Archives for May 2011

Are You Ready for the First Big Weekend of Summer?

May 28, 2011 By

May has just been one big celebration here on QECH, and it keeps on goin! It’s appropriate that the month ends on one of the big holidays of the year, celebrated with great gusto and fanfare, not to mention lots of amazingly delicious picnic food. It’s another one of those holidays wherein the celebration revolves around food. (Which begs the question, is there any other kind of holiday?)

To help you celebrate, I’ve found a few ideas you’ll want to incorporate into your own Memorial Day plans. Let’s start with dessert first.

(Sorry, no picture) Red, White and Blue Ice Cream Cupcakes - Ice cream and cake in one neat little patriotic package. I’m definitely going to attempt these!

BBQ Shrimp by Jane Deere

Forget the hamburgers and hot dogs! Grill shrimp instead!

homemade condiments

Impress your family and friends by making your own ketchup and mayo for the big picnic. You can also try your hand at hot sauce (not in time for Memorial Day, unfortunately, as it takes about a week), or exotic condiments like Thai Red Curry Paste, or harissa.

chicken and potatoes in foil packets

Have all your guests put together their own meal to their preference, wrapped in a cute little foil package. No grill? No problem; put them in the oven.

dipping apples

For an easy spread everyone will enjoy, try a variety of dippable finger foods. Even the kids will love that menu!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

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{Not-So-Healthy} Birthday Cake Decorating Ideas

May 27, 2011 By

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for $50 in Cherry Tree Soaps products!

Every year, the AWANA program at my church hosts a Cake Decorating contest, and all the parents kids get busy making delicious concoctions that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the tummy. Since the youngest age in AWANA is 3, and my Certain Little Someone will not reach that milestone for a few months yet, I haven’t participated in the contest in the past except as an occasional judge. I do, however, enjoy tasting them in the cake-eating party that follows the judging.

 

Aquarium

This year, I did submit a cake (or rather cupcakes) to the contest (there’s an adult category), mostly so that my Certain Little Someone would not feel left out, and would have some allergen-free cake of his own to enjoy. I even let him help me decorate. !! Probably a mistake. I really have no words to express how I felt when blue frosting was smeared all across the carpet of my dining room floor. OK, that’s a lie. I did have words. Words they probably heard all the way in Africa, something along the lines of, “WHATINTHEWORLDAREYOUDOING?!?!?!?!? STOPSMEARINGTHEFROSTINGINTHECARPET!!! AAAGGGHHHH!!! {sob}”. (The sob was me, by the way. My Certain Little Someone was remarkably unaffected by the entire incident. Oh, to be 2 again!)

Since my Certain Little Someone is dairy-free and so am I, I didn’t even bother trying to make a healthy frosting. Most healthier frostings rely heavily on the qualities of milk and butter to achieve the right texture and taste, so I’ve given up for the moment on even attempting anything other than basic decorator’s frosting.

 

Baby Fish

One thing I really regret is using food coloring to make these cakes. Next time I decorate a cake, I’m going to try my hand at natural food dyes - either store-bought or made from highly pigmented foods like blueberries and the like.

Also, I didn’t have time to experiment, so I just used plain old jell-o to make the “sea” in my cake. I really wanted to try out this low-sugar all-natural jell-o recipe in the future, but I simply didn’t have time to experiment this past weekend when I was making these cupcakes.

 

Mommy Fish

“Was there anything healthy in these?,” I hear you asking incredulously. Well, yes. A little. I used palm shortening in the frosting, a step above run-of-the-mill shortening. And the cupcakes are made with mostly whole (non-wheat) grains, raw sugar, and coconut oil. And the fish faces and fins are made with all-natural fruit roll-ups without any coloring and all that junk.

