Fall Recipe Roundup

Since today was the first day this school year that I regrettably walked out of the house without a coat, it seems like a good time to do a recipe round-up of fall recipes!

And of course, this means pumpkin. Lots and lots of pumpkin.
I keep canned pureed pumpkin in the house year-round, since it makes a good substitute in baking for some of the butter, fat, and oil (I use up to half of the amount of fat called for and for the rest I use applesauce or pumpkin). But since it is a seasonal item, I tend to stock up during these fall months. Since its just hitting the shelves, now's a perfect time to make some fall-tasting recipes and also buy some extra to hoard for the rest of the year.

*Not all of these are skinny, healthy, or low calorie, but I tried to include recipes that are somewhat good for you, or at least not terrible for you! And a treat once in a while isn't a bad thing either. You can't deprive yourself of all good things!

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Snickerdoodles

From Skinnytaste

These look like every good taste of fall in one bite.

Pumpkin Mousse Shooters

From Eat Yourself Thin

A healthy, easy, and elegant dessert for a holiday party. Or a Tuesday night.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte

From Urban Nester

I'm not a fan of the Pumpkin Spice Latte from a certain coffee shop. It tastes like a toddler threw together a bunch of things he likes to eat thinking it will result in the most amazing food ever and then it ends up tasting like a hot mess. (Literally.) But I could come around to this recipe.

Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Pudding

From Smitten Kitchen

I haven't made anything from Deb that hasn't been fabulous. This looks like it wouldn't disappoint!

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

From Cooking Light via Dwell on Joy

A healthier spin on a classic cake

Pumpkin Baked French Toast

From Minimalist Baker

Hello Saturday morning post-run breakfast!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

From Eighteen 25

Hello Sunday morning post-long-run-to-burn-a-bunch-of-calories breakfast!

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A few that embrace all good things about fall, even without the pumpkin...

Crock Pot Cinnamon Pecan Bread Pudding

From Shape Magazine

Just think about how good your house would smell waking up to this in your slow cooker!

Roasted Acorn Squash and Chai Ice Cream

From Say Not Sweet Anne

Vegetables and dessert? Shut up. Seriously. This looks amazing.

Warm Coconut Rice Pudding

From Cooking Light Magazine

Everything comforting...

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And one savory dish that screams "Falling Leaves and Football!"

Bacon Cheddar Beer Risotto

From Emily Bites

And its only 6 points per serving. What?!?!

Mile Marker 2: Park 2 Park 5K

After having run my first 5K, I didn't want to get out of the habit. I saw results, and I didn't want to risk being a "once and done" racer. Right away, I turned around and did the exact same 5K training plan, the only difference being that I knew with certainty that I could run 3.2 miles without stopping, so running on and off for 25 minutes at a time was a breeze. I pushed my speed, I concentrated on staying loose and relaxed, and I got myself ready for race #2 - the Park 2 Park 5K.

So not only could I run with more confidence (because really, its all a "mind over matter" thing, isn't it? Or as someone in my WW meeting put it, "Running is mental." And then someone else chimed in and said, "No kidding, its mental!"), but I was also running with less of me. At this point, I had lost more than 10% of my body weight, and the health benefits from just 5%-10% loss are amazing. 

As I was running with less of me, however, I was starting to run with more people - my dad and brother-in-law, Seth, joined me for this race, and not too long after, I did the Grand Rapids Children's Marathon with H and my sister Valerie and her three kiddos*. Now I'm looking forward to running the Tulip Time 5K (potentially) with a whole crew - Steve, Dad, Mom, Seth, and my friend of 27 years, Rebecca, and her mom, Brenda. And if I need to fly out to Tucson to run a 5K with Jane & Mark, I'll totally do that, because that would mean I'd run a race with every member of my side of the family. (Just say the word, guys!)

*BTW, I could write a whole different post about what it means for my kids to see me lead an active lifestyle.

I don't have any tie-in for this recipe, its just a fav. Maybe try it for Easter brunch, if you're looking for something new!


Baked Chilaquiles
Adapted from Pointless Meals

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
12 corn tortillas (14g each), cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. diced green chiles
2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella
4 eggs
2 cups fat free milk
1/2 teaspoon cumin (more to taste)
Salt and pepper 
Salsa, sour cream, hot sauce for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick spray.

Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet. Add onion and saute until translucent; add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes more. 

