breakfast » Living Lou

Blueberry Breakfast Bars

I love blueberries, so when I was assigned Betcha Can’t Eat Just One for this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was ecstatic to find this recipe for Blueberry Breakfast Bars. I mean come on, how good do they sound? The best part about the recipe is how healthy and tasty they are. I loved the fact that they weren’t too sweet, because I don’t know about you, but I can’t stomach sweet treats in the morning.

Other than finding the delicious recipe, I was even more excited when I found out that Katie is a fellow Canadian food blogger! Blogging from the West Coast of Vancouver Island, which I’m sure is one of the most beautiful places in Canada. Many of her recipes, including this one for Blueberry Breakfast Bars are dairy and egg free, which meant that the fact that I had run out of eggs did not impact the making of the recipe. Yay!

I made a few changes to the recipe based on what ingredients I had on hand. The original recipe called for rolled oats and crushed bran cereal, but I just used quick oats and a little more whole wheat flour instead. I also only used baking powder and added in a touch more vanilla because I am a vanilla addict.

Blueberry Breakfast Bars (makes 8 bars)
Recipe adapted from: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup almond milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp canola oil
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8″ pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In another bowl combine wet ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and lightly mix.

Fold in the berries.

Press into the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bars comes out clean.

Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Katie put a nice icing on her blueberry breakfast bars, but I found they were just as good with a dollop of cream cheese.

- Lou

Oven Fries

Aren’t oven fries the best? They are homier and more comforting than regular fries, right? Plus they’re healthier because they’re baked not fried.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sold on oven fries. Have I sold you on them yet? Aside from oven fries, I have another recent obsession. I like to call it “puppy in an Ugg boot”. Meet Sophie!!! She’s a Morkie – half Maltese, half Yorkie.

Sophie is such a little rascal, here she is playing with my sweet Mother. I’ve talked about my good ‘ol Dad on here before, but have somehow not really talked about my Mom. I think these photos say it all – isn’t she the best. She’s also obsessed with soup, so many of the soup recipes on here have been inspired by her.

Have I mentioned that I’m obsessed with my pup? She’s insane but so cute.

So, that explains my slight absence, plus we’re deep in finals, my friends. Deep. As in I will be spending the entire weekend preparing for my THREE exams happening on Monday and Tuesday. Hold me.

Oven Fries (serves 2-4)

Ingredients

2 lbs potatoes, cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss potato wedges in olive oil. Add spices, toss to coat.

Arrange, in one layer, on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

A super easy, and tasty side dish or snack. I love to dip them in a lot of ketchup. Mmm!

- Lou

Corn Muffins

Corn Muffins are something that I’ve wanted to try making forever. I’ve always enjoyed them, but never got around to making them. For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to Robin’s blog Penny-Pinching Provisions. What I love about Penny-Pinching Provisions is that it’s really all about the food. There are so many recipes that all sound equally as good. I was so lucky to be assigned to Robin’s blog because there is such a large variety of recipes that really, I could have made anything I wanted!

With that said, I had a really tough time picking a recipe because there were so many good ones. I mean, hello – she has over 15 muffin recipes! At first I was planning on making her Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins (how good do those sound!) but when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to make these.

Corn Muffins (makes 7-9)
Recipe from Penny Pinching Provisions

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease muffin tin to line with muffin liners.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and scoop into muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes.

This is seriously, one of the easiest recipes and I found myself baking another batch of these on a Monday night between commercials of a really bad show I’m embarrassed to admit I watch.

- Lou

French Canadian Pancakes

I don’t know if these are considered a “traditional” French Canadian Pancake but this is an old family recipe. My Dad has been making these pancakes for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, he used to roll them up, almost as you would a crepe. While I do love the thicker, fluffier pancakes, these ones will always hold a special place in my heart. As you can see, they are thin, not as thin as crepes, but thinner than you typical, fluffy pancake. The texture is a little bit chewy and magically, they soak up all of the maple syrup on the plate. My favourite part is when they get this delicious browning on all sides which adds a nice texture and sweetness.

There’s just something that is so much fun about eating a big stack of pancakes for dinner. It’s as if you’re beating the system or rebelling against society. I can just imagine a little kid stamping their feet saying, “I want pancakes for dinner, not salad.” After a long, exhausting and defeating day, pancakes are the perfect dinner to shine a little light on your day. You might even say that these can cure a case of the Mondays.

Man, Mondays are not my favourite.

French Canadian Pancakes (serves 2-4)
Old family recipe

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 tbsp melted butter + more for frying
2 cups milk

Directions

In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Beat in remaining wet ingredients. The mixture may be a little lumpy.

Heat butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Ladle the thin batter into the pan. Cook for one to two minutes or until bubbles appear, flip and repeat until fully cooked.

Who is going to beat a case of the Mondays with these pancakes?

- Lou

Crustless Quiche

Can you believe that it’s been a month since my last Secret Recipe Club post? Wow. Time sure flies! I was on the hunt for something festive for December’s reveal, and I realized that I didn’t want to go for cookies or something sweet. Why? Well because brunch is one of my favourite meals. There is nothing better than a nice, slow and relaxing morning ending with a comforting brunch. Quiche just screams brunch to me, and this quiche is not your traditional quiche. For starters, it’s crustless, AKA it takes about 30 minutes to make. It’s also packed with healthy vegetables such as broccoli and instead of regular potatoes I decided to opt for sweet potatoes.

You may be wondering where I got my inspiration for this crustless quiche? This month I was assigned to The Tasty Cheapskate which is run by the lovely Jean who makes frugal, albeit simple and delicious meals. I was so pumped when I got my assignment for December because her blog is packed with recipes. I had so many to choose from and I’ve already made a couple like her Chocolate Gingerbread which was so decadent and perfect for the holidays! I love that she makes healthy, wholesome recipes with some sweet indulgences on the side, she also tells you how much each recipe costs to make. For a college student like me, her blog is right up my alley!

Crustless Quiche (serves 4)
Recipe inspired by The Tasty Cheapskate

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup diced sweet potato
1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
1/2 onion, shredded
6 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook bacon in a pan, remove from pan (leaving fat) and crumble with hands.

If needed add olive oil to coat the pan. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Add in the broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in onion, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, chili flakes and cheddar cheese. Add in the cooked vegetables and pour into a 9-inch quiche dish.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked and eggs have set.

I hope you enjoy this month’s SRC post! Happy holidays.

- Lou

Blueberry Breakfast Bars

Oven Fries

Corn Muffins

French Canadian Pancakes

Crustless Quiche

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