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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Our Newest Recipe (We're On A Kick This Week!)

Dr. Oz has invaded my life & if he's done the same to yours you know all the changes that ensue. I have really been trying the last few years to eat healthier & feed my family in a more health conscience way which has led me to search out all types of information. So while Dr. Oz has emptied my fridge & pantry so to speak we have been trying new recipes that don't have too many processed ingredients, ect. My family (minus me) are HUGE breakfast eaters & I fix them breakfast for dinner at least once a week, what's cheaper than eggs & pancakes right? So I found a new waffle recipe that surprise, surprise I modified ;) It turned out so well that I didn't even get a pic of them as we all wolfed them down as if we hadn't eaten in days. Even my non-waffle lover, A, said they were pretty good which is saying something. So I wanted to share this new recipe with you, on the off chance that Dr. Oz has also invaded your life ;) Next time I'll make them when the kiddos aren't home & take a bee-u-tee-ful picture!

Oat Waffles:

1 cup all-purpose flour (you can sub whole wheat flour here)


1 cup oat flour*

1/4 c flax meal (I just do mine in my coffee grinder & I add this to almost all my baked items)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar (I don't add this & it's fine)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups fat-free milk ( I used regular coconut milk & no one knew, crafty mom) *I also had the thought that I could use my dark chocolate almond milk & serve these w/ some fresh whipped cream & strawberries as a nice dessert!

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*To make the oat flour just put 1 1/4 c oatmeal in your blender & pulse until it's a flour consistency.
 
To be more efficient I use a blender to do my waffles/pancakes. Blend all your wet ingredients & then add the dry, pulse till smooth & pour into your waffle iron, these make 8 full waffles & are so hearty! Some people who are serious about their waffles will beat the egg whites to a stiff peak seperately & then fold them into the rest of the batter, I don't think these people have 3 hungry wolves, ahem, children nipping at their ankles but feel free to be gourmet. These sort of remind me of the Kashi waffles I love but won't buy because they're too pricey for my budget. I hope your family loves these as much as mine who asked to have them every day ;)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Sunday Cupcakes

Little Miss loves to bake, a girl after my own heart! We were watching Cupcake Wars today & who can watch something like that & not get a craving for cupcakes. I of course am trying to feed my family in a more health conscience way so I haven't bought many baking supplies lately & my larder is a bit bare so I went in search of some simple recipes that would only use ingredients I had on hand. A did 99% of these all on her own & she was so excited & I was so proud. We wanted to share these simple recipes so that the next time you're in a pantry pinch but yearning for a sweet treat you can take advantage of our finds! Both recipes are so versatile, a must for me, and quick to whip up even when you add in the intense beating session for the cake mix.
Enjoy!!

Simple White Cake:

(This recipe made 15 cupcakes for us)

1 cup white sugar


1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup milk


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.


2.In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter, you need to beat this for at least 8 min till it's light & fluffy for the best texture. Beat in the eggs, one at a time beating for at least 2 minutes after each, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
(We added mini chocolate chips of course!!)
3.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Cool Whipped Frosting :
 
(this is the same as a quick mousse so you could dish it up & serve in dessert bowls w/o too much trouble)
 
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (x-tra creamy!)


1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (we used chocolate!)

1 cup milk (we used dark chocolate almond milk, YUM!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix with milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping until no streaks remain. Spread evenly over cake