Mini Corn Dogs

Last week we made Homemade Honey Nut Cheerios, a perfect snack for kids AND adults!  This week we’re making Mini Corn Dogs.  These are so yummy I ate 4 of them pretty much as soon as they came out of the oven.

I didn't use an exact recipe, simply inspiration from photos on Pinterest.  I used the packaged corn muffin mix, Jiffy brand.  They are about $.75 at any grocery store.  It’s not the most healthy thing but for a fun snack for the kids you can't go wrong.

Simply mix the batter as directed on the box, using the same temperatures and times as listed. Pour the batter in a bit less than half into your mini muffin tin.  I used my 2 teaspoon sized ‘cookie scoop’.  Cut the hot dog into about 1 inch lengths.  I actually stood up the hot dog in one of the empty parts of the tin and measured it to below the top as a guide.  Press the hot dog bit into the corn muffin batter in the tin.  I then put a bit of tiny cubes of cheese in around the hot dog, about 2 pieces. 
Bake as directed, let cool, ENJOY!

Kidster isn’t a fan of the carby foods so she mostly dug out the hot dog and left the rest of the corn muffin bit for the dog but when she’s older she’ll hopefully like them, we sure did!
Next week I’ll show you how to make the ‘2 Ingredient Pancake” that seems to be so popular lately. 

What is YOUR favorite way to eat a hot dog?

~Lisa

Cheese Waffle

This week’s Waffle Iron Wednesday we’re making a cheese waffle.  It’s a basic waffle but with a cheesey twist.  Imagine a waffle and a cheese it had a little baby waffle and there you go.  The recipe makes about 12 or so waffles that I cut into segments and then stored in the refrigerator. 

I’m pretty sure I came across this recipe Cheese Waffle Recipe while trying to find new ways to use my waffle iron.  These waffles were soooo good Hubster and I had a hard time NOT eating them all in one sitting.  Keep in mind that most waffles do not reheat well in the microwave.  It’s just as easy to plug in your waffle iron, let it heat up  for a minute and then place the waffle back on the waffle iron for about a minute or two and there you go.  A perfectly crunchy reheated waffle.  I made a few adjustments because I was making these waffles for a toddler who needed a bit more healthy waffle.

• 2 c flour (I used half flour, half brown rice cereal)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 c milk
• 3 T vegetable or canola oil (I used coconut oil instead)
• 1 c cheddar cheese grated
  • I also added a bit of Italian seasoning to my waffle batter just to make it a bit more ‘savory’

Now for the directions.  Keep in mind that every waffle iron is a bit different so always keep in mind the rule of thumb.  If the steam stops rising from the iron then the waffle is probably finished.

1. Preheat waffle iron
2. Combine the flour, powder/soda, and salt in a bowl.  Whisk together.
3. Add the cheese and make sure to coat it with the flour mixture (this will help the cheese stay separated).  It’s really important that you make sure the cheese is really well coated with the flour mixture.  It makes a big difference and keeps the cheese from getting clumped together.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and oil.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and whisk to combine. 
6. Pour about 1/3 c of the batter into the greased waffle iron and cook 3-5 minutes.  (I didn’t grease mine, the brand of waffle iron that I have seems to be impervious to sticky stuff…crazy.)

(Forgive the weird photos this time around.  I’m trying out a new way of posting the photos that just doesn’t want to do what I want it to. Grrrrrr. )

 

Check back next Wednesday when I show you how to make a delicious stuffed French toast (thanks to my mom friend McMommy!)

What is YOUR favorite savory breakfast dish?

~Lisa

Scrambled Egg Waffle

Every Wednesday I’ll be posting a new recipe that uses the waffle iron.  You know, that weird kitchen appliance gathering dust on the top shelf of that forgotten cabinet?  It’s so easy to use and a lot less heat in the kitchen than an oven or a standing at the stove.
I love to make eggs for the kids in the morning but I get tired of making the same thing every few days. (Check out my post, Mini Cheese Omelets)  This is just as easy as the omelets but adds a bit more fun to Kidster’s breakfast.
I originally came across this recipe on Weelicious Waffle Iron Eggs.  My waffle iron is a bit larger so I doubled the recipe.

• 2 Eggs whisked together
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 T shredded cheese
• Salt and your choice of seasoning (I love herbes de province in eggs)
• *I also added finely shredded spinach so the kids didn't know they were eating veggies.

Such simple ingredients! Turn on and preheat your waffle iron.  High temperature works best. Once preheated pour mixture onto waffle iron.

Cook for about 4 minutes.  Eggs are super fluffy and delicious!

What is YOUR favorite waffle iron recipe?

~Lisa0

Mini Cheese Omelet

It seems like I keep finding cute recipes that involve a mini muffin tin.  Well I'm a Texan.  I only ever had the large muffin tin!  On our recent family grocery trip I decided to buy a mini.  I raced home and to my dismay I didn't really see any recipes that struck my fancy.

"Necessity is the mother of invention" Plato is thought to have said.  Well he was a smart cookie. "Mothers invent because of necessity" this Momster is saying right now!

I want to feed Little Man and Kidster yummy healthy high protein breakfasts but like the mom in this blog post Egg and Cheese Mini Omelets I don't have time to sit at the stove and make omelets or scrambled egg every morning.  Evidently these are wonderful even when frozen and reheated.

So I went for it.  At 7:30am I was bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to get the day started.  I found this recipe and preheated the oven.

I decided to half the recipe because I only have Little Man today and tomorrow and on the weekend Hubster makes "Big Breakfast" as he calls it. Those little tins are really LITTLE!

So three eggs were cracked, 1.5T of milk were measured and bit of S&P were tossed in.  I whisked them all together into a merry little soup.  The original recipe said to add the cheese later. Well that just seemed silly! I didn't measure the cheese because it called for 1/3 cup and I didn't have a 1/6 cup around so I just picked up some cheese and I threw it into the soup.  Poured the bowl into a Pyrex measuring cup because who doesn't love something with a proper spout?

I wish I'd followed the directions.  The cheese acted liked a sieve. (stupid giant shreds!  Next time I'll by the finer shredded cheese.)  All of the egg came out first until the last few cups that were pretty much mostly cheese.  I had overfilled the first cup, which was mostly egg.  So I ended up having to do a bit of crisis control.  Spoon out some egg from the overfilled cup into the other ones.  Add some cheese, having to break the little shreds in half.  Wipe the drippings. You know the drill.

Next time follow the directions!

I baked them at 350 for 8 minutes.  When the buzzer went off I checked on them.  This is what I found!  They were still really 'wet' looking so I figured another 2 minutes wouldn't hurt.

"It's ALIVE!"

I was right.  After 2 more minutes they looked a lot more omelets and had a few bits of brown at the edge.  Kidster doesn't really like eggs in the first place so I have to make sure they aren't 'slimy'.

As PeeWee would say, "Mmmmm, Eggy!"

Cool for a few minutes on the wire rack according to the lady in the blog post.  Aye Aye captain! They do deflate a bit so don't worry about trying to serve you kid or hubby a weird mushroom shaped omelet.

As we speak they are now cooling on the rack looking quite tasty and cheesy.  I will update this when Little Man and Kidster have sampled them.  I'm crossing my fingers! If these work out next time I'll put spinach in them or mushrooms.  Maybe just for the adults. 

What's YOUR favorite thing to make in a Mini Tin?

***UPDATE***

Texas China!  They popped right out super easily!

Success!  Kidster LOVES them!