Bake Sale Recipe: Maple Snickerdoodles

These cookies are very similar to those I made for my potluck on friday, except the dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar before they are baked. The original recipe is from the livejournal bakebakebake community.

ingriedients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp real maple syrup
1 egg
2 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon

directions:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the maple syrup and egg until combined. Add dry ingredients. Beat until just mixed.
Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Arrange balls on cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake until tops are crackly, about 9-12 minutes. Remove from oven and leave cookies on sheets to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Bake Sale Recipe: Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

These cupcakes were the hit of the bake sale. Everybody was convinced I bought them at a bakery!

Banana Cupcakes
ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, bananas, milk, and lemon juice. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add to banana mixture. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Peanut Butter Frosting
ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp milk
2 cup confectioner's sugar

directions:
Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl and beat well. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

yields 18 cupcakes

Bake Sale Recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

We had a Kirtan group do a performance at the therapeutic riding facility I volunteer at yesterday, so naturally I offered to bake some goodies to sell. I made two kinds of cupcakes and some cookies. The next few posts will be devoted to the goodies I brought.

I never tried this vanilla cupcake recipe before, but I have made the frosting in the past. It actually comes from a brownie recipe. The cupcakes turned out nicely and worked well with the frosting.

Vanilla Cupcakes
ingredients:
2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar (see note below)
1 1/4 cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper baking cups.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each one. Stir in the vanilla and flour mixture just until mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter.

note: I didn't have superfine sugar, so I measured out 3/4 cup of granulated sugar into a blender and put it on pulse for 15 seconds.

Chocolate Frosting
ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

directions:
combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl

Potluck Recipe: Cinnamon Cookies

I've been craving cinnamon hardcore this week, so I decided to make cinnamon cookies for this month's potluck. I deviated from the original recipe a bit, so these were a bit of an experiment. They came out delicious, though!

ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Cream together butter and sugar.
3. Mix in egg and maple syrup, blending well.
4. Mix flour, baking soda and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

yields 3 dozen cookies

Recipe: White Bean Tabbouleh

(photo to come soon)

In my continued effort to work through to food I already have my pantry, I decided to start using more recipes that include bulgur. I bought some in the bulk section at whole foods a while back when I was on a mission to make my own version of the vegetarian chili at beans and barley and still have a fair amount left over.

ingredients:
1 cup bulgur wheat, uncooked
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped baby spinach
1 tomato, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

directions:
1. Place the bulgur wheat in a large bowl, stir the boiling water into it, cover, and let stand until the water is absorbed and the wheat is fluffy, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large salad bowl, lightly stir together the parsley, spinach, tomato, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Add the bulgur, lightly stir to thoroughly combine the salad, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

serves 6

This recipe is incredible. I wouldn't change a thing about it. I actually halved the recipe and decided to eat the leftover cannelini beans as an afternoon snack.

weekly food shop

In an effort to be smarter about where I buy my food and save some money, I did this week's food shopping at two places: whole foods and a local deli/convenience store (Koppa's) that takes foodstamps.

here's what I bought at whole foods:
6 apricots
1 tomato
1 bag of baby spinach
1 yellow bell pepper
1 zucchini
allegro organic coffee
4 bottles of green tea
total: $19

here's what I bought at Koppa's:
1 can of cannelini beans
1 lemon
1 cantaloupe
2 ears of corn
1 box of kashi puffs cereal
2 gala apples
2 bananas
total: $19

Recipe: Black Bean Hummus

I decided I needed something different for today's bagel sandwich. The change needed to come from what I was spreading on it, so I made this to put on it instead of neufchatel cheese. This recipe is fantastic because it's easy and I had all of the ingredients on hand already.

ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1 15 oz can black beans
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

directions:
1. drain liquid from can of black beans into a bowl and set aside.
2. mince garlic in a blender or food processor.
3. add beans, 2 tbsp of reserved liquid, lemon juice, tahini, salt, cumin, and chili powder to blender. Blend until smooth. Add liquid and seasoning as needed.

Warning: This will be spicy if you follow my measurements.

Quasi-Recipe: Bagel Sandwich

I visited my parents this past weekend in NJ. Every time I visit them, I always make a stop at my favorite bagel shop before leaving, and this visit was no exception. Granted, I'm hoping to give away some of these to various friends, but for now my freezer has been overtaken by bagels.

