Banana Nut Soft Serve [Two Ingredients, Dairy-Free, Sugar Free]
Posted: June 8, 2013 Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Snacks, Toddler-Approved, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: banana nut soft serve, banana soft serve recipe, dairy-free, gluten-free, peanuts, sugar-free, vegan Leave a comment »
Jackson is 22 months old now and at that stage where he’s learning new words every day and starting to string together words to make phrases and sentences like these:
“Hoo Hoo” (Whoohoo whith his hands thrown in the air.)
“Cool man” (I don’t know where he picked up this phrase, but it’s super cute.)
“Yayyy, I did it!” (Even if he didn’t actually do whatever IT is, he celebrates every little effort with such enthusiasm. It’s contagious.)
“Leeeeeet’s GO!” (That combined with “Run momma” is turning him into a little personal trainer!)
“Yes.” (Finally, he is saying “yes,” instead of always “no,” in the most adorably assertive and confident way.)
Of course, with this precious phase, also comes the less than adorable phrases, like “Chur turn” (Your turn…which actually means my turn. And it’s always “chur turn”) and “Miiiine!”
My favorite phrase of late, though, is “Tank choo ma ma.” He emphasizes each syllable and I can tell he really has to work to say it. It’s a sweet labor of love and it’s reserved for his truly most satisfying moments of deep gratitude, like when I served him chocolate “ice cream” made of bananas and cocoa for a morning snack last week. “Choc! Tank choo ma ma!”
This idea for banana soft serve has been circulating for years. It’s not new, but I’ve turned a few people toward it this week with my Instagram picture of Jackson enjoying his morning ice cream treat and thought maybe some of our readers have yet to try it as well. The basic recipe is just frozen bananas processed in a blender. It’s magical! The bananas just whip right into a thick creamy soft serve that is delicious on it’s own. You can make all sorts of flavors: chocolate peanut butter, strawberry banana, cinnamon and sugar…wherever your taste buds take you. This version is one of my favorites. You can use peanut butter instead of peanuts, but I really love the texture and flavor from the whole peanuts.
Ready in under five minutes, it makes the perfect healthy summer snack, or even breakfast. You’ll earn some serious cool mom or dad points putting a bowl of this in front of your kids first thing in the morning!
Banana Nut Soft Serve
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 frozen bananas, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons peanuts (I used organic unsalted)
sprinkle of sea salt (unless peanuts are salted)
Directions
Put ingredients in a food processor and blend, stopping and scraping the sides as needed until it turns to the texture of a thick soft serve ice cream. Then stop. You don’t want to over blend or it will have more of a melty soft serve texture (not bad, but not as good either).
For this portion size, I use the smallest bowl on my food processor so I don’t have to stop and scrape the sides as often. (It will be very loud at first, that’s okay, just be prepared.)
Serve immediately with a few extra peanuts and another sprinkle of sea salt on top for some extra crunch. I’ve heard this does not refreeze well, though I’ve never had any left to try. 
You can buy yourself a little time keeping it chilled in the freezer, but it’s best to serve right away.
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The site URL:
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The Title: Banana Nut Soft Serve
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Have you made Banana Soft Serve?
What are your favorite flavor combinations?
What are your favorite toddler phrases and phases?
A little book update:
Zondervan, our publisher, has been so supportive of our book (coming out August 6). We’re having such a great publishing experience! They just decided to do an audio version of We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook and invited my mom and I to record it. One of us will be recording in the studio most of the week, each of us having two 5-7 hour days in studio. Prayers for good health appreciated. The following week I’m heading to Colorado (with Jackson in tow) to join mom for a photo shoot for a major Christian publication. We’re so grateful for all the encouragement and support we’ve received…and for our fabulous readers at the blog.
We also got all of the endorsements in for the book. Wow! We are floored by the generosity of our fellow authors. Click on the picture of the book above to read the endorsements and find lots of knew authors to friend and follow.
Trail Mix Parfaits
Posted: April 29, 2013 Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Gluten Free, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: chocolate for breakfast, healthy desserts, healthy snacks, trail mix parfaits, vegan snacks Leave a comment »
I have to admit, I’ve not been doing a lot of recipe creating lately. With the book editing and recipe testing process, I think I’ve caught a case of creativity burnout. When this happens, I know it’s time to break out my cookbooks and open up my pinterest boards and go back to where my passion for cooking began: following recipes. Following a good recipe is like doing a puzzle. Corners go here, edges go there, this piece goes here, this piece goes there … and before you know it you’ve methodically created something new and complete … and lovely … and hopefully delicious, in the case of recipes.
