Raspberry Applesauce Muffins

As promised....

Raspberry Applesauce Muffins
(makes 1 dozen muffins)

Ingredients:
1c. whole wheat flour
1c. rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar
1c. buttermilk
1/2 c. raspberry applesauce
1 egg

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 muffin tin with papers or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir in the oats.
3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, buttermilk, raspberry applesauce and egg.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until JUST combined. Do not over stir.
5. Divide batter amongst muffin cups.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Serve!

A Bun in the Oven Dinner Date!

I first conceived of this idea a few months ago. I have been anticipating the day when I could post this. This meal was a lot of work, but it was a labor of love.

Celeste is having a baby!! I could not be more thrilled for her and her family (or for me, I can't wait to cuddle a tiny little newborn without the inconvenience of night wakings! hee hee). Celeste is an awesome mom, and she is gestating one lucky baby!

What better way to celebrate Celeste's "bun in the oven", then by baking up some literal buns in my gas-fired oven?

Steamed Chicken Buns

I love Chinese steamed pork buns (Char Siu Bao), and wanted to try something like that. I did my chicken filling in the crock pot because, well, it's so much easier than bbq'ing or slow-roasting or what have you!

Chicken Filling:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Chinese 5-Spice
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker; cook on low for 6-8 hours, until chicken is easily shredded apart.

Buns:

1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp bread machine flour

Add ingredients to bread machine; set on "dough" setting.

When bread machine is done, remove dough (gently!) onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Divide dough into two pieces. With your hands, roll each piece of dough into a 2-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 12 pieces.

With your hand, flatted the pieces into small circles. Scoop some chicken filling into the middle. Pinch up the edges, forming a little packet. Let buns rest for about 30 minutes.

Set a steamer pan over a pot of briskly boiling water. Lay each bun on the steamer for about 10 minutes, covering the pot, until the bun is puffed and the dough is slightly firm to the touch. Serve.

Pain au Chocolat

These are fantastic for morning playgroups - the dough should be prepared the night before, and the rolls don't take long to roll out, fill, and bake in the morning. And then the other mommies will adore you.

2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

8 ounces chocolate (semi-sweet, dark, milk all work well - heck, even toffee bits and peanut butter chips work well!)

Place all ingredients except chocolate in the bread machine. Set on the "dough" cycle.

When dough is finished, turn the dough into a deep, greased bowl. Cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Turn the dough onto a work surface dusted with flour. Divide the dough into 16 portions. Roll each portion into a (rough) square. Place 1/2 ounce of chocolate in the middle. Fold up each corner to form a packet. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake the buns for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let them cool a little, but they are best eaten warm!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So now you have some idea of what's been going on here! I have moving trucks pulling up to my house tomorrow (eep!), and Celeste is baking a baby. We are both preparing to send our first babies off to preschool in a few weeks (sob!). Once we are back in the swing, we hope to be much better about cooking new things for our kids and updating!

Semi-Homemade Dinner Date

Why no, I didn't fall off the face of the earth! We put our house on the market about 2 weeks ago, accepted an offer after the open house, and are now busily house-hunting. Frankly, worrying about getting my kids to try new things has fallen to the bottom of my to-do list... bad mommy!

I came back from an afternoon of house-hunting last week and had to prep for dinner date. Good thing I had decided to do a little Semi-Homemade Theme! I used to love to watch Sandra Lee and her table-scapes, but never made much of what she did. I felt like every dessert involved a store-bought pound cake or angel food cake. For my semi-homemade, I hit up Trader Joe's for some mixes that I like to keep in the house, and worked from there. This dinner date certainly came together a lot faster than I'm used to!

Polenta Griddlecakes

1 package prepared polenta (it comes in a tube)
ground cumin
ground coriander
paprika
Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

This could not be easier, but the mommies loved it. Once Abby got past the initial texture shock (my bad... I told her it was a cracker) she loved it, too!

