Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin Brownies

2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp cloves

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 C butter, unsalted at room temp.

1 1/4 C sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 C pumpkin puree

1 C chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla. Combine. Stir in pumpkin puree. Add in dry ingredients and mix. Pour in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into grande mold and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean (about 35 minutes).

Be sure to let these babies cool all the way before cutting into them. Enjoy! They are delicious.

I know it's not pumpkin season, but I love the flavor all year. Plus, It's rather annoying to use 1/2 a cup in a recipe and have some left over. Enter this recipe.

(healthy) Salty Sweet Protein Squares

I love treats. I love healthy treats that taste great even more. I haven't ever topped these bad boys with chocolate before and now I will never leave it out. Fruit, nuts, and no refined sugar. Chocolate (the healthy kind), coconut, and peanut butter. Don't let these square fool you! They sound healthy, but they taste like candy and are often compared to Larabars.

Salty Sweet Snack Squares

2 C almonds

1/4 C flax

1/2 C dried prunes

1/2 C shredded coconut, unsweetened

1/2 C organic peanut butter

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 C coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp vanilla

3 oz supreme dark chocolate (optional)

In a food processor blend almonds, flax, prunes, coconut, and salt. Add in peanut butter, honey and vanilla. In a small saucepan melt coconut oil. Turn food processor on and pour in melted coconut oil until combined. Press into checkerboard mold and refrigerate until set. Melt chocolate and spread over bars. Return to refrigerator.

French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole

1/2 loaf french bread (about 5 cups)

4 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

4 tbsp sugar, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp cinnamon

Cube bread and place in daisy mold. Set aside. In a mixing bowl add eggs, milk, 2 tbsp sugar, salt, and vanilla. Combine and pour over bread. Dot with butter. In a separate small bowl mix remaining 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

If you need to feed a crowd double the recipe, use a whole loaf of french bread and the sunflower mold.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispie Treats

These is the perfect treats for a Valentine's Day party. They are sweet, salty, chocolaty, and peanut buttery...

Mash up some pretzels.

Melt some butter, marshmallows, and peanut butter.

Add in some Rice Krispies and crunched pretzels and press them down onto a Silpat.

Let them cool. Then cut the sweet mixture into hearts.

Drizzle, frost, dollop, or dip them with chocolate.

Share them with your friends.

Or, hide in a closet and devour 1 or 7 of them.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispie Treats

1/2 C butter

1 16 oz bag marshmallows (minus the 6 you used for hot chocolate last week)

1 C peanut butter

6 C Rice Krispies

3 C pretzels, crunched

1 C chocolate chips, melted

Makes 30

Chili and Honey Corn Bread

Chili

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

15 oz can tomato sauce

6 oz tomato paste

1 C strong brewed coffee

1 C dark beer

1 C beef stock

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tbsp un-sweeted cocoa powder

1 Anaheim chili pepper

3 cans kidney beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

Brown hamburger in the bottom of a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add remaining ingredients except 2 cans of kidney beans and simmer for 2 hours. Pour in remaining 2 cans of beans and simmer for 30 more minutes.

Honey Corn Bread

1 C flour

1 C corn meal

1/4 C sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 C heavy cream

1/4 C vegetable oil

1/4 C honey

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Combine flour, corn meal, sugar, and baking powder in a bowl. Pour in cream, oil, honey and eggs. Stir until combined. Pour 1/4 C into the Gold Fish Tray or Crown Tray slots and bake at 400 degrees for 13 minutes.

Lemon Crown Cakes

Lemon Crown Cakes

1/2 C butter, room temperature

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3-4 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 C sour cream

1 1/2 C flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs, vanilla, sour cream and lemon zest. Mix

Pour in sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine.

Stir in milk.

Spoon batter into the crown tray and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Lemon Glaze

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1 C sugar

In a saucepan combine lemon juice and sugar, bring to a boil and stir.

Once the cakes have completely cooled remove them from the crown tray and spoon glaze over the top of each one. Makes 13

Power Bars

I've been on the hunt for recipes that are healthy and will be a great snack for when I return from a run. I think I found it! Well, I found one that looked good and then of course, I adapted it because that's just what I do. And the great thing is that you can adapt it too. Just keep the wet to dry ration about the same and you'll be golden.

These bars are chewy and have just the right amount of sweetness.
They fit perfectly in the checkerboard mold, which means you'll have 16 equal portions after these beauties have cooled.

Power Bars

1 C oats

1/2 C whole wheat flour

1/2 C *cereal

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbl flax meal

1/4 C sunflower seeds

1/4 C *pecans, chopped

1/2 C dried fruit

3 tbl coconut oil, melted

1/4 C honey

1/3 C applesauce

1 egg, beaten

Combine oats, whole wheat flour, cereal, cinnamon, flax meal, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit.

Add in the beaten egg, honey, coconut oil, applesauce, and honey.

Mix and pour into the checkerboard mold and pat the mixture down.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Let cool before cutting.

*You can use a variety of different cereals. I used a flax pumpkin granola. Grape nuts or other favorite cereal would work too. Also, feel free to swap out the pecans and use walnuts, peanuts, or your favorite kind. I opted for dried cranberries, but might try cherries or blueberries in the future.

Pack these in sandwich baggies and have them ready. They make the perfect treat and are a great energy booster after a run or when you're on the go.
These bars are sweet enough, but I might try adding in some chopped dark chocolate next time to help me stay away from other cookies.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sandwiches

I love it when an impromptu meal turns out to be a yummy creation. Meatball subs were on the menu this week, but I forgot to purchase meatballs and I forgot to take the hamburger out of the freezer to thaw so I could make my own. With lunch quickly approaching, I wondered why I couldn't just use the ground beef. Enter the spaghetti sandwich. With this little baby now in the menu rotation, meatball subs will be kicked to the curb.

Spaghetti Sandwiches

1.5 pounds ground beef

1 1/2 C chopped mushrooms

1/2 small onion, diced

4 C your favorite spaghetti sauce

6 French rolls

1/2 C cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan blend

Brown hamburger, add in onions and mushrooms and sauté until tender. Pour in sauce and heat through.

Cut the French rolls in half and hallow out the middle. Place them on a Silpat. Fill the wells with the meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese blend. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

The great thing about using the Silpat is that the outside of the bread will get crispy, while the inside stays moist. Close them up, cut them in half, and serve them up with a salad for a complete meal.

Give them a try! I think next time I'm going to add some shredded carrots and diced zucchini into the meat sauce for an extra dose of veggies.

P.S. Don't you think we can count these as low carb since the meal isn't made of pasta AND bread? Oh, and don't forget we hallowed out the French roll. For now, I'm going to pretend they are low carb.