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

West African Peanut Soup

Original Recipe HERE

 

So...I don't know what to say about this recipe and its success.  I thought it was great.  *N* also requested several helpings.  The boys didn't really complain (because *J* makes it quite clear when he's horrified that I dared serve something so disgusting), but they didn't finish their bowls.  I scooped it over brown rice, and I reheated it for lunch the following two days.

 

I added some salt after taste-testing, and I think it would've been fine if I'd just chopped up fresh spinach and didn't hunt down the collard greens.  I'd also consider using powdered ginger for convenience.

 

 Ingredients

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 sweet potato, peeled & diced into 1/2" pieces

1 large onion

1 bell pepper [I used red]

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

3/4 cup water

1 bunch collard greens

Salt and pepper

Cilantro and peanuts to garnish (optional) [I did not use]

Directions

(1) Heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat.

(2) Add sweet potato; saute.

(3) Meanwhile, chop onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  Grate ginger.

(4) Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and cayenne to pot.  Cook 15 minutes.

(5) Add broth and tomatoes.  Bring soup to a simmer; cook an additional 15 minutes.

(6) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter and water until smooth.

(7) Wash greens.  Cut out and discard stems.  Slice remaining portions into 1" pieces.

(8) Add peanut butter mixture and greens to soup.  Cook for 10 minutes.

(9) Blend about 2 cups of the soup (I used an immersion blender) for a thicker texture if desired.

(10) Season with salt and pepper.  Serve into bowls; top with cilantro and peanuts if using.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

This is a great recipe to have on hand for when your kids want to make cookies - but YOU don't want to get involved in an hours-long process that involves a lot of mess and probablyyour kids losing interest and leaving the boring part of putting baking sheet after baking sheet in the oven and monitoring the time.  Upside: they're tasty!

 

Downside: they're greasy!  So you may reget letting your kids handle the dough unless you're hovering over them with a paper towel and orders to scrub their hands before they run through the house.

 

The recipe says it makes 20 cookies, and that was about what I got.  They spread more than I thought they would, so be sure to leave enough spacing on the baking sheet.

 

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter [I used creamy]
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large or extra large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips [optional; I used it]

sugar for rolling [optional; I did not do]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat (I used a silpat).

(2) In a medium bowl, beat peanut butter and brown sugar until smooth.

(3) Add egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt to peanut butter mixture.  Beat until incorporated. fold in chocolate chips, if using.
(4) Shape into balls approximately 1" diameter.  Roll in white sugar if desired.

(5) Slightly flatten with a fork into a criss-cross pattern or the bottom of a glass.

(6) Bake for 8-9 minutes (I did 9).  Let cookies sit on baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

Kid Participation:

* Beat all ingredients with a stand mixer

* Roll out balls of dough (if you don't care much about uniformity of size)

* Flatten cookies (if you can trust them to use a light touch)

PB&J Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Original Recipe HERE

 

Are these true cookies?  I'd argue that they're not.  However, they are super easy to make, pretty healthy, and can be passed off as treats to your kids.  A great treat to make on snow days or neverending weekends or times that you think the siblings are going to rip each other to shreds if you don't distract and/or separate them.

 

I accidentally doubled the oats, so I threw in another banana and extra peanut butter.  My proportions weren't exactly what the recipe called for, but they still turned out fine.  I think it would be tough to mess these up.  I got about 25 cookies from that batch, so following the original measurements would yield less than that.

 

Ingredients

2 medium, ripe bananas

1 cup uncooked oats

2 Tablespoons peanut butter [I used creamy]

jelly

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

(2) Mash bananas thoroughly.

(3) Add peanut butter to bananas; stir until well combined.

(4) Add oats; stir until well combined.

(5) Place tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto baking sheet (I used a mini ice cream scoop).  They barely spread, so spacing isn't important.

(6) Make a hollow or indent in the top of each cookie.

(7) Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.

(8) Remove cookies to cooling rack.  Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of jelly onto each.

 

Kid Participation: Just about everything except operating the oven.

 

Peanut Butter & Yogurt Dip

Original Recipe HERE

 

I served this as part of a "Dip Dinner," which was my inspired meal born out of desperation.  I made two homemade dips to be served with vegetables as well as this one to be served with banana slices, apple wedges, and red grapes.  The kids loved both the concept and its execution.

 

Ingredients

1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 Tablespoon sweetener, such as brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey [optional]

 

Directions

(1) Soften peanut butter slightly by microwaving in short intervals.

(2) Mix sweetener into peanut butter.

(3) Thoroughly combine yogurt with peanut butter.  Refrigerate until serving. 

 

Kid Participation: Whisk dip and then dig in.

Chickpea, Peanut Butter, & Chocolate Chip Bites

Original Recipe HERE

I was eager yet apprehensive to try these.  Eager because I was intrigued by the chickpea element; apprehensive because I was scared I would like them a lot and eat them all and go back and make more.  I am nothing if not self-aware.

The original writer insisted that they were better warm and would be too chickpea-ish if eaten at room temperature.  I didn't have that experience.  All I tasted was the peanut butter with a nice hint of honey.  Most were eaten the night they were made, but 24 hours later the remaining ones were delicious and still ever-so-slightly gooey in the center.  They will remain soft after baking; don't wait until they get crispy.  Mine had a barely detectable crust on the top when I took them out.

Update: I made these again, and they DID taste too chickpea-ish (FYI, when something has chickpeas in it and I don't like it, I refer to them as garbanzos because that awkward, alternate name seems to fit my impression better than the benign "chickpea").  I eyeballed the amounts and probably didn't put in enough peanut butter or honey.  Next time I'll also try a bit of ground cinnamon in my quest to perfect this recipe.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed & patted dry

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter [I used Smart Balance creamy}

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt (if peanut butter doesn't have salt in it)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

(2) Combine all ingredients, except for chocolate chips, in a food processor.  Process until very smooth.

(3) Add chocolate chips.  Process until just combined. Mixture will be very thick and sticky.

(4) With wet hands or a mini scoop, form dough into 1-1/2" balls. Place onto Silpat or piece of parchment paper lining a baking sheet.  They can be close together; they do not expand much.

(5) Bake 10 minutes. Yields about 30 1" bites.

Kid Participation:

* Add ingredients to food processor

* Operate processor

* Use scoop to place dough on cookie sheet

* Eat too many of them because they're so small that Mama would allow, "OK, just one more."

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.

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