Breakfast at Little Swan Lake Winery Bed & Breakfast...Doug's Eggs Rancheros

Although Doug's birthday was officially last Friday, we have been celebrating for about a week.

We had a great weekend at 

Little Swan Lake Winery.

Our niece, Diane, and her husband, Scott, own and operate this gem in northern Iowa.

Just look...

Little Swan Lake Winery is a family owned and operated business located 1-1/2 miles north of the small town of Superior in Northwest Iowa. In May of 2002 the doors opened to the public. The tasting room, the remodeled 1920's barn, features 35 different wines all produced on site, a selection of gourmet cheeses, and buffalo meat from their own herd which roams nearby. Their vineyard consists of two acres of northern cold hardy grapes. Their newest addition, the bed and breakfast, opened in September of 2011. This renovated grain elevator is a great place to relax and enjoy the beauty that is Little Swan Lake!

This is where the buffalo roam.

 The winery is within easy driving distance of Estherville and the resort areas
of Spirit Lake and Okoboji.
The setting is rustic, as you can see.

 The views are spectacular from the balcony of our room.

 We stayed in The Swan Room.

 We enjoyed the afternoon with Diane and later
 went to Don Jose for an authentic Mexican dinner in Estherville.

We awoke Sunday morning and
started our day with a cup of hot coffee.

Another morning view.
Diane is busy in the kitchen preparing a 3-course breakfast.

 Diane is beginning by making "Banana Boats".
This dish is reminiscent of her Girl Scout days.  Back in the day,
the bananas were stuffed with chocolate chips and marshmallows.
They were left in the skins and roasted over hot coals around the campfire.

 The bed and breakfast version lines the split banana with chocolate chips,
then a generous layer of peanut butter heated in the microwave for a few seconds
to make the peanut butter warm and gooey.

Stream a drizzle of chocolate syrup over the top.

Right before serving, put a dollop of strawberry yogurt on the side.

To prepare the entree, Doug's Egg Rancheros, place a corn tortilla in a
ramekin that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable shortening, like Pam.
Then spoon a little salsa and sweet red pepper to cover the bottom of the tortilla.
On top of that, place a little Bison sausage that has been browned.
LSL's signature meat is bison.  If you do not have bison, use your favorite sausage.
Top with bacon.

"Buffalo" meat is a common term, but the correct term is bison.
The animal that most Americans call a buffalo is actually a bison. Buffaloes are found in Africa and South Asia, while bison roam in North and South America.

Buffalo.

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Bison_vs_Buffalo

Crack an egg on top of the bacon.
Add a little water on top of the egg to poach while baking in the oven.

 Top with a smoky Swiss cheddar cheese.
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and
bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Photobomb!
 Our last course is pancakes.

Diane with Uncle Doug.

 Diane is going down memory lane, and striking a pose she remembers
of Grandma Rilla in the kitchen.

 In honor of Doug's birthday, she is writing messages in the pancakes.
Awwww....

After the letters have cooked for a couple of minutes,
dump more batter over them to cover.

 Diane is singing,
Happy 
(Song by Pharrell Williams)

"Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do"

Then flip the pancake and cook on the other side.
To read the words though, they need to be written backwards.
But we got the idea.
This would be a fun project when cooking with or for kids.
Spell their name in pancakes!

Remove the eggs from the oven.

 Doug's birthday breakfast.
Again.
We do celebrate for at least a week, sometimes two.

Diane is graciously serving our breakfast.

The Eggs Rancheros are topped with salsa and sour cream.

This is liquid gold...
Scott's homemade maple syrup.
It was delicious over the "Happy" pancakes.

 This is the end of a perfect breakfast.
Great food and conversation with Diane.

 A beautiful beginning to a beautiful day.

Here is a link to: Little Swan Lake Winery and Bed & Breakfast

Check it out, and book a stay at the Bed & Breakfast!

Two Ingredient Angel Food Cake in a Jar- Doug's Birthday

Happy Birthday!

Today is Doug's birthday.  He turned 60 Something.  

So, it was a day to try a new recipe.

I was very busy so needed a simple, yet delicious cake.

And, I am still making "Things in a Jar".

I saw this recipe idea on Pinterest for an angel food cake

 made with just adding a can of pie filling of your choice

 to a dry angel food cake mix.

I love the refreshing taste of lemon after a big dinner, in this case birthday, 

so decided to try this cake with lemon.

I wanted to add cool whip for my frosting, and blueberries 

for nutrition, taste, and color.

It turned out very well.

I expected the recipe to be "flat", as that was how it looked on the photos on line.

But their recipes made lemon bars, not a standard cake or cupcakes.

I think it rose more because the batter was cooked in small jelly canning jars.

Take a look!

Hot out of the oven.  Lightly browned and light and fluffy as a cloud!

They look like individual souffles.

Topped with French Vanilla Cool Whip, blueberries, and lemon zest!

 The main two ingredients are a simple angel food cake mix and a can of pie filling,

in this case, lemon.

 In a medium bowl add the can of lemon pie filling to the box of angel food cake mix.

Do not add the eggs or oil or any other ingredients.

 Mix by hand.

DO NOT use a mixer.

This could not be simpler.

 The mixture will take on a light, fluffy texture.

It reminded me of my grandsons' toy called ooze.

 Spoon into, in this case, individual 8- oz. jelly jars.

DO NOT grease or flour the jars.

Because it is angel food cake.

 I grated a little lemon zest over the mixture before I baked it.

 Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

 Sprinkle with powdered sugar while they are still warm from the oven.

 I love the presentation of individual servings in jars.

 Birthday dinner at Jethro's BBQ n' Lakehouse.

 Bon Appetit!

 Back home for birthday cake.

Add French Vanilla Cool Whip, fresh blueberries, and lemon zest.

 And, Doug still has room for this light, lemony, refreshing cake.

Enjoy!