Breakfast with Coconut Manna & Superfruit Juice

As a child I grew up with a father who loved to cook breakfast. My dad makes the most fabulous waffles topped with fresh strawberries that he would usually buy after making a special trip early in the morning to a nearby strawberry farm. These gourmet waffles or strawberry shortcake meals were usually Saturday morning breakfasts and the rest of the week included a warm bowl of oatmeal.  My dad instilled a love of warm home-cooked breakfasts in me and I'm hoping to do the same with my kids.




We like to include cooked cereal in our weekly meal plans but it can get a little boring. I was excited to receive some Coconut Manna from Swanson Vitamins and thought it was the perfect addition to our morning hot cereals. This creamy organic coconut delivers fiber, protein and nourishing fats as well as great taste.  There are lots of other uses for liquid coconut like desserts, dressings and sauces. Plus, anything named "manna" has got to be good. Right?

Another morning routine we're trying is Maqui SuperFruit Antioxidant Juice.  Maqui has been enhanced with acai, pomegranate, blueberry and raspberry juices. According to Swanson's website, "the exceptional free radical fighting properties associated with maqui can be attributed to stores of naturally-occurring anthocyanins - a powerful class of antioxidants that have been shown highly effective in quenching free radicals." My girls love fruit smoothies even if they're green from the addition of spinach. To make them a little more healthy I'm adding a few tablespoons of Maqui. Doesn't it feel great starting your morning with healthy food?


*Other bloggers can receive products from Swanson to review by contacting blogs@swansonhealth.com

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive product samples to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions are my own.  

The Best Homemade Granola Ever!

Rolled oats are a great way to start your morning. I'm okay with eating oatmeal and grew up with a dad who LOVES it and cooked it often. (Best oatmeal combo in my opinion includes coconut flakes and dried pineapple tidbits. No added sweeteners needed.) My kids are also pretty good at eating their morning oatmeal including little Miss. Picky-pants who ate her bowl with dried blueberries this morning. I'm not complaining 'cause we all know the healthy value of eating our oats but oatmeal can get a little boring. To add variety to our oat breakfasts I've also made many a granola recipe. Granola is great as cereal, over yogurt, by the handful, etc. I like granola but I've never been one to desperately want a bowl of it or eat it by the handful as a snack until I made this recipe. Oh. my. goodness. This granola is A-mazing! I especially love the large coconut curls that toast as you bake the oats. Mmmm. I think these coconut chips are the secret recipe that makes the granola so delicious.  Our gallon ziplock bag of this granola was gone in 3 days. Even the painters who were here the morning I baked this cinnamon treat were asking what it was because the smell was so heavenly.

The best part of this granola recipe is that ANYONE can make it. Really. Making granola is the easiest thing since boiling water. It's healthy, easy to make and delicious. What more can you ask for?

Cranberry Coconut Granola
an original recipe by Jayne at The Dish List


8 cups rolled oats
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups coconut
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large 11x14 rectangular pan with cooking spray. Mix together oats, pecans, coconut, cranberries, nutmeg and cinnamon. Measure the oil, honey and brown sugar in a microwavable dish or saucepan. Microwave (or cook on the stovetop) until melted. Add the vanilla and pour over the oat mixture. Spread mixture evenly in pan and bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Be sure to store in an airtight container.

Healthy & Hearty Banana Nut Muffins

I love to feed my family whole-grain, heart healthy food so I jumped at the chance to review a package of wheat bran sent to me by Swanson Health Products. A little background on Swanson: I enjoyed reading the story of the founding of the company. In the late 1950s Leland Swanson, founder of Swanson Health Products, was struggling to play his beloved sport of golf because of arthritis. After some personal research he began taking supplements to increase his health and eventually after a small mail-order beginning Swanson became the company it is today.

Now on to the ingredient of wheat bran. Bran is the "hard outer layer of grain and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. Bran is particularly rich in dietary fiber and essential fatty acids and contains significant quantities of starch, protein, vitamins and dietary minerals." (Wikipedia) Basically, wheat bran is the good stuff that is often left out of milled flour. I wanted to bake something special yet kid-friendly for breakfast with the wheat bran. I found a Banana-Bran-Nut Muffin recipe on Bob's Red Mill site but I was concerned that the bread would be unappealingly dense. That's when I pulled out the package of Bob's Red Mill aluminum free baking soda also sent to me by Swansons. I didn't know what that meant but from a little internet research I found out that some companies chemically produce baking soda whereas Bob's Red Mill is mined naturally with water in northwestern Colorado. Why is this important? Although no definitive correlation has been shown regarding health problems (Alzheimer patients have high aluminum content in their brains) aluminum can also be the source of a slight tin flavor in your baked goods.

