Whining 'N Dining

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope you have enjoyed your Valentine's Day! Here's a pic of the French toast I made for the girls this morning.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

OK, I've been on a pumpkin kick lately. I've also been on a non-blogging kick. I'm sorry about that. I truly am! Lots of life happening around here. We're still cooking, though, and have lots of yummy things to tell you about.

Here's what I did....I took our go-to oatmeal muffin recipe and turned it into a Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin recipe. It's even better this way!! It's the kind of thing that makes me proud. So. Very. Proud.Since I'm so crazy for pumpkin, I took it a step further and enjoyed them with what I like to call my lazy, super skinny pumpkin pie spice latte (coffee + a little non-fat creamer + pumpkin pie spice. See, told you I was lazy). But man, was it good!

As always, my little whiner helped me make these...

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

(Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com Oatmeal Muffins)

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup can of Libby's pumpkin pie filling

1 Tbsp. molasses

1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

 

Directions:

·        In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk and let stand 1 hour.

·        Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter twelve 1/2-cup muffin tins.

·        Add pumpkin, molasses, egg, sugar and butter to oat mixture, stirring until just combined.

·        Into another large bowl, sift together flour, salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda and add to oat mixture, stirring until just combined.

·        Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Getting Fancy with a Frittata (Leek & Asparagus Frittata)

Frittata (Italian for omelet pronounced "freet-TAH-tah") sounds fancy enough,  but when you say it's a leek and asparagus it becomes a whole other level of fancy. Certainly don't let all of the fanciness prohibit you from making one. They are actually quite easy to make. We recently dished this up with a roasted cherry tomato arugula salad, grilled bread and strawberries. It may have been one of my all time favorite brunches. Also, I made this for a friend on bedrest to heat up for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here's the recipe I discovered on Epicurious.com. Leek and Asparagus Frittata Bon Appétit | February 2008 Makes 4 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only) 1 12-ounce bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups) 1 cup sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms 8 large omega-3 eggs 1 cup diced Fontina cheese, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Directions Preheat broiler. Melt butter in heavy broilerproof 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 4 minutes. Add asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine. Cook until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese over. Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve. TIP: You can line your pan with foil to make for easy clean up.

Toddler Test Kitchen: Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese & Basil

Trader Joe's has done it again. They inspired me with a tasty sample of scrambled eggs with goat cheese and fresh basil. I'm officially hooked on this stuff and so is my whine 'n dine girl.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 large eggs (sometimes I do half full eggs and half egg whites to make it a little lighter)

1/4 cup coarsely crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. butter or butter spread

Directions:

Whisk eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add goat cheese, chopped basil, salt and pepper; whisk to blend. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook 2 minutes without stirring. Using spatula or large spoon, gently stir and turn over portions of the egg mixture until cooked through but soft, about 4 minutes.

Divide scrambled eggs among 4 plates. Garnish with basil, if desired, and serve.

Lemon Pear Yogurt Muffins

 

My girl is quite the critic when it comes to muffins.
Much more so than her mama. She went crazy for these lemon pear yogurt muffins, though.

We all know that sour cream in baked goods makes them even better. If you want a similar effect without all of the fat, yogurt is a much healthier substitute for sour cream. And it works beautifully in these muffins. Yum.

Plus how springy is lemon and pear together? Very!

Makes 12

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup yogurt
1 4oz. stick butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 diced pears
zest from 1 lemon
sugar and ground cinnamon for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a large bowl.
3. Place eggs, sugar, yogurt, butter and vanilla in second bowl and beat until blended.
4. Add egg mixture to flour and fold in diced pear and lemon zest (use a spatula to fold in). Do not overmix; the mixture should be smooth.
5. Divide mixture into greased muffin cups and dust with cinnamon and sugar.
6. Bake until edges shrink from sides of the pan. 12 - 15 minutes
7. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing.

Enjoy!

Muffin Tin Monday

Let's face it....Mondays can be somewhat of a "blah." So I love any idea to make Monday a little more fun.