 

Daddy Fish

In case you’re curious, here’s how to decorate these cupcakes (original idea from Good Housekeeping):

You will need:

1 batch cupcakes (half baked in regular size tin, half in mini-muffin tin)

1 batch decorator’s frosting (see recipe below), tinted blue

1/2 cup blue sugar (see instructions below)

2 fruit roll-ups

1/2 package Skittles candy or M&Ms

1 small tube black gel frosting

1/2 batch Jell-O “Jigglers” recipe (or homemade jello)

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Frost all the cupcakes smoothly with the blue frosting. Roll the edges in the blue sugar, and place the cupcakes in the pan in rows of 3. Cut rounded triangles from the fruit roll-up for the faces and fins, making jagged zigzag edges on the fins. Place them on the cupcakes, then fill in with Skittles or M&Ms (Hint: Start with the farthest edge of the cupcake, placing the candies upright on their edge, then placing the next row in front of the first, and so on, to achieve the scaled look). Use the tube of decorating gel to add an eye and mouth to each fish. Fill in the pan around the cupcakes with cubes of jello for the water.

Decorator’s Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar*

1/4 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup palm shortening

Combine all ingredients in mixer and whip until thoroughly blended. Add additional powdered sugar or milk to achieve desired consistency.


Colored Sugar

Place desired amount of sugar in a bowl; add food dye. Stir until evenly coated. If using a liquid dye, spread the sugar on a sheet of wax paper until dry. If using gel, mix it in thoroughly with the sugar using the back of a spoon or a fork.

Here are some more of the cakes that were submitted to the Cake Contest, if you want some inspiration for your next birthday cake:

 

Watermelon Cake

 

Noah’s Ark
Sunflower Cake
Veggie Tales: Bob and Larry
Carousel

Now, I know I said in the title of this post that these are not HEALTHY, and it’s true. However, making and decorating a cake at home is far HEALTHY-er (and CHEAP-er!) than purchasing it from a bakery. I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at the list of ingredients used at commercial bakeries, but it often seems worse than a box mix or packaged cake to me! Anything you make at home has got to be healthier than that!

4 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Celebrations, Children, Handmade, On The Table Tagged With: ,

Crunchy Granola (or not)

May 26, 2011 By

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for $50 worth of Cherry Tree Soaps products!

I’m not sure when, where, why or how the words “crunchy” and “granola” began to be associated with a “hippie”/all-natural/green lifestyle, but at some point along the way, that’s exactly what happened. I myself am neither all that crunchy nor am I very granola… but I do like crunchy granola.


I like to make it, too. Actually, I usually make granola bars, mostly for the sake of my Certain Little Someone, whose allergies prevent him from eating the vast majority of store-bought granola and granola bars. Usually, at least a portion of his granola bars crumble into mere granola, and I’ve gotten to the place where I just find it faster and easier just to make granola to start with. And I find myself indulging in the granola with him more and more often, to the point where I couldn’t say in all honesty that I make it for him anymore.

Because granola is pretty much just yummy, whether you’re a hippie or not.


I’ve stuck with the same old granola/granola bars recipe for probably a good year or so now, just because it was so hard to come up with in the first place , plus it’s pretty reliable, and easy to vary with different flavors. However, I stumbled across this olive oil granola recipe at Saveur and had to try it. The olive oil is a brilliant idea, one I wish I had thought of before! And it was easy enough to make allergen-free so that my Certain Little Someone could enjoy it. And you, too! Whether or not you have food sensitivities or allergies, you will enjoy this delicious crunchy granola.

I have no clue what “coconut chips” are, so I used my shredded coconut that I had on hand. I should have used less of it, so that is reflected in the recipe below. I didn’t - and don’t - have fleur de sel either; I just used plain old sea salt.


Crunchy Olive Oil Granola

2 1/2 cups oats

1 cup puffed rice

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (or other seeds, or nuts)

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried ginger

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup honey

Stir together dry ingredients and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix together olive oil and honey in a small saucepan, and heat over low heat for about 3 minutes, taking care not to bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and stir into dry ingredients until thoroughly coated. Spread granola mixture into a single layer on each of two cookie sheets. Bake at 300F for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning and to allow even baking. When granola is golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Granola is much QUICKer than you might think, probably 45 minutes from start to finish, including baking time. Plus, you can make a large batch once a month or once every couple weeks, which saves time on busy mornings, but still allows you to have a healthy breakfast.

It’s EASY-er than granola bars. I’ve had some difficulty getting granola bars to set properly and hold together the way they should, probably in part because I either can’t or refuse to use ingredients that would bind them together a little better. Granola has no such problem, because it is not required to stick together!

