A little visitor in our backyard

Homemade (Gluten Free) Baked Donuts

Homemade (Gluten Free) Baked Donuts

2 C Namaste Perfect Flour Blend (gluten free)

1/3 C Sugar

2 T (1 small pkg.) Jell-O vanilla pudding

1/4 t Nutmeg (optional, fresh grated if possible)

1 t Baking powder

1/4 t Salt

1/2+ C Milk or half-and-half

1/4 C Cooking oil

2 Eggs

2 t Vanilla

Glaze

• 2 T Milk or half-and-half

• 1 T Butter

• 1 t Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla)

• 1 C Powdered sugar
• 
  

Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine with the dry ingredients with a spatula. Add enough milk for the batter to be the texture of thick batter. Grease the donut baking pan and spoon the batter into each donut well. Try to keep each donut even with the pan, they'll raise. Try to keep the top of the donuts smooth. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375. Cool for five minutes before drizzling with glaze. I had a six donut pan, so I made the remaining batter into donut holes.

Recipe Reference: http://www.faithfullyglutenfree.com/2014/04/gluten-free-baked-vanilla-doughnuts.html

Gluten Free Spam & Noodles

I adapted the original recipe to be gluten free and 100% from the pantry. This is a quick dinner to pull together, and bonus-- it doesn't feel like you're eating gluten free!

Gluten Free Spam & Noodles
1 package gluten free spaghetti
1 T olive or sesame oil
1 can of spam, sliced and cut into smaller pieces
2-3 garlic cloves (mashed/diced)
1 T gluten free soy sauce
1/2 C water
1/2 T sesame oil
Black pepper, to taste

Prepare noodles as per package. Add 1T oil to non-stick frying pan and cook the meat, add the garlic and allow to cook. Pour some gluten free soy sauce over the meat to caramelize. Drain the noodles. In a saucepan combine the noodles, gluten free soy sauce, water, sesame oil and add the cooked spam.

Original Recipe Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/19958/spam-on-the-go/ recipe by Claudine Terlaje

Gluten Free Gingerbread

I made gluten free gingerbread cake from scratch for Christmas this year thanks to the King Arthur flour recipe. It was very good served warm with whipped cream. The only thing I'd change with this recipe would be to add a little more spice. I upped the amounts of the spices listed below for the next time I make it.

Merry Christmas

Gluten Free Gingerbread
2 C Namaste perfect blend flour
1/4 C sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
2 t ginger
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 C butter (melted)
3/4 C molasses
1/4 C water
1 egg
1 C buttermilk (or 1 C milk with 1 T lemon juice)

Set oven to 350 degrees to heat. Butter a 9x9 pan. Whisk together dry ingredients. Melt butter and combine with the molasses and add to dry ingredients. Next add the water. Combine the egg and buttermilk and add to batter then pour into the pan. Let it rest for 15 minutes then bake for 45-55 minutes until toothpick test is clean.

Original Recipe Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-gingerbread-cake-recipe

Dog Treats: Chicken & Cheddar

My daughter adopted Weetzie from a rescue over the weekend. Yesterday while I was dog sitting I made Weetzie and Squirrelly some dog treats. They were huge fans staying in the kitchen with me from start to finish. Well, I can't say they stayed there just for these treats because that's usually where they are whenever anybody is in the kitchen. They loved the cooled, fresh baked treats!

The egg for this recipe came from the local Nunley Farm over by Cottonwood High School off 900 East.

Dog Treats: Chicken & Cheddar
1 C rolled oats
1/3 C Earth Balance
1 C chicken broth (boiling)
3/4 C cornmeal
2 t white sugar
2 t chicken boullion granules
1/2 C milk
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
3 C whole wheat pastry flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the oats, Earth Balance and hot chicken broth in a mixing bowl and allow to sit 10 minutes. Grease two cookie sheets. Add cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg to the bowl and stir to combine. Next stir in the flour and combine with wet ingredients to form the dough. Turnout onto a counter and knead in additional flour to make a non-sticky dough. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut cookies and place onto cookie sheets. I crowded them a bit. They fit onto 2 jelly roll pans and overflowed onto a half sheet. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. I left these out to cool and then let them dry a little more, bagging them up in the evening.

