bread

Perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, with a light and fluffy interior. Top with a pat of butter and warm maple syrup, and dig into these mouthwatering breakfast treats. Quick and Easy Waffles are great to throw together for a speedy and decadent weekend breakfast, and are sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Happy Sunday! I hope you’ve been staying warm this week! It was so cold in the beginning of the week, that the boys and I decided to just hang around the house. Sometimes those are the best days. 🙂 We had fun playing, doing projects together, and of course, creating many new things in the kitchen. Thankfully, the temperature warmed up a bit this weekend, and we were able to bundle up and head outside. The boys loved playing in the snow! We even built a tiny snowman and had some sled races. It was great to have Grandpa join us in our snowy backyard fun! Here are a few pictures from this week:

With all of the wintery weather outside, I love heating up our house with a nice warm breakfast. These Quick and Easy Waffles are the perfect morning treat. They only require a few basic ingredients, that I’m guessing you already have in your kitchen. These waffles are great to make with your kids, or can easily be whipped up before the little ones, or your husband, even get out of bed. There is just something so wonderful about coming down to the aromas of rich, buttery, freshly baked waffles.

Another thing I love about enjoying these waffles on the weekend, is that they are FANTASTIC when reheated. Plus, they also freeze well, too! Just pop a few in the toaster, slather on the butter and syrup, and you can dig into that weekend goodness all week long.

For a little variation, try topping these waffles with fresh fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries or bananas. If you’re craving something a bit more decadent, add chocolate chips and whipped cream. However you dress them up, one thing is for sure, these Quick and Easy Waffles will be a family favorite in no time!

Quick and Easy Waffles

Yield: 14 waffles

Slightly crisp and fluffy waffles that come together in a flash.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, slightly beat eggs, then whisk in the milk and vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the wet ingredients, and gently whisk together. Don't over mix. Then carefully fold in the butter with a rubber spatula until just combined, batter should be slightly lumpy.
Using a preheated waffle iron that is lightly greased with cooking spray, pour batter onto iron, spread slightly if needed, and gently close lid. (Use about 1/4 cup batter for an iron that makes smaller waffles, or about 1 cup batter for an iron that makes larger waffles). Bake according to waffle maker directions. When waffles are done, carefully remove from griddle with a fork. Repeat with remaining batter and serve warm with syrup.

Notes

To keep waffles warm while cooking, place waffles on a wire rack on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

http://elizabethshome.com/quick-and-easy-waffles/

If you’re looking for another family favorite breakfast recipe, you’ll love these Classic Pancakes! For a gluten free option, these No Butter, No Flour Oatmeal Pancakes with Warm Apple Compote and Oat Flour Blueberry Pancakes are also favorites. 🙂

Rich, flavorful, and bursting with sweet pumpkin and spice. Slather on the creamy frosting, and sink your teeth into a little slice of heaven. Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting is crisp on the outside, while moist and fluffy inside. Incredibly delicious, and easy to make, this is one crowd pleaser you’ll want to whip up again and again this holiday season.

Happy Sunday to you! Welcome back! The last two weeks have been fun, and incredibly busy around here 🙂 Andrew’s Birthday was last Monday, Halloween was Friday, and everyday this week we were able to dress up for our many Halloween celebrations. We had a great time at the Halloween Spooktacular event in Royal Oak, and trick-or-treating in the Village. We wore our costumes to story time at the library, and had a blast celebrating with our buddies during a fun lunch party. (See, I wasn’t kidding when I said we’ve been slightly busy lately.) 🙂

Here are a few pictures from our Halloween adventures and other fun the last two weeks.

It’s amazing to think that it’s November already! You know what that means? The holiday season is just around the corner! Bring on the good food, family fun, and lots of festivities! I love the holidays and this time of year. I especially love all of the fantastic recipes and treats that go with it! Here’s a great recipe to help get you in the mood 🙂

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting is so so sooooooo yummy! Pile on the frosting and wrap your lips around a delicious little slice. Your taste buds will jump for delight as they encounter this incredible pumpkin experience. Your whole house will smell amazing when it’s cooking. The hardest part is waiting for it to be done, and then letting it cool a bit, before finally digging into a slice. (Trust me, it’s worth waiting if you can ;))

My inspiration for this recipe came from Food Network’s Pumpkin Bread. While the original version was good, I decided to make a few changes to create the best pumpkin bread ever! I decreased the recipe to make just one loaf, as well as drastically corrected the cooking time. I love the addition of the icing! It really makes this bread something special.

This versatile little loaf can be paired with just about anything. I love it for breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert, with a tall, cold glass of milk. Bake up this Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting to accompany your perfect Thanksgiving dinner, or Christmas morning buffet. Serve it smeared with as much icing as you can, or just a little dollop. Or you can choose to serve it plain, or even with a little pat of butter. However you decide to have it, you won’t be disappointed.

Seriously easy, and out of this world fantastic!!! Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting is sure to be a hit for every occasion.

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Bread:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup water

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 confectioners sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter (or spray with cooking spray) and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil, then mix in the eggs and pumpkin, and set aside.
In a small bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, and stir together. Gradually add the water, and flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, slowly adding and stirring in a bit of each at a time. Mix together until smooth, and just combined.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, and smooth top. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
To make the frosting, add cream cheese, butter, and vanilla to bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Turn mixer to low, and gradually add the confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then gradually increase speed, and beat together until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Serve with pumpkin bread.

http://elizabethshome.com/pumpkin-bread-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

If you’re in the mood for another yummy pumpkin treat, you’ll have to try these Healthy Pumpkin Granola Bars!