carnival cookies...anyone???

Once in awhile I like to try to bake "good for you treats" - ex. chick pea brownies - and generally I am the one who eats them...just me.  I bought a new cookbook called Super Natural Every Day - and I love it!   I made these yummy treats today.  They are really good!  On the way home from picking up Sophie, I told her about them.

Me:  Sophie I made these cookies today called Carnival Cookies and they are so good!  They have everything you eat at a carnival in them:  peanuts, popcorn and chocolate.

Sophie:  And cotton candy?

Me:  No, but they are awesome!

Sophie:  I'll be the judge of that.

Sophie:  How about I just eat the leftover popcorn?

At least I thought they were good!  And now I will proceed to eat the whole batch.

Carnival Cookies from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

Oven 350 - line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix in bowl - 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 cup barely warmed coconut oil.
In another bowl - 1 1/2 cups oats, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt
Add dry to wet and fold in 2/3 cup shelled whole peanuts, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups popped corn.
Firmly shape heaping tablespoon sized dough into balls and place on baking sheet.  Bake 14 to 17 minutes.

They are yummy...if you like that sort of guilt-free dessert thing!

bribe-em with cake

 When the Stake asked the youth to join a choir for upcoming Stake Conference, Alex had no problem signing up.  Matt, on the other hand, was NOT into the idea.  I told him I would make him any dessert he wanted if he would go.  He requested chocolate cake with caramel frosting.

 If you haven't tried it, MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE ON THE BACK OF THE HERSHEY COCOA CAN!!!!  It is so good.

Frosting was Nicole Quealy's apple cake frosting recipe.  G.O.O.D.

Oh She Glows Cookies...oops

In an effort to make my treats that I make too often a little healthier, I made these today. I love the flavor, but almost broke a tooth! After a little research on healthy baking, I found out that "spelt" should read "spelt flour". NOT SPELT BERRIES. I immediately ground my spelt berries into flour and will now try "Oh She Glows Cookies - take 2". And I will eat the first batch because the flavor is yummy! I might just suck on them and spit out the spelt though.

favorite after school snack

I didn't feel like makin' the pancake bar today, so we made a popcorn bar instead.
Alex used to have a popcorn business. She would make up different combos for her customers and sell her creations in brown lunch bags. She has the yummiest combo she invented herself. It is popcorn + garlic salt + pepper + parmesan cheese + melted butter. Delish!
Sophie went for the cinnamon + sugar + butter topping and Matt loves the standard butter and salt. Yum.

A few things in February...

I can't believe March is here!! I just pulled out my camera and put up a few pics of the last month.
February was filled with lots of dancin',


some honors awards at school (woo hoo!),
and lots of yummy snacks!
This is my new favorite after school snack. The kids come home STARVING. They don't want a granola bar or fruit; they want FOOD. The answer...a Pancake Bar!! I make my favorite batter and put out some toppings for the kids to throw on their pancakes while they cook.
Sophie and Matt like the butterscotch/chocolate chip.
Alex gets a bit more creative and makes chocolate chip/coconut. Mine (I need an after school snack too) are THE BEST!! I sprinkle mine with coconut, blueberries and pecans. I love'em.
And the Canadians won the hockey game. Sigh :) Great times.

How to get your kid to eat spinach...have them drink it!

This is a miracle you are witnessing.  I have the pickiest eaters around.  I have done everything to make veggies cute, pretty, plain, disguised...you name it!  My kids don't eat them.
That is until.....
I found the Green Monster Smoothie recipe that has saved me!!!  
Yes, it looks disgusting!  I didn't even try to hide the color like I have been all week.  I just said drink your salad or eat it on the plate.  Well, the smoothie tastes great!  No spinach flavor whatsoever.  They actually drank them.  Even Steve.  
Then Sophie said she'd like the spinach on the plate!!!  What???
I didn't give her a plate, but I did let her take a handful out of the bag to munch away!


I had to capture the moment.  Here is the recipe:  fill your blender with spinach and add some skim milk or almond milk.  Whir it up to make a gross looking green milk.  Add 1 frozen banana and a bunch of frozen berries.  Then it will turn kind of brown (eewww) but once it turned kind of purple.  Anyways, you can stop here or add a scoop of protein powder if you want and whir it up again!  So delish!!  I have also omitted the berries and added a scoop of almond butter or peanut butter.  Add cocoa powder to hide the green.  Seriously - so good!

I promise you will love this cookie...

Jumbo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies (Here it is, Autie!)

Cream 1 cup soft butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar.  Add 2 eggs one at a time.  Add 2 tsp. vanilla.  Beat well.

In a separate bowl:  2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt.  Whisk and add to wet ingredients.  Don't over mix.

Add 2 2/3 cup coconut, 1 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet) and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips.  Don't over mix.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes.  

Enjoy!!

Baked Oatmeal

I found this recipe on a blog awhile ago. This is the way to eat oatmeal for breakfast (not counting the dessert way).

