amazing granola

Katie's Amazing Granola

This granola makes a TON, two full sheet pans to be exact. I don't have a bowl big enough to fit everything at once, so I make mine in two big bowls and divide all the ingredients in half.

In a large bowl (or two!) mix the following ingredients:

 10 cups of old fashioned rolled oats (buy from the bin at your local health food store..)
2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 cups of wheat germ (store in your fridge between batches)
2 cups of shredded coconut
2 cups chopped pecans and/or almonds
1 tablespoon salt

In a separate bowl, mix the following: 

4 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup of oil (I use Canola)
2 cups honey (if you use the same cup you used for the oil, the honey should slide right out)

Divide the wet mixture between your two bowls of granola and mix well.

Spread your granola in two large, shallow pans. Bake at 250 until deep golden and almost dry, about 2 hours. Every 30 minutes rotate your pans and stir and crumble the granola with a big wooden spoon (the outside edges will brown first, so you want to mix everything around so it all cooks evenly). 

When it's all nice and golden and you've broken up most of your big chunks, remove from the oven and let cool (I leave mine on the counter overnight). Store tightly covered or in the refrigerator if you have room.

Easy Pancakes

4

1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup 1% milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon melted butter

Green Smoothie

Here's the recipe:

6-8 frozen strawberries

1 handful blueberries

1 banana

8-10 baby carrots

1 heaping handful spinach

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

1/2 C. water

I've heard of adding nuts for protein, but I have yet to try it.  It sounds…gritty.

lemon poppy seed muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Printer-Friendly Version

Yield: about 12 muffins
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)

For the glaze (optional):
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir briefly to combine.  In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Mix in the lemon zest and the vanilla extract.  With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in two additions alternating with the yogurt, beating each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the muffins are still warm, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the glaze.  Drizzle a small amount of the glaze over each muffin.  Let the glaze set before serving.

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins
Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel
1 large egg
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. canola oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar

Streusel Topping1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups and level ith with a knife and combine it in a large bowl with the baking powder, salt, sugar, and citrus peel. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour and sugar and then toss the blueberries in this mixture until they are well-coated. Gently fold the blueberry mixture into the batter. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full.

To make the streusel topping, combine the 1/4 c. sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two butter knives until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter and bake for 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 12 muffins.

whole Wheat waffles & honey cinn syrup

Whole Wheat Waffles with Honey Cinnamon Syrup

Heaven knows I love brunch. But I really LOVE a brunch that I can feel good about serving my gals. We enjoy waffles a great deal, so we decided to whip up a batch with some fresh ground whole wheat flour. If you don't have a wheat grinder, store bought whole wheat flour should do just fine.

Whole Wheat Waffles
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
4 T oil
1 T honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

In a blender, blend the eggs, milk, oil and honey. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend well. Cook in a hot waffle iron.

Honey Cinnamon Syrup
1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
1/2 t cinnamon

Heat honey and butter in a saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Add Cinnamon. Stir well. Serve warm syrup over hot waffles.

Spiced Carrot Waffles 
1 c. white flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. corn meal
1 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
3 T. sugar
2 eggs (or egg powder and water equivalent)
1 3/4 c. water (or you could use buttermilk and leave out the powdered milk)
5 T. dry powdered milk
1 c. packed shredded carrots
1/4 c. oil (I used even less oil and substituted more applesauce-it worked great!)
1/4 c. applesauce

Stir together the wet ingredients, spices, and baking powder. Add the flour and cornmeal and mix until incorporated. For an even fluffier waffle (who has time for this??), you can separate the eggs, beat the whites to a stiff peak, and fold them into the recipe before cooking. This will make your waffles more fluffy if you have the time. Cook waffles on a hot waffle iron. Serve with Cinnamon Syrup.