Place half of the cut-up tortillas in the bottom of the baking dish, top with half of the green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese, and all of the onion mixture. Top with the remaining tortillas, then the chiles, and lastly, the remaining 1 cup of cheese.  

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cumin, salt, and pepper; pour over the tortillas/eggs/chiles/onions.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until eggs are set and are starting to brown on the edges. Let stand for 10 minute before cutting into pieces. Top with salsa, sour cream, and hot sauce, if desired.

Serves 8, 5 points per serving (sour cream would change points value)

AWITLOL - Day 4

Woah, almost didn't make it up today!

A note about water... I drink a lot of water. Obscene amounts. Fish-like quantities. And as much as people say "when you think you're hungry, you're probably just thirsty" they are absolutely right.

Even if you're not ready to start a major lifestyle change or if you don't need to but want to tweak a few habits for your health...

Drink

More

Water.

My travel coffee mug is by my side for 50% of the teaching day (I cut myself off at noon).

And for the other 50% of my teaching day, this cup is by my side.

This reusable cup holds 32 ounces of water, meaning that drinking just two of these equals my daily requirement. I usually shoot for three (96 ounces), just because with all of the talking and singing, I need to hydrate a little more. I didn't usually take this cup home with me over the weekend, but I've started to, so that I'm encouraged to carry this cup around the house with me and drink just as much water at home as I do at school.

BTW - the recipe that's included today is "inspired" by a popular recipe from Weight Watchers members. It is simply a cake mix combined with one can of pumpkin and 1 cup of water. I didn't want to use a packaged cake mix, though, so I did some digging on Pinterest and found a few substitutes that I worked in. Enjoy!

Sunday

Breakfast

• Pumpkin muffin (see below)
• Nonfat blueberry Greek yogurt

Lunch

• Green beans, 1 1/2 cups
• stuffing, 1/2 cup
• chicken tenderloins pieces, 2
• Trader Joe's pumpkin bread, baked into cake form for a birthday (Happy Birthday, Asheley!)

Dinner

• Thin-crust pizza, cheese and tomatoes, 2 slices (or rather, squares to equal 2 slices)
• Apple

Snacks

• Pumpkin muffin (I had to sample them to make sure they were good before serving them!)

Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted from here and there

Ingredients

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk

1 1/3 cup sugar

1-15oz can canned pumpkin

1 cup water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional - will raise the points value)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Place muffin liners in cups of a standard muffin tin, and spray liners with non-stick spray.

Mix together all ingredients until well-combined and mixture is mostly smooth. 

Spoon into 24 muffin tins and bake for 20-24 minutes.

Makes 24 muffins, 2 points each

Making Mornings Easier

I have a getting-ready routine firmly ingrained into my self, and that routine follows an evening routine of the same nature. These routines are so much a part of my day that even during times of the year when I don't have to get myself or the kids ready by a certain time, I still find myself going through these motions.

The nighttime routine goes a little something like this:

~ Set out H's and E's clothes

~ Wash any bottles so they're ready to go at 6am and we're not fumbling around to clean them

~ Wash any dishes in the sink

~ Make my lunch

~ Check all doors to see they're locked

~ A few more paranoid things to check that I won't share here to avoid being made fun of...

Right now, we don't have to get the kids dressed and out the door in the morning and I cannot begin to express how much that has made things easier. But even so, I find that I have a hard time getting myself out the door with everything I need, so I stick to the routine.

Last summer, we decided not to buy any more cereal because for as much as we ate it for a convenient breakfast, we also ate it for a convenient 10:00pm snack. And really, that's not so much a necessary part of our day. We've stuck to it, probably for the best. But what that meant was now I had to figure in time to make toast and eggs that morning, or have something ready to go the night before. And really, that wasn't happening.

So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest (yay, Pinterest!) I had to try it, and we've been using this constantly since then. Its economical, healthy, and tasty to boot!

I even did the math to figure out how economical it is to make your own oatmeal.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Maple & Brown Sugar

15.1 ounces - $3.79 - $0.25 per ounce

Homemade Oatmeal Mix

65.25 ounces - $11.32 - $0.17 per ounce

(using brand name items - even less if you're using store brand!)

I know that a difference of $0.08 per ounce might not mean much, but that means for the same amount of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, you'd be paying... $16.31! Would you make your own oatmeal if you go through one whole batch a week like we do?

Plus, did I mention that it tastes so much better than the Quaker mix?

It totally does.



