happy weekend

I feel like we're really earning our weekends these days. And this one is even a long one! Hurray! Mike is looking forward to using it to catch up on school work, which is totally sad. But the rest of us are going to let loose. And by let loose, I mean lay around and relax. We're low energy people.

Right before the summer heat started, Mike and I did some work on our yard. Lots of the plants we added or moved didn't survive, but these aloe sure are happy. And that jasmine, too. I am anxious for the weather to change so that we can finish up some planting.

Two things that helped me feel good this week: Making dinner for a friend who is going through something really hard. And giving myself a project. I've been wanting to do something with the little office off of our kitchen for a long time, and this week I did it! I'll post pictures next week, but first I need to finish up a few things.

Good news! Ryan Tanner released a new album. His music is my favorite-- slow and quiet and easy. You can find it here.

This macaroni and cheese recipe was a big winner at our house the other night. I even used whole wheat pasta and bread and it was still delicious. And Mabel made Martha's Triple Chocolate Cheesecake for my birthday last weekend. If you are in the mood for the richest, most delicious cheesecake, this is the recipe for you.

Have a good weekend!

falafel

Truth: Falafel in Paris is a lot prettier than falafel in Mesa.

Mabel has been sending me recipes, mostly vegetarian dinner ideas, which is the best! Deciding what to make is always the hardest part about cooking for me. This week, we tried falafel. Mike and I had the best falafel in Paris, which we ate in the most beautiful garden. What I made last night doesn't even come close, but it was still pretty good and I think I'll add it to our regular dinner rotation.

I used Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce from allrecipes.com, but I'll post it here, too.

for the sauce:

6 oz plain yogurt
half of a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Mix all together, then chill for at least 30 minutes.

for the falafel:

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained (Or, I used 2 cups of cooked lentils instead.)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs (or about one cup of whole wheat flour)
oil for frying

Mash the beans or lentils. In a food processor, blend the onion, parsley, and garlic until it's smooth. Add to the mashed beans/lentils.

In another bowl, mix the egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, and baking powder. Add to the bean/lentil mash along with the oil. Mix in the bread crumbs (or flour) a little at a time until it's the consistency you want. The original recipe says you should be able to form balls, which you will then flatten into patties. Mine never reached that point, and I didn't want to add too much flour, so I left it at about thick pancake batter level.

Heat some oil for frying (cover the bottom of your pan generously). I used my cookie scoop and scooped the mixture into the hot oil, one scoop per patty. Cook until golden brown and then flip and repeat. This made about 25 small patties (enough for our family of 6 plus leftovers for Mike's lunch today).

I fried mine early in the day, then stuck them on a cookie sheet in the fridge until we got home hungry from piano lessons at dinner time. I broiled them for a minute to warm them up and we were good to go.

Serve wrapped up in a nice warm piece of naan, with the cucumber sauce, sliced red onions and tomatoes.

And then pretend that you are wandering around secret gardens in Le Marais. :)

(Full disclosure: Oliver didn't like it.)

happy weekend

Today marks the end of the first full week of school. I'm pretty sure we're all wiped. I've been making my way through my list of long-neglected chores. Things like wiping down the walls, cleaning out the little office off our kitchen, and giving everything a thorough dusting. (Dusting is the chore I skip most regularly, especially in the summer.) Mike and the kids have been busy expanding their minds and learning all sorts of new things, I'm sure. I think we're all ready to relax this weekend.

Two no sugar recipes we tried and loved this week: Chunky Monkey Breakfast Bake and No Sugar Added Banana Bread. For the breakfast bake: I quadrupled it to feed all four of my kids, subbed regular milk for the almond milk and peanut butter for the almond butter in the sauce (Mabel is allergic to tree nuts.), left out the maple syrup, added a tablespoon of coconut oil, and used just a few dark chocolate chips. For the banana bread: I left out the walnuts and next time I make it, I might add a pinch more salt. The bread really hit the spot (and uses a whopping 6 bananas!). It has almost the same texture as our old favorite banana bread, but none of the added sugar. It'd really be best with the walnuts called for in the recipe, but we don't want Mabel's throat to close up, so what are you going to do? But as good as these were, they mostly just reminded me of the chapter in Year of No Sugar called "Everything Tastes Like Bananas and Dates." Ha!