Preheat a griddle pan or an indoor electric grill. Slice polenta into rounds. Sprinkle each round with spices and cheese to taste. Grill for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Zesty Mac and Cheese Casserole

2 packages macaroni and cheese, prepared according to package directions
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
10-16 oz package of frozen veggie (I used broccoli spears, which the kids completely avoided)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the mac and cheese. Set aside in a big bowl.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. When cooked through, drain out the fat and add the spices. Cook for one minute more, coating the beef. Add the beef to the mac and cheese. Add the veggies. Stir all together.

Divide between two 1-qt casserole dishes (and freeze one for later!). Sprinkle cheese all over the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Lemon Cake on Brownie Crust

The brownie crust eliminates any need for frosting...

1 package of brownie mix, mixed according to package directions
1 package of vanilla cake mix, mixed according to package directions
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to the temp called for on your cake mix box. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans.

Divide the brownie batter between the two pans. Stir the lemon zest into the cake batter. Divide the cake batter between the two pans, carefully spreading it over the brownie batter.

Cook for the lowest time in the cake mix's time range; if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the cake is done.

Peaches and Cream Popsicles

Peaches and Cream Popsicles

Ingredients:
Peach Kefir
Frozen peaches
(I didn't include amounts because it really depends on how many you are making. In this case I made two popsicles which was about 1c. kefir and 1/2 c. peaches)

Instructions:
1. Combine kefir and peaches in a blender. Blend until peaches are in small chunks.
2. Pour into popsicle mold and freeze for at least 3 hours. Serve!

I brought these to the park for Neko and Abby. They were a huge hit!

Maple Banana Oat Muffins

Life as MOM has launched a new blog: Good (& Cheap) Eats. When she posted these Maple Banana Oat Muffins the other day, I knew I had to try them. For one, I am a sucker for streusel topping. For another, I'm a sucker for muffins - they are my favorite snack to have on hand for the girls. They're portable, they hide fruit (or veggies) easily, and the girls never turn them down. I had one very ripe banana, so I only made a half batch - but these are delicious!

Maple Banana Oat Muffins

The maple flavoring combines with something, I'm not sure what, but they have this wonderful buttery flavor, and frankly taste like I'm eating a pancake loaded with butter and syrup. And that is a very good thing!

Indian Dinner Date!

I turned to the local library to find some inspiration for dinner date this week, and the first cookbooks my hand landed on were for Indian food! The very first time I tried Indian, I got terrible food poisoning. So it's been a cuisine that's taken me a while to love to learn, needless to say.

I thought this dinner turned out well, but the girls had little interest in eating it. Lately, dinner dates have been working against us, and the girls are having trouble transitioning from playtime to dinner time. Abby had a little fish and some rice, but ignored the vegetables (that whole Month of Veggies thing didn't really do its job!). I think Neko ate pretty well, but I wasn't paying much attention (too distracted by trying to get Abby to stay seated at the table!). Lizzy devoured her plate of food and ate half of Abby's fish, as well!

Fish Baked in Tomato Sauce with Coconut Vegetables

Fish Baked in Tomato Sauce

4-6 Tilapia filets
14 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz plain non-fat yogurt
12 oz water
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground ginger
salt & pepper

In a large pot, combine the tomatoes, yogurt, water, and all spices (with salt & pepper to taste). Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by almost half. Puree the sauce (either in a blender or with an immersion blender).

Preheat oven to 400F. Lay Tilapia filets in a 9x13 baking pan. Pour the sauce over the filets and bake until fish is cooked through and flaky (I was using frozen filets, and it was about 35-40 minutes baking time).

Coconut Vegetables
(This dish is like baby steps towards getting your child to like spicy curries!)

6 cups chopped mixed vegetables (we used sweet peppers, zucchini, carrots, and onion)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 13.5 oz can light coconut milk
1/2 tsp curry powder (add more depending on your child's heat tolerance)

Heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and curry powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, until veggies are tender.

Saffron Yogurt

This "dessert" was a complete fail with the big girls, though Lizzy devoured hers. Celeste and I really liked it, so maybe this is more of an adult treat! The cardamom and saffron flavors were intense and different. Celeste thought it should be sweeter, so I will give the amounts I used - but sweeten it to taste!

