Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dish, Sandwiches, Savory, Sweet

monte cristo sandwiches with dijon mustard + strawberry jam

Until now, I’d never made a Monte Cristo sandwich before (the horror!).

The idea behind this sandwich is a relatively simple yet decadent one – I’m all for sandwiches that basically use french toast for the bread! – but for some reason, I’d not yet tackled one. They’re perfect for breakfast, even though my breakfast preferences tend toward something a little less rich, like veggie scrambles or a quick bowl of cereal. Monte Cristos are a bit involved, but the payoff is so worth it! You can change it up however you see fit, using sliced turkey and ham (or just using your favorite of the two), different types of cheese (I went with the classic, swiss!), and swapping the strawberry jam for blackberry, raspberry or maybe even apple butter. The powdered sugar dusting is an absolute must in my book, though, so don’t skip it!

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AmandaAugust 24, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Breads, Breakfast, Holidays, Main Dish, Meat, Savory

mini bread bowl quiche

Sometimes you discover an idea that you wish you’d thought of first. Chocolate chip cookie shot glasses? Guacamole grilled cheese sandwiches? Cake pops? All brilliant, but they’re sadly the brainchild (brainchildren?) of other people.

And how about little single-serving quiche made in bread bowls? Not my idea, but I love them just the same! I saw them on some random blog back in the day. I adore the idea of miniature food and single serving snacks (for years, I’ve loved the Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook by Martha Stewart, mostly for the pictures inside!). Instead of serving a whole gigantic quiche to your breakfast or brunch guests, why not create individual versions stuffed with all their favorite quiche fillings, adorably crammed into little bread bowls? Tell ’em the idea was yours alone. I won’t be bummed if you take the credit — they’re just too cute!

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AmandaMarch 29, 2014September 17, 20152 Comments

Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Sweet

strawberry scones with cornmeal + black pepper

I can never resist the combo of strawberry and black pepper. I can’t remember where or when I first heard of pairing the two together, but it’s somehow genius! I’ve done it before with these popsicles, and I had always wanted to apply those flavors to a pastry of some kind. These scones seemed like a natural match!

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AmandaMarch 1, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Breakfast, Fall, Sweet, Winter

pumpkin pie oatmeal with cranberry crunch

The arrival of cool fall weather means a few different things to me. One, it means an end to the dreadfully hot Phoenix summers, and two, it means that I can once again eat things like hot oatmeal for breakfast without sweating over the bowl!

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AmandaOctober 26, 2013September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Breads, Breakfast, Fall, Fruit, Sweet

carrot cake scones

Once the first day of fall arrives, we’re finally allowed to celebrate all things pumpkin without risking a punch in the mouth. We’ll get our fill of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and of course the ever-present pumpkin spice latte. With all this pumpkin overload, there’s another autumn-appropriate flavor that always gets upstaged by pumpkin, and that’s the humble carrot cake.

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AmandaSeptember 28, 2013September 13, 20156 Comments

Breads, Breakfast, Drinks, Fruit, Holidays, Savory, Summer, Sweet

rise and shine!

I love a good three day weekend. Aside from the obvious (not going to work on a Monday!), there’s the bonus of having more time to get things done, or more time to be lazy if you choose.

honeyed peach aguas frescas

jalapeno-cheddar bagels

tomato + ricotta tart

rosemary roasted baby potatotes

herb + cheddar scones

radish + chive tartine

honey-almond peach crisp

summertime fried egg sandwich

creamy baked eggs

sparkling fruit sodas!

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AmandaAugust 31, 2013May 4, 2014Leave a comment

Breakfast, Lunch, Savory, Spring

creamy baked eggs

(Psst! The recipe for the real version from The Cup Cafe was posted online! Get it here!)

Recently, I was in Tucson visiting family. It was St. Patrick’s Day weekend and we were trying to decide on a place to grab brunch. My sister is vegan so she recommended The Cup Cafe inside Hotel Congress, in downtown Tucson because they happen to have lots of vegan menu options. I had never been to The Cup, but always wanted to try their food. While looking over the menu, one dish stood out at me: Cast Iron Baked Eggs. I’d never before had baked eggs, and their version was decadent beyond belief: Two eggs baked in a little cast iron skillet, with leeks, Gruyere cheese, ham, and lots of cream. Vegan, this certainly was not! I practically inhaled the little skillet of eggs, even though they were piping hot from the oven. Any burns to the mouth were worth it for this super tasty dish.

Cast Iron Baked Eggs from the Cup Cafe in Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy urbanspoon.com

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AmandaApril 6, 2013September 14, 20153 Comments

Breads, Breakfast, Savory, Snacks

herb + cheddar scones

I wake up for work at 5:30 every morning. At this time of the year it’s still pitch dark outside (and cold, even for Arizona standards!), and it makes it very hard to get moving, much less to eat breakfast. All I want to do is turn off my alarm clock, send a text that says “Sorry I won’t be coming in today, I’m far too sleepy.”, and go back to bed.