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Homemade Frosted Mini Wheats

After making Oat Squares last week I had the idea to try Mini Wheats. Similar, but something I can tolerate 🙂  And always a personal favorite cereal.

I woke up about 45 minutes late today, so I had to throw this experiment together in about 10 minutes.

To my great surprise they turned out quite well. I’m sure I could make them look a bit prettier and be more uniform if I actually had the time. But on the whole they are good. They have the flavor of Frosted Mini Wheats. They are crunchy, but they aren’t too hard.

To help create these I looked at the actual ingredients in the cereal. There is no liquid. So I don’t know how they make them. I do know that whatever process they use makes the cereal not good for you.

I chose to use water to  hold the dough together. I also decided against adding synthetic vitamins to mine 😛

I only made a small batch to experiment. When I make them again I’ll do a larger quantity (and maybe take the time to take better pictures). And I want to try making them with part rice flour sometime.

Homemade Frosted Mini Wheats
makes 1 pint

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup water

1 Tbsp. organic palm shortening
2 tsp. organic cane sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the shortening and sugar to form a paste (“frosting”).

Mix flour and sugar. Gradually add water until the mixture is barely wet enough to hold together. Use your hands to squeeze the dough/see if it will hold. You want it just past the crumbly stage.

Take a small handful of dough at a time and shape it into a log.

Spread some of the “frosting” on the log. Cut into squares. Place them on the baking sheet.

Repeat this process until the dough is used.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Turn off oven. Leave the cereal in the oven another 10 minutes to crisp. Allow to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Oat Squares

Earlier this week we had a long snowy day with nothing to do. And as usual Abram was begging to bake. So I brainstormed what new recipe we could try.

I was thinking a new cereal. I looked up the ingredients for Cheerios. There really isn’t much to them. So we tried to make something similar – taste and texture. I have no idea how you’d copy the shape 😛

It took about 3 minutes to mix the dough. And it tasted really good. Abram actually ate a bunch of it…and he NEVER eats the stuff we bake (either the dough or after it’s baked). He just doesn’t have a sweet tooth.

The end result? NOT Cheerios 😛  But to my surprise they taste and look a lot like Quaker Oat Squares. This used to be one of my favorite cereals. They are very easy to make.

They did end up a bit harder than I’d like. Maybe next time I’ll add some baking soda to help soften them just a bit. Otherwise these are actually really good. And they make a great portable snack.

Three ingredients is all you need to recreate a delicious cereal. Simple. As an added bonus they are dairy, gluten (if you tolerate oats), egg, nut, soy and corn free.

Homemade Oat Squares
makes about 2 cups

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup water
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1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
(I have not tried it with these added yet, but I think it would improve the texture a bit.)
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Create oat flour by processing oats in a blender.

Mix oat flour, sugar and water until dough forms.

Using a scoop at a time, roll the dough into a small log. Cut into “squares.”

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Turn off oven. Leave the cereal in the oven to crisp for another 5-10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

One Handed Honey Herb Chicken

My son and I stayed home from church on Sunday because he was sick. I still wanted to make a decent “Sunday dinner.” But he wanted to be held constantly.

I knew I was going to bake some chicken, but had no idea what kind. I knew it had to be simple…so simple that you can prepare it with one hand.

This is what I came up with. And it’s delicious!!

Put the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle a few things on top. And put it in the oven. In an hour you have moist, flavorful chicken. Perfect.

It’s a little sweet and a little savory. Just what I like.

One Handed Honey Herb Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 – 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs of choice (can be gluten free or substitute with seasoned almond or coconut flour for grain free)

Heat oven to 350. Butter/grease a small baking dish.

Place chicken in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Drizzle eat breast with honey. Rub slightly to cover. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.

Cover dish and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and turn heat up to 400. Bake another 20 minutes, until topping is crisp and chicken is cooked through.

Homemade Cocoa Puffs

Cereal. It’s one of the foods we gave up when we switched to a Real food diet. But I think it’s one of the foods my husband misses the most. And once in a while I do too. I used to be a cereal junky (seriously…I HAD to have it for breakfast every single day for about 10 years).

I’ve made soaked cereal (which I think tastes like Wheaties), granola and homemade golden grahams/cinnamon toast crunch. Yesterday I decided to try cocoa puffs.

I never liked cocoa puffs. So it’s not something I was missing. But my husband liked them. Especially for a bedtime snack.

The kids and I made a batch yesterday. They turned out pretty well. Little crunchy chocolaty bites. They aren’t little balls, but you still get the same effect. The butter gives some crunch, while the coconut oil gives the light/crispy texture.

I like to use them to make cookies and cream yogurt. Simply mix a handful into plain or slightly sweetened whole milk yogurt. A real treat.

