Oatmeal Pancakes

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a long time, but I'm old so I forget things. I really love this recipe because the mix can be in the fridge indefinitely! And because the mix is pre-made, they whip up super fast in the morning. Oh and also they have more to them than regular pancakes so they will stick to the ribs longer. Oatmeal Pancake Mix:(makes 10 Cups) Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats 3 cups whole wheat flour 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons baking powder 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 cup vegetable or canola oil - I use olive oil First, take the oats and put them in your blender. It makes for a much smoother pancake. Then put that and the rest of the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix it well. Once it is mixed, leave your mixer on and drizzle in the oil. Once the oil has all been added, stop the mixer and make a ball out of the mixture. If it clumps to form a ball, it's perfect. If it is crumbly, add another Tbspn of oil (you shouldn't have to do that). That's it - then put it in a tupperware in the fridge. Now, when you want to actually make the pancakes: Oatmeal pancakes (makes 6) 1 C dry mix 1 egg 1/2 - 1 C buttermilk Mix together with a hand mixer. The whisk attachment on the kitchen aid might work, but I haven't tried it. If you have to do it by hand, be prepared to mix a lot to get it as smooth as you can. Then make yourselves some pancakes! Try them, they are good :) The mixture may seem a little thin, but while you are heating up your griddle, the oats will soak up some of the moisture.

Healthy Applesauce Carrot Muffins (AKA Carrot Cake Muffins)

I have been in the market for some good healthy breakfast options. I added quite a few towards the end of the school year, but all things get boring if you eat them everyday. I've had a hard time finding more, and I've also been really lazy with cooking since summer (I can't be the only one, right?!) Okay, so today I made these muffins, and they were really good. They could have used a bit more flavor, a little something that I am hoping Dani will find for me. But either way, they were good, and even Ashley and Bryce who whined incessently about how much they hated the (before tasting them of course) ended up liking them. Ingredients: 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour) 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (I didn't have any nutmeg so I used ground cloves) 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbspn butter (melted) 1/2 C honey 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 C unsweetened applesauce 3/4 C finely shredded carrots (about 2-3 medium carrots) (Preheat the oven to 350) I shredded the carrots so they would be done - and after a long time of finely GRATING the carrots and thinking, holy crap this is going to take me the rest of my life, my brain finally caught up to me and I realized I was supposed to be finely shredding. That is MUCH faster. I used the bigger holes of my grater (thanks for the tip Martha Stewart) and it worked well. You guys are all probably smarter than me on that one, but just in case.... In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients (a medium sized well would do better I think...) and add the butter, honey, egg, vanilla, and applesauce. Stir ingredients together until just combined and there are still some spots of flour remaining Fold in the shredded carrots just until combined (don't overmix the muffins or they will be dense) Distribute the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups (definitely line them or grease them really well) and make for 18-20 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean) They are easier to eat when they are cooled completely, but also delicious hot and crumbly. Mel says they freeze wonderfully and will keep for 2-3 days if they are covered at room temperature.

healthy blueberry donuts

Yay for Blueberry season!  I can't get enough of these juicy little bombs of deliciousness.  The kids and I have gone out, every week (sometimes twice) since blueberries came on and I still can't get enough of them.  I feel like I need about twice as much as I've already gotten and then I will have enough.

Today I gave a regular donut recipe a tweak to make it healthy and if you are expecting them to taste not healthy, you will be a tad disapointed.  They are delicious, but it's fairly obvious they are not packed with sugar and butter.  I'm not posting a poorly staged photo today because my computer hates me.  Rest assured that I took a poorly staged photo, I just can't post it.

I used fresh blueberries and they are really best as they don't bleed and they hold their shape well.  You can also use frozen though.  I like to thaw them in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup almond milk (regular milk will work fine too)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease 2-6 well donut pans.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside
3. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, milk, oil, vanilla and almond extracts.  Add the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined.
4.  There's a couple ways you can do this next step.  You can then gently fold in the blueberries and spoon them into the donut wells, or you can do what I did.  I spooned the batter into a ziplock bag and snipped off the corner, then I piped a small amount into each well.  Pressed 5-10 blueberries (depending on how big they are) into each donut and piped some more batter on top.  The wells should be about 2/3 full when done.
5. Bake in preheated oven until donut springs back when lightly touched.  10-12 minutes
6.  Let donuts cool in pan for a few minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.

