Easy {and Amazing} Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

One of my best friends made these  Cinnamon Pull Aparts years ago when we did a friend breakfast together.  They were so good.  She gave me the recipe, and I made it a few times... then I forgot about it.  You know how that happens sometimes? A few weeks ago, I randomly got a serious craving for this yummy Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread.  So I asked for the recipe again and rediscovered the goodness!  I made them as part of our Father's Day breakfast, and they were a hit all around.  And so easy.  I just love easy!  Thanks Shelby!

PS My sisters and I will all be together in two weeks.  Can't wait!  And there should be some good cooking going on around here.  So stay posted...

Easy {and Amazing} Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Author: Mindy

*You can prepare the night before and keep in the fridge all night.  Pull the rolls out one hour before you want to cook to allow to raise. Recipe Source: Shelby Hales

Ingredients

• 22-25 frozen rolls (Such as Rhodes)


• 1 4.6oz box cook and serve vanilla pudding (not instant)


• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon


• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Place rolls in a greased bundt pan.


2. In a separate bowl, combine pudding, brown sugar, and cinnamon.


3. Sprinkle mixture over the rolls (If you have time, I like to partially thaw the rolls first -to make them sticky- and roll each one in the mixture to more evenly distribute the yumminess).


4. Then drizzle melted butter over the top.


5. Allow to raise for 1.5-2 hours* and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


6. Allow to cool, then turn upside down on a plate.

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Cinnamon Syrup

I adore breakfast.  I adore it in the morning.  And I adore it in evening.  I adore it for lunch even.  And why do I adore breakfast?  Mainly because of the syrup.  Syrup is like frosting - an amazing cake can be totally ruined by a horrible frosting.  On the other hand, if you have a stellar frosting... an amazing cake becomes out-of-this-world great, right? The same goes for syrup.  Our all time favorite at The Sisters Cafe is Coconut Syrup -suffice it to say I am tempted to lick my plate when I serve it. But we have some other favorites, too, like: Strawberry Syrup, Wonderful Berry Syrup, and Blueberry Syrup.  The newest in our retinue is Cinnamon Syrup, which I am now a HUGE fan of.  At first I only ate it on pumpkin waffles/pancakes and applesauce pancakes, which it compliments perfectly by the way.  But I've found myself branching out to other recipes like these lately.  And you know what?  This little syrup can stand on its own two feet.

Cinnamon Syrup

Author: Mindy

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter


• 3/4 cup buttermilk


• 1 cup sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot over medium heat.


2. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.


3. Bring to a boil, and boil one minute.


4. Remove from heat and add baking soda and cinnamon.


5. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the ‘fizz’ to reduce before serving.

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Quinoa For Breakfast

Have you ever had quinoa (pronouced "kin wah") for breakfast?  Well , I recently tried it and I am LOVING a bowl of quinoa in the morning!  This is such a great way to start your day for many reasons. First, if you are a hot cereal fan quinoa is fun change from regular old oatmeal. Also, we have all heard the importance of starting your day off with some sort of protein to keep your blood sugars level and helping you keep your waistline in check:) Well, eating quinoa gives you that protein while still providing you a grain based breakfast. Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse being a complete protein, a great source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, high in magnesium and iron and provides a significant source of calcium. Just like oatmeal, you can be creative with the toppings to suit your tastes and mood! I like to cook up a double batch in the morning using some for breakfast and saving the rest in the fridge for a quinoa salad later. This is more of a suggestion than a recipe...enjoy:)

Quinoa for Breakfast
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

Cook quinoa according to package direction. Quinoa must be rinsed before cooking to remove a bitter tasting coating. The bag I bought at Costco is prerinsed, but not all are, so check the packaging.

Cooking Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
optional: 1/4 tsp salt

Rinse quinoa if needed. Put 1 cup in saucepan with water and salt, if using. Bring to a boil, cover with tight fitting lid and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. Fluff quinoa with a fork and you are ready to use it for breakfast:)

For breakfast I like to scoop desired amount into a bowl and top with almond milk (or any milk you prefer), fresh or dried fruit, nuts and sweetener (I like honey or brown sugar). If you want a more creamy texture put the quinoa and milk together and stir until desired consistency is reached.

A few topping ideas to get your started:

*Berries, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans
*Toasted coconut, peaches or mangos, honey and slivered almonds
*Apple, cinnamon,nutmeg,  maple syrup and walnuts

Be creative and have fun with this breakfast!  I would love to hear the combinations you come up with:)

Cream Cheese Ring and a GIVEAWAY!

I was a guest blogger today over at Rhodes Bake-n-Serve Bread and I featured a recipe for a Cream Cheese Ring. This Cream Cheese Ring is a sweet strudel bread filled with cream cheese and prepared cinnamon-roll style for a gorgeous presentation.  It is always a hit with friends and family!  You can see the post and recipe here.

