whole wheat maple oat muffins {egg free}

Please excuse the lack of "how to" photos. I made these on a whim after rolling what felt like a million Swedish meatballs. During my only 1.5 free hours on Wednesday. The recipe turned out much too good for me to not share right away. They are delicious, warm, maple goodness.

It is a good feeling when you make something wholesome and delicious for your family to enjoy on the go. This is defiantly that. My girls have been loving them and eating them as we fly out the door in the morning. I think you should make them this weekend. Seriously, what is more appealing than a freshly baked muffin? That's right. Nothing.

Whole wheat maple oat muffins

makes 12 large muffins

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for brushing tops

1 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 cup quick cook oats, plus 1 tablespoon for tops

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flower

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Place 12 paper liners in a muffin pan. In bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes. With the mixer on low add the banana, vanilla, sour cream, and milk. Turn mixer to lowest speed and add the flower, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until just mixed. Scoop batter using and ice cream scoop into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 30 minutes until the tops are brown and a cake tester (aka: toothpick) comes out clean. Brush tops of muffins with maple syrup and a sprinkle of uncooked oats. Mostly because it looks pretty and it give the eater an idea of what they are about to consume.

**If you like you can add 1 egg or an egg replacer after creaming sugar and butter. We are an egg free family. The texture turns out light and moist with the sour cream and mashed banana.

Any suggestions as to what I should bake this weekend?

xoxo

d



Pumpkin Oatmeal

Want a spooky and healthy start to your day? Add some pumpkin to your oats. It was so yummy, and the kids thought so too. Plus I could pass it off as a spooky October breakfast because it was orange! Total win in the "make your kids a healthy breakfast department" Somehow it doesn't look very orange in the photo...you get the idea though...

What you need:

1 serving of Your favorite cooked oats, we cooked ours stove top
1 heaping tablespoon Canned pumpkin, not the pie filling
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, agave works here too (one mixed in and one over top)

The toppings:

A splash of cream
Candied pecans
Dried cranberries

I will now pat myself on the back and get on with the day :) . I hope yours is wonderful.

xoxo
d

Allergy mom + a breakfast sandwitch

I have been putting this post off for some time. See that sweet baby girl, she has some serious allergies. After a severe reaction to her first scrambled egg on Christmas, we found out she is allergic to eggs and and peanuts.  I know people live with allergies and do fine, but it is so different and scary when it is your own child. You can feel so out of control when taking them into another environment. Needless to say I am learning more and more every day so that I can make things easier for her as she gets older.

The best way I have learned to deal with these allergies so far, is to be over prepared. I bake egg and nut free muffins and treats for her and pop them in the freezer. That way if we go somewhere I can bring one along and I know that what she is snacking on is safe. I have eased my fears and she is not left out. I have been reading lots of allergy sites, cook books and informational books. But we have mostly been changing our lifestyle. It has been hardest on Ella, sometimes she just wants a scrambled egg and some peanut butter....but lifestyle change. We are now a peanut free house. And we don't eat scrambled eggs. Instead tofu scrambles. Ella is such a sweet big sister, She is starting to understand and look out for her baby sis. She is always asking what is safe for Olivia and not. I am really proud of her.

Above is one of our "go to" egg free breakfasts. Everyone loves it, so I thought I would share:

Tofu breakfast sandwich

Firm tofu, sliced 1/4 in thick

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon oil

2 slices bread

1 slice cheddar

1 slice ham, bacon, or other meat

Slice tofu and pat dry. Heat oil and butter over high heat. Once hot place tofu in pan, you want to hear the sizzle. Once browned, flip over. Meanwhile toast and butter bread, layer cheese and meat. Once tofu is crisp place on top of the cheese to melt. I will admit that I have (only one time)  first cooked the bacon and used some of the grease to fry up the tofu. Wow, now that was good too.....

xoxo

d

Ps. If you know of any good allergy sources, don't be a stranger :)...I am in the learning process over here.

What's in my cookie jar? : A little coffee shop love at home

We are a coffee shop kind of family. There is nothing we like more on a free morning than to go sit enjoy a coffee or hot cocoa together. But, not every day can be that way unfortunately. This is one of those great recipes you can throw together if you have a well stocked pantry and enjoy a "coffee shop" morning at home. And it can be done the night before or last minute when you find you have a morning or mid-afternoon guest over. Does it get any easier? I think not.

Petits Pains au Chocolat
Recipe adapted from epicurious

Ingredients

2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed, each sheet cut into 12 squares

1 large egg beaten to blend with 1 water

Chocolate chips

Kosher salt 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Brush top of each puff pastry square with egg glaze.
4. Place 1T chocolate chips on edge of 1 pastry square. Roll up dough tightly, enclosing chocolate. Repeat with remaining pastry and chocolate.
5. Place pastry rolls on baking sheet, seam side down. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pastries with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate remaining egg glaze.)
6. Brush tops of pastry rolls with remaining egg glaze.
7. Sprinkle lightly with Salt (you can use sugar here)
8. Bake until pastries are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

These went so fast, needless to say they are not still actually in my cookie jar! Enjoy!

xoxo

d

recipe exchange.



I have been on a sugar induced Halloween hiatus....and I am happy to be back today participating in Pretty Mommy's recipe exchange yet again! Thanks Michelle! Gone is the whirlwind of costumes, candy (well almost), dry ice, and pumpkin carving goo. Bring on the holiday guests. And if your guests will be statying over I know you will need something ridiculously simple to wow in the morning. Especially if your day involves cooking a turkey. I think know you will love this warm and delicious cinnamon pull-apart cake from Sam the cooking guy. It is made from refrigerator biscuits! It cannot get any easier that this and no one will ever know. It will be our little secret.

Ingredients

• 3-10 oz packages refrigerator biscuits, quartered
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup raisins (feel free to improvise here, cherries or dried apricots would be great too)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine cinnamon and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl
3. Drop biscuit quarters in the bowl a few at a time and mix with your hands until evenly covered with cinnamon sugar
4. Meanwhile, combine remaining sugar and butter in a small pot over low heat until butter has melted - mix well
5. Scatter half the pecans and raisins in bottom of buttered bunt pan, and cover with half the coated biscuit quarters
6. Pour half the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and repeat again with pecans, raisins, biscuits and finally the rest of the butter
7. Bake in heated oven for about 40 minutes
8. Carefully turn upside down on a beautiful platter big enough to handle some dripping of the gooey carmelly stuff running down the sides and prepare to be adored by all...

I hope you are all having a great week and if you are still coming down of a sugar high like myself and dont want to throw away that Halloween candy just yet, check me out tomorrow. I have a recipe that you can use that leftover Halloween candy in! And if the mood strikes you today, make this.

xoxoxo
d

p.s. If you linger over one thing today, check out the other recipes from the exchange. Next up tomorrow is You + me equals. I wonder what they will be cooking up?

p.s.s. Any one interested in doing an "All things Ina" recipe exchange? Let's share our favorite recipes from the Barefoot Contessa...tell me what you think and I will set it up :)

Sunday, eat coffee cake.

Good morning. One of the best things about weekend mornings, brunch, etc is that you can eat cake for breakfast. Great right? I know you want to! I thought I would share one of my favorite tried and true coffee cake recipes from Barefoot Contessa. Here it is:

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.
Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

recipe via food network

You can have your cake in the morning and eat it too.

xoxoxo

d