Recipe: French Toast Cinnamon Bites

Serving breakfast to our guests is a task we take VERY seriously here at the B&B. It has to taste amazing. It has to have a top notch presentation. It has to make our guests smile.

The majority of our guests are adults and they are always a pleasure to cook for. When we have little guests, however, the challenge is on and almost always proves to be a BLAST!

Recently, we had a couple of sisters jointly celebrating their 10th and 12th birthdays. They and their friends gathered on a Friday night for a party/sleepover in The Bunkhouse. On the agenda was a pink and purple themed party, complete with an outdoor movie and dance party.

I spent several hours trolling Pinterest for the perfect kid breakfasts. We came up with sausage and egg croissants, fruit skewers and these French toast cinnamon bites with maple syrup from Recipe Tin Eats.

These cubes of pure deliciousness were super easy to make and SO very beautiful piled on the platter, with the syrup snuggled in the center. Even though we used it to treat a bunkhouse full of tween girls, we plan to use it soon in an adult-themed breakfast crate!

Do yourself a favor and try this one in YOUR kitchen soon!!!

XXOO
Staci

Keep it Simple: Summer Dinner P A R T Y

One of my favorite things about throwing a dinner party is creating a pretty table. 

I love taking time to add thoughtful details – like handwritten namecards, or freshly starched cloth napkins tucked into burlap holders – that make guests feel really special. 

Since I'm usually the one making the food, I never have time to do anything elaborate – I like to keep things simple, seasonal, and elegant, without being fussy. Simple is best is truly my newest mantra.

We all have to agree that the VERY best thing about a dinner party is spending time with your guests. And yet - most of us - spend WAY too much time fussing around in the kitchen while our poor husbands are left to entertain the guests. 

We KNOW how that could very well turn out!

Mike and I used to entertain quite often when we lived in the Metroplex. Most major holidays - and even those that may have not made the official calendar - gave us the PERFECT excuse to host a soiree. Sometimes it was a full-out party; other times an intimate gathering of our closest friends. 

Since our move to the country and since starting the B&B business, WAY TOO OFTEN we've used our work as an excuse to either not host or not accept social invitations. It is in no way because we don't enjoy those times; we DO!!! It's more because we've become caught up in all the HUSTLE that we'd forgotten how to slow down and savor the simple moments.

In January we decided to remedy that. We made a pact that we'd do our best to say YES to all reasonable invitations and to - from time to time - throw the occasional spontaneous dinner party.

Flashback to a couple of weeks ago. 

A neighbor, who also happens to be a close friend, celebrated a milestone birthday. What better occasion to gather the neighbors and honor her, as well as open our table and our home to friends?

Even though the weather was a bit sultry...okay, it was HOT...until after dark, we filled our plates from the taco bar (recipes and ideas coming up in a future blog) and took our plates to our outdoor dining area.

Soon, even the humidity and the mosquitos couldn't stop us as we chattered, caught up, and celebrated our dear friend's birthday. It truly doesn't take much to create a memory; it merely takes the "want to."

I did decide to use real vs paper, but that's mainly because I'd rather load a dishwasher than face an overflowing trash can! Besides, what says welcome to my kitchen more than real honest-to-goodness plates, cloth napkins, and actual napkin rings? This time I threw in turquoise chargers for the finishing touch :)

What it all boils down to is that people don't really care what you have to entertain, they care about the fact that you care about them. 

This is something that I am constantly reminding myself of. It's all too easy to blame our schedules, or the lack of time we have to spend on cleaning, or the weather, or....I could go on and on.

Bottom line is that we were created to be social. To be friendly. To show ourselves real and accessible to those around us. It may not always be Martha Stewart-y (okay, it will NEVER be Martha Stewart-y) at my table, but my prayer is that it will feel as though we've welcomed you into our home with open arms.

Come as you are.

We'll be ourselves.

Recipes: The Spicy Cowgirl

While we were at The Merc a couple of weeks ago, we (of course) ventured upstairs to the coffee shop/bakery. Since I was four weeks into following a Paleo lifestyle, I was in search of a "Paleo-friendly" coffee drink.

LOL. Here's how that went:

Me (to the very dapper older gentleman behind the counter): "What can you recommend that is...well...diet friendly? As in, no sugar..."

Him: (loooong pause, then a slow smile): Coffee. Black coffee. You're at The Merc. We're the real deal. We don't do 'diet' around here."

I was just about to cave because, Y'ALL..the coffee drinks being concocted behind that bar were nothing short of a work of pure, drinkable art, and I wanted one! Fortunately, a younger girl (not Paige or Alex, I'm sad to report) stepped up and said, "I can make you a Spicy Cowgirl, with a few tweaks."

In no way could I turn down something with THAT label.

BEST. CHOICE. EVER.

This coffee drink is a mix of cold brew coffee, chile syrup (did not even know that was a thing), whole milk (she tweaked mine with almond milk), heavy cream mixed with a bit of vanilla, and topped with a touch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Granted, you have to enjoy spice - which I LOVE - and you have to relish strong coffee - which I DO. I enjoyed the whole experience; for sure it gave Starbucks a run for its money. Everything from the perfectly shaped ice (you KNOW the type of ICE is always important in all drinks), the rich, caramel-y color, to The Merc's logo, all the way to the slightest touch of a burn that remained after I took a swallow.

It was so good that I returned the next day for a 2nd one!

Once home, all it took was a quick Google search to find Ree's recipe. I made it this morning, even though I was out of heavy whipping cream and I tried to substitute dark baking chocolate for the chocolate "sauce" used at The Merc.

                     

Though my version was lacking the initial bit of sweet from the cream and the chocolate came through a bit stronger than the real deal, it is still amazingly delicious, which lets me know you can play around with it a bit to fit your needs and likes. I do plan to keep more heavy whipping cream on hand though!

You can get the recipe here and try it for yourself!!

Also, I scored these darling little chalk board mason jar mugs for an AHmazing price at...are you ready for this?...Super 1! Get them before they're gone!

XXOO
The Spicy Cowgirl
Staci

Recipe: Breakfast Pull-Apart Bread

One of my very favorite things about owning and running a B&B is having the privilege of cooking and serving delicious breakfasts to our guests. I always want it to be more than a mere meal; they can get that anywhere. Instead, I want it to be an experience, one that they talk about days after they've left the ranch.

One of our most popular guest favorites so far is the Breakfast Pull-Apart Bread. Three out of four times we're asked for the recipe. I thought it would be fun to share it here. Give it a try! It never disappoints and is great for two or for a crowd!

Here we go!

details

• Serves 8-10
• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes

ingredients

• 6 slices of cooked bacon, diced small
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 tube of Pillsbury Grands Butter Tastin' biscuits
• 1/2 cup of Southwestern eggs in a carton
• 2 tablespoons half-n-half
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Put the cold butter in a nonstick bundt pan coated with cooking spray and let it melt in the preheating oven. (I use a full-size bundt pan for a group and a mini 6 bundt pan when there are just 2-3 guests.)

While the butter melts, cut the Grands biscuits into quarters. (For the mini bundt, I do eighths). In a bowl, gently toss the biscuit pieces, bacon, half-n-half, both cheeses, and (optional) scallions together.

Once the butter is melted (only takes a couple of minutes) give the bundt pan a little swirl so the bottom is evenly coated. Add the biscuit mixture to the pan, sprinkling with any last bits of bacon or cheese that get left behind.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Many times I go an extra 5 minutes - just keep an eye on it at this point. Run a dull knife around the edges to loosen. Turn out on a dish and enjoy!!

I hope you try this recipe and that you love it as much as we do!!!

XXOO

Staci