Making granola yourself is so much CHEAP-er than buying it at the store. In fact, the prices for store-bought granola, especially the healthy kinds, can be downright ridiculous. I also like using olive oil, because it’s cheaper than the coconut oil I had been using for granola.

Homemade granola is so much more HEALTHY than a box of cereal for breakfast. If you add some nuts, it has the added benefit of protein (or if you eat it in milk). It makes a great parfait when paired with yogurt, and even makes a delicious healthy topping for ice cream.

 

3 Comments Filed Under: Breakfast, On The Table Tagged With:

10 Things I Learned at Fitbloggin, plus 8 Pictures I Took

May 23, 2011 By

Thanks to my sponsor, Wellsphere, I attended the FitBloggin’ 11 Conference in Baltimore this weekend. I am so glad I went, because even if I’m not technically a “fitness” blogger, I do like to blog about healthy eating and nutrition, so it was a good “fit” for me. Plus, a lot of the sessions were applicable to all bloggers, not just niche bloggers, so I learned a great deal.

First, the pictures (well, technically there are 9, but I did not take the first one):

Me at the Popchips table, with coffee in hand (oh, and a pom pom).

1. a funky statue thing not too far from the hotel. Kinda cool looking so I snapped a pic.

2. the view from our hotel window - Camden Yards, where the O’s were playing the Nationals (and lost badly - what’s new?)

3. Lunch on Saturday, featuring roasted potatoes from Tasteful Selections, and a delicious Crunchy Greens and Apple Salad with Nature’s Greens

4. Lunch on Friday, featuring a variety of roasted spring vegetables

5. the rest of lunch on Friday: a variety of hot sandwiches

6. I couldn’t resist the chance to go to Whole Foods, which was in walking distance from the hotel. I don’t have a Whole Foods nearby, unfortunately.

7. Amy, from A Little Nosh (remember her post about quesadillas and bean dip?), and me (We got to meet! Yay! She and I had fun attending sessions together and chatting about our blogs!)

8. my DH, who was a sweetie pie and came with me to take care of Baby Boy so I could feed him - Baby Boy, not DH - when he was hungry

Now for the Ten Things I Learned:

  1. all the ins and outs and {ethical, valid} tricks of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) from Matt, the No Meat Athlete. Bring on the Googlers, baby!
  2. how to eat optimally - balancing proteins and carbs - for workouts and weight loss, plus the importance of lowering cortisol and naturally increasing HGH from Holly Perkins and New Balance
  3. collard greens actually make a pretty delicious salad - Thanks, Nature’s Greens!
  4. Zumba is fun to watch, but no, I didn’t try it. I got a sample DVD and will attempt it in the relative safety and security of my own home, thankyouverymuch (coordination is not my middle name!)
  5. Intuitive Eating is a concept that intrigues me, and one I really want to delve into further. More on that one later, I promise!
  6. Don’t be afraid to approach brands that you love if you want to work with them on your blog. (Any suggestions from my readers?)
  7. how to be a social media superstar - look out social media world, here I come!
  8. utilizing online tools - besides FB and Twitter - in creative ways to reach out with your blog and make it better - things like tumblr, mealsnap, and Meetup.
  9. using FB and Twitter effectively
  10. parking in Baltimore is expensive! Really.

Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but I don’t want to bore you with endless details, so I’ll leave it at that. However, I’ll definitely be working through my Fitbloggin notes, and making some changes here and there, putting the things I’ve learned to practice. I also have a couple new products to try that I will be telling you all about, and I will definitely be putting some mental energy into the whole intuitive eating concept and sharing my thoughts on that.

 

4 Comments Filed Under: On My Mind, Reflections Tagged With:

Guest Post: Thai Red Coconut Curry

May 21, 2011 By



While I’m here learning about blogging better at the Fitbloggin Conference, Jessica Pherson of Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby is filling in for me with a fabulous guest post on Thai-inspired food. A treat for you, since I rarely delve into Asian foods here on my blog (even though I love it; I just can’t cook with soy or sesame which pretty much cuts out most Asian foods); and another treat: her version is vegetarian, something else I don’t do very often (or ever).

