Braided Cheese Bread

Braided Cheese Bread

This recipe is a twist on the Czech Christmas bread that is such a  tradition in my family.  I figured that since that bread always comes out so perfectly delicious, I am sure using the base ingredients and changing it up a little will yield all sorts of new recipe ideas.  I have always been fond of cheese and olive breads that you can buy in a bakery, but being health conscious, I have always been upset that they are almost always made using white flour.  But not this one.  Like the Vánočka, this recipe takes a bit of time, but it is fairly easy and yields an amazingly moist, flavorful and decorative loaf.  I made these over Thanksgiving as a centerpiece for two separate family meals and they were almost completely devoured each time.  If you do happen to have left overs, they are great as a base for a savory sandwich.

Christmas Guacamole

Christmas Guacamole

I was not planning on turning this quick Christmas day appetizer into a post on my blog, but after my mom commented that my ingredients all set out on the counter looked so pretty, I thought, why not? Guacamole is not a hard dish to make, but I thought I would share my go to combination because it always seems to be a crowd pleaser.  I was lucky I was able to get any photos of it at all to be honest since it was the one appetizer that got completely devoured on Christmas day.  I don't always add in red pepper, and in the summer I usually add in fresh tomatoes, but I thought the combination of the dark green jalapenos and the bright red bell pepper made it an especially festive addition to our Christmas spread.

Day After Christmas Oatmeal

Day After Christmas Oatmeal

After eating to your heart's content on Christmas day and spending time with family late into the night, a quick, easy, healthy, make ahead breakfast is a great way to get back on track the next morning.  This recipe is simple to throw together the night before and can be made using whatever type of fruits and nuts you have on hand. After sitting in the fridge overnight, it is easy to grab while you pour yourself a cup of coffee or head out the door to go back to work! (or shop!)

Vánočka - Czech Christmas Bread

Vánočka - Czech Christmas Bread

This bread is a Christmas tradition in my family and not one year has gone by in my life when I haven't enjoyed it as part of my Christmas morning meal.  In lieu of a big write up here, I will direct you to the bottom of the page where there is a copy of the cover article that I recently wrote for a local magazine highlighting this family tradition. 

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake

This cake is basically a cranberry version of the blueberry muffin recipe that I made last month, cooked into a cake, with pistachios added for color and a glaze added for decoration.  The red cranberries and the green pistachios make it a beautiful, all natural cake perfect for Christmas dessert.  Because it is made with all whole grains, healthy fats and mostly natural fruit sweetness, it is also a fairly healthy alternative to the average Christmas fruit cake.  And the brandy glaze adds a little adult flare to the already intense cranberry and orange flavor.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins are my daughter's new favorite.  They almost taste like a cookie and with the chocolate chips in them, they taste like more of a treat than they really are.  I came up with the idea simply because I wanted to use up two eggs and some mini chocolate chips before heading out on vacation, and I thought what better combination with chocolate than peanut butter?  I have made many peanut butter cookie recipes and one muffin recipe using bananas:(http://www.poconopabulum.com/2013/10/peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich.html), but never a simple peanut butter muffin.  The ingredients in this recipe are just as healthy as most of my baking, full of whole grains, healthy fats and protein, and fairly low in sugar.  But the result is amazing.  Best when fresh out of the oven, these muffins get almost crunchy on top, while being moist on the inside and half of them were gobbled up right away by my very appreciative family.

"Going on Vacation" Stir Fry

"Going on Vacation" Stir Fry

This recipe was started on  the mere fact that I had a medium sized red onion and a head of garlic that I wanted to cook up before heading out of town for Christmas.  I literally started frying them up in a wok before I even knew what else I was going to add to the pan.  With my husband's input (who also put the beer mug in my ingredient photo), we decided on mixed vegetables, black beans and some cooked quinoa and brown rice.  The pan got hot really quickly so I added a bit of water and then some soy sauce to add flavor, along with some fresh grape tomatoes.  For a bit of crunch and extra protein and nutrients, I topped it off with pumpkin seeds, and to be honest, it was one of the most satisfying meals I have had in awhile. (maybe I was just really hungry!!)  Although I am sure I may end up with onion breath later tonight, I cooked the garlic and onion so long that they were definitely more sweet than anything and my husband and I cleaned our plates down to the last morsel of rice. Obviously, the whole point of this meal was to use what I had on hand and what I needed to get rid of before leaving for 10 days, so you could easily change up the vegetables you use, the starch, beans or even the seasoning.  But I had to share this because it came out so unexpectedly delicious.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cookies

