Whole Grain Fruit Bars

Whole Grain Fruit Bars
Source:  Two Peas & Their Pod

The kids have been loving nutri grain bars.  I've searched for a version I can make at home.  More control over ingredients.  These were super easy to make and yummy.  Now to make my own wrapper because that confuses the kids a bit!

Ingredients
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
2 TBSP cold water
3/4 cup fruit preserves (I used Trader Joe's Strawberry)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt.  Pulse 30 seconds.

Add butter and cold water.  Pulse until dough holds together.

Grease 9X13 pan, line with parchment.
Divide the dough in 1/2 & press into the prepared baking dish.
Press evenly.
Spread preserves on top of the dough.
Top with remaining dough.

Bake 45 minutes.
Cool, cut in 1 1/2 X 4 in. pieces.

Slow Cooker Creamy Coconut Steel Cut Oats

The perfect quick breakfast.  I love this stuff!  I add in different things depending on my mood - nut butter, jelly, coconut flakes, seeds, toasted nuts, brown sugar, honey, etc etc etc.  Makes a ton!

Slow Cooker Creamy Coconut Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients
2 cups steel cut oatmeal
1 can full fat coconut milk
8 cups water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 TBSP organic cane sugar

Instructions
Place all ingredients in a crockpot.  Turn to low and let sit overnight for about 8 hours until creamy.

Mimi's Breakfast Casserole

I always like to make a breakfast casserole to have for Christmas morning.  The one I had been making was a bit complicated.  I ran across this one randomly on the internet.  Not sure who Mimi's is but I liked the casserole.  Very simple to make.  Pretty good.  I'd make it again.
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 slices of bread with crusts removed
2-3 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2-3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1.5 - 2 oz crumbled bacon pieces

Directions
Spray a 9X9 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Cover the bottom of the dish with the bread slices
Spread the cheeses evenly over the bread.
Mix the eggs and the milk well.
Pour slowly and evenly over the bread and cheese.
Sprinkle the bacon pieces evenly over the top.
Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until cooked through and fluffy.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ben's mom gave me Jane Brody's Good Food Cookbook. It's a nice cookbook because every recipe is just a little healthier. These 'grab & go' muffins are nice for breakfast, with a cup of coffee or even a snack. Less sugar, wheat flour only make it better in my eyes.

Pumpkin Muffins
Source: Jane Brody's Good Food Cookbook

IIngredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs (or if you’re trying to lower the cholesterol you can use 1 whole egg and 1 egg white)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: 1/4 cup dark raisins; 1/4 golden raisins; 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, pumpkin, and eggs.

In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold this into the pumpkin mixture (dump the dry into the wet all at once and then gently mix) until dry ingredients are just moist. If you decided to include raisins and/or nuts stir them in now.

Butter your muffin tin (will make 12 regular sized or 6 jumbo muffins) and spoon the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Let muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, and then pull the out to cool completely or enjoy right away.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Finally an update! Not too much cooking going on around here lately ~~ except for the baby abrewin'! But with morning company coming and my love for all berries, I needed to get back to it!! I found a very simple to throw together recipe for blueberry coffee cake. It turned out great!



Blueberry Coffee Cake
Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (MORE!)
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar (i used brown sugar)
1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions
For batter, in a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Toss blueberries with remaining flour. Stir blueberries and cream cheese into creamed mixture (batter will be thick). Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Muffins

My mother in law gave me a wonderful cookbook full of healthy recipes.  The cookbook is "Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet".  I've been overloading on strawberries and have been looking for a way to use some.  Strawberry muffins completely hit the spot.  This is a great, healthy recipe.  The muffins also freeze well.  

Strawberry Muffins

Source:  Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet Cookbook

Yields 24 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup sugar

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg white

2 eggs

1 cups apple cider or apple juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola)

2 cups sliced strawberries, divided (if using frozen berries, measure them after defrosting & draining them)

1.  Preheat oven to 400.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon & salt.

3.  In a medium-sized bowl, lightly beat the egg white and whole eggs.  Beat in the apple cider or juice and the oil.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring the ingredients until they are just moist.

4.  Gently stir in all but 24 slices of the strawberries.  Divide the batter among 2 greased muffin cups.  Top each muffin with a reserved strawberry slice.

5.  Place the muffin tins in the hot oven, and bake for about 25 minutes.  I did use muffin liners & lightly sprayed them with PAM.

Very Berry Blueberry Muffins

Flipping through a Self magazine, I found this recipe. I knew I had blueberries in the fridge. Whala! An evening project. I thought they were good. This recipe definitely cut out some of the fat and calories of many others. I think they would also freeze very well.

Very Berry Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup light margarine, softened
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, thawed) - I know I used a bit more

Directions
1. Place oven rack in the top 1/3 of oven.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add Splenda Granulated sweetener and honey beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Fold in blueberries.
5. Spoon batter evenly into paper lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Petite Cinnamon Swirls

Just a quick little treat for breakfast. Not Cinnabon, but a pretty good healthier alternative. I'll definitely make this more often.

8 ounce tube refrigerated low-fat crescent dinner roll dough
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 TBSP fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 375.

Unwrap the dough but don't separate it. Place the dough in one piece on a flat surface. In order, sprinkle with the cinnamon, orange zest, and raisins. Press gently into the dough.

Starting with one long end, roll up the dough jelly-roll style, making a log about 12 inches long. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 12 slices. Place the dough slices about 1 inch apart on a nonstick baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down on each roll to slightly flatten.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and milk until well blended. Spoon over the rolls as soon as they are removed from the oven.

Country Style Breakfast Casserole

I was looking for something for Christmas morning. I have usually made the strata with eggs & bread. Looking for something a little bit lighter. This recipe came from the American Heart Association Cookbook. It was good, not a TON of flavor but good. It was better the 2nd day. We also added some salsa to our individual servings that made it even better as well.

Country Style Breakfast Casserole
serves 10

Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
8 oz. low-fat smoked link sausage
2 TBSP. maple syrup
2 lbs. frozen country-style hashbrowns (no oil added)
2 cups fat-free milk
Egg substitute equivalent to 6 eggs, or large eggs
2 1 oz. slices fat free or low fat American cheese, diced
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 TBSP finely snipped green onions (green part only) - optional

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 13X9X2 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.

Heat a medium skilled over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage for 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned, turning occasionally. Remove from the skillet and cut into bite-size pieces. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel. Return the sausage to the skillet.

Add the maple syrup to the sausage. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Arrange in a single layer in the baking pan.

Top the sausage with the frozen hash browns.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except the green onions. Pour over the hash browns.

Bake for 1 hour or until the center is set - doesn't jiggle when gently shaken. (I ended up baking about 1 hr. 15 minutes). Sprinkle the green onions over the casserole. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.