One of the great joys of summer is salad made with local greens. It’s vibrant, green and refreshing. It tastes of cool breezes on hot days and warm paperback pages read on a sunny porch. It’s something that you really start to appreciate the older you get …

Today, the kids and I scored a few heads of Boston Bibb lettuce at the farmers market. I like romaine and iceberg and other lettuces just fine. But I relish in a salad made with either fresh spinach or Boston Bibb … I love the firm, smooth leaves – not firm as in hard, but firm as in solid and having some mass.

Top it with some fresh strawberries sliced up while they are in season, or some juicy, just off the vine, tomatoes later in the season. Even blueberries or sliced apples (at the end of summer) can make a nice salad topper.

And then comes the crunch. For me, a salad just has to have that crunch. And what better crunch than homemade croutons? Just slice up whatever left over bread you have (sometimes, for me, it’s my fav semolina bread ends. Other times, it’s leftover hamburger buns or even just slightly stale sandwich bread — in a pinch, of course), season and go.

Looking for inspiration? Check out these delightful ideas:

Recipes for Homemade Croutons

• Extra Easy Cheese Croutons at Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Homemade Garlic Croutons at Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Amy’s Homemade Croutons (herbed croutons) at The Mother Load
• Buttery Homemade Croutons at The Food Channel
• Sourdough Garlic Herb Croutons at Our Best Bites
• Sourdough Garlic Croutons at Pinch My Salt

Today started out as one of those ethereal days where the sky is impossibly blue and the clouds are a fluffy jungle kingdom. You just want to be outside on a day like today, and we made sure to spend a lot of time outdoors.

The kids and I rose later than usual, which is a treat for any mom, but particularly one who rises at the crack of dawn most days … and then we made our way through baths and bananas (they each have one almost every morning). Then we were off with a purpose: to find out if one of the local farmers markets would be opening today … the answer was no. But we are now just a few weeks away from the opening of another local farmers market, so I guess we will just hang tight for a little longer. But, I must admit, I was really hoping to score some garlic scapes, which have an impossibly short season.

After that, we headed off for an on-the-go breakfast and then settled in at a local recreation area for a long walk and rolling picnic, which is becoming a very fun habit for us. The kids and I pack up food in small portions and head to this park. They settle into the double stroller and eat — sometimes it’s lunch, sometimes a snack and today it was breakfast. While they eat, I walk, pushing them over hills and through meadows and across this fantastic area. It’s a lot of fun.

This afternoon, I harvested some of our spinach for a salad and some rosemary too. To go with the salad (spinach, strawberries and blue cheese), I made (in five minutes — seriously — including prep) some quick, tasty croutons using a leftover hard roll. Not only does it use up a roll that might otherwise have been left to rot, but these little delicately crunchy bread bits are OMG good.

How was your Sunday?

Extra Easy Cheese Croutons

These are exceptionally easy to make. My oven has a toast setting that I make them with, however if you don’t have that, you could make them using the broiler setting but you must watch them very closely to prevent them from burning — it will only take a few minutes. Whatever you do, do not preheat the oven.

1 hard roll
olive oil
salt and pepper
hard cheese for grating (such as Romano or Parmesan; Asiago works great too)

Cut the hard roll into large chunks (about 1″ x1″ x 1/2″). Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and grate cheese onto the bread.

Place in the oven and set to toast (alternatively you can use the broiler setting — but you MUST watch them for the entire 2-5 minutes). Toast until golden — 2-5 minutes.

As I type this, thunder is roaring outside my office window and ominous clouds are dumping rain everywhere. It sounds vicious outside, the kind of rolling booms that make you want to curl up under a favorite quilt and huddle until it passes. Meanwhile, less than 20 minutes ago, I was outside planting and watching these clouds roll in. Welcome to a true New England day … don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes.

But I am not complaining, it has been a good Sunday here. Sunny and productive, with lots of errands and yard work accomplished.

