Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches

homemade bacon egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches

Hellooooo, hot stuff.

I love making breakfast easier for my (big) family. I’d love to buy out of convenience, and get some of those boxed breakfast microwave-and-done kind-of things from the store, but my conscience gets the better of me. Not only can I make it myself, and make it way better, I can do it at a fraction of the cost. And? If you time if just right, you’re not adding much more work to prepare it in advance.

homemade bacon egg and cheese biscuit sandwichesLast night, while preparing a big breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, etc.), I scrambled up four extra eggs with 1/4 cup of milk, poured them evenly into a six-muffin heart-shaped pan (but any muffin pan will do), and baked them in the oven alongside biscuits. It barely added any extra work on my part to over-prepare more breakfast fixins to make our mornings move a little smoother.

homemade bacon egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches

I made the biscuits with a bit more liquid than it normally calls for, just so that it would spread out, more like a cookie, and be a better sandwich (in my opinion). Less crumbly. This way, I could sandwich them together, too. I made twelve of these “biscuit cookies” to make six sandwiches.

Once all ingredients were cooled to room temperature, using sliced cheese on a biscuit, I broke a piece of turkey bacon in half, criss-crossing it on top of the cheese, adding the heart-shaped egg, and finally the top biscuit. Wa-la! Easy-peasy and ready to go!

I wrapped each in cellophane, and placed ‘em in the freezer. The kids can pop out as they please, heat in the microwave for about a minute (or so, give or take), and have a homemade hot breakfast anytime.

TIP: The trick to heat breakfast sandwiches and wraps in the microwave is to sandwich them between two small bread plates, on flipped upside-down on top, so they heat thoroughly without drying out.

homemade bacon egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches
Aren’t they adorable? Even those heart-shaped eggs would look gorgeous on a morning breakfast plate with a couple slices of bacon, and a pancake or two, right? Maybe for Valentine’s Day? Or Mother’s Day? (Ahem.)

Weight and Fitness Truths

My front porch is my very favorite place to be lately. We planted wonderful smelling flowers, and the second the door is opened, the scent dances around your nose, inviting you to the porch to sit. I love it. I go outside with the kids everyday to embrace it. I think it helps motivate me to get out there and DO something everyday.

Yesterday I forgot to take my vitamins. I’m sure it’s not the vitamins fault, but yesterday was a NO GOOD VERY BAD DAY. I’ve never been so happy to see a Tuesday in my entire life. Also, what a good reminder to take ‘ em everyday.

Since being so inactive exercise-wise just before the baby was born (and for four weeks after), my back and neck have been so sore (old car crash injury, whiplash). Working out intensively on them now has made me even sore-er (yes, I made up a word for it). Life sucks for the time being, until it gets worked out properly, but it feels really good to be back at a fitness routine, and working out regularly again.

But I’m back at it. My fitness and weight loss and getting my body back after baby. It feels good, although sluggish. I feel slightly defeated, like I completely undid all the good I did over the past three years. That is, until I’m doing bicep curls and I still see the muscle definition I once built, I haven’t lost it, I just need to work off the baby fat over it.

And I am freaking ready.

Here’s a picture of me at the doctor’s office at four weeks postpartum. At this appointment, I was told my uterus wasn’t all the way down just yet.

The after-baby pooch still evident.

Here’s my new “before” or “after the baby” pictures – my starting point, sort-of. (Never took pictures when I started back at it, whoops.) Me as of this morning:

Definitely a change from four weeks ago, eh?

Currently, I’m on Day 4 of the 30 Day Shred, and doing the elliptical and power walks (with the toddlers in a jogger stroller and Baby V in my Beco). NOT EASY, but oh so fulfilling. We get fresh air AND time together, all while getting a workout. What more can you ask for? (Except maybe for a fat-zapper machine? Or a love-handle remover? Ahem.)

I’ll be sharing my updated weights and measurements on my weight loss accountability page. I’ve got 12 more pounds to lose to be at my pre-pregnancy weight (this go-around) but almost TWENTY FIVE to get to my “norm” after my big weight loss. Gulp.

Who wants to join me in Operation KMOA (Kick My Own Ass)? Follow my workout tweets with the hashtag #OpKMOA

I decided to start writing heartfully about something, anything and nothing on Tuesdays. I’ve coined it “Truth Tuesday.” Have something to share? Want to confess, or share a little itty bitty piece of yourself or someone else, no matter how small or how big? This week, I decided to write about my weight loss journey. I’ll leave whatever interpretation of truths you wish to share on yourself, but if you’d like a weekly prompt or have a suggestion for one, let me know. Want to join me? If you decide to share, leave your links in the comments.

Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff Recipe

When we were coming up with what to eat this week, we wanted to eat something a little different, something easy but tasty. Beef Stroganoff was one of those recipes you grew up with as a kid, and immediately both my husband and I knew we had a winner on our hands.

I adapted Paula Deen’s Beef Stroganoff recipe and changed it, making it my own, particularly since I don’t use canned cream of mushroom soup, and also, because our family is large and more steak and beef broth were needed to make this “properly.”

Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff Recipe
My little helper

The best part about this recipe is, you can have little helpers “help” you cut up the mushrooms, since they are so soft and pliable to begin with. My daughter used a not-sharp “kid’s” knife to slice the mushrooms into my Tupperware Quick Chef Pro slicer.

Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
  • Mrs Dash table blend, garlic powder, onion powder
  • All-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, minced (we used less)
  • 1 (28-ounce) box Swanson All-Natural beef broth (will be used in soup below)
  • Creamed soup (see below for recipe)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Cooked egg noodles (we used two packages)

Creamed Soup Recipe

  • 3 heaping tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup beef broth (from box above)
  • 1 cup of milk
  • seasoning to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Slice your onions and mushrooms (with a little help, if desired). 
  2. On a covered skillet or large frying pan (with a cover), add the olive oil and butter, and brown the steak whole on both sides for a couple minutes each. (This seals in the juices and makes the beef cook tenderly.)
  3. Remove from skillet, slice steak into strips and season with seasonings, and then toss the steak in a bowl with flour until completely coated.
  4. While slicing the steak into strips, add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings and saute until onion is tender.
  5. For the Cream Soup: In a small sauce pan by melting the butter. Once butter is melted, add the flour, and whisk until blended well and small beads form. Add broth and milk, whisk again, letting simmer until it thickens up. Add seasoning to taste.
  6. Sprinkle the onion and mushrooms with a tablespoon of flour, then placed the floured steak back into the pan with the prepared cream soup and 1 cup of beef broth. Season again.
  7. Stir then cover, cooking over low heat for about 30 minutes.
  8. Every ten minutes or so, add more beef broth, mixing into the thickened gravy mixture, thinning it out a little, and add a dash more seasoning. Should use the remaining broth in the box by the end of the simmering time, to make it more gravy-like.
  9. Once 15 minutes has passed since steak mixture began simmering, begin preparing egg noodles. 
  10. Once stroganoff is finished, stir in the sour cream right before you serve, and blend well. Serve over drained and cooked egg noodles.

It made me happy that there were *actual* mushrooms and onions in this dish, and they were cut so small and sauteed so well, the kids had no idea, and ate it all. Yay for hidden veggies!

Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Look at all that seasoned stroganoff gravy goodness – yum!

My kids lost their minds over this dish. My son wants this for his birthday meal next week. My oldest actually said that this trumps my lasagna, which has not only been her favorite since she was little, has been on her “birthday menu” for years and years. TRUMPS MY LASAGNA! Dude! For this Italian born and raised momma, that’s huge!

I’m guessing they really, really, REALLY liked it.

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