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 2 quart 8 inch round baking dish. In a bowl combine:
2 cups oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. flax seeds
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt

In separate bowl:
2 cups milk
1 egg
2 T. melted butter (reserve a bit of this)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pure maple syrup

In dish, cover bottom with chopped or grated apples (about 3). Pile on oat mixture to cover. Carefully pour milk mixture over oats to cover. Drizzle with a bit of melted butter and sprinkle with course sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. So good for breakfast! You can experiment with the fruit, nuts and spices. I love it! And Sophie will eat it so you know it must be good. Make it the night before if you aren't an early riser.

Alex's video and a great healthy muffin recipe

I got this recipe from Dani Spies website.
It is so good! I switched the raisins for chocolate chips and walnuts and added a bit of cinnamon. Yum.

What to do...

This has been sitting in my cupboard for awhile now. I think I am ready to use it up. I am in search of a great Nutella recipe. First on the list are these. I hope I'm not the one who eats them all. My kids (and husband) are afraid of anything that has flecks, discolorations, colorations, texture, or anything else 'unknown' to their palates. I've tried that whole 'sneak it in and they'll never know' thing (pureed' veggies in spaghetti sauce, tofu in banana bread, wheat germ in pancakes, etc.) If there is a HINT of flavor different than the usual - I eat it all so as not to waste. This recipe is pure sugar and yumminess, right? So I shouldn't be left with 7 dozen cookies with my name on them, right? We'll see what happens.

Hot Chocolate with Friends

Last night we were pleasantly surprised when our friends, the Daltons, dropped in on their way to a family party. It was definately an occasion for hot chocolate. And I have found the best recipe EVER for hot chocolate right here. Mmmm. So good.

Christmas Wreath Cookies

I love these! We make these every year. I remember receiving them from a lady in our ward for Christmas when I was about 6 years old. I couldn't believe the ingenuity! I thought she was brilliant. Anyways, I still love' em. Here is the recipe (just in case you don't have it already!)

Wreath Cookies

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large pot. Add 40 large marshmallows and stir constantly. When melted, add 1 tsp. green food coloring, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Stir and add 4 cups cornflakes. Spray foil lined cookie sheets with Pam and drop mixture by spoonfuls onto sheet. Butter your hands and form into wreaths (if you can...we usually leave them as lumps). Decorate with red hots or any other red and white candy. Yum! Merry Christmas!

Caramel Apple Taste Test

I'm in the mood for caramel! I've been wanting to start another taste test, and caramel + taste test needs apples!

So tonight we tried our first caramel recipe. I found it on 101 Cookbooks blog. It is a vegetarian blog that posts mainly healthy recipes, so I figured I'd start with the "healthy" caramel and go up from there. (Hers look prettier that mine because a) I used forks instead of cute lollipop sticks and b) I couldn't find my candy thermometer and used the soft ball/hard ball test so mine wasn't quite as thick and there are other reasons as well...). The recipe uses honey as a base instead of brown sugar, and, as a result, is pretty honeyish tasting. But if you are used to honey instead of sugar in your recipes, this is a good caramel. My kids noticed the difference between what they know as caramel and this caramel right away. But it didn't stop them from eating their apple! Moving on to Kelly McDonald's amazing caramel recipe...

Sophie's "Nature" and Oatmeal

We have been going to the library regularly after school so the kids can get their homework done without distractions (TV, fridge, etc.).
It has been a good thing, except Sophie doesn't have enough homework to keep her busy for the hours that the other two kids require.
So yesterday, Sophie and I got the big kids fed and settled, and then we took a Nature Walk in Central Park. We took a camera so Sophie took pictures of her favorite things she found in nature, and I was able to take pictures of 'Sophie's nature'.
Here are a few of Sophie's photos. She loved the flowers the most.

It was fun to be able to have a little one on one with her.


On a different note, now that the kids are off to school, I wanted to try this easy oatmeal recipe for my breakfast that I found on Beauty That Moves blog. If you like oatmeal, banana and chocolate, you'll love it!
Chunky Monkey Oatmeal

In a pot, mix 1 cup water (or less) with 1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant) and 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Simmer a few minutes and add 1 chopped banana, 1 T. brown sugar. Remove from heat and add 1 small handful chocolate chips, 1 small handful walnuts and 1 dallop of vanilla yogurt. I like a little milk in mine too. Bon appetit!

Good Morning General Conference!

We have this tradition of cinnamon rolls for General Conference morning. It has taken some time for me to figure out the bread making thing...LOTS of unsuccessful attemps. But these turned out pretty good.

The Canadian in me wanted to try making a maple glaze this year, and they were yum-o.
To make the glaze, mix 1/2 a box of powdered sugar, 1 capful maple flavoring, 1/8 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup milk, and a pinch of salt.

The Conference was excellent, as was the fun mid-session lunch and bike ride with our buds. We love Conference weekend!