Black Rasperry Oatmeal Jam Bars

I am always looking out for a weekday breakfast that is hearty enough to satisfy 6 growing bodies, yummy enough to make those little bodies want to eat it and healthy enough that I feel good serving it to them.  Oh, and if it can be made ahead or is fast, all the better.  This recipe really fits the bill when it comes to that criteria.  I made mine the night before and it was waiting on the counter, ready to go when breakfast time rolled around.  What a treat on a busy morning!

Oatmeal Jam Bars

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9X13 pan.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter cut in cubes

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cups black raspberry jam

Process flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and butter in a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are combined and a crumbly dough is formed. Add the oats and pulse quickly to combine.

Press 2/3 of the dough firmly into pan. Spread the jam evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam, gently pressing down

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in airtight containers or can be frozen for use later.

 

I usually serve about half of the pan while they're fresh and then I pop them in the freezer in an airtight bag or container for a morning later on that I don't have time to cook and nothing is ready to go.  Keeping these types of things in the freezer and on hand gives my family better nutrition because it's already there.  I try to do this with as much as I can to avoid take out and eating junk foods.

 

White Pizza with a Twist

It was a rare Friday night.  Both kids were home and eating dinner with us, so it had to be something special but ordinary all at the same time.  My kids aren't big fans of some of my more complicated endeavors, so I tried to keep it low key.  I had planned on making two simple pizzas - pepperoni and white - but then I stopped in at the grocery store.  Pancetta was on sale. Hmmm...do I dare disturb their version of what a white pizza should be?  Yep.  So I bought it, as well as a few other things and headed out toward home.

I decided that the White pizza should have spinach and pancetta on it as well as the usual white pizza toppings, so first I pan fried the pancetta until crispy and set it aside.  I spread out my pizza crust (that had just finished up in the bread maker - love that yeasty smell!) fairly thin on the pizza sheet and then spread minced garlic over the crust and spread ricotta cheese over the whole crust..  After that, I grated fresh Parmesan over the garlic, and then added a layer of mozzarella.  I used frozen chopped spinach (that I had thawed in the microwave) and sprinkled it over the cheeses.  Then I topped it all off with some pancetta.  It all smelled heavenly!  I put it in a preheated oven at 375 for about 12 minutes.  It came out bubbly and golden and we couldn't wait to grab a slice!

The pepperoni and mushroom pizza was also pretty good, but the white pizza went really, really quickly.  I think we could have eaten another one.  It is definitely a make again pizza.  But to top the whole meal off, I included a dessert of Panna Cotta made with Almond milk. I have been really wanting to try it and finally just had to give it a go.  Worst that could happen was it would fail, right?  And I made a homemade caramel sauce to go with it.  I was excited because my daughter didn't get a chance to try the panna cotta last time I made it so it was her first try.  She said it tasted like ice cream - and I guess it does.  It has about the same components of ice cream so that makes sense.  So the almond milk was not an epic fail as I'd feared.  It was not as creamy as using milk and cream but it had the same basic taste, but not as heavy.  It was a nice everyday dessert, but not the special, once in a blue moon dessert I'd previously made.  Looks pretty yummy though, right?

All in all, it was a great Friday night pizzafest.  And hubby and I needed the carb load before we headed out to run our long run of 16+ miles the next day, so it was a win-win for all.  I love having meals with my kids.  Makes my world complete, even if just for a few minutes.  :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I come from an area of Pennsylvania that has whoopie pies.  My hubby comes from an area of Pennsylvania that has gobs.  Are they the same thing?  If not, then how are they different?  These are very important questions if you are attending my hubby's annual family reunion.  So far, all I can really see is that a gob is flatter and the filling seems more oily.  Whoopie pies are fluffier and have a creamier filling.  I did some internet research and actually found that the whoopie pie is at the center of another controversy.  This time, it seems that the state of Maine is claiming to be the birthplace of the whoopie pie.  Who knew that such an innocent looking little cake treat would be such a troublemaker?  Well, if you've ever had whoopie pies, or gobs for the sake of my marriage, lying around the house tempting you to eat them, you knew.  So, it was with much trepidation that I took on the task of making these tasty treats.  After all, I know they're trouble.  But what yummy trouble they are...



And then, adding in the peanut butter filling just seals the deal.  Trouble from the moment you first dip your finger into that icing bowl.  Now, my son did mention as I was making these that we've had a lot of the chocolate peanut butter combo around here lately, and for anyone who is not totally and completely in love with peanut butter as I am.  I'm sorry.  Really, I am.  But we LOVE peanut butter and any chance to pair it with chocolate is a chance I'll take!  And he still ate one, so it must not be all that bad.



So, if you're feeling lucky and ready to tackle the Whoopie Pie of Maine Pennsylvania, here you go..

