Sleepover Crepes Brunch

I just made the most scrumptious brunch for after a sleepover. Quite filling and decadent for the morning after a sleepover. A double batch of the crepes, a single batch of the berry sauce, and a single batch of the cream cheese filling was enough to feed 5 children and 3 adults. With just two crepes leftover.

Crepes

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 stick frozen butter

Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl, add the milk and continue to beat to mix. Add flour, stir until mixed evenly.
The pan needs to be heated to a medium heat before you start cooking. I don't use nonstick pans, the following instructions assume this. Use the frozen butter to grease the pan, pour in 1/4 cup of the crepe mixture. You will need to pick up the pan and swirl the crepe batter a bit to spread it out.
Watch the crepe closely, it is ready to flip when the top looks dry. Flip and cook on the other side for just a bit of time (1 minute maybe). You will not be able to walk away from the crepes, they cook quickly!
Fill with cream cheese mixture if desired. Roll and top with berry sauce.
A single batch will make approximately 12 crepes.

Berry Sauce
I used the homemade cranberry sauce recipe. I just did 2 cups cranberries and 2 cups blackberries for the crepe topping.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce:Ingredients:
‎1 Cup water
1 Cup sugar
4 Cups Fresh Cranberries.

Directions:Put in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for apx 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool. It will thicken as it cools.

Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients
1 package cream cheese (8oz)
approximately 1 cup whipped cream topping

Directions:
Put the cream cheese and the whipped topping in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. Squeeze as much of the air out as possible. Squish the cream cheese and the topping together until combined. Squish all the mixture to the bottom of the bag. Snip the corner of the bag and use as a pastry bag to fill the crepes.
This makes just enough to fill approximately 10 crepes. My children do not like this filling, so I only used it for the adults.

A Great Deal On Garlic

Recently I got a great deal on garlic.  We use a lot of garlic in our house and for the price I paid at Costco, we could toss away half the garlic and still be ahead of what I pay locally.  I love Costco for this reason.  However, I can't stand the thought of all that beautiful garlic going to waste.  A little research and some mindless peeling later.....

I peeled a lot of garlic cloves.

Then I laid all the cloves out on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer over night.  The next morning I dumped all those lovely frozen cloves into a quart size freezer bag.  Now I have a nice little stash of fresh garlic just waiting to be tossed in the pot with potatoes for mashing.  Freezing it does make the texture a bit soggy when thawed.  I wouldn't use it in raw preperations.  However, once it's cooked, I can't tell the difference.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is my husband's favorite recipe for totally from scratch cake. I found it in my Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (1970) page 181. I did alter the recipe a bit. My alterations are in red.

¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 can (8½ oz) sliced pineapple, drained
7 maraschino cherries
6 pecan halves
Dinette Cake batter (see below)

Heat oven to 350*. Melt butter over low heat in round layer pan, 9x1½ inches. I just put the pan with the butter in the oven while it preheated. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Place pineapple slice in center of pan. Cut remaining slices in half; arrange halves cut sides out around pineapple ring in pan. I use pineapple tidbits instead of rings. Not as pretty, but much easier to cut and eat. Place cherries in pineapple slices; arrange pecans around center ring. I’ve never used the pecans, the cherries are also optional.
Prepare Dinette Cake batter. Pour evenly over fruit in pan.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert onto plate. Leave pan over cake a few minutes. Serve warm and, if desired with whipped cream.

Serves 9

Dinette Cake
This is a moist yellow cake. I’ve only ever used it in the pineapple upside-down cake. I found it in my Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (1970) pg 97. My alterations are in red.

1¼ cup flour
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup shortening I use softened butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350*. Grease and flour square pan, 8x8x2 or 9x9x2 inches. Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend ½ minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Scalloped Potatoes

You will notice there aren’t any real measurements in this recipe. I love this recipe because it is so versatile for making it more or less according to your needs. Once you have the process down, you can easily make the exact amount you want. This recipe is for a 9x13 baking pan. After my family of six eats with this as a side dish, I usually have one small serving left.

This is NOT a low calorie recipe. It is, however, amazingly good!

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

4-5 Medium potatoes

Shredded cheese (I prefer cheddar)

Flour

Pepper

1 quart whipping cream or Half and Half

Butter (to grease the baking pan)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F

You are going to start by peeling, washing, and slicing the potatoes. If you are adjusting the recipe size, prep the potatoes as you fill the pan so you don’t waste them. Be sure to slice the potatoes consistently nice and thin, this will ensure even cooking.

In a greased 9x13 baking dish place a layer of the potato slices, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the potato slices with your shredded cheese. We like a lot of cheese, so I pretty much cover the potatoes. You can use as much as you like.

Sprinkle on some pepper. Don’t use to much, you will be doing this on every layer.

