A bowl of berries makes any breakfast special and healthy…  If you’re having overnight guests over New Years, these are great recipes to serve…

MacKenzie-Childs courtly check colander…MacKenzie-Childs tableware, pottery and furniture, her style is traditional quirky, check out her website, it’s fun!!!

Berry Compote

So easy, can’t go wrong making this, just throw blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and/or blackberries in a bowl with a handful of walnuts and pour in as much maple syrup as you like…put into microwave for one minute, mix, keep microwaving in one minute intervals until you get the right consistency for you, usually 2 minutes will do.  It’s yummy over pancakes or French toast, I even enjoy it without the maple syrup, mashed on top of toast, healthy alternative to jelly…

My Special Pancakes

1 Package of pancake mix (I like Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake mix,
but you can use any kind you like.)
3 Tablespoons of coconut(I use Trader Joe Unsweetened Flake Coconut)
3 Tablespoons of quick oatmeal
Optional – 3 Tablespoons of walnut pieces (I usually put walnuts in compote, so I won’t
put it in pancakes if I do)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 to 1 Cup of milk (depends on consistency you like)
1 Egg

Mix dry ingredients, make a hole in the middle, pour oil, milk and egg in middle, stir until combined but do not over mix. If batter thickens while it stands, add a little more milk.

Preheat griddle that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Use small ladle to pour batter on to griddle. Pancakes are ready when bubbles form. Carefully flip with spatula, bottom should be golden brown and lightly brown on reverse side. Serve with berry compote or fresh berries and pure maple syrup!! If I have lots of company for breakfast, I’ll double or triple the recipe. 1 cup of mix will usually feed two adults and 2 children:)

Parker,enjoying Nina’s pancakes with Gina:)

 Overnight French Toast and Orange Cinnamon Mimosa

I made the French Toast on Christmas morning, preparing it the night before, it was so easy to make and just pop it in the oven in the morning:).   I don’t have a picture of it, but I really wanted to include it in this post because it was so good!!  Six of us ate the whole cassarole, so if you have more than 6 people, you might want to double the recipe and make two cassaroles!

Ingredients

1 loaf honey whole wheat bread
6 large eggs
1 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup half and half (or more milk)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Tear bread into pieces, slightly larger than bite sized. Place in 9×13 or 3 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.   In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, milk, half and half, OJ, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour evenly over bread pieces.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole for around 30-35 minutes until lightly browned if you prefer a softer texture, up to 45-50 minutes if you prefer crispier (but watch for burning!). Remove from oven, serve onto individual dishes and top each one with berry compote or fresh berries, bananas and pure maple syrup.

Orange Cinnamon Mimosa

This would be so yummy served with the French Toast or Pancakes… An easy to prepare morning cocktail..Mix equal parts of champagne and orange juice in glasses starting with bubbly first (Notice this glass says “2000” on the stem, it seems like yesterday we celebrated the new millennium!!!) Garnish with cinnamon sticks, orange slices and strawberries…enjoy!!!