When I bake . . .

Baking is my first cooking love, and it's something I rarely do anymore.  When I bake, I eat what I baked.  And, I don't just try or sample, I keep eating and eating and eating.  So, usually I bake for a special occasion when I'm taking it to someone else's house or entertaining.  A few weeks ago we had a rare weekend with no real plans and I was in a baking mood.  I took a recipe from the Emily Bites blog and made a few changes to use some Meyer lemons we had that were ripe and some blueberries in the refrigerator.  They were delicious!  And, with the exception of 3 of them, I think I ate them all.

They look like muffins but you have to think about them like baked oatmeal because that's really the consistency.  If you use GF oats, they are gluten free.   If you do Weight Watchers, they are 2 points apiece under the new plan.

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Singles (makes 12)
adapted from Emily Bites

2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c. plain fat free Greek yogurt
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons)
zest of one large lemon
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven 350.  Lightly spray a muffin tin with cookie spray.

Whisk together the egg white, egg, almond milk, yogurt, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until blended together.  Stir in the blueberries.  Spoon the mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the oatmeal is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins

Another light recipe to help you keep your New Year's resolve.  This is low in sugar, low in calories and filling.  If you use gluten free oats, it's GF and I have been replacing the skim milk with almond milk.   These are a big hit at my house and I made a variation (below) with fresh blueberries when they were on sale last week.  Muffin may be a little misleading - these are more dense (think "filling and nutrient rich") but they are convenient singles to grab for breakfast and eat on the go.  I may have just eaten one for dessert . . .

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins (makes 1 dozen)
from Emily Bites Blog

2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 c. skim milk (or almond milk)
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of one large orange
2/3 cup halved fresh cranberries

Preheat oven 350.  Lightly spray a muffin tin with cookie spray.

Whisk together the egg white, egg, milk, applesauce, orange juice and zest in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until blended together.  Stir in the cranberries.  Spoon the mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the oatmeal is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  (94 calories/3SP/single)

Lemon Blueberry Variation:  Use 3/4 cup greek yogurt (vanilla or blueberry flavor)  in place of the applesauce and orange juice.  Use lemon zest in place of orange and use 1 cup blueberries (whole, fresh) in place of the cranberries.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

It still doesn't feel much like fall in So Cal (yes, we do have seasons . . . just not so much this year!) but I made some yummy pumpkin cookies a week ago.  We devoured them - I still love the Joy of Cooking version (here on the blog) but these oatmeal ones were pretty yummy too.  We like chocolate chips in our pumpkin cookies and I usually do the mini ones because they're less messy in little hands.  But, I think dried cranberries or raisins would be good in this recipe too.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (made 3.5 dozen)

adapted from All Recipes

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1.5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and spices.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and then add the sugar, beating until fluffy.  Lower the speed on your mixer and add the pumpkin puree and egg.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop tablespoons of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.  

First Day of Fall

It may not feel like it here in So Cal but today is the first day of fall.  I made this delicious fall-ish recipe last weekend for my girlfriends and I'm not sure about them, but I loved it (and chowed down the cold leftovers a couple of days later).  The pumpkin pie flavor was delicious and I liked the moist texture better than my other baked oatmeal recipes.  I made it GF and dairy free with GF oats and almond milk so it's versatile in that regard.  I imagine that a flax seed substitute would work fine for the egg as well.

I forgot to bring the whipped cream that I bought but I served it with maple syrup and some candied pecans that were chopped up.  Yummy!! Hope you're feeling some fall weather wherever you are!

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (8 servings)
adapted from Budget Bytes

1 can pumpkin puree (15oz)
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 c. milk  (can use almond or soy)
2.5 c. old fashioned oats
For topping:  maple syrup, milk, nuts, whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth.  Whisk in the milk.

Mix the oats into the pumpkin mixture.  Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and pour in the oatmeal.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot out of the oven.  Top with milk, maple syrup, nuts, or whipped cream.  Tastes good cold too!

Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

We're on vacation for a few weeks and here are some photos of what we've been up to:  

Giving Cinderelly showers on the beach

Bamboo pole fishing

Putting our toes in the sand

But, before we left, we made some cookies and want to share the recipe with you:

These cookies are gluten free and dairy free.  The only refined sugar is in the chocolate chips and if you use vegan chocolate chips, they'd be vegan.  You can substitute the agave for honey if you prefer.  At only about 85 calories per cookie, it's a healthy indulgence!

Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (makes 2-3 dozen)
from Two Peas and their Pod

3 ripe bananas, peeled
1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter
1 T softened coconut oil
2 T agave nectar (or honey)
1 tsp. vanilla
2.5 cups oats (I used gluten free)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (if you're using unsalted peanut butter)
1/2 cup chocolate chips  (I used the mini ones)

Mash the bananas with a fork.  Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, agave and vanilla and stir until smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until set.  These won't spread much and will stay more like balls.

Baked Oatmeal

I love hot breakfast or going out for breakfast.  My recent routine on Wednesday mornings is to grade papers at Panera while Little goes to MyGym Breakfast Club (drop off class where they feed the kids breakfast).  While Panera isn't my first choice, I really like their oatmeal and the free wi-fi.  At home, I usually have greek yogurt with Fiber One or granola and the girls usually have cereal.  I've been trying to change our routine a little and make hot breakfast at home for the girls more often - usually pancakes or scrambled eggs.  I've been on a roll lately with making this baked oatmeal.  If you have someone in your family who doesn't like oatmeal because of its texture (mushy), try this one - it's a little crunchy on top, drier than typical oatmeal, and delicious.  

I love the cooked blueberries but you could easily leave them out (today I used dried cranberries instead) or substitute some other fruit.  Adjust the brown sugar (or leave it out) according to your family's tastes.  If you double the recipe, use a a 9x13 pan.  Other easy add-ins are ground flax seed or chia seed, chopped nuts, dried fruit (cranberries or raisins), fresh chopped strawberries, raspberries, fresh cranberries - the recipe is pretty versatile.  If you're cooking GF, double check that you have gluten free rolled oats (TJs or Bob's Red Mill are two I've used).

Celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month and make a pan of baked oatmeal!

Baked Oatmeal (4 servings)

1 eggs
1/4 c. canola oil
2 c. oatmeal (old-fashioned, rolled oats work best)
1 c. chopped apple
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. milk
1/4 cup brown sugar, divided (optional)
1 T cold butter (optional)
Mix eggs and canola oil together. Then stir 2 T of brown sugar and the rest of the ingredients. Spread in greased pan (8x8 or 2 qt) dot with chopped up butter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 T of brown sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve with warmed milk.

New Snack and Family News

Oh, man.  So, the other day I signed up for Pinterest and let me tell you, that is a major time suck.  I've managed to avoid starting a Facebook account but I already spend time reading blogs.  Now Pinterest . . . it's fun and I liked taking some bookmarked ideas and having a visual representation of them.

My most recent new recipe came via a friend via Pinterest (thanks, Lisa!).  These are little no-bake treats with no refined sugar or flour.  I've made them with almond butter and with peanut butter and cut down on the honey a little bit.  Big sister and I loved them.  I think Little wanted them to be more like actual cookies (they're pretty chewy) and wasn't as jazzed.  With GF oats, they're a good little GF treat.

Click here for the recipe

In other news, I have actually been doing some stuff other than wasting time on Pinterest.  I've been driving to swim lessons every day and twice on Mondays and Wednesdays. Big is learning the backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.  She passed from Level 2 to Level 4 after being able to swim from one end of the pool to the other doing her stroke.  Don't you love how you can see her dimples while she does the elementary back stroke??  If anyone in the area needs a great swim instructor, I'll put you in touch with Coach Matt!

Little is taking her second year of ISR . . . videos to come in a few weeks!  You'll be amazed to see her swim.

Big also got chosen to do the Jedi Training Academy at Disneyland the other week.  She was so nervous to fight Darth Vader and was fighting back tears as she waited for her turn, but was then very proud of herself for conquering her fear.  It's also really cute . . . she thinks she's an actual Padawan and takes it very seriously.

Little loved Disneyland.  She got a little scared on some of the rides (Snow White and Peter Pan in particular) but it was a super fun day.  Little also recently learned the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle. I didn't teach either to her but I think her Dad has been singing while her Mom has been teaching.  And, when I asked her "who sings Twinkle Twinkle with you?" she said "Haaayyyydeeee" (her Grandma).

And, George got to come to Big's preschool for show and tell.  He was a huge hit . . . actually did some stuff like eating food and walking around and peeing.  The kids especially liked the part where he peed (4 year olds + an animal peeing = levels of excitement I didn't anticipate*).