Original Recipe Source: Dog Treats I by DoughMamma on AllRecipes

Smokehouse Flavored Roasted Nuts

Cookbook Bites: Smokehouse Flavored Roasted Nuts

The other day I was on the elliptical at the gym watching Ina Garten roasting nuts with chipotle and rosemary. She was making roasted nuts for entertaining, but I was already connecting the dots thinking they'd make a good portable snack.

Neighborhood tree beginning to change colors before the leaves fall.

As I reviewed the recipe I found that I didn't know what chipotle was, which it turned out is smoke-dried jalapeño. The recipe also calls for smoked paprika, which is pretty amazing, so I decided to go all in with the smokehouse flavor and added liquid smoke.

The fresh rosemary was the scent I remember from the Herbal Essence shampoo from the 70's. (They said there were 17 herbal essences in the shampoo, and as it turns out, as per Truth in Aging: Did Vintage Shampoos Have the Right Idea?, some other unwanted ingredients like the carcinogen Tetrasodium EDTA. So it seems there's a solid reason as to why it's not on the market anymore. Bummer!)

Mixed nuts, Splenda brown sugar, rosemary

Smokehouse Flavored Roasted Nuts

2 1/2  C mixed nuts
1 C pecans
1/2 C almonds
1/2 C cashews
1/4 C brown sugar (Splenda brown sugar worked fine)
2 T fresh rosemary minced

1 1/2 T fresh squeezed orange juice

1 T vegetable oil
2 T butter
1/8 t liquid smoke

1/4 t chipotle powder

1/4 t smoked paprika
Sprinkle with kosher salt
Pam spray

Spray or oil your baking sheet. Set oven to 350. In a bowl add the nuts, brown sugar and rosemary. Stir to combine. In a separate small bowl add orange juice, oil, melted butter, liquid smoke, chipotle powder, smoked paprika and stir. Pour liquid over the nuts and stir to distribute. Pour the nuts out onto the pan and spread out into a thin layer. Roast the nuts for 20-25 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes. Pull from the oven and sprinkle with salt while warm.

They're very good and are a little understated, but flavorful. A nice change from the over-flavored seasoned nuts at the grocery store.

Recipe Sources/Inspiration:
Jamie Oliver: Festive Honey Roasted Nuts
Ina Garten: Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts
Sunset November 1997

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF helps provide kids in need with food, water, education and medicine.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is a great way to get both you and your kids involved in helping kids who are in need. UNICEF stands for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. The money raised by trick-or-treating with their little orange box will provide kids with:

• Food
• Clean water
• Education
• Measles and Malaria Protection

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was something I'd never heard of until I read an old Phyllis Whitney novel The Highest Dream where I was introduced to it. When I've received our little orange boxes in the mail I've put a box on my desk at work and my daughter took it around trick-or-treating. I think people were a little taken back, but I think that's only because they hadn't heard about it. I think if they understood, they'd be on board.

The idea of raising money during Halloween for a cause seems to be a newer concept here in Utah where trick-or-treat is jack-o-lanterns, costumes, parties and all-candy-all-the-time. I hope you'll consider the good you can do if you include Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. You don't have to do this through a school, individuals can get involved too.

We CAN make a difference! There's still plenty of time to get your trick-or-treat boxes that are provided by UNICEF, click the link below to order yours.

