Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• oil for frying
•  
• Cucumber Sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
• 1/2 cucumber - peeled and finely chopped or grated
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Directions:

In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.

In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides.

Cucumber sauce: In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Notes:

I don't love frying foods and usually try to bake instead, but this is a rare exception. We really enjoy this Middle Eastern meal. I have no idea if it is authentic or not but we enjoy the taste! It reminds us of our time in Egypt. I serve it with pita (you can make a sandwich of the falafel, tomato and cucumber, and sauce) and hummus as well as Middle Eastern rice (1 C rice made with 2 C chicken broth instead of water, 1 tsp cumin, and carmelized onions). If I can, I also like to serve a side of mangoes because mangoes also remind us of Egypt. The sauce makes this recipe for me! It is very simple and offers such a nice cool pairing to the warm, crispy falafel. Finally, I like the patties a little flatter than in the above picture.

Picture and recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/seans-falafel-and-cucumber-sauce/detail.aspx

Halloween Root Beer

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 gallon water
• 1 oz root beer flavor extract (2 Tb)
• 2 pounds dry ice

Directions:

Mix the ingredients and bubble (by adding the dry ice last) for at least 20 minutes.

Notes:

Growing up my mom made homemade root bear every Halloween.  I always LOVED playing with the smoke from the dry ice and would stare at it the entire 20 minutes it took for the root bear to carbonate! My grandma used to make root bear too, but would actually brew the mixture (which would contain alcohol :P) It is best to dissolve the sugar first by warming the water- but be careful; if you are using a glass bowl then you don't want to use warm or hot water because the minute you put the dry ice in, the bowl might crack! You can add the dry ice without dissolving the sugar, just keep stirring the mixture throughout the 20 minutes.

Also, if you didn't know... the dry ice is what carbonates the root bear.  So the more dry ice the better carbonation taste it will have (along with more steam!)  Also if you have never used dry ice before, you can buy it at your local grocery store.  You just have to be over 19.  Also make sure to store it in a dark dry place at room temperature.  Ask the grocer to put it in two brown paper bags. Then put that in a cooler.  If you put it in your fridge or freezer it will melt.  Also DO NOT touch it, it will burn you!

- From family recipe 

German Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Mix the eggs, then add the flour, milk, and salt.  Melt the butter and pour it into your pan.  (9x9 for thick crust, 13x9 for a thinner crust).  You may need to add more butter if it doesn't cover the pan.  Poor the batter over the butter.  Then put it into the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Notes: 

I come from a big German family, and so growing up this was a family favorite.  I know that everyone knows this recipe, probably from heart, but I wanted to put it up anyway.  I think this was the first recipe I ever learned at age four.  I like to squeeze lemon over top for a real German taste with powdered sugar and syrup!  You can also add vanilla flavor if you desire.  There are a lot more fattening versions with corn syrup- but this one is simple and traditional!

- From my Grandmother's cookbook

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I used light)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup whipped topping for topping

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

-In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

-Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

-Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Notes:

Sadly, Jordan does not share my love for all things pumpkin. I did make this for the missionaries one night and they enjoyed it. As I don’t have a spring form pan currently, the pre-made graham cracker crust is a plus! I'm bringing it to our ward's Fall Fest chili and pie cook-off this weekend. Mainly because I want some! I think there's a video tutorial on the link below as well.

Recipe and picture from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/double-layer-pumpkin-cheesecake-2/detail.aspx 

Flatbread Pizza

Flatbread Pizza

Base:

• Naan or other flat bread (we love the garlic kind from Trader Joes but you could also make your own!)

Sauces:

• Alfredo sauce (either store bought from a jar or home made. I use the "Guiltless Alfredo" recipe from the same ourbestbites site that I posted previously)
• Mix some Alfredo sauce with pesto (optional)
• Red sauce

Toppings (mix and match)

• Fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped or ripped apart
• Cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken (optional, I keep mine vegetarian)
• Caramelized onions*
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Pepperoni

Cheeses:

• Mozarella
• Sharp cheddar
• Feta
• Parmesan

Directions:

Layer the above ingredients on flatbread (mix and match) and cook in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  (Alternatively, put under broiler on high for 3-5 minutes). Slice and serve! 