I know this feeling is fleeting, but I've actually been excited to pack lunches in the morning. I am challenging myself to do it with no added sugar or white flour. So far so good. We couldn't have made it without hard boiled eggs, the really sweet watermelon I picked up at Fry's, and Lara Bars. Those have been a big hit. Other things I've put in their lunches this week: tuna sandwiches on homemade buns for the boys (our mayo has sugar in it, but I've decided to let condiments go), unsweetened plain yogurt with raspberries and grape nuts, and these sesame and sea salt crackers for something crunchy. For school lunches, I try to stick to the one part sandwich, one part fruit, one part crunchy rule, maybe with a few extras thrown in.

Have a happy weekend!

southern cornbread

Do you live in the south? Do you put sugar in your cornbread? I had no idea that traditional, southern cornbread was sugar-less! Apparently, I grew up eating "yankee" cornbread, which is really a corn cake made with flour and lots of sugar and honey drizzled on top for good measure (thank you Marie Callender's). Well, in my quest for this sugar free white flour free lifestyle, I came across lots of recipes for sugar-less cornbread.

I tried this one. But only because this article convinced me to. My favorite quote: "I'm just going to say it: sugar has no business in cornbread. Neither, for that matter, does wheat flour. One might make something quite tasty with well-sweetened wheat flour mixed with cornmeal, but be honest with yourself and call it a dessert." Ha!

Traditional cornmeal was stone ground and didn't require sugar or flour to enhance the texture, but as the methods for grinding cornmeal have changed over time, sugar and flour were added and what we have today is quite different than what was made traditionally. (According to the persuasive article.) Also, it must be baked in a cast iron skillet. Who knew?

I found Bob's Red Mill stone ground cornmeal (with the corn germ and bran left in) at my local sprouts. It is much chunkier than any cornmeal I've ever seen, and I was anxious to see how my bread would turn out. The verdict: my boys didn't really like it. I thought it was good, but it was a totally different cornbread than what I know, so I think it will take some getting used to. I think this recipe would be great the next day, soaked in warm milk with sugar on top. Alas.

Do you have a sugar less cornbread recipe you swear by? I'd love to try some others.

happy weekend

It's been a big summer for Mabel's teeth. She got her upper braces on a couple of weeks ago, and then yesterday, in preparation for her bottom braces (just in time for high school!), she got three teeth extracted-- teeth with big daddy roots still attached. I almost had to put my head between my knees as I watched the dentist yanking them out. Don't feel too sorry for her. She is off to Sundance today to recuperate with my parents' ice cream packed freezer and her best girl cousins at the first ever "Granddaughters Week". Stella will be there, too, and I know they are going to have the best time.

A couple of you asked about meal ideas or resources for our no sugar/no white flour life. I know, I know that documentaries aren't the best places to find unbiased information, but Mike and I found Fed Up, Sugar Coated, and That Sugar Film to be very helpful/inspiring. They'll make you want to clean out your pantry asap.

Things we've eaten for dinner this week: tomato soup with homemade whole wheat rolls, shredded beef tacos on grilled corn tortillas with guacamole, chicken fried brown rice, and whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with fruit and very, very lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream. Since Mabel has become a vegetarian, I've made these black bean burgers and buns (subbing in all whole wheat flour) lots of times. We have fruit at every meal to satisfy our sweet tooth. And I've successfully made these muffins without the added sugar for a snack. I've put strawberries, blueberries, and raisins in them, and they've been delicious every time (although, to be real, my kids won't eat the ones with raisins).

I still make all of our bread, and I always use this recipe. I use half whole wheat flour, half white wheat flour. The recipe calls for three tablespoons of honey, but it's the only added sugar in my diet and I figure that three tablespoons spread out in a whole loaf of bread is a negligible amount, so I don't sweat it.

I found it easiest to go cold turkey. I cleaned out our kitchen and got rid of everything with added sugar and white flour (including white pasta and flour tortillas). (Ok, I moved all of the Ben & Jerry's to our deep freeze for special 'moderate' desserts. Ha!) I survived a trip to my parents' house and girls camp without eating added sugar, so I know I can survive anything. :) It was not easy, but it was possible.

We aren't perfect. For example: my kids had corn dogs for dinner the other night. I don't freak out when they eat sugar or white flour because I know that at home, where they eat the vast majority of their meals, we are making good choices. I don't want it to be a thing, you know? We do the best we can.