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cookies

This is a very basic gingerbread recipe passed down from my mom.  I did change a few things, choosing to use all organic whole wheat pastry flour and substituting the 1 egg with soaked chia seeds, but you could easily revert back to the basic original version.  This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so they are perfect for a holiday cookie swap, or for giving away as gifts.  The thing with gingerbread is that it honestly tastes better and better after each passing day, so if the cookies even last that long, they can be enjoyed for days and made ahead for convenience.  This recipe can also be used to make a gingerbread house so long as you have a template to cut the shapes.  A few years ago, my husband, son and I made a gingerbread Alamo using this recipe and if I can find the photos, I will be sure to post them.  This cookie does have a bit of sugar in it (and butter) but it also has a ton of antioxidant rich spices and molasses, a nutrient dense sweetener.  Plus they are just delicious and will make your house smell amazing for days.

High Protein Banana Pudding

High Protein Banana Pudding

This is definitely another recipe geared towards my gym friends as it is high in protein and full of all sorts of energy boosting ingredients.  If you think of the type of banana pudding that you make layered with vanilla wafers or would serve at a dinner party, this is not exactly the same.  The consistency is a tiny bit slimy due to the combination of fresh bananas and chia seeds, but the flavor is ridiculously good and very satisfying.  So if you are looking for a healthy dessert, or a sweet protein filled snack before bed, this treat is perfect.  I had some last night about an hour before I fell asleep and I felt great this morning at the gym.  And my son even likes this, so it has to be good!  (And it is vegan!)

Pumpkin Maple Sugar Cookies (Vegan)

Pumpkin Maple Sugar Cookies

I made these cookies over Thanksgiving vacation and although I was not sure how they would come out, seeing as I completely made the recipe up, I should never have had any doubts. They are honestly my new favorite "healthy cookie".  Completely vegan, full of whole grains and healthful pumpkin, these cookies are perfect with a cup of tea, as a snack, dessert or even breakfast.  I had a bag of them with me on the plane ride back from vacation, and they were exactly what I needed that morning.  So this holiday, instead of the usual sugar cookies filled with butter and plain white sugar, try these nutritious and satisfying delights!!

Maple Cream Cocktail

Maple Cream Cocktail

After a long afternoon writing Christmas cards and getting the kids to write some of their own, what better way to unwind with your loved one than over a nice hot cup of steaming maple cream... with whiskey!  We usually don't keep much liquor in the house, but influenced by the holiday season, my husband came home with a bottle of Crown Royal Maple whiskey the other day.  I was sitting at the table with him after he poured himself a glass and every time he took a sip all I could smell was maple syrup, which I love, so I was intrigued.  I tried a few sips straight up, and although delicious, I knew it would make an even better cocktail mixed with milk, cream and pure maple syrup.  And since it is freezing outside, why not make it a warm drink as well?  Trust me, this creation is a delicious way to unwind, relax and taste all the best the season has to offer. Happy sipping!!

Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies

Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies

It is another cold and snowy day here in the Poconos so why not spend the afternoon baking up some holiday cheer with your family?  This is another version of my simple to mix together oatmeal cookies, but with a gingerbread twist. The cookies are sweetened with healthy banana and the nutrient dense sweetness of molasses.  Full of antioxidant rich spices, protein packed almond butter and healthful organic oats, these cookies taste like more of a treat than they really are!  So whip up a batch and snack away!

Vanilla Muffin Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcake Muffins

Today is my daughter's 5th birthday and being a super picky eater, I knew I had to keep my healthy muffin treat very simple for her.  I am baking her a big birthday cake for a party next weekend, so instead of baking another cake today, I figured "cupcakes" (for breakfast even!!) would be a perfect birthday treat.  This is about as basic a whole grain muffin recipe as you can get, with a little extra vanilla extract for a boost of flavor.  If you choose to use a little white flour it might not be crumbly at all, as this muffin has a bit of a coarse texture when compared to a "regular" cupcake.  But my daughter still ate it up (even the part without Nutella "frosting") and my son and husband liked them as well. 