When I haven’t been following other people’s recipes lately, I’ve been throwing together salads and smoothies from the greens in my garden. This is my first year to have a garden. I’ve already killed all the tomatoes and peppers and most of the herbs, but my greens are growing like weeds. I’ve not made anything terribly innovate with them yet, but oh my goodness, the simple pleasure of walking out my back door, picking some fresh spinach or swiss chard and enjoying a meal with it minutes later. I have been missing out!
I plan on doing a garden post and a recipe round up post soon with some of the hits during my recipe creating hiatus and my adventures as a newbie gardener.
Though my creativity neurons took a leave of absence, I think they may be slowly returning. I’ve made a few very simple recipes the last few days that have knocked my socks off. Like canteloupe dressed with honey, lime, and cayenne pepper or Tajin seasoning. So simple, yet so delicious. Or like yesterdays breakfast, a Trail Mix Parfait: layered ingredients you’d typically find in trail mix, like nuts and seeds and dried fruit and chocolate, slightly warmed and topped with diced bananas. Can I just say, yum!! I just had it again and thought, maybe I finally have a recipe worth blogging after my long dry spell. It’s kind of a recipe that’s almost not a recipe, but it’s so good, it’s worth putting out there anyway. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Other noteworthy updates:
- I’m guest pinning this week at The Christian Mama’s Guide facebook page on Cooking with Kids. Come join us there for fun ideas to get your kids excited about food. Just in time for summer when the kids will be home “helping” you in the kitchen, whether you like it or not!
- My lovely co-blogger and mother had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I totally missed a chance to do a birthday post. Mom, I love you! Happy Birthday. I cannot believe we get to share so much of our life together, from work to play, even when we are far away.
- Jackson and I are heading to Colorado this week to spend a few days at my mom’s. We’re taking publicity pictures for the book, having a meeting with our editor about the next book, and hopefully spending some quality time cooking together in the kitchen … with Jackson and my nephew George sitting on the counter helping us.
And now for that recipe I promised….
Trail Mix Parfaits
Serves 1
1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, mixed nuts–I like unsalted walnuts or pecans best)
2 tablespoons dried fruit (like raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries, or bananas)
1 tablespoon seeds (like hemp, sunflower, chias, or sesame)
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (I like the dairy-free, soy-free ones by Enjoy Life)
2 tablespoons diced bananas or yogurt (like So Delicious Coconut Yogurt)
Directions
In a glass bowl or glass, layer nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and chocolate chips. Warm in microwave for 30 seconds or until chocolate just starts to melt. Don’t let chocolate burn. Top with bananas and/or yogurt. Enjoy.
If you gently stir it as you eat, the chocolate will coat the rest of the trail mix. Oooey, gooey gooodness.
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The site URL:
http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Trail Mix Parfaits
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-Xv
Miss Vickie’s Sugar Cookies (Egg-free and optionally dairy-free)
Posted: April 7, 2013 Filed under: Cooking with Love, Desserts, Kids Cooking, Toddler-Approved, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: best sugar cookies ever, dairy-free sugar cookies, egg-free, eggless sugar cookies, made with powdered sugar, miss vickies sugar cookies, quick and easy, vegan sugar cookies Leave a comment »
Jackson and his Mimi starting a tradition with these egg-free and optionally dairy-free sugar cookies.
Have you ever met a woman who was beautiful, had an equally beautiful family with grown children who are best friends with each other, whose home is fit for the cover of Southern Living magazine, who loves Jesus, who crafts and entertains and cooks, and well, who you just might hate for being so together if it weren’t for how kind and caring and generous she was; and instead of envying her, you kind of just hope she’ll adopt you? I have. Her name is Miss Vickie.
Miss Vickie is Jared’s best friend Nick’s mom. Vickie and her husband Roger own three Chick-fil-A’s in our area and have raised entrepreneur-minded, self-motivated, creative kids. I wrote most of We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook, at Nick’s co-working space in Dallas, Common Desk, the first of its kind in the metroplex. Natalie, Miss Vickie’s daughter, is one of the most creative people I know. Her blog is so inspiring for crafty (or wannabe crafty) mamas!
Apparently, the creative genes run deep. Miss Vickie is kind of famous in these parts for her sugar cookies. If you’ve been to her house, you’ve probably seen a jar full of these soft, buttery cookies in an array of pastel colors and cute shapes, and may have even been sent home with a mason jar full of them. The recipe was created and passed down by her Italian family, the Spinelli’s, years ago.
How much do you love this handwritten recipe?
Surprisingly, it doesn’t call for any eggs and since it calls for margarine, swapping Earth Balance is a no-brainer to make them dairy-free too. She says she’s never come across a recipe quite like it and neither have I. They are so light and almost melt in your mouth.