Get Involved: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

If you're looking for some pumpkin recipes check out: Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes which are divine or Heirloom Pumpkin Walnut Muffins.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Suzanne

Griddle Cookies: Chocolate Chip & Walnut Welsh Cakes

Cookbook Bites Chocolate Chip & Walnut Welsh Cakes

We've been remodeling our kitchen this summer and the oven should get here in about a week. (Yay!) It was going to get here earlier this month, but we were told it was on backorder. I've been itching to bake so when researching griddle cookies, Welsh Cakes came up time and time again. A couple of years ago my mom made Welsh Cakes for our family Christmas party. They looked like little silver-dollar-sized pancake-cookies. I was wondering about making these in the electric skillet and maybe if they'd work without the currants, since I usually don't have those on hand.

My Welsh Cakes turned out a little bigger, because I used a biscuit cutter. They seemed more like a little scone and made a perfect tea cake. They're a sweet, soft biscuit. I hope you enjoy making these! The house smells great like I've been baking even though I had to use the electric skillet and not an oven or cast iron skillet. :) Learn more about Welsh Cakes on Wikipedia.

BTW - If you like the Welsh Cakes you might like the Blackberry Cobbler recipe reviewed on Cookbook Bites. The biscuits on the cobbler turned out just right!

Milka milk chocolate bar chopped and stirred into the flour for the Welch Cakes.

The process of making a "well" in the flour and adding the wet ingredients to the Welsh Cake dough.

This is a very soft dough that sticks to the counter, knead in extra flour until it's workable and doesn't stick to your hands.

A Welsh cake in the electric frying pan while cooking.

The finished "cookie" Chocolate Chip & Walnut Welsh Cake. They're the consistency of a flaky baking powder biscuit, but sweet like a cookie or dessert scone.

Griddle Cookies: Chocolate Chip & Walnut Welsh Cakes

Dry Ingredients
1 C Whole Wheat Pastry four
1 C Unbleached flour (+1/2 to 1 C to knead in)
2 T high fiber oat bran cereal
1 T baking powder
1/4 t nutmeg (fresh ground)
1/2 t salt

1/2 C Splenda

1/4 C granulated white sugar

1 C butter (Cut into dry flour)

1 bar chocolate chopped (about 1/2 C)
1/2 C walnuts chopped (optional)

Wet Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 C milk
1 t vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Next create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, milk and vanilla and stir to combine, don't over mix. Turn out onto floured counter and add flour until it stops sticking to your hands. The dough should still be fairly soft. Flour countertop then roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out cookies with a round cookie or biscuit cutter. Melt small amount of butter in electric skillet and fry the cookie for 5-7 minutes on each side. Keep temps around 275-300 degrees, keeping an eye on them while they're cooking. The should look brown like a biscuit when done and will be flaky on the inside. Remove from pan to cool. The traditional recipes suggest sprinkling with sugar, but these were plenty sweet and I opted to not do that.

This recipe on Cookbook Bites was created by Suzanne Nikolaisen.

Related Research and Recipe Source Ideas:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1066635/chocchip-welsh-cakes http://www.melskitchencafe.com/welsh-breakfast-cakes/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/welsh-cookies-recipe.html
http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/10412/welsh-cookies/?mxt=t06rda
https://www.clabbergirl.com/Recipes/Recipe-Details/rid/48/rpv/2000/baking-powder-biscuits

Thanks for reading!

Suzanne
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Waffle Maker Brownies

A lot has been going on. I was laid off about two weeks ago (I'm a web designer), we're finishing up remodeling our kitchen and last night I broke out the waffle maker and a package mix of brownies to see if I could make some brownies sans oven (which is arriving on August 8th).

Cookbook Bites: Brownie made in the waffle maker.

There's a secret to making brownies with a waffle iron. To give you fair warning, the batter and the subsequent brownie doesn't just behave like a waffle. When it looked done, I tried to lift out the brownie, but only chunks lifted out, and many little brownie pieces were left behind.

The Secret to Waffle Brownies? It Takes Time.

Let the brownie cool down before removing it from the waffle iron.

Update 9/14/15 - Note the waffle mix may vary your results. I had a problem with the mix I tried last night. It didn't work very well at all.