Cinnamon Cream Syrup
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
dash of salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 (12oz.) can of evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

Spiced Carrot Waffles 
1 c. white flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. corn meal
1 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
3 T. sugar
2 eggs (or egg powder and water equivalent)
1 3/4 c. water (or you could use buttermilk and leave out the powdered milk)
5 T. dry powdered milk
1 c. packed shredded carrots
1/4 c. oil (I used even less oil and substituted more applesauce-it worked great!)
1/4 c. applesauceSpiced Carrot Waffles 
1 c. white flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. corn meal
1 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
3 T. sugar
2 eggs (or egg powder and water equivalent)
1 3/4 c. water (or you could use buttermilk and leave out the powdered milk)
5 T. dry powdered milk
1 c. packed shredded carrots
1/4 c. oil (I used even less oil and substituted more applesauce-it worked great!)
1/4 c. applesauce

Stir together the wet ingredients, spices, and baking powder. Add the flour and cornmeal and mix until incorporated. For an even fluffier waffle (who has time for this??), you can separate the eggs, beat the whites to a stiff peak, and fold them into the recipe before cooking. This will make your waffles more fluffy if you have the time. Cook waffles on a hot waffle iron. Serve with Cinnamon Syrup.

Cinnamon Cream Syrup
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
dash of salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 (12oz.) can of evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

Stir together the wet ingredients, spices, and baking powder. Add the flour and cornmeal and mix until incorporated. For an even fluffier waffle (who has time for this??), you can separate the eggs, beat the whites to a stiff peak, and fold them into the recipe before cooking. This will make your waffles more fluffy if you have the time. Cook waffles on a hot waffle iron. Serve with Cinnamon Syrup.

Cinnamon Cream Syrup
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
dash of salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 (12oz.) can of evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

How to make Bagels (allrecipes.com)

Forming and Baking Bagels


Step-by-step instructions for boiling, topping, and baking perfect bagels.





With a little practice, you can make bagels that rival those in New York's best bagel shops.





1. To make bagels, a stand mixer is highly recommended. The best bagels are made with high-gluten flour or bread flour, so the dough is very stiff. It also requires a long mixing time to develop properly. We used the Bagels II recipe.



Bagels II

2. Once the dough has risen once, divide it into 12 equal pieces and form them into dough rounds. Cover the rounds with a damp cloth and allow them to rest for 5 to 10 minutes for easier shaping. Meanwhile, bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to boil in a large stockpot, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) and lightly oil two baking sheets.

3. Lightly coat your hands with vegetable oil and gently press a dough round down with the palm of your hand. Find the center of the round and push a finger through to make a hole.

4. Swing the bagel around your finger to widen the hole. Be gentle; the goal is to widen the hole without ripping the walls of the bagel. The walls should be approximately 1-inch thick and the hole 2 inches wide. Don't worry if the hole seems too large: it will close up quite a bit as the bagel boils and bakes. After each bagel is shaped, place it back underneath the moist towel.

5. Why boil? Boiling gelatinizes the starch in the outer layer of dough, giving the bagels their characteristic chewy crust. Some bakers add malt syrup (available at health food stores and specialty grocers) to the water to sweeten it, enhancing the bagel's flavor. We used fresh boiling water with no added flavoring. Carefully drop the bagels, two or three at a time--depending upon the size of your pot--into the boiling water. Don't crowd the bagels in the pot; this will cause the water to cool down and the bagels to stick together.

6. Boil the bagels until they have expanded in size and underside appears cooked (1 to 2 minutes); turn them with a slotted spoon or spatula. Let them boil for another minute or two, until both sides are evenly cooked.

7. Remove each bagel from the boiling water; the bagels will have puffed up and the centers will be nearly closed. They will be off-white in color and have some blisters just below the surface. Drop each bagel into a bowl of cold water to cool.

8. If you wish to top your bagels, arrange toppings--poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dehydrated onion--on plates. Remove bagels from the cold water bath and dip the top and sides in the seeds. Arrange the seeded bagels on the oiled baking sheet.