1 1/2 cups plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 tsp saffron threads
1/2 Tbsp milk, warmed
2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey (no honey for kids under one!)
1/8 tsp ground cardamom

Line a fine mesh strainer with a coffee filter and set it up over a cup. Put the yogurt in the filter; let drain in the refrigerator for a few hours, until a lot of the water has come out and the yogurt is firmer. One of those gold coffee filter things works well for this, as you can see!:

Soak the saffron threads in the warm milk while the yogurt is straining. When the yogurt is ready, simply stir together the yogurt, saffron-milk mixture, agave or honey, and cardamom. Sweeten as desired. This is a great make-ahead snack, as the flavors are even more intense with time!

Apricot-Almond Snack Cookies

I generally make two kinds of cookies - "snack cookies" that are healthy treats disguised in cookie form, and then true oh-so-good delicious treat cookies. The apricot-almond cookies I made up yesterday are definitely the former! They are very lightly sweet, surprisingly moist and chewy, and are chock-full of good-for-you ingredients. The girls were delighted to have "cookies" at snack time, though I doubt they were fooled into thinking these were the same as a good old chocolate chip cookie!

Apricot-Almond Snack Cookies

1 1/2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp apricot preserves
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rolled oats
6 oz dried apricots

Preheat oven to 350F. In a food processor, grind together the almonds, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and cinnamon until almonds are finely ground and mixture is starting to clump together. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside; then, grind the rolled oats and dried apricot together in the food processor until the apricots are finely chopped.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, honey, preserves, and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the ground almond-flour mixture. Stir in the ground apricot-oat mixture.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. (if you have extra dried apricot, you could chop it up and stick a little piece in each ball to decorate - like a health-nut version of those peanut butter blossom cookies). Bake for about 13-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned. Let cool completely - they taste much better cooled than warm.

Kara's Birthday Dinner Date!!

My super duper blogmate and friend Kara celebrated a milestone birthday this week and to honor the occasion I planned a dinner date full of her favorites! I asked her what she wanted and she told me that she often had spaghetti and meatballs and/or hummus on birthdays past so I decided to give these a go with some Itty Bitty Bistro flair!

Sicilian Hummus Dip
(serves 8)

So what makes this dip Sicilian? Nada. I just thought it made it sound extra Italian. Did it work? I've never even been to Sicily. My friend Jen has though. Maybe she could tell us if there is anything Sicilian about this dip. ;o)

Ingredients:
1 can of garbonzo beans
1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
1 bunch of fresh basil
3/4 c. cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt

1. Add all ingredients to food processor. Process until smooth. Serve with crudite or toasted baguette rounds.

Kara's Birthday Spaghetti and Meatballs
(serves...many)

I did my best to channel my inner Italian Grandmother for the spaghetti and meatballs (even though I'm Scandinavian and not Italian whatsoever.) When in doubt I would ask myself "What would Giada do?"

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 med or large sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 green peppers (i used small ones), seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cans of tomato sauce
2 cans of tomato paste
2 cans of tomato juice (soda sized cans)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped
salt to taste

1. In a large saute pan, saute the olive oil, onions and green pepper over med-high heat until the onions begin to be translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to a crockpot. Add the tomato sauce, paste, juice, brown sugar, baking soda and salt (just a few shakes to start).
5. Cook allllllllllll day. :o) I put mine in the crockpot at 10:30 am and served it at 5 pm.
6. Add the meatballs (recipe below) and fresh basil an hour before you plan to serve.
7. Check the taste of the sauce. Salt if necessary.

Meatball ingredients:
1 lb. 'meatball meat' (I found this in my Shaws. It was a blend of beef, pork and veal.) You could, of course, use just one of these or even ground turkey or chicken
1 c. italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper (couple dashes of each)
1/8 c. fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil
1/2 cup warm water

1. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients, except water.
2. Slowly add the water until the mixture is moist but still a consistancy to roll into meatballs.
3. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
4. Using your hands, roll 1-2" sized meatballs. Add them to the pan as you make them.
5. Cook for about 7 minutes or until cooked through.