Today was a rare morning where everyone slept a little later than normal. For the first time in literally years, I got to sleep past 8 a.m. — and well past 8 a.m., at that. It was a rare treat.

When we all finally did rise, I whipped up a delicious batch of Banana-Stuffed French Toast. This is a recipe that I actually first posted back on June 22, 2006. I made it for Father’s Day that year, and it was a huge hit. So when Shawn came home last night with a big, soft, beautiful loaf of challah bread, I immediately thought of this recipe. The ingredients are primarily pantry items, which means that you can make it almost anytime. And it comes together – start to finish – in 45 minutes max (and that’s if you do several batches in the frying pan like I did … if you use a bigger pan, it will take less time).

In any case, this is great for a laid-back Sunday morning.

Banana-Stuffed French Toast
serves 4
Adapted from Weekend Magazine, July/August 2006

Although this recipe calls for just four large (the loaf I used this time was about six inches wide) slices of challah, this can work with up to six slices. Be sure to give yourself about 45 minutes total for prep and cooking.

Syrup
1 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick

French Toast
4 slices large (cut 1 inch deep) challah bread (or 8 smaller pieces, also 1 inch deep)
1 medium banana, sliced thin
4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for five minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice a pocket in the challah bread and slide 4-6 banana slices in each piece.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, nutmeg and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined.

Place each slice of banana-stuffed challah in the batter, turning over to fully coat.

In a preheated and greased large skillet (I used butter), cook each slice of bread until golden on both sides (about 2 minutes per side).

Place browned slices on a baking sheet that’s been lined with nonstick foil and cook in the oven for about 8 minutes, until cooked throughout.

Drizzle with syrup and serve …

Christmas is two days away. My presents aren’t wrapped, my house isn’t clean enough yet. I have scores of baking left to do too. It’s going to be a frantic Wednesday, I will tell you that much.

Are you making any cranberry sauce or conserve this week? If so, keep this in mind when you do …

Sweet and tart is a combination that I really love — particularly when it’s combined with a cake-y base. So, when I was faced with leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving, I knew what I wanted to look for: A coffeecake recipe. I found several recipes to draw from and created this — which was absolutely perfect and satisfied my sweet/sour craving.

If you have leftover cranberries after the holidays this week, try this. You won’t be disappointed.

Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole berry cranberry sauce (fresh or canned)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar over medium speed with a mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and continue mixing on medium.

In a small bowl, sift together baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, flour and salt. Turn mixer to stir (or low). Add one third of the mixture to the wet ingredients and then one third of sour cream, until all the all of the ingredients have been added. Stir in vanilla.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Add 1/2 of the cranberry sauce and spread evenly. Pour 1/3 of batter over the sauce. Add the remaining cranberry sauce. Then top with remaining batter.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Easy Glaze II

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp orange juice
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Stir ingredients together well.

1. 1 cup all-purpose flour
2. 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4. 1 teaspoon baking powder
5. Pinch of salt
6. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Drizzle on cake while still warm.

The longer I cook, the more I find that I have certain go-to recipes that are as ingrained in my repertoire as number 2 pencils in a school child’s pencil bag. They are my tried and trues, my favorites, my without-thinking creations. My tried and trues can be made without fuss or muss, because they’ve become my happy cooking habits.

Among those tried and trues is my recipe for raspberry white chocolate muffins. I first had this combination in delicious, but short-lived, raspberry white chocolate scones from Dunkin Donuts about four years ago. I loved the combination and shortly after found the muffin form at Big Y. A few years back, unable to find either the scone or the muffin, I set out to develop my own version . . . this is the result of that.

These are best eaten warm, just out of the oven — but if you have leftovers, simply pop them in the toaster oven or oven for a few minutes to make them as hot and tasty as when you first made them.

When I whipped up a batch of these last Sunday, Will ate two . . . something that rarely happens — he’s not big on seconds. The next day? Shawn ate two . . . something that also rarely happens because he’s not big on muffins. These muffins provided a bonding experience for my husband and his boss a few years ago as well . . . they are that kind of good.

