Waffles with Easy Strawberry Sauce

This was my Mother's Day breakfast...I didn't make these (although I have several times)...but they were DELICIOUS! Go Jason! This recipe is from the Food Network Magazine, but I couldn't find it on their website. So here it is:
Classic Waffles
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
5 tablespoons melted shortening
4 tablespoons melted butter

Whisk all dry ingredients together. Mix in the wet ingredients one at a time. Cook in a waffle iron until crisp. Top with butter and syrup.

Easy Strawberry Sauce
1/4 cup strawberry (really any flavor works) jam
Place the jam in a microwavable mug and heat the jam for about 30 seconds. Serve. (I know...who knew it could be this easy!)  

Perfect French Toast

I had a hankering for some delicious French Toast! I have been hanging on to this recipe that I clipped out of my Food Network Magazine a while ago and decided to give it a whirl. TRY it...it is AMAZING!
Perfect French Toast!
I served it up with fresh strawberries, a little syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Challah Bread

I hosted a book club meeting (we read Ladies Auxiliary, by Tova Mirvis...I recommend this good read!) and I made this amazing Chocolate Chip Challah to celebrate the Jewish culture in the book. I got the Recipe from the Food Network Magazine a while ago and kept it for a special day. Well, the day arrived. It is quite an easy bread recipe. It made a rather HUGE challah, but maybe next time I will make it into individual challahs, or rolls, or even 2 loaves. Here is the recipe! ENJOY!

Pizza!

I lived in Italy for a while, so I know pizza and I know good pizza crust! Here is a Recipe that I found in The Food Network Magazine. I found it here on their website (Basic Pizza Dough)! This recipe makes two large regular crust pizzas or 4 thin crust pizzas. (Our family prefers the crunchy thin crust.) It is great because you can freeze the extra pound of dough for up to a month! So you do all the work once and get two meals out of it!

Baking the Dough
Preheat oven to 500* with the baking tray. (This just means place the pan in the cool oven while it is heating up). Place a rolled out pizza dough on the now HOT baking tray. Brush olive oil over the pizza crust (don't drench it, just light brush). Bake for 5 minutes. Add your sauce (see below if you want to know what I use) and ingredients. Bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

As for Sauce, I just use crushed tomatoes from a can. It is the closest that I have found to what real pizza in Italy tastes like. I add a little bit of sea salt and a sprinkling of basil and oregano.

ENJOY! It is quite simple...you just need a little time and planning.

Here are some ideas for toppings:
Margherita:
Fresh mozzarella with fresh Basil
Kendra Supreme (as seen above in the picture):
Pepperoni (this is a family favorite...I cut the pepperoni into quarters and sprinkle it over the top...you will be amazed at how far just 7 slices will go!), red onions, sliced Crimini mushrooms, olives, diced green (or red) peppers, sausage (I save sausage from recipes that I have previously made and freeze it or store it in the refrigerator if I know that we will be eating pizza soon), and shredded Mozzarella
Zucchini:
Heat a tablespoon of Olive Oil. Fry zucchini (either shredded with a cheese grater, or thin sliced into circles) in a frying pan. Cook until browned. Place on plain pizza or pizza with red sauce. Sprinkle with basil, salt and oregano.
Onion:
Caramelize one sliced onion with Olive Oil. Place onion on plain pizza. Sprinkle with salt, Oregano and Basil. Optional: After it is fully cooked, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.
Jason's Favorite Combo 
 Grilled chicken (just make an extra during another meal!), pepperoni and green peppers

Almost Cinnabons!

I got this one from my Food Network Magazine! These are very time consuming but oh worth the wait! Yummy! Get the recipe here! Be sure to press the article tab above the recipe and it will show you pictures on how to form the Cinnamon Buns! They are FABULOUS!