Happy baking!

Apple Pie Oatmeal cookies

Here is a lovely plaguerized picture for you.  Trust me, it more accurately depicts the deliciousness of the finished product.  You're welcome.

These were really good and healthy enough that I thought them an appropriate breakfast food. In fact, they turned out a little more cakey than chewy and I thought about altering them a little and making them into a muffin.  More on that if I ever get around to it.

I've realized that I hardly ever make the recipe as I find it and always alter it a little here and there, so instead of copying and pasting and then telling you I did this different and I did that different, I've decided to just take the time to write the recipe I followed.  As always, you can substitute flours and sugars and butter for whatever flour I have and oil and agave, but then you may not feel as good about eating it for breakfast.

Ingrediants:
1 cup rolled oats (or instant works too)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave
1 cup finely diced apple of your choice

1. Whilsk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.  In a seperate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir in the agave.  Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.  Fold in the apple.  Chill for 30 minutes (don't skip that step, it's important).
2.  Preheat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (don't skip this one either, you will regret it).
3.  Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet and flatten slightly.  bake at 325 for 13-15 minutes.  Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

whole wheat waffles and pancakes

I made these for breakfast yesterday and was pleasantly surprised.  I used whole wheat pastry flour for the first time.  Pastry flour is typically made from a softer variety of wheat.  It is more finely milled and has the added bonus of being lower in gluten.  I think the flavor of whole wheat flour can be pretty pronounced and not everyone enjoys it.  I found the pastry flour to have a much milder flavor, and thus it was not rejected out of hand by my children who grow somewhat pickier every day. Overall the waffles were a big hit.  We sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on them or topped them with strawberry jam.  They were also really good just plain.  They are pretty quick and easy to whip up and I think they will find a place in my breakfast rotation. 

Give 'em a go.  I think you will be surprised.

Here's a link, and as always the recipe can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board as well.

http://www.thenakedkitchen.com/whole-grain-waffles-and-pancakes/

 (Side note: I found my whole wheat pastry flour in the bulk foods bins at Winco)

Apple cinnamon quinoa bites

I finally made the apple cinnamon quinoa bites I've been trying to get around to all week.  They turned out pretty good.  You can definitely taste the quinoa, and it throws off the flavor a little bit, but I still enjoyed them.  The rest of my family, not so much.  I'm getting used to this reaction.  Soren said he liked them at first, then he ate another one and changed his mind.  Same with Laila.  Solveig said she liked them but didn't want one and Kristian said he could definitely taste the quinoa.  I think next time I make them (oh yes, I will make them again), I'm going to grate my apple up instead of chopping it.  Other than that, pretty delicious. 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped apples (I used macintosh, but any type should work nicely)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large mixing bowl, add your cooked quinoa and quick oats. In a separate smaller mixing bowl, combine your cinnamon, nutmeg and sugars and then add the spice mixture to the quinoa and oats. Then add the maple syrup, apples and eggs and mix until just combined.

3) Spray your mini muffin pan (24 count) with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure to spray the top of the pan as well. The quinoa bites will overflow out of the cup a little bit, so you don't want the tops to stick.

4) Fill each muffin slot with 1 tablespoon of the mixture and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm!

Steel cut oats.

I have fairly recently discovered steel cut oats.  They are a less processed form of oatmeal and thus take forever to cook.  They are so yummy and filling.  They have a chewy texture which really appeals to me.  My kids also really like them and Kristian doesn't mind them, but finds them a little too chewy.  They take a little over half an hour to cook on the stovetop.  This morning, I decided to make up batch to keep in the fridge, for a quick grab and go snack.  These are 2 pint jars (I think.  They are regular jam jars.  Half a quart.  Is that one pint?  No matter, you know what I mean) and a fairly large serving as they are super filling, but it didn't occur to me to maybe not fill them all the way until just right now.  Also, I will totally eat a full one (or more) in a sitting anyway.  I added some berries in there because everything is better with berries.  I plan to nuke em before eating them, or just have them cold.  I like them both ways, though I do prefer warm foods in the morning. 