***It’s a GIVEAWAY!***  ---11/20/11 Giveaway Closed


We will be giving away one copy of their cookbook, Home Baked Family Favorites.  It is a fabulous cookbook full of 170 photographed recipes!
To enter, go to the Rhodes Blog and tell us what recipe you would like to try, then leave a comment on this post.  Comment before Sunday, November 16, at midnight Eastern Standard Time zone.

For extra entries:
*Become a Sisters Cafe follower (see links on our sidebar to the right)
*Like Sisters Cafe on Facebook
*Like Rhodes on Facebook
*Follow Rhodes on Twitter
*Subscribe to Rhodes YouTube Channel (see links below)

I have good old dad to thank for this delicious twist on french toast.  My mom is a fabulous cook, and she made all sorts of amazing meals,  but dad was good at a few things, too.  He usually made breakfast food for dinner when he was in charge, and I loved it!  I can picture him with spatula in hand manning the griddle and saying "I'm not hearing any ooos and ahhhs!"  We'd then all dissolve into giggles as we made exaggerated calls of delight over our french toast.  But to be honest... when he made Ham and Swiss French Toast, I think it really deserved all those giggling "ooos" and "ahhhs!"  And it is now one of my favorite lazy dinners. Quick, delish, and filling.  I like it best with french bread, but I admit that I usually make it with whatever bread is laying around.  That means it is usually good old wheat bread, and it is still perfectly yummy!  So next time it is 5 o'clock,and your scrambling for something to make for dinner... this is your ticket!  Of course, you could always actually make it for breakfast, too. :)

Monte Cristo French Toast

Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 loaf of french bread (or any other bread you prefer)
4 egg
1 c. milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
6 T. flour
sliced ham
sliced swiss cheese

Beat eggs, then add milk, salt, vanilla, and flour. Dip both sides of bread in the egg mixture and place in hot buttered pan.  When the first side is browned, flip one bread slice over and stack ham and swiss on top.  Then top with browned side of a second piece of bread.  When the bottom of the french toast "sandwich" is browned, flip again and brown the top piece of bread.  This will allow the cheese to melt and the ham to warm up.  Serve with butter and maple syrup!

Blueberry Syrup, a Giveaway and a winner!

Delicious Blueberry Syrup from Gathering of Friends Volume 3...recipe below:)

First of all, I wanted to tell our Utah readers that we will be sharing a recipe on KUTV channel 2 Fresh Living show at noon on Wednesday! We are excited and a little nervous! I am so happy to be going to Utah this week for BYU Women's Conference and to visit my family and friends! I can't wait:) I have been so busy getting my family all set to be Mom-less for a few days. I tell you it is a lot of work to leave 5 boys:)

Now for the winner of last weeks giveaway of volume #2 is...

"Steve O" who said...

"I love making dinner for my family. It has always been a way that I express my love for them. But, with three little ones and another one on the way I am always on the hunt for ways to make it easier for me and more memorable for us all.
Thank so much for your blog. I use it often and it alone makes my life easier!!"

Steve-o please email me at melandboys@gmail.com so I can get your new cookbook mailed to you!
This is the final week of 'The Gathering Friends' Cookbook giveaways and I am excited to announce that for the 'grand finale' we are offering the full set---all 3 of the beautiful cookbooks to one of our readers!


To enter just leave us a comment on this post. For additional entries 1) Become a Sisters Cafe follower 2) Blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway and leave us the link in the comments.

Also this is the last week of the Gatorade Sports Mom giveaway at Melandboys. Be sure to enter here for a chance to win $100 to Dicks Sporting Goods!

And I posted some of my favorite books here and would love to hear what your favorites are--I am on the lookout for some good summer reads!

**Don't forget the Buy 3 get one free deal going on now at The Gathering of Friends website. Perfect for the upcoming Mothers Day, wedding gifts, birthdays etc. Trust me any woman would love these gorgeous books. Even if they don't love to cook these books just look beautiful as part of a home's decor:)

Now for the delicious Bleuberry Syrup pictured above. Mmmm this was so yummy! The only note for this recipe that I would add is...you could adjust the sugar depending upon how sweet or tart your blueberries are. I used some wild blueberries that were very sweet and I think I should have cut down the sugar a little. Although I have to say my boys loved it sweet! We served it on homemade waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. Oh yeah!!

Blueberry Syrup

submitted by Melanie from The Gathering of Friends

2 cups sugar

4 Tbsp corn starch

2 cups water

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp butter

In a heavy pot, combine sugar, corn starch and water. Cook about 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in blueberries. Simmer for 10 minutes or until blueberries burst. Add the butter and stir until melted. Serve warm. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 30 days!

