Maple Bacon Waffles

The perfect match – sticky maple bacon is an ideal addition to crisp waffles. Make ahead and freeze or to have on hand.

Maple Bacon Waffles
Ingredients: (for 3 waffles, serves 6)

2 cups waffle mix (plus water & oil, as directed)
1/2 pound of bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Directions:
Chop and fry the bacon until crisp draining the grease but reserving a teaspoon or two.
Add the sugar and syrup stirring over low heat until sticky.

Mix the waffle batter adding in the reserved bacon drippings.
Heat the waffle iron and fill halfway and spoon some bacon jam on top.

Top with remaining batter and cook the waffle.
Serve with syrup and enjoy!

These are so good and perfect to make ahead of time and freeze. They are so flavorful that I enjoy them on-the-go without any syrup. These savory waffles with sausage, egg & cheese are a favorite too!

California Burrito with BBQ Chicken

A Cali burrito adds fries but subtracts rice. They don’t always have beans but I’m adding it and went with a BBQ flavors which is also not typical.

Cali Burrito with BBQ Chicken
Ingredients: (serves 2)

1-2 cups fries
2 tortillas
1/4 cup refried beans
1 chicken breast, roasted & tossed with BBQ sauce
1 avocado
sprinkle of cilantro
2 tablespoons caramelized onions
1/4 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
Bake/air-fry the fries. While they are crisping, toss the chicken with bbq sauce and warm the beans and the tortillas enough to ensure they don’t rip.
Assemble the burritos with beans, then cheese, chicken, caramelized onions, fries, avocado, and cilantro, plus more cheese.

Warm a pan and spray with non-stick spray.
Fold the sides in, and roll from the bottom to the top keeping it tightly rolled.
Pan fry gently on each side – use tongs to keep it rolled.

Slice & enjoy!

I loved this! The fries are fun with the BBQ chicken. The chicken, beans, and avocado makes a filling combo.

July 2024 Recap

Summer is such a whirlwind. July 1 is the true start of summer according to work. We ate a bunch of good food and have fit in a lot of fun things – a party in Maine, going to the movies, a new-to-us-beach (with waves!), and a lot of swimming.

I was so happy with this breakfast guacamole with bagel chips – it is fun, filling, flavorful, and a good way to start the day.


Pasta salad is better when it is a twist with chicken caesar.


Blueberry smoothies are my fav so this one is flavored with a classic pairing of blueberry & lemonade.


Buffalo chicken burritos joined my favorite flavors with a better-than-typical format.

August will include some no/low cook dinners, a slaw redo, and a week at the beach. Our bucket list still has a few fun things we’ll try to fit in. C will turn 6!

The Big Kid:
Camps have mostly been good – he’s a bit over one that used to be his favorite. It is incredibly hard to explain that back in January, when we had to register, this past one had been fun but he’s outgrown it I guess. He filled in at a baseball tournament one day – it just happened to be the very hottest day ever but he had fun and we were happy to see it…once. His new favorite lunch is a BLT.

The Little One:
She’s a fish! She flipped a switch and went from not wanting her face wet, to jumping into the shallow end, to going underwater, to jumping in off the diving board! We cannot believe it. Adjusting to camps went well. She’s trying to eat more to bump up to the next carseat and eagerly awaits her bday.

Goals for this year:
Year of small businesses/artisans/writers: I got a tee shirt from Etsy – vote like Ruth sent you
More meatless meals: ehh. I may have missed this.
sandwiches and salads: I got a new salad spinner and we had caesar more often.
a focus on going to new or places we don’t get to all the time:
redo photos – not this month
what I’m reading: I read Meet the Benedettos which is a modern Pride & Prejudice. Then I read a Boston historical fiction Small Mercies. I then read Meet me at the Lake as a palate cleanser and was the best of this author. I read Just for the Summer and thought it was perfectly balanced with some cute and enough storyline.

Breakfast Guacamole with Bagel Chips

We need more dips for breakfast, right?! This is avocado toast turned dip and is perfect. It is fresh! It is filling! It is balanced! It is fun!

Bfast Guacamole
Ingredients: (for 2-3 servings)

2 avocados
1/2 jalapeño pepper
1/4 white onion
1 small tomato
~ 2 tablespoons lime juice
salt & pepper
2 eggs
everything bagel seasoning
bagel chips

Directions:
Boil the eggs for 12 minutes and place them into an ice bath.
Prep the guacamole – chop the avocados, jalapeño, onion, tomato and mix together with lime juice and salt & pepper.

Peal & chop the eggs.
Plate as dip or individually with guacamole and egg and everything seasoning with bagel chips to dip.
Enjoy!

In a hurry? Buy your favorite guac and it will be ready almost instantly!

Sausage & Peppers Hot Wrap

Sausage, peppers, and onions pairs with rice and cheese to be a hot wrap. Go ahead, call it a burrito. That works too. This is the ideal dinner on the go to the ball field! This would be a great way to reinvent some leftovers.

Sausage & Peppers Hot Wrap
Ingredients: (for 2)

1-2 large white onions
1 cup rice + 1 1/4 cup liquid
2 large burritos
2 sausages
1/2 of 2 bell peppers
1/3 cup shredded cheese
optional: mustard, relish

Directions:
Caramelize the onions over low heat – this takes 40 minutes – an hour. Do this in advance and freeze the unused onions for paninis, pizza, omelettes, or anyway you like them!
Cook the rice – can be done ahead of time.
Slice the peppers into strips and the sausages into half moons.
Add to a hot skillet with a splash of olive oil to sear.

Assemble the burritos with the tortilla, a sprinkle of cheese, rice, caramelized onions, a drizzle of mustard, sausage and peppers, and more cheese.

Heat up a pan to medium heat – then roll up the wrap and sear in the hot pan. Using tongs, rotate the wrap to warm throughout and until the outside is crisp.

Enjoy!
This was so delicious. I alllllmost threw in arugula but I tried to hold back this time. I used some honey mustard and some dijon. Relish seemed too sweet for me but go for it. These keep well assembled if all the ingredients are room temp or cool (not at all warm), wrapped in plastic wrap to hold it together, then refrigerate. To serve, warm in the micro on low (I use the defrost button or reheat button) and then into a pan to crisp or into a toaster oven!

Need more hot wraps in your life?
Thanksgiving Hot Wraps
Chicken & Broccoli Hot Wraps
Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Hot Wraps
French Onion Burrito
Burger Burrito