I decided to get a little creative with a whole wheat bagel for today's lunch. I spread some neuchatel cheese on each half (I use this instead of cream cheese, since it has less saturated fat) and topped one half with a slice of Soy Deli Savory baked tofu and some fresh basil leaves, then place the other half on top. Voila! It tasted pretty good, but it could've used a tomato. I think I'm going to pick one up today.

open thread: canning/preserving food

Earlier today I had a discussion with a coworker about preserving food. This is something that I've been experiencing more often now, since I've been making my own pesto with my basil and am looking to start making pico de gallo and salsa with my cilantro soon. I saw some strawberries on sale for cheap at a local grocery store and am considering making strawberry jam soon.

Is making your own sauces/preserves something that others do frequently? What are your favorite things to jar? How do you preserve them (freezer, refrigerator, etc)?

weekly food shop

This week I did all my food shopping at Whole Foods. I didn't need a whole lot, so it was a pretty light week. here's what i bought:
1 cantaloupe
3 nectarines
1 lemon
1 can coconut milk
1 8 pack Jane's popcorn
2 5 packs of Annie's fruit snacks
total: $25.09

I'm doing repeat recipes this week for dinner (coconut lime rice and chik'n piccata) so I can start getting through what I've already got in my pantry. I supposedly have a potluck on friday and plan to bake some things to sell at an event at the therapeutic riding facility i volunteer at on sunday, so I'll post about what I make for those. In the meantime, expect more open threads and opinion pieces.

sorry

I'm apologizing for not updating over the weekend. I was visiting my parents and had zero time to myself to update the blog. Regular updates will resume on Monday.

This Weekend

Unfortunately, I was unable to secure any guest bloggers for this weekend. As some of you know, I'll be visiting my parents for the weekend, which means I won't be doing much cooking or purchasing food with my foodstamps.

The good news is that I will still have internet access, so I can post open threads and opinion pieces! Please let me know if there's a specific topic you'd like me to bring up on here.

Have a great father's day weekend, folks!

It Finally Happened...

I am officially living month-to-month on my foodstamp allotment.

I don't know how it happened (it was probably all the coffee), but I learned upon checking my balance yesterday that I used all of the foodstamp money that was pro-rated to me when I first received my card. I wouldn't be surprised if whole foods accidentally charged me twice for some of my purchases there (they're not the best at processing QUEST cards), but I can't say I saw this coming.

Because of this, I'm going to be focusing more on using recipes that call for ingredients that I already have on hand, save for maybe one or two items.

Foodstamp Regulations

I will be moving at the end of the summer to the east coast for grad school. Part of the moving process (for me, at least) is trying to figure out whether or not I'll still qualify for food stamps and how soon I can apply. I know that several of you who read my blog are from states outside of Wisconsin, and I'd like you to share what the regulations are for your states: what you can/cannot buy, what your monthly income has to be, etc.

Recipe: Pesto Quinoa

Quinoa recipes are famous for being simple, yet delicious. This is no exception. I actually made the pesto myself, but even that required minimal effort beyond mincing garlic and measuring things.

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp pesto
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil in a saucepan; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the moisture is completely absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir the pesto through the quinoa. Fold the tomato into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

serves 4

This Week

Posts will be pretty light this week. I'm going out of town from Friday thru Monday and will have internet access, along with access to free food. So I'm opening up the option for guest posts again. If anyone would like to post a recipe or opinion post on here as a guest blogger, please email me at glasssa@earlham.edu

Recipe: Cilantro Tabouli

This recipe is super easy, it just requires a lot of waiting. good for potlucks!

ingredients:
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
salt to taste

directions:
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, turn off the heat, and stir in the bulgur wheat. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to absorb water. Strain off any liquid left unabsorbed, if necessary.
Place the bulgur wheat in a large salad bowl, and lightly toss with the tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, pepper, and salt until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate the salad for at least 3 hours to blend the flavors; serve cold.
serves 6

weekly food shop

I decided to try a new grocery store this week: outpost natural foods. it's a co-op, but there's 3 of them throughout the city, making it feel a little like riverwest food co-op meets whole foods. it wasn't terrible, but as far as co-ops go, i prefer riverwest over outpost.

here's what i bought:
10 apricots
1 cantaloupe
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
baby carrots
whole wheat pita bread
1 bunch cilantro
1 pear

total: $22.19

How to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget, According to a Dietician (along with my opinions, of course)

I frequent livestrong.com for recipes and articles on a regular basis. So when I found an article entitled "The Cheapest and Most Nutritious Foods" advertised on their homepage, I had no choice but to read it.

Below are the four foods listed in the article, and whether or not I agree with the arguments.

1. Oats
Yes, they are cheap and versatile. But are they nutritious? If consumed in the form on plain oatmeal prepared with water, yes. But how often is that the case? While there are ways to add extra flavor to your oatmeal while keeping it healthy (dried fruits and nuts are my favorite examples), it is more common for people to pour on the maple syrup and spoon on the brown sugar.

