Whining and Dining

Try This: Lifestream Buckwheat Gluten Free Wildberry Waffles

I call myself a conisseur of frozen waffles these days, so I have tried many many brands, different flavors, etc. That said, I must say that the Lifestream Buckwheat Gluten Free Wildberry Waffles are one of the best that I've tasted. Cripsy and flavorful right out of the toaster. Did I mention that they ARE gluten free?!!! For all of you anti-glutites looking for new breakfast ideas, here you are...

The good people at Nature's Path (the same who make my favorite Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus granola) bring you these delicious waffles. You can find them at Whole Foods or Bristol Farms.

Zucchini Bread

It's been zucchini week at our house. I bought a tray of the little guys from Trader Joe's at the end of last week and was bound and determined to use every last one.

My daughter has been extraordonarily picky in advance of her second birthday, so I've been sneaking in zucchini anywhere possible. This is when Jessica Seinfeld's book, "Deceptively Delicious," would come in handy. But I haven't picked up my copy at Costco, yet. (I think I've been against trying the book in thinking that I can make vegetables that my toddler would lap up. However, this is not the case as of late. I'm going to cave in and buy it).

Here is the zucchini bread I made over the weekend care of Allrecipes.com. I followed the recipe, but minded all of the suggestion from "Mommy from Seattle," who is the first reviewer listed.

New Year's Resolution #2: Eat More Whole Grains

My current quest to integrate more whole grains into our diet. After hearing the news that my husband's cholesterol was a bit higher than it should, my quest became even more fervent. So here is one of several recipes that gets you eatin' yur grains at breakfast....

We love biscuits, and this recipe never disappoints. My husband has always called them “Angel Biscuits.” I’m not sure why. Maybe it is because he thinks I’m an angel for getting up and making biscuits for him. That’s my story anyways, and I’m sticking to it.

Recently, we started making them with whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed to kick up the fiber content, and they’re just as good. They take literally a few minutes to whip up. Enjoy them with jam, honey or pumpkin butter (tis the season for pumpkin).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (white flour can be used here, too)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt.
3. Melt the butter. Stir in butter and milk just until moistened.
4. Drop batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon.
5. Bake until golden on the edges, which is about 8 to 12 minutes.

Best served warm, right out of the oven! Oh, and our daughter loooooves these!

Holiday Breakfast Ideas

Tomorrow morning I'm having over a few of my mommy friends and their toddlers for breakfast and coffee. I'm trying a few new recipes that I thought I would share with you (since many of us are looking for delicious baked goods and brunch type recipes for the coming weeks).

1) Gingerbread Muffins w/ Lemon Glaze - Since i have all of these luscious lemons from my friend Julie's tree, I was excited to find this holiday gingerbread muffin recipe that required a lemon glaze. Lemon + gingerbread is a sassy combo.

2) Oatmeal Muffins - I've been searching for an oatmeal muffin recipe for as long as I can remember. Ever since I had my friend, Rachel's, mom's muffns. Incredible! I guess I could just ask for the recipe, though.

3) Egg & Sausage Cassarole - I've scoffed at cassaroles almost my entire life. Not this one. This is the cassarole bomb!!! It's virtually idiot proof, easy to make and delicious. It's a big hit on Christmas day in our household.

Whole-Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins

Of course, muffins are a great way to entice youngsters to eat fruits and veggies. You can even sneak in protein with cheese, ham, nuts, peanut butter, etc. Perfect for breakfast (fiber is always one of the best ways to start the day) or a snack on the go.

Check out tomorrow's LA Times' food section for the article on healthy, delicous muffins. Here's one of the recipes from the article, which looks amazing. Don't let the amount of time involved scare you, it's mostly the baking of the sweet potatoes that is time intensive. Or think of it as a good weekend muffin recipe. Get ready to take your muffins to the next level...

Recipe: Whole-wheat sweet potato muffins

November 7, 2007

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Servings: 10 muffins

Note: From Kim Boyce. Use the dark-skinned sweet potatoes commonly referred to as yams.

1/2 pound (about 2 small) sweet potatoes

Vegetable oil spray for coating the tins

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 Medjool dates, pitted and cut into 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch pieces

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast for 1 hour or until they are tender when pierced with a fork and are caramelizing. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then lightly mash with a fork. Set aside.

2. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the muffin tin with vegetable oil.

3. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, whole-wheat flour, whole-grain pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, yogurt, egg and vanilla together.

5. Scrape down the sides of the butter bowl and alternately add the dry and wet ingredients; do not overmix. Gently fold in the sweet potatoes, then the dates.

6. Using an ice cream scoop (about one-half cup capacity), scoop the batter into each of 10 prepared muffin cups, about 1 scoop per muffin. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The muffins will be dark golden brown on the bottom.

Each muffin: 267 calories; 6 grams protein; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 35 mg. cholesterol; 273 mg. sodium.

Try This: Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola

Often, I wander around grocery stores and purchase items simply because I like the way it looks. I'm a marketing person, so I appreciate eye-catching packaging that calls my attention to it. I believe this is how I stumbled upon Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola. I've been addicted ever since.

It's chock full of the good fat - Omega 3 and Omega 6 due to the flax seed in it. We all know that good granola is typically higher in fat than other cereals, so at least it's the right kind. And it is so delicious over non-fat yogurt. My daughter loves to eat it, too, so it's on my list of approved, go to snacks.

It's just what your fall palate is craving. You can find this cereal at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Click here for the nutritional facts.

Saturday Breakfast Tour: Auntie Em's Kitchen

the land of cupcakes (auntie em's kitchen)
Originally uploaded by optionthis

Oh Auntie Em, Oh Auntie Em, can we stay in your kitchen all day? With your divine sticky buns and amazing coffee (courtesy of our favorite roaster, Intelligensia), we're just not ready to leave. There are so many things to love....the open-faced breakfast sandwich with gruyere, eggs, apple smoked bacon on buttery ciabatta and the spicy sausage cheese grits. And the ooey goey cinnamon rolls. We'd also like to gobble up some mini red velvet and carrot cupcakes (currently at the top of our "best cupcake" list for LA; the mini ones are perfect for kids!!!) with the most heavenly cream cheese frosting we've ever encountered. OK, I guess we'll settle for getting a box of them to go and another coffee in a to go cup. Once again, we've over stayed our welcome, so we'll leave you in peace. XOXO. Until next time......

Auntie Em's Kitchen
4616 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sat. & Sun. 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Auntie Em's now has table service. On our last visit, they were much more prepared to take on the early customers. They were really sweet to our little one and promptly got us a high chair for her.

They cook according to season, so their menu changes frequently. It also gets really busy there, so there's a chance they could run out of your favorite item, too.

They also have a lovely little store, which sells specialty foods such as Cowgirl Creamery cheese and gifts. We purchased a brightly-colored vinyl mat to go under our daughter's high chair to help protect our dining room floor.

Saturday Breakfast Tour: Delightful Delilah's

Every single Saturday morning our family ventures to breakfast around 8:00 am. It would be nice to still be asleep at this hour, but those days are long behind us. So, we search out yummy eats and strong coffee instead.

After hearing the buzz about Delilah's in Echo Park, I decided that we must sample the decadent treats for our breakfast adventure. I was particularly intrigued when I saw a sweet potato pie with a gingersnap crust on their list of pies.

As soon as we entered the bakery, I knew that today would at least be off to a fabulous start. The decor and the delicious smell reminded me of my Nana's kitchen. The orange-frosted cinnamon rolls were the first item to catch my eye. And they were simply sublime, with lots of cinnamon (which I love). The slight hint of orange was a nice twist. We fought over the last bite.

The hubby went for a sausage cheddar muffin, which definitely was the winner. Our daughter loved it, too. Those savory bites left me determined to find a recipe for muffins like this.

Based on a recommendation, we ordered a housemade yogurt parfait for the little one. It was a nice balance of the creamiest, whole milk yogurt with crispy granola, bananas, blueberries and strawberries. She looooved it, but not as much as touching the flowers outside.

Last, but certainly not least, was the incredible, made-to-order coffee (we think it was Intelligensia...an LA newcomer to the coffee scene....yummm). This morning, I woke up dreaming about it and my next trip to Delilah's.

Next time, I'm gonna go for the mac' n' cheese since it is supposedly amazing. And I am a sucker for a good mac' n' cheese.

Know before you go.....
**Delilah's is a bakery, so there is no seating inside. There are a few tables outside, which is where we sat. We just parked our daughter in her stroller next to us (I did not see high chairs there).
**There are no public restrooms.

Delilah's Bakery
1665 Echo Park Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213.975.9400
http://www.delilahbakery.com/