Breakfast & Brunch

First, let me say, I love Breakfast & Brunch. My family ate breakfast together every morning, well, some days we ate most of it. Brunch was something I learned about when I left home to attend college.

Mom worked hard, especially to get me out of bed in the morning to go to school. The bus came around 7 am and for several years, we ran up the lane when we saw the bus pass the church through the field. We knew he picked up kids at one stop before ours. Usually, in the middle of breakfast, someone would yell, “Here comes the bus!” Things would fly as we scrambled to find our books, shoes, boots, coates, and gloves. The smell of bacon frying, or venison cooking proved the easiest way for getting me out of bed. I followed the scent to the warm kitchen.

Note: I’m not the cook my mother was, but I work on it. Not all of these recipes came from her, nor have we tried all of them. As I do try them, I will note any corrections I may find necessary.

Waffles - Mom's recipe

2 eggs
About 1/2 cup oil
3 heaping tsp baking powder (4 tsp)
1 tsp well rounded of salt (I use 1 tsp)
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cup water

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. You may add a handful of oatmeal, roman meal or wheat harts if desired.

Note: For Pancakes, omit the oil.

Biscuits and Gravy

Venison or Sausage Gravy

First, cut Venison in thin strips and pound flat. Next, mix several tablespoons of flour with a few shakes of salt and pepper. Then, coat the venison in the flour mixture. Last, fry in butter or oil.

Venison Gravy

In the same pan as you cooked the Venison, add butter, or grease from drippings, if available, or shortening. Add flour and mix together. This should be quite runny. Brown the flour and add about 2 cups of milk, depending on the amount of gravy you need, stirring constantly. Cook until thick. You can add some of the cooked venison back into the gravy if you desire.

Note: Substitute sausage to make this gravy as well. (Sausage gravy pictured.)

Biscuits Supreme

2 cups flour (white or wheat or combine)
12 tsp Salt
4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tst cream of tartar
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Sift together dry ingredients, and then, cut in shortening. Add milk and stir and knead lightly. (Don’t over knead.)

Pat or roll on lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut in desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in hot oven, 400 degrees, for 10-12 minutes.

-Edith Isaacson

French Toast

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Shake or 2 of:
Salt, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
Vanilla or sprinkle of sugar (optional)

Mix well, coat bread, fry in grease or oil.

Corn Fritters

1 Cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole kernel corn, drained (12 oz can)
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp. melted shortening or oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

Sift flour, add baking powder, salt, and sugar and set aside. Beat egg, melted shortening and milk together and add corn. Add to dry ingredients, mix well. Drop spoonfuls into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain. Makes about 12 fritters. Serve with syrup.

Whole Kernal Wheat

1 cup whole wheat (rinses)
1 tsp salt
2 cups water

Combine and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Let stand 12 hours or overnight. After soaking, boil for about 5 minutes. Turn heat to simmer. Cook until tender (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Serves 6-8.

Or, for a single serving, put 1/4 cup rinsed wheat and a pinch of salt in a thermas. Pour 1/3 cup of hot water over the wheat. Put the lid on and let it stand overnight. See if the name Rubber Duckies fits the results.

Crepes

Whole Recipe

4 eggs
2-1/3 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

OR, you can make 1/2 Recipe for fewer crepes

2 eggs
1-1/16th cup milk or water
1 cup flour
1-1/2 Tbsp oil (or melted butter)
1/8 tsp salt

Use a large bowl and beat the eggs. You may use a mixer at medium speed or with a wire whip by hand. Mix until the batter is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. If you have a crape pan, prepare it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For pans without non-stick coating, brush with oil.

Use about 2 tablespoons of batter for each crape. Cook on preheated crepe pan over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the underside is lightly brown. To remove, loosen the edges and gently lift the crepe with a spatula. Stackcrapes with wax paper between to keep them from sticking to each other.

The whole recipe makes about 30 crapes.

Syrup Maple or Butternut

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown. Sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup Karo syrup
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1/2 tsp maple flavoring or
1/2 tsp vanilla butternut flavor

Mix first 3 ingredients and bring to boil. Boil for 1 minute. Add Karo syrup. Return to boil. Boil 30 sec. Cool 2 or more minutes before adding vanilla and Maple flavoring or Vanilla Butternut flavor.