Cooking
Blonde Brownies
I love to bake. Growing up, we always had baked goods ready for guests and parties. Besides the famous “Weisser Cookies”, blonde brownies were the other favorite from the renowned Baby Bear Stew Cookbook. (Baby Bear Stew will be sold here soon). But for now, we will let you in on a Baby Bear Stew specialty. So here is another one of the family favorites.
Blonde Brownies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup melted margarine
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Grease a 9×13 pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter
3. Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar
4. Add the eggs
5. Sift dry ingredients and add. Stir until well blended
6. Add the chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares like brownies.
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Gluten Free Pumpkin Mini Muffins
This week, my mom and I are hosting a party where kids will be present! We wanted to find a healthy recipe for a morning snack that the children would especially enjoy! Not only are these muffins healthy (no flour, oil , butter or sugar!!), but they are the perfect size for a little snack. I found this recipe from Spokane Dinner Club and adapted it to become the Gluten Free Pumpkin Mini Muffins!
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 Cups of Oats
1 Cup Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup Honey
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 TBS Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (Also used in our Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls)
– 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
– 1 tbsp. ground ginger
– 1 tsp. ground allspice
– 1 tsp. ground cloves
– ¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
(Optional) Mini Chocolate Chips, Raisins, Walnuts
DIRECTIONS: [Makes 45 Mini Muffins]
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Combine the Oats, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Pumpkin Pie Spice in a mixing bowl. Combine all other ingredients in a blender. Mix together and add the oat mixture 1/2 a cup at a time. If you are using any other mix-ins, you can either stir them in after all other ingredients are blended together or sprinkle them on top of the batter in the muffin tin.
3. Divide batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes.
ENJOY 🙂
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My “Goodness” Bars
When the warmth of the summer wakes you up in the morning with a hearty appetite or the mid-afternoon tiredness hits, here is a super healthy pick-me-up treat to grab for delicious flavor and high packed nutrition. There is a little bit of everything in these bars.
Ingredients
1 cup oats
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup toasted wheat germ
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup chia seeds
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup pecans
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup instant dried nonfat milk
¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
½ cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 large ripe banana cut into chunks
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor-oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, chia, hemp, nonfat dried milk, whole wheat flour, including dried fruit and nuts and pulse until mixture is finely chopped. Add all wet ingredients-eggs, banana, maple syrup and vanilla and pulse until well mixed. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 pan and press down evenly with wet fingertips or a spatula. Bake until golden brown and firm to touch. 20 minutes was perfect in our oven. Cool in the pan and cut into 32 bars. ENJOY!!!!
What is your favorite go to snack bar?
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Pan-Tossed South Indian Flavored Vegetables
This vegetable dish accompanied our fantastic Indian Tomato Curry with Chick Peas and Potatoes dinner last Friday evening. We adapted a basic recipe we found and came up with this delicious and nutritious dish featuring cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage.
Ingredients
1 pound brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed and cut in half
1 large head cauliflower, washed and cut into bit-sized pieces
1 large head green cabbage, washed, cored and shredded
1 Serrano pepper or Thai green chili (optional) sliced open and seeded
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon Garam Masala seasoning
Heat oil in a large deep pan or wok. When oil is very hot, reduce heat to medium and add mustard seeds, garlic and Serrano pepper. Spices should crackle and sizzle. Add Brussels sprouts and cauliflower and stir to coat with spice mixture. Spread chopped cabbage on top of Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, tumeric, Garam Masala and salt over all. Add ⅓ cup water. Cover and steam 5 minutes. Stir all vegetables and spices together. Add a few tablespoons more water, cover and continue steaming for 5-10 minutes until vegetables are tender and spices are spread evenly over all. Serve with brown rice and the Tomato Curry with chick Peas and Potatoes that we posted yesterday. Enjoy experiencing a unique culture and try these Indian recipes.
What is your favorite Indian food recipe?