One day I was on my way to a Meet-Up in NYC (back when I was single and without child and could do things like that) and I realized I had arrived in the neighborhood of my destination a little early, early enough, in fact, to get a bite to eat. I saw this cute little Thai place on the corner and decided to give it a try. I ordered something I’d never had before because I was feeling particularly bold that day, and it was a dish that I’ll never forget.

It was vegetarian-style Thai red coconut curry and it was so aromatic and warm and full of so many different intense flavors. My taste buds were dancing and it was quite filling, but not overly so. Also, it cost me less than $10!

Luckily, I was able to reproduce it the best I could and now I’m passing the recipe on to you! The cost of the ingredients will run you less than $15, maybe even less than $10 depending on where you live and what’s available.



Thai Red Coconut Curry
Ingredients:
1 14 oz package tofu drained and sliced into triangles* (or chicken, shrimp, or fish)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped spinach
1 chopped avocado
1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced into strips
2 carrots peeled and sliced
1 14 oz can coconut milk
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tbsp lime
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp blue agave syrup** or brown sugar (to taste)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro for topping

* How to drain and cut tofu into triangles: Remove the tofu from the packaging and wrap in 2 paper towels, then place on plate with another plate on top of it for at least an hour. The pressure from the plate will slowly drain any excess liquid from the tofu. Once drained, slice the block length-wise 3 times then in half width-wise. Then cut each half diagonally so you get 12 triangles altogether. Feel free to make smaller if desired.

**Blue agave syrup is a little healthier than refined sugar in that it’s plant-derived rather than overly processed sugar cane, but it also costs a little more. You’ll use about 25% less agave than you would sugar though, so it’s up to you if you’re more interested in keeping it extra healthy or extra cheap.

Whisk the red curry paste, lime, turmeric, agave or brown sugar, coconut milk and cornstarch together in a bowl then set aside. Heat the oil in large skillet or wok then add tofu and cook until slightly browned. Add all the vegetables except for the avocado and cook stirring for about 3 minutes. Add the coconut curry sauce and bring it all to a boil, then add the avocado and simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Serve sprinkled with the cilantro over brown rice. Sooo good!

You can also serve with lime wedges for an extra squirt of citrus, or over Asian-style noodles. A light salad with ginger dressing is a great starter with this as well. You can also get creative with the veggies, adding or subtracting things to your liking. Some other good additions are zucchini, bamboo shoots, bok choy and eggplant. You can also make it with meat or fish just the same as you did with the tofu, just add chunks of chicken, shrimp or white fish like tilapia.

I’ve never tried making my own curry paste, although I am sure it makes a HUGE difference taste-wise as making things fresh is always rewarding to your palette. If you are brave enough to try it and have a local Asian market near you that carries items like lemongrass and fish sauce (soy sauce can be substituted and keeps it vegetarian), here’s a link from about.com. Otherwise, just use store-bought like I do, like Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.

This is one of the few Thai dishes I’ve been able to make as many of the ingredients can be difficult to find. I used to live in an area of Brooklyn where a lot of normally rare Asian foods are more common. Now I’m back in New Jersey, the state I grew up in, and learning to work with what I have available. That’s really what it comes down to when you’re trying to cook quick, easy, cheap and healthy- learning to create delicious meals with what you got.

Jessica Pherson is a first-time mom with a daughter named Lily. She started blogging when she was pregnant and has been doing it ever since. She enjoys cooking healthy and delicious meals, reading a good book, being outdoors and the arts. She works from home for an ethical jewelry company and her favorite food is chocolate. Her blogs are: Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby, Garden of Jessica

1 Comment Filed Under: Dinner, On The Table Tagged With:

Ten Random Facts About me

May 20, 2011 By

Since it’s my birthday and my party, it’s all about me, right?

Ok, maybe not. That is just totally not true. The reality is that this blog is all about you, my readers. However, I am going to spend a little time, and tell you, just in case you were wondering, ten random facts about me that you probably don’t know. (Feel free to reciprocate by leaving random facts about yourself in the comments. Seriously. I’d love to read them all!)