With the last bit of batter, the secret was revealed. It turns out that it's a lot like making brownies in the oven. Let the brownie cook until it's starting to turn brown around the edges, which takes a little longer than I expected in the waffle iron (high altitude), just keep an eye on it and don't leave the waffle unattended. (Let them set up for a couple of minutes before you start trying to see how it's going by lifting the top of the waffle iron.) When the edges have browned the waffle should "look" set up. Turn off, and unplug the waffle maker. Leave the waffle in the iron and let it come to room temperature. Only when it's cooled down do you remove the waffle, and only then will you have a lovely waffle brownie... at least that was my experience. They turned out more like a brownie cookie, crunchy, but a nice treat with Cool Whip.

Other Cookbook Bites Brownies you might want to try include: Brownies and Bonneville Jr. High School Brownies. You might also want to check out Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies.

Samples of art by Suzanne Nikolaisen (me) listed on Etsy.

Since the layoff, I've been selling my artwork opening an Etsy store: Suzanne Nikolaisen Art. Prints of my art are also for sale at the Pizza Studio in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. 

I hope you're having a fun summer!

Suzanne
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Cranberry Clementine Almond Muffins

Cookbook Bites: Cranberry Clementine Almond Muffins

I just finished baking breakfast for the coming week. The grocery store doesn't provide bran/whole wheat baked goods that taste as good as homemade.

Cranberry Clementine Almond Muffins

Mix Dry Ingredients
1 2/3 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 C oatmeal
2 T oat bran
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 C Splenda (Next time I'm going to try 1/2 c, I think the clementines made these sweeter.)

Mix Wet Ingredients
6 T butter (melted)
1/4 C applesauce
1 1/2 t almond extract
1 egg
2/3 C buttermilk (2/3 C milk + 4 t white vinegar)
Zest of 3 clementines
Juice of 3 clementines (1/3 C)

Extras
1/2 C slivered almonds
1 C dried cranberries
1/2 C white chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry and fold until just combined then stir in almonds, cranberries and white chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tin and bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.

Updated Note: This recipe was inspired/edited from the recipe I found on the bag of whole wheat pastry flour from Bob's Red Mill: Cranberry Orange Almond Bread. I tried to edit the recipe to provide a lower glycemic index, but I think the clementine juice, cranberries and white chocolate chips might have undone my efforts of adding fiber, and replacing the sugar with Splenda. These turned out good, just not as healthy as the Nutty Banana-Blueberry Muffins.

Have a nice week!

Suzanne
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Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (low GI)

Tray of Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently met with a couple of cracker-jack dietitians and among other things we discussed foods that have a low Glycemic Index. While snacking on edamame was discussed, chocolate chip cookies were not--I've been researching how to make a healthier chocolate chip cookie. From what I can tell, being new to low GI cooking, these chewy, rich oatmeal cookies seem to fit the bill (Splenda vs sugar, butter, whole wheat, oat bran, brown rice, oats, walnuts and even chocolate) and they're pretty filling. I made the first tray with no nuts and my daughter commented that the combo of ingredients still made it seem like the cookie had nuts. Everybody who tried the cookies liked them. 

Note: I've tried some other chocolate chip cookie recipes. If you are looking for a solid mainstream chocolate chip cookie try the Guittard Chocolate Chip Pan cookies these cookies became a family favorite. I also baked Gluten Free Chocolate Chip cookies, but the Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies give the Guittard cookies a run for the money, the same chocolate chips are in both recipes...

Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (low GI)
1 C butter (browned)
1 C Splenda brown sugar
1/2 C Splenda white sugar (could probably go to 1/4 C)
2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 C brown rice (cooked)
1/2 t salt (kosher)
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 C High Fiber Oat Bran Hot Cereal (dry)

1 - 1 and 1/2 C toasted oatmeal (I toasted the oatmeal in a dry pan)

2 C whole wheat pastry flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Keep an extra 1/4 C flour handy in case the dough is too soft)

1 C walnuts (chopped and optional)

1 pkg Guttiard milk chocolate chips (11 oz)

Here's how to put them together:
Put the brown rice on to cook (if you don't have leftovers, this takes about 45 minutes). Work on browning the butter. When the butter has browned I put it in the fridge until I was ready to make the dough--the butter will probably still be liquid and that worked out okay. Then toast the oats. In one bowl cream the butter, and the Splenda brown sugar, and Splenda white sugar, the vanilla, eggs and salt. Next add the brown rice and stir to combine. In a separate bowl combine the baking soda, baking powder, oat bran, rolled oats and the whole wheat pastry flour. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine. Last of all stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out the dough and place on the cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

Note: 3/24/15 - The brown rice will get crunchier within 24-hours. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to stay in it's cooked state even when the cookies are stored in a plastic bag. This said the cookie stays moist and the rice creates an interesting crunch.

Cookies baking at 350 degrees.

The Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Research Project: Here are a few of the sites I used to research while pulling this recipe together. Thanks to all of these bakers for sharing what they're doing! It really helped me figure out how to combine all of these ingredients! I wasn't sure what the brown rice would do having never baked with it, but Dining with Alice was successfully baking with wild rice. Half Baked Harvest convinced me I could use more vanilla (they use 4 t!), while PJ Hamel and Joy the Baker got serious by browning the butter for their cookies. The great how to on browning butter from Serious Eats was super helpful and  the All Recipes how-to on Perfect Cookies explained why baking powder would make the cookies puffy. I've linked the articles on toasting the oats, browning the butter and low GI and chocolate above.

• Half Baked Harvest: Mom's Simple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies...
• King Arthur Flour: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
• Joy the Baker: The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Dining with Alice: Wild Rice Cookies
• All Recipes: Perfect Cookies
• Betty Crocker: Best Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• The Healthy Chef: Banana + Oatmeal Cookies

Source for this recipe and mashup of ingredients? Suzanne Nikolaisen

Take care! I hope you enjoy the cookies if you bake them!

Update: 8/19/15 - This has become a favorite cookie at our house! :)

Suzanne
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Nutty Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Cookbook Bites: Nutty Banana-Blueberry Muffin still warm with melting butter.

I signed up for a 5k today. A walk/run in May (Goldilocks) as recommended by my doctor and have been researching recipes that provide more along the lines of the Low Glycemic Index.

My research led me to a popular recipe on AllRecipes: No Sugar Added Blueberry Banana Wheat Muffin, which had lots of good reviews. So I decided to give it a try, taking some of the recommendations from the reviewers and doing my own thing adding walnuts, almonds (and almond extract), chia seeds and some brown sugar Splenda. Full on sugar and syrup seem to make me sick at the moment so I'm trying out some alternatives.

The Nutty Banana-Blueberry Muffins turned out really good. The sweetness is light, but just enough. They're at their best fresh out of the oven, still warm with some butter (shown above). Since there's no salt in the recipe the taste of the butter pops. They've been a great make-ahead breakfast.

Dry ingredients

Nutty Banana-Blueberry Muffin

Nutty Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Wet Ingredients

1 C mashed bananas

1 egg

2/3 C water

1/4 C Splenda Brown Sugar

1/2 C applesauce

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t almond extract

Dry Ingredients

2 1/4 C whole wheat flour

2 T chia seeds

1 1/2 t baking soda

2 1/2 t baking powder 

1 C walnuts (chopped)

1/4 C sliced almonds

1 1/2 C frozen blueberries

Topping

1 T Brown Sugar Splenda

1/8 C sliced almonds

Mix the wet ingredients, then the dry in separate bowls then stir to combine. Don't over stir, then add in the nuts and blueberries. Spray Pam into the muffin pan and spoon batter out into 12 muffins (silicone muffin pan works well). Mix the topping and sprinkle over the muffins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. These are for high-altitude. If you are at a lower altitude use less flour. Toothpick test to make sure they're done.

