Breakfast & Brunch

I didn’t used to eat breakfast much while in high school or college. I either grabbed a small bite while on my way to school or skipped it altogether. Eating breakfast really is the best way to start your day. I now love eating breakfast, especially since Toddler L&C and I eat together every day.

I love making new and different breakfast items and while I do like oatmeal, it’s in the upper 80s at least every day, so hot oatmeal for breakfast is out of the question. That’s where overnight oatmeal comes in. Overnight oatmeal is a new-to-me concept and I am head-over-heels in love with it. You can make any flavor combinations and they are absolutely delicious. I added Chia Seeds to my oatmeal because of all the great benefits from them as well.

Premier Protein sent me some of their shakes and I knew it would be the perfect addition to my morning oatmeal. Premier Protein has 30 grams of protein – including all the essential amino acids, 160 calories, 1 gram of sugar, 24 vitamins and minerals, is low fat, and an excellent source of calcium. To find out more about Premier Protein and all their products, click here.

You might be skeptical, like I am when trying most protein shakes, because some of them have a lot of sugar, taste chalky, and don’t have as much protein as you would like. Premiere Protein blew me away – it tastes great. Mr. L&C has been running with a friend and helping him train for Tough Mudder Florida 2015. He took one of the Premier Protein shakes and was really surprised that it tasted that good and had more protein than what he had been drinking after his runs.

The Vanilla Protein Shake and Chocolate Protein Shake are great on their own, and even better in smoothies and overnight oatmeal. I haven’t tried the Strawberries ‘n Cream or Mixed Berry Shakes, but I bet they are just as delicious! I can’t wait to create some more overnight oatmeal creations and smoothies.

Premier Protein also sent me some Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars to try out as well. They have 11 different flavors including Dark Chocolate Mint, Double Chocolate Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, White Fudge Raspberry, Yogurt Peanut Crunch, Chocolate Caramel Fiber, Chocolate Mint Fiber, Cookies ‘n Cream Fiber, Honey Caramel Fiber and Peanut Butter Caramel Fiber. Don’t they sound delicious and certainly not like those other protein bars? Don’t forget to join the Team Premier Advocate Program!

Overnight Chocolate Chia Protein Oatmeal
A Love and Confections original recipe
Click here for a printable link
Yield: 2 servings

Overnight Chocolate Chia Protein Oatmeal Ingredients:
– 1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
– 3 tablespoons Black Chia Seeds
– 11 ounces Premier Protein Chocolate Shake
– 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Overnight Chocolate Chia Protein Oatmeal Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator overnight. Once ready, you can eat it cold, or microwave it to take the chill off. Enjoy!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

It’s day 4 of #VanillaWeek!! I hope you enjoyed my Vanilla Bean Tiramisu, Vanilla Bean Ladyfingers and the Vanilla Bean Macarons so far. Today I made everyone’s favorite treat – doughnuts! Don’t forget to head on over to my blog post with all the details for the #VanillaWeek Giveaway! The #VanillaWeek Bloggers and I have some great recipes today, so please head on over to their blogs as well. We hope you join us throughout the rest of the week as we share vanilla recipes that include breakfasts, drinks, desserts and even savory dishes!

It doesn’t matter if it’s “doughnut” or “donut”, they are delicious anyway you choose to spell it. I wanted to make some doughnuts for #VanillaWeek, because everyone loves doughnuts. There are so many different ways to make them, baked cake doughnuts, baked yeast doughnuts and fried yeast doughnuts. Heck, you can even make a “Cronut” (croissant-doughnut for those of you who have yet to experience this awesome treat).

I chose to do a baked cake doughnut because lately the less mess and time I spend in the kitchen, the better. Baby L&C, or rather, Toddler L&C is in full toddler mode at the moment. She is so full of energy, very attached to Mommy, and wants to get into everything. Cake doughnuts were an easy way to get my doughnut fix, while not worrying about how much time they would take. The batter is simple and the icing is easy.

