How to Freeze (and Bake!) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Who doesn't love chocolate chips cookies? Especially hot and fresh from the oven! Sure they are good the second day too (and let's not kid ourselves, they don't make it to the third day.) But it's hard to beat a fresh baked cookie. Well, my friends, I have discovered the answer to this problem. Okay, I didn't discover the answer, the much wiser cookie bakers have probably known this secret for years. But I am going to share with you my method of freezing cookie dough.

First of all, use my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This recipe is already a doubled recipe so it makes quite a few cookies. (About 50 cookies that are about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.) But feel free to go crazy and make this batch twice. (I wouldn't recommend trying to make a bigger batch in any standard size stand mixer. This about hits the capacity limit.) Once your cookie dough is ready we need to gather some supplies.

• You will need a cookie sheet or two. (Or something that will fit in your freezer! I use a small cutting board)
• Freezer paper or waxed paper or parchment paper
• Freezer bags or freezer quality storage containers.
• Permanent marker (for labeling)

Cover your cookie sheets with freezer paper. Spoon out the cookie dough onto the cookie sheets to the size that you want your cookies to be. You don't wan the cookies to be touching, but the can be very close together. Now you are going to flash freeze your (raw) cookies. (If you don't know about flash freezing, read "How to...Flash Freeze" by Ree of "The Pioneer Woman") Let them freeze for about half an hour. You want them to be firm to the touch. You can leave them in there longer, just don't forget about them overnight, or until next week when you go to pull something else out of the freezer. You run the risk of them getting "freezer burnt." (Not saying that I've ever done that...)

Once they are frozen transfer them to storage bags or containers. Label them! Label what they are (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) and the month and year that they where made! It is also helpful to write the baking directions on the bag.

When you are in the mood for some fresh baked cookies, bake them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 14 minutes. (Time my vary depending on your cookie size)

It is also possible to freeze cookie without making it in to cookies first. You can just put your cookie dough into a freezer bag or a freezer quality container and freeze it. Then when you are ready to make cookies you thaw it and make your cookies as you usually would. 

You can also freeze already baked cookies. This is also a good option! You can either thaw them at room temperature or you can put them in a preheated oven for a few minutes.

Enjoy! 

Strawberry-Banana Oatmeal Muffins

We had a couple of banana that were beginning to turn an unappealing shade of brown. Much past the stage where I would eat them. (Who am I kidding, I'll hardly eat a banana when it is in it's prime. I don't like the texture but I look the flavor that banana adds to things, smoothies and banana bread for example.) They weren't mushy yet, but it was only a matter of time. Also I have been wanting to experiment with muffins. So those bananas where calling my name.

I wanted to create something breakfast worthy. Something hearty. Something with fruit in it. I think I came up with a winner!

Strawberry-Banana Oatmeal Muffins with Struesel  Topping

1 Cup of Pureed Strawberries
2 Mashed Bananas
1/4 Cup of Canola Oil
1 Egg
1 Cup of Oatmeal
1/2 Cup of All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Cup of Sugar
2-1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

Struesel Topping

1/4 cup ground oatmeal
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Butter, melted
1/4 Cup of Regular Rolled Oats

To Make Muffins:

In a large bowl mix together Strawberries, Bananas, Oil and Egg. Stir to combine. Add Oatmeal and mix. Add Flours, Sugar and Baking Powder. Stir until just combined. Spoon into greased muffin tins.

To make struesel:

In a small bowl add ground oatmeal, brown sugar and melted butter. Stir to combine. Add in rolled oats. Sprinkle the struesel on to the uncooked muffins.

Bake the muffins at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

My Tips

• I only had about 2/3 of a cup of strawberry puree so I used milk for the remaining 1/3 of a cup.
• I usually use cupcake liners to bake my muffins (it's easier to clean the muffin tin!)
• After the muffins cooled, I topped with a glaze made out of powdered sugar and milk. To make the glaze but a 1/4 of a cup of Powdered sugar into a small bowl and add milk (or water or orange juice or lemon juice, etc.) a few drops at t time until it is the desired consistency.
• I always grind up oatmeal in my blender to make "flour" I often use it in various recipes in place of part of the flour. For the struesel topping you can substitute all purpose flour for the ground oatmeal if you prefer.
• These freeze well! Just take them out and let them thaw. Or thaw them in the oven.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I haven't made cookies in a long time. As in months. And the last time I made Chocolate Chip Cookies was probably last summer. Or last spring! Regardless, I was way overdue to make them! I mean who doesn't love a good Chocolate Chip Cookie? So when my daughter requested them, I was happy to oblige!

