Cookies With a Purpose (Lactation Cookies)

Let me start by saying that these cookies are DELICIOUS, so just because they have a purpose, doesn't mean they aren't fun to eat. :)

I nurse my 5 month old daughter, and my supply isn't always the best. When I make a batch of these cookies, I notice a decent increase in milk production. Oatmeal is a great thing for a nursing mother to consume, and brewer's yeast, an extremely healthy "wonder food", is the secret ingredient. I'm sure the extra calories from simply eating cookies help as well.



I took the oatmeal cookie recipe on the box of Quaker Oats, and changed it around a little.

Here is what I used:

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brewer's yeast
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2/3 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking soda, salt, brewer's yeast). In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add applesauce, eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Eat a few a day to improve your milk supply. (Or share them with other non-lactating friends and family. No, it will not cause them to lactate). ;)

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I am in charge of bringing three things for Thanksgiving this year; chocolate pecan pie, mac 'n' cheese, and butternut squash casserole. Since I have already posted my mac 'n' cheese and squash recipes on this blog, I thought I should go ahead and post the recipe I used for the chocolate pecan pie. I made a test pie today while Audrey was napping, and Emily happily watched from her little seat. :)

I found this simple recipe on www.allrecipes.com and didn't change a thing.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

2/3 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)

2 large eggs

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups pecans

1 9 inch pie crust (I used a store bought one)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, butter, and condensed milk over medium heat. Stir constantly until everything is melted and blended.
Remove from heat (I used a spatula to scrape it into another bowl to speed up the cooling process so the eggs wouldn't cook). Add the eggs, salt, vanilla, and pecans. Mix well.

Pour mixture into pie shell, and bake on bottom shelf of oven for 40-45 minutes. Serve hot or cold, preferably cold.

I had a slice warm from the oven, and it tasted very similar to a gooey brownie with a crust. I am a huge fan of a gooey brownie, and always love a crust, so to me, it was perfection. :)

I plan to serve it cold on Thanksgiving, with a side of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. I'm sure it will be delicious!

Honey Cinnamon Banana Muffins

As usual, we had a handful of overripe bananas sitting on the counter this week, so it was time to whip up some banana bread. It has become a staple in our house, but I always try to do something a little different each time I make it. This time I skipped butter, and used honey and a little brown sugar in place of the white sugar...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 T cinnamon

6 oz (one small container) plain yogurt (ours came from our organic farm delivery)

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 large eggs

3 large overripe bananas

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer (or large bowl), cream together the brown sugar and yogurt. Add in the honey and continue to mix well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Slowly pour the flour mixture into the honey mixture, and blend together (but don't over mix). Finally, add the bananas and mix until combined.

Pour into greased muffin tin, and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Healthier Twice Baked Potatoes

I made these as a side for dinner last night, and I have to say, they were just as delicious as their sour cream, bacon-filled counterpart. :)

I used:

Two medium-sized baked potatoes, cut in half lengthwise (baked at 400 degrees for an hour)

One small container (7 oz) of 2% Greek Yogurt

2 T butter

1 cup of shredded cheese (I used a cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack blend)

Salt and pepper to taste

After the potatoes have cooled, slice them in half, and scoop out the insides. Mix the insides with the yogurt, butter (it should easily melt in the hot potatoes), half of the cheese, and some salt and pepper.

Using a spoon, scoop the filling back into the potato shells, and top with the remaining cheese. Place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy (and be patient so as not to burn your tongue!) :-)

Zucchini Bread

We received our weekly delivery of fresh produce yesterday, and it included a handful of medium sized zucchini. There's nothing better than the smell of something cinnamon-y baking on a cold, rainy day, so I decided to make some (healthy) zucchini bread. (I am no longer on the dairy-free diet, but this bread happens to be dairy-free.) I used the following ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis finely chopped or shredded (I used a food processor)
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 T cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg)

Mix the wet ingredients (eggs, brown sugar, oil, vanilla) together (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer). In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, flaxseed, cinnamon, pp spice). Slowly blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Finally, mix in the zucchini, but do not over mix.

Pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. This makes a great healthy snack for kids and adults. :)

Is It a Side or a Dessert??? Butternut Squash Casserole

I have never been a big fan of squash. Therefore, I avoid it. Now that we have fresh produce delivered weekly from local farms, I am branching out in my cooking. I am trying to make at least one new recipe a week using the produce (I realize one recipe a week doesn't sound like much, but we now have a newborn at home, along with a 21 month old; life's a little hectic!) :)

By the way, I am no longer dairy-free (thank goodness!!!), and I am slowly easing back into eating normally. Two months was long enough. Normal eating = a much happier mommy!

