New Blog

I've decided to close down my shop, at least temporarily. Having 2 kids is keeping my pretty busy with out adding sewing to the mix. I'm going to sell off what's left in my Etsy shop (and hopefully get a few remaining items listed) and after that, I'll just leave the shop there to save my name but there won't be anything active. That means that this blog will be pretty much inactive, too. (Not that I was that good about posting here, anyways!)

What I am doing now, however, is weekly meal planning. I've had a few friends ask for this, and I'm starting a new blog dedicated to posting the weekly meal plans and recipes each Sunday. If you're interested, you can check it out at www.52mealplans.blogspot.com. Let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

This is a great pumpkin cookie recipe from a pumpkin cookbook I have. It's become a tradition over here to make them every Halloween. I usually double the recipe to have enough to share with friends and neighbors (the recipe says this will make 50 cookies but they must use miniature cutters. I find it only makes about a dozen cookies w/the cutters I have).

2 1/4 all-purpose flour (I like to use whole wheat)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temp
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I like to use sucanat)
2-3 Tbs finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg yolk

Sift the flour, spices and salt together in large bowl. In separate bowl, cream together butter, sugar and orange zest. Add in flour mixture, pumpkin puree, and egg yolk and mix to form a soft yet stiff dough. Divide into 4 balls, flatten each and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 mins. Preheat oven to 375 F. Take one section of dough out of fridge at a time and roll out to about 1/8" thick. I like to roll between two sheets of wax paper, dusted w/a bit of flour. Cut out cookies w/Halloween or fall cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins or until light golden on the bottom. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting. You can frost these with a cream cheese frosting or a traditional sugar cookie icing and they are also delicious plain (not too sweet, which is perfect for me).

Meal Plan week of 8/15/10

This week my customary two crock pot recipes are coming from the Crock Pot Lady. I'm just linking the recipes so I don't have to re-type them.

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

Crock Pot Broccoli Beef (I will serve this over brown rice)

Mahi Mahi Steaks w/Mango Salsa and Curry Couscous (I'm pretty sure this came from Rachael Ray. I've had it in my recipe box for years and it is SO good!)

Make salsa ahead of time and refrigerate. Combine the following:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1" fresh ginger, grated
1/4 of a cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
20 or so blades fresh chives, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Grill the Mahi Mahi:
Squeeze juice of one lime over 4 mahi mahi steaks. Drizzle with EVOO and season w/S&P. Grill about 5 mins per side.

Make the Couscous:
2 cups chicken broth or water
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs EVOO
1 handful raisins (I like golden raisins for this)
1 cup couscous
2 scallions, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 navel orange, peeled and chopped
2 oz sliced almonds

Bring broth to boil w/curry powder, salt, oil & raisins. Place couscous in separate bowl. Add boiling liquid and cover. Let stand 10 mins. Fluff w/fork and stir in scallions, carrot, orange and almonds.

Top fish with salsa and serve w/couscous and additional veggies if desired.

"Happy" Pork Chops (this came from a wine tasting I held at my house)
6 pork chops (1/2 to 3/4" thick), seasoned w/S&P
EVOO for sauteing
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked rice
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 med jalapenos, minced
1 cup water or beer
2 cups chicken broth
fresh cilantro, chopped

heat oil in large skillet; add pork. Sear on both sides just until brown, about 1 min on each side. Remove from skillet and cover loosely w/foil.

Add garlic and onions to skillet. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 mins, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add rice, stirring until just begins to brown, about 3-4 mins. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, beer and broth. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 mins. (If using brown rice like I plan to, I'm guessing this would need to simmer more like 1/2 hr before proceeding to the next step and you might need more liquid - refer to package directions).

Place chops on top of rice, cover. Simmer 8-10 mins until pork is done. Let stand 5 mins before serving. Sprinke w/chopped cilantro and serve w/green salad or veggies of choice.

Salmon Salad Fajitas
Combine in mixing bowl:
1 tin salmon, drained
2 Tbs mayo
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp chili powder

Add, stirring gently:
1 carrot, grated
1 green onion, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
S&P to taste

Serve in whole wheat tortillas or pitas. Makes 4 servings.

