Pumpkin Pancakes

Original Recipe HERE

Pumpkin pancakes often are gummy in the middle because of the moisture content of the pumpkin.  These weren't as gooey as previous recipes I've tried, and they puffed up nicely instead of stayed flat.  The batter was very thick and didn't spread much in the pan, which I'm not used to, but it meant I could make smaller pancakes (yay for faster cooking) and fit more in each round in the skillet (yay for efficient cooking).  I got about 22 pancakes out of this, and I wish I'd doubled the recipe because the superhuman appetites of my kids weren't satisfied with 4 pancakes each.  Leftovers for the next day would've been nice, especially since the kids asked that I make them again.

Ingredients

1 egg

1 & 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tablespoons applesauce

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Directions

(1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and applesauce.

(2) Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

(3) Combine dry ingredients into wet.  Stir until just mixed but still lumpy.

(4) Cook pancakes on a griddle or in a skillet over medium-low heat until a few bubbles appear in the batter.  Flip and cook until done.

Kid Participation:

* Whisk wet ingredients

* Measure dry ingredients

* Sift dry ingredients

* Spoon batter into skillet (because it's thick and there's less chance of it turning into a mess in the skillet)

Pina Colada Baked Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

The kids loved this, maybe because they didn't expect the combination of pineapple and oatmeal.  Even *J*, who normally doesn't like coconut, gobbled it up.  Most of it was eaten for dinner, but the leftovers reheated well the next day for breakfast.

It was definitely sweet.  Next time I will decrease the brown sugar amount.  Using unsweetened coconut, like the original recipe asks for, would help - but I can only find the standard stuff in the blue bag at our grocery store.

Ingredients

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 & 1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup oil [I used melted coconut oil]

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup shredded coconut [I used sweetened]

milk, coconut milk, cream, or yogurt for serving

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

(3) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, pineapple, and coconut.

(4) Combine dry ingredients, oats, sugar, and wet ingredients.  Stir until well mixed.

(5) Pour batter into baking dish.  Bake 25-30 minutes, or until oatmeal is set in the middle.

Kid Participation:

* Measure dry ingredients

* Sift dry ingredients

* Combine wet ingredients

* Stir everything together

Baked Peanut Butter & Apple Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

 

Yet another oatmeal dish to add to the ever-growing list of easy oatmeal dinners.  I wasn't sure how well this would go over, since *J* isn't a peanut butter fan.  But he asked for seconds.

 

I doubled this recipe because there was no way an 8x8" portion would feed all of us.  The new amounts are shown below.

 

I could've added some chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or wheat germ...but I forgot.  There was a strong peanut butter taste, which might been due to my spontaneous addition of PB2.  I didn't mind it, since I love me some peanut butter.  But next time I'll leave out the powder or decrease the amount of peanut butter.  And how many more times can I say "peanut butter" in one post?  Peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter.

 

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 & 3/4 cups milk

1 & 3/4 cups water
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed

2 to 3 Tablespoons PB2 [optional]
3 large apples, diced [I peeled them]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

(3) In a medium bowl, whisk eggs.  Add milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract; whisk thoroughly.

(5) Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture; stir to combine.

(6) Add peanut butter; mix.

(7) Add apples; stir. Pour mixture into prepared dish.

(8) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until oatmeal is set.

 

Kid Participation:

* Measure & mix dry ingredients

* Measure & whisk wet ingredients

* Chop apple slices with a very dull knife

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

 

I'm realizing that I turn to "brinner" meals a lot more than I'd ever intended to, but they're so easy and kid-pleasing that it's hard not to make them a weekly staple.  And then I wonder...why do I feel like I shouldn't rely on them so often?  Food is food, and other than the amounts of sugar and eggs (which can often be modified or substituted), these things are usually pretty healthy.  Bring on another baked oatmeal recipe!

 

This did resemble apple pie in taste and, somewhat, in texture and presentation.  I squirted a little surprise whipped cream on each kid's serving, which solidified the likeness.

 

I used a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji apples, and I doubled the amount of the "filling" because I knew the original amounts wouldn't be enough (altered amounts are shown below).  Sure enough, the four of us (minus Husband) just about finished a 9x13" dish of this stuff.  A little - though not enough for my liking - was left for breakfast the next day.