Ok, this next one I'm pretty proud of...I also got to showcase the Valencia one last time...so here we go....

Kara's Cara Cara Chocolate Citrus Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

Cupcake ingredients:
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
zest and juice from 1 Cara Cara orange
1 c. lowfat vanilla yogurt
4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 squares bitersweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spray the insides of the liners with Pam for baking or the like.
3. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk or beat until well combined.
4. Fill each liner half full with batter.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Frosting ingredients:
1 box of powdered sugar (16 oz)
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (or more) of milk
zest from 1 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest from 1 valencia orange
2 Tbsp orange juice

1. Combine all ingredients exept milk and juice in a mixer. Mix until a thick paste forms.
2. Add the milk, zest and juice. Mix on high until fluffy adding splashes of more milk if necessary.
3. Spread on cupcakes and garnish with a little more zest if you'd like. Serve!

THIS FROSTING IS SERIOUSLY GOOD. No joke. (Toot toot goes my own horn.)

Happy Birthday Kara!

Baby Dinner Date!

Dinner date was a little different this week - it was created with Lizzy in mind! When Abby was a baby, I lovingly made all sorts of meals with just her in mind. Lizzy, on the other hand, is always just fed whatever bits and pieces she can manage of what I've made for the rest of us. So this week, I created a dinner for Lizzy (and for all the babies out there who are mastering table foods but don't quite have the teeth for a lot of chewing yet). I also used the Day 18 of the Month of Veggies recipe! Multi-tasking!

Multi-Grain Bean Patties with Curried Acorn Squash

Multi-Grain Bean Patties

1 cup cooked grains (I used a mix of amaranth, quinoa, and barley)
1 can of white beans (or 1 2/3 cup prepared beans), rinsed and drained
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic
salt & pepper

Mash all ingredients together in a bowl until a paste forms. (You may want to add some breadcrumbs if you think the mixture is too wet). Drop by small blobs onto either a skillet or an electric grill - these worked surprisingly well on my Foreman grill. Cook for about 5 minutes in the grill, or about 5 minutes per side on the skillet. Crumble up to serve to baby, or serve on a bun for big kids!

(we pretended they were burgers for the big girls!)

Curried Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash, sliced into wedges
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Place squash wedges with 1 Tbsp of water into a covered dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the apricot preserves and the curry powder. Brush the apricot mixture over the wedges and season with salt and pepper. Return wedges (uncovered) to the oven for 10 minutes more.

Roasted Berry "Sundaes"

2-3 cups fruit (as appropriate for your baby), diced. We had blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi.
1 Tbsp butter
nutmeg and cinnamon
plain Greek yogurt
agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread the fruit in a baking dish. Dice the butter and scatter over the berries. Sprinkle the fruit with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake for 15 minutes; stir and let cool.

Scoop a little Greek yogurt into bowls; top with some roasted fruit and drizzle with agave nectar. Roasting the fruit should ensure that it is soft enough for a toothless baby - but beware, this will make a big mess!

* * * * *

This dinner was a big hit with Lizzy - she cleaned her plate! Since Lizzy is a little older, I like to add herbs and spices to what she eats to help her develop a palate for all sorts of foods - hence the basil, oregano, garlic, curry, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The big girls liked the dinner okay, but they were awfully busy playing to settle down and eat. Luckily, they both wolfed down dessert - and since they had just the merest drizzle of agave, their "sundaes" were a safe way to let them feel like they were having a treat!

Soft Granola Bars

For some reason, my pantry is always littered with half-empty bags of granola. I buy it thinking I will like it, but granola is just not my thing. Well, Abby is on a granola bar kick, so I decided to put all those forgotten bags to use! These are a softer, cakier version of a granola bar than what you'll get pre-packaged but Abby and I are addicted. They are also a snap to make!

