Apple Cinnamon Chip Cake

Apple Cinnamon Chip Cake

Like I said, I've been on a sweets kick.  Actually what happened is, I served my kids some homemade applesauce and they didn't finish it.  Then I worried that it would go bad.  It bothers me to just throw good food away, so I had to do something with it.  --- Seriously, I had to, there was no other option. lol.

This turned out to be such a good experiment though. It tastes exactly like a cinnamon roll!  I'm not kidding.  It really does.  But it's made with 1/2 whole wheat flour, Greek Yogurt and applesauce.  Yum, huh?

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  If you try this with 100% whole wheat, please let me know how it turns out.  I really want to know, but I'm taking a baking break for the next 2 weeks.  (Instead I'm blogging the past 2 weeks worth of baking!)

Apple Cinnamon Chip Cake

1/4 C. butter (Yes you could substitute coconut oil)
1 C. Apple sauce
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 C. Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 1/4 C. skim milk (Almond milk will work)
2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Bag Cinnamon Chips -- I used Hershey's- find them here.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. powdered sugar
2-3 Tbl. milk
8oz cream cheese (1 block - you can use reduced fat or neufchatel)
1/4 c. butter

Instructions: Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and yogurt and applesauce. Mix until smooth.  Add milk and mix until incorporated.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients- but not the cinnamon chips. Gradually add to the wet ingredients.  Fold in cinnamon chips.

Pour into a greased jellyroll pan. (or a sheetcake pan). bake at 350 for 25 min.  Check with a toothpick.  You may need to cook longer so keep an eye on it at this point.  Allow to cool

For the frosting: add the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and blend.  Keep mixing until it starts to become a ball.  Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Frost your cooled cake.  Yum!

+Hershey's Kitchens

Chocolate Quinoa Cake (Includes a quick Ganache Recipe)

Chocolate cake that uses quinoa instead of flour. Amazing!

 I've been playing around with making "healthy" sweets.   Well, healthier anyway.  And I have some friends who are gluten intolerant.  As in, just plain can't eat the stuff. I saw a recipe for chocolate quinoa cake and my interest was piqued.  However, so was my skepticism.  Seriously, could a cooked grain- actually a cooked seed, make a light, moist cake with an actual cake-like texture? Only one way to find out.  I made it. 

It was good.  The texture was a little dense, but not bad and I actually like that anyway.  My family devoured it.  They really didn't know the difference.  It stayed moist for 3 days.  That's how long I managed to hide the last few pieces, 3 days. I expected a weird texture or flavor.  Instead I got a really nice cake that I can make for people who can't eat traditional flour.  I think it's probably a bit healthier too.  Don't get me wrong.  There is sugar in it.  It is a treat, like any cake.  However, it is a treat that is a little better for you without sacrificing flavor.  Because I would rather have a small amount of fantastic, rather than a big amount of only okay.  So to have fantastic that is better for me; bonus!


I am going to direct you to the link that harbors the recipe that I used.  I normally make my own recipes, so I don't often redirect you, but it's not my recipe and I want to be fair.  But please come back and see me again.  I am posting my recipe for Whole Wheat Lemon Yogurt Blueberry Cake soon.  It was divine!

Any way the link is here: Chocolate Quinoa Cake

Oh- by the way, you may notice that my frosting is quite different.  I made a simple ganache by heating 1/2 c. cream (don't let it boil) and adding about 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips.  I use a mixture of semi-sweet and dark chocolate.  I stir until melted and let it set up to a pudding like consistency. I make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.  When I made this cake, I pulled it out and spread it on the warm cake.  Then I added some more chocolate chips and let them melt into the cake a bit.  I spread it out with a knife.  It was a little like eating a layer of fudge on the cake.  Very yummy!

Chicken and Quinoa Soup

 I'm experimenting with Quinoa.  It's tasty stuff and pretty simple to work with.  No more difficult than rice, you just have to make sure to rinse it for 2 min. before you cook it.  Easy enough. 

I thought this soup was really tasty.  It's packed with veggies and makes a nice snack in the middle of the day.  Quinoa doesn't really have a flavor.  It seems to take on the flavor of the soup.

