Mmmmm...breakfast

Just a quick little post to share another tasty dish with you all.  :)  I first tried this yummy breakfast about a month ago thanks, again, to PW.  It was fairly easy to whip up, and the fact that I could make it ahead of time and then just pop them in the oven (as many as I needed) and have them ready in 5-10 minutes was a huge plus for me!

English muffins, eggs, bacon, cheese, garlic powder, mayo, dijon, worcestershire....strange combination?  Maybe.  Delicious?  Absolutely!  My entire family got the opportunity to enjoy....

Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

PW's photo spread of these beauties was enough for me but wowee, once I tasted them, I was hooked.  I'm not a big mustard person but the dijon was just the flavor these babies needed.  Ree is absolutely right...you can't leave it out.  They just wouldn't be the same! 

Here's my one sad shot from my iPhone...haha...enjoy!

If I Had My Little Way...

...I'd eat peaches everyday...ok enough with the song lyrics.  It's just stuck in my head now.  *sigh*

Ok so I have one more delicious peach recipe that I could resist sharing with all of you.  Again, I have to give credit to my sis for finding this one.  (She's the brains in this operation, let's be honest.) Leave it to Real Simple to come up with a recipe this easy and delicious...love it!

Peach Crisp Recipe (from Real Simple)

The only thing I did differently was that I omitted the almonds.  And really, I only did that because I just happened to have everything else I needed for this recipe and didn't feel like making a trip to the grocery store just for almonds.  It was amazing without them!

People, make this recipe.  Just do it.  You'll thank me later.  :)

Peaches Come From a Can...

...they were put there by a man, in a factory downtown. (Thank you POTUSA)

Been promising to share more peach recipes so even though it's not peach week anymore (remember it's just like shark week only...nevermind...that's getting old) I have a couple more to share so I hope you're ready for them!  I promise to make it quick. :)  Lucky for you, this one even has pictures with it!  (Just another little something to make sure your mouth is watering!)

I found this recipe for peach pie on http://www.suite101.com/.  It's a new website to me but after tasting the results of this pie (it was so good I made another one the following week) I will definitely be back for more.

Peach Pie Recipe with Fresh Peaches (by suite101.com)

First, let me be honest and say I skipped making my own crust...again.  One of these days I'll do it but lately I've just been in one of those moods to speed things up so I grabbed a couple Schnucks brand refrigerated crusts that you roll out into your pie pan and are ready to go.  Fantastic folks.

Oh yes, I promised pictures...here goes!

So first you mix together sliced peaches, flour, sugar, cinnamon (or nutmeg...or both!) and some lemon juice.  I could probably eat it just like this.  Maybe not....

Then spoon it into the crust, toss another crust on top, and use a fork to seal the two crusts together, just like this!

Then you can trim off the excess with a sharp knife.  Do you have any idea how hard it was to get this shot?  Major balancing act.  Next time, I use the tripod and the timer function on the camera...sheesh.

Almost ready for the oven...

But first you have to baste it with a little milk.  I used skim cause that's what I have at my house.  Any would be fine.

Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top and cut some vents in the tip crust.

Pop it in the oven and VOILA it magivally changes into a different pie pan!  LOL...no really, this was the second one I made (told you I made two) just so I could show off my new pie pan. :)  Isn't it purdy?

Oh buddy.

Don't mind if I do...

Hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!

Spice Things Up...With Peaches!

It's still Peach Week (just like Shark Week but tastier!) and today I decided to share a recipe that my hubby and I tried last week as we slowly finished off our crop of peaches from Eckert's.  Sure, I have been slaving over a toasty oven making delicious peach desserts for the past couple weeks since we went peach picking but this time I decided to trade in the oven for the quesadilla maker.

That's right folks, peach quesadillas!  When I first saw this recipe in this month's Cooking Light, I questioned it.  Then I remembered, hello, peach salsa, why wouldn't that flavor work in a quesadilla?!  Here's the recipe for Cooking Light's Pepper Jack, Chicken, and Peach Quesadillas.   I would have loved to try this recipe just as it is written but I didn't have any pepper jack cheese or cilantro (and then I got sidetracked and completely forgot to make the honey sour cream...holy smokes I can't wait to try that!)  So in true Lauren's Leftovers style, I made it up. 