9. With strongly flavored toppings, such as Kosher salt, garlic, caraway, or fennel seeds, sprinkle on the toppings rather than dipping the bagels to coat completely.

10. Bake the bagels in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the bagels and loosen them from the baking sheet if they are sticking. Once they are done, place them on a rack to cool.

11. You don't need to get up at 4 am, like the bagel bakers do. The shaped rings of raw dough can be frozen and kept for up to three weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bringing to room temperature before boiling. Bake as directed.



Boiled Bagels

Bread Machine Bagels

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Whole Wheat Blueberry-Walnut Pancakes


Added by: Kathy Gunst

(297 recipes) Mom Rating





Delicious

Kid Rating





Saved

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes



Feel free to substitute any of your family's favorite berries for the blueberries.





Ingredients

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons melted butter, plus butter for the skillet

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 egg whites

Pinch cream of tartar

1 cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) blueberries

1 cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) blueberries for topping, optional





Preparations

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and walnuts. Stir in the baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk, egg yolk, melted butter, and maple syrup in a large bowl. Add the flour-walnut mixture and gently stir together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the pancake batter. Gently fold in 1 cup of blueberries. Heat a large skillet or pancake griddle over moderate heat and brush lightly with the butter. Let heat 1 minute. Using a large spoon, form pancakes about 3 inches wide, and cook for 2 minutes; gently flip pancakes over, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot with butter and top with the remaining cup of blueberries (if using). (Makes 4 servings)

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Cottage Cheese Pancakes


Added by: Meals Matter

(207 recipes) Mom Rating





Yucky

Kid Rating





Yucky

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes



These are high-protein pancakes and quite a treat!





Ingredients

1 egg

1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese

1 tsp canola oil

3 tbsp whole wheat flour



Preparations

1. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a whisk until creamy. 2. Push the cottage cheese through a wire strainer into the egg in the bowl. Mix well. 3. Add the oil and flour. Mix well. 4. Lightly oil a skillet and place over low heat. When the skillet is hot, spoon the batter into the skillet making four pancakes. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. 5. Serve with applesauce, apple butter or your favorite whole fruit jam. (Makes 4 servings)

Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes
Printer-Friendly Version

Yield: about 8 pancakes
Ingredients:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the pan
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 small ripe banana, mashed
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Additional banana slices, for serving
Maple syrup, whipped cream, etc. for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200˚ F.  Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl; set aside to cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; whisk together to combine.  In a another bowl, combine the mashed banana, milk, eggs and vanilla and whisk to blend.  Add the melted butter and the banana mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix gently with a rubber spatula until just blended (the batter will be slightly lumpy).

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Grease lightly with butter.  Drop the batter in 1/3 cup portions onto the heated cooking surface.  Cook until a few bubbles form in the top surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Carefully flip the pancake over and cook on the remaining side until golden brown, 1-2 minutes more.  Transfer finished pancakes to a plate in the warm oven while you use the remaining batter, re-greasing the pan as needed.  Serve warm with maple syrup and sliced bananas as desired.

