Author: Debbie

Julie Kohl: Western Omelette Casserole {Foodie Friday}

By Julie Kohl

Western Omelette Casserole

Mornings typically fly by in a blur in the Kohl house. Breakfast is often grabbed on the run and may include a piece of fruit and a cup of yogurt or cottage cheese. When we finally get the chance to slow down on the weekends, we love to sit down and enjoy a nice breakfast like this Western Omelette Casserole.

Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated and that is one of the things I love about baked breakfast dishes. This casserole is quick and easy to prep and the ingredients are easily interchangeable to fit your family’s tastes.

omelette ingredients

The other thing I love about this casserole is that it uses eggs from Great Day Farms and ham from Petit Jean Meats. Both of these companies are big supporters of Arkansas Women Bloggers.

I do raise my own chickens but they typically take a break from laying eggs during the shorter daylight of winter. When I don’t have my own fresh eggs, I always buy the Great Day Farms Cage Free eggs.

Give this delicious Western Omelette Casserole from @eggsandherbs a try. @greatdayfarms…

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Western Omelette Casserole
Serves 4
A delicious and easy to prepare breakfast casserole.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 green onions, sliced (including the white parts)
  2. 1/4 cup bell peppers, diced
  3. 1 Tablespoon. butter
  4. 6 large eggs
  5. 1/2 cup half & half
  6. 2 Tbsp. sour cream
  7. Seasoning Salt, to taste
  8. Black pepper, to taste
  9. Nutmeg, 2 grates of fresh, whole
  10. 4 ounces cooked ham, diced
  11. 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in a small saute pan and saute the onions and peppers until just tender. About 5 minutes.
  3. In a bowl,whip the eggs, half & half, sour cream, and seasonigs.
  4. Pour 1/2 of the egg mixture into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with the onions and peppers, the ham and a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
  5. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top.
  6. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the egg is almost completely set. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.
Notes
  1. This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a larger family.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
 

Julie D. Kohl of juliedkohl.comArkansas Women Blogger’s Calendar Cultivator and member Julie D. Kohl writes about her adventures with food, recipes, crafts and creativity on her blog JulieDKohl. As former Yankee who was “converted” to the south by her husband, Julie has grasped on to rural life in a sleepy, blink-your-eyes-and-you’ll-miss-it town in east central Arkansas. She raises chickens, horses, and English mastiffs and loves spending her summers off from teaching paddle boarding the beautiful lakes of Arkansas. Come navigate the waters of life with Julie on her blog JulieDKohl.com, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

 

Chris Olsen: Easy Tres Leches Cake {Foodie Friday}

This week’s Foodie Friday guest is Chris H. Olsen a nationally known home and garden guru, designer, author, TV personality, public speaker and friend of ARWB. In his book, Chris shares his landscape and gardening knowledge along with his unique flair for home decor and design. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

 Chris H. Olsen

So I absolutely LOVE desserts!! They are my favorite part of any meal!  If I could just have a meal of delectable desserts…then I would just be in HEAVEN!  But, I would have to live in a gym too…because we all know that you can’t live off of desserts!  So, I decided to share with you one of my FAVORITE desserts.  I actually served this to a few of the tours that came thru my home during the holiday season, as well as my family for our holiday dinner dessert instead of the traditional ones!  The truth is that to make a Tres Leche Cake it can take so many steps and lots and lots of time, if anyone knows me, then you KNOW I want things done in as few steps as possible!  There are so many other things to be doing,  especially when you are getting ready for guests to arrive!  So…here is an AWESOME recipe that I found and made my own!  I hope you enjoy it and send me pics so I can see how much your family loves it!  Live life to the fullest my friends!

treslechescaketoppings

 Easy Tres Leches Cake

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Serves: 15-18

Ingredients:

Cake

    • 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box white cake mix (only use the ingredients that are listed here to prepare the cake!)
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 1/4 cups water

Three milk soaking liquid

    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
    • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Suggested Topping