*Thinly slice onions and saute them in a skillet on med-low heat with a couple of pats of butter.  After about 15 minutes  when they’re nice and soft add a sprinkle of sugar (either brown or white) if you want to enhance the sweetness.  Continue cooking until they’re caramel colored.  It can take 20-30 minutes depending on the heat of your pan and the thickness of the onion.  You could make them ahead of time and just store them in the fridge.

Notes:

This is simple but tastes super yummy. It reminds me of a flat bread pizza place in Maine I used to go to in high school! I like to make a variety of different little flatbread pizzas. I do some traditional with red sauce, pepperoni, and mozarella or sharp cheddar for the boys. Then I mix and match the other above sauces and cheese and toppings for a variety of tastes. So yummy! The variety of different types is nice esp if you have people over. I also like to have extra sauce on the side for dipping!

Picture from and recipe adapted from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/07/flatbread-pizza-with-spinach-caramelized-onions-and-feta/

Chicken Salad Croissants

Chicken Salad Croissants

Ingredients:

This fills about 8-10 large croissants. 

• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 1/4 t salt and pepper
• 2 Cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
• 1/2 Cup celery
• 2 T minced onion
• Red grapes, halved (amount per preference)

Directions:

Cook the chicken and cube or shred. Chop the celery, mince the onion, and half the grapes. Mix the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper and then add the dressing and mix with the chicken, celery, onion, and grapes. Serve on large (or small, as I prefer) croissants.

Notes:

This recipe is from Mom Toone! I think she made this for Amie's wedding and it is always so yummy! I love that a lot of the prep work can be done before and then just mix together the day of. I did this for Jacob's baptism lunch. I cooked and cut all the chicken and then froze it. I cut the veggies the night before and then thawed the chicken overnight and mixed it all in the morning. Turned out great. It's one of those simple tastes most everyone loves. Even though now all the croissants are eaten, I love just having this on its own, too! Thanks, mom! 

Rosemary Focaccia Loaves

Rosemary Focaccia Loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 c. warm (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit) water
• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 Tbsp rosemary (dried or fresh), divided
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 1/4-2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Directions: 

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 1/2 Tbsp. rosemary, oregano and garlic powder.

Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix well. (I put it in my stand mixer with the dough hook on). Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough–try and resist the urge to add too much flour.  You want a soft, wet dough.

Cover and allow to rise 45 min- 1 hour or until double in size.

Lightly flour your work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a rounded loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use remaining tablespoon of olive oil to brush over tops of loaves, discarding excess if you have any.  Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and some Kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden-brown. Serve immediately (if you can) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (if you want).

Notes:

This is so easy and so yummy! Really does taste like macaroni grill. There's nothing whole wheat or nutrient dense about this, but it is simple and pairs perfectly with soups or pasta (or just on it's own!). I like it, too, because we usually have all ingredients on hand. Finally, I never let it rise for the suggested time and it still always turns out! (My kitchen here in NYC does get quite hot and is very conducive to rising though). I don't have a bosch or kitchen aide so I just mix it with a spoon and it works fine. The dough is wetter than you would expect, but turns out great! I think Amie originally shared this with us so add anything you want, Am! I just had to buy more rosemary today because we've been making it so much:) Those ladies at ourbestbites are lovely! I hardly ever change one of their recipes to suit my taste. If you click the link below there are additional pictures that go along with the directions. 

Picture and recipe from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/11/rosemary-focaccia/

Light Alfredo Sauce

Light ("Guiltless") Alfredo Sauce (but doesn't taste like it!)

Ingredients:

• 2 C low-fat milk
• 1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
• 2-3 T flour (I always just use 2 T)
• 1 t salt
• 1 T butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 C grated Parmesan cheese (I recommend using real freshly grated parmesan!)