Homemade Oatmeal Mix

From Frugally Sustainable found via Pinterest

Ingredients

6 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup dry instant milk

1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

To make oatmeal: Measure 1/2 cup oatmeal and 1/2 cup water into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on full-power for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

If you want to make a bigger bowl, use 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1 cup water. Heat for approximately 1 minute 15 seconds, depending on your microwave.

Mix-Ins (after cooking, before cooling):

Raisins, sliced or slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries

Makes approximately 16 - 1/2 cup (dry) servings

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

As the date of my last post grows smaller and smaller in my rear-view mirror, it becomes harder and harder to jump back in. Sure, it was a busy summer, what with the addition of a little girl into our family, but I've also had a lot of time to try new recipes and experiment with the food we eat. Which is also why I'm a little overwhelmed jumping back in. But when I was at the pool yesterday, I realized that no matter how cold the water looks, once you jump in, it feels amazing!

So here's what I've been up to this summer, in a nutshell. Some of these will find elaboration in the coming weeks.

~ 10 Days of Real Food Challenge: This was the biggest deal for me. Check out this blog, and if you find it overwhelming, take a look at the mini-challenges, such as giving up refined sugars, eating locally, whole grains, the 5-ingredient rule, doing each for one week. (www.100daysofrealfood.com) I had great success with this, and felt great at the end! However, on the evening of the last day, I had a decaf nonfat latte from Caribou, and poured in some sugar. I never put sugar in my coffee. What possessed me to do so is beyond me. But I'm still counting the 10 days as a success!

~ Fresh fruit coming out of our ears!

~ Grandma's Recipes: I asked my mom to look through my grandma's recipe box, partially to reminisce, partially for new ideas. Now I find myself looking through four boxes of handwritten recipes and its so interesting! Especially the recipe titled "Veggie Salad" which lists the first ingredient as lemon jello. Interesting, but don't know if I'll be adding that to my repertoire. I will, however, need to try the recipe titled "Just Good Cookies."

~ Yogurt & Granola: This has been my staple snack this summer. I really like Brown Cow and Stonyfield because they are organic and don't use any artificial sweeteners, stabilizers, or preservatives. And once you make your own granola, you are going to smack yourself in your head for ever buying it off of the grocery shelf. And you can completely make it your own!

I've used a few recipes, but I really like the result using the Barefoot Contessa's Homemade Granola Bars as a starting point.  It does use brown sugar, which does violate the "real food" definition, but you have to do what works for you. I found that when I just used honey or agave, the granola was chewy and didn't have much crunch at all. When I used a little brown sugar, however, it cools into a really nice crunchy cereal. I think (in my own unscientific way) that this is because sugar is a solid at room temperature, and honey and agave are not. So once it cools, the sugar solidifies and gives granola a crunch that makes it perfect with yogurt.

Five-Cup Granola

Using the recipe from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics as a springboard

Ingredients

3 cups oatmeal (rolled oats or old-fashioned)

2 cups of whatever else you'd like to use in your granola! Here are some things I like to throw in: sliced or slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, Grape Nuts cereal, wheat germ (don't use more than 1/4 cup), unsweetened coconut flakes)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

salt

1 cup chopped dried fruit such as cranberries, dates, raisins, or apricots (optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 350. On a rimmed cookie sheet, spread out the oats as well as any nuts that you may be using. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until lightly toasted. Lower oven temperature to 300.

In a small saucepan, melt and stir together butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla, just until combined. 

In a large bowl, combine toasted oats and nuts (if using) with your other ingredients to total 5 cups.  Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, and stir to coat.

Evenly spread the cereal in the sheet pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring after every 7 minutes or so. Remove from oven and set the pan on a cooling rack. As the cereal cools, give it a stir every 10-20 minutes until it is crunchy and cooled. Stir in dried fruit if using.

Serve with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit.

Somethin' Special

Cinnamon rolls have always been something special in our family. My mom made them for special occasions (Christmas, special Sundays, coming home from college), and even if it wasn't a special occasion, the cinnamon rolls made that morning special.  When they were made from scratch, it was quite the process involving lots of time and a large Tupperware bowl. Later on, the introductions of the breadmaker and Pillsbury Hot Roll mix made the process much easier and less time comsuming.  Every time I have them, I'm taken back to growing up and special occasions. Other cinnamon rolls from a restaurant, from other kitchens, or from a tube just don't measure up.

