Spicy Lentil & Sausage Soup

Ode to a Lentil

Lentil, your wholesome.
Lentil, you're tasty.
Lentil, you make my
Dinnertime hasty.

Okay, so I'm no Robert Frost. But I do love me some lentils! And what's not to love? They're nutritional powerhouses. They're just about as cheap as food comes these days. They're versatile. They're quick. And they're delicious. This soup has just three main ingredients, yet the flavors that come out of it suggest a much more complex recipe. Warm your belly and your taste buds this winter. Belly up to a bowl of lentil soup. Here's a great way to make it.

Spicy Lentil & Sausage Soup
Serves 4 or 6 (8 Points Plus value at 4 servings; 5 Points Plus Value at 6 servings)

What You Need:

• 1 lb turkey sausage (hot is what I used)
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best by far)
• salt & pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Brown the turkey sausage, but do not drain when you're done.

2. Add the chicken stock.

3. Add the lentils.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender but not mushy.

5. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. I like mine thick. Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

One year ago: Buttermilk Bread

Pasta with Vodka Sauce...on Weight Watchers!

I want to take minute to talk to you all about one of most dieter's pet peeves. The ever-present Food Police. You know the type. They are always asking things like, "Should you be eating that?" or "Are you allowed to eat that on Weight Watchers?" or "Isn't that high in fat/calories/carbs?"

First: If you love a person and truly have their best interest at heart, phrase the question nicely, calmly, and in a caring manner. We might still snip at you, but your intentions will show through and we'll appreciate the support. I mean, if I was about to sit down to a pan full of brownies, I'd want my husband to ask me if I really thought that was a good idea. I would want the support.

But if I'm sitting down to a brownie a la mode, with a big ol' grin on my happy face, I've already counted the points values for those items on my plate. I've planned. I've sacrificed. And gosh darn it, I'm going to enjoy every bite of it.

And I'm allowed to eat whatever I want to eat. Even brownies. Even a la mode.

And so Food Police asking if I can/should/really want to/am allowed to eat that decadent dessert are just nosy and rude.

Weight Watchers isn't about deprivation. As a matter of fact, we're encouraged to treat ourselves, however we see fit, every week, even!

This recipe uses vodka sauce. Vodka sauce has heavy whipping cream in it! Yes, even heavy whipping cream has a place in Weight Watchers.

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, mildly modified to suit what I had on hand. And it goes from pan to table in the time it takes to cook the pasta!

Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Serves 6 (9 Points Plus value per serving)

What You Need:

• 12 oz pasta (penne is traditional but use what you have)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) vodka
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

How it's Done:

1. Cook pasta al dente and drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute' the onion and garlic for three minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for about five minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.

4. Pour in the vodka, cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, for three minutes.

5. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream. Cook and stir three more minutes.

6. Toss sauce with the pasta. Yields about one cup per serving.

Breakfast for Dinner

A really great way to stretch your grocery budget AND to make your family think they're getting a great treat is to serve breakfast for dinner. I do it once a week now. I was afraid that when I started Weight Watchers, I'd have to give up my breakfast for dinner routine. As a matter of fact, I thought I'd have to give up a lot of things.

As it turns out, I gave up nothing, except for 35 pounds so far (since mid-September). I still eat everything I used to eat. I just watch my portion sizes. I have never, not once, felt deprived, or "on a diet" since beginning with Weight Watchers. And that's key to sticking to a weight loss plan, isn't it? Feeling satisfied!

Last night, we had pumpkin waffles (two waffles each, for just 5 points!) and baked apples. It was delicious, satisfying, and belly-warming on that cold winter night. I want to share with you the recipe for baked apples. I modified it slightly from the original Weight Watchers recipe, but the Points Plus value remains the same.

Baked Apples
serves 6 (5 points each)

What You Need:

• 6 apples (I used red delicious, because they were on sale!)
• 12 Tbsp raisins
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
• 2 Tbsp chopped toasted pecans

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each apple, so that it stands up straight in your baking dish.
3. Scoop out the core with a knife and spoon or a melon baller, but leave the bottom intact.
4. Fill each apple with 2 Tbsp raisins. Sprinkle them with the cinnamon.

5. Combine the cider and maple syrup. Pour this around the apples.
6. Bake, uncovered, for about an hour. Baste the apples with the syrup/juice mixture every ten minutes.
7. Top each apple with 1 Tbsp yogurt and 1 tsp chopped pecans. Serve immediately.

