Monthly Family Breakfast, January version!

This Saturday is our monthly family breakfast. I like to have a theme for each month. This month, it's "Snow's a Glistenin" in an attempt to be humorous and not too cutesy...I'll use my white dishes and a white tablecloth, with "snow" and "ice" on the table...I'll post a picture when I get it all done!

My original plan was to have different menu each month, but my family has made it clear that they expect this every month:

bacon and eggs
sausage and pancakes
biscuits and gravy

They don't care what else you have, but you need to have these! It's supposed to be freezing cold, so we're also having:

Overnight Oatmeal
White Hot Chocolate
Regular Hot Chocolate
Lots of hot coffee!

Here's the recipes:

Overnight Oatmeal (from Gooseberry Patch's Autumn in the Country)
2 c. milk
1 c. old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 c. apple, cored, peeled and diced
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 T. butter, melted
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-9 hours. Serves 4-6.

White Hot Chocolate
4 1 oz. squares white melting chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Garnish: marshmallows

Combine chocolate, milk and cream in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate is completely melted, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium. Whisk vigorously until mixture is smooth with small bubbles around edges; do not boil. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows. Serves 2.

Clearly, I'll have to multiply this several times for our rowdy bunch, but it's worth it!

I'm thinking about making a carrot cake to go along with it...but I may make muffins, instead. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa-Food Network) had a wonderful looking carrot cake recipe that I'm tempted to try...depends on my energy level Friday night!

Til tomorrow-
Cathy