Whoopie Pie

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 t vanilla

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl.  Mix buttermilk and vanilla in separate bowl.  Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream sugar and butter together until well mixed.  Add egg and mix again.  Add flour and buttermilk mixtures gradually to the mix and mix well.  When mixture is smooth, spoon 1/4 c of mix onto parchment paper or greased cookie sheets.  Bake in top and bottom of oven and switch placement of pans halfway through baking.  Bake until the cake springs back, about 14-16 minutes.  Cool on rack when done.

While cakes are cooling, make the Peanut Butter filling:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk, more or less may be needed.

Blend peanut butter and confectioners sugar with hand mixer, adding milk gradually as needed to get spreadable consistency.

Once cakes are cooled, spread the icing on the bottom of one cake and put another cake on top.

 

So, there you have it.  Whether in Johnstown and you're eating a gob, or in Lancaster eating a whoopie pie 0r even, as my research yielded, somewhere in the south eating a moon pie, make sure you're ready for it.  You never know when a cake could start a fight.  But they are still pretty yummy...I think I'll throw caution to the wind and take my chances.

 

Spicy Applesauce Cookies with the Daycare Kids

So, we decided yesterday to take a break from our theme of dinosaurs and just enjoy a day of painting, baking and playing.  We all need Mondays like that, don't we?  Just a break from the usual and switch to something more comforting and just spend the day enjoying each other's company?  So after some prolonged arts and crafts time, we headed into the kitchen.  I had decided a drop cookie was the best route to take, but I didn't want to oversugar the kids and ruin the good mood flowing...so, I picked an applesauce cookie recipe out of my Betty Crocker cookie book and started adjusting.  I made several batches of homemade appleasauce this year and thought that my spiced applesauce would be perfect for these cookies.  So if you're making them, you may need to adjust the spices because we left almost all spice except a few shakes of cinnamon out of the mix.

Spicy Applesauce Cookies

adapted from/inspired by Betty Crocker Cookie Book

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c butter, softened

1/4 c applesauce, mine was home canned and spiced with ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and slightly sweetened

1 egg

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Heat oven to 375.  Beat brown sugar, butter, applesauce and egg in large bowl with electric mixer.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Drop my teaspoonful onto parchment paper or greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until no longer soft and slightly browned.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Store in airtight container because they will get hard otherwise.

These were some pretty yummy cookies!  They could be iced as called for in the original recipe, but again, in the interests of sugar limiting, I left them as is. No complaints from the kiddos or my own family!  It would be a great fall treat too.  I might even suggest the addition of caramel or toffee bits.  That would be a great combo!

 

 

Weekly Menu 1/23-1/29

I do try and get to my menu planning on the Friday before the week starts, but more often than not, I'm working on getting it together as the week starts.  Luckily, I have a pretty well stocked freezer and did lots of canning over the summer, so only the freshest ingredients need purchased and that happens throughout the week anyway.  So, I am getting my menu finally completed this afternoon and it looks like a pretty yummy week!

When I plan my menu, I take into account how much time I will have over naptime to throw the meat into a marinade, or ingredients into a crockpot and I think every home has it's own rhythm for that sort of thing. I've been asked how I prepare such great meals for the kids and still have time (and money!) left over to feed my own family healthy, whole meals in the evening.  It really comes down to planning.  I stock up on freezer goods on sale, and waste nothing.  I am a big fan of the freezer because it is so versatile.  I include the kids in our plans and in the kitchen for prep or helping to mix ingredients.  My passion spills over to them and they enjoy their time in the kitchen a lot.  I also am flexible.  If something just is too expensive when I get to the store, I will swap it for another ingredient or another meal if need be.  I buy almost all of our fruits and vegetables organic and local and am getting there on our meat.  It's more difficult to plan for I've found because good supply is hard to rely on.  All in all, our grocery bill for my husband and me, our 16 year old son and our 20 year old daughter, who may or may not eat at home each evening, as well as the six daycare children is less than $125 a week.

So, here's my menu for this week:  enjoy and please ask questions if you need more info.

Family Menu Table

Neopolitan Bundt Cake

I wanted to do something different for dessert so I kept thinking throughout the day about what I could make and finally it came to me.  Cake.  I love cake so this is not shocking news that cake popped into my head.  But, how to make it different?  Unique?  I have seen neopolitan cakes before while searching recipes, so I decided to try one of my own.  Now, I would love to say that I made my own cake batter...I had the recipe picked out, ready to go and then completely ran out of enough time to gather all of my ingredients and still be done in time to get the daycare kiddos up from nap, etc, etc.  And there was this last, lonely box of cake mix downstairs in the pantry.  Which happened to be a white mix.  SOOOOO...yeah, I cheated that step.   I'm sorry.  I really am. If it helps at all, the cake turned out beautifully but didn't have that "homemade" cake taste.  I was mad at myself for not taking the extra steps for such a pretty dessert, but I do feel better that I've confessed and will do better the next time!

