Category Archives: cooking

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Waffles

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Last night, as a special treat, Ian got to help me make whole wheat waffles for his dinner. (Breakfast for dinner- it’s a thing.) I froze the leftovers for his lunches. Apparently, he really likes them, because he tried to steal the cooling leftovers to eat all at once, and then this morning he raided the freezer to make sure I would put some in his lunch today. Keeghan and Michael also each gave them two thumbs up. The dudes had them with store-bought blueberry syrup that I believe came from Trader Joes, but you can definitely make some from fresh fruit. (These obviously are not on my eating plan, so I had one bite to make sure the recipe was good and stopped.)

This little foray into breakfast for dinner was partly inspired by the fact that I love that awesome kid and cooking with him is getting really fun, partly by a search for a little more variety to pack in his lunchbox, and partly by my embarrassing discovery that, among other excesses and tomfoolery, we had three jars of open molasses in the pantry. Molasses, in addition to being the sweet, delicious star of gingerbread goodies, is also really high in iron and lower on the glycemic index than sugar, so I Googled for recipes that used molasses and, after adjusting for what ingredients I had on hand, came up with this.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Waffles

I can’t tell you exactly how many this recipe makes, because 1- it depends on your waffle maker, and 2- the dudes were eating them so fast I didn’t really get a chance to count. But it’s at least a dozen square waffles, and probably 18.

  • 1/4 cup plus 1/2 Tablespoon canola oil
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses
  • 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur)
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar

I turned on the waffle iron to preheat, and then, in the biggest mixing bowl I have, we combined the wet ingredients. (Spray the measuring spoon with cooking spray before you measure the molasses.) I let Ian prick each egg yolk with a fork and then taught him how to whisk the ingredients together. While he did that (greatly amused at how the molasses sank to the bottom and then stuck to his fork before finally combining with the other ingredients- a little side lesson on density going on there) I measured the dry ingredients into a smaller mixing bowl and combined them well. Ian slowly added the dry ingredients to the wet while I blended with a hand mixer. (If it looks too thick when you are done, add some more milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until it looks right for waffles.)

I dropped the batter onto the waffle iron (use the appropriate quantity for your iron) and cooked each one until it was golden brown- 2:30 was about perfect, but expect a little trial and error. These waffles were light, fluffy, and released beautifully. To freeze leftovers, just cool them completely on a wire rack and then package them for the freezer. I used sandwich bags, so they could go off to school with my dude, but you could of course put them between layers of waxed paper in a freezer container.

Roast Beast

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Ian got a “red” (that’s a poor behavior report) at school today (near as I can tell for a terminal case of “getting on his teacher’s last nerve”) which meant no TV or computer, so he had time to make this lovely meatloaf for our dinner. Apparently he approves of everything but the name, because he keeps referring to it as “roast beast.”

Roast Beast

  • 1 pound ground “meatloaf mix”
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Worcester seasoning (not the sauce, they sell this next to the pepper.)
  • 3 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 8 ounces no-sugar added tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 Tablespoon dijon style mustard
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix with a potato masher. Be sure to describe each step of the process using as many construction metaphors as you can think of. (Apparently, tomato sauce looks like concrete when you pour it.)
  2. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and pat mixture down evenly. Using a silicone spatula, sign your name on your work.
  3. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.
  4. Enjoy together as a family.

Naturally, the master craftsman signs his work.

Recuperating

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Sweetly, so sweetly, infecting us all…

For the purpose of getting over our stomach bug, we are mostly taking things easy (if by “easy” you mean I did 40 minutes of kickboxing but skipped my walk in favor of steam cleaning the carpet… hm. I may need a tutorial on “taking it easy.”) and trying to clean anything that might be contaminated with our germs.

Also, our appetites are not completely back to normal so I’m mostly eating soup and smoothies. I made a blueberry chocolate smoothie I found here that (surprise!) has spinach in it. It doesn’t taste like spinach at all and features my very favorite Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. I did tweak it just a bit to suit my taste, so my final recipe was:

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie with (Surprise!) Spinach

  • 1.5 oz fresh spinach (I used the food scale- you could measure 2 cups as in the original recipe, but I’m never sure how tightly to pack them. I used regular spinach rather than baby with no problem.)
  • 1 Tablespoon sweetener
  • 2 Tablespoons Special Dark Cocoa Powder
  • 1 scoop unflavored protein powder (or 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt or silken tofu works too)
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cold coffee (intensifies the dark chocolate flavor. You can certainly use decaf if you prefer.)

Blend until smooth.

