Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Steel Cut Oats

It's autumn! My favorite part of this time of year is the excuse to dig up all my favorite pumpkin, butternut squash and other fall-flavored recipes. It's also time to stock up on some of my favorite spices like pumpkin pie spice, which is a homey mixture of cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Think chai tea. I've had a few different versions of Baked Oatmeal and I have loved every one. I decided to put together my own version with a "pumpkin pie" twist and some wholesome ingredients. I love the texture of this because it can be sliced into squares or even scooped into muffin tins for a nice to-go breakfast that isn't a mess in the car. My kiddos gobbled this up. I have to make sure I plan a double batch next time!

Ingredients:
-2 cups pumpkin puree
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
-1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
-1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (a combination of cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom - I used Trader Joe's brand.)
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 1/2 cups raw milk (could use almond milk, coconut milk or plain yogurt)
-2 1/2 cups steel cut oats (I used the Trader Joe's quick cook version because they are cut smaller and have a smoother texture.)
*raw honey or maple syrup to drizzle on top, optional


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8 pan/pyrex with olive oil.
2. Blend together all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Pour into baking dish and cover with tin foil.
4. Cook 30 minutes. Remove tin foil. Cook remaining 15 minutes. Texture should be spongy & moist.
5. Drizzle with raw honey or maple syrup if you desire.

This is the original recipe that inspired me.

A Grain-free experiment: Cinnamon-Apple & Coconut Waffles {Gluten-free, Paleo}

I've been experimenting with some of the protein-packed flours like almond and coconut flours. These are great options for gluten-free or grain-free eaters. We are not totally grain-free but we definitely have a sensitivity to wheat so we have backed off a lot, especially with our baked goods.

My hubby loves his hearty breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles. I knew I would have to tinker until we could achieve a light, yummy waffle recipe. We love these waffles because they don't leave you with that I-ate-too-much, heavy feeling. They are just superb after a long Saturday morning run. I make a double batch on the weekends and use them on Monday to make a creative waffle sandwich for my daughter's lunch.


Ingredients:

-4 eggs
-2 tablespoons raw honey (or maple syrup or agave syrup) + more for topping
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
-2 teaspoons cinnamon

-1 1/2 cups almond flour
-3/4 cup coconut flour
-1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
-1/2 cup coconut, shredded & unsweetened
-2 small apples or 1 large, grated
-1/2 cup water

-sliced strawberries or apples

Directions:

1. Heat waffle maker. Beat eggs until fluffy/foamy.
2. Mix in honey or agave syrup and vanilla.
3. Add in salt, baking soda, arrowroot powder and cinnamon.
4. Add flours, flaxseed, coconut. Quickly blend. To do NOT overmix. The coconut flour quickly soaks up liquid and will make the batter to thick if overmixed.
5. Grate apple and add to mixture.
6. Don't panic if it looks thick. Coconut flour soaks up the liquid quickly. Add water until desire consistency if need be. Pour onto waffle maker.
7. Serve topped with strawberries and a drizzle of real maple syrup, agave or honey.

 

Makes 6 heart-shaped waffles on our waffle maker, which would be the equivalent of about 10 square-shaped waffles on a regular waffle maker.

*The original inspiration of this recipe is from Multiply Delicious. 

What to do with extra carrots: Make carrot-oat-raisin muffins {Gluten-free option}

Our friend Forest brought over his juicer on Sunday and showed us how get our juicing groove on. We made a yummilicious cantaloupe-orange juice. We had a bunch, I mean a bunch, of carrot pulp leftover afterward. I couldn't bear to just throw it out. Instead, I created this muffin recipe and served it up for my kids lunches and one of our on-the-go breakfasts this week. They were moist and the kids gobbled them down.

Carrot-oat-raisin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 cup raw milk or almond milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt (for creamier, thicker batter texture)
2 cups oats, uncooked
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's red mill) or 1 cup gluten-free baking mix (Pamela's)*
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup honey (or coconut palm sugar)
2 cups carrots, shredded or pulp from juicing (could substitute zucchini or apples)
1/2 cup raisins (could substitute in chocolate chips and/or walnuts)


Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend together egg, coconut oil, milk and yogurt.
3. Add dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flaxseed.
4. Mix in honey/coconut palm sugar, carrots and raisins.
5. Grease muffin tins with olive oil spray. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop batter into tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on top and springy to the touch.

