cooking with a toddler: cookies

i love cookies and i love to bake.  what better way to spend time with my son than to bake and eat cookies together?  i found this recipe through pinterest (my other love and newest recipe resource) and made these cookies over the weekend. they were definitely a hit in our house and are already gone!

peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

(recipe: kristineskitchenblog.com - which i doubled)

ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups chocolate chips (i used semi-sweet)

method:

          whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  on medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes.  add the eggs and beat to combine. on low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined.  stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.  if desired, you may refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, but no more than 36 hours.  a few minutes before you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  line baking sheet with parchment paper.  use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and just set in the center. cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

kai is super excited to bake!

"put the butter in the bowl."  he takes instruction quite literally, wrapper and all.

pouring the flour into a separate bowl.

mixing together the dry ingredients.

adding the sugars to the butter to be creamed.

add peanut butter to creamed butter and sugar.

add eggs.  this is where kai started to lose interest.  he really wanted to just EAT the cookies.

added the oats after i already combined the flour mixture.

mix in the chocolate chips.

drop cookies on prepared parchment lined baking sheet.  bake for about 10 minutes.  i like my cookies a little underdone, so they are chewy.  you can choose to bake them a little longer if you want them to be crispy.

although kai didnt help me through the entire baking process, he had a really good time helping me in the beginning.  he still loves to pull a chair up the stove every evening when im cooking.  this is becoming a fun tradition in our house and i hope you can make it one in yours too.

happy baking!

- the mrs.

dinner in a pinch!

got home on the later side last night, traffic was a bear.  thankfully all i had to do for dinner was grill up some steaks and steam some broccoli - easy.  but not so fast, we ran out of propane as we started up the grill! grrr.  now what?  it would be unacceptable in my house to cook the steaks any other way and my husband gets especially irritable and cranky we he is hungry (but i guess we all do).  he just takes it to another level, whining and complaining that hes going to STARVE because now there is NOTHING to eat.  heaven forbid we dont eat the steaks we were planning to eat for dinner tonight.  so i check the fridge and the pantry only to discover that i have all the ingredients to make my super delicious go-to pasta dish.  great flavor and spice and can be made in under 20 minutes (which was still an eternity to my husband, but hey).  i have listed both the recipe for last night's pasta dish and the traditional recipe.  i did have to make a few improvisations, but not many and both versions are SO good.  

last night's italian sausage, tomato, & cream bowtie pasta

ingredients:

1 12 oz pkg of bowtie pasta

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bristol farms sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (if you dont have a bristol near you, im sorry :) you can use any italian sausage of your choosing)

1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (i tend to add more during the cooking process, i like it spicy.  this can be omitted if you desire)

half red onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, pressed (or finely chopped/minced)

salt and pepper to taste (i used more salt than pepper)

1-2 cups prego traditional heart smart pasta sauce (this is what i had on hand; i eyeballed the measurement)

1 cup heavy cream

shredded parmesan cheese, just to top the pasta

method:

heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat (you want a deep skillet because ultimately you will add the cooked pasta to the sauce).  cook sausage until evenly browned.  while the sausage was cooking i prepared my pasta pot with water and salt.  once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes; drain.  to the sausage, add the red chili flakes, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.  cook until the onion is tender.  once the onion was tender i added about 2 cups of prego pasta sauce.  again, i eyeballed this measurement.  you need just enough to cover the sausage and onions and get a sauce base going.  stir in the cream (this is also a good time to add more red chili flakes or salt and pepper if you wish).  simmer until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.  i just simmered the sauce until my pasta was ready - my husband was waiting ever so patiently for dinner :)  add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix until all the little bowties are covered.  plate the pasta and top with shredded parmesan.  i REALLY love adding chopped fresh flat leaf parsley as well, but our garden is currently dormant and i didnt have any on hand.  

traditional italian sausage, tomato, & cream bowtie pasta

(changes noted in red - recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

ingredients:

1 12 oz pkg of bowtie pasta

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound bristol farms sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (if you dont have a bristol near you, im sorry :) you can use any italian sausage of your choosing)

1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (i tend to add more during the cooking process, i like it spicy.  this can be omitted if you desire)

half cup diced onion

4 garlic cloves, pressed (or finely chopped/minced)

salt and pepper to taste (i used more salt than pepper)

2 15 oz cans diced italian style tomatoes

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

shredded parmesan cheese, just to top the pasta

4 tablespoons freshly minced flat leaf parsley

method:

heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat (you want a deep skillet because ultimately you will add the cooked pasta to the sauce).  cook sausage until evenly browned.  while the sausage is cooking, prepare your pasta pot with water and salt.  once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes; drain.  to the sausage, add the red chili flakes, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.  cook until the onion is tender.  once the onion stir in tomatoes and cream (this is also a good time to add more red chili flakes or salt and pepper if you wish).  simmer until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.   add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix until all the little bowties are covered.  plate the pasta and top with shredded parmesan and parsley.

this dish is SO delicious and quite simple!  my 19 month old son loves it too - even the spicy version.  in the photo, my husbands plate is on the top and my plate is on the bottom.  i thought i would share the difference in our portions.  men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women and ultimately burn more calories than we do. we definitely cannot eat the same portion with similar results.  as much as i LOVE this dish and would like to eat an entire plate of it like my husband, i dont.  that being said, i very much enjoyed my portion of pasta!

buongusto!

- the mrs.

clean. lean. green. shake!

most of the time when i make my shakes i do not follow a recipe.  i know what i like, i eyeball the measurements and blend!  i have previously posted the recipe for my normal breakfast blend, so i thought i would compile my green shake recipe for you too.

clean. lean. green. shake

6-8 oz fresh squeeze orange juice

2 tablespoons chia seeds

half cucumber

two celery stalks

1 inch fresh ginger

2-3 handfuls of spinach (baby or regular)

put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. 

 if youre like me and prefer a cold shake, you can put the OJ into some ice cube trays and freeze them before blending.  or you can place the veggies in the freezer for an hour or so to chill before blending.  sometimes i will also add kale to this or half a green apple.  i also LOVE flat leaf parsley in my shakes - adds such a clean and refreshing taste.   

enjoy!

-the mrs.

vegan chocolate cupcakes with coffee buttercream frosting

vegan cupcakes?!  yuck, right?  WRONG.  i made these cupcakes a week ago and they were so delicious, i might start using this recipe as my go-to cupcake recipe.  i just wont tell people they are vegan, and they will love them!  the thought of a vegan cupcake might not be appealing to some, and i admit, i was really scared to take my first bite.  and boy was i pleasantly surprised.  the cupcake was so moist and flavorful and the frosting had the perfect texture.  the combination was to die for, and now im sharing the recipe with you.

how did i even come up with a vegan cupcake recipe?  most people who arent vegan dont keep standard vegan-friendly ingredients stocked in their pantry - coconut oil, coconut milk, vegan margarine, non-hydrogenated shortening (just to name a few).  when youre thinking about baking without butter and eggs, it may seem impossible to find ingredients to stand in as substitutes.  of course, as many of you know, i google everything.   so i googled "vegan cupcake recipe" and read through about 10 recipes or so before deciding to try chef chloe's chocolate cupcake recipe.  chef chloe won the cupcake wars competition on the food network, beating non-vegan bakers and impressing the hard-to-understand french judge, and the owner/founder of sprinkles cupcakes, candace nelson.  chef chloe is young and super cute, but also very talented.  lets give her recipe a go!

chocolate cupcakes 

(frosting recipe below)

ingredients needed:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup coconut milk

1/2cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp instant espresso powder

preheat oven to 350 - yields 12 cupcakes

bake time: 20 min - line cupcake pan with paper liners

method:

sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

in a separate bowl, mix the coconut milk, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and espresso powder until smooth.

pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix with a fork or small whisk.

divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners until each cup is 2/3 full.  the batter made about 17 cupcakes for me, but i guess i could have filled the cups a little bit more.  to divide the batter evenly, try using an ice cream scoop, or as 1/3 cup measuring scoop.

bake for about 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  i took mine out right around 18 minutes.  let cool in cupcake pan for about 3 min, then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack.  *always let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.  (i definitely could have filled my cupcake liners up a bit more.  on my second batch i did and they were perfect).

coffee buttercream frosting

ingredients needed:

1 tbsp instant espresso powder (i used finely ground instant coffee i had on hand)

2 tbsp amaretto liquor

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (i used non-hydrogenated margarine and refined coconut oil will also work)

4 cups organic confectioners sugar (i used conventional)

2 tablespoons water

method:

combine espresso powder, amaretto, and vanilla in small bowl and mix or swirl bowl until espresso powder has dissolved (about 1 minute). 

beat shortening in large bowl with an electric mixer for about 1 minute, then add confectioner's sugar.  i decided to sift my sugar before adding it.. personal preference.

 

add the espresso mixture to the frosting a little at a time as you beat it. you might not want to add ALL the espresso mixture depending on the climate and how the frosting is looking. Once it becomes a desirable consistency, you can stop adding it. If you dump it all in at once, it may become too runny.  (for me, i need all of the espresso mixture).  if it is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired buttercream consistency is achieved. beat on high for about 5 minutes, making sure you scrape down the sides with a spatula often.

pipe or frost with a knife.

give this recipe a try.  you wont be sorry!

extreme banana nut bread

it was raining today and brian and i were craving some comfort food.  so i threw some chicken taco stew in the crock pot and decided to bake some banana nut bread for dessert. 

ingredients needed:

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

two sticks of butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, beaten

4 over-ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

preheat the oven to 325 - yields two loafs - 9x5 

bake time: 60-70 min

method:

once the oven is preheated, grease and flour your loaf pans.

in a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

 

in a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar until smooth.

 

once the mixture is smooth, add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until well incorporated.

 

i just added the chopped walnuts to my mashed bananas... on the right is my sifted dry ingredients

next, gradually add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients.  i used a spatula for this.  you should probably add the dry ingredients in thirds, but i was too impatient and added it all at once.

next, add the bananas and walnuts.  dont overmix.

divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.  bake for 60-70 min until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. 

 

i would recommend keeping a close eye on the loaves around 45-50 min.   because of the sugars, it can brown quickly.  i started to smell the bread at about 50 min, and i should have checked on it then, and didnt. a liiiiitttllee burnt. darn. *note - i think our oven is hotter than it should be, so you may not have any problems.

 

let the loaves cool in pan for 5-10 min.  transfer the loaves to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.  wrap in aluminum foil to keep the moisture in.   ideally, refrigerate for two hours before serving.  but heck, they come out warm and smelling delicious.  how can you resist?  there are two loaves... so i decided to try one hot out of the oven and put the other one in the fridge to cool for two hours.  

finished product.  yuuuuummm!  way good and way addicting.  i just wish i hadnt burned the edges.  ugh.  better luck next time.  it was still delicious though.  enjoy!