Banana Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

We started with donuts. And when you think about it, any day that starts with donuts can't be that bad, right?

There were no tears (from anyone!) and the boys happily reunited with friends from last year. I left feeling like two adorable pieces of my heart were left behind at school, but went on to have probably the most productive day since school ended! 

Anyway, back to school breakfast has always been something I wanted to do for my kids and last year I think we did waffles or pancakes but this year I made banana donuts dipped in chocolate with sprinkles on top. I actually made these up last night and they kept just fine overnight. These are definitely better the day you make them, but I've made them three times now and they are so easy and so delicious that making toast for breakfast almost seems like more work!

Banana Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 large egg
1 banana
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaping tablespoon plain greek yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon flour

Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray your donut pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Whisk together the egg and the sugar for about a minute, until it starts to lighten up in colour and really comes together.
Stir in the banana, oil, vanilla and yogurt.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients and then add the dry into the wet ingredients. Mix slowly and until just moistened. Do not overmix!

Using a ziploc bag, pipe the batter into the donut pan and bake for 10-12 minutes depending on your oven (mine were done after 9 minutes). Donuts should be fluffy and spring back when gently poked. Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.

While the donuts are cooling, you can make up the glaze. Basically take about a 1/4 cup chocolate chips and add 1 teaspoon corn syrup, 1 teaspoon water, and about a tablespoon of butter. Melt it all for about 30 seconds in the microwave and then stir, stir, stir.

Then once your donuts are cooled, dip, dip, dip.
Then sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle with your choice of topping. I chose the milk chocolate sprinkles we picked up while we were in Amsterdam.

This made exactly 9 donuts so double or triple if you want enough to give away.

weekend links! {Canadian version 1.0}

Weekend links are back, folks!

Blaise's hat / Joe Fresh {bought in store}

The tree is up, the candles are burning, some presents are even wrapped! I have not started any Christmas baking but in an attempt to curb my sugar intake, I'll only be baking for specific events and not to stock up and just have lying around our house. But I'll for sure be making the ever-favourited Cheese Stars. Other than that, I'm not too sure. Definitely some sort of shortbread, possibly a Vanilla Bean Shortbread since I still have tons of vanilla beans from Uganda. I'm on a charcuterie/cheese platter kick right now so it'll be lots of lovely cheeses and fruit and yummy crackers {like these} and meats that I'll be bringing/putting out for different events.

Advent envelopes are assembled and our first activity on Sunday will be to make bird feeders. We have this lovely bush in our backyard that tons of tiny little birds love to gather and sit upon so I'm hoping it'll be the perfect addition and a nice treat for those sweet little guys. There are also three squirrels {two black and one grey/brown} and a chipmunk that like to terrorize each other and the neighbourhood so I'm kinda looking forward to seeing what they'll do with the feeders. So anyway, I dug up an old Weekend Link from last year because I had remembered posting this sweet tutorial on making your own bird seed hanging. We'll be following from this one and possibly making this one too. Stay tuned for pictures on the outcome!

Finding your way through the commercialism and loud materialism during the Christmas season is not easy or pretty. I know in my own heart I yearn for simplicity and a sweet, simple focus and anticipation of the return of Jesus and the celebration of His birth. And yet I am a walking contradiction because my heart also longs for all the pretty things in all the stores, sparkling and gold and white and oh! How I want it all. And so my friend Kelly posted this exact same thing on being torn between the two things this season and how ultimately we want Jesus and we want our lives to reflect Him. I also found this post helpful with 5 things we can choose to do with our families during Advent to help us eagerly anticipate Jesus' birth.

My friend Barb blogs about the lost art of letter writing and all things relating to it. {You can check out her blog here.} This relates in that I bought a little something special and exciting - a personalized return address stamp for all our Christmas cards {and other letters and cards we send throughout the year}. It's lovely and it makes me happy. You can check out tons of designs on Etsy but the one I bought was this one. And it's on sale today!

Happy first weekend of Advent, everyone!

things i'm loving, lately...

The smell of Christmas. I've been simmering a pot on my stove and it's making the whole house smell delightful! 

All you need is:

1 orange, quartered

a handful of cranberries

a few cinnamon sticks

a tablespoon of whole cloves

Put all the ingredients in a pot, fill it with water so everything is submerged and then simmer and enjoy the glorious smells wafting through your house.

Songza Christmas music mixes. My current favourite is Lauren Conrad's Holiday Soiree. Check it.

White Christmas lights on our tree and around our big bay window. So magical.