Take care,

Suzanne
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Original/Inspiration Recipe Source: AllRecipes: No Sugar Added Blueberry Banana Wheat Muffins

White Hot Chocolate (To Go)

Cookbook Bites: White Hot Chocolate - Ready to head to work with a sprinkle of fresh ground nutmeg.

Fluffy, coffee-house drinks may be very tempting on cold days in January. They're quick, easy, but also expensive and to be 100% honest, not as good as homemade. You can make white hot chocolate in my opinion that's even better at home. Dare I suggest--it can be a "skinny" version too. Morning's before work can often be rushed, but slowing down to make a white hot chocolate to go is a nice way to start the morning that you can take with you.

Whisk continuously to prevent the milk from burning onto the bottom of the pan.

On a winter morning putting milk to heat on the stove, combining fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon  with Guittard white chocolate chips is comforting and worth the few minutes it takes. The chocolate melts almost instantly while you whisk the ingredients into a special white hot chocolate. The magic happens when the milk reaches a low boil--all of the ingredients fall into place.

My humble opinion? The chocolate matters. These are Guittard white chocolate chips.

The spices make this milky hot chocolate a touch cozier. They're not overpowering, and you don't really notice them, but I think it would be noticeable if they were missing. That "something" that's needed. You know? I took a travel mug of this white hot chocolate to work with me yesterday and it made my morning a little warmer. Outside it was dumping buckets of winter rain, that later turned to snow.

White Hot Chocolate for Travel Mug
1 or 2% Milk
1/2 C water

Pinch Nutmeg (fresh grated)
Pinch Cinnamon
1/2 t Vanilla

1/8 C White Chocolate chips

3 Splenda packets

Cool Whip Lite (Optional)
Sprinkle of nutmeg (Optional)

Fill travel mug just under 2/3rd's full of milk. Add water to bring liquid to about an inch below the container top then pour into a small pan. Add spices, vanilla, white chocolate chips and Splenda while whisking continuously, bringing to a low boil to combine. Pour white hot chocolate back into the travel mug and top with Cool Whip Lite and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Recipe inspired but a little different than: How to Make Vanilla Milk and Homemade White Hot Chocolate and reviewing several other white hot chocolate recipes that were similar to these too on Pinterest.

Suzanne
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Peanut Butter & Blueberry Smoothie

Cookbook Bites: Peanut Butter & Blueberry Smoothie in a travel mug ready to go.

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Smoothie

Long ago and across town, there used to be a crêperie that made crepes to order. One option was peanut butter and blueberries. So very good! This morning I put said ingredients (not the crepes) in the blender and created a smoothie--instantly transported by taste back to the trendy little neighborhood crêperie and good memories of visiting the shop with my family.

After I poured a serving of the Peanut Butter & Blueberry smoothie into a travel mug to take to-go, I poured a taste and it was indeed a splendid concoction for a blueberry and peanut butter fan like myself. If you like this combo, I bet you'll like this too. :) 

Then I poured the last bit for my dachshund. He's a huge smoothie fan and this one was no exception. He's now content and taking his first morning nap.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Smoothie

1/2 C blueberries (frozen)

1 Chobani blueberry yogurt

1 T Blueberry jam

2 T Peanut butter

1 banana

1 C ice

1/3 C milk

1/2 C water

2 packets of Splenda

Put the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth, serve immediately. 

Source: Suzanne Nikolaisen

Suzanne
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Pumpkin Muffins (Lowfat)

Autumn leaves, these are so brilliant every year!

I've been looking for lighter recipes for go-to favorites and found one that is a lot lighter than Heirloom Pumpkin Walnut Muffins. This recipe for Pumpkin Muffins calls for no butter, milk or eggs. Since it was Halloween I kicked the recipe up with Guittard Vanilla-Milk chips and walnuts. (The white chocolate chips were awesome with pumpkin in the Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes.)

Putting the muffins together.

This recipe works with just the pumpkin, the cake mix and the water.

