Focaccia

Focaccia is super yummy straight from the oven.  I'm salivating just thinking about it.  It is an easy bread because it only takes 1 rise and you can use a French bread dough to make it.

How ya doin', Pumpkin?

Here is yet another recipe that I will be developing to suit my tastes.  I made a classic pumpkin pie that I learned at school to see how it worked in a home kitchen.  There were no problems, so now I'll start fiddling with new flavors.  I really want to add some maple syrup or hickory syrup...perhaps even honey.  We'll see what happens and I'll post my pumpkin pie adventures and recipes.

Hopefully we'll all learn not to be afraid of pie making.

Coming Soon: French Bread Recipe

I'm currently developing a baguette recipe for myself.  I learned a bit about baguette at school and have made it 3 times now.  The difficult part is adjusting the recipe to work well in a home kitchen.  There are so many variables, ovens, room temperature, product brands, type of pans....and the list goes on... I also want to try to sneak some whole wheat flour into the equation.

This time around I learned that I'll need to make each loaf smaller to fit better in the pans.  I may want a hotter oven and more steam to develop a better crust.  Plus, I'll be trying out more several flours.
Here are a few pictures of my first try making baguette at home!

Hint of Pistachio

I love to freeze cookie dough to bake off when the fancy strikes.  But, sometimes I want to spice up my plain old chocolate chip cookies.  I tried rolling the shaped cookies in ground pistachios.  It added some good texture and flavor.

Simply roll your favorite chocolate chip cookies in ground pistachios and bake as usual.  I used Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies made with 1/4 whole wheat flour.

Double Mousse

White chocolate and dark chocolate mousse with caramel sugar, tempered chocolate and a marzipan flower.

Guacamole

Anyone else noticed the uptick in avocado advertising?

Easy Guacamole
-1 large avocado, large dice
-1 T. red onion, small dice
-1 small garlic clove, finely minced
-1 tsp. lemon juice
-salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients with a spoon.  And serve with corn chips, salmon cakes, or all by itself!

Food Swap: What to Eat/What Not to Eat

One may get the impression from this blog that I eat 2 things: sugar and pancakes.

I do eat those things, of course.  However, I am a firm believer in balanced diets, real food, portion control and exercise.  

I drink non-homogenized whole milk, which is the closest I can get to raw milk.  I eat peanut butter made of just peanuts.  I munch on fruit and unprocessed cheeses.  I run a few times a week and do simple exercises while watching TV.

It's probably fairly obvious that I love this book:

  

All of this is to introduce something I hope to occasionally write about on this blog.  It'll be about how my diet has changed since I first became interested in nutrition.  

Swap

Spoonful of Nutella for a spoonful of Peanut butter + a drop of honey

Oh, jar of Nutella *sniff* you're so beautiful.  

But let's be honest, peanut butter is cheaper.

Swap

Store bought for homemade

This goes for everything.  But I'll be specific.  

Special occasion cinnamon rolls for breakfast are great.  Take the time to make them yourself and sneak whole grains into your recipes whenever you can.

Another good substitute for Nutella is homemade chocolate almond butter.

Anything you'd like to see posted about?  How to make your favorite foods healthier?  Want some new recipes?  Leave me a comment.

  

Whole Wheat and Honey Pancakes

I never make pancakes the same way twice.  As a result, some are better than others.  I figured I ought to start writing down the best ones!

Whole Wheat and Honey Pancakes
-2 cups whole wheat flour
-1/3 cup oats
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-3-4 T. melted butter
-1-2 T. honey
-2 eggs
-1 + 3/4 cups buttermilk (or 1 3/4 milk + 1 T lemon juice)

Mix together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and honey.  Stir just until no pockets of flour remain.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat with coconut oil (or butter) and cook pancakes!  Add berries or chocolate chips for extra delicious breakfast goodness.


*Food styling tips welcome*