Me and My Cuties

1. I play the piano. I’m not a professional by any means, definitely just an amateur. I’ve been playing - or learning to play - since I was 5 or 6, nobody in my family seems to know exactly which it is. I particularly love to play in church, accompanying the choir, ensembles, soloists and congregational singing, as well as playing offertories like this.

2. I am the middle child. The middle child of 11, which means I’m #6 (I’ll spare you the math). And by middle child, I mean the middle child. You know, the classic middle child: ignored and insecure and the whole nine yards. Yup, that’s me, although I’ve gotten over most of that in my adult life.

3. I met my husband on a blind date. Well, that’s not exactly true. His cousin, my friend, arranged for us both to be present at a group outing. The outing failed miserably (Who knew that you would actually need to buy tickets in advance to an Orioles game? And since when?) but thankfully, our relationship fared much better. Still in love (cue the strings)….

Suh-Mooch!

4. I have 3 favorite TV shows: NCIS, Bones and Psych. Which is funny because I used to never watch TV, at least not network TV. But now that I have small children, at the end of the day I don’t want to do anything but veg on the couch and watch mindless TV (oh, and blog a little).

5. I lived in Russia for 5 years. My dad was a missionary there when I was a teenager. And yes, I speak Russian. Not all that well anymore, but I can carry on a decent conversation. And I taught my DH to say “Ya tebya lyublyu” which means, of course, “I love you”.

6. I like a wide variety of music, but my favorite genre is crossover. People have a hard time defining it with a term: pop opera, vocalists, easy listening, classical pop are some of the terms I’ve heard. It includes such notable artists as Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, Il Divo, Hayley Westenra and the like. My other favorite is contemporary Christian, especially Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe and Casting Crowns.

7. I miss teaching. I’ve alluded to my former job as K5 teacher, an experience I enjoyed tremendously and would love to have again. What I loved most about teaching? Two things, actually, planning being the first. Yes, I loved, totally loved, planning the lessons, especially phonics. (I really do love phonics.) The other thing I loved about teaching was that moment when my students realized they could read anything using the skills they had learned. That was the point when they would start picking up the children’s books I kept available for them, and instead of flipping through and looking at the pictures, they would actually start reading the stories. It made everything else about teaching totally worth it.

8. I have very little patience. Remembering my experiences as a teacher reminded me of this one. Yes, patience is a virtue I sorely lack, but one I’m trying to learn. Let’s face it: mommies of two-year-old boys need a lot of patience.

9. I really hate people reading over my shoulder. I was reminded of this because my DH just said, “You do too have patience!” Which was sweet of him, so in this instance I’ll forgive him for reading over my shoulder.

10. I do not like to exercise. Which is kind of funny because tomorrow, thanks to the generous folks at Wellsphere, who, among other things, organize a network of health bloggers, I am going to be attending the FitBloggin’ 11 Conference in Baltimore. Thank goodness they cover a lot more than exercise, although I admit to being afraid that I will be out of place with all of those bloggers who do love to exercise. Pilates is about the most I can handle (and I actually do like Pilates).

So there you have it, folks. Ten things you never knew about me, and now you know them. Your turn! Tell me some random miscellaneous facts about yourself!

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What’s a Birthday Without Cake?

May 19, 2011 By

There’s still time to enter the East Coast Eco Bakery giveaway! Win some yummy delicious treats for your own celebration… or just because! And no guilt, because they’re made with healthy ingredients.

Thanks to Kristina of Icing and Crumbs, we don’t have to find out. She is the honored guest at my party because she is bringing the cake! Well, at least the recipe. And what a cake! Chocolate Mud Cake. I’m definitely going to have to try this one because chocolate and I are like *this* (imagine my fingers twisted tight).

Friends, ice cream, cake, chocolate. My birthday is complete!

(Note: Before Kristina gets started, let me just say you really need to check out her blog. She starts each post with a quote from a children’s book, story, song or poem. Having been a kindergarten teacher in a past life, and currently mom to little munchkins, I have a soft spot in my heart for children’s books, especially good quality ones that employ beautiful language and ignite the imagination. Kristina’s blog feeds little tummies… and little minds!)

