Kid Friendly
Apple Butter
One of my favorite things to do in the Fall is go to Apple Hill and pick or buy apples. When I get my favorite apples home, I love to make apple butter. This has been my tradition for many years. I have a special buddy that I usually cook with but this year she is out of town and I have a new kitchen. So I decide to do some canning to get a jump on our Christmas gifts.
Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider (I use Trader Joe’s unfiltered natural apple juice)
4 quarts apples (about 7-8 pounds)
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons allspice
I double or triple this recipe…..Start by brining apple cider to a boil in a very large pot. Turn to simmer and cook down for about 1-2 hours. Place all canning jars in dishwasher and wash on light wash setting so they will be dry within the 1-2 hours while apple butter is cooking. Place tops in a large bowl and cover with boiling water close to the time you begin to ladle apple butter into jars.
Cut and core apples. (No need to remove skin because it cooks down but feel free if you prefer)
Chop apples in Cuisinart.
Add apples to large pan by batches. Continue to stir and simmer apple juice/apple mixture as you cut, core and chop all the apples. Keep on a low setting so apples begin to break down as they cook. Stir constantly so the apple compote does not stick to bottom of pan.
Mix sugar and spices in a separate bowl. When apples are glossy and mixture looks like applesauce, add the sugar and spices. Stir constantly on low heat so all the sugar dissolves. 
Turn off …
Apple Cake-Wellness style
This apple cake is moist and full of flavor. You can make it gluten free and it is full of fiber, so as far as a healthy dessert recipe goes, this is a keeper. Since I chop all the apples in a food processor with the peel on and I also chopped the nuts and raisins together in the food processor, it is a quick and easy dessert to make and take to parties.
Ingredients
2 cups flour (you can use gluten free flour here without changing the taste or texture)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ cups walnuts
1 cup raisins
5-6 large tart apples (4 cups when chopped)
½ cup oil (I use coconut oil)
1 cup sugar (you can use honey, coconut sugar or brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Chop walnuts and set aside. Peel, core and chop apples. You can chop the walnuts and apples in a food processor. (I actually do not peel the apples before I chop them in the food processor)
Cream the oil and sugar. add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in the apples, nuts and raisins. The batter will be very stiff. Turn into a well greased 9×13 pan or a bunt pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven. Bake 45 minutes for the 9×13 pan and 50 minutes for the bunt pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
Guilt-Free Puppy Chow
The holidays are fast approaching and the weather is cooling down. Cooking soups and stews and baking goodies is such a fun past time in the fall. One of our family’s fun fall favorite treats is Puppy Chow. We make it around Halloween/Thanksgiving and add some fall colored M & Ms or candy corn and during the Christmas holidays you can add green and red M & Ms or Christmas green and red chocolate chips. Here is a new recipe for Guilt Free Puppy Chow that was shared with us. We tweaked it a bit and the result is a delicious and much healthier option.
Ingredients
4 1/2 Cups of Rice Chex
1/2 Cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup of Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup of Honey
1 1/2 TBS of Coconut Oil
1 tsp of Vanilla
2 Packets Dairy Free Chocolate IsaLean Shake (or 1 [heaping] Cup of Your Favorite Protein Powder) ^^ This is our favorite!! You can also try with Vanilla or Pumpkin Protein Powder.
Measure out the Rice Chex into a large bowl. Mix together the chocolate chips, peanut butter, honey and coconut oil in a 2 cup glass pyrex measuring cup. Melt in microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until smooth. Pour over Rice Chex and stir carefully until coated. Pour 1 packet (or ½ cup) protein powder into a large gallon ziplock bag, add chocolate covered Chex mixture and pour the other packet of protein powder over Chex. Close bag securely and shake until pieces are covered with protein powder coating. Lay on wax paper covered cookie sheet and allow to cool. Be careful when you taste this Guilt Free Puppy Chow because you could easily eat the whole batch-it is really DELICIOUS!!!!
Optional add ins: Orange/Fall Color M & …
Read MorePumpkin Ginger Scones
The sights, sounds and smells of Fall are in the air and the mornings are cooler. School has been in session for weeks now and hopefully the kids have settled into a routine that allows for a healthy breakfast.
