Umm..yeah, I’d say that’s chocolatey! So what makes it a “breakfast cake,” you ask? Well, this cake is actually a pound cake. When I was growing up, my Granny Flash would often eat sliced and toasted poundcake for breakfast with coffee. So, in a round about way, this cake is perfect for breakfast.

You can also eat it any other time of the day. Got it? Good.

German Chocolate Breakfast Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray two 8-inch loaf pans with cooking spray, then dust with flour. Shake out any excess flour and set pans aside.
2. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed for about a minute. Increase speed to medium and beat two more minutes. Stir in pecans and coconut, then divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing out with a rubber spatula. Place pans in the oven side by side.
3. Bake loaves for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before removing from pans.

Makes two large loaves

Now, you know this would make the perfect breakfast.

Hope you enjoy! Have a great Thursday. The Duchess

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d show you a simple and show-stopping biscotti recipe. Biscotti may seem fancy and time-consuming, but my version starts with pineapple upside down cake mix…what could be easier? I dress up the boxed stuff with toasted coconut and white chocolate. The result is a beautiful cookie that Mom will love to dip in her tea or coffee (when you bring her breakfast in bed).

Just drizzle some candy melts over the top, and these little babies look like they came from a bakery.

I just think the presentation of these biscotti is top-notch. No one will now how easy they are! I think mom will definitely be impressed.

Wrap them up in cellophane bags with festive ribbons for an extra special presentation.

The Duke and I will actually be in NYC with my parents for Mother’s Day this year. My mom’s birthday falls on Mother’s Day (May 9th), so we’re taking her to lunch at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain and then to see Promises, Promises on Broadway (starring my favorite Broadway actress, Kristin Chenoweth). I can’t wait!!!
The Duchess

Have you seen the price of granola in the grocery stores?? It’s ridiculously expensive. I love the crunchy stuff, but am tired of paying an arm and a leg for it. I decided to try my hand at making it, which cuts down on the cost and the fat. I found a lot of great recipes over at Two Peas and Their Pod. You must go visit Maria and Josh’s site. They’re a cute married couple who love to cook together, and Maria has a few awesome recipes for granola.

I used her recipe for Granola with Coconut, Dried Cranberries and Almonds as my base. Instead of cranberries and almonds, I used pecans and dried apricots. What a great combo!

Before baking, I spread everything but the fruit and nuts on a cookie sheet. Maria’s original recipe made a ton of granola, so I did half a recipe. It worked out perfectly.

The bright orange color of the apricots is really pretty for Spring. You can easily mix in any nuts and dried fruits that you like, making this granola your own. It’s great sprinkled on top of Greek yogurt.

Well, I’m off to work. It’s our last week of school before Spring Break! Yahoo!! The Duke and I are headed to Miami for Spring Break, but more on that later. Have a great day. The Duchess

Have you heard of the website Eat Better America? I discovered it last summer and I just adore it. It’s got tons of great tips for living a healthy life and hundreds of wonderfully healthy (and more importantly, tasty) recipes. I subscribe to their E-newsletter, and last week a recipe for a breakfast cookie popped up in my inbox.

One of my friends had asked if I knew a recipe for a breakfast cookie a while back, so this was just perfect. It’s a very wholesome recipe, packed with honey, peanut butter, bananas, dried fruit and nuts. They’re quite moist and very filling…the perfect morning fuel!

I chose to stir in dried cranberries and pecans, but the cookie would be great with any dried fruit and nuts. I’m thinking of trying dried apricots and maybe even toasted coconut next time.

I like eating these cookies straight out of the fridge with a dollop of honey Oikos on top. The creamy yogurt and hearty cookie really get me going for the day.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Only two weeks until Spring Break! Woohoo!!! The Duchess

After following Tina at Carrots ‘N Cake for a while, I discovered that she adds egg whites to her morning oatmeal mix. I was a little hesitant, but decided to go for it this morning. It’s always nice to have a little extra protein, right?? Especially since I just got back from a kick ass workout. Yes, at 6:15 a.m. I’m already done with my workout for the day

All I can say is Tina is a genius! This stuff was amazing. I was worried it would be too eggy and almost omelet-like. Not the case at all. Here’s what I used:

• 1 packet Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal
• 1 sliced banana
• about a tbsp. egg whites
• enough water to cover (but not drown) oatmeal

I microwaved the mixture for about a minute and a half and voila! I topped it with a tbsp. of chunky peanut butter. The whole thing was delicious. I may even have to have an encore presentation for lunch. I also think I may add a bit more egg next time. We shall see…

Alright, I’m off to get my Friday workday over with. Bring on the weekend and that perfect Florida sunshine!! The Duchess

Last weekend, for the Duke’s birthday, I made cinnamon rolls-not from scratch, though. I love making breads from scratch, but I’m not about to get up before the crack of dawn to make a dough that has to rise for an hour or two before breakfast. No way, jose. So, what’s a girl to do? Use frozen bread dough, of course! You thaw the bread loaf, roll it out and fill with butter and cinnamon sugar, roll it up, and you can even let it thaw over night in the fridge. The results are pretty great, if I do say so, myself.