“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a freshtry, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewherebehind the morning…”
(Joseph Priestly)

A friend of mine posted some pictures of her birthday recently… a day spent outsidehiking on Black Mountain… the skies clear, the air crisp, surrounded by family andfriends… and a beautiful birthday cake. To me, this looked like the perfect birthday –recognising a special day by connecting with nature and feeling part of it’s freshness– a new start for another year.

It often amazes me how much energy my young daughter puts into planning her nextbirthday… for the last ten months she has been discussing her party – who is coming,what games they’ll play, how many candles she’ll have, and which cake she’d like.We have been playing “birthday parties” and making mud cakes in the yard; we havebeen singing Happy Birthday and creating pretend invitations… For kids, birthdayscreate extra excitement – a special day full of friends and presents… but I think as weget older, we realise that the real present is the gift of a new day – a fresh start… achance to grow from there.

But no matter how old we are, or how we choose to celebrate our birthday, there isalways cake… The recipe below is great to make with kids – they can help measurethe ingredients, sift the flour, and mix everything together… they will also offer to lickthe bowl!
(This recipe has been adapted from one found in a book several years ago.)

Chocolate Mud Cake

You need:

375g (13 1/2 ounces) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups of plain flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

2/3 cup of cocoa powder, sifted

200g (7 ounces) of dark chocolate, melted

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of sour cream

You do:

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees F). Grease and line the baseof a 22cm round springform tin. Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is lightand fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the chocolate. Gently fold in the flour,baking powder and cocoa powder. Stir in the milk and sour cream. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave thecake to cool in the tin.

This cake is lovely on its own, or it can be iced with a dark chocolate ganache, andthen served with cream or ice-cream.

And while the cake is baking, there is time for a story… A Birthday Cake forLittle Bear, by Max Velthuijs, is a humourous tale about a group of friendsworking together (sort of) to make a cake for Little Bear’s birthday… or Moira’sBirthday, by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko, about a young girl whose birthday party plans go a little bit too far…

Kristina blogs about sharing her love of cooking and reading with her children at Icing and Crumbs.

4 Comments Filed Under: Celebrations, Dessert, On The Table Tagged With: ,

Secret Recipe Club and Sunbutter Surprises

May 16, 2011 By

This is my first time joining in the fun as part of the Secret Recipe Club, a fabulous blogging event kind of like Secret Santa, whereby each blogger is secretly assigned to blog about a recipe from another blogger, and all posts are unveiled at exactly the same time. I have no idea (yet) who is blogging about a recipe from my blog, and Dana at Food For Thought has no idea that I’ve been searching through all her recipes, trying to pick just one to try out for the grand reveal.

I was greatly intrigued by her incredible collection of internationally inspired recipes, and almost chose several of them. In the end, though, I settled on a sweet treat that presented a challenge to me: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies. The whole idea of the cookie fascinated me, as the only ingredients are peanut butter, sugar, cinnamon and egg, topped with a Hershey’s kiss.

The challenging part came in the form of our dietary restrictions around here, due to allergies on the part of the little people. I wanted to make this cookie safe enough for both me and my son, which meant that I had to make it without:

  • peanut butter
  • egg
  • Hershey’s kisses

(Side note: I don’t think Hershey knows how to make chocolate without milk… even their dark chocolate products all have milk in them! Pffbbtt! Not that it really matters because I almost never buy chocolate candy anyway, but still.)

So exactly how does one make a recipe where 3 out of the 5 ingredients must be eliminated or substituted?

Turns out it was pretty easy.

I actually made these three times, each time slightly different, and each time delicious, but the best was the first attempt, and the recipe I give you below. I substituted:

  • sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter
  • flax gel for the egg
  • chocolate chips (dairy-free) for the Hershey’s kisses.

And instead of topping the cookie with the chocolate, I tucked a few chocolate chips inside it, taking them from Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies to Sunbutter Surprises.


It really is rather amazing that this conglomeration of ingredients actually forms a roll-able dough that bakes up perfectly! If you’re skeptical, try it for yourself. Then you’ll be eating cookie after cookie after cookie just to make sure they really did turn out as well as you thought after the first one. Not that I’m speaking from experience, of course. I would never eat that many cookies.