UPDATE: I made this again, and it was drier than the first time.  I think I accidentally added too many oats, because the oatmeal mostly sat on top of the apples and cooked into a solid layer.  Next time I'll try stirring the apples and oatmeal mixture together and baking that way.

 

Ingredients

* For the apple layer:

5 medium apples

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 to 4 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves [can substitute nutmeg]

* For the oatmeal layer:

2 large eggs

1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 cups milk

2-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Peel apples if desired.  Cut apples into 1/2" to 1" cubes. 

(3) In a medium bowl, whisk lemon juice, corn starch, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

(4) Add apples to spice mixture; toss until well-coated.  Spread in an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.

(5) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, apple sauce, vanilla, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

(6) Add milk; whisk again.

(7) Add oats; stir until well-combined.

(8) Pour oat mixture evenly over apples.

(9) Bake oatmeal for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and no longer wet in the center.

 

Kid Participation:

* Whisk spice mixture

* Toss (though not literally) apples with spice mixture

* Whisk oatmeal mixture

* Spoon oatmeal mixture over apples

Apple & Oat Breakfast Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

I think this is a very functional recipe: it is easy to make, tasty and filling, and handy to take one on-the-go.  That said, I wasn't completely sold on the texture...it was overly moist, bordering on soggy (yet no doubt fully baked).  Maybe it was because I used a different type of flour?  Maybe it was all the apple sauce?  Maybe that's just the way it's supposed to be?  I baked some with parchment and some with a silpat, and the parchment ones were a little drier (in a good way).  The recipe yielded about 20 cookies that I stored uncovered for three days, and they never got stale.

I will definitely make them again because everyone in the family liked them - maybe try pears?  However, I might slightly decrease the amount of applesauce and will try substitutes for the oil.  Also, I made them gigantic like the original recipe says, and smaller cookies would be more practical.
 

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour [I used half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour]

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped [I did not use]

2-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

 

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
(2) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and walnuts.
(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil, and eggs.
(4) Add wet ingredients to dry; stir until thoroughly combined.
(5) Fold in apples.
(6) Scoop 1/4 to 1/2 cups of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Slightly flatten each cookie and shape into a roughly uniform circle shape.
(7) Bake 20-25 minutes (mine took 25), or until tops are firm.  Let cookies set on baking sheet for several minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk dry ingredients
* Whisk wet ingredients
* Stir batter
* Scoop batter onto baking sheets (if you don't care about precision)

Yogurt Banana Oat Muffins

Original Recipe HERE

I've made these twice and find them a filling snack.  The consistency is different than a usual muffin, probably due to the yogurt and oat flour.  I like to split them in half and spread peanut butter or Nutella on them.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup oats [I used old fashioned]

1/2 cup yogurt [I used low fat vanilla]

1/2 cup milk

2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed [I used 3]

1/3 cup oil or applesauce [I used coconut oil]

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 cup oat flour [about 2 cups oats]

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins or walnuts [optional; I did not use]

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips [optional]

 

Directions

(1) Make oat flour by grinding approximately 2 cups of oats in a food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency.

(2) In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oats, yogurt, and milk.  Let stand at least 10 minutes (mine was more like 45).

(3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.

(4) In a separate bowl, sift together sugar, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon.

(5) Add bananas, oil or applesauce, and egg to yogurt mixture.  Combine thoroughly.

(6) Add flour mixture to yogurt mixture.  Mix completely.

(7) Add raisins, walnuts, or chocolate chips if desired.

(8) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake 16-20 minutes (mine were done at 18).  Allow to cool several minutes in tin before removing to cooling rack.

Kid Participation:

* Push buttons on food processor

* Add all ingredients to mixing bowls

* Demolish bananas

Baked Ham with Spiced Cherry Glaze

Original Recipe HERE

* This is one of the menu items Husband researched, planned, shopped for, and executed for Easter 2013. It was the best meal he's ever made. *

 

Ingredients

Nonstick spray

1 (5-pound) boneless ready-to-eat ham

1/2 cup water or white wine [he used water]

1 cup cherry preserves

1 tablespoon creamy prepared horseradish [he used regular]

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, zested and juiced

 

Directions

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with foil and spray it with nonstick spray.

(2) Score the top and sides of the ham with a small sharp knife in a crisscross pattern.