**You can make this gluten free as well!!!

Do you still eat cereal? Did you give up cereal but miss it? What’s your favorite kind? Are there any real food versions of cereals you’d like to see?

Homemade Cocoa Puffs
makes about 4 cups

1 3/4 cups flour (organic whole wheat, all purpose or a combination)
1/3 cup organic cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic white and/or brown cane sugar or sucanat
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2-3 Tbsp. honey
1 – 2 tsp. organic chocolate extract
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted (you can replace this with coconut oil or palm shortening to make it dairy free)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and coconut oil in sauce pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the liquids: honey, chocolate extract, vanilla, butter/oil. Stir well. Taste dough and adjust honey and chocolate extract to your liking. Mix until a nice ball of dough is formed.  The dough should not be crumbly.  If it is gradually a couple Tbsp. of water.  If it is still crumbly gradually add more honey.

Split dough into 2 equal parts. Cut 3 pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet. Lay one piece on table. Put 1/2 of dough on the paper. Lay a 2nd piece of parchment on top of dough. Squish the dough down a little with your hand. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough between the parchment paper. Roll until the dough is about 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Cut into very small squares (with pizza cutter). Place on a baking sheet (on the parchment paper…just move the whole thing onto the baking sheet). Repeat for other half of dough.

Bake for 11-12 minutes. Turn off oven, but leave cereal in to get crisp. Remove after about 10 minutes (if some of the puffs are burning remove the pan). Let cool completely. Separate squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.

Soaked Chocolate Covered Donuts

About a year ago I was experimenting with all kinds of soaked recipes. I tried making Adrienne’s soaked whole wheat donuts. They were really good.

But then I forgot about them.

Last week I was playing with my kids with their pretend food/dishes. Rebecca had a donut on her plate, and we were brainstorming baking projects (real ones). So we thought it might it might be fun to make real chocolate covered donuts.

So I did.

And they turned out great!!

These donuts reminded me of my childhood. When we got donuts (which was a rare thing) I always got chocolate covered…and so did my siblings 🙂  One bite brought me back to my youth.

I used the same base recipe and adjusted it a bit so I can tolerate them. Then I made my own chocolate topping.

This is a delicious, warming breakfast treat. You can make them as large or as small as you like. You can make full donuts or donut holes. You can glaze the top or cover them entirely in chocolatey goodness.

You can make other flavors as well. Coat them in chopped crispy nuts. Mix in mini chocolate chips. Or go for the original cinnamon sugar.

Do you like having a donut for breakfast sometimes?  Just because you want to eat Real food does not mean you have to give them up. Just go for a healthier, easier to digest, homemade version.

What is your favorite donut flavor?

Soaked Chocolate Covered Donuts
dairy free options

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. milk or water
1 cup organic cane sugar or sucanat
5 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil, melted
1 cup sour milk, buttermilk, kefir or sour milk substitute. (combine 1 Tbsp. vineager or lemon juice + milk to equal 1 cup to make sour milk)

Donuts:

Combine the flour, sugar, fat and cultured/soured liquid. Let the dough rest for 12-24 hours. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Roll out dough to approximately 1/2″ thickness. Cut out donuts with cutter, ring or shape into desired shapes.

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet  at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Topping:

1 cup chocolate chips (I used soy free, dairy free, nut free, egg free)
1/4 cup milk or milk substitute
3 Tbsp. organic all purpose flour (or arrowroot or cornstarch)

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water). When all of the chocolate is melted slowly stir in the milk and flour. Mix until smooth. Remove from heat.

Dip the cooled donuts in the warm chocolate.

Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for short term storage. Store in a freezer for long term storage.

Easy Yeast Free Bread

In order to help with my gut issues I’ve been experimenting with avoiding food with yeast lately. Not to mention making food with yeast is a longer process.

Last week I needed a quick bread to go with our soup. I did a little searching and found a few recipes for yeast free bread. They were all very similar. So I kind of combined them to make my own.

The result was just what I wanted. Very slightly sweet. Not overly dense. No need to wait for rising. This was my kind of bread. It’s like a cross between a sweet bread and a yeast bread.

I mostly ate it spread with lots of butter and sprinkled with sea salt. I also used some of it to make croutons for my salad. A perfect grab and go snack when I need some carbohydrates.

Yeast Free Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups liquid (water, milk, kefir or buttermilk…I used a combination)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup maple syrup

Heat oven to 350 degress F.

Mix all ingredients.

Pour into a greased 9″ loaf pan.

Bake 45 – 55 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

After asking on facebook for some vegetable ideas I tried a new recipe for brussels sprouts from Eat, Live, Run. It’s so simple and so delicious! We all loved it.