Makes 2 dozen mini-muffins or 1 dozen large muffins.

*Our family is increasingly trying out gluten-free recipes because we all have a sensitivity to wheat. I did use wheat flour in the first run of these muffins but my friend Brandy tells me you can always just sub Pamela's baking mix (basically a mix-up of non-wheat flours) when doing muffins. She tried these out and she said her 6 kiddos gobbled them down. I use Pamela's for our pizza dough now and we all love it!

The aromatic wonder of Coconut-almond Pancakes {Gluten-free}

My hubby loves breakfast foods, especially pancakes. I remember when we first got married how we he was absolutely appalled that I would just eat an apple for breakfast or grab a quick muffin. His mama made him a hot breakfast every morning when he was a kid!

Since those early days we have come to a compromise. He makes smoothies for our family every morning and on the weekends I make a "big man" breakfast for him.

Our family has been exploring new ingredients to eat less grains and more protein-packed flours like coconut flour and almond flour. These pancakes are light and fluffy and give the same satisfaction of eating warm pancakes but are not made with typical white and wheat heavy flours.

Coconut has such an aromatic wonder. I love just making these pancakes because I get to be in the kitchen and smell that coconut oil on the griddle.


Coconut-almond Pancakes

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil or raw butter + more for cooking pancakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 almond flour
1 tablespoon flaxseed

Directions:

1. Blend eggs in mixer until foamy. Add vanilla.
2. Meanwhile, melt coconut oil/butter in a frying pan.
3. Add sea salt, cinnamon and baking powder to the eggs. Add flour and flaxseed.
4. Stir in melted coconut oil/butter. Do not overmix. If batter feels to thick, you can always thin out with almond milk or coconut milk.
5. Pour batter onto pan in silver dollar-sized pancakes. Flip when pancake is browned.
6. Serve with chopped nuts, applesauce, agave syrup or even maple syrup.

Makes 12 pancakes.

Our family loved this recipe so much I would definitely double it anytime I make it for the whole family because we were fighting over the last one.

We like to even make these Coconut pancakes for dinner and serve them with turkey bacon. It's a great quick meal - Breakfast for Dinner!

*Updated July 28, 2012

Celebrate St. Patty's Day with a Twist: Shamrock shake gets a new whirl

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! At the Gilmore house, a new holiday means a new challenge to find healthy ways to celebrate and have fun. With the help of my little shamrocks, I just created a Minty Shamrock Shake (Move over, McD's) and tried out Irish Soda Bread with healthy twists. Yummy! You could always go digging in your refrigerator or browsing at your farmer's market for green fruits and veggies. Try sliced kiwi, limes, green peppers, asparagus, cucumbers - even apples!





We know it may sound weird but spring is the time for sweet peas so why not utilize their natural color? They have a light flavor but do not dominate a smoothie so your kids probably won't even notice. And the good news is, you don't have to use those yucky dyes to make your food green. If you're gun shy, try a tablespoon first just to get a little color. Just be a sneaky chef and leave a comment so we can hear if your little leprachauns liked it.

Minty Shamrock Shake

-3 cups raw whole milk (or your fave type of milk)

-1 tray of ice cubes

-1/2 teaspoon organic peppermint extract (depends on how minty you like it!)

-3 tablespoons honey (or organic sugar, if you prefer)

-1/4 cup frozen organic sweet peas



1. Whirl these ingredients in your blender until smooth.

2. Serve with a straw.




I found several recipes for Irish Soda Bread and decided to create my own. A special thanks to Maura Marmo and Peggy O'Brien-Bremer from my elementary school on the South Side of Chicago, who inspired me with their bread recipes. I've never used caraway seeds before but they are a fun addition that give this bread a distinct flavor. I would serve this up for breakfast, lunch or a dinner appetizer.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

-3 cups whole wheat flour

-2/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice (sugar)

-1 tablespoon baking powder

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-2 beaten eggs

-1 1/2 cups buttermilk

-2 tablespoons organic butter, melted

-1 cup raisins

-1 teaspoon caraway seeds



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or mini loaves.