(3) Put the ham in the pan, pour 1/2 cup water or white wine into the bottom of the pan and bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, 45 to 60 minutes.

(4) To make the glaze, combine the preserves, horseradish, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, salt, and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

(5) Transfer the cherry mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the glaze is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the lemon zest.

(6) Remove the ham from the oven and brush the top with 1/4 cup of the glaze.

(7) Bake, uncovered, until the ham is hot and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes longer.

(8) Remove the ham from the oven to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Arrange the sliced ham on a serving platter and serve with the reserved glaze.

Soft Pretzels

Original Recipe HERE

 

I made these for St. Patrick's Day.  I knew the kids probably wouldn't like the usual corned beef meal and other traditional Irish "delights" (a term used loosely for the dishes of an area not known for its cuisine).  So I went the cop-out route and served green food.  Including pretzels.  Because I added green food coloring to the dough.

 

These were really easy - and actually easier to do by hand.  I started the dough in the stand mixer, but I didn't like the way it seemed to be going, so I took it out and kneaded it with elbow grease.  Any shapes can be made from the dough, but I went with the universal pretzel shape.  The dough was so elastic that it kept retracting; I couldn't get it to the 20" ropes the original recipe made.  So my pretzels were small and chubby.  Next time I'll let the kids play with it and see what shapes they come up with.

 

I got 12 pretzels: 7 salt and 5 cinnamon-and-sugar.  The flavors weren't as pronounced as I'd hoped.  I wonder if rolling the dough pieces in the salt or C-and-S before forming into their shapes (instead of just sprinkling them afterward) would give better coverage and intensity.  Probably the easiest thing to do is just make little pretzel balls (or make the ropes, then slice them into bite-size pieces) and experiment with a variety of coatings.  These were dense (see original's notes about flour use) yet the perfect degree of softness.  They remained so the next day, but they were gone within 24 hours so I don't know how well they last past that.

 

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups warm water

1 packet active yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2-3/4 cups all-purpose white flour

1 large egg

course sea salt for topping [optional]

cinnamon-and-sugar for topping [optional]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silpat.

(2) Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir until mostly mixed (about 1 minute)

(3) Add salt and sugar; stir.

(4) Add flour, 1 cup at a time and mixing after each addition.  Continue until dough is no longer sticky and bounces back when poked.

(5) Turn dough out onto floured surface.  Knead about 5 minutes.

(6) Shape dough into a ball.  Cut in to evenly-sized quarters.  Cut each quarter into three evenly-sized pieces (end result of 12 individual pieces of dough).

(7) Roll dough into a rope with an even diameter, aiming for at least 18" long.  Make a circle out of rope.  Hold together two loose ends together; twist and press back down onto bottom of circle.

(8) Beat egg; pour into shallow dish.  Dip pretzel into egg wash so all surfaces are covered.

(9) Put pretzel on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with topping.

(10) Bake 10-12 minutes.  Turn oven to broil for approximately 2 minutes to brown tops (watch closely to avoid burning).

(12) When done, remove to cooling rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix ingredients

* Knead/punch/tug/torture dough

* Form pretzel shapes

* Sprinkle toppings

* Freak out with joy at seeing homemade pretzels served for dinner

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Original Recipe HERE

 

I never ate fruit with dinner as a child, other than my mom's homemade applesauce.  It was her go-to side dish with pork chops and pot roast.  I never make either of those in my house, so eating fruit after 12:00pm never really crossed my mind.  Until I had kids.  Since mine love it, I don't have trouble getting (most) fruits into them every day.  But I understand if they get burned out on eating the same kinds, in the same forms, day after day.  Enter dip.

I always have the ingredients with this on hand, so when I'm stumped for a side dish, I can whip it up (literally) in the stand mixer in minutes.  I also send it with *N* for school lunches.  So far, we can attest that it's great with pears, apples, bananas, pineapples, cantaloupe, and red grapes.  It certainly takes the health benefits of the fruit down a notch, but variety is the spice of life, and I'm OK with it.

 

It works better if you plan more than 5 minutes ahead so (1) the cream cheese has time to soften enough, and (2) the brown sugar has time to dissolve (I recommend making a batch, letting it sit about 10 minutes, and giving it another quick blending to break up any remaining clumps of sugar).