Bath & Body Works Candy Cane Bliss hand soap. It's in our powder room and my boys can't get enough of it. They'll wash their hands {bonus!} and come out waving their hands in everyone's faces saying, "Anyone wanna smell mint!??!" But seriously. Next step is to buy a candle in the scent because it's amazing.

My new advent envelope artwork by Naptime Diaries. So gorgeous and now I don't have to decorate new envelopes each year. 

Now to figure out the activities I'll be doing. I still have a week, right?

Having people over in our house. Okay so I've loved that for a long time, but it's nice now that we're more settled to have the space to accommodate them all! We had both our families over after the Guelph Santa Claus parade last weekend and with 10 adults and 3 kiddos it was a full house and I loved every minute of it! 

Can you believe my boy are the only kids on both sides? So far! I'm loving the fact that I'm going to be an Auntie come May! My sister is pregnant and I am thrilled at the prospect of being an Aunt for the first time! 

I'm attempting to do an Advent devotional this December and I'm using this free one from Desiring God. 

So technically I haven't started yet, {although I have read the introduction} but I am looking forward to taking time each day to focus and still my heart in preparation for the celebration of Jesus' birth. I'm loving that I get this privilege of talking to and hearing from the Creator of the Universe who came to Earth as a humble, helpless baby for me and you. Amazing.

And I'm loving that my boys are so ecstatic about the snow. Noah proclaimed yesterday as the snow fell and stayed on the ground, "This is the best day ever!". They want to go outside and play every day and I am definitely loving the fact that we have a built in sledding hill in our backyard. Yet another reason God picked this house for us. 

I am loving spending time with friends and family. Being in their homes and having them in mine is such a lovely blessing and I am soaking it all up. 

What are you loving, lately?

git yer bake on! {Cornmeal Waffles}

I have missed fall. It's been two years since I've experienced an Ontario fall. I love it. The cool weather. The changing leaves. The Pumpkin Spice Lattes. The slippers and scarves. I love it all.
And cooler weather means cooking and baking!
And baking and cooking I have been doing. Today {despite another pretty rough drop off for both big boys} it's just me and Blaise so I baked a batch of breakfast cookies and some blueberry muffins. While he was napping this morning.

Now the muffin recipe claims to be the best muffin recipe. EVER.
No joke? It seriously is.

The recipe itself is pretty versatile. There are options for different add-ins that you could choose. I wanted to make blueberry muffins so I just threw in a cup of frozen blueberries.
When they were done, I tried one. SO GOOD. Serious. Make these, people.

We're also kinda obsessed with waffles. I didn't remember if I kept my waffle maker or sold it before we left for Uganda but lo and behold, it was packed away. Hurrah for waffles!
I am in love with cornmeal waffles. So crispy and crunch and light.

recipe from Joy of Cooking cook book

Cornmeal Waffles

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs, separated

Preheat your waffle iron. Then whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt & baking soda together.
In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, butter, maple syrup and egg yolks together.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine with a few swift strokes of the whisk.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry {or you can just do it until they are frothy if you're hand mixing} then fold into the batter.
Then scoop onto your waffle iron and cook.
Enjoy with bacon {or you could even crumble in some cooked bacon into the batter and enjoy your waffles and bacon all in one!} or fried chicken or however you like your waffles.
I love some sliced fruit, nuts, some Greek yogurt and a bit of maple syrup on top.
Yum!

It's also soup weather! What are you favourite soups? I love Butternut Squash soup, Beef Stew, Tomato soup and African Yam & Peanut soup.

banana power cookies

I am obsessed with these cookies. 

Yesterday I made a third batch in four days. 
They're chock-full of grains and seeds and nuts and fruits and the best thing is they're sugar-free! Oh and did I mention they're delicious? And good for you? 
AND you could even eat one for breakfast. Or four. Whatevs.
This recipe is incredibly versatile and the original called for brown sugar which I halved and then ended up substituting honey and they still taste fantastic. They have a slightly muffin-y texture which I personally love. You can add or take away the things you like or don't like and they'll probably still turn out fantastic. I've tried it without sunflower seeds and without walnuts and added almonds and extra raisins. You could add nutmeg and ginger if you wanted to. I've done it with or without the milk powder {it just adds a bit more protein to the cookie}. So versatile. My favourite kind of recipe.