2. Sift flour into bowl. Add sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

2. Beat eggs. Add milk and butter. Blend into dry ingredients until batter is incorporated and moist.

3. Add raisins.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until golden brown on top.

6. Cool, slice and serve with butter.


Here are more St. Patty's Day healthy recipes from one of my fave online sources, Eating Well Magazine.

*This post was pulled from the Health-full archives.

Recipe of the Week: Carrot Tea Party Muffins

My girls (and the little boy I babysit) are into the "tea party phase." Today I decided to make up a new mini-muffin recipe using what we had on hand. Meilani had her friend Mia over and all four of the little ones put on aprons. Don't get me wrong: flour was flyin' and grubby hands were reaching in the batter but the result was this yummy (and healthy) new muffin recipe. Don't forget the flaxseed to give them some good omega-3s! We made these in our mini-muffin tins and they were perfect tea party fare. You could even frost them with cream cheese and honey blended for an extra special flair.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons organic butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups oats, uncooked
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup honey (or organic raw sugar)
2 cups carrots, shredded (could substitute zucchini or apples)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend together egg, butter, milk and yogurt.
3. Add dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flaxseed.
4. Mix in honey/sugar, carrots, raisins and chocolate chips.
5. Grease muffin tins with olive oil spray. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop batter into tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on top and springy to the touch.

Makes 2 dozen mini-muffins or 1 dozen large muffins.

New Year's Pantry Challenge, Small Bites offer Big Flavor, Day 12

Today's Menu:

Breakfast:
Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Scones with Lemon whipped cream
Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:
Leftover Chicken Curry Masala
Leftover Wheat Berry Salad
Kids: Grilled cheese sandwiches
Hard-boiled eggs
Sliced apples

Snacks:
Tangerines
Raisins
Spiced Popcorn

Dinner:
Red Lentil & Squash Soup
Sourdough Toast with Salmon Salad

Today I surveyed my cupboards and refrigerator hunting for something unique. Now that we're nearing the end of the second week without grocery shopping for wants or cravings I find myself digging deep for that spirit of creativity and challenge. Why do a Pantry Challenge if I'm not willing to press in when the shelves look bare?

Ok, I should clarify, nothing around here looks bare. Who am I kidding? Isn't that the lesson of this kind of "grocery shopping fast." We in America live in complete abundance every day. And even when I deprive myself a little. Even when I discipline myself not to give in to convenience and excess I'm still really sitting right here in the middle of it. I've got grocery stores and restaurants and fast food havens practically in my backyard. The farmer's markets in California's Central Valley are pregnant with ripe fruits and vegetables and it's January for crying out loud. We truly live in the land of plenty.

My lesson for today's Pantry Challenge is remembering the beauty of small bites. The Spanish have it down; they serve up delectable small bites aka "tapas" all the time. I *love* tapas. I love the idea of a small, artful plate before me. I adore the idea of eating slowly, contemplating each bite. When I was a swinging single girl I had room for small bites. I could afford the time. Now I'm a busy mama constantly fighting the clock, the incessant requests, the turned-up noses, the thrown-down food, the dietary needs of others. I seldom get a chance to breathe between bites. Today I'm reminded that if we stop to savor, we can find beauty in quality over quantity.

I found this Lemon-Cranberry Scone recipe and tweaked it with my kids in mind. I found a bag of cranberries from Thanksgiving. (Seriously, they were still good!) I dug out some lemons shared from a neighbor's tree. Meilani and I got out a small flower cookie cutter and had fun making something simple look sweet and fancy. The babies devoured them. (Ok, they licked the lemon whipped cream off and asked for more.) We all were surprised at the beauty in simple ingredients - butter, organic sugar, whole wheat flour, meyer lemons.

