A Look Back to Five Years Ago... and Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Jan here, suffering from a little bit of spring fever....

Last Wednesday our temperatures reached 60° with sunshine, birds singing, and beautiful blue skies. Then on Friday, we got nearly a foot of snow.

MUCH needed moisture, so I'm not complaining...

Wynter loves the snow. This is in April 2013, during
a lull in a record-setting spring blizzard.

But it made me think of other spring snow storms, especially the one five years ago. That was the beginning of a beautiful summer with plenty of rain...and led up to our October 2013 blizzard that was so devastating.

And that took me to thoughts of what else happened five years ago...

This was Thatcher on his "choosing day," when we visited the breeder and picked out our my puppy. Wasn't he a cutie? He shares a birthday with Ruthy's Jeter, and both pups are turning five years old at the end of the month. Time flies!!!

Thatcher now - I love how his face
has changed!

What else happened five years ago?

You can order the e-book here:
The Prodigal Son Returns

My first book was released! Yes, time flies!

It was also five years ago this spring that I shared this recipe. I was looking for it the other day, wondering if I should make it for Easter brunch. I hadn't realized that it had been so long since I shared it here!

This is a gooey, buttery, almost pastry-like cake that is absolutely delicious! Expect to wow your friends :)

Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake (Pampered Chef recipe)

Ingredients:

For the batter -
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the cinnamon swirl (think Cinnabon....mmmmm.....):
1 cup butter, soft to the point of being almost melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla


In a large bowl, mix all the batter ingredients together except the butter. Once mixed, pour the melted butter slowly into the batter, stirring as you go (I had my mixer running on low as I poured the butter in). Pour the batter into a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl, and drop onto the batter, then swirl with a knife.





Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Mine took the whole 40 minutes to become brown and done in the center. Don't try the toothpick test for doneness - the cinnamon swirl will remain sticky. Look for slightly browned cake on the tops and sides.

After the cake cools slightly, but while it's still warm, drizzle the glaze on top. 

And the best thing about this recipe? It only took a few minutes to put together!

Can you remember five years ago? What's the best thing that happened?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Janet's Twenty-four Hour Omelet

Jan here, talking about one of my favorite subjects: baby showers!

One thing that I love about our church is that we celebrate babies. Whether it's the first or the tenth, we celebrate that new life. :)

Whenever it's Janet's privilege to host the shower, she makes a fabulous brunch. And the star of the show is this egg bake.

This is the kind of recipe that we love here at the Cafe... Janet got it from a friend, who got it from a friend, who copied it out of one of those community cookbooks.

Along the way, the original recipe has been tweaked and adjusted as necessary (for instance, the original called for a loaf of Publix Egg Twist bread - not so easy to find when you live thousands of miles from the nearest Publix Super Market!).

So when you try this recipe for your next get-together, be sure to experiment with your own tweaks. Own the omelet!

Janet's Twenty-four Hour Omelet

ingredients:

1 loaf Egg Twist bread (aka Challah) or a similar sweet, rich bread (Janet uses 10 King's Hawaiian Rolls).

8 Tablespoons butter (one quarter pound stick)

6 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese

8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups milk

10 eggs

1/2 Tablespoon salt (or to your taste)

1/2 Tablespoon dry mustard

a dash of cayenne pepper

sliced scallions (aka green onions) or chives for garnish


Remove the crust from the bread. This is a key step, so don't skip it!

Tear the bread into chunks and lay them in the bottom of a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Melt the butter and pour it over the bread.

Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and mix with the shredded cheeses. Layer this mixture over the bread.

Beat the eggs, milk, and spices together and pour this over the bread/cheeses.

Sprinkle the sliced scallions or chives over the top.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bake, covered, at 325° for approximately 90 minutes, or until done. Remove the foil for the last ten minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!!!!!!

What is it about showers that we love so much? Whether it's a baby shower or a wedding shower, there's just something about celebrating the continuation of life, isn't there?

What is your favorite food for parties like this?

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com

Berries: For Brunch and for Books

I love berry season. As we approached Memorial Day, our local strawberry fields were starting to give out. Blueberries were coming in. And the grandkidlets and I took advantage as much as we could. 

I started thinking about some beloved books I read as a child involving berries of all kinds. I mention all the time one of the highlights of my life was picking blackberries on my maternal grandfather's farm. But I also picked huckleberries up in the mountains with my dad and his parents. Berries meant adventure. So, that's why I gravitated toward berry books.

First there was Blueberries for Sal which reminded me of my huckleberry adventures. It's considered a classic.

Here's where you can find a description and ordering on Amazon.

 

 
Then, when I was upper elementary age, there was Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski. This was a book that touched my heart as a child, made me want to read Grapes of Wrath when I was older.

And here's another classic with ordering and description info. 

Now I've read a lot of books in my lifetime and I don't remember all of the children's books I read. But I do remember these two every berry season.

Now that you've let me go down memory lane, here's your reward.  A little dish I whipped up for Memorial Day weekend and will make again for the Fourth of July.  Plenty of protein and low sugar so you can enjoy this brunch dish/dessert without guilt.

Patriotic Muffin-Style Quiche

1 cup Pamela's Gluten Free Baking Mix

2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
water
1 cup fresh blueberries

whipped goat cheese (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Mix one cup Pamela's baking mix with whole eggs and egg whites. Stir with a whisk, adding a small amount of water to keep the mixture from becoming stiff. Be sure to combine well but don't over mix.

3) Add blueberries, gently stirring until combined.

4) Pour into a greased glass pie plate.

5) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't burn and is done in the center.

6) Remove from oven and let cool on the counter for fifteen minutes. Cut into wedges.

7) Garnish with strawberries or additional blue or blackberries. The goat cheese adds additional protein and a great tangy taste to go with the berries. 

8) Store leftovers, if any, in refrigerator.

Do you have any berry picking adventures to tell? What is your favorite berry dish or book?