I surfed around on allrecipes.com to see how to prepare the butternut squash that was sitting in my kitchen. I needed a general idea on how to begin, and then I wanted to come up with something yummy to do with it. This is what I did...

Ingredients

1 butternut squash peeled, cubed, boiled, and pureed in the food processor (I used 2 cups for the casserole, and froze one cup in an ice cube tray for baby Emily's dinner once she is eating solids)


1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice (you can also use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, focusing mostly on the cinnamon and nutmeg, with small amounts of the other two)
2 T whole wheat flour
1/4 stick butter

Topping
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
(I also tossed in two crumbled up Trader Joe's graham crackers, but if you don't have them on hand, don't worry about it)

Prepare the squash by peeling it, removing the seeds, cubing it, and boiling the cubes for about 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Place the squash cubes into a food processor, and let them sit for a while to cool. I waited about an hour, but if you need them to cool faster, spread them out on a plate or cookie sheet. Puree the cubes in a food processor, or mash really well with a fork or spoon.

Blend the milk, 1/4 stick of butter (melted), squash, and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin pie spice, flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine the two bowls into one, and mix well. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 (or similar) greased baking dish.



Mix the 1/2 stick of melted butter, the chopped pecans, and the brown sugar in a small bowl, and layer on top of the squash.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.


We had it as a side with meatloaf for dinner, but Dan and I both agree it could have easily been a dessert. I think I'll be taking it to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!

Scrumptious Chicken Salad

Unfortunately, I have had to go dairy-free due to nursing issues with my new baby. So, I am trying to make the experience as yummy as possible!

This chicken salad is pretty easy to throw together, takes advantage of leftovers, and tastes great on bread (of which I can only eat a very limited variety right now), or on it's own. In my opinion, the dill makes the chicken salad! This recipe yields about 3-4 servings.

Ingredients:

1.5-2 cups of shredded leftover rotisserie chicken

2/3 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped carrots

2/3 cup quartered red grapes

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

mayonnaise to taste (I use about 2/3 cup and add more if necessary)

1 t onion salt

1/2 t garlic powder

2 t dried dill

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, blend mayo and seasonings. Add walnuts, grapes and veggies, and mix well. Add chicken last, and gently mix until evenly distributed.

Serve chilled on bread or with crackers.

A Healthy, Hearty, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie (Great for Kids!)

While looking for a cookie to make for playgroup a few months ago, I found the following recipe on www.wholesometoddlerfood.com:

Farmland Flax Cookies - A popular cookie that everyone loves.
Butter 1 1/3 cups
Granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups
Brown sugar 1 1/2 cups
Flax seed- 1 1/2 cups
Large eggs 3
Vanilla 1 1/2 tsp
All-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups (try a mix of whole wheat flour/all purpose)
Baking soda 1 tbsp
Oatmeal 3 cups

In a bowl, cream butter and sugars; add flax seed. In another bowl, beat eggs and vanilla together. Combine with flax mixture. Sift together the flour and soda. Mix in oatmeal and combine with other ingredients. Form dough into 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) round logs. Place in freezer and chill. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice into .5 cm (1/4 inch) medallions. Place on baking sheet leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between cookies.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool Yield: 108 cookies (5 cm/2 inches)

Changes I made:

I used all whole wheat flour, only 1.5 sticks of butter, added a cup of applesauce, and added about one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (not enough to really make them super chocolatey, but enough to give them a little chocolate kick).

I made a few "logs", ended up baking one for play group, saving one for later (in the freezer), and giving two of them to friends. These were great for the kids, and for the adults as well!

Comfort Food Alert!!! Gooey, Crispy, Chunky, Baked Mac 'n' Cheese :)

Ok, so I never thought I would use Velveeta in a recipe, let alone publish a blog entry admitting to it. But, I did, and I am, and it was so worth it!

I have been craving a good baked mac 'n' cheese for a while, and finally gave in and started researching recipe basics. I combined a few ideas, added my own twists, and voila!

My dad, husband, daughter, and I all really enjoyed this dish. Next time I serve it to Audrey, I will have to wait until after she's eaten her meat and veggies (which usually isn't a problem for her; she loves meat and veggies!) But once she had a taste of this, nothing else on her high chair tray existed. :)

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (not because I was trying to be healthy, but because that's all I had, and what I mostly use; I realize the Velveeta and stick of butter negated the healthy aspect right away). :)
4 cups whole milk
16 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
A few dashes of Tabasco Sauce
1 box of macaroni, cooked, and drained
1 cup chopped/cubed/shredded cheddar cheese (I used a brick of sharp cheddar, and my food processor to chop it up into coarse little pieces with the panko bread crumbs)
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Melt the butter in a large pot, then whisk in the flour. Slowly add the milk while whisking out the lumps. Let mixture sit on medium heat for about a minute, then add the Velveeta cubes a few at a time, mixing in between. Once you have a nice creamy, blended mixture, shake in a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce and stir.

