Graduation Book

My son will be graduating from preschool tomorrow... sniff, sniff. OK, SOB, SOB! I wanted to do something small, but special and significant for him. Here's what I came up with up:

I obviously blurred my kids' names :)

Every year, I am going to get a copy of their favorite book. On the inside cover, I will write a note and include their school picture. 

I think it's a fun way to remember some of the important details that we often forget. And it's a neat way to build a special keepsake library (with REAL books) for each child.

Aunt Christie's Waffles

This recipe is adapted from my dear friend's waffle recipe... which is healthy and so delicious! I added some extra cinnamon and came up with the following version.

They freeze and reheat wonderfully... this is great way to replace those store-bought waffles that contain the nasty artificial food coloring.

Turn your waffle iron on medium. Spray generously with Organic canola oil cooking spray.

Batter:

Mix together:

• 1½ cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (I’ve tried other whole wheat flours… nothing compares to the quality of KAF.)
• ½ cup ground flax (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic 100% Whole Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal)
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum-free)
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix in a separate bowl:

• 2 eggs
• 1¾ cups milk
• ¼ cup melted butter

Combine wet and dry ingredients together until completely blended.

Scoop ¾ cup of batter onto waffle iron. Cook for 2 minutes. All waffle irons are not created equal. You may need to experiment with the time. Waffles are done when they are a golden brown color. Be sure to re-spray iron before making each waffle.

Makes approximately 4½ Belgian waffles. (I usually make a double batch and freeze the leftovers.)

Remove from iron and cool leftovers on racks. Wrap individually and freeze for an easy breakfast option. To reheat, simply place frozen waffle in a toaster or in the oven.

After scooping batter onto waffle iron, add ½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries to make blueberry waffles.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

This recipe couldn't be any easier. It's tasty and healthy too.

Combine in a crock-pot:

• 6 frozen chicken breasts
• 2 cups Homemade Salsa

Cook on low for 8 hours.

My husband and kids are picky eaters, so the salsa scares them. To accommodate them, I didn't shred the meat until after I removed it from the crock pot. I mixed theirs with sour cream and cheese and served it with tortilla chips. My son actually said, "Holy Moly! That tastes good!" I hope you enjoy it too.

David W's Italian Beef

Good friends of ours brought us this delicious Italian beef after the birth of our first child. It has been a family favorite ever since.

Combine in a crock-pot:

• 4 lbs. chuck roast (trimmed)
• 2 Tbsp. mustard seeds
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. pepper
• 1 cup water

Cook on low for 24 hours.

My husband and I like ours served on a Hoagie roll with cheese. He adds mayo and mustard to his. The kids like the beef on a standard grilled cheese. It's even good by itself with some healthy sides.

We divide ours up into family-sized portions. It freezes wonderfully. We re-heat it in the microwave... remember it is originally cooked for 24 hours, so it is really difficult to overcook it. It is also an easy meal to serve at parties.

If you are going to make this for large crowds, just make sure to have enough beer and kraut to cover the dogs. It makes a great dish for a buffet and it's a lot easier than having someone grilling dogs for the masses.

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is adapted from my mother-in-law's pumpkin bread recipe... which is to die for! I messed with it a bit and came up with the following muffin version. They are so wonderful that we have a hard time keeping them in the house. People have been know to take bags of them home after parties at my home. I hope you enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Batter:

Mix together:

• 3 ½ cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (I’ve tried other whole wheat flours… nothing compares to the quality of KAF.)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 heaping tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix in a separate bowl:

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 Tbsp. flax (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic 100% Whole Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal)
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup + 3 Tbsp. Canola oil
• 2 cups pumpkin (1 small can)

Combine wet and dry ingredients together until completely blended.

Scoop batter evenly into muffin tins. Makes approximately 26 muffins. (I usually make a few batches when I make these. I put 24 in the oven, then add the new batter to what is left from the first. And so on.)

Streusel Topping:

• 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• ½ cup King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup cold butter

Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Topping will be crumbly. Top each muffin with 1 Tbsp. of streusel topping. 

Bake for 22 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately and cool on racks. Wrap individually and freeze for an easy breakfast option.

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Every time I would make Chocolate Chip Cookies, they would fail in some way. They would either be too crispy or too flat or too oily. Keep in mind, I would get these varying results from the same recipe. I love to bake and I am really good at it... ask anyone who knows me. 

So I took this "failure" quite seriously. I mean who can't bake a chocolate chip cookie? I couldn't. But not any more. I decided to make it my mission to create a recipe that would produce perfect cookies every time. I am pleased to report that I have. You can find it here.


Then I decided to try making a whole wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie. The are also delicious. Only a couple of minor changes from the original including cooking time.

I hope you find delicious success as you make these sweet treats!

Preheat oven to 375°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients:

• 2½ cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (It is all about the flour... different brands of whole wheat flour are not equal. Some are grainy. This one is the best for baking cookies and muffins.)
• 1¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Cream together in a separate bowl:

• 2 sticks butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Mix into the butter and sugar:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix together until completely blended.

• Fold in however many chocolate chips you and your family prefer. (Some of my people like a lot of chips. Some of them like one or two in a cookie. I'll let you decide how much is enough.)

I use this glorious little scoop to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Then turn the pan and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes (depending on your oven). I get fluffy and moist cookies every time!