Granola from zuppas

Healthy Breakfasts No.3

July 27th, 2010 - by Steph

Do you love the idea of granola, but find that most versions are way to sugary for your taste? Me too! I’d rather save my sugar for a yummy dessert, not a breakfast cereal. I’ve been on the hunt for some time now for a substantia granola recipe that is not only full of a lot of “stuff”, but boasts no added sugar.  In fact, the only sweetener in this recipe is pure, maple syrup…isn’t that wonderful?  If you don’t want to invest in large bags/containers of all of these ingredients, hit the bulk section of your local grocery store (my local Whole Foods & Smiths both have one) and just purchase exact amounts of each required ingredient. You’ll
definitely feel the savings.
Fruit + Nut Granola (adapted from Real Simple)
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsalted pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place parchment on baking sheet (located next to the wax paper and aluminum foil) and set aside.  In a large bowl toss the oats, almonds, coconut and pepitas with the maple syrup, oil and salt.  Pour evenly onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.  Bake for 25 minutes (and not a minute longer!).  After removing the baking sheet from the oven, pour the dried cherries on top of the mixture and carefully toss.  Allow to cool before placing the granola in an airtight container (I like those glass lock containers from Costco).
A few notes regarding ingredients:
Pepitas: Nutty Guys makes great raw pumpkin seeds, or check out the Mexican food section of your local grocery store.
Unsweetened Coconut: The bulk aisle of your grocery store will likely carry this, but in case they don’t, Red Mill makes unsweetened coconut.
Pure Maple Syrup: The best price per ounce can be found at Costco with Target being a close second with their Archer Farms brand.
Dried Tart Cherries: Good versions can be found at Target (again, Archer Farms) or in the bulk aisle of your grocery store.  I found some great cherries at my local farmers market so take a peek there while they are in season right now.

Spiced Carrot Waffles

Added by Natalie (Perrys' Plate) on January 14, 2010 in Breakfast, Waffles

Prep Time 15 Minutes Cook Time 25 Minutes

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 1-¼ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg, Freshly Ground If Possible
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 whole Eggs, Divided
• 1-¾ cup Milk
• 1 cup Packed Shredded Carrot
• ½ cups Vegetable Or Canola Oil

Preparation Instructions

Sift together dry ingredients. Separate egg yolks from the whites. Combine yolks, milk, carrots and oil; stir into the dry ingredients. Beat whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into the batter, leaving a few fluffs.

Bake on a hot waffle iron.

Notes:

For buttermilk waffles, substitute 2 cups buttermilk for regular milk. Add ½ teaspoon baking soda and reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons.

Banana Bread Waffles

Banana Bread Yeasted Waffles
With inspiration from a variety of sources, including Dorie Greenspan (via Williams-Sonoma), and these Overnight waffles (from Better Homes and Gardens). With most of the preparation done the night before, the morning of only requires a few stirs of a spoon and you're ready to go. It's not a bad way to wake up.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground clove
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 3 whole
2 tablespoons sour cream or greek yogurt

In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, milk and vanilla. Set aside, the mixture should be warm but not hot.

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt and spices. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until smooth. Stir in the beaten eggs. Cover the bowl loosely with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but up to 24.

About 30 minutes before you want to make waffles, take the batter out of the refrigerator to come up to room temperature slightly. It should be doubled in size and the surface will be covered in bubbles.

When ready to begin, stir the sour cream into the mashed bananas and then mix the fruit into the batter. It will deflate, but use a light, quick hand to thoroughly combine.

Heat your waffle iron and bake the waffles as per the manufacturer's instruction.

Our waffle maker is Belgian style and yielded 5 round waffles; I think a classic round iron would make 6 or 7.

Notes:
• Leftovers can be frozen and then reheated in a toaster or in an oven; keep the heat low and an eye on them though, they brown quickly.

Cinnamon Rolls

I am a BIG fan of cinnamon rolls and can not count the number of different recipes I have tried over the years. Some are too gooey, some too dry, some too thick, some that don't raise, etc. I have a friend Camille that is famous for her AMAZING cinnamon rolls. They are always the perfect texture, the frosting is PERFECT, and they are light and airy. So..I finally got the recipe from her and WOW, they are delicious! I don't think I will try another cinnamon roll recipe again. My only alteration would be that I would maybe 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe..I like a lot of frosting!

Now, my picture does NOT do these cinnamon rolls justice. I had to make FOUR pans of cinnamon rolls (64 rolls) for a church activity and when I got home there were only four cinnamon rolls left. After the children got to them for breakfast, there was ONE lone cinnamon roll left :( So, here is the day-old LAST cinnamon roll left on my pile of four cookie sheets...to show you just how GOOD they are and how fast they go!

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast

Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches. 

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.

Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt

Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking.