Why, Hello There!

I truly believe food is love; it calms the soul, and lightens the heart. I am pleased you are here to share my many recipes, crafts and thoughts. Thank you so much for joining me, and may you always eat, drink, and be merry!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Who Needs McDonald's?

The summer season is at an end but the early fall bounty is upon us.  Jacob and I have been experimenting with freezing various dishes for later. It makes meal preparation really easy, all they require is quick oven re-heating.  I simply call them 'freezer meals.'  So far I have made three types of burritos, three savory pies, creamy chicken enchiladas, cookie dough, and today we finished a batch of pancake breakfast sandwiches!

We love getting the freshest ingredients for our meals, and for us, going to the farmer's market has been our food destination of choice.  Lately the booths have been booming with organic produce, meats, honey, jams and more.  Unfortunately, the autumn harvest will soon be over, meaning our local farmer's market will also end for the season.

Before the winter begins, I want to create as many freezer meals (with the current array of farm fresh foods) as possible, so we continue to enjoy all of the tasty nutritional benefits throughout the barren months.


 This will hopefully save copious amounts of time, stress, and even a bit of money.

I want to try freezing soups, casseroles, fillings, and singular food items like sliced peaches.  I am in the process of acquiring a chest freezer to store everything.  We will keep it out back so as not to disturb the ambiance and feng shui of our apartment.

To follow is my recipe for yummy pancake breakfast sandwiches. They are laced with the sweet notes of maple, vanilla, and cinnamon.  

Makes 12 super yummmmy sandwiches!



For Sausage:

1 pound grass fed lean ground beef
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/4 generous cup pure organic maple syrup

In a medium bowl mix spices together, then add ground beef, combine.  Next add maple syrup, working it into the spiced meat. Shape into 12 equal rounds and bake at 350 degrees, or cook in a skillet until done. 
 




 For Eggs:

12 eggs
1/4 cup milk, or half and half
sprinkle of salt
sprinkle of pepper

With a whisk in a large bowl whip eggs, milk, salt and pepper together.  Bake at 350 in a greased large muffin tray for about 20 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.
 


For Pancakes:

4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups whole wheat flour
milk

Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another (excluding the milk).  Combine wet and dry, then pour in enough milk to make the mixture look like warm runny peanut butter.   Cook 24 equal sized pancakes on the stove, or on a griddle.  Cook them until just barley done if freezing, or all the way if eating straight away.





Extras:
Cheese
Syrup
Jam/Fruit Spread
Bacon


These sandwiches are fun to experiment with.  I added thin slices of cheese in between a few layers for extra decadence. Dip in a bit of maple syrup for more delicious maple flavor, or spread fruit preserves right on top and eat with a fork.   Try new combinations, it makes life fun!   
  

7 comments:

  1. The mcgriddle was my absolute favorite when I was in high school. So glad I can recreate a much more healthier version!

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    1. I gave up fast food a long time ago, and I think healthier, better quality versions of fast food creations are great. I just wish those companies felt the same way.

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  2. Ooh these look delicious! I'd love to make a bunch of these for my brother to take to school...how do you reheat them from the freezer? In the microwave, thaw in fridge overnight...?

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    1. Hi Steph!

      That would be so sweet, what a nice sister you are :) To reheat them I take them strait from the freezer, unwrap them, place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. I'm sure if you put them in the microwave after thawing that would work too!

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  3. Looks amazing!

    I'm going to make these tomorrow for next week. I had no idea you had a blog like this until Josh told me.

    Great blog.

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    1. Thanks so much! :), I hope they work out for you, Jake and I had so much fun making these. I'm really excited you joined!

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  4. That looks pretty authentic! Thanks for linking it up to Food on Friday: Breakfast. Cheers

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