BIG CUP - giveaway

I'm a snacker. I like to eat little bits throughout the day. It's more satisfying to me than 3 big square meals. But even with so much snacking, fruit cups can be kinda tiny. I feel like I need more than 1 of them to make ends meat of things. I think Musselmans read my mind. Introducing... the BIG cup

BOOM. Look at that thing! 3/4 of a cup of YUM.

I must admit I like to go all kindergarden snack time with them and use animal crackers as my own personal dunking devices/spoons. Don't hate, it's totally normal for an adult to be sitting at work dunking animal crackers into her BIG CUP of applesauce. The all natural no added sugar is my for sure go to favorite. I do love cinnamon but tend to bring my own bottle along to snack time and shake a dash in on my own.

Another great snack. Applesauce oatmeal. Yup. It's fall people, bring on the oatmeal mixins!! Warm and over the top delicious. (recipe at the end)


Want some more BIG news? Next Saturday, October 12, they are attempting a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ achievement for the “Largest Bowl of Apple Sauce” at the Baltimore Running Festival. You can find more info about the event here.

Want to win a giftbox with all three flavors? Just comment here about your favorite thing about apple sauce! US residents only. Enter by Sunday Oct 13th 2013 for your chance to win.

Apple Oatmeal
recipe by ::steph chows::
makes 1 serving
prep time: 2 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes

½ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup apple cider
¾ cup apple sauce (all natural no added sugar)

optional toppings:
nuts
granola
cinnamon
added sweetness of choice

Mix oats, apple cider, and apple sauce in a large bowl. Microwave on 50% for 5 minutes. Remove an top with preferred toppings. Enjoy.


Applesauce was provided to me for free. Opinions are all mine.



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Coconut Muffins

You know me and healthy muffins? I just can't help myself!!! These are a new favorite and they came about by mistake. There were suppose to have blueberries in them... but guess what? I forgot. YUP. I'm awesome. They came out so tasty though I wanted to tell you about them!

I've actually just been asked to join a new group of awesome food blogger over at Food Fanatic and you can find the recipe for these Blueberry Coconut Muffins right over there. I'm super excited to join their team as their "healthy cooking fanatic!" how awesome is that??




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Quick Fire Challenge

Breakfast on a stick. That was last weeks quick fire challenge on #TopChef 

I've got to say I was totally stumped as to what I would do if I was there. (I've also realized I'm REALLY bad at thinking up recipes at the drop of a hat, I would get kicked off this show SO FAST, oh yeah and the whole part about me not being a chef, that might put a kink in things too). Anyway, nothing was coming to mind but after sitting around and thinking for awhile I decided on the perfect thing.



Cinnamon swirl brioche french toast and taylor ham, on a stick of course.

What's that? You've never had taylor ham? You poor soul, go out and buy some quick! You wont be sorry. It has the appearance of canadian bacon, but the taste of heaven, helpful aren't I? I simply pan fried the taylor ham, and then marinated the brioche in some milk/eggs/vanilla and grilled until cooked through. Cut into bite sized pieces alternating with the taylor ham and then drizzle with maple syrup. Hearty, delicious, PERFECT.

Are you bummed at who got sent home last week? Good news you can vote to save a chef TODAY! Head on over to twitter and use #topchef along with #savechefjeffery or #savechefkuniko to vote on who you want to stay! Even better news is they will be giving away top chef swag today (cook books, T-shirts, and tote bags). So log on to twitter today Dec 11th at 1pm EST to join in, vote, and win stuff!

Then make sure to tune in tomorrow night to see what quick fire I may be attempting next week right here, oh and you know watch all the real chefs compete :) !

I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Bravo.  This could include the Bravo providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

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Going bananas

How were your thanksgivings? Mine was super relaxing and spent with my Mom/Dad/Aunt Sandy/Husband/Hobbes. We had a blast hanging out and I think Hobbes especially loved how much turkey my Dad was willing to give her. She also had a blast chasing his feet around. Side note: Hobbes has never been one to attack/eat/chew on shoes, this all changed when she saw my Dad's slippers, nondescript and nothing exciting about them... but for some reason she chased them with all her might no matter how many times we said no.