Now sprinkle a bit of flour on there. This is what helps the sauce to thicken as it cooks. I usually just “eyeball” the amount. It’s probably about two or three tablespoons on each layer.

Start over with the potatoes and work the layers again. You should have enough room to put in three or four complete layers.

Once your pan is full of potato and cheesy goodness, pour the quart of whipping cream (or half and half ) on. Yep, I said the entire quart! You want to fill the pan right up to the edge with the cream. Because the pan is so full, you will probably want to put a lined cookie sheet under the pan, it may spill at bit once it starts bubbling.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350*F for an hour.

Uncover and raise the temperature on the oven to 400*F, bake until the cheese on top is a nice dark brown. Probably about another hour.

Blackberry/Blueberry Jelly

Spring is finally here and I can see the berry bushes greening up for another bountiful crop.  I always freeze some berries at harvest because I like to use them throughout the winter in cobblers, crisps, and muffins.  The berries that are left come spring, turn into lovely mixed berry jelly.

(sorry the pic is so blurry, I took it with my phone)

I used..
*8 quart cooking pot
*big spoon (if wooden, it will stain)
*a big ladle to transfer into jars
*enough frozen berries to fill the pot
*2 tablespoons unsalted butter
*a jelly strainer
*12 half pint jelly jars, lids, bands
*1 pint jelly jar, lid, band
*water bath canning pot
*jar lifter (think giant tongs to reach into boiling water with)
*canning funnel (not necessary, but OH SO handy!)
*wire rack to keep jars off the bottom of your water bath canning pot
*towel you aren't worried about staining
*a washcloth or rag you aren't worried about staining
*two boxes of no sugar pectin
*4 cups sugar

This is an 8quart cooking pot filled to the brim with frozen blackberries and blueberries and the butter.  This will keep the juice from foaming.  I also added 2 cups of water to get the juice started.  Cook this over a high simmer for about three hours, stirring about every 15 minutes or so.  The berries will break down into a lovely juice.  As the berries break down, you will need to turn the heat down even more.  You don't want these to boil, just simmer and cook down.
I personally hate blackberry seeds in my teeth.  So, I always use a jelly strainer for blackberries.  Set your strainer up over a large bowl.  You should end up with just over 8 cups of juice. After you have strained all the pulp and seeds out, transfer your juice back into your cooking pot.
This is about the time that I put my jars, lids, and bands into the dishwasher for a good sanitizing wash.  If you don't have a dishwasher, boil your jars, lids, and bands.  You also need to get that giant water bath canner started to boil.  I know mine takes over an hour to get it boiling.  (My stovetop is slow like that.) Once your jars are about 15 minutes from ready we can take the next step in jelly making.
I use no sugar pectin because I am flat out offended by recipes that call for more sugar than fruit juice in jelly.  If I wanted sugar water in jelly form, I'd put Jello on my toast!  Blackberries are tart, they do need sugar to sweeten them up.  Measure 4 cups of sugar into a bowl to be ready when you need it.  Also, open up the pectin boxes and have your scissors ready.  The next few minutes you need to keep your juice stirring, so you want everything ready to pour in one handed.
Turn your juice on high and keep it stirring.  I added in the pectin just before it started to boil.  Stir like crazy at this point to get the pectin all broken down.  You don't want chunks of pectin in your jelly.  Once the pectin is all broken down and mixed in, add the sugar.  Keep your juice moving!  Once it comes to a full boil, set the time for one minute and stir!  When the timer goes off, pull the pan off the burner and let it rest while you set up the jars.
Put a towel on your counter that you aren't worried about staining.  Set your hot jars on this towel all lined up and close to your pan of jelly.  Using the funnel and ladle, fill your jars with the hot jelly.  Don't forget to leave an inch of head space (empty jar) at the top.  I have found that my funnel goes into the jar just the right amount.  I fill the jars right up to the bottom of the funnel.  I filled all 12 half pint jars and another half of the pint jar.  I did not water bath the half full jar, that went directly into the refrigerator to use first.
Take the washcloth or rag and dampen it.  Wipe off the rims of the jelly jars.  You want a nice clean surface for the lids to seal to.  Put a lid and band on each of the jars.  The bands don't need to be super tight, just spin them on like you would if you were closing jelly to go back in the refrigerator.
Load your jelly jars onto the wire rack.   I was able to fit all 12 jars on at once.  Make sure your water bath canner is at a FULL ROLLING boil.  Use your jar lifter to lift the whole rack into your water bath canner.  Put the lid on and set the timer for ten minutes.
After the timer has gone off, use your jar lifter to remove the jars one by one and set them on the towel to cool.  As the minutes pass, you should hear the lovely popping sound of jars sealing.  That is one of my favorite sounds!
After your jelly has had a chance to cool, check to make sure all the little buttons on the top of the jars has gone down.  This is your way of knowing if the jars have sealed properly.
All that is left is to label and enjoy!