Basically you saute brussels sprouts and add a little brown sugar at the end. Who knew that could make them taste so amazing? We already love brussels sprouts. This was a great way to change it up a bit.

I did not use the garlic or the nuts. But that would be good too. I will definitely be making these again. I might even turn them into a one dish meal by adding a starch and protein (quinoa and nuts?, rice and chicken?, couscous and salmon?). My mind is whirling with variations already 🙂

I’ll be trying this method of vegetable preparation with other vegetables as well. I already did broccoli and kohlrabi last week. Yum!! Cauliflower would be a great addition as well.

Do you like brussels sprouts? If not would a little brown sugar make you change your mind?

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

12-14 large brussels sprouts
1 Tbsp olive oil (I used about 2 Tbsp. of butter and coconut oil)
1 clove garlic, minced (I just used a sprinkle of garlic powder)
pinch sea salt (or a lot if you’re like me:)
2 Tbsp brown cane sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (I’d use crispy nuts)

Slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons. Heat the olive oil/butter/coconut oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender (I saute them a bit longer…my family likes them plenty soft). Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together. Finish by adding the toasted nuts.

Holiday Oreos®

A while back I made a homemade version of Oreos®. They were delicious!! These holiday Oroes® are a spin on the classic that is perfect for parties and family gatherings.

This week for our baking project Rebecca wanted to make a new batch with a twist. She came up with three filling flavors to try for a special holiday treat – mint, peanut butter and chocolate.

Wow!! The original was good. These are even better. Plus we had extra filling so we made mint, peanut butter and chocolate filled graham cracker sandwiches. Also very good.

If you want to really impress your guests this year try homemade holiday Oreos® with a special filling. They are sure to be a hit.
Rebecca is already planning our next batch. She said we need to make more the day after Thanksgiving to be ready for Christmas 🙂  We’re thinking chocolate mint, chocolate peanut butter and caramel next time.

And maybe we’ll go all out and dip them in chocolate. A chocolate covered caramel filled oreo made with all real ingredients? Yes, please!

The possibilities are endless…pumpkin, gingerbread, butterscotch, raspberry, orange…We’ll have to work on the inside out version sometime too. I’ll update this post each time we try a new flavor.

What is your favorite holiday Oreos® flavor?

This post is linked to Fat Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday and From the Archives Friday.

Holiday Oreos®

makes 17 – 20 cookie sandwiches (depending on the size of your cookie cutter and the thickness of your dough)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3-4 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, room temp (you can substitute coconut oil or palm shortening)
6 – 8 Tbsp. honey

To make the cookies:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add cocoa and chocolate extract. Blend well (a hand mixer works well). Taste. Add more chocolate extract until strong enough. Add flour, baking soda, salt and honey. Blend well. If dough is still crumbly slowly add extra honey until dough will hold together when squeezed with your hand.

Place 1/3 of the dough onto parchment paper. Place another layer of parchment paper over top. Roll the dough between the parchment paper until it is 1/8 – 1/4″ thick. Remove top paper. Cut circles and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until you have used all of the dough.
Bake the cookies for about 13 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
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Mint Filling:
1/4 cup organic palm shortening
5 – 6 Tbsp. organic all purpose flour (you can substitute corn starch or arrow root)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 – 2 tsp. peppermint extract
Peanut Butter Filling (you can make this a stiffer or softer filling):
1/4 cup organic palm shortening (reduce this to 3 Tbsp. for a stiffer filling)
5 – 6 Tbsp. organic all purpose flour (you can substitute corn starch or arrow root)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 – 4 Tbsp. natural creamy peanut butter
Chocolate Filling:
1/4 cup organic palm shortening
2 Tbsp. organic cocoa powder
4 Tbsp. organic all purpose flour (you can substitute corn starch or arrow root)
1/4 – 1/3 cup maple syrup
1 – 2 tsp. chocolate extract

To make the fillings*:

Cream the shortening, flour, maple syrup and cocoa/peanut butter/extracts in a small bowl. Add more flour for a stiffer cream (note that it will firm up/become solid when chilled). Add more maple syrup for a sweeter cream. You can prep the filling ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before filling cookies.

*Note that if you make the full recipe of all of the fillings with one batch of cookies you will have leftover filling. You can use it on graham crackers or as frosting for cupcakes. One batch of filling is enough for 7 – 12 sandwich cookies depending on how big your cookies are and full you like them.

To assemble the cookies:

Place the cream filling in a small plastic bag. Cut off one of the corners of the bag for a pastry bag. Pipe some cream onto the center of one cookie, leaving space at the edge . Top with another cookie. Press together just until the cream reaches the edge. Repeat this process until all of the cookies are filled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the cookies

Corn Free "Cornbread"

I never had cornbread growing up (so sad). The first time I tried it was probably when I was in college. And I’ve loved it ever since!