On a totally non thanksgiving related note. I made banana muffins. It's a cooking light recipe and I love them. Spiked with ground flax seed and no eggs you can easily sub out the yogurt for extra banana mash to make these vegan (which is exactly what I did). My reason was because I had extra banana laying around, and no yogurt on hand. You can find the recipe here.

Side note: I used frozen and thawed bananas, they tend to have more moisture so if you are using non frozen and thawed bananas you may need to add a little milk (non-dairy to keep them vegan) to add a little more moisture to things. (AKA if you are mixing this all together and it resembled cement and not muffin batter)

Yum!



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Melty Cheesy Ooey Gooey

Tell someone you are using 75% reduced fat cheese in their meal and they might say what you made was "ok". Don't tell them and just use Cabot light and extra light cheeses and they will exclaim how delicious the meal was. True story! I was super excited to try Cabot's new reduced fat cheeses. I got a nice hunk of Sharp Extra Light Cheddar (75% reduced fat), and a hunk of  Jalepeno Light Cheddar (50% reduced fat). (click the link to see nutritional facts)

I must admit I loved Cabot even before they sent me some cheese, they are my go to extra sharp cheddar when setting up a cheese platter at a party. I'd never given their lower fat options a try until now, not sure why I waited so long because they rocked!

I've dealt with reduced fat cheese before that more closely resembled plastic than cheese when it was melted. Not at all the case with either the 50% or 75% reduced fat varieties of Cabot. I've been using both in everything from frittatas to paninis to just eating it straight up as a snack.

If you are looking to cut down on calories but still get some delicious cheesy taste I would totally grab some of Cabot's varieties, they melt, slice, and taste delicious!

I made the below recipe for a group and they were none the wiser to the 75% reduced fat cheese spiking their breakfast. :) Win win situation if you ask me.

Veggie frittata
recipe by steph chows

6 eggs
6 egg whites
1.5 cups skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 small red onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red/yellow/orange peppers
3-4 artichoke hearts chopped (I bought canned ones)
1/2 block Cabot extra light cheddar (shredded) 

In a medium pan cook veggies until lightly browned and cooked through, set aside to cool. Beat eggs, egg whites, and milk in a large bowl. In a deep 9x9 greased pan pour in egg mixture. Sprinkle veggies and cheese all over (some will sink some will float on top). Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Cabot provided me with 2 samples of their cheeses, but the opinions voiced here are all mine.



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Coconut Blueberry Muffins

John and I have a new tradition of going to this fabulous bakery in town every Saturday morning. John gets the same thing every week, I mean EVERY week, but then he saw these blueberry coconut muffins in the display and he had to add one to his routine. They are TO DIE FOR delicious. He always feels a little guilty after eating them though; butter, sugar, white flour, these are not the things a healthy muffin are made of. So being me, I had to create my own version at home, sans all the bad for you stuff of course. And thus came this love child.

*drool* seriously people *DROOL*

The ingredients might not all sound like what a normal muffin would be made of, but stick with me, these things are the best!

Coconut Blueberry Muffins

recipe by steph chows

Muffins:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup splenda (or white sugar)

1/4 cup light brown sugar (not packed)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup skim milk

3 tablespoons fat free cottage cheese (mashed with a fork so no chunks)

3 tablespoons light coconut milk (I got a can of it in the international isle)

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg + 1 large egg white

1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

3/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

Topping:

1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon splenda ( or white sugar)

1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to 350°.

Whisk together flour through salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together milk through egg. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 1/4 cup coconut and 3/4 cup blueberries. Place 12 muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among muffin tins. Mix together topping and sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes.

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Raspberries and Greens, not just for salads anymore

I drink a green monster smoothie pretty much every morning. Why? Because some days I really suck at eating my veggies. Sure the intentions are there, crisper drawer chocked full of them... and sometimes it's chocked full of all limp ones because I haven't touched them all week...enter my morning smoothie, it makes me feel a little better about at least getting some veggies into my life :)

Normally I use this recipe. But I like to mix it up depending what is on hand. After a trip to the raspberry fields I knew they would be making an appearance.

How are you at getting veggies into your meals? Are you a rockstar? What's your favorite way to eat them?

