As the Corn Grows... These are the Recipes of My Life: Recipes

Graduation Book

2012-05-17T15:01:00.001-05:00

My son will be graduating from preschool tomorrow... sniff, sniff. OK, SOB, SOB! I wanted to do something small, but special and significant for him. Here's what I came up with up:


I obviously blurred my kids' names :)

Every year, I am going to get a copy of their favorite book. On the inside cover, I will write a note and include their school picture.

I think it's a fun way to remember some of the important details that we often forget. And it's a neat way to build a special keepsake library (with REAL books) for each child.

Aunt Christie's Waffles

2012-04-19T14:31:00.000-05:00

This recipe is adapted from my dear friend's waffle recipe... which is healthy and so delicious! I added some extra cinnamon and came up with the following version.

They freeze and reheat wonderfully... this is great way to replace those store-bought waffles that contain the nasty artificial food coloring.

Turn your waffle iron on medium. Spray generously with Organic canola oil cooking spray.

Batter:

Mix together:

1½ cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (I’ve tried other whole wheat flours… nothing compares to the quality of KAF.)
½ cup ground flax (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic 100% Whole Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal)
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum-free)
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix in a separate bowl:

2 eggs
1¾ cups milk
¼ cup melted butter

Combine wet and dry ingredients together until completely blended.

Scoop ¾ cup of batter onto waffle iron. Cook for 2 minutes. All waffle irons are not created equal. You may need to experiment with the time. Waffles are done when they are a golden brown color. Be sure to re-spray iron before making each waffle.

Makes approximately 4½ Belgian waffles. (I usually make a double batch and freeze the leftovers.)

Remove from iron and cool leftovers on racks. Wrap individually and freeze for an easy breakfast option. To reheat, simply place frozen waffle in a toaster or in the oven.

After scooping batter onto waffle iron, add ½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries to make blueberry waffles.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

2012-04-13T14:58:00.000-05:00

This recipe couldn't be any easier. It's tasty and healthy too.

Combine in a crock-pot:

6 frozen chicken breasts
2 cups Homemade Salsa

Cook on low for 8 hours.

My husband and kids are picky eaters, so the salsa scares them. To accommodate them, I didn't shred the meat until after I removed it from the crock pot. I mixed theirs with sour cream and cheese and served it with tortilla chips. My son actually said, "Holy Moly! That tastes good!" I hope you enjoy it too.

David W's Italian Beef

2012-04-07T18:52:00.000-05:00

Good friends of ours brought us this delicious Italian beef after the birth of our first child. It has been a family favorite ever since.

Combine in a crock-pot:

4 lbs. chuck roast (trimmed)
2 Tbsp. mustard seeds
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
1 cup water

Cook on low for 24 hours.

My husband and I like ours served on a Hoagie roll with cheese. He adds mayo and mustard to his. The kids like the beef on a standard grilled cheese. It's even good by itself with some healthy sides.

We divide ours up into family-sized portions. It freezes wonderfully. We re-heat it in the microwave... remember it is originally cooked for 24 hours, so it is really difficult to overcook it. It is also an easy meal to serve at parties.

If you are going to make this for large crowds, just make sure to have enough beer and kraut to cover the dogs. It makes a great dish for a buffet and it's a lot easier than having someone grilling dogs for the masses.

Pumpkin Muffins

2012-03-30T13:22:00.001-05:00

This recipe is adapted from my mother-in-law's pumpkin bread recipe... which is to die for! I messed with it a bit and came up with the following muffin version. They are so wonderful that we have a hard time keeping them in the house. People have been know to take bags of them home after parties at my home. I hope you enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Batter:

Mix together:

3 ½ cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (I’ve tried other whole wheat flours… nothing compares to the quality of KAF.)
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 heaping tsp. ground nutmeg
1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix in a separate bowl:

3 cups granulated sugar
6 Tbsp. flax (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic 100% Whole Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal)
4 eggs
¾ cup + 3 Tbsp. Canola oil
2 cups pumpkin (1 small can)

Combine wet and dry ingredients together until completely blended.