Banana Power Cookies
adapted from Cooking Melangery

Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. flaked coconut
1 c. oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. honey
1/3 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 c. golden raisins
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp. milk powder
4 tbsp. flax seeds
4 tbsp. sunflower seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a bowl, stir together the flour, coconut, oats, baking soda, flax seeds, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, cream the honey and butter with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Add the bananas and eggs and beat with a fork until blended. Stir in the flour mixture, about 1/2 c. at a time, then stir in the raisins, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and walnuts {or whatever you're including in your cookies}. Spoon the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet(s), spacing the cookies about 2” apart. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet(s) on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Depending on how big you make your cookies, you can get 24-30 cookies out of this recipe.

sugar-free citrus & cranberry scones

So I randomly felt that I needed to cut sugar out of my life for the next little while upon returning from Spain. I definitely indulged myself while in Spain {they served these things for breakfast that can really only be described as crumbly cookie-dough. I ate a lot of them.} and felt the need to detox.

I also like a good challenge when I'm baking/cooking.

My boundaries for "sugar-free" were such:

no refined sugars

So things like pure maple syrup, honey and fruit are perfectly acceptable. Last week I made sugar-free chocolate cupcakes {for our Oscar party where we watched Zero Dark Thirty and not the Oscars because that would've meant waking up at 4am for us. Although I'm sad I missed this. I think I have a girl-crush.}. I think I'll make a few changes, but they were still really good. I've made pancakes with no sugar in them. {They were amazing. Check out the recipe here.} I've been snacking more on nuts, fruit, and drinking heaps more water than I already do.

Today I made sugar-free scones and they were amazing. I will share the recipe, but only if you promise to make them, eat them warm and give someone you love a hug. Promise? Okay. Here ya go.

{Refined} Sugar-Free Citrus & Cranberry Scones
adapted from About.com

Yield: 18 scones

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter, cold and chopped into pieces
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup orange juice
zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, wheat flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender. Add the cranberries and walnuts and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the honey, orange juice and zest. Combine with the dry ingredients to form a thick dough.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the dough onto a cookie sheet, slightly flattening the scones with your palm as you go. Bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

You can even make an Orange Honey Butter to go on these if you like.

this city life: breakfast goodies

today i'm over at This City Life doing a guest post for my bloggy friend, sarah who is expecting baby #3 any day now!
sarah and i actually know each other in real life {IRL i guess is the cool acronym} but she lives in vancouver and before moving to uganda, i was in the toronto area - on the other side of canada. that's far. but our husbands both work for the same non-profit and that's how we met. it's been over facebook and twitter and blogs that we've gotten to know each other and i think it's cool that both of our #3 babies will have been born within a few months of each other.
so i'm over there doing what i do best - baking and taking pictures of food. just keepin' it real.

Since moving to Uganda a year and a half ago, I feel like my baking skills have been tested like never before. I've learned to improvise {I was a strictly-by-the-recipe girl before} and guess at things like temperature {we have no temperature gauge on our gas oven} and substitute for things I don’t have or can’t get here. 

I've even learned to make up new recipes. I know some people never use recipes. But for me, this is a huge thing! 

head on over to This City Life for the rest...

if you're here from sarah's blog, welcome! feel free to poke around here and stay awhile!

our christmas favourites: traditions

the other day i remarked to jamie how excited i was when i was a kid to open my chocolate advent calendar each day. then we discussed {as adults do} how much better and thicker and bigger the chocolates used to be {in the good ole days}.
we didn't have them last year for the boys {as they don't sell them here}, but some friends sent us some this year so the boys get to participate in the "chocolate-after-breakfast" tradition of the chocolate advent calendar.
but what does advent mean? and is eating a tiny piece of cheap chocolate the extent of which we want to teach our kids about it?

this year we're doing some of the same things we started last year. you can check out the books and resources we use in this blog post.

i also found a fantastic guide to reading your way through advent using one of our favourites, the jesus storybook bible. you can find that reading guide here. {i think we might do this next year as the storybook bible is one of our favourites.}

we're doing our advent envelopes again and so far we've opened some new {to us} christmas books {thanks, mom!}, purchased a new nativity set from the craft market, decorated gingerbread cookies and so many other things - i have to admit, though, i'm behind on filling the envelopes and we've been switching around different activities depending on the day. such is life with three little guys.

the boys having a picnic in front of the tree!

i also was ambitious and bought the truth in the tinsel ebook and while i don't think we'll get around to doing a craft every single day, it's good to have the resource for this year and years to come. check out the truth in the tinsel here on their website or on facebook.

we'll keep up our tradition of a daily reading of luke 2 with the boys - i've seen and heard how they can memorize ridiculous conversations from movies and songs, so it's my hope that perhaps they can memorize this small part of luke 2 as we read it to them every day for the month of december. noah can already say the first 7 verses with a bit of prompting.

i always had a tradition of opening up one present on christmas eve and it was always a new pair of pajamas. we'll be keeping this tradition with our boys {this year they'll get batman pajamas!}. who doesn't love new pajamas?

