Cinnamon Spelt Crackers

Just like I don't love to buy boxed cereal,

I try to stay away from store-bought crackers when I can, too.

(though I'm not as good with the latter...)

These turned out to be simple enough and totally delicious.
And guess what? In these cinnamon spelt crackers, 

you'll find answers to all of life's questions.

...well, mostly just the "What do I feed my kid for a snack today?" question.

...which can be one of life's most perplexing questions, if you ask me.

Anyway, my little guy loved this particular answer.  So did his daddy.

Take a bite and discover for yourself. :)

Cinnamon Spelt Crackers

From Perry's Plate

Yield: About 40 1x2-in crackers

1 cup spelt flour (or whole wheat if you can't find spelt--I find mine in the bulk section)

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour (or more whole wheat flour)

1 Tbsp ground flax seed (optional)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp raw sugar

5 Tbsp cold butter, cut into 8-10 cubes

scant 1/3 cup milk

(+ more flour for rolling out the dough)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a stand mixer, crush the oats with the paddle attachment at medium speed for 3-5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except the butter and milk, to the bowl and blend well.  Add butter cubes and mix on low speed until butter is mostly incorporated with some small chunks.  Keep mixer on low and drizzle the milk in.  Keep mixing for about 20 seconds until large chunks begin to form.  If it isn't clumping up well, add 1-2 Tbsp of milk.  If it sticks to the sides, add more spelt flour.

Remove the dough and form into a ball.  Divide it in half.  On a lightly floured surface, flatten each half into a rectangle and roll out to a 1/4-inch thickness (sprinkle flour on top of the dough if it sticks).

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares (or you can use small cookie cutters).  Place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet (they don't expand a lot so they can be placed close to each other) and bake for 10-12 minutes; until bottoms are golden brown.

Carrot & Nut Muffins

It's been a while.

I have a lot of excuses...

but instead of typing them up, I'll share something delectably healthy with you.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

...and Exhibit C:

Are we still friends?

Good.

Here's that recipe...

Carrot & Nut Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Slightly adapted from my mother

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp wheat germ

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch (or two) salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 cups grated carrot

1/2 cup crushed pineapple

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir together wet ingredients and combine.  Spoon into greased muffin tin and bake 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.  Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

I tend to talk about the weather a lot on here.

But it seems to me that weather and food go hand-in-hand...don't you think?

Fresh lemonade = summer, 

warm applesauce = fall, 

hearty soup = winter, 

carrot cake = spring,

homemade bread = cold, rainy days,

and fresh, raw vegetables = hot, dry days.

Anyway, the weather's been a lot milder since my last post,

when I complained about informed you of the icy cold temperatures over here.

Although the temps have been milder, there's been a whole lot of grey outside.

So if you're experiencing some drab days too, you should make these.

Nothing like a fresh, warm muffin with soft bits of apple to cheer you up!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes 12 large muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed + more for sprinkling

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced (I like big chunks!)

Preheat oven to 450.  Grease 12 muffin cups, or fill with cupcake liners.

Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and add sugars; beat until fluffy.  Mix in egg and yogurt.  Stir in dry ingredients until just combined and gently fold in apple chunks.

Divide batter evenly between muffin cups and sprinkle brown sugar on top (about 1/4 cup or less).  Bake for 10 minutes, turn oven down to 400, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes; until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.  Cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Strawberry Almond Yogurt Muffins

Winter officially came.

Last week I stepped outside to do my laundry-

(yes, I have to walk outside to access a washing machine...

yes, even in the winter...

yes, we are grad students...

no, I'm not complaining. :)

-and-

I was a little shocked,

to say the least.

Come to find out, weather.com said it was -27 or something with wind chill.

And whaddya know it was also the day I HAD to do laundry AND get to the grocery store

due to the fact that we just arrived back in town the night before.

It was a colder than cold,

running-errands-amidst-people-dressed-in-all-sorts-of-fur-paraphernalia 

day.

Poor baby boy didn't like it very much.

Needless to say, we have come to appreciate warm things around here.

Warm apartment, warm coats, warm mittens, hats, car, bed, etc.

And warm food, course.

Take muffins, for example.

Say...strawberry almond yogurt muffins?

Yes, please.

Take one look and you'll already feel cozier inside.

Baby boy gave these his stamp of approval!

Strawberry Almond Yogurt Muffins

Inspired by Penzey's Spices Catalog

Make 12 muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar*

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

1 cup chopped strawberries

Heat oven to 400 degrees and line muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups. 

Combine flours, soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter and white sugar until fluffy.  Beat in brown sugar, eggs, almond and vanilla extracts, and yogurt.