Meal Plan week of 8/8/10

Szechuan Orange Ginger Chicken
1 orange, juiced and grated rind
2 cloves garlic, fnely chopped
1 tbs fresh grated ginger
1 tbs cider vinegar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
2-3 bell peppers of various colors, cut into strips
oil for sauteeing
hot cooked brown rice

Mix orange rind w/ garlic and ginger, set aside. Whisk orange juice, vinegar, hot sauce, sugar and cornstarch, set aside. Saute chicken in oil until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Cool the ginger, orange rind, and garlic in same hot oil for about 10 sec (until fragrant). Add bell peppers and cook 2-3 mins. Return chicken to pan, add sauce, cook until thickened. Serve over rice.

Tuna Burgers
Mix:2 tins water packed tuna, drained
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat breadcrubs
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs teriyaki sauce
1 tbs ketchup

Shape into 4 patties. Sprinkle some cornmeal on dish and coat patties on each side. Fry in olve oil for about 6 mins per side or until browned and heated through. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce or in whole wheat bun or pita. Serve w/veggies or green salad

Thai Chicken Tortilla Pizza
Preheat oven to 375
Bake 4 large whole wheat tortillas for 3 mins on ungreased cookie sheet.
Make Thai peanut sauce:
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup light soy sauce (important to use light otherwise will be too salty)
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbs honey
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch red pepper flakes

Spread 1-2 Tbs peanut sauce on heated tortillas
Sprinkle evenly on tortillas:
2 cups diced cooked chicken
small red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Bake 10-12 mins until cheese is melted and edges are lightly browned.

Curried Chicken Apple Salad
1 tbs oil
1 tbs curry powder
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 med apple, cubed
6 dried apricots, diced
salad greens

For dressing: heat oil in small saucepan. Add curry powder and onion. Saute 1-2 mins or until onions are tender. Add lemon juice, honey and salt. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about a min. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in mayo and yogurt. Set aside. In large bol, toss chicken, celery, red pepper, apple and apricots. Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Serve over salad greens.

Crock pot chili
2 lbs ground beef or steak cut into cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbs chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can kidney or pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Brown ground beef in skillet. If using steak you don't have to brown. Mix all ingredients except beans in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hrs. Stir in beans and cook on high 15-20 mins. Serve w/your favorite chili fixins and cornbread or tortillas.

Weekly Meal Plan 7/26/10

I told a friend that I would share my weekly meal plans with her. Since I'm writing them up for her, I thought I'd post them here, too.

I normally do 5 or 6 days of meals and plan to have leftovers one or two nights.

The meals:
1. Jenna's Penne with Veggies
2. Red Beans and Rice (I like to serve w/green salad)
3. Pork Chops w/apples and kraut (pick out some veggies of choice to serve with this)
4. BBQ Chicken w/quinoa (say keen-wa) and veggies
5. Crock Pot Chicken w/Pepper and Pineapple

The recipes:
Penne w/Veggies
1 lb box of Penne pasta cooked al dente (I like to use whole wheat pasta for better nutritional profile but any will work)
approx 1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and then sliced into rounds (I cook this up as I'm bringing my pasta water to boil)
1/2 med onion, sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 med zucchini, sliced about 1/8" thick
2 med yellow squash, sliced the same
1-2 tomatoes, chopped (totally optional, sometimes I leave them out)
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) for sauteing and drizzling
S&P (salt & pepper) to taste
Parmesean or Romano cheese to taste

Saute the onion in a big skillet until translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the two kinds of squash and saute until tender. Add the tomatoes if using and cook for just one min more then remove from heat. Add in your cooked and drained pasta and your cooked sausage. Drizzle w/EVOO, toss together, and season to taste w/S & P and cheese. This makes a lot so you can have your leftovers on a different night :)

Red Beans and Rice
2 stalks celery, with leaves, sliced
1 med red onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or one cup dry beans, soaked overnight and cooked earlier in the day)
6 oz (approx) canadian bacon, cut into strips
1 cup chicken broth
about 5 Tbs parsley (here you go - a use for your parsley! I just eyeball it and never actually measure my parsley)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce (this is what my recipe calls for but I usually end up adding a lot more)
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 cup rice, cooked (I like brown rice, again for better nutritional content)
EVOO for sauteing

In large saucepan or skillet, saute celery, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in EVOO about 10 mins until veggies are tender. Stir in beans, canadian bacon, broth, most of the parsley, worcestershire, and hot pepper sauce. Stir occasionally until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Spoon over hot rice and sprinkle with remaining parsley. This is a pretty good meal as-is but I often like to add a green salad. (You might get leftovers with this one, too).

