chocolate chip pumpkin bread

today we kicked off our fall baking season with a favorite: chocolate chip pumpkin bread. it really feels like autumn today. yesterday morning i finally felt a fall chill in the air, and it was sunny, but windy all day, which blew in a wonderful thunder and lightning storm last night.

this morning we woke up to gray skies. awe, my favorite kind of day. this wonderful gloomy weather seems to be lasting all day and it feels cool out and has been raining off and on. dreary days like this are a rarity in albuquerque, so we all treasure it when we get one. and, of course, baking just calls out to me on a day like this. and now that it's fall, we simply must start making pumpkin everything! so, first up, dinah (and charlie) and i made this mostly healthy and very delicious chocolate chip pumpkin bread. i can't remember where i originally found the recipe, but i've tweaked it here and there anyway, so i won't bother with crediting the recipe this time. it's very low in sugar, moist, and full of all the heavenly fall spices like nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

chocolate chip pumpkin bread

1/3 c. avocado oil
1/2 c. honey (we only used a 1/4 c this time and it was fine)
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. almond milk
1 and 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice or cloves
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. mix together wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. in a separate medium sized bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. add to wet mixture and beat on low until thoroughly combined. finally, stir in chocolate chips and nuts. pour batter into the prepared pan. generously sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on the top and swirl into the batter to create a marble effect. bake for 55-60 minutes. let it cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before cutting.

dill pickles

  

today, we made refrigerator dill pickles. easy, cheap, fun, delicious. dinah and i planted a garden this spring and grew cucumbers for just this purpose: summertime pickling.

our backyard garden is doing well this year, and we've had a large bounty of cucumbers already, and twice as as many coming up behind the ones we've already harvested.

dinah's garden

hello there cucumber

the kids helped me harvest the cucumbers (probably the best part if you asked them), and dinah helped me peel garlic, break off sprigs of dill, and measure out the salt, red pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar. i did the cutting and arranging of cucumber spears and pouring of hot brine. charlie stood by, eager to help, but mostly just sat on the countertop watching us, swinging his toddler feet clad in dinah's too-big rain boots while grasping a too-big cucumber we weren't going to use.

this year, i used wide mouth pint size canning jars and filled seven. i'm not sure how many cucumbers i used. lots. a large pile of them...probably like 30-40 small cucumbers.

refrigerator dill pickles

you'll need:

cucumbers

jars

garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

fresh dill

red pepper flakes

salt

apple cider vinegar

water

for the brine:

2 c. apple cider vinegar (use a high quality vinegar; one with "the mother" (i use bragg's organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar))

2 c. water

3 TBS salt

place in each clean jar:

2-3 smashed garlic cloves

a small handful of dill

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

once everything is placed at the bottom of the jar, pack in the cucumber spears or coins. leave about an inch of space from the top. i usually top with a sprig of dill for good measure. once arranged, pour the hot brine over the pickles until covered. secure the lids and leave out until they've reached room temperature and then store in your refrigerator. let them sit for 48 hours before trying them. they will store in your refrigerator for several weeks, though they'll never last that long around here!  

warm lentil salad

we've been eating a lot of salads lately. our daily dose of greens is usually the nutritional area my family and i are lacking in. we are generally healthy eaters, or at least conscientious about what we choose to put in our bodies, but for some reason, our veggie intake is always less than it should be. recently, i have taken a few measures to try and mend this deficiency.

i throw two large handfuls of raw kale into my daily blueberry and yogurt lunchtime smoothie. dinah and charlie drink about half of it, so there's a good punch of greens for them midday as well. and i've been sending raw veggies with dickie to snack on while he's at work.

i've also started preparing a large chop salad every few days that i keep on hand in the fridge. it's filled with kale, spinach, romaine lettuces, sprouts, onions, carrots, cucumber, celery, and broccoli. having it prepared and ready to go makes it easy to munch on throughout the day and it's always ready for me to serve on the side of whatever meal we're having that night for dinner.

along with changing up our day-time eating habits, i've been experimenting with vegetable-loaded dinners lately, and i've found this lentil salad to be the most satisfying and delicious one so far.