Directions:

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Season with additional salt if needed.  Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and/or add a little milk and it will be back to normal again (I always make extra and store in the fridge and never have had to add milk, just reheat and it's great!).

Notes:
I know many of you ladies love ourbestbites - they are amazing! This recipe is a new discovery for me a couple weeks ago and there are so many ways to use it. It's great for any type of pasta dish (the ladies at ourbestbites have one with lemon, I'll add later), pizza sauce, dip for breadsticks, etc. There's only about 100 calories per 1/4 cup and it tastes so yummy! I usually have shied away from alfredo sauce when I see the ingredient list, but not this one. This is simple but doesn't lack in taste. Enjoy!

Picture and recipe accessed from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/08/guiltless-alfredo-sauce/

Roasted Tomato Penne

Roasted Tomato Penne

Ingredients:

• olive oil (I use about 1/4 C for the amount of tomatoes I usually use)
• 3-5 cloves minced garlic, depending on your taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• tomatoes, chopped (I use enough to fill the bottom of a 9x13, usually about 4 cups I think. I esp like this with halved cherry tomatoes and use 3 of those 10.5 oz containers)
• 1 box whole wheat penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• Toppings:
• freshly grated parmesan cheese
• fresh chopped basil

-Optional:
-Add 1 C raw shrimp before cooking to add some additional protein and round out the meal. I love either way. I am sure you could add chicken and other items per your preference.

Directions:
Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, and peppers. Add tomatoes and toss in olive oil mixture. Spread in 9x13 pan and roast at 450F for about 18 minutes. Toss with pasta and top at the table with parmesan cheese and basil.

Notes:
The amounts are not exact and the recipe is very forgiving. This is very versatile depending on your taste and what you have available. Any type of tomato turns out yummy. Pair with chicken or fish or just have as a main dish (that's what we do, occasionally adding shrimp). You can add in zucchini and onion if you like. It is so easy but tastes elegant and fresh. Perfect taste of summer, but we eat it all year round! Lots of other yummy recipes use roasted tomatoes as an ingredient as well. Roasting is my favorite way to prepare veggies.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 C butter, softened

1 C white sugar

1 C applesauce (can use chunky if desired)

1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 C oatmeal (and more to sprinkle on top, if desired)

2 eggs

1 apple cored, peeled, & chopped (optional, esp if using chunky applesauce)

1 t baking soda

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

-In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in applesauce, cinnamon and  oatmeal. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Sift together baking soda and flour and then add slowly to wet mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with some additional oatmeal, if desired.

-Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Notes:

I changed the original recipe to adapt to my preferences, all whole wheat flour and oatmeal instead of instant oatmeal packets. It's filling and tastes like fall! I love chunks of apples in mine but you can leave those out if desired, as it does increase prep time a bit.

Picture shared from and recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-cinnamon-oatmeal-bread/detail.aspx

Fiesta Chicken and Black Bean Salsa

Fiesta Chicken 

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 1 16 oz. jar medium or mild salsa 
• 1 can Black beans, drained
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs brown sugar

Directions:

Cook on high for 4-6 hours in crockpot.  Shred chicken and add fresh lemon or lime juice to taste. We serve over brown rice. We then top with the black bean salad below and grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Black Bean Salad (salsa)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (drained/rinsed) black beans
• 1 avacado
• 1 tomatoe (I often like to use cherry tomatoes and cut in half)
• 1 yellow or orange pepper
• 3 green onions
• ½ bunch cilantro (about 1/2 C chopped)

Dressing:

• 3 T lime juice
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• ½ t salt
• ¼ t pepper

 Directions:

Mix dressing and then mix with chopped veggies; Let stand at least 5 minutes to let flavors blend before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or over Fiesta Chicken.

Notes:

Thanks for this Fiesta Chicken Recipe, Amie! I know Amie does it a bit different (serves with tomatillo dressing and in tortillas if I remember) so this is very versatile. It's quite healthy and a crowd pleaser. It's great for a big group because you can make as much as you want and have it ready after church, etc (I love crock pots and delay start rice cookers!). We'll be having it this weekend when everyone is here for Jacob's baptism! The salad is very similar to Heather's post a few days ago - I love those flavors of lime and cilantro!

Simple Brownies

Simple Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 c sugar
• 1/3 c cocoa
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t baking powder

Directions:

Just the basic: sift dry then mix wet and then mix together. Spread in greased 8x8 pan and bake in preheated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes. 

Notes:

I started making these in England and I'm not sure where I got the recipe. I've tried lots of brownie recipes and this seems to be my go-to recipe. You can dress them up with frosting (mint of course!) or nuts or chocolate chips, if desired. I love that I always have all the ingredients on hand and they are pretty fail-proof. I also like making a smaller pan otherwise we eat way too many brownies! You can of course double for the 9x13 and adjust cooking time accordingly. 
10.28.13 UPDATE: I tried these in mini form and the recipe makes the perfect amount for one pan of mini brownie bites (24 minis). I used little liners and sprayed them, added some mini semi-sweet choco chips on top of each one, and baked at 350F for 12 minutes (checked after 10). I let cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing and cooling on a rack. 

Slow-Roasted Granola

Slow Roasted Granola adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Ingredients:

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped almonds (you can chop by hand, buy sliced or I just stick whole almonds in my vitamix)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 water or 4 egg whites*
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275. Mix oats, sunflower and sesame seeds, chopped nut and coconut in a large bowl. Stir remaining ingredients together in a smaller bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Grease two large cookie sheets. Spread half of the granola on each sheet. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. With 10 minutes remaining, switch pans from top to bottom so that the bottom pan gets a chance to brown. Let cool on the pan, then store in jars. (Or an empty oat canister).

You may need to watch it closely during the last few minutes so it doesn’t get too brown. 

*egg whites will give you granola with more chunky clusters

Notes:

Jordan LOVES granola, as do I. The boys are mixed. I love to have it over plain yogurt topped with some fresh fruit or even just raisins/craisins. I love a filling breakfast because I hate to be hungry by 9! Jordan loves it with milk. We have a tall air tight container we keep it in. Don't let the time it takes to slow-roast it scare you off - totally worth it! Just choose a time you'll be home for an hour and a half. We have a Whole Foods right near where we live. I typically can't afford to shop there, but they have some great bulk bins with all sorts of grains and seeds and dried fruit available. This allows you to get exactly how much you want (ie I spent 60 cents on sesame seeds and 90 cents on sunflower seeds instead of buying a huge container). Many other grocery stores have these bulk bin containers as well now - check it out!

Recipe and Pic accessed from my friend's blog: http://motherrunner.com/2010/06/slow-roasted-granola/

Jessie's Winter Lentil Soup

Jessie’s Winter Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 4-8 leeks, white and light green parts only (enough for about 2-3 cups)
• 1 C tomatoes chopped (or 1 C diced drained tomatoes from a can)
• 2 T olive oil
• 6 cups chicken broth (I had 4 C real chicken broth from boiling chicken yesterday and the remaining two I made from chicken bullion - I added 2 C water and 2 t chicken bullion granules)
• 1 bunch Kale (can sub collard greens, but it’s not as good). I used about 3 cups chopped kale.
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a ½ inch dice (about 2 cups worth)
• ½ cup red lentils (you can use other types of lentils as well)
• 1 TB thyme leaves (I used dry)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 fresh basil leaves (don't use dry! I used a bit more as I had more in the package I bought, I chopped about 1 C worth)
• 3/4 C milk
• Shredded parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

-Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat

-Slice the leeks each in half lengthwise, then slice each half into ¼ inch half-moons (about 2-3 cups). Rinse with water and pat dry (come very dirty!)

-Chop tomatoes

-Add leeks and tomatoes to sauce pan and saute for 5 minutes or so until leeks are cooked.

-While cooking leeks and tomatoes, peel and cut sweet potatoes and chop kale: remove stems from kale, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll them, one cut length-wise in the middle, then chop

as small as you like. This method makes shopping them small (which I prefer) really fast and easy.