This time, I used used granular sugar on top, but these are fantastic with white decorative sugar too.

A note on raspberries:

Like raspberries? Good. They are excellent for you. Red raspberries are antioxidant powerhouses. They have significantly more antioxidants than strawberries, tomatoes or kiwi. They are also a good source of vitamin C. Coincidentally, they are coming into season shortly.

To see the recipe, click here.

This post is for Sweetnicks’ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays . . . Check out the Sweetnicks site later tonight for more antioxidant rich ideas.

It’s taken me WEEKS to get this post up. See, I made some garlic bread on the fly one night. It came out perfectly. I wrote down the recipe. The problem? I didn’t take a photo. So, I made it again. However, I got distracted and burned the heck out of it. We ate it all anyway . . . It’s that good. But burnt garlic bread doesn’t make for a cook-worthy photo, now does it?

I finally got around to making it again this weekend. It’s still just perfect.

I use roasted garlic in this, instead of raw garlic, because it imparts a milder flavor and needs less cooking. Tasty, quick and easy garlic bread? Yes, please!

K, you know a recipe is a good one – a keeper, if you will – when your husband turns to you mid-bite and says, “Honey, this is one for the blog.” Just to put this more in context: He’s never said that before. Ever. ‘Course, that meant I had to make it again to photograph it.

Easy Garlic Bread
yields 1 loaf

1 loaf ciabatta or Italian bread
1 stick butter, softened
10 cloves roasted garlic
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the bread down the length and open up. Place on the baking sheet.

Combine butter, garlic and romano in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Use a knife to evenly spread the butter mixture onto each half of the bread.

Place in the oven. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until butter is melted. Turn off oven and turn on broiler. Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.

Let sit 5 minutes before cutting.

Anyway, one of the magazines I read was Woman’s Day. It’s not something I normally pick up, but I am glad that I did this time. I actually came out with a great recipe that worked fantastically and would make a nice holiday gift for someone.

And, strangely, I had all the ingredients on hand. I had picked up self-rising flour awhile back and it’s been collecting dust on a shelf ever since. For the beer, I used a lime twisted one that my husband had leftover from summer — I cannot remember the name though. It worked well. I would love to try this with a Harp or Guinness though.

If you want to gift this, let it cool completely before wrapping it up. A cellophane bag and bow could do the trick . . .

No Knead Cheddar Beer Bread
yields 1 loaf

2 2/3 cup self-rising flour
1 cup grated cheddar
12 oz beer, chilled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

Combine flour and cheddar in a large bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula (to prevent sticking). Add beer and stir until the flour mixture is completely moistened. Pour into the loaf pan and spread out as best you can.

Cook in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle pulls out clean. The top should be golden brown.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Then remove from pan.

How to serve? My favorite way is warm with a nice slash of butter. Mmmm.

The morning started out as okay as can be — I got up, let the dogs out, got Will up and set out to make breakfast. Everything was going fine. I softened the butter, creamed it with the sugar and set about to mix in the eggs.

Note to Self #1: DO NOT TRY TO CARRY TWO EGGS IN ONE HAND WHILE PREGNANT.

Clumsy me (and yes, I am BLAMING it on being pregnant) dropped one of the eggs, spilling some juices into the fridge and the rest onto my kitchen floor. AWESOME. But it cleaned up quickly and I went about cooking.

Note to Self #2: DO NOT TRY TO ADD AN EGG TO THE MIXER WHILE IT’S ON, WHILE PREGNANT.

It must have been clumsy me adding the first egg to the mixer because I slipped and dropped the shell in while it was whirling — crunch, crunch, crunch.

Back to the old drawing board. I considered giving up at this point, but I was completely unwilling to let some coffee cake outwit me. So I forged on, started over, learned from my mistakes and got the darn thing in the oven.

This better be good.