Scoop batter evenly into muffin tins. Makes approximately 26 muffins. (I usually make a few batches when I make these. I put 24 in the oven, then add the new batter to what is left from the first. And so on.)

Streusel Topping:

4 Tbsp. brown sugar
½ cup King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup cold butter

Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Topping will be crumbly. Top each muffin with 1 Tbsp. of streusel topping.

Bake for 22 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately and cool on racks. Wrap individually and freeze for an easy breakfast option.

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-03-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Every time I would make Chocolate Chip Cookies, they would fail in some way. They would either be too crispy or too flat or too oily. Keep in mind, I would get these varying results from the same recipe. I love to bake and I am really good at it... ask anyone who knows me.

So I took this "failure" quite seriously. I mean who can't bake a chocolate chip cookie? I couldn't. But not any more. I decided to make it my mission to create a recipe that would produce perfect cookies every time. I am pleased to report that I have. You can find it here.

Then I decided to try making a whole wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie. The are also delicious. Only a couple of minor changes from the original including cooking time.

I hope you find delicious success as you make these sweet treats!

Preheat oven to 375°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients:

2½ cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (It is all about the flour... different brands of whole wheat flour are not equal. Some are grainy. This one is the best for baking cookies and muffins.)
1¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Cream together in a separate bowl:

2 sticks butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar

Mix into the butter and sugar:

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix together until completely blended.

Fold in however many chocolate chips you and your family prefer. (Some of my people like a lot of chips. Some of them like one or two in a cookie. I'll let you decide how much is enough.)

I use this glorious little scoop to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Then turn the pan and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes (depending on your oven). I get fluffy and moist cookies every time!

Adam's Pancakes

2012-03-18T18:54:00.000-05:00

Heat griddle to a medium-low heat.

Whisk together:

1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Melt a small amount of butter on griddle to prevent pancakes from sticking. (You could use a spray oil instead.) Pour batter onto griddle. When bubbles appear throughout the pancakes, flip them over. Pancakes are done when both sides are golden brown. Makes approximately 8 five inch pancakes.

Double the batch and freeze the leftovers!

Cool pancakes completely on wire racks.
Stack pancakes with parchment paper or wax paper in between each pancake.
Put the pancakes in a freezer bag.
Put them in the freezer.
Reheat them in the oven at 350° for approximately 5 minutes or until heated through.

The outside of the pancakes will get crispy, while the insides remain moist. They are delicious the second time! It's a quick and easy breakfast when you are on the go.

Salsa

2012-03-16T21:20:00.000-05:00

Combine:

1 large can Whole Tomatoes (I run them through the blender. You can also squish them by hand. I recommend the blender.)
1 8-12 oz can Tomato Sauce
1 bunch Green Onion chopped (I use the food processor.)
1 bunch fresh Cilantro chopped (I use the food processor.)
3-4 cloves of fresh Garlic chopped (I use the food processor.)
Salt & Pepper to taste
small amount of Red Pepper Flakes (Add to your taste - it gets hot.)
1 fresh Lime squeezed (I add some of the lime that comes out when you squeeze it).
fresh Tomatoes diced (Optional)

So good you'll want to eat it with a spoon! I typically triple the batch when I make it. I eat a lot of salsa. Also, friends and family usually snatch a jar or two each time I make it.

This goes great with:

Rotisserie Chicken & Noodles

2012-03-11T14:29:00.003-05:00

Chicken:

Cut Rotisserie chicken off the bone (We only like the white meat, but you can certainly use the whole bird.)

Noodles:

Cook 4 cups of egg noodles according to the directions on the package

Sauté until fragrant over a med-high heat:

3 cloves grated garlic
2 Tbsp butter

Add:

Chicken
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1 can chicken broth

Cover and simmer on a medium-high heat until chicken is heated through. Drain noodles and pour into chicken mixture.

