​I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, I also love breakfast so how could I resist putting the two of them together.   

​These waffles are satisfying and delicious.  I actually made them three weekends in a row!  We have decided that these waffles are good for any meal of the day!  The first time we had them for breakfast, the next weekend I made them for brunch with the kids and the third time, well we had them for dessert.  The cream cheese frosting is the perfect accompaniment for these waffles, but if that isn't enough, feel free to top it with syrup also.  (I did!)  Leave a message and let me know what you think of them :)  

Makes 5 Belgian Waffles
 Ingredients
 For the waffle:
1¾ cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup carrots shredded
2 tbsp. shredded coconut
¼ cup walnuts chopped
2 tbsp. crushed pineapple drained
2 eggs separated (whites in one bowl, yolks in another)
½ cup butter melted
1 cup milk
¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp. vanilla
 
For the butter:
½ cup butter (1 stick) softened
¼ cup cream cheese softened
1 cup powder sugar
¼ cup cream or milk
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
 
Directions for cream cheese butter:
Beat the softened butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Then beat in the sugar, milk, vanilla and salt.  Beat until smooth.  Set aside.
 
Directions for waffles:
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add the carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.  Stir until everything is mixed well. 

In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, melted butter, milk, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add to this to the dry ingredients stir well.  Fold in beaten egg whites, stopping short of mixing them all the way through
 
Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron and cook approximately 4-6 minutes on medium high or until the waffle maker stops steaming.
 
Place the waffles on a baking sheet in a 200° oven to keep them warm and crisp until ready to serve.  

​These freeze real well.  I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer.  To warm them you can put them directly into the toaster for a crispier waffle or put them in the oven on a baking sheet for a softer waffle.  There is always the microwave if you cant wait.  Either way, fresh from the waffle maker or out of the freezer, they are Mangialicious.

Autumn has always been our favorite season.  It is a time when nature seems to give it's last big burst of beautiful color.  Autumn's beauty includes the smell of the crisp leaves in the cooler air along with the vibrant fall colors.  Some of our favorite fall "colors" are pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar and apples. 

 Here is a sweet and savory brunch to reflect a perfect Autumn Sunday morning using the fresh harvest of apples, sausage and sage.  You may feel free to use your favorite apples in this recipe, but I like to use Granny Smith apples as they are a bit more tart. 

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Links Sweet Italian Sausage
1 Small Vidalia Onion, thinly sliced
4 Fresh Sage Leaves, (whole, or chopped for more flavor)
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
Salt & Pepper to taste
 
Belgian Waffles (or pancakes)
Maple Syrup, warmed for serving
 
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add sausage links and cook about 5 or 6 minutes total, browning on all sides.  Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add thinly sliced onion to the skillet and cook until soft and almost caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes.  While the onions are cooking, cut the sausage into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Add sausage, along with the sage, back into the pan with the onions and cook another 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until sausage is cooked and crisp around the edges.
 
After sausage is cooked with crisp edges, this is where I cover the skillet and remove from heat while I make my waffles (or pancakes).  I do not want to over-cook the apples, as I like them to retain their shape.  Cook your waffles and place them on a baking sheet in the oven heated to 200° to keep them warm. 
 
Return medium high heat to your sausage onion skillet and add sliced apples to the pan.  Cook until the apples begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.  Season everything with a pinch of salt and pepper, and give everything a good stir. 
 
Serve over Belgian waffles or pancakes with warmed pure maple syrup.

Browning the sausage on all sides.

Add the sausage back to the cooked onions.

Add the apples and sauté.

Your family is sure to enjoy this for a perfect fall breakfast or bunch.  The will all say how Mangialicious this is!

Occasionally we like to get up extra early on a Sunday morning and have family over for breakfast or brunch.  We like to serve a lot of different foods so that no beloved family member ever leaves feeling hungry.  Whenever any of them are given a choice, they always seem to choose my deliciously light and crispy waffles. 