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Indian Tomato Curry with Chick Peas and Potatoes
Last Friday was the 3rd night of our Daniel diet…we had been enjoying a few days of eating whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables and lots of water! On the first night we had mediterranean food, the second night we had veggie burgers, roasted vegetables and potato wedges, but my favorite was the Indian food night. Bekah found some fantastic vegetarian recipes online to try. She was busy sorting and unpacking so I took the recipes she found and adapted them for our delicious Indian food dinner. We tried a Crock Pot dish called Bombay Potatoes meet Chickpea Tomato Curry and a Pan-Tossed Vegetable dish with South Indian flavors.
Here is our version of Indian Tomato Curry with Chick Peas and Potatoes:
Ingredients
3 (15 oz) cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (we used fresh garbanzo beans that we soaked and cooked in our Crock Pot the day before)
7-8 large Yukon Gold potatoes, skins on, washed and diced (10 cups at least)
3 (15 oz) cans petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
2 ½ cups tomato or V-8 juice
1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 large onions chopped (at least 3 cups)
6 cloves garlic smashed or minced
1-2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2-3 Tablespoons curry powder
1-2 Tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons sea salt
In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, add all ingredients and stir until well mixed. Cook on low for 10 hours. Stir every few hours. (You can add 2 cups of cooked chicken an hour before your cooking time ends if you want an alternative to a vegetarian meal). Since we were trying the Daniel diet we serve our meal with brown rice and the pan-tossed …
Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole With Homemade Sauce
I found a great dinner recipe this week on Pinterest (of course) from the blog, “Thriving Home.” It was so simple I had to try it!
You can find the original recipe here.
Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole with Homemade Sauce
Ingredients for Chicken Parmesan Casserole:
- about 4 cups of diced, cooked chicken
- 1 serving of Growing Weisser “Pizza Sauce with Pizzaz“
- 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- about 1 cup panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- fresh, chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc) or 1 tsp each dried herbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease an 8×8 casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Layer the chicken in the bottom. Dump in the pizza sauce and mix with the chicken. Next, top with cheese until all the chicken is covered.
4. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, herbs and a dash of salt and pepper together.
5. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.
7. Serve on top of your favorite pasta or rice.
The sauce will need to cook for 1 hour, so be sure to allow for that time in your planning and preparing. This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored for up to 1-2 weeks in a mason jar in the refrigerator.
Both the sauce and the casserole were so easy to make I will definitely be making this again. I ate my serving on a bed of spinach and the rest of the family ate theirs with pasta. I would also try this with noddles made from zucchini.
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Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
I love ground turkey… but some people think it gets boring. So I have been challenging myself to find new recipes and try them out to switch it up and spice it up! Here’s one I actually really liked.
Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup spinach finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
- 1 (20-ounce) container lean ground turkey (93/7) (such as Jennie-O)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted crusted tomatoes
- 1 large zucchini, grated
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar works
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- 1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
- BBQ sauce if needed
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat.
- Add in onion, spinach, peppers, and garlic. Saute until onion is just softened, about 4 minutes.
- Crumble in turkey. Cook until ground turkey turns light brown
- Add tomato paste and stir around. Make sure it spreads throughout
- Next, stir in crushed tomatoes, grated zucchini, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a low boil; cover and reduce heat- simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spoon ¾ cup turkey mixture onto each bun half; top with 2 tablespoons cheese.
- Enjoy open-faced or top with the other half of the bun.
Pasta in a Pot
We have a family tradition of letting each person in our family at specific times pick the celebration dinner meal, whether it be a birthday dinner, a significant guest coming for a visit or other special occasions to honor someone we love! One month ago we had the awesome privilege of hosting missionaries from Rwanda. Pasta in a Pot was their special request for their first night meal. Pasta is a Pot is a favorite of all my girls and I consider this missionary couple family because the wife is one of my “girls”. She lived with us for most of the year before she began her missionary career with YWAM and she has now transitioned to running her own missionary organization called “Do Something”. So here is our favorite pasta dish that was used all throughout our girls high school sports careers.