    • whipped cream (I like to make my own whipped cream, but you can use cool whip or another prepared whipped cream)
    • sliced fresh strawberries (if you want them to be even sweeter, slice them and then put a little sugar on them, just a tablespoon, and let them soak in their natural juices while you prepare the cake)

chris olsen Collage500

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Grease (if you are using a spray, then use one that doesn’t have flour in it)  9×12 baking pan
  3. Beat all 4 eggs in a large bowl
  4. Add water and cake mix and beat on medium for 3 minutes.
  5. Pour batter into greased pan
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake has lost its jiggly (isn’t that such a fun word?) center and springs back when touched
  7. Let the cake cool to room temperature (don’t cover it or it may form a film on top)
  8. Mix the 3 milks together in a bowl that is easy to pour from
  9. Poke cake full of holes. (A chopstick works great for this. Don’t skimp on the holes; that’s what allows the cake to absorb the milks)
  10. Pour the milk mixture over the cake slowly, until it absorbs the liquid.
  11. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  12. Serve as desired. If you’re serving company, you might cover the cake with whipped cream and fruit; you might just drizzle heavy cream over each serving; you might puree a carton of frozen strawberries and use that as a base to serve slices on.

 

headshotA force to be reckoned with Chris is not only an award winning landscape architect , he is known for his risk taking designs that incorporate the unexpected and unusual as he has created some of the most recognized designs and locations in the state of Arkansas. 

Chris H. Olsen has nearly 30 years of experience in landscape and interior design, attended Oxford University, and has his BA from the University of San Diego.  He’s the author of Five Seasons:  Unique and Stylish Ideas for Your Home and Garden as well as numerous blogs on landscape design and seasonal projects.  His television segments, Today’s Home:  Living the Good Life with Chris H. Olsen is currently televised in more than 33 states.  Chris presently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he maintains a garden boutique and nursery, Botanica Gardens, and is spokesman for the Little Rock Visitors Bureau.  He is an active participant in numerous charities, and a contributor to numerous lifestyle publications.  His design ideas, for both indoor and outdoor, are infused with wit, personality, and enthusiasm. Chris encourages all that he encounters to not only think outside the box but to Live Life to the fullest every day! 

 

You can following along with Chris on:  Chris H. Olsen, Botanica Gardens, Facebook, Twitter, and  his new endeavor Plantopia opening April 6

Guest blogger @ChrisHOlsen shares his favorite Tres Leches Cake on #Foodie Friday #ARWB

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Jacqueline Presley: The Best Brownies Ever {Foodie Friday}

jacqueline presley BROWNIES HERO foodie friday arwb 1

About a year ago, I was having some friends over that eat mostly gluten-free. It was my job to make a dessert for everyone. I scoured the internet looking for a gluten-free brownie recipe that seemed like it had a good texture. From the ingredients, it looked like they would be pretty tasty as well. I found the recipe on this great blog, Easy Peasy.  She has a lot of Paleo recipes on her site she.

Jacqueline Presley Mixing syrup & cocoa

 

The Best Brownies Ever
Yields 12
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Ingredients
  1. The Best Brownies Ever
  2. 1 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
  3. ¾ cup bittersweet cocoa powder (do not use dark chocolate, it overpowers the nut taste)
  4. 1 cup of almond butter (If you’re not avoiding peanuts, I have had great results with using Peanut Butter & Co.’s White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter,)
  5. 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  6. ½ teaspoon of baking powder
  7. ½ teaspoon of salt
  8. 1 egg
  9. ¼ cup of chocolate chips (I prefer semi sweet.)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Combine maple syrup and cocoa in a sauce pan.
  3. Cook over low heat until it looks smooth. Don’t walk away from it because cocoa will burn quickly.
  4. I use my hand mixer with 1 blade to get a more smooth texture.
  5. Remove the pan from heat and fold in the rest of the ingredients.
  6. Finally, add the chocolate chips!
  7. Pour batter into an 8x8 pan. I lined mine with parchment paper for easier removal.
  8. I added a few more chocolate chips on top before I put them in the oven.
  9. Cook them at 325 degrees for 55 minutes. As ovens vary, do check the brownies during the last 15 minutes.
Notes
  1. TIP: These are better on day 2!
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

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 Getting to Know Your ARWB Foodies