Soft Granola Bars

Prep time: 5 minutes Bake time: 10-15 minutes

2 cups prepared granola (store-bought or homemade)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp agave nectar (or sub in maple syrup or honey)
1 Tbsp water
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325F. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (this is a great recipe to have your child help with!) until well-combined. Press the mixture evenly into an 8x8" baking dish (either use damp hands, or spray the bottom of a glass with non-stick spray to help you pack the mixture down). Bake until the edges are turning golden, 10-15 minutes.

Score the pan into 10 bars, but do not remove from pan until completely cooled (otherwise they'll fall apart... trust me ;-).

Tea Party!

Abby and I hosted a tea party for Neko and Celeste last night! This dinner date was a big hit, if for no other reason than the toddlers loved using the tea set. The food went over pretty well, too! We rounded this menu out with cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, but I'm not including a recipe - they're pretty self-explanatory! (neither girl really liked them, anyway)

Scones and Finger Sandwiches

Roasted Vegetable Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter (cold and cut into pieces)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (skim worked fine)
3/4 cup diced roasted vegetables
(I diced up some peppers, onions, carrots, and squash - tossed them in a little olive oil and roasted at 400F for about 20 minutes. What I didn't need for these scones, I scrambled into eggs for breakfast. Yum!)

Preheat oven to 425F. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the pieces of butter on top and pulse about 20 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour the flour-butter mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the egg, milk, and vegetables until a dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smoother dough forms.

Split the dough in half; shape each half into a 6-inch disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges and place each wedge on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until scones are beginning to turn golden.


Peanut Butter Bread
(for making the ultimate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!)

7 oz milk, slightly warmed
2 oz water, at room temperature
1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup natural-style peanut butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, stir together the milk, water, and yeast. Whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar until the peanut butter is fully mixed in. Stir in the salt and flour with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough comes together.

Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding tiny amounts of water or flour as needed (if your dough is too sticky, knead in flour, about one teaspoon at a time. If your dough is too dry and stiff, wet the palms of your hands to knead in a tiny amount of water. A little goes a long way!).

Grease a large bowl with non-stick spray. Put the kneaded dough ball inside, rolling it around to grease the dough lightly. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. Punch down and shape the dough into a loaf. Set inside a loaf pan and let rise for about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it sounds slightly hollow when tapped and is nicely browned on top. Add peanut butter and jelly for the yummiest pb&j in town!

Banoffee Bars

(these couldn't be easier or more delicious!! No sugar needed in the crust or whipped cream - the toffee center is sweet enough!)

14 oz can condensed sweetened milk (fat free worked great!)
5 sheets of graham crackers
1/2 cup rolled oats
4 Tbsp butter, melted
bananas
1 cup heavy cream

Caramelize your condensed sweetened milk: Preheat oven to 425F. Pour the milk into an pie pan and cover tightly with foil. Set the pan inside a larger baking dish, and fill the larger dish about halfway with hot water (creating a water bath). Bake for about 45 minutes, until the milk has caramelized and turned thick. Let cool a little.

Lower the oven to 325F. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and oats together until finely ground. Pour crumbs into an 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir together, then press the crust evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for about 5 minutes, until golden.

Pour the toffee filling over the hot crust. Top the toffee with thinly sliced bananas. Refrigerate until chilled. Whip the heavy cream and top each bar with a little whipped cream.

Honey Whole Wheat Crackers with Roasted Carrot Spread

Whole Wheat Crackers with Roasted Carrot Spread

Whole Wheat Crackers

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 Tbsp corn meal
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. chilled butter
1/4 c. water
kosher salt
cumin

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor until combined.
2. Add the water and pulse until a dough ball forms.
3. Roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper until dough is about 1/4" thick.
4. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out to desired cracker thickness. Mine were about the thickness of the Kashi TLC crackers.
7. Sprinkle the dough with kosher salt and a little cumin.
8. Using a pizza cutter, cut out strips about 1-1/2" wide and then cut strips into individual crackers. Re-roll excess dough and cut into more crackers.
9. Prick each cracker a couple times with a fork.
10. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet.
11. Bake about 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
12. Store in a Ziploc bag or airtight container. Enjoy!

