cocoa-chia pudding

love this super healthy breakfast to switch it up some mornings! i usually have some frozen berries on hand, so if fresh ones aren't in season, there's always something to put on top. from eatingwell.com

ingredients

* 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk or other nondairy milk
* 2 T chia seeds
* 2 t pure maple syrup
* 1/2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 t vanilla
* berries and toasted almonds and even whipped coconut milk for a treat on top

directions

* Stir almond milk (or other nondairy milk), chia, maple syrup, cocoa and vanilla together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

lemon poppyseed muffins

i try to avoid wasting lemon zest and i had just made some lemonade.  super moist!  this recipe is from lecremedelacrumb.com which, from the looks of it, is a recipe blog i need to try from more frequently--everything looks delicious!

muffins

• 1⅓ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
• zest of 2 small lemons (or 1 large lemon - about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¾ cup plain fat free greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon poppyseeds

icing

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 and grease a muffin pan. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, and greek yogurt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in poppyseeds.
3. Fill muffin tins about ⅔ full with muffin batter. Bake for 12-16 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
4. To make the icing cream melted butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes until very fluffy. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Drizzle icing over cooled muffins. (If icing is too thick you can warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds ) Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.

dried blueberry granola

you know when you've finally made up your mind to do that thing you've been putting off and thus absolutely nothing will stop you from getting it done today?  well, that's what happened this morning.  i've had all the ingredients to make some sort of granola and this morning was the morning.  so nevermind that i had to crush my own cardamom seeds or mix oils--i was making this stuff or else!  i'm glad i did because it really turned out delicious!

as a side note, i've given up trying to trick myself into thinking granola is healthy.  it has some healthy ingredients, but it will never be yummy and low fat.  just deal with it, right?  okay.

i started with this recipe as a base and worked my own thing from there.

ingredients

5 C oats
1 1/2 C puffed rice cereal
1 1/2 C crisp rice cereal
1/3 C flax seeds
1/3 C sunflower seeds
1/3 C pepitas
3/4 t freshly ground cardamom
3/4 t cinnamon
dash salt
2 C coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 C coconut oil
1/2 C oil
1 C maple syrup
2 t vanilla
2 generous handfuls dried blueberries

directions

toss together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  melt coconut oil over medium heat, take off heat and whisk in remaining ingredients.  pour over oat mixture and mix til evenly coated.  spread evenly onto two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.  bake @ 350 for 30 min, mixing once after 15 min.  let cool and add blueberries.  try not to overeat every morning like me!!

healthy and hearty pancakes

i recently made these on a campout with friends and was pleasantly surprised at the favorable reaction--I sort of thought these were the kind of thing I like because they're my kind of yummy, but that my kids endure only because they know they don't have a choice...  ;>  enjoy!  and yes, there really aren't any eggs.

ingredients

2 C whole wheat flour
1 C flour
2 C quick oats
3 T flaxseed meal
1 T baking powder
generous amounts of cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice
2-3 C applesauce
2 T molasses
1 T oil
then just add any kind of milk until you have the right consistency--I frequently use soy milk

if you want to make them more hearty you can add up to 1/2 C each of wheat germ and/or uncooked malt-o-meal.

open-faced protein-packed "egg mcmuffin"

this is my go-to breakfast as of late.  it tastes delicious and since there's so much protein and fiber, i stay full until lunch.  this is an original recipe, i guess.  omit sausage if you're really worried about your sodium intake.

ingredients

1/2 whole wheat english muffin
garlic salt
1/2 C egg whites
small handful of spinach and mushrooms
2 turkey sausage links, sliced in half lengthwise
sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese

directions

grease a small microwavable bowl--about the same circumference as the english muffin.  pour in egg whites and cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes.  meanwhile, toast the english muffin and sauté the spinach and mushrooms.  lightly butter the muffin and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt.  warm sausage in the microwave then layer on the muffin first, followed by veggies, egg and parmesan.  voila!

apple and quinoa breakfast bake

this almost feels like an indulgence until you remember you made it with quinoa!  LOVE it when something healthy actually tastes good!  from popsugar.com.

ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa--i prefer red quinoa
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 apples, peeled, diced
1/4 cup raisins
2 eggs
2 cups vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup almonds, chopped

directions
whisk everything together and bake at 350 for about an hour--or until set.  serve with a dollop of plain greek yogurt on top, sprinkled with cinnamon.

step up the smoothie

recently i've tried to add more veggies to my smoothies.  before i would always just add a massive handful of spinach (and i still do), but i've learned that i can sneak a few more veggies in there without anyone noticing--like carrots, broccoli, cucumbers and even beets! 

i'm sure everyone's accustomed enough to making smoothies now that really all one needs are ingredient ideas and then you can play with the proportions to make the type of thing you like.  below are a couple of actual recipes that seemed unlikely to be yummy, but which i actually ended up liking a lot.  from mymagazine.