My mother-in-law Rhonda and Vickie have been friends for as long as Jared and Nick have been buds. Through vacations and ball games and girlfriend getaways, they’ve shared a few of these cookies over the years. And now they are sharing them, as Nonna and Mimi, with their grandkids. Nostalgia.
We went to one of our favorite getaways out in East Texas over Easter weekend with Jared’s parents. Early Saturday, it was rainy and cold, so Mimi and Jackson baked the morning away, while I snapped photos. We declared it an official Easter tradition.
Mix the ingredients.
This is a perfect recipe for kids to help with. Simple ingredients. Simple steps. Edible dough.
Taste for quality control.
Yep, it’s yummy.
“Flour” your board with powdered sugar.
I could just eat him up. 
Press or roll the dough.
Mimi and Jackson making sweet memories.
Cut out your shapes with cookie cutters.
Cooking with kids is neither neat or orderly. Luckily this dough is soft, pliable, and forgiving. Just roll it back up and press it down again to start over.
Bake, cool, and ice.
Pick your color, any color.
Decorated with love (not skill).
Eat.
Debating on whether or not he should eat his sugar cookie masterpiece.
Clean Up.
This boy loves a vacuum like nobody’s business.
Thank you Miss Vickie, for sharing this family recipe with us and allowing me to share it with our readers!
Miss Vickie’s Sugar Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup margarine (or Earth Balance)
1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus some to powder table)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix margarine, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a mixer. Stir in flour, a little at a time, and salt. Powder the table with powdered sugar. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. (The dough is very soft, so we just used our hands for this step.) Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Lay them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool. Decorate with icing.
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http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Miss Vickie’s Sugar Cookies
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For Pinterest:
Double Chocolate Veggie Nut Bread (Zucchini, Carrots & Applesauce)
Posted: February 12, 2013 Filed under: Breads, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: applesauce, bread, butternut squash, cake, chocolate, chocolate chip, dark cocoa powder, double chocolate, healthy chocolate, healthy Valentine's Day dessert, healthy valentines day treats, Hershey's chocolate syrup, Hershey's dark cocoa, pumpkin, snack, veggie, walnuts, yellow squash, zucchini, zuchini, zuchinni 4 Comments »
(Becky, the Mama.)
Yes, you can have your moist, dark, chocolate cake-bread, and enjoy your health, too!
This recipe began stewing in my mind when my sister-in-law Gail came to visit. Every morning, without fail, she has the same breakfast: a chocolate chip chocolate muffin and a Starbuck’s frappucinno. I am not a big fan of breakfast foods, in general, but those double chocolate muffins …. oh man, they looked and smelled and tasted soooo good!
Since Gail’s muffin’ lovin’ visit, I’ve been in search of a moist, super chocolately bread or muffin that I can feel good about eating, even for breakfast. I came across a Cooking Light recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that used squash and applesauce to substitute for most of the oil. It was quite moist and… pretty okay, but a “fer piece” (as they say in Texas) from that perfect dark, rich, chocolately bite I was looking for.
So I started tweaking and baking like one of those OCD chefs from America’s Test Kitchens. By the time I was done, I’d changed every ingredient and added more, and made the recipe entirely my own. I don’t like the taste of baking soda so I switched to baking powder. It wasn’t chocolately enough so I used dark Hershey’s cocoa, added ¼ cup Hershey’s syrup and doubled the chocolate chips. I added a cup of chopped walnuts. I substituted ½ the zucchini for grated carrots because that’s what I had in the fridge. (Actually I just put all the veggies in the food processor and whirled them.I’ve no patience for hand-grating veggies and I value my knuckles.)
When the finished loaf came out of the oven, fragrant with rich chocolate aromas, I took one bite and said, “Now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Chocoholics rejoice! You have seriously got to try this recipe to believe how good it is. No one will suspect it has 1 ½ cups of veggies and 1 cup of applesauce & only 3 T. of oil and ¾ cup sugar – in two loaves.
Valentine’s Day is coming up and this would make a fun breakfast or snack or dessert for yourself or your kids or your Honey Pie. Just garnish it with a few heart shaped strawberry slices and serve it with all the love in your heart.
Double Chocolate Veggie-Nut Bread
Creaming Ingredients
¾ c. organic sugar
3 T. olive or canola oil
2 large eggs
¼ c. Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1 t. vanilla
Sifted Dry Ingredients
2 cups unbleached or whole wheat white flour
2 T. Hershey’s dark cocoa powder (you can use regular cocoa as well, just won’t be quite as dark a loaf)
3 T. plus 1 t. baking powder
½ t. cinnamon (more if you like a stronger cinnamon punch)
½ t. salt
The Goodies!