Cranberry-Lemon Scones with Lemon Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 3 lemons; preferably Meyer)
-1 teaspoon lemon juice
-2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
-1/3 cup organic raw sugar plus 3 tablespoons additional if using fresh cranberries
-1 tablespoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
-1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped coarse
-1 large egg
-1 large egg yolk
-1 cup organic heavy cream

Lemon Whipped Cream:
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1 cup organic heavy cream
-1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup or organic sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop cranberries and zest lemons. Reserve zested lemon for juice later.
3. In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add eggs and lemon juice.
5. Cut butter into cubes and add to mixture. Stir in cranberres and lemon zest.
6. Use a pastry blender or fork to mix until dough comes together.  Gather in a ball.
7. Dust a cutting board with flour. Press the ball into a 9" round. Use a small cookie cutter or glass to cut out mini scones.
8. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
9. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
10. Meanwhile, beat cream, adding agave syrup and lemon juice. When soft peaks form, stop beating.
11. Remove scones from oven. Cool on a plate and serve with a small bowl of the lemon cream for dipping.

Recipe of the Week: Breakfast Enchiladas

My hubby loves big breakfasts and I love weekend brunches. I recently served up these Breakfast Enchiladas at a Girls' Getaway at the Coast. We enjoyed the leftovers later for dinner.

You might consider using other fresh veggies from your spring garden or the farmer's market. We like to slip some spinach or other greens in with the filling or even chop some fresh asparagus to throw in with the eggs. Leave a comment and let us know what you try.

Spring often brings birthday brunches, baby and wedding showers, and even Easter or Mother's Day celebrations. Next time you're hosting try out these breakfast enchiladas to give your brunch a fun and festive flair!


Dorina's Breakfast Enchiladas

Ingredients:

-1 dozen organic corn or flour tortillas

Sauce:
-1 bottle Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce (or other favorite brand)
-1 15-oz. can organic tomato sauce
-1/2 cup organic sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Filling:
-olive oil
-8 eggs, cooked/scrambled
-2 cups pinto beans, cooked (use 1 can or 1 cup dried, soaked and cooked until soft on the stovetop)
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 teaspoon salt

Toppings:
-1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
-1 small can black olives, sliced
-3 green onion stalks, chopped
-1 avocado, sliced
-1 cup sour cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together ingredients for sauce in a small pan. Heat through.
3. Meanwhile, mix eggs with cumin and salt. Scramble in frying pan in olive oil. When eggs are cooked, add canned or precooked beans and mix together with eggs.
4. Spray bottom of 13x9x2 dish with olive oil. Lay out tortillas. Add a few tablespoons of cooked egg mixture to the center of each tortilla and roll. Place face down in the pan so the opening is at the bottom. Repeat with all tortillas until dish is full. (You may need more than one dish, depending on how full you like your enchiladas or how many tortillas you want to use.)
5. Pour sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.
6. Sprinkle olives and green onions on top of cheese.
7. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are warm.
8. Garnish with sliced avocado and serve with sour cream on the side.

Pumpkin-Pecan Whole Grain Waffles

Yesterday my hubby woke up and asked if we could have Pumpkin Waffles. I thought that was a funny request since I've never made Pumpkin Waffles before. We do pumpkin pancakes quite often. Of course, I'm always up for the culinary challenge so I made a face at him and set to work.

In case you haven't noticed, this time of year we throw pumpkin into everything so I figured, why not? If you're looking for something a little different to grace your breakfast table, try these. We made a double batch and froze some for another breakfast. You could always skip the pecans if you're not a fan or even substitute with walnuts or almonds. Pumpkin is a great source of fiber and it's full of carotenoids, which are antioxidants. Since it's cold and flu season, we're always looking for ways to incorporate antioxidants into our meals.

Did you know that an ounce (9 grams) of pumpkin seeds has the same amount of protein as an ounce of meat? (Check out The Doctors Book of Food Rememdies). You could even throw some toasted pumpkin seeds on top of the waffles.


Pumpkin-Pecan Whole Grain Waffles


½ cup butter, melted

1 cup pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 ½ cups raw milk

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup wheat germ

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ cup chopped pecans

Maple syrup


Directions:

1. Using a mixer, beat eggs and raw milk. Add pumpkin and butter.

2. Add flour, wheat germ and baking powder. Mix.

3. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sea salt. Mix.

4. Add chopped pecans.

5. Follow instructions on waffle maker. Serve drizzled with real maple syrup.

Recipe of the Week: Berry-Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Spring has sprung in California! That means all sorts of colorful, yummy vegetables and fruits are showing up at the farmer's market. We love using fresh berries in our breakfast foods. I've been tinkering with this recipe for a while. It's great for breakfast but also an option for snacks. This makes a large batch so you can freeze half for another time. We do the regular-sized muffins for the adults and the mini muffins for the kids.