Cookbook Bites: Pumpkin Muffins (Recipe Review)

Pumpkin Muffins

1 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin
1 Package spice cake mix
2/3-1 C water
1/2 C Vanilla chips (white chocolate chips)*
1 C Walnuts (chopped)*

Combine ingredients and mix well. I think (I was going for the traditional muffin batter consistency and added a little too much water and they came out a touch under done, so you might go for a little thicker batter--that you'll get with the measurement above.) Spray the muffin tin with butter flavored Pam and bake 20-ish minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.

*Optional ingredients.

Original Recipe Source: The Better Baker, Lowfat Pumpkin Spice Muffins
http://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2010/01/lowfat-pumpkin-spice-muffins-yum.html

Suzanne
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Smoothie: Banana Cupcake

I reached for some yogurt goodness today. Gotta run, but this is perfect for on-the-go. Enjoy!

Smoothie: Banana Cupcake

2 C ice cubes
1 C water
1 & 1/2 banana
1 Yoplait Light: Boston Cream Pie yogurt (2 points)
1 package WW Smoothies mix: Greek Yogurt & Honey (2 points)
1/16th tsp (Tiny, tiny bit, couple of drops) of almond flavoring

Blend ingredients together and serve immediately. (4 WW points, 24 ounces)

Recipe by Suzanne Nikolaisen

Suzanne
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Quick Iced Tea (To-Go)

This was the sunrise yesterday. Beautiful!

Homemade iced tea is kind of a grass-roots thing we can do to make a smaller footprint AND drink more water. Win-win! Go you! Go us! :) A "coffee-shop rebellion?" If only they didn't sell those lovely breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and have such nice atmosphere!

On my way to work. In the parking lot with travel mug of iced tea.

This method of iced tea is super easy and calls for a reusable travel mug (no paper cup sent to the landfill), tap water and a bag of your favorite tea (which I believe is biodegradable: plant matter+paper). You don't have to drive anywhere to get it (no additional carbon emissions from your car per-serving). Most travel mugs seem to hold about 16-20 ounces of fluid/water.

One of the last roses of summer? Looked like a watercolor painting to me.

When we make our own tea at home we can choose to go herbal or caffeinated and we know what flavor we're getting. (There's no weirdness like the "cutting-edge" flavors at the coffee shops. The last time I ordered an iced tea from a coffee shop I ordered blueberry tea and it had a nasty sage(?) flavor as well. The tea wasn't even drinkable. I dumped it out thinking "What a waste of money! I've got to be able to make this better myself, at home.") Making tea to-go at home is a snap and we get to enjoy the "fruits" of our labor (fruit tea... ha!) Oye! It's too early for puns! Enjoy!

Iced tea that brews while you're on the go.

Iced Tea (To-Go)
1 Tea bag (your flavor of choice)
16 oz.+ cold tap water
Sweetner (2-3 packets of Splenda, optional)
1 Travel mug

Get your favorite travel mug and fill it with cold tap water (or drinking water). Add 1 tea bag of your  choice. I tend to use fruit flavors like blueberry or strawberry. Add sweetener if needed and add the lid to the container. Allow to steep approximately 15-30 minutes before drinking. (Just leave the tea bag in. There's less fuss, and with the blueberry and strawberry, it doesn't seem to affect the flavor and the tea bag seems to stay out of the way while drinking.) I make this before I leave for work and by the time I get to the office, it's ready to drink. (Option: Try 2 tea bags with different flavors like white tea and peach and see what you think.)

Suz
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P.S. About the spotted tea pot...

Polka-dotted teapot from my children's book
"The Cupcake Tree & Other Silly Poems for Silly You"

The Cupcake Tree (Children's Poems)

I illustrated the polka-dotted pot of tea for a children's books of poems The Cupcake Tree & Other Silly Poems for Silly You that I wrote and illustrated for my daughter which is now available on the Kindle for $2.99. You can see some of my other art at the Fabled Garden Press blog.

Suzanne
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