Biscuits for 2007

3 c flour (I used 2 c all-purpose and 1 c "white whole wheat" with excellent results)
1 T + 1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Using fingertips, rub 3/4 cup chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out biscuits. Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15-18 minutes.

For a hungry horde on the first morning of the year, I doubled the recipe, added about 2 cups of shredded cheese, and cut out about 50 mini-biscuits (about 1 1/2 inch diameter). Yum.

Here's to many more delicious meals with friends and family in 2007!

Blueberry Waffles

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c yogurt, thinned with 1/2 c water
4 T butter, melted and cooled
1/4 c ground flax seeds
2 large eggs, beaten
small handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
maple syrup

Preheat waffle iron. On old-fashioned waffle makers (like that hand-me-down from your parents), it's ready to use when the light goes OFF.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together thinned yogurt, butter, flax seed, and eggs. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until smooth (the batter will be very thick, that's ok). Fold in berries.

Grease the waffle iron (Pam is really the way to go for this). Spoon a scant cup of batter onto the waffle iron and spread it out fairly evenly. Close the lid. The waffle should be ready when it stops steaming (and the light will probably go off again, but it's best to judge by the steam). Serve with maple syrup, butter, and more berries.

Very easy and better than what you'd get at Breadmen's.
5 star breakfast.

Omelet & Hashbrowns

I adhere to a 'rule of three' in omelet preparation when it comes to ingredients. Fewer are acceptable but generally, three ingredients provide just the right mix of flavor sensations - more than that and things just get confusing. This omelet pushed the boundaries in a number of ways but when you get down to it, was still a cheese, mushroom, and sausage omelet.

These are the rule stretching ingredients used for this particularly delicious omelet --

• Sausage (Asiago chicken sausage with vegetables)
• Mushrooms (Shitake mushrooms sauteed lightly in butter and garlic)
• Cheese (Rocchetta - a combination of cow & goat cheese)

Although this is a very simple meal I'm giving it 5 stars just because it was that tasty.

Blueberry Oatmeal

While in all honesty I previously held the opinion that oatmeal was only a step up from canned catfood - I was pleasantly surprised by blueberry goodness that filled up my breakfast bowl.

1 cup Old Wessex Scottish Style Porridge Oats
1 3/4 cup water
Couple of handfuls of frozen blueberries
Splash of milk
Dollop of honey
Pinch of cinnamon

Bring the water and frozen blueberries to a boil. Stir in oats. Leave at a low boil and continue to stir frequently for 6-10 mins. Add remaining ingredients to taste and dig in.

Serves 2

3 1/2 solid stars for the blueberry oatmal - very tasty, but not exactly gourmet. Lolita gives the Iams Ocean Fish Entree 2 stars - she'd much rather have a bowl full of Tartar Control Pounce Cat Treats. Fickle.

Sour Cream Pancakes

1 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 T flax seed
1 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c buttermilk
1 c lowfat sour cream
1 large eggs
2 t vanilla extract

butter
maple syrup

Whisk dry ingredients in one large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients in another. Add wet to dry ingredients. Stir until batter is just blended but still lumpy (do not overmix).

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Pour batter by heaping 1/4 cupfuls onto griddle. Cook until bubbles break on surface. Turn pancakes over. Cook until bottoms are golden.

Makes about 10.

Notes

The basic recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit March 1999 via Epicurious.

I didn't have any buttermilk, so made sour milk using 1 T vanilla vinegar + the rest of a cup of 2% milk (so I also decreased the vanilla extract to just 1 t). I added about 1/2 t cinnamon. Served them with maple syrup but they're actually even more delicious with jalapeno-peach jam from the Bread Lady at the farmer's market.

4 stars, for not being the healthiest breakfast, though delicious and filling.

Tags: pancakes