Add dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.  Gently fold in strawberries.

Divide batter between muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

*Next time I might try decreasing the sugar; they were plenty flavorful with the strawberries and almond extract.

No-Yeast Pizza Dough with Whole Wheat

Long name for a simple recipe.

Amidst my awkward we're-moving-so-use-up-what-we-have-in-our-cupboards stage a couple weeks ago, I found myself with all of the essential pizza ingredients...except for yeast.
My favorite whole-wheat pizza crust recipe calls for yeast, but I didn't have time to run to the store.

So, after googling around a bit, I found a recipe on cooks.com and adapted it to my liking.
This recipe provides more of a soft, bread-y crust, rather than a thinner, crispier crust.

Given the choice, I would choose my yeast recipe over this, BUT, if I find myself in another
pizza-craving, hopeless, yeast-less circumstance,
this will be my go-to!

Make this crust for a yummy Zucchini Pesto Pizza!

(If you're more of a soft-crust fan, this may end up being your favorite.  To each his own.:)
*This is my most popular recipe!  Let me know how you like it!

No Yeast Pizza Dough with Whole Wheat

Makes 1 pizza crust

Inspired by Cooks.com

1 1/2 cups regular whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and knead by hand in bowl for about 2 minutes. Place onto baking sheet and press out into desired shape (thinner crust works better for this recipe). Bake for 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick it is). Take it out, add sauce and toppings, then bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until toppings are cooked and edges of crust are lightly browned.

Baked Zucchini Quesadillas + VICTORY

I.  Made.  It.
Through a whole summer in a mini kitchen using a mini oven, mini baking sheet, pseudo-freezer, yadda yadda yadda.

We arrived back home a couple days ago.
I walked in the house and kissed my Kitchenaid.

Just kidding.
Kind of.

Just wait till you see what will be coming out of of that Kitchenaid this fall and you'll see how much you missed it too!

Ahem.

Back to business.

This is a simple recipe for those who have garden zucchini growing out of their ears!

It's super versatile; switch up the veggies or cheese for whatever you have in your fridge and you're bound to be as pleased as punch.

I mean, pleased as quesadillas...?
Whatever, I'm just glad to have my Kitchenaid back.

Baked Zucchini Quesadillas

6 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp ground cumin

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 small zucchini (about 1 lb), halved lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

4 (8-in) 100% whole wheat flour tortillas

2 cups grated pepper jack

Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, salt, & cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (5 minutes). Add garlic & cook for another minute.

Add zucchini, corn, and spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini & corn are soft and spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Brush one side of each tortillas with olive oil. Lay two of them, oil side down, on a baking sheet. Divide zucchini mixture & cheese between both. Place remaining two tortillas on top with oil side up. Gently press down with a spatula to seal.

Bake for 5 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream & salsa, if desired.

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (with whole wheat!)

My time in our temporary kitchen is dwindling...thus begins the make-random-stuff-out-of-what-you-have-left stage.  Good thing I have a very non-picky husband!

I looked in my cupboard and I had:  whole wheat flour, oats, almond butter, and dark chocolate chips...
which equals cookies, of course!

I started with a peanut butter cookie recipe from allrecipes.com, substituted almond butter for the peanut butter, and healthified a few things.

Soft and chewy, while crisp on the outside.  We loved them!  And with almond butter, dark chocolate (antioxidants!), whole wheat, and oats...how can you go wrong??

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup natural almond butter (of course, peanut butter works too)

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 cup regular whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dark chocolate chips (I like 60% cacao)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and almond butter until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Separately mix flour, baking soda, and salt; then combine with wet mixture. Fold in oats & chocolate chips.

Shape dough into golf-ball size balls and bake on ungreased baking sheet for 8-12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Let cool in pan--if you can bear to wait--for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes

These pancakes are super moist while still maintaining fluffiness.

A hint of sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon add the perfect amount of sweetness, making these absolutely

de.

lect.

able.

So delectable, in fact, that I ate that whole plate myself.
You think I'm kidding?
Okay, I am.
BUT...I wanted to.  :)

*sigh* ...soft, fluffy pancakes with fresh summer berries and warm maple syrup drizzled on top.

Need I say more?

Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes

Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Makes 6-8 pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp plain, nonfat yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Whisk together dry ingredients, then separately whisk together wet ingredients.  Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined.  Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease it.  Pour batter (about 1/4 cup size) onto the skillet.  When pancakes bubble, flip them over and finish cooking on other side until lightly browned.  Serve with fresh fruit and warm maple syrup.