I'm getting brave enough to use quinoa in other ways.  I think I might try a cheese sauce for a "quinoa mac and cheese."  I've even seen recipes for quinoa chocolate cake.  It may take me a while to get that brave.  :)



 I think you could easily throw in some squash or pumpkin or zucchini or even parsnips and peas.  I wonder if you could can this, for easy winter meals, using the veggies from your summer garden?  Something to think about.  A nice effortless soup dinner without the extra preservatives and chemicals used by commercial soup companies.  If I wasn't a brown thumb I think I would attempt it.  But honestly, if I ever manage to grow anything more than hopes and dreams in my vegetable garden, I may have to bronze the produce to prove I did it.  :0

Let me know what you are experimenting with.  I'd love to hear your adventures in cooking.  :)

 

Chicken and Quinoa Soup

• 1 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast,  
• 1 15oz can Canned Diced Tomatoes, (I used one with Green chilis on accident and it was great.)
• Green Beans, drained, .5 cup (I had some left over and threw them in.  Add the whole can and it will be great also,)
• Carrot - chopped, 1 cup (one large)
• Celery, raw, 1 stalk, large 
• 1/2 med yellow onion, 
• 1/2 large Yellow Bell Pepper, 
• 3-4 cups Water, (start with 3 and add more if needed)
• 1 cup cooked Quinoa 
• 1/2 cup Broccoli, fresh,, chopped or diced 
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp white garlic
• 1 tsp salt

Add the water, (3 cups), chicken and onions and bring to a boil.  While that is cooking chop all your veggies.  Feel free to add any extra veggies.  It will taste yummy.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board.  Add all ingredients to the water, except quinoa.  Dice the chicken and add back to the soup.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat to low.  Add quinoa. Allow to simmer for at least 30 min.  

According to this recipe calculator http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp the soup is only 76 calories per serving.  (It makes about 9).  That is a low cal meal people!  So go ahead and add a nice crusty loaf of bread.  This is a yummy, easy and low calorie soup!

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

 My husband lived in Brazil for two years, while serving a mission for our church. He came home blond, tan (well more red, but a tan red), and devastatingly handsome.  I fell for him within moments of our first meeting.  But that is another story.  While he was in Brazil, he ate beans and rice nearly every day.  He never got tired of them.  Absolutely loves them.  I have been trying to recreate the most common type of beans since we got married. 

I'll never be able to completely recreate them.  In Brazil they use chicken feet and pigs ears and all sorts of meats that, I'm sorry, I can't ask the butcher to give me.  Even if I could, yeah, I wouldn't.  I can't get past the gross factor.  So I do not make Feijoada the exact way that you will have it if you go to Brazil and eat it.  However, I do make a very close facsimile.  Trust me, it's yummy.

I use a few beef short ribs, a nice ham hock and sometimes a chicken breast.  Or pork meat, or whatever I have on hand.  That's the point.  Just use up the meats that you have and enjoy.  I also like avocado on my feijoada- which I don't think you would find in Brazil.  The avocados that my husband ate in Brazil were sweet and usually served in a milkshake.  So if anyone tries this recipe who is Brazilian, or who has lived in Brazil recently, please comment and let us know how I did.  My husband?  He thinks this is the bomb!  :)

So Feijoada is pronounced [fay ge wah dah} The accent is on the first syllable I think. That's how I say it any way.  It is a very versatile stew.  I make it in my crock pot, but I think the Brazilians usually use a pressure cooker.  I don't think it matters which method you choose, but my instructions are for the crock pot.

Feijoada

1 lb. dry black beans
1 ham hock
2 beef short ribs
1 chicken breast (I left this out of this batch as the ham hock had a ton of meat.)
2 beef bouillon cubes
2-3 cups of water
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz) -- [optional]
2-3 peeled and sliced carrots. (I use 3 because I want the extra veggies)
1 small or 1/2 large onion (white or yellow)
2 large celery stalks, washed and diced
3/4 tsp. white pepper
4-5 shakes of your favorite seasoning salt (I use Lawry's)
1 tsp. minced garlic, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp coriander (optional but yummy)
1/2 tsp cumin

Rinse and soak your beans overnight. -- you must do this unless you are going to pressure cook them.  In the morning, drain and rinse your beans.  Add to the crock pot.  Add all other ingredients and turn it on for 8-10 hours.