Sunbutter Surprises

1 TBSP ground flax seed

3 TBSP hot water

1 cup sunflower seed butter

1 cup raw sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

approx. 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix together the flax seed and water in a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sunflower seed butter and the sugar until well blended and smooth. Beat in cinnamon and flax gel. Roll dough into small balls, then push a few chocolate chips into the dough, rolling again around the chocolate chips until they are hidden. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Cool for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

You can, of course, use peanut butter instead of the sunflower seed butter, and a real egg instead of the flax gel. If you want, you can even top with Hershey’s kisses instead of rolling chocolate chips inside.

However, I would not recommend toying with the sugar amount or attempting to use any other kind of chocolate on the inside. When I reduced the sugar even by just 1/4 cup, the consistency was too crumbly and the resulting cookie didn’t hold together quite as well. Which is a bummer, because that’s a lot of sugar, so these cookies are definitely relegated to special treat status. Also, I was out of chocolate chips the second time I wanted to try these, so I attempted to make my own… big mistake. The chocolate chips themselves were moderately successful, but they melted all over the place and seeped out of the cookie, making a big mess and a not very yummy final result.

One other thing: I had the most success with Trader Joe’s sunflower seed butter, which is unfortunate, because it has added sugar. I also tried these with the Maranatha brand, which is more natural and has no sugar, but it was for some reason too dry. I tried adding a little coconut oil to make up for that, but the consistency still didn’t come out right.

For a rolled cookie, these come together very QUICKly, aided, I am sure, by the minimal number of ingredients.

Despite the unorthodox ingredient list, these really are very EASY.

Not CHEAP by any stretch, though, considering the cost of sunflower seed butter. Regular peanut butter is a different story, as you can find it on sale with coupons for $1 or less. I suppose I could reduce the cost by making my own sunflower seed butter, but I don’t think I have a powerful enough grinder/food processor/blender.

It’s not really HEALTHY, either, because of the sugar.

Ingredient Spotlight

Check out what the other bloggers in the Secret Recipe Club are up to:



26 Comments Filed Under: Home, On The Table Tagged With: , , ,

May OAMS Report

May 15, 2011 By

As I mentioned yesterday, my Once A Month Shopping trial is officially over, and has been more or less of a success. Once again, I don’t have time to go into the details of my experience, but trust me; I’ll share all the juicy details with you soon.

We were so low on seemingly everything - at least everything we use regularly - this past week. I kept adding things to my list, and the list kept lengthening. It was something of a challenge to keep the total to a decent minimum, leaving me enough money for the rest of the month to spend on produce at the farmer’s market and any other necessities that may arise.

My shopping trip this month was quite extensive, covering 8 stores in 2 days! Oh, and the farmer’s market the day before that, where I indulged in a package of local bacon. I’m going to change up the format a little as I show you what I bought, listing first the foods by category, then pictures grouped by store. I’m not sure if that will make it clearer or muddier, or if it will be more organized or not. Let me know which way you prefer.