*Wow . . . I never thought I'd write that last sentence on a food blog.  Sorry.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Now, these cookies aren't anything new (I've had them before when my mom and sister in law have made them) and the recipe isn't a big family secret - you can find it on the back of the bag of Trader Joe's gluten free oats.  But, they are so good I had to put the recipe here so everyone can make them.

My motivation in baking them last week was twofold.  First, I was at the park when Big sister came running over to tell me that "these girls are selling cookies in boxes."  Girl Scout cookie time!  I told her we could buy some, gave her some money, and then realized that my niece was standing there and couldn't have any cookies because the Girl Scouts haven't yet decided to make a gluten free cookie.  I felt so bad and we didn't open them there, but waited until we got home.  So, I wanted to make gluten free cookies to give some to my niece the next time I saw her.  (Funny story - she almost didn't get any because the adults scarfed down all the cookies except one while the kids were playing)

Also, we got invited to go to the Huntington Library with a new friend who I know from the internet & blogging.  It's always fun to meet someone whose writing I admire and whose life I sort of keep up with in a virtual way.  If you know me from my blog or from "real life," you'll remember that when I'm trying to make a friend or get on someone's good side, I bake.  Karin was gracious and patient with my kids (even daring enough to share snacks with them) and a lot of fun to hang out with.  The weather was beautiful and Big keeps asking when we're going back - it was a great outing.

I didn't get a photo of her eating the cookies, but how about these two chocolate chip faces??

My nephew enjoyed the gf dessert offering

I can't tell you how many cookies Little ate because you'd think less of me as a mother . . . 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (makes 4 dozen)

1/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 c. gluten free rolled oats
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
6 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl.  Beat until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.  Mix well.  Add the peanut butter and mix.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.  Place dough by heaping teaspoons on a lightly greased cookie sheet (I lined mine with Silpat, parchment would also work fine) about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Baby girl LOVES oatmeal and will eat almost a whole batch by herself.  Big sister is sort of off and on as to whether she'll eat oatmeal in the morning and likes to pick the raisins or cranberries out of it.  This recipe was a winner . . . both girls ate it and Daddy & Mommy also gave it two thumbs up!  Bonus:  quick hot breakfast that includes veggies is perfect for school mornings.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal (about 2 cups prepared)

2 cups water
1 cup oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded carrots

Bring water, carrots, and raisins to a boil.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir, bring to a boil again, and reduce heat to a low simmer.  Cook until liquid is absorbed and oats are soft.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

I'm working on eliminating the sugar from our mornings.  I love pastries and the two amazing bakeries in Claremont are super tempting.  Add to this my daughter's love of cereal (I don't even buy very sugary cereal but she loves anything remotely sweet - even the Barbara's Puffins), pancakes and waffles and you get the picture.  Right now, my daughter isn't wanting any eggs so we're back to oatmeal as a healthful alternative to the sugary carbs.

If your family likes sweet stuff too, try this oatmeal recipe.  There's no added sugar but it tastes delicious.  Boiling the raisins, apple, juice and cinnamon with the oats is key to good flavor.  I didn't grow up eating oatmeal so I'm not used to the instant packets and they don't appeal to me.  And, let's face it:  old fashioned oats really don't take that long.  If you want less of the natural sugar (or don't care if it's as sweet), use all water and no apple juice.  You can also top with nuts to increase the protein.

What less sugary breakfast foods will your kids eat??

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal (3 servings)

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 small apple, diced
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. raisins
3/4 c. apple juice (optional)
1 T ground flax seed (optional)

In a small sauce pan, combine the apple, cinnamon, and raisins with 3/4 c. water and the apple juice and bring to a boil.  Stir in the oats.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the water is absorbed and the oats are soft.  Stir in the flax seed (if you want to).  Serve immediately.
*GF if you have gluten-free oats

New cookies & a new photographer

I'd like to introduce my new assistant photographer, my 3 year old daughter. She documented the new cookies we made last week:

The cookie dough


The cookies ready to go into the oven


Finally a photo that's in focus


Head chef and baby sister from the point of view of the sous chef


When I gave my daughter a few choices of what we could do after her nap last week (including a trip to the library), she picked baking. I had some very ripe bananas to use up and as I got the ingredients out, she threw a little fit because she doesn't like bananas (I know - what toddler doesn't like bananas? I don't like to just eat them so I can't give her too hard of a time . . .). I tried my best to explain that these would be chocolate chip cookies and wouldn't taste like banana in the end and it took some convincing. But, finally we got the project underway.