BERRY-HEALTHY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups milk (We use raw milk. Could substitute goat's milk, soy or almond milk.)
1/2 cup organic butter, melted
1/2 cup plain yogurt or apple sauce
4 eggs
4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup raw sugar or sucanat (or 1/2 cup honey)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups frozen or fresh organic blueberries
Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.
3. Mix milk, butter, yogurt and eggs.
4. Add dry ingredients. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
5. Add frozen berries.
6. Spoon into muffin tins and sprinkle nuts on top of batter. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top.
7. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Makes approximately 2 dozen regular muffins plus 2 dozen mini muffins.

Recipe of the Week: Amish Friendship Bread - all the sweetness with a healthy twist

My friend Paula is the first one who gave me the starter for this fabulous cinnamon bread. I modified the original recipe (Hopefully, the Amish don't get mad) so it's a bit healthier. If you want some of the starter, please let me know and I can pass it on. The starter is made over 10 days and then you bake the bread. Some call it Pass-It-Along Bread. It's fabulous for breakfast or for dessert.

Amish Friendship Bread
NOTES:
-Do NOT use any type of METAL SPOON OR BOWL for mixing.
-Do NOT refrigerate.
-When the bag fills with air, let it out.
-It is normal for the bag to rise, bubble and ferment. This is part of the process.
*I modified the recipe I was given by my friend to give it a healthier twist. My modifications are in parentheses.

Day 1 – Do nothing.
Day 2, 3, 4 & 5 – Mush the starter bag with your fingers to mix dough.
Day 6 – Add the following ingredients & mush bag:
1 cup of milk (raw)
1 cup of flour (whole wheat white or whole wheat pastry)
1 cup of sugar (evaporated cane juice or raw turbinado sugar)
Day 7, 8 & 9 – Mush the bag

Day 10 –
1. Pour entire contents into a NON-METAL bowl
2. Add & mix
a. 1 ½ cups of flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour.)
b. 1 cup of sugar (1/2 cup evaporated cane juice/raw organic sugar)
c. 1 ½ cups of milk (raw)
3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into four one-gallon Ziploc bags. This is called a starter. Keep one for yourself and give the other three to friends along with a copy of the recipe. Be sure to mark the bags with today’s date.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
5. To the remaining batter in the bowl, add:
a. 1 large box instant vanilla pudding (I use the Trader Joe's brand because of all the unhealthy stuff in most instant pudding like preservatives, aspartame and dyes.)
b. 3 eggs (cage-free)
c. 1 cup oil (1 cup applesauce or plain yogurt)
d. ½ cup milk (raw)
e. ½ cup sugar (evaporated cane juice/raw organic sugar)
f. ½ teaspoon vanilla
g. 2 teaspoons baking powder
h. ½ teaspoon baking soda
i. ½ teaspoon salt
j. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
k. 2 cups flour (whole wheat pastry flour)
l. (1/4 cup ground flaxseed)

6. Grease two large loaf pans or 4 mini loaves and mix additional ¼ cup sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half the cinnamon-sugar.
7. Pour the batter evenly into loaf pans and sprinkle with second half of cinnamon sugar.
8. Bake ONE HOUR. Cool until bread loosens from pans evenly (about 10 minutes). Turn out onto a serving dish and serve warm or cold.

Here are some other fun variations of the bread I found. Our fave variations are to add 1/2 cup of raisins to the batter or to sprinkle the top of mini loaves with chocolate chips.

Recipe of the Week: Classic Banana Bread with a Healthy Twist

My friend Kristi requested a healthier banana bread recipe. We concocted this one by reading a few classic recipes and adding our own substitutes. If you have an abundance of bananas at home, try it out.