Have a happy weekend!

happy weekend

I think I officially hit my mid summer slump this week. This is when I start to wonder if the house will ever be clean again. Or if I will ever get out of the kitchen. Or if it will ever not be 115 degrees outside.

This means it's time to get out of town, I guess. Luckily our annual pilgrimage to my parents' house in Sundance is happening pronto. I can't wait!

On the bright side, Elliot has been wearing his new snorkel around the house. I'll walk into a room and he'll just be sitting there, breathing heavily and staring out the window. It is my favorite thing so far this summer.

Mabel found the best pancake recipe. Since they have no added sugar and are whole wheat, I thought I'd share her recipe here:

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
3 eggs

Place all ingredients in a blender or large food processor. Blend until smooth, then cook on a hot griddle. This recipe makes enough to feed our family of 6.

We've been eating them with butter, peaches, blueberries, and bananas and haven't even missed the syrup!

Have a good weekend!

sautéed corn salad

Mabel isn't eating meat these days. And Mike and Oliver and I aren't eating sugar or white flour. So, that means our family has been eating lots of beans and vegetables and fruit. I've made a few batches of my favorite summer salad, which I shared on my blog years ago, but I wanted to share it here again.

Sautéed Corn and Black Bean Salad

2 tablespoons of butter
4 ears of corn, raw, kernels removed
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 avocados, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped
the juice of 1 or 2 limes, depending on how juicy your limes are

Sauté the corn in the butter over medium high heat until brown spots start to appear. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, mix the beans, avocado, cilantro, green onions, and lime juice. Add the cool-ish corn and stir well.

I like this salad warm, but it's meant to be chilled. So, put it in the fridge for an hour or two.

When you aren't eating sugar, it's amazing how sweet sautéed corn can taste. I love this salad for its simplicity. It makes a great side dish, or fry an egg on top and serve it as the main course.

zucchini bread three ways

Last week, my neighbor gave me the world's biggest zucchini, which meant I just had to bake a million loaves of zucchini bread, right?

Right.

Slightly Healthier Zucchini Bread

3 cups of flour (I used mostly whole wheat, with a little all-purpose.)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup of oil (I used what I had on hand: a little bit of coconut oil, a little bit of melted butter, and a little bit of vegetable oil. Other alternatives: applesauce.)
2 1/4 cups of sugar (Or, 2 mashed ripe bananas plus 1 cup of sugar)
3 teaspoons of vanilla
3 cups of shredded zucchini (don't drain or squish the water out)
and some chocolate chips or blueberries or walnuts (Or in my case, all three.)

I doubled the recipe, which made 3 large loaves. Not doubling it would make two regular loaves.

Grease your pans and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Sift the dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar.
Add the wet to the dry, then stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips/blueberries/nuts.

Bake for 40-60 minutes

My favorite was the walnut loaf, but of course our kids would only eat the chocolate chip one. :)

less sugar buttermilk syrup

It's funny how what I think of as healthy has changed over the years. I used to think that no matter what was in a food, as long as I made it at home, it was healthy. For example: my first go at buttermilk syrup. I would never in a million years put corn syrup into something nowadays!

Once I started making most things from scratch, I realized that maybe I could choose better ingredients, or things with fewer ingredients. And definitely things with less added sugar. It doesn't matter if it's corn syrup or white sugar or organic honey, in my opinion. The less of those things in my family's diet, the better.

Who knows how I'll feel about that in a few years, but I suspect that I am on to something.

The fact remains that our family eats lots of pancakes and waffles and french toast. And those foods, as whole wheat and healthy as I make them, taste best when drizzled with sweet syrup. For a long time, this homemade maple syrup was my go-to. But even that has a full cup of sugar in it!

I found this recipe for buttermilk syrup and liked that it only has a few ingredients, but I didn't love all the sugar. So I cut the sugar in half. And you know what? It's completely delicious and totally sweet enough. My kids love it.

Less Sugar Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the buttermilk and sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. It will foam up a bit, so make sure your pot is large enough.

Best when served warm. Store the leftovers in the fridge and pop in the microwave to warm it up before the next use. Since it's mostly butter, it will separate and solidify a little. Warming it up and giving it a stir is the solution.

pie for pi day

Yesterday was March 14th--Pi day for all the nerds out there! So Mabel and I baked a pie. I know apple pie isn't very springy, but it sure hit the spot.