Add:

1 Tbsp parsley

Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Hot Dogs with Beer & Kraut

2012-03-10T08:35:00.002-06:00

We don't have hotdogs very often. When we do, we do it right! Here's an easy recipe to make hotdogs worth your while.

Put in a crock-pot:

1 package Hebrew National hotdogs
1 can Frank's Bavarian Style sauerkraut (Do NOT drain or rinse. This isn't regular kraut. You want all of the tasty goodness to flavor the dogs.)
1 beer (whatever you have on hand is fine)

Cook on low for 5 hours or until dogs are heated through. Check them an hour before serving. If they are still cold, turn it up to high. You can't ruin these things.

I like my dog served on a bun with chopped onions, sliced tomatoes and celery salt. I like my kraut on the side, but you can throw it on top of the dog if you are feeling adventurous :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-03-09T15:31:00.001-06:00

Preheat oven to 375°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients:

2½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (It truly is the best flour for baking)
1¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Cream together in a separate bowl:

2 sticks butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar

Mix into the butter and sugar:

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix together until completely blended.

Fold in however many chocolate chips you and your family prefer. (Some of my people like a lot of chips. Some of them like one or two in a cookie. I'll let you decide how much is enough.)

I use this glorious little scoop to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Then turn the pan and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes (depending on your oven). I get fluffy and moist cookies every time!

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"We Don't Like Ketchup" Meatloaf

2012-03-08T11:37:00.002-06:00

I know it might seem strange, but I don't like ketchup. It seems pointless to me. It masks the taste of the food you are eating and it contains a TON of sodium. Since I don't eat it, my kids have never acquired a taste for it. This is a problem when things like a traditional meatloaf is presented to them. So started my quest for a ketchup-less meatloaf. This is sooooo moist and flavorful! My kids eat it like they have won the lottery. Even if you like ketchup, this would make a nice alternative to the meatloaf you already make. Enjoy!

Whisk together:

½ cup bread crumbs (I make my own with bread heels - you need approximately 2)
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 palm garlic salt (approximately 1 tsp.)
1 palm pepper
1 palm salt
2 chopped garlic cloves

Add the mixture to 1¼ lbs of ground beef. Mix well. You can use your hands. That freaks me out so I use a spoon... it works just as well.

Put meat into a glass bread pan. Bake as follows:

Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes
REMOVE FOIL and continue to bake at 400° for 30 minutes
Bake at 500° for 5 minutes

Meat is done when the internal temperature is at least 160°. Let the loaf rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Cashew Cookie Hummus

2012-03-06T11:54:00.001-06:00

Soak overnight:

1¼ cup pitted dates
½ water

Combine in a food processor:

Dates & the water they soaked in
1½ cups chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup cashew butter (I make my own)
2 Tbsp oats

Blend until smooth. Serve with organic thin wheat crackers or on a spoon. (Let me know what else you try this on... I bet the options are endless!) My kids are besides themselves with glee right now. Who knew I could get them to eat hummus?

Almond Vanilla Icing

2012-03-05T14:32:00.001-06:00

Cream together:

1 cup butter (softened, not melted)
1 cup white Crisco

Add:

2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract
¼ cup milk

Slowly add:

2 lbs powered sugar (1 bag)

Beat until creamy.

This frosting is great on my sugar cookies. I also use it to frost white cakes. It truly is the BEST white icing I've ever had. (I use natural food coloring when decorating cakes and cookies.)

**This originated from a friend's recipe... that I tweaked. I seem to tweak everything. I can't help myself. :)

Adam's Garlic Dill Tacos

2012-03-04T17:59:00.001-06:00

¼ lbs ground beef
1 tsp dill
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt (I use Kosher)
2 cloves garlic - grated

Mix seasonings into meat. Brown until thoroughly cooked. Drain before serving.

My husband and kids like to eat the meat with tortilla chips. We add sour cream and shredded cheese to the meat.

I eat mine as a taco. I use a low-carb, high fiber tortilla. I add a little sour cream, green salsa, red salsa, jalapenos, and mozzarella cheese (less calories and tastes great.)

