oatmeal cookies

the best & easiest oatmeal cookies ever. mommy approved for our little avery to indulge anytime she wants. its healthy & less sugary. and if i'm craving for something sweet, this is my to-go-to cookie.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. stir together oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, & salt.

2. in a separate bowl, beat together butter & sugar with an electric mixer until light & fluffy. then mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. add oat mixture and beat until just combined.

4. using a cookie scoop, drop dough by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets and slightly flatten with a fork. [i added the raisins before flattening the dough.]

5. bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

adapted from epicurious.com

buttermilk pancakes

pancakes will always be a breakfast staple in our household [aside from french toast, of course]. i'm always on the lookout for great pancake recipes. and my favorite food blog just happens to have one. so here is my version of buttermilk pancakes adapted from baked bree.

Ingredients:

• 1 c unbleached flour
• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 6 tbs honey
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 c buttermilk
• 1/2 c skim milk or more (optional - for thinner batter)
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 4 eggs
• dash of cinnamon & nutmeg (optional)

Instructions:

1. in a bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. in another, whisk the dry ingredients.
2. mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until the batter comes together. make sure not to over mix.
3. pour batter onto a medium-high skillet. i use my electric griddle @ 300-350F.
4. cook until golden brown. serve with maple syrup & fruits.

baked oatmeal

baked oatmeal? i was intrigued the first time i read it in the money saving mom blog. as long as it's healthy food & i have the ingredients on hand, i'm giving it a go.

ingredients:

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 cups applesauce

~ 5 cups, old fashioned oats

~ 1/4 cup brown sugar

~ 1 mashed banana

~ 2 3/4 cups skim milk

~ 1/4 cup ground flaxseed

~ 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

~ 3 tsp baking powder

~ 1 tsp vanilla

~ 1 tsp salt

~ 1/2 tsp nutmeg

~ fruits or nuts (optional)

directions:

1) mix oats, salt, baking powder, flaxseed, cinnamon & nutmeg in a bowl.

2) in a separate bowl, mix eggs, applesauce, banana, vanilla & sugar.

3.) add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. then pour milk & mix well. fold in fruits or nuts [i added fresh mangoes].

4.) [i used an ice cream scooper]. place batter in cupcake liners. bake for 25-30 minutes [or until set] in a preheated oven at 350F.

the oatmeal was tasty. i sometimes eat this topped with bumbleberry spread. i'm adding this to my arsenal of healthy treats.

french toast

french toast was the very first breakfast that hubby cooked for me. he prefers it over pancakes because it's easier & faster to prepare. but this doesn't mean i cook it everyday though. this is our favorite brunch treat on a lazy weekend.

serve hot, top with fruits & drizzle with warm maple syrup. and of course, the beloved bacon on the side. no wonder hubby loves french toast.

berry pineapple smoothie

i'm a smoothie kind of gal. i would take it [any day] over pop or juice. it's a healthy & easy breakfast or snack beverage that fills me up right away. and it's quick to prepare. i use frozen fruits, milk, yogurt & my very reliable single serve blender.

ingredients for one serving:

1/8 cup blueberries

2 pieces strawberries

1/2 cup pineapples

1 tsp lemon juice

3 tbsp non-fat vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup skim milk

dash of ground ginger (optional)

1. place fruits, lemon & ginger in the cup. add yogurt & milk. [reduce milk to half a cup for a thicker smoothie.]

2. blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. [my trick for an icy smoothie, chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.]

refreshing! i know it's still winter but nothing can stop me from enjoying this treat everyday.

applesauce oatmeal pancakes

my applesauce pancakes went through a much healthier revamp. i modified the original recipe that i read from mr. breakfast.

ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

3 tbsp wheat germ

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

dash of cinnamon & nutmeg (optional)

1/2 cup skim milk & 1/4 cup skim milk

3/4 cup applesauce

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

1. soak oats in half a cup milk for 30 minutes.

2. in a bowl, mix flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. set aside.

3. in another bowl, stir egg, applesauce, 1/4 cup skim milk, vanilla, olive oil & oats.

4. fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture. blend well.

5. pour batter in a pan & cook at medium-high heat. ready to serve when it's golden brown.

for me, it's easier to cook in the electric griddle at 300F. also, i don't like adding sugar in the mix. instead, avery & i love red raspberry spread with our pancakes [maple syrup with fruits is also great].

butternut squash muffins

this first few weeks of winter has been kinda crazy. a warmer than usual temps & no snow at all. i'm not complaining [even though this is my least favorite season]. and since i'm talking about winter, i'm sharing my new recipe for muffins made with butternut squash [which is a winter squash].

ingredients:

1 cup pureed butternut squash

1 cup unbleached flour & 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp wheat bran

3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg

1 tbsp melted butter

1 medium sized apple, peeled & diced (optional)

directions:

1) whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, pumpkin spice & wheat bran.

2) in a separate bowl, mix milk, butter, egg & squash.

3) gradually, blend the squash mixture into the flour mixture & add the apples.

4) fill the greased muffin pans with a spoonful of batter & bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes at 400F.

i originally found this at allrecipes.com. and good old me always, always likes to experiment. it turned out perfect the first time. this is an all around healthy muffin that avery & i can eat [hubby only eats if chocolate is involved].

applesauce pancakes

pancakes! pancakes! who doesn't love pancakes? everybody does...including our little girl. pancake mixes are inexpensive {& unhealthy}. however, i want her to eat tasty & nutritious pancakes!

since avery started eating solids, the wholesome baby food website became my bible. thank goodness, she's not a picky eater at all. this is where i found the easy & amazing recipe for applesauce pancakes.

ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup skim milk
1 beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups applesauce

1. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine butter, milk and egg. Stir into dry ingredients.

3. Add vanilla and applesauce. Beat well. {for thinner batter, add more milk}

4. Pour batter into a non stick pan about 4 inches in diameter. {once you see bubbles, pancake can be flipped over}

5. Serve with warm maple syrup & top with fruits like strawberries & blueberries.

easy breakfast egg muffins

avery usually has a boiled egg in the morning with her breakfast. but sometimes, the egg yolk makes her gag. so i thought, scrambled eggs would be easier for her to swallow. however, i didn't want to deal with cooking scrambled eggs everyday. plus, waiting for it to cool down for her to eat.

then yesterday, i was inspired by one of the segments in the nate berkus show. it is basically scrambled eggs baked in the oven. pretty simple & quick. i tried it out this morning.

1)brush the mini muffin tin with canola oil. then place it in the oven & preheat at 350F.

2)beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. add a teaspoon of dried parsley, salt & pepper to taste.

3)take out the tin in the oven & spoon the eggs. add the cubed cheese.

4)bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the eggs are set & the cheese is melted.

this will save me a lot of time because i can make one batch - good for four days.

easy indeed!

does she think its regular "muffins"?