First of all, I want to thank you all so much for your feedback on my previous post!  It gave me a lot of food for thought, and I can't wait to touch on those subjects in future posts.

   And speaking of food for thought..*chuckle*...I have a FANTASTIC recipe for you today.  I will just start by admitting I don't know whose it is originally.  I got it from my lovely mother-in-law but she may have gotten it from her friend Anita?  So I will let those of you that know this community sleuth that out on your own time. :)  But regardless of whose it is, it is definitely one of my all-time favorites and one I turn to time and time again.

   I would never claim to be a gourmet chef or a baker.  My kinds of recipes are the ones that require few ingredients (and all of them common, please?) and very little time or fuss involved.  I cook because:
A. It's a lot cheaper than eating out every day.
B. I want my family to benefit from home cooked, healthy meals.

   But if it wasn't for those two reasons?  Yeah, I'm pretty sure I would never cook.  I keep waiting for it to thrill and inspire and delight and entertain me like it seems to do for countless other women, but that just hasn't happened yet.  I don't meal plan, and so 4:00 pm every day usually finds me standing in the kitchen with a dazed look on my face, fighting back tears and wondering what in the world I'm going to make and why in the world I don't just MENU PLAN ALREADY.

  But, thanks to this fabulous recipe, breakfasts have gotten a whole lot easier around here!  I love making the girls a breakfast and cringe every time I have to resort to cold cereal.  So having a healthy alternative that is quick and easy has been a lifesaver for us.  So, without further ado, my favorite bran muffin recipe.

1 Cup All Bran
1 Cup boiling water
3/4 Cup butter
1 1/2 Cup sugar

   Mix one cup bran and boiling water and let stand one minute.  Cream butter and sugar together and add to bran.  Then add 2 eggs and 1 pint buttermilk.  Or add vinegar to regular milk like I do, because I never have buttermilk on hand.  But I hear buttermilk is best!

2 1/2 Cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 more Cups of bran

Mix flour and baking soda and add to bran.  Fold in 2 remaining cups of bran lightly and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes in a greased muffin tin.  (I usually take them out a few minutes early!)  And now for my favorite part.......cover and store the leftover batter in your fridge for up to one month.  Fresh muffins and no work every week?  Sounds almost too good to be true.

Let me know how you and your family liked them, I'd love to hear!

And the winner from Tuesday's giveaway is.................Jessica M. from Iowa!!!

   I've already emailed her and hopefully she will be receiving her Lilla Rose clip soon, just in time to style for the holidays. Thanks to all who entered, and a big thank-you to Grace for sponsoring!  FYI, If anyone else out there has a product they'd like to offer for a giveaway, shoot me an email and we can work something out.

   In other news, if you happen to find yourself battling through the awfulness that is known as the First Trimester like me right now, you may find yourself with a deep aversion to all things food.  Well, all things healthy that is.  Funny how that works, isn't it?  It doesn't matter HOW queasy or nauseous or fatigued or wretched I feel, cookie dough ice cream and Doritos just never seem to lose their appeal.  Why IS that??!

   But as much as we'd like to imagine (hope, dream, wish) that a healthy and happy pregnancy could consist of a diet of Twix bars and Ginger Ale, *spoiler alert* it can't.

Enter, the prenatal smoothie.



   Today for lunch I warmed up some chili for the girls and thought I was going to lose my cookies.  Chili was just NOT going to happen today for my lunch, no matter how healthy, filling, and protein-providing it was.  Sorry baby bump, not happenin'.

  So I looked in my fridge, desperate for something that didn't make me want to heave, and I saw....nothing.  Nothing!  So, rather than turn to the pantry for some sugary snacks, I turned to my blender, whipped up this smoothie, and it saved the day.  Hence, I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

   Now, it's pretty comical that I would be sharing a recipe with you all because I'm just not the recipe type.  When cooking, I usually just throw things together and see how it all turns out.  And a smoothie is like the EPITOME of throwing things together.  So this is not an "official" recipe, it's just a vague idea of what I like to throw together.  Make sense?

   Oh and a few disclaimers....everything in here is optional.  It's a smoothie, get creative! If the spinach makes it too gritty, use less.  If you don't need it a little sweeter, skip the honey.  If you DO need it sweeter, use less yogurt, or use flavored yogurt.  And lastly, I added Floradix because I have been dra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-gging and need the boost of iron.  But of course you can skip that, or consult your doctor on that first if you'd like.

O.k. here we go:

2-3 (or more or less) frozen bananas.
1-2 (more or less:) Cups of frozen, thawed, strawberries.
Two huge handfuls of spinach.
1-2 TBS of wheat germ.
1/2--1 Cup of plain Greek yogurt.
2 handfuls of ice cubes.
1 TBS of honey.
Few splashes of milk. :)
10-20 ml. of Floradix.

