Cranberry-Orange Oat Bran Muffins ~ Meatless Monday

I found some frozen cranberries hiding in my freezer the other day, so I decided to use them in a batch of oat  bran muffins.  I tweaked this recipe just a bit. (I've posted about this basic recipe before, click to see that blog post)  For my version I  ~~  omitted the dates and nuts, replacing them with a cup of finely chopped cranberries.  I also replaced 1/2 cup of the milk with 1/2 cup of thawed orange juice concentrate.   The resulting muffin had a nice flavor and was a fine addition to my collection of oat bran muffins.  If you're looking for a way to use some fresh cranberries, why not add them to your muffins?  Ruby red cranberries sure jazzed up my morning muffins.  :)   Happy Meatless Monday!

Sarah's Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Sarah, a reader of the blog, sent me her breakfast cookie recipe.  It's a spin of my ~ Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies.  I made her version and we all really liked them!!!  Sarah's recipe includes avocado, which might sound strange, but it works, adding a subtle richness to her cookies.  I added some carob chips and raisins to her recipe, just because we really like them.  :)   We all loved the soft texture of the cookies and gave them a big thumbs up!  I'm calling them ~ Sarah's Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.

Here's the original comment Sarah left me ~  I LOVE your blog and all the awesome recipes, here is my spin on the oatmeal cookies as made for my 9 month old son to eat for breakfast...though hubs and I did love them too!  Followed directions as per peanut butter protein cookies. The almond butter gives them a really nice consistency and has a mild flavor compared to peanut butter.  Thanks!  ~ Sarah, it was so kind of you to share your recipe.  You ROCK!

Sarah's Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes 16-20 depending on size

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, mashed until creamy
• 1/3 ripe avocado, mashed until creamy
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats, uncooked (or use old fashioned oats for more oatmeal texture)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup mix of chocolate/carob chips and/or raisins (optional)

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, thoroughly combine mashed banana, mashed avocado, almond butter,  applesauce & vanilla extract.   Add in the oatmeal & cinnamon (and chips/raisins if using) and stir together. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.  Bake cookies approx. 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  When cookies are completely cool, store in a covered container.  They will last longer if kept in the fridge.  Enjoy!

 

 

Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal ~ Meatless Monday

I keep trying to like cooking and eating steel cut oatmeal...but I don't.  I think it's because they just take too darn long to cook.  I've tried cooking them overnight in the crock pot, but that was just a sticky, baked on mess to clean up.  And don't even get me started on trying to cook them in the microwave ~ TOTAL NIGHTMARE!!  They say it can be done, don't believe them, I've tried THREE different times.  It's just turns into a horror show, no matter now hard I try to make it work 'this time'.  Don't go there!  

All that being said, I was on a mission to find a way to cook the remaining box of steel cut oats that's sitting in my pantry...taunting me, every day.  So, I decided the only way to solve the problem, (I'm too cheap to just throw out the rest of the box) and to get those pesky oats out of my hair (it tends to get stuck in there when you're scrubbing the oats off the ceiling and walls of the microwave, and don't forget mopping up the watery, messy, oat gravel carnage from the glass turntable...don't ask), was to try another 'easy' recipe.  

Well, happy to report I have found a way to make steel cut oats that really is simple and easy.  I followed this brilliant, overnight oat soak method recipe...and it was even quicker than they said it would be.  After I soaked the parboiled oats overnight, I just nuked a serving for a minute, (once they soak overnight, they are tamed!)  gave 'em a quick stir, zapped them again for another minute, and they were done. Easy-peasy!  The recipe makes enough for about 4 servings, so I keep the extra in a glass jar, and I'm set for d.a.y.s.!  I like to eat mine sweet or savory, just depends on my mood.  Sometimes I'll top mine with chia seeds, chopped walnuts, raisins and a little maple syrup...other times I'll add cilantro, chipotle hot sauce, spices, nuts and some light cheese for a little Mexican flavored breakfast or lunch action.  So yummy...and chewy, but that's OK, it's just their thing.  :)   I am now at peace with the remaining box of steel cut oats.  Life is good. 