But if you still find yourself running around in the morning with many days that they need a grab-n-go breakfast or a pick-me-up-snack midmorning, these Pumpkin Ginger Spice Scones are packed full of nutritious deliciousness. Make up a batch and they will be gobbled up in a day or two. You can easily double the batch and freeze some.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (plus additional ½ cup flour when kneading dough)
1 cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup hemp seed
¼ cup oat bran
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
2 Tablespoons ground flax meal (I leave this out because Flax seed bothers my stomach)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup crystallized ginger chopped fine
½ cup cold butter
¼ cup undenatured whey pumpkin protein powder (you can substitute vanilla)
5 Tablespoons honey
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup plain greek yogurt
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add chopped crystallized ginger to dry ingredients. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients with ginger until resembles small meal. In a small bowl, mix honey, pumpkin puree and yogurt. Fold wet ingredients into dry in the large bowl. Only stir until dry ingredients are moist so scones stay light and fluffy. Roll dough out into a large rectangle 1 inch thick on a floured board and cut into scone sized squares, triangles or circles. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Yields 25 small scones or 12 large …
Pumpkin Harvest Hummus
This Pumpkin Harvest Hummus is absolutely the perfect snack to have on hand to take to a “Fall Festival-Harvest Party” or to have on hand when friends stop by. Serve with carrots, cucumber slices or any other of your favorite raw vegetables. We also love to steam broccoli and cauliflower for dipping. Put out a bowlful and serve with pita chips when friends come by. I made some for a party last week and it received rave reviews so I thought I would share it with you.
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons Tahini
2-3 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons water (if needed to thin as you blend)
Put all ingredients into a Vitamix or blender and mix until pureed to the consistency of hummus. Use a bit of water to thin it out if you think it is too thick. Pour into an airtight container and chill until ready to use. Serve with carrots, cucumbers, pita chips or pita bread. It also makes a great spread for your pita pocket veggie or turkey sandwich (with a bit of cranberry sauce, lettuce and tomato).
- 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
We are rejoicing today because after a 9 month and 1 week wait….our KITCHEN IS FINALLY FINISHED!!! I spent the entire afternoon baking in preparation for a baby shower for our 10th grandchild. My heart is bursting with joy to be the blessed Gammie that I am. Children are a gift from the Lord and grandchildren are a double blessing. Watching my girls be moms to their children is one of the most amazing aspects of my life. I am so proud of the job they are doing. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world but it has the biggest payback when you see your own children passionately focusing on passing on many of the intentional things you taught them about love and servant leadership. We love to celebrate new birth and this weekend we will be celebrating Baby Boy Banihashemi due to arrive at the end of October. His mom and big sister Sophie will be here for the weekend along with cousin Garrett and his mommy.
Here is the finished kitchen……
So today I tried out my new ovens by baking a new recipe called Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies.
Ingredients
2 ½ cups old fashioned oats (gluten free if necessary)
¾ cups flour (gluten free if necessary)
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ teaspoon cloves
12 teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup maple syrup
1 egg (make flax egg out of 1 TBS flax meal and 2 ½ TBS water, mix well and let sit a few min)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup grated carrots
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Combine wet …
Rachel’s Summer of Adventure
This was a Summer for memories! We had such a blast traveling, enjoying the sun, swimming, and more!
We really focused this Summer on swimming. We are so blessed to have a community pool in walking distance, and we spent many of our days practicing our swim skills. Taking 3 kids to the pool is no joke, but these girls are amazing!
We participated in our library’s Summer Reading Program and this mama really enjoyed all the prizes – especially the free kid’s meals!
I didn’t burden myself with too many expectations of projects, but we did take advantage of a few fun afternoons to craft, learn, and play. We are really enjoying our Kiwi Crates – and had many days of fun with our crate all about flight!
This Summer I started a playgroup for local moms to have a chance to get the kids together to play and the moms to socialize. We had many fun events and the popsicles in the park was one of our favorites!
We took a family road trip to Gammie and Poppa’s house for the July 4th holiday and had a BLAST at “family camp.” We swam, played, BBQ’d, hiked, and even road a train! The girls are great travelers and can’t wait to do it again.
I continued to teach my classes at Fit4Mom, and I was able to fill in for many extra classes while other awesome mamas took vacations. It was fun to teach at new locations and meet all of our amazing moms!
A big highlight for me this Summer was so relaxing and fun adult time! I took a moms only trip with my favorite girls to Palm Springs!
I was invited to an exclusive leadership retreat with my Blessing in a Box team to Arizona. It …
Read MoreAround the Table-Communicating with our Children
This week we will be sharing about the importance of developing good communication with the members of your family. Summer time schedules are more relaxed and there is less urgency in the daily routine. This is a perfect time to start some new fun traditions around the table. It can be at breakfast when the children are beginning their day or at dinnertime when dad is home and everyone is settling in after a fun summer day full of activities. Some families have a table full of talkative children while others struggle to get their kids to answer questions with more than one word answers.
We raised girls, so talking around the table was not a difficult thing to accomplish. They all seemed eager to share their thoughts and discuss the newest activities they were involved in each night. We occasionally had to referee who needed to take a break and let another sister have a turn, but for the most part we had a lively dinner conversation each night. When our daughters had friends over we usually had to warn the visitors about the topics that might come up at dinner since my husband is a Pediatrician. He would never share anything confidential but he would tell some of the funny things he talks about with the kids.
But for some of my friends, it was a different story. Some moms would complain that they never knew what was going on because their kids just didn’t talk much. So whether you have talkers or non-talkers, it is important to create a safe and healthy environment with your children regarding communication. Children should feel understood and be allowed to ask questions and talk freely with you about any subject. They should feel very secure knowing that if they ask you …
Reading-A Fun Summer Activity, A Lifelong Gift
A Book by Edgar Guest
“Now” – said a good book unto me –
“Open my pages and you shall see
Jewels of wisdom and treasures fine,
Gold and silver in every line,
And you may claim them if you but will
Open my pages and take your fill.
“Open my pages and run them o’er,
Take what you choose of my golden store.
Be you greedy, I shall not care –
All that you seize I shall gladly spare;
There is never a lock on my treasure doors,
Come – here are my jewels, make them yours!
“I am just a book on your mantel shelf,
But I can be part of your living self;
If only you’ll travel my pages through,
Then I will travel the world with you.
As two wines blended make better wine,
Blend your mind with these truths of mine.
“I’ll make you fitter to talk with men,
I’ll touch with silver the lines you pen,
I’ll lead you nearer the truth you seek,
I’ll strengthen you when your faith grows weak –
This place on your shelf is a prison cell,
Let me come into your mind to dwell!”
Books are friends. The earlier you introduce books to your kids the more likely your kids will learn to love books. Memories are made as we lead our children into the world of imagination found in books. There are so many benefits to developing a child’s imagination. In reading, a child gets to create their own reality of what the characters look like and what the scenery looks like. Building their own strong character occurs as children identify with the heroes they meet in books. Security is transferred to a child who sits still on our lap while we read to them. Love and …
Read MoreMom-Must Haves: Learning DVDs
There are SO many options when it comes to fun learning shows. Personally, it can be quite overwhelming! One of my favorite ways to navigate all the choices is to ask trusted friends. I want to be that trusted friend for you and share a two of our MUST HAVE learning DVDs that are worth the investment.
Signing Time is one of our family favorites. I took my first daughter to signing classes at the library when she was a baby and instantly fell in love. I started borrowing Signing Time DVDs from the library to try them out and they were a hit. I loved how Signing Time Rachel used different teaching methods to teach the signs: I do, you do, and songs. It really helped the signs stick, and we still sing the songs to this day!
We loved it so much we own all the Baby Signing Times, Signing Time 1 and 2 series, PLUS since my girls are a little older now we got the Treeschool program too!
Our other favorite DVD series is Preschool Prep.
We love to watch the sight word videos, colors, numbers, and letters. These videos really sink in. My 5 year old knows most of the sight words, my 4 year old knows a lot, and even my 2 year old can recognize a few! We have some sight word books that go along with the videos and the older girls were able to read them on their own just by learning the basic sight words!
What about YOU? What are your favorite learning programs that you have tried?
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