muffins- on the go!

eggmuffin_2Guys, my sister made food last night. And no, it wasn’t boxed mac & cheese.

Let me back up. My sister has made some dinners in the past. She’s made homemade ravioli once and mushroom risotto and a veggie quinoa. Yet, she always asks me to make her an egg because she claims she can’t make one. I don’t consider myself a mean sister, but I don’t always make her one when she asks. Tough love, sis, tough love.
eggmuffin

But I came home last night and she had made these mini egg muffins for a quick on the go breakfast. And they are delicious!!

In an effort to eat better, I took two for lunch at work and wished I grabbed more. They are filling and protein packed but so tasty that you could eat them all.
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Kara, you finally made eggs. I’m so proud!

-Kelly 

Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound pork sausage (or sausage of choice)
  • 12 eggs
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin pan.
  2. In medium saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat. Set aside.
  3. In large bowl, combine eggs, onion, green pepper and seasonings.
  4. Stir in sausage and cheese.
  5. Spoon mixture into muffin tins.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutella Protein Smoothie

Nutella Protein Smoothie

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been binge watching The Americans all week or because the weather is slightly chilly but I’ve been on a sugar kick lately. And it’s time to cut back. Obviously judging from the title though, I’m taking baby steps