What's For Breakfast? - Healthy Vanilla Caramel Cinnamon Protein Pancakes!

Piper eats very healthy throughout the week so the weekend is when I let a few special treats sneak in.  The girl is addicted to pancakes and would eat them all day every day if I let her. So of course I wanted to try and make a plain 'ol pancake into something with some nutrition in it while still being super delicious. Pip also still eats very little meat and only gets her protein from yogurt, cheeses, edamame, etc. That means I pour a little whey protein powder in her milk on those days when she has avoided good sources of protein.  I have chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla caramel (her fave) in the pantry so I figured I'd put one of them to use for extra protein! I think I found the perfect balance of "yum" and "health" in these pancakes and I hope your family loves them too!

~Ingredients~

2 scoops vanilla caramel whey protein powder

2 cups quick oats (food processed into a powder)

3 tsp. Stevia

3 tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup water

6 egg whites

Non-stick cooking spray

~Directions~

1.  Combine the food-processed oats, protein powder, Stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix well. Let your toddler help!

2.  Add egg whites and water. Mix well. Let your toddler help!

3.  Put the mixture in a food processor or blender and process until very thin and no large chunks remain.

4.  Spray non-stick cooking spray into some pans and make your pancakes as usual!  They will come out so lovely!

5.  Healthy AND kid-approved!

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Foodie Baby - Easy as 1-2-3 Applesauce

It's September!  The weather is crisp, pumpkins being displayed in front of grocery stores, crock pot recipes creeping their way to magazine covers, and lots and lots of apples.  In the first chilly days of the fall season, there are few better ways to ring it in than having your child help you make homemade applesauce. I chose to make this a very simple and interactive project for the kids in my classroom today. Each child was to bring 2 apples from their very own home so they can see and help with the process.

I cut up all of the apples except for two while the kids slept.  You may want to consider this as well with your kids at home. It is a bit much to expect them to sit through the cutting of 8 entire apples or more patiently without being distracted by something else.

As you cut the remaining two apples, this is the perfect time to slip in a little math lesson. One apple cut in half makes two halves. If you cut those halves in half, you get 4 pieces called quarters, etc.

Give them a butter knife and let them try to chop one slice into smaller pieces. This helps them tackle some practical learning as well as strengthening their gross and fine motor skills.

Here is the recipe. It's very easy and the amount of cinnamon or other spices is completely up to you, should you decide to add them at all.

~Ingredients~

8 apples, cored and seeded, cut into small pieces (I leave my skins on, you can peel yours if desired)
1 cup water
1/2 cup of sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg

~Directions~

1.  Have your child/ren help transfer the apple chunks into a big pot.
2.  Have your child/ren pour in the 1 cup of water.
3.  Have your child/ren pour in the 1/2 cup of sugar.
4.  Stir until sugar is evenly distributed.
5.  Bring to a low boil over medium to medium-high heat.
6.  Allow to boil for 20 minutes.
7.  Stir and mash.
8.  Repeat these last two steps until you reach the smoothness or chunkiness you prefer.
9.  Remove from heat and serve either warm, or refrigerate to serve cold.

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Reflections in the Kitchen Window: Whole Foods - 1, Crap - 0

I catch myself comparing my child to the vast majority of other children and get myself in a tizzy about things that aren't really that bad. Today I made these amazing super duper Healthy Triple Chocolate Chunk Protein Muffins thinking that Piper would just be in HEAVEN to practically eat chocolate cake for breakfast. She took two bites and said she didn't want it, but wanted a banana instead. For lunch I told her I was making "circles," when really it was a hot dog cut into round cross-sections (if i were to say "hot dog," she'd want nothing to do with it from the get go).  When I made her all-beef Hebrew National "circles," she acted like she was actually afraid of it. So she ate cheese, lima beans, whole wheat bread, and 5 strawberries for lunch instead. I found myself getting frustrated and thinking things like, "What kid doesn't like chocolate muffins for breakfast and hot dogs for lunch??!!"  But I wasn't focusing on the positive. This child loves WHOLE foods. How can I be upset with that? Cheese, fruits, grains, and greens vs. chocolate and nitrates.  I will try harder not to focus so much on what society's expectations are of a toddler and take my cues from her. She seems to gravitate toward a healthier lifestyle anyway. I suppose she could teach me a thing or two!

vs.