It's a little ironic that I'm calling these "new" cookies because I have three very similar recipes (all banana chocolate chip oatmeal cookies) posted here and here. But, these have no flour at all (almond meal) and coconut which I liked. The end result was pretty crumbly but tasty. It's scary how many you can eat. Has anyone else noticed that if you're cooking without sugar and you don't get that sick "I ate too much sugar" feeling, you eat many, many more of whatever item you just made? Not exactly helping my plan to cut down on the sweets, but they were delicious!

If you haven't checked out 101 Cookbooks, it's pretty great and you can find the recipe there.

Coconut Oatmeal Muffins

Not too much of a story about these muffins. As usual, my daughter has been asking me to bake with her and one morning where it wasn't too hot and we had some friends coming over, we tried out this recipe. I used the vinegar/milk substitution for the buttermilk (put 1 T in a 1 cup measure, fill the rest of the way with milk, let it rest for a few minutes) and the blackberry fruit spread that we had on hand. Little girl liked putting the jam in the middle of the muffins but she made a mess!


If you like coconut, the texture and flavor of these were great. They lasted a few days tightly wrapped at room temperature. We made mini muffins and I got about 20 of them, not the full 2 dozen that you can probably get if you don't fill them quite as full.


Coconut Oatmeal Muffins (1 dozen)
from LATimes Food section . . . not sure when

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded coconut
Some kind of preserves (I used seedless blackberry - original recipe says strawberry)

Combine oats and buttermilk in bowl. Let soak at least 30 minutes. Whisk flour with salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Blend together oil, brown sugar, egg and coconut, then add to oatmeal mixture. Blend well. Stir in dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten.

Spoon into greased muffin tins. Using small teaspoon, place preserves in center of each muffin and cover with dab of dough. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes for 1 dozen regular sized muffins or 12 minutes for 2 dozen mini muffins.

Oatmeal Cookies in a Stand Mixer

One purchase that has never disappointed me has been my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I have a well-used and loved hand mixer that I still get out for different cooking & baking tasks, but when I'm doing a big batch of cookies, whipping egg whites (that flourless chocolate cake) or making bread dough (the dough hook is what originally inspired the purchase), I turn to the Kitchen Aid.

Here's a recipe for easy oatmeal cookies where you just dump the ingredients into your mixer. I made them for no other occasion than I just felt like having a cookie. (Almost) instant gratification.

Bec's Oatmeal Cookies (3 dozen)

Cream
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar

Add
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Reduce the speed of the mixer and add
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. oats

Put it on the stir setting and stir in
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. cranberries
(Can substitute 1 cup of other dried fruit, nuts, etc. - this is what my husband likes in his oatmeal cookies!)

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Take them out when the middle looks not quite set but the edges are brown and crispy.

Steph's Banana Oatmeal Cookies

While I was on vacation this summer I asked Stephanie to write a guest blog for me. It wasn't a great time for her because she was moving (with a 1 year old, a husband, and a dog) from Ohio to California. Since she's been living closer, we've had a great time cooking together and talking about all the baking we're doing (instead of all the running we should be doing).

A few weeks ago, she sent me this email with the recipes that follows (and the photo):

Hey Bec!
I wanted to share this recipe with you....It's a variation of the banana-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies that we (especially I) love so much. I found it while I was perusing on-line today (I think I found it in a food blog). Anyway, I thought I would share it with you since you mentioned the other day that you were trying to stay away from sugar. This is a vegan recipe (which we both know I am not one), but I made these cookies this morning with much success. They're moist and delicious, and my taste-tester (baby boy) seemed to enjoy them as well! Let me know what you think.
~Steph

Steph's Banana Cookies 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4tsp cinnamon
1 tblsp ground flax seed

1/4 c. agave
1/4 c. soymilk (or regular milk)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 T canola oil
2 ripe bananas (mashed)

1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
You know the drill...mix the wet, mix the dry, incorporate the wet into the dry. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake 10-12min at 350 degrees.

The verdict: I tried them on Monday and they were a) incredibly quick to make b) no white flour or sugar - hooray! c) so delicious they were gone this morning. The only change I made was to use 2 T mini chocolate chips instead of 1/2 cup of the regular ones. If you want to be truly sugar free, try nuts instead. Oh, I used steel cut oats instead of rolled oats and I think the texture might be a little better with the rolled oats.