 What food reminds you of childhood? Anything Italian. My father’s family is Italian  and my mom learned to cook many of the things my Dad grew up eating. My grandma’s spaghetti sauce was amazing, my mom learned to make it & she taught me.
 What is your favorite international cuisine? Aside from Italina, probably Indian.  I love the exotic spice; they make everything taste extraordinary.
 What is always in your refrigerator at home? Cheeses, nuts, veggies and Ezekiel bread.
What is your most used cookbook? America’s Test Kitchen.  I have a set of them and they taught me to cook; they are still teaching me.
 What is your favorite kitchen gadget? My Kitchen Aid mixer.  It was a Christmas gift from Spencer and it makes me want to bake.
Do you have a favorite food indulgence?  French pastries: Macarons and anything with almonds or cream.
What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again? Real butter.  Oats.
What is your favorite food meal to cook at home?. Italian dishes: spaghetti with Italian sausage, Fettuccini Alfredo, etc.
 What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks? Yogurt is what makes muffins above average and heavy whipping cream is what makes scones extraordinary.
 When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes? Mommying, sewing, yard-saleing/thrifting, creative anything, spending time with people over coffee and good food.
What else would you like us to know about you I have been married to my husband Spencer for 11 years and we have 2 children.  Katie is 5 ½ and Jackson is 3 ½.  I am Social Media Manager for Oh Baby Foods which I am able to do mostly from home.  I would not have that job if it wasn’t for the influence and connections through Arkansas Women Bloggers.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jdpresley

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jdpresley 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/jacquelinepresley 

 

 

Stacey Valley: Barbara’s Famous Fudge {Foodie Friday}

 

stacey valley barbaras famous fudge arwb foodie friday

Chocolate was one of the four food groups at my house growing up… Tab, Poptarts, TV Dinners and Chocolate. I still have an almost  insatiable sweet tooth, and this fudge is my absolute favorite.

 When my mom Barbara was about 10 years old, she started making fudge using the recipe on the Hersey’s Cocoa can. Then when she was in high school (go Weiner Cardinals!), a classmate’s mother taught her this recipe. Mom taught my brother and me when we were young, and we would argue over who got to lick the pot when she was done. This recipe was the go-to treat at our house (especially during the holidays), and I think it makes a perfect Valentine gift. 

stacey valley barbaras famous fudge foodie friday

Barbara's Famous Fudge
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Ingredients
  1. 1 stick real butter
  2. 12 large marshmallows
  3. 2 cups sugar
  4. 2/3 cup Pet milk
  5. dash of salt
  6. 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  8. 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
  1. Butter a pan (a pie pan or a 8x8 dish will do – or a heart-shaped pan for Valentine’s Day) and set aside.
  2. Combine first five ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a good boil. (You know you have the temperature right if the marshmallows are just about completely melted as the boiling starts.)
  3. Once it starts to boil, set timer for five minutes. Continue to stir constantly. The mixture will rise then condense as the color darkens to a nice caramel color.
  4. At the end of the five minutes, take it off the heat and add the chocolate chips, vanilla and pecans. Stir quickly until blended and then pour into your prepared dish.
  5. Allow fudge to harden. If you got the timing right, it should start to set quickly. Timing is tricky, so it might take you a time or two (or three) to get it just right, but once you do… you will never make another fudge recipe.
Notes
  1. If you like peanut butter fudge, substitute peanut butter chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips and follow the recipe otherwise. My brother created this version when he was about 10 years old
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

StaceyValley headshot

 

Getting to Know our ARWB Foodies

Staecy Velley
An Awesome & Amazing Life
Twitter: @staceyvalley
Instagram: @staceyvalley
Facebook

 What food reminds you of childhood? Explain. Poptarts. My mom didn’t cook at all, so Poptarts were my go-to breakfast as a kid. And I will still have one every once and a while when I’m at her house. She STILL keeps them in stock.

 What is your favorite international cuisine? Explain. That’s hard — I like so many. When I lived in Maryland, I had access to a variety of cuisines. I love Thai, Japanese, French, Italian, Mexican, Cuban, Peruvian. I can’t pick a favorite!

 What is always in your refrigerator at home?  Milk — organic 2% milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

What is your most used cookbook? 1980 El Dorado Service League cookbook called In Good Taste.

 What is your favorite kitchen gadget?  My blenders — Vitamix and a cheap single-serve one. I use them almost daily to mix up smoothies.

Do you have a favorite food indulgence?  Ice Cream!

What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again?  Olive oil — garlic olive oil if I have it.

What is your favorite food/ meal to cook at home?. Lasagna — I love all the different things you can layer in there. No two are ever the same.

 What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks?  Have fun and experiment. You don’t have to follow a recipe exactly — make your own substitutions and make the recipe your own.

When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes? Traveling

What else would you like us to know about you? I’m a wife to Anthony (@akvalley, Twitter superhero); mother to one by adoption, two by marriage, and one by foster care; and a work-from-home blogger/entrepreneur and health professional.