Add the cooked macaroni to the pot, and stir until all noodles are coated with the cheese sauce. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish, and set aside.

In a food processor, add a few chopped up chunks of the cheddar (about one cup's worth), along with the panko crumbs, and chop/mix until you have a coarse mixture. Sprinkle half of it over the macaroni and cheese, and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the mac 'n' cheese, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese/crumb mixture, and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy the soft, bubbly, slightly crunchy goodness of this delicious mac 'n' cheese! I liked it so much that I replaced my 4am pregnancy snack with a bowl of it the next day. I just won't make it a habit. ;-)

Super Quick, Healthy Side Dish

I was looking for something easy to serve as a side dish, and at the same time, wanted to use up some of my canned veggies that don't get a lot of attention. I realize summer isn't an ideal time to use canned veggies, but I was in pantry clean-out mode, so canned veggies it had to be. :)


Ingredients:

One bag of frozen organic brown rice from Trader Joe's, cooked (3 min in microwave)
One can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
One can black beans
One can sweet corn

1 t ground cumin

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper
One cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Mix the first nine ingredients together, pour into a small baking dish (8x8 would work), and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for the last five minutes. Yields about 4-6 servings. Enjoy!

The Perfect Summer Sandwich

Now that summer is in full swing, our local Farmer's Market has become one of my favorite places to shop. This morning I picked up the ingredients to one of my absolute favorite summer dishes--the mozzarella/tomato/pesto sandwich. I bought live basil, a bunch of vine ripened tomatoes, a loaf of Italian bread, and some fresh mozzarella cheese.

I love to make homemade pesto for pasta, sandwiches, and spreads, and I usually make it pretty garlic-heavy. I decided to tone down the garlic a bit so I can use some of the leftovers to make Audrey some pasta tomorrow. Instead of a head of garlic, I used about 3-4 cloves. :)

Pesto

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic (I buy the large container of fresh peeled garlic from Costco, divide it up, chop, and freeze it for quick use in recipes)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

5 large basil leaves

1/2 tspn salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor (I used my small one since this is a small amount of pesto), and grind/chop until you reach the desired consistency. You'll need to stop and scrape the processor bowl with a spatula every few seconds.

Slice the bread in half lengthwise, and then cut each section into thirds so you end up with six halves (for three sandwiches, or two sandwiches with about 1/3 of the loaf leftover).

Spread a thin layer of pesto on each half of the bread, then top with two slices of mozzarella, and two-three slices of tomato (sliced thin and seeded).

Close the sandwiches, place on a baking sheet, and bake for about 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. This bread ended up being a little thick, so I sliced 1/2 of the bottom slice off of each sandwich. When I have used an Italian loaf from the store in the past, I didn't have to do this. It just depends on the thickness of your bread and your preference.

One of My Favorite Dishes~~Enchiladas!

This is a recipe I have been making for years, and every time I make it I change it up a bit. I usually use ground turkey (which I did this time), but the enchiladas are also delicious with shredded or chopped chicken, or ground beef. I also sometimes saute the veggies in butter (this time onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and black beans), but I left out the butter this time.

The best tortillas I have found at the store are the handmade ones from Trader Joe's. They have flour ones and whole wheat ones. This time I used the flour ones. They are so so good!

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 t ground cumin

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

Trader Joe's Flour Tortillas

Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce

One can Trader Joe's Organic Black Beans (I often use dried beans, but they take more preparation)

One small can green chilies

One small/medium tomato, chopped (not too fine)

One small onion, chopped (not too fine)

1/2 cup salsa

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Brown the ground turkey. Drain if necessary.

Add the chopped onion and tomato to the ground turkey, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the can of black beans (if using dried black beans, add them when you add the onion), and the can of green chilies. Stir for another minute while cooking on medium heat.

Stir in the Greek yogurt and salsa and continue to cook on low heat.

Fill one tortilla at a time with a large spoonfull of the mixture, about 2/3 cup, and sprinkle cheese on top of the meat mixture. Wrap the tortilla closed, and place it on one end of a greased glass baking dish. Do the same 4-5 more times, depending on how full each tortilla is and how many will fit in the dish.

Pour the bottle of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. After 20 minutes, remove the enchiladas from the oven, sprinkle the remaining cheese over them, and bake for another 7-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

I spotted a recipe for Nigel Barker's banana pancakes in a recent issue of People Magazine, and decided to try it out. Here is the list of ingredients for 10-12 pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch nutmeg

2 pinches cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

sliced strawberries and bananas (optional)

I made two small changes to the recipe...I added a lot more than two pinches of cinnamon, more like 3 teaspoons (I love cinnamon, and tend to always add extra), and I used canola oil in place of the veggie oil.