 I find it funny, as Laura always hopes that someone will choose pancakes over waffles, as she prefers a nice warm stack over a crisp waffle.

They always choose waffles!  But be assured Laura does get her pancakes made for her plenty of Saturday mornings along with her coffee. 

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups flour (I use 1 cup unbleached flour, and 1/3 cup wheat flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups milk
 
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.

Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the dry ingredient mixture, and placing the whites in a small mixing bowl.
 
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside.
 
Add milk and melted butter to dry ingredient mixture and blend together with whisk.
 
Fold stiff egg whites into the mixture.
 
Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron and cook.
 
I like to place the waffles on a baking sheet in a 200° oven to keep them warm and crisp until ready to serve.  Serve with butter and warmed maple syrup.

For an extra special sweet and savory topping, try it with our Apple Sausage Hash!

Although I like a good blueberry pancake, my favorite breakfast / brunch items are savory.  Hash brown potatoes with onions, bacon, mushroom and cheese omelets, eggs benedict, just to name a few.  That is where this recipe comes in.  

The other morning, after Tonia had picked some hot peppers out of the garden, and I was starving, I had to make some savory concoction to cook them up.  After all they were calling my name, Laura . . . Laura . . .  Now I love a good scrambled egg and hot pepper sandwich but we make them a lot so I decided to go fancy and make a spread out of the peppers and put that on my egg sandwich.  Well it turned out a little grander than just a sandwich but it was well worth it.  You know something is a winner when you eat it for brunch two weekends in a row.  It’s so good, like I want to go make it right now!  Although hot peppers inspired the dish, the finishing touch of salsa on top brings it all together.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 large eggs
5 slices provolone
2 ½ tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Salsa (Garden Fresh Salsa)
2 ciabatta rolls cut in half the long way (if you cannot find rolls you can use a loaf cut into thick slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Hot Pepper Spread (recipe here)

Directions
Drizzle the cut sides of the ciabatta with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet under the broiler and cook until toasted.  Watch them carefully so they do not burn.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Scramble the eggs in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Tear up 3 slices of the provolone and add them to the eggs.  Add salt and pepper and scramble to mix in.

Heat the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat (it may seem like a lot of butter but trust me, your scrambled eggs will be delicious).  Pour the egg mixture into the pan stirring constantly until soft curds form.  Continue to cook over medium low heat until eggs reach your desired consistency.  Right before you pull the pan off the heat, when the eggs are almost done but not quite, add the additional 2 slices of provolone torn up and stir for a few seconds to melt.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon (or more to your liking) of the hot pepper spread onto the toasted side of the ciabatta, mound the eggs on top of the spread.  Top with a heaping spoon of salsa and serve immediately.

You can serve this with sautéed greens or even a small arugula salad on the side to make it fancier if you are having guests.  Although I suspect that they won’t need any sides as it is satisfying just the way it is.  I served to my family, both weekends, and they really enjoyed it.  I am sure your family will also agree that it is Mangialicious.

Having one of these good old fashion muffins for breakfast is a great way to start a busy day.  They are a quick and delicious thing to bake if you have some ripe banana's that you need to use.  I make these with or without nuts, depending what I find in my cupboard. Once in a while some wayward chocolate chips even make it into the batter.  Banana's and peanut butter... How can it not be mangialicious?

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups Flour  (2 cups white flour, ½ cup wheat)
½ cup Oats
1 TBSP Baking Powder
½ cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 Eggs
½ cup Light Brown Sugar 
2 Bananas, mashed
½ cup Peanut Butter
¼ cup Melted Butter
1 cup Milk

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375° F
Line 12 muffin cases with papers.
Mix Flour, oats, baking powder and walnuts (if using) in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl – whisk eggs and then stir in sugar, mashed bananas, ½ cup peanut butter and the melted butter.
Add  1 cup milk and stir to combine.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined – do not over mix. 
Spoon the mixture into muffin papers and bake 18-20 minutes. 
Allow to stand for a minute before turning out onto rack.