 

Ingredients

1 block (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar [more or less, to taste]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon [more or less, to taste]

 

Directions

(1) With a mixer or by hand, blend cream cheese until easily spreadable.

(2) Add sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Blend until well mixed.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mush up cream cheese

* Add other ingredients & stir

* Neglect other parts of dinner in favor of eating just fruit and dip

Cranberry & Bacon Chili

Original Recipe HERE

 

I love a good chili, but I don't gravitate towards those that require lots of ground beef or lots of kidney beans.  This recipe caught my eye because it involved neither, and the use of cranberries intrigued me.  Sweet, tart chili?  I was willing to take the chance on the unorthodox twist, since I've had chili with cinnamon and chocolate (aka, Cincinnati-style) and enjoyed it.

 

Luckily, this was a homerun instead of a bomb.  While I should still seek out an awesome traditional chili recipe (it seems like one of those basic dishes I should have in my arsenal), this one will go into rotation in our house.

 

The recipe is flexible: type of beans, type and amount of spices, additional vegetables (maybe some bell pepper and baby carrots?), etc.

 

Ingredients

6 slices of thick bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces

1 yellow or white onion, diced

1 cup dried cranberries

1 can (14 oz) tomato puree

2 cups water

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed & drained [I substituted Great Northern beans]

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

garnishes [sour cream, green onion, shredded cheese, etc.]

 

Directions

(1) In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy.  Set aside to drain on paper towel; leave several tablespoons of grease in pot.

(2) Add onion to pot; cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 4 minutes.

(3) Add cranberries to pot; cook 2-3 minutes.

(4) Add tomato puree, water, beans, spices, and cooked bacon to the pot.  Simmer on medium-low heat for at least 20 minutes.

(5) If desired, use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to lightly puree chili to reach desired thickness.

(6) Serve hot with garnishes.

 

Kid Participation: Add heaping helpings of cheese and sour cream; enjoy.

Sweet Fried Plantains

 

Original Recipe HERE

 

I grew to love plantains while living in South Florida.  There were several amazing Cuban restaurants in our town, and fried plantains were served with almost every meal.  No complaints here.

 

I've found recipes that talk about serving them with salt, or garlic, or other non-sweet accompaniments.  But I can't give up my sweet versions.  While they can just be fried in a little butter or oil and are wonderful as-is, I wanted more butter! more sugar! more flavor! more fat! 

 

I served these with dinner because they are fruit - which was a stretch because they really classified as dessert.  They would be awesome with some vanilla ice cream.  The melt-in-your-mouth plantains with the slightly crispy outside and sweet butter sauce were to die for.  I may or may not have literally licked my plate afterward.

 

Ingredients

3 ripe (almost black) plantains

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

 

Directions

(1) Peel plantains.  Slice in half lengthwise; slice in half widthwise (so you have four equal sized pieces).

(2) Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add plantain slices in an even layer

(3) Allow plantains to saute until dark golden.  Flip.  Repeat saute.

(4) When plantains have become golden and slightly crispy on each side, remove from heat.

(5) Add remaining tablespoon butter to pan along with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. Scrape bottom of pan to remove any plantain bits.  Stir sauce; remove from heat when sugar is dissolved.

(7) Serve plantains with sauce drizzled over top. 

 

Kid Participation: None, besides gobbling them up.

 

Apple Cider Milkshakes

Original Recipe HERE

 

Why didn't I think of this on my own?  It's brilliantly simple.  The dairy helps tone down the tartness of the cider, but the cider kicks the boring old vanilla ice cream into "yes, this is worth blowing a good portion of my daily caloric allotment on."  My kids love these, and I'm going to have to freeze some cider so we don't have to wait until next September to have these.

 

If you want your milkshake rather thin but don't want such a strong cider taste, I'm sure some milk could be added for consistency purposes.

 

Ingredients

vanilla ice cream

apple cider

ground cinnamon [optional]

 

Directions

(1) Add ice cream and cider to blender in whatever ration you prefer.

(2) Blend.  Adjust consistency by adding more ice cream or more cider.  Repeat until desired thickness is reached.

(3) Add cinnamon to taste.  Blend.

 

Kid Participation: Ask for one every day after getting home from school.