and when talking traditions, you can't forget food! i've compiled my list of holiday baking that i'd like to do. there are about 13 recipes. we'll see how far i get. so far i've made gingerbread cookies {and decorated them this morning}, lemon-pecan shortbread, chocolate gingerbread drops, peppermint patties and earl grey tea and jam cookies. left to make are still almond biscotti, cheese stars, layered fudge, buckeye bark, cran-crazy cookies, chewy molasses spice cookies, christmas sandies and chocolate crinkles. whew!

this year will be our first year doing a birthday cake for jesus on christmas morning. i haven't figured out what  i'll use for the "cake", but i am thinking something like some sort of coffee cake or loaf. we'll have candles and sing happy birthday and everything. i think the boys will like it and it will help us all to focus on who christmas is really all about.

jamie and i have been going through the free advent devotional put out by desiring god. we're only 1 day behind now, but so far it's been a great selection of thought-provoking short articles by john piper.

anyway, so we have lots of traditions and more that i'm sure we'll develop over the years but for now i'm trying to soak up these moments of the here and now. when i'm missing out on watching national lampoon's christmas vacation because i'm rocking blaise to sleep in the other room. when i've got two little boys who insist on fighting with each other or giving me some sass. trying my utmost to lean into HIM and show them the grace and love that i've so freely been shown.

what are some of your traditions? how do you embrace the messy while still enjoying the wonder and anticipation of it all?

earl grey tea and jam cookies

the sounds {grass cutters, birds chirping) and sights {green trees, sunny blue skies} outside right now tell me it's summer. and summer does not equal christmas.
however, the calendar says it's december 8th. what's up with that?

a few years ago i introduced my closest friend, jen, to the wonder that is cheese stars. i make them every christmas. they are delicious. make them and then grab a few and enjoy with a large glass of red wine while they're still hot. you're welcome.

anyway, in return, she introduced me to these beauties; earl grey tea and jam cookies. as i recall, we made a triple batch and had dozens of these cookies sitting on every surface in her kitchen. {i miss you, jen!}
so yesterday i made them. i didn't make them last year, but this year i wanted to. they're so delicious. almost like a shortbread cookie, but not quite. and not too sweet either. if you like tea and cookies {who doesn't?} these are the perfect cookie for you.

do see the flecks of tea? amazing.

here's the recipe:

earl grey tea and jam cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp earl grey tea leaves {approximately 2 tea bags}
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup jam {any flavour will do. i chose strawberry and apricot}

beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. beat in the egg and the vanilla.
in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, tea and salt. then stir it into the butter mixture until just combined. the mixture will be a bit crumbly so feel free to get in there with your hands and shape into a ball. {if they're just way too crumbly, add some water, a tablespoon at a time until the dough is a bit more manageable. this dough is not a sticky dough, so don't add too much.}
refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
using a tablespoon, roll about 1 inch balls place on a cookie sheet.
using the tip of a wooden spoon handle, make indentation into the centre of each ball, almost to the bottom.
bake in the top and bottom thirds of a 350F oven, rotating and switching halfway through until light golden {15-18 minutes}.
transfer to racks and then spoon 1/4 tsp of jam into the centre of each cookie. let cool.

alternately, if you want to make these ahead of time, let them cool and then freeze in an airtight container and then add the jam before you want to serve them.

i froze just over half of them {mine made just over 3 dozen} and we enjoyed the rest of them last night.

and while we're on the subject of keeping things real {see previous post}, here's today's attempt at making cocoa roasted almonds. epic fail. i really need a temperature gauge in my oven. and to pay more attention when i'm baking things. and to set a timer. especially when i have guests over. jamie says they're okay and not to throw them out. but they're pretty burnt. oh well.

sugar-free, egg-free, gluten-free banana peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

that's a mouthful, eh? {get it? mouthful? okay. i'm done.}

i made these after having the recipe saved on my computer and hearing rave reviews from friends who had tried it. {i can't find the source
truthfully i was looking for something sweet to snack on.
these totally fulfilled my craving AND they are healthy to boot!

we were at mishmash for lunch today and i picked up some all-natural peanut butter from one of the vendors. the perfect addition for these cookies. 
{i seriously still can't believe these don't have any added sugar in them besides for the chocolate chips!}

anyway, i think these may be my go-to chocolate chip cookie from now on. i won't feel so bad letting my boys have an extra cookie now. {not to mention sneaking one or two more myself!}

enjoy!

banana peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
slightly adapted from the family kitchen


3 large bananas
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups oats
1/3 cup coconut
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350˚F.
in a large bowl mash the bananas with the peanut butter, oil and vanilla. in another bowl stir together the oats, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the chocolate and stir until combined.
drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 12-14 minutes, until just set. makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