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Foodie Baby: Morning Beauty

Very important lesson:  Take the time out of your busy schedule to teach your toddler to see the beauty in everyday things.  We make a scrambled egg together and take pleasure in touching it to our skin, cracking it, stirring the pretty yellow yolk, sprinkling pepper in it, and plopping shredded cheese in it. Making your toddler a part of your daily routine will make them feel included and important while they learn.  Pretty simple.

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What's for Dinner? - Salty, Sweet, Sexy Scallops

This particular dish has been a home run every single time I have ever prepared it, be it in St. Louis, St. Thomas, or here in Kansas City. There is something so deliciously naughty about teasing one's tongue between salty and sweet. The taste buds for both of these are located on the very tip and front sides of the tongue, perfect for a candy-like, slightly sticky, but just a little salty after-dinner kiss...Yes that's right, for this dinner your inner kitchen goddess needs to come out and play. Perfect for a date night, or maybe when you plan on reading a few more chapters of "Fifty Shades of Gray....."  *giggle*

~Ingredients~

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup lite soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

10-12 large sea scallops, cut in half

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

*10-12 slices of bacon, cut in half

*toothpicks

~Directions~

1.  Whisk together maple syrup, soy sauce, and Dijon until smooth.

2.  Add the scallops and toss until they are coated.

3.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for at least an hour.

4.  Preheat oven to 375.

5.  If you are wrapping your scallops in bacon, this is when you would prepare it either in the oven or in a skillet. However you prepare it, the bacon should still be very soft and pliable so that it is easily wrapped around a scallop.

6.  When the bacon is finished cooking, wrap each piece around each scallop and secure it with a toothpick.

7.  Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and transfer scallops after each process.

8.  Sprinkle each scallop (whether wrapped in bacon or not) with the brown sugar.

9.  Bake in oven 10-15 minutes, until scallops are pink and opaque. Turn them once halfway through.0.

10.  Serve as is and enjoy your sticky-sweet-salty-sexy dinner!

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What's For Dessert? - Summertime Pink Lemonade Cake

Here's the deal. I am not an expert baker. It take exactness and precision, two qualities of which I am sorely deficient. BUT! This cake came out tasting absolutely wonderful! Light, summery, cool, dense, and creamy. The appearance wasn't exactly what I was going for though...I will admit it looks a bit Seuss-ish. If you think you can take my method and tweak it just a little to make it prettier, by all means have at it! I will say that if you make it exactly how I did, you and your family will not be disappointed!

~Ingredients~

2 sticks of butter

4 eggs

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3 and 1/3 cups all-purpose white flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 and 1/3 cups whole milk

1/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 cans of vanilla or buttercream frosting

1 tsp. lemon extract

strawberry extract

purple or red food coloring

lemon, thinly sliced horizontally

~Directions~

1.  Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while you are measuring the other ingredients.  Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.

2.  In a medium bowl stir together, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

3.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

4.  In an extra large mixing bowl, beat butter with a mixer on high for 30 seconds. 

5.  Gradually add the sugar a little bit at a time, beating until mixed thoroughly. Make sure the sides of the bowl are scraped and beat for 2 more minutes.

6.  Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of food coloring and mix until well combined.

7.  Add eggs one at a time, beating each one well until they are mixed thoroughly.

Pretty colors!

8.  In a bowl, stir together the milk, pink lemonade concentrate, and lemon extract. It will look curdled.

9.  Alternately, add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating after each until combined.

Soooo pretty.

10.  Remove 4 cups of colored batter and spread into one greased pan.

11.  In the remaining batter left in the bowl, add 1/4 tsp. more of food coloring and spread in second pan.

12.  Bake 35 minutes. Meanwhile, add a little lemon and strawberry extract to your frosting to your desired taste.

13.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes.