What started as a way to satisfy my pregnancy cravings for dill, has turned into a family favorite. Enjoy!

Raspberry Teas (Cookies)

2012-03-02T13:38:00.000-06:00

You will need:

½ cup finely chopped walnuts
Raspberry Jam (Or another jam with a strong flavor. Cherry worked well, but strawberry doesn't.)

Cream until light and fluffy:

½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Add:

1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix well then add:

2¼ cups white flour

Divide dough into two parts. Place half in refrigerator and chill for several hours. (Or put it in the freezer and just keep an eye on it.)

Divide the other half into 48 pieces. Roll into balls in the palms of your hands (or your children's hands). Roll the balls in the nuts.

Roll the chilled dough 1/8 inch thick on a well-floured cloth or surface. This dough is STICKY. Have plenty of flour on hand to work with it. Cut rolled dough with a 2 inch serrated cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Add ¼ tsp of jam to center of each flat cookie. Place balls on jam and press them gently. Make an indentation in the center of each ball with your (child's) finger. Place ¼ tsp of jam in the center of each ball.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until delicately brown.

These are so delicious! They are definitely worth the work. And it's a fun cookie to make with the kids.

I am going to attempt to convert these to a bar cookie... stay tuned for details.

**This was a cookie that my grandmother made at Christmas time. I believe she found the recipe in The Chicago Tribune in the 1950s or 1960s. The original recipe says to use a thimble to make the indentations... how times have changed! How many of you have a thimble and have it handy enough to use in the kitchen while you bake?

Black Beans and Rice

2012-02-28T14:56:00.000-06:00

Rice (I cook mine in a rice cooker for 54 minutes. You can cook the rice on the stovetop or bake it if you do not have one.):

1½ cups Brown Rice
1 cup water
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves pressed garlic

While rice is cooking prepare the following vegetables:

½ large white onion – chopped
1½ jalapeño peppers – deveined, deseeded & chopped
7 – 8 campari tomatoes – chopped

Beans:

In a large sauté pan, brown 2 cloves grated garlic in 2 Tbsp. of butter
Add 2 cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed). Set burner to a medium–low heat.
Add 1 cup frozen corn
Add 2 tsp. Ground Cumin
Add salt (I use Kosher salt) & pepper to taste
Cover and heat through. Stir occasionally.

Add the rice and vegetables to the beans. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to mixture. Stir and cover. Stir occasionally until heated through.

Serve alone or top with homemade salsa. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes on 50% for a quick, satisfying and healthy lunch.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

2012-02-23T16:46:00.001-06:00

Trim & cut 6 chicken breasts into 1½ inch pieces. I get approximately 6 nuggets out of each breast. Place chicken in glass container. Cover with milk and allow chicken to soak in the refrigerator for 3 hours. (I would imagine the longer the better, but this is a good place to start.)

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together:

6 pieces of bread that have been chopped in the food processor. (This is what I save the heels of our bread for.)
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. parsley
¼ tsp. garlic salt
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (I have made the nuggets without the cheese. They are still very tasty.)

In a separate bowl:

Melt ¼ cup of butter. (You will probably need more butter. When the cold chicken hits the warm butter, it begins to solidify again. Add more butter to the bowl and melt it as this happens.)

Dip the chicken nuggets in the butter. Then move them to the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure the entire nugget is covered with crumbs. Place the coated nuggets in a single layer on the lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumbs on top of the nuggets.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip chicken on pan. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and chicken is cooked through.

Wrap the leftovers in foil and freeze. I put enough to feed my family in each package. To reheat: Bake nuggets at 375° for 7 minutes. Flip chicken on pan. Bake an additional 7 minutes or until chicken is heated through.

This makes for a quick and easy meal and they taste as good as the first time. It’s definitely worth the original prep time. I usually double the recipe and have enough nuggets to feed my family of four 5 times.