{these are only gluten-free if you are using gluten-free oats.}

a new friday links

somehow i've managed to crochet and try out new recipes. in a lot of ways it refreshes me, even though it does tire me out sometimes.
but...you get to benefit from my experimenting with new crochet patterns and recipes!

so here's a variation of friday links for ya!

this adorable crocheted elf-hat has been a pattern that's been saved on my computer for months. maybe longer. i finally got around to crocheting it with this incredibly soft golden yarn that my mom brought over for me. the cream-coloured yarn is not as soft and a bit bulkier, but i think it works. you can find the pattern here.

yesterday i tweeted that i had made homemade graham crackers. they turned out deliciously! i froze half the batch but the first half is almost all gone so i'm thinking of baking up the other half today. these are delicious and simple and the boys loved them. i followed this recipe exactly and i will definitely be making them again.

now these are only half done. yep. i still need to slice 'em up and bake 'em again. what you are beholding is a recipe for rosemary raisin pecan crisps {although i substituted craisins for raisins. i also omitted the flax seed because i didn't have any, but i'm sure it would be delicious and extra healthy with the flax added in.}. in similar fashion to biscotti, they need to be baked twice. they smell delicious and i'm excited to see how they turn out. i'm sure they'll be gobbled up just as quickly as the graham crackers. many thanks to my friend hannah for recommending that i try this recipe.

and i didn't take a picture, but last night i made a delicious slow cooker {o slow cooker...how i love thee!} meal; coconut chicken curry. it was a bit time consuming to get the chicken off the thighs, but worth it. it was delicious. i don't remember where i got the recipe from, but if this is yours, let me know so i can give you credit!

coconut chicken curry
makes 4 servings


8 oz red potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp chopped dehydrated onion
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 tsp regular chicken bouillon granules
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
salt and pepper

1.  stir all ingredients (except salt and pepper) into a 3-5 quart slow cooker. 
2.  cover and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
3.  salt and pepper to taste and add in additional seasonings, if needed.
4.  serve over rice.

my boys {the older two} often play well together, but lately they're starting to fight more as well. whether it's noah's quiet, but antagonizing comments {o hello fellow eldest child! how i know you well, for i am also one.} or jude's mass chaos and destruction to noah's carefully constructed lego the number of fights in our household is increasing. rapidly. i came across this website today and was drawn in immediately by the honesty and frankness in the style of writing {it's a marriage website, by the way}. then i came across the idea for a "kindness jar" and i was hooked. in fact, i'm making one today. we'll see how it goes and i'll report back here if it has worked for our family.

and one last link. i may be addicted to starting new blogs. i'm not sure how long this one will last, but lately jude has been doing and saying too many funny things. so i made up a blog specifically to document them. they probably won't always be long entries and they might not even seem funny to you, but they'll serve as a great way to remember this stage he's in. you can check it out here.

happy friday!

nutty granola

my parents are here. but they leave on sunday. *insert sad face here*

it's been a great month of having them here, doing life together and watching the boys play and laugh with their grandparents whom they haven't seen in over a year!
but whenever we have guests {yes, even family are "guests"}, i feel the need to offer more than our traditional "toast and cereal" for breakfast. this is a fantastic recipe that i modified from my friend kelly for the most delicious {and healthy!} granola that you can enjoy with milk or yogurt {oh how i miss really good yogurt!}, drizzled with maple syrup on top. it makes a big enough batch to share with guests, but i doubled it when i made it last week and we've still got a bit left over. i was inspired to turn kelly's regular granola into a nuttier version when my mom brought me 3 big {costco-sized} bags of nuts! enjoy!

nutty granola

start by baking 3 cups of oats at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

then add the following:
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

the uncooked granola, ready to go in the oven

bake for 15 minutes. and stir often! don't worry if it doesn't seem completely crisp when the 15 minutes are up as it will crisp up as it cools.

i used quick-cooking oats last time and it turned out fine. this time i found "barley flakes" that looked like old-fashioned oats so i decided to do half barley flakes and half oats and it turned out fine! feel free to experiment with different types of grains. i've even recently seen a quinoa granola recipe!

you can put in a pretty jar and give as a gift or enjoy it however you like your granola!

baked taquitos!

am i the only one who saves recipes on their computer to try for a later date? seriously. i have folders upon folders all categorized into recipes that i hope to one day make.
anyway, this recipe i've had since i can't remember when but when i was making my meal plan for this week, i decided it was now or never. or at least not for awhile.