Adam's Pancakes

Heat griddle to a medium-low heat.

Whisk together:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Melt a small amount of butter on griddle to prevent pancakes from sticking. (You could use a spray oil instead.) Pour batter onto griddle. When bubbles appear throughout the pancakes, flip them over. Pancakes are done when both sides are golden brown. Makes approximately 8 five inch pancakes.

Double the batch and freeze the leftovers!

• Cool pancakes completely on wire racks.
• Stack pancakes with parchment paper or wax paper in between each pancake.
• Put the pancakes in a freezer bag.
• Put them in the freezer.
• Reheat them in the oven at 350° for approximately 5 minutes or until heated through. 

The outside of the pancakes will get crispy, while the insides remain moist. They are delicious the second time! It's a quick and easy breakfast when you are on the go.

Salsa

Combine:

• 1 large can Whole Tomatoes (I run them through the blender. You can also squish them by hand. I recommend the blender.)
• 1 8-12 oz can Tomato Sauce
• 1 bunch Green Onion chopped (I use the food processor.)
• 1 bunch fresh Cilantro chopped  (I use the food processor.)
• 3-4 cloves of fresh Garlic chopped (I use the food processor.)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• small amount of Red Pepper Flakes (Add to your taste - it gets hot.)
• 1 fresh Lime squeezed (I add some of the lime that comes out when you squeeze it).
• fresh Tomatoes diced (Optional)

So good you'll want to eat it with a spoon! I typically triple the batch when I make it. I eat a lot of salsa. Also, friends and family usually snatch a jar or two each time I make it. 

This goes great with:

• Adam's Garlic Dill Tacos
• Black Beans and Rice

Rotisserie Chicken & Noodles

Chicken:

• Cut Rotisserie chicken off the bone (We only like the white meat, but you can certainly use the whole bird.)

Noodles:

• Cook 4 cups of egg noodles according to the directions on the package

Sauté until fragrant over a med-high heat:

• 3 cloves grated garlic
• 2 Tbsp butter

 Add:

• Chicken
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 can chicken broth

Cover and simmer on a medium-high heat until chicken is heated through. Drain noodles and pour into chicken mixture. 

Add:

• 1 Tbsp parsley

Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Hot Dogs with Beer & Kraut

We don't have hotdogs very often. When we do, we do it right! Here's an easy recipe to make hotdogs worth your while.

Put in a crock-pot:

• 1 package Hebrew National hotdogs
• 1 can Frank's Bavarian Style sauerkraut (Do NOT drain or rinse. This isn't regular kraut. You want all of the tasty goodness to flavor the dogs.)
• 1 beer (whatever you have on hand is fine)

Cook on low for 5 hours or until dogs are heated through. Check them an hour before serving. If they are still cold, turn it up to high. You can't ruin these things.

I like my dog served on a bun with chopped onions, sliced tomatoes and celery salt. I like my kraut on the side, but you can throw it on top of the dog if you are feeling adventurous :) 

If you are going to make this for large crowds, just make sure to have enough beer and kraut to cover the dogs. It makes a great dish for a buffet and it's a lot easier than having someone grilling dogs for the masses.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every time I would make Chocolate Chip Cookies, they would fail in some way. They would either be too crispy or too flat or too oily. Keep in mind, I would get these varying results from the same recipe. I love to bake and I am really good at it... ask anyone who knows me. 

So I took this "failure" quite seriously. I mean who can't bake a chocolate chip cookie? I couldn't. But not any more. I decided to make it my mission to create a recipe that would produce perfect cookies every time. I am pleased to report that I have. I hope you find delicious success as you make these sweet treats!

Preheat oven to 375°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients:

• 2½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (It truly is the best flour for baking)
• 1¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Cream together in a separate bowl:

• 2 sticks butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Mix into the butter and sugar:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix together until completely blended.

• Fold in however many chocolate chips you and your family prefer. (Some of my people like a lot of chips. Some of them like one or two in a cookie. I'll let you decide how much is enough.)

I use this glorious little scoop to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Then turn the pan and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes (depending on your oven). I get fluffy and moist cookies every time!

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"We Don't Like Ketchup" Meatloaf

I know it might seem strange, but I don't like ketchup. It seems pointless to me. It masks the taste of the food you are eating and it contains a TON of sodium. Since I don't eat it, my kids have never acquired a taste for it. This is a problem when things like a traditional meatloaf is presented to them. So started my quest for a ketchup-less meatloaf. This is sooooo moist and flavorful! My kids eat it like they have won the lottery. Even if you like ketchup, this would make a nice alternative to the meatloaf you already make. Enjoy!

Whisk together:

• ½ cup bread crumbs (I make my own with bread heels - you need approximately 2)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 palm garlic salt (approximately 1 tsp.)
• 1 palm pepper
• 1 palm salt
• 2 chopped garlic cloves

Add the mixture to 1¼ lbs of ground beef. Mix well. You can use your hands. That freaks me out so I use a spoon... it works just as well.

Put meat into a glass bread pan. Bake as follows:

 

• Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes
• REMOVE FOIL and continue to bake at 400° for 30 minutes
• Bake at 500° for 5 minutes

Meat is done when the internal temperature is at least 160°. Let the loaf rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.