happy weekend

Happy weekend, indeed! My kids and I had a really fun trip to California this week, but we are happy to be back at home with Mike. We have nothing at all planned for the next few days except sushi with friends and a whole lot of laundry and homework catch-up. It sounds really nice, actually.

If you read anything on the internet today, I hope it is this: In Defense of the Ordinary. And then have your kids read it, too.

A few excerpts: "Why isn't it enough to just be a kind person? Why can't we spend our time doing service hours because we love the Savior, not because we are trying to achieve the perfect college essay? Why can't we choose an extra-curricular or a class because we want to try it, not because it's going to help us reach some high goal or prove our worth? Not everyone is going to be the best at everything. In fact, very VERY few of us will be the best at anything. And that's ok.

"We are special because we are HIS. We are worthy because we were born. That is all that matters. And yes, that may make us average, in the sense that everyone qualifies for such a designation, but since when was that not enough?

"We should all strive for greatness, but we should expand its meaning and do it for ourselves, not society's expectations. It's about who we want to become, not who we want people to think we are. And it should be rooted in God's desires for us."

YES! Yes! Yes. I love this and I want my children to know it. Being kind and being good at loving others are far superior to maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

It's supposed to be rainy here this weekend. I always feel like baking when it's rainy. I made these whole wheat carrot muffins yesterday for the kids' afternoon snack. We are trying to get back to some good habits after our vacation and they really hit the spot.

Have a good weekend!

the first pumpkin cookies of the season

I know I talk a big talk about not eating added sugar, but last Friday was the first day where the high was only in the 80s. That called for pumpkin cookies! It just did! I couldn't not make cookies for an after school snack. That's all there was to it. Usually I say that if you're going to eat a cookie, eat a real cookie, not a "healthy" cookie, but I think my palate has changed and really sweet regular cookies don't sound that appealing to me anymore. So I made a slightly less-sweetened version, which I thought was a big hit and needed to be shared.

Pumpkin Oat Cookies

Mix:
2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

In another bowl, mix:
4 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add the two together, then mix in about 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Scoop onto your baking sheet and using slightly moistened finger tips, flatten the tops a little (they don't spread while baking). Bake in a 325 degree oven for 11 minutes. This recipe should make about 28 cookies.

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!

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!

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. :)

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.

Sweet Potato Muffins

I'm sort of having a sweet potato moment. Some of my kids don't think they like sweet potatoes. In an effort to convince them otherwise, I made a batch of sweet potato muffins.

Sweet Potato Muffins

In a medium bowl, whisk together:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

In another bowl blend:

1 sweet potato, microwaved till soft, then peeled and mashed
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 22 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins

Some notes: The peanut butter flavor pretty much disappears in the baking. I wish it didn't! It was so delicious in the batter. My kids thought the muffins were fine, but they probably would have gobbled them up faster if I'd put chocolate chips in them. I think next time I will. Also, you can bump up the sugar a bit if you're not freaking out about added sugar like I am.

Recipe adapted from an almond butter + milk version on Minimalist Baker and a dairy-free, egg-free, gluten free from Madeline Nutrition.

banana blueberry muffins

I know I've mentioned this already, but we are trying to eat less sugar at our house. I have done this on my own before, but Mike and I both felt that our whole family could benefit from this change. My children get so much junk at school and church and everywhere else, that we don't need to have it at home, too. It has been a few weeks now, and we have been very pleased with how our children have adapted, and we are excited to continue this habit (hopefully for the rest of our lives). We are eating lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and protein, of course. But I still like to have something on hand for an after school snack. Something fresh from the oven, like a muffin. I've tried a few recipes in the past few weeks, but this one has been my favorite so far:


Better Banana Muffins

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or so blueberries (optional)

Mix the mashed bananas and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Then add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

makes 12 muffins

In which I conquer my fear of Medjool dates.

I guess it's more of an intimidation, really. I've seen lots of whole food recipes featuring dates, and since we are trying to decrease the amount of added sugar in our family's diet, I thought it was time for me to give them a try.

Granola Bars, take two

1 package (usually 1 lb) fancy Medjool dates, pitted and smooshed in a food processor
1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup crisp brown rice cereal
1/4 cup unsweetened flake coconut
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 tablespoon chia seed
2 tablespoons hemp seed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
some chocolate chips (mini are better)

After pitting and smooshing the dates, add them to the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together. It becomes quite thick, so this is easiest to do by hand, I've found.

Press the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I put another piece of parchment paper over the top and used a roller to get them nice and compact and smooth. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, then cut, wrap in individual servings, and store in the fridge.

Homemade granola bars are great because you can add whatever you like. Dried fruit, nuts, seeds - just so long as you don't add too many things to overpower the stickiness of the dates. Otherwise you might end up with a crumbly mess.

I found some great recipes and ideas here, here, here, and here.