also? i love those freezer taquitos you can buy. or the ones that rotate on those grill thingies at the 7-11. they look so greasy and delicious. and deep fried. so good. {o hello pregnancy cravings!}

anyway, so here's a slightly healthier alternative to freezer taquitos OR 7-11 deep fried ones.
i didn't have all the ingredients it called for {the grocery store didn't have green onions or cilantro and salsa is crazy-expensive here and i think i've only seen teensy-tiny little limes once - and not at the store i was at} but it still tasted STINKIN DELICIOUS. my boys asked for seconds {!} and i downed my fair share as well.

baked taquitos
recipe slightly adapted from meal planning 101

1 lb ground beef
2 tbsp taco seasoning {i made my own. check out this one for a cheaper alternative than store bought.}
1/3 cup cream cheese {it's super expensive here & hard to find. i happened to have some laughing cow cheese so i used that instead. delish!}
1/4 cup salsa {again, too expensive and hard to find. i used canned diced tomatoes with green chilis}
1 tbsp lime juice {used a bit of lemon juice. lime would give it a nice kick, though!}
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped {would have loved to have had this.}
2 tbsp green onions, chopped {also would have been good. someone please make this with the proper ingredients and let me know how it is, kay? ha!}
1 cup grated cheese {cheddar, mozzarella or pepperjack - i used cheddar}
12 small flour tortillas {i made my own! they are fairly simple, but a bit time consuming.}

heat your oven to 425. line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

in a large frying pan over med-high heat, brown the ground beef and break it up into crumbles as it cooks. add the taco seasoning and cook the beef about 8 minutes until cooked through.

heat the cream cheese {we don't have a microwave but if you do, about 20-30 seconds should suffice} so it's soft and easy to stir. add the salsa, lime juice, cilantro and green onions and then stir to combine. once the beef is browned, add the beef and cheese and combine well.

place 2-3 tbsp of beef mixture on the lower third of the tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. roll it up as tight as you can. place seam side down on the baking sheet. lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and then spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with a bit of oil and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

dip the taquitos in salsa, sour cream {we use plain yogurt here}, guacamole or all of the above!

i served this with a side of mangoes sprinkled lightly with cinnamon. it was a perfect combination and i'm making these again!

when in uganda...

...make pineapple coconut banana bread!

oh yes.
i'm feeling very bake-y these days what with the rain and cooler weather {oh hello jeans and socks and sweaters. in africa! crazy.} and some lovely guests arriving soon. and so, my freezer is as full of muffins and breakfast breads as i can cram - which isn't a lot because our fridge/freezer is about the size of 2 bar fridges. i kid you not.

our house girl doesn't "get" these breakfast breads i make. she says they look and taste and smell like cake. i told her that it's true. they pretty much are cake, but if we call them "breakfast bread" then it's okay to eat for breakfast. works for me.

i hear that the weather isn't much warmer in ontario {where i'm from} so make yourself a cuppa and get baking!

pineapple coconut banana bread
recipe adapted from Laura's Best Recipes

ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
5 very ripe bananas, coarsely mashed
6 oz. canned crushed pineapple, drained liquid {or if you live somewhere like me where the fresh pineapple is out-of-this-world-amazing, use that instead. i just used my kitchen scissors and snipped the pineapple into little tidbit-sized pieces - about 1 cups' worth}
5 oz. canned coconut cream {not coconut milk although you can use it if you can't find coconut cream, just add an extra 1/4 tsp of vanilla}
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nut of your choice {the original recipe calls for macadamia nuts which would have been amazing, but i already had pecans so i used those}

this is how we do it
preheat oven to 350F. grease and flour 2 loaf pans
cream butter, 2 of the mashed bananas and sugars in a large bowl.
mix in eggs.
in a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients.
mash remaining bananas thoroughly in another bowl and fold in pineapple, coconut cream and vanilla.
fold both banana mixtures into the dry ingredients - don't over mix!
fold in coconut and nuts.
pour batter into your prepared pans {i always forget to "prepare" the pans first so i'm usually greasing and flouring my pans at this point}.
bake for about 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
let the bread cool on a rack and turn out of the pan after 15 minutes. let cool completely.

enjoy!