GREEN MACHINE SMOOTHIE (serves 2)

1/2 - 1 C chopped broccoli
1 kiwi, skin removed
1/3 cucumber, chopped
1/4 avocado
1/2 C frozen pineapple chunks
1 C orange juice (or other citrus juice)
1 t honey
maybe a couple frozen strawberries
1/5 of a brick of fresh tofu or 1/3 C plain greek yogurt


SUNRISE SMOOTHIE (serves 2)

1 cooked beet
1 C orange juice
1 banana
1 C frozen mango chunks
1/5 of a brick of fresh tofu or 1/3 C plain greek yogurt
maybe a handful of frozen pineapple chunks

biscuits and gravy

this is my favorite iteration of the classic from martha stewart magazine a few years back.  it's even yummy with chicken and apple sausage, though you will need to omit the flour and use corn starch as a thickener.  serve over these biscuits with a fried egg on top.

ingredients

8 oz pork breakfast sausage, crumbled (remove casing)
3 T flour
3/4 C evaporated milk
1 1/2 chicken stock
1/4 C half and half or whole milk
1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste


directions

brown the sausage and remove with a slotted spoon.  reserve 3T fat.  add flour and stir about 4 min over medium.  stir in evaporated milk, stock and half and half.  bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan continuously until thickened, about 8 min.  stir in nutmeg, cayenne, salt pepper and sausage.

spiced pumpkin bran muffins

a muffin makes the cut at our house if it's delicious, healthy and still moist two days after baking.  these definitely made the cut.  i'll add a titch more ginger next time.

from chefinyou.com

ingredients

• 1 can pumpkin puree (no pumpkin? try sweet potato puree instead)
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (low fat yogurt/fat free buttermilk work too--i used non-fat greek yogurt)
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup raisins--i used golden

directions

bake @ 400 for 20 min.

rolled omelet

i just loved this concept of being able to make a huge omelet all at once and not stand at the stove for an hour, making individualized omelets for each family member.  this way, the adults can have their half with veggies and herbs and "nasty" cheese and the kids can have theirs the boring way.  from everyday food magazine.

ingredients

• Olive oil, for pan
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 flour
• 8 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• add-ins
• cheese

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly-roll pan with oil. Line bottom of pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the two shorter sides. Brush parchment with oil.
2. In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Add eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper; whisk to combine. Pour into pan. Sprinkle spinach over top in an even layer.
3. Bake until edges of omelet are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar; bake until cheese has melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Beginning at one shorter end, lift parchment, and roll up omelet tightly, peeling back parchment as you go. Slice and serve.

hot rice cereal with nuts and raisins

i can't get enough of variations on rice pudding.  this was one i easily whipped up for breakfast before school and yet it was still scrumptious!

ingredients

3 C cooked rice (i used a mix of jasmine and sushi rice which made it more filling and more sweet)
2 C whole milk (i used a mix of half and half and 2%.  i think next time i might try almond milk and omit the syrup)
3 T maple syrup
roasted chopped almonds
golden raisins
freshly ground nutmeg

directions

stir rice, milk and syrup over medium-high heat til hot.  top with everything else and enjoy!

cardamom and lemon rice pudding

i adore rice pudding.  this variation was unique and delicious!  i adapted it to lower fat and calories from a recipe i found at epicurious.com.  super yummy to add toasted slivered almonds...


ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
• 5 whole green cardamom pods
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups cooked medium-grain white rice
• 1 cup golden raisins

directions

 In slow cooker, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, zest, cardamom pods, and nutmeg. Stir in rice, cover and cook on high 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, add raisins, and cook 1 hour more, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

healthy banana muffins

i found the recipe here and then tweaked it a bit.  these are super moist and super tasty.  i didn't add the chocolate chips or pecans, but i'm open to adding them a different time for a treat.

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 egg
1/4 C oil
3/4 C applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use at least 60% cacao)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.

strada

years ago i attended a baby shower and had this refreshing alternative to the typical breakfast casserole. i dug it out the other day to fulfill my assignment to bring something savory to a baby shower. i wish i had dug it out sooner--i had forgotten how tasty it was!

ingredients

1/2 loaf sourdough bread
3 T melted butter
4oz swiss cheese, grated (i use jarlsberg or emmentaler sometimes)
4oz cheddar cheese, grated
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 eggs
1 1/3 C milk
1/3 C white wine**
2 green onions, chopped
2 T dijon mustard
1/4 t pepper

topping:

3/4 C sour cream (i used non-fat)
1/2 C parmesan cheese, freshly grated

crumble or cut bread. line bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with bread and drizzle with melted butter. sprinkle 2 cheeses and bacon over bread. mix eggs, milk, wine, onion, mustard and pepper until foamy. pour over bread. cover with foil and refrigerate over night. let stand one hour before cooking. bake (covered) @ 350 for 35 minutes. spread with sour cream and sprinkle with parmesan cheese on top. bake 10 more minutes uncovered.


