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.