Azoresgal~Life on an Island

During dinner last night, Simon our 8 year old, out of the blue asks : "Mommy what are you baking for breakfast Christmas morning??" I couldn't help but laugh, and then asked him what he would like me to make. To which he quickly replied "you have to make those cinnamon rolls, you made last year " and then he added  "you should make them more often mommy" ! You know what Simon, you are right I should make them more often, and I think I should also share the recipe on the blog. Please don't be scared to make these, just be sure to give yourself plenty of time, I would suggest a lazy afternoon, when you are not in a rush. Homemade cinnamon rolls are easier to make than you think – I promise! Cinnamon Roll Dough: 1 cup milk. warm ½ cup + 1 TBS granulated sugar divided 1 TBS Active dry yeast/ 1 package 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten 6 TBS butter melted 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp se

These Chicken Fingers are a meal my kids just love....Mr.G and I love them too! Plus, I love knowing that we are eating real chicken. The dipping sauce is delicious, and I think both together in a sandwich would be out of this world ! Both are super simple to make and your family will love them! Ingredients: 2 chicken breast fillets 1/3 cup plain flour 1 garlic clove, crushed Salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups flavored bread crumbs ¼ cup to 1/2 olive oil Method: Cut chicken into strips approximately 1cm diameter and 10cm long. Toss chicken strips in flour, shake off excess. In a bowl whisk eggs, add garlic, salt and pepper. Cover chicken strips in egg mixture then roll in breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a deep frypan and fry the chicken strips in  batches until golden brown. Dipping Sauce  : 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice Mix the mayon

These are lovely ! Great flavors, apple and cinnamon, with a moist crumb. The crunchy topping, is oh so very delicious, and just adds to make this recipe a keeper ! Muffin : 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup white sugar ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1/3 cup milk 1 large apple Topping : ½ cup brown sugar 1/3 cup quick cooking oats ¼ cup salted butter 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon Directions: 1) Preheat the oven to 200//400-degrees and prepare you muffin tin but greasing or using liners. 2) Make the topping first – in a small bowl, use a fork to combine the brown sugar, oats, butter and cinnamon. Set aside. 3) Peel, core, and dice the apple into small pieces. 4) In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk.  In a small bowl, beat the egg and combine the oil and milk.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. 5) Fold in the apples until just mixed, then spoon into pre

   Butter, garlic, cheese and little bubbles of fresh baked bread...heaven. Who could resist!? Great served along side pasta, or as a snack. Super simple and quick! You don´t have to make your own dough, buy some pizza dough at your bakery, and it comes together even faster ! Add other spices, basil, oregano, or rosemary. The butter and cheese ratio, is something you will play with....after all more cheese is never a bad thing ! 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 1/3 cups warm water 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp. salt 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4-1/2 cup butter, melted 1 Tbsp.chopped parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1 cup grated cheese (of your choice In a large bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes. Place dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitc

This is one of Mr.G's favorites, especially when I use eggplants from our garden! When I make this for us, I just serve it with a nice salad, it is a great meatless meal. Depending on the size of your serving dish, the     ingredients will decrease or increase. If you only wanted to use some ramekins, use less eggplant, a larger dish for more people, use more eggplants. It is really easy to put together, there are no real rules here. Use a favorite tomato sauce, and feel free to add oregano, black pepper, even some parmesan cheese to the recipe. 2 medium-sized  eggplant, cut into thin slices 1/3 cup  olive oil, + more jar of your favorite tomato sauce ( or more) 2 fresh mozzarella balls, cut into slices ( or more ) 1/2 cup torn fresh basil Preheat the oven to 180 degC.  With a vegetable peeler, make stripes in eggplant then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Sprinkle them with salt. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and when hot add the eggplant slices.  Fry over

I made this trifle many times this summer...and it was such a hit! An empty trifle bowl every single time! It has such lovely flavors, the apple filling, the peanut butter, and the silkiness of the cream cheese. All of these things and the fact that it is a no bake dessert, make it a keeper. This weekend a sweet friend asked for the recipe, and I realized it was not yet on the blog. Mea culpa..mea culpa, forgive me for not sharing  this gem earlier !  Please give it a try, you won´t be dissapointed. 1-1/2 cups cookie crumbs (Ricanela) any cinnamon flavored cookies 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cups peanut butter 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (whipped cream 2 cups) 2 cans (21 ounces each) apple pie filling 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1/3 cup peant butter 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar,1/2 cup peanut bu

This chicken was a hit at our house ! The kids loved it and so did Mr.G. It is super easy to make, and is delicious. The only thing I would change, would be to  make extra sauce, if you do, just bring it to a boil in a small pot on the stove. I really hope you give this a try ! Chicken: 4 chicken breasts salt and pepper 1 cup cornstarch 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup canola oil Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into cornstarch and coat all the way and then into eggs. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until browned. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Next add the sauce. Sauce: 3/4 cups white sugar 4 Tablespoons ketchup 1/2 cup  vinegar 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon garlic salt Whisk until smooth. Then pour evenly over chicken. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 180/350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes. r

What does one do with 61 store bought ground cherries ?? Well, make one very small, jar of jam...isn´t that what everyone does ? What is a ground cherry, also known as Physalis ?  It is a small, smooth round fruit wrapped in a papery case, the fruit itself is a pretty orange-golden colour. It can be eaten as is, they have a delicate sweet-sour taste – sort of a cross between a gooseberry and a cherry tomato. This is not something we have growing in our garden yet , as it is very invasive. They do however grow abundantly on the island, wild. When I saw these at the market, I just had to buy them. I got them home, and counted how many there were, 61 lovely little golden gems, so I decide to make a jar of jam, a very tiny jar of jam. It came together very quickly, I swear it was ready in 15 minutes. I love all the little flecks in it, all the tiny seeds, it was great paired with cheese, the sweet and tart flavor, a wonderful contrast. Now was it really worth it , just to have one litt