Serve over brown rice. 

Can you imagine an easier recipe?  Just dump and go! 

A few Caveats--
1) I don't cook with a ton of salt. ham is salty, so I don't add a lot extra.  My husband added more when I served it.  You may need to adjust to your tastes.
2) Slow cookers are different.  Yours may take more or  less time.  The first time you make it, you will want to test it after 6 hours.  If the beans get too soft, you will be serving re-fried beans.  ;)
3) Like most of my recipes, this makes a LOT.  I think you could halve the recipe, but you will kick yourself if you do.  Left overs can be stuffed in enchiladas, (which I did last night and will post soon.) or quesadillas.  And really, the left overs are yummy with bread on day 2 and 3 and . . .     :) You get the idea.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

It's January.  How many of you have already broken your New Year's Resolutions?  Yup- that sounds about right.  I didn't really make a firm resolution - I almost never do.  I make goals, when they strike me, but not resolutions.

For instance, back in October I saw a quick biography on a professional football player who said that he would complete 1000 Sit Ups, and 1000 push ups every night.  That seems insane.  But I thought about it and decided that I would do 1000 push ups, sit ups and squats.
It took me 4 weeks.  Not bad!  Now I do 50 push ups and 50 squats a night along with a couple minutes of plank.  I do it while I watch TV and I don't even think about it.  It's not a resolution, it's a goal that turned into a habit.  :)

Another goal I have is to eat more healthfully.  This is a reoccurring goal, because it is way to easy to get out of the habit.  But if you really want to change your habits, you have to keep trying.  I'm back to trying.  That is what inspired this latest creation.

I had a few sweet potatoes (actually yams, but around here they are all called sweet potatoes).  Anyway, I had some sweet potatoes that needed to be used.  My family doesn't love sweet taters.  I took a chance anyway.  I made these and served them with low fat sour cream, fresh salsa and fresh avocados.  They were a hit.  A shocking hit!  My kids even ate the left overs for breakfast.  Whoa!

So how did I make them?  Thanks for asking, I would love to tell you!  ;)


Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

2 large or 4 small sweet potatoes (or yams) Fresh- not from the can.
4 oz. low fat cheddar cheese shredded
4 oz. low moisture, skim milk mozzarella cheese shredded
1 pkg deli turkey (I like the Hormel Naturals cracked pepper Deli Turkey) - No Preservatives
1 pkg whole grain tortillas
1 15 oz can black beans (I like S&W) rinsed and drained
garlic powder
onion powder
Salt
white pepper
paprika
Old Bay or another seasoning salt (I use Old Bay for everything!)


Start by peeling your sweet potatoes.  Then cut them in quarters and poke with a fork a few times.  Place in a glass, microwave safe bowl and add about 1/2 inch of water. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes.  Then pull out and turn all the pieces over so the ends that were out of the water are now in the water.  There won't be tons of water left.  Don't stress, it's fine. Cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until you can easily slide a fork in and out of the potatoes.  Most of the water should be absorbed.

Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them really well.  Sprinkle with the spices listed.  I didn't give exact measurements, because you are just sprinkling it over the top.  Be liberal with the Old Bay, but go easy on the Paprika.

Take a large tablespoon full of the potato mixture and spread on a tortilla.  Add 1-2 spoonfuls of beans.  Lay a 1 or 2 slices of turkey down. Sprinkle a little of both kinds of cheese on top. Place another tortilla on the cheese.  Repeat until you run out of the mixture.

I sprayed a pancake griddle with cooking spray and cooked 2 at a time on 350.  I don't have an exact time for you, but when you see the bottom start to turn golden, flip and cook the other side.  When both sides are golden and the cheeses are melting, it's done.

Enjoy with your favorite salsa and some low fat sour cream. 


+Hormel Foods
+McCormick Colombia
+Anthony Chen 

BLTs - Bites Licks and Tastes, plus a quick weekly menu

 

I have noticed that what really gets me, are BLTs. Bites, licks, and tastes. A bite of my child's cookie, a taste of my husband's dinner and lick- okay a tablespoonful of ice cream, 3 cheetos, and 4 chips... after a while they start adding up. I think if I avoided all BLTs, I might not even need to diet. I think a lot of my calories are coming from that. My goal has been to track everything. My goal now is to track everything and avoid BLTs.

 I do really well with my exercise. I am even working super hard to cook healthy.  I have tried diligently to add more vegetables and I've come up with some delicious dinners.  But I really think that one of the biggest changes I need to make is a small change- the BLTs.  That's the goal.  Wish me luck. :)

  How about you.  What small changes could you make to get healthier?

So here is a quick list of the dinners that I made this week.  I'll get recipes up soon.  

Sunday -- Pork Sirloin Roast with mashed potatoes and salad.  I almost always serve salad. It's so filling and good for you.

Monday -- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas. (I made some with whole grain tortillas and some with white tortillas.  My kids loved the whole grain tortillas!) They were amazing. and Salad.

Tuesday -- Very Veggie Lasagna Casserole.  You can find the recipe Here. and of course, salad.  We also had whole wheat garlic bread

Wednesday -- Grilled Cheese (on whole wheat, of course) and Tomato Soup for the family.  I had a left-over quesadilla.

Thursday -- Lower Fat Stroganoff, fresh veggies with dip and green beans.

Friday -- Husband cooks-- will probably be burgers.  I will most likely eat mine bunless with yummy avocado added.

Saturday -- oh Saturdays are always a toss up.  so Free day.  :)

 Here is a list of Breakfasts that I made this week. Recipes soon.

Sunday -- I didn't eat breakfast.  :)

Monday -- Whole grain Breakfast Burrito

Tuesday -- Whole Grain Breakfast Burrito (what can I say- if I like it, I'll eat it 2 days in a row)

Wednesday -- 1 egg

Thursday -- 1 egg, 1 buttermilk, dollar sized pancake

Friday -- 1 egg, 1 pancake

 Okay so breakfast hasn't been exciting this week.  However, I will get the recipe for the breakfast burrito up soon.  It really is tasty, fast and low cal.  

Post Christmas Food Blues

Christmas was awesome.  The Christmas food was awesome.  But now I live with the consequences.  Meh, I only feel a little guilty.  Today I threw away all the sweets that were hanging around.  Left over pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheese cake, peppermint torte, chocolates, homemade sandies, and homemade candies, all in a nasty pile in the trash.  I suppose that's a win. I still have New Year's to navigate, however.

Eating like a diabetic, when you are not actually a diabetic is hard.  I don't have to avoid sugar. I don't have to count my carbs.  I don't have to check my sugars. But I sure feel better when I do.  I am sooo sugared out this holiday season.  I didn't make nearly the treats that I normally do, and I still managed to make something at least every other day.

The worst part is, I got sick.  From the neck up, I am miserable.  From the neck down, I want to go for a run so badly it hurts.  And I cannot believe how sluggish I feel from not exercising.  It's been 4 days now.  I'm so antsy.  There was a time that I wouldn't have noticed if I happened to exercise in a week.  Now I am counting the days and whining about it.  That is a huge change. 

I have a plan for the New Year's menu.  This is the plan, right now.  I'm checking with the other people who are coming to see what changes they want to make.  I am trying to make it so that people who want to be healthy, can be.  Those who don't want to be healthy, well, they should have some options also.

Swedish meatballs -- (home made with extra veggies added to the meat- no noodles)

Soft pretzels -- (again - homemade)

Apple / orange salad (basically apple and orange slices with a juice made from fresh lemon juice 

                                    and  fresh orange juice)

Buffalo dip

7 layer dip or nachos  (7 layer dip is healthier, but nachos are tasty)

Veggie platter

Fruit bowl

Lil’ smokies / pigs in blanket

Soda / lemonade

Birthday cake for my friend who was born on the 1st.

Jello salad / jello squares 

Coleslaw -- (homemade with about 1/4 the mayo normally used and double the veggies)

potato chips & dip (don't judge - diabetics can have this)

What do you think?  What would you add or subtract?  How would you make it healthified?  What are you having?