Cashew Butter

2012-02-22T11:57:00.002-06:00

Combine (according to your blender's directions):

3 cups cashews
1 Tbsp. Canola Oil

This is a great way to change up your PB&J sandwiches. The kids LOVE it!

**We have smoothies every morning. This resulted in us burning out the motor in our blender every 6-8 months. (For the record, I NEVER bought cheap ones. So frustrating!) I finally broke down and purchased the Vitamix 5200. It was worth every penny. I signed up for their newsletter and purchased mine when they were offering a special.

Blueberry Buckle Muffins

2012-02-17T14:56:00.000-06:00

These are WONDERFUL! They are like individually portioned blueberry coffeecakes... which is a nice way to avoid eating an entire coffee cake. (Not that I've ever done that.) My kids love them. Enjoy :)

Preheat oven to 375°. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Batter:

Mix together:

2 cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour (I’ve tried other whole wheat flours… nothing compares to the quality of KAF.)
¼ cup white Crisco
2 ½ tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum free)
¾ tsp. salt

Mix in a separate bowl:

¾ cup milk (I use organic)
1 egg
¾ cup granulated sugar

Combine together until completely blended.

Fold in 1 cup frozen blueberries.

Scoop batter evenly into muffin tins. Makes approximately 24 muffins.

Streusel Topping:

½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup cold butter

Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Topping will be crumbly. Top each muffin with 1 Tbsp. of streusel topping.

Sugar Cookies

2012-02-12T17:50:00.000-06:00

Preheat oven to 400°. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together:

¾ cup butter (softened, not melted)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix in a separate bowl:

2½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (It truly is the best flour for baking)
1 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum free)
1 tsp. salt

Mix together until completely blended. Put dough in the fridge for at least one hour.

Sprinkle flour on counter and on rolling pin. Roll out dough until approximately ¼ inch thick. Cut into your favorite shapes. Decorate with IndiaTree NATURE'S COLORS - Decorating Sugars.

Bake on center rack for 5 minutes. Turn cookie sheet 180° and continue to bake 2-3 more minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is adapted from Big Bird’s Busy Book. My mom got this as a gift when she sponsored PBS when I was a toddler. Fun… don’t you think? 30+ years later, the recipe can’t be beat!

Granola

2012-02-09T23:08:00.001-06:00

Preheat oven to 325°. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together:

2 cups Oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. flax (I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Ground Flax Seed Meal)

Whisk in a separate bowl:

¼ cup honey (I use local honey… the local pollens help build immunities to allergies)
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tbsp. Canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine together until oats are completely coated with the honey mixture. Spread mixture evenly on parchment paper. Leave chucks for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip granola on pan. Add nuts if so desired. (I use chopped pecans.) Bake another 5 minutes. Flip granola on pan. Bake an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely and add 1/3 cup of raisins (or other dried fruit). Store in an airtight container. Serve dry or with milk.

Blueberry Smoothie

2012-02-09T22:25:00.000-06:00

Blueberry Smoothie

1 frozen banana (I buy large bunches at Sam's. I usually have one bunch on my counter ripening and another in the freezer individually wrapped and ready to go.)
1/3 cup yogurt (I use Stonyfield Low Fat French Vanilla - if you are paying over $4 for this, find it somewhere else.)
1 large or 2 small pineapple spears (I also buy these at Sam's)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
3 small ice cubes
1/2 cup juice (I use V8 Fusion Pomegranate Blueberry - also from Sam's)
a splash of water (adjust to get the texture you like)

Throw it in your blender and enjoy!

A few years ago, one of my sisters suggested that I make a smoothie for breakfast. Every morning I was grabbing something quick that usually contained grains of some sort. I was always starving before lunch and feeling sluggish. I experimented with some ingredients and this is what I came up with.

The kids and I have this every morning. Yes, every morning. Remember, I have OCD... order and consistency work well for me. :) Besides it's healthy; it's quick and easy; and it's delicious. The kids have some other breakfast goodness as well. What they don't drink goes into the fridge. They often finish it up after dinner.