Green Monster
makes enough for 2 people

2 cups organic field greens
1 cup skim milk
2 tsp ground flax seeds
1 banana
2 handfuls raspberries (frozen for a frosty kick)

Layer in a blender, greens, then flax, banana, berries and milk. Blend until spinach is totally liquefied. Drink immediately, if you let it sit it will separate into layers and then it looks weird (and personally I can't make myself drink it, it has to be fresh!).

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Big Breakfast, Little Biscuit! - Giveaway

Move over kids, frosted mini-wheats aren't just to power you through your school days, they are here to power me through my workday! I think Kellog's realized they were pigeonholing themselves with their marketing recently, branding their tasty mini-wheats to the kids table. Sure they are a healthy easy breakfast for the school kids, but why not for us adults too? Bring on the adult power food!

Did You Know?
Mini-Wheats contains eight layers of whole grains and fiber, along with five grams of protein
Mini-Wheats provides 96 percent of the Dietary Guidelines recommended amount of whole grains
This cereal can stack up nutritionally against big breakfasts such as steel cut oats or even eggs and toast – see below comparison chart for more (ok this one kinda surprised me, who knew!?)

I think the most important factor here though is they taste delicious! No cardboard in a bowl for me. And if you ask me, these aren't just for breakfast, I use them by the handful as a snack, or as a sweet midnight snack that's not going to undo my workout from earlier in the day.

Check out the sweet bathrobe and slippers, you know you want to win your own set.

To celebrate this BIG breakfast, Kellog's is letting me give away a BIG giveaway to one of my awesome readers.
Box of Mini-Wheats
BIG Bathrobe
BIG Slippers

Want to win? Simply comment here and tell me what you need a big bowl of mini-wheats to power you through? I need them to get through my favorite lunch time kettle bell class! To enter you must live in the US (sorry international peeps), and comment by June 30th at midnight. Full Kellog's legal rules here.

Kellog's provided me with the products, however the opinions are all mine. Plus I'm super excited they reminded me how much I liked this cereal, I haven't bought it in years, but now it's back on the grocery list! ANNND I now walk around the house looking like a big fluffy marshmallow!


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Banana Mini Loaves

It's another banana bread recipe. I know I have tons, but this one really hit the mark. I love making them into cute mini loaves too, more ends to pass around! Truth be told John is a loaf end stealer. Leave a loaf out and it will be missing its bum from both ends soon enough.

He was outside working on the gigantic mulch pile that was delivered to our driveway instead of our lawn when I made these bad boys, so guess who got to steal the end this time! Don't feel bad for John, with 3 mini loaves there was still plenty of loaf bums to go around. Any guesses on how long it takes to move 12 yards of mulch? A freaking LONG time.

 
Curious about the lighting in these pics. See this post.

Mini Banana Loaves
recipe by steph chows

in a medium bowl whisk together:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 c white flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl cream together
3 Tbs butter
1/3 cup splenda (or white sugar)
1/3 cup brown sugar
then cream in:
3 very ripe bananas
6oz fat free yogurt (I used blueberry)
2 eggs (add one at a time)

Gently mix dry with wet, then stir in:
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

Place in 3 mini loaf pans and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.

The winner of the Musselman's giveaway is winemaker23!! I'll be emailing you!


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Get Outside - giveaway

Is it springtime by you? Hard to tell around here with the ping ponging between freezing and 80 degree weather! According to Musselman's it is indeed spring and time to get outside! This time of year is perfect for reconnecting with nature, family and friends, by getting outdoors for a spring hike, complete with healthy snacks made with apple sauce!

You may have seen my post about the fruit and nut trail cookies earlier in the week. That was one of many recipes I received from Musselman's along with a big jug of their natural apple sauce! I always prefer the natural ones, no HFCS that way.

Another favorite of the bunch is their granola, I've been making granola using apple sauce for years and I'm so happy to see others doing it as well. Theirs is chocked full of oats, almonds,flax seeds and agave! You can print the recipe here.

As for the giveaway, want to win a box full of Musselman's products? Just leave a comment below with your favorite way to bake with apple sauce! (US shipping only. Must comment by midnight EST May 16th for your chance to win)


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Fruit and Nut Trail Bars

Always in search of a good mid morning snack I recently made a recipe from the Mussleman Apple Sauce webpage. These cookies are perfect for breakfast or an early morning snack. They are packed with pecans, cranberries (I used raisins), and even some chocolate chips. Did I mention they have zero butter and oil, yeah you knew I had a reason to love them :)

Fruit and Nut Bars
Click here to print

PS. If you haven't already check out my Giveaway!
 