Directions:

Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, veggie oil, vanilla and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture (batter will be slightly lumpy).

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides. Top with fruit if desired. Serve hot.

**TIP**

Do not use more than 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. I used a little too much for the first few pancakes, and it was hard to tell if the pancakes were done, or if they just had banana oozing out of them. Go for the smaller pancakes and they will be easier to cook properly. :-)

As you can see, Audrey was very happy with the results. :-) I refrigerated the leftovers and have served them to her three mornings in a row.

***TIP*** To me, the strawberries and bananas were not really optional. The strawberries especially bring out the sweetness of the pancakes, and without them the pancakes are almost bland. In order to really make it a healthy breakfast, add the strawberries and skip the syrup!

Toddler Veggie Cookies (Great For Adults, Too!)

Goldfish, puffs, melts, etc, etc, etc. These toddler snacks are getting old in our house, and I really don't feel like they have much substance. I always end up cutting up some fruit to go with them(pears and strawberries are Audrey's current faves), so I was interested in making something that would be sort of an "all-in-one" healthy, substantial snack. After our dog, Wilson, ate the remains of our last loaf of banana bread, one of Audrey's favorites, I was motivated to get started on the following:

I took the following recipe from www.sheknows.com, and made quite a few changes.

ZUCCHINI AND CARROT COOKIES
Ingredients

3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon


This is the list of ingredients I used:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini
2/3 cup shredded carrots
2/3 cup applesauce
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Add egg and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
Mix in shredded zucchini, carrots, and applesauce.

Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add these dry ingredients to the large bowl, stirring until well combined.
Drop teaspoons of dough approximately 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.
Use 2 spoons to drop the dough by teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake 12 minutes.
Makes about 20 cookies.

Making Banana Bread with a Toddler

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

WOW. I found this recipe in the following blog, and did not change a thing:

http://shaversfamily.blogspot.com/2010/04/recipe-chicken-with-40-cloves-of-garlic.html

My dad happened to call and ask if he could stop by and visit with Audrey this evening, and I told him it was perfect timing because I was trying a new recipe and had plenty to share. He and Dan both really enjoyed the chicken, baguette, and sauce (as did I). I chose a fresh whole wheat baguette from Whole Foods, baked it in the 450 oven for about 7 minutes, and it complemented the dish perfectly. I can honestly say that I will have some major cravings in the near future for this delicious, moist (I hate that word, but for some reason typing it isn't that bad, ha ha), chicken, along with the crusty bread dipped in the sauce. The sauce is beyond amazing. It was heavenly.

I served it with a simple salad of mixed greens, strawberries, cucumbers, and toasted almonds (dressing=equal parts white balsamic vinegar and olive oil, mixed with a tablespoon of sugar).

**TIP**

Just like Amanda advises in her blog, prep the garlic ahead of time. Actually, read the entire recipe several times ahead of time (I did it a few hours prior while Audrey was napping), and set everything out. The recipe is not difficult to follow, but there are quite a few steps, and you don't want to get stuck having to brine the chicken (at least 30 minutes, but I did it for an hour), or spend 20 minutes ripping apart the garlic, when you are ready to get going and eat in a timely manner.

I followed the recipe exactly, and took pictures along the way. Enjoy! :)

Banana Bread With a (Spinach/Flax/Pecan) Twist!

It's hard to create a recipe that is really, truly healthy and extremely tasty at the same time. But I have to say, I may have done it with this one! :)

Audrey, my former fabulously non-picky one year-old, has now become Audrey, my typical toddler, when it comes to eating. One day she loves sweet potatoes, the next day she hates them. One day she can't get enough cheese, the next day she throws it at our dog.

So, I am constantly looking for ways to combine a lot of healthy ingredients into one yummy dish that she will devour. (Just last week I added a ton of spinach to my spaghetti pie, and she gobbled it up!)

It turns out, she is in love with this recipe (for now!), so I am satisfied that she is getting a balanced meal as she eats it. ***Like all recipes containing nuts, be sure to pick out any large chunks/pieces before feeding to a toddler.***

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick (or 1/4 cup) butter
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2/3 cup plain organic low fat yogurt
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
4 T ground flaxseed
3 large bananas (or 4 small/medium ones)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I ran out of walnuts, and the pecans were a great sub!)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and set aside. In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), blend the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs. Beat for a minute or so, then add the yogurt and vanilla and continue to blend on medium speed.



While blending on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Finally, sprinkle in the flax seed, then add the bananas and pecans, and lightly mix until just combined.

Pour into a greased (I use spray canola oil) bread pan, and bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes. Check with a toothpick or knife after 45 minutes to see if it's done. Enjoy!