This smoothie was very thick and delicious. I enjoyed it more the longer I drank it! I have a friend who is a Dagoba chocolates fan, like myself, who has ideas about experimenting with adding some lavender to this smoothie to mimic her favorite chocolate bar. Hopefully she will report back on her progress!

 Thank you www.metaphoricalplatypus.com and thepinkpeppercorn for making your images available via Flickr Creative Commons.

Kids’ casserole

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1/2 lb of mini penne, cooked
1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 apple, chopped
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup grated cheddar

Microwave the apple and carrots for about 1 minute. Mix all ingredients except cheese in a microwave safe casserole. Top with cheese. Microwave 30 seconds to melt cheese.

(If you have a round covered baker, or other small, covered stoneware casserole, add the pasta with liquid just to cover the pasta and microwave on high for four minutes, stir, do 3 minutes, stir, add apples and carrots and do 2 more minutes. Add yogurt, top with cheese, and give it 30 seconds. Also, I used chicken broth for the noodle cooking liquid. Easy peasy, and one dish cleanup.)

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White bean and fennel soup

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Well, almost. I planned to make this for dinner but it turns out my can of white beans is actually a can of chick peas. Close enough.

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Yes, I just threw all the ingredients in the crock pot, rather than follow the carefully devised directions. Aaaaand… I’m done making dinner!

(oh, and don’t tell anyone, but I threw in some leftover chicken and I’m likely to leave out the spinach since 007 doesn’t care for it.)

$5 Thrift Store Find

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Never used.

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I can’t go to a thrift store without thinking of my Grandma Gray. She and I used to go together, and when we couldn’t do that, I’d call her when I got home and tell her everything I had seen. Best of all would be if something I said sparked her remarkable memory and set her to telling me stories. The world seems much smaller without her.

The Pampered Chef Lady

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20121214-073747.jpgI was making Ian’s lunch and told him I couldn’t cut up any more apples for his breakfast until I finished, so he reminded me that he could do it himself with his “kids knife.” I wedged an apple for him and then he did just that, while peppering me with questions about “The Pampered Chef Lady.” (Did she make the knife? Does she own the factory? What does she do then?)

Pampered Chef Kids Knife: $5
My Kindergartener making his own breakfast, practicing good knife etiquette safely, feeling independent and making our morning go smoother: PRICELESS.

As far as I’m concerned, that knife has paid for itself! And my kid just got a lesson in how direct sales works as a business model. I’m sure he’ll have a thriving franchise in no time.

Nothing beats home made

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WE are still decking those halls around here… we had a crafty decorating spree that involved some salt dough (yeah, that’s 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of warm water and knead it until your arms get tired. Bake at 250 for 45 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness, and be sure to seal it with a craft sealant when it’s completely dry.) and a lot of acrylic paint. I know we have a bunch of ornament kits left over from last year, but I can’t find them, so we went with this instead. I had a tiny snowflake cutter and a spool of holiday ribbon that happened to go with the dining room curtains, so I made a garland for the chandelier. It’s about 2 dozen snowflakes, give or take a few, and 3 yards of ribbon. I just threaded them onto the ribbon, spaced them evenly, and started tying knots through the holes at one end until I got to the middle and then repeated from the other end. You should adjust to your preferences. It was a quick, fun way to deck out the dining room a little while the kids were having way too much fun with paint.

On another note, those mini Reese’s are one of my favorite holiday foods. Peanut butter cups are like… my Kryptonite. I LOVE peanut butter cups. From their festive holiday wrappers to the last crumb of sweetened peanutty goodness, I just cannot get enough. Which is why I am so thrilled that I LOVE this Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie, which is Phase 2 compatible.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (Makes 2 servings)

image courtesy of Carissa GoodNCrazy via Flickr Creative commons

1 over ripe banana
1 scoop protein powder (unflavored, unsweetened)
2 Tablespoons Special Dark cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon Splenda or sweetener of your choice
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup cold coffee (if you’re watching your caffeine, water works.)
1/4 to 1/3 cup ice cubes
2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter, no sugar added

Put it in the blender until smooth and enjoy.

PS- find me on Pinterest.

We wish you a merry Weigh In Day

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No, really. Look, here’s the thing. I don’t really care what I weigh. Seriously, I don’t. I wouldn’t care if I weighed 500 pounds as long as I felt good and could do everything I wanted to do.  And if anyone didn’t like it, I would happily sit on them, because I’d be ROCKING that 500 lbs. But the fact is that none of those things have been true. I have not felt well, and my knees (never my best body part) and feet (not a huge constituency until lately) haven’t appreciated it. So, yes, I’m tracking that number on the scale, but what I’m really celebrating is the fact that I’m taking a literal load off. I’m raising my energy level (so much that I’ve ditched most of my daily caffeine intake, and a lot of my daily sodium intake- I’m told sodium cravings can be related to sleep deprivation and low energy.) back to the point where I feel like my real self again. The mental fog we call “mom brain” is starting to clear. So that feels pretty doggone merry to me.  And I’m now happy to sit on anyone who doesn’t like it.