Roasted Carrot Spread

2 large carrots, peeled
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cumin

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sprinkle the carrots with a little salt and wrap them up in foil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until soft.
3. Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to food processor along with remaining ingredients. Process until mixture is a smooth, spreadable consistency. Serve with crackers. Yum, yum, yum!

Calzones Two Ways

Calzones Two Ways

(Chicken and Broccoli...note: picture is before baking)
(and Peanut Butter and Jelly)

I received a bread machine for Christmas this year and decided to try out the pizza dough function. I thought calzones would be a great reheatable option to keep in the freezer. The dough was pretty stiff for my liking. I'm open to suggestions if anyone knows a way to make a doughier crust.

Crust:
1c. warm water
3/4 tsp. honey
1 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 tbsp. EVOO
2-1/2c. bread flour
1/3. c. whole wheat flour
1-3/4 tsp. bread machine yeast
cornmeal

Filling for the chicken and broccoli calzones:
1 cooked chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks
1c. mozzarella cheese
1c. fresh or frozen broccoli
1/2c. marinara or pizza sauce
Parmesan cheese

Filling for the peanut butter and jelly calzones:

I used-
2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp currant jam

In the order listed, layer the ingredients in bread pan. Put in bread machine. Set machine to the pizza dough setting. Set loaf size to 1-1/2 lb. loaf. Press start. When machine is finished remove and knead the air out of the dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put a little cornmeal onto a flat surface for rolling. Using dough balls about the size of a golf ball, flatten each ball into a disc shape and roll out until the dough is pretty thin. I think I did mine too thick. I know 'pretty thin' is not a great description but for some reason words are failing me on this one.

For the C&B calzones:
1. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the sauce onto half of the calzone
2. Top the sauce with a few chunks of chicken, a few chunks of broccoli and 2 Tbsp. of the mozzarella


Fold the dough in half and pinch the edges shut. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top. Bake on a foil lined cookie sheet (or better yet a pizza stone if you have one...I don't) and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For the PB&J the filling is 1Tbsp of each peanut butter and jelly. I made the PB&J calzones about half as big as the C&B ones so the baking time was about 10 minutes.

Neko (and I) liked the PB&J ones the best. Sort of a healthier take on the Uncrustable. Enjoy!

Abby's Favorites Dinner Date

Abby will turn 3 in just a few days (sniff! my baby!), so tonight's dinner date was composed from some of her favorite foods. Abby has a handful of what I call my "go-to" foods for her - things that I know she'll eat and that I keep on hand for nights when my husband and I are having too-spicy chili or sushi. So for tonight's dinner date, I tried to mix up the favorites in new ways, to hopefully create new favorites!

Cheerio Chicken Nuggets and Green Pea Hummus

Cheerio Chicken Nuggets
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes

1 1/2 cups Cheerios
salt, pepper
1 tsp honey
1 lb ground chicken

Shake the Cheerios into a plastic bag (a freezer bag works well) and crush them up with your hands. Have your kids help - it's fun! Add a bit of salt and pepper to the crushed Cheerios, and pour them into a bowl. Add about 1 tsp honey and mix all together with your fingers.

In a separate bowl, mix the ground chicken with your hands until it is all nice and mushy. Pinch off heaping tablespoonfuls of the chicken and form it into nuggets. Press each side of each nugget into the Cheerios to coat.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the nuggets on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until nuggets are completely cooked through.

Green Pea Hummus
Prep time: 5 minutes

1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
14.5 oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding a few tablespoonfuls of water to achieve desired consistency. Serve with veggies or crackers.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Ice Cream

Prep time: 5 minutes, plus freezing time
Yields about 1 quart of ice cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups skim milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup carrot puree (use jarred baby food to save time!)
1/2 cup pear puree (use jarred baby food to save time!)