I’d say they look pretty much like the real thing. And they tasted just great. In fact, if I hadn’t told the entire blogosphere that I used frozen dough, you’d probably all think I made them myself. I’m just an honest person, though, and would never want to mislead you.

Oh, yum. I would eat these everyday for breakfast if it didn’t mean I’d gain 300 lbs. There’s just something so perfect about a hot and sticky cinnamon pecan-y breakfast roll.

For a balanced breakfast, serve thick-cut bacon alongside rolls. It’s all about balance, folks.

With that, I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Get out there and enjoy this gorgeous weather.The Duchess

We kicked off the celebration last night with a nice evening in. We’re both pretty wiped on Friday nights, so we usually stay home and cook. I stopped by the fish market and bought some beautiful shrimp and delicious dips. My favorite market in town has a huge selection of prepared foods (oven-ready twice baked potatoes, stuffed shrimp, etc.), so I bought the Duke’s favorite…smoked tuna dip. This stuff is so good! If you’ve never had smoked tuna, you don’t know what you’re missing.

We wet our palates with the tuna dip and a sundried tomato and feta dip (let’s face it, this was more for me than the Duke) with crackers and a glass of vino. Great way to start the evening!

I’d say I’m looking a little tired after a long week of work! Oh, well. It felt so nice to relax on the couch with my main man.

For dinner I cooked the shrimp in a spicy tomato and olive sauce and served it over couscous.

It was really delicious! The Duke and I both downed a pretty large portion. We both love shrimp, and living on the Gulf of Mexico, we’ve always got fresh shrimp at our disposal.

After a big meal and a few glasses of wine, I prepared overnight cinnamon rolls using frozen bread dough. This is really the way to go. It’s so easy. Assemble everything before bed, then throw them in the fridge to rise over night. When I let the dog out at 6 this morning, I pulled them out and left them on the counter until we got up at 8. They were perfectly risen and ready for the oven by that point!

Before breakfast, the Duke opened his gifts.

I got him French Press for coffee and a jumbo muffin tin (he just asked if we had one the other night ). He loves to make muffins, and a regular old muffin tin is just not enough to feed this man!

Now, down to business…

These cinnamon rolls were fantastic! I sprayed the bottom of my pan with cooking spray, then sprinkled some cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans on the bottom, making a deliciously chewy crust for the rolls.

Is that a beautiful site or what??? As if that wasn’t enough, I made a quick glaze with powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon and caramel ice cream topping. This really put things over the edge.

I felt kinda guilty for eating one, since I gave up sweets for Lent. I’ve been doing really well with the fast, but I figured this was breakfast, not dessert, and it’s the Duke’s birthday, after all! It was nice to have a little something sweet to hold me over until Easter.

I told the Duke (who enjoys taunting me with cookies, candy and other sweet goodness) that on Easter Sunday I’m having these cinnamon rolls for breakfast, cookie cake (with icing, of course) for lunch and a big bowl of ice cream for dinner!

I gotta run. We’re spending the Duke’s birthday doing some major house cleaning. Is that fun, or what? We’re putting the house on the market in the next couple of weeks, so this puppy needs to be shining like a diamond. Anyone interested in a 4 bedroom 3 bath house with a pool in northwest Florida??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUKE!!!!The Duchess

You may wonder why I’m choosing to share a pumpkin recipe with you when Spring is a mere month away. Well, I have to admit that I had one lonely can of pumpkin hiding in the back of my pantry that was just begging for attention. After months of staring at it, I decided to throw it into a batch of low fat whole wheat breakfast bread.

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I was raving about Zesty’s Low Fat Whole Wheat Coffee Cake? This stuff is so simple, so healthy and so good! After making it once exactly according to Zesty’s instructions, I knew pumpkin and cinnamon would make the perfect additions the next time around. This recipe calls for no oil or butter, and uses yogurt and applesauce instead. Those ingredients make this “coffee cake” ultra moist and dense. The brown sugar and nuts on top don’t hurt either. I altered the recipe slightly for my own version of breakfast bread.

Thick and chewy…This may not be the prettiest bread ever baked, but it’s delicious! Keep in mind it’s low fat, people.