 

 

Baked Blueberry & Banana Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

I threw this together on a night when I had no idea what I was making but didn't want to resort to pasta or egg sandwiches yet again.  *N* was eating dinner at a friend's house, so the remaining four of us pretty much polished off the entire dish.  I was shocked to see it disappear before my eyes so quickly - and disappointed, since I was hoping to make the next day's morning routine easier by having breakfast already made.  I will definitely make this again.

I assume that other berries could be substituted.  I have a bag of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in my freezer right now that would be worth a try.  Also, pureeing some (or all) of the bananas and mixing them into the wet ingredients might make for a moister, more uniformly-flavorful dish.

 

Ingredients

3 to 4 medium ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2" rounds

1 to 2 cups blueberries [I used thawed frozen berries]

1/2 cup honey or agave

2-1/2 cups uncooked oats [I used old fashioned] 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans [optional; I did not use]
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ [optional]

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

yogurt for topping [optional; I used fat-free French vanilla]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Arrange banana slices in a single layer in the dish. Sprinkle blueberries over bananas.

(3) Dust 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over fruit.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey.

(4) Cover with foil.  Bake 15 minutes.

(5) Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine oats, nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

(6) In separate bowl, whisk together remaining honey, milk, eggs, and vanilla.

(7) Evenly spread oat mixture over fruit.  Slowly pour milk mixture over oats, distributing as evenly as possible.

(8) Bake oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven, with yogurt if desired.

 

Kid Participation: Eat it and love it.

 

Roasted Peaches with Yogurt Sauce

Original Recipe HERE

 

My mom brought several peaches to us during her last visit.  I can always use fresh fruit to make meals for *P*, but I figured we all should enjoy the bounty this time.  I was going to serve these post-dinner one night, but my meal planning skills failed me and I was left without enough food to serve.  I decided that these weren't too dessert-y and made them as part of the main meal.  They were a hit, and in the future I think they'll be a good way to get some fresh fruit and protein and calcium into my kids.

 

Also, the yogurt sauce can stand on its own as a great fruit dip.  Hence why this recipe has the labels "dip" and "appetizer" applied. 

 

Ingredients

4 peaches, ripe but firm

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt [or whatever type you have]

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon [or to taste]

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon honey [or agave syrup]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 450 F.  Line a baking sheet or casserole dish with foil.

(2) Wash peaches.  Cut in half; remove pits.  Place cut-side up in pan.

(3) Mix together cinnamon and sugar.

(4) Brush butter on peach halves.  Sprinkle each with pinches of cinnamon-sugar mixture.

(5) Cook peaches about 10 minutes, or until they are softened and easily cut.

(6) Meanwhile, mix together yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey.

(7) Serve peach halves in individual bowls.  Pour several spoonfuls of yogurt sauce over each.

 

Kid Participation:

* Brush butter

* Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture

* Whisk yogurt sauce ingredients

Peanut Butter & Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Original Recipe HERE

This is based on the recipe linked to above, but I have a similar recipe bookmarked that is peanut butter-based.  I added the yogurt and peanut butter of that one to this guy, and this is the end result.  It's a good fruit dip because the cream cheese and peanut butter ensure it won't be too sweet (unlike popular ones that involve Cool Whip or marshmallow fluff).  I thought it was a success, and my kids ate all of theirs and asked for more.

We dipped apple slices and grapes in it and would've used bananas next.  Also, I served carrots and broccoli with a separate dip alongside this, and my kids both dipped their vegetables in this one instead.  Whatever...as long as they're eating the green stuff, I don't care about the unorthodox fashion.  I think this would be good with graham crackers and Nilla wafers, in which case I might throw in some mini chocolate chips to make it more of a dessert dish.

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup plain or French vanilla yogurt

3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit for serving

Directions

(1) Cream together cream cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.

(2) Add brown sugar and cinnamon.  Whisk or stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Kid Participation: Combine all ingredients.

Honey Bars

Original Recipe HERE

These were an easy thing to make since I had all the ingredients on hand.  I'm not a fan of dried fruit or nuts in something that looks like a dessert-ish bar; it confuses my taste buds and my brain cannot decide whether it's processing a sweet treat or a healthy snack.  In the cup of dried fruit the recipe calls for, I mixed craisins, golden raisins..and mini chocolate chips.  Next time I'll leave out the raisins (which I only included because my kids like them) and go with more chocolate.  I used pecans for my nut selection and thought they worked fine.  Husband remarked that he could detect the honey flavor, and I could smell it while baking, so the "honey" element doesn't get lost.