¾ cup grated or ground squash, any kind (zucchini, yellow, butternut, pumpkin….)
1 c. applesauce
¾ cup grated or ground carrots
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 T. flour
Directions:
Using a mixer cream all the “creaming ingredients” together until eggs are very well beaten and mixture is smooth. Sift together all the ingredients from the “Sifted Dry Ingredients” list. Use food processor to grind/process carrots and squash, or grate them by hand. Alternate adding squash-carrot mixture and sifted dry ingredients to mixing bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Put chocolate chips and chopped walnuts in a small bowl and toss with 2 T. flour (this helps them not fall to the bottom of your bread, keeps them floating evenly throughout the loaf). Stir these final goodies into the batter, by hand.
(In the picture at top above, I had frozen grated yellow squash and zuchinni from the night before, and just tossed it back in food processor with a couple of large carrots. Next pic is batter awaiting the bowl of floured walnuts and chocolate chips. Finally my super-long bread pan, found at an estate sale.)
Pour batter into two well greased and floured loaf pans. (Note: I baked my bread in one super-long baker’s loaf pan, a find at an estate sale. But I’ve never seen another bread pan like it, so just use two regular bread pans instead.)
Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Let cool to warm and carefully run sharp knife around edge to loosen and remove from pan. Let cool some more and then slice with a sharp serrated knife to serve. After first day, store in fridge (otherwise the moist veggies and fruit could start fermenting) and either nuke for a second or heat slices in skillet with a little butter.
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The Title: Double Chocolate Veggie Nut Bread
The URL:
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Black Forest Greek Yogurt Parfaits
Posted: February 6, 2013 Filed under: Appetizers, Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: Black Forest, cherries, cherry preserves, coconut yogurt, dark sweet cherries, Fage's yogurt, Greek yogurt, Hershey's chocolate syrup, mini chocolate chips, parfait, parfaits, So Delicious yogurt, yoghurt, yogurt 2 Comments »
“……even if you don’t know anybody, and you don’t know what’s gonna happen next, you should have your box of chocolates with you. You should eat your bowl of cherries. And that is what life is.”
― C. JoyBell C.
(Becky, the Mama.)
By the amount of Greek yogurt occupying grocer’s refrigerator shelves these days, I’m not the only one in love with its rich, creamy, tart texture and taste. I don’t even buy sour cream anymore and honestly can’t tell the difference. The 2% Fage brand is my favorite; so smooth with just the right amount of fat so that no one misses the cream.
Two of my favorite foods are sweet dark cherries and chocolate. (I agree with Dave Barry who says, “Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.”) So it is no surprise that Black Forest Cake is one of my favorite treats, but alas, it doesn’t have many redeeming nutritional assets. So I come up with this quick, easy, decadent Black Forest Parfait, using my favorite Greek yogurt in place of a pudding. It was love at first bite. In fact, I just made a batch of them for everyone in our family as snack, to a happy chorus of “mmm.. mmms…yum, that’s good!”
It’s a dessert you can feel good about enjoying and sharing because the chocolate adds antioxidants, the yogurt is a great source of calcium and protein, and cherries are in the top 20 foods with the highest amount of antioxidants. Also, cherries are one of the few foods that have melatonin in them, for a restful night’s sleep. Finally, by starting with unsweetened yogurt, you can control the sweetness to your own taste.
Black Forest Greek Yogurt Parfaits
Makes 2 parfaits
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups plain unsweetened Greek yogurt (Vegans can substitute So Delicious Coconut Milk “Greek Yogurt”)
1/4 c. Hershey chocolate syrup, plus a little some for decorating parfait tops (Vegans need to use a milk-free chocolate syrup)
Agave nectar to taste
2 T. mini chocolate chips (vegans use vegan chocolate chip)
1/2 c. dark sweet cherries (frozen, pitted; if they are large, cut them in half)
2 T. cherry preserves I love Bonne Maman French preserves, now available in most grocery stores. They do not have any corn syrup and are full of fruit!
Directions:
In one bowl mix yogurt with chocolate syrup. Add agave nectar if you like until it is as sweet as you prefer. In another small bowl mix the cherries and preserves.
In a tall clear mug or parfait glass, put about 1/3 cup of chocolate yogurt mixture, then put a layer of the cherry mixture on next, about 1/4 cup. (Reserve about a Tablespoon to decorate top). Follow this with another layer of chocolate yogurt (about 1/3 cup) and a nice squiggle of chocolate syrup. Top with 1 T. mini chocolate chips and a dollop of cherry mixture for decoration on top. Repeat in another mug or parfait glass.