Pork Chops w/Apples and Kraut
I'm gong to give you the recipe as it's written, which is for oven cooking. I'm going to assemble this and put it in the crock pot instead.
4 1" thick pork chops
2 apples, cored and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
14 tsp nutmeg
32 oz sauerkraut, drained
veggies of choice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Brown chops in skillet about 5 mins on each side or until browned. Place chops in 9x13 baking dish (I don't see why you couldn't leave them in the skillet if it was oven safe). In bowl, combine remaining ingredients except veggies and mix well. Divide evenly and mound on chops. Cover and cook about 1 hr or until fork tender. Serve w/veggies of choice.

BBQ Chicken w/Quinoa and Veggies
This is simple. Just BBQ whatever kind of chicken pieces you like. We got a great tangy BBQ sauce at the local farmer's market that we'll use on this. Cook quinoa according to package directions (they have a big bag at Costco or I usually get mine in the bulk section at Sprouts). If you get the bulk kind, I think the ratio is one cup of quinoa to 2 cups water (like rice). I like to add butter and salt to the water when cooking. Steam until all the water is absorbed. You can also make in a rice cooker. Cook up whatever veggies you like and serve all together.

Crock Pot Chicken w/Peppers and Pineapple
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" pieces
4 med carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs grated gingerroot (or 1 tsp ground but it tastes better w/fresh)
1 Tbs packed brown sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp red pepper sauce
8 oz pineapple chunks in juice, drained and juice reserved
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 med red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
hot cooked rice for serving

Mix everything except pineapple, cornstarch and bell pepper in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hrs. Mix reserved pineapple juice and cornstarch until smooth and gradually stir into chicken mixture in crock pot. Stir in pineapple and bell pepper. Cover and finish cooking on high about 15 mins until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. You can top w/sliced green onions (or chives - come on over and get some!), toasted coconut (unsweetened), and/or chopped peanuts or cashews.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Made this tonight and was quite pleased with the results. It's modified from a mothering.com recipe.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can diced green chilis
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 red bell pepper, diced

topping ideas:
shredded cheese of choice (we didn't bother)
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips (could easily omit these if going low-carb)
chopped cilantro
sliced avocado (would have been divine if I had any in the house)

Mix all ingredients except chicken, bell pepper and toppings in slow cooker. Put chicken breasts on top and press down slightly to cover with liquid. Cook on low for 5 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Place back in slow cooker and cook another 2 hours on low. (This last step of cooking again wasn't really necessary, as my chicken was fully cooked after the 5 hrs on low. However, letting it cook again for a while on low did thicken it up some and gave a richer flavor). In the last 5 mins stir in bell pepper and continue cooking on low while you prepare toppings. You could also easily throw the bell pepper in from the beginning, but I prefer mine with a little crunch.

Serve in big bowls with plenty of toppings :)

Amazingly Good-for-You Chocolate Almond Shake

When I need a tasty, chocolaty treat, I make this shake. It's thick and creamy like a milk shake, but it's actually healthy, too!

Ingredients (all are approximate, I just go by sight):

1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
2 Tablespoons almond butter
1/2 Tablespoon OptOmega oil
1/2 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses (you could omit this if molasses is too strong for you. The reason I have it in right now is for the extra iron needed during pregnancy)
3 scoops Chocolate Whey Nutrimeal
water or ice as needed to thin or thicken the consistency

Blend everything in a blender until well combined. I like to keep my bananas frozen because it makes the shake smooth and thick without having to add extra ice. If your banana is not frozen, I would definitely add extra ice to make it colder, but then you may have to add extra water to thin it out some, too. You can make it super thick like a milkshake or you can make it thin enough to drink with a straw. The beauty of making it at home is you can make it how you like :)

Congrats are in Order...and Happy St Patty's Day

First off, Happy Saint Patrick's Day! And congrats to Nature Manipulated, the winner of my embellished prefold set from the Etsy Cloth Diaper Team give-a-way! I hope you love the prefolds!