We used the very highly rated and extremely popular Grandma Ople's Apple Pie recipe from allrecipes.com.

You'll need:

enough dough for a 9 inch deep dish double crust pie (I try to keep frozen pie crust in my chest freezer at all times. I decided long ago that homemade pie crust wasn't my thing, and frozen crust is such a snap.)

1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water

6-8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in the flour to form a paste. Add the sugars and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, get your bottom crust in the dish and ready your apples. Toss the apples with the cinnamon, then pile in the pie. Lattice the top crust.

Very slowly and carefully pour the sugar and butter liquid over the top of the pie. You don't want it to run off. It should coat the top of the pie, but also drip into all of the holes in the lattice, as well.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35-45 more minutes.


Best, crisp, non-soggy apple pie I've ever eaten in all my life.

on the weekend

I am still processing this weekend (and honestly, mostly mourning the end of Downton Abbey). There was a lot to think about, and I feel very scattered on this bright Monday morning, which isn't a super motivating way to feel. In an effort to get going, I'm going to set some of my thoughts here.

on Stake Conference: Instead of the usual Sunday meetings with just our small congregation or ward, we met together with our stake, which is made up of 8 wards. This happens twice a year. I think this is probably what is mostly crowding my brain. I attended three wonderful meetings and took lots and lots of notes. After reviewing them quickly, I wanted to share my favorite thought, taught in a special meeting by Sister Laurel Lawrence, wife of Elder Larry Lawrence, our visiting authority. When we are born, our spirits are already mature. As our physical bodies grow, our spiritual selves can grow as well, but not in stature--in light. In order for this to happen, we need to continually feed our spirits light. That light can come from scripture study, from attending church meetings and the temple, through prayer and meditation, from anything uplifting and good, really. I need to be feeding my spirit a constant diet of light.

on rats (most definitely not part of a diet of light): It is late in the citrus season, and almost past time to clear our trees of their fruit. A few days ago, I found lots of oranges on the ground that had been picked clean, a sure sign of rats. Gross. We have several very lovely and mature citrus trees that reach nearly 30 feet high. I was under the canopy on Saturday, long citrus picker in hand, trying to reach the highest oranges. I was causing quite a bit of rustling as I tugged on those oranges, when all of a sudden the biggest, fattest rat I've ever seen plopped out of the tree right in front of me and scurried away. I don't know if I'll ever be the same. And our citrus trees don't seem quite so lovely anymore, you know? Side note: would anyone like to come clear out our trees? All the pink grapefruit, tangelos, and Arizona sweets you can eat! Don't mind the rats.

on the finale of Downton Abbey: Oh guy! I need a good cry over this one. I feel like everyone got their happy ending except me. I don't think I've ever been so sad to see a show end. I would have happily continued watching for the rest of my life. I love those Crawleys, and their servants, too. Even Barrow, who turned out to be not such a bad guy after all.

on sewing: I am tempted to participate in Katy(from no big dill)'s sewing challenge. She isn't going to buy any clothes for herself or her children for a year. A year! I think Mabel, who has been suffering in school uniforms for the past two years and will start High School this fall, would kill me if I told her I'd be making all of her clothes. Ha! That's what every teenager wants, right? A closet full of homemade clothes. :) So I'd limit the challenge to myself (minus running clothes). I think it would be fun and definitely challenging. But mostly I think it would help me figure out what I like to wear most. I'm sort of a disaster in that area.

on Sunday dinner: I made Ree's favorite meatloaf. I contemplated having the leftovers for breakfast this morning, it is that good.

Anything on your mind this morning? Feel free to spill.

energy balls

I guess in the spirit of getting things done, I thought I'd share a recipe for energy balls. I'm probably super late to the energy ball game, but Mabel has been making them for the past few months and they are the best quick little bite! I stick them in lunches, eat them to hold me over til dinner, or just as a snack as I am running out the door. They are easy and healthy and just a little bit sweet.

Energy Balls

1 cup dry oats
2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Start with a spoon, but eventually you'll use your hands. Roll into balls about one inch in diameter. Store in the fridge. Snack as necessary.