Wallet Padding: Split Peas

Did you hear? We're moving to Germany! It looks like September will be our reporting month. So, I want to save up around $3,000 between now and August 1st, so that we can have a little padding in the wallet when we arrive. We'll want to take some vacation time and tour a bit of Europe, plus we need to set money aside for out-of-pocket expenses as they arise.

One of the easiest ways to cut household costs and save money is in the grocery store. Going vegetarian is almost always a surefire way to slash the cost of a meal. Take today's soup, for example: It's split pea. By leaving out the traditional ham, I'm saving at least $3.00. That's $3.00 toward my trip to Italy/France/Spain/Portugal/wherever my heart desires. ;)

I mean, really. Which would you rather have: ham in your soup, or a pair of Italian shoes...bought in Italy?

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
in the slow cooker

What You Need:

• 1 lb dried split peas, sorted through to remove debris
• 4 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick coins
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced basil
• optional: 1/2 tsp curry powder
• salt & pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Add everything but salt and pepper to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, then reduce heat to low and continue cooking until ready to serve.
2. Consider taking your potato masher and mashing up the veggies a little bit at the end of the cooking time. I like for my split pea soup to have an even texture. Doing this gives me the mouth-feel I like from split pea soup.
3. Before serving, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
4. I like to serve this soup topped with garlic-cheese croutons and a dollop of sour cream.

Thanksgiving -- Day 3

I hope you've been enjoying my recipes so far. Today, I bring you a dessert that's both light and rich at the same time: Simple Pumpkin Mousse.

This won't be the last time I share a pumpkin recipe with you this week. My family loves pumpkin, and since it's an orange vegetable, I make as many dishes with it as I can all autumn and winter long. It's cost-effective, versatile, pretty to behold, and delicious. You can't get much better than that.

Simple Pumpkin Mousse, Two Ways
Traditional Method (Fat-Free, Low Sugar Method in parentheses)

What You Need:

• 1 can pure pumpkin, 15 oz size (same)
• 1 3/4 cups whipped heavy cream (16 oz fat-free Cool Whip)
• 4-serving size instant pudding mix, white chocolate or similar flavor (use sugar-free, fat free)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice for garnish (same)

How it's Done:

1. Blend pudding mix with pumpkin.
2. Gently fold in whipped cream or Cool Whip.
3. Store refrigerated until ready to serve.
4. Before serving, sprinkle evenly with pumpkin pie spice.

I'm thankful for my ability to cook, which has blessed my family with nutrition and delicious-tasting meals, and has brought friends together, and has allowed me to share my passion with the world via this blog. What are you thankful for today?

Thanksgiving

Do I even need to mention that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? I see it as my showcase day: the day when I share my cooking passion and skill with friends and family. My wares are on display. I get to see cleaned plates and food-drunken grins. It's quite an ego-stroke.

This year, I'm toning my Thanksgiving down quite a bit, for two reasons. First, because I want a stress-free holiday season. In years past, I have worked myself into a frenzy cooking ten or more side dishes and an equal number of desserts. Also, I'm working on my weight, so I need to be careful what I serve. There are a couple dishes that I'm going to make that are very fattening but very worth the caloric cost. Other than those, I'm making my dinner plans healthier.

Each day this week, I'll share with you a recipe that I'm using for my family's Thanksgiving celebration. I'm cooking these in real time, and freezing them to use on the big day. That's another way to de-stress your holidays: plan ahead, prepare ahead. I hope you enjoy my recipes.

First recipe: Sweet Potatoes made healthier

Normally, my sweet potato recipe consists of tons of butter, brown sugar, pineapple, and pecans. Here's a healthier option:

Honey-Nut Crunch Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

What You Need:

• 2 1/2 lb peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (1" cubes)
• 6 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 6 oz whole almonds (unsalted), ground into a coarse meal
• 1/4 cup honey

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Layer the sweet potatoes and cranberries in a 2 quart baking dish.

3. Pour the apple cider over the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
4. Combine ground almonds and honey. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes.


5. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes to brown top.

I'm thankful for full bellies and full cupboards...I'm thankful my family never

needs to experience true hunger. What are you thankful for?

Chili Mac

....made healthier!

I am doing very well on Weight Watchers, having lost over 13 pounds in the first month. I really enjoy the eTools Recipe Builder, and used it again to calculate this recipe. I regret that I can't share POINTS values with you on the healthy recipes I'm sharing. I realize other bloggers do disclose POINTS values. However, maybe my scruples are more pronounced than others'. Maybe I'm just a stickler for rules. I just can't violate my own ethics standards here. I will, however, give you accurate measurements, which you can plug into Spark People or another healthy living site and it will give you the nutritional profile. I hope you understand.