Oat Bran Breakfast Cookies

I was playing around with a batch of breakfast cookies the other day and came up with a new variety.  Since I've been making a lot of oat bran muffins lately, I decided to incorporate some oat bran into my breakfast cookies.  As long as I was at it, I tossed in some ground flax seed and a bit of oil, just to shake things up a bit.  These breakfast cookies are wheat free, egg free and dairy free.  I found the texture was a lot softer and not quite as chewy as my Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies.  I'm not sure if it was the addition of the oil, flax seed, oat bran or the combo that changed the texture.  Roy really enjoyed them, and gave them a thumbs up.  Hope you like them, too.  :) 

Oat Bran Breakfast Cookies 
makes 16-20, depending on size of cookies
 
Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oatmeal ~ uncooked
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy 
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup raisins and/or dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips)
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp oil (I use Smart Balance)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.  Blend applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes.  Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.  Bake approx. 22 -25 minutes.  Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  Store in a covered container when completely cool, with parchment paper between the layers.  They will last longer if kept in the fridge.

  

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

This morning, I was looking at a copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook.  I came across a recipe that sounded good and that would use some of the fresh blueberries I still had sitting in my fridge.  (they where on sale last week, and I bought A LOT!)   So, into the kitchen I went to start my day off baking.  As the muffins were going into the oven, our neighbors (Bill & Cheryl) stopped by, so we invited them in.  What a great way to start our day ~ warm muffins just out of the oven, a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a little chit-chat with good friends!

For being a food that claims to help reduce your cholesterol, I think these muffins are pretty good.  They have just a hint of sweetness, the blueberries are a nice surprise, and the cornmeal adds to the overall texture.  They have just a little oil, so they are really pretty low in fat, too.  If you are a fan of corn muffins, I think you might like this one.  I tinkered around with the recipe just a bit, I couldn't help myself! :)  I checked out the cookbook from our library, and I like it so much, I'm going to buy a copy of my own.  Real-time baking in my kitchen today ~ Enjoy!

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins
makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oat bran (I used Trader Joe's Toasted Oat Bran)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 2 Tbsp oil (I used Smart Balance)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
• 3 egg whites

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place first 5 ingredients (oat bran - cinnamon) in a food processor and pulse for a minute or two, until dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and are more 'flour-like', then put into a large bowl.  Combine milk, oil and vanilla, in a small bowl, then add to dry mix.  Stir together, then add the blueberries and stir again.  In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the batter.  Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (either greased or with muffin liners).  Bake for 20 minutes.  Best served warm.

Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake

I was looking through my copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure ~ and decided to make the recipe for the Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Muffins.  After reading the recipe, I opted for the 'cake' version instead, which includes pineapple rings and maraschino cherries.  Below is my adapted version, with a few changes/additions to the recipe...I used just one egg instead of two egg whites, 2% milk (it's what I had on hand) instead of skim milk and I added vanilla extract and cinnamon for a little extra flavor.

When it came out of the oven it looked like a traditional pineapple upside-down cake ~ but it tasted more like a super thickened, cake'ish baked oatmeal to me.  Not surprising really, since it is made mostly of oat bran.  I was thinking I had a pretty flop on my hands.  I refuse to let food go to waste around here, so I decided to serve it anyway.  I decided to tinker with it, and when I presented it to my family as a 'pineapple-oat breakfast cake' (served warm, in a bowl with milk and a small drizzle of maple syrup) ~ it was an unexpected hit with both my husband and son!  My hubby liked it so much that he also ate it for dessert ~ this time chilled, with a scoop of light ice cream and a splash of milk.  So, with a bit of creative embellishing, it works as both a breakfast and a dessert.  Cool, score one for Mom!

Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake
makes 8-12 servings
adapted from the book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups toasted oat bran  (I used Trader Joe's toasted oat bran)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk (low fat or skim)
• 2 - 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple in its own juice (unsweetened)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 7 pineapple rings, drained
• 7 maraschino cherries, drained 

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray a round cake pan with Pam, place drained pineapple rings in a single layer on the bottom, add one maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and set pan aside.  Mix the oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Mix the milk, 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice, egg, vanilla extract and oil in a blender for 10 seconds.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly.  Drain the second can of pineapple and stir into the bran mixture.  Pour oat bran mixture into cake pan.  Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until cake is cooked through.  Turn out the cake pan onto a cooling rack or a large, flat plate and allow to cool.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold.  Serving suggestions ~ warm ~ eat it plain or with milk and a little maple syrup for breakfast; and ~ chilled ~ with milk and light ice cream or with a little whipped cream for a dessert version.  Store in fridge.

Oat Bran "Polenta" with Mexican Beans ~ Meatless Monday

Giving leftover oat bran the 'polenta treatment' ~ what a great way to eat more of this superfood!

Ixtapa, Mexico

I've recently returned from a 2-week long vacation and I'm slowly easing back into my routines, both around the house and on the blog.  I went to another Club Med EXGO Reunion (read about my first EXGO reunion here) and this time I took my son.  This latest reunion was at the Club Med village ~ Ixtapa Pacific.  We met lots of new people and became really good friends with a lovely family from San Francisco. :) 

Since I've been busy working on editing our trip photos, I've been thinking a lot about our vacation and all the different types of Mexican foods they served ~ as well as some interesting new spins on old classics.  They served polenta a few times on the dinner buffet and since I happened to have some cooked, leftover oat bran in fridge  that looked a lot like chilled polenta, (once I took it out of the round Tupperware container) I decided to give it the 'polenta' treatment.

I sliced the cold oat bran 'polenta' into a few discs (just like you would from a tube of precooked polenta), sprinkled on some zesty spices and then 'fried' the discs in a little oil.  I topped the 'fried polenta' with home cooked pinto beans, some Mexican fixin's (chopped white onion, cilantro, sofrito and chipotle hot sauce) and salt/pepper from my cool new shakers (Thanks, L!).  It made for a marvelous meatless lunch that would be good for breakfast, brunch, or supper, too.  I just love finding new and unusual ways to enjoy my oats!

The cooked oat bran really tastes a lot like polenta when you slice and cook/fry it after it's been chilled overnight in the fridge.  It would be easy to adapt this for an Italian version, just by switching up the spices/toppings.  All the more reason to make some extra oat bran in the mornings ~ now I can eat it for a quick lunch or dinner, too.  :) 

  

No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping

I saw this recipe link for a clean eating granola bar (from the site ~ Reboot with Joe) on my Facebook feed  and was intrigued.   So much so, that I went right into my kitchen at midnight (what can I say, I'm a night owl!) and made a batch.  I didn't have all the ingredients that were called for, so I used what I had on hand. (sound familiar?)  

I was thoroughly impressed with the taste, but was unable to get it to set-up properly, it just would not hold a bar shape. :(  So, instead of a bar I turned it into ~ No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping.  It makes a perfect, crumbled crunch that is excellent over yogurt or ice cream.  What a tasty, clean-eating snack treat!  There are so many flavor/ingredient variations that you could do, the possibilities are endless.  I'm sorry that the recipe didn't work out as planned, but so happy that I've got a new superfood creation to top my morning yogurt with. :)  Enjoy! 

 

No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping
adapted from this recipe 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 
• 1/2 cup oat bran 
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/4 cup carob chips (or raisins, or cacao nibs, or chocolate chips ~ or a mix ~ I used a 1/4 cup mix of carob chips, raisins & cacao nibs)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup 
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds 
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (or a 1/2 tsp mix of spices like I did ~ cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cardamom) 
• a dash of salt 

Directions

Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Add all ingredients to bowl and mix well.  Spread mixture into pan and press down firmly, using the back of a spoon.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set-up for at least an hour in the fridge.  When firm, crumble and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Best when eaten while still chilled.

 

Oat Bran ~ it's not just for breakfast anymore...

I've been eating a lot of oat bran lately, and have begun to enjoy it as a savory dish as well as a sweet dessert.   For the savory side, I add some chopped nuts, fresh chopped herbs, spices, Braggs and spray butter.  It satisfies my craving for something savory, but still gives me the benefit of oatmeal.

