Serves: 4-6

2 egg whites

7 whole eggs

7 Tbsp. nonfat milk

1 1/2 slices Morningstar Farm vegetarian bacon

6 slices center cut bacon

handful fresh chives (or about 2 Tbsp. dried), cut into small pieces

1/2 c. frozen spinach (defrosted and water squeezed out)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Optional: 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, cooked bulk sausage, and any other ingredients you would put in an omelet.

Preheat oven to 450 deg.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

In large bowl, whish together egg whites, whole eggs, and nonfat milk.

Cut vegetarian bacon into small pieces. Cut center cut bacon in half. Line 6 of the muffin cups with the 2 halves of bacon.

Pour just under 1/4 c. egg mixture into each of the 12 muffin tins.

Add small amount of the vegetarian bacon to the other 6 muffin tins. Add small amount of the spinach.

Top with salt, pepper, and some chives. At this point, you could add the cheese, if using.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until egg is puffed up and cooked all the way through (shake the pan… if no eggs jiggle, they are done)

Run a butter knife around edge of each muffin tin…using 3-pronged meat fork, stab each breakfast cup in the center and put knife under cup to lift onto serving platter.

2 c. unbleached flour

5 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder (aluminum free, if possible)

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

zest of 1 orange (washed & dried first)

6 Tbsp. butter (cold, right from the fridge), cut into small pieces

2/3 c. fat-free milk

2 Tbsp. orange juice (squeezed from the orange you zested)

1/2 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 425

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in mixer bowl. Mix briefly to evenly distribute ingredients.

Add butter, a few pieces at a time. Combine until butter pieces resemble small pebbles in the flour. Add milk and OJ. Mix until just combined.

Add dried cranberries. Mix until just combined.

Turn out dough (it will be sticky) onto well-floured surface. Gently “knead” dough about 3 times to cover in a light dusting of flour.

Pat (no rolling pins!) dough into circle, 1” thick. Using pizza cutter, cut dough into 8 triangles.

Place on ungreased baking sheet, about 1/2” apart. Brush with a bit more milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on racks. {If you let scones sit on baking sheet, they will begin to stick}.

Store in airtight container on counter for up to 3 days. These freeze well in a gallon zip-top bag.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in cast iron skillet or cast iron griddle. Sear chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

If using a griddle, transfer chops to 9×13 pan and proceed with directions. Place pork chops in a single layer on bottom of pan.  Add wine, garlic, 4 thyme sprigs, bay leaves, potatoes, and mushrooms. Place the thyme leaves that stripped off the other sprigs on top of the pork chops. Give a final sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (35-40  min for thick cut pork chops), or until potatoes are tender and brown, and pork is cooked through and no longer pink on the inside, but still juicy.

                                                         Yields: 2 loaves

3 ½ c. very warm water (100-110 deg)

3 Tbsp. honey

¼ c. molasses

4 ½ tsp. active dry yeast

4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

3 c. whole-wheat flour

1 c. wheat germ

1 ½ Tbsp. Kosher salt

Veg. oil or spray for coating bowls

Melted butter to brush top of bread

1. Combine warm water, honey, molasses, and yeast in liquid measuring cup. Stir until yeast is well dissolved. Let stand until foamy (proofing the yeast).

2. In LARGE bowl, place 3 ½ c. all-purpose flour, the wheat flour, wheat germ, and salt. Whisk to combine.

3. For stand mixer: (ie. Kitchen Aid), attach dough hook. Pour yeast mixture into mixing bowl, add flour mixture SLOWLY. Gradually add rest of flour 1/3 c. at a time. Knead on Speed 2 for about 4 min. STOP if motor sounds overloaded and begin kneading by hand (you will have to do some by hand anyway).

a. By hand: Use wooden spoon/hands to mix yeast mixture & flour mixture. Gradually add rest of flour 1/3 c. at a time.

b. For BOTH methods: STOP adding flour when dough is just slightly tacky to touch. Turn dough out onto LIGHTLY floured surface. Knead by hand for 10-15 min. Dough will be uniform in texture, elastic, and moist but not sticky to the touch when kneaded well.

4. Lightly coat inside of  2 large bowls with oil. DIVIDE dough in half. Toss each ball in bowl to coat very lightly with oil. Cover with clean towel or plastic wrap sprayed with oil. Let rise 1-1 ½ hours, or until double in size.

5. Punch dough down (with fist 1 time). Let rest 10 min.

6. Take one dough ball out of bowl and put on lightly floured surface. Use rolling pin to shape into rectangle the length of your loaf pan, adding small amt. flour as needed. Roll into log. Spray or coat loaf pan with oil. Put dough log SEAM SIDE DOWN into pan. Repeat with second dough ball. Let rise again…this time for 30 min

7.  Preheat oven to 400 deg. Bake loaves for 45-55 minutes…or until browned on top. When baked properly, loaf will have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

8. Brush with softened butter. Let cool.

9. After completely cool, store in airtight container or gallon zip top bag. (You can also save your plastic bread bags to use when you bake your own.)

This bread freezes very well. When defrosting, simply place frozen bread in sealed bag on counter. Do not open bag while bread is defrosting. Some condensation will form on the inside of the bag…this is good as it will keep bread most. Once bread is completely defrosted, it will not be wet or soggy—trust me.