*professional food taster, noah strickland gives this bread two thumbs up and asks "why do i only get 1 piece of bread? why can't i have another?" {because mommy is mean and i'm saving the rest of this loaf for breakfast tomorrow. and freezing the other loaf.}

green

almost 10 days since i last posted. goodness. where has the time gone?
well, we've had water back. then lost it again for a couple days and now it's back again. praying it stays on.
we're spending a lazy saturday morning with cartoons on my computer because the power is off, drinking starbucks coffee and eating biscuit cinnamon rolls and playing impromptu games of baseball in our front yard.
and it's St. Patrick's day today!
we won't be eating any green food {except for the beans and zucchini that were in the leftover stir fry we had for lunch} but i did make the boys some lovely green play doh this week in honour of st. patty.

best play doh

you can triple or quadruple this recipe and cook it in a large pot with good results

1 cup flour

1/4 cup salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 tbsp food colouring

1 tbsp vanilla extract (optional) 

combine the flour, salt and cream of tartar in saucepan. add the water and food colouring and whisk until smooth. cook over medium heat until playdough is nearly set. add the vanilla extract {i did the first time but vanilla here is kinda weird smelling so i didn't add it this time.}. stir until blended, then remove and knead ad when cool. store in an airtight container or a ziploc bag.

we made a batch of this to give to our friends and even added green sparkles for some st. patty's day fun! this play doh is incredibly smooth and soft and so much cheaper than the store bought stuff! i give my boys tooth picks and popsicle sticks and googly eyes and it's hours of entertainment.

and here's the story of st. patrick {a la veggietales!} for those who aren't familiar with where we get mixing green beer with lucky charms from. {er, scratch that. not really sure who made that tradition up. i could do without the green beer, but i'd LOVE some lucky charms today. oh well. maybe i'll whip up something green for dessert. it's pizza night tonight!}

aaaand....if you're looking for something sweet for you to whip up for that special someone, try the white russian cupcakes with kahlua buttercream that i made last year. YUM.

lemon poppy seed pancakes

yesterday was pancake tuesday!
did you eat pancakes? we sure did.
i made our favourite banana pancakes as well as trying out a new recipe; lemon poppy seed pancakes! they were delish. i wish i knew where i got this lemon poppy seed recipe so i could give credit, but i don't know or remember. {please let me know if you recognize this recipe as yours!}

lemon poppy seed pancakes
aka pure deliciousness
2 cups unbleached ap (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup poppy seeds
zest of 4 lemons
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

butter, to serve (and for pan)

to make the pancakes combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a large bowl. 

in another bowl the buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon zest and poppy seeds. 

add the wet to the dry. stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

heat your skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. repeat with the remaining batter. 

right now? i'm sitting in my living room with the smell of freshly cut grass, trying not to be angry with the stinking power company who has again shut off our power {after almost 24 hours of no power and no power the night before that either}. sigh. this is africa.

i think i'll go enjoy a leftover pancake.

and watch this video {please watch it here on hulu if you live in the united states as the quality on youtube is ridiculously bad}:

ps i totally heart kristin wiig.

banana pancakes

pancakes. banana pancakes. so light. so fluffy. so good.
we ran out of bread the other day and so for lunch I made these for the boys. this has quickly become our favourite pancake recipe since being in Uganda. I didn't have any lemons to add the lemon juice and they were still delicious although I definitely prefer them with the lemon juice. so if you  have it, use it.
also? a secret confession of my favourite pancake topping? peanut butter and brown sugar. so sugary. so delicious. I don't know if it was my Dad who introduced me to this fantastic combination, but let's just say it was. because he also introduced me to ketchup with french toast. does anyone else do this? or is that weird?
anyway.
pancakes.
make 'em. eat 'em. love 'em.

also this recipe is incredibly versatile. you can replace the bananas with 1 cup of grated apple and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for apple spice pancakes.
or instead of bananas, lemon and 2 tbsp of sugar you add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/2 cup crumbled bacon {mmm, bacon} for a more savoury pancake.
or any other combination you can think of! the options are endless!

banana pancakes

combine:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

combine separately and then add:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1 cup of mashed banana
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

stir quickly until blended. {don't beat, though. a lumpy consistency is good for pancakes.} cook on a hot, greased griddle, turning when bubbly.

you can always keep any extra that don't get eaten and reheat them in the toaster for a fresh-from-the-griddle experience.

rosemary strawberry scones

i made these scones for christmas morning breakfast.

they.were.amazing.

i am in love with them.

you need to make them. 

the original recipe called for a lemon glaze, but i was too lazy and it turned out these were simply perfect without the glaze {and significantly less sugary!}.

so here ya go. you're welcome.