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pecan Muffins

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pecan Muffins

This is my version of a cinnamon roll transformed into a healthy muffin.  No, it is not dripping with sugary glaze or melted butter, but it is smells just as good and tastes almost as delicious.  I doubled the amount of cinnamon I usually use in baked goods, and honestly think I may add even more next time so that it is definitely the predominant flavor.  There are a considerable amount of pecans as well so you get a couple of them in each bite which adds a robust richness. The oats and whole wheat flour provide fiber and protein, and the only sweetener is honey (could use brown sugar or maple syrup if you prefer).  It was very easy to throw together and made a delicious and healthy Saturday morning breakfast for me and my family.

Chocolate Bread

Chocolate Bread

Yesterday was a snow day here in the Poconos, (second one in a row) so after being out all day at dentist appointments and running errands, I really wanted to bake something.  I had found a recipe similar to this about a month ago when I was looking up chocolate bread muffin ideas and I was very intrigued.  A regular yeast based bread that is chocolate?  How cool!!  I referenced the recipe I had found as well as a couple for plain whole wheat bread, mixed them up a bit and came up with this.  I know it would be even better with some chopped nuts, dried fruit or mini chocolate chips baked in, but for the first time I wanted it plain, to get a real sense of the flavor.

It certainly made the house smell amazing, and even better, both my kids loved it and ate it for breakfast this morning with peanut butter on top.  I used quick rising yeast this time, basically because I didn't get started until almost 6pm and I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to get the bread baked and properly cooled before I headed to bed. The instant yeast did not work as well as I had hoped and next time I will use regular yeast and allow 1 hour of rising time for each of the steps (as opposed to the 1/2 hour I used this time.)  The bread did not actually rise a whole lot until it was baked, but it still came out moist, dense and delicious. 

Chocolate Pecan Pie Crust

Chocolate Pecan Pie Crust

Everyone knows that pastry is not very good for you.  Even when I have used whole wheat flour, the predominant ingredient is either vegetable shortening or butter.  I wanted to make my delicious dark chocolate protein pudding into a pie for Thanksgiving this year, and so I knew I had to come up with a healthy and high protein crust to go along with it.  So what did I use?  Nuts!!  You could easily use walnuts as well, as I had intended to do, but I found packages of pecans already ground up at the grocery store near my in laws' house in Canada where I was at the time and figured pecans would probably taste even better.  The combination of nuts, coconut oil, cocoa powder and a little sugar is a perfect compliment to the creamy chocolate filling.  Although at first I thought the crust was too crumbly, once the pudding is placed inside and soaks into the crust a bit, the slices definitely held together just fine. Unfortunately the availability of ingredients in Canada was slightly different than I am used to, so I had to change up my recipe a little and it did not come out as good as it has when at home.  But I plan to make my regular protein pudding again this Christmas and will certainly update with more photos once I do.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

This is another fairly simple vegetable side dish that I fell in love with this Thanksgiving.  I have never been a fan of squashes in the past, but I think it was because  I was used to them mashed up with just butter and the texture just hit me the wrong way.  But this, like the cider roasted root vegetables, brings out the natural sweetness with a slight caramelization created during the roasting process.  I used one giant butternut squash that my dedicated and very helpful husband spent a good 45 minutes chopping up into small cubes.  Next time I will definitely look for some pre cut squash and not worry about him hurting himself or getting too bored to continue. Make sure to add in the pinch of cayenne pepper because the combination of spicy and sweet really makes this dish unforgettable. And cayenne pepper is known to increase metabolism, so you will be able to eat more of the rest of the feast as well!!!

Cider Roasted Root Vegetables

Cider Roasted Root Vegetables

If I had been told a few years ago that I would be cooking, eating and writing about parsnips and turnips I may not have believed it.  Growing up, those were definitely not my favorite vegetables and until recently I had never even attempted to cook them.  I think that my aversion was more a factor of cooking style rather than actual taste as this dish is now an absolute favorite of mine.  Al dente and slightly sweet, this recipe is a completely different take on carrots, parsnips and turnips from the one that I remember as a child.