I believe that the original copy of this recipe came from the back of a Great Value (Walmart's store brand) bag of Chocolate Chips. I have modified it somewhat to suit my taste.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

4-1/2 Cups of Flour
2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup of Butter, Softened
1 Cup of Crisco
1-1/4 Cups of Brown Sugar, packed
1 Cup of Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
4 Cups of Chocolate Chips

Cream Butter, Crisco, and Sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. Add 1 cup of Flour, Baking Soda and Salt. Mix. Add in remaining Flour 1 cup at a time mixing between each addition. Add Chocolate Chips and mix until combined.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes.

Enjoy!

My Tips

• I usually use 1/2 all purpose flour and for the remaining 1/2 I use a combination of whole wheat, pastry whole wheat, oatmeal and ground oatmeal
• I will often use a combination of chips such as butterscotch, chocolate and cherry

Soft Pretzels

I'm not a fan of pretzels. Soft pretzels, crunchy pretzels, they're just not my thing. They would be okay if it wasn't for that whole pretzel-ly taste! I know, that's what makes it a pretzel. So as I said, I'm not a fan of pretzels. However, my 6 year old son is. And I promised him that I would try making some. So, when I came across this pretzel recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction, I thought I would give it a try.

It turns out that pretzels are easy to make. They are also fun to make! Plus seeing the big smile on my son's face totally made it worth it! And I have to say, if it wasn't for the whole pretzel-ly taste thing, I probably would have liked them myself.

Making pretzels is a lot like making bagels. In fact the difference between the two recipes was that the bagels had oil in them and the pretzels did not. The procedures also varied slightly. The bagels needed to rise for 20 minutes after shaping them and the pretzels did not. Also the shape they were made into was different (obviously) , but the procedures for making the shape (roll, stretch, pull into a rope and shape!) were the same. The bagels were boiled in plain water and the pretzels were boiled in baking soda water (to give them the golden brown pretzel look and taste.) Finally the pretzels where dipped into an egg wash after boiling and then the toppings were added (coarse salt, cinnamon and sugar) and any toppings added to the bagels (sesame seeds, poppy seeds) where added directly to the bagel after boiling. No egg wash required!

I think next time I will make bagels and pretzels at the same time. I'll alter the recipe slightly so that it is combination of the two and I'll make a bunch into bagels and a bunch into pretzels! When I get around to it I'll let you know how it turns out.

We ate our pretzels fresh out of the oven with a side of nacho cheese for dipping them into. If you put enough nacho cheese on it, the pretzel-ly taste was covered up just enough so that someone like me, who doesn't like the pretzel-ly taste (okay, okay...you get the point. I don't like pretzels. I'll stop telling you that!)

My Tips

• Read through Sally's entire post on making pretzels BEFORE making them. I just skimmed it over, printed out the recipe, made my pretzels and then came back and read her article. I missed a few important points, like the broiling is only necessary if you didn't first boil your pretzels!


• Be generous when sprinkling the salt on the pretzels. Pretzels are supposed to be salt. My son kept asking if he could have one of the pretzels that was sprinkled with salt. I told him they all were. He didn't believe me. I might have been a little stingy with the salt.


• I made the recipe into 12 pretzels. They were the perfect size for kids.

Ham, Cheese and Broccoli Hot Pockets

I made pizza pockets awhile back and it has been at the back of my mind to make them again. But I never seen to have all of the ingredients on hand at the same time. So last night I thought I would try a little variation. Last night's supper was Hot Pockets with ham, cheese, broccoli and grilled onions. They were very good, but they still didn't quite satisfy my craving for pizza pockets. I'll have to pepperoni and pizza sauce to my shopping list! In the mean time, I'll tell you how I made my Hot Pockets.