1 cup organic evaporated cane juice (or honey or sugar)
1/2 cup butter, softened (or 1/4 cup butter & 1/4 cup plain yogurt)
2 large eggs, cage-free
1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (approx. 3)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or other flour of your choice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Garnish: chocolate chips, chopped nuts, various seeds

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 or 1 9x5x3 or 4 mini loaves) with butter or olive oil spray.
3. Mix evaporated cane juice and butter/yogurt in large bowl.
4. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth.
5. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until moistened.
6. Divide batter evenly among pans. Sprinkle chocolate chips, chopped nuts or seeds on the batter for garnish. Bake 8-inch loaves for about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf for 1 hour & 15 minutes and mini loaves approximately 45 minutes. Use toothpick inserted in center to test. Make sure toothpick comes out clean to determine if it's done.
7. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen sides of loaves and remove from pans. Cool completely.

Homemade Healthy Holiday Gifts

Joan Obra, writer for the Fresno Bee newspaper, shared our Peanut Butter Granola recipe with readers today. We thought we would repost this recipe for all of you as well. We've made it a new tradition to package granola to share with friends and family at holiday time instead of our usual cookies.

Don't get us wrong, we still love cookies and candy but they seem to come in such abundance at this time of year that we thought it would be fun to put a healthy twist on food gifts. The great thing about granola is it can be used as a gift anytime of year. We even packaged it up as granola bars with a "nursing mama" gift for a friend who just had a baby. Oats are supposed to help with milk production.

Meilani, our 2-year-old, loves to help Mama make the 'nola. She gets her hands in the oats, nuts and seeds mix and does her special job of making sure everything is incorporated. When we give the granola away to friends, we encourage them to eat it as a snack or even a cereal with yogurt or milk.

PEANUT BUTTER-COCONUT GRANOLA
OR GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients:
-olive oil spray
-3 cups oats
-1 cup raw peanut butter
-1 cup honey + 1/4 cup honey
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
-1/2 cup chopped almonds
-1/4 cup flaxseed
-1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
-1/2 cup shredded coconut

1. Spray rectangle cake pan with olive oil spray. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine peanut butter, 1 cup honey and vanilla. Allow to warm until you can mix the 3 together to form a runny paste.

3. In a large bowl, mix oats, seeds, almonds and flaxseed.

4. Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and mix until clumps of granola form. Mix in raisins.

5. Then pour mixture into cake pan and spread out evenly.

6. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 honey.

7. Sprinkle with coconut.

8. At this point if you just want to make granola cereal or snack, stick it in the oven. If you want bars, then use a large metal spoon to pat granola down lightly.

8. Bake approx. 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

9. Remove from oven and pat down again to flatten if you want to cut it into bars. Otherwise, cool.

10. Allow to fully cool and then cut into bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or just serve out of the pan for a snack anytime. These are also great crumbled with yogurt for breakfast.

**NOTES: These are inexpensive to make especially if you buy your oats and honey in bulk at places like Costco and Winco. We especially like Winco's fresh-pressed raw peanut butter. They have a machine that presses it straight from the peanuts while you wait with no additives. Also, they have local raw honey. Winco sells seeds, raisins and unsweetened coconut in the bulk section. Try to avoid prepackaged seeds or peanut butter with added sugar, salt, etc.

Recipe of the Week: Moist & Dark Zucchini Muffins

I grew up on Zucchini Bread. Zucchini was in abundance even in our small city garden in Chicago throughout the summer and fall. It's one of those yummy dessert-meets-breakfast or really anytime-of-the-day snacks. Over the last year, I've been experimenting with different kinds of natural sweeteners in an effort to avoid the overprocessed white sugar so often used in baking. I took my mom's classic Moist & Dark Zucchini Bread and put a healthy spin on it. Make it as a quick bread, 4 mini loaves (which make nice housewarming gifts) or 24 regular-sized muffins.

Moist & Dark Zucchini Muffins (or Bread)

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 plain yogurt
1/2 cup organic butter, softened
1 cup rapadura or coconut palm sugar (a natural sweetener like sugar that's unrefined & unbleached - Find it at Whole Foods or other stores or substitute in an additional 3/4 honey)
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups white whole wheat flour (King Arthur's or other brand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups zucchini, grated

Garnishes: Chopped nuts, Chocolate chips, Dried cranberries, Chocolate-covered sunflower seeds (found at Trader Joe's), 1 cup ready-made granola, unsweetened coconut.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs.