Strawberry Syrup

When strawberries go on a great sale, we have strawberries with everything!  I brought home oodles of strawberries the other day, and I have been having lots of fun with them in the kitchen. :) We’ve been enjoying Spinach and Strawberry Salad, homemade Strawberry Jam, Strawberry and Yogurt Parfaits with our favorite homemade Granola, plus this wonderful Strawberry Syrup.  Thank you to my friend, Alana DeGooyer, for this recipe. :) This simple and delicious syrup is a favorite around here. As you may already know, we are all diehard Coconut Syrup lovers at my house, and we have it with every breakfast. But every good thing needs a change, and this Strawberry Syrup is our next runner up.  Served with delicious Buttermilk Pancakes, this syrup just tastes like Spring!  I love it! (Oh, it looks like our recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes isn't on our site yet. We had better fix that! In the meantime, Melanie posted a wheat version here. I haven't tried adding wheat flour to them, but I'm sure they are still great!)

PS  You may want to reserve ¼ cup of this syrup for the fabulous Strawberry Cream Cheeserecipe I’m posting on Wednesday! I promise it will be worth saving some of this syrup for. The Strawberry Cream Cheese is amazing!

Strawberry Syrup

Submitted by Erin  ~  The Sisters Cafe

1 cup sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups thinly sliced and then roughly chopped fresh strawberries

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in saucepan; stir in strawberries.  (The strawberry juices will dissolve the sugar and make a wet mixture.)  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.

This makes approximately 2 cups of syrup.

*Note: frozen strawberries, thawed, would work too.

Frog Nog (True Green Smoothie Recipe)

 

We absolutely LOVE green smoothies around here. I usually make one with lots of berries which turns it purple or pink camouflaging the greens. When I use fruit that is light colored and the smoothie remains green we call it "frog nog". My boys love the name and the flavor and therefore slurp it down! Watching my children drink up all those healthy greens and fresh fruit makes this mama happy, you know?! And it also makes up for the lame lunch of nachos that I provide sometimes:) 

PPS Also here is my orginal "green smoothie" recipe post

Frog Nog (Green Smoothie recipe)

submitted by Melanie

2-4 cups spinach or other greens (I use 4 cups organic baby/ or kale)

1-2 cups of water (depending how thick you like it)

1-2 bananas (I use 2)

1 heaping cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup frozen mango, peaches or other light fruit (I have used strawberries)

1 Tb honey or agave (optional for sweetness)

First I fill my trusty blender (I use the Blendtec) with spinach--lots of it! Then I fill the container up to the 2 line with water filling in around the spinach. Pulse to blend into a bright green water.

Next add your bananas, frozen fruit ans sweetener, if using. I push the 'whole juice' button and the blender purees it all for me into a wonder smooth green drink. What ever blender you have, just be sure to blend it for a good amount of time to make sure it is as smooth as possible. Pour into glasses and serve!

Wonderful Berry Syrup

This syrup is so simple and yet so amazing served with some whipped cream on whole wheat pancakes. Seriously good! I highly recommend it. I used frozen blueberries and raspberries. I bought vanilla beans in bulk at The San Francisco Herb Co. I split them with my friend Stephanie and we each got 12 for about $9. That is a great price for vanilla beans. Adding vanilla bean seeds really adds a lot! It takes your dish from good to amazing:) I use them in Red Berry Breakfast Risotto, vanilla pudding and homemade vanilla ice cream. I actually don't use them very often--but when I do, like in this syrup, I am always so happy with the results!

Wonderful Berry Syrup

submitted by Melanie

2 cups frozen berries

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 vanilla bean (optional)

Combine fruit with the syrup in a small sauce pan over low heat. With the bakc of your spoon gently press berries against the side of the pan, just until they begin to break apart. (for a smoother syrup you could press it through a sieve). Split the vanilla bean length wise, if using, and scrap the seeds out using the tip of your knife. Add seeds and bean to syrup mixture. When it has reached the desired temperature transfer mixture to bottle and serve. Use within 4-5 days. Makes 3 cups

Fruit Soup

I'm reposting one of Melanie's recipes that I've posted before, in November of 2008. That is just way too long ago. This amazing recipe deserves a second showing. I make this fruit soup all the time for baby showers and birthday luncheons. It is the epitome of chick food. Every time I bring it to a party it gets rave reviews. It's a sweet 'soup' made from tapioca and juice and brimming with cold refreshing fruit and berries. It is to die for! I love making it; it's unique and fun, and YUMMY. (Plus it's incredibly easy- Always a bonus when you are preparing lots of food for a party. Remember to start it the night before - see the recipe.)
Enjoy!