  Add all ingredients to the blender, mix it all up and garnish with a lemon and pretty straw.  Presto, a meal that is healthy, wholesome, and doesn't make you want to curl up in the fetal position.

Enjoy!

 

 

   If you remember from last week's pear post, I received a basket of pears from a friend and have been trying to use them all up before a single one spoils.

  Randy has been having to work late a lot lately, which every mother of small children knows is just a complete party.  And by "complete party" I mean the girls have discovered entire new LEVELS of naughtiness and this mama is usually ready to clock out by 3:00 pm.

But that's not what we're talking about today.

   When Randy IS working late and not going to be joining us for dinner, sometimes as a matter of survival, we cheer ourselves up by having a particularly girly supper, followed by popcorn and a chick flick.  Usually does the trick.

   So the other night we had breakfast for supper, which is certainly one of my FAVORITE meals to do, but not necessarily my husband's.  In an effort to use up more pears, I found this baked pear pancake on Pinterest via Bojon Gourmet, and had to give it a try.




Baked Pancake with Pear and Cardamom

Adapted from Local Flavors

Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 - 3 medium, buttery pears, ripe but firm, cut off the core and sliced 1/4 - 1/2" thick
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
maple syrup for drizzling

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Place the butter in a 10" cast iron (or other oven proof) skillet and put in the oven to melt.

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well, and add the eggs. Whisk to combine, adding the milk little by little until the batter is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and about two-thirds of the melted butter. Set aside.

Heat the skillet with the remaining butter over a medium flame, and brush some of the butter around the rim of the skillet. Toss in the pears, cardamom, lemon juice and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender and the sugars are beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Pour the batter into the hot pan over the pears and place in the oven. Bake until golden and dramatically puffed, as though trying to escape from the pan, about 25 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into wedges. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately.

Leftovers, should there be any, reheat beautifully in a toaster oven in 5 or 10 minutes.


   I was quite surprised how simple and quick this recipe ended up being, and I even skipped the cardamom, because I didn't have it.  Pretty bold for it being part of the title and all, I know.  I just substituted cinnamon and nutmeg and I thought it turned out quite yummy.  But that's coming from me, and that's how I cook all the time.  Not too particular, nothing too fussy, just throw it all together and see how it turns out.

Pastry chefs everywhere are shedding a tear.

Hope you enjoy it!

   Sometimes people disappoint me.  Sometimes they frustrate me, sometimes they bewilder me, and sometimes they completely misunderstand me.  But sometimes, people completely and totally AMAZE me.

  Take the time for instance when my friend, who has FIVE small children of her own, took the time to hand-weave me a beautiful basket and fill it full of farm fresh pears.   That's when a thank-you card just doesn't seem to cut it.

   So obviously I didn't want to let a single pear go to waste, but I also wasn't sure I wanted to can one. Single. More. Jar.  And so........baking with pears!  Seasonal, delicious, it warms up your house, makes everything smell like Heaven, and is just an all-around great idea.  So after a bit of Pinterest-browsing, I found a pear bread recipe that didn't seem too daunting or too unhealthy and I gave it a try.

  And boy I'm glad I did because this stuff will not last long around here!  Not only is it the perfect companion to a cup of coffee, but every once in a while I start to get a little burnt out on banana bread, and so this is a delightful (while every bit as sweet!) alternative.  Try it, you won't be disappointed.

   Well, as I've said before (probably too many times by now) it's been raining lately....alot.  Gray, drizzly, cloudy, overcast, muddy, slushy, wet.   And my heart is aching for some sun.  I have a few bright spots shining out from my calendar as we are planning a trip to sunnier skies in a few months....but until then, I will only wait patiently and hope for spring!

   These gray, moody days always make me feel like baking.  Warming up my house with the oven and watching Randy's face light up when he comes home from work smelling something delicious.  And one of our favorite things to bake around here, hands down, is banana bread.

  Banana bread has always seemed to me like the sneakiest of baked goods because the banana makes you think that it's healthy and then you check the ingredient list and you're just like......yeah.  Not that healthy.  But it's delicious and it's the perfect coffee mate in the mornings and it smells delectable, wafting throughout your house.  And so why not?  Bake some banana bread.

   And so I'm happy to share with you today one of our all-time FAVORITE recipes, combining both the desire for sunnier, tropical skies, AND baking something delicious.  Plus it's kinda/sorta/a little bit healthy because of the yogurt (I use plain Greek) and the applesauce instead of oil.  You could even make it healthier by substituting stevia for the sugar, and more Greek yogurt instead of butter.  I haven't tried that yet, but it's a fun recipe to play around with!  Plus you could skip the glaze.  But that would be no fun at all.

