Food Doodles

Peanut Butter Graham Crackers

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pear Chai Oatmeal

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Homemade Cold Cereal

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Napa Cabbage and Tofu Stir Fry

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Basic Marinara Sauce

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Auto Draft

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

About

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:54:42 +0000

Hi, I'm Heidi. Welcome to my Food Doodles. I'm a 23 year old stay at home mom of two - an almost 4 year old boy and a 17 month old girl. I'm wife to a total carnivore and I'm very fortunate that he loves me enough to put up with my veggie loving ways(and me sneaking veggies into his meals :D). I love to bake and cook and experiment in the kitchen. I mostly like to keep things healthy, choosing healthy fats, natural sugars and whole grains and keeping the quantities of fat and sugar lower than they are in traditional baked goods and treats.

I'm very interested in nutrition and try my best to do a lot of research on the foods we eat, so hopefully I can pass a little bit of information on to you as well. It's so important to me to feed my kids well. At the same time we're not 100% strict about anything. We eat a mostly plant based diet, but we aren't vegetarian. We do buy eggs and meat locally, that is something that's important to us. Movies like Food, Inc and books like The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan have influenced how we choose to eat, but there are always times when we bend our food rules :)

One of my favorite hobbies is baking bread, although I've found it's very difficult to make a bread 100% whole grain so you will find most of my bread recipes contain white flour or gluten to help it rise. I still consider it better for us than storebought. I'm very picky when it comes to processed foods from the grocery store and as a result I make mostly everything we eat from scratch, but I'm always open to trying new things.

I've always had a love for photography. I took classes in high school but never pursued it. Now I finally have a chance to learn and experiment with it. I'm very new with it, so any help is appreciated.

All content is the property of ©FoodDoodles unless otherwise stated. All the stamps used on my site are courtesy of Obsidian Dawn.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:04:23 +0000

Recipes

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:39:27 +0000

I'll try my best to keep this page updated as I go along. Thanks for checking it out! Yeast Breads: Cajun French Quarter Rolls Whole Wheat Mountain Bread Fluffy 100% Whole Wheat Bread Quick Breads: Banana Bread Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bake Dips/Spreads/Toppings: Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip White Chocolate Peanut Butter Homemade Ketchup Tzatziki Homemade Seasoning Mixes: Homemade Taco Seasoning Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Sweet Snacks/Treats: Apricot Cookie Dough Bites Coconut Apricot Bites Chocolate Fig Truffle s Peanut Butter Granola Bars Frosty No Bake Granola Bars Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Chocolate Chia Seed Banana Split Parfait Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Peach Vanilla Fruit Leather Cinnamon Raisin Brown Rice Pudding Applesauce Apple Nachos Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Yogurt Dip Cookies: Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar Free Macaroons Meatless Dinner/Side Dish: Tart and Tangy Baked Beans Red Lentil Dhal Seitan Pepperoni Cuban Black Beans Mashed Potato Pancakes Simple Lentil Vegetable Stew Simple Broccoli Stir Fry Salads and Dressing: Greek Salad Dilly Cucumber Salad Wheat Berry Veggie Salad Smoothies: Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie Mocha Breakfast Milkshake(green smoothie) Oatmeal/Other Breakfasts: Healthy Mocha Oatmeal

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:49:15 +0000

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A Perfect Recipe for a Fresh Start

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:07:41 +0000

I thought a great way to start would be to post one of my favorite recipes. Now, I haven't had this recipe for long, in fact for most of my life I haven't been a huge fan of banana bread. I could never find a recipe that was healthy enough to meet my expectations that still tasted amazing. I mean banana bread sounds like it should be healthy, right? Unfortunately just because a recipe has a banana in it doesn't make it good for you. That being said I don't mind it when my kids chow down on this bread(and not just because I can't help myself either). So to keep things short and sweet...

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Slightly) Adapted from Mama Pea

3 bananas, mashed
1/4 C butter(melted and cooled)
1/4 C almond milk(or whatever you have on hand)
1/4 C brown sugar(or sucanat)
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the bananas, butter(or vegan alternative if that's how you roll) milk, sugars and vanilla. I've even reduced the sugar to 1/3 C total and it's works just fine. Mix all the dry ingredients then add to the wet and mix just till incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips. Pour your batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:54:08 +0000

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:59:03 +0000

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:55:52 +0000

You know things that at first seem awkward and weird. Probably how I seem to you reading my blog(or at least I feel awkward). You don't know me and I'm not good at introductions, but please don't judge me right away. Just like this dessert hummus. Yes it sounds weird, but it's amazing. In fact, my kids liked it even more than me and the entire recipe was gone in two days(which is saying a lot for my three year old). My toddler even specifically asked for it for days after it was gone. I'll admit I felt weird calling it hummus, so we call it cookie dough dip. That works for me :) Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip Recipe from The Wannabe Chef

2 C chickpeas
1/4 C natural peanut butter
1/4 C + 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 C chocolate chips

Rinse well and peel your chickpeas. I didn't peel mine and I still thought it was great, but I would recommend taking the time to peel them because it will make it so much smoother. I also like to use peanut butter that has no added ingredients so I added a tiny pinch of sea salt, but you don't need to. Throw your chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup or honey and vanilla in the food processor and blend till smooth. Taste, but resist the urge to add more sweetener. Just like regular hummus the flavors take time to come out so leave it overnight. Remove it from your food processor and stir in the chocolate chips. Serve with apple slices or carrot sticks or on top of graham crackers. Enjoy!

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:25:36 +0000

Cajun French Quarter Rolls

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:28:27 +0000

I love to bake bread. There's something about kneading dough by hand and then watching it patiently to grow and come alive. It amazes me every time. I know so many people are afraid of yeast breads, but I've found there are a few things you can do to guarantee that your bread will turn out alright. Of course there is a lot more to making good bread but these are just a few small tips that made a big difference for me, I hope they help you too. The first is, if you're kneading by hand, keep kneading. I've heard of over kneading bread, but I've never experienced it, and I kind of think it's a product of machines kneading bread for us. I doubt your arms will let you over knead. You want to knead till you can look at the underside of your bread and not see little rips and tears in the gluten. The underside should be really smooth. Second, is wait. My kitchen seems to be a lot colder than the kitchens of most bread baking cookbook writers. Don't assume your bread is done rising at 2 hours because that's what the book says. You need to poke it about an inch into the dough and if it springs back just leave it be. The hole should very slowly fill in, or not fill in at all. This means your bread has doubled(or for some recipes even tripled). Third, don't rush your dough. I made the mistake many times of putting my dough in a very warm place to rise to rush it along. And it never tastes as good. Patience leads to much better tasting bread. I'm just a beginner and hopefully I'll have more tips to share as I learn. Cajun French Quarter Rolls Adapted from Bread for all Seasons Sponge:

1 tbsp active dry yeast
pinch of sugar
1 3/4 C warm water
1 C plain yogurt
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour(the original recipe called for white bread flour)

Dough:

2 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/4-3 1/2 C bread flour

Cajun Spice Mixture:

1 1/2 tsp each: Garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, black pepper and cayenne or red chili powder
3/4 tsp thyme and oregano
pinch of allspice and mace

Mix the sponge and let stand 4-6 hours or up to one day in the fridge. Add salt and 1/2 cup of flour to the sponge and mix well and then proceed to mix in 1/2 cup of flour at a time till a dough forms. Turn out and knead till smooth and elastic not adding too much flour. Let rise two hours, or till tripled. Meanwhile, mix together the spice mixture. I only used a pinch of cayenne and it was a nice heat. If you know how hot your spices are you can adjust to your liking. Sprinkle your work surface with one tablespoon of the mixture and turn out the dough. Pat it into a 10"x18" rectangle and sprinkle with one tablespoon more of the spice mixture. Fold the two long edges into the center to meet and sprinkle the remaining spice over it. Fold in half lengthwise and punch the seems together I roll out the log to 30" long. Cut in half and then cut each piece into 3" sections to make 5 rolls. Set 10 rolls on a greased sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise 30 minutes or till doubled. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. I like to put a pan of water in the bottom to create a steamy oven. I also spritz the rolls with water before I put them in the oven, and then once ever couple minutes for the first 5 or so. This helps them grow and helps the crust become nice a chewy. Slash each roll in 1-2 places, 1/4" deep or less. Bake 20-25 minutes till golden. Serve warm.

Submitted to Yeastspotting

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Coconut Apricot Bites

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:05:14 +0000

I'm well known for my large sweet tooth. Some days I need something sweet after every meal. In fact my most recent health goal involves actually having something that can be considered a meal before I have something sweet. There's something about these that is amazing, and yet I can't eat more than one. Eating more than one probably wouldn't make me feel any worse(not like eating a second piece of cake) and yet it's so much easier to resist. Maybe because one is so satisfying. I keep them in the fridge and when they reach your mouth they melt. The almost tartness of the apricots is perfectly balanced with a tiny bit of salt and some honey. Feel free to you a different sweetener if you don't agree with using honey, but remember honey solidifies in the fridge where others may not. Coconut Apricot Bites

1/2 C dried apricots
1 C shredded unsweetened coconut
Tiny pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp raw honey

I like to blend half the coconut into a powder then remove it from the food processor and blend the apricots till they're in very small pieces. Then throw everything in the food processor and blend till it forms a "dough". Then either scoop and roll into balls or feel free to refrigerate till they firm up a little more before rolling as the coconut oil might liquefy if the dough is warm. You can even press into a pan, refrigerate and then slice like fudge :)

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Vegan Tangy Baked Beans

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:35:48 +0000

These beans may not be the prettiest things, but they are super tasty. If you want a boring, bland recipe this is not it. These do take some time and if you choose to use dry beans you'll need to soak them overnight, but they are well worth the wait, and the leftovers are even better. I believe the original recipe had apples in it, but that didn't sound very good to me so I've left them out. If it sounds good to you try adding 2 medium sized apples in. I find adding a little splash of liquid smoke is all it takes to get my husband to try things like this. Give it a try, you might like it. I have these pictured with some cheesy toast, but in reality we enjoyed them so much more with plain cornbread. I'll post that recipe soon as well. Tart and Tangy Baked Beans Adapted from "The New Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen

11/2 C dry pinto beans, soaked over night(alternatively you can use 2 cans of pinto beans rinsed well)
2 C chopped onion
1 tbsp oil
3/4 - 1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder(or more to taste - I always add more)
1 heaped tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard
4 large cloves garlic
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp liquid smoke(optional)
Black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
4 C diced tomatoes
2 C grated cheese(optional)

Cook beans in water while preparing the other ingredients. Fill pot up with water till 2" above the beans and simmer till tender. Saute the onions in oil for a few minutes, then add the salt, chili powder, cumin, and dry mustard. Continue to cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the vinegar, molasses and tomatoes and mix well. I like to blend the tomatoes so there are not so many big chunks, but that's completely up to you. Add in the cooked and drained beans and mix. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the mixture into a 8x8 dish. and cover with tin foil. Bake for 60 minutes then remove the foil and cook for another 10-20 minutes if you would like it thicker. If you want you can then top with the grated cheese and bake till melted. Serve with warm cornbread or even over brown rice with a veggie on the side.

Greek Salad

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:57:54 +0000

Who doesn't have a recipe for Greek salad? I'm sure everyone does even if it only means dumping half a bottle of store bought dressing onto some vegetables. Now I've got to say it... If there's one thing that scares me, it's store bought dressing. I've had some in the fridge since before my daughter was born and she's coming up on 16 months, and it tastes the same as always. Ew? That's not something I want to eat. There's one diet rule I think makes the most sense - if it doesn't go bad, don't eat it. With the exception being honey which, when raw and unprocessed is very good for you, and doesn't go bad. Really though, everything should go bad at some point. Even home made canned goods go bad after you open them. Home baked goods go bad, or even just stale after a couple of days. I think it goes without saying that Twinkies really creep me out.