Same thing goes with eating oat bran as a dessert.  I make extra in the morning and save some in the fridge for later.  I take it out after it's chilled and then add in some cardamon (for an Indian-flavored spin) or cinnamon, a packet of Equal or maybe some maple syrup and give it a quick stir (I like to leave it a bit chunky when eating it cold).  Then add a splash of milk. YUM!!  It once again satisfies my craving for a sweet dessert, but I'm still getting all the goodness of oats.  I love when a food can do double or triple duty!

Breakfast Cookie Dough Morning Oatmeal ~ quick 'n' easy, no cooking required!

When I make a batch of my breakfast cookies, I always like eat some of the 'dough', straight from the bowl.  It tastes so good and since it has to sit there 10 minutes before going into the oven, I just have to sneak a bite...or two.  When I was making a batch the other morning, I kept eating it because I hadn't had any breakfast yet.  That's when it hit me ~ why not just make it like that for a quick, no-cook breakfast??  Sometimes, I can't see the forest for the trees.  :)

Breakfast Cookie Dough Morning Oatmeal ~ no cooking required!

serves one

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal (old fashioned or quick, not instant)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 banana, diced
• 1 Tbsp raisins (or dried cranberries)
• 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts (or nut of choice)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

 Optional add-ins ~

• chia or flax seeds ~ to sprinkle on
• carob or chocolate chips ~ for a special treat
• cocoa powder ~ to stir in for a hit of chocolate flavor (use with a sweetener)
• maple syrup or honey ~ to drizzle on
• milk of choice ~ for pouring over when serving
• sliced fruit of choice ~ for extra fruitiness

Directions 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and let the breakfast cookie dough sit for 10 minutes while you go about your morning routine.  Enjoy as is or get creative with the optional add-ins.  Some days I add milk, other days I add more fruit ~ all depends on my mood.  :)

 

Clean Eating No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bites

The behind the scenes stats for the blog have been showing me that a lot of people are arriving to my blog looking for a no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookie.  I didn't have a recipe for one and I felt bad. (keyword searches will do that sometimes)  So, I surfed around the web looking for one to try.  All the recipes I saw were chock-full of sugar and butter ~ way too much for me to even consider.  I started to think about what I could replace the butter/sugar with & decided to try pureed prunes and honey.  I thought I might as well throw in some cocoa powder in place of the chocolate while I was at it, too.  I know it might sound strange, but pureed prunes and cocoa powder are a fantastic combo...

So, here is my little 'no-bake' cookie experiment.  Since I'm a self proclaimed challenged baker, I figured this was right up my alley.  I think this is a healthier, lower fat, clean eating version of a traditional no-bake oatmeal cookie.  This cookie won't be for everybody ~ it will probably be too dark chocolate tasting for the kids and others might prefer their cookies with more sweetness and made with butter.  Since I was going for a more natural spin on this cookie (I'm still feeling a bit Crunchy today), I really tried to rein in the use of sweeteners (honey & prunes), so the cocoa powder's dark chocolate flavor could be front and center.  It sorta has a raw food truffle-ish cookie feeling to me.  I know this will be a nice little treat to have with my afternoon cuppa tea later today.  I like 'em, hope you do too. Enjoy!    

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bites

makes 24 cookie bites

Ingredients

• 6 Sunsweet pitted prunes/dried plums
• 1/3 cup water (plus 1 Tbsp or  more, if needed)
• 1/4 cup soy butter (or your favorite nut butter)
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal

• optional add-ins ~ shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, carob chips, cocoa powder for dusting

Directions
In mini food processor combine first 8 ingredients (prunes - salt) until smooth and creamy.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  Allow to cool one minute then pour over quick oats (add any add-ins now, if using) and combine until cocoa mixture is completely absorbed.  Adding an additional tablespoon or more of water if needed.  (mixture will be on the dry/stiff side)  Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball, then flatten a bit and place on a wax paper covered plate or cookie sheet. (dust with cocoa powder now, if using)  Wet hands if necessary to keep dough from sticking when rolling into balls.  Let cookies firm up in fridge for an hour.  Serve cookies chilled or room temp & store in a covered container in the fridge.

