I finally got a crepe pan!

I have been making crepes for my family for several years now, but always using my regular cooking pan.  However, my wonderful hubby recently purchased an everyday crepe pan which he purchased on Amazon for $25.  I was so happy to have one as it makes flipping the crepes much easier!   For those of you who may be thinking that crepes are too hard to make, you are wrong!  Yes, the first several crepes I made were not pretty, but still tasted good.  You get the hang of it the more crepes you make.  Personally, I love the versatility of using crepes.  Desert crepes, cheesey crepes, or even flavored crepes are all hits on my household.

My fridge was stocked full of fresh fruit after a visit to our local farmers market, so I choose to make homemade whipped creme and fruit filled crepes.

The crepe pan I am using is Cuisinart Model#623-24 10" pan.

To make a simple crepe mix, I use this recipe:
Ingredients
3/4 cup cold milk
3/4 cup cold water
3 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil

In a blender or mixing bowl with whisk, combine all ingredients except for the cooking oil till it's thin in consistency. Refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour. Lightly brush the skillet with oil and place over medium-high heat. I make sure the pan is hot then simply pour about 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan and quickly tilt the pan in all directions to evenly distribute the batter. You want the pan to be coated with the mixture, but thinly coated.  It should not be thick, like a pancake.  When slightly brown on the underside, turn the crepe with a spatula onto the other side and cook for a few seconds. Remove from pan by sliding it out gently onto a plate.

You can sprinkle the plate with some powered sugar, then place some fresh fruit or preserves on the inside.  Fold the crepe over and add more topping.

I included some fresh homemade whipped cream, but you can omit that if you prefer.  My filling was so simple.  I simply sliced up some fresh strawberries, added some lingonberry preserves which i microwaved for 30 seconds, then mixed them together.

Breakfast for Dinner

Well tonight hubby is out with his boss at a dinner meeting having fine wine and a great steak! So, I thought it only appropriate to take the night off from cooking. Well, almost anyway! An easy breakfast for dinner. We are having breakfast which is the easiest meal to cook in my opinion and the favorite of the kids! They just love to crack those eggs. Although, a few shells may have to be dug out of the bowl, we all enjoy making this one together.

Scrambled Eggs with a 4 cheese blend
Crispy Bacon
Left over sweet Hawaiian rolls
Fresh granny smith apple slices

This dish is super easy and I'm sure everyone knows how to scramble an egg, but here's a few tips from my kitchen.

When you are cooking the eggs, when you get to the end and they are almost done, simply leave them in your frying pan so they come out as one whole circle or round egg. Almost like you are making an omlette. Then cut your round into quarters. This enables your egg to stay on your roll and makes eating it less messy.

Right before you are reading to release your eggs from your pan, sprinkle heavily with a 4 cheese blend (or whatever cheese you have in your fridge). Salt & Pepper to taste.

I think doing the bacon in the microwave makes for a less messy and quicker bacon. I like to cut the bacon in half so they fit on the rolls easier, then place them on a paper plate with a paper towel on top. I use 1 minute for each piece of bacon as my guide.

As a final note, I would like to say this is an easy and cheap dinner for your family.

FREE Auntie Anne's Pretzels and Coupons!!

I just love the pretzels over at our local Auntie Anne's Pretzel Factory! It's a nice treat for the kids and I don't feel guilty giving them a pretzel as a snack.

Did you know you can sign up for Pretzel Perks through their website? I signed up today and already received two free coupons to print and use.

1. Buy any one pretzel, pretzel dog, or stix and get a free original or cinnamon sugar pretzel.

2. FREE Pepperoni Pretzel with the purchase of any pretzel dog or any stix.

So sign up today and go grab a delicous snack! I just love savings and freebies!!

Do you Bar-B-Que?

Do you love coupons and free food as much as I do? Well if you add some really good home cooked side dishes to their delicous Bar-B-Que, you will like this place. If you are lucky enough to have one in your area, join their cutie savers club!

You will receive emails which you can print and take to the restaurant. So far I received a coupon for a free pork sandwich, free upgrade to a large stuffed potatoe, and one which I used a month ago towards a kids meal. They even have great kids sandwiches on the menu!

Just printed my coupon for a FREE BLIZZARD at Dairy Queen

You get a monthly coupon to try the Blizzard of the Month if you sign up! Yummy!!