Chili Mac

serves 8

What You Need:

• 1/2 lb dried pinto beans, picked through for debris
• 1 lb extra lean (95 to 97%) ground beef
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 packet chili seasoning (or make your own)
• 1 can, undrained, chili seasoned diced tomatoes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup 2% 4-cheese Mexican style cheese blend
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

How it's Done:

1. Cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for two minutes. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand one to two hours.
2. Drain beans. Recover with water equal to three times the beans' volume. Bring to a boil. Cook at boiling for one to three hours, or until beans are tender.
3. During last half-hour of cooking time, brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper. Combine cooked beans, browned beef, onion, pepper, tomatoes, chili seasoning, and water in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an hour.

4. Meanwhile, cook the elbow macaroni al dente.
5. Add macaroni to the chili. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Serve with 2 Tbsp each shredded cheese and sour cream.

Lightened Up Chicken Spaghetti

In the past, I've made some delicious chicken spaghetti that had Rotel tomatoes with green chilies and loads of Velveeta cheese. It's really good. But it's really bad for you, too. As I've mentioned, I'm doing Weight Watchers, so I'm not eating much by way of Velveeta these days. Actually, I haven't had Velveeta in almost a year.

Anyway, Weight Watchers eTools has something really cool that I've been playing with, called Recipe Builder. You tell it what you're putting into your recipe, and it tells you how many POINTS value are in each serving. I can't share those values with you, because it's copyrighted material. I just love that feature. It helped me plan today's dinner. Here it is:

Chicken Spaghetti
serves 6

What You Need:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cut into chunks (I did a combo of the two, just quickly cutting it up)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup sliced bell peppers
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 lb dry spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (use less if you don't care for it that much. We love it.)
• 2 gloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of cheese (I used Weight Watchers brand 4 cheese Italian blend, made with 2% milk)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

How it's Done:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or mist with oil.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and onions, stirring until soft and fragrant. Stir in sauce, basil, garlic, chicken, and spaghetti, mixing well. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese.
• Pour spaghetti mixture into the prepared dish. Top with the remaining cheeses.
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let the dish sit for five more minutes before slicing and serving.

Incidentally, I had my third weigh-in on Wednesday, and have lost a total so far of 10.8 pounds, eating stuff like Chicken Spaghetti, and putting cream and sugar in my coffee. It works, and it's sound, and it promotes whole foods eating. I love it.

Low-Fat, Filling Mexican Pizza

As you all know, I started Weight Watchers last week. I had a tremendously successful week! I went to my 2nd meeting today, and weighed in 5.6 pounds lighter! I feel wonderful about it! If you're unfamiliar with Weight Watchers, and all you see are the products for sale in the supermarket, you might think Weight Watchers stresses the use of packaged foods. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am so pleased with the program. It fits in perfectly with my family's lifestyle. I made this for lunch today and it's delicious, low-fat, and very filling. Plus, it's minimally processed -- just my style. Oh, did I mention that it took me about five minutes to put together?

Mexican Pizza Bagels

Per serving, you will need:

• 1 Bagel Thin (or Sandwich Thin)
• 1/2 cup "refried" black beans (cook 'em without fat and smash the leftovers!)
• 1/4 cup chopped raw onion
• 2 Tbsp salsa
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese made with 2% milk (I used a Mexican blend)
• 2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream

How it's Done:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees (if I had a toaster oven, I would have used it instead!).
2. Toast the bagel thin. While it's toasting, warm up your beans.
3. Top the bagel thin with the beans, then salsa, then onions, then cheese.
4. Stick it in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes -- you just want the cheese to melt a bit and the food to heat through.
5. Top with sour cream and enjoy!

Rotini with Kielbasa and Vegetables

Light and filling, this dish also goes together in under 30 minutes, making it a good choice for busy school nights (like tonight, so please forgive me for being so brief).

Rotini with Kielbasa & Veggies
Serves 4

What You Need:

• 4 cups cooked rotini (I used whole wheat)
• 8 oz kielbasa, cut into round "coins" (I used turkey kielbasa)
• 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 2 cups cooked broccoli
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
• 2 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided

How it's Done:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the sausage, pepper, onions, and broccoli for five minutes.
2. Add the garlic and basil and cooked pasta. Cook and stir until the pasta is coated with olive oil and the dish is well-combined.
3. Plate four servings and top each with a tablespoon of grated cheese.

What shortcuts do you take to speed up your meal prep on busy days?