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ feeling the 'Boulder Crunchy Vibe'!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ Dairy-free, flour-free, refined white sugar-free, egg-free and they're sweetened naturally with fruit & carob chips!  ((if wheat is not an issue for you, then you could toss in some wheat germ/wheat bran ~ if you choose to include the optional add-in's.  W/G & W/B always make me think of old-fashioned, health food hippie-goodies :))  I'm loving the 'feel good' 'Granola Hippie/Crunchy Vibe' of these breakfast cookies!  How about you?  :)

I've been wishing for spring to get here,  I'm so tired of the cold and all the gray skies!  I'm ready for wildflowers and warm sunny days.  I want to get outside more, I want to ride my bike and wander around some of the nature trails that are in our area.  Since the weather just doesn't seem to want to cooperate, I've decided to hit the trail anyway...but, in my kitchen...and in the form of a new breakfast cookie.  I'm calling it my ~ Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie.

Chautauqua Park ~ Boulder, Colorado ~ The Flatirons (in the distance)

To get in the outdoorsy mood, I started throwing all my favorite trail mix goodies into my basic Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie dough.  I was going for a little Crunchy/Granola Hippe vibe. (click on the link to learn what being 'crunchy' is all about.  (Can you tell that I'm missing Colorado?  Especially one of my all-time favorite towns, Boulder?  What I wouldn't give to be hiking in Chautauqua Park right now!)  This is a happy, tasty cookie that could be different every time you make it, depending on your mood or what's available in your pantry.  Sweet!  Happy Trails!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes 20-24 cookies or 10-12 bars or a varied amount of mixed shapes :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy 
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite dried fruit, like ~  raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, chopped apricots or dates
• 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite nuts, like ~ sunflower seeds, toasted slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, peanuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips, if you aren't Crunchy :)
• 1 Tbsp+ mixture of optional add-ins, like ~ ground flax, hulled hemp seeds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or oat bran
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or maybe coconut or almond, for a change)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon  

Directions
Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. Get out a medium bowl and...
Mash bananas until creamy, and then...  
Combine all remaining ingredients together & let sit for 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, shape & flatten cookies into circles or into bars.
Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until golden & done to your liking.
Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.  They will last longer if kept in the fridge.  Serve room temp or chilled, as you wish.
Enjoy as is...  Or maybe get a little creative ~ how about swapping the carob or chocolate chips for some M&M's; or maybe just use a 1/2 cup of real trail mix instead of the 1/4 cups of fruits/nuts I've listed above; or maybe even try the breakfast cookies like this...

** I recently tried a new Coconut Spread that is really good, it's by Olivio.  I don't really use coconut oil due to its high saturated fat content...but, I just love its light coconut flavor, so I splurged and bought a tub.  I spread it on as a special treat for a few of these Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.  It added a nice, 'buttery' feel with just a hint of coconut flavor.  It's still less s/f than butter, so I might just keep a tub of it around for special occasions.  :)

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies ~ great for any time of day!

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies ~ a rich and flavor packed cookie that is full of the goodness of oatmeal, honey, almond meal and walnuts.  Wheat, refined white sugar & dairy free!  We've eaten them with breakfast, lunch & for dessert.  They have a wonderful soft cookie texture that we all really enjoy.

I wanted to try my hand at another pumpkin cookie, so I started playing around with an oatmeal cookie recipe that I'd tinkered with and shared on the blog, last winter.  These new ~ Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies ~ are wheat, refined white sugar and dairy free.  Since they have an egg in them, they come out more like a regular soft cookie, but still have the goodness of oatmeal, just like I use in all my Breakfast Cookie recipes.  Both of my guys enjoyed them and asked for seconds... and thirds.  I just love cooking and baking with pumpkin ~ how about you? 


Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies
makes approx. 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely ground almond meal (aka ~ almond flour)
• 1/2 cup oat flour (make it yourself by grinding 1/2 cup quick oats in a food processor until the oats become flour-like in texture)
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal, raw  
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 2/3 cup canned pureed pumpkin
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup raisins (or more, if you like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first 11 ingredients in bowl until thoroughly combined (almond meal - ginger).  In another large bowl, mix remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Combine almond/oat mixture with wet mixture, gradually, until dough forms (if dough is too dry, add extra water ~ a tsp at a time).

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Slightly flatten dough into circles.

Bake 11-12 minutes, or until set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Store cookies in a container, between sheets of wax paper, with the lid slightly ajar.

Cinnamon-Honey-Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

I came up with another breakfast cookie flavor last night ~ Cinnamon-Honey-Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.  This time around I've really upped the cinnamon, included the sweetness of honey,  cut out some of the banana and skipped the dried fruit.  The cookies are dairy, egg and flour free ~ yeah!  I was inspired to create this flavor combo yesterday after trading comments with a reader of the blog.  We were talking about eating a little honey and cinnamon as a spread for breakfast cookies.  I decided to include them in the cookies to see how it would taste.  I really like the heavy cinnamon flavor in this batch of cookies, and it made the house smell wonderful as they were baking.

T.C. ~ Thanks so much for inspiring another flavor of Breakfast Cookie!  As I mentioned to you yesterday, I made a batch of cookies last night and really heightened the cinnamon and honey flavors.  For good measure I added some toasted walnuts, well, because I really like nuts in my cookies.  I'm quite charmed by this new flavor ~ hope you like them, too!

Cinnamon-Honey-Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes approx. 20 cookies (depending on size) 
get the nutrition info ~ here

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups quick oatmeal, uncooked (not instant)
• 1 firm, ripe banana ~ mashed with fork until creamy
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (or not, as you prefer)
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp cinnamon ~ or more, to taste (I added another 1/2 tsp, I really like my cinnamon!)

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix honey, vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.

Blend applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes.

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.

Bake approx. 20 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.

P.S. ~ Here is the 1/29/13 comment from T.C., (left on my original Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie post)  that got me going on the honey/cinnamon bandwagon.  I had a cookie last night as a midnight snack and I used a little butter/honey/cinnamon spread on the cookie, as T.C. suggested.  It was EXCELLENT!  So, I just had to share T.C.'s comment from that post, on this post, too.

I love your breakfast cookies! I try to have some coconut oil or butter and cinnamon and honey a day for health benefits. I soften 1 tsp coconut butter and mix it with 1 tsp of cinnamon honey that I have premixed. Spread that on the cookies and Wow! This is really a very satisfying healthy snack in my opinion.  

Honey & Meyer Lemon Greek Yogurt ~ Good Morning, Sunshine!

I'm thrilled that the markets have started carrying Meyer Lemons again!  For a brief time, their sunny yellow beauty and sweet/tart flavor are mine for the taking, baking and general eating.  I'm adding them in all sorts of dishes.  The simplest way I'm enjoying them is by adding them to my morning Greek yogurt.

I'll squeeze some cut lemon all over my bowl of yogurt, then toss in a handful of oat bran, a few chopped walnuts, a drizzle of honey and then give it all a good stir.  Sometimes I'll even chop the rind of the Meyer lemon and add all that delicious peel/zest/pulp, too.  That way I won't miss a bit of it's glorious flavor.  The whole lemon is good to eat, so chop away.  Their time in the markets is fleeting, but I'm going to enjoy them as long as I can.  If you haven't tried them before, give 'em a go!  I think you'll love them as much as I do.  :)

Oat Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Basic Muffins

Basic Oat Bran Muffins ~ Recipe from the book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure

I've been looking for ways to increase the oat bran that I eat.  I've been making a lot of hot oat bran cereal, but, I wanted more ways beyond that old breakfast standby.  I recently came across this recipe for a Basic Oat Bran Muffin and decided to give it a try.  I must say, it's a bit on the dry side, but, then again, most 'healthy' oat bran muffins are.  I also must confess, that by the time I finished them all, I had become a convert.  They really do become addictive after you've eaten them for a few days and I began to look forward to having them with breakfast or as a snack.  The actual book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure ~ by Robert E. Kowalski, has many more spins on this Basic (oat bran) Muffin recipe.  I'll be trying out those other muffin flavors and will be tinkering with them in the months ahead.