My grandfather was always the main cook at family holidays when I was younger, and although he was quite good at it, his methods were usually very simple:  roasted meats, potatoes of some sort and boiled vegetables. While cooking this dish on Thanksgiving at my in laws house, I was taken aback when walking into the kitchen after having been in another room for a few minutes and realized that the meal I was cooking smelled just like my grandparents' kitchen on Thanksgiving so many years ago.  Although I know for a fact that I never ate the boiled turnips mashed with butter, salt and pepper, the cooking of it smelled the same. And it is true that smell is the biggest trigger for memory because I could have sworn I was back in that warm cozy kitchen once again.  That alone is reason enough to share this amazing, yet simple, recipe.

Green Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Green Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is a very basic stir fry but it is a combination I had never thought to try before.  I love sun dried tomatoes but usually only used them in Italian dishes such as pizza and pasta or occasionally on a salad.  But after watching a guest doctor on the Dr. Oz show talk about sun dried tomatoes being a "new superfood" and how he loves them sauteed with olive oil and broccolette, I figured why not try them with green beans? Instead of the super salty and often high fat green bean casserole that is so popular around the holidays, this dish has all the flavor, but a boat load of nutrients as well.  The sun dried tomatoes give you the salty fix you are looking for and you could even top it with some toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a little crunch if you miss that as well.  Honestly of all the side dishes I prepared, this was by far the simplest, and yet my definite favorite.  And since the next big holiday is Christmas, why not give it a try for that meal?  It is certainly the right colors!

Mashed Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Every Thanksgiving table needs sweet potatoes and mine was definitely not lacking this year.  I know the traditional "casserole" is some sort of overly sweet concoction with marshmallows on top, and in the name of health, this is obviously not that.  It is better.  Creamy, naturally sweet and full flavored mashed sweet potatoes are topped with a crunchy pecan topping and heated to perfection.  You will not miss the marshmallows at all, I promise!!

Vegetable Lasagna Pasta Toss

Vegetable Lasagna Pasta Toss

I had a package of ricotta cheese that needed to get eaten in the next week and being too lazy after a long vacation to cook a lasagna, or bake something with ricotta, I decided to incorporate it in an easy to throw together, use what you have in your pantry kind of dinner.  Basically this includes many of the ingredients in a traditional vegetable lasagna, minus a bit of mozzarella cheese, but it is done on the stove in under 25 minutes.  It is high in fiber due to the whole grain pasta, the beans and the fresh veggies, and high in protein because of the pasta, cheese and beans combined.  So it is a warm, filling, satisfying and healthy way to feed a large family quickly. 

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

This is a family recipe that I got from my mom that both of us have changed around from it's original version. We used whole wheat flour to add fiber and I also used almond butter in place of some regular butter to add in healthy fats and protein.  Of course like most cookies this has a decent amount of sugar, but it also has healthful spices and is far better for you than anything you could buy in a store.  Plus some of the sugar is molasses which is a nutrient rich sweetener that is high in manganese, copper, iron and calcium, just to name a few.

For more information about the health benefits of molasses, go to:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=118&tname=foodspice

Raspberry Fudge Cookies

Raspberry Fudge Cookies

Best Cookies Ever.  Just saying.  This recipe is adapted from one a friend of mine posted on Facebook awhile back called "Raspberry Cream Cookies." * Since my son is not as big a fan of dark chocolate as I am and that recipe called for white chocolate chips, I thought I would give it a try.  I changed it up with whole grain flour, of course, and they were delicious.  So good in fact that I made another batch to bring in for my son's 9th birthday party at school the following week. But even though I myself actually liked them, I knew that if I added dark chocolate chips instead or made them with cocoa powder baked in they would be even better.

It has been a couple of months since then and I have finally gotten around to trying out my dark chocolate version of the original recipe.  I had a feeling they would be good, but I had NO IDEA how good.  They are certainly not the most healthy dessert I have featured on here, but to their credit, they are made entirely out of whole wheat flour, have high fiber and antioxidant rich raspberries in them, and I replaced some of the butter with coconut oil. They also have dark cocoa and ground flax seed, so while not being a "health food", they are definitely a lot better for you than you would ever think after tasting them.  They are rich, fudgy, chewy, decadent and addictive (be careful!).  I will definitely be making these again soon!  Enjoy!!!

* http://www.anecdotesandapples.com/raspberry-cream-cookies-and-36-weeks