One good thing about these is that you can put pretty much whatever you want in them. Don't have flax seed? Swap it for hemp. Hate having chia seeds stuck in your teeth? Leave them out. Just make sure you have enough sticky stuff (peanut butter and honey) to hold it all together.

tomato soup and french bread

It seems like Tuesday is turning into soup day around here. This week I made Design Mom's Crock Pot Tomato. It's a major favorite at our house. I love that unlike most canned tomato soups, it doesn't have any sweeteners and I really love that it simmers away in the crock pot on a busy day. My crock pot isn't big enough for the full recipe, so I always halve it, which is plenty for our family of six.

This time I served it with fresh french bread. It was my first time baking this recipe and I really loved how it turned out. It could be because I never eat white flour anymore, but warm from the oven, this bread was the best thing I've eaten in weeks. It was chewy and soft, with a nice, crunchy crust. The two loaves I made disappeared in a snap. I need to work on my shaping skills, so I'll be making it again for sure.

Bread Machine French Bread

2 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups water

4 cups (19 oz) flour
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons gluten
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 teaspoons SAF yeast (or 2 3/4 tsp bread machine yeast)

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Add them to your bread machine with the water. Add the rest of the ingredients and use the Dough cycle.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once the Dough cycle is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in two. Flatten each portion into a thin 10x6 inch rectangle. I used my hands, but next time I might try a rolling pin. Starting on a long side, roll the dough tightly to form a cylinder. Place it on your baking sheet with the seam side down. Cover them loosely with plastic and let them rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes, depending on the temperature in your kitchen).

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, with a pizza stone on the middle rack.

Beat 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water with a fork until foamy. Brush the tops of your risen loaves with the egg. Using a small, sharp knife, cut three or four diagonal slashes on the tops, going no more than 1/4 inch deep.

Place the baking sheet on the hot pizza stone and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Makes two medium sized loaves.


From my most favorite bread cookbook, The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.

potato soup

It has been rainy and cold all week here in the desert. That means soup is on the menu. Tuesday evenings are our busiest, so I made a pot of our favorite (and easiest) potato soup for dinner last night.


Potato Soup

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
3 cups chicken broth
3 or so potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the flour and cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add liquids and vegetables and bring to a boil. Boil until the veggies are soft, about 15 minutes, stirring lots so it doesn't burn. Blend to liquify. Add salt and pepper to taste.

We ate our soup with our favorite rolls (the virginia light rolls posted here, but made with mostly whole wheat flour).

The sun is out this morning, but it's still colder than usual. What's the winter weather like at your house today?

happy weekend

Happy weekend, indeed! My sister, Leslie, is in town! My parents leave today, but Leslie will be here all weekend. We don't have any plans (except attending Mabel's concert and a vintage boutique market in my neighborhood on Saturday - if you're local, check it out!), but I'm sure we'll have a good time.

Are your trees up? Your advent calendars begun? We baked our first batch of gingerbread men yesterday and then ate them for dinner. I make this recipe every year. They are my favorite. Be sure to smear them in cream cheese frosting and chocolate chips. It's the only way to go.

Have a merry weekend!

for the food!

Mike and I hosted my parents and his parents for Thanksgiving today. It was a nice, quiet day at home. But with lots of really good food! We roasted a turkey with all of the fixings, plus pie, of course. We live in a land of abundance, and I am thankful that I am always able to feed my children. It is a luxury many mothers in this world don't have, and one that I am particularly grateful for on this day that is filled with delicious food.

p.s. I tried this sweet potato casserole this year and it was my favorite thing on the table.

pumpkin crumb cake

I've happily turned the household baking reigns over to Mabel. Last weekend she made a delicious pumpkin crumb cake for Sunday dinner. It was moist and fluffy and sweet and I'm not going to lie, I had the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. It's a good one, if you're looking for a new pumpkin recipe to try.

hot school-day breakfasts

During the school year, I make a hot breakfast for my kids most days. Here are some of the things we like to eat:

Eggs. At least one morning a week I make eggs - usually scrambled with a little cheese and a left-over roll as a sandwich or alongside a nice, thick slice of toast, or in a burrito. Sometimes I'll bake a batch of muffins (like these or these) for an after school snack and serve them with eggs the next morning for breakfast. If I am feeling really generous (or have some extra time), I'll make buttermilk biscuits to go with them. I suppose those could always be made ahead of time, but there are not many things better than biscuits fresh from the oven. We're avoiding white flour during the week (except in tortilla form), so these haven't made a school-day appearance yet. It only takes a few minutes to scramble or fry eggs, and giving my kids a big helping of protein before their long school day makes me feel like a good mom.