This is not cloth diaper related, but being St Patty's day and all, I figured I'd ask who celebrates and what you do? I made Irish soda bread for the first time and it came out pretty well. Also I make the typical corned beef and cabbage. I must say that the past couple times I've made it, I tried it in the crock pot and was not really happy with the results. The crock pot really just never got it tender enough where it pretty much falls apart, which is how I like it. Maybe it's the altitude here or maybe it's because my slow cooker is getting old. Either way it didn't come out well with that method, so this time I tried the pressure cooker and was very happy with the results.

This is the recipe I used for the soda bread. I added about 1/2 cup soaked currants w/the buttermilk and a tablespoon of caraway seeds to the dry ingredients. It was delicious!

Polenta-Stuffed Poblano Pepper Recipe

This is so good that I had to share. We were trying to figure out what region this would be considered as coming from, but I think it's really just a fusion of different flavors and it definitely works.

Also, stay tuned tomorrow for info on the Laina's Laundry give-a-way!

Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Polenta, Sage, Greens and Feta:
3 cups vegetable broth (I actually used turkey stock)
1 cup water
3/4 cup dry polenta (corn grits)
6 large fresh (not dried) poblano or pasilla chilies
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup diced red onion (or about 1/2 a good-sized onion)
1 med red bell pepper, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups packed spinach leaves, chopped small
2 tsp dried sage (or 2 Tbs minced fresh sage)
1/4 tsp paprika, plus more for sprinkling (I used more like 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp chipotle powder, plus more for sprinkling (I use smoked paprika since I didn't have chipotle powder. The smokiness lends a similar flavor without the heat of chipotle powder. Again, I used more like 1/2 tsp)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup feta cheese, divided

Bring broth and water to boil in 4-qt heavy pot; whisk in polenta. Cook over med heat for 2 mins, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for about 20-30 mins, stirring frequently, until soft and creamy. I think the timing depends on the coarseness of your particular polenta, so just keep checking and stirring until it seems the liquid is absorbed and you have a thick, creamy porridge.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to broil. Place chiles on baking sheet and broil, turning every few minutes until lightly charred. Remove from oven and place in paper bag 5-10 mins until cooled enough to handle. Peel skins, cut slit down length and remove seeds. I ended up having to run them under water to get all the seeds out.

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until softened. Stir in spinach, cook about a minute more. Stir in sage, paprika and chipotle powder (or smoked paprika). Salt and pepper to taste.

Put oven back on broil. Stir spinach mixture into polenta and add 1/2 cup feta. Place chilies back on baking sheet with slit side up, and divide polenta mixture among chilies. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup feta. Broil 3-5 mins until browned. Remove from oven, sprinkle with additional paprika and chipotle powder, if desired. Serve immediately.

This is pretty labor intensive but so worth it. Also, if I would have thought about it early enough, you can easily prepare the peppers and the filling ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. Warm the polenta mixture up before stuffing, then stuff the chilies and broil for 5 mins and you're ready to eat.

Hot and Sour Slow-Cooker Soup with Pork

This is a really delicious and healthy soup. We had it all on it's own for dinner and it felt satisfying enough. It's pretty low-glycemic and you could make it even more so by substituting agave for the brown sugar. I made it with pork because I think the flavor works best with the soup and is pretty traditional, but you could easily substitute chicken or even beef (use beef stock instead of chicken). Also, you can add more red pepper flakes when serving if you need more heat like I did.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless pork ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces or even a bit smaller
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small to medium head of cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 cups chicken stock (I used homemade turkey stock)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained

Procedure:
Layer veggies in bottom of large slow-cooker (at least 4 qt, which is what mine is and it barely fit)
Layer on pork pieces
mix brown sugar, stock, red pepper, salt, pepper and tomatoes in separate bowl and pour on top of veggies and pork
cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-6 hours or until veggies are tender and pork is cooked through

Christmas is Coming...

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving! I can't believe it's already December and I am thinking about Christmas. Being pregnant with baby #2 has slowed down "production" in my Etsy shop, but I did make these festive embellished prefolds. What a great gift for a little one on your list!

I also wanted to provide a link to the recipe I used for pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I think it was the best pumpkin pie I've ever had! A quality fresh pumpkin makes all the difference, and I like the fact that it was minimally spiced (I only used cinnamon) and had very little sugar. I put it in a whole wheat pie crust and it was delectable. (One note - I did have to double the recipe to fill a deep-dish pie crust). Maybe a good Christmas dessert if you're not already pumpkin pied-out (which I never am)!