That being said, here's my version of Greek Salad, that I'm sure everyone has a version of their own. You can serve it with pasta, or not. Either way it's awesome. Sometimes I add pasta as an excuse to just eat this as an entire meal. You can even use the dressing as a marinade. Greek Salad Dressing:

1/3 C Olive oil(Extra Virgin and cold pressed if possible)
2 - 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or finely minced

Salad:

1 large English cucumber
2 large tomatoes
your choice of a green or red/yellow/orange pepper
half a large red onion
1 can medium-large pitted olives
1 300g box of your choice of pasta(optional)
1/2 - 3/4 C feta cheese, crumbled

Mix up your dressing and put it in the fridge. You can do this the day before or even the morning before you want to serve it. At the very minimum you want to let it sit for an hour to let the flavors come out. Feel free to substitute fresh herbs for the dried, but be aware that you'll at least need to double the amount. You can also replace the herbs with 1 tablespoon of your favorite Greek seasoning, just check that there's no salt or you might have to adjust the recipe. Of course all the salad ingredients are to taste. If you love cucumbers and don't like tomatoes too much, add another cucumber and use less tomato. I didn't use a pepper this time, but sometimes I'll even add 2. It's completely up to you. I used a 300g box of multigrain pasta. That's almost 3/4 of a pound of dry pasta, but you can use a half pound or a full pound. Use whatever kind you like, I like this specific kind of multigrain because it's particularly high in protein, fiber and vitamins and minerals. Just compare your white pasta to a box of whole wheat or whole grain multigrain pasta. You might be amazed at what you find. If you use all the veggie ingredients and the pasta you'll need all of the dressing, but if you decide not to use pasta and don't increase the veggies you may only need 1/2 to 3/4 of the dressing. Just pour some on, stir it up and taste.

Chocolate Fig Truffles

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:06:19 +0000

These obviously aren't your average truffles, but as far as vegan truffles go these are amazingly good for you and super tasty. There's no added sugars or fats, just healthy whole foods. These are the kind of snack I don't mind my son snacking on before lunch time, even though they're chocolate-y. They travel well, they taste good cold from the fridge or at room temperature, you can make them whatever size or shape you want, and they don't cost a fortune to make. They're filling and satisfying and perfectly sweet, but don't make you crash 20 minutes later - unlike that cupcake masquerading as a muffin a lot of people like to snack on. What more can you ask for from a snack? Chocolate Fig Truffles 3/4 C almonds 1/2 C dates 1/2 C dried figs 1 tsp vanilla Pinch sea salt 2-3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder(or raw cacao for an added boost of antioxidants) Blend the almonds till they become a fairly fine meal - but not quite till they turn into butter. Remove from your food processor and add the dates and figs. Blend till there are no large chunks of fruit left. Add all the other ingredients to the food processor including the previously ground almonds and blend. Before it forms a dough stop the processor and taste a little and add more cocoa if desired, then continue to blend till a dough forms. Scoop and roll into balls, press into cookie cutters for fun shapes, or press into a loaf pan and slice into bars. You can also press whole or roughly chopped almonds into them for a change of texture or roll them in cocoa powder to cut the sweetness. These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature but we prefer to eat them straight from the fridge.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:31:23 +0000

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Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:57:31 +0000

I have to be honest... I already feel like I'm falling into a rut of posting a lot of recipes that everyone already has one of. But how can I not? I'll admit, I am a granola fanatic. I have probably hundreds of granola and granola bar recipes saved. And when I make them, they're usually gone within the day. I really just can't help myself around them. So when I find a really yummy recipe, how can I help myself? I have to share it! Even though I'm sure pretty much everyone already has a recipe for granola bars somewhere, I'm still posting this one. It's really yummy. They freeze well, taste good even straight from the freezer, aren't that bad for you in the grand scheme of granola bars and they're super simple. Perfect, right? For some of the fruit I used some plums that I dried last summer from the fruit trees in our yard. I have a bad habit of over drying my fruit, so if your fruit is really firm and in large pieces make sure you chop it up into pieces about the size of a dried cranberry otherwise when you slice your bars it will crumble a little. You can also reduce the brown sugar and use 2 tablespoons if you want as they're fairly sweet, but I'd just leave them as is ;)

Peanut Butter Granola Bars Adapted from Plum Pie who adapted it from Ina Garten Makes 12 to 16 bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter(or any other nut butter you would prefer)
1 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (I used a mix of dried cranberries and dried plums)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter a 9x13 pan. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together in a small bowl. Using a food processor, pulse half the almonds, oats, and coconut mixture. Toss the ground oats mixture with the other half of the oats mixture and spread on a sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flaxseed. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute and take off the heat. Stir in peanut butter, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the chopped dried fruits and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers or use the back of a spatula and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares.

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White Chocolate Peanut Butter

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:39:47 +0000

So I saw this recipe posted over at How Sweet It Is the other day and I knew I had to try it. I've never had this kind of peanut butter seeing as the town we live in seems to only carry basic things. Honestly, I think it's amazing they carry nutella at all - not that we ever buy it. We have hazelnut trees, why would be want to buy nutella? Anyways, enough rambling(it must be the sugar high)... So needless to say I've never tried any flavored peanut butter, and I really couldn't resist. White chocolate and peanut butter? Yum! And I was right, it's amazing. Even though I substituted peanut butter for the peanuts and just chose to mix it all up with a spoon rather than in a food processor. I may have also guessed the end amount of peanut butter to be less than it actually would have been leading to a higher chocolate to peanut butter ratio. Oops? I think it was a very yummy oops. In any case this peanut butter is far too dangerous to keep in the house all the time so you'll be happy to know it's already gone :) Recipe from How Sweet It Is makes about 3/4 cup

1 1/2 cups dry, roasted peanuts (I subbed about 1/2 C of our favorite natural smooth peanut butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil(I used peanut oil - just make sure you use something flavorless)
1/3 cup white chocolate chips, melted

Add peanuts to a food processor and blend until a thick nut butter forms. Stream in oil and vanilla with the processor on, continuing to run it until the mixture is smooth – this took me about 3-4 minutes. You can add more oil if needed, just do it in small increments. Turn off processor, add melted chocolate, and turn processor back on. Blend until smooth. Or if using peanut butter just add everything to a bowl and mix. And make sure to lick your spoon. Lots. Because I did it and I highly recommend it :D

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Our (Most Recent) Favorite Green Smoothie

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:30:29 +0000

We go through a lot of green smoothies. I drink them when I feel like I need more greens. I don't personally feel the urge to sit down to a giant plate full of spinach, but I quite regularly crave it in the form of a fruity smoothie. This is our most recent favorite. We change things up according to what we have on the counter and in the freezer and lately we've had plenty of bananas and frozen strawberries. I don't know what it is about this smoothie but it's so addicting. At first sip it's not the most amazing thing ever, but after a few seconds you have to take another sip. That's how getting my daily greens should be. As for the addictiveness... It must be the strawberries and my body wanting it to be spring already :) Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie 1 large over-ripe banana 2 handfuls of spinach(about a cup and a half packed) 1 C milk or water 1/2 C frozen strawberries(or a few more :) ) 1 tbsp ground flax seed Add the banana, spinach and milk or water to your blender and blend till smooth. If you've never had a green smoothie before, try adding only 1 cup of spinach and see how you like it. I think over time we've just added more and more and we really honestly don't notice it. I usually add water or almond milk just for myself but for the kids I use full fat dairy. Both taste good. Blend till there are no spinach chunks. Then add the strawberries and flaxseed meal and blend again till smooth. If you'd prefer yours to be sweeter(sometimes the strawberries can be kind of sour), try adding a small Medjool date and make sure you blend till it's completely smooth again.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Would you be interested in a recipe for pudding that you can eat everyday and not feel bad about? Or maybe that you can incorporate into your diet to help with weight loss? Or a recipe for chocolate pudding that makes a really healthy afternoon snack that keeps you full till dinner? Really, I'm being totally serious... because this is it. Chia seeds are amazing little things. They're high in protein and fiber and so many different vitamins including B vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, manganese, and zinc. They are a good source of calcium and omega 3 fatty acids which we could all get more of. We love sprinkling them over cold or hot cereal or on top of yogurt and fruit or even blending them in smoothies, but this is probably our favorite way to enjoy them. Just wait till you try it, this is amazing. It's not your typically smooth and thick chocolate pudding but it's rich and completely satisfying. And it really fills you up.. You wont need to go back for more 10 minutes after you've finished because these amazing little seeds are so full of fiber. Oh, and guess what. It's super simple. Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe from Love Veggies and Yoga

2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 C unsweetened almond milk(or your favorite alternative)
2 tbsp agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup or stevia to taste
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together. It may take a little time to incorporate the cocoa, but eventually it will. I used about a tablespoon of brown rice syrup because I like the flavor and then 10-15 drops vanilla stevia to make up the difference, but use whatever you have on hand and like to use. After everything is mixed, cover and leave on your counter for 20 minutes before enjoying. Or you can leave it in the fridge overnight and enjoy the next day. The chia seeds continue to absorb the liquid they are in so you may need to water your pudding down with some more almond milk if you leave it till the next day. You can top your pudding with fresh fruit or just eat it plain :)

Oh, and hello from in the spoon :D

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:48:04 +0000

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Whole Wheat Mountain Bread

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:05:48 +0000

I think I mentioned last time I posted about bread how much I love making it. I really really love making bread. Just the feeling of dough in between my fingers and feeling the gluten stretch when you knead it. And knowing that people throughout history have done the same thing for centuries. Awesome. This dough however, manages to frustrate me every time. It is super sticky. So when you're kneading it, make sure to keep your fingers floured and your surface floured. Not too much, just enough to keep it from sticking. It's also useful to have a scraper of some kind for when it does get stuck to your counter so that you can scrape it off and not lose any. That being said, this bread must be worth the frustration because I keep making it.

If you love molasses, great. Feel free to use all molasses in this recipe. I use regular baking molasses(not blackstrap and not fancy) but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Keep in mind that blackstrap is very potent stuff, so maybe half honey and half blackstrap would be good. And remember that fancy molasses is the sweetest of the three, so using all fancy molasses will give you a fairly sweet bread. Or if you don't like molasses at all, try it with all honey. No matter which way you do it, this bread is really yummy and filling and freezes well like all bread usually does. I let it cool completely, sometimes overnight, then I slice it before freezing so it's really easy to take out a slice and toast it at a moments notice. Sometimes that's important when you have a toddler :)

Whole Wheat Mountain Bread Slightly adapted from Bread for all Seasons Sponge:

1 C cold water
1/2 C cornmeal
1 1/2 C boiling water
1 1/4 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 C honey or molasses(or a combination of both)
1/2 C warm water
3/4 C dry buttermilk powder
1/2 C wheat bran
2 C whole wheat flour

Dough:

1/3 C olive oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 C whole wheat flour
3 - 31/2 C bread flour

Whisk together the cold water and cornmeal. Let sit for 5 minutes then add the boiling water and whisk together. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over the 1/2 c water with 1 tsp honey or molasses in a separate bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Add buttermilk powder(I haven't been able to find this so I just used milk powder and added a tbsp of vinegar), remaining honey or molasses(I used about 1 tbsp honey and the rest regular baking molasses), wheat bran, and whole wheat flour to the cornmeal and water along with the softened yeast. Mix well and set aside, covered, for one hour. It will double. Sprinkle oil, salt, and sesame seeds over sponge and mix in. Add bread flour 1/2 c at a time till a soft dough forms. Turn out and knead till smooth, about 2-4 minutes. Don't add too much flour as the dough should be sticky. I found it to be very sticky, but the end result is very good, so don't aim for dough that isn't sticky. It will be considerable less sticky after it rises. Coat with oil and leave dough 2 1/2 - 3 hours till doubled. Turn out and divide into 4. Roll into tight round balls(you may need to use a little flour or else it will stick to your surface and your hands) and place 4" apart on parchment lined sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with wheat bran, the cover with a towel and let rise about 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If you can, gently tuck the sides of the loaves underneath itself to make higher loaves, but be very careful not to deflate them. I usually place a dish of water in the bottom of the oven when I turn it on to make it steamy inside. This will help the bread spring up in the first few minutes of baking. Put loaves in the oven and bake 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes till done. You may need to loosely cover the loaves in a piece of tin foil to prevent them from over browning near the end of baking. Submitted to Yeastspotting

Chocolate Chia Seed Banana Split Parfait

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:38:00 +0000

After making chia seed pudding for the first time a few days ago I couldn't resist experimenting a little. Pudding for breakfast sounds awesome right? So of course my thought pattern led me to thinking of what I could add to it to make it into a breakfast I wouldn't feel bad about. Getting some fruit servings with my pudding for breakfast? Yes! So I added what I had and realized it tasted like a banana split. Of course you could add pineapple if you want. That is a main part of a banana split isn't it? I honestly can't remember, and I didn't use it this time, but I would in the future. In any case, I'd add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple cut into small pieces or use canned pineapple tidbits just try to get the unsweetened kind or you'll be adding more sugar than might be good for breakfast.