PLUS- I have worked out a recipe for a really delicious Phase II compatible Chocolate Cherry Smoothie. Oh, wait, what’s Phase II? Well, the South Beach Diet starts you off on a very restrictive, short term Phase I to bust your cravings and jump start you with healthy foods. Cravings have been a huge issue for me, so that was perfect. But, to prevent loss of muscle and other lean tissues that are all really important for your overall well being, you move after two weeks or so onto Phase II. It’s less restrictive and adds back fruit and whole grains a little at a time, so you continue to overhaul your diet in a healthy direction while still losing weight at a healthy pace. This kind of Shock and Awe approach works for me. Your mileage may vary- the traditional wisdom of making one small change at a time doesn’t work for me. I need to rip off the band aid all at once and then hit the point where half a cup of cherries tastes amazing- which is exactly what happened.

Monday Progress Report:

I feel like I should specify here that I’m tracking my TOTAL progress. So when I say + or -, I mean vs. day 1, not since my last progress report. It helps me to keep the big picture in mind, so I don’t get discouraged on weeks where progress is smaller.

Day: 22
The scale has moved: -8 lbs
The inches have changed: -10.25 inches
I feel: Like myself again. Finally.
I’ve walked: 25.01 miles and counting!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

1 scoop unflavored protein powder (Make sure it’s unsweetened.)
1/2 cup pitted cherries (Fresh or frozen, no sugar added)
6 ice cubes
1/2 cup milk or chai tea
1 Tablespoon sweetener (my protein powder is sour, so I add a little bit- probably a teaspoon)
1 Tablespoon Special Dark cocoa powder (I like the richer flavor of the special dark, but you could use regular cocoa and adjust to taste.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Throw it all in the blender and mix. MMMMM. Makes a great breakfast! If you don’t have any protein powder, use 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt instead.

How about you? Ready to join us? Follow along and chime in on Facebook or Pinterest. Or put a little love down there in the comment box! YES WE CAN!

These are a few of my favorite things…

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Part of this whole journey I’m on with my awesome fitness buddy Jenn is to replace my guilty pleasures with healthy ones. Because self-denial may be virtuous, but it’s not what’s going to get me healthy and keep me healthy in the long term. And by that, I do not mean that I am swapping my favorite foods for so-called “guilt free” versions of the same things. Because I’m really happy for you that the fat free, gluten free, sugar free, food free brownie shaped THING you just pinned to your Healthy Life board is only 99 calories per serving, but I’ll tell you what it ISN’T. It is NOT A BROWNIE. My taste buds are not stupid, and they know a brownie when they eat one. Brownies have sugar, fat, gluten and CHOCOLATE. Eating a cardboard cutout of a cookie does not make me feel like I do not want a cookie. It makes me feel like I want a dozen cookies, because I have been ROBBED. What I need are totally different foods to enjoy- healthy things that don’t just tick the “nutritious” box on my To Do List for the day, but actually make me smile when I eat them.

So, I’m trying things I used to not like (Yeah, turns out I’ve really been missing out on pistachios for the last several decades…) and seeking new things to try. Today, I have discovered Numi Organic Puerh Chocolate tea. Now, they had me at Chocolate, but it’s also called “Skinny Girl’s Tea.” I’m guessing “Strong Mama Who Can Totally Keep Up With Her Kids and Will Grind You Into a Fine Powder If You Mess With Them Tea” takes too long to say, so we’ll go with Skinny Girl. In other words, it’s meant as a healthy treat. I’m not always a tea lover, but this stuff has me hooked! (Try substituting it for the Chai in a South Beach Chai Smoothie. OH YES! I added 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder. Awesome.) Brewed with milk instead of water, unsweetened, it was a delicious pick me up.

In other news:

Me: Ian, put your jacket on, baby, it’s time to leave for school.
Ian: OH NO! MOMMY! I FORGOT TO WORK OUT!
Me: You’re going to have to do it later. It’s time to go.
Ian: No, Mommy. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Me: Yes, honey, it is important, but not everything that is important is urgent… Oh my gosh, your lunch is not packed.
Ian: Hooray! Now I have time to work out!

When I came back with his lunch, I found him doing the yoga video I had just finished. Probably better than I did it, and quite certainly cuter.

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