Peanut Butter Cups

I love this peanut butter cup recipe and it was made even more fun by making it in a gingerbread shape for Christmas.

Peanut Butter Cups

4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers

Large chocolate bar, melted

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  You can adjust how much chocolate you wish to use.  Then mix all remaining ingredients in the order they appear, mixing well between each addition.  Press peanut butter mixture into a 8X11 inch pan.  Pour melted chocolate over top and place in fridge to set.  In making the above gingerbread man, I put the chocolate in the gingerbread shaped silicone pan first and let set in the fridge until hard.  Then I put the peanut butter mixer on top and put that in the fridge to set.  The silicone makes it easy to dump out the shaped finished product.  Then I used cake piping to decorate.    

Carlsbad Village Street Fair!!!

Come join the fun at the Carlsbad Village Street Fair!  Sunday November 1st the one day street fair will be held 3 blocks from the Pelican Cove Inn.  A great opportunity to get some unique gifts for the holidays.  Stay the night at Pelican Cove Inn and walk to the festivities!

Mugs!

I loved our new logo and had mugs made.  I couldn't put my finger on why I didn't like them as much as my old mugs.  Then it hit me!  I was missing the palm trees on the side!  Now they are perfect. Love my new mugs!!

Hash Brown Quiche

Breakfast was so colorful today!  This is a great recipe for those who have removed gluten from their diet. Give it a try!

Hash Brown Quiche

1 package (24 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns (thawed)

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup cut up cooked bacon

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 Tablespoon dried onion

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press hash browns into greased 9 inch pie pan. Brush with butter. Bake 25 minutes. (NOTE: I do this far the night before and then refrigerate the cooked potatoes to make less work in the AM) Put oven to 350 degrees. Spread potatoes with ricotta cheese, sprinkle on dried onion, put on cheeses and bacon. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, cayenne pepper and seasoning salt. Pour over cheeses and bacon. Bake 30 minutes or until set.

ENJOY!!

Del Mar Fair Time!!

 Yes! It is time for the San Diego Fair again! Love the annual treat of Indian Fry Bread. Yum! You can get almost anything deep fried at the fair. The fair opened Friday June 5th and continues until July 5th. For calendar of events visit www.sdfair.com . Come stay at Pelican Cove Inn www.pelican-cove.com and take the coaster www.gonctd.com down to Solana Beach and catch the shuttle to the fairgrounds. A great way to go without all the hassles of traffic. Let the summer fun begin!!!

Decadent French Toast

Decadent French Toast

4 or 5 medium croissants (baked)

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup maple syrup, divided

10 eggs

3 cups half and half

1 teaspoon cinnamon

powdered sugar

chopped pecans

Tear up croissants into a greased 13 X 9 inch casserole dish. Mix cream cheese, butter and 1/4 cup maple syrup until smooth. Spread evenly over croissants. In a large bowl beat eggs, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and half and half. Pour over croissants. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350. Bake covered for 30 minutes then uncovered for 30 more or until golden. In a small sauce pan heat the following:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

Pour over warm souffle. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and powdered syrup before serving.

Enjoy!!

Time for the Summer Decor!

All the Easter decorations are put away!  Time to move on to the summer/beach theme for the next few months.  Love my new pelican given to me by a dear friend.  A lovely addition to my pelican collection.

New Gelato Shop In Carlsbad!!

We have a wonderful new Gelato shop here in Carlsbad.  I had the pleasure of trying it out today and it was fabulous!! It is located in the Village of Carlsbad in the Village Fair Shopping Center.  It is called Gaia Gelato and their website is http://gaiagelato.com .  Give it a try next time you visit Carlsbad!

Blueberry Muffins!

This is such a delicious fresh blueberry muffin recipe.  It is from a little muffins cookbook by Elizabeth Alston.  Hope you enjoy it!

Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups blueberries (mash 1/2 cup with a fork)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1 TBS sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375.  Grease 12 regular muffin cups or use foil or paper baking cups.  Beat butter until creamy and then add the sugar and mix well.  Beat in eggs, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Mix the mashed blueberries into the batter. Add the flour and milk.  Fold in remaining blueberries.
Scoop into muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar/nutmeg mixture.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Enjoy!

Cherry Blintz Souffle

We had Cherry Blintz Souffle today for breakfast.  This is such a yummy breakfast!  Like having cherry pie for breakfast.  The recipe is for Cheese Blintz Souffle, but I like it better with the fruit filled blintzes.
Cheese Blintz Soufflé

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup Orange juice

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dash of salt

1 box (13 oz.) frozen cheese blintzes

 Directions:    
Pour butter into 11-by-7-inch glass baking dish.  Place blintzes in dish in single layer.  In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients; pour over frozen blintzes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Remove from refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350^oF.  Uncover and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until puffed and golden.

NOTE:  I like using the fruit blintzes better.  When using the Cherry or Blueberry I sprinkle with nutmeg.  For the Apple sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Carmel Apple French Toast

Today's breakfast. This is one of the "make the night before" recipes that I love. Enjoy!!

Caramel Apple French Toast½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
12 slices sweet French Bread (not sourdough)
6 to 8 green apples, peeled and thinly sliced
6 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


In a small saucepan, mix butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat; stirring constantly until thickened. Grease 13 X 9 inch pan and pour mixture into the bottom of the pan. Arrange bread slices over the caramel mixture; top with apple slices. Mix eggs, milk and vanilla together and pour over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and put in refrigerator over night. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts and serve with whipped cream.