Steel cut oats are available in the bulk foods bin at WINCO.  Also, Bob's Red Mill makes a quick cooking variety which only takes 5 minutes on the stovetop.  I haven't been able to find these, though admittedly I haven't looked very hard.  The ratio for cooking these is 4 parts water to one part oats.  Bring the water (and a little salt ) to a boil, add the oats and simmer for half an hour.  I like to stir in brown sugar, a little cinnamon and some vanilla.  Yummm.  I didn't put vanilla in this batch cause I spaced it. 

If you don't have 35 minutes in the morning to devote to your breakfast prep, you can also make them the night before by bringing the water (and a little salt) to a boil on the stovetop, add the oats, put the lid on and just let them sit overnight.  They will be fully cooked in the morning (in theory, I haven't actually tried this method).  Another way you could do it is to add all ingredients to the crockpot the night before and just turn it on "keep warm" and leave overnight and they will be ready (and warm) when you get up (again, in theory, I haven't tried this one either). 

Anyway you make them steel cut oats are a delicious and nutritious addition to the breakfast menu. 

Chia Pudding

We tried Danielle's Vanilla Chia Pudding this morning. I made it with almond milk and honey and it was amazing! I did two jars of the thinner consistency and one thicker, just to see the difference. I gave the girls the thicker jar and ended up thinning it out with some regular milk. We topped it with blueberries and it was a hit! I ate mine, just as it came from the jar and I loved it.I could not finish the whole thing it was so filling. Zach even reluctantly tried some and enjoyed it. He did not eat his jar, but said it is because he needs something solid first. So, maybe he was lying about liking it, but I am working on him! So Vanilla Chia Pudding will be on our breakfast list for a long time to come.

Vanilla Chia Pudding

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened (vanilla)
• 2 - 3 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 - 4 tbsp chia seeds*
• Nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a Mason jar or any container with a tight lid (I prefer glass), give a good shake or stir and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. When ready to eat, stir and top with favourite toppings: nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes etc. Adjust the thickness of a pudding with extra milk if desired. Also the amount of sweetener is up to a personal taste.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

We tried this for breakfast this morning. It smells like fall which made me instantly happy. I love fall. And Pumpkin. Instead of topping with maple syrup, I just put a dash of maple extract to cut down on sugar content. I also excluded the egg this time, but may add it next. It seemed to be a hit. http://cleaneatingrecipebox.blogspot.com/2012/06/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal.html

Blackberry crumble revisited

Tonight I made a blackberry crumble for Marky's birthday (and all the other July birthdays, but I made it because he doesn't care so much for cake) party tomorrow at North Fork.  The recipe for this little lady (yes she is a lady) can be found on my sweets and treats board on pinterest.  As is, I couldn't put it in healthy habits.

I staged it a little better than my last one.  See, I'm learning.  Anyway, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep Kristian out of it unless I made something else for him.  I have learned from past experience.  There is no stopping him.  I had used all my fresh blackberries, so I opened a can of peaches, drained it (mostly) and threw in some frozen blueberries (we also ate all the fresh blueberries).  The peaches were very sweet and so were the blueberries, so I skipped the sugar.  I did cut the peaches into more bite sized chunks.  Added a little vanilla to the mixture.  Than I put 1/3  cup old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup oat flour (just old fashioned oats taken for a spin in the blender), 1/4 cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt into the food processor.  Gave it a little pulse to mix then slowly added olive oil to the mix while pulsing in the food processor till the consistency looked right.  I would guess at probably 2 Tablespoons.  I have some single serving ramekins that are a miniature of the one pictured above.  I divided the fruit mix between two of those and topped with the topping, then popped it all in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.  I  would advise putting them on a cookie sheet as they got a little rambunctious there in the end and started bubbling over the sides. 

 

They were delightful.  Kristian really loved them too, though he slightly ruined the nutritiousness of his by topping it with a hearty scoop (or three) of ice cream.  I won't say I didn't look on with envy.  All in all I would say this is breakfast worthy.  I don't know what I would call it.  Breakfast berry (or fruit) cobbler.  I was thinking that next time I would substitute some of the brown sugar for honey or agave, which would also cut back on how much olive oil I would need to moisten the topping, but may make it too gooey to spread evenly.  That will take some trial and error, I'll get back to you on that one.  Give this one a go.  If your making it for your family, use the blackberry crumble recipe and make the substitutions as you like.  You may not need to substitute the flour if you don't mind it in there, I just had to make it gluten free.  If you really wanted butter you could do half butter half olive oil.  The possibilities are endless.  Next time I get a fresh batch of berries, I'm making a full size one for breakfast.  It was fast and easy. 