2. Stir in yogurt, softened butter, rapadura, honey, and vanilla.

3. Blend in dry ingredients and spices.

4. Fold in zucchini.

5. Spoon in greased muffin tins (or use paper cups) or other loaf pans.

6. Sprinkle with garnish of choice.

7. Bake muffins approximately 25-30 minutes, mini loaves for approximately 35-45 minutes, full loaf (9x15) for 55 minutes -1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe of the Week: Pumpkin Pancakes

When the crisp temperatures of fall and the colored leaves appear, so do pumpkins and other kinds of squash. In addition to putting them in all different recipes, we love to use them for decoration and craft projects at our house. Pumpkin also happens to be one of those awesome power foods. Pumpkin is high in fiber and iron. It's a beta-carotene king which protects against cancer of the esophagus, lungs, stomach.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 cups raw milk or buttermilk (even plain yogurt will work)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin pureed/ 1 15-oz. can pumpkin (organic)


maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Melt butter in the skillet you plan to use for your pancakes. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk.
3. Add flours (feel free to mix different flours as you desire), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. *Note: If you are using whole wheat flour or spelt, you may want to add more liquid to the batter. Different flours thicken up this batter differently.
4. Blend well. Add pumpkin puree.
5. Pour or spoon batter onto griddle/skillet. Flip when little bubble form on top of pancakes (2-3 minutes).

6. Transfer to a plate and serve with maple syrup and chopped nuts sprinkled on top.



**I love experimenting with squash. Here are some other recipes I've created that use different types of squash. Do you have a favorite fall squash recipe? Please share about it in the comments section!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Banana-pumpkin Mini Loaves or Cake
Thanksgiving Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe of the Week: Peach Dutch Baby

Ok, so I don't exactly pass as one of those tall, blond Dutch girls but I did attend Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I think I was adopted into more than one Dutch family in my four years there. My friend, Jen Vander Meulen, first introduced me to this breakfast treat called a Dutch Baby. I modified the recipe to add some "healthy elements." I love the crispy outside and the chewy inside of this pancake. I used frozen organic peaches since peaches aren't in season in Fresno right now. I can't wait to try it out with fresh, succulant peaches this summer. This would work well with berries or apples sprinkled with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon as well.

Ingredients:
-1 tablespoon; 4 tablespoons butter
-1 lb. sliced peaches
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1 cup spelt flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
-1 cup raw milk
-3 tablespoons sucanat (or organic evaporated cane juice)
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-3 large cage-free eggs
-4 tablespoons organic butter, melted

-maple syrup (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice peaches. Mix with honey and lemon juice and saute in a pan in 1 tablespoon butter until warm. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, milk, sucanat, salt and eggs to form the Dutch baby batter.
4. In a quiche pan or a cast iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter and spread along bottom.
5. Pour batter on top and bake until puffed and golden brown on top (approx. 20 minutes).
6. Spoon fruit onto the middle of the pastry and serve immediately in wedges. You can drizzle some maple syrup on top if you like and garnish with mint.

How to Make your Hearts Day Healthful

Valentine's Day is one of our fave holidays because it's a chance to spoil and celebrate the ones we love. We recognize that one way to do this is to make special foods. This year, as we continue this healthy living journey, we've been on the lookout for healthy celebration foods. Yes, even the desserts have a wholesome, yet delicious twist.

Think a Romantic Breakfast in Bed

*Ellie Krieger's Heart-Shaped Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

*Dorina's Quiche with chard, red pepper & turkey bacon

*Dorina's Blueberry muffins with a Strawberry Smoothie

BERRY-HEALTHY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw sugar or sucanat (or 1/3 cup honey)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk (We use raw milk. Could substitute goat's milk, soy or almond milk.)
1/2 cup organic butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.
3. Mix milk, butter and eggs.
4. Add dry ingredients. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
5. Add frozen berries.
6. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top.
7. Cool 5 minutes and serve.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Luscious Lunch for the kids or your Lover
Heart-shaped grilled cheese (with goat cheese & turkey) - Use a large heart cookie cutter to cut whole wheat bread into heart shapes
Blue tortilla chips with mango salsa
Honey-Lemonade with frozen raspberries
Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries

Divine Dinner
Filet mignon with gorgonzola cheese
Italian Mushroom risotto
Roasted orange cauliflower

Drop-dead yummy Desserts

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ellie Krieger's Mocha Chocolate Cake

Banana Cream Pie with Whole Wheat Chocolate Crust

Pears in Honey-Caramel Sauce

Dorina's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Heart-shaped Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups flour (I use 2 cups unbleached white and 1 cup wheat)
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon flaxseed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz. can pumpkin (100% pure)
4 large eggs
1 cup honey
2 medium mashed bananas
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 bag chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup honey (or until consistency you like)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 heart-shaped cake pans or round cake pans.
2. Mix eggs, butter, sugars/honey, pumpkin and banana.
3. Mix in dry ingredients.
4. Add chocolate chips & nuts. Do not overmix.
5. Pour into loaf pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely on rack. Meanwhile, whip softened cream cheese with whipping cream and honey with mixer until consistency you want - not too runny.
7. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Dorina's Chewy Oatmeal-Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice or sucanat
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup rolled oats
1 c. dark chocolate chips
1 c. craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix honey, butter, vanilla and egg.
3. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and oats. Mix just until incorporated.
4. Add extras like chocolate chips and/or dried fruit.
5. Drop tablespoons of cookie dough onto greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for approx. 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown on top.
7. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes and serve.

More healthy recipes and Valentine menus can be found in Eating Well magazine. Check out their ideas.

Snack Recipe: Time to Make the Granola

We have this little joke at our house. I don't know how many of you remember those old Dunkin Donuts commercials where the little guy with the mustache would wake up at the crack of dawn. He would mumble, "Time to make the donuts," and then the camera would follow him along as he prepped the donuts for the day. Well, at our house we say, "Time to make the granola." We know when the blue plastic container is left out on the counter that it's time to make a new batch. Daddy Ericlee scarfs at least one batch of granola a week!

Meilani is now joining me for the weekly making of the granola. We usually try to do it on Sunday afternoon or Monday so Daddy has a great supply of cereal (and snack) throughout his busy work week. (And we save a ton of money this way too because all the ingredients are available in bulk. Meilani helps me measure the oats and mix on the sunflower seeds, flaxseed and almonds. Whenever she sees me reaching for the big glas bowl and pulling down the ingredients, she pulls up a chair to the counter and rolls back her sleaves. "Help" she says. It's a command, not a question.

Some of you have it already but we thought we'd share our special Peanut Butter granola recipe. You can make it into a loose cereal/snack or pat it down in a rectangle pan to make granola bars. We even packaged it up for some friends for Christmas gifts tied with a pretty ribbon. Time to make the granola...

PEANUT BUTTER-COCONUT GRANOLA
OR GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients:
-olive oil spray
-3 cups oats
-1 cup natural peanut butter
-1 cup honey + 1/4 cup honey
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
-1/2 cup chopped almonds
-1/4 cup flaxseed
-1/2 cup raisins
-1/2 cup shredded coconut

1. Spray rectangle cake pan with olive oil spray. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine peanut butter, 1 cup honey and vanilla. Allow to warm until you can mix the 3 together to form a runny paste.

3. In a large bowl, mix oats, seeds, almonds and flaxseed.

4. Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and mix until clumps of granola form. Mix in raisins.

5. Then pour mixture into cake pan and spread out evenly.

6. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 honey.

7. Sprinkle with coconut.

8. At this point if you just want to make granola cereal or snack, stick it in the oven. If you want bars, then use a large metal spoon to pat granola down lightly.

8. Bake approx. 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

9. Remove from oven and pat down again to flatten if you want to cut it into bars. Otherwise, cool.

10. Allow to fully cool and then cut into bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or just serve out of the pan for a snack anytime. These are also great crumbled with yogurt for breakfast.

**NOTES: These are inexpensive to make especially if you buy your oats and honey in bulk at places like Costco and Winco. Feel free to substitute your own favorite nuts and seeds. Winco sells seeds, raisins and unsweetened coconut in the bulk section. They also sell the fresh, natural peanut butter. Try to avoid prepackaged seeds or peanut butter with added sugar, salt, etc.