First lets start with the crust.

3-1/2 Cups of Warm Water

1 Tablespoon on granulated Sugar (or Honey)

4-1/2 Teaspoons of active dry Yeast (or 2 packages)

4 Cups all purpose Flour

3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Dissolve the sugar in 1 cup of the water. Add yeast and stir. Let the mixture sit until it is foamy (about 10 minutes) Put the flours in a large bowl and form a well  in the center. When the yeast mixture is ready, pour it into the well in the flour. Add the additional 2-1/2 cups of water and stir. Stir until you have mixed all of the water in. There will probably be excess flour in the bowl still. Dump the mixture out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with a clean towel. Let the dough rise until it is doubled in bulk (about 35-45 minutes.)

While your dough is rising, start preparing your fillings. I used deli ham, mozzarella cheese, grilled onions with garlic and broccoli.

1 Large Onion

2 Teaspoons Garlic (or to taste)

Broccoli

8 Ounces of Mozzarella Cheese

1 Pound of Ham

Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a medium frying pan. Slice the onion and add it to the frying pan. Add the garlic. If you want to add any additional spices, this would be a good time to add them. Some good additions would be basil or oregano. Saute the onions until they are tender. Chop up the broccoli into small pieces and add it to the pan. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes. Cook just until your broccoli starts to soften.

Now it is time to prep your ham and cheese. I used thin, shaved deli ham so there was no need for prepping, but I you are using ham from a whole ham you will need to slice it or dice it into small enough pieces to fit into your hot pocket. For the cheese, I started with an 8 ounce block of Mozzarella cheese and cut it into thick slices. But you could definitely use shredded cheese or string cheese sticks cut in half.

When the dough is ready, you have a couple of different options for preparing it. You could roll the whole thing out and cut it into rectangles (cut to the size you want each hot pocket.) Or what I did was pull off a chunk of dough as I made each hot pocket, rolled it into a rectangle and added the fillings. When adding the fillings, put it all on one half of the dough and then fold the other side over the top and seal the edges together. I first added the ham, then cheese and then put a scoop of the onion/broccoli mixture on top. The proportions you use will depend on your personal taste, but I recommend about 1 ounce of ham, half an ounce of cheese and a good sized spoonful (real scientific, I know) of the onion/broccoli mixture. I don't measure anything, I just guess, so they all come out a little different. 

Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.

My Tips

• If you have any dough left over, you can use it to make breadsticks, or mini-pizzas, or freeze it for later use. Or bake it and top it with butter, cinnamon, sugar and a frosting made up of powdered sugar and water.
• Substitute the fillings to suit your taste. Turkey or chicken make great substitutes.
• These are great for freezing. To reheat them, but them in the oven frozen for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Corn Meal Waffles

A few years ago I made some Corn Meal Waffles and they were really good. I know that I found the recipe in of one of my cookbooks, but I have searched for it over and over again and I have not been able to find it. The only recipe I had called for creamed corn. I know I did not put creamed corn in my waffles. So I have not made Corn Meal Waffles since then. Until yesterday.

I had come across this recipe for Savory Waffle Sandwiches by A Spicy Perspective. This sandwich is made up of eggs, bacon, cheese and tomato using savory corn waffles for the bread. They look and sound amazing! There was a few problems though. I didn't have bacon on hand. Or tomatoes. Or really any appropriate substitute sandwich fillers. It's been awhile since I've been grocery shopping. So I used the waffle recipe and made a few substitutions and a few omissions and I came up with a really delicious Corn Meal Waffle recipe. But my mouth is still watering over the Savory Waffle Sandwiches so I am going to have to try them. Soon!

Corn Meal Waffles

2-1/2 Cups all-purpose Flour

2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal

1/4 Cup Cornstarch

6 Tablespoons granulated Sugar

4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

4 Eggs

3/4 Cup Butter, melted

4 Cups Sour Milk (or Buttermilk if you have!)

In a large bowl, first add the dry ingredients. Whisk to incorporate. Then add eggs, melted butter and sour milk. Stir until just mixed. Cook in your waffle iron as directed by manufacturer. Serve hot with pure maple syrup. 