the arugula is the perfect base, because not only is it pretty to look at, but it's also flavorful and spicy, and very rich in antioxidants and so many different vitamins. the lentils give it a ton of fiber and protein, so you end the meal feeling full and satisfied. the sweet potato, oil, and spices pack it full of warm and comforting flavor. the roasted garlic bits provide bursts of flavor and crunch to each bite and the poignant crumbled goat cheese throughout gives it a pleasant creamy quality as well. seriously, one of the tastiest salads i've ever had.

originally, i was inspired by smitten kitchen's spicy lentil and butternut squash salad, but i've made so many changes to it at this point, that i'll just claim it as my own recipe.

first step: soak your lentils. they say soaking maximizes the nutrients found in lentils. and lentils, like all beans, naturally contain phytic acid, an anti-nutrient, which interferes with the absorption of minerals, like iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. so, soaking them helps our bodies absorb all the good stuff and aids in digestion, so it's easier on our tummies too. although this is an ancient practice, i've also heard on more than one occasion that it is a myth, so who knows if it's really beneficial or not. but either way, soaking doesn't cause harm and it reduces cook time, so why not? anyway, once sufficiently soaked, drain the lentils and rinse them and cook as you normally would.

soaking lentils

other than soaking the lentils, the rest of the meal is pretty quick and straightforward. also, just a note, i didn't have any arugula on hand when i made this yesterday, but I did have baby kale, so that's what i used. arugula is much better, and what i prefer to use, but baby kale works too.

warm lentil salad

1 c dry lentils (i used green)

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 sausage links, cooked and sliced ahead of time (optional, oh and hot italian pork sausage is my favorite)

12 oz arugula

4 oz crumbled goat cheese

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

5 TBS olive oil, separated

salt and pepper

lentils:

soak, pour 1 cup of dried lentils into a pot, cover with about an inch of salted water. bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until they are soft. drain excess water and set aside to cool to room temperature.

sweet potatoes:

preheat oven to 425 degrees. peel and cut potatoes into bite sized pieces. arrange on a baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft. about half way through bake time, stir the potatoes and add the thinly sliced garlic, and return to the oven. remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

dressing:

combine cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. then add 3-4 TBS of olive oil. shake in a jar to mix well.

serve:

place arugula in a large serving bowl. top with lentils, sweet potatoes, optional sausage, and 3/4 of the crumbled goat cheese. drizzle with dressing, then toss to mix and coat. serve with a bit of crumbled goat cheese on top. should be served somewhere between warm and room temperature.

southwest white chili and cheese muffins

southwest white chili and cheese muffins

i got this chili recipe from a coworker years ago when i was a college student in missoula, montana, long before i ever traveled (and ultimately moved) to the southwest. the first time i ate this white chili, i had no idea what a staple green chile would become in my diet and how much southwestern cuisine would influence my life. 

i found the cheese muffins recipe from the pioneer woman's blog years ago. i first made these delicious muffins to go with a potato soup that we brought to our dear friends after their first baby was born. that baby has become dinah's best friend and every time i make these cheesy muffins, i think of our sweet baby girls meeting for the first time four years ago.

cheesy muffins right out of the oven

we have had very springlike weather so far this february, but a cold front was moving in yesterday, so dinah and i decided to take advantage of the (sort of) chilly weather and make some warm comfort food: a pot of southwest white chili and some cheese muffins to go with it.

shredded chicken and bone broth

generally, every other week, i boil a whole chicken and use the meat for all sorts of things ranging from chicken tacos to soups to casseroles and then i save the carcass for bone broth. i used some leftover shredded chicken and some of the bone broth in this recipe.

southwest white chili

2 TBS olive oil

2-3 pounds chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1 c. onion, diced

2 c. chicken broth

2 c. green chiles, diced

3 cans (19oz) white kidney beans (cannellini), undrained

4 tsp. garlic powder

4 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro (and more for garnish, if you like)

4 green onions, chopped (for garnish)

heat oil in a large pot over med-high. add cooked chicken and onion. cook 4-5 minutes, or until onion is soft and chicken is seared. stir in broth, green chiles, and spices. bring to a slight boil and then simmer for about 15-20 minutes. stir in beans, with their juice, and simmer another 5-8 minutes. serve in big bowl and top with cheese, chopped green onions and/or cilantro (we didn't have cilantro, unfortunately, so we went without, and it was still very good, but so much better with cilantro). makes about 10 cups.