Corn has been out of my diet for over a year now. And I miss cornbread. It’s my go-to accompaniment for chili. Corn muffins are great with just about any kind of soup. It’s easy and delicious.

So recently I decided to try a corn free version. I know it sounds crazy. But it can be done.

I used my usual cornbread recipe and made some modifications to remove the corn (including removing the baking powder…yes, that has cornstarch!). I also made it egg white free so that it’s better for me.

The result is a lightly sweetened cake that tastes almost just like cornbread. It even looks like cornbread…the egg yolks give it a nice golden color. All the picky eaters in my family loved it just as much as the original version.

It’s also very easy to make. Add the ingredients to a bowl, mix with a spoon, pour it in the pan and bake. My 18 month old helped me make it last night (he did some pouring, mixing and egg cracking…while I held him…the whole time…yes, it’s easy enough to make one handed while keeping a little one from spilling everything).

It makes a great pairing with chili. Or it’s a delicious breakfast topped with butter and honey or maple syrup. My personal favorite way to eat it is with lots of butter and a little sprinkle of sea salt. I love anything with a salty/sweet combo.

I have also added a soaked gluten free version. It is just as good as the original and easy on the tummy.

Can’t have corn? Try this corn free version of cornbread. You don’t have to go without anymore 🙂

This post is linked to Fat Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday.

Corn Free “Cornbread”

1/2 cup organic all purpose flour (or 1/2 cup white rice or tapioca flour)
1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour (or 1/2 cup amaranth flour)
1/3 – 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (depends how sweet you like it)
4 Tbsp. melted butter (you can also used coconut oil. It will give a little different texture)
1/2 cup milk or milk substitute
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
4-5 egg yolks (more yolks will make it more moist and more yellow)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9″ round pie pan.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix. Add the butter and milk. Mix. Add the egg yolks. Mix.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden and baked through.

 

Soaked Gluten Free Corn Free Cornbread

1/2 cup tapioca or white rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup milk or coconut milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, yogurt, whey or kefir
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
3 Tbsp. melted butter or coconut oil
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

In a medium bowl combine the flour, milk and lemon juice. Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 400*F. Grease a 9″ round pie pan.

Add the sugar and oil to the flour mixture. Beat well.
Add the eggs and sea salt. Beat well.
Add the baking soda and cream of tartar. Mix until just combined.
Immediately pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Simple Chicken Nuggets

I’ve made chicken nuggets countless times. I’ve made them in a variety of ways. But I have always used chicken breast or roasted chicken.

Last week I put chicken nuggets on my menu…then went to the freezer to get chicken…and found I had no chicken breast. Hmmm.

I did have some ground chicken, so I figured I’d go with that. I had no recipe and not a lot of time to prepare dinner. And I had my usual little “helper” in the kitchen (Abram thinks he must be held whenever I’m cooking so he can watch and try to get his hands on whatever I’ll let him).

I came up with an easy, delicious chicken nugget recipe that we all loved.

This is a great recipe if you’re trying to get your kids to eat homemade chicken nuggets instead of a fast food version. By using ground chicken you can make them round…or whatever shape you want really 🙂  They look like the typical nugget, but they only have good stuff in them.

I used a combination of bread crumbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese for the breading. You can skip the cheese if you want. And you can sub wheat flour, coconut flour or almond flour for the bread crumbs.

I also used egg yolks for a binder. If you can’t eat eggs you can leave them out. They will still hold together.

One other bonus about this recipe – they are baked. Don’t get me wrong, I love to fry things in healthy fat like coconut oil, butter and lard. But it can be messy and you have to monitor the stove. I like it when I can prepare dinner, stick it in the oven and forget about it until it’s time to eat.

You can prepare a large batch and freeze them for quick lunches any time. They didn’t last long enough here to freeze any 🙂  Serve them with homemade ketchup, honey mustard or barbecue sauce.

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday and Fat Tuesday.

Simple Chicken Nuggets
dairy free, nut free, grain free, gluten free, egg free options

1 lb. ground chicken (or turkey or pork)
2 egg yolks (optional)
seasoning (I used sea salt, garlic powder and seasoning salt)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

3/4 cup bread crumbs, wheat flour, coconut flour or almond flour
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.

Mix the chicken, eggs, seasoning and cheese. In a separate bowl mix the breadcrumbs or flour and cheese.

Take a small scoop of the chicken mixture. Drop it into the breadcrumb mixture. Roll it around until it is coated. Place it on the baking sheet and press down until desired thickness. Repeat until all of the chicken mixture is used.

Bake the chicken nuggets for 30-35 minutes, flipping them over after 20 minutes.