-Add chicken broth to saucepan and bring to boil.

-Stir in kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper, and chopped basil

-Simmer until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender 10-30 minutes depending on the type of lentils you use. Add milk about 10 minutes before you serve.

-sprinkle with parmesan as desired.

Notes:

This recipe is from a friend of Amie's (Jessie, I'm assuming!). The directions I had weren't too clear so I just adapted and wrote here what I did last night for dinner. So Amie, feel free to pipe in and tell me what I may have done wrong! I also added milk, as I love how milk fills out the broth a bit. I was intimidated at first (kale and leeks?) but it was actually not too hard. I like to prep work in the mornings, so you could easily do all your chopping earlier and then merely just add to the saucepan for an easy meal! I love that all of these veggies are in season right now and are at my local farmer's market! It is filling and tasty and how can you not feel healthy feeding your kids a bowl full of veggies? The boys were suspicious at first with how it looks. Jeffrey said, "Even though it looks like garbage soup it tastes great!" (Sorry no pics, next time!). We had some crusty bread for a side and it was a nice meal for a chilly fall or winter day.

Whole Grain Banana Muffins

Whole Grain Banana-Pecan Muffins
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. honey (you can substitute 1/4 c. sugar here if you prefer)
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c. mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas or 3 smaller ones)
• 1/3 c. low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt (I use fat free plain yogurt)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/4 c. pecans, chopped
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with liners–you’ll need about 15-16. I just do 12 and fill them quite full. 

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, honey (if using), and butter. Add each egg in one at a time, combining completely after each addition but not over-mixing. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined (don’t over-mix).

Divide the batter evenly (so the cups are about 2/3 full) among 15-16 muffin tins.  I filled my muffin tins quite full so this recipe made 12 large sized muffins (because 15-16 muffins is just awkward!). Combine the chopped pecans and brown sugar and sprinkle them on top of the batter.  I also did not do the topping, although I'm sure it is yummy as well. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to finish cooling. Serve with breakfast or as a snack.

Notes:
This recipe has some healthy whole wheat flour but is not too heavy - just enough to be filling! I like to use this with any leftover bananas I have at the end of the week. I am also making 2 dozen and then freezing some now for future easy morning breakfasts although there's nothing like muffins right from the oven!

Recipe and pic accessed from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/09/kids-week-on-the-go-breakfasts-whole-grain-banana-pecan-muffins/

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• ½ C applesauce
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Cups whole wheat flour
• 
2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Optional: add 1/2 cup or so of mini chocolate chips and then sprinkle some on top to dress them up a bit!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. (Or for me,it
worked perfectly for 2 of my 9x5 loaf pans).
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and sugar until well blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Optional: Gently stir in chocolate
chips and sprinkle some on top once in pans, if desired. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes (7x3 pans) or 50-60 mins (9x5 pans) in the preheated oven. Loaves are done
when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Notes:

I thought the flavor was even better the second day. I think this recipe is kind of a nice compromise between healthy ingredients and taste! I reduced the sugar, replaced some of the oil with applesauce, and replaced over half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Nothing like warm pumpkin bread for breakfast on a fall morning!

(adapted from the recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Downeast-Maine-Pumpkin-Bread/Detail.aspx?prop24=etaf)

Black-Eyed Cilantro Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 can black eyed peas
• 1 can corn
• 1 avocado 
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 3 diced green onions (or chives)
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• Italian dressing (or extra lime, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar)

Directions:

Score the avocado into dices, chop the cilantro and green onions, and cut the cherry tomatoes (for easier dipping).  Add the rinsed and drained black-eyed peas and corn.  Mix in the lime juice, some salt and pepper to taste, and just enough Italian dressing to gloss the ingredients. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least an hour.  Enjoy with some chips!

Notes:

I usually put in extra lime juice, because I LOVE the citrus.  The longer the salsa sits, the better the flavor marinates together!

- Adapted from recipes.bendy.me