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     I have seen many recipes over the years for Monte Cristo Sandwiches.  They have intrigued me and I have wanted to give them a try, but for some reason I never have.  Well, that changed Saturday morning.  For some reason, I was thinking about the book, The Count of Monte Cristo, when I woke up in the morning.  Then, I thought about breakfast for my husband and I and BINGO, I decided that  Saturday morning would be the morning that I gave Monte Cristo Sandwiches a try! (Yup, that is how my mind works.)  
     A traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich is a breakfast sandwich made with Ham & Cheese, fried in butter and served with a side of strawberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The sandwich is first dipped in a egg batter, like French Toast before frying it.  Since I love French Toast, the Monte Cristo Sandwich is right up my alley.  It is believed to be based on a French sandwich called Croque Monsieur. I have seen many variations on the recipe, and today I am sharing my own, made with smoked turkey and provolone cheese.   It came out so well, I am excited to try other variations of the meat and the cheese.  
     The thing that is amazing about this breakfast sandwich is how great the strawberry jam tastes with the meat and cheese!  It is the perfect combination of sweet and savory and made a really nice breakfast on a very nice day.   My husband really liked the sandwich and preferred it to be really crispy, toasty. Of course, I used homemade strawberry jam on it.  I didn't serve it on the side, I put the jam right on the sandwich with the turkey and cheese. I used a honey-wheat bread for our Monte Crisos, but any variety of bread would be great.  The possibility of combinations are endless! Click on the gallery of photos for an overview of how to make this special breakfast sandwich.

Here are a couple of tips:

• Spread the jam on both slices of bread. 
• Let it sit in the egg batter for a couple of seconds on each side so it soaks up some of the egg batter. 
• I used a nice and hot cast iron skillet. 
• Sprinkle on the powdered sugar like you mean it! 

Here is the recipe that I made: 

Monte Cristo Sandwiches With Turkey And Provolone

     The next time you want something a little different and a little special for breakfast or brunch, give Monte Cristo Sandwiches a try! 
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    We have still been having cold, rainy weather here in Phoenix and I've got to tell you that I have actually been enjoying it as I anticipate the approaching summer months.  It occurred to me that I had better get some baking out of my system now before we hit those scorching hot days when I won't be turning on my oven. 
​      I like to read April J. Harris' blog.  She has some wonderful recipes and this one, a Blackberry Apple Cake, was very tempting to me.  Unfortunately, I didn't have blackberries or some of the other ingredients called for in the recipe.  But I did have some frozen blueberries and Honeycrisp apples, so I decided to make something similar, but different with the ingredients that I had on hand.  The result of that decision came out quite delicious! 

     For ease of removing from the pan after it is baked, be sure to use a greased 9" spring form pan.  I made do for years without a spring form pan, but after I got one, I realized how nice they are.  I found this great set on Amazon that has 3 sizes of pans plus spatula and smoother at a great price! 

       You will smooth the thick batter into the pan and then top it with a brown sugar cinnamon mixture and the apples.  It looks great in the pan, even before you bake it!  

      Now, you bake it for 45 min.  The aroma is so amazing, warm and inviting!  It makes your mouth water just looking at it.  Here it is straight out of the oven.

       I let the kuchen rest for about 10 min. after coming out of the oven.  Then, removed the outer ring and used a long spatula to set it on a serving platter.  This is the beauty of the spring form pan.  You don't want to flip those beautiful apples upside down and hide them! The long, offset spatula is another tool I didn't know was so helpful until I got one. It is a simple thing, but is such a big help for jobs like this one. 

     This fruity kuchen will make a beautiful dessert or even nice breakfast coffee cake.  My husband and I ate dessert first last night!  That is one of the beauties of being empty nesters! You can do what you want! 

Apple Blueberry Kuchen

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also enjoy these: 

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     I had 4 very ripe bananas that needed to be dealt with and I thought Banana Muffins would be nice.  Often, Maddy stops by after work and looks for a snack and since she eats vegan, I thought I'd try making a vegan version of Banana Muffins this time!  I am so pleased with how moist these muffins came out!  And, they make a delicious breakfast this time of year, especially enjoyed with a Hot Cocoa Bomb! Our winter mornings here in Phoenix are still in the 40s, I know many of you are suffering with lower temps than that!  Just having these Vegan Banana Muffins baking in your oven add such a warmth and a cozy smell to the house that helps you get through any winter blues! 

When I put these in the muffin tin, I topped them with a bit of brown sugar, oats and a dash or two of cinnamon. It turned out to be just the right topping on these tasty Banana Muffins.

Since this recipe used all 4 of my ripe bananas, that's why they came out so moist! Instead of eggs, I used the vinegar and baking soda method to get the rise and softness that I wanted. When my husband tried one the first thing he noticed was how moist they are. No one likes a dry muffin!

     Maddy said she will come try one today.  I will let you know her verdict when she tries one!  I don't think she will be disappointed! So, if you would like to give them a try, here is my recipe for Vegan Banana Muffins! 

Vegan Banana Muffins

*If you like the Valentine place mats in these photos, you can find how to make them on this post! 
*That cute owl mug was a gift from my friend Joanne!  Don't you love it?  Sorry, it is currently unavailable on Amazon, but here is a cute one in a similar color.