Fruit Soup
submitted by Erin ~ http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com
printable recipe

¾ c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. peach juice (or another cup of water, which is what I always do instead)
3 Tb tapioca (be sure to use the “minute brand” quick cooking tapioca!)
6 oz orange juice concentrate
1 ½ c. water
2 cans mandarin oranges (with or without juice)
1 quart sliced peaches - (you can use 1 large can of peach slices, but I would not add the heavy syrup – I always try to use Lite peaches that have been bottled with pear juice and water, in which case I add the juice. Also, cut up the slices so they are bite-size.)
2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced, just before serving
2 bananas, just before serving
1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed but still cool and firm (or an equivalent amount of fresh) or other berry mix (raspberries give the juice a red tint, without raspberries it is an orange color. I almost always use a tri-berry mix which includes raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.)

Bring sugar, water, peach juice and tapioca to a boil. Continue boiling on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Some tapioca will be clear and other granules will have a white center. Take off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. (This is when the tapioca will become more clear.)
Add 6 oz orange juice concentrate and 1 ½ c. water. Chill overnight.
Add mandarin oranges and peaches. Before serving add strawberries, bananas, and raspberries.

Green Smoothie: Our Family Tradition submitted by Melanie

(I know it does not look green--but those greens are there!)

Since our new home is under reconstruction and I am not quite unpacked enough to be "back' in the normal cooking and baking routine--I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you our families morning tradition. Every morning I whip up a healthful smoothie (full of greens, berries, bananas, flax) for my boys and they LOVE it and I love that they do! Seeing my boys drink up all that heart healthy stuff, makes me very happy!

First of all I highly recommend this amazing blender the BLENDTEC. It is pricey, therefore it was my Mothers Day/Birthday/ Anniversary present last year. I love it!! It was worth every penny. And even my hubby agrees (now) and that is really saying something!

(I purchase my fresh and frozen greens and fruits at Sams or Costco. We go thru a lot each week and it is much cheaper to buy in bulk!)

Step #1 THE GREENS

Puts lots and lots of greens in there--I usually use fresh organic baby spinach and we love Kale. If you use Kale remove the stem. Next pour some water in --up to the 2 line.
Then pulse until you have a beautiful bright green "water" Now your ready for the fruit...

(i usually add at least one more handful of spinach than is pictured)

Step #2 THE FRUIT

First I always add a fresh banana or two. Then I put in lots of various fresh and frozen fruits, such as:

Fresh:

*a whole organic apple (seeds and all)
**fresh pineapple--do not core it--great fiber**this is my favorite ingredient!

*orange--just remove rind

Frozen:

(sometimes I skip the fresh fruit --but I always add frozen berries)

*Strawberries-the berries are a must for us!
*Blueberries--if you add this smoothie will not be green

*Mixed frozen fruit from Sams or Costco

Step #3 THIS & THAT

I like to add a big spoonful of frozen Juice concentrate, such as orange or pineapple for sweetness. This insures that my boys LOVE it and want seconds!

Sometimes instead of juice concentrate, I add a little Agave --that is a natural sweetener that is very low on the glycemic index.

I also add a scoop of ground flax . You can grind flax seed yourself in a little coffee grinder (my grinder was $10 at Walmart) and keep it in the freezer or purchase ground flax seed at Costco.

Step #4 PUSH THE WHOLE JUICE BUTTON

This is of course my boys very favorite part!:)

ENJOY!!

Fruit Soup

This is wonderful as a side dish for a brunch or luncheon. It is terrific for a baby or bridal shower too. It is so yummy! Melanie shared this recipe with me years ago and I have made it many times since then. It is the epitome of chick food, and all girls love it!

Fruit Soup
submitted by Erin ~ Melanie's recipe

¾ c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. peach juice (or another cup of water, which is what I always do instead)
3 Tb tapioca (be sure to use the “minute brand” quick cooking tapioca!)

6 oz orange juice concentrate
1 ½ c. water

2 cans mandarin oranges (with or without juice)
1 quart sliced peaches (with juice) - (or you can substitute 1 large can of peach slices, but do NOT add the heavy syrup – last time I used Lite peaches that had been bottled with pear juice and water, a much better option. Still, I opted to drain most of it out since the soup is sweet enough.)
2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced, just before serving
2 bananas, just before serving (not pictured - I added them just before serving)
1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed (or an equivalent amount of fresh) or other berry mix (raspberries give the juice a red tint, without raspberries it is an orange color)

Bring sugar, water, peach juice and tapioca to a boil. Continue boiling on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Some tapioca will be clear and other granules will have a white center. Take off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. (This is when the tapioca will become more clear.)
Add 6 oz orange juice concentrate and 1 ½ c. water. Chill overnight.

Add mandarin oranges and peaches. Just before serving add strawberries, bananas, and raspberries.