Breakfast Biscuit Casserole

    Every summer St. John's sends a group of kids to camp for a week! Some of my greatest memories of summer and finding faith in God were cultivated there! I had the pleasure of making brunch for this year's group of camp-bound kiddos! This breakfast casserole is so unbelievably easy to make and so delish!

Breakfast Biscuit Casserole

Ingredients:
- 1 large tube of refrigerated biscuit dough
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup of milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of cooked sausage crumbles
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut each biscuit into small pieces and spread evenly into prepared baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over biscuits, then layer the sausage and cheese on top. Bake casserole for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Ready for summer camp!!!!!

Fluffy Sour Cream Pancakes

    I adore sitting around the house on Saturday mornings making pancakes and watching TV. I got a good deal on blueberries this week, so I've been using them in everything! These fluffy pancakes are fantastic! You'd never guess that they were made with sour cream.

Fluffy Sour Cream Pancakes

Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cup of flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1 and 1/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- blueberries, chocolate chips, or desired toppings
    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, milk, sour cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Heat a non-stick griddle over medium heat, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto heated griddle, top with blueberries and cook until golden brown. Repeat with all of the batter. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Buffalo Chicken Sausage Sandwiches

    I've finally moved to Orlando! I started at my new Carrabba's last week and so far, so good! I'm enjoying making money and not over exhausting myself working two jobs. The best part of being here though is seeing Frankie everyday! I still can't believe we are finally doing this together, I don't know if I've ever felt quite so blessed. This sandwich recipe is wonderful and we enjoyed them for dinner this week with some veggies and baked sweet potatoes.

Buffalo Chicken Sausage Sandwiches

Ingredients:
- 4 chicken sausages
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 3 tablespoons of hot sauce
- 1 celery stalk, sliced into pieces
- blue cheese dressing, find my recipe here
- hamburger rolls
    Cook chicken sausage according to directions, slice, and set aside. To make the buffalo sauce, whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce. Layer the celery, blue cheese dressing, chicken, sausage, and buffalo sauce on the hamburger rolls. Serve and enjoy immediately!

Blue Cheese Dressing

    In the last few years, I've developed a taste for blue cheese! Who knew that mold could taste so delicious?! You could quickly whip up a batch to top your favorite salad or for dipping buffalo wings! It can be made ahead, and it's probably a good idea! If you refrigerate it overnight, it will give the flavors time to meld. You will definitely love this recipe!

Blue Cheese Dressing

 Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup of milk (or more)
- 5 ounces of crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
    Whisk all ingredients together and chill for a few hours before serving.

Cannoli Dip

    I am sad to say that a couple of weeks ago the world lost a beautiful person. I remember Ms. Andrea growing up and her children are good friends of mine. She was always such an encouraging woman with a passion for her children and an adventurous spirit. I think the thing that I will remember the most about her was her positive outlook on things. We will all be missing her smile, hugs, and kind words.  I was glad to help get together some refreshments with her family and friends last week. We had a lovely visit where we all remembered her. This Cannoli Dip recipe was everything I'd hope it would be. A rich and decadent dessert, perfect for a crowd and perfect for summertime!

Cannoli Dip

Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) package of ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
- 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
- 1 and 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of mini chocolate chips, divided
- waffle cones to serve
    With an electric mixer, cream together the ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Once completely combined, fold in 3/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining chips on top and serve with waffle cone pieces or cookies.

Strawberry Basil Scones

    I had some super ripe strawberries that were fading fast and just had to be used today. I found an awesome scone recipe and I added my own little twist. They are pretty easy to make but things could definitely get a little messy. There is a nice hint of basil that pairs really nicely with the strawberries. In less than an hour, you could have these decadent scones ready for afternoon tea.

Strawberry Basil Scones

Ingredients:
- 2 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for strawberries and for garnish
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/4 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of cold butter, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 and 1/4 cup of chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of fresh minced basil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla, plus a few drops for glaze
- 1/2 cup of half and half or heavy cream, plus some for brushing and glaze
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop strawberries, toss in 1 teaspoon of sugar, and set aside. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork. I used my hands until mixture resembled course crumbles. Gently toss in the strawberries and basil. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, half and half, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Make a small indention in the middle of the flour mixture and then pour the egg mixture into it. Stir until just combined. It will seem like the dough is very wet. Generously sprinkle flour onto a clean surface and turn out dough. Flour your hands and sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Pull the dough together, shape, and cut into desired rectangle sizes. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Brush each scone with half and half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes. Bake time will vary by how large you make them,  they are ready when they are just golden. While baking, in a small bowl whisk together confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon of half and half, and a few drops of vanilla extract. Once scones have cooled, drizzle with glaze.

My dough, shaped and ready to be cut into scones!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    This muffin recipe comes out so moist and delicious! I brought a batch of them to youth group a few weeks ago and they were great for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So, whether you're serving them at brunch, grabbing one on the go for breakfast, or having a decadent desert, you will not be disappointed.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

- 1/2 ( 1 stick) of butter, softened

- 1 cup of sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 3 tablespoons of sour cream

- 3 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed

- 2 cups of flour

- 1 teaspoon of baking soda

- 1 cup of chocolate chips. divided

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 muffin baking pan with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and banana. Then, add in the flour and baking soda. Fold in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Use a large cookie scoop to fill muffin pan with mixture, fill each muffin paper up to the top. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to top each muffin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.