I’ve had a slice of this bread for the last few mornings for breakfast and I just can’t get enough of it. Top it with some low fat vanilla yogurt and apple slices and you’ll thank me.The Duchess

Since I needed to get to school (which is about 30 minutes away, door to door) by 7:45 this morning, I woke up at 5 sharp to hit the gym. A busy week doesn’t mean I can sacrifice my gym time. My treadmill run wasn’t all that easy this morning. I ran could only run 15 minutes at a 6.2 speed before stopping to walk 5 minutes at a 4.5. I ran another 8 minutes at 6.2, then walked the last two minutes as my cool down. Not my best…probably because I felt hungry during the run.

To cure my hunger, I had a thick slice of whole wheat pumpkin bread topped with low fat yogurt and chopped apples for breakfast.

Oh yum! This is one of my favorite breakfasts. I microwaved the bread so it was nice and hot. This may sound weird, but I like it when the yogurt gets slightly warm and gooey.

This is my new favorite brand of yogurt. It’s a departure from the Greek yogurt I’ve been living off of lately.

Stonyfield Low Fat French Vanilla is the bomb! It’s thinner than Greek yogurt and oh, so good! It’s great with sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey, too.

After our morning activities, I was ready for snack. I munched on some craisins, mixed nuts and original-flavored gold fish. Don’t you love the leftover Valentine plate??

Since I’m in the classroom by myself this week, I thought I’d snap some pictures of our cute setup. Here is Mrs. Brown’s Calming Canopy.

Boys and girls can go to the calming canopy if they’re angry or sad, or just need to calm themselves. They go under the canopy and take deep breaths until they’re ready to go about their day.

Here is some lovely Valentine artwork:

How cute are these puppies? I love how each has its own personality, just like the kids.

And these heart elephants are my favorite:

The trunk is a bunch of little pink hearts. Too cute!!

By the time the kids laid down for nap time, I was famished. I happily dove into my leftover creamy pasta from last night’s dinner. It had smoked turkey sausage, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and peas. The sauce was just melted low fat cream cheese and about a cup of pasta water.

It was a very tasty and healthy alternative to alfredo sauce. It may not have been quite as good as the real deal, but it did the trick for the Duke and I.

So, after my long day of subbing, I got to head to my second job! Joy! In addition to being a teacher’s aide, I work at the aftercare program at our school. It’s just a few extra hours a day, and I get to work with kids from Kindergarten through 9th grade.

Since today is Mardi Gras, I was happy to find the snack at aftercare was good ole Moon Pies!!!

I don’t think I’ve ever actually eaten a moon pie, but they’re such a Mardi Gras tradition. Did you know that Mardi Gras actually originated in Mobile, AL? Mobile is only a little over an hour away from Destin, so we get lots of Mardi Gras spill-over.

It’s time for American Idol and Men’s figure skating, so I gotta run! The Duke and I don’t know what to watch first. GO TEAM USA!!!

I walked into the kitchen to find a bit of a mess. Don’t get me wrong-I love it when the Duke offers to cook, but I swear he pulls out every utensil in the entire kitchen! More than anything it makes me laugh.

I’m sure I have plenty of “quirks” that bother the Duke, too. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not always perfect. I joked that my Valentine gift to him was cleaning his dishes this morning.

Belgian waffles call for yeast, so while we waited for the batter to rise, we exchanged cards. We decided not to do gifts this year, but I got the Duke a few pieces of candy (he LOVES holiday-shaped Reece’s and Lindt truffles- we call them lint balls) and he cut a beautiful camellia from our yard.

Homemade breakfast from the Duke and a sweet card were the perfect Valentine gifts. When you’re married to the most perfect man on earth, who really needs gifts?? I joke about the Duke a lot, but I really am the luckiest woman alive. He treats me like a princess and gives me more than I deserve. I never could have imagined I’d be so lucky in love. It was great just being in the kitchen together this morning.

After 30 minutes of rising, the waffles were ready to be cooked. I threw together a quick chocolate glaze of chocolate chips, condensed milk, salt and a splash of skim milk (the skim milk totally makes this a healthy breakfast, right??). I topped my waffle with sliced bananas, chocolate sauce and some powdered sugar.

Oh boy, was this ever good! It was also extremely rich. I had two pieces of bacon on the side and couldn’t manage to eat the whole waffle. I did manage to eat all of the bananas and most of the chocolate, though.

The waffles were pretty good, but honestly, they weren’t worth the trouble. The Duke and I both agreed that Bisquik is just as good and much quicker. At least we had fun making breakfast together.

We’re now laying on the couch. The plan is to go for a run at some point today, because homemade pizza is on the menu tonight. Did we plan a healthy Valentine’s Day menu, or what??The Duchess