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The Title:Black Forest Greek Yogurt Parfaits
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This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Double Chocolate Berry Nut Muffins
Posted: January 6, 2013 Filed under: Breads, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: berries, black berries, blueberries, chocolate chips, cocoa, coconut oil, double chocolate muffins, Greek yogurt, nuts, pecans, raspberries, strawberries, yogurt Leave a comment »
(Becky, the Mama.)
Food memoirist Alyssa Shelasky described her mother as being a strict health-nut (who’d never eat anything that would “tick off Michael Pollan”), before being green and organic was cool. Alyssa’s school lunches were healthy leftovers like chicken salad and fruit, with notes of hand-written inspiration tucked into the brown bag. Nary a Dorito or Slim Jim in site. And yet, even this Whole Foods Mama had a daily vice. Every morning alongside with her cup of milky white tea, she ate a chocolate packaged snack cake filled with goopy marshmallow cream. Yes, she ate a Devil Dog.
In her defense she ate one and only one. Every single day. For sixty years. Without guilt.
Later in the day, Alyssa’s mom would walk to the Farmer’s Market, loaded down with fresh veggies, enjoying every antioxidant-filled bite.
Now that Hostess has gone out of business, a box of Devil Dogs can be found on the internet for about $35.00 a box. “Freshness guaranteed.” (Presumably because they are so rich in chemicals, they are guaranteed to last forever.)
Though I draw the line at Twinkies and Devil Dogs for breakfast (even if I could afford such luxuries), I’m all in favor of making Chocolate a breakfast food.
To that end, I offer you this recipe for Double Chocolate Berry Nut Muffins. If I’d had blueberries or dark cherries on hand, I would have used those in this muffin. What I did have on hand was strawberries and kiwis, so improviser that I am… into the bowl they went. I’ve never let lack of correct ingredients stop me from whipping up a recipe. I once made a carrot cake without any carrots, subbing zucchini and crushed pineapple. It was delicious.
The result of my experiment was a just-right sweet muffin made moist from the coconut oil, Greek yogurt and fruit, chocolaty from cocoa and chocolate chips, with a nice crunch from chopped pecans. I used white whole wheat flour (which has the same nutritional value as whole wheat flour, but is made from white instead of red wheat); and organic unprocessed sugar to ease my conscience even more.
So, okay, I’m not ready to declare these chocolate muffins a “health food.” But hey, they are no Devil Dogs.
Double Chocolate Berry Muffins
Makes 2 dozen regular muffins, and one pan of miniature muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Ingredients
2 ¼ c whole wheat white flour ( I used King Arthur brand)
1 ¼ c. organic sugar
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder (if you like extra dark chocolate use dark chocolate cocoa)
2 t. baking power
1 t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
1 cup Greek Yogurt, plain
½ cup milk or almond milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted if it is solidified
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla or almond extract
1 cup berries (blueberries don’t need chopped, but strawberries, cherries, raspberries or blackberries will need to be diced into about ¼ inch pieces.)
1 cup chocolate chips
½ c. to 1 c. chopped nuts
Directions
Sift and stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center; set aside.
Whisk together the yogurt, milk, coconut oil, eggs, and almond or vanilla extract in a bowl until evenly blended. Pour the yogurt mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the berries, nuts, and chocolate chips. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling half full. (I used cupcake liners.)
Bake until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Try with a little smear of Nutella; or a slice of banana and peanut butter, or a spoon of cherry or strawberry preserves. Heaven….
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title:Double Chocolate Berry Muffins
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This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Cinnamon Crisps (Easy to Make with Kids)
Posted: December 17, 2012 Filed under: Cooking with Love, Desserts, Kids Cooking, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: after school snacks, baking, Christmas cookie alternatives, cinnamon, coconut oil, cookie cutters, cookies, crisps, healthy snacks, healthy snacks for kids, sugar, tortillas 1 Comment »
(Becky, the Mama. And Nonny to 5 little boys. In light of Friday’s tragic news, we are cherishing times with our grandkids even more. It is the small things you do with small people that you and they will look back on and cherish. I hope and pray you get a little bonding time in the kitchen with young ones this week. Here’s a recipe that will make it easy during a time when many feel perpetually overwhelmed. Love and Merry Christmas to all our Blog Readers and thank you so much for sharing our love of cooking and passing it along to others.)
There is, of course, the Martha Stewart way to make Christmas cookies with your kids when they are home from school this coming week for Christmas break. It looks homey and fun, easy and bonding. Especially when using child actors on a TV set.