I saw this recipe a few months ago and was hesitant (see above). But last weekend, Steve, sister-in-law Asheley, and brother-in-law Tom ran a 5K. I thought "What better time to make calorie-laden cinnamon rolls than to celebrate after a race?!" I started the night before since I decided to try a recipe from scratch, popped the dough in the fridge overnight, and then rolled them, raised them, and baked them off the next morning. Yes, it was a lot of work, but I'd do it all over again! Or at least take the ones out of the freezer and re-heat those.

A few things I would do differently...
~ After I let the dough rise the evening before, I forgot to mix in the additional flour and leavening. I tried doing it the next morning, but it got too punched down and the first batch I did the next day didn't rise well. Next time I'll try harder to remember to mix it the evening before.
~ I used 9x13 foil pans since I knew I'd be freezing most of them and I squeezed 15 into each pan. While they are nice and gooey, they're also pretty dense. I'd limit it to 12 in a pan next time.
~ Scald the milk in a large soup pot/stock pot. I did it in a sauce pan, but ended up getting a second pan dirty when I had to transfer it anyway. I don't like having to do more dishes than necessary.

Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted a very little bit from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
1 quart (4 cups) Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast (not Rapid or Fast-Acting)
8 cups + 1 Cup All-purpose Flour, divided
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

Frosting
1 bag Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups Milk
1/4 cups Melted Butter
1/8 teaspoons Salt

Directions
Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape - should be 12-18 inches x 24-30 inches. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a 9x13 pan (you can also use round cake pans for smaller batches). Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

Makes ~3 dozen cinnamon rolls

One-A-Penny, Two-A-Penny

The first time I heard about The Pioneer Woman, it was about a recipe that used mostly canned, pre-packaged, way-processed foods. Not that I'm a purist about using whole ingredients, but it turned me off for a while.

Then on Thursday, I was reading a blog (don't remember which one) that referenced The Pioneer Woman so I clicked on over, and the recipe that was on the front page was "Hot Cross Buns" - these haven't been an Easter tradition for me, but I thought to myself, "Why not start a new tradition?" So, off I went!

Hot Cross Buns
(Barely) Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
Buns
2 cups Whole Milk
½ cups Canola Oil
½ cups Sugar
1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
4 cups All-purpose Flour
½ cups (additional) Flour
½ teaspoons (heaping) Baking Powder
½ teaspoons (scant) Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Salt
¼ cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Spices: Cardamom, Nutmeg, Allspice (optional)
½ cups Raisins

Glaze
1 whole Egg White
Splash Of Milk

Icing
1 cup Powdered Sugar
Splash Of Milk

Directions
Combine 2 cups milk, canola oil, and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir and heat until very warm but not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until mixture is still warm, but not hot to the touch – about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast over mixture. Add 4 cups of flour and stir to combine. Mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.

Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and whatever other spices you want to use.

Lightly flour surface. Press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is “plain” again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time until all the raisins are used. (You won’t use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.)

Pinch off large golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll it into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly to create a smooth top to the roll. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes - an hour is better.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto each roll.Bake for 20 minutes, give or take, or until tops of buns have turned nice and golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Icing
Mix powdered sugar with enough milk to make icing very thick. Start with 2 Tablespoons and add more as needed for consistency.

Add icing to a small Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Make icing crosses on each roll.

Makes 18-24 rolls

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast for dinner is such a great idea - its usually pretty easy, pretty filling, and even hits a variety of food groups!

Lately I've been working hard on finding dinners to prep the night before so they are ready to go the next night for dinner. This strata is a great example. It took a little pre-preparation, but I had time on Sunday to do a few of these things (dry the tomatoes, cook the ham, cut the bread, etc...). Last night, I combined the bread, cheese, tomatoes, and ham in the baking dish and in a bowl, whisked the milk, cream, eggs, and seasoning. This morning I poured the eggs over and let it sit in the fridge, and when I got home at 5, I tossed it in the oven and it'll be good to go in just a few minutes! Can't wait...

Ham and Cheese Strata with Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
10 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup fat free cream
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced baked ham
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh chives
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice)
2 demi-loaves sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (should be about 16oz by weight)

Directions
Do ahead: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  Toss tomatoes with olive oil and salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 1.5-2 hours, until slightly shriveled but not dried completely. If not using immediately, store the tomatoes in a sealed container in the refrigerator, for 3 to 4 days.

For strata: Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, toss together the bread, ham, tomatoes, parsley, chives and cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the strata and gently press it down with the back of a large spoon to make sure the top layer is moistened with the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until golden brown and slightly puffed, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings