Delicious Berry Breakfast Crisp

 

This is the perfect special breakfast to whip up easily and quickly!  Berries, oats, brown sugar and the warmth of cinnamon make this delicious breakfast more of a "DESSERT!!" as our son excitedly proclaimed when he saw it.  I was just as pleased to see the cobbler like breakfast drowning in it's own delicious juices waiting for us to dig in!

 

I made some changes from the original recipe from one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. (As you all know, I'm all about improvising when I cook.)  

 

It called for apples (which I don't keep all the time in summer so I didn't have) and blueberries, but instead I used frozen berries and cherries I had a large bag of for smoothies.  I ended up loving the frozen fruit in this as it actually made it a little juicer than it would be otherwise.  It also called for orange juice concentrate thawed, but I opted for just orange juice, and it was perfect. I slightly reduced the sugar* and butter, although was still decadent tasting for breakfast and absolutely wonderful served warm with vanilla yogurt over the top!

 

This berry breakfast cobbler will wake up your family with the aroma of good morning!  With a cup of coffee this, to me, is a beautiful thing!  Won't you give my version of a breakfast treat a try!?

Berry Breakfast Crisp

Inspired from The Gooseberry Cookbook, Home style Family Favorites

 

4 c. frozen berries & cherries (It's all in one bag in freezer section.)

1/4 c. brown sugar, loose not packed

1/4 c. orange juice

2 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

Oat Topping (See below)

 

Oat Topping

1 c. oats

1/2 c. brown sugar, loose not packed

1/4. c. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. heaping of all-purpose flour

 

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

 

 

To make the berry crisp, combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir until fruit is evenly coated.  You don't have to let fruit thaw although I let it set out in the bowl while the oven was preheating to soften.  Spoon into a 8x8 pan lightly greased.  Sprinkle oat topping evenly over the fruit.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until bubbly.  Serve warm with vanilla yogurt for breakfast or with ice cream for dessert.

 

 

It's so tasty, it doesn't last long!!  This recipe is supposed to serve 9, but I would say more like 4-6.

*If you don't want to skimp on the sugar at all be sure and pack in your brown sugar to have it even sweeter, but I thought loosely filling the measuring cups was sweet enough for us.

A Banana Sour Cream Pancake Breakfast

Today I awoke to a lovely morning, complete with squirrels all through the yard, the sun streaming through my big kitchen windows, and--yes-- the Southern humidity Kentucky gets blessed with every summer. 

My family is home together as Heath is off all month of July as we get settled in our new home, and he prepares to start working at his new job in August.  Let me just say...  This month of having him home with us all the time has been AMAZING!!!

Back to the lazy morning we had today.

Pancakes! Sour cream pancakes Pioneer Woman style were on the menu, but I  made them one step better (in our opinion), by adding banana and cinnamon to the batter.  Oh my word.

Like I said it was a wonderful morning!!

If you like banana bread, or really moist pancakes you will love these.  If you like both of those things, please PIN this recipe because you will just have to make these delicious pancakes for supper tonight!  They're really good!

I had a candle lit in the kitchen and praise and worship music on to cook to for a wonderful cozy atmosphere that relaxes me and seems to make for a relaxing environment for our ever-busy and active kids! 

I hope one day despite our imperfect home and my imperfect parenting, they will remember the things like praise music on that I sing along to as I prepare a delicious meal with a joyous heart for them.  When they look back on our home and kitchen (especially) I want them to remember the good smells wafting from the oven, the beautiful sounds, the pretty fresh flowers on the counter, and the love that comes our home in mundane times such as breakfast. 

It's truly a home that I'm making, and I take my role seriously!  May these happy times of peace I desperately try to create become the memories they hold on forever and share with the next generation!  I want my pancake breakfast to be remembered as more than just the good food, but that mommy and daddy were cooking and laughing together in the kitchen, and that the food prepared was made out of love for those served.  I remember feeling this way as a child and growing up with a mom who was intentional about cooking and serving her family meals that we ate around a table.  I hope my kids grow up to appreciate the same simplistic things that make life so good!

. 

Sour Cream Banana Pancakes

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 c. sour cream

8 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp.salt

dash of cinnamon

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ripe banana, mashed

butter

coconut oil

real maple syrup (It's worth splurging on!)

Place a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat.  You want it hot!

In a medium sized bowl, place the sour cream and add the rest off the dry ingredients through the cinnamon.  Stir this together gently.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and add the vanilla and banana. 

Add this mixture to the flour mixture and gently mix together.  Don't worry about mixing it together perfectly smooth.  Lumps aren't good is gravy but they are in pancake batter!

Melt a little butter and coconut oil together in the pan.  Swirl it around.  Pour in about 1/4 cups at a time, the pancake batter.  Cook about 1 1/2 minutes or until the bubbles are around the pancake and flip.  Cook for another 45 seconds or so. Remove to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter.

These pancakes are very moist and thin, so you can stack several up beautifully!  Serve with real maple syrup and fruit.  I also made homemade hash browns and oven fried bacon as a heart breakfast!  Enjoy! 

Serves 3-4

If you happen to wonder what those two sweet ones look like this week, here we are at our all-time favorite summer drive in burger place Belews, as we wait to the grandparents to come join us.  We had been swimming so naturally a burger and shake is the perfect supper for a day like that!

We're all happy but one of us (ah-hum!) likes to make tough faces instead of smiles for the picture.

See y'all again very soon!

Happy 4th of July!

God Bless America!

We've moved to our new house back in my hometown and almost settled in just in time for one of my favorite holidays.

I snapped a few pictures on a gorgeous morning with my phone after I returned from a walk.  

These are around our property and yard. 

 I am so incredibly thankful to God for giving me my hearts desire.

The country life with wide open spaces, mature trees, and flowers galore!   

There are paths and gardens here and there leading into nooks and patios around the yard.

Today I was inside most of the day cooking.

Cooking and baking all afternoon for my family's big picnic on the grounds at my parent's tomorrow.  I shucked and cut 18 ears of fresh corn, made m&m cookie dough ready in the fridge to bake tomorrow, and I'll make the lemon meringue pie after the parade in the morning.  

They are sorting out the red and blue ones for the cookies!

Find this recipe here at my blog!

Tonight my grandparents came over and we enjoyed some strawberry shortcake with homemade lemon pound cake together with coffee.  It's so nice to have family in our home again!

I love the summer, and Independence Day is certainly the highlight!  I feel overwhelmed with joy as we are celebrating in my hometown... The place we now live again!  

I hope tomorrow my USA friends will all remember our country came through a great price of bravery and sacrifice, but it's only because of God's mercy and provision in our land that we still have anything worth celebrating.  

May we celebrate our independence while depending solely on The One who sacrificed His life on the cross to bring freedom to all mankind!!

Happy 4th of July from my family here at The Cozy Little Kitchen!

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." 

John 8:36