A Delicious Salad, a Crispy Crunch, and a Refreshing Dressing

Summer is all about cool and crisp and fresh, and salads epitomize those better than anything. I won't spend much time here on this blog talking about salads, because they're generally so simple to throw together that having a recipe for them is redundant. This one is worth sharing, because it makes my mouth happy. It has many flavors involved, including a light and healthy, refreshing dressing. Here's how I made it:

For the salad, I used butter lettuce, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, pecan pieces, and dressing. I had baby carrots on the side because they taste so good dipped in the fruity dressing.

The Dressing:

Combine in a container with lid:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup apple cidar vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Seal tightly and shake to emulsify. Drizzle over salad. Store extra dressing tightly sealed in the refrigerator. It's light, fruity, and full of good-for-you stuff.

Now, for a mid-day meal, I need more than just salad, even if it includes fruit and nuts. That's where these cheese straws come in. Cheese straws are commonly served in the south. If you've never had them before, I encourage you to try them. They taste a lot like CheezIts, only less salty and more wholesome.

Cheese Straws

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp is best)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 Tbsp salted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 tsp milk

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out a couple baking sheets.
2. Combine cheese, flour, butter, mustard, and pepper in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Turn the food processor on and drizzle in the milk, processing until the dough forms a ball.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/8" thickness.
5. Using your pizza cutter, cut into 1" wide strips. Place strips on baking sheets (nearly touching is fine, as they won't exand outward much at all) and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Let your cheese straws cool completely on their baking sheets before moving them. They'll crisp up nicely sitting there.
7. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Cheese straws are even better on days two and three.

This post linked to Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays and

On Being a Foodie

Day 161.

I don't just cook. I search for food news. I read books about food. Yes, cookbooks, but also fiction books where the story centers around food. I look for and attend food events. I like to talk about food. I like to write about food.

Food can be interesting. Food can inspire heated debates. Food is a rich part of the human history.

Here are some interesting factoids about what you put in your mouth:

• Did you know that the average person consumes 35 tons of food in a lifetime?
• Like Ice Cream? Thank the Chinese. And Marco Polo. He brought it back from China with him.
• Peanuts are used in making dynamite!
• A banana tree is not actually a fruit tree. It's a big ol' herb. The banana? It's a berry!
• Coconuts are deadly. They kill about 150 people each year -- that's more than shark attacks!
• Do you like your water bottled and fancy? Drink Evian? Spell it backward. Naive. Yeah.
• Like caramel? Thank Arab women. They used it to remove body hair. :)
• The kernels in a row of corn will always be an even number.

Do you read in the tub? It's one of my favorite ways to unwind at the end of a hard day. Many times, I bring cookbooks, instead of fiction. It's true. I mark, in pencil, recipes I'd like to try, and I write all over the margins my notes for changing the recipe.

I love older recipes, too. This one is relatively young for an "older" recipe. It's fun to make recipes from centuries gone by. I enjoy connecting with my culinary past.

Cornell Bread from Cornell University

Makes 3 loaves

Cornell bread was created in order to provide low-cost, nutrient-dense bread during war rationing. I don't know about you, but low-cost and high-nutrient are two phrases I strive to reach every single day!

I adapted the recipe based on my experiences with it and what I had on hand. Please refer to the link above for the original recipe.

What You Need:

• 3 cups warm (110 degrees or so) water
• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 6 1/2 cups flour (I used 3 cups whole wheat and 3 1/2 cups all-purpose)
• 1/2 cup soy flour
• 3 Tbsp wheat germ
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

How it's Done:

1. In your large mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid as usual), combine water, yeast, and honey.
2. Let it rest while you stir together 6 cups of flour (save 1/2 a cup for later), the soy flour, wheat germ, and sea salt.
3. Add oil to the mixer bowl. One cup at a time, add your flour mixture, beating well. Add the extra 1/2 cup if you find your dough is too sticky like mine was.
4. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. It took my stand mixer ten minutes to accomplish this.
5. Turn dough out into a well-oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. It took my dough 90 minutes to double.
6. Punch your dough down. Fold in the edges. Divide dough into 3 portions. Rather than make 3 sandwich loaves, I made mine into one 8x4" sandwich loaf, one round loaf, and six rolls. You use the combination that suits you. Make sure your pans are well oiled. Cover the dough and let it rise to double again. This took about 45 minutes for my dough.
7. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes. My rolls were done in 15; my 8x4" loaf was done in 24.
8. I brushed my finished breads with melted butter. I find that it adds to the flavor and also helps keep the crusts softer.

For more Vintage Recipes (and to participate!) visit Joy of Desserts today!

And for even more recipes, visit Cooking Thursdays at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

Welcome New Friends!

Day 155.

