Let The Baking Begin

My family and I are trying not to overdose on goodies this season. Since my girls like to bake and my boys like to eat, this is not a new challenge. It is just an accentuated challenge during the holiday season, because we are baking in volume for recitals and friends.

I keep our kitchen stocked with better choices for healthy substitutions, so we are off to a good start, but sometimes we just want to try something new: put the ingredients together differently for a change of pace. Shake things up.

Experiment.

However, I personally don’t like the girls to “experiment” without a basic math formula for proportions. If the recipe flops, I see dollar bills going down the drain, not food. So I love when a friend shares a new relatively healthy baked item with us. It saves us time and money.

Our wonderful violin teacher did just that. She put five ingredients together and made us a really good gluten-free, flour-free baked cookie. It’s not exactly an “on the wild side” cookie, but it meets my checklist, so it’s finding a permanent place in our cookbook. I’m not sure if she made it up or found it on a website, but here it is (Thanks Hannah):

Peanut Butter Cookie Balls

2 cups peanut butter

1 ½ cups or raw sugar (or whatever you use)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder 

                               Cream ingredients together.

 Roll into balls. Roll balls into sugar. Bake 10 minutes on 350. 

Enjoy!

Granola!!!

Today the girls and I made 10 quarts (40 cups) of yummy homemade granola. My friend, Amy Campbell, shared this recipe with me a while ago and it has been a staple in our house ever since. The kids eat it on yogurt, in milk and out of little dixie cups. I like it because it is full of protein, fiber, iron and vitamin c (if you add the craisins) and essential fatty acids and because it is NOT full of high fructose corn syrup, hygdrogenated vegetable, artificial ingredients or dye.. Enjoy.

Granola

10 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup wheat germ

1/2 lb shredded coconut (yuck..We skip!)

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1 cup sesame seeds or flax seed

3 cups chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a combination

1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed ( I use raw sugar)

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup molasses

1 and 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp vanilla

lots of craisins and raisins

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, coconut, nuts and seeds. Blend well. In a large sauce pan, combine brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved but do not boil. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well coated. Spread into five 13x9 baking pans or cookie sheets with sides. Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer for crunchier texture. Cool Add Raisins or other dried fruit if desired. Store in airtight containers in cool dry place for up to 6 months. Makes about 20 cups of granola mix.

Peanut Butter Balls

Everyone seems to be cutting down on carbs these days and looking for some nutrition to gain energy. Below is a recipe for some yummy Peanut Butter Balls that have all that. My two year old sat and ate five in a row while Laura-Kate was making them this afternoon.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of wheat germ

1/2 cup of honey

Mix together then roll into balls and refrigerate for one hour. Then coat in whatever suits your fancy such as: coconut, powdered sugar, chopped nuts or leave them plain.

Ps. My adopted niece, Hannah Loomis, shared this recipe with our family several years ago. Thanks Hannah!!