Ingredients
1 package (16 oz) large shell macaroni
8 oz provolone cheese grated
8 oz mozzarella cheese grated
2 cups Greek yogurt
1-2 lbs ground turkey
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped fine
2 quarts spaghetti sauce homemade or your favorite store brand
Brown the ground turkey in a large pan with the garlic and spices. When brown, add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the shell noodles as directed. Drain and mix in a bowl with the greek yogurt. Grate the cheeses. In a large casserole, layer the creamy shell noodles, the sauce and the cheese, repeat. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with a big green salad and crusty french bread.
What is one of your favorite family meals-one that has become a traditional special request dish?
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Tea Time!
As we are nearing the end of our time in Grenada, I have not been too creative with our dinner meals. However, we have recently been on a tea-kick. So, I decided to share with you our favorite types of tea! You may automatically think that because we live in the Caribbean that this would always be iced tea. Yes, it is hot outside all the time; however, inside our home, we are usually very cold. At least the inside temperature makes for a great environment for a warm mug of tea. We have some core favorite teas in the Bani Bungalow. But, being “newer” to tea drinking, I sought the help of the other Weisser Women for their tea recommendations, as well.
Our Favorite Hot Teas:
Trader Joe’s Organic Spiced Rooibos Ruby Red Chai Tea (My absolute favorite — Great for anytime)
Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea (New Holiday Favorite)
Honey Vanilla Camomille (Camomille teas are soothing and have a balanced flavor)
Green Tea (Good comfort tea)
Chai Tea (Spicy, love the cinnamon taste of chai)
Vanilla Rooibos (Sweet flavor)
Ginger Tea (Ginger has become more of a favorite since finding the great benefits of ginger while being in Grenada — Ginger is useful for digestive problems, arthritis, soothing a sore throat and it has anti-inflammatory properties)
Lipton Power Berry (This is one of my favorites! I like having a more fruity flavor for afternoon tea times.)
Melaleuca Tea (Ginseng flavor is for energy, Evening flavor is similar to Camomille, Lemon flavor refreshes and relaxes and is great iced, and Apple berry is refreshing and soothing)
Sleepy Time (Really does help if you have trouble falling asleep at night)
ICED TEA:
Green Tea is an all time favorite — The Weisser Women LOVE their green tea!
Tazo Green …
Read MoreHomemade LARABAR
Our family absolutely loves Larabars and we eat them all the time. I found a few different recipes on Pinterest to get some ideas about how to make them myself and after a few experiments, I made four different flavors-all extremely delicious. I tried to keep an accurate account of the price of the ingredients I used for each batch and it worked out to be about 25-40 cents a bar. That is an incredible savings since Larabars are usually about $1 a piece. So if you love healthy snacks and you have a bit if time to experiment with delicious healthy ingredients, you will have fun creating your own flavors of Lara Bars. Here is the basic recipe I created…….
INGREDIENTS
½ cups pitted dates
½ cups dried fruit (figs, apricots)
⅔ cups almonds
1 tsp cinnamon (with fig)
1 small piece of fresh ginger (with apricot)
In Cuisinart, blend dates and dried fruit of your choice. When a ball forms stop the cuisinart and remove chopped dried fruit ball to a medium bowl. Add almonds to cuisinart and chop until coarse ( few small pieces of almonds remaining in the nut mixture works fine). Knead nuts and dried fruit together and form into bars or balls. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and eat or wrap in saran to enjoy later. Homemade Larabars can be frozen. Each batch makes 6-8 bars or 20-25 balls.
Here are a few of the variations on the original recipe above that we tried. These were delicious…
Peanut Butter and Jelly
1 cup peanuts
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dates
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
Follow direction above for chopping dates and cranberries in Cuisinart. Remove to a bowl. Chop peanuts. Add to date mixture along with peanut butter. Mix …