Healthy Banana Bread

Overripe bananas are hard to come by at our house. My husband and I eat them daily (as will my sweeter-than-ripe-bananas baby...soon!), plus, the minute they start to show brown specks, I usually slice 'em up and throw 'em in the freezer for a future smoothie.

Well, the other day, I was pleasantly surprised at three overripe bananas in our fruit basket.

Of course, banana bread is the no-brainer answer to overripe bananas!

Banana bread is usually very cake-like (in flavor (which is good) and in nutrition (not good)), and I always think you might as well just eat cake. But not this time. This time I've brought a healthy banana bread recipe to the table! It's crispy on top and moist inside.

*I also wanted to substitute applesauce for the canola oil, but I didn't have any...next time!

Healthy Banana Bread

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

2 eggs

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup very ripe bananas (I like 1 cup mashed and 1/2 cup sliced, for some chunks)

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 1/2 cups regular whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients up to the flour. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into a large loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Whole-Wheat Couscous & Fruit Salad

Just imagine biting into crisp, juicy berries, crunchy, sliced almonds, and nutty--almost tangy--couscous.

Wow.

Well your dreams just became a reality.

This is another winner from Better Homes and Gardens. It was my first time cooking couscous, and I'll be honest--I was a little skeptical--but pleasantly surprised. :)

Super easy to make, too! Yumm-o summer side dish.

The only change I made was substituting green onion for the shallots...that's what I had in my fridge.

Whole-Wheat Couscous & Fruit Salad

4 servings

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp orange juice

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

2 tsp finely chopped shallots

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cups cooked whole-wheat couscous

1 cup chopped nectarine

1 cup mixed fresh berries (I used blueberries & raspberries)

2 Tbsp toasted, sliced almonds*

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, vinegar, shallots, salt, & pepper. Add cooked couscous and fruit; gently toss to combine.

*Toasting almonds is easy! Just heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat, add almonds and cook while stirring, for about 2-3 minutes or until they are lightly browned and fragrant.

Zucchini Pesto Pizza

Remember how I'm temporarily living in an apartment with a closet-sized kitchen without several essential cooking appliances?

Well, last weekend I have this delicious pizza idea. So I chop up the toppings, mix up the dough, pour the dough onto the counter...and have a heartbreaking realization.

My rolling pin is roughly 1200 miles away in the drawer in my kitchen...

my dear, dear kitchen that I didn't know how much I loved until I moved.

So what do you do without a rolling pin?

You use your hands.

Yes, I painstakingly used my palms and fingers to "roll out" (squish out) the pizza dough.

But trust me, friends.

It was worth every single squish.

It's worth it for the basil-y garlic-y pesto, tender veggies, fresh mozzarella, and crispy whole-wheat crust.

You have to try it.

(This is one of those recipes where you don't have to measure the toppings exactly. Use however much you want!)

Zucchini Pesto Pizza

8 servings

1 recipe whole-wheat pizza dough (I love this one)

6-8 oz basil pesto

1-2 cups fresh, roughly-chopped spinach

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

8 oz buffalo mozzarella, sliced

grated parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Roll (or squish) out pizza dough, bake at 450 degrees for 3-4 minutes, then slather on the pesto and layer the rest of the toppings, sprinkling parmesan cheese on top. Bake for another 8-10 minutes.

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

I am still living in jacket-weather.

And we're nearing the end of June.

Seriously.

So, to combat the grossness outside, I made something yummy:

The perfect summer pasta salad.

(Take that, yucky-cold-rainy-44-degree-weather!)

And this one's good, trust me. It's not covered in a bunch of globby mayo or sugar-infested dressing.

Simply fresh and lovely.

I slightly adapted the dressing recipe from allrecipes.com.

As for the pasta and veggies, I used whole wheat rotini and whatever vegetables I had in the fridge and added some creamy feta. This could easily be your clean-out-the-produce-drawer go-to recipe! :)

(I didn't exactly measure the veggies...just throw in whatever looks good.)

Makes about 8 servings

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Salad:

8 oz. whole wheat rotini pasta

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

1 handful cherry tomatoes, quartered

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Place all dressing ingredients into a closed container and shake to combine (this can be made ahead and refrigerated; I think refrigerating also gives it more flavor).

Cook pasta according to directions, let cool, and mix in prepared veggies & cheese. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.

...I think I can smell summer coming...

Veggie & Black Bean Burritos

These unique burritos can be described in two words:

bursting-with-tangy-vegetables-cuminy-black-bean

goodness.

Pretty, aren't they?

Makes about 8-10 servings

Julienne the following vegetables: (I love whoever made up that word, julienne.)