*slightly adapted from Giada De Laurentis
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
6 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry jam

place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. preheat oven to 375 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary leaves, salt and butter in a food processor {if you are lucky enough to own a food processor - but if you're like me, you can just mixe it all up with your hands} until it is crumbly. transfer to a medium bowl and gradually stir in the heavy cream.
transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. knead gently to bring the dough together, then you can either roll it out and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or pull of plum-sized chunks and roll and then pat into flat-ish circles.
make an indentation in the middle of each scone with your finger or a small, round spoon and fill it with about a 1/2 tsp of strawberry jam.
bake scones for 15-20 minutes {depending on your oven} or until slightly golden brown around the edges. transfer to a wire cooling rack and then enjoy when they are cool enough to touch.

around 2pm {when the turkey was finally cooking away in the oven} i enjoyed another with a cup of real coffee with my new french press i got for christmas and the starbucks christmas blend some sweet person sent over from canada.
perfection.

my christmas morning breakfast menu:
monkey bread {sweet and delicious!}
cheesy bacon apple bake {savoury and bacon. what more is there to say?}
rosemary strawberry scones
coffee
bananas

Cappuccino Muffins

is it just me or does anyone else consistently forget how to spell "cappuccino"?
anyway, my friend kelly gave me this recipe and oh! they are delicious!
they have all kinds of different flavours of milk here in uganda - banana, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and...coffee! so of course when i saw this coffee-flavoured milk i had to buy it. whether i would drink it as is, or make something with it, i did not know, but somehow, i would ingest said coffee milk.
so {after the tail end of my migraine faded into oblivion} i made the muffins this afternoon with noah.
the recipe doesn't call for coffee-flavoured milk, but i used it and they.were.amazing.

cappuccino muffins

combine
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar {i know. it's a lot. but dang, these are good.}
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp instant coffee {every baker should have a small tin of instant coffee for baking needs. just a personal opinion.}
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

in a separate bowl combine
1 cup {coffee flavoured} milk
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

you can even add 3/4 cup chocolate chips for an extra special treat {sadly, chocolate chips do not exist in uganda.}

combine the dry and wet ingredients. stir until just combined.
bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes in greased or paper-lined tins.
makes 18 muffins exactly.

whatever you do, do not drink a cup of tea with these muffins. coffee, milk , water or even juice, but not tea. it is forbidden.

you're welcome.

2 bread recipes

I've made more bread and baked goods during my 2+ months here in Uganda, than possibly in the entire time I lived in Guelph.
I've referenced this recipe here and possibly tweeted about my love of baking bread.
Here's the recipe I've used and found fairly easy to make.

Easy Bread
*from The Wycliffe International Cookbook
Combine:
4 cups flour {feel free to use any combination of flour; whole wheat, soy, oat, wheat germ, cornmeal, the options are as endless as is the selection at your grocery store!}
3/4 cup milk powder
2 tbsp. dry active yeast
1-3 tsp salt
3-6 tbsp sugar, honey or molasses
3-6 tbsp margarine, shortening or oil

Add and mix well:
2 3/4 cups lukewarm water

Add:
3 1/2-4 cups white flour

Knead for 10 minutes, grease and let rise until double. Punch down, divide in half and let rise in greased bread pans until double. Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the pans to cool. Makes 2 loaves and a pan of "popovers" {I put smallish balls of dough in greased muffin tins for serving with soup}.

I've made white bread, whole wheat bread, whole wheat molasses bread, cinnamon bread...this recipe is so versatile and it's really hard to mess it up.

And yesterday I decided to make Joy the Baker's Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup {so good. Make it today.} and she said in her recipe that she would serve it {and everything else} with crusty bread. So off I went on the hunt for a French Crusty Bread recipe.
And I found it. And it's amazing. Make this today, too.

Crusty French Bread
*from a Family Circle Cookbook
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups very warm water
6 cups all purpose flour - you may not use all of it
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp shortening
flour for dusting the pans
1 egg white
1 tbsp cold water
1. Pour the very warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast into the water. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
2. Stir in 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, shortening and salt; beat until smooth. Slowly beat in enough of the remaining 3 cups of flour to make a stiff dough. It will be somewhat sticky in appearance.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead for about 5 minutes.Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, using only as much of the remaining flour to keep dough from sticking.
4. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all over with the shortening. Or, brush very lightly with oil. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm place to rise. It should double in 45-60 minutes.
5. When dough has doubled, punch it down and cover and let it rise a second time, until doubled in size. This will take 30 minutes.
6. Punch down the dough again and knead 1 minute on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2-3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into about a 12x9 inch rectangle. Roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch the seam together. Tuck the ends underneath. Grease baking sheet and sprinkle with flour.
7. Place the bread on the prepared baking sheets: cover and let rise until doubles again, about 30 minutes.
8. Make several evenly placed diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Beat together the egg white and 1 tbspof cold water: brush over each loaf of bread gently with a pastry brush.
9. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Place baking sheet with loaves on shelf above the water.
10. Bake in a hot 400F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking pans and cool on wire racks.
11. ENJOY!