I wanted a pop of color, so of course I chose pink since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Also, these little heart sprinkles are THE cutest! I want to put them on everything!! They were perfect for my Vanilla Bean Doughnuts and I can’t wait to bake something else to be able to use the sprinkles. You, too, can make these adorable doughnuts at home, especially if you go enter for our big #VanillaWeek giveaway! Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Doughnuts
A Love and Confections original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe
Yield: 22 Doughnuts

Vanilla Bean Doughnut Ingredients:
– 5 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temperature
– 1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
– 1 & 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Cake Flour
– 1 & 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
– 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
– 1/4 teaspoon Salt
– 2 Eggs, room temperature
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
– 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
– 3/4 cup Whole Milk

Vanilla Bean Doughnut Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375F and with baking spray, lightly coat 2 doughnut pans and set aside.
2. With your stand mixer, beat the Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy. While the butter is beating, Sift together the Cake Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt, and set aside.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with butter. While on low, add in the Eggs one at a time as well as the Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean Paste.
4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to insure everything is mixed.
5. Fill a piping bag with half the batter. Pipe the mixture into the doughnut pans, about 1/2 way full. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the doughnut is lightly golden and cooked throughout. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Ice doughnuts when completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Vanilla Icing Ingredients:
– 2 cups Dixie Crystal’s Confectioners’ Sugar
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Vanilla Extract
– 2-4 tablespoons Whole Milk
– 2-4 drops of Neon Pink Food Coloring
– Sprinkles, optional

Vanilla Icing Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, add the Confectioners’ Sugar, Vanilla Extract and 1 tablespoon of Milk. Whisk to combine. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have reached a good consistency. Add in the Food Coloring, blend, and using a spoon, drizzle onto cooled doughnuts. Garnish with sprinkles and enjoy!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!


Here are more #VanillaWeek Blogger recipes:

Kahlua Vanilla Cream Soda from Frugal Foodie Mama.

Raspberry Vanilla Vinaigrette from It’s Yummi
Vanilla Bean Doughnuts from Love and Confections
Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cheesecake from {i love} my disorganized life

Disclosure: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Bob’s Red Mill, Silpat, Quirk Books and Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar are providing the prizes free of charge. These companies are also providing the bloggers with samples and product to use for #VanillaWeek. All opinions stated are my own.

Hi and welcome to day 5 of #PumpkinWeek. We are celebrating our love of the season with a whole week of pumpkin goodies, leading up to National Pumpkin Day. 17 Food Bloggers have come together to share over 65 recipes with you. In addition to homemade pumpkin puree, pie, and cookies, we are also sharing savory pumpkin dishes like hummus, chili and pumpkin corn chowder. Come back every day for #PumpkinWeek recipes. You can also find these great recipes and more on Love and Confections’ #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board!

The house smelled like what Fall should smell like, when I made this. The aroma of pumpkin spice made me giddy and I longed for cooler Fall weather. We started to get into the spirit of the season this past weekend. I went to a pumpkin patch with Baby L&C so we could pick out a pumpkin for her first Halloween. She won’t remember any of it and it’s more for us grownups, but it was cute and a wonderful tradition I hope to keep every year.

Making Granola is very easy. You can mix and match whichever ingredients you feel like having. Today I made a pumpkin granola with some pecans and chia seeds. It’s a great combination and the adding the chia seeds is a great health benefit. Chia seeds are full of Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, calcium and protein. I’ve made an Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding before and definitely like them better in granola. The chia seeds are optional for this granola, but it doesn’t hurt to use them and get all the healthy benefits.

Come back next week when I use this granola in a delicious breakfast dish! Also, I will be giving away these cute little Le Creuset Cocottes in 2 weeks, so be on the lookout for your chance to enter!

Pumpkin Pie Chia Granola
a Love and Confections original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe

Pumpkin Pie Chia Granola Instructions:
– 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
– 1/4 teaspoon Salt
– 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
– 1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree
– 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
– 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
– 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
– 1 cup chopped Pecans
– 2 & 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
– 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds, optional

