Cookie Press

John, Con and I made Spritz cookies today. First time for any of us using a cookie press. I swear, most of them turned out "all right". This was the last batch, and they are a lot of work to make, so this is how they started looking. Bottom one is a custom JohnnyB creation.

Deviled Eggs

Hard boil the eggs. I do this, but putting the dozen eggs into a large pot, cover it with water, give it a good sprinkle of salt. Bring the water up to a boil, with the eggs in it. Once it starts to boil, cover with a nice tight fitting cover. Turn the burner off, but keep the pot over the hot burner, set the timer for 15 minutes. Set it, and forget it. Take the eggs out, dunk them into a bowl of ice water.

Next, peal them. I am researching tricks to this. Stay tuned.

Slice the eggs in half, the long way, and scoop out the yolks. Mash up the yolks with a fork, add 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of mayo, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Scoop this yumminess back into the whites, and then sprinkle with paprika.

Cube-Steak Sammy

2 pounds cube steak, slice it into 2 inch by 1/4 inch strips

1/4 cup butter, unsalted

1 green bell pepper, sliced up in strips

1 package of sliced mushrooms

lemon pepper

Lawery's salt

regular pepper

1/4 cup Worcester sauce

1 tablespoon Franks

sub buns

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then brown it. I love brown-butter. Don't make it black-butter though. It turns brown by cooking it on high, and slightly burning the milk-proteins, maybe 2 minutes, but watch it! Cook the peppers and mushrooms for maybe 5 minutes, till tender and browned. Remove.

Repeat the browning of the last 2 tablespoons of butter, in the same pan. Coat up the steak with a lot of lemon pepper, salt and pepper. Put in the steak, cook it till it's browned. This takes not long at all, maybe 4 or 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and peppers, along with the Worcester and Franks. Cook together for around 5 minutes, on a low heat.

Serve on a toasted sub bun. Make sure and spoon some of the pan sauce on top.

If you are looking for "healthier", try replacing the butter with olive oil. But, you can't brown olive oil, FYI.

I got this idea from Pioneer Woman, but changed it quite a bit. As, the Bberg's don't do onions!

Stuffed French Toast

Get ready. Top is just normal French Toast, Connor wanted a picture of his dinner featured as well. Meet the cast:

• Big old Italian Loaf
• 4 big strawberries
• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam
• Turbinado sugar
• powder sugar
• sliced almonds
• butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Chop of the strawberries, to about quarter inch cubes. Stir in a bowl with the turbinado sugar. Set aside, and mix together the cream cheese and jam. It takes some doing, use your reserve muscles. Slice pieces off the loaf, 2 inches thick. Makes 4 - 2 inch slices per loaf. Don't use the heal. Use that to wipe the bowl you make the cream cheese mix in. Take a sharp bread knife, and cut a pocket into the bread. Stuff it with the cream cheese and some of the strawberries.

Mix the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon together in a shallow dish. Heat a large fry pan on medium, melt a tab of butter. Cook for maybe 3 minutes, flip, do another 3 minutes.

Top with a sprinkle of powder sugar, sliced almonds, and the remaining turbinado sugared up strawberries.