and their 612 page cookbook not much! I am really excited about our Giveaway and post this week. America’s oldest flour company, King Arthur Flour, and I have teamed up this week to offer you a new healthy chocolate cake recipe and the chance to win a prize package of King Arthur Flour products including their fantastic cookbook. (more…)
What kid doesn’t love individual mini-meals? They love lunches separated into little compartments, complete pies they can hold in their hands, and these individual Chicken pot “Shepherd’s” Pies are no exception. Chock full of real, fresh ingredients like mashed potatoes with tangy Greek yogurt, sharp cheddar cheese, carrots, peas, mushrooms and organic chicken, these little individual meals are fun and delicious for the kids and nutritious enough to satisfy us. (more…)
Who doesn’t love a good Snickerdoodle? I mean come on…you can’t help but smile even when you say its name. These fluffy centered, crisp around the edge cookies are great dunked in an after-school glass of cold milk, served along side a piping hot cup of tea, or even left out on a plate on Christmas Eve for a jolly ol’ man in a red suit. (more…)
Do you hear that? Are they Santa’s bells? Is it the excited squeals of children opening gifts? No, it’s me – whooping it up at my computer as I type this. When you think of a holiday cookie bake-off do you think of health? Nutrition? The LA Times did! This year, my Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies were chosen as one of the ten winners of their Holiday Cookie Bake-Off! After LA Times readers (and I know many of you were amongst them – thank you!) narrowed down the recipes from over 200, the 50 top recipes were brought to Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School where they were baked up and judged on flavor, texture, richness, visual appearance and holiday spirit. I am thrilled to say that my Healthier Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies made with Whole Wheat flour, raw sugar and flax meal met those stringent requirements and then exceeded them! Here’s to health, nutrition…and cookies! Cheers! (more…)
As I was planning Out of the Box Food’s Holiday Cookie Month, I was reminded of a recipe I developed last year which makes a deliciously crunchy, heart healthy lemon cookie. These cookies bake up crisp and delicate and are made with olive oil instead of butter which means that in addition to being easier on the waistline, they’re Vegan friendly too. Plus, if you eat Gluten Free, the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour can be evenly substituted with Gluten-Free Baking Flour for a wheat-free treat. Oh, and did I mention they’re quick and easy? (more…)
I love the holidays. The air gets cold and crisp, colored lights twinkle from trees, the kids get excited and I get to bake! There is just something magical that happens when the kitchen is warm from the oven and the house is filled with the sweet smell of vanilla and cinnamon. But do the crisp cookies and sumptuous cakes need to be unhealthy? Not at all! With a few simple adjustments, our holiday treats can be both delicious and nutritious. (more…)
The Best Vanilla-Spice Icing Ingredients: 1/2 C milk 3" piece vanilla bean 3" piece cinnamon stick 1/2 tsp cream of tarter 1 C powdered sugar Directions: In a small saucepan,…
Happy Thanksgiving! I know, I know…it’s not quite Thanksgiving. I won’t rush it. But how many of us start scouring the internet, cookbooks and magazines mid-October, planning out our Thanksgiving meals? I certainly do and the Food Network knows there are people like myself out there, looking for new, inspired recipes this holiday season. This year they’ve come up with a way to bring the recipes and ideas to one place with a Virtual Thanksgiving table. This gathering, dubbed The Communal Table, was created to bring food bloggers and writers together to share some of their favorite Thanksgiving dishes with the Food Network community. (more…)
This soup recipe came to be on our first rainy fall afternoon. Craving the warmth and comfort of a good, rich, soup, I found myself at the butcher counter with a couple of short ribs, a small beef shank and some stew meat. With the veggies I had from the farmers market, we were in business.
After making the broth, feel free to toss in any add in’s you might have stashed in the fridge & pantry. The beauty is the broth makes itself, so there is no need to buy prepackaged broth or stock. Just add water. (more…)
The first day sugar pumpkins were displayed in the market, my children HAD to have them. They couldn’t wait to make Pumpkin Pasties ala Harry Potter, pumpkin pie, and all the delicious fall pumpkin treats. So we bought them…and made lots of pumpkin puree.
After reaching out to my Facebook community for Sunday morning breakfast ideas, Joelle’s suggestion of a pumpkin loaf reminded me that I had tons of pumpkin puree in the refrigerator. It was time to create a new pumpkin treat for my family. Muffins are great warm, right out of the oven, but they’re also a delicious addition to the lunch box and I’m always in need of lunch box ideas! These Pumpkin muffins are paired with another ingredient I turn to often in the fall, pure maple syrup. The combination of the pumpkin and the maple really come together to make a delicious, lightly sweetened muffin. (more…)