National Bible Bee// Tennessee Trip 2013 Pt. II

 

 

 

Recap of our two day trips out to Smoky Mountain National Park:

We made an easy hike up to a waterfall. Wish I'd had the place to myself!

We saw lots of trees. That's a good thing!

We saw a bear!!! A living, breathing black bear!!!

We climbed up into a 150 year old hay loft.

We almost froze to death again! This was after church on Sunday, and the second trip up into the mountains was rather spontaneous, so I was still wearing what I'd worn to church. My sisters had the smarts to change clothes. It was 20 degrees, and I had bare legs. Hence, not many pictures of me in the frost. But it was celestial.

We stepped foot in North Carolina! Another state I can say I've been to!

National Bible Bee// Tennessee Trip 2013 Pt. I

 

 

 

 

We painted pottery...

Heard the Wissmann family play some folk gospel music twice...

almost froze to death... twice ... at this outdoor concert was the first time...

Bought some delectable, expensive, homemade fudge only because it was bogo free...

Went to my first square dance...

Played in the waterpark (well, my sisters did, I didn't)... this funnel ride thingy was their favorite...

Enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner and the lovely closing ceremonies of Bible Bee...

I was raised to keep my elbows off the table, I really was...

Saw an early showing of Alone Yet Not Alone...

 

And more for the next post...

Christmas Recipes 2013

Breakfast

Avocado Baked Eggs 

 

For some reason, the flavor of baked avocado reminds me ever-so-slightly of Chick-fil-A waffle fries. The original recipe that I saw called for crumbled bacon on top. I'd use the turkey sausage in the next recipe instead.

• 1 small avocado, halved and pitted
• 2 egg yolks
• salt and black pepper to taste
• dash cayenne pepper 

1. Preheat oven to  425 degrees F.
2. Place avocados on a baking sheet. Line baking sheet with foil if you want easier clean-up.
3. Widen the holes left by the avocado pit by scooping out an extra teaspoon or two of avocado.
4. Drop an egg yolk into each hole, and either discard whites or you can fry them on the side.
5. Sprinkle the tops with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until egg is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Serves 2

 

 

Turkey Sausage Patties

 

Since Christmas, this sausage has become my antidote to junk food cravings. It is really flavorful. I keep a few patties in the fridge for mornings when I'm in a rush.  

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 3/4 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. dried sage
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 t. ground black pepper
• 1 t. thyme

 

1. In a small bowl, mix together ginger, salt, sage, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and thyme.
2. Open the turkey into a large bowl, sprinkle the spice mixture on top and use clean hands to mix it together until spices are evenly distributed.
3. Heat a griddle to 300 degrees F.
4. Form the sausage into 4 patties and fry until browned on both sides and no longer pink in the center.

Serves 4

 

 

Broiled Grapefruit

We served ours with fresh berries and extra whipped cream from the French toast. The fruit is still really tart when broiled, but without the membranes, it's so much more fun to eat!

• 3 grapefruit
• 1/2 T. ground cinnamon
• 1 T. white sugar
• 3 t. butter

 

1. Preheat your oven's broiler.
2. Cut the grapefruit in half. Working with only one half at a time, use a grapefruit spoon to remove each pulpy segment, leaving behind the membranes and keeping each segment as intact as possible. Place the segments into a bowl, and squeeze all the juice from the rind into the bowl as well. Scrape all of the thick membranes out of the rind and discard the membranes, keeping the rind. Replace all of the grapefruit segments neatly in the rind and spoon the juice over the top.
3. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the top of each grapefruit half. Dot with butter.
4. Place the halves on a broiler-safe pan. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the butter is melted and sugar is starting to brown.

Serves 6

 

Overnight Baked French Toast

The highlight of Christmas breakfast! I wish I could eat it every morning! The syrup is built-in.

• 3/4 c. butter, melted
• 1 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 3 T. maple syrup
• 1/3 c. pecans, chopped
• 1 lb. or so loaf of challah, cut diagonally in 1" slices
• 6 eggs
• 2 c. half-and-half
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 t. cinnamon 

1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the sugar mixture. Arrange as many of the bread slices in the bottom of the dish as you can so they are in a snug single layer.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over the bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
4. Dust with confectioner's sugar and top with whipped cream.

Serves 12

Dessert

Tiramisu Cheesecake

It can also be made in a regular 9x13 cake pan, but you will need to make a foil liner for the pan with handles so that you can lift the cake out.

• 1 box (12 oz.) vanilla wafers
• 5 t. instant coffee, divided (check instructions below)
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. buttercream frosting
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• chocolate shavings

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Crush the wafers into crumbs. Dissolve 2 t. of the coffee granules in 2 T. of hot water. Sprinkle the dissolved coffee mixture over the wafer crumbs, and mix it in. Press the coffee-wafer mixture into the bottom of a round springform pan.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Dissolve remaining 3 t. coffee granules in 1 T. hot water. Remove 3 and a half cups of the batter; place in a medium bowl. Stir in dissolved coffee. Pour coffee-flavored batter over crumb crust in pan. Pour remaining plain batter over the first layer.
3. Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Remove cheesecake from pan. Dissolve cocoa powder into the buttercream frosting until frosting is a light brown. Frost cake with a thin layer of frosting and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Serves 16

Isn't it funny that the sweeter and richer the recipe, the more servings we make?