This recipe is a keeper - I loved it and will be making it often, but apparently not as often as Stephanie since her father-in-law keeps bringing her 5 pounds of bananas at a time hoping to be rewarded with a batch of these!

Soaked Oatmeal Two Ways

I know if you read this blog you're already wondering, "how many ways can there be to make oatmeal?" but hear me out. Awhile back I was reading about soaking your grains and why you can absorb more nutrients that way and how difficult grains can be to digest when they haven't been soaked. Check out this for a good, easy explanation.

I wanted to try it, starting small. I began with soaking oats overnight before making oatmeal in the morning and the result was great - we liked the texture and flavor and the regular rolled oats cooked really quickly.

Soaked Oatmeal (2 servings)

1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cups of water
1/2 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons of wheat or spelt flour
1 cups of water
a dash of sea salt

The night before (12 to 24 hours before) place your oats, flax seeds, wheat flour and 1 cup of water in a quart size mason jar or bowl. Mix it all together and cover.

The next morning, dump into a pot with 1 more cup of water and a dash of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook just a few minutes and it’s done! I like to add cinnamon and dried fruit (cranberries or raisins) to the water when I simmer it that morning and serve it with some honey on top.

The second thing I've been making is an oatmeal pancake recipe that I just found. It's sort of the same idea - soak the oats overnight in buttermilk before making the pancakes. While oatmeal pancakes sound a little heavy, these aren't and I think that's partially due to the soaking. I just got turned on to this blog by my sister and that's where I originally found the recipe.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes (4 servings)

Stir together 2 cups rolled oats and 2 cups buttermilk and put in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, melt 1/4 c. butter, let it cool, and stir it into the oats with 2 eggs.

In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 c flour, 2 T sugar, 1 t baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 1/2 t ground cinnamon and 1/4 t table salt. (You could also mix the dry stuff the night before . . . ). Add flour mixture to oat mixture and stir until moist.

Heat a griddle or pan and use about 1/4 c. batter for each pancake. When you see air bubbles, flip the pancake. It makes about 12-14 pancakes (sometimes I halve it for 2 servings). Serve with your favorite pancake toppings!

Buttermilk Substitute: Combine 2 T white vinegar or lemon juice with 2 c milk and let sit for five minutes.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today my friend's daughter (who became my daughter's new BFF) came over and one of our activities was baking together. I wanted to make something that they could help me with, something they'd both like to eat afterwards, and something that was a little healthy. I had some really ripe bananas so I thought of this recipe that I wanted to try. I made some modifications (it's from Cooking Light 7/09) to reduce the sugar and white flour.



The end result was a lot of fun and a cookie with good texture and a sweet flavor. The next time, I'd add chopped walnuts (or substitute them for the chocolate chips).

Friends even do the dishes!


Banana Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies (2 dozen)

Ingredients
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add egg; beat well.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture in bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325° for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Baking Without

I posted a little while ago about my goal of not eating white flour and sugar. Memorial Day wasn't so great for the diet but since then, I've done well. I even did a little baking this week without flour or sugar. The first recipe is from my friend Nicole who was modifying her diet for gestational diabetes but is always creative about using healthful ingredients. She made these for me a few weeks ago and although we both used the same recipe, hers came out better than mine. I think I beat the eggs too much trying to get the lumps out of the batter because the texture of mine was more custardy than muffiny. But, I liked the coconut flour a lot.

The second recipe is from my friend Robin. She used quick cooking oatmeal and added 2/3 cups of sugar and again, I preferred her texture but this was a big hit with my husband and daughter this week and I'll be making variations on this for awhile.

No photos . . . we ate it all too fast (the first recipe only makes 6 muffins and they were gone in hours).

Blueberry Muffins with Coconut Flour (makes 6)

3 eggs
2 T butter, melted
2 T milk
3 T agave nectar (can use honey if you prefer)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sifted coconut flour (I used "Bob's Red Mill" brand from Whole Foods)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. blueberries (I used frozen)

Heat oven to 400 and put liners in a muffin pan. Blend together eggs, butter, milk, agave, salt, and vanilla. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and thoroughly mix into the batter until there are no lumps. The batter will be runny. Pour into muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Check them toward the end of the cooking time because these go from being liquid in the center to almost too done really quickly.

* Check out these other coconut flour recipes

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

2 eggs
1/2 c. canola oil
4 c. oatmeal
2 c. chopped apple
3 tsp baking powder
2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. milk

Mix eggs and canola oil together. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Spread in greased pan (9x13 ish) and bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve with warmed milk.