Banana Cake

I had some very ripe bananas sitting on my shelf this past weekend, but banana bread didn't seem to fit the bill for a Sunday dinner Super Bowl treat. So I found this recipe for a classic Banana Cake instead. I had just enough of the ingredients listed to make one little layer. There would be a few other desserts at Mike's parents' house that night, so I knew a small cake would be plenty. I halved this recipe:

Banana Cake
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (If you don't have cake flour, replace 2 tbl flour per cup with 2 tbl cornstarch.)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and prepare two 9-inch pans (grease and flour). Mash the bananas in a small bowl. I like mine nice and smooth, but you can leave chunks, if you'd prefer. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a second bowl. In a third bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add the buttermilk to the mashed bananas, and then mix it into the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Once it's cooled completely, frost it with this:

Banana Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 1)
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mash the banana. In another bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and the lemon juice. Then mix in the mashed banana. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time.


The frosting really packs a banana punch and makes this cake extra special. The cake was light and moist, and the frosting was creamy and rich. We all loved it. I might not go back to banana bread ever again.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread and a weekend report

Weekend highlights: a long run with Mike, where we (literally) ran into Reachel and Beth on the canal. Dinner out with good friends and good food, and lots of lazy family time. But the best thing by far was Mike and Mabel's duet of I Need Thee Every Hour during Sacrament meeting yesterday. I might be somewhat biased, but I thought it was really beautiful.

Also a highlight: this zucchini bread. My neighbor gifted me with zucchini fresh from her garden, so I made up two loaves and we finished them off after Sunday dinner.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Topping

3 cups shredded zucchini (maybe 2 or 3 medium zucchinis, or one humongous one)
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

for the topping:
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottoms of two loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and combine. Pour into prepared pans.

In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients. Use a fork or your fingers, it should be crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the loaves.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out pretty clean.

a slightly healthier banana bread

Sometimes I'm in the mood for a classic white banana bread. And sometimes I am trying not to eat too much sugar, so I want a banana bread that's a little bit healthier. Something with whole wheat, maybe even some oats. I had a few bananas looking sad and spotted sitting on my counter, so I started looking for a recipe that included coconut oil, flax seed meal, whole wheat flour, and oats. I found lots of recipes that had one or two of those things, but nothing seemed exactly right.

So I threw caution to the wind and I winged it. I never do that in the kitchen. It is not one of my talents. I used a little of one recipe, and a little of another, and then I added a bit of cinnamon. What I ended up with was a squat little loaf, but it was so moist and delicious, with a crunchy crust and just the right amount of sweetness inside. I am pretty sure I'll make this one next time I have over ripe bananas hanging around. Elliot and I thought it was just right. The real test will be whether or not the other kids gobble it up after school today, though. But I have a feeling they will.

A Healthier Banana Bread

In a medium bowl, whisk together these dry ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a different medium bowl, mash up 2-3 very ripe bananas. Then add these wet ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Makes one loaf.

I know there are so many banana bread recipes out there. Do you have a favorite?

Granola Bars

Stella keeps asking to bring a granola bar to kindergarten for snack time, but I just can't bring myself to buy granola bars at the store. Most of them seem so full of junk. I don't know why I hadn't thought to make my own sooner. I did a quick google search for "homemade granola bars" and there were so many recipes to choose from.

I decided to try this one. I like that it has just a few ingredients, it doesn't call for tree nuts (Mabel is allergic), and it uses coconut oil. I bought a big tub of coconut oil at Costco a while ago and I have been trying to better incorporate it into my life. Plus, they don't have sugar. Actually, they remind me a lot of these "cookies".

So I gave them a go, with a few minor adjustments. They were chewy and delicious and I recognized every ingredient that was in them. It was a win-win.

Homemade Granola Bars, adapted from this recipe from Heavenly Homemakers

1/2 cup peanut butter (try the natural kind)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick)
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup or more Rice Crispies (or crisp brown rice - I found some in the bulk bins at Sprouts)
1/4 cup flake coconut (go for unsweetened, but sweetened works, too)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini work well)

Melt the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in a medium pan over medium heat. It only takes a few minutes to get it nice and smooth. While still on the heat, add the oats. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and add the flax, coconut, and Rice Crispies. Mix well. The first time I made these, they ended up a little wet. Just keep adding more seeds or cereal or nuts until they are the consistency you want. You want them to stick together and hold their shape, but not be too squishy or soft. Let cool for about 10 minutes or so, still stirring occasionally. Add 2/3 of the chocolate chips. Mix well. Some of the chocolate chips might melt, and that's ok. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and press into as rectangular a shape as possible, about 1/2 inch thick. Then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Press them in gently. Chill for two hours, then cut into bars. If you keep them wrapped tightly and they should last for a quite a few days.

I wish I'd added sesame seeds. I think 1/4 cup of those would have been a nice addition. You can really add whatever you want: chia seeds, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, etc.