Moroccan Tagine Recipe

I tried this Moroccan Tagine recipe from Mothering Magazine the other night and it was good enough to post about :) I made a couple changes - I used a whole, small onion instead of 1/2, used agave nectar instead of sugar, used a decent-sized butternut squash (not small), and only about 1/2 can of garbanzos (because that's all I had on hand). Next time I think I will make it vegetarian and omit the chicken. It could be a pregnancy thing for me right now, but I didn't really think the chicken complimented the dish. I would also use a lot more onion, like at least one big one. And if you use agave, use less than called for as it is sweeter than sugar.

But, the good part - the butternut squash was delicious, and even though the spices and flavors were simple, it really came together well for a great autumn meal. And it's fast. Like 30 minutes fast if you do your chopping during toddler's nap times :) Which makes it a great weeknight meal, too.

(Just a note on the pic in the link - that is absolutely not what the dish looks like, not sure where that picture came from but I don't think it belongs with that recipe.)

Pumpkin and Bacon Soup

I originally planned to make this as a first course, but it turned out so rich and creamy that it was our whole meal (along with some crusty sourdough bread and olive oil).

2 lb pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-in chunks. (Or do what I did - knock off the stem, pierce several times with a fork, and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Let cool, then scrape out flesh with a spoon.)
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups peeled, diced carrots (or about 2 med)
1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
1 Tbs canola or olive oil
2 tsp curry powder (or to taste, I started with one and ended up adding the other at the end)
1 Tbs whole wheat flour (I think this makes it thicker, but really not necessary if you don't want to add it - I only used 1/2 Tbs and it was plenty thick enough)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb bacon, diced
salt and/or freshly ground pepper to taste

to garnish: pumpkin seeds and fresh grated nutmeg (I had already thrown away my pumpkin seeds so didn't use those. But you absolutely need the nutmeg!)

Combine pumpkin, onion, carrots and celery in large saucepan with oil. (Since my pumpkin was already baked and the pulp scraped, I just sauteed the mirepoix and then added the cooked pumpkin later) Saute over moderate heat 5-1o mins or until lightly colored and softening. Stir in curry powder and cook 1 min. Stir in the flour, remove from heat and add the stock. (Here's where I added the pumpkin pulp) Puree the whole thing with a "boat motor" or in a food processor or blender. (I had to do about 4 batches in my blender). Put the pureed soup back in the saucepot.

Fry the bacon until crispy. Drain off the fat and add bacon to the soup. Taste, and adjust seasoning as desired. (I did taste my soup before adding the bacon, and you could definitely do it without if you wanted to skip the bacon. You may need to add salt though. I found that the bacon was salty enough to season the whole soup w/out adding more). Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 mins, stirring.

Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds and grated nutmeg. Enjoy!

Mini Greek Pizzas

These mini Greek-inspired "pizzas" are fun to make and even more fun to eat - even Laina thought so!

For the crust I used soft, flat pitas (the kind with OUT a pocket). The sauce is whipped up from a good dollop of plain yogurt, a squeeze of half a lemon, minced garlic, and dill. Spread that over the crusts and then top with thinly sliced cucumber, tomato, and red onion, chopped black olives and shredded smoked salmon. Yes, salmon. (My favorite is the honey-smoked one from Costco.) Then sprinkle a tad more dill over the top. Laina loved every bit, including the salmon!

White Chocolate Chunk Ginger Oatmeal Cookies

I modified a recipe I had for "Chewey Oatmeal Cookies" and boy did they come out great! Not necessarily the healthiest, but at least it has oats which provide good carbs, fiber and a little protein, and ginger, which is known to have beneficial health properties, including relief from headaches, nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar (next time I make these I want to experiment w/agave nectar)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats (NOT quick-cook which have been overly processed and lose most of the fiber)
1 cup all-purpose four (also want to experiment here w/whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
4 oz white chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli's white baking chocolate)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Cream together shortening, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla at med speed of electric mixer. In separate large bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in ginger and white chocolate. Drop by heaping spoonfulls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time in center of oven for 10-12 mins or until lightly browned. Cool several mins on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Makes about 2 doz. Store in an airtight container.

Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach and Turkey Wrap

Sorry no pics of this one, but it sure was tasty! I love anything with red peppers.

Ingredients for 2 wraps:
2 whole wheat or sprouted grain tortilla or wrap
2 thick-cut slices turkey deli meat (the kind w/out nitrates is of course much preferred)
1 roasted red pepper (see below for making your own)
couple handfuls baby spinach
mayo (the kind made w/canola oil is healthier)
prepared pesto (I used Classico Traditional Basil Pesto)
shredded mozzarella
grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

To roast a red bell pepper (on a gas range, sorry folks, I'm not sure how you would do this on an electric stove, though I think I've heard you can broil them in the oven to get the same effect): Place washed and dried pepper directly on grate with heat around med-low. You want the flames to be high enough that the pepper's skin chars. Turn the pepper frequently until the skin is more charred than not. Then wrap the pepper in a clean dish cloth and let sit for about 5 mins. Peel the skin off with your fingers. Slice open the pepper and remove stem, seeds, and membranes. Then cut into strips.

To assemble the wrap: I spread a thin layer of mayo on each tortilla, then spread a dab of pesto on top of that. Layer the turkey, spinach, and then peppers. I grate the mozzarella and Parmesan right on top until it looks good to me. Season w/salt and pepper. Wrap up and enjoy!

Healthy Snacking

I made up a yummy, healthy and fun snack the other day and it even looked pretty so I had to share. I sliced a raw red bell pepper into thick strips, spooned on some tuna salad, and then topped with a chunk of avocado. I think next time I will actually cut the pepper into larger strips, more like cups so they hold more tuna. You can make the tuna salad up however you prefer, but I like to make mine with a little mayo (get the kind made with canola oil so it's healthier), mustard, and pepper. So easy and so delicious! It's low glycemic, the tuna is of course a great source of protein, and the red pepper is a super source of vitamins A and C and also has lycopene!

Hearty Banana Date Bread

I knew I wanted to make banana bread - I had 2 bananas sitting on the counter getting browner by the day. Laina doesn't like to eat them once they start to get too soft, so these ones were destined to be bread. I also have a humongous tub of pitted dates. Hadley's no less - way out here in Colorado! I have great memories of taking road trips with my family growing up and we would always stop at Hadley's if we were driving towards Palm Springs. Their date shakes were a special treat! I had no idea they were so widely distributed now.

Anyway, on with the story.

So I needed to make banana bread. And I had a huge tub of dates that, even though Laina and I love dates, we would be hard-pressed to make it to the bottom of. So I had this wild idea to make banana date bread. I searched online for a recipe that would suit my fancy. I wanted it to have, of course, dates and bananas, and preferably be healthy. Not finding anything I liked, I decided to improvise. The following recipe is my own concoction and I'm pleased to say it came out wonderfully!

Hearty Banana Date Bread

1 cup regular flour (I use unbleached white)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped dates
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (mine were med-large)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/8 to 1/4 cup agave nectar (I started with 1/8 cup but ended up adding a little more)
1/8 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x4" loaf pan with cooking spray. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Stir in dates. In separate bowl, beat bananas, oil, eggs, agave and water until smooth. If the batter is too thick you may need to add a bit more water. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture and mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for approx 55-60 mins, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool a few minutes, slice and enjoy. I store mine in the loaf pan on the countertop covered with foil.

Chocolate Yogurt Cake

This recipe comes from a chocolate cookbook that I got on clearance forever ago and never even make anything out of because after I bought it, I saw that it's from Australia, and all the measurements are metric. There is a conversion table in the back, but I just never wanted to put that much effort into baking something.

For Thanksgiving, however, I thought I would pull it out again and look for something yummy to make for dessert. I figured for a special occasion it was worth it to do the math. The great thing about taking a second look is that in addition to the metric cup/teaspoon/tablespoon measurements, each recipe also lists the weight for each ingredient. Fabulous! I do have a kitchen scale, and I've always known that for baking it's better to measure in weight anyways, so I decided on the Chocolate Yogurt Cake and I'm so glad I tried it. Delicious! The yogurt makes the cake really moist and also lends a little depth to the flavor.