The Verdict:  With an ingredient list of wheat bran and wheat flour I was doubtful these muffins would be moist let alone enjoyable to my children. The result was two of my kids ate 3 muffins each in one sitting! The muffins are very moist and flavorful. I did add a dusting of granulated sugar to the tops of the muffins for the benefit of my young children. (The noticeably sugary-topped muffins were the first to be eaten.) I am anxious to continue baking with the aluminum free baking soda to see if I can taste a definitive difference. Still, it had to be good baking soda to create a plump muffin when you're baking with such heavy grains.

Banana-Bran-Nut Muffins

Recipe source: Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

1 1/4 cups wheat bran
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
3/4 cups chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups plain lowfat yogurt
1 large overripe banana

Preheat oven to 400°F. Insert paper liners in muffin tins, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and walnuts and stir until well mixed.

Measure the oil and yogurt into the blender (or processor) and add the banana, broken up. Blend at medium speed until uniform, then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir gently until all is wet. Spoon the batter into the foil liners and bake for about 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

*Other bloggers can receive products from Swanson to review by contacting blogs@swansonhealth.com

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive product samples to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions are my own.  

National Pancake Week

Recently I received a package of King Arthur Flour's white whole wheat flour to review over on Moana Saves. Since the package was only 5 pounds I left it on my counter for weeks while I debated the different recipes to try with the prized amount of flour.  One night as I was planning to cook my typical dinner standby (breakfast for dinner!) I decided to use a portion of the precious flour (yes, it's that good and can not be wasted!) in King Arthur Flour's whole grain pancake recipe. I reviewed the flour over on Moana Saves but I just want to say that this recipe includes whole wheat flour AND oats yet it was still such a light and flavorful pancake. Mmm-mmm!

Homemade Whole-Grain Pancake Mix

Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour with my addition noted in red below

• 4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 cup vegetable oil

(*My notes: When cooking my pancakes I used 2 cups of the dry ingredient mix, doubling the pancake instructions below. My sole variation was adding 3-4 small over-ripe bananas, throughly mashed, to the wet ingredients prior to combining wet and dry to make the pancake batter.)

To make the mix:

1) Grind the oats in a food processor until they're chopped fine, but not a powder.

2) Put the flour, oats, and all other dry ingredients into a mixer with a paddle. Mix on slow speed, and drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running.

3) Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature, or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make pancakes:

1) Whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup of buttermilk (you can use soured milk, but buttermilk gives noticeably superior results; a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk also will do), and 1 large egg. Don't worry if it seems thin at first: the oats will soak up the milk, and the mix will thicken a bit as it stands. Let the batter stand for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

2) Heat a lightly greased griddle to 350°F (if you've got a griddle with a temperature setting; if not, medium-hot will do).

3) Drop the batter onto it in 1/4-cupfuls (a jumbo cookie scoop works well here) to make a 4" diameter pancake. If you have English muffin rings, use them; they make a perfectly round, evenly thick pancake.

4) When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface without breaking (after about 2 minutes, if your griddle is the correct temperature), turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side, which will take about 2 minutes.

5) Serve pancakes immediately, or stack and hold in a warm oven.

Yield: a batch using one cup of the mix will make about eight 4" pancakes.

Note: If you don't have buttermilk in the house, try the yogurt and milk combination first; if you happen to have buttermilk powder, try this: In place of the buttermilk, add 1/4 cup buttermilk powder to 1 cup of dry mix, then stir in 1 cup water and 1 large egg. The results won't be as magnificent as using liquid buttermilk, but you'll still have very tasty pancakes.

Variation: Add 1 tablespoon orange juice to the dry mix along with the buttermilk. We've found that the acidity and sweetness of the orange juice helps mellow the tannic taste some people perceive in whole wheat flour; while the pancakes won't have any orange flavor, they may taste slightly milder to you, if you're not a fan of whole wheat flour (but still want to get more whole grains into your diet).

Cranberry Upside Down Muffins

I had fresh cranberries in my fridge so for breakfast this morning I made these little beauties. If you're not a fan of the tart flavor of cranberries then you won't like this recipe. I liked that the batter is sweet and cake-like in flavor. My only complaint is the muffin's density; these are hearty (read "heavy") muffins but they taste great.

Serving note: Add butter and a sprinkle of sugar on top of your muffin. Enjoy!