2. Bananas
Bananas are constantly offered at 69 cents per pound at a large grocery store near me, so it's clear that they're cheap. However, I am torn over whether or not I would consider them nutritious. Yes, they offer tons of vitamins. However, those vitamins also come with tons of carbs, which isn't helpful if you're trying to lose weight. At the same time, it does give you a long-lasting boost of energy, making it perfect for the 4:00 pick-me-up. I used to eat a banana with my lunch every day, but stopped buying them because I was getting fed up with them going bad before I could eat them all.

3. Frozen Vegetables
Those of you who have read my blog thoroughly know that this is something I purchase often. The further I get into The Omnivore's Dilemna, the more I realize that I need to be smarter about the kind of frozen vegetables I purchase. In an attempt to consume fewer preservatives, I'm no longer buying green giant just for ones. I recently bought a bag of frozen veggies at pick 'n save with zero preservatives. So basically, I agree with this addition to the list.

4. Sweet Potatoes
I'll say it-I love sweet potatoes. Especially in burritos. And for pasta sauce. Heck, I'll eat one baked with some fresh dill. According to livestrong.com, one medium sweet potato is only 100 calories and packed with vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, and a moderate amount of fiber. They're pretty low in carbs, too. No reason for these babies not to be on the list, as far as I'm concerned.

Here is the link to the article:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/126693-cheapest-nutritious-foods/

so what do you think? do you agree with me/the article? I want to hear your opinions!

Open Thread: Whole Foods

Recently a friend sent me a link to this article:
http://www.postbourgie.com/2010/06/02/skinny-people-shop-at-whole-foods

As someone who frequents Whole Foods, I'd like to point out that this study would have very different results if done in Milwaukee. I'd like to see this study done in multiple cities instead of just Seattle.

I'd like to hear the opinions of everyone else on this article. So go ahead and read it and post your reaction in a comment! I promise I'll read them all and try to respond to everyone, too.

Recipe: Quinoa with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

(picture to come soon!)

This recipe appealed to me at first because the only thing I didn't have on hand for it already was a can of chickpeas. It's delicious and I love the extra kick of flavor from the lime juice...it's unexpected in a refreshing way! Because it can be served cold, it's perfect for potlucks/picnics, too.

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Once done, stir in the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper.

serves 6

(did I mention how easy this recipe is!?!?!?! I LOVE IT!!)

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto with Pesto

This was my second time making risotto, so I'm still learning. My lesson with this recipe was that you shouldn't make risotto when your upper body is still sore from extreme weight lifting. The end result was definitely worth the sore wrist, though.

ingredients:
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup prepared pesto, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups cubed butternut squash (1 small squash)

directions:
Bring broth and 2 cups water to a boil in large saucepan; turn off heat.
Heat 1 Tbs. pesto in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in rice, followed by 1/2 cup hot broth. When rice has absorbed broth, add another 1/2 cup. Continue adding broth in this manner 5 minutes.
Stir in squash, and season with salt and pepper. Resume adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time until rice has absorbed all liquid. (This should take about 15 minutes.) Remove from heat, and stir in 1 Tbs. pesto. Spoon risotto into 6 bowls and top each with 1 tsp. pesto.

weekly food shop

unfortunately, I am without totals for the food I bought this week. The receipt for the fruit I bought at whole foods was destroyed during my walk home in the rain, along with the paper bag that was holding said fruit. I am unsure where I put the receipt from Riverwest Food Co-op, too. I will do my best to estimate the totals, though.

Whole Foods:
10 apricots
1 cantaloupe
total: $9.00 (more or less)

Riverwest Food Co-op:
1 can eden organic chickpeas
1 bottle peanut oil
1 butternut squash
total: $15

with things winding down, I'm trying to spend less and use more of what I already have in my fridge/pantry in the process. This means I'll be eating a lot more grains in the form of rice, quinoa, and pasta in the next few weeks.

Today's Breakfast

Today I was craving a break from my normal weekend breakfast routine of cereal and an english muffin. I raided my fridge for ingredients, and this was the end result. I'm glad I had the foresight to take a picture, because I ate it in a matter of seconds.

Egg White Scramble

ingedients:
1/4 cup egg white beaters
2 grape tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
salt and peper to taste
1 tbsp pesto
1 slice whole wheat bread

combine egg whites, tomatoes, and goat cheese. pour into greased frying pan and scramble.
meanwhile, lightly toast bread, then spread pesto on top. layer eggs on top of pesto. Enjoy!

serves 1

Recipe: Pesto Wrap

One of my favorite things about Fridays is that I get to eat lunch at home, which gives me some room for creativity. Because VISTAs aren't paid hourly wages, we get to flex our work hours so that it evens out to at least 40 hours a week (though for the life of me I cannot remember the last time I worked less than 45 hours in a full work week). I usually leave Parents Plus around lunch time on Fridays so I can eat something before hitting the gym.