Chocolate Chia Seed Banana Split Parfait Serves 2

1 recipe Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding made at least 30 minutes before or made the night before and immediately put in the fridge till morning
1 large banana, sliced
1/2 C strawberries, sliced(fresh or frozen)
1/2 C pineapple in small chunks(optional)
2 tbsp strawberry jam

If you want you can layer your parfait starting with strawberries, then banana and pineapple and then chia pudding ending with a few banana pieces and then a dollop of your favorite jam. Or you can just mix the fruit and pudding together and then top with jam.

Frosty No-Bake Granola Bars

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:30:00 +0000

There are two things that are important to parents of small children. Fast and easy snacks and a readily available bathroom. We've mostly gotten past the need to have a bathroom within 20 seconds of us at all times but the need for snacks is one that may never go away. Seriously? Who doesn't love having snacks waiting in the freezer or cupboard for you whenever you may need them? While these don't travel well, they are super fast and I find they're a good size for my 3 year old. Not to mention they are so adaptable. Whatever sounds good to you... Try it! I'm betting they'll turn out amazing. They are rather hard when they first come out of the freezer, but after a few minutes they've warmed up enough that they're easy to eat. They're especially awesome on a hot summer day :)

Frosty No-Bake Granola Bars Adapted from Oh She Glows Makes 12

2 large overripe bananas
1 cup oats
1/2 cup crunchy cereal
2 tbsp pure maple syrup(or any other sweetener you use)
2 tbsp peanut butter or other nut or seed butter
2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp dried cranberries or other fruit
2 - 4 tsp cocoa powder

Line a muffin pan with paper liners, or use a silicone muffin pan for easy removal. Mash the bananas. Add wet ingredients and cocoa powder and mix well. Add all other ingredients, mix well then press into prepared muffin tin. Freeze at least 60 minutes before serving. Angela from Oh She Glows recommends eating them while they're still soft, but we like keeping them in the freezer for easy snacks. We also use a homemade cereal that stays crunchy but use whatever you have. I've even used toasted buckwheat before and it works really well and stays crunchy.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:00:51 +0000

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Red Lentil Dhal

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:35:59 +0000

I love Indian food. Seriously love it. Curry of all kinds, the chutneys, the bread, the rice, the spices, and especially the desserts. I grew up in a city with a lot of Indian communities and went to a lot of different Indian restaurants in the time that we lived there. Those are some amazing food memories. I don't ever remember having dhal, but the moment I saw a recipe for it I knew I would love it. Over time I've kind of made my own recipe, adding spices and leaving things out. This is my version, however un-authentic it may be. Feel free to make it your own :)

Red Lentil Dhal

1 C red split lentils
4 C water
2-3 1/4" slices of ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch cayenne
2 tbsp fresh cilantro(optional)

Combine lentils and water and bring to a boil. Add the ginger slices, garlic and turmeric. Turn down and simmer covered for up to 1 hour. Stir occasionally, especially when it starts to get thick as it will stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Near the end of cooking, remove the ginger and add the salt. You don't want to add the salt too soon or it will interfere with the lentils softening. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter or oil and then fry the cumin seeds and mustard seeds for a minute till they begin to smell toasted and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the ground coriander and cayenne, stir and then add to the lentils that have finished cooking. Stir well and serve over rice or with flat bread garnished with cilantro if desired. We even use it as a dip for veggies.

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Apricot Cookie Dough Bites

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:38:38 +0000

If you've read my blog at all you know I make things like this quite frequently. In fact we usually always have something similar stashed away in the fridge in case of a sweet tooth attack or a sudden toddler or baby meltdown. My husband has been away all week(what am I saying, it's only been 3 days...) and we've been in quite the munchy mood. We haven't really sat down to a real meal, except when someone else was cooking for us. Instead it's mostly smoothies, socca crackers(which I hope to post soon - they are amazing) and fresh fruit. There could be worse food ruts to be in I guess. I'm very glad I finally got to rolling these out and making raw "cookies". I think they're so cute. These were fairly large though so I kind of think of them as bars. If you do roll them out, keep in mind they're sticky so you might want to wrap them right away and put them in the fridge. Again, if you use a sweetener other than honey they might stay sticky. With honey these firm up in the fridge and don't stick to one another. No matter what you use they'll still be yummy. And if you don't have the time to play with your food, just quickly press the mixture into a loaf pan and slice into bars. Doesn't get simpler than that :D

Apricot Cookie Dough Bites

1/3 C cashews
3/4 C dried apricots
1/3 C oat bran
2 large medjool dates
1 tsp vanilla
tiny pinch sea salt
1/2 - 1 tbsp honey or other liquid sweetener

First add only the cashews to your food processor and grind till a fairly fine powder(not too much, or you may end up with butter). Remove the cashews and add the apricots and dates and grind till there are no really large chunks. Then add in all the remaining ingredients including the previously ground cashews. Start by adding 1/2 tbsp of honey(or other liquid sweetener) and process. If a dough forms within a minute you wont need any more. Remove from the food processor and chill for 20 minutes then roll into balls or roll out between two pieces of saran wrap or parchment paper and cut with cookie cutters. Store in the fridge.

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Mashed Potato Pancakes

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:42:04 +0000

The only potato pancake recipes I see on a regular basis use raw grated potato. I have to say I never had those growing up. My husband was actually the one who introduced me to them. Growing up my mom only made potato pancakes with leftover mashed potatoes so those are the ones I love the most. After seeing all the colcannon recipes online after St. Patty's day I was craving them so I made some but with some spinach I had in the fridge. Of course you can use your favorite mashed potato recipe if you'd rather do that or feel free to leave out the spinach and just use the green onions. You can also reduce the amount of pancake "batter" you make by half if you don't have as many leftovers. I have to say besides green smoothies this is up there on my favorite ways to eat spinach because you can hardly taste it at all. I also couldn't choose a condiment to go with these as you'll notice in the pictures. In the top ones there is homemade ketchup and the bottom ones have a mushroom gravy - both recipes I'll post in the near future because they're really good.

Mashed Potato Pancakes Mashed Potatoes:

10-12 small or medium russet potatoes
3 large handfuls spinach
3-4 green onions, white and green parts
1/4 C butter
3/4 - 1 C milk
1 tsp salt plus more to taste

Pancakes:

4-5 C leftover cold mashed potatoes
2 large eggs
1/3 cup whole wheat flour(optional)
A pinch extra salt

Cut the potatoes into chunks and cover with water. I fill my 5 quart pot about 1/2 - 3/4 full with potatoes if that helps. Boil till tender when poked with a fork. The time this takes will depend on how small you cut the potatoes. Drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the pot used for the potatoes and add the spinach. Add the green onions and cook till the spinach is wilted, stirring well. Add the potatoes back into the pot and mash with a potato masher. I usually leave mine with a few lumps, but mash till your heart's content. Add in the milk and salt and mix well. Taste and add salt and milk as needed. The potatoes shouldn't be too dry. Serve as is or cool before making pancakes. To make pancakes, take about 4 - 5 cups of leftover cold or just cooled mashed potatoes and add two large eggs and 1/3 cup flour if desired. I forgot the flour this time but they would probably hold together better if they had it. Mix well. Also add a pinch more salt. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a tiny bit of butter, about a teaspoon for the whole pan. Drop 1/3 - 1/2 cup at a time and then flatten to 1/2" with the back of a spoon or flipper. The mixture will be sticky and wet. Cook over medium for 7-9 minutes each side checking to see that the bottom is golden before flipping. Repeat with the remaining batter or save in the fridge for a couple days. Enjoy with ketchup, gravy or just plain.

4 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:32:32 +0000

If there's anyone following my blog you must think I'm a pudding addict. I seriously don't love pudding that much and don't usually eat it, but after seeing the filling for these tartlets at Manifest Vegan I knew I had to try it. I halved the recipe just to try it out. There's no way that will happen next time, this stuff is just too good. Next time I would substitute in about one ounce of unsweetened chocolate for some of the chocolate chips to make it a little more dark chocolate-y and a tiny bit less sweet.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Recipe from Manifest Vegan(scroll down to the comments section)

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips(if you are vegan or are cooking for a vegan make sure the ones you buy contain no animal products because some do)
5 tbsp smooth peanut butter(I used natural with no added ingredients so I added a tiny pinch of salt)
1 1/3 C unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp vanilla

In a small pot over medium heat whisk together the almond milk and peanut butter. Heat till the mixture boils. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and chocolate chips and whisk till the chips are melted and everything is smooth. Pour into individual bowls or ramekins and cover. The pudding will firm up considerably in the fridge so don't worry that it's really runny. Chill a couple hours till firm and serve cold. I think a full recipe would serve about 4 for dessert or 6 if you really stretched it and served it with some fresh fruit.

Homemade Ketchup

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:56:39 +0000

So today I thought I'd share my ketchup recipe. Just this last fall was the first time I made this and next year I will cook it more than I did last year. This batch turned out a little watery and not at all ketchup-like but the flavor is great and without any funky ingredients. It will be way better once it's cooked more to reduce it to a ketchup-like consistency. I have adjusted the cooking times to reflect that but feel free to test it as you go by dropping a little on a plate to see how it holds up. I know to a lot of people it seems tedious and unnecessary to make things like this when they're so easily and cheaply bought at the store. While being cheaper when you buy large quantities of tomatoes - or grow your own - it's also amazingly satisfying to have made your own ketchup. Who else can say that? Not to mention you don't need to worry about the amount of sugar or corn syrup in the final product because you can adjust it how you want. You can also pick the ripest tomatoes and therefore not have to add as much sugar to make up the sweetness that should naturally be in the tomatoes. You don't need to worry about added colors and preservatives. This is not something you have to wonder about where the ingredients came from which is a great feeling. While I canned mine, if canning makes you nervous you can always freeze it in small quantities and thaw it as needed. It lasts in the fridge for quite a while after opened or thawed - I would say at least 2-3 weeks.