Cranberry Upside Down Muffins

recipe courtesy of joyofbaking.com

Cranberry Sauce:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice or water

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Muffin Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Butter well or spray, with a non stick vegetable spray, 12 muffin tins.

 

Cranberry Sauce: In a medium sized saucepan place the cranberries, sugar, orange juice (or water), and orange zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries start to pop open, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly while you make the batter.

Muffin Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, egg, vanilla extract, and melted and cooled butter.

Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough when baked.  

Evenly divide the cranberry mixture among the 12 well greased muffins cups and then evenly spoon the batter over the cranberry sauce. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 2 minutes, and then invert them onto a cooling rack so the the cranberry topping is face up..

Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

*My Notes: I had half a grapefruit in the fridge and used the juices (no zest) in my cranberry sauce. The cranberry flavor was so overpowering that I'm not sure if I tasted the citrus flavor. Also, remember to add a little melted butter and sugar for serving!

Chocolate-Filled Ebilskivers

My husband's family introduced me to this lovely little Danish pancake called an 'Ebilskiver'. They have been making these pancakes for years thanks to their sweet Grandma Kjar and her Danish roots. I've even heard that the family record is eating 32 in one sitting, although I wouldn't recommend attempting to beat that record.

We received this pan as a wedding gift from a friend and have always enjoyed making the original recipe and serving it with syrup or a little butter and sugar. The other night as a surprise for my chocolate-loving husband I decided to try a variation of the traditional recipe. After pouring the batter I put two Wilton brand chocolate wafers in the pancake and then cooked/turned the pancake as usual. The result was a yummy, chocolatey treat!

I've also found a couple other recipe variations on Natalie's site and Williams Sonoma that I'm looking forward to making.

Here is Williams Sonoma's pancake batter ingredients and instructions per the cinnamon-bun filled pancake recipe. Our recipe is very similar.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 cups milk

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbs. melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions. Put 1/8 tsp. melted butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 2 Tbs. batter into each well. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

*Jayne's Notes: I used olive oil instead of butter to oil my pan. I also found that I had to regrease the pan between batches to avoid sticking. These treats with the added chocolate can even be served as a finger-food dessert.

Yogurt

Homemade Yogurt....

I finally did it! I made homemade yogurt! I have been wanting to do this for a very long time and this week I did it. I have a daughter who just turned one and is not a fan of whole milk. I can't complain because she drinks more water than all of my children combined at the age of 12 months but she's also the skinniest and most petite little baby I've ever had so she needs the dairy fat. In order to help with breakfast prep for a 12 month old, increase dairy consumption, and save grocery dollars (yogurt in southern california averages $1/cup for the on sale price) I made yogurt myself. My husband grew up on homemade yogurt so he was all too pleased to eat made-from-scratch whole milk yogurt compared to the cheap non-fat yogurts I usually buy. The other added bonus is you can customize the fruit flavors per serving! Most days I just put a little homemade fruit jam in the yogurt serving. 

There are 16 in a gallon so you can approximate your servings per that number. After 'incubating' I ladled the servings into individual tupperware so they were easier to store and later serve/eat.

*This yogurt is slightly sweet but more like a semi-sweet 'plain' yogurt. Needless to say you definitely need to add some sort of sweetener, whether it be maple syrup, jam, fruit, granola and brown sugar, etc. 

*Be sure to buy a high quality yogurt starter. Look at the label to make sure it has live cultures. The one I bought had I think 5 different types of live cultures, it was organic and it was plain flavored.

Heat 1 gallon whole milk to 180 degrees.  Remove from heat and let milk cool to 108-122 degrees.  Stir in a carton of plain yogurt.  Pour in a gallon thermos jug.  Put in warm place for 24 hours.  (I put the jug on top of the water heater.)  Chill and enjoy!

German Pancakes and Warm Peach Butter Sauce

Jayne's Notes: Home-grown and bottled peaches are like GOLD in our house! They are divine! I made this with a quart of these delicious peaches and it was ohhhh so good!! If you're on a diet, don't continue reading. Run away, far away! This is not light on calories but it tastes so good!!
Warm Peach Butter Sauce
1 pint peaches
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan. blend peaches in blender and add into butter. add sugar and salt. stir and bring to a boil. simmer until sauce thickens. stir in vanilla. serve warm with whipped cream.

German Pancakes

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Mix the eggs, milk, flour and salt until smooth. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

(This is German pancakes recipe I found online. I'm sure it's very similar to mine as there isn't a whole lot of room to make changes with this simple recipe.)