cheese muffins

1.5 c. flour

1.5 TBS sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 c. shredded cheese (i used cheddar this time, because it's what we had, but colby-jack is the best)

1 c. milk

1 egg

1/4 c. melted butter

in a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then mix in cheese, gently. in a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. once mixed well, add to the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spoon to combine. spoon the sticky batter into a greased muffin tin. bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. makes 12 muffins.

rice krispies birthday cake

rice krispies sprinkle birthday cake

our sweet dinah, this blog's inspiration, turned four on sunday! all she asked for were sprinkles, so i planned the most colorful, happy, sprinkled cake i could think of.

also, after all the exuberance of the holiday season, january seems to be the time of the year we all want to cut back on rich decadent sweet treats, so i decided to forego the tradition heavy cake and make a lighter rice krispies cake instead. i used a traditional buttercream frosting though, because the pound of sprinkles needed to adhere to something, right?

i used this gluten free crispy rice cereal, rainbow sprinkles from nuts.com, and many many bags of mini marshmallows.

wishing she could eat her birthday cake for breakfast

rice krispies birthday cake

this makes a double layer 9 inch round cake

6 TBS butter

2 10.5 oz packages of mini marshmallows

12 cups of rice krispies cereal

2 tsp almond extract

prepare two 9 inch round pans with plenty of butter on the bottom and edges (i also used parchment paper on the bottom). melt butter in a large pan on the stove top. once melted, add marshmallows and coat with butter. melt over medium heat, stirring constantly (about five minutes). once melted, take off heat and add almond extract and stir in dry cereal. distribute evenly between both pans. pat into the pan with liberally buttered hands. let the cakes sit for an hour or more and then with a butterknife unmold cakes from the pans. 

almond buttercream frosting

1 cup butter, softened

2.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1- 3 TBS of heavy whipping cream

2-3 cups multicolor rainbow jimmies

whip the butter until smooth and then add powdered sugar and mix until combined. add extracts and cream and beat until light and fluffy. place the first cake on a stand, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top, then turn the second layer upside down and place on top of the first layer (this will give you a smooth top). gently press the layers together. pour the sprinkles in a baking dish and then frost just the sides of the cake. while holding the top and bottoms of the cake roll the sides in the sprinkles. stand cake upright on the cake stand and frost the top. then add sprinkles on the top. i cut out the number 4 from cardboard and laid that on top of the cake as i sprinkled around it. then remove the stencil carefully. 

oatmeal cookies (regular and healthy options)

healthy oatmeal cookies

today when i picked up dinah from preschool, her teacher told me she ate three (three!!!) helpings of lunch and then as i was buckling her into her carseat (about fifteen minutes after she had finished her third helping of lunch), she asked if i had anything for her to eat. whoa, this almost-four-year-old girl must be growing.

she ate an apple and some cheese as a snack as soon as we got home, but she wouldn't stop pestering me for something sweet to eat, "like cookies! yep, i need a cookie, mama!" since we had nothing on our agenda this afternoon and we're eating leftovers for dinner and it's even a cloudy cool day (perfect baking weather). so, i agreed, on the condition that they were healthy cookies. i got a thumbs up from dinah. as long as it's called a cookie and sort of resembles a cookie, healthy or not, dinah's happy.

these cookies use banana and molasses as sweeteners. okay, yeah. so, i realize molasses is sugar, BUT unlike refined sugars, it contains significant amounts of potassium, vitamin B6 and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. so, although it is a sugar, it's a nutrient packed healthy one.

oh, these healthy cookies passed the charlie test too

i made these molasses cookies today, and for being a healthy (aka boring) cookie, they're awesome and sweet and flavorful. but if you want a real oatmeal cookie, just keep reading....