Fellow blogging mama at Her Cup Overfloweth initiated the "Muffin Tin Mondays" idea. She takes a muffin tin and fills it with healthy foods based on a theme / story / frame of mind / whatever. Like her "springtime" muffin tin (see left photo from Her Cup Overfloweth). {clockwise from top left: Blood Oranges (Flower Petals), Toast with Jam (butterfly wing), Yogurt (With a sad little flower on it!), Apple with Butterscotch chips (Ladybug), Toast with Jam (butterfly wing), Sliced Banana (Bunny Ears)}

If you follow the above link to her site, Michelle features several photos from other mamas' Muffin Tin Monday fun. You can join in, too, if you submit a photo to her Flickr stream and then leave a comment on her blog to let her know.

I'm going to give it a try myself to see how my whine 'n dine girl likes it. Since she's really into stories, I just might create some storybook themed muffin tins. We'll see.....

Quick Breakfast Ideas

 We discussed the importance of breakfast here yesterday. In case you are in need of some quick, kid-friendly breakfast ideas, here are some to try:

• Egg in a hole – Cut out the middle of a piece of whole wheat bread with a circle or other shape cookie cutter. Melt a Tbsp. of butter or imitation butter spread like Earth Balance in a skillet. Place bread in skillet and crack an egg in the center. Cook until egg is fully cooked and golden brown.

• Open-faced breakfast sandwich – Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a piece of whole wheat bread on a cookie sheet. Place two thin slices of apple on the bread and a slice of cheddar cheese on top. Bake until cheese melts.

• Instant oatmeal (like the “Oats & Flax” oatmeal packets from Trader Joe’s) -  Add cashew pieces, a sprinkle of cinnamon and dried blueberries or fresh blueberries. You can also make a large batch of the Irish cut oatmeal, the healthiest variety that is slightly more time-consuming, at the start of the week to reheat each day. Reheat with a little unsweetened vanilla soy milk.

• Monkey flip smoothie – For a protein-packed morning smoothie, add one banana, 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter, 1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseed, a small handful of raisins (or 1-2 dates), about 1 ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla soy milk or milk and ice.

Kiss My Bundt or Kiss This Bundt

In honor of National Bundt Day (yes, there really is such a thing), LA bakery Kiss My Bundt is serving up bundt specials, free samples and a smattering of fallish flavors like pumpkin and cinnamon. If you are in LA, check it out. You'll die when you see their menu of to-die-for flavors. WOW.

OR you can DIY bundt with the below easy-peasy Poppy Seed Cake recipe. The recipe uses the pre-made yellow cake mix from the fabulous people at Duncan Hines. So, really, even you non-bakers out there can do this one!

By no means does this cake have to have poppy seeds. You can use your imagination, switch it up and you can make a dozen different bundts. Try swapping the vanilla pudding for lemon pudding, or throw in chocolate chips instead of poppy sees, or swirl in cinnamon and pecans for a coffee cake. See, there are so many options.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Duncan Hines Cake mix (yellow)

1 large vanilla instant pudding

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

4 eggs

1/2 jar poppy seed

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all together in bowl and beat with hand mixer or in Kitchen Aid mixer on high for 5 minutes.

3. Pour in a greased bundt pan and bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy for dessert or breakfast! And for heavens sakes, don't eat this the night before a drug test. Think Elaine from Seinfeld.

Toddler Test Kitchen: Quick 'n Easy Breakfast Quinoa (Gluten-Free)

Ever tried quinoa? If so, ever had it for breakfast? This deliciously light pseudo-grain makes a quick and yummy breakfast cereal. Did I mention that it is gluten-free? For all my gluten intolerant friends, I know how much you struggle with breakfast options so now you can add a new one into the rotation.

What is quinoa?

“Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that is not yet well known in

North America

. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred.

Technically quinoa is not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of it's cooking characteristics.

 

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids." - Source: Chet Day’s Health & Beyond

Quinoa is typically served as a side dish; as a replacement for rice. But this morning, we tried this for breakfast and it was a big hit. Here's the recipe:

 

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup water

1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Milk / soy milk / cream
Honey or brown sugar

 

Directions:

Rinse quinoa and add to water and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon and continue to cook until all water is absorbed. Top with raisins and serve with milk / cream and brown sugar / honey to sweeten if desired.

 

Healthy, Dairy-Free Blueberry Muffins

• INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 cup soy milk (you can use buttermilk if you don't have lactose issues)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.

2.       In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, oat bran, quick-cooking oats,  baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir in the blueberries.  In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed banana, soy milk (or buttermilk), egg, oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups, filling all the way to the top.

3.       Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.

-Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com "Health Nut Blueberry Muffins"