Pancakes. This is probably my kids' favorite hot breakfast. This school year I've been using Kodiak Cakes. We like the Whole Wheat Oat and Honey Frontier Flapjack Mix. I love that they are quick (you can just add water to the mix) and they are made from whole wheat with no added sugar. I've been adding quick oats and an egg to our batter to beef them up a little bit. My boys love theirs with peanut butter and homemade syrup. Sometimes I'll make a few extra to stick in their lunches. They are just as good cold as warm. You could even make a big batch and keep them in the fridge to reheat throughout the week if you really wanted to save time, but they are really quick to make the day of. I try to serve them with a little fruit on the side.

Baked oatmeal is one of my personal favorites. This is prepared the night before, then baked in the morning for 30 minutes. I like that you can make it as sweet or not as you like. Sometimes I make it with raisins, sometimes blueberries. Sometimes I serve it with banana slices on top. Because it is prepared the night before, it frees up my morning for making lunches and my kitchen from dirty dishes. I always feel really on top of things when this is baking in my oven.

Oatmeal. Elliot would eat a big bowl of oatmeal every morning if the other kids were on board. I set a pot of whole milk and water (with a dash of salt) to boil, then dump in some quick oats, give it a few stirs, put a lid on it, and set it aside while I make the lunches. When it's done cooking, I top it with a good amount of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a sprinkling of brown sugar. My kids don't like fruit in their oatmeal, but I try to serve it alongside. Peaches go really well with it, I think.

Cream of Wheat is a new one for us this year. I grew up on it, but my kids had never really had it before. It cooks up in just a few minutes and is very filling. We top ours with a bit of brown sugar.

German pancakes are a special Sunday morning treat, but could work for a school day, too. They are best when they are made from all-purpose flour, so that's why we save them for Sunday. But my kids gobble them up every time I make them. I've changed my recipe to make them a little heartier. I blend 8 eggs, 1 1/3 cups milk, 1 1/3 cups flour, and 3/4 tsp salt together while 4 tablespoons of butter are melting in a 9x13 inch pan in the 400 degree oven. Once the butter is melted, I pour the mixture in and bake for 18 minutes. We like ours best with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Sadly, our waffle iron bit the dust this summer. I'm putting this one on my Christmas list. But if I had one now, I'd be making pumpkin gingerbread waffles or these favorite waffles (subbing in whole wheat flour) at least once a week. Waffles are always great to make ahead of time and freeze. Then you can reheat them quickly on school days. I like to keep fresh cream on hand to whip with a touch of sugar and vanilla as a waffle topping. My kids prefer syrup, but it's so sugary! I like having lightly sweetened whipped cream as an alternative.

Some things that help our mornings run more smoothly: I always decide the night before what I'll be making for breakfast the next day. And I wake up early. I make sure I have plenty of time to exercise and still be in the kitchen by 6 to get breakfast and lunch packing started. We eat breakfast at about 6:35. Mabel and Oliver have to be out the door by 7, and I like to sit and read scriptures with them while they eat. Being up early helps me get all of this accomplished without feeling too frantic. Oh, and we totally eat cold cereal sometimes, too. Ha!

Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

We always seem to have browning bananas sitting on our kitchen counter. So, when we needed a treat for Family Home Evening this week, Mabel and Oliver tried a new recipe. We all thought it was a winner. They made Kelsey Nixon's Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I had them swap the shortening for butter, halve the sugar, and use whole wheat flour because I'm like that. And they tasted great! Plenty sweet with only 1/2 cup of sugar. The bonus of making "healthy" cookies, is that I don't feel bad letting them eat them for breakfast.

Oh, and ours were done baking after about 18 minutes.

Sweet Potato Soup

It might be getting too warm to have soup simmering in the crock pot on the counter all day long, but I couldn't resist trying this new recipe. I'm so glad I did. It was delicious, and I'd totally make it again. We are eating less meat these days, so I skipped the chicken called for in the original recipe. We didn't miss it.

Sweet Potato Soup

2 raw sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 cup grain (like quinoa or rice)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 batch of homemade chili seasoning
5 cups chicken stock

top with:
sour cream
chopped avocado

Put all of the ingredients (except the sour cream and avocado) into your crock pot. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. I happened to have a package of brown rice with chia and kale in the pantry that I subbed for the grain. Topping with the sour cream and avocado is a must! I've been eating the leftovers for lunch all week.