We had a side of spinach, egg, Parmesan and cheddar cheese scramble to round out our meal. 

My Tips

• To make a cup of sour milk: put 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and add milk to equal 1 cup. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to allow it time to sour. If you need it faster, you can heat it in the microwave for about a minute.
• You could probably use less sugar. Next time I will probably use 2 or 3 tablespoons. 
• I have no idea what the purpose of the cornstarch is in the recipe. If you know, please tell me! Next time I will probably try it without.
• Leftover waffles are great for putting in the freezer. To use them, we stick them straight into the toaster from the freezer. You could also microwave them or heat them in the oven.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Today I decided to make some strawberry cupcakes. I have made strawberry cake in the past by altering my white almond cake recipe, but for some reason I never wrote it down. So today I decided to recreate the strawberry cake from memory. (This time wrote it down!)

 After tasting one, (okay three) I decided that they were good, but could use just a little something more. I wasn't quite sure what, but I started coming up with alterations that I could make to the recipes. As I let my mind wandering, I whipped up a batch of my Creamy Almond Buttercream Frosting.

Now, I rarely bother with small batches of frosting. Why?, you ask? Well because frosting is messy, and time consuming, and then there are the greasy dishes to deal with. Oh and did I mention messy? So when I make frosting a make a very big batch. Twice! Any leftover frosting I put in gallon freezer bags and I stick them in the freezer until I need them.

Before you make this frosting recipe, make sure you have a large mixing bowl. Otherwise, cut the recipe in half or thirds. I use a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer with a 6 quart mixing bowl and it is just barely large enough.

Creamy Almond Buttercream Frosting

1 Cup of Butter, Softened (2 sticks)

3 Cups of Crisco

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

2 Teaspoons of Almond Extract

12 Cups of Powdered Sugar, sifted

3/4 Cup of Milk

Cream together butter, Crisco, salt and almond extract. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time while continuing to mix at a low speed. Add the milk and mix at a low to medium speed until everything is incorporated. Then turn to the highest speed and whip for about 2 or 3 minutes.

My Tips

• Let the butter sit at room temperature for a couple of hours before making your frosting.
• Crisco is my preferred shortening of choice but experiment with others, you might find one you like better.
• Frosting can be made with all butter or all shortening if you prefer. If you use all shortening (which will give you a whiter frosting) you might want to add butter flavoring.
• Almond flavoring can be switched up with the flavoring of your choice.
• The salt is very important. It helps offset the sweetness of the frosting.
• The amount of milk used will alter the thickness of the frosting. Adding more will make it easier to spread and adding less will make it thicker. Thicker frosting is sometimes useful when piping decorations.
• Always use the paddle attachment instead of the whip. It will give you a smoother texture.
• Use the frosting that is room temperature, it is much easier to work with
• Frosting will stay good in the freezer for several months if it is stored properly. I store mine in freezer bags or quality storage containers.

After making my frosting, I frosted the cupcakes that were left and gave one a try. In doing this, I discovered what my Strawberry Cupcakes had been missing all along. The frosting. Adding the frosting gave them the perfect finishing touch.

This is recipe will make about 11 cups of batter which is enough for, 48 cupcakes, or 2-9"x13" cakes, or 1-11"x15" or 12"x18" cake. If you give my Strawberry Cupcakes a try, let me know what you think of them!

Strawberry Cupcakes

3/4 Cup of Crisco

2 Cups of Granulated Sugar

1 Cup of Egg Whites

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

3 Cups of All Purpose Flour

1 Strawberry Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker)

1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

1-3/4 Cup of Milk

1-1/4 Cups of Pureed Strawberries

1/3 Cup of Canola oil

Mix Crisco and Sugar until well blended. Continue mixing and add in the Egg Whites and Vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together Flour, Cake Mix, Baking Powder, and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the Milk, Pureed Strawberries and Oil.