Meat

7.5 lbs chicken leg quarters ~ Harris Teeter ~ $3.49

1 lb smoked bacon ~ TLV Farms ~ $7.00

1 lb ground turkey ~ Safeway ~ $1.99

1 dozen Eggland’s Best eggs ~ Giant ~ $0.78

Produce

1 cucumber ~ Safeway ~ $0.79

2 green bell peppers ~Safeway ~ $1.00

4 white corn ~ Safeway ~ $1.00

1 mango ~ Safeway ~ $1.00

3 lbs strawberries ~ Safeway ~ $4.50

2 organic garlic bulbs ~ Trader Joes ~ $1.49

2 lbs organic Fuji apples ~ Trader Joes ~ $2.49

1 lb organic carrots ~ Trader Joes ~ $0.89

8 bananas ~ Trader Joes ~ $1.52

5 kiwi ~ Giant ~ $1.00

2 cantaloupe ~ Bloom ~ $2.99

Dry & Canned Goods

1.5 lbs corn meal ~ Dutch Country Farmers Market ~ $1.44

4.5 lbs raw sugar ~ Dutch Country Farmers Market ~ $6.65

1.5 lbs red popcorn ~ Dutch Country Farmer’s Market ~ $1.48

cilantro ~ Dutch Country Farmer’s Market ~ $1.90

1 can coffee ~ Giant ~ $2.50

1 lb raisins ~ Trader Joes ~ $2.29

1 pkg chocolate chips ~ Trader Joes ~ $2.29

8 oz dried cranberries ~ Trader Joes ~ $1.99

16 oz sunflower seed butter ~ Trader Joes ~ $3.99

16 oz raw organic honey ~ Trader Joes ~ $5.99

24 oz clover honey ~ Trader Joes ~ $4.49

2 lbs Besan flour ~ Walmart Supercenter ~ $4.92

2 cans Thai Kitchen coconut milk ~ Walmart Supercenter ~ $2. 84

1 bag dry chickpeas ~ Walmart Supercenter ~ $1.42

1 bag dry Northern Beans ~ Walmart Supercenter ~ $1.08

31.5 oz coconut oil ~ Walmart supercenter ~ $5.62

2 64oz Langers juice ~ Safeway ~ $3.99

16 oz vanilla ~ Costco ~ $6.75

8 oz dried organic coconut ~ Bloom ~ $2.00

Dairy and Non-Dairy

48 oz Polly-O String cheese ~ Costco ~ $8.79

2 64oz Silk coconut milk ~ Walmart Supercenter ~ $6.50

20 6oz yogurt cups ~ Walmart Supercenter ~ $7.70

1 32oz rice milk ~ Trader Joes ~ $1.70

GRAND TOTAL: $125.67


Whew! Glad that’s done for another month!

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“Dutch Country Farmers Market” and OAMS

May 14, 2011 By

I’ve officially finished my “Once A Month Shopping” trial; and I’m working - at least mentally - on a post and perhaps a series recapping my adventure and sharing what I’ve learned. Suffice it to say at the moment that overall, I have deemed the experiment a success and plan to continue as long as it works for me.

For right now, though, I’m going to share one of my favorite sources of dry goods that I haven’t been able to visit recently until today - just in time for my OAMS extravaganza!

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, so I wasn’t able to take any pictures, but I found the above one online.

The Dutch Country Farmers Market is a weekend market featuring a variety of groceries and prepared foods from Amish country, which is within driving distance. You’ll find things like pretzels (a favorite of DH’s) in all shapes and forms, donuts, cakes, cheesecakes, all kinds of bread and other baked goods (getting hungry yet?), as well as produce and meat. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing super special about the meat and produce - it’s not necessarily either organic or local, and the meat is grain-fed rather than grass-fed. I usually don’t bother spending the extra money for those things since I could buy the same quality for less at a regular grocery store.

The dried goods section is the one that always catches my attention. What I love about it is that it has all kinds of foods in bulk, many of them cheaper than you will find elsewhere. What I also love is that the bulk foods are already measured and bagged, so you don’t have to do that yourself: the cost-effectiveness of bulk without all the work!

Today at the farmer’s market, I saw all the following pre-packaged bulk goods for decent prices:

  • a variety of gluten-free flours, including buckwheat, millet, spelt, corn, oat and more
  • a variety of wheat flours (whole, white, etc.)
  • a variety of sugar (raw, evaporated cane juice, refined, etc.)
  • corn meal
  • popcorn kernels
  • tons of beans, all kinds
  • dried fruits and vegetables of all kinds
  • hand-made chips and other snacks (not all of them healthy)
  • cocoa
  • herbs and spices (a great resource for these!)

You can also find not-so-healthy baking and cooking mixes (for gravy, soup, drinks, you name it); those I usually by-pass.

As part of this month’s grocery shopping, I purchased the following:

4.5 lbs raw sugar - $6.62

cilantro - $1.90

1.5 lbs Red popcorn (how cool is that?!) - $1.48

1.5 lbs corn meal - $1.44

For a special treat, you can also find handmade candies and fudge at the farmer’s market. I didn’t indulge today because of Baby Boy’s allergies, but I gave some luscious-looking chocolate covered strawberries a longing look as I passed by. And a review of the market wouldn’t be complete without mention of their extensive baked goods section that features all kinds of delicious-ness baked up by real Amish cooks, including the famous Whoopie Pies (not healthy, but yummy).

Tomorrow, I’ll catch you up on the rest of my monthly shopping for May - once I’ve finished with it!

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