14.  Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

15.  Trim off domed tops of the cakes so that each one is flat.

16.  With a long, serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally so that there are four layers.

17.  Place one darker layer, cut-side down, on a plate. Spread frosting on top of the layer, to the edges.

18.  Top with a light layer, topped with another dark layer, spreading frosting just to the edges again with each layer.  Stack the last light layer, cut-side down on the top, frost the top and sides as desired.

19. After frosting the entire cake, add the thinly-sliced lemons to the top for garnish...

IT REALLY IS A BEAUTIFUL, SUMMERY CAKE!!

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Kitchen Goddess: NO MORE MUFFINS??

I know I've been a little crazy with the muffins lately, but apparently things have gotten just way outta control in the freezer. What with the zucchini-carrot whole wheat, banana oat protein, strawberries 'n cream protein, carrot cate protein, sausage-corn breakfast, and the buckwheat maple syrup pancake muffins I made just this last weekend, I came home to find this note left on my laptop: 

Apparently I need to find a new kick. Because this one has worn out its welcome.

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Reflections In the Kitchen Window: Happy Birthday, Pearl S. Buck

Today in 1892, Pearl S. Buck, the author of Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Good Earth" was born. In it she writes, "To eat bread without hope is still slowly to starve to death."

It's only metaphorically food-related, but a nice way to start the day nonetheless.  I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday!

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Kitchen Goddess: Salty 'n Sweet

If you don't work up a little sweat while you're cooking, you're doing it wrong...

Just thought I'd reintroduce myself since my blog has been up a year and all you ever see are pictures of my food and my daughter. Well it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! Again!  Hope everyone's summer is going "swimmingly." Ha. Ha. Ha.

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What's for Dinner? - Savory & Sweet Sausage Bacon Corn Muffins

I realize I've been on a muffin kick lately. Forgive me, they're just so CUTE. Delicious little serving-sized poofs of deliciousness. What's not to love??  I've been doing a lot of sweet and healthy muffins for Piper's breakfasts including fruits and veggies, but this time I wanted to stray just a little and try something sweet and salty. Not quite as healthy as the others but geez, every now and again it's nice to indulge.  They came out sooooooo yummy I had to share on the day of making them rather than wait and accidentally forget to share the recipe with you all.  My little creation came out SO GOOD, and there's nothing about these that the kids won't love as well. Bon appetit!

~Ingredients~

1/2 pound of Farmland Pork & Bacon Pork Sausage

2 cups of all-purpose white flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

2 Tbsp. Stevia

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup whole milk

2 brown eggs, beaten

1 cup canned creamed corn

1/4 cup Canola oil

1/4 cup butter, melted

~Directions~

1.  Cut the 1 pound of pork & bacon sausage in half and place only one of the halves into a skillet, brown thoroughly, chopping the meat into very small pieces.

2.  While meat is browning, preheat the oven to 375 and spray 12 muffin tins with cooking spray.

3.  Drain the meat using a colander with very small holes.

4.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, wheat germ, Stevia, and salt.

5.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, butter, corn, oil, and meat.

6.  Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until mixed together well.

7.  Spoon the batter into your sprayed muffin tins.

8.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are perfectly golden brown....aaaaannnnndddddd.....

THESE MUFFINS ARE SO DELICIOUS! I plan on serving them with a big bowl of butter beans with plenty of celery seed. The perfect complimentary dish. Leave comments and let me know how yours turn out!

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Foodie Baby: The Incredible, Edible, Appalling, Abominable, Atrocious Egg

As soon as I finally convinced my daughter to not only accept eggs but enjoy them in scrambled form, I have officially tainted them forever in her little toddler mind. I pushed the envelope and decided to hard boil an egg for her tonight to see if she'd enjoy the versatile, elliptical wonder in another costume.  I thought that I'd make it more fun for her by carving a little happy face into the egg. In my head I pictured her squealing with delight, pointing at it and having a little play time with it, then eating it because it was soooooo fun.  It went so terribly wrong. So, so, so wrong.  

The culprit.

The culprit as it lies on the high chair tray.

My daughter wondering what the hell I was thinking putting this evil thing in front of her.

Really frightened of the thing.

Wishing it dead. And wondering why I would do this to her.

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