Measurements are listed in both grams and ounces. For my cheapie, non-digital scale, I found it more accurate to use grams. I did make a few modifications for the high altitude we live in, and I've noted those where appropriate. Also the recipe doesn't call for strawberries, but I figured I could decorate it however I wanted, and I had the strawberries, so I put them on top.


Chocolate Yogurt Cake
125 g/4 oz self-rising flour
40 g/1 1/3 oz plain four
30 g/1 oz cocoa powder (the higher the quality of cocoa powder, the better the cake will be)
125 g/4 oz butter
310 g/9 3/4 oz caster sugar (this is super fine sugar, I use C&H Baker's Sugar) Omit 1 Tbs for high altitude
2 eggs, lightly beaten
125 g/4 oz plain yogurt
125 ml/4 fl oz water (for high altitude add 3 extra Tbs)
125 ml/8 fl oz cream, whipped (I used stabilized whipped cream, recipe below, since I made mine in the morning and I didn't want the whipped cream to deflate by the time we ate)

Topping
175 g/approx 6 oz white chocolate, roughly chopped
60 ml/2 fl oz cream
60 g/2 oz dark chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (370 for high altitude). Brush a deep 9" round cake pan with melted butter or oil. Line base and sides with baking paper (parchment paper). (Later the recipe calls for you to split the cake in half horizontally, so I just used two 8" cake pans and divided the batter between them).

Sift flours and cocoa together. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Combine yogurt and water in small bowl.

Using metal spoon (I used the paddle on my Kitchen-Aid mixer and did not do this by hand), fold mixed flours/cocoa alternately with yogurt mixture into creamed butter. (I did this in thirds, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of bowl). Stir until well combined and mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared baking pan(s) and smooth surface if necessary. Bake 45 mins or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (baking time was approx 25 mins for me with the increased oven temp for altitude plus the fact that I split the batter between two pans). Leave cake in pan 10 mins then turn onto wire rack to cool.

To make topping: combine white chocolate and cream in double boiler and melt, stirring frequently until smooth. Cool slightly.

To assemble cake: cut cake in half horizontally. Spread whipped cream over one half of cake; top with other half. Spread white chocolate mixture gently over top of cake. (I don't think I let my white chocolate cool enough before doing this as it ran right off the edges of the cake and it's not supposed to do that). Place melted dark chocolate in piping bag and pipe rings around cake. Use a toothpick to draw lines from center of cake out to form "feathered" pattern. (You'd have to see the pic in my cookbook to know exactly how this pattern is supposed to look. I decided to top mine with strawberries, then pipe the dark chocolate on top like drizzles).


Stabilized Whipped Cream
(this is using American measurements)
2 teaspoons water
3 teaspoons brandy, rum, or other liquor
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (for a healthier version, I substituted 1 packet Truvia, you could also use a tablespoon or so of agave nectar or other natural sweetener.)

-Chill bowl and beaters in refrigerator
-In a small, heat-resistant bowl or cup, sprinkle gelatin over water and brandy, let stand 5 mins
-Place cup in pan of very hot water, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and let stand, stirring frequently, until it reaches room temp.
-While gelatin cools, beat cream, remembering to stir gelatin frequently so it doesn't solidify
-Once cream is a medium consistency, keep beating and add sugar or sweetener and gelatin all at once. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.
-Cover and chill. Will keep upto 2 days.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

The church moms group I'm a part of made mini pumpkin pies yesterday for our "playgroup" time. It was great - the kids rolled out dough for either crusts or to cut "cookies" out of and sprinkled cinnamon sugar all over. The adults placed the crusts in muffin tins and filled with pumpkin pie mix. They came out so great! We used the recipe from the back of the canned Libby's pumpkin pie mix. Personally, I prefer the recipe from the back of Libby's pure pumpkin, but this one was of course easier for a group. I'm not entirely sure on how long they ended up taking to cook, we just kept an eye on them. You know they're done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. I think it was somewhere around 20-30 mins.

This is a great fun cooking project for you and your little ones! The kids loved helping and the little pies are just perfect for little hands! (The adults loved them, too!) You could even make them for holiday dessert and everyone could get thier own pie. Dress it up like I did above by grating fresh nutmeg on top and around the plate, place some nuts and/or berries as garnish, and the final touch which I did not do would be to place a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top!