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 red onion

3 carrots

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 stalk broccoli

Simmer for 45 minutes in the following mixture, in a large frying pan:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup wine vinegar (I like red)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp ground cumin

salt & pepper to taste

Add 3 cups of rinsed/drained black beans and heat through. Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream & salsa.

*The original recipe (from my mom) calls for 1/2 cup wine vinegar, but over here we use a little less. So if you're feelin' tangy, add some more...

German Pancakes with Whole Wheat Flour

A classic breakfast dish that I modified to make a little healthier...no sugar, less butter, and you know I like to sneak in whole wheat flour whenever possible. :)

Plus, who needs sugar when you have delicious, freshly-sliced strawberries on top?

That's all the sweetness you need.

...with maybe some pure maple syrup on top. :)

German Pancakes with Whole Wheat Flour

6 servings

3 Tbsp butter

6 eggs

1 cup skim milk

1 cup whole white wheat flour (or 3/4 cup whole wheat flour + 1/4 cup white flour)

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place butter in 9x13 dish and allow to melt in preheating oven. Meanwhile, whip eggs until thick and lemon-colored (and whip 'em real good--that's what makes them fluffy!). Add milk, flours, and salt. Pour mixture into pan of melted butter & bake 15-20 minutes (will be puffy and bubbly!). Serve with favorite fruit on top...and indulge.

Berry Muffins with Whole Wheat

Or should I say, Berry Swirl Muffins?

No, I didn't photoshop my muffins to have the blue swirls in the batter. It's actually a lot simpler than that. Just get your frozen berries out of the freezer, get distracted by your 3-month-old, and then proceed to fold thawed blueberries into the muffin batter. :)

Maybe I should've told you I did it on purpose. It's the new trendy muffin.

(Please note the uniformity in size...

and by uniformity, I mean non-uniformity)

Fresh or frozen, any berry works wonderfully in this recipe. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries...yum.

1 cup white flour

1 cup wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2-1 tsp cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon)

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries

Mix dry ingredients together, then add in egg, milk, and butter. Gently fold in berries and spoon into 12 muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle extra cinnamon/sugar on top. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes (or less-don't let them get really brown).

*The original recipe (from my mom) called for 1 cup of berries, but I like 1 1/2 cups--it will seem like a LOT, but if you love berries, you'll love it!

Whole Grain Cornbread

Everything tastes better when my mom makes it...but especially her cornbread! Her secret? She grinds her own cornmeal! It just gives it that perfect nutty texture to make it special. Someday I'll own a wheat grinder and then my cornbread will taste as good as hers. In the meantime, I'll settle for store-bought cornmeal. But even with store-bought cornmeal, this is the tastiest, moistest (is that a word?) cornbread I've ever had. Hands down.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

2 eggs

1 cup cornmeal (freshly ground is best)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups almond or soy milk (or cow's milk if you wish)

Cream together butter & sugar; add in eggs and cornmeal. Separately mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternately add milk & dry ingredients to cornmeal mixture. Beat together (but don't overbeat!). Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes in a greased baking dish (I use a small rectangular dish-smaller than a 9x13). Although it tastes wonderful plain, drizzling honey butter on top will give you a special treat!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

To me, the words "homemade pizza" say fun-filled family Friday night (how's that for alliteration? My 9th grade Honor's English teacher would be proud.)! This crust recipe comes from my dear mother, a true homemaker icon. Not only is this pizza crust oh-so-tasty and healthy, it's also super fast to make! Tonight I made Shaved Asparagus Pizza from Tasty Kitchen with my mom's whole wheat crust (pictured above). Can you say Mmm-Mmm?! This way, with whole wheat and veggies, you can eat pizza and nix that gross "pizza hangover" feeling!

*Note: You can also try my Yeast-Free Pizza Dough with Whole Wheat

1 1/4 cups regular whole wheat flour

1/4 cup white flour (Or use 100% whole wheat white flour for all of the flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbs yeast

3/4 cup very hot water

Combine flours, salt, and yeast. Add hot water until the dough forms into a ball (it will be quite moist). Knead the dough for about 1 minute, then let rest on floured surface for a few minutes (just while you get the yummy toppings ready). Roll out to a diameter of about 13-14 inches.

Softer crust: Add your favorite toppings and bake at 450 until crust begins to brown (about 15 minutes).

Crispier crust: Bake crust at 450 for 3-5 minutes (depending on how crispy you like it), then add toppings and continue baking for another 10 or so minutes (again, depending on how crispy you would like it).

*I like to spread olive oil on the crust before putting sauce & toppings on, and also sprinkling seasonings (ex: garlic powder, oregano, italian seasoning) and grated parmesan cheese on top!