healthy oatmeal molasses cookies

1 egg
1 banana, smashed
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c. blackstrap molasses
3 tsp. cinnamon
1.5 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. dried cranberries or nuts or chips (optional)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, banana, and molasses and mix on high until well-combined. in another medium sized bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and spices and mix with a spoon until well combined. add dry ingredients to wet, then add cranberries or nuts or chips, if you would like. mix until well combined. scoop out spoonfuls of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (these cookies are sticky). bake for 15 minutes. this should make about 24 cookies.

~~~

classic oatmeal cookies

okay. so, you want a real oatmeal cookie? these are amazing. literally, THE best oatmeal cookie i have ever had in all of my life. they are soft, sweet, hearty, chewy, chunky, not dry, not crumbly. perfect. i made them last week to take to a friend who just had a baby. i saved back a few for us, but we could have quite easily scarfed down the entire almost three dozen in an afternoon, no problem. they are that awesome. seriously. i got the recipe from sally's baking addiction, but used butterscotch chips and dried cranberries instead of raisins and nuts. 

also, something important to remember about these cookies. it's important to to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, because the dough is very sticky. it's supposed to be sticky. also, the cookies will look very soft and underbaked when they are done. don't leave them in the oven too long, but do leave them on the hot baking sheet to cool off for about five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

classic oatmeal cookies

1 c. butter, softened to room temperature

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. white sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 TBS vanilla extract (yes, a tablespoon)

1 TBS molasses

1.5 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c. dried cranberries

1 c. butterscotch chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a medium mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. add the eggs and mix until well combined. add vanilla and molasses and mix on high until well combined. in a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. add to wet ingredients, and mix on medium until well combined. add oats, cranberries, and butterscotch chips and mix on low speed. the dough will be thick and sticky and will need to be chilled for at least 30 minutes. roll balls of dough (about 2 TBS of dough per cookie and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. bake for 11 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides. the cookies will look soft and undone. let them cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. makes about 32 cookies. 

six layer lasagna

six layer lasagna

who doesn't love lasagna? meat, pasta, cheese, yummmm cheeeese. there's lots of cheese in my lasagna. this is my original recipe too. i have been making lasagna since high school (or maybe even middle school?). it's definitely evolved over time, but i've been making it this way for several years. this is probably the first time i've ever written the recipe down though.

a little bit of parsley in the cheese sauce gives it some color and little extra flavor

the layers in order: meat sauce, noodles, cheese sauce, and repeat.

dinah is very helpful with the noodles

sprinkling shredded mozzarella and parmesan on top

whenever i ask my husband what he wants for dinner, his answer is almost always "lasagna." he doesn't realize it's sort of a labor intensive meal. i enjoy making it, of course, but it takes some preparation, and time, and it requires somewhat costly ingredients and lots of counter space (which i don't have in our new house). even though we would like to eat it weekly, we don't. i usually only ever make it for christmas eve dinner and maybe one or two other times throughout the winter. not only is it kind of a chore to make, it's also probably not very good for us. there is lots of protein, but also a lot of cheese and pasta. delicious, yes. healthy, not really.

six layer lasagna

meat sauce:

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1/2 medium onion
1 lb of burger (it would be good with sausage (or half sausage, half beef burger), but i always use lean beef burger)
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or make your own. i, of course, have no time for this nonsense though!)

cook onion in a small drizzle of olive oil until soft, add garlic towards the end, and cook for another minute or so. add meat and brown over medium heat. pour off excess grease. add spaghetti sauce. heat through and set aside.

cheese sauce:

2-4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely diced
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
1 16 oz container of cottage cheese
3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, separated
1 1/4 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese, separated
2 eggs

place ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of the shredded parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, and two eggs in a medium size mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined. set aside.

noodles:

bring a large pot of water to boil. add noodles and boil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. drain immediately and rinse with cold water to avoid further cooking and sticking. spread out noodles on parchment paper to keep them flat until ready to use.

lasagna:

preheat oven to 375 degrees. spread half of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 inch rectangular baking dish. lay 6-8 noodles over the meat. spread half of the cheese sauce over the noodles. pour the remaining half of the meat sauce over the cheese sauce and spread evenly. lay another 6-8 noodles on top of the meat layer. spread the remaining cheese sauce over the top of the last layer of noodles. sprinkle with the remaining cup of shredded mozzarella and the remaining cup of shredded parmesan cheese. cover with tinfoil and bake for 45-60 minutes. remove tinfoil and bake an additional 10 minutes. let cool about 10 minutes before serving.