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Blueberry Muffins

I know I know ANOTHER muffin recipe? What can I say, I can't help myself! These come from The CarbLovers Diet Cookbook and I really liked the recipe, not too many ingredients and they came together super quick. I added my own topping to make them a little more interesting.


Blueberry Muffins
recipe by The CarbLovers Diet Cookbook

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat (I just used whole wheat)
1/2 cup sugar (I used splenda)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg (I used 1 tsp cinnamon)
1/2 tsp salt (I used a dash)
1 large egg lightly beaten
3/4 cup soy milk (I used skim)
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

Combine flours through salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla and blueberries to the flour mixture and stir until combined.
Bake 16-20 minutes or until done.

Cashew Oat Agave Muffin topping
recipe by steph chows

As for my topping I mixed together a handful of cashew (chopped up) 1/3 cup oats, and 1-2 Tbs of agave nectar and placed it on top of the muffins before baking.

What's your all time favorite muffin?

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Cinnamon Muffins - fat free and low sugar

Sometimes you just need a cinnamon sugar muffin to brighten you day. Ok maybe that's just me but either way these were a huge hit in our house. John ate the first batch of 12 in 2.5 days... yeahhh. That might be some kind of record. (full disclosure I ate ONE from that batch) Since he was sulking that there were no longer any baked goods in the house I made another batch for him last night... any wagers on how long this batch lasts??

I prefer these muffins hot out of the oven, the sugar cinnamon has a nice crust to the top of them. John still loves them the next day even after the crispy crust has gone soft from the moisture of the other muffin in the tupperware tin.

In all reality I have to say I'm super impressed John likes these, I mean there is NO chocolate in them? That man is addicted to baked goods with chocolate... it's an anomaly. Also can you believe these things have no added fat? And they still taste delicious, promise, give them a try :)

Are you a must have chocolate in it to be considered dessert person? Or do you love all desserts equally? I love all dessert, maybe not equally, but I don't think I've met a dessert I didn't like :)

Cinnamon Muffins
recipe by steph chows

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup splenda granulated (or use 1/2 cup white sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/3 cup fat free yogurt
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Mix together dry ingredients (flour through flax seeds) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix wet ingredients (yogurt, milk, vanilla). In an even smaller bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon.

Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until thoroughly moistened. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 17-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Perfect Pancakes

I finally found it. The holy grail of pancake recipes. I've made a lot of tasty ones, but they tend to end up flat... these however are thick, hearty, stick to your ribs good. Filled with whole grains and a little sweetness, these things have become a Sunday staple in our house. No need to try any more recipes because this one is gold!! My photo however is not so gold.. whoops...

Oat and honey pancakes
recipe from The CarbLovers Diet Cookbook (I know I've been cooking like made from it)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used 1 tsp)
2 Tbs honey (I used agave nectar... it's easier to squeeze out and measure, i'm lazy!)
1 Tbs sugar (I used splenda)
2 cups low fat milk (I used fat free)
2 large eggs
2 Tbs veg. oil

Place flours, wheat germ, oats, baking powder, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a food process, go till combined. Whisk together honey, sugar, milk, eggs, oil in a large bowl. Stir in flour until well combined. Let stand 5 minutes. Cook um up and dig in!

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Waffles and a winner

I've told you before I'm a breakfast for dinner kinda girl, but this past Sunday I felt the need to make waffles in the morning! I know I'm just so freakin exciting you don't know what to do with yourself. Ironically when I was a kid it was the opposite, I lived for the weekends because that meant if I let my dad sleep past the crack of dawn he'd make me whatever I wanted (if I woke him up before dawn I only got cereal... smart parental planning)! Crepes, waffles, pancakes, french toast, he was like a short order cook whipping up things for me, my mom, sister, and nana. Even though I'm a cereal in the morning kinda girl now I still look forward to waking up to my dad cooking breakfast when we go to visit them :) SIDE NOTE: this makes it sound like my mom never cooked, not at all the case, so no commenting in defense mom ;) love both of your cooking! :)

As for the Lipton giveaway the winner is.... Sarah B who likes her tea: "I'm a big fan of Chai tea. But right now I'm sipping on a peppermint tea with one sugar!" I'll send you an email in a bit to get your address! Thanks everyone for commenting!

What's your favorite breakfast treat?? What's your favorite if you're not the one cooking? Were you lucky enough to have great cooks for parents?


Whole-Grain Waffles
recipe from The CarbLovers Diet Cookbook

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbs wheat germ
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbs melted butter
1 Tbs pure maple syrup
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla

In separate bowls whisk together dry, and wet, then mix together until just combined (don't over mix) Coat a hot waffle iron with cooking spray and cook according to the irons directions. Stack high and drizzle on some pure maple syrup!

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Oatmeal PB bars - vegan friendly

Who wants chocolate and peanut butter for breakfast!? I do I do! I saw these over on (neverhome)maker on Friday and promptly made up a batch Saturday. Yup it was one of those mmmm those look good, MUST MAKE NOW! Kinda recipes! I'm not sure if I did something wrong, or maybe baked them a bit too long, but mine were super crumbly. Still wicked tasty, but definitely not a bar you could eat in the car... unless you like crumbs everywhere :)

The only other thing I can think of is I used all natural PB, which tends to be a bit dryer than Skippy or Jiff (although I doubt Ashley used either of those, she's a pretty all natural kinda gal). Either way, I liked these, even if they were crumbly. Just grab a glass of milk and you're good to go. Oh another bonus for these, they are vegan!

PEANUT BUTTER HUG BARS
recipe by (neverhome)maker
What you'll need . . .
1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1-1/2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 1/3 cup warm almond milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method . . .

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment (or grease lightly).
In a small bowl, heat up almond milk in your microwave (or stove) until it's wrist temperature. Mix in the flax meal with a fork and let sit for a couple minutes until thickened. Set aside momentarily.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the olive oil and peanut butter. Then add the flax mixture. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until well moistened.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Then pour mixture into your baking pan and flatten.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Oatmeal Raisin Amazin' Bars

I'm in love with these bars! Seriously want to know all the reasons why?

Super fast and easy to make
Minimal ingredients
Healthy and delicious
Vegan and gluten free so everyone can join in on the party!
Portable
John doesn't like raisins so I get to eat them all!

I found these over at Chocolate Covered Katie and made them the day I saw them. Yup it was one of those recipes, instant gratification! One thing I did change from her recipe is I used cashews instead of walnuts. I've really never been a walnut fan.. so I figured... cashews... why not! So glad I did and I can't wait to try some other variations, but all I know is they are AMAZING!

One mistake I made... I pressed mine into cute mini loaf tins my mom gave me... but I failed to line them with parchment or foil to easily pop them out... whoops. Not a huge mistake, but don't make the same one as me!

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Larabars
found on Chocolate Covered Katie

* 1/2 cup raisins (80g)
* 6 T quick oats (30g)
* 1/2 cup walnuts (40g) ( I used cashews)
* 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pulverize the oats in a food processor, then add all other ingredients and blend very well. Form into balls or bars. (If you want, you can portion the dough into plastic bags before smushing the bars, so your hands don’t get sticky.)

This recipe makes a little over three Larabar-sized (45g) bars. I like to double the recipe—the bars last at least two weeks in the fridge. They can also be frozen.

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Pumpkin Pancakes

More pumpkin! Well think about it, I only used 1 cup in the muffins, so I still had a cup left from the can... enter in pumpkin pancakes for dinner!! I'm all over breakfast for dinner, you should be too, easy, fast, delicious, what's not to love?!


Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
1 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
dash salt
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 C. skim milk
1 C. canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. oil (I used canola)
1 t. vanilla
2 T. agave

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour through cinnamon). In a separate bowl, whisk together milk through agave.

2. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined but don't over mix.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into a hot greased pan and let cook until edges start to firm and bubbles start to show up, flip and continue cooking until done.

4. Serve with REAL maple syrup and enjoy!

Do you do breakfast for dinner? What do you love to make? My other favorites are crepes, and taylor ham and eggs! YUM!

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