Looking for something to do with all those amazing strawberries that are in season right now? Last night I made this easy and delicious Deluxe Whole Wheat Strawberry Shortcake from Tammy’s Recipes. It took no time to make and the cake was moist and delicious. I made it in muffin tins – because I realized too late that I had already packed my cake pan – and they were the perfect single serving size. Split horizontally, fill with strawberries and whipped cream, layer and repeat. Amazing! Definitely a “make again” recipe.
I’m a big fan of cooking with pumpkin; it’s an easy way to sneak added nutrition into the kids diets and they love the taste. These pumpkin pancakes are a kid favourite, and their small size makes them just right for little hands. I serve them with yogurt or applesauce for dipping and consider them a “finger food”.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Mini Pancakes
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk (I use almond mix but use whatever)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Combine dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat egg and add milk, oil and pumpkin puree. Mix well then add to dry ingredients, add a couple of tablespoons of water if required. Batter will be very thick. Drop by tablespoon full onto hot skillet and cook until set. Pancakes should be silver dollar (or twoonie) sized; because the batter is thick larger pancakes will not set well.
Pumpkin is truly a superfood in terms of nutrition. It’s rich in all kinds of nutrients, including calcium, zinc, vitamin A and fibre. It is a good source of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Pumpkin is quite inexpensive when in season, and readily available canned out of season. It’s also delicious, and I use in a lot of recipes for the kids. (more…)
This year for Christmas the kids and I – including my daycare friends – made “Nuts and Bolts” party mix to give and share. We used this easy and delicious recipe, and my 11 year old homeschooler tripled it, made the shopping list and did the measuring (math in action!). It’s not hard to make but does take a bit of time, and you need to keep an eye on it or it will burn.
If you can try to picture what my kitchen looked like after making 45 cups of party mix with six little helpers… well, let’s just say I won’t have to feed the dog for a while
I’ll do another post later this week detailing our presentation; I have something cute in mind ;)
I used this recipe from the Food Network as my basis, and my take on it is below. For the third batch I added some Tabasco sauce for a bit of tang, and then mixed all the batches together so that it’s not too spicy for kids. It’s quite salty, so omit the table salt if you’re not a super-duper salt fan.
“Nuts and Bolts” Style Party Mix
3 cups round multi-grain cereal (Cheerios or similar)
3 cups square wheat cereal (Shreddies or similar)
3 cups corn cereal (Crispix or similar)
3 cups small cheese crackers (Cheese Nips or similar)
3 cups unsalted pretzel sticks
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
4-6 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
With the rack in the bottom position, preheat the oven to 150°C (250°F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the cereals, crackers and pretzles. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and spices and stir well. Drizzle over the dry ingredients a little at a time. Toss to coat well.
Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring gently every 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
Store in an airtight container; will keep for several weeks.
This is not my original recipe. The basis for it came from a website that I can not longer recall, so my apologies if you recognize it as your work. Let me know and I’ll give you credit!
Summary: These cookies are super soft and not too oatmeal-y. Perfect for this time of year with fresh pumpkin puree. With whole wheat flour and not too much sugar, they’re a great snack for the kids.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs vanilla
1 cup packed pumpkin puree
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; blend until combined. Encorporate maple syrup, vanilla and pumpkin puree.
In a separate mixing bow, combine dry ingredients except chocolate chips. Add dry to wet, stirring until just combined. Gently stir in chocolate chips.
Chill batter until cold, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Drop by tablespoons full onto lined cookie sheets.
Bake at 350F until just set, approximately 12 minutes.
Remove and let stand 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 4 dozen small cookies.
Meal type: dessert
My rating: 3 stars: ★★★☆☆ 1 review(s)
These cookies are super soft and not too oatmeal-y. Perfect for this time of year with fresh pumpkin puree. With whole wheat flour and not too much sugar, they’re a great snack for the kids.
