Sunday Breakfast - What's Your Favorite?

My idea of a lovely Sunday brunch can mean a few different things. I treated myself to a Waring Belgian Waffle Maker a few months ago, and I'm having fun using it every so often (do you know how fattening belgian waffles are?)Here is a pic of the first waffle I made a few months ago...it's a really fun toy!


















Occasionally, I like pancakes on a Sunday morning. I've been trying to cook a little bit healthier, so I tried making whole wheat pancakes, served with a slice of orange and fresh blueberries, and dusted lightly with powdered sugar.
Next time, I'm going to try making banana pancakes and use only egg whites, no yolks (guess you're starting to realize how attached I am to bananas! lol)


Mustn't forget a steaming hot cup of great Java, no matter what you choose to have! Eggs are high on my list for an enjoyable Sunday brunch, too...along with a delicious sunflower flagel with sweet butter. For those of you who haven't the foggiest notion as to what a flagel is, well...it's a large bagel that has been flattened (flat + bagel = flagel). If you haven't ever tasted a flagel, you just haven't lived! I could go on and on about brunch, which is my favorite meal of all...cream cheese & smoked salmon on a toasted bagel (with tomato and onion, naturally!), or orange and vanilla infused stuffed French would be a super choice, also. And last, but not least, I absolutely LOVE waffles served with poached eggs on top, along with a splash of real maple syrup. Heavenly! Well, let me know what your favorite brunch would consist of. I'm all ears! :)

You Get No Bread With One Meatball (anyone know this old song?)

Meatballs and spaghetti...YUM! If the sauce is good and the meatballs are tender, what more could one ask for? Well, maybe a hot crusty garlic bread along with a lovely glass of red wine! Well, I made a batch of sweet & sour meatballs, served over tri-color whole wheat pasta. They were delicious,but, now I'm in the mood for a really nice marinara sauce over the meatballs. Not a meat sauce, just a light marinara made with diced fresh tomatoes, olive oil, onions, lots of garlic and oregano...and a generous sprinkling of grated cheese. I can taste it now!

Yes, We Have Some Bananas!

I'm always baking banana bread. Why, you ask? Because I love it! The secret to flavorful banana bread is to use really, really ripe bananas. When the bananas look like they should be thrown away...that's when they will be just perfect for baking! The riper the bananas get, the sweeter they taste. My local grocery store always seems to have marked down bananas. For only $1.49, there are usually about 8 bananas in those packages, which means I can make 4 loaves with those bargain bananas...not bad, huh? So I bring home the bananas and leave them out in a bowl until the outer peels are very, very dark. Once baked, we can devour one and freeze the rest for future enjoyment...they freeze beautifully! I always add a handful of chopped walnuts into the batter, and most times I will place some whole walnuts on the top of the batter just because it looks pretty. Oh, the fragrance of the banana bread while it's baking is divine...equally as good as the smell of apple pie!

Irish Soda Bread...Not just for St. Patrick's Day!

I have always liked Irish Soda Bread. Recently, I decided to put a new twist on it by using a square springform pan. Here are the results...which didn't last long! I find that this shape also provides more slices in total, which is nice. Also, the crumb texture is very delicate and I find that pleasant, too. Irish soda bread is very easy to make, and the needed ingredients are ones that can usually be found in the average kitchen. So the next time you feel like something just a bit sweet, try whipping up some Irish Soda Bread!