About five minutes into cooking, I realized that I forgot an ingredient — baking soda. Fortunately it also has baking powder so I just hoped for the best. The cooking time was 30-35 minutes, at 32 minutes I checked it — not done. I set the timer for another 4 minutes. Still not done. I set it for another 12 minutes, since it was REALLY not cooked yet.

Why won’t this darned thing cook?

All I could remind myself was that at least it smells good (and if I can ever EAT it, I bet it will taste good too). When the timer went off, I had high hopes . . . and it was much further along. Just not done yet. Another four minutes.

This thing better be done now.

Finally, the knife (cake tester) came out clean. I didn’t even wait more than a minute before slicing it up and calling everyone to eat. Tasty? Yes. Worth making it again? Yes. I just wish I knew why this took me close to an hour to cook . . .

You can check out the recipe here. If you try it, let me know how long it takes you to cook it.

The few notes I have are:

• try substituting the 1/4 cup of sugar for 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the topping (and maybe adding a tbsp or two of flour).
• try using dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet
• don’t expect the timer to tell you when the coffee cake is done

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Chocolate is high in antioxidants, making this a great post for Sweetnicks‘ ARF/5-a-Day Tuesdays.

Secret of making good breakfast #1: Lower the temperature on the burner!
You would think I already knew this, but the truth is that it’s not something that ever crossed my mind – until today. Rather than using my typical medium (5 on my stove) setting, I set the burners to 4 – or medium low. Well, except for the hash browns, which remained on 5. And guess what? Everything came out perfectly except for those darned hash browns (though Shawn pointed out that the, um, extra crispy hash browns were a huge improvement over the last time I made them when they were undercooked). Live and learn.

With the French toast, it was a pleasant surprise not to burn it (the spoils of using a lower temperature!). And it was the most flavorful French toast I’ve ever eaten. I’d say that’s good. The number of servings it produced (three slices of French toast) surprised me, but it’s easy enough to double. And if you are like me and like variety at breakfast, one slice is a perfect accompaniment to eggs and perhaps a little fruit.

The bacon recipe by Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa, was not only simple and easy, but it made clean-up a cinch. The one thing I would change is that next time, I would line the drip pan with aluminum foil so I could just wrap up the grease and throw it out. Other than that, the Maple Roasted Bacon was fabulous – just the right mix of sweet and salty. Mmmm.

Now, here’s the funny thing about the meal. The omelet? That was supposed to be scrambled eggs, but I forgot to scramble them while they were cooking. Oops. And more funny, it’s the first perfect omelet I have made in . . . well, a long time. Sorry, no recipe to go with that though, since it was completely unplanned.

2 large eggs
2 tbsp skim milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 slices bread (white is what I used – a light wheat or raisin could be good too)

Whisk together eggs and milk. Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and whisk together.

On the stove, preheat a griddle over medium-low heat. Spray with cooking oil.

Dredge one slice of bread through the egg mixture on both sides. Place on griddle. Cook, about 5-7 minutes per side (flip over when side facing down is golden brown).

Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Ina Garten’s Maple Roasted Bacon
serves 4
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

8 slices bacon
maple syrup (the real stuff, not Mrs. Butterworth’s)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay bacon slices on the rack of a roasting pan (I used the broiler pan from my oven; Ina also suggests that you could use an oven rack over a baking sheet).

Put the bacon in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes (I did about 16.5 minutes), until beginning to crisp. Remove carefully from the oven and brush each bacon slice with maple syrup.

Return to oven and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately.

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What is Sunday Breakfasts?
Breakfast is daunting for me, to say the least. Pancakes burn, eggs dry out, sausage turns to rubber … it’s a curse. But one I want to reverse with practice. But I am working hard to reverse the curse. Each Sunday for the next few months, I will be posting a breakfast – including the hits and misses. And when it’s all over, I will hopefully have conquered my kitchen in the morning.

Did you miss a previous Sunday Breakfasts? Click here to see them all.