Once again, I’ll say that often it’s the simplest things that are the best, or, in the case of Texas Pepper Jelly, the tastiest.

For breakfast this morning, we’re having scrambled eggs and bagels with pepper jelly.

That’s all. That’s enough. None of us can seem to get enough of those bagels with pepper jelly. I set out several different flavors, and when the bagels pop up from the toaster all hot and, well, toasty, and the pepper jelly is spread over them to melt and run all down the plate and then the hand and chin of the lucky bagel-owner, who could ask for anything more?

Maybe something to drink, that’s all. One of us had coffee, two of us had orange juice, and one of us had Diet Coke.

The Diet Coke drinker was me. True confessions.

It bears repeating!  Our Texas Pepper Jellies make the best cream cheese appetizers and dips EVER!

Easiest of all?  Just unwrap a package of cream cheese – I use Neufchatel so I can pretend it’s “diet,” – put it on a plate or in a small bowl, cover with the Texas Pepper Jelly flavor of your choice, surround it with assorted crackers, and stand back.

I usually have several small bowls of this, each with a different pepper jelly over it.  Be sure you have PLENTY of crackers; there won’t be any left over.

Yes, there’s nothing to making this at all.  Yes, it’s so easy it’s almost unbelievable.

Once you taste it, and watch your family and guests tear into it, though, and you’ll believe it.

It’s soooo good.  It’s just simply the best and simplest appetizer/dip in the world.

Oh, and by the way?  The combination of cream cheese and pepper jelly will turn your ordinary breakfast bagel into something FANTASTIC!

I’m going to say this again:  sometimes the simplest little things are the best.

A bowl of oatmeal is a perfect thing to “experiment” with!  We add raisins or brown sugar or cream or dates or pecans or berries. . . . all that, and a bit ETC, because oatmeal goes so well with so many other yummy things.

My son has started stirring various Texas Pepper Jellies into his hot oatmeal in the mornings.

He hasn’t decided which flavor is his breakfast favorite yet, but he said yesterday that he was leaning toward the Texas Peach Habanero.  With a sliced peach.  And some brown sugar.

I’m wondering what the difference is, these days, between my son’s bowl of oatmeal and a big cookie that he eats with a spoon.

This gives me an idea.  I wonder what a little pepper jelly would do in an oatmeal cookie recipe. . . .

Stay tuned.

Mmmmm, muffins!  Hot, fragrant muffins on a lovely spring morning!

Texas Pepper Jelly’s Peppy Pineapple Muffins will be a bit of a surprise; in fact, they’ll be a BIG surprise, and it’s a tasty, wonderful surprise.

We’re having some in the morning.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar (I use Splenda)

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 large can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup Texas Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugar together, and add eggs, vanilla, pineapple, and pepper jelly.  Blend well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Bake in greased muffin pan or in cupcake papers for about 18 minutes.

Serve immediately.  Set out some Texas Pepper Jelly to spread on the muffins, although they’re delish with butter, too.  Honey is also great with these muffins.  Softened cream cheese, however, is what my husband likes best of all on them.

If there are any left over, I put them in a freezer bag and leave them on the counter for my son.  If there are still a couple left at the end of the day, I put the freezer bag in the freezer.  They “keep” really well for a month or so, and a quick microwave will put a fresh-tasting muffin on your plate even after the original feast is over.

This tangy, spicy sweet potato and sausage meat ball hash is one of my family’s favorite brunch dishes!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound mild or hot sausage – any kind

1 chopped red onion

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup Texas Habanero Salsa

What to do:

Shape sausage into marble-size meatballs.  In large skillet, brown meatballs over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes.  remove sausage and set on paper towel layers to drain.

Discard any excess fat from the sausage, spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and add the onion, bell pepper, and sweet potato.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, about six minutes until the sweet potato cubes are partially tender.  Add sausage and salsa, and cook five additional minutes without stirring, until the hash is lightly browned on the bottom.

This recipe is also delicious with any of our Texas finishing or grilling sauces, in place of or in addition to the Texas Habanero Salsa.

I’m a big fan of those biscuit mix recipes.  When you jazz ‘em up with your own touches, they always seem like homemade masterpieces to me.

I’m also very lazy, especially in the morning.  That’s one reason I love to fix breakfast casseroles.  Another reason is that my family LOVES them.

This one is their favorite:

Texas-Style Spicy Breakfast Pie

Ingredients:

1 pound thoroughly cooked pork sausage OR 1 pound thoroughly cooked bacon

1 huge chopped onion (my husband loves onions)

3 eggs

1 cup skim milk (any kind of milk will do; we just happen to like skim milk.)

1 cup shredded Taco cheese

1/2 cup bixcuit mix, such as Bisquick

Texas Habanero Salsa

Sour cream

What to do:

Spoon sausage or bacon into greased casserole or pie pan.  Top with chopped onion and cheese.

In medium bowl, mix the milk and eggs, and gradually whisk in baking mix.  Pour mixture over the meat and cheese in the casserole or pie pan.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour; after twenty minutes, check every few minutes with a butter knife.  When the knife comes out clean, the breakfast pie is done.

Let it stand about fifteen minutes before you try to cut it; the slices will be firmer.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Don’t look for any leftovers.

This is the perfect weekend breakfast, and it’s also a fantastic Sunday brunch entree!  In fact, Texas apple/sausage pancakes are absolutely delicious no matter when you have them.  My daughter pours apple syrup over them, but my husband prefers Texas Apple Cinnamon Grilling and Finishing sauce.  As for my son – he likes to roll his pancakes up and dip them in Texas Habanero Salsa.  He also likes to sprinkle some oregano in the batter for HIS pancakes.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound bulk pork sausage

1 egg

1/3  cup milk

2/3 cup Texas Apple Jalapeno Pepper Jelly (Apple Habanero if you like it hotter)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup pancake mix

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup shredded apples (with or without the peeling)

What to do:

In a skillet, cook the sausage until no longer pink; chop it fine as you stir.  Drain THOROUGHLY.

In a large bowl, beat the egg, milk, pepper jelly, and oil, and stir in the pancake mix and cinnamon.  Fold in the shredded apples and sausage.

Pour (or spoon) the batter onto a lightly greased hot griddle.  Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on the tops.  Cook until the OTHER side is golden brown.

Serve hot, and pour the topping of your choice over it.

Be ready to make more.

Oh, and your house is going to smell WONDERFUL for hours.  Mmmmmm, wonderful!

My family loves breakfast, and they especially love a breakfast that’s a bit on the “nontraditional” side.  Bacon and eggs are well and good, but this recipe for Breakfast Nachos is one of their all-time favorites!  It’s the Texas Habanero Salsa that makes it so good!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups refried beans

4 cups tortilla chips

4 eggs, scrambled

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, whatever your family likes best.  I usually use cheddar, or that taco cheese.  My sister uses Monterey Jack.

1/4 cup sliced jalapeno peppers

1 cup cooked, crumbled sauge or bacon – or both!  Ham works, too.

Sour cream

1 jar Texas habanero salsa

What to do:

Spread the refried beans over the bottom of a large pan.  Arrange the chips over the beans.  Arrange the scrambled eggs, cheese, and jalapeno peppers over this.

Broil for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  Watch it carefully!

Top with salsa, sour cream, breakfast meat (optional) and anything else your family likes!  I use diced onions and guacamole, and you can use anything else your kids want!

Dig in.  There won’t be any leftovers.