 

P.S.  I've come to realize that I use parenthesis a lot (definitely more than the average person) in my writing.  They are so handy.

Seriously though people, make this one.  It's good. 

Blackberry Crumble

1 quart blackberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/2 heaping cup oats

1/2 heaping cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash slightly the blackberries, add the sugar and vanilla bean paste. Allow to mascerate while prepping the crumble topping.

In the bowl of a food processor (you can also do by hand), add oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in 3/4 stick of butter cut into chunks and pulse food processor until small pea size crumbles form.

Butter a shallow baking dish. Add berries to the bottom and top with crumble topping. Add the remaining butter to the top cut into small chunks.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Topping will appear to still be loose, but it will firm up when cool.

Serve warm on it's own or with a scoop of ice cream.

vanilla chai pudding

I tried a new food today.  I have heard of chai and haven't ever tried it.  I didn't really know what it was, didn't really care.  I found this recipe that was fast and easy and could be made the night before for a grab and go breakfast or a quick snack.  The main appeal to me at the time was that it was gluten, dairy, nut, chocolate, beef, egg and soy free.  Those are few and far between and that it looked fast and easy.  I did a little research on the thing, here's some interesting tidbits I found:

Unlike flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be grinded to reap their health benefits.
Chia seeds have a nutritional resume that includes fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and protein. They’re what you want if you’re stranded on a desert island, or hunkered down in the outback for an extended period of time.
Eaten raw or tossed into salads, yogurt, smoothies, omelets and baked goods, these tiny black and white seeds have a mild, nutty flavor.
They contain up to 25 percent omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA (alpha-linolenic acid.) Ounce for ounce, chia seeds have more of these fats than salmon. They’re one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 in any food. Chia also contains high amounts of omega-6.
These EFAs (essential fatty acids) build new cells and regulate various processes of the body. Chia seed is the ultimate brain food, giving new credibility to the “chia head.”
These little bitty seeds support heart health and feed the skin, hair and nails.
Just one ounce of seed contains approximately 4 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat (the good kind) and 11 grams of fiber. The seeds contains all 10 essential amino acids that are a must for your diet, so they're considered a top source of complete plant-based protein.
To avoid the “chia trot,” start out slowly when introducing this concentrated source of fiber.

And then there’s that weight-control bonus. When chia seeds are soaked, they can absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid. When ingested, chia seeds form a gel inside your stomach, which slows down sugar and carbohydrates, keeping electrolytes in balance and your belly satiated.
Trying to build muscle or conquer a triathlon? Chia to the rescue!

Interesting right.  Genny brought up the concern that chai tea is not word of wisdom approved.  I cannot find anything (in my limited research online) that says the same for the seeds.  I think we are a go. 

I made this simple concoction last night (the recipe can be found on my pinterest board "Healthy Habits) and stuck it in the fridge.  I went to pull it out this morning planning to take it with me for an after walk snack and inadvertently grabbed the jar of almond milk I made last night and looked at it and thought "this pudding didn't set up at all."  Read the label dummy, you label things for a reason, not as a hobby.  Anyway, I found it after lunch and gave it a go.  My first impression is that it's weird.  The texture is new and the taste is new.  My kids all had a few bites.  Laila loved it (no surprise there, the girl would eat pinecones if I let her), Solveig said she liked it after the first bite then changed to I kinda like it, I kinda don't.  Soren  took a bite, said it was good but that he didn't want to eat anymore.  I relate to Solveig.  It's new and going to take some getting used to, but I think I'm going to incorporate it.  I'm told you can purchase a big box at Costco for cheap (my source is a Ukrainian women whom I've never met before who's blog I happened to stumble across), so I'm going to look for it there.  I bought it in bulk at Winco yesterday (hidden in the jars of spices in case anyone goes looking) and it's a little pricey.

Has anyone else tried chai?  What is your experience?  Any recipes?  I'm you can also just throw a handful into a smoothie and can't taste it. 

P.S.  Jess, I'm coming for you.  You have to at least taste it.