Bake the cupcakes ate 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

My Tips

• 1 cup of egg whites is equal to about 8 egg whites. You could also use 5 whole eggs instead. I prefer to use the liquid egg whites in a carton.
• Cake and cupcakes freeze well. If you don't need them all right away, freeze the leftovers
• I generally use Betty Crocker or Pillsbury cake mixes. Any others would work too. If you use a cake mix that doesn't having pudding added to the mix, this will affect the texture of your cake.
• Put the milk, strawberries and oil into a large measuring cup with a pouring spout. This will make it easier to add them to the cake batter.

Thanks for stopping in. We hope you enjoyed our Strawberry Cupcakes! With Strawberry season right around the corner (well in some places anyway...the snowbanks are still ten feet high here), maybe you will get a chance to make some with field fresh strawberries!

Cheeseburger Soup

A while back a friend told me about cheeseburger soup. I had never heard of it before and I thought that it sounded interesting. So I got my hands on the recipe and decided to give it a try. It's one of those recipes that came from a friend of a friend and nobody really knew the origin. 

As I was making it I began to wonder if it was one of those recipes that was created when someone was planning to make Cheese Broccoli Soup, only to discover they where missing a few essential ingredients like maybe the broccoli and the chicken! Then she opened the fridge to discover the ground beef in there just waiting to be used. (As all mom's know, dinner has to have a name because your kids are going to ask what you are having for dinner and if you don't give it a specific name they will already be suspicious. Or if you tell them that you are having Cheese Broccoli Soup with hamburger instead of chicken and broccoli they will turn up there nose without so much as a glance at the soup you lovingly slaved over all afternoon, and tell you they don't like it.) So being the creative mom that she was she called it Cheeseburger Soup.

Well, I decided to do a little research to see if Cheeseburger Soup was really a "thing" or if it was somebody's spur of the moment creation. A quick search on Google told me not only that it was indeed a "thing" but it also lead me to what was most likely the original source of the recipe. This Cheeseburger Soup recipe posted on the Taste of Home website is the same recipe that I was given with the exception of the kind of cheese that was used. Of course I had to give the recipe my own little twist, partly because I didn't have all the right ingredients and partly because I'm not very good at following directions...as in I like to create my own way!

I really like this soup and look forward to making it again. I'm thinking that some bacon might be a nice addition to this soup. Bacon Cheeseburger Soup, I can almost taste it now! Next time that is how I will make it and I will let you know how it goes!

My modified versions of Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 Pound of cooked ground beef

1 Large Onion, chopped

4 Shredded Carrots

2 Tablespoons of chopped Celery Leaves (see note below)

1 Teaspoon dried Basil

1 Teaspoon dried Parsley 

3 Cups of Chicken Broth

4 Cups of peeled and diced Potatoes

1/4 All purpose Flour

2 Cups of Cheese (use what kind you like, I used shredded cheddar and colby)

1-1/2 Cups of Milk

2 Ounces of Cream Cheese

In a large pot, saute butter, onions, carrots, celery leaves, basil and parsley until tender. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the chicken broth while continuing to stir. Add the potatoes and ground beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes to cook the potatoes. Add the cheese, milk and cream cheese. Cook on low and stir until the cheeses are completely melted.

Add some fresh baked bread and you have yourself an hearty meal. 

Enjoy!

My Tips
-Did you know that you can cut chop and freeze the tops of celery stalks to use to flavor soups or casseroles? Next time you are cutting up celery chop up and freeze any of the top part (small stalks and leaves) that you aren't eating. Pull them out of the freezer and add them to your soup or casserole!

-Next time I will use more ground beef. Probably about a pound.

-I don't think it's necessary to shred the carrots. There is nothing wrong with them shredded, I'm just not sure it's any better than chopped carrots. Next time I'll probably used chopped carrots unless my 4 year old is around looking to help out. She does an impressive job of shredding carrots.

-Freeze any leftover soup. Soups with a cheese based broth change texture slightly when you freeze them. I add some more milk when I am reheating soup from the freezer and this smooths it out. If you don't mind this slightly different texture, than this and all cheese based soups are great options for freezing. 

I love this tip from Nony at A Slob Come Clean about having cooked ground beef in the freezer. It makes cooking recipes like this one a lot quicker!

