Month: July 2014

Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, Food, Kids in the Kitchen, Pancakes

Super Healthy Kids Whole Wheat Waffles

Posted on by lmc

20140731-055523.jpg
M recently went on a cooking rampage and spent the day making healthy meals and snacks. She made several loaves of fresh zucchini bread, mini cupcake frittatas, and a load of flavorful whole grain waffles. One of her favorite go-to websites is called superhealthykids.com so M rifled through their pages to find what she thought would be a delicious breakfast recipe. She settled on the whole wheat waffle recipe. Earlier in the week, M and I had visited a local farm stand where we picked out loads of beautiful berries. She thought they could be used to add a bit of pizzaz to her breakfast accompanied by a hefty dollop of creamy Greek yogurt.
So if you’re in the mood, head on over to superhealthykids.com and check out this great recipe for waffles. Dress them up with your favorite healthy toppings. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer and pop one in the toaster for a fresh baked taste every morning. As you know, breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day!

Super Healthy Kids Whole Wheat Waffles

2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs
3 cups fat free organic milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together, batter will be lumpy. Fill 1/4 measuring cup with batter. Pour onto hot, greased waffle iron. Cook batter until golden brown. Remove from waffle iron and top with berries, yogurt, peanut butter, or other fruit.
(Adapted from the recipe found on Superhealthykids.com

20140731-055622.jpg

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Food, Gifts, Kids in the Kitchen

Italian Nut Medley

Posted on by lmc

20140716-063250.jpg
When looking for a salty snack, I usually reach for a jar of nuts on the pantry shelf. Recently, I scoured my cookbooks for a recipe that might change up the taste of my everyday snack staple. Most recipes I found included a good dose of sugar which was definitely not the direction I was headed. I stumbled on a recipe in my Best of Country Cooking Cookbook from 1999. I had all of the ingredients on hand so I whipped up the quick recipe. What a yummy, crunchy, surprise! The four ingredient recipe calls for a mixture of Italian spices, a bit of butter and soy sauce mixed in with a few cups of quality nuts. After tasting this flavorful crunchy mix, I’m sure this will become a staple recipe in my snack folder.

Italian Nut Medley

2 tablespoons butter
4 cups quality mixed nuts ( cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add nuts; cook and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle with salad dressing mix, stir to coat. Immediately transfer to a baking sheet and spread thinly to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Adapted from The Best of Country Cooking – 1999.

20140716-063603.jpg

20140716-063744.jpg

Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch

Bountiful Blueberry Bread

Posted on by lmc

20140713-072719.jpg
As the steamy months of July and August set in, blueberry season is upon us. Farmers all over the Midwest have sent out postcards to local residents reminding them to stop by the farm for a taste of the season’s best.
Several farms in our area sit just a few minutes from our home. Making the daily drive back from work, I usually stop by for a large 5 lb. box of fresh picked berries.
Years ago, our family used to picnic at the local blueberry farms as we would spend the early morning hours picking blueberries that would be eaten or frozen for future use. As my children grow older and our days a bit more busy, we have difficulty finding the time to pick berries as we once did. None the less, we still seem to find time to enjoy the flavor of these beautiful little gems.

Bountiful Blueberry Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries, coated with 2 teaspoons of flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spry with cooking spray a loaf pan.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir yogurt, milk, oil, egg, vanilla, and almond extract into flour mixture until batter is just blended. Gently fold blueberries into batter; pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Dinner, Food, Gardening, Salad, salads

Farmer’s Market Pasta Salad

Posted on by lmc

20140705-142522.jpg
It’s always fun to use up fresh garden veggies by throwing them into a big bowl of tender, herb-spiced pasta. While I have a variety of fruits and vegetables planted in my summer garden, it will be a while before they are ready for harvest. In the meantime, I just love heading out to the local farmer’s market to pick up a healthy dose of garden fresh vegetables for some of my lite warm-weather recipes.
This recipe couldn’t be any easier. Use your favorite vegetables, cheese, or meat to mix into this cold pasta salad. A tall glass of iced tea and some whole grain crackers can round out the meal as the sun shines, the heat sets in, and we welcome the lazy days of summer.

Farmer’s Market Pasta Salad

14 ounces pasta, uncooked
1/2 cucumber, chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, parsley, and oregano, finely chopped
1 cup zesty Italian-style salad dressing
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in pasta, return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and cool by running cold water over the pasta in a colander set in the sink. Coat with a small amount of dressing to prevent pasta sticking together. Cool completely.
2. Combine pasta, vegetables, and herbs in a large bowl. Pour the remaining Italian dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese before serving.

Posted in Food, Kids in the Kitchen, Main Dish

M’s Simple Whole Wheat Pizza

Posted on by lmc

20140704-164446.jpg
It’s that time of year again, tomatoes are sitting plump and pretty on the vine and the fresh basil is ripe for the picking.
While shopping at the local Costco this week, I ran across a tub of Formaggio Fresh Mozzarella Cheese. I immediately threw it in my cart… I just couldn’t resist. This cheese is soft, tender and absolutely heavenly. For the past two days, I have been preparing a little bruschetta lunch salad consisting of chopped vine ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and plump leaves of fresh basil. YUM!
Today, M arrived home after a week of house sitting and she too, could not resist the sight of the fresh cheese. Within minutes, she had whipped up a tasty pizza made with fresh garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzerella. Boy oh boy, the aroma in the kitchen was unbelievable as that pizza baked in the oven. Oh, how I love the bounty that a midwest summer can bring.

M’s Rustic Whole Wheat Pizza

1 Boboli Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
5 balls fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
4 large leaves fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pizza by brushing olive oil over crust. Sprinkle minced garlic over olive oil. Evenly distribute tomatoes and cheese over crust. Sprinkle half of the basil over the toppings. Place pizza on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. After removing from the oven, sprinkle remaining basil over the pizza. Serve immediately.