I did divide the prepared batter into thirds - one was left as prepared, and to one I added about 1/4 cup of strawberry preserves, and to the last one I added about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips and 2 T of cocoa powder.   I layered the batters in a greased bundt pan and baked at 350 for about 45 minutes.

I wanted to add a special topping, so instead of a sugar glaze, I decided on a chocolate glaze with more mini chips added.  I used about 1/2 c of powdered sugar, 1 T cocoa powder and 2-3T of milk.  I mixed it until smooth and added the chips.  I drizzled it over the cake and then scattered a few more chips on top.  It was hard to resist dipping a finger into the glaze as it set.

Dinner didn't happen as planned because of a slight medical emergency (we're all fine and it wasn't a traumatic emergency, just required urgent care) so I was glad that I did at least have dessert made.  The Neopolitan cake made a nice dessert with the take out pizza that ended up replacing our planned Shrimp Fried Rice.  But we were all together enjoying it, and that's what mattered most!!

Simplicity

I am feeling very settled in lately. Do you know what I mean?  It seems like I'm always writing about thankfulness, love, family and all of that good stuff.  :)  It's a great problem to have - this whole being comfortable in my own skin thing.  Monday nights are scheduled rest days in the marathon plan, so no running, no biking, nothing even remotely related to fitness happened at my house.  What did happen?  Loaded Baked Potato Soup with French Bread for dinner and Peanut Butter Pudding Pie for dessert.  Say it with me...aaahhhh.  Comfort food at it's finest - in a word - Simplicity. 

It was a bit chilly outside, so being able to relax on the couch with the hubby, enjoying some conversation and soup and each others company was so relaxing.  It was better than any date at the finest restaurant.  (You hear that dear?  Now you know!)  The soup was perfect - creamy but with a little tanginess from the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese and the bread was perfect for cleaning up the leftovers in the bowl.

And dessert?  Oh my gosh, do not get me started....  Well, okay, you twisted my arm.  It was like a Reese's cup in a pie!  I have never made my own from scratch chocolate pudding before, so I was a little concerned but with no good reason because it was perfect!  I used a peanut butter cookie dough for the crust and then spooned the pudding, still warm, on top and then popped it in the fridge.  The pudding soaked in just enough that it lent a creaminess to the crust and it was better than I would have imagined.  It's all I can do to not get a slice out of the fridge RIGHT NOW. 

Sometimes, it really is the most simple things that can bring us the greatest rewards in life.  Case in point....my lunch today.  Leftover bread topped with double creme brie and dried cherries and popped it the oven at 400 until the brie just started to run.  I end all my ramblings with a picture of the most perfect bite on a dreary day...

Oh, you want recipes?  Well, okay...

Loaded Baked Potato soup (Made in Crockpot)

6 largish white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced,  or 2 t minced garlic
1 medium white onion chopped fine
2-4 strips of chopped, cooked turkey bacon (real bacon will work too but add it at the end not as cooking)
2 T chives, dried or fresh chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 T salt
1 cup skim milk
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, with about 1 cup more for adding to top of each bowl

Put the first 8 ingredients in the crockpot and put on medium for 6-7 hours.  When done smash potatoes (you can keep in the crock pot) and add the remainder of the ingredients.  Let heat through about 20 minutes before serving.  Add cheese and additional chives and bacon if desired before serving.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust ( adapted from cooks.com)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.  Watch the sides because they will brown quicker than the center, but you want the center to be just slightly underdone.  When it comes out, it will be puffy in the center but it should deflate on its own.  You can use a spatula to gently "help it along" if you like.

While it's cooling you can make the pudding that will set so nicely down into that well.

Chocolate Pudding ( adapted from Smitten Kitten)


1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups skim milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 t vanilla

Smitten Kitten's recipe is almost identical except I used a lesser quality chocolate chips because it's what I had on hand, and I used skim milk and it was rich enough for us.  I never have whole milk in the house or I may have tried a half and half approach.  I also didn't use a double boiler.  Instead...

I mixed the first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan and brought to a semi boil, whisking pretty much the entire time.  It took about 10 minutes to get thick, and when it did, I removed it from the heat and added the chips and vanilla.  I spooned enough into the pie well to bring it up the crust and then refrigerated the whole pie together (my crust was almost completely cooled before adding the pudding)

And I even had enough pudding leftover to spoon into 3 little dishes.  It was super creamy and smooth.  I loved it, and was so happy that I never again need those little boxes of pudding!!  Give it a try, it was easy and fast and I know what every ingredient is.  :)