What it is, in reality, is a long process involving antsy children, along with lots of sugar, clouds of flour, rolling pins and sticky dough (that will take a jack hammer to remove after it is dry), food coloring stains, and sometimes tears of frustration (from either children or parent). The experience almost always ends with the kids giving up the thrill of “making Christmas cookie memories together,” after half-heartedly decorating one, maybe two, cookies. Then they start begging to go play outside, watch cartoons or play a video game. So Mom ends up finishing up the decorating, cleaning up the mess, and downing about six cookies she doesn’t really need or want that taste like thick sweet cardboard with green and red sugar paste on top.
I’m here to give you Becky Johnson’s (alias “Nonny”) Easier Way Out. (Merry Christmas!) It takes about five to ten minutes to make these “Christmas Cinnamon Crisps” with your children, start to finish. If you use whole wheat tortillas and dust them with organic coconut or date sugar, you can even claim them to be almost downright healthy. A cold glass of diary or almond milk will help balance the sugar with a bit of protein and keep your children off the ceiling from a pure sugar high. Also, these crisps are so light and crunchy, they will not end up feeling like a sugar dough ball in their stomachs. (Or yours.)
We made these for Christmas, but you can use any holiday or seasonal cookie cutters to make this an easy-to-make treat year round.
Cinnamon Crisps
Ingredients:
2 large flour tortillas, whole wheat or white (I prefer to use the raw tortillas, such as Tortilla Land or Guerrero Brands because they puff up like little sopapillas, but pre-cooked ones will also work)
1 to 2 T. coconut oil or other healthy oil
Cinnamon & Sugar Mix (1/4 c. sugar to 1 T. cinnamon)
Directions:
Using good sharp edged cookies cutters, let the kids cut out cookies from the tortilla.
In the meantime, melt 1 T. coconut oil in a medium skillet on medium high heat. Drop tortilla “cookies” into hot oil (obviously an adult will need to do this part).
Then gently roll them in a bowl of the cinnamon and sugar, coating both sides.
Let them cool a bit, but best eaten while warm and fresh! (You made need to add more coconut oil as you cook the crisps.) Cut up left over “scraps” of tortillas into “crazy shape” pieces to cook, coat and eat last!
Variations:
There are so many ways you can jazz up this basic idea. You can coat them with coconut or date sugar, and use whole wheat tortillas (or even flat bread). You can make a quick vanilla or chocolate glaze and dip one side in (like a donut) and then dip again in crushed nuts or seeds or sprinkles or coconut, like thin tiny donuts. You can skip the cinnamon and sugar and dip in a honey-butter or peanut-butter and honey mixture. Have fun with this!
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Cinnamon Crisps
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-Qw
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Five-Ingredient, 10-minute Sugar Cookies (dairy-free, egg-free)
Posted: December 6, 2012 Filed under: Desserts, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: agave sugar cookies, dairy-free, egg-free, maple syrup sugar cookies, quick and easy five-ingredient sugar cookies, vegan sugar cookies Leave a comment »
Dangerously quick and easy “sugar” cookies. The sugar is really maple syrup or agave and the recipe is designed for small batches so you don’t have to be tempted by a whole dozen cookies when you really just want one or two.
(Rachel, the daughter)
To offset recipe testing for the book, holiday parties, and of course Christmas baking, I’ve been exercising outdoors for 30 minutes a day. A couple of nights ago Jared and I took Jackson for an early evening walk and stopped to look at the neighborhood Christmas lights along the way. One particular house is lit up like the Griswald’s and has a constant stream of onlookers. We stopped and took Jackson out of the stroller to take pictures and show him the dancing and singing Santa Clause. As I turned to cross the street back to the stroller, I stepped into a pothole and fell hard all the way to the ground. The other onlookers hollered out their car windows a concerned, “Are you okay?” Thankfully, Jared had Jackson and my ego stung more than my hands and scratched up hip did. With a can-do attitude, and a “Let’s get the St. Nick out of here” plea, I held my head high and jogged the whole way home.
In the spirit of stumbling, I also stumbled across something amazing this week, a delicious easy sugar cookie using just five basic ingredients: butter or margarine, maple syrup or agave, flour, vanilla extract, and sea salt. On a whim, I just threw these ingredients in a bowl and into the oven, thinking surely an egg-replacer or at least some baking soda or powder would be needed. But they turned out so delicious!
Because I can’t be trusted with more than a few cookies at one time (seriously, it’s a problem), I made a recipe that could easily be modified to make as few as two cookies at a time. Instead of actual sugar, I used maple syrup in one batch and agave in another. The agave’s flavor is more subtle, but the maple syrup gives a nice depth of flavor. Both are winners.
I have three holiday parties and a MOPS meeting to bring food for this week. It’s that time of year! These are so easy that I’m sure I’ll bring them to at least one of the events.