I used a 9x9 silicone pan, so my bars were pretty thin.  They baked for 19 minutes (should have been 18, but I was feeding the baby) and were done upon removal from the oven.  I let them cool a few minutes and then cut them into two large slabs.  I removed them from the pan (much easier to do than from a regular metal or glass pan) and put them on the rack to cool more quickly.

Ingredients

3 egg whites

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola)

1 cup dried fruit

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup all-purpose white flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 chopped nuts

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 baking pan.

(2) In a large bowl, whisk together salt, flours, nuts, oats, and cinnamon.

(3) Add dried fruit; stir until well-coated.

(4) In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, vanilla, and oil.

(5) In a third bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

(6) Combine dry and wet ingredients until well-mixed.  Fold egg whites into mixture; do not overmix.

(7) Pour batter into pan.  Bake 25 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.

Kid Participation:

* Whisk together dried ingredients

* Whisk together wet ingredients

* Crack eggs

* Pour batter & smooth in pan

Gingerbread Pancakes

Original Recipe HERE

I got excited at the idea of gingerbread pancakes but wasn't sure if the reality of them would meet my expectations.  Would the texture be too dense or too gummy?  Would the gingerbread flavor be too pronounced or too weak?  Would I burn one side of half the pancakes as I usually do?  I'm happy to report that these were awesome pancakes.  I didn't even put syrup on them at first; they are great served au naturale.  They really just as I thought they would.

I doubled the original recipe and listed it as such below.  It will make a lot, but these are the types of pancakes you eat six of and then realize too late that you've eaten six of them.  They kept well in the fridge for breakfast the next day, and I assume they can be frozen, too.  Just in case they aren't potentially dessert-y enough as-is, next time I might sneak in some mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

4 Tablespoons molasses

4 large eggs

4 Tablespoons butter, melted & cooled [plus more for the pan]

Directions

(1) In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

(2) In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add milk, molasses, and butter.  Whisk to combine.

(3) Add flour mixture to liquid mixture.  Whisk until just combined.
(4) Let batter stand for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken.
(5) Heat a large skillet on medium heat.  Add butter to grease it.

(6) Pour 2 tablespoons [or more if you want larger pancakes] of batter in the skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Kid Participation:

* Whisk dry ingredients

* Whisk wet ingredients

* Eat a lot of pancakes

Pumpkin Nut Lactation Cookies

Original Recipe HERE (note: the original recipe has lots of information)

These lactation cookies seem to do what they promise.  Whether it's the "active" ingredients like brewer's yeast or just the calories they provide, I don't know...and don't really care.  And they're healthy enough that I don't feel too bad giving them to the kids as treats.  They're excited to have a "cookie" and I earn Mom Points.

The original recipe turned out slightly dense, dry-ish cookies...which was good for the reason that they forced me to drink plenty of water with them, and water helps with lactation.  However, I experimented a bit and realized that adding in a can (15 oz?) of pure pumpkin makes them much moister (so much so, that you should store them uncovered because otherwise they turn what I've decided to call "humid").  And pumpkin is good for you, so I guess I just made them healthier, huh?  I can therefore eat one extra cookie per serving, I think.

I couldn't find "dosing" instructions, so I typically finish an entire batch in less than 72 hours.  But I'm pretty sure that's called "binging," especially because a batch makes about 50 cookies.  To absolve myself of being appalled at such piggy-ness, I substituted honey or agave for the sugars, as well as apple sauce for some of the butter.  Since I gave up chocolate for lent, eliminating the chips didn't affect the final product at all (though being able to add them back in will make me happy).

I've made these several times with the Kitchenaid stand mixer I got for Christmas, and it really makes a difference in how easy the preparation is.  The batter gets pretty thick once the flour is added...and stirring the oats in by hand is tedious and arm-numbing.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 3/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter
1/4 cup butter (half a stick), softened
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup agave syrup [or honey]
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 Tablespoons brewer's yeast
1 cup flaxseed meal
2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
1 cup chopped nuts of your choice [I used sliced almonds]
2 cups (12oz) chocolate chips or cinnamon chips [optional]
2 to 3 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
(2) In bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
(3) In separate, large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until well combined.
(4) Add almond/peanut butter, apple sauce, agave, vanilla, brewer's yeast, and flax meal until creamy.
(4) Beat eggs into moist mixture.  Add pumpkin; beat.