Bagels

Today my kitchen is filled with the smell of fresh baked bread an bagels! I love the smell of bread fresh from the oven. The only thing better then the smell of fresh baked bread is the taste of it! I love to have a slice (or 2 or 3) when it is still warm. That way the butter melts nicely as you spread it on. Mmmmmm...heaven! But today, we are not talking about the bread we are talking about the bagels. 

I have used this recipe by John D Lee a few times and I really like it. It is a very simple bagel recipe to make. I have never tried an other recipes, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I guess I haven't found the need to look else where. Go over and check out the recipe! He has some great descriptions on how to make bagels if you are new to making bagels! Just make sure you come back to hear my tips on how I made them.

My Tips

-I doubled the recipe. The single recipe only makes 8 bagels. By the time my family finished sampling them, there would not be any left. Next time I will quadruple the recipe and put half of them in the freezer for later.

-I softened the yeast in water first. The recipe doesn't say to do this but I always do. If I try it without doing this I will let you know how it turns out.

-I used 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour (out of the total 8 cups in the doubled recipe), next time I will put more.

-After the bagels cooled, I sliced them using my electric knife and stored them in a plastic freezer bag.

-Freeze any bagels that you won't be able to eat within a few days. To thaw bagels, leave them at room temperature in the closed bag or container. They should be ready to eat after about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Here is my slightly altered, quadrupled list of ingredients for bagels. 

(this recipe will make about 32-34 regular sized bagels)

12 Cups of All Purpose Flour

4 Cups of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Canola Oil

3 Tablespoons of Active Dry Yeast

5 1/2 Cups of warm Water 

Head on over to this post on hubpages to find the directions on how to make bagel. If you have a recipe for bagels that you love, please share! I would love to try some different ones. 

French Toast Sticks

French Toast Sticks! They are not just for kids. They make an excellent addition to a special weekend brunch. Or add a side of ham or bacon along with some sliced fruit and you have a meal that everyone will enjoy. 

I have always loved french toast sticks! There is something about a food that is meant to be dipped that makes it fun! Plus, when making french toast sticks you can bake enough for the whole family at one time, as opposed to regular french toast, you can only make a few at a time.

The recipe that I like to make is based on this recipe from Taste of Home. While french toast sticks are easy to make, they are a little time consuming. However when you are making them, you can easily double or triple the amount you are making and freeze the rest for an easy week night dinner or a special weekend breakfast.

I prefer to make these out of "cheap" store bought white bread. But you could definitely make them out of any kind of bread. You could try using the homemade bread from my Basic Bread recipe. Or if you want to make them a little healthier and heartier you could use a whole wheat or whole grain bread. The original recipe recommends using Texas Toast. However, like I said my preference is the store bought white bread!

Start by cutting the bread slices into 4 strips. I like to stack up the bread and cut it using an electric knife. Next make your egg mixture in a shallow dish (cake pan, pie plate, Pyrex dish). Mix 4 eggs, 1 1/3 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Next place your strips of bread into the egg mixture. (I like to do about 5 or 6 at a time.) Let them sit in the mixture for about 30 seconds and them flip them over using a fork. Let them sit for about 30 seconds on the other side, then pull them out and let the excess egg mixture drip back into the dish.

Place the french toast sticks on a pan covered by freezer paper. Put in the freezer and allow them to freeze until the are firm to the touch (about 30 minutes). If you don't plan on using them right away, put them into freezer bags and store in the freezer.


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the french toast sticks on a greased pan for 12 minutes. Flip the french toast sticks and continue baking until the they are golden brown (about 10 more minutes).

Serve them hot with a side of pure maple syrup to dip them in!

Waffles

Waffles

This is a delicious, basic waffle recipe.

6 eggs, separated
3/4 Cup of canola oil
5 Cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
4 Cup milk

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Set the egg whites aside. Mix egg yolks and oil. Add 1 cup of flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix util combined. Add milk alternately with remaining flour. Gently fold in the egg whites. Cook in a waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.

Flash freeze any leftover waffles and then store in the freezer in freezer bags. When you are ready to use them, just heat them up in your toaster. These are perfect for a busy school morning!