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, extract, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the purees. Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and freeze according to machine directions.

* * * * *

This dinner was an absolute success. Abby wolfed everything down - something that is rare for her, so I guess she liked seeing her favorite foods in new ways! She also had the green pea hummus spread on crackers for a snack earlier in the day. The ice cream was amazing. It had a beautiful orange color, but otherwise you really can't tell that it is chock full of carrots and pears - it tasted mostly like vanilla ice cream and was very rich and creamy.

Vegan Dinner Date

Neko and Abby went vegan for our dinner date last night! Unfortunately, my side dish of rice noodle stir fry did not turn out well, and I'll have to revisit it before I can post it here. But the dessert is a don't-miss - you won't believe how fluffy and yummy and moist this cake is, without a single egg or speck of butter in sight!

Maple-Baked Tofu Triangles

1 lb firm tofu, pressed and drained
2 Tbsp maple syrup
4 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp orange juice

Slice the tofu vertically into 3 slabs, and then slice into triangles. Lay the tofu triangles in a baking dish. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour them over the tofu. Marinate, turning at least once, for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the triangles in the marinade for 40-45 minutes, until the triangles are golden and most of the marinade is absorbed.

Vegan Coconut Cake

Cake:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cp sugar
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
sweetened, shredded coconut

Coconut Drizzle
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp agave nectar (or use sweetener of choice to taste)
2 tsp corn starch

Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat an 8- or 9-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Add the wet to the dry and stir until well-combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and top with a handful or two of shredded coconut. Bake for 25 minutes in an 8-inch cake pan, slightly less time for a 9-inch pan, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To prepare the coconut drizzle: In a small bowl, combine the corn starch with a small amount of the coconut milk and stir until completely dissolved. Stir the dissolved corn starch into the remaining coconut milk in a sauce pan; cook, stirring, over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Let cool before drizzling over slices of cake.

* * * * *

I liked the triangles, and Neko ate them up - Abby tried a few bites but did literally gag on the 4th bite or so. I guess she's not a tofu girl! I was thrilled with my coconut cake - I made another one, without the drizzle, for playgroup this morning. It was a hit with kids and mommies alike!

Thanksgiving Dinner Date!

Thanksgiving is full of wonderful flavors - but tons of work! I wanted to create a dinner date last night that would give Thanksgiving yumminess, but on a weekday dinner time frame.

Thanksgiving Nuggets with Cranberry Ketchup

1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh savory, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup plain bread crumbs
salt & pepper

To make the ketchup: In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries with enough water to cover; bring to a boil, and simmer until berries are soft and breaking down (about 10 minutes). Drain the cranberries and put in a food processor; add tomato paste, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Puree until smooth. Set aside to chill.

To make the nuggets: Preheat the oven to 425F. Mix the turkey, egg, and herbs (and salt and pepper to taste) with your hands until well combined. Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Gather 1-2 Tbsp of meat mixture in your hands, shape into nugget shapes, and roll in the bread crumbs to coat.

Set the nuggets on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until no pink remains in the center of a nugget. Serve with cranberry ketchup.

Stuffing Muffins

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup chicken stock

In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, thyme, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the canola oil, eggs, and chicken stock. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the vegetables. Divide between 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Maple Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
sugars for decorating

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead with your hands to form a dough ball. Divide in two and shape each half into a disk; cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove one disk from its plastic wrap and knead lightly on a floured surface to soften. Roll it out to about 1/8" thick.

Trace your child's hand on some parchment paper and cut it out to create a hand-print turkey shape. Use a sharp knife to cut out handprints from the dough:

Transfer the "turkeys" to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with egg white and sprinkle on sugar to decorate. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are beginning to brown.

* * * * * *

I was happy with this dinner date. The girls had a great time decorating their hand print turkeys. I used both Abby's and Lizzy's hands for our shapes, and I must say - if you have a chubby little 5-month-old on hand, their hands make adorable "turkeys"! The cookies themselves had a very nice, but not overpowering, maple flavor.