Anyways, here it is:

   Life has been a little nutso lately with crazy amounts of activity and this poor blog has been suffering because of it.  We've been busy hosting both friends and family and as much as I am loving being able to finally calm down from the craziness that is December (yes it takes me until almost March) and be able to open up our home to love ones, it does cause for a lot of extra hustle and bustle.

  In keeping with the theme of my last post and speaking of hosting loved ones….my mom and dad are here right now from Iowa!  Much to the delight of all of us and especially the grandkids.  They are staying at our house, and so expect to see pictures of them popping up on the blog now and then in the next week.

  With hosting comes the inevitable menu planning, and when you have friends or family members with special dietary needs (dairy intolerant, gluten free, etc) it can be such a lifesaver to have a staple item that you can turn to again and again.  And I'm here today to share one of mine…..allow me to introduce to you, the one, the only………...


   O.k. I'm sure they are not the only ones, you could probably find like 50 different variations on Pinterest.  Whatever.

   These have been my saving grace when entertaining guests who eat gluten free, and as far as I'm concerned, they're fail-proof because they are a baked good that has turned out wonderfully twice for me, so that's a total win in my book.  It doesn't take much, folks.   So here they are in all of their gluten-free, healthy-ish glory.  Well, healthy as far as desserts are concerned, anyway.

• 15 oz can of black beans
• 3 eggs
• 3 TBSP oil
• 3/4 C sugar
• 4 TBSP cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt

   That's it! Blend all of the ingredients in the blender.  You heard me right, no sifting or folding, gently stirring or mixing….just literally throw it all into the blender and turn it on until pureed.  That's my kind of mixing.

   Pour into 8x8 glass pan (but I usually double the recipe and pour it into a 9x13) and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes or until the center is set.

Enjoy.

   Not only is it gluten free, but it's amazingly guilt free too.  Every time I eat one I feel like I'm basically eating a healthy side, it having beans inside and all.  That counts for something right?  It's like a bean and egg omelet with cocoa powder! And a little sugar.  And tastes like a brownie.  Need I say more?

   Oh and I usually do less sugar than it calls for.  You could also try Stevia as a sugar substitute for an even healthier version. And if this isn't the easiest gluten-free dessert you make in your life, than I want to know what is, because I want to try that too.  *Bonus* You don't have to buy those expensive GF flour mixes to make it!  It's all items you would most likely have stocked in your pantry.  So go ahead and do yourself a favor and make these today.

Thank me later.

   One of the days that we were snowed in we all decided to forge through the drifts and slush and meet at my in-laws house to be snowed in together. Which was a great idea to begin with but then became even a whole lot more brilliant when we lost power at our house. Because if there's one thing we all love about snow days, it's board games.  And comfort food.  And heat.

 
   So the grandkids ran wild, and the adults settled in for some Puerto Rico, Agricola, and freshly baked sour cream twists.  (You were missed Byran and Amy, Xavier and Nicolas! Oh and Chris too. :)  My mother-in-law Bonnie is an excellent baker.  Well, an excellent cook too.  And housekeeper for that matter.  Basically excels in all things domestic. Seriously.  Anyways, Randy and I both have attempted to recreate her sour cream twists on separate occasions, to no avail.  So on this eventful day, we took advantage of the chance to sit at the feet of the master baker and tackle the infamous recipe once and for all.  (With her help, obviously).

Mix:
1/2 cup warm water 
1 1/2 cup warm sour cream
4 TBS shortening
6 TBS sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs

Add:
 6 cups of flour
2-3 TBS of instant yeast (sprinkled on top of flour) 
Mix/knead in Bosch for 5 minutes. 

   Let rise in bowl and roll out into long thin rectangle.  Begin at one end of the rectangle, and spread with melted butter until the half-way point.  Top butter with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Pick up opposite end and fold over on top of buttered/sugared half.  

   Cut into strips.  Holding twists and both ends, twist in opposite directions.  Place on greased baking sheet and let rise again.  

   Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes until just lightly browned on top.  Let cool and then frost  with cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!







  I am so thankful for both of my families….by blood and by marriage, both near and far.  I so desire for my own family unit to want to spend time together in the way that I enjoy spending time with extended family!  I also hope that maybe one of these days I can get the swing of some of these prized family recipes, and be able to pass them on to my own daughters without messing it all up along the way.

Until then, Bonnie's sour cream twists will suit me just fine.:)