(5) Gradually beat flour mixture into moist mixture in several stages.

(6) Mix nuts and chips into batter.

(7) Add 2 cups oats, mixing thoroughly.  If dough is very soft, add more oats up to one additional cup.

(8) Place balls of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough eatch) onto baking sheets.  Press each down lightly with fork.

(9) Bake 12 minutes.

Kid Participation:

* Sift dry ingredients

* Add wet ingredients to bowl

* Operate switch on stand mixer

* Flatten unbaked cookies

Cinnamon Bubble Buns

Original Recipe HERE: I can't find a direct link to the article (which included helpful step-by-step photos), but it's from Flo Baker and was featured in the April 2011 "Family Fun" magazine.  I googled and found plenty of blog posts by people who were inspired by the same one, and some of them took photos as they made the recipe.

"Buttery cinnamon and sugar make these pull-apart treats irresistible."  With an introduction like that, how could one resist trying this recipe?  But the three magazine pages it took up made me put this off until I had a weekend afternoon to devote to the multi-step process. It's not difficult or really all that time-consuming, even though the total "hands on time" is (generously) given as 1 hour and the total time needed is 2 hours 20 minutes.  You can do other stuff during the two rising intervals and the baking period.  And anyway, they were worth the extra time and effort over the store-bougth "pop the container and disassemble the log of pre-cut cinnamon rolls" kind.  They were delicious, and I could see them becoming a traditional "______ [insert holiday or celebration or event of choice] breakfast."  Likely with making them the day before, because if I served them as breakfast, I'd have to start making them at 5am.  Not my idea of how to start off a holiday.  This makes 12 large buns.

Ingredients

Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup sour cream [I used light]

3 Tbsp sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for kneading

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon-sugar coating:

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Vanilla glaze:

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbsp milk, preferably whole

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

(1) In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over water; let it stand until bubbly (5-10 minutes).

(2) Stir in butter, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

(3) Beat in 2 cups of flour, salt, and baking soda until incorporated.  Add remaining flour; continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

(4) Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and reserve the mixing bowl.  Knead until smooth (about 3 minutes).  Add more flour if dough is sticky but do not exceed 2 tablespoons.

(5) Place dough back in mixing bowl; cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

(6) When dough is ready, lightly coat 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or butter.  Flour the cups; tap out excess.

(7) In a small bowl, blend sugar and cinnamon for coating.

(8) Melt butter for coating in microwave in a small, shallow dish.

(9) Gently punch down dough to deflate it.  Form it into a long cylinder & divide into 12 equal portions.

(10) Using kitchen shears or a dough scraper, divide each portion into 6 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball.

(11) Coat 6 balls with melted butter.  Roll each in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

(12) Arrange 5 balls in the bottom of a muffin cup.  With fingertips, make a small "well" and press sixth ball into center.  Repeat with remaining dough until 12 buns are ready.

(13) Loosely cover buns with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until puffy and doubled in size (about 40 minutes).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(14) Bake buns on center rack until golden, 20-22 minutes [mine were done by 20].  Transfer pan to a wire rack; cool 5 to 8 minutes.

(15) Tilt pan and gently tap on countertop to release buns [use a knife to carefully remove them from pan if needed].  Place buns on wire rack.  Slide a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil underneath the rack.

(16) In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients; stir until it's smooth.  If needed, thin glaze by adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

(17) Brush or drizzle each bun with glaze.  Serve immediately or at room temperature [we ate some the next day and they were just as good].

Notes: I need to watch the baking time more closely because a few buns had slightly crispy edges - set the timer for 18 minutes and then be vigilant.  A note included with the recipe said "To make the dough in advance, follow directions through kneading.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Chilled dough should sit at room temperature for 1 hour before handling."  I don't know how long it can be in the refrigerator, but it may not save much time anyway because it still has to sit out for a long time before proceeding to the next step.

Kid Participation:

* Adding ingredients to mixing bowl

* Combining cinnamon and sugar

* Punching dough

* Rolling dough into balls (if possible)

* Rolling balls in butter and coating (if you don't mind a giant mess)

* Applying glaze (because it doesn't really matter what it looks like; it all "melts" together on the buns' surface anyway)