**if you'd rather not use alcohol, i used 1 T white wine vinegar and then filled the rest of the 1/3 C with water. my friend, katherine, also alerted me to a non-alcoholic beverage option called "fre" which she has had success with in other recipes. it's found next to wine in most grocery stores.

danish puff

my cute friend debbie has done it again. she brought this delicious pastry to a baby shower. yum, yum!

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons water

Place flour in bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter with pastry blender until it looks like small peas. Pour water over flour and mix with a fork. Form dough into 2 balls. Pat each half into 12 x 3 inch strip on a large ungreased cookie sheet. Set aside while preparing the next step.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large eggs

Heat butter and water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Stir in flour and almond extract. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat.
Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth.Divide in half; spread each half evenly over strips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until topping is crisp and golden brown. Cool 30 minutes. Frost with Glaze: 1 to 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 2 T. butter softened; 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1 to 2 T warm water. Mix until smooth and spreadable. Top with chopped walnuts or sliced almonds.

hot cider syrup

i tried a pumpkin pancake recipe that i didn't love, but i did love the syrup. i'll keep looking for a good pumpkin pancake recipe but until then i'll enjoy this syrup on all my other pancakes. i found it at allrecipes but reduced the brown sugar and corn syrup slightly--this reflects my changes.

• 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

million dollar muffins revised

the original version of these muffins are great. i just experimented with them to see if i could create a just-as-tasty but slightly more healthy and lower calorie version. i was pleased with the result.

ingredients

1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T flaxseed meal, plus 3 T water
1/4 C oil
1/4 C applesauce
1/2 C undrained crushed pineapple
1/2 C raisins
2 C shredded carrots

directions

combine dry ingredients in one bowl; egg, flaxseed mixture, oil and applesauce in another bowl; and remaining ingredients in another bowl. add the wet to the dry then the rest. bake @ 350 for 20 minutes. and it's infinitely better if you use muffin cups.

lemon poppy seed pancakes

my cute friend took me out to lunch for my birthday a while back and these were on the breakfast menu. i decided to look up a recipe to see if i couldn't create a new Easter breakfast tradition. i found it--these were excellent!

recipe comes from pickycook.com. i reduced the amount of poppy seeds by about half. the amount i prefer is what's written here.

for my growing family, we need to double the batch.

ingredients

2 cups unbleached ap (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 T poppy seeds
zest of 4 lemons
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

directions

mix the first half of the ingredients in one bowl. then the second half in another. gently combine, being careful not to mix too much--it's okay if it's a little lumpy. these needed to be cooked at a little bit lower heat. i cooked them on about 375 on my griddle. serve with berries on top. i used strawberries sprinkled with a little bit of sugar (and let them sit a while) and it was divine.

a winning combination

these are my favorite buttermilk pancakes and the yummy syrup to go with 'em. and they freeze SO well--they remain moist and fluffy even after being warmed in the toaster. and, if you use fat-free canned milk for the syrup, it will get weird and stringy after a couple days.

best buttermilk pancakes

2	cups all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
3	tablespoons sugar
2	large eggs , lightly beaten
3	cups buttermilk
4	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

cinnamon syrup (from my sister-in-law, biffy)

1 C white karo syrup
2 C sugar
1/2 C water
2 t cinnamon
1 C evaporated milk

bring the first 4 ingredients to a boil. boil for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. cool 5 minutes with the lid on and then add evaporated milk.

whole wheat pear bread

i just tried this out of the blue and it was yummy, thus i am putting it on the site. i added a little more shortening than it called for because it wasn't creaming properly and then i added a couple handfuls of craisins and used pecans instead of walnuts. (who needs walnuts, anyway?) i got it from cooks.com.

2-3 fresh Bartlett pears
2 tbsp. shortening
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. honey
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. water
1 egg, beaten
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 c. chopped walnuts

Core pears, but do not peel. Cut slices from one and reserve to decorate top. Dice remaining pears to measure 1 cup. In mixing bowl cream shortening and brown sugar. Add honey, grated lemon peel, lemon juice, water and beaten egg. Mix well.

Sift dry ingredients together and add to liquid mixture. Stir just to moisten dry ingredients. fold in nuts and diced pears. Turn into greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Arrange reserved pear slices on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until bread tests done. Let stand in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack to cool. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.