*****Congratulations to Lori McClellan, the winner of the $25 Wayfair.com gift certificate. We emailed your gift certificate to you. Thank you for all who stopped by and are still here from the WeAreTeachers Blog Hop. What a fun day!******
Everyone needs a good go-to sugar cookie recipe for the holidays right?
Five-Ingredient, 10-minute Sugar Cookies
Makes 2 cookies (easily doubled or quadrupled for bigger batches)
Ingredients
1 T. butter or Earth Balance
1 T. maple syrup or Agave Syrup
1/8 t. vanilla
2 T. all-purpose flour
Sprinkle of sea salt (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
With a whisk or spoon, mix the butter and maple syrup or agave. Stir in the vanilla.
Mix the wet ingredients.
Stir in the flour one tablespoon at a time.
Mix the flour into the wet ingredients.
Line a pan with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat and scoop out tablespoon size drops two inches apart.
If you don’t have parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, an ungreased cookie sheet works fine. The cookies will be a little darker on the bottom and may spread a little more. But they are just as tasty. In fact, if you like your cookies with a little crunch, you may like them better straight on a pan.
Sprinkle with just a touch of sea salt and bake for eight minutes or until slightly brown around the edges.
Modifications
*Add a pinch of cinnamon and dust the tops with cinnamon sugar before baking for snickerdoodles.
*Sub almond extract (just a touch goes a long way and sprinkle the top with slivered almonds.
*Make a powdered sugar icing and add sprinkles on top.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Five-Ingredient, 10-minute Sugar Cookies (dairy-free, egg-free, sugar-free)
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-PQ
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Oat Nut Fruit Gems
Posted: December 4, 2012 Filed under: Breads, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Kids Cooking, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: bananas, cherries, coconut, cookies, cranberries, dates, dried fruit, energy bars, granola bars, healthy breakfasts, healthy lunch box treats, muffins, nuts, oatmeal gems, oats, seeds, trail mix 2 Comments »(Becky, the Mama)
My mother, Ruthie, went from loving her sugary desserts (a la last week’s Honey Slice cookie recipe) to a diet almost completely without sugar a couple of decades ago. A health crisis with her blood pressure and heart, meant major changes in her daily diet – all for the better. Out went everything white: sugar, white flour and white rice… and in came the brown and fiber-filled replacements. But, we are not the sort of women to suffer deprivation in our family. Being the creative and resourceful cook, Mother found several ways to satisfy her sweet tooth while also getting healthier, sporting an adorably slim figure, and having more energy than women decades younger than she!
This is one of my all-time favorite sweet, healthy, satisfying treats that she baked. She served them in a pretty cloth-lined basket at a family supper and they disappeared in what seemed like minutes. Everyone from kids to adults raved about them.
The basic ingredients are so simple: oats, mashed bananas and grated apples. From there you can throw in the kitchen sink: any nuts, seeds, flavorings or dried fruit that you like. Another bonus is that you can serve this recipe to most of the people in your family (or friends) on special diets. The recipe is naturally vegan, and if you use gluten-free oats, it is gluten-free and can easily be adapted to use less sugar or made sugar-free. Kids not only love them, but as you can see from my little helper below, they also love to help make them.
My grandson Georgie, furiously mashing the bananas with a potato masher.
If you want to create warm memories of baking with little ones this Christmas, but prefer not to send them into a Sugar Orbit in the process: this is the perfect mom and child, or grandma and grandchild project, to whip up together.
The texture is somewhere between a muffin, an oatmeal cookie, trail mix, and baked oatmeal. Made with sugar they get a nice crunch on the outside but are moist and slighty chewy on the inside. Perfect for quick breakfasts-to-go, they also make great snacks for school lunch boxes and any outdoor enthusiasts in your family. Wrapped in foil they are wonderful sources of energy when hiking, camping or snow-boarding.
This recipe makes a dozen normal size muffins plus a dozen mini muffins. I enjoy having both sizes around. They freeze well. Best stored in fridge and then heated for a few seconds in microwave.
Oat Nut Fruit Gems
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients
2 bananas, mashed
2 peeled apples, grated
3 cups oats (I like Old Fashioned Oats for the chewier texture)
½ t. sea salt
½ c. raw organic sugar (can reduce to 1/3 c. or use other sweeteners such as Stevia, according to taste)
½ c. dried chopped fruit (I used dates and dried cranberries. Coconut also works well in this recipe.)