Try eating your Oat Bran Muffin with a little skim milk poured on top for a delicious spin.

The oat bran muffin is only slightly sweet, so it can go either way it terms of what you serve it with.  It's just as at home being served with dinner as it is with being eaten at breakfast.  When I finally got to the last few, they were a bit too dry for my liking.   I decided to try eating them just like my Great Grandmother Ninny would have done.  She came from the hills of West Virginia, and from a time when you never let any food go to waste.  So, if you had stale cornbread, you ate it in a bowl with a little milk poured on top.  I'm a firm believer in ~ Waste Not, Want Not ~ too.  So, eating them this way appealed to me.  Happy to report that it works like a charm for these oat bran muffins, too.  I actually think I prefer them this way and they fit perfectly in my little Pyrex custard cups.  A match made in heaven! 

So, if you're looking for another way to eat your oat bran, give these healthy muffins a try.  Check out the online recipe ~ here.   Enjoy!

Apple Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Apple Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ for those who would rather not bake with bananas, this might be the breakfast cookie recipe for you!

Christine T, a reader of the blog, wondered about using all applesauce in one of the breakfast cookie recipes ~ just forgetting the banana altogether.  She also mentioned adding chopped apples & some extra spice.  Sounded interesting, so I made a batch using her thoughts as my inspiration.

Skipping the banana and using only applesauce seems to work just fine.  The texture is a bit different from the other breakfast cookies that include banana, they don't seem quite as chewy to me.  I still prefer them when made with bananas, but, it's a nice option if you don't like bananas or don't happen to have any bananas around when you want to make a batch of breakfast cookies.   I did include a little honey to make up for the loss of the sweetness that the bananas would have provided.  Next time, I might up-the-spices for an even bolder flavor.  You could even add a bit more honey, just depends on how sweet you like your cookies; maybe throw in some chopped walnuts, too.  If anyone tinkers with the recipe even more, please leave a comment and share what you did ~  I'm sure those who don't like bananas will be thrilled.

Christine T ~   Thanks so much for the idea to create a new breakfast cookie flavor using only apples!  Hope you like them.  :)


Apple Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
12 ~ 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup diced apple ~ your favorite kind
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together & let cookie dough sit for 10 minutes, so the oats can absorb some of the moisture.

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.

Bake approx. 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.

Easy & Tasty Uses for Juicer Pulp...

As I've been making fresh juices with my juicer, I've been left with the remains of the fruit and veggies that have been gone into their creations.  I always like to use up the juicer pulp if I can, it's so full of all that good fiber.  Here are some of the ways that I've been able to enhance a few of the things that we enjoy eating...

Juicer Pulped-Up Orange Marmalade ~ When I make fresh orange juice in the juicer, I make sure to remove the seeds before I throw in the peeled oranges.  I finely chop the orange pulp and mix it into an amount of orange marmalade that I can use-up in a day or two.  We really enjoy the sweet/tart flavor of this pulped-up marmalade.

Juicer Pulped-Up Greek Yogurt ~ When I have a fruit juice combo that seems like it would be good match, I'll stir it into my yogurt, along with some ground flax, honey and walnuts for a bulked-up, satisfying snack.  This one was made with the red grape/lime juice blend ~ Sour Grapes.

Juicer Pulped-Up Salsa ~ To make this quick and tasty salsa, I mix veggie juicer pulp into my favorite salsa.  Super simple way to get more fiber into one of our favorite snacks.  This one was made with the juice blend ~ Healthy Woman.  I've also made it with the juice blend ~ Liquid Fire. 

Juicer Pulped-Up Oatmeal Veggie 'Bisque' Soup ~ I found this recipe for an easy and unique 'bisque' soup for one, using Better Than Bouillon and oatmeal.  I use chicken instead of lobster bouillon and to up the fiber, I add a veggie pulp blend.  This time  I made it with the juicer pulp ~ vitAmin.