My original plan for today's lunch was to make some pasta and top it with TJ's pesto and some parmigiano reggiano (I bought a decent-size chunk of it when I made red pepper pesto and still have a lot left over). But when I opened my fridge, I noticed I still had some fresh produce left over from the goat cheese wraps I made for lunch that week. I got out my cutting board and knife and before I knew it, this wrap was born!

ingredients:
1 tortilla wrap
1 tbsp basil pesto
3/4 cup salad mix
4 grape tomatoes
1 tbsp roasted red pepper strips
1 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano

directions:
1. spread a layer of pesto evenly on wrap tortilla.
2. sprinkle salad mix on top of pesto.
3. slice grape tomatoes and sprinkle on top of lettuce, along with red pepper strips.
4. top with parmigiano, fold, and serve.

serves 1

as you can see in the picture, I ate these with guiltless gourmet salt-free tortilla chips, which I dipped in salsa.

Recipe: Chik'n Piccata

It has taken a lot of nerve for me to admit this publicly, but my favorite food as an omnivorous child was veal piccata. my parents introduced me to it at a young age, and I was hooked on it immediately (you can get an idea of what I had to work with when I went veg during my freshman year of high school). I also enjoyed the cheaper version of this meal-chicken piccata. Lately I've been craving piccata sauce, but wasn't sure how to make it vegetarian-friendly. While shopping at whole foods last week, I came across Lightlife's Savory Chik'n tenders. These worked perfectly with the sauce! Tempeh would probably suffice as a meat substitution for this recipe, too. Portobello mushrooms might work, too, but I think everything works with portobello mushrooms.

(no picture yet, but I promise to post one tonight!)

ingredients:
1 package lightlife savory chik'n tenders
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter

directions:
1. Heat oil in skillet. Cook and stir the minced garlic in the skillet until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
2. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the lemon slices and bring the mixture to a boil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the lemon juice and capers; simmer until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, heat chik'n tenders according to directions on package.
5. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated.
6. Arrange chik'n tenders on plates and pour sauce over tenders. Serve warm.

Serves 2

Positive Changes

I've noticed some positive changes in my eating habits over the last month or so. In order to cut back on the amount of refined sugar I eat, I've been eating fruit for dessert after dinner instead of my previous choice of skinny cow ice cream. Maybe it's because my favorite fruits are in season now (peaches, apricots, and nectarines), or maybe it's because I've replaced my sugar fix with a bowl of cantaloupe slices, but I've found that I am subconciously reaching for fruit instead of candy when craving something sweet. This is something I've never done in the past.

For example: I had a late night last night and did not get to eat until 8:30. I had been hungry since about 7:00, since my post tae kwando snack of a rice cake smothered in peanut butter wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it would be. I was still hungry after dinner and wanted something sweet. Well aware of the box of girl scout cookies in my fridge, I did not even think twice about reaching for a bag of dried apricots in my pantry.

Part of my decrease in chocolate cravings may have to do with the fact that I've significantly cut back on my soda intake. In fact, I only drink soda when I'm at a bar and want a mixed drink, which in itself is a rare occasion, since I'm not big on drinking. It's the same situation with juice, too. I'd rather eat a piece of fruit than drink sugary fruit juices.

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of my memorial day activities was making pesto using basil leaves from my plant, as well as my new Oster blender that I bought on clearance recently (my old blender had to be retired after smoke started coming out of it). I decided on a roasted red pepper pesto for two reasons: 1) I already have an open jar of regular pesto from trader joe's to finish off, and 2) I wanted to put an open jar of roasted red pepper strips that I've had sitting in my fridge to good use. I did not take any pictures of the end result, but I thought you would all enjoy the recipe, anyway.

ingredients:
- 1 cup roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, quartered lengthwise
- 1/3 cup roasted pine nuts
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

directions:
In a blender or food processor, purée peppers until they are smooth and well blended. Shred cheese and chop nuts into bits, blending thoroughly and add to peppers. Chop basil into tiny pieces and combine with peppers, cheese and nuts.
Add oil and vinegar to combined ingredients. Press garlic and combine with other ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I decided to freeze my pesto so I could use it after I finish my TJ's pesto. If you decide to refrigerate it, it will only be good for a week or so. I think my next pesto will be with sundried tomatoes or regular pesto.