1 c. nuts and/or seeds (I used walnuts and pecans)
½ almond extract (or 1 t. vanilla or other flavoring of your choice)
Grated zest of one orange
Directions
Mix all of the above together in a large mixing bowl. Spray or oil muffin pans. Fill them about 2/3 full and gently press down with back of spoon.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until just golden brown around edges and top.
When cool to touch, gently remove from pan. If not eaten in a day, store in fridge in a sealed bag or plasticware and zap for a few seconds in microwave to warm.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Oat Nut Fruit Gems
The URL:
http://wp.me/p1UwM9-Pz
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Granny’s Chewy Honey Nut Sliced Cookies
Posted: November 30, 2012 Filed under: Desserts, Uncategorized | Tags: Bars, Chewy, honey, Nut, Pecan, Slice and Bake Cookies, Sliced Cookies 1 Comment »
(Becky, the Mama.)
My daughter Rachel and I need T-Shirts saying, “We Survived Thanksgiving Camp Week.” But for now this picture of us in our aprons from last week will have to do. (Yes, mine is on backwards. Wore it unknowingly that way ALL Thanksgiving Day.)
Together we made umpteen meals for 8 to 14 people (including vegan alternatives) over an 8 day period. We chased Baby Jackson (and I DO mean CHASE… that baby can run now!) and entertained his 5 year old cousin Georgie. (Who flew here from Seattle all by himself! )
These two cousins were perfect playmates for each other!
It was glorious chaos and though our bodies ached, the good memories will last a lifetime.
We Laughed, We Cried, We Cooked. But alas, We Did Not Blog.
But now we’re baaaack, and not just cooking, but writing again.
Today’s cookie recipe began with an email to request to my mom, who my kids call Granny.
My mother “Granny” and my sister with Jackson, Thanksgiving 2011
“Mother, do you have the recipe for Honey Slices that you used to make many years ago? Want to do an unusual nostalgic cookie for Christmas season and I’ve got a hankering for this blast from my past! Love, Becky”
“Dear Becky, I got it! Did you ever make these cookies or watch me do it? It’s a little complicated procedure and different from almost any cookie I’ve ever made or seen, but worth it! I did not have a detailed recipe since I got the recipe from the bakery where I worked when I was in Jr High in Sweetwater, Texas, so I hope this one makes sense! Love, Mother”
“Wonderful! I looked in all my classic cookbooks and online for it, and it was no where to be found. Nothing even similar to it. And I DO remember watching you make them so I think I can do it. Do you have any more memories that go with this recipe? Love, Becky”
“Dearest Daughter, As for the honey slices, about the only story I know about them is one people might not believe. (Becky’s note: this is because my mom hasn’t eaten sugar for years and has a reputation for healthy eating!) When I worked in the bakery where they were made, I went to work on Saturday morning and literally ATE donuts, brownies, date bars and HONEY SLICES all day long. Really. All day long. I weighed 15 pounds more at age 13 than I do now! And, of course, that is probably where I began to develop a physical intolerance for sugar, and now my tummy says plainly, ‘No, thank you. Do not send any sugar down here!’”
This recipe is a rare treasure and my mother may have had the only copy left on earth! Until now, that is. And I’m sharing it with you. (Merry Christmas!)
You may be able to jostle ingredients and up-size the healthy factor, but I wanted the exact same cookie I remember Mother baking when I was a kid so I didn’t mess with it. The cookies cool off to create a chewy moist middle, chocked with nuts. In fact, if you love pecans, feel free to toss in an extra handful to this recipe.
Another note: this recipe makes a BUNCH. (50 to 60 cookies, depending on how thin you slice them.) But you can freeze the logs and use another time; or better yet, share a plate or two with a neighbor or friend. (Or cut the recipe in half.) This time of year the bigger the cookie batches, the better.
Granny’s Honey Nut Sliced Cookies (“Honey Slices”)
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. sugar
1 c. Crisco shortening
3 eggs
1/2 c. honey
1 c. chopped pecans
1 t. vanilla
Directions:
Sift together the first 3 ingredients; set aside.
Cream together sugar, Crisco, 3 eggs and honey.
Georgie, my helper, adding honey to the batter
Gradually stir in flour mixture to form batter, then add pecans and vanilla.
The batter needs to be chilled and divided into about 6 lumps:
Then each lump formed into one long, round roll a bit over an inch in diameter. Put the rolls lengthwise onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving room for a second roll beside it and about 4 inches away from the first roll.
Ta DAH Two one inch diameter “worms” — ready for the oven
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. They should be firm but not very browned.
Continue preparing the rest of the rolls in the same manner. When the rolls are cooled, make slightly diagonal slices across the rolls about every 1 and 1/2 inch to form cookie bars.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Granny’s Chewy Honey Nut Sliced Cookies
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-P9
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
