FLOWER Frogs

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Have you ever been junking and come across a glass or ceramic disc with holes in it and wondered, ‘What is this thing?’ Well, it’s a flower frog. It can turn any shallow dish into a flower vessel. Some moan about there being no flowers in winter. I beg to differ. Plant camellias. If azaleas are the Fun Girls from Mt Pilot who come bursting onto the scene every spring, camellias are the steady and elegant Helen and Thelma Lou. They never demand attention but command your attention. I took a walk around my camellia garden; they are loaded with buds and beginning to bloom. A big handful of ruffled blooms came back to the house. In the kitchen, I snipped and began to arrange the blooms, but they tumbled out of my flower bowl. I remembered I had a flower frog and no more tumbling flowers. It’s a very handy flower arranging tool. So, the next time you see one, grab it. #flowerfrog #flowersproper #camellias #winterflowers https://www.instagram.com/reel/DELl99AxaoTq1FLvXo2O8Kn7JE6Sfqrij0GYZ00/?igsh=NjN1MGVrZW4wbHZ2

Easy Fancy Christmas Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Croissant Custard

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Do you want an easy breakfast recipe for Christmas morning? Prep time is 15 minutes and bake time is 30 minutes. What am I talking about? Well, its store-bought croissants, chocolate chips and a baked custard. I’m not sure what to call it. Delicious,  I’ll just say it’s delicious. 

Here’s what to do:

In a small oven proof skillet,  melt 3 pats of butter, while the oven preheats to 350°.

Split lengthwise 5 to 6 small croissants and set aside.

Crack two eggs into a small bowl and whisk them well. Set aside.

Making the custard:

On the stove, in a one quart pot, combine 1 cup half-and-half, a scant half cup of granulated sugar and a teaspoon of pure vanilla.  Heat over medium heat till it just begins to boil.

Now, pour just a little of the hot half-and-half mixture into the eggs and quickly whisk them together to temper the eggs. Repeat. Then, when the eggs are tempered, pour them into the pot with the rest of the half-and-half mixture,  whisking to incorporate.  Turn off the stove.

Putting it together:

Next, take the hot skillet from the oven and place it on the stove. Be careful. Arrange the bottom halves of the croissants in the buttered skillet. Top each half with a sprinkling of granulated sugar and chocolate chips.  Place the croissant tops over each. Then, pour the custard over the prepared croissants. Sprinkle the top with additional sugar. Just a little.  The sugar will caramelize and make the tops crunch.

Bake it:

Place croisssant custard in the preheated 350° oven in the middle. Fill a shallow, oven proof dish with water and place on a lower rack. This will help to evenly cook the custard.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a case knife put in the center comes out clean.

Chocolate chip croissant custard
The tops have a nice caramelized crunch.

Serve with your breakfast favorites; mine are coffee and bacon… I hope you try this recipe. 

Merry Christmas breakfast or any given morning.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Breakfast Biscuits

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

What to do with the leftovers from Thanksgiving ? Of course, some of the remaining turkey and dressing were placed in containers, labeled and tucked into the freezer. They’ll be pulled out for easy meals later in the new year.

Breakfast Biscuits were made with leftover ham and cheese this weekend. Waste not, want not, ya know?

Here’s what I did:

I preheated the oven to 350°. In an iron skillet, I  melted a pat of butter by placing it in the oven as it heated up.

I then measured Pioneer Baking Mix, according to the directions on the box, into a medium-sized bowl. One cup of Dubliner cheese chopped small, one cup of chopped ham and half a stick of melted butter were added to the bowl.

Then, I added enough 2% milk to bring everything together. Using an oven mitt, I retrieved the hot skillet and placed it on the stove and dropped my batter into cathead biscuits.  Then the skillet was returned to the oven and the biscuits baked till their tops were a light golden brown. About 20 minutes. 

A side of Two Brooks Grits (a Mississippi company) and leftover cranberry sauce accompanied the ham and cheese biscuits.

Let me know if you try this recipe.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

We also had some silly fun with a big pack of kazoo.