Pumpkin Pie Chia Granola Directions:
1. Heat oven to 300F. Line a jellyroll baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Vegetable Oil, Salt, Maple Syrup, Pumpkin Puree, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Brown Sugar and Vanilla Extract.
3. With a spatula, mix in the chopped Pecans, Oats and Chia Seeds until evenly combined.
4. Spread evenly onto sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes, flipping the oats every 15 minutes so they dry out on all sides. Let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Check out all the #PumpkinWeek Bloggers and their recipes:
Pumpkin Pie Chia Granola by Love and Confections
Meatloaf-Stuffed Mini Pumpkins by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
White Chocolate Reeses Pumpkin Blondies by The Spiffy Cookie
Pumpkin and Corn Chowder by Curious Cuisiniere
Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes by Life Tastes Good
Pumpkin Spice Cookie Blossoms by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Curried Roasted Pumpkin Hummus by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Praline Frosted Pumpkin Brownies by My Catholic Kitchen
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter by Making Miracles
Pumpkin Biscotti by The Pajama Chef
White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Hi and welcome to day 2 of #PumpkinWeek. We are celebrating our love of the season with a whole week of pumpkin goodies, leading up to National Pumpkin Day. 17 Food Bloggers have come together to share over 65 recipes with you. In addition to homemade pumpkin puree, pie, and cookies, we are also sharing savory pumpkin dishes like hummus, chili and pumpkin corn chowder. Come back every day for #PumpkinWeek recipes. You can also find these great recipes and more on my Love and Confections’ #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board!

Yesterday I shared my Pumpkin Loaf and today I have one of my new favorite recipes to share with you. If there is one pumpkin dish you need to make soon, it’s these Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes. They are absolutely delicious! The batter is so moist and the spice and sugar coating gives them great flavor.

My Dad, who is a vanilla cake and chocolate brownie kind of guy, usually only likes pumpkin in his pie. He’ll try all the baked goods I make to taste them, but usually goes back to the originals. He couldn’t stop eating these, and neither could I. They are the perfect size for breakfast or an afternoon snack. These babies didn’t last long and they are definitely going to be made many more times this season. I am even planning on making them for my Thanksgiving Day brunch for family.

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes
adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Click here for a printable recipe

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes Ingredients:
– 1 & 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
– 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
– 1/2 teaspoon Salt
– 2 teaspoons Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
– 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
– 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
– 1 large Egg
– 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
– 3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
– 1/2 cup Whole Milk

For the Coating
– 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
– 2/3 cup Granulated sugar
– 1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
– 1 tablespoon Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Here are today’s #PumpkinWeek Bloggers and their recipes:
Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes by Love and Confections
How to: Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili by The Spiffy Cookie
Pumpkin Ravioli with Tarragon by Curious Cuisiniere
Pumpkin Spice Instant Hot Chocolate Mix by Lady Behind The Curtain
Pumpkin Praline Pancakes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Baked Pumpkin Donuts by Making Miracles

Loaded Potato Breakfast Gnocchi
a Love and Confection original recipe
Serves 4-6
Click here for the printable recipe

Loaded Potato Breakfast Gnocchi Ingredients:
– 4 medium Idaho Russet Potatoes, approximately 1 lb 2 oz
– 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
– 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, plus more for sauteing.
– 2 tablespoons Cream Cheese
– 4 slices prepared Bacon*
– 4 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese
– 1 large Egg
– 1/2 teaspoon Salt, plus more for salted boiling water
– 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
– 1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
– 1 & 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour, more if necessary
– Olive Oil
– Fried Eggs and Tomato (optional)

Loaded Potato Breakfast Gnocchi Directions:
1. Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil Potatoes. While it is heating up, peel and dice potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Once water comes to a boil, salt it then cook potatoes until they are fork tender. Strain and place in the bowl of your stand mixer.
2. To the potatoes, add Heavy Cream, Butter and Cream Cheese. Mix until the potatoes are combined and slightly cool. Cut the bacon in half lengthwise, then in small pieces no bigger than 1/4 inch wide. Add to the potatoes along with the Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Once the potatoes are cool, add in the Egg, Salt, Pepper and Onion Powder and mix until combined.
3. Add in 1 cup of Flour, slowly, and mix until combined. Remove the paddle attachment and with a spatula or spoon, mix the remaining flour in by hand. You want the potato mixture to hold together and not be sticky to the touch. More flour can be added if necessary.
4. In batches and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the gnocchi dough to rope about the width of your finger and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
5. Boil the Gnocchi in a large pot, in two or more batches, until they float. Start heating a large skillet with Butter on medium heat as soon as you put the first batch to boil. Remove the Gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet tray with sides that is drizzled a bit of Olive Oil (to prevent sticking).
6. Saute Gnocchi in skillet in batches. Turn over the gnocchi when the first side creates a nice golden brown crust. Serve immediately. Top with Fried Egg (optional).

* I bake my Bacon on a foil-lined sheet pan with sides in a 400°F oven for 15-17 minutes

Follow Idaho Potatoes on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!