I'm participating in a few blog hops today to mingle with other bloggers. If you're here from one of them, welcome! If you're a regular reader, I appreciate you so very much! There's a new recipe at the bottom of this post for you.

New here? Hungry? Here are a few of my recent favorites for you to try...

Peach Sorbet

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Strawberry Lemonade

There's tons more here, so pull up a chair, make yourself at home, and find something good to eat. Thanks for stopping by!

Quinoa* Breakfast Cereal

What You Need:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp chopped dried fruit (I used figs)
• 2 Tbsp chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup fresh fruit (I used blueberries)

How it's Done:

1. First, you'll need to prepare your quinoa. Rinse it well, then bring to a boil and simmer as package directs. One cup of quinoa and two cups of water will give you roughly 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
2. Next, combine cooked quinoa with the milk, honey, dried fruit, nuts, and cinnamon. Simmer until thickened, about ten minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in fresh fruit.

*Quinoa is a delicious grain that I would describe as nutty in flavor. It's very healthy and readily available online and in whole foods/health foods stores.

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Sweet Potato Pancakes

Day 153.

If you've been reading this blog for long, you know that I'm a proponent of healthy school lunches and that I am appalled at the lack of quality available to most American elementary school students in their cafeterias. Also, it's my goal to reduce the amount of garbage my family produces, so I've decided to make all of their school lunches no waste meals.

When I came across this bento-themed meme at What's for Lunch at Our House, I knew I would participate. So here's what's for lunch at our house.

Main compartment: Romaine lettuce, carrot curls, cucumbers cut into butterflies, strawberries and white cheddar cheese cut into bunnies, and a hard-boiled egg molded into a bunny shape.

Sides: strawberries cut to fit compartment; sweet potato pancakes in leaf and tree shapes.

Not pictured: salad dressing and honey-cinnamon butter

Time invested: 20 minutes (plus boiling time for eggs---pancakes were leftovers)

 The sweet potato pancakes I made were a healthy version of a Southern classic. I omitted the eggs and butter, replacing them with banana and applesauce, eliminated added sugar, and opted for almond milk instead of cow's milk.

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Honey-Cinnamon Butter

What You Need:

• 1 sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and mashed
• 1 large banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 cups milk (I used almond milk...feel free to use whatever milk you prefer)
• 1 2/3 cups flour (I used all unbleached white flour, but you can substitute whole wheat for even healthier pancakes)
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
• non-stick cooking spray for the pan

 

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your griddle or skillet on medium heat.
2. In a food processor, or using a mixer, beat sweet potato with banana and applesauce. Add milk slowly and beat to combine.
3. In a separate, large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.
4. Add liquid to dry ingredients, stirring only long enough to make sure all the dry ingredients are wet.
5. Drop by 1/3 cupfuls onto a greased skillet and cook 3 minutes on first side, flip, and cook until done (about 3 more minutes).
6. For the butter: In a food processor, combine 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter with 1/4 cup honey and 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon. Process until combined. Store in refrigerator.

Breakfast and Bites Around the Blogosphere

Day 150.

 

Yesterday, I got my very first fire ant bite since moving to Georgia almost a year ago. The little devil bit me on my Achilles tendon and it's been swelling, itching, and hurting ever since. Anyone have a home remedy for ant bites?

Here's a recipe for some yummy, healthier waffles to kick-start your Sunday. The cook up puffy, fluffy, and aromatic. Enjoy them with apple butter, honey, or maple syrup...or just by themselves.

Apple-Cinnamon Waffles

What You Need:

• 2 cups flour (use all-purpose, whole wheat, or a combination of the two)
• 2 Tbsp sugar (you can actually omit this entirely if you'd like!)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• dash of sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with milk. Stir in applesauce.
4. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
5. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto a standard size waffle iron and cook as manufacturer suggests.

Bites Around the Blogosphere

A weekly segment in which I recommend delicious recipes and articles around the blogosphere.

1. Little Calf, Little Calf Bento Lunch at A Pocket Full of Buttons
2. Sweet and Spicy Shrimp at Andrea the Kitchen Witch
3. Homemade Ding Dongs at Beantown Baker
4. Fried Ice Cream at Christy
5. Thai Chicken Pizza at Confessions of a Bake-Aholic
6. Black Bean and Summer Squash Enchiladas at FatFree Vegan
7. Penne A la Vodka at Jenn's Food Journey
8. Broccoli with Bacon and Breadcrumb Topping at Mennonite Girls Can Cook
9. Blueberry and Cheese Rolls at Out of the Box Into the Kitchen
10. Jamie Oliver's Delicious Cheesy Corn at Snack Girl