Lauren's Peachy-Keen Quesadillas (inspired by Cooking Light)

6 small flour tortillas
1 large, ripe (but firm) peach
2 chicken breasts (of the boneless, skinless variety)
2 Tbls. Homemade Gourmet Chicken Enchilada Soup Seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Grill chicken breasts on a Foreman Grill or grill pan.  When cooked through, sprinkle each chicken breast with 1/2 Tbls. of seasoning, turn over, and sprinkle the rest of the seasoning.  Slice into thin strips (or you can use two forks to "pull" your chicken) and set aside momentarily.  Peel and slice peach thinly.  Place one tortilla on quesadilla maker surface, sprinkle cheese on top, add a layer of chicken, then a single layer of peach slices.  Place another tortilla on top and close quesadilla maker for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, and peaches. 

These were simple, quick, and delicious!  Remember you can improvise with any tasty recipe you find if you don't have all the ingredients.  Experimentation is the name of the game!  Not sure where to start?  Find a recipe you love or a food you like to eat and then think about the flavors involved and go from there!  I can't guarantee you'll get a winner every time but starting with something simple, like this quesadilla recipe, is a great place to get started!  Good luck and happy eating!

Peach Week!

It's peach week on Lauren's Leftovers!  Just like Shark Week only it doesn't make you afraid to go swimming in the ocean.  ;) 

I just love peach season.  There's something irresistable about a perfectly ripe peach...though these gems are better eaten alone so no one else has to hear you slurping or see you with peach juice running down your face...am I right or am I right?  But beyond just tearing into one of these golden beauties, there are so many amazingly delicious things (read: desserts) you can make with them!  First, don't forget about last year's peach post featuring a chilled peach pie...mmm.  But never fear, I have plenty of other peachy keen wonderful recipes to share this year!  Case in point...

The Lady and Sons Peach Cobbler

This was a recipe of Paula Deen's that my sister said she was gonna make, but I beat her to it.  ;)  Hubby loved it.  Gobbled it up.  It has a little bit of a different texture to the "crust" and mine didn't seem to raise up through the fruit like Paula promised (I swear I didn't stir it!) but it sure did taste good.  Here see a few pics of me making it!

First you melt the butter in the 9x13 pan in the oven. 

Be careful not to start this before you're ready or the butter will begin to brown.

If you're using fresh peaches like I did, follow Paula's directions closely for preparing them and creating the delicious syrup that comes with cooking them in the sugary water.

Get your batter all mixed up.  You don't need to use a stand mixer but I was worried mine was feeling neglected lately and we can't have that.

Next, take the dish out of the oven and pour the batter into the butter.  Try saying that 5 times fast.  No stirring at this point!

Then spoon the peaches on top and pour the syrup over the entire thing.  Don't forget to sprinkle cinnamon on top!  And remember...NO stirring!

Pop it in the oven and let it do it's thing!

Isn't that beautiful?!  You can kind of see the "crust" coming up in a few places.  I guess I just expected it to do that in a more dramatic fashion.  I like dramatics.

Don't mind if I do. ;)

Freebie Friday: Tax Free Edition

It's Tax Free weekend in Missouri!  Woohoo!  You know what that means...no state tax on clothing purchases under $100, school supply purchases, and computers and some other electronics.  Get all the details here.

But beyond just taking a tax holiday this weekend, Sam's Club is waiving it's member fees for the weekend!  That's right, even if you're not a Sam's member, you too can get a ridiculous amount of avocados, ground beef, or ranch dressing for a ridiculously low price this weekend!  ;)  So head on over to Sam's...there's sure to be a crowd but it'll be worth it when you don't have to buy toilet paper for the next year, right?

Joy of Baking Pound Cake

Ah the Joy of Baking...literally.  How I love to turn your (digital) pages and know that every recipe in you is sure to be delicious.  *sigh*  No wonder, then, that I turned to them when I needed to whip up a pound cake to pour all that compote over (see yesterday's post)!  Now Joy of Baking strays from the traditional 1:1:1:1 ratio of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter (1 pound of each...how pound cake got its name) but the product is absolutely divine.  Still uses all four original ingredients but with a splash of milk, some vanilla, baking powder, salt, and a lot of love (gag gag...sorry...couldn't help myself).

Joy of Baking Pound Cake

This recipe beats the store bought kind hands down (sorry Sara Lee) and my husband looks forward to the next time I decide to make one. :)