Election Day Muffins

It's time to vote, America! If, like me, you have to bring your kids along to your polling place, make up a batch of these red-white(ish)-and-blue muffins for kiddo to munch on while you choose the next President!

Election Day Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp applesauce
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line 10 muffin cups with liners. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, applesauce, canola oil, molasses, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries and cranberries.

Divide the mixture evenly between 10 muffin cups; bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Pumpkin Pie Pretzels

These are a bit of a project, but if you have a kid who loves to help bake, you'll have fun making these. I sacrificed a bit of dough for Abby to "shape" as her own pretzel and it kept her entertained while I did the rest! These are lovely and yummy and soft - a great snack.

Pumpkin Pie Pretzels

1 tsp rapid rise (or instant) yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup warm (about 110 degrees) milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch cloves
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt

Using a dough hook, mix all of the ingredients together in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes, until a smooth dough forms. Add extra flour, a tablespoonful at a time, if the dough is too sticky. Turn the dough into a bowl coated with oil (I sprayed mine with Pam) and cover with plastic wrap. Set it to rise in a warm room for 1 1/2 hours, until nearly doubled in size. Punch the dough down to deflate, recover it, and let it rise for another 30 minutes, until nearly doubled again.

Make up a baking soda bath: in a large pot, combine water and baking soda (1 tsp baking soda to 2 quarts water) and bring to a boil. Preheat the oven to 450F.

Divide the dough into eight equal chunks. Roll each portion into a long rope, about 15 inches long, 3/4 inch in diameter. Twist it into pretzel shape; repeat with the other portions. Carefully slip each pretzel into the boiling baking soda bath; boil for 30 seconds, flip, and boil another 30 seconds. Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Transfer the boiled pretzels to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. They won't get much bigger in the oven, so they can be fairly close together. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

I wondered how much it would matter if I skipped the baking soda bath, so I did some pretzels in the bath and some I just baked after shaping. The bathed ones (like the pretzel on the right, below) had a crispy, shiny exterior, like you expect from a pretzel. The baked ones (pretzel on the left) were just kind of like dinner rolls. So, I say, give your pretzels a bath!

Halloween Dinner Date!

Dinner date this week was the day before Halloween so naturally we had to have a little Halloween meal. It was as fun to make as it was for the girls to eat! :o)

Orange and Black Snacks

Carrot sticks
Black beans
Mandarin orange slices
Raisins
(could also use orange pepper slices, black olives, etc.)

This one would probably be a little too weird for anyone over toddler age but the girls were into it. I served it as an appetizer to....

Candy Corn Pizza
(Serves 4)

1 Whole Wheat Boboli pizza crust
Pizza sauce (You could use jar sauce. I made up a quick sauce with tomato sauce, Italian herbs, 1/2 cup broccoli minced very finely and salt and pepper to taste.)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar (must be orange)
2 medium yellow peppers, diced

1. Top crust with sauce.
2. Place mozzarella in a small, round circle in the center of the pizza.
3. Place the cheddar in a ring around the mozzarella.
4. Place the peppers in a ring around the cheddar.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
6. Cut into triangles. Serve!

Monster Milkshakes
(serves 2 toddlers and leaves enough for 2 Mommies to have a taste) ;o)

1 pint of vanilla Tofutti
3/4 c. milk or soymilk
1 tsp. mint extract
green food coloring
1/2 c. crushed chocolate cookies (I used an organic version of Oreos)
Clear plastic cups
Black permanent marker
1 drinking straw

1. Draw monster faces on the outside of the cups with Sharpie.
2. Blend the first 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth.
3. Add a little green food coloring (a couple drops). Blend. Continue to add color and blend until desired color is reached.
4. Pour milkshakes into cups and top with equal amounts of the crushed cookie.
5. Cut straw in half and put one half in each cup. Serve!

These were completely and totally delicious. If you haven't tried Tofutti 'ice cream' and are assuming its gross, I challenge you to make this milk shake. I am confident you will love it. The girls definitely did and the Mommies both wished there was more!