Homemade Ketchup

10 C chopped fresh tomatoes
1 large onion
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp whole cloves
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 tsp paprika
dash cayenne
dash allspice

First peel your tomatoes. Have a boiling pot of water, slash a small X on the bottom of each tomato and drop into the boiling water for about 60 seconds. Remove and plunge into cold water and then the skins should easily peel off. If not, return to the boiling water for a few seconds. Chop roughly and simmer the tomatoes with the onion for 30 minutes. Blend together using an immersion blender(this will not remove the seeds) or put through a food mill. Put the whole spices, cinnamon, cloves and the garlic cloves into a pot with the vinegar. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove the spices. Meanwhile, boil the tomatoes till reduced by half, stirring frequently. Add the spiced vinegar(I pour it through a strainer to remove the spices), brown sugar, salt, paprika, mustard powder, and all spice. Boil over medium high for 20 minutes till thickened. To can, pour the mixture into sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Put the lids on and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. Should yield about 2-3 pints. I assume that you would be able to freeze this as well, making sure to cool completely before freezing, and stirring well after it's thawed to mix back in any water that has separated. I've served this on Mashed Potato Pancakes as in the pictures, and homemade hamburgers, veggie burgers, homemade fries. Anywhere you would use ketchup :) Process and original recipe from Stocking Up by Carol Hupping Stoner under the title Catsup.

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:29:01 +0000

I've finally come to the realization that I love recipes for things that you can easily buy at the store. What's easier than buying a package of taco seasoning? But have you ever looked at the ingredients list? There are usually some pretty weird things in there, just have a look.

I know for certain people, watching their salt intake is really important. Not that it isn't important for us all to keep an eye on how much salt we take in, but this way you can actively manage how much salt you're adding. In fact, you can even leave the salt out completely and then add just as much as you need to your final meal, just a tiny pinch because we all do need a little salt in our diet. Not to mention just a little salt on top will help bring out the flavors without adding a ton of sodium. To enhance the flavors a little more you can even add a squeeze of lemon or lime. Or add some fresh salsa on top of your meal. Yummy!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

8 tbsp chili powder
6 tbsp + 2 tsp paprika
6 tbsp cumin
4 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
Crushed red pepper, to taste

Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight container Use 3 heaping tbsp along with 3/4-1 cup of water per 1 pound of ground meat or about 2 - 2 1/2 cups of a vegetarian alternative. You can also adjust the salt to taste if you prefer, although I'm pretty sure the recipe as is, is already less than a regular package of seasoning you buy from the store. Be aware that you may need to add more spice to flavor your food. This recipe makes quite a bit because I love to have it ready and waiting in my spice drawer in case I need it, but feel free to half it if you want. I like using these on vegetarian burritos with refried beans, a tomato sauce and a sprinkle of this spice, whatever veggies you like and a little bit of cheese if you want. All wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Or my favorite way to use this is with leftover rice and beans. I add a couple spoonfuls of spice to a bowl full of rice and beans and mix it, and then top with leftover veggies and heat it up or top with freshly roasted veggies. A perfect lunch :)

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:39:20 +0000

Peach Vanilla Fruit Leather

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:43:53 +0000

I almost feel bad posting a recipe for fruit leather. There are so many places where you can find the process written out step by step and then with that knowledge you can blend any fruits you want and make whatever flavors you can possibly think of it. You can add spices and extracts and you can even steep tea bags in your fruit purees. You can add sugar if you want, or you can add some sweeter fruit(like I did with the banana in this recipe) or you can even add 100% fruit juice to sweeten it. It is an endless world of possibilities and yet commercial fruit leather companies hardly have any fruit even in their product! They look good, but I'd much rather have one of these.

Now I'm not sure how this recipe will fit into baking sheets. I have read that an 18" x 14" pan will need about 2 1/2 cups of puree but I haven't tested this myself. If that's true this recipe should make about 2 full baking sheets. If you try that method let me know. I do have more fruit leather recipes to post so I will test that out before I post more. If you don't like bananas in baked goods you might want to sub something else for the banana in this recipe or just leave it out. Taste for sweetness before spreading out to dry though. My husband loves fresh bananas but can't stand them in baked goods and he immediately asked if I added banana to this fruit leather. Oops..

Peach Vanilla Fruit Leather

5 cups fresh peaches(or previously frozen or canned without or with very little added sweetener)
1 cups applesauce or fresh apples
1 large overripe banana
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vanilla extract
water if needed to blend

Puree all the ingredients together. You can leave the skins on the peaches and apples if you want, just make sure to puree them very well and add water if the mixture is too thick. You should be able to drop a spoonful of puree and still see the shape of the drop and then shake the pan and have the surface of the puree be smooth. I puree my fruit in a pot with an immersion blender and then I warm it slightly before spreading it in my dehydrator, but that isn't necessary, I usually do that because I use frozen fruit. Spread evenly over the sheets in your dehydrator and dehydrate about 8 hours but this will depend completely on how thick your fruit puree is, how wet the puree is and how hot your oven or dehydrator is. Or spread on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper(or brushed lightly with oil) and bake in your oven on the lowest temperature. After spreading the mixture out I give the pan a shake to smooth the surface out. Make sure to rotate your pans every few hours once they're in the oven and switch them if they're on different racks. I even needed to switch the order of my shelves in my dehydrator. Make sure to check the leather frequently near the end regardless of whether you use the oven or a dehydrator as you want it to be barely dried and not crispy. Remember it will be firmer once it's cooled too. If your fruit leather is still sticking to the pan or ripping in places because it's too wet and not lifting off in one large piece then return it to the oven to dry out some more. Once the leather is done, remove it from your sheet and slice using a pizza cutter or a large knife and roll in wax paper or parchment paper and secure with an elastic. If storing for a long period of time you might want to keep them in the freezer. They thaw very quickly so just leave them on the counter for 5-10 minutes before unrolling.

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Cinnamon Raisin Brown Rice Pudding

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:34:54 +0000

Up until Tuesday we were a one car family. It never really bothered me much. I don't mind scheduling things for one day when we can drop my husband off at work and take the car for the day, and even that was a rare occurrence. There really isn't anything that exciting going on in the town we live in anyways, and anything that is going on we can walk to. That's right... By town, I mean four stoplights.

Now that it's been so spring-like, sunny, warm and awesome we've been walking all over. In the last couple weeks we've been walking like crazy. Walking with my mother and sisters in law, by ourselves, for long walks, short walks, walks just for the sake of walking. I couldn't help it, we just had to get out of the house, and it's great. But now for the few days it's been raining pretty much all day and now we have a vehicle. We could decide on a whim that we want to go to the park on the other side of town, or to the swimming pool, or all sorts of things. We could suddenly decide we wanted something else for dinner and go to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients. But really? Let's just stay inside and built forts out of bedsheets till it stops raining. That sounds like more fun to me :)

And the perfect snack for a day inside filled with fort making... Rice pudding sounds good. I was never much of a rice pudding fan. Or maybe I just said I didn't like it as a kid because my dad didn't like it and if he said so it must be gross. I can't remember why I eventually tried it, but maybe it was the smell of my mom making brown rice pudding. White rice pudding I'm not sure if I like, but this stuff is amazing. And the smell of it cooking... I wont even go into it...

Brown Rice Pudding

Adapted from Healthy Food For Living here and here

2 C water
1 C short-grain brown rice
1/2 C cooked wheatberries
pinch of salt
4 C milk of choice
1/3 C honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
generous 1/2 C raisins

Cook rice in 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer 40 minutes. Remove rice from the heat. Add the wheat berries(if you have some and want to use them, they add a great chew to the pudding, but it's not necessary - just what I had on hand this time), milk, honey or other sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon to the pot with the rice and stir well. I always add a little more honey at the end of the cooking so don't be afraid to do that. If you taste it right away keep in mind it will cook down quite a bit so the sweetness will be concentrated. Also, we usually only have full fat milk in the house for the kids so I use half dairy milk and half almond milk or even slightly more almond milk to dairy. This way is still incredibly filling and rich. Bring to a low boil over medium-low heat, stirring often. Cook for about 30 minutes till the rice becomes very creamy adding the raisins in the last 15 minutes of cooking. At the end you'll need to stir more frequently to prevent it from scorching on the bottom of the pot, be very careful. Once thickened turn off the heat and leave on the stove for 10-15 minutes. Then you can either serve warm or chill in the fridge and serve it cold. Either way is good, but it's best served warm on a cold rainy day :)

Homemade Applesauce

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:20:12 +0000

I love grocery shopping. I'm not a huge meal planner, but I do have a general idea of a couple meals I want to make and I go through the fliers and buy things that are on sale. I don't know what it is, I just really enjoy it. My son is just starting to recognize what's on the shelves but he's easy enough to say no to as I try my best to not buy processed foods, especially ones that we can make at home with better ingredients. Occasionally he'll point out the movie character on a candy package(and by candy I mean fruit snacks, granola bars, sugary cereal and other similar things), and I just acknowledge it and move on. It seems to work well so far - I hope it continues. Since we like to buy mostly fresh ingredients, our fridge gets packed at the beginning of the week and is usually fairly empty by the end of the week. But the one thing that makes me feel really bad at the end of the week is bringing home my groceries to find a forgotten couple of apples in the back of the fridge or some other fruit or veggie that's been hidden all week and forgotten about. Usually it's easily fixed by chopping up broccoli for a stir fry or blending leftover spinach from last week into a smoothie on the same day, as soon as we find it. But sometimes when you forget about apples they get softer. If there's one thing we don't like, it's soft apples. We all turn up our noses and leave soft apples in a corner in the fridge, or on the counter. The good thing is as long as they aren't really bad, they're perfect for applesauce, soft or not. At the beginning of apple season we went a little crazy and bought mass amounts of apples because they're even tastier if you haven't bought any all spring and summer because they aren't local or organic or very good tasting when they aren't in season. For the first while we ate apples all day every day but then they started to go soft so I made huge batches of applesauce and put them in the freezer. Perfect applesauce any time :)

I know this is a little different, this is more like a process rather than a recipe, but I just want to share it with everyone. After buying applesauce at the store for the last time a few months ago I was determined to share how I make applesauce because I had never realized how bad store bought is. This is so easy and so much better than what you buy from the store.

Homemade Applesauce

Apples
Water
Lemon juice
Cinnamon and cinnamon sticks

Applesauce tastes best when a couple different kinds of apples are used. If you pick an apple that's flavorless your applesauce wont taste very good unless you balance it with some flavorful apples. Also if you use apples that aren't very sweet, such as granny smith, your applesauce will need a lot of sugar to taste good. Using a couple granny smith apples along with more sweet apples can be really yummy though so don't avoid them completely. Quite often when I use sweet, good tasting apples I don't need to add any sugar at all to have fantastic applesauce, so choose your apples wisely if you want to avoid adding sugar. First, wash and core your apples, you can leave the skin on if you plan to puree the applesauce or if you have a food mill to run it through. I left the skins on and pureed the applesauce that's in the pictures, you can't even tell the skins are in there. If you like chunkier applesauce you'll want to peel the apples first otherwise you'll be left with chunks of apple skin. Use a pot proportioned to the amount of apples you want to use and put an inch or so of water in the bottom along with 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice - this will help the apples from turning brown. You can also throw in a couple cinnamon sticks if you like. Put your cut up apples into the pot. I usually just quarter my apples, they don't usually take too long to cook so I don't cut them any smaller. Stir the apples so that the lemon juice is spread over all the surfaces. Put the pot over medium high heat until the water in the bottom begins to boil, then turn down to low and put a lid on the pot. Remove the lid to stir every 10-15 minutes or so watching the consistency of the apples. It will depend on the kind of apples and how big they are, but you'll be able to see when they're done. You should be able to take your spoon and easily poke through a piece of apple or squish it against the side of the pot. And if you're using particularly mushy apples they'll turn into applesauce all by themselves as they cook and as you stir them. When you see that your apples are cooked you can use an immersion blender to blend it all till smooth after removing the cinnamon sticks, of course. You can run it through a food mill or even put it in your blender to blend it. But my favorite method is taking a potato masher to it and mashing it by hand to leave some apple chunks in it. Now taste your applesauce. If it needs a little sugar you can add it, but don't add too much. Tart applesauce can be really good too and if you have truly sour applesauce you don't need much sugar to take the edge off the sourness so start small. Or if you really want to avoid adding sugar consider adding a different, sweeter fruit after you've pureed it. You can also add some ground cinnamon or try experimenting with different spices. You can even add a tbsp or so of vanilla(depending on how many apples you used originally) to make it extra special. Like I said before you can experiment by adding different fruit purees. Start small at first and taste to see if you want more. Who needs store bought anyways? This is so good for breakfast, a snack, added to baked goods or even just plain for dessert.

Tzatziki and Pita Chips

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:57:02 +0000

So the weather here is slowly getting worse. It's like we're going back into winter, not into spring. It was rainy and gray for the last few days of the week but then this morning it started slushing(you know, in between rain and snow) and then as I left with the kids to get eggs it was full on snowing. Now, I'm never one to get mad at the weather. Why get mad at something no one can control? In fact the snow was really beautiful, really huge flakes, like clumps of white cotton candy falling from the sky.

I should really start taking my camera with me everywhere I go because on our way to get eggs(which unfortunately we can't walk to as the people we get our eggs from live on the other side of town and way too far away) we pass by so many orchards and the snow falling in amongst the leafless trees is really pretty actually. If you can get past the fact that it's April :D

I love having dips and spreads in the fridge at all times. They're super simple and quick and easy for snack time and this one is really tasty. I know a lot of tzatziki recipes call for spices like dill but this one is just plain. Go ahead and add it if that's what you like.

Tzatziki

2 C thick greek yogurt
4-7 cloves of garlic
1 long English cucumber grated and squeezed to remove excess juice
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tsp lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
a pinch of sugar if needed

First, grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess liquid. You can use paper towels but I just like to use a dishcloth and press it very well and then let it sit while I combine the rest of the ingredients. I've even used a very thick regular yogurt and it didn't turn out too watery as I really squeezed the liquid out of the cucumber. If you use greek yogurt and it's too thick feel free to add milk or even a bit of water. Use as much garlic as you like, keep in mind that if you use smaller cloves you'll need more. I like to use a good quality olive oil that gives it's fruity flavor to the tzatziki. Combine all the ingredients together with a spoon and let sit at least 2 hours in the fridge before serving. Before serving have a taste. You may need more salt or if your yogurt isn't super fresh you may need a pinch or two of sugar as yogurt gets more and more sour as it ages and might not taste as good as it should. I served these with greek burgers, raw veggies or even just with fresh homemade pita bread or pita chips. The pita chips in the picture were made by brushing a few pitas with olive oil and sprinkling with sea salt and then baking in a 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn. You can also add any spices you like, or even rub the pita before you brush oil on it with a garlic clove that's been cut in half.

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Cuban Black Beans

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:16:24 +0000

... And we're back to the beautiful weather here. We just spent the last two hours outside, tidying up the garden(by tidying I mean keeping the mess down, because it's never very tidy) and playing with the neighbor kids in the sun. So much fun! It feels good to be outside in a T-shirt again, soaking up some sunlight. But very weird that we had an inch of fresh snow on the ground yesterday. Now that we're back inside lunch feels like a good idea, even if it is 2 hours late. Good thing these beans make awesome leftovers. They even freeze really well so if you want to double the recipe you don't have to fear the endless leftovers.

I know these aren't the most attractive. Really, I do. I tried to make it look as pretty as I could, but unfortunately, this was the best I could do. But don't let it scare you off, these beans do taste pretty darn good which is why they're here. If you don't like cilantro, I'm afraid you're out of luck, just come back for my next post - I promise it's cilantro free.

Cuban Black Beans Adapted from Eat, Live, Run

1 C dry black beans, soaked overnight
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
Most of a bunch of cilantro

Saute the onion for about 5 minutes in oil in a medium sized pot and then add 1 clove of garlic. Cook for a few seconds then place the beans in the pot and cover with water by 1". Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cover(leaving a crack open). Cook for 1 hour. Give the beans a good stir, add the rest of the garlic, and half the cilantro after chopping it. Return to a simmer and cook another hour till the beans are tender and the water is thick. You can always add a little more water if your pot is getting too dry. Once the beans are soft add the salt and add more cilantro if desired. You can serve these over brown rice or like we did in homemade corn tortillas or just on their own.

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Seitan Pepperoni

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:09:10 +0000

I'm actually on a streak of savory recipes here on Food Doodles. This really surprises me even though it wont be for long. When I first started this blog I thought I'd be stuck only posting sweet things. That's obviously what I love the most even though I'm trying to cut down on the amount of sugar we consume. And usually I don't like fake meats. They're kind of a pet peeve of mine, but this is an exception.

There are so many real foods that are so much better for you and taste so good so I always wonder why people cutting out meat, immediately go for fake meats at the grocery store. I can understand it's a familiar thing, but open your mind. You don't need meat or a substitute to have a complete meal. Like I said, this is an exception. My meat loving husband loves this stuff. I made half a recipe, and it lasted a day and a half. While it was in the house my husband kept going to the fridge to steal slices, and couldn't stay away from it even before I took pictures. I had to be fast to get these pictures! Even the kids loved it. The texture is great, and it tastes fantastic. We'll be making it again for sure, but not as a replacement for meat, just because it's good as it is.

Seitan Pepperoni Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

1 1/4 C vital wheat gluten
1/4 C nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (use more for spicier pepperoni)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 C water
4 tbsp tomato sauce
1 1/5 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients and separately mix wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix as well as you can. Turn out and knead with your hands for a couple minutes to make sure all the ingredients are mixed. Roll into a 7" log(or you can half the recipe like I did. I made a 4-5" log and baked it 10-15 minutes less) and roll in foil. You can use the foil to squish the log into the proper shape because it will be fairly difficult to shape. Twist the ends of the foil to seal it. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning over once halfway through. Remove from the oven and unwrap to allow it to cool. If you're not serving all of it right away, store in the fridge in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic wrap.

Apple Nachos

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:18:27 +0000

Yes, I know, this just looks like a mess on a plate. But hear me out, this may be the most amazing snack ever. Although I may have gone a little crazy with this plate. Just type apple nachos into Google and you'll get plenty of hits, but I got my inspiration from How Sweet It Is. These are such an awesome snack. We've been making these for a while now. Drizzle, sprinkle and toss whatever toppings you like on them. Seriously, anything goes. There are so many different options. Any kind of nut butter or sauce, any kind of nuts and dried fruit, even coconut would be great. Any mixture of spices that you want. You even get to choose the kind of apple. My kids love this. Not that they don't love plain apples, but sometimes it's nice to dress them up :D

Apple Nachos

1 large apple cored and thinly sliced(I like mine fairly thin. It creates a higher topping to apple ratio, but whatever you like)
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp chocolate sauce
2 large pinches cinnamon
2 tbsp chocolate chips
3 tbsp mixed dried cranberries and raisins
1-2 tbsp chopped pecans

Slice and layer your apples on a plate, drizzle with the peanut butter and chocolate sauce(or caramel would be amazing) and sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over top. If you use dairy free chocolate sauce and chips this is a vegan treat. Of course all the measurements are approximate and everything is to taste. Add whatever sounds good to you. This should be enough for a snack for two, but I wont tell if you don't share ;)

Vegan Gluten Free PB+J

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:24:53 +0000

I've been wanting to post this for a while. A while being a week, I think. Time seems to be flying by lately. I think it's because it's spring and there's so much to be done. The yard needs keeping up, the house needs a good organizing and spring cleaning. Seeds have been planted and need taking care of and soon the garden will need to be tilled and planted. And that leads to a whole new realm of "too much to do". Doesn't it always seem like time is going by faster when you need more of it?

Is it weird that I still always make time for the kitchen? I kind of thought it was at first, but now I realize that's what grounds me. If I'm feeling overwhelmed I spend time in the kitchen making something and I feel a ton better. Of course eating something yummy after helps sometimes too :D I obviously don't watch our gluten intake but I'm always interested to see what you can make gluten free. While this might not be like your typical bread, it's pretty awesome. Even if you eat gluten regularly this still is a nice change and still tastes good. Just don't expect it to taste exactly like bread. It makes the perfect base for a pb+j. Or a peanut butter and banana sandwich is great too.

Cinnamon Coconut Raisin Bake Recipe (slightly) adapted from The Edible Perspective

3/4 C chickpea flour
1/2 C raw buckwheat flour (ground from raw buckwheat groats, not Kasha)
1/4tsp salt
2 tbsp sucanat or pure cane sugar
1 C water
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
1/3 C raisins
1/4 C unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well until fully combined. A large whisk works really well. Grease a 9x9 square pan [or 8-9” round pan]. If using the sq. pan bake for 35 minutes. I used an 8x8 pan as that was all I had, so I just added a couple minutes to the bake time. Once it's cool remove it from the pan. I cut it into quarters and then sliced my piece in half through the middle and spread my favorite peanut butter and jam on either side. Leftovers were good for at least another day but then started to dry out a little, so be warned. I don't see why you couldn't freeze it though if you can't eat that much right away.

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Mocha Breakfast Milkshake

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:21:12 +0000

Gorgeous weather only means one thing to my husband in April. Fire. We have a fairly large yard with a lot of trees so come April(the only month in spring that we're allowed to burn) we do a lot of burning. Today is a beautiful day so my husband and son have been out there for an hour already getting ready and starting a fire. My daughter and I on the other hand have been cleaning up the house so we(read: I) don't feel bad spending the rest of the day outside, neglecting the inside of my house. This only means one thing. No time for a breakfast that takes a long time. Throw it in the blender and drink it up. Quick, easy, done. Did I mention it tastes good? Heck, I'm categorizing this under dessert because it's that yummy. That's why I'm calling it a milkshake. And who doesn't want a milkshake for breakfast? I shared this with both kids, but realistically I would have drank the whole thing to myself if I could have.

Mocha (Green) Breakfast Milkshake 1 1/2 large frozen bananas 1 large handful spinach 1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder 2 tsp instant coffee 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 C oats 3/4 C almond milk(or more for blending) Throw everything in a blender and blend till very smooth. I like to blend the banana last after everything else is blended till smooth, but this depends on your blender. You may need to blend things in stages. Do what works best for you. Enjoy!

Wheat Berry Veggie Salad

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 13:35:23 +0000

Usually I love pasta salads. Obviously, they need to have a good dressing, but making one at home isn't hard at all. I try to choose a good whole grain pasta and lots of good veggies and fresh herbs, and then it suddenly dawned on me. I have a cupboard full of wheat berries. Probably about 30lbs I would guess. Who can pass up 20lbs for $10 of local wheat? Obviously not me. Anyways, I figured I should try them some other way other than grinding them for bread so I decided to cook them and use them in a salad. They're super chewy and good. And talk about filling. This salad isn't very big but it will easily serve 2 for a meal or 4 as a side. And the wheat berries are completely unrefined, and super good for you :) You don't have to worry about what ingredients are in your pasta.

Springtime Wheat Berry Salad

1 C cooked and cooled wheat berries
1 large carrot
1 large stalk of celery
1/4 C finely chopped sweet onion
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Soak wheat berries overnight and then cook in fresh water(at least 4 times the amount of berries) in a pot for 1-1 1/2 hours, till chewy but tender. Cool before adding to the salad. Chop veggies in small bite sized pieces and mix all together in a medium sized bowl. Mix together dressing and pour over the salad. Mix together and store in the fridge till ready to serve or at least 1 hour to let the flavors come together. Serves 2, or 4 as a side and lasts for a few days in the fridge. Feel free to try some different veggies in here too. I think cherry tomatoes would taste so good mixed in :)

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 03:53:16 +0000

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 03:53:48 +0000

Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Yogurt Dip

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:08:15 +0000

I hope you've all had a great weekend! The weekend started for us on Friday because my husband gets every second Friday off work. We spent the day shopping out of town on Saturday but beyond that we spent the majority of our time at home, outside in the yard. I actually got one garden bed that runs most of the length of our house completely weeded. I have no before pictures to show because I was too embarrassed to take a picture, but once the flowers start to bloom and fill in the empty spaces I'll be sure to post a picture or two. I do want to start branching out and posting things other than food, but I'll see how that goes. Now I just have to keep up with my garden bed because I know that grass will come back. While I dug and ripped and scooped every last bit of grass and weeds out the kids ran around the yard, my son played next door at the neighbors sandbox for a little while and my daughter figured out how to go down her little toddler slide by herself, among other things. It was such a good weekend. It's a good thing I squeezed in time for these though. My daughter literally inhaled them. She's at the stage where she usually eats fairly slowly but every time I turned around she had finished off another and another and another. All that playing outside must have made her super hungry. Not that these weren't amazing :D

Pumpkin Pie Spice Sweet Potato Fries Inspired by Joy the Baker and adapted from her recipe here

1 sweet potato/yam/orange-fleshed potato cut into thin fries
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large egg white
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp sugar(optional)

Cinnamon Yogurt Dip:

1/2 cup plain Greek or regular yogurt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Sweetener to taste (I used vanilla stevia but any sweetener will work fine. Honey would be especially good)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your sweet potato into fries by cutting the ends off first then slicing lengthwise into thin slices then chopping each slice into fries. Line a sheet with parchment. The sweet potatoes at my grocery store are particularly huge, in which case you may want to double the oil, egg, spice and sugar. This recipe should normally serve one, but my sweet potato would have fed at least 2 adults. Whisk oil, egg and spices and sugar if using till slightly foamy and pour over the fries. Toss till evenly coated then arrange in a single layer. Bake approximately 40 minutes or till the desired level of doneness is reached. While the fries are baking mix up the yogurt dip. When the fries are done, serve immediately with dip.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:06:44 +0000

I realized yesterday that I used a spice mix and so today I thought I'd share how I make that mixture at home. While I don't really have a problem with buying a mixture of spices from the store, it is nice to be able to make your own at home and save money doing it. We love this spice mixture in pumpkin pie smoothies, sweet potato fries, sprinkled over sliced apples and obviously in pumpkin pie. Anywhere you use pumpkin pie spice, this will taste awesome. You can even adjust it to whatever you like. Love cloves? Add more. I know I do :)

Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe adapted from this recipe found on Allrecipes

4 tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp ginger
3 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves

Mix all the spices and store in an airtight container. I usually just throw it all in the jar I'll be using to store it, seal it tightly and shake. You can keep a 3 year old busy for quite a while using this method ;) You can also scale the recipe up to make more if you use it on a regular basis.

Simple Broccoli Stir Fry

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 22:24:54 +0000

I know I've mentioned how small our town is. To put it in perspective, we have one Chinese restaurant. We have another restaurant that offers some ethnic options, but it's not nearly as good and just recently we acquired a Thai restaurant. Very exciting stuff, haha. We very rarely order Chinese food let alone order out. We ordered it maybe twice in the last three years apart from eating it at someone else house a few times. It's a nice treat sometimes but we always feel sick to our stomachs after. There's way too much salt and sugar and unhealthy fats. So to avoid wanting to order out I make stir fry's quite often(although I'm sure my husband dreads the words "stir fry" coming out of my mouth because it usually never involves meat.) To me, this tastes way better than take out. And honestly, it takes very little time. I chop all the veggies in the morning or early afternoon and then cover them and keep them in the fridge till dinner time. This is so handy. If you work all day it's frustrating to have to chop veggies for 20 minutes before getting to cook when all you want to do is eat. And if you have little kids, dinner time is usually when they start getting cranky and making dinner takes way more time than it should. Good thing the veggies don't mind being chopped up ahead of time. The night before when you have a few minutes after everyone's gone to bed, or before work in the morning, or whenever you have a few minutes. Then the rest is fast and easy.

Simple Broccoli Stir Fry

2 small(or one very large) bunches of broccoli, including stems peeled and chopped
2 cups mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1 tbsp oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp mirin(Try to find one with the least sugar added. There should be fairly minimal ingredients. If you can't find it, omit or replace with a pinch of sugar)
2 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp water(or another thickening agent)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 C sesame seeds
2 bunches of soba noodles cooked and drained(or you can sub rice noodles or whatever other noodles you like)

Prepare your broccoli and mushrooms(or other veggies - my husband doesn't like mushrooms so I usually add sliced carrots or celery or even snap or sugar peas) ahead of time. Boil and salt your water and put in your pasta to cook. Once the pasta is done drain and set aside. Heat your oil in a large pan and saute your garlic, either minced or put through a garlic press. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the mushrooms(or carrots and celery). Stir well and cook till they just begin to release their juices. Add the broccoli. You can add the stems first if you like and cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the florets but I usually add it all together because I like the crunch of the stems.

Pour about 3-4 tbsp of water in the pan and immediately cover. Cook just till the broccoli turns vibrant green, just a few minutes. If you're using snap peas add these just in the last minute before you add your sauces as they don't need long to cook. The veggies should still be crunchy at this stage but will continue to cook for a couple minutes as you make the sauce so don't cook too long. Remove the lid and add the soy sauce, mirin and chili sauce. Mix then immediately add the cornstarch and water and mix quickly. Continue to mix till the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and add the sesame oil and seeds. Then add in the noodles, mix well, add more soy sauce as needed and serve. Top with more sesame seeds and some chili sauce of choice.

Detox Friendly, Vegan, Gluten-free, and Sugar Free Macaroons

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:51:17 +0000

I mentioned sweets are my thing right? I really can't resist. Every once in a while I cut all sweets out, except natural things like fruit, and a bit of raw local honey in my tea. I of course allow myself the occasional indulgence, but I've realized that it's not the occasional treat on the weekend that does any damage, it's the sweet snacks every day or the not-so-good habits I fall into. Eventually after cutting out all sweets I let my guard down and slowly allow sweet habits to start again. These cookies however, are a nice sweet treat that has an amazing ingredients list. I find if I can keep my blood sugar in control, I can resist anything and these cookies are perfect for that. While the original recipe on Oh She Glows and Healthy Hoggin' looked amazingly good too, I don't like adding that much sweetener to anything pretending to be healthy - even if it is as good for you as maple syrup is. That's why I love this recipe. No added sweeteners(unless you dip them in chocolate, like me. I couldn't help myself with the last few cookies that were left and I definitely recommend it). No flour. No added fat. No nuts, no gluten(if you make sure all your ingredients are gluten-free), and no guilt. All natural and totally delicious. The texture almost reminded me of shortbread. Almost buttery and not too sweet and almost sandy because of the coconut. I'm not sure what it was, but these are fantastic. I'm sure the original recipe is even better, but for now I'll stick to these ones... and just dip them in chocolate as an indulgence :D

Coconut Banana Macaroons Recipe from Peanut Butter and Ginger

1 C unsweetened coconut
3 large dates
1/2 banana
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 C rolled oats(certified gluten-free if that's an issue)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Blend just the coconut in your food processor till it becomes butter. Add the remaining ingredients except the oats and blend well then add in the oats and pulse just till combined. Scoop by half tablespoon full onto a lightly greased sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes just till the bottoms are golden(this took me a few more minutes and they turned out just fine). Cool completely before dipping in chocolate if desired. For the chocolate(keep in mind some chocolates aren't vegan if you're baking for someone who is), I would use about a half a cup of chocolate chips and about 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil and see how far that goes. I dipped mine in chocolate when there were only a few left so I'm not 100% sure of how much it will take. I melted the chocolate and oil in the microwave, being careful not to burn(heat for 10-20 seconds, stir, and repeat till smooth) and then dipped each cookie individually and placed on a wax paper(or silicone baking mat)lined baking sheet. When they were all dipped I put them in the fridge for 10 minutes just till the chocolate set. The chocolate will melt very easily due to the coconut oil which tastes great but can make a mess, so be careful and store them in a cool place.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:25:57 +0000

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Simple Lentil Vegetable Stew

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:06:58 +0000

Even in the spring I crave soups and stews. I love any kind of soup. There's something about it that's so comforting and while I made this and finished it a few days ago I'm wishing I had more of this soup because today is a rainy and gray day - perfect for soup. But even if it were sunny this soup is awesome. It can be gluten free - if you still want pasta in it just make sure to add a gluten free kind. I didn't add it to the recipe because I just used leftover pasta that was in the fridge. I'm also not sure how gluten-free pasta would stand up to being in the fridge in the soup, so keep it separate and add it to your individual bowl just before serving. But the whole grain pasta I added was just fine for a couple days in the fridge with the soup. I happen to think this soup makes better leftovers than fresh soup, but that might be because I just heat it up and eat, no work involved. You could also add a few good sized handfuls of chopped fresh spinach to this soup in the last couple minutes of cooking, I think that would be lovely, and an amazing way to get your greens.

Simple Lentil Vegetable Stew Serves 4 or 6 as an appetizer or with a salad on the side

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 bay leaf
2 tsp thyme
4 C diced tomatoes in their juice(or 3 C and a little extra water if using fresh)
1 C water
1/2 C dry green or brown lentils picked through and rinsed(or substitute one can of your favorite beans drained and omit the added water for a much quicker meal)
1 large handful fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes then add the carrots and celery. Stir well and cook for 5-6 more minutes and then sprinkle with thyme before adding in the tomatoes and water and bay leaf. If you don't want chunks of tomatoes you can use tomato sauce or you can puree a large can of diced tomatoes. I used a quart jar of my homemade canned tomatoes but a store bought 35 oz can would work fine. You can also use fresh tomatoes, but you should peel them first by dunking them in boiling water for 30-60 seconds till the skin is loose. If using canned tomatoes you'll want to add a pinch or two of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. If you want a thinner soup feel free to add more water, or for a more stew like consistency just add the 1 cup mentioned in the recipe. Add the lentils and stir well. As a side note you can omit the lentils and 1 cup of added water and add a small can of any kind of your favorite beans after the vegetables are tender and just heat through, add the parsley and serve. I've tried chickpeas, great northern beans and even red kidney beans and they're all delicious. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cooked for about 30 minutes or till the lentils are tender. Chop up the parsley an add it to the pot, reserving some for the top of each bowl. Remove the soup from the heat, remove the bay leaf and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with fresh bread or leftover noodles mixed in(gluten-free if that is a concern) and a little bit of parsley on top.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:55:36 +0000

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:17:06 +0000

Fluffy 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:30:30 +0000

I am so excited about this recipe. I made it twice in as many days because I had to try it again. My daughter ate two slices with butter all to herself the first day I made it - which is saying a heck of a lot for a little person who isn't even allowed in a forward facing car seat because she's too small. The first time I didn't knead it enough and it was a little crumbly, but the second time it amazed me even more. I'm convinced the secret is in the kneading with any whole wheat bread, and since I don't have a machine to do it for me, it takes quite a long time. But this bread is really worth it. And what makes me even more excited is that it's mostly local. The wheat was grown locally if you remember me mentioning my good deal on wheat in a previous post, the flax seed can be grown locally - although I'm uncertain of whether the flax seed I used was. Not to mention the honey I used was raw local honey and the oats can be grown locally as well. That's really exciting to me! I'm always amazed at the variety our little valley can produce.

One tip, just watch out that you don't add too much flour because the dough should still be sticky when you're done kneading. You have to feel the dough. When it doesn't have the correct amount of flour added into it you should be able to squish it between your fingers very easily, regardless of how sticky it is because there is a much higher water to flour ratio. Once you've kneaded in more flour you can pinch the dough again and feel that there is much less water to flour. If your bread gets too hard because of too much flour, you can wet your hands every few kneads to get some more liquid into the dough and to prevent sticking. After the first rise it wont feel sticky anymore anyways because the whole grains will have had time to absorb the water.