*I halved the recipe and put it in a smaller pan and put in 1 T of ground flax seed. You can add chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, a little butter, sugar, dried fruit (cranberries or raisins) or anything else - it's a really versatile recipe.

Swiss Muesli

I've had this recipe cut out from some random magazine (Health? Self?) in a notebook for probably 4 or 5 years. I look at it from time to time and have never made it until yesterday. One of my favorite things at Corner Bakery is their cold oatmeal and this isn't exactly the same but it's pretty good. I'm trying to minimize added sugar and white flour in my diet and on the mornings that I leave around 6:30am to teach, I have a hard time making breakfast. It's usually a hard-boiled egg and a banana and it's becoming harder and harder to resist that Currant Oatmeal Scone at Peet's when I stop for my coffee.

This might be the answer to my problem - some protein to keep me full, no added sugar, and something I can grab out of the refrigerator and take with me to eat in my office before class. After getting some bran and flax seeds out of the bulk bins at Whole Foods, I had the rest of the ingredients and the "cooking" part is really a matter of stirring stuff together. I doubled the recipe except for the flax seeds, bran, and wheat germ (kept it at this amount).

I have a feeling this will be the recipe I'm constantly playing with since I've got the granola pretty much how I like it but for now, here's a basic recipe:

Swiss Muesli (2 servings)

1/2 c. water (boiling)
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (I used non-fat greek yogurt)
1 apple, cored and diced (I left the skin on)
2 T oat bran
2 T wheat germ
2 T ground flax seeds (I left them whole)
1/2 c. dried fruit (I used a combination of cranberries, blueberries, and raisins)
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over the rolled oats. Let it stand for 25 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled. Will keep in the refrigerate for 4 days.

Variations: If you like sweeter things, you could use vanilla yogurt or add some honey to the top. I bet other fresh fruit or nuts would be good if you added it when you were going to eat the muesli (don't know how it would hold up in the fridge for a few days . . . I'm picturing soggy walnuts and brown bananas - yuck). Mine was a little dry when I took it out of the refrigerator and I poured a little soy milk over the top of it. Just add more water, yogurt, milk, soy, or whatever if it seems too dry.

PS -The recipe is called "Swiss Muesli" because Muesli was developed by a Swiss physician in the early 1900s, not just because I'm Swiss.

Coconut milk

I'm back. It's been a long two weeks with spring break, some fun stuff, and some sad stuff and very little cooking at home. But, now I'm back to real life, cooking, and my blog.

I've liked coconut for a long time but recently have discovered two easy coconut recipes that I'm really getting addicted to: Coconut rice and Coconut oatmeal. The coconut rice started as a side dish for a chicken curry crock pot recipe that I found online. The first time I made it (and, I admit, every time since) I ate the cold leftovers standing in front of the refrigerator the next day. I couldn't even go to the table and sit down like a civilized person before I wolfed them down.

The coconut oatmeal is new. I put some shredded coconut on our oatmeal the other morning and it was wonderful. It probably has something to do with the fact that my shredded coconut is sweetened and I usually eat my oatmeal unsweetened (I put cinnamon and dried cranberries or raisins in the water before adding the oats). It was so good and I asked my sisters and sister in law if they've ever tried making it with coconut milk. They had. How was I just now thinking of this? So this morning, I made a bowl and while not too sweet, it was delicious.

Coconut milk is made by simmering together the meat of the coconut and some water and then straining out the solid parts. I sometimes use "light" coconut milk which is sort of like using 2% or skim milk - less flavor and less fat. While I was researching using coconut oil topically for my daughter's excema, I came a lot of information on the health benefits of coconut in diet. From what I read, the idea that coconut milk or oil is unhealthy because of saturated fat is a myth - it's a "good" kind of fat that is similar to what's in breast milk and can improve brain development. Check this out if you're interested in more of that information.

Two simple recipes:

Coconut Rice

Cook rice according to package directions but substitute half of the water for coconut milk, omit any other fat (olive oil) and don't use salt. I think it's great with brown rice but I've also made it with regular white rice and jasmine rice.

Coconut Oatmeal

Cook oatmeal according to package directions but substitute 1/2 to 3/4 of the water for coconut milk.

This morning, I heated 1/2 c. water, 1/2 c. coconut milk, and 1/4 cup raisins to a boil. I added 1/2 c. rolled oats and cooked, stirring, until it was the consistency that I like.