Fluffy 100% Whole Wheat Bread Makes 2 loaves Slightly Adapted from Life, In Recipes

1/4 C warm water
2-3 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 C warm water
1 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
4 tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
6-7 C freshly ground flour from hard red wheat
1/3 C freshly ground flax seed meal
1/2 C whole toasted pumpkin seeds or 1/3 C old fashioned or instant oats(optional)

Mix the 1/4 cup water with the honey and yeast and let sit at least 5 minutes. I did the rest of my mixing a little differently than the original recipe(you can decide what works best for you) and added a tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 cups of water along with the flax seed and a couple cups of flour. Then I continued to mix in flour till a very sticky dough formed, about 5+ cups. I then let it rest for about 15-20 minutes. When I came back I added the very soft butter, salt and any add ins like seeds or oats(I've read that letting the dough sit without salt or any add ins that would rip the gluten can help to strengthen it, although I'm not 100% sure). I mixed it very well by hand with a spoon and then slowly started adding more flour till I could turn it out to knead it, about 6 cups total flour added. Then I lightly dusted my surface, turned out the dough and lightly dusted it as well. Then I set to kneading, quickly folding over the dough towards yourself and then pushing it forward with your palms. The power should come from your whole body though, not just your arms as you'll get tired very quickly. Kneading should almost be a whole body movement. I'm pretty sure however you knead is good enough but if you're not sure, you can always find plenty of videos on how to knead. In any case, I kneaded for about 10-12 minutes and then I covered and let it rest for a few minutes while I washed out my bowl and washed the dried dough bits off my hands. Then I went back and kneaded some more. You should be able to look at the underside of the loaf and see no tears in the smooth layer of gluten, if you do, keep kneading. The dough should look white with flecks of bran in it and it should be able to stretch without ripping. Check out the original recipe for a great picture of what it should look like. How I described the kneading process to my mom - knead until your arms fall off... twice. :) Then cover and leave the dough in a large oiled bowl to rise, this should take between 1 and two hours. Depending on how warm the area where the bread is. I usually prefer to keep my dough cool so this makes the rising time longer. Make sure to let it rise as much as it will rise because this will stretch the gluten and strengthen it too. You can test it by poking the dough about 1" into the dough. If a hole where your finger was remains, it's done rising. Lightly grease or butter two loaf pans. Turn out the dough and knead a few times to get the air out. Divide in two and shape. I found it easiest to shape these by using a kneading motion in just one area and not moving the dough around, except to flip it and repeat on the other side, but do whatever works for you. You want to have a very smooth top to the dough. Once they're formed, cover and let them rise about an hour or until they're just over an inch above the top of the pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I like to slash my loaves but as you can see I slashed a little too much in these loaves, only slash about 1/4" or just leave them plain. I like to have a pan of water in the bottom of my oven and I give the loaves and the inside of my oven a spritz of water before leaving them in there to bake. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool at least 10 minutes in the pan before turning them out and cooling completely on a rack. The bottom of the loaf is very light in color but it firms up after cooling. Once you've cooled it completely you can slice and freeze it or keep it in a bag on the counter for use over the next few days. This bread is perfect for sandwiches or just toast. It's very filling and heavy in a whole wheat way, but it's not nearly as dense as most homemade whole wheat breads I've tried.

Submitted to Yeastspotting and posted to Sugar Free Sunday for this week.

Dilly Cucumber Salad

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:18:08 +0000

I took the kids for a walk today. I don't know if I mentioned it but we live at the bottom of a hill and the entire town is uphill from us. So we walked for about 45 minutes and then turned around and came home. We did the same thing yesterday and we were itching to get out of the house again today. But if you're jealous because we must have had nice weather to go for such a long walk... No. We actually put it off and put it off all morning because it snowed last night. Not much, but it did. And even on our walk it snowed a little bit on us. Good thing we were walking fast enough to stay warm. I think my son is going to be a runner - he has to run to keep up with me but rarely complains. Ahh, that's what getting some exercise should be like.

I have to admit, I have a problem. I buy herbs and use a little bit(or none at all) and then slowly watch them deteriorate in the fridge. Who doesn't love having fresh herbs on hand all the time? But I have to say I'd much rather grow them because then I can forget about them for 2 weeks and they're still yummy. I love dill. It is so good. In bread, on potato salad, even on a green salad. But somehow I still have a problem using it up. Around the holidays my husbands Opa came to visit and made a really simple cucumber salad that my little sister in law and I couldn't stop munching on, even after dinner, until it was all gone. This was my attempt to recreate it, and though it wasn't as good, it still makes for a nice salad(that will be amazing in warmer weather) and it's super quick.

Simple Dilly Cucumber Salad Makes 2 large servings or at least 4 small servings

1 large long English Cucumber, cut into ribbons with a mandolin or vegetable peeler(or you can cut it into thin rounds)
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2-3/4 tsp sugar or honey(to taste)
1/4 C chopped fresh dill(or you can substitute 1+ tbsp of dried dill)

In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients and leave them while you cut your cucumber. Cut your cucumber however you like. This time I did long noodle like pieces, but the last time I made it I took a veggie peeler and sliced 2" long "noodles" all the way around the cucumber till I got to the end. Or you can just slice the end to get thin rounds. Just before serving mix the cucumber with the dressing. If you can, try to drain the cucumber before adding the dressing as there's a lot of juice in the bottom of the bowl usually and you don't want it to be too watery.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:11:36 +0000

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Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:56:27 +0000

I really think the problem with most healthy cookies is the lack of oil. I love some "muffin top" type cookies that are soft and fluffy and like muffins and I've successfully made some of those that are really good with very minimal added fat. Unfortunately, your average cookie needs something more. And with these cookies, it's not too much. You don't feel weighed down after eating a couple of these like you do with traditional cookies. It's only a few tablespoons(plus the peanut butter) for a big batch of cookies. A pretty fair amount for some super yummy cookies, I think :) You could even substitute some dried fruit for the chocolate chips if you really wanted to. And the original recipe had no added maple syrup so I'm sure you could leave it out(and add another tbsp of oil) and they would still be fantastic :)

So I went a little crazy with the picture taking for these. Seriously? I brought out a coconut and a banana(and hid that picture at the bottom, haha). I'm not sure what I was thinking(who thinks a brown hairy coconut looks attractive anyways?) but the picture was clear so I added it. Oh well. I had no idea cookies were so photogenic, but these ones were for sure. And not just photogenic. So yummy! My husband doesn't like banana baked into anything, but excluding him, everyone in the house absolutely loved them. And by everyone I mean myself and the two kids. They didn't last long enough to share with anyone else :D

Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe slightly adapted from Kitchen Karate Makes about 2 1/2 dozen small cookies

3 large ripe bananas
1/2 C peanut butter
3 tbsp coconut oil(or substitute any flavorless oil like canola)
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
2 C old fashioned rolled oats(certified gluten-free if necessary)
1/3 C shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C chocolate chips
up to 1/2 C other add ins(dried fruit, nuts, or more chocolate chips) Optional

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mash the bananas in a large bowl and combine with peanut butter, liquified oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and then add to the banana mixture and mix well. Add in the chocolate chips and anything else you want to add in and stir just till everything is evenly dispersed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop cookies by spoonfuls 1" apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes just till set. I baked mine till the edges of the oats on top turned golden. Make sure they're completely cool before putting them in an airtight container. I'd even recommend leaving them on the counter for a couple hours because the bananas in them will make them soft if they're covered too soon.

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:51:30 +0000

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:51:58 +0000

Healthy Mocha Oatmeal(and the Versatile Blogger Award!)

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:05:31 +0000

I'm always coming up with new ideas for oatmeal. Of course there's nothing wrong with the original oatmeal with milk and a little brown sugar, but I like to be creative with my breakfast and usually I don't want a sugar topped breakfast to start my day. I'll be posting more oatmeal ideas in the future too. I just tried this the other morning and I will be making it again for sure. The kids couldn't stay away either :) Quick and Healthy Mocha Oatmeal Serves one, but can be scaled up easily

1 serving of your favorite kind of oats, cooked
1 banana
1/4-1/3 C frozen or fresh strawberries
1 tbsp cocoa powder(or slightly less depending on how sweet your banana is)
1 tsp instant coffee
a small splash of vanilla
2 tbsp+ your favorite milk(I use almond)

What I usually do at some point is cook up a big pot of oats. I love steel cut oats, but they take a fairly long time to cook, and I am not a morning person usually. So I cook a big pot and then put it in the fridge for the following mornings. I believe it works out to about 1/4 cup of dry steel cut oats that I use in the morning if you want to make it all in the morning before assembling the rest of the ingredients. Or you can use one serving of regular old fashioned rolled oats or whatever kind you like best. I put the banana in the bowl and mash it up well. This time I reserved a couple slices for the top, you can do that if you like. It looks nice, why not? :D To the well mashed banana I add the cocoa, coffee, vanilla and milk and mix it well. Then you can either mix in the hot oatmeal(if you've just cooked it) or mix in the cold oatmeal that's been refrigerated. You can put it in a pot and heat it on the stove for a couple minutes or you can put it in the microwave for a minute or two. Serve with strawberries on top. We used frozen which was really nice with the hot oatmeal, but it really doesn't matter.

Now to show you why I've kept my regular post fairly short... The lovely Lauren over at Peanut Butter and Ginger awarded me with the Versatile Blogger Award! How exciting! I'm so honored, thank you Lauren! Be sure to check out her blog, she has so many delicious ideas! Here are the rules of accepting and passing on the Versatile Blogger award:

Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
Tell 7 random facts about yourself.
Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers.
Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so.
Let the giver of the award know you accept it…or not!

So here are my 7 random facts: 1. I'm an only child. This might be(only a part of) why I love my inlaws so much. My husband is one of 5 so... siblings!! Yay! 2. I don't like pickles. Pickle lovers, don't hate me! I love anything else pickled, beets, carrots, those little white onions... But actual regular pickles... Yuck! 3. I've always had long hair. Well, I did cut it short once or twice when I was pregnant with my daughter, but it was still long enough to tie up. I love my hair long, I'll never cut it off again. It may be curly and wild, but I love it. 4. I'm not quite 5'2". People make fun of my shortness... But again, it's something I love about myself. I have no desire to be taller. 5. I hate math. It is just not my thing. At all. 6. I love rain. There's something super cozy about being inside on a really rainy day. Or maybe I love it so much because I grew up in Vancouver. Isn't that like, the rain capital of the world? Ok, maybe just Canada :) 7. I have no allergies. I can't think of a single thing that makes me sneeze, itch or break out into a rash. I'm super fortunate that way. I'm adding a number 8... I'm really shy(or used to be - I'm trying not to be!) It was so difficult to think of 7 random facts, haha. Probably much harder than it needed to be. And now to pass it on... well actually a lot of bloggers that I'd like to nominate have already done it so I'll just pass it on to anyone that reads my blog(is that cheating? Or being lazy... maybe). If you haven't gotten this award, or done this before, I nominate you! I'd love to come read your 7 facts on your blog so if you do this, leave me a link so I can come learn about you :D

Contact

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 03:36:13 +0000

If you have any questions, concerns, tips, requests or just want to say hi feel free to email me at fooddoodles at gmail dot com. I'd be so happy to hear from you! :)

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Red Beans And Rice

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:14:59 +0000

I love one pot meals. While this isn't totally a one pot meal as you have to cook the rice and beans... it can be if you're using leftovers that are already cooked and waiting in the fridge. I don't know what it is, one pot meals aren't always that much easier, but there's something about sitting down to a bowl full of something that feels so good, especially when it's a complete meal in a bowl. Although I do like to serve it with a salad or some extra veggies. With the leftovers I like to cook up some vegetables, usually roasted broccoli or cauliflower or whatever else is in the fridge and just serve them on top of a bowl of this.

One note though, you might want to go easy on the Cajun seasoning. I make my own and so I tone the spice down to a level we're comfortable with, but I know store bought Cajun seasoning can be really spicy.

Red Beans and Rice Serves at least 4 as a main dish

2 tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped, or a poblano pepper for less heat and a different flavor
1 bay leaf
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2-3 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp salt(more to taste)
4 C tomato puree or a 32 oz can
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 C dried kidney beans, cooked(or approximately 1 can of kidney beans drained and rinsed)
2-3 C cooked brown rice
1/4-1/2 tsp liquid smoke(optional)

Cook the rice and beans separately and set aside while preparing the other ingredients. In a large pan heat the oil. Once it's hot add the onion and cook a few minutes before adding all the other veggies. Mix well and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add all the herbs and spices and the tomato sauce and paste and mix well. Once everything is evenly distributed bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-10 minutes until all the veggies are tender. Then add in the rice and beans and heat through. Add the liquid smoke if using and mix everything well. Serve hot with a little bit of parsley on top.

Have a great weekend!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:07:33 +0000

Well this was an interesting weekend for sure. On top of all the regular busyness, and the holiday busyness our computer decided to die. Well not really, a virus took over and really wreaked havoc making it unusable for over a day. Silly me for not having everything perfectly protected, I guess. In any case I think it's all fixed now and it seems to be running fine. Thank goodness. At the exact moment I realized the computer was infected I was about to buy hosting for this site, so I'm glad I didn't get to it. But now that things are up and running again I'll be moving to a self hosted site fairly soon. If any other bloggers that have done this have any tips or recommendations please let me know. I'm sure I'll need all the help I can get. I would love any emails or comments. Thank you! I can't wait to post more about the weekend, but I don't want to overload this post. And hopefully I can get some pictures before I post about... Baby goats! :D

Who in the blog world doesn't love hummus? Seriously, you can adapt it to any flavor really. I don't know anyone that thinks chickpeas are offensive, but maybe that's just because I don't know many people :D In any case, this is what we've been snacking on lately. Just with plain raw veggies. My son even asks for it so it must be good. And the baby? Well, she just sucks the hummus off the veggies. Sometimes I can convince her to take a bite of celery or carrot but I don't mind her double dipping this stuff :)

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 15 oz can(or just under 2 cups) chickpeas, drained reserving some of the liquid and rinsed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3C tahini
1 small yellow onion
1 head garlic, roasted
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil(plus more to roast the garlic)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice the very top of the head of garlic off, exposing all the individual cloves. Place the garlic on a small square of tin foil and drizzle it with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and then wrap it up and place it on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Once it's done unwrap it and pull the cloves of garlic out. I like to roast a few at a time and then keep them in the fridge to use, or you can freeze them for later use. If you'd like to use raw garlic in your hummus you can substitute 2-3 large cloves of garlic in place of the entire head of roasted garlic. Roughly chop the onion and throw it and everything else into a food processor. Blend till smooth adding a little of the reserved liquid from the can of beans(or your home cooked beans). Don't be afraid to add liquid as I find it's better when it's got a little bit more because it firms up in the fridge. Refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving to give the flavors a chance to come out. Serve any way you like with a pinch of smokey paprika on top(to make it pretty ;)), with fresh veggies, on crackers, in sandwiches, with soft fresh pitas. Or by the spoonful, I wont judge :D

Rice Clover Rolls

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:13:49 +0000

Today has been a kitchen day. Do you ever assign days for certain things? I know for myself I have cleaning days and laundry days and today just happened to be a kitchen day. Not that I don't spend time in the kitchen every day of course. But kitchen days I spend way more time in the kitchen than anywhere else.

I love kitchen days the most(honestly, who loves cleaning day? :P). We like having leftovers in the fridge or quick snacks in the cupboard so I spend one day making a whole bunch of things for quick meals and snacks later. Except it's already past noon and there are hardly any leftovers! I made baked oatmeal for breakfast that has about 1 serving left as the children continued to devour it after I had my breakfast. And I made gluten-free blueberry muffins which were only have one left out of the whole batch of 6 - and I only ate one. The kids may be small, but they eat a ton. At least I got pictures of what I made before they ate it all :D

These rolls were actually from a few days ago, and they make great leftovers - although they are best served warm from the oven. I especially like these a day or two later, toasted. They even make good sandwiches :)

Wild Rice Country Rolls Recipe from Bread For All Seasons

1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/4 C warm water
1 1/2 C cooked wild rice(or short grain brown rice)
1 tbsp salt
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1-2 1/2 C bread flour

In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp syrup with 1/2 cup warm water and the yeast. Let sit 10 minutes till softened. In a large bowl mix 1 3/4 cups warm water with remaining syrup,rice,salt, and whole wheat flour. Beat till smooth then add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of bread flour. Beat well then add 1/4 cup of bread flour at a time. Turn out and knead till smooth and springy. Do not add too much flour, the dough should still be pretty sticky. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours. Turn out and divide into 4 then divide each quarter into 5. Shape each into a round(you may need to use a little flour otherwise they will stick to your hands and be very hard to shape) and place on a greased sheet that's been sprinkled with cornmeal, seam side down and 1" apart. Cover and rise 30-40 minutes, till almost doubled. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using floured kitchen shears snip each roll in 5 places around the outside almost all the way through, but leaving the dough connected in the middle. Dust tops with flour and place in the upper and lower racks in the oven switching half way through. Bake 18-22 minutes till lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Submitted to YeastSpotting

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Wholesome Baked Oatmeal and Baby Goat Pictures

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:22:20 +0000

This is the oatmeal that went over so well yesterday. My son insisted on eating it for lunch after he had shared my breakfast with me. Fine by me, it's full of good stuff, and there's no added sugar unless you add some on top. I didn't feel the need to(except for a tiny teaspoon of honey on top), it was the perfect sweetness for me. But before I give you the recipe for that... Here are some pictures of the most adorable baby goats I mentioned a few days ago :D

We had so much fun with them! They're so playful, jumping and running around. I had no idea how hard it was going to be to get pictures of them. I had a hard time picking these few out of the ones I did get though. I didn't want to make the pictures too big, but you can click on them to see a bigger version if you want. They are just too cute! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law just got these little guys and their mother this last weekend :)

Wholesome Baked Oatmeal Serves 4-6

1 banana, mashed very well
2 eggs
2 tbsp flax seed, ground
pinch of salt
1 1/2 C milk(any kind will work fine, I used almond)
1-2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses(optional)
2 C old fashioned rolled oats
2 apples, cored and chopped
4 large medjool dates, chopped into small pieces
1/4 C walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 pan. Combine the mashed banana, eggs, ground flax seed, salt, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and molasses in a small mixing bowl. You can even substitute an equal amount of honey for the molasses if you want, but it's not necessary, you can leave it out completely. In a larger bowl mix the oats with the chopped apples(with or without skins), the chopped dates and the walnuts. Mix well being sure the dates are evenly combined with everything else as they stick together and you want them evenly spread out in the whole dish. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. You can top with a sprinkling of extra cinnamon before baking if you like. Leave it to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving, if you can wait that long :D Serve with extra milk and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

Pad Thai

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:13:28 +0000

I know I mention the size of our town quite frequently... But here I go again... We just recently got a Thai food restaurant and everyone was talking about it. You'd think it was the most exciting thing ever. But rather than pay way too much for way too little and not know what's in our food I decided to try to make my own pad thai. I compared a bunch of recipes and came up with my own version. I was amazed at how well it came out. Even my husband loves this stuff, and he likes the leftovers even more. Way better than take-out in my opinion. After typing out my recipe I realized it's not the healthiest recipe. I try my best to keep sugar to a minimum, but in this case it needs a bit of sugar. And given the alternative is ordering out when you have no idea what's in the meal, I feel like it's a fair trade off. Feel free to reduce the amount and then taste and add only as much as you need. I do that quite regularly, because you might be surprised that it tastes just fine with less than you think it needs. Also, as with any store bought sauces(like the fish sauce in the recipe) make sure you read your ingredients list - there should only be a few ingredients. Also, you can find vegetarian fish sauce and omit the shrimp in the recipe for an awesome vegetarian meal. Pad Thai Serves 6

2 tbsp oil
1 block firm tofu, pressed and cut into thin strips
2 C or approximately 1/2 lb shrimp
2 eggs
1/2-3/4 of a package of rice stick
3 cloves of garlic
2 C julianned carrots
4 green onions
1/3 C peanuts
2-3 tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
soy sauce or salt to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch in 1 tbsp cold water(or another thickener like tapioca starch or arrowroot)

Tofu Marinade:

Juice of one lime(or 2 if they're fairly dry)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oil

After pressing the tofu to remove some of the liquid(I wrap the tofu in a towel and then put two heavy cast iron pans on top for at least half an hour), slice into thin strips. In a container mix the lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce and 1 tbsp oil. Add the tofu, cover and let sit a couple hours to overnight in the fridge.

Depending on your kind of rice noodles, you may just need to soak them in hot water or boil them for a couple minutes. Do this first and then set them aside to drain and have all your ingredients ready. Heat a small pan and cook the two eggs, scrambling them. Once they're all done set them aside. Pulse your peanuts in a mini food processor or something equivalent. You don't want flour - you just want to crush them.

Once everything else is ready, heat the 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over high heat. When it's really hot throw in the tofu that has been drained. Turn the heat down to medium. I like to cook my tofu till it's very chewy and this takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on how well drained it is and how hot the pan is. Once it looks fairly well done it should turn golden(darker than in the pictures above - I didn't cook mine long enough this time) and develop a "crust" on it. You can also remove a piece and test it. If it's still mushy, cook it longer, unless you don't mind it like that texture.

Turn the pan down to medium low and add the remaining tbsp of oil and 3 cloves of garlic, either minced or pressed. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add the carrots and green onions. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes then add the shrimp and eggs. Mix well and cook just till the shrimp turn pink then add all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch. Taste before adding any soy sauce or salt as the fish sauce is fairly salty. Mix well and heat through then add the cornstarch mixture and mix well till the mixture thickens. Then add the already cooked rice noodles and mix in. Serve hot with 1-2 tbsp crushed peanuts and some green onions on top of each serving.

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Soothing Lemon Ginger and Honey Tea

Heidi @ Food Doodles — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 21:22:12 +0000

This is my beverage of choice today. Actually, I took these pictures yesterday because I made this tea for the kids and with my sister-in-law in mind. My daughter and sister-in-law came down with this cold/flu/whatever this is the other day and then my son and I came down with it last night. The kids couldn't get enough of this yesterday so whether your sick or not - it's so good. And everything in it is so good for you, especially when you're sick.

So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go brew a pot and lay in bed... Haha, no! We're going to take prom pictures of my little brother-in-law and his lovely girlfriend later this afternoon. I'm so excited! The tea will have to wait :)

Lemon Ginger Honey Tea Serves 2

2 herbal tea bags(I used a lemon echinacea tea but just lemon would be good, or even something like raspberry)
Juice of one fresh lemon
2 - 1/4" slices of fresh ginger
1 1/2 tbsp honey, plus more to taste(preferably a raw local honey, but any other sweetener will work)
4 - 4 1/2 C water

In a tea pot or a small saucepan combine the lemon juice, and ginger. Boil the water(or just add to the pot and bring to a boil) and add the tea bags. Steep for the recommended amount of time on the package then remove the tea bags, stir in the honey and leave the ginger in the pot for 10 minutes, then serve while still hot. Be sure not to feed a baby under a year honey, but older babies can enjoy it when the tea is cooled off enough for them. Also if you plan on putting the whole lemon in the pot after you've squeezed it, try to use an organic lemon and if not make sure you wash the lemon